Amazon sale slashes Fire tablets by up to 45 percent

Amazon’s Fire HD tablets are on sale at the second-lowest prices we’ve seen across a range of 8-inch and 10-inch models. If you’re looking for the lowest price possible, the Fire HD 8 is available for just $50, and for the biggest discount, the the Fire HD 8 Plus is on sale for $60, or 45 percent ($50) off the regular price — the second-best deal we’ve seen so far. 

Buy Fire HD tablets at Amazon

There’s already a lot to like about the Fire HD 8, like Alexa support, a USB-C port that allows for faster charging, good build quality, 32GB of storage that’s upgradeable via a microSD slot, a sharp 1,200 x 800 display, 2GB of RAM, a big 4,850 mAh battery and a quad-core processor. The main drawback is the lack of Google apps, unless you’re willing to side load them. As mentioned, the Fire HD 8 is on sale for $50, or 44 percent off the regular $90 price, and is available in four colors including black and white. 

The Fire HD 8 Plus gives you all of those features, but boosts the RAM from 2GB to 3GB, while including wireless charging and a fast 9W charger in the box. The Fire HD 8 Plus is on sale for just $60 or $50 (45 percent) off the regular price. 

If you need something bigger than 8 inches, a pair of 10-inch tablets are on sale as well. The Fire HD 10 gives you a lot of tablet for the money, including a 1080p display, 32GB of storage, 3GB of RAM, an octa-core battery and fast USB-C charging. It’s on sale for $100, or 33 percent off the regular price. And finally, the Fire HD 10 Plus boosts those specs to 4GB of RAM, along with wireless charging and a fast 9W charger. It’s on sale for $130, or $50 off the regular price. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Astra’s latest mission to deliver NASA weather satellites ends in failure

Rocket startup company Astra has suffered from a second launch failure this year as its LV0010 launch vehicle failed to get to orbit with a pair of NASA weather satellites on board. “The upper stage shut down early and we did not deliver the payloads to orbit,” the company tweeted. “We have shared our regrets with NASA and the payload team. More information will be provided after we complete a full data review.”

The launch was backed by NASA as part of its mission to eventually deliver six TROPICS CubeSat weather satellites into orbit. Those low-cost satellites were designed to help NASA keep better track of developing tropical storms. 

NASA was disappointed but remained upbeat about the Astra program. “Although today’s launch with Astra did not go as planned, the mission offered a great opportunity for new science and launch capabilities,” tweeted NASA’s associate science division administrator Thomas Zuburchen. “Even though we are disappointed right now, we know there is value in taking risks in our overall NASA science portfolio because innovation is required for us to lead.”

Astra’s last mission also ended in failure, with the loss of four CubeSats including three from universities. The company blamed that on two separate problems, a wiring error and software flaw. 

It’s not unusual for launch failures early in the life of a rocket company — RocketLab has suffered from three since it started launching in 2017, and even SpaceX failed with its first three Falcon 1 launches from 2006-2008. However, Astra’s streak is starting to look like an issue. Of seven attempted orbital launches, five have ended in failure, with issues ranging from guidance problems to software flaws to engine failures. 

Nintendo Switch Online gets three special version Kirby games

Nintendo has been boosting its Switch Online retro library at a fast pace, recently adding Congo’s Caper, Rival Turf and Kirby 64. Now with version 3.3.0, it’s adding three more Kirby titles, all special SP versions with secret modes unlocked: Kirby Super Star, Kirby’s Dream Land 3 and Kirby’s Dream Course.

Kirby Super Star originally launched on Super NES with eight side-scrolling platform games, including two minigames. Secret modes available include Meta Knight, Milky Way Wishes and the Arena. SNES platformer Kirby’s Dream Land 3, meanwhile, includes extra options like Play Extra Course and the Dance Select option. Finally, with the miniature golf game Kirby’s Dream Course (SNES), you automatically get 100 percent completion and access to all stages if you choose.

A Nintendo Switch Online subscription unlocks online play, cloud saves and access to a library of NES and SNES games on the Switch. To gain access to N64 and Sega Genesis titles, you’ll need an additional paid tier called the Expansion Pack. Switch Online costs $20 annually, while the Expansion Pack is $50 per year.

HTC teases a potential ‘Viverse’ phone launch for June 28th

Earlier this year HTC outlined its answer to Facebook’s metaverse with Viverse, allowing you socialize, hold meetings and more in VR. Later on at Mobile World Congress, the company said it would launch a high-end smartphone with some kind of metaverse feature. Now, HTC has teased a launch date for that device on Twitter with an image showing a phone shape and HTC’s Viverse logo. 

It’s likely to offer an AR/VR experience via HTC’s open-source Viverse. That metaverse platform lets you chat with others via VRChat, hold business meetings in Engage, collaborate in Vive Sync, watch “holographic” VR concerts and more. It’s also expected to offer integration with the Vive Flow VR headset.

It may also have some blockchain features like HTC’s Exodus phone from several years back, though it’s not clear if there’s much overlap with crypto and VR fans. It’ll reportedly partner in Taiwan with Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone, according an earlier report from Focus Taiwan. HTC will reveal more details about the device on June 28th.