Ever used Facetime on your iPhone when in the bath? Thought not. Someone is though according to some research from a UK online bathroom retailer.

Apparently as many as two thirds of us are happy to use our prized and pricey gadgets in the bath and not just receiving phone calls either.

The report by www.UKBathrooms.com, who polled 1,241 adults also says that 1 in 10 of Britons admitted to having damaged electronic goods by dropping them in the bath water accidently.

The survey asked. 'Do you ever use technological equipment whilst in the bath tub?' to which 67% said that 'yes', that they did use gadgets whilst taking a bath with the majority using smartphones, ereaders and tablets.

We are using those devices to keep up to date with social media, speak on the phone, text and even read novels and play games.

Peter Gregg, director of UKBathrooms.com, had the following to say:

"It seems that nowhere is safe from technology. The bath used to be for downtime and relaxation. Now it seems that it's used for Facetime and social media. It seems that these days, we're never switched off from the world around us."

"With the high cost of some of these products, it's surprising that so many people are willing to run the risk of getting them damaged and it seems that a number of people have suffered from it. We would never advocate the use of electronic goods in the vicinity of water, but I can understand the temptation to listen to some soothing music whilst relaxing in the bath. Facetime or Skype though is beyond me!"

There is of course one phone you can use in the bath.

Digitimes is always a great source for news and gossip about upcoming phones and the site now has the scoop on the much rumoured Amazon handset.

It is claiming that the retailer/maker is going to market a phone with a large 4.7inch screen.

This news comes from, ahem, industry supply chain sources, who said that Amazon had upped the size of the screen from 4,3 inches to compete with the larger handset screens that Samsung, among others, are now popularising.

The source also suggests that Amazon is hoping for a Q2 release, though issues with production might mean the phone's arrival slips until later in the summer. Given Amazon's track record for new product launches I would wager that it will be US-only to begin with.

The Amazon Kindle HD has been one of the biggest gadgets of the last twelve months. So not suprisingly there has been a huge demand for cases for the tablet.

Here is our pick of the bunch

There are rumours today that Amazon are on the cusp of launching a digital music streaming service to rival Spotify, Pandora and any other not yet launched services from Apple and Google.

The Verge is suggesting that Amazon, which is in talks with music companies, would integrate the service into its cloud music storage and Cloud Player products.

The big question for the retailer though is how much will a streamed service eat into its MP3 sales? I guess it might take quite a chunk if buyers are offered the chance to stream music rather than buy it?

The other big question is whether the service will be free to use or be paid for by a subscription?

I guess Amazon will wait to see what its rivals - Apple and Google (via YouTube) - both of whom could have services later this year - are planning. If it charges for the service it might also end up as a freebie bundled with the Kindle Fire and maybe even its rumoured new smartphone.

It does beg the question - will streamed music play an important part in the way that you shop for a tablet in the future? It could mean that if you buy a device (iPad/Nexus/Kindle Fire) that you get the service on board as freebie. Or possibly that you if you subscribe to the service then you get the hardware at a reduced price or even for free.

If this business model does develop then it could put a lot of pressure on Spotify to partner with a manufacturer too. Maybe a deal with Samsung?

Quick update from Amazon. The company has just announced the long promised launch of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 in the UK (as well as a price drop in the US).

The tablet is similar to the seven inch version, the key difference being the screen is a tad larger at 8.9inches. It also has a higher pixel count at 1,920x1,200 which means it will playback video in 1080p high definition.

There are few under the hood tweaks too namely a speedier processor than the 7inch model and also longer battery life at ten hours between charges.

As for pricing goes £229 lands you the 16GB option, while £259 gets the 32GB model.

It is one of the hottest rumours in mobile and has been for well over a year now. The story is that Amazon is set to capitalise on the success of its Kindle tablets by launching a mobile phone version of the device that can also make and receive calls.

To be honest Amazon unveiling a handset of this type would be no great surprise given the number of big screen mobile phone handsets and also that tablets - like this one - can make and receive voice calls.

So what is the phone likely to be and when is it coming?

Well we don't know too many answers to the first question, but as for the second it now appears that the handset won't go on sale until at least the summer.

An anonymous Chinese source told industry news site DigiTimes, that Foxconn, which makes Amazon products, has hit a few problems in the manufacturing process of the phone.

'The production of Amazon's much-fanfared smartphone is still under its engineering verification test (EVT) period due to issues related to its mobile platform,' the report said.

Amazon's original schedule pegged the device to finish its verification tests in Q1 2013, ready for mass production in Q2, but the sources suggest that these problems mean Ensky Tech won't be able to start volume production in June.

So if we do see a summer launch for the handset here are a few educated guesses as to what the handset will be like.

Much depends on whether Amazon is going to create a mobile phone from the ground up, or just tailor the device of one of its tablets by adding voice call functionality. I wonder if we will actually see both in 2013 with a dedicated Amazon phone as well as a seven inch Kindle HD Fire with added voice features.

If they go with the phone, expect the following

1 It will have a big screen - Everyone else (bar Apple) are producing large screen devices and the bigger the screen the easier it is to read Kindle books or watch movies. It will be at least 5inches.

2 It will run the latest version of Google Android - Amazon runs customised versions of the operating system on its Kindle HD Fire device, so it would make sense to use Android for the phone.

3 It will feature a lot of Amazon services - So expect to the see the Amazon interface for the device to be pre-loaded with the Amazon app suite, feature the Amazon app store and use Amazon's Silk browser instead of Chrome. There is also likely to be a big ttie-in with the Amazon owned Lovefilm.

This week Amazon launched its bright new Kindle, the Paperwhite, onto its online store sending the (still relatively new) Touch device off to an early retirement.

But how does the new eReader compare? And is the built-in light handy or just a gimmick?

Well luckily our sister site Tech Digest has reviewed the eReader, putting it head to head with previous devices, trying out all the new features and letting you know whether it really is the best Kindle ever made...

Read the full review of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite and if you want to get your hands one then you can buy the device from Amazon now for £109, just don't expect it to arrive until December.

Last night Amazon's Chief Executive Jeff Bezos unveiled a number of highly anticipated new Kindle products and although they'd already been revealed in a US TV ad earlier in the week, the three new Kindle Fire tablets and Paperwhite eReader didn't fail to impress us.

Here's a quick and dirty guide to the main announcements from Amazon:

Kindle Paperwhite

The Kindle Paperwhite is an eReader with a capacitive touch display, which is totally different to standard black and white Kindles because it's got a high resolution screen with 62% more pixels, 25% increased contrast, a 212 ppi display and a built-in light for reading in all kinds of conditions.

Jeff Bezos said at the event in California yesterday:

"Paperwhite is the Kindle we've always wanted to build -- the technology didn't exist to build a display with this level of contrast, resolution, brightness and battery life, so our engineers invented it."

The device has a pretty impressive 8 weeks battery life too, which Amazon claims will last even with the light on the whole time. There's also built-in Wi-Fi (and free 3G connectivity in some areas), Whispersync technology that works for audio too and a new feature called Time to Read, which tells readers the amount of time it will take them to finish reading a certain chapter or a whole book based on reading speed.

The Paperwhite is 9.1mm thick and 7.5 ounces.

We've only got US details about the new Kindle Paperwhite for now, it'll come in at $119 and the Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi + 3G is $179.

Kindle Fire HD

This high-resolution iteration of the Kindle Fire comes in two new sizes, 8.9" and 7". The larger version has a 1920 X 1200 pixel resolution and the 7 inch model has a 1280 X 800 resolution.

Both devices have super durable Gorilla Glass with a laminated touchscreen that Amazon claims will reduce glare by 25%.

They also have stereo speaks and an HDMI port for connecting up to other devices.

The Kindle Fire HD also has two wi-fi antennas and Mimo (multiple-input and multiple-output) technology to improve internet speeds and connectivity. The bigger tablet can also be bought with 4G connectivity with a heftier price tag over in the US.

The 8.9" tablet comes in at $299 / £159 and the smaller 7" version is £159 for the 16GB version and £199 for the 32GB version.

Kindle Fire

The current Kindle Fire product has now been improved with all of the best features but with a faster process for 40% better performance, twice the amount of memory and a longer battery life too.

It's been reduced to $159 / £129 too.

Last night an Amazon ad aired in the US featuring a Kindle with a blacklight, which looks a lot like the new Paperwhite device that we've seen leaked images of over the past few weeks.

At the end of last month a picture of the Paperwhite made its way onto The Verge, looking very much like the button-free Kindle Touch, but boasting an edge-lit display while still retaining the easy-on-the-eye, paper-like E-Ink screen.

However, it won't just be all about the new backlit device later today, the ad also features a tablet with a larger screen, which we imagine is the new version of the Kindle Fire.

We'll find out for definite later today, but check out the advert above from The Verge for yourself.

[Via The Verge]

Amazon is set to launch something big at a San Diego press event on September 6th and as many of us are expecting the Kindle Fire 2, there are also rumours circulating that it'll be joined by other new eReader models, including the Kindle Paperwhite, which we've hear will be a new backlit E-Ink reader device.

A picture of the Paperwhite made its way onto The Verge, looking very much like the button-free Kindle Touch, but boasting an edge-lit display while still retaining the easy-on-the-eye, paper-like E-Ink screen. In other words, it'll work as great during the night as it will in direct sunlight.

The images leaked show some French text onscreen, which also hints at a few of the improvements made to the Kindle device. Contrast ratio should be slightly higher, leading to darker text on a lighter background, and the resolution should be improved too. That lighter background will no doubt be elevated by a slight illusion, with a new darker chassis making the digital pages appear lighter too. Battery life is expected to be still around 8 weeks long, regardless of whether or not the light is being used or not.

With September 6th just a week away, we'll soon have confirmation of the device's specs, and indeed whether or not it exists at all or is coming to the UK.

[Via Tech Digest Via The Verge]

Today Amazon has rolled out its Appstore to the European market, bringing it to the UK as the "Amazon Appstore for Android", to Germany, France and Italy as "App-Shop" and to Spain as "Tienda Apps".

The Appstore is available for phones and tablets running Android via a new app download that can be accessed through Amazon.

Those in the US have been able to download apps from Amazon's Appstore for some time now, but from today those in Europe will be able to take advantage of its perks, including free app of the day promotions, one-click payments and a whole host of other cool features.

[Via The Next Web]

Today Amazon has finally brought its Cloud Drive online storage and back-up system to the UK.

The cloud storage service has been available in the US for over a year now and UK users will be getting the same 5GB of free space through the service as our US counterparts.

Cloud Drive is compatible with both PC and mac and the Amazon Cloud Drive App offers enough storage space for around 2,000 photos, free of charge, while 20GB of storage costs just £6 a year. £320 a year will bag you a giant 1TB worth of cloud-based storage.

All sorts of media, be they documents, videos, music files or images, can be stored and shared through the service.

The Amazon Cloud Drive lands in a now busy UK market for cloud storage services. Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive and Apple iCloud all offer similar features.

[Via Tech Digest]

Online retailer and king of the Kindle Amazon has revealed that, for the first time ever, more people are now buying eBooks from its website than printed books.

It's only been two years since Amazon introduced its first Kindle eReader device and in that time we've witnessed huge changes in the publishing industry, from ways established and up and coming authors release their work to ways the public choose to buy and consume them. According to The Guardian, Amazon customers are now buying more eBooks than both hardcover and paperback real life actual books combined. Figures released by Amazon today reveal that since the start of the year, for every 100 books sold from the site, customers downloaded 114 ebooks.

However, this shift doesn't necessarily mean that we're all ditching printed books in favour of modern Kindle equivalents (although we'd imagine a lot of you are), as Amazon also revealed that British Kindle owners are now buying four times as many books as they were before they owned the popular eReader. But are we all actually reading the eBooks we're downloading, or just filling up the Kindle in a spending frenzy because it's just so easy?

An Amazon spokeswoman told The Guardian:

"As soon as we started selling Kindles it became our bestselling product on Amazon.co.uk so there was a very quick adoption ... [And they] are buying four times more books prior to owning a Kindle.

"Generally there seems to be a love of a reading and a renaissance as a result of Kindle being launched."

Whether it's because they're small, convenient or hide our saucy/embarrassing/child-like reading habits, Kindles are clearly not the faddy gadgets many suggested they were around Christmas time, but if Amazon's recent stats are anything to go by it looks like they're taking pride of place in our front rooms, handbags and briefcases over the boring paperback.

Related: Fifty Shades Of I DON'T CARE: 10 Alternative eBooks fit for your Kindle

[Via Guardian Image via Annie Mole's Flickr]

So it's happened, we've finally had enough of Harry Potter wielding his magic wand around, it's now all about Christian Grey and his umm... Yeah you know the rest.

Harry Potter's spell over the UK reading public has finally been broken, as Amazon UK has today announced that all-time sales of J.K Rowling's entire seven book Potter series have now been eclipsed on the website by sales of E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. Oh British people, you're all such secret dirtbags.

The "mummy porn" books have so far sold over four million copies in print and on Kindle since hitting the UK Amazon store in March 2012, making James the most successful author of all time on the British site.

The first book in the series, Fifty Shades of Grey, has been outselling the final Harry Potter book Deathly Hallows by a factor of 2-1 over the past few weeks.

Gordon Willoughby, Director EU, Kindle said:

"If JK Rowling was the literary phenomenon of the last decade then EL James looks certain to take that mantle in the current decade.

"In just four months, E.L. James has become Amazon.co.uk's biggest selling author of all time which is truly remarkable when you consider that we've been selling books for almost 14 years."

The Fifty Shades of Grey books are doing similarly well in the US, but have yet to beat American sales records.

Related: Fifty Shades Of I DON'T CARE: 10 Alternative eBooks fit for your Kindle

[Via Tech Digest]

It's no secret that we're big fans of Case-Mate's Barely There range here at Shiny Shiny and now the brand has collaborated with designers and launched a bunch of new cases that we just can't peel our eyes away from.

You can check out the whole range of Case-Mate's designer cases over on Amazon (they're all £24.99), but scroll through the gallery below to see our favourites.

A few months ago Amazon launched a service for Windows users that allowed them to quickly and easily send documents to their Kindle devices and now HOORAY there's a new app for Mac users that does the same thing. And the good news is it's even more simple.

Send to Kindle for Mac is a new application that allows Mac users and Kindle owners (you lucky little devils) to send documents to their devices by simply dragging and dropping them onto a dedicated icon in the Dock or within the app itself.

Kindle owners have always been able to send various files and documents to themselves from a computer, but it relies on you finding out your Kindle's email address and sending things over like a regular email. So this way there's no need to use an email client and it doesn't have to even go to your Kindle device either, you can send files to the Kindle app on your iPad or mobile phone too.

Once you've downloaded the app there are a tonne of new options to make it easier to send things Kindle's way, you can select 'print' from any Mac app and see the 'Send to Kindle' option, or when you're in Finder you can press 'control-click' on one or more documents and choose 'Send to Kindle' again.

If you're one of the many people who jumped on the Kindle bandwagon earlier in the year or got given one for Christmas and haven't really made the most of it yet, then being able to view documents as well as novels, magazines and blog posts could be the extra incentive to ensure you and your Kindle become BFFS.

Download Send to Kindle from Amazon for free.

We all breathed a sigh of relief when we found out the Amazon Kindle Touch had finally been given a UK release date, but where oh where is Amazon's tablet, the Kindle Fire?!

Well it seems while we sit and wait for it there are lots of rumours flying around the web about its sequel, which may come in not one, not two, but three different versions.

Despite the fact previous rumours had suggested the next Kindle Fire would come in 10 and 7 inch models, numerous Taiwanese publications are now contradicting that, stating that the Kindle Fire 2 will come in an 8.9 inch size and two slightly differing 7 inch models instead.

The main difference between the two 7 inch versions is said to be screen resolutions: an entry level model will kick off proceedings with a 1024 x 600 resolution, with the mid-range model offering a 1280 x 800 screen.

Moving up to the 8.9 incher, it'll be Amazon's top of the line model, offering a full HD screen resolution, with only the new iPad offering more impressive display tech from within a teeny tablet.

Of course, as ever, it's all rumour and speculation at this point. But should the rumours regarding the HD 8.9 incher prove true, the Retina Display of the latest iPad may have a new, cut price rival quite soon.

[Via Tech Digest Via Unwired View]

Despite the fact Amazon's highly-anticipated Kindle Touch eReader was launched in the US late last year, it's only just been given a release date of April 27th here on the other side of the pond. But hey, better late than never, eh?

We've been waiting for news about Amazon's Kindle Touch eReader (and the even more elusive Kindle Fire tablet) for what seems like YEARS now, but this morning it's been announced we'll be able to get our hands on it at the end of April.

The eReaders will be almost identical to their US counterparts apart from some software tweaks prior to a larger global firmware update. Interestingly, the Kindle Touch does away with both the physical keyboard and page turn buttons of earlier models in favour of software buttons and gesture-based swiping page turns.

Each still features a six inch screen and promise up to two months of battery life per charge. The Wi-Fi version weighs in at 213g, with the 3G edition slightly heavier at 220g.

The new Kindles also bring the new "X-Ray" feature with them, allowing readers to quickly view all mention of characters, ideas or places in a book, as well as leaping out to Wikipedia for more in depth information.

Jorrit Van der Meulen, Vice President, Kindle, Amazon EU Sàrl, said:

"UK customers have been asking us to make Kindle Touch available on Amazon.co.uk and we are excited to do so today.

"Customers continue to choose Kindle because they love the world-class reading experience, the vast selection of Kindle books available at great prices, and the convenience of downloading their books in just 60 seconds. We continue to see that people read more with Kindle--readers in the UK buy an average of 4 times the number of books they purchased prior to owning a Kindle. With the launch of Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G we expect to see this reading renaissance continue."

Both the Wi-Fi only and the Wi-Fi and 3G models will launch simultaneously in the UK, priced at £109 and £169 respectively. 3G data costs remain free (subsidised by the cost of each unit) with Vodafone handling network data. Pre-orders open today.

Those waiting for the UK launch of the Kindle Fire tablet however will have to wait a bit longer, as Amazon makes no mention of the new slate. Boo.

[Via Tech Digest]

Here at Shiny Shiny we've made peace with the fact that we rarely pick up actual books anymore and reach for our cute little Kindles instead. But as advanced as the Kindle's E Ink display is, it still lacks something that 'real life' books have nailed, colour.

Well it seems a fancy colour Kindle may be on the cards in 2012, as according to a report from DigiTimes, Amazon are preparing to launch a new bright touchscreen device.

Unlike Amazon's current Kindle Fire tablet, which runs Android OS under a glass touchscreen, the colour Kindle would use a similar technology to that already present in the regular Kindle devices, making it far more readable in direct sunlight and much more like a classic book.

According to the Chinese newspaper Economic Daily News, E Ink will be looking to ship three million colour displays a month once production begins. Amazon has been rumoured to launch a colour Kindle for quite some time and at one point it appeared that Qualcomm's Mirasol colour screen technology would take the contract, but it now seems as though Amazon is firmly sticking with E Ink's efforts instead.

There's no definite news about when the colour touchscreen Kindle will be arriving yet, but with the UK still holding out for the long awaited Kindle Fire tables, we expect it won't be anytime soon. Boo.

[Via Tech Digest]

Some interesting stuff from poling company YouGov which has been asking consumers what they think about Tablet PCs. To be fair you can probably guess its main conclusions that 1, The iPad is the tablet most people want. 2, That £250 is the price point at which sales of tablet PC will go stratospheric and 3, The iPad's only serious rival is likely to be the kindle Fire.

"Apple is far and away the current UK market leader in terms of brand awareness, preference and price," says Russell Feldman, Associate Director for Technology and Telecoms Consulting at YouGov. "But the introduction of the Kindle Fire, with its compelling features and even more attractive price, will make it very hard indeed for other players to compete. The Kindle Fire benefits not only on price and specifications, but also in the value and trust consumers have in the Amazon brand. What's more it has the potential to be a major game-changer given the depth of Amazon's downloadable content as well as its burgeoning application store - something that has underpinned consumers' loyalty to Apple over other tablets running an Android OS."

The research doesn't deliver any good news for Apple's rival brands like Samsung, Motorola and Acer. Apparently "72% of "hot prospects" (respondents who are keen to get a tablet) will consider purchasing an iPad2 with a further 61% expecting to get one. However, the next most popular tablets are the out of date iPad1 at 14% followed by the original Samsung Galaxy Tab at 7%. Other competitors fared even worse, with just 3% of "hot prospects" expecting to get a HTC, 3% a BlackBerry and just 1% favouring an Acer."

Feldman added "This is the mountain Android-based tablets need to climb, but by launching a rival ecosystem at an extremely competitive price, Amazon is likely to make a rapid approach to the summit, at the expense not necessarily of Apple, but of its rival Android stable mates."