The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 tablet is now available in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Japan. Amazon previously focused its sales efforts in the U.S., but its popular tablet has expanded availability. Amazon also lowered the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 price in the U.S. to $269 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version. The 4G LTE-capable Kindle Fire HD 8.9 now starts at $399.

>Amazon has introduced its own virtual currency system for Kindle Fire users to make app, game, and in-app purchases later this year. The new Amazon Coins will launch for U.S. customers in May, and Amazon will distribute free coins once the system begins.

Amazon is known to dangle discounts in front of its shoppers to encourage purchases, and today's Gold Box Deal is one of the best the company it has offered in a while. Today only, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is available for $50 less than its normal cost. The 16GB model of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is available for a limited time at $249.99, and the 32GB model costs $319. Buyers can enter "FIREHD89" at checkout to get the discount. The offer ends today and applies only to purchases shipped to customers in the United States.

Amazon today announced that its Kindle Fire HD 8.9 tablet is now shipping to customers who pre-ordered the device when it was first announced in September. The company also released more details on its holiday launch plans.

Texas Instruments has hinted that it will move away from producing processors for smartphones and tablets, but Amazon, which relies on TI for its Kindle Fire tablets, may step in to purchase the division.

It's long been said that Amazon's low-cost Kindle Fire tablets and Kindle eReaders don't turn a profit for the online retailer, and CEO Jeff Bezos has confirmed that to be true in an interview with the BBC.

In addition to announcing a sequel to its Kindle Fire tablet, Amazon is also releasing a bigger and better tablet known as the Kindle Fire HD.

Amazon will relaunch its Kindle Fire with newer hardware and an an even lower price tag. The online retailer has just announced plans to upgrade the Kindle to have a processor that is 40 percent faster, has twice as much RAM (1GB), and longer battery life.

Verizon Wireless may increase the number of pre-installed apps on its Android phones and tablets. According to a leaked message for Verizon employees, Amazon apps will be front-and-center on new Android devices.

Amazon has made a pair of significant claims today. The online retailer declared that it has sold out of its supply of the Kindle Fire, its "most successful product launch" ever. Amazon also claimed that the Kindle Fire has accounted for 22 percent of tablet sales in the United States, though the company failed to provide any sales figures or cite any third-party estimates that would explain its market share claims.