Fresh reports emerge on what Amazon is apparently working on these days-- new Amazon smartphone rumours and Kindle Fire upgrade, the better to take on both Google and Apple with.
The latest Amazon smartphone report comes from Bloomberg. According to "people with knowledge of the matter" Foxconn is making the device while Amazon keeps itself busy buying wireless technology patents.
Amazon even has new help with the patents acquisition-- Matt Gordon, former senior director of acquisitions at Intellectual Ventures Management, the company founded by ex-Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold and owner of over 35000 patents.
Patents make for valuable ammunition in the legal wars surrounding the smartphone market. Amazon was already involved in 20 patent-related cases in 2011 and 5 more in 2012.
Meanwhile AllThingsD has news on the second Kindle Fire-- it will launch in Q3 2012, is "thinner and lighter" and has a built-in camera and a higher resolution (1280 x 800) display.
As a positive buzz surrounds Google's Nexus 7 and Apple supposedly develops its take on the lower-end tablet, Amazon has to work harder than ever to retain its (shrinking) tablet share.