Googlebook Gets Roasted, Samsung Kills News & Every Kindle Costs More — NX Tech Tips SHORT 📱 (Oct 29)

Today's 60-second tech roll call, in swipe order:

1. Googlebook: $1,100 to be told "it's a pass." Google reinvented the laptop; the reviewers are not having it. PCWorld tested the $1,099–$1,149 Lenovo Googlebook 15 and walked away — "I really hate using this Googlebook's keyboard," which they compared to stairs mounted too closely together. The verdict, verbatim: "For me, it's a pass." Meanwhile a $479 Chromebook Plus "does the job" for about half the money. NYT Wirecutter's headline says the quiet part louder: "Google Tried to Reinvent the Laptop. Don't Buy It." → PCWorld's full review

2. Samsung is uninstalling the news. The Samsung News feed that came preloaded on Galaxy phones and tablets? It shuts down on December 21, 2026, per SamMobile. It came with the phone, and now it comes with an expiry date. Even bloatware gets one now. → SamMobile's report

3. Amazon shipped five new Alexa gadgets. The lineup: a redesigned Echo Show 16, plus two brand-new kinds of hardware — the Alexa Photo Frame (a smart picture frame) and the Echo Time smart clock. And in the boldest move of the day, Amazon put a camera on the Echo Studio, its best-sounding speaker… for $30 extra. Your clock now needs an assistant, and your speaker needs a lens. → TechCrunch's rundown · Ars Technica on the $30 camera

4. Every Kindle just got more expensive. Amazon recently raised prices across the whole Kindle line — the Paperwhite Signature Edition now sits at $250. The twist: reviewers say the 2026 model finally earns the premium. If you're buying, buy smart — and maybe not at $1,100. → Lifehacker's review

Two-fifty to read. Eleven hundred to regret. That's the episode — see you tomorrow.

I'm Max. NX Tech Tips posts daily — every episode, free: https://www.nxplace.com/x/nxtechtips