UPDATED 11:32 EST / OCTOBER 29 2012

Google Postpones Android Event for Second Year in a Row as Hurricane Sandy Blows Through NYC

In today’s mobile news roundup: Google postpones Android event due to hurricane Sandy; Amazon takes a bite out of Apple with Kindle Fire HD; and Microsoft bears the wrath of disgruntled consumers over Windows RT delay.

Google postpones Android event due to hurricane Sandy

Google’s Android event, scheduled for today in New York has been postponed, no thanks to Mother Nature.  The search giant was supposed to hold the event at a waterfront pier but the venue has now been turned into an evacuation zone when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in preparation.

“We are canceling our Monday morning event in New York due to Hurricane Sandy,” Google said in a statement.  “We will let you know our plans as soon as we know more.”

This is the second time Google has had to postpone an event.  Last year, out of respect, they pushed back their Nexus event due to the untimely death of Apple’s visionary Steve Jobs.  And now, due to Hurricane Sandy, Google fans have to wait a little longer just to find out what goodies the search engine giant has up their sleeves.

Amazon takes a bite out of Apple with Kindle Fire HD

Before Apple unveiled the iPad mini, people were thinking that the device would cost under $300, expecting  it would kill other 7” tablets.  But the iPad Mini costs $329 for the most basic version, so the title for “the best of the mini tablet battle” is up for grabs, especially for devices that cost less than $300.

Amazon timed their Kindle Fire HD ad quite strategically, which clearly stated how much cheaper the Kindle HD Fire is compared to the iPad mini.  The Kindle Fire HD only costs $119 but has a sharper display then the iPad Mini.  And to drive the message home, Amazon said, “Wednesday (Apple launched the iPad mini last Tuesday) was the $199 Kindle Fire HD’s biggest day of sales since launch and up 3x week over week,” in a statement to AllThingsD.

Microsoft bears the wrath of disgruntled consumers over Windows RT delay

The Microsoft Surface Windows RT officially went on sale last October 25, but interested buyers were able to pre-order on October 16, and were informed that their RTs would arrive on October 26.  Some consumers received an e-mail regarding the change of the delivery date, only to receive another e-mail stating that the original date of delivery would be followed.  But days after the launch, several consumers in Canada and the UK have not received their Windows 8 tablets.  Microsoft stated that consumers who pre-ordered the device would receive it somewhere between October 26 and 30, and apologized for the confusion in delivery dates.

“We apologize for any confusion caused by emails stating an earlier or later arrival date,” Microsoft said.  “To make up for this inconvenience, we are giving impacted customers a single-use coupon for up to £50 (or $50 Canadian dollars) toward their next purchase from the Microsoft Online Store.”

The reason for the delay hasn’t been disclosed.


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