Amazon's Kindle sets the house on "Fire"

Post the launch of the iPad, there have been numerous products that have been touted as the next "iPad killer." People sat up and took notice when the Blackberry Playbook was announced, and were very excited when HP decided to get into the game. Samsung as well has had success with their Galaxy Tablet, which according to recent news, has a higher market share than the iPad in a huge territory like India. Sony also has announced plans to come out with their own Tablet which will be launched by the end of the year. There was always speculation that maybe Amazon would follow in the footsteps of Barnes and Nobles that launched a "Nook" tablet device recently, and that speculation came to fruition yesterday when Amazon launched the Kindle Fire device as seen above (Picture taken from Gizmodo.com)
So what makes the Fire worth even talking about? Well, the price tag for one. This seems to be the first thing people mention when talking about the device, as at it's given 199 USD price tag, it is 300 USD cheaper than the cheapest iPad.
Amazon built the Fire with the concept of building a perfect device to receive information from. Apple's iPad has tried to market itself as a machine that could be a laptop replacement, but anyone who has used one has seen how difficult it is to actually input any information into it. The on screen keyboard isn't the easiest to type on and the idea that one will actually use the iPad to take pictures is quite ludicrous and moreover as a blogger I find it quite irritating that the absence of Flash means I can't post on my blog with ease. The Kindle Fire on the other hand, is the exact same size as the Blackberry Playbook, which means it's much smaller and easier to tote around than the iPad. In fact, the similarity with the Playbook doesn't stop there- the Fire actually runs off the same processor as found on the Blackberry device.
Amazon is also set to take on content-provider Netflix head-on as the Amazon Prime service, which gives users access to 100,000 movies and TV shows, will become increasingly important in the digital field as users will be able to stream content wirelessly. Just as with the Amazon Kindle books app, that allows bookmarks to be shared within devices, similarly the Movies app will allow for content to be played on other devices from when it was last paused on the Fire, or vice versa.
To check out the Kindle Fire in action, check out a video of the demo as shot by the folks at Engadget. I can't wait to get my hands on one!
For those who still want to use the device for reading purposes only, new Kindle devices using the previous E-Ink technology have been launched at excellent price points. Amazon also launched a 79 USD Kindle as well as two Touch enabled Kindles, at 99 and 149 USD respectively.
I see the death of the Barnes and Nobles Nook Player very soon... Death by Fire.
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Back to Dubai!

Yes, I'm back in Dubai and the above cartoon is some sort of indication about how I feel. I've been back a little under a week now and to say I have the post-holiday blues is like calling a suicidal person grumpy. I'm just not happy to be back!!
Yes, Dubai is where my work is and my family as well as my home. I have made some amazing friends here over the years and considering my family has been based here since before I was born, Dubai has always been a home base for me. Yet, I somehow feel like I don't truly fit in here. Don't get me wrong- while in New York it's not like I didn't miss being able to drive around rather than taking smelly cabs, or I didn't miss not having to wait an hour over our reservation time for a table at a new "in" restaurant. I love the perks and the life Dubai has to offer, but while I will very quickly get adjusted to the city and maybe even live here quite happily, New York is where I truly feel alive!! Sometimes I wonder if it's New York that I love or whether it's just being away from Dubai.. I'm still figuring that one out.
I won't bore you further with my melancholy, so let me tell you about my trip... Aah, my trip! I always have an incredible time in the city and have written, repeatedly in fact, on my love for it. You'd think 2 months would make that love wane and fade a little? Not in the least! While I always head out there for extended periods of time each summer, there was something about my trip this year that was life changing. No, nothing happened, I didn't go off and have some major epiphany or my life didn't change in some drastic way. And no, if you're a friend of mine and wondering, let me save you the call- I didn't "meet" anyone! I think I was just truly in the moment and decided that I would have the time of my life, and that's exactly what happened. I partied and shopped like the end of the world depended on it, I walked around the city in awe and wonder and truly loved every second of it, and even when I decided to stay in, I'd look out at the gorgeous view from my apartment and truly be grateful for that perfect sight at that perfect moment. My trip wouldn't have been half as amazing if it wasn't for my NY friends- existing ones and new ones. I think I got to meet so many more new people this trip, and I loved meeting and getting to know them all. Since I'm sort of a recluse in Dubai, it was so refreshing to go out and interact with different sorts of people, one more ridiculously intelligent, funny and fun than the other! While I'm a permanent fixture at any given coffee shop in Dubai on any given day, I absolutely loved being social in NY, and it just so is unlike me. I got to spend some quality time with my best friend Payal too, which was nice since she's been crazy busy. Her husband and loving in laws have always made me feel welcome at their home in the suburbs, and I packed my bags quite a few times this trip and headed on over for some much needed TLC.
In all of this, I must admit, blogging was the last thing on my mind. I'm pretty good at blogging while I'm in Dubai and I promise to get back on track and blog much more now that I'm here. But I'm sure you will understand that I was just too damn busy having way too much fun and any posts that I would put up would be more "forced" than anything else. But I didn't forget you guys when I was gone! I have tons of fun stuff to post on, including a lot of recommendations for places to go to in NYC. And maybe I'll give you guys a sneak peak into some of my shopping too!
Hope you all had an ab fab summer, and hopefully you aren't having the blues as bad as me. Or maybe you've already dealt with them, in which case tips are most welcome! K time to go back and cry some more into my pillow....
Xx
Kiran