Amazon acquired Touchco, a US company specialising in touch-screen technology, in February, in a bid to create a new version of the Kindle to rival Apple's iPad.
Lab 126, which is the Amazon division responsible for building the Kindle, has posted dozens of job advertisements on its website, looking for people to test and prepare new products.
The company has remained tight-lipped about its plans to upgrade its e-reader since Apple unveiled the iPad, with its new iBookstore and reader tools, in January. The iPad also has a high-contrast colour touch screen, access to a web browser and offers games and applications.
However, instead of bowing out of the competition as some pundits predicted Amazon might, The New York Times thinks that the job adverts and rumours about meetings with publishers to discuss new games to be loaded onto a new version of the Kindle, point to the opposite conclusion: Amazon is fighting back with a new product.
“In addition to the job listings, In addition to the job listings, several people working with Amazon who are not authorized to speak publicly about products in development, said Amazon representatives had been meeting with publishers to discuss new games the company hoped to put on the new version of the Kindle. It is unclear, though, when consumers could expect a new product,” Nick Bilton reported.
The New York Times also revealed in February that Amazon had purchased Touchco, a New York start-up which specialised in touch-screen technology. This was a move the paper said “signalled that the company [Amazon] was going to stay the course with the Kindle.
When Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, revealed the iPad, he acknowledged the Kindle’s progress in the e-reader sector – but then pitched the iPad as the new best model, saying: ““Now Amazon’s done a great job of pioneering this functionality with the Kindle. And we’re going to stand on their shoulders and go a bit further.”
Amazon was unavailable for comment.
“In addition to the job listings, In addition to the job listings, several people working with Amazon who are not authorized to speak publicly about products in development, said Amazon representatives had been meeting with publishers to discuss new games the company hoped to put on the new version of the Kindle. It is unclear, though, when consumers could expect a new product,” Nick Bilton reported.
The New York Times also revealed in February that Amazon had purchased Touchco, a New York start-up which specialised in touch-screen technology. This was a move the paper said “signalled that the company [Amazon] was going to stay the course with the Kindle.
When Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, revealed the iPad, he acknowledged the Kindle’s progress in the e-reader sector – but then pitched the iPad as the new best model, saying: ““Now Amazon’s done a great job of pioneering this functionality with the Kindle. And we’re going to stand on their shoulders and go a bit further.”
Amazon was unavailable for comment.
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