Gadgets continue to get cheaper. Sears Holdings (Nasdaq: SHLD) began selling a $150 Android-powered tablet computer through select Kmart stores. Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) announced that it would be selling a Kindle without 3G connectivity for a mere $139.

Technology has a way of getting cheaper as early adopters give way to the masses. Amazon introduced the Kindle less than three years ago at $399 a pop, and the cheapest iPad tablets hit the market less than four months ago at $499 apiece.

Consumers naturally benefit from cheaper prices. Everything from video game consoles to flat-screen televisions cost a lot less than they did a holiday season or two ago. As long as component makers find a way to turn a profit -- or create the means for lucrative secondary streams of income as in Amazon using the Kindle to move more e-books -- everybody wins.

Well, except for folks like me who are left wondering why we paid $359 for an inferior Kindle two summers ago.

Briefly in the news
And now let's take a quick look at some of the other stories that shaped our week.

  • Target (NYSE: TGT) is making inroads into densely populated metropolitan markets, opening its first store in Manhattan's East Harlem.
  • Akamai (Nasdaq: AKAM) shares took a hit Thursday, after the content-delivery network posted disappointing quarterly results. Revenue and profits on a normalized basis inched higher, but operating cash flow took a hit.
  • E*TRADE (Nasdaq: ETFC) received a credit upgrade from Moody's. Go figure! The discount broker delivers its first quarterly profit in three years, and now everyone wants an autograph.
  • Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) refreshed its Mac line, going exclusively with AMD (NYSE: AMD) graphics chips. Yes, Apple still makes computers, silly.

Until next week, I remain,
Rick Munarriz