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In an email to customers, Amazon announced that it would be ending service for Kindle devices older than the 2012 edition. Those devices will lose access to the Kindle Store.
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If you're using an older Kindle, you may want to check what year it was released. Amazon has sent out emails to some of its users, with a warning that it's discontinuing support for Kindle ereaders and Fire tables released in 2012 or earlier. You can still read books you've already downloaded on those devices, but you'll no longer be able to purchase, borrow or download new ones, starting on May 20, 2026. In addition, if the device has an issue that can only be solved by a factory reset, doing so will brick it. Deregestering it will also render it unusable. On Kindle Fire devices, users won't be able to purchase or download content anymore, but other services would remain functional.
The affected models include the very first Kindle, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4, Kindle Touch, Kindle 5 and the first version of Kindle Paperwhite. We've asked Amazon why it decided to cut off support for those models, and the company told us: "These models have been supported for at least 14 years — some as long as 18 years — but technology has come a long way in that time…"
Amazon also told Engadget that this only affects approximately 3 percent of its current users, whom it's now urging to upgrade. In its email, it gives them a promo code for 20 percent off select Kindle devices, as well as ebook credits if they purchase a new model by June 20. "Our newer Kindle devices bring meaningful improvements in screen quality, performance and accessibility — and you'll have access to your complete Kindle library and the Kindle Store," the company wrote.
Update 04/08/26 8:23AM ET: Added information we received from Amazon.
This article originally app
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 Google today updated its Chrome browser with support for vertical tabs, which are displayed in a sidebar instead of at the top of the browser.
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 Smart home device manufacturer Aqara today launched the Thermostat Hub W200, a new Matter-enabled thermostat that comes with several features that set it apart from existing smart thermostat options.
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Teen use of AI chatbots is no longer limited to the classroom. Some teens are turning to roleplay bots and AI companions for advice, comfort, conversation, and emotional support. For some, that means asking how to word an awkward text or work through a friendship problem. For others, it means spending hours with character bots […]
The post Teens Using AI Chatbots for Emotional Support Face Real Risks appeared first on eWEEK.
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Google has started rolling out a small but significant update to Chrome on desktop. Starting today, users will begin seeing an option to organize their tabs vertically. To use the new feature, right click on any Chrome window and select "Show Tabs Vertically."
Google is late to the game here. Before today, every other major browser but Chrome offered support for vertical tabs — though the quality of implementation varies widely. Firefox, for instance, has supported vertical tabs since its 136 update in March of last year, and in my experience, has one of the best interfaces for managing dozens of tabs. Apple's own Safari is another browser with the option to stack tabs vertically, though things can quickly get confusing due to all the different ways you can group webpages.
Separately, Google is rolling out an enhanced reading mode that offers a new full-page interface. To use the feature, right click on a page and select "Open in reading mode." As you might imagine, reading mode is designed to make busy webpages easier to get through without distraction. As with most Chrome upgrades, it may take a few days before today's update rolls out to your device, so be patient if you don't see it right away.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/chrome-finally-adds-support-for-vertical-tabs-170000081.html?src=rss
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A support page from Mozilla reveals that the company has been working on an "IP concealment" technology for over two weeks. However, Mozilla has since renamed the page "Firefox VPN" to show off the new experimental, beta feature present in the browser. Mozilla says that the technology will be free, but it's only being offered to a small, randomly chosen set of test users.
The free VPN service will apparently complement the paid Mozilla VPN service that Mozilla already offers. Our tests, however, found Mozilla's paid VPN service somewhat wanting.
Integrating a VPN service into the browser has been a feature of niche browsers for years — including Mozilla. In 2019, Mozilla began testing the Firefox Private Network, a VPN-like service that obscured the user's IP address. The trial was part of a beta program, and the technology was never really commercialized. Opera, too, launched a more sophisticated integrated VPN service. In March, Vivaldi teamed up with Proton for an integrated VPN into the browser, as well.
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