What could the kitchen of the future feature? Whirlpool just might have the answer

Smarthome is a term that’s been kicking around for a while. Although there are plenty of solutions already available to turn your home into a smarter one, it is still a term associated with the future rather than the here and now.

There are smart lighting solutions, smart heating solutions, smart appliances, smart security systems, smart cameras. The list goes on. The problem with all of these systems and solutions however, is that they require several apps and platforms to function, meaning nothing is in one place or within one app.

You turn your lights on with one app, your heating off with another and check on the baby asleep in the bedroom with another. Frankly, it’s all a bit of a faff and probably quicker to just get off your bum and do it manually.

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Whirlpool Interactive Kitchen of the Future

What Whirlpool has created with its Interactive Kitchen of the Future concept though, is the idea for everything to be integrated, allowing the kitchen to work as both a cooking and informational hub. The concept, which was first revealed at IFA 2015 and has since expanded, presents how the company’s smart technology will interact with the world of connected smart devices and the Internet of Things.

An interactive splashback and connected cooktop sit at the centre of the Interactive Kitchen of the Future concept. These two features work together to not only link you to your social networks, favourite websites and recipes, but also offer you meal planning without cookbooks based on what you have in the cupboard, live chats with friends and family and wine recommendations for the meals it plans.

The splashback could display your diary so you know what is happening for the day, as well as pull in the feed from the smart camera in the bedroom so you know when the baby is waking up, let’s say. The cooktop detects what has been placed on it and directs the right amount of power to it, whether that be warming a coffee mug, baby bottle, or a saucepan. Sensors will help automatically cook food to perfection.

The concept also features a scanner that will enable you to scan items in your cupboard to find out nutritional information, while the sink washer will automatically detect when items are placed in it, sealing itself off to run a wash cycle when you leave. The idea is that the future kitchen will anticipate your lifestyle and learn your routines, enabling the appliances to adapt to your circumstances and needs.

The Interactive Kitchen of the Future is of course just a concept at the moment but the solutions it offers are very much there already and according to Whirlpool, this kind of future kitchen could be just around the corner.

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Whirlpool 6th Sense Live connected appliances

We will be waiting a little longer for the kitchen that predicts what we will want to eat that evening­, but Whirlpool has launched a suite of connected appliances, which it claims the Interactive Kitchen of the Future could be a possible evolution of. The 6th Sense Live range features a washing machine, tumble dryer, refrigerator and dishwasher that are all connected via an app. There is also a matching oven but it is currently not connected, although Whirlpool expects to launch a connected suite with an oven by the end of 2017.

The 6th Sense Live range offers various functions through its smartphone or tablet app. The dishwasher can be set to run its cycle when it will cost you the least for example, while the washing machine can be programmed to specifically remove mud and other dirt or stains. Load the wash into the dryer and it will automatically know which cycle to run as the washing machine has communicated to the dryer what clothing it has just washed. As you might expect, the app will also send you an alert to let you know when a wash is complete.

When it comes to the fridge, there is a party mode. Yes, a party mode – no more warm drinks or leaving a bottle of champers in the freezer is what that means. Users input what type of drinks they are putting in the fridge, whether that be a soft drink, beer or wine for example, followed by the type of container they are in. The app will then calculate how long that specific drink needs to be cooled for to be the optimum drinking temperature. A can of coke takes 34 minutes in the Whirlpool 6th Sense Live fridge, while a bottle of beer takes 30 minutes.

There are plenty more features on the 6th Sense Live app for each of the appliances, all of which can be found in the demo mode when downloaded so you can see exactly what the range can do before you consider buying. It’s also worth noting the appliances look pretty good too so they are smart in both senses of the word.

Pricing and availability has yet to be detailed for the Whirlpool 6th Sense Live range, and of course, we have no idea if or when the Interactive Kitchen of the Future might appear or indeed how much it will cost when it does. What is very clear though is that while the smarthome may be a little disjointed at the moment, it might not be long before our homes our smarter than us.

Can I get Amazon Prime Now one-hour deliveries in my area?

Amazon has further extended its Amazon Prime Now one-hour delivery service into a new area of the UK: Surrey.

Amazon Prime members in “selected postcodes” in Surrey can now order items and have them delivered on the same day, even as soon as an hour after placing the order.

The service is also available in other cities and regions in England, so you might not even be aware that you can make use of it now.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the locations Amazon Prime Now covers and also explain how you can use it. Simply read on…

What is Amazon Prime Now?

Amazon launched its one-hour delivery service in the UK in the summer of 2015, starting in the capital London. It had already been successfully received in the US, being first available in New York at the end of 2014.

It enables Amazon Prime subscribers to order items through a dedicated smartphone application and have them delivered on the same day, with one-hour deliveries costing a premium, but two-hour delivery windows being free.

It doesn’t cover every item on Amazon.co.uk, but there are more than 15,000 products available. Whether something you require is available to order through Amazon Prime Now depends on your location – as it needs to be within a short ride for the courier.

The dedicated app determines which items are available to you and filters out the rest, so you should never see an item come up that you cannot order through Amazon Prime Now.

How much does Amazon Prime Now cost?

To begin with, you need to have Amazon Prime membership to use the service. That costs £79 a year but also includes complete access to the vast amount of free content on the Amazon Instant Video streaming platform, access to Amazon Music, the company’s fledgling rival to Spotify, free next-day postage on a huge amount of the online retailer’s stock, the Kindle owners Lending Library and several other incentives.

Amazon Prime Now itself costs £6.99 for each delivery if you want your items delivered within an hour of ordering. It is completely free if you are willing to wait a little longer though; it offers free two-hour slots throughout the day, between 8am and midnight.

Items, on the whole, are the equivalent price to their listings on Amazon.co.uk.

Orders must be, at minimum, £20 in value, but that can include many items.

If you’ve never used it before, you can get £10 off your first order, as long as it is worth £30 or more. Just type 30PRIMENOW into a box at checkout.

How do I use Amazon Prime Now?

Amazon Prime Now is available through a dedicated application for iOS, Android or Fire devices. Check here for download locations.

When you first log in, you determine your delivery postcode, which you can also change at any time in case you want to have an item delivered to you at work, for example.

You use the app much like general Amazon applications, by placing items into the basket.

When you check out though you will be presented with the different options for delivery. We’ve found it offers a couple of different two-hour time slots for free delivery as default, or you can opt to pay for one-hour delivery by selecting that option in a drop-down menu.

Once you have checked out, you can track the progress much like on the main Amazon site, although this time, as soon as the courier has departed you can track them on a live map within the app itself.

Can I get Amazon Prime Now where I live?

As well as Surrey, Amazon Prime Now is also now available in some regions in Hampshire and Berkshire. These include Camberley, Lightwater and Aldershot.

London was the first city to get the service, but areas of Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle and Manchester are also covered.

You can find out whether you can get Amazon Prime Now deliveries in your home or work place by entering your postcode into Amazon’s postcode checker here. If it is okay, you should download the app to your phone or device and get ordering now.

Google Photos for Android gets a manual backup option

Sometimes a seemingly small update can have a large impact on your favorite app. That might be the case with Google Photos, which has just received a manual backup option for Android phones and tablets. Before, you needed to specify whether the app should be uploading your photos over a WiFi connection, or at any time using a WiFi or mobile network. If you have a plan with a strict data cap, you’re probably using the former — but sometimes, just sometimes, you’ll want to break that rule in order to quickly sync and share your smartphone snaps. Well, now you can.

To get started, you’ll need to open up the app and long-press on the photos that you want to store online. They’ll be highlighted with some blue ticks, at which point you can tap the three dot menu in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Select “backup now” and voila — those images are being synced with your Photos library. The handy feature comes with version 1.18 of the Photos app, which is rolling out now in the Play Store.

Source: Google+

A semi-autonomous road trip in the Tesla Model S

Perhaps the worst driving experience of my life happened in 2009 while helping a friend move. She could only afford to rent a rusty van for a single day, so I agreed to make the 14-hour round trip from London to Scotland and back again in one shot. After setting off at 9 AM, we arrived at 7 PM, some four hours behind schedule, thanks to bad traffic. I started the 450-mile home leg at around 9 PM, and the entire journey was a battle to stay awake, alert and within the confines of my lane. Plenty of coffee and roadside breaks later, I arrived home at 6 AM, 21 hours after setting off. It was the most unsafe I’ve ever felt in a car.

When Tesla offered us the opportunity to test out its semi-autonomous Autopilot feature in the Model S, my thoughts immediately went to Scotland and that traumatic journey. While I’m never going to trade my VW Golf for a car that expensive, the new Model 3 will arrive at $35,000 with many of the same capabilities. So I saw the opportunity to take an extremely early Model 3 test drive, of sorts. I wanted to know if it could make a cross-country journey on electric power, and see if the Autopilot would have made that long trip to Scotland a little less arduous.

The conceit

To test this theory, we would drive up to the north of England — Scotland just wasn’t practical given the time constraints we were under. We’d then stretch out the process with some video and photo shoots, before heading home hopefully somewhat exhausted. On the trip back to London, we’d then make use of the autonomous features — about 90 percent of the journey back could be driven by the Tesla, with limited human oversight.

My colleague Matt Brian picked up the Model S — a $120,000 P90D, to be precise — from Hounslow, on the outskirts of London. From there we’d take the M25 freeway, which encircles London, before setting off on the M1, the main road heading north. We chose Leeds, a city around four hours away in the north of England, as our destination. Because the Tesla is electric, though, we’d need a charger to get us there. Or at least back.

The basic route, as dictated by Tesla’s Supercharger network.

The car’s GPS said we could feasibly get to Leeds on a single charge but, erring on the side of caution, advised us to stop at a Supercharger along the way. We’d also need to take some photos somewhere a little more picturesque than a car park. In the end, we decided on a simple 202-mile, four-hour route, taking us up through the heart of England with two stops on the way to Leeds. There, we’d park at a hotel that had a pair of chargers.

After eating at the hotel and charging the car to 100 percent, we’d begin our return journey. We’d head off just after rush hour and follow the M1 back home, but rather than return to Hounslow, we’d finish at the Emirates Stadium, in north London. The major difference between the two routes, though, would be Autopilot. Factoring in charging, eating and videography, we thought we’d be back in London by around 10 PM.

The reality

We reached our first stop, in Northampton, at 2 PM. We’d traveled just 80 miles since meeting three hours prior. Luckily, the Supercharger is very swift. Much like phones with a fast-charging feature, it’s quick to charge up to 80 percent or so, then slows down significantly for the final 20 percent. When it’s close to empty, though, you can get 60 miles’ range in under ten minutes, and half an hour gets you 170 miles.

With no local Supercharger, I’m using local electric charging points. I could be a while.

A photo posted by Matt Brian (@mattbrian) on Apr 7, 2016 at 11:44am PDT

Tesla’s been expanding its Supercharger network rapidly over the past few years, and you can see why. To a Tesla owner, they’re the difference between minutes and hours. In the lead-up to the Model 3 launch, it’s pledging to almost double the number of stations worldwide to 1,200, which will house 7,000 individual chargers. That will go a long way toward patching the holes in the current network.

In the US, for example, traveling away from the major conurbations in each corner of the country requires forethought. You’ll typically need to stick almost entirely to the major interstates — I-90, which cuts through the north, is peppered with Superchargers, as is I-70, through the center, while I-40 is covered from Oklahoma City west.

A road trip in a Tesla isn’t about driving from point A to point B. It’s about getting from Supercharger to Supercharger.

The whole “range anxiety” thing is perhaps overstated. The Model S comfortably lasts 200 miles, which is more than enough to cover most people’s daily driving. And there are plenty of solutions for overnight charging at home, which would be enough to keep my imaginary Tesla running almost year-round. But longer journeys are obviously a different matter. Even if you’re on a route that’s well covered, it feels like any road trip in a Tesla right now isn’t about driving from point A to point B — it’s about getting from Supercharger to Supercharger.

We charged for only about 15 minutes in Northampton. Enough that the Tesla said we’d hit Leeds with 25 percent in the metaphorical tank. Setting off north again, we encountered heavy traffic, and also stopped en route at a power station to shoot (most of) the photos you see dotted around this article. Despite that charge stop, though, when we reached Leeds at 5:20 PM we had less than ten percent left, and a “battery low” warning on the Tesla’s display. Not the best start.

The discrepancy between the prediction and the reality was mostly down to traffic, but just like with a gas-powered car, your driving style with affect your mileage, as will weather conditions — it was about 50 degrees and very wet for most of the day.

On the road again

The only things available at the soulless hotel we stopped at in Leeds were a Supercharger and some overcooked burgers. Filled up on both, we set off home at around 7:30PM. We hoped that by giving the car the reins, energy consumption would be reduced. We also prayed we’d have better luck with traffic.

Five minutes after departing, we were on the M1 and ready to try Autopilot. There’s a little lever to the left of the steering wheel, and pulling on it once will activate Cruise Control, which behaves as you’d expect, with a few additions. A second pull takes you into full-fledged Autopilot mode.

In Cruise Control, the Model S will watch the adjacent lanes to check for vehicles that might encroach, and read road signs to automatically step the speed up and down if you enter, for example, a 50MPH zone. Once you’re in Autopilot, additional sensors come into play, and the car will follow the roads curves, keeping you neatly in your lane. It’ll also change lanes for you, if you ask. To do this, you just need to pull the indicator, put both hands on the wheel, and the car will check its surroundings and switch lanes if it’s safe. The hands thing was a concession added by Tesla after Model S owners were being a little… irresponsible.

Autonomous lane changes were typically super smooth, although we had a couple of jankier moments at night where it jaunted across lanes either too fast or too slow for my liking. There were also a few occasions where it decided switching wasn’t safe, even though there weren’t any vehicles around. Tesla seems to be overly cautious here, which is fine, but you really need to be paying attention — if it backs out of a lane change half-way through it’ll sometimes hand you back the wheel.

The biggest issue we ran into with Autopilot was the variable speed limit on the M1. The Model S happily read the myriad speed changes, dropping up and down between 70MPH and 40MPH and everything inbetween. More than once, though, the road returned the UK’s highway speed limit — 70MPH — without clearly indicating that change with a sign. The Tesla remained at 40MPH, which on a 70MPH road is extremely dangerous. It was another illustration that Autopilot is a driving aid, rather than a full autonomous mode. Treating it otherwise, or not paying attention, would likely leave you less safe than if you were without it.

We ran into similar issues with non-official signage — the UK sometimes has “suggestions” like “Slow 40,” which isn’t actually a speed limit, but rather an indication that there’s a potential hazard ahead. The Tesla ignored these, which is legal, but not exactly advisable. Luckily, changing the vehicle’s designated speed is simple — a quick toggle up or down will change it in predefined increments — and anyway, the Cruise Control safely slowed us down when it saw a car in front doing the recommended 40MPH.

When one of us mere humans took the wheel, the ride was noticeably less steady, less controlled

Despite those minor niggles, the semi-autonomous journey home went well. And the Tesla handled some typically British — i.e. godawful — weather conditions with aplomb. Driving at 70MPH during a downpour on an unlit stretch of the M1 is not something I would do in my car, but with a computer at the wheel I felt comfortable. On the few occasions when one of us mere humans took the wheel, the ride was noticeably less steady, less controlled. Less safe.

I would like to see Tesla add a little more intelligence to its Autopilot when it comes to wet conditions. As of writing, the Model S can’t tell if you’re driving in the wet or dry. That’s important. When we set off back to London, the weather was fine, and we it set to maintain a distance of three car lengths at all times. An hour later we were caught in a torrential downpour, and that three-car distance felt way too close. While a passenger can safely navigate the Tesla’s menus to change this. If you’re driving alone, that’s not easily done. A simple solution would be to either use sensors or real-time weather info from the web to automatically switch between predetermined dry and wet weather settings.

Home straight

We ended up stopping again at the Northampton Supercharger for 15 minutes — our original plan hadn’t factored in Matt driving the Model S back to his home, 50 miles out of London. The break gave us a chance to talk about what had and hadn’t gone right with the journey so far.

The Model S was definitely keeping us safe. And it was getting us home fast. We both agreed that, if we were driving the car in such inclement conditions, we would have been taking things a little slower. Despite nerves about handing over control to a computer, it was definitely more relaxing driving assisted than solo.

I’ve said this already, but just to reiterate: I am almost definitely never going to buy a Model S or any car in its $70,000+ price bracket — there’s a reason the phrase “overpaid journalist” is rarely uttered. By 11PM — the time we reached the Emirates Stadium — I was enamored with the idea of a Tesla. I don’t think the Model S offers the comfort or luxury of the BMWs and Audis I typically lust after. But the Model 3 will fall into the price range of my Golf. And it’ll offer all of the Autopilot features, most likely for a small premium. That’s a compelling notion.

I don’t think I’m willing to dive in and order a Tesla based on a single day’s driving. But the intelligence and composure the Model S showed in its autonomous mode was enough to persuade me that Autopilot is definitely a feature I want from my next car. I’m not over-exaggerating when I say the memories of that journey back from Scotland haunt me, and I feel like it would’ve been easier with Tesla’s safety features on board.

Video produced by John Johnston, Matt Brian and Aaron Souppouris.

Mutants exist and are fighting lethal diseases

A study that analyzed the genetic data of almost 600,000 people has discovered that mutants are very real. But, rather than shooting lasers from their eyes or lifting cars, their power is to lead a healthy, normal life. The meta-study, conducted by a team led by Stephen Friend, found 13 individuals who should have either been dead or seriously ill. Despite this, they’ve been unaffected by disorders like Tay-Sachs and cystic fybrosis, thanks to some genetic mutation in their bodies that’s been quietly fighting the condition.

Researchers believe that this unique facet in these people’s genetic makeup could be the key to a cure. Unfortunately, it’s not as if the scientists can phone up the 13 and get them in for more testing. That’s because the study was a meta-study, which took anonymized data sets from a dozen previously-conducted experiment. The information was then crunched, big-data style, to look for abnormalities that could provide a signal for future research.

Since there’s no way to tell the 13 about their gift, a new set of studies will have to be run in order to find more. We’d crack wise about how researchers need to invent Cerebro, the X-Men’s mutant-sniffing computer — but don’t want to be glib at such an important breakthrough.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: Nature

NASA is funding asteroid spaceships and other far-out concepts

NASA’s annual National Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program awards money to some of the craziest space projects you’ll ever see, and this year is no different. The space agency has just announced the 13 concepts that made it through Phase I, and one of the most interesting entries plans to transform whole asteroids into spaceships. It’s called Reconstituting Asteroids into Mechanical Automata or Project RAMA. The concept is the brainchild of Jason Dunn, co-founder of Made In Space, which developed the 3D printer that’s aboard the ISS.

Dunn wants to send out analog computers and mechanisms to rendezvous with asteroids and turn them into autonomous spacecraft. They could then be used to get rid of objects that could collide with our planet, among other possible missions. Another project aims to create autonomous underwater drones that can dive to the center of icy moons through their volcanoes, just like in Jules Verne’s classic. Yet another wants to use microbes to recycle old spacecraft parts to make new ones. There’s also one that wants to send out a thin, kite-like spacecraft to clear out all the debris in Low Earth Orbit.

All these Phase I projects are getting a $100,000 grant from NASA to fund their feasibility studies for the next nine months. Those that can prove that their wild ideas aren’t just sci-fi fodder could get $500,000 more to develop their concepts for the next two years. In 2015, NASA awarded seven projects with half a million, including one that plans to send solar-powered robots to work on the surface of the moon. The agency invests money in these seemingly unattainable concepts to “push boundaries and explore new approaches” for the future of space exploration.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: NASA, (2)

Kindle Oasis: Amazon’s premium reader is stunning, but it’s ridiculously expensive

Amazon has announced its latest Kindle ebook reader, and it’s a radical departure from the devices that have come before it.

The Kindle Oasis is a complete rethinking from the components up, stripping the Kindle down to its essentials and giving you a device that’s now much thinner, lighter and with a quirky new design. 

The new design gives you a display that’s only 3.4mm think, with a grip housing all the components at one edge, with buttons for page turns. The idea is to make reading as easy and comfortable as possible, with the Oasis designed for effortless one-handed use.

There’s a 6-inch E Ink display with 300ppi, the same as the Paperwhite and Voyager that remain in Amazon’s line-up, but the front-lighting on the Oasis is now cast from the side through a new diffusion layer that’s said to give more even illumination across the panel. 

The Kindle Oasis offers two buttons for page turns, as well as the same full touch navigation via the display. There’s an accelerometer onboard so it can be used left- or right-handed, and there’s also a landscape mode. 

The reduction in size sees the main Oasis body with a 2-week battery life, but there’s a battery cover in the box. This battery brings an additional 7 weeks of use, as well as incorporating a high quality leather cover for the display.

The battery case fixes in place using magnets and comes in a choice of three colours – black, merlot and walnut – all designed to add character as they wear in. 

The Kindle Oasis takes the premium position at the top of the Kindle line-up that starts with the £59 Kindle, stepping up to the £109 Paperwhite, and on to the £169 Voyage.

The Kindle Oasis leaps to £269.99, a price that is almost as staggering as the radical redesign. 

Kindle Oasis is available to pre-order from today, with availability in the next few weeks.

READ: Amazon Kindle Oasis preview: Supersonic rethinking of the ebook reader

Amazon Kindle Oasis preview: Supersonic rethinking of the ebook reader

The Amazon Kindle has been somewhat predictable over the past few years, making itself incrementally better, stoically doing what it does best year-on-year, staying true to that central concept of delivering the best reading experience it can.

Never in our wildest dreams did we think that something as dramatic as the Kindle Oasis was about to happen. But in a proper jaw-meet-floor moment, we got to spend some time with Amazon’s new Kindle.

If you think ebook readers are boring, then definitely, maybe, think again.

Amazon Kindle Oasis design

The Kindle is designed for one thing and one thing only: reading books. Its aim is to make reading books a distraction-free experience and that’s resulted in this radical rethinking for the Kindle.

To develop the Oasis, Amazon stripped the Kindle down to its component pieces and built it back up again, taking the chance to remove as many annoyances as possible along the way. The result is a new form factor. It escapes the predictable tablet-like slab, offering a funky, but seriously considered, design.

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At first glance, you might think it’s just a silly reshaping, but there’s something about this new design that really works. Firstly, it’s as light as it can be and that’s essential for those who read a lot. It’s also essential for those who want to comfortably read one-handed on the train, in bed or on the beach.

Rather than presenting a uniform thickness across the device, there’s a bump running down one side. That contains everything, the battery, the brains, all the hardware apart from the E Ink display itself. It even contains the display controller and LEDs.

That bump is pretty much a rock’n’roll star, because it provides all the grip you need and puts what little weight there is next to your hand, so it’s really comfortable to hold. There are two buttons for turning pages on the Kindle Oasis and these fall naturally so you can turn pages one-handed with your thumb.

It weighs only 131g. Compare that to the 188g of the Kindle Voyage, and you’ll appreciate how different it is. It’s also only 3.4mm thick through the body of the “page”. It might be an unusual design, but as we detail below, that’s not without good reason.

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Kindle Oasis teardown

To understand how the Kindle Oasis ended up in this position, it’s worth taking a look at the parts that make it up. There’s surprisingly little to it, but in previous editions – such as the best selling Paperwhite – Amazon wasn’t able to optimise the hardware so well. Through advancements in technology, components have become miniaturised so you’re only really left with a few pieces.

There’s that main board that has all the brains on it – including an accelerometer this time around – the battery and the display. One thing you can’t see in this picture is the display controller and LEDs that runs down the edge.

Then you have the display itself. As this is a Kindle, it’s an E Ink display, retaining excellent power efficiency and daylight readability. It’s an E Ink Carta 1.2 panel, but uses a new backplate that’s as thin as kitchen foil. It offers 300ppi across the 6-inch display, the same as the Kindle Voyage.

The front of that display has chemically hardened glass for protection, but it retains some flex to help protection against damage. As we mentioned, the LEDs have moved to the edge, and the front illumination system is now much more efficient as the light only has to spread across two-thirds of the distance it did in the past, so it’s much more even.

As with the other Kindle models, navigation (apart from page turns) is via touch, and as we mentioned before, the accelerometer means you can hold the Kindle Oasis in either hand and the screen will rotate to suit. There’s also a landscape mode, but you can lock it to portrait only if you want – something you might want to do if you like to read lying on your side on a sun lounger or in bed.

So let’s bring it on down to the actual frame of the Oasis. It’s polycarbonate (plastic) but then undergoes structural electroplating for strength, hence the shine. This is painted and the other components fit into it and that’s about it. It’s simple, it’s novel, but it’s still very much a Kindle.

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Kindle Oasis included battery cover

In the process of shrinking things down, the Kindle Oasis only gets a battery life of 2 weeks. That might sound a lot compared to a smartphone, but when you consider that a regular Paperwhite or Voyage can last 6 weeks, it’s no time at all.

However, included in the box is a battery cover. This has a huge battery that will extend your Kindle up to 9 weeks of use, making it the longest lasting of the bunch. It connects via magnets to the back and when attached, it makes the Kindle a more regular shape again. If you want to slip it into your pocket, you might choose to slide away the battery cover and just take your naked Kindle with you.

The battery cover has a leather finish and folds over to protect the screen, magnetically fixing in place. It’s a lovely piece of work too, with a quality leather finish that’s designed to age for character. It looks smart and suits this premium Kindle offering really well.

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Kindle Oasis software and reading experience

We didn’t have the chance to use the Kindle Oasis for an extended period of time, so we can’t report what it’s like to use on a daily basis, but from what we’ve seen, it looks every bit as lovely to use as the current models.

The user interface is the same as other Kindles, so this is familiar territory for those Kindle fans out there. The option to rotate to landscape adds something new, but otherwise this is all about putting the book first and helping you lose yourself in the authors words.

Once we’ve had the chance to spend a little more time living with the Kindle, we’ll be sure to update.

First Impressions

We’ve long been fans of the Kindle and the Paperwhite in particular. Adding illumination in a sensible way was our last big breakthrough for the ereader. Some still question whether these devices should exist, but if you’re an avid reader, then your Kindle is a must-have gadget.

But where previous updates (there have been three generations of Paperwhite) might not have carried a huge advantage, there’s something surprisingly lustworthy about the Kindle Oasis. This is an exciting rethinking of the reader and we love the results.

Unfortunately, as is often the case with pretty new things you want, it comes with a high price tag. The Kindle Oasis costs £269.99 and that price might just be high enough to kerb your enthusiasm. This is undoubtedly a premium Kindle, but essentially, you’re paying a lot of money for the same functionality as you get from the £109 Kindle Paperwhite. As much as we love it, we’re not sure it’s £160 better.

The Kindle Oasis will be available in the coming weeks, but it available for pre-order from 13 April.

Amazon Kindle Oasis vs Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: What’s the difference?

Amazon announced the first Kindle in 2007 and since then we have seen seven generations go by. The eighth has now been announced in the form of the Kindle Oasis and it joins the current line up of the Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Voyager.

All four Kindles vary in price points and features, making the decision of which to buy a little more complicated than just adding an ebook reader to your Amazon basket and checking out.

We have compared the Kindle Paperwhite that launched in 2015, the Kindle Voyager that arrived in 2014 and the latest Kindle Oasis to help you work out what the differences are between them and how the three high-end Kindles compare.

Amazon Kindle Oasis vs Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Display

All three of the Kindles being compared here offer a 6-inch E Ink Carta display with touchscreen technology. There is a lot more to it than just size though.

One of the most important things on an ebook reader is resolution. When Amazon launched the 2015 model of the Paperwhite, it doubled the resolution, putting it on par with the Kindle Voyage with both offering a pixel density of 300ppi. The Kindle Oasis also offers a 300ppi, meaning all three offer the same resolution.

In terms of contrast, the Kindle Voyage has a higher contrast than the Paperwhite, and although the Oasis contrast hasn’t been detailed, we suspect it will be the same as the Voyage, if not higher.

Another thing to note regarding displays is all three Kindles have touchscreens as well as built-in front illumination, with the Voyage also offering an adaptive front light. This adaptive front light will dim and brighten depending on where you are, which should make going inside or outside effortless as the Kindle adapts brightness to make reading as easy as possible. The new Kindle Oasis doesn’t offer this feature.

The Oasis does have 60 per cent more LEDs in its built-in light however, as well as new diffractive patterns to help increase the lighting consistency and range of screen brightnesses. This is said to offer improved reading in all types of lighting so it could be that the adaptive front light feature isn’t offered on the Oasis as doesn’t need it thanks to other display improvements.

Amazon Kindle Oasis vs Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Design

The Amazon Kindle Oasis is the slimmest and lightest Kindle available. It measures 143 x 122mm and it is 3.4mm at its thinnest and 8.5mm at its thickest. The Oasis Wi-Fi only model hits the scales at 131g without the accompanying cover and 238g with the cover, while the Wi-Fi and 3G model weighs 133g and 240g, respectively.

The Oasis is squarer than its siblings and the design is entirely different. The weight, or what weight there is, is all within the block on the right, which is where all the hardware now sits compared to being distributed across the entire device like the other Kindle models. This makes the Kindle Oasis very comfortable and easy to hold as it has been designed to move the centre of gravity to your palm for one-handed reading.

It comes with a leather battery cover that slots on the rear and sits inline with the raised block, offering a smooth rear when on, compared to the right bump when off. The cover is attached via magnets so it is easy to take off if you want to read without a cover. When on, it is designed to open like a book, waking the display up when it does and fitting closely around the bezel.

The Kindle Voyage has a glass screen that sits flush with the front of the device for clear reading. This is also “micro-etched” meaning it helps stop reflections, which in turn should make outdoor reading easier. It is also said to aid in helping the screen mimic real paper.

The Voyage Wi-Fi model is 180g, while the Wi-Fi and 3G model is 188g, making it quite a bit heavier than the Oasis without its cover. It measures 162 x 115 x 7.6mm.

The Kindle Paperwhite has a very similar design to the Voyage, with the only main difference being in the bezel and the rear design. The Wi-Fi model weighs 205g, while the Wi-Fi and 3G model weighs 217g, both of which are heavier than the Voyage and the Oasis. The Paperwhite is also larger and thicker, measuring 169 x 117 x 9.1mm.

Amazon Kindle Oasis vs Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Features

One of the other big design differences between these Kindles is how you turn pages and given that the main purpose is reading, this is a pretty important feature to consider.

The Kindle Oasis offers physical page turn buttons on the right-hand side where you hold the device, as well as the option to use the touchscreen. This makes things lovely and simple as you can turn pages with your thumb nice and easily without having to move your hand if you don’t want to. There is also a built-in accelerometer so the Oasis can detect which hand you are reading with and automatically rotate the page and page turn buttons accordingly.

The Kindle Voyage offers a feature called PagePress. This uses sensors in the bezel to allow the reader to turn a page by simply pressing a little harder. Again, no moving of the hands to turn a page but perhaps not quite as easy as pressing an actual button like the Oasis offers.

The Paperwhite relies on the touchscreen for a swipe to turn the pages. This is a little more fiddly than on the Oasis or Voyage as you will need to move your hand to either tap or swipe the display, but some might prefer this method.

Amazon Kindle Oasis vs Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Battery and storage

The Amazon Kindle Oasis offers months on a single charge according to Amazon, thanks to a new dual-battery design. The Oasis leather cover will recharge the device as soon as it is connected and both can be charged at the same time. There is also a new hibernation mode that will minimise consumption when you aren’t using your Kindle.

Both the Kindle Paperwhite and Voyage offer weeks on a single charge, which is still great, just not as great as months. These stats are based on 30-minutes of reading a day with Wi-Fi turned off and brightness set to 10. 

All three Kindles offer storage for “thousands of books” according to Amazon.

Amazon Kindle Oasis vs Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Software

All three of the Kindles being compared here offer the same software, which includes a font called Bookerly.

The Kindle software has come along way since it first arrived, with users now benefiting from better character spacing, hyphenation, justification and more. Reading larger fonts is also a lot easier now too.

Amazon Kindle Oasis vs Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Price

The Amazon Kindle Oasis starts at £270, the Kindle Voyage at £170 and the Kindle Paperwhite at £110.

It is worth remembering the Oasis comes with a leather cover included in that price, which is available in Merlot, Walnut and Black colour options, but the Oasis is of course still significantly pricier than the Voyage or Paperwhite.

Amazon Kindle Oasis vs Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Conclusion

The Amazon Kindle Oasis is the most expensive Kindle available, but there are a few reasons for that, it just depends on whether any of them are good enough reasons in your opinion to consider it over the Voyage or Paperwhite.

The Oasis offers a new design which is not only slimmer and lighter than its Kindle competition, but it is also smarter looking and designed to be more ergonomic and comfortable when it comes to extended reading sessions.

The extra money also offers you months of battery life instead of weeks, as well as a new display and a leather cover. Whether that’s enough to warrant the extra £100 from the Voyage or the extra £160 from the Paperwhite really depends on what you are looking for in your Kindle. What do you need to make your reading experience the best it can be?

READ: Amazon Kindle Oasis first impressions

Amazon Kindle: A brief history from the original Kindle to the Kindle Oasis

The Amazon Kindle was launched with one real aim: to bring people books. The Kindle was never designed to compete with tablets and sticking to this principle has allowed the Kindle to evolve through to the present day and excel at its task. 

The Kindle has remained one of our favourite devices. Where tablets, phones, PCs and TVs have seen radical changes, the technology and the functions of the Kindle have remained true to task, but evolving in pace with technology.

The Kindle gives you access to digital books and provides the best method for reading them and that’s the guiding principle that drives the Kindle on. It’s about reading, reading and reading. It’s a tool for a single job, not a tool for many (there’s the Kindle Fire for that, which we’re ignoring here.) 

We’ve been looking over the archives of Kindle history, from Amazon’s original ebook reader, through to its brand new, premium, Oasis, to pick out the important steps in the Kindle’s journey.

Click here to see where the Kindle started.