Amazon Unveils New $79 E-Ink Kindle, $99 Kindle Touch

Chris Velazco is a mobile enthusiast and writer who studied English and Marketing at Rutgers University. Once upon a time, he was the news intern for MobileCrunch, and in between posts, he worked in wireless sales at Best Buy. After graduating, he returned to the new TechCrunch to as a full-time mobile writer. He counts advertising, running, musical theater,... ? Learn More

Looks like the Kindle Fire wasn’t all Amazon had planned for us. Amazon has revealed a new line of E-Ink Kindles that looks to bolster their “traditional” eReader lineup. The three new models have taken the stage: the $79 Kindle, the $99 Kindle Touch, and the $149 Kindle Touch 3G.

The new super small, non-touch Kindle was announced to appeal to Amazon’s legion of eReading purists. It’s small enough to fit in a pack pocket, and will cost users a scant $79 — customers can order today, and Amazon says it will ship today too. While it retains physical buttons, Amazon’s traditional Kindle keyboard is gone. In order to drive the price that low, the new Kindle also comes packed with Amazon’s Special Offers and their Amazon Local deals service.

The Kindle Touch features an IR touch system that’s similar to the one seen in the most recent Nook, and squeezes it into a body that’s both smaller and lighter than the current model. By going touchscreen, the Kindle Touch does away with the classic Kindle design and instead goes for a very unassuming form factor. The Kindle Touch also sports a new feature called X-Ray, which provides “more than just definitions.” It seeks to give users context by providing Wikipedia info without having to switch into a browser.

Amazon is going aggressive with the pricing here: the Kindle Touch will go for $99 — a super-enticing price point by any stretch, but one that’s probably going to ensure these things fly off the shelves come the holidays.

The Kindle Touch will also come in a global-friendly 3G model which will run $149 — not a bad price considering users get a free lifetime of data in 100 countries. Both units are available for pre-order today, but units will ship starting shipping on November 21.

Amazon’s eReader lineup has gotten a tremendous shot in the arm with everything that’s happened today. While the Fire seems primed to take on both Apple’s iPad and BN’s Nook Color line, the new E-Ink Kindles aim to keep the old-school Kindle fans loyal to the brand.

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Virgin America Unveils Plans for Next Gen In-Flight Entertainment

Virgin America, the first carrier to offer fleetwide WiFi in May 2009, will continue its commitment to in-flight digital innovation with the next iteration of its Red entertainment platform.

The new Red system, slated for a late 2012 consumer release, includes larger, high-definition touchscreen seatback monitors, full Wi-Fi connectivity and four times more entertainment content. It will also allow passengers to connect their own electronic devices to the system pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight.

“Red is still the most advanced entertainment system in the domestic skies,” says Abby Lunardini, VP of corporate communications for Virgin America. “Other airlines are not making an investment in in-seat entertainment; they’re just doing WiFi. Fleet WiFi will always be a focus for us, but our built-in entertainment system is still important, and we think we can offer the best of both worlds.”

Red usage has increased by 20% each year since 2008. Passengers tend to multitask in-flight, using both the entertainment system and WiFi on their personals devices, Lunardini says.

When the upgraded monitors and the new Red entertainment platform reach consumers in 2012 — the system is currently in development — the most noticeable change, apart from the larger screen size, will be the addition of full WiFi connectivity, providing passengers access to the unfettered web via the seatbacks in front of them. Although still being fleshed out, the new Red, as Lunardini envisions it, will also include applications for easy Facebook, Twitter and other social network access.

“This is a significant investment for us,” Lunardini says of the company’s commitment to reworking Red. “We want to stay ahead of the path … a lot of people fly with us because it. We’re an entertainment-driven brand … and we did not want to stand idle.”

The next iteration of Red is being announced Tuesday at the 2011 Airline Passenger Experience Association Expo in Seattle with Lufthansa Systems, Virgin America’s technology partner. Back-end testing of the system will start on #nerdbird, Virgin America’s Twitter hashtag-inspired Airbus A320.

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Toshiba Unveils The Thinnest Honeycomb Tablet Yet, The 7.7mm-thick AT200

Matt is currently working as a writer for CrunchGear. Matt Burns is a family man first and attempts to be a freelance writer second. Born and raised in the heart of the automotive world, only cars eclipse his love of gadgets. He previously wrote for Engadget and EngadgetHD before moving into the party house that is CrunchGear. He learned the... ? Learn More

Just like the rumor stated, Toshiba used IFA 2011 to announce its latest Android tablet and it’s just as tiny as it looked. The AT200 packs a 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4430 CPU, up to 64GB of memory, and most of the ports that made the Toshiba Thrive popular: micro-USB, microSD, and micro-HDMI. Toshiba claims that the battery is good for “eight hours of video consumption.”

The Samsung Galaxy Tab suddenly looks a bit thick. The new Toshiba AT200 measures in at just 7.7mm, which is nearly a full millimeter less than both the slender GalTab and the iPad 2. But unlike the Galaxy Tab, the AT200 shouldn’t be mistaken for an Apple tablet. From the port locations, to the rear camera location, to the entire backplate, the AT200 looks nothing like an iPad. In fact, the brushed aluminum back looks wonderful and full dispels any myth created by the fugly Thrive Android tablet that Toshiba doesn’t know how design beautiful products anymore.

Toshiba failed to include within the presser expected release date or price. That said, the Android 3.2 tablet will likely ship rather soon as Google is set to unveil the next incarnation of Android dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich within the coming months.

PRESS RELEASE Toshiba unveils its world-class, ultra-thin, ultra-light tablet

Toshiba AT200 tablet built to exceed expectations at only 7.7mm thin and 558g with full 10.1? screen

Neuss, Germany, 1st

September 2011 – Toshiba Europe GmbH unveiled an exciting new product today – the ultra-thin 25.7cm (10.1”) AT200 tablet. Despite measuring only 7.7mm from front to back, the Toshiba AT200 delivers a broad range of essential ports and interfaces. It offers an amazing wide-view display for comfortable content consumption plus full web browsing capabilities to meet the preferred usage for tablets. Every bit as powerful as it is stylish and robust, this tablet is built to exceed expectations. The Toshiba AT200 will be available in the fourth quarter of 2011 in Europe.

Ultra-thin, ultra-powerful

“The new ultra-thin 25.7cm (10.1?) tablet Toshiba AT200, featuring Android™ 3.2, Honeycomb, is the latest in a long line of Toshiba products that are masterfully engineered”, said Marco Perino, General Manager DS Digital Products Division. “With a thickness of only 7.7mm and a weight of just 558g, the elegant Toshiba AT200 is highly mobile yet extremely smart and powerful.”

All essentials on-board

To connect with other devices the ultra-slim tablet comes with all essential interfaces and ports onboard: amongst them micro-USB, micro-SD, Wi-Fi™ and Bluetooth®. The micro-HDMI ®-port allows streaming HD content to the large screen of a TV. Front and back HD cameras are ideal for video conferencing and augmented reality applications.

High-quality media consumption – no matter where you are

The Toshiba AT200 allows users to enjoy videos at home and while out and about. It features a brilliant 25.7cm (10.1?) high-definition screen that displays pictures with crisp colours and in full detail.

Despite being ultra-thin, it allows up to eight hours of video consumption.

Sound quality at its best

To complement the first-class video capabilities the new Toshiba tablet with stereo speakers allows for a high quality sound playback. The Adaptive Sound Device Enhancer’s sophisticated algorithm maximises sound quality to achieve a quality that normally only can be found with large speakers. Plus, a technology called Sound Masking Equalizer identifies and enhances sound that is being masked or distorted by surrounding noise. The result is a well- balanced, powerful playback of music and video sounds even under high ambient noise levels.

Endless usage possibilities

Toshiba’s new tablet also offers a rich web browsing experience including support of Adobe® Flash® Player, access to more than 250,000 apps on Android Market™ and Toshiba Places for endless possibilities.

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Sony Finally Fully Unveils Its Android Tabs, The Sony S and P

Matt is currently working as a writer for CrunchGear. Matt Burns is a family man first and attempts to be a freelance writer second. Born and raised in the heart of the automotive world, only cars eclipse his love of gadgets. He previously wrote for Engadget and EngadgetHD before moving into the party house that is CrunchGear. He learned the... ? Learn More

“It’s not about who makes them first, but who makes them better.” That’s how Sony’s Sir Howard Stringer announced his upcoming tablets. Zing.

Meet the S and P, everyone. Sony just took the wraps off its first generation Android tablets a few moments ago at its 2011 IFA press event. But, as with most non-Apple product launches these days, there isn’t much to report since Sony used teasers and planted leaks over the last few months to generate buzz, which in turn, makes today’s announcement a tad anticlimactic.

Sony is hitting the tablet market with two models: the curvy S and the clamshell P. Tablets don’t sell on specs alone. The TouchPad and all the Honeycomb tabletss have proven that. Sony built their tablets around their robust but somewhat obscure Qriocity media distribution service, which seems to suggest Sony diehards are the target demographic.

The S offers a 9.4-inch IPS display with Sony TruBlack and Bravia technologies, and is available in the standard assortment of WiFi flavors in 16GB and 32GB sizes with AT&T getting a 4G model as well. Sony didn’t mention what hardware platform is at the S’s core, and it’s hard to say with dual-core chips coming from several different manufacturers. (update: Terga 2) It does have a full-size SD memory card reader, Bluetooth, and a long-life battery.

Sony is all about eating its own dog food. This emphasis on cross-device connectivity has led to the inclusion of an IR port on the backside, which can be used to control Sony Bravia TVs. Then, through Bluetooth, the tablet can control and and interact with the PS3 to the extent that both tablets are Playstation Certified.

The P is slightly different, but not exactly unique. Clamshell portables have been around for years, with the Kyocera Echo being the first to take a chance on the dual-screen Android design. Maybe not the most original design, sure, but the P’s two five-inch 1024 x 480 displays work in concert to provide a compelling Android experience. The two screens can work independently or together: one can act as a keyboard, while the other does email. Both screens can be used simultaneously for certain applications though, such as the eBook reader.

The Sony Tablet S and P are going to hit Europe “at the end of September” for €479 and in November for €599, respectively. No word on pricing or availability in other regions yet, but we hear (not through official means) that the 16GB and 32GB S models will ship in the States “within weeks” for $499 and $599. Update: Yep, that shipping window and price point is correct.

Like Stringer stated at the beginning of his IFA press conference, being first isn’t necessarily a path to success. Sony’s tablets are at least different from the competition. The radical designs might not catch on, but they feel like the Sony of old. The Sony that made the Walkman. The Sony that made the Trinitron. And yes, the Sony that made the Betamax, which is a Sony that is not afraid to hit the market like a arrogant male teenager, full of testosterone and bravado. Awesome.

Sony is one of the leading manufacturers of electronics, video, communications, video game consoles, and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets.

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Canon Unveils New Line Of PowerShot Digital Cameras

Jordan Crook studied English Literature at New York University before entering the tech space. Prior to joining TechCrunch, Crook dabbled in mobile marketing and mobile apps as well as doing device reviews for MobileMarketer and MobileBurn. Crook is fascinated with alternative energy production and greentech. She is now a writer for CrunchGear. ? Learn More

Nothing goes better with back-to-school clothes than a nice little point-and-shoot. Thus, Canon’s timing couldn’t be any better. Today the new PowerShot digital cameras are making their debut, and from the looks of it, Canon has its bases covered.

We have three new models: the PowerShot SX150 IS, PowerShot Elph 510 HS, and the PowerShot Elph 310 HS. Most impressive by a mile is the Elph 510 HS, which Canon is describing as “the thinnest digital camera in the world (with 12x optical zoom and a 28mm wide-angle lens).” A bold statement, but the 510 HS seems to be bringing it.

Features shared by all three shooters:

Intelligent IS: an image stabilization system that automatically determines the proper shooting mode based on conditionsSmart Auto: automatically selects the correct setting based on 32 predetermined shooting scenes (only 21 for video capture)Speaking of… All three cameras record HD videoiFrame compatability

These bad boys range between $250 and $350, come in all shapes and sizes, and color options galore (at least for the little guy.) Let’s take a look, shall we?

Canon PowerShot ELPH 510 HS

This is undoubtedly the looker of the trio: a super slim design, touchscreen LCD display, and 1080p video capture. Yep, all the bells and whistles accounted for. Here are the full specs:

12.1 CMOS sensor with 12x optical zoom28mm wide-angle lensCanon’s HS System: combines a 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor and a DIGIC 4 Image processor to maintain high quality photos in low-light settings (also on the 310 HS)1080p HD video captureHigh-Speed Burst mode: 7.8 fps3.2-inch LCD touch displayTouch Shutter: tap to focus, release to snap a picColors: Black, Red, and SilverMSRP: $349.99Available in “the beginning of October”

Canon PowerShot ELPH 310 HS

Next up, we have the 510 HS’s little brother, the Elph 310 HS. This is the cheaper of the Elph models and with the color options, I’m betting it’ll end up in the hands of many a teenager. Full specs:

12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor with 8x optical zoom28mm wide-angle lensCanon’s HS System1080p Full HD video captureHigh-Speed Burst mode: 8.7 fps3-inch LCDColors galore: Purple, Blue, Pink, Green, and SilverMRSP: $259.99Available “in the beginning of October”

Canon PowerShot SX150 IS

Last, but not least (but also kind of least because it’s the cheapest of the three), we have the PowerShot SX 150 IS. Take a look at the specs:

12x optical zoom28mm wide-angle lens720p HDManual-shooting capabilities (aperture and shutter priority)3-inch LCD screenColors: Black and RedMSRP: $249.99Available “in the beginning of September”

Canon Inc. is a multinational corporation that specialises in the manufacture of imaging and optical products, including cameras, photocopiers, steppers and computer printers. Its headquarters are located in Ota,...

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