Unless you chose today to get marooned on a deserted island, you’ve probably heard that Amazon has announced a series of new devices, including one called the Kindle Fire which has an iPad-style touchscreen and is powered by the Android operating system. On the content side, meanwhile, Amazon has also signed deals with some leading publishers to provide one-click access to their magazines and newspapers. But while it’s nice for media companies to have a strong competitor in the tablet market, dealing with Amazon puts them in the same boat they’re in with Apple: They provide the content, but the platform owner controls the relationship. And in some ways, Amazon might be worse.

The impetus for Amazon’s interest in new tablets is fairly obvious: Apple’s iPad has shown that there is a relatively huge and growing market of users interested in the convenience of a small form-factor mobile device for reading and playing games. So far, no one has come along that shows signs of playing a strong second fiddle to Apple in that market, so why not Amazon? The company has deep pockets — although not quite as deep as Apple’s — and it also has something that Apple doesn’t when it comes to the content side: an existing relationship with many users that’s based around subscribing to magazines, buying books, etc.

The need for the Kindle Fire was obvious: As soon as the first version of the iPad arrived, the Kindle looked more than a little antiquated, with its black-and-white screen, no touch interface, etc. That’s not to say there isn’t still a market for dedicated reading devices, for people who don’t like the distractions or the reflective screen of the iPad — and Amazon will no doubt continue to sell plenty of Kindles with touchscreens and other features added. But the sweet spot of the market is a device that can do many different things: stream video, stream audio, display magazines and newspapers and books in full color, and so on.

Amazon sees devices as a way to sell content

In some ways, Amazon and Apple are polar opposites, at least when it comes to the way they are approaching the tablet market. As my colleague Erica Ogg has pointed out, Apple’s main interest is in selling hardware, and it uses content as a way of doing that. It arguably had no real interest in becoming a music powerhouse, except that controlling access to those songs would give it a powerful lever with which to sell more iPods. Amazon, however, sees devices like the Kindle Fire as a way to sell more content, and that makes it simultaneously more appealing as a partner for media companies and at the same time a potentially more dangerous one as well.

The benefit for content publishers and media companies like Conde Nast and News Corp. is more or less the same as it is with Apple: They get access to the users who choose that device as a way to consume media, and Amazon handles the logistics of the relationship — the billing, the processing, and to a certain extent the marketing and promotions as well. They also get to put their content on a device that (in some cases, at least) seems to make users more likely to pay for things, which is something media companies have been wrestling with virtually since the Internet was invented — although they have to give the platform owner 30 percent of the proceeds, of course.

But the downsides of this relationship are also a mirror image of the relationship many media outlets have with Apple: The platform owner is in the driver’s seat, both in terms of what apps are allowed or not allowed, and also what information about the end user or subscriber is provided to the content creator — an issue that was a sticking point for many when Apple started trying to sign up publishers for the iPad. In the end, the platform owner is the gatekeeper of a media company’s relationship with its customers, which is the same kind of tradeoff media companies make by creating Facebook apps.

Amazon likes to compete with content partners

At least in Apple’s case, however, the hardware maker appears to have no real interest in becoming a media or content producer, since all it wants is content that makes people want more devices. In theory at least, it doesn’t particularly care where that content comes from, as long as it gets its 30 percent. Amazon is in a different boat; it has already indicated it’s happy to compete with its former publishing partners when it comes to books (its core business) by pressuring them to accept lower prices and also by signing up authors like Tim Ferriss — in effect, becoming a publisher.

Is Amazon suddenly going to get into the magazine business or the newspaper business? No. But its Kindle Singles program is appealing to more and more authors who are using that avenue as an alternative to both publishing traditional books and to magazine articles or newspaper features. Some newspapers and other publications have been using e-books and the Kindle as a tool to extend the life of their content, and that is smart — but Amazon has a clear interest in that business as well.

There’s no question that working with Amazon and a new platform like the Kindle Fire makes a lot of sense for publishers and media companies — it’s a win-win for both sides. And so long as Amazon’s interests align with those of its media partners, then everything should go swimmingly. But what about when they diverge?

Post and thumbnail photos courtesy of Flickr user Umberto Salvagnin

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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• Connected Consumer Q2: Digital music meets the cloud; e-book growth explodes
• The state of the e-book lending market: Business models and challenges
• As E-book Sales Grow, So Does Disintermediation

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buy psp slim

The PSP Slim system is the first truly integrated portable entertainment system designed to handle multiple applications – music, video, photo, Internet, and wireless connectivity, with games as its key feature. The Sony PSP system features an unmatched library of entertainment content, combining more than 135 games and more than 430 feature films, TV programs, and videos on UMD from major studios and record labels, as well as downloadable content from the Internet.

Sony PSP 3000 Product Description

The PSP 3000 console PlayStation Portable offers a beautiful screen that is brighter than ever, giving you a multitude of entertainment options on the go. Listen to music, play games, connect to the Internet, watch movies, and do more, all in a sleek compact package that you can easily bring with you wherever you go.

Now with Included Microphone and Brighter Screen
The latest PSP Slim & Lite, has everything the older PSPs had but now includes a built-in microphone, which lets you take advantage of voice features in some games as well as the PSP’s built-in Skype functionality without having to use a headset. This Sony PSP 3000 comes in a sleek black color scheme and also includes an improved anti-reflective screen that offers higher contrast and clearer visibility in well-lit places and can even be used outdoors.

A Full Entertainment System in Your Hands
Sony PSP 3000 was designed to handle all varieties of applications and entertainment — music, video, communication, wireless networking, and, of course, gaming. Users will enjoy top-notch 3D games with high-quality, full-motion video, and high-fidelity audio. The 4.3-inch wide screen display is bright and beautiful, and works well under a lot of different lighting conditions. If you prefer, you can also connect your PSP to your TV. Sony PSP Slim Using the Universal Media Disc (UMD) for a storage medium, each of which holds 1.8 GB of data.

Hundred of Games to Choose From
The PSP Slim gaming library is hundreds of titles strong and covers a wide variety of genres. Whether you are seeking the hard hits of football or the strategy of a puzzle game, there’s sure to be a lot of games for you. The Sony PSP Slim is capable of graphics quality that is comparable to the PlayStation 2, but in a pocket-sized package that you can take wherever

Watch Movies and Videos On The Go
When you just want to sit back and enjoy a videos on a long plane trip, the PSP slim has you covered. The PSP & Lite offers two options to do this: you can either purchase full-length movies and TV shows on UMD, or you can download videos onto your computer and transfer them on a Memory Stick Duo for playing on your PSP. Including the movie national treasure 2 on UMD Package.

You can also see recorded Television content downloaded to Memory Stick Duo with TiVo-To-GO Service. (Please note that this requires $24.95 fee, you must have a TiVo Series2 connected to your home network.)

Listen to Your Music Collection Anywhere
With the ability to play MP3, WAV, WMA, ATRAC3+, and MP4 files, you can easily use your PSP as an audio player. Simply place your MP3 on a Memory Stick Duo, and you can navigate your collection using the PSP’s XMB (XrossMediaBar) to select your song to play.

Built-in WiFi allows for Internet Browsing and Online Gaming
With built-in WiFi, you can access the Internet from any accessible hotspot. Once connected, you can browse the Web and download exclusive game demos and content for your PSP Slim from the PlayStation Store.

The WiFi also allows you to battle other gamers, both over the Internet and in your local vicinity.

PSP Slim Console Product Feature

Piano Black PlayStation Portable includes built-in microphone
Listen to your music collection and watch full-length videos
Built-in WiFi lets you access the Internet from any accessible hotspot
Memory Stick Duo slot for your storage expansion

Sony PSP Slim Inside the Box

Black PSP-3000 system, AC power cord, AC adapter, battery pack, user guide documentation.

Conclusion, with all these feature psp slim 3000 is better then New PSP Go, you should buy psp slim

We teamed with HD Guru Gary Merson again, this time to find the best TVs under $1000. This economy has really shocked prices. Forget the off-brands. You can now get a top-name good-looking 50″ TV for $700, and more…

Note: Due to the unprecedented price fluctuations seen on TV pricing this week from online retailers, don’t be startled if the prices we brazenly quoted here are off—by pennies or by hundreds. The model numbers are there for a reason, so you can check prices yourself when you’re ready to cash out.

Panasonic X1 Plasma Series

Plasma HDTVs provide the best picture performance and these 720p Panasonics—shown up top—are the value champs. Plasma screens have a wider viewing angle than any LCD panel, excellent contrast and color fidelity. The X1s include 600Hz refresh for full motion resolution, an SD card reader for digital photos and an anti-reflective screen coating (the shiny one). Available in 42-inch and 50-inch screen sizes. If you’re going to set it up at a distance of 9 feet or more, it’s almost silly to spend extra for more resolution.

The best deal is the TC-P50X1, a 50 incher selling for $689.98 at Electronics Expo (via Amazon).

Panasonic S1 Plasma Series

The S1s are Panasonic’s least expensive 1080p line to feature its energy saving, high contrast, deep black level Neo PDP plasma technology. In addition to the full 1080 line motion resolution and an anti-reflective screen coating (the shiny one), there’s an SD card reader. If you’re looking for a Full HD 1080p TV with the excellent performance and don’t care about features like internet connectivity or THX-certified picture and sound modes (which the step-up G10 line has), these are the HDTVs for you. Available from 42-inch to 65-inch screen sizes.

Under $1,000, your best shot is the TC-P42S1, a 42-inch set now selling for $797.95 at Amazon.

LG LH30 Series

LG’s LH30 is the first step-up from the baseline, maintaining a nice low price but delivering surprisingly good picture quality. This model has a wide-viewing-angle IPS LCD panel, dull-finish anti-glare screen coating (better than the shiny anti-reflective coating at cutting down natural-light reflections, but at a slight cost of contrast), pro color-calibration mode and “Picture Wizard.” They add 1080p resolution and Smart Energy Savings for low power consumption. Offered in a range from 32 inches to 47 inches.

We were impressed to find the 47-inch 47LH30 locally for $900, and on Amazon for $938.15.

LG LH40 Series

The LH40 line adds 120Hz to plenty of models below $1000. If that’s something you value, this is your best bet. Everything else here comes in the LH30 line, too. It’s available in screen sizes ranging from 32 inches to 55 inches.

Locally, we spotted a 47-inch 47LH40 for $980, though it was over $1000 on Amazon. The 42-inch 42LH40 may be the best pick: It’s currently $823 on Amazon.

Samsung B550 Series

This series represents Samsung’s top 60Hz 1080p HDTVs. They provide excellent overall performance without any of the fancy features found on its higher-end models. They incorporate Samsung’s Touch of Color bezel and its 6ms response time LCD panel, and are available in 32-inch to 52-inch sizes. Currently, the 46-inch LN46B550 is priced at $999 on Amazon.

For this story, Gary picked out 10 total deals. He is running the other five on HD Guru, so go have a look. If you came across any other good deals lately, let us know in comments, but be ready to defend the quality, not just the super sick price.

Gary Merson is the HD Guru, the industry’s leading HDTV journalist. He’s been reviewing TVs for well over a decade, and recently wrote a guide to choosing an HDTV.

We pointed out why gadgets were more expensive 30 years ago, but it is also important to note that many of these gadgets were hilariously huge. I’ve collected eight examples, I’ll leave it up to you to add the rest.

In other words, feel free to use our new comments system to add photos of any oversized retro gadgets you have access to.

In the ’70s and early ’80s, it was trendy to offset tiny, crappy screens with enormous and ornate wooden consoles. My family had one of these when I was a kid—looking back on it, I understand why my father chose to put it on the lowest level of our house. It would have seriously compromised the structural integrity of any floor it was sitting on. [TV History]
This is what passed for a widescreen television in 1978. However, the GE Widescreen 1000 really wasn’t widescreen at all. In reality this absurdly huge cabinet housed a small CRT screen that used “a vertical deflection reversing switch to invert and laterally reverse the image, and a three element lens within a light-proof projection chamber to re-invert, magnify and project the image onto a forward projection type reflective screen.” In other words, the image was artificially enlarged through projection. Oh, and that beastly monstrosity sitting next to it is an early VHS recorder. Back in the day, video players like this one could weigh 30 pounds or more. [Flickr and RetroThing]
Surely you are familiar with the DynaTAC 8000X—the first commercially available mobile phone. Seriously, is Dr Martin Cooper making a call to his wife or calling in an air strike? [Puremobile]
The Walkman portable cassette player made its debut in 1979, but if you wanted a more feature rich portable player, you risked a dislocated shoulder picking up one of these ghetto blasters. ['80s Rewind]
Today we have camcorders built into our tiny cellphones. In the ’70s and early ’80s you had to deal with beasts like the Sony SL-F1 Betamax camera. Before the advent of the Betamovie BMC-100P personal camcorder in 1983, the camera and the portable recorder were not integrated into a single unit. [Wikipedia]
The JVC HR-4100 was the first ever “portable” VHS recorder, but this woman appears to be in over her head. This is definitely a “team lift” situation. [Rewind Museum]
We bitch about gas guzzling SUV’s now, but get a load of this ’73 Thunderbird. Seriously, there is enough metal between the cabin and the grill to take on a locomotive. [Corral.net]
Microwaves in the ’70s were big enough to crawl into. According to the owner, this particular model weighed around 80 pounds. [Forty Two]
Bonus: Glasses are not really a gadget, but honestly, what the hell was going on in the ’70s? I have to admit though, Wonder Woman still looks great with those telescopes attached to her face. Anyway, thank God for contacts and Lasik. [Blurbomat]