NYC

There's been so much chatter about Apple iCloud that you'd think the streaming music service had already been announced and the deals inked. But it's still just a rumor until an Apple executive takes the stage and unleashes the Amazon Cloud Player and Google Music competitor in a spate of superlatives. That hasn't stopped  Businessweek  from stepping up with a good summary of all that is "known" thus far, while giving us some insight into the particulars of how the service will work and the motivations to make it happen. One revelation, sourced from three people in the know, claims that Apple will scan customers' iTunes libraries (hello, LaLa) and quickly mirror the contents on Apple's own servers -- no massive DSL-choking upload required. And Apple will do you the solid of "replacing" any low bitrate tracks with the "high-quality" versions it stores in its fully licensed music locker for streaming to your connected devices. Of c

Yes, it's another store within a store at Amazon, this time a Mac Download Store. While software downloads certainly aren't anything new for the online retailer, the Mac store does actually boast a wider variety of titles than Amazon's Windows download section, including games like  Dragon Age: Origins and  Civilization V , and applications like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop Elements. All told, there's more than 250 titles currently available -- not exactly a rival to Apple's own Mac App Store, but a more than respectable start. Of course, no store launch is complete without a sale, and Amazon has kicked things off with two: a free download of Airport Mania, and $5 off your first paid download. Hit up the source link below to check it out. Amazon

The e-reader market just got a lot more crowded this week with the launch of the touch-enabled Nookand Kobo eReader Touch Edition. Will either device be able to take down the Amazon's industry defining Kindle? We've broken down the specs on the two new readers, the Kindle, and Sony's comparable Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-350SC) to find out which device will come out on top. There's a lot of overlap features between the different readers, like infrared touchscreens and Pearl E Ink displays. All of those important details and more in the chart after the break. Check it out, because you obviously like reading things. Barnes & Noble Nook WiFi Kobo eReader Touch Edition Amazon Kindle (2010) Sony Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-350SC)  Price $139 $129 $139/$189* $179 Release Date Pre-order now, ships June 10 Pre-order now, in-store early June August 2010 September 2010 Storage 2GB 1GB 4GB 2GB Card Slot microSD microSD N/A N/A Processor 800MHz TI OMAP 3 800MHz Freesc

The US already knows when Samsung will launch its updated Galaxy Tab models and for how much, but that picture hasn't been quite as lucid over in Europe. Amazon.de is doing its best to dissipate the mists of unknowing by listing the 16GB Galaxy Tab 8.9 at a price of €606.50 ($852), whether you're buying the version with a black or white back. That sounds a relatively steep price, but it's not clear whether we're talking about the WiFi-only or 3G-equipped model. Notably, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 option is also listed alongside its 8.9-inch brethren, but there's no price attached to it yet. All we can really say for now is that the wheels are in motion and these Honeycomb tablets look to be on their way to the Euro market at about the same time as they'll hit the American one.  Égalité! Netbook News Amazon.de

It's been one heck of a week for e-readers, with a new $139 touchscreen Nook in town and a $129 finger-friendly Kobo as well. What's Amazon going to do about the newfound competition? Simply lower the price of its best-selling Kindle 3G to $164. Well, perhaps "lower" isn't quite the right word, because you'll simply be paying by different means: the new Kindle 3G with Special Offers will be the company's second e-reader to feature built-in advertising. If you're shy on cash, though, we suppose viewing a few ads is a small price to pay for cheaper Whispernet. AP Amazon (1) ,  (2)

We've pretty much accepted that Amazon will release a proper Android tablet in 2011. The details, however, are still unclear. Enter Silicon Valley analyst, Tim Bajarin, who claims to have some inside information from his sources in Taipei. If correct, then we should see Amazon launch a 10-inch LCD tablet before the holidays. He's also heard of a 7-inch model and plans to use NVIDIA's new quad-core Tegra SoC in order to blaze a path into the crowded tablet market. Interestingly enough, Tim's sources say that Amazon wanted to use a switchable "black and white E Ink-like display and a color LCD" hybrid but the two vendors approached (Qualcomm and Pixel Qi?) won't be ready with a suitable display until 2012 or 2013. Of course, Samsung -- the rumored DNA at the core of Amazon's tablet -- has plenty of experience with 10- and 7-inch Android tablets and the decision to go LCD aligns with those rumors of a Fringe Field Switching display reported by  DigiTimes

While we wait for the OTA update that will bring Android 3.1 to existing Google TV devices, Logitech'sRevue -- check the official blog post linked below for some of the features being added -- has apparently already received its price cut and  CrunchGear  points out it is currently available for $199 on Amazon. As we noted a couple of weeks ago when the company announced weak sales and a plan to drop the priceto $249, getting the price under two bills was probably as important as smoothing out the software experience. Of course, after Google I/O we wonder if anyone interested in Google TV is still jonesing for a launch device (even with the promise of updated software and Android Market access in the future) when something newer and better is likely on the way. After all, you can get Honeycomb on a T-Mobile G1 now, but that doesn't mean you would  want  to do it. CrunchGear Amazon

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos didn't confirm a Samsung-built tablet today, but he's not saying no -- in fact, thetell-it-like-it-is founder of the massive e-tailer suggested quite the opposite in an interview with Consumer Reports . "Stay tuned" was the answer, and then Bezos told the publication that  if  such a device were on the way, it would be complementary to Amazon's existing Kindle, as Bezos doesn't want to disturb the market for that "dedicated reading device." If we were to read between the lines -- which is often a bad idea -- we'd say that could pave the way for an Amazon tablet to launch without a sunlight-readable screen, but it could just be that a tablet would be pricier, while the Kindle could remain relatively cheap. Speaking of E Ink, the CEO said that a color version "is not ready for prime time." As of January, we'd agree. Consumer Reports

Google just showed off a new 11.6-inch Chromebook from Acer at Google I/O promising an eight second boot time with an Intel Atom N570 CPU, 16GB SDD, instant-on, two USB ports, webcam, HDMI and 6.5 hour battery life. It's cheaper than the Samsung Series 5 also announced, starting at $349 with optional world-mode 3G available for more cash and will be available for preorder on the same day -- June 15th from Amazon and Best Buy. Check more details at the source link below, with pics in the gallery and specs are after the break. Google I/O Keynote day 2 Acer Chromebook Acer Chromebook (Google)