US online giant Amazon announced a new small-format tablet that includes its digital assistant Alexa. The eight-inch display Fire HD tablet will start at $89 for US customers, making it one of the least expensive on the market. Amazon has not release specific sales figures for its tablets. But a survey by research firm IDC estimated the online titan was the fifth largest vendor in the second quarter with global sales of 1.6 million units. Amazon also sells a seven-inch Fire tablet starting at $49 and a 10-inch device from $230. The global tablet market, led by Apple's iPad, has been declining over the past few quarters, with some consumers turning to slim PCs, some with detachable keyboards. Amazon's Alexa, which competes with Apple's Siri, Google Now and Microsoft's Cortana, is a key element of the company's strategy to move into the connected home and internet of things. Alexa's skills include selecting music, appointment reminders, checking bank balances, ordering food, summoning Uber rides and more.
Nintendo's Super Mario coming to iPhone
Super Mario is coming to an iPhone near you. Apple and Nintendo jointly announced that "Super Mario Run" featuring the iconic game character and developed specifically for mobile, will hit the App Store this year. "We have created Super Mario Run to be perfect for playing on your iPhone," said Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, who devised the character more than 35 years ago. "Super Mario has evolved whenever he has encountered a new platform, and for the first time ever,…
