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Amazon's Lab126 team rumored getting huge lease near Apple

updated 10:05 am EDT, Mon May 16, 2011

 

Amazon Lab126 may get big office lease for tablets


Dana Stalder of venture capital firm Matrix Partners posted this weekend that there was talk of Amazon suddenly leasing much more office space for its Lab126 team. The capacity would give the hardware team behind the Kindle much more space in Cupertino, California, and would be virtually "across [the] street" from Apple. The timing and exact nature weren't mentioned.

Amazon hadn't commented on the claims.

The talk nonetheless supports Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' own hints of tablet plans and rumors of a whole suite of tablets that could be ready in the second half of the year. Existing plans would come too soon for any new offices to help but would reflect a much deeper commitment to hardware. Until now, Amazon has had only limited hardware but could use extra office space to get more competitive with companies like Apple in tablets and other devices.

Current rumors of an Amazon tablet designed by Samsung would support the rumor as it would show the company didn't have the design staff to work on the product itself. If so, second-generation Amazon tablets would be more directly shaped by Lab126 rather than outsourced. [via SAI]


By Electronista Staff

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Amazon, gadgets, Android, Samsung, Kindle, Apple, iPad, Lab126

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Previous Comments

  1. JeffHarris

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 1999

    +1
    05/16, 10:41am | report spam | reply

    Escape from Amazon?

    I wonder when the Amazon crew will start digging a tunnel toward Apple HQ?


  1. facebook_Timothy

    Via Facebook

    Joined: May 2011

    -5
    05/16, 12:01pm | report spam | reply

    Think Again

    A tunnel has two directions.


  1. Jonathan-Tanya

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 2004

    -8
    05/16, 12:16pm | report spam | reply

    Could be problematic for Amazon

    2 problems for Amazon, Apple has trademarked the phrase "Cupertino, California" - and therefore it requires a license before you can use it as your mailing address.

    And secondly there is U.S. Patent # 3614627 - "Method and System for developing Tablet computers in Cupertino, California"


  1. facebook_Timothy

    Via Facebook

    Joined: May 2011

    -6
    05/16, 12:32pm | report spam | reply

    3614627

    Universal Demodulation System?


  1. SockRolid

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Jan 2010

    0
    05/16, 02:28pm | report spam | reply

    Probably outbid Microsoft

    Microsoft is no doubt feeling a little less flush after paying $6 billion too much for Skype. Probably why Amazon got the lease instead.

    After all, Cupertino is "where the magic happens."


  1. Inkling

    Junior Member

    Joined: Jul 2006

    0
    05/16, 03:46pm | report spam | reply

    Good!

    Good! While I'm a vocal critic of some of Amazon business practices, but I have been impressed with the Kindle 3 and the ebook eco-system that Amazon is creating. I am glad they are growing. I hope they'll use some of that new space to create:

    1. Support for schools. A ruggedized Kindle would cost schools a lot less than an iPad (roughly $100 versus $500.). Amazon needs to create a grade school through university system that'd not only supply students with digital textbooks (rented not bought), but would allow students to take notes and communicate with their teacher, as well as for the teacher to track student progress. A good system would even allow teachers to supply only part of an ebook for reading (eliminating a lot of copyright fusses) and allow students to buy a book for themselves and migrate their notes to it.

    2. Support for authors. Authors and publishers should be able to 'publish' their in-progress ebooks to themselves via Amazon with full note-taking abilities for proofing and also to a small circle of friends or colleagues for prepublication suggestions and advice.

    3. Support for book clubs. It'd require Kindles to have two or more accounts, but it'd be great if friends to establish a book club, buy a book, and read it together, sharing their notes and comments even if they're a thousand miles apart.

    4. Add Bluetooth keyboard and (limited) mouse support. That'd let people with disabilities use a keyboard or mouse to turn pages and enter commands far easier than on that tiny keyboard. (Even a normally enable me has problems with that tiny 5-way controller.) It'd also make taking notes inside books easier for everyone.

    5. Add more useful, productivity apps. People will read more if they carry their Kindle with them more. And the way to get them to do that is to add more features, including:

    * A shopping list that can be shared in a family even if their Amazon accounts differ and that updates on the go.

    * Personal note taking that's synched to a PC or Mac. On my iPhone I use that to keep track of clothing sizes and dozen other things I need to remember.

    * A calendar that can be shared with others and that synchs with apps on a PC or Mac. Since a Kindle consumes no energy when sleeping, this'd let that calendar stay open all the time.

    * A to-do list that synchs with a PC or Mac.

    You get the idea. Make an epaper Kindle do all it can do, even if that's not as much as a pricey iPad. Apple needs the competition.



  1. testudo

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Aug 2001

    0
    05/16, 04:38pm | report spam | reply

    Who cares?

    Who gives a c*** about this? Wow, they're across the street. Yeah, I'm sure they're doing that so they can spy on Apple. Or to make Apple shake in their boots.

    Or it could be just where they found some decent office space, and the area has more computer professionals than WA.


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