Tuesday, September 11, 2012 | TechNews ae@technewsiit.com RYAN HYNES .:E a 9 ,,,,,, “[no lo gy] am am we wzs Kindle Fire HD's superb features challenges Apple products By Rohit Vandanapu LAYOUT EDITOR Seems like Amazon is going head— to—head with Apple in the tablet wars, by releasing new versions of the Kindle Fire HD, in a direct challenge to the iPad line of devices. Amazon officially released three versions of Kindle Fire HDs; the Fire HD with the 7—inch screen for $199, an 8.8mm thick Fire HD with an 8.9—inch screen starting at $299 for 16GB and $369 for 32GB, and also an extra— fancy Fire HD with AT&T’s 4G LTE support priced at $499 for 32GB, and $599 for 64GB. Let’s break it all down. Starting from the screen of the Kindle Fire HD, I’ll look down into all the specs of it. Screen: This time glad to see a richer, sharper screen on the Kindle Fire HD. It has 1,920 by 1,200—pixel HD resolution (254ppi) comparedto the 1,280 by 800—pixel resolution on the 7—inch Kindle. The display features the Advanced True polarizing filter and a fused (laminated) touch sensor which will reduce glare by 25 percent while maintaining rich color and contrast from the gamut of viewing angles as said by Amazon. Also, there has been an enhancement on the interface by adding faster navigation, smoother animations and more customization apps. Hardware Specs: The 8.9—inch model ofthe Kindle Fire HD family will run on Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 processor that Amazon claims is much faster than Nvidia’s Tegra 3 quad—core chipset. Camera: A cooler thing to have on this Kindle is a brand—new front—facing HD camera. Speakers: The Kindle Fire HD has another first for a tablet: the next generation Dolby Digital Plus audio platform. Also, included is Dolby’s audio suite for Kindle Fire HD, which is used to automatically adjust volume. Wi-Fi & 4G LTE: The tablets feature a better Wi—Fi than before with dual antennas and dual— band 2.4Ghz and 5GHz band support and MIMO (Multiple In/Multiple Out) offers higher bandwidth and longer range which would give Fire HD 40 percent faster Wi—Fi downloads and streaming than the iPad. Along with this, the tablet also supports Bluetooth. It supports two ports i.e. HDMI for connectivity and USB 2.0 port to connect to a computer which lacks in iPad. Battery: Amazon says the smallest of the Kindle Fire HDs has rated 11 hours of battery life, but still there sounds a small surprise to the customers. Storage: The Kindle Fire HD with LTE comes in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB versions and 20GB of remote storage. Amazon also offers unlimited cloud storage of content purchased through its store. Whispersync: Whispersync for Voice will allow users to keep their place in audiobooks across Archery vs. Apocalypse Weapon choice important to survive zombie attacks By Katie Peters LAYOUT EDITOR Probably the first thing on everyone’s minds this coming December will be if the world is actually going to end. The secondthing will behow; I’m banking on zombie apocalypse. Most people I’ve met on campus already have their survival plan in mind: where to hide and how to fight. I’ve known for a while where to hide (a Chase bank) and after this summer I finally found my inspiration for how to fight: archery. Yes, it might seem outdated and mundane, but after watching so many archers on the big screen the past few months, I think it’s something I could handle. Katniss (The Hunger Games), Merida (Brave), and Hawkeye (The Avengers) know what’s up. They aim at their enemies while running through the woods, or riding or a horse or giant space alien robot slug. They continuously intimidate their enemies with their precise aim, and zombies will probably be easily distracted by the arrows. You can make a bow and arrow very easily, they fly where you want them to go, and no electricity is needed. If there is an apocalypse, what’s to say that there will be an unlimited supply of guns and ammo or even electricity? In the new TV series Revolution they have none of the latter; so a bow and arrows it is. Plus, there’s something about archery that automatically makes you a true warrior. The strength required in archery is far superior to other weaponry, and that self—assuredness is a good value to have when running from or chasing down zombies. So what would I add as my own personal Zombieland rule? Survival Rule #13: Never leave home without your bow and arrows. Image co urtesy 0fe0nIine.com devices and Whispersync for games will store the accumulated points in the cloud. Also, on changing the devices, there won’t be any loss of previous accomplishments. Software extras: Amazon did not announce the number of apps available for Kindle Fire HD, which runs a customized version of Google’s Android Operating System. But, this tablet kicks off with one new feature: a new e—mail app emphasizing corporate e—mail, and a custom Facebook app for social connections. Weight: The Kindle Fire HD is 9.5 inches by 6.5 inches which weighs 1.25 pounds and few ounces lighter than the iPad collection. Reviews & Thoughts: Amazon has upgraded the technology across the board and kept prices low. The latest features like Whispersync for games and for voice enhance an already an impressive package. Kindle Fire HD does not offer pure Android experience like Nexus 7, but for Kindle users, and low price for media consumption, the Fire HD is the best choice. Amazon Kindle Fire HD family is great hardware, packaged and put together a very competitive price. The introduction of these tablets will be very disruptive in Android system and also a very competitive rival to the iPad family. Image courtesy 0fwww.amazon.c0m FREAKY FAST! FREAKY @JIMMYJIIHNS.EDM FREAKY FAST DELIVERY? ©2011 JIMMY JIJHN'S EllANflHISE, [Hi All RIGHTS RESERVED.