Voice Guide and Explore by Touch to be added to Kindle Fire in early 2013
Here is something that will make the original Kindle Fire and 7 inch Kindle Fire HD more appealing to the visually impaired. Amazon has announced the inclusion of two key features, Voice Guide and Explore by Touch, in early 2013 that until now have only been exclusive to the 8.9 inch Kindle Fire HD.
Voice Guide can be considered an extension of the speech to text feature in which the user will get to hear which action they are activating, from the opening an ebook to launching of an app. In such a scenario, the voice support will read aloud what app has been launched or the title of the book opened. Explore by Touch is similar in that users can swipe their fingers across the display and voice support will announce all the apps they have touched. Tapping again will then execute the action.
Great to see the more affordable Kindle Fire and the 7 inch Kindle Fire now being provided with the two apps that should benefit the visually impaired.
New update for Kindle Fire HD
Amazon has come up with a new update that aims at enhancing the front facing camera performance. The update introduces swype, making typing a lot easier. The update that bumps the software version to 7.2.2 is already available to users of the Kindle Fire HD, though users can of course check for it manually if they haven’t yet received any official intimation.
GameStop now selling Kindle Fire
The Kindle Fire has at GameStop. The video game retailer has announced the availability of the Amazon tablets from all of its outlets throughout the US. The 7 inch Kindle Fire HD can be picked up from any of the 4,400 GameStop stores with the price being the same at $199.99. Only select stores will have the original 7 inch Kindle Fire and the 8.9 inch Kindle Fire HD. Prices for both stand at $159.99 and $299.99, respectively. GameStop is throwing in a $25 Amazon gift card with every Kindle Fire purchased, though the offer will be valid only until January 31st. That is a great incentive to pick up your Kindle Fire from GameStop, the company that had earlier tried to launch a video game oriented tablet device of its own without much success.
Surface RT to be available from major retailer
The Surface RT may be far from being the perfect tablet right now, though if you are still keen to buy one, either online stores or Microsoft’s own retail chain (there are only 20 in the US) have them in stock. While Microsoft can’t expect its tablet to make some serious inroads in the market with just a handful of stores selling the tablet, there already are rumors of efforts being underway to make the devices available from other retailers as well, including Best Buy and Verizon. More on this expected soon.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
