Amazon's Kindle Vella story service originally launched online and for iOS only, but with its rollout to Android devices, it's likely to see a surge in users.
Kindle Vella isn't a new ereader tablet, despite Kindles generally being Amazon's book gadgets, but a story subscription service that lets you read serialized works of fiction written specifically for the platform.
Serialization is the act of breaking a story into chunks, and releasing it in intervals, just like a TV show, and judging by the existence of Kindle Vella, Amazon clearly thinks there's an appetite for this format of reading again.
Some might find this a charming throwback to the origins of the novel - after all, classic writers like Charles Dickens, Jules Verne and Arthur Conan Doyle all utilized the serialization format for their works of fiction. And now in 2021, prospective and up-and-coming writers can use Vella in the same way.
Before you dive right into a charming romance or gripping thriller, however, we've got to douse your excitement with a big bucket of ice-cold reality - there are lots of asterisks around Vella's availability.
It's only available in the US right now, and while Android availability is a new feature for the platform, you actually can't read Vella stories on Kindle ereaders... yet, at least.
So for a better idea of what Amazon's Kindle Vella story serialization software is, and whether you can use it, we've written this guide to answer all your burning questions.
Cut to the chase
Amazon Kindle Vella price
You need to buy tokens to read Vella serials. Each story is broken into chapters - we'll explore more about how this works later - and you need to spend tokens to buy each chapter as you read them.
Roughly, one token is worth 100 words - so a 600-word chapter will require about six tokens. Easy so far. However the price of a token varies by how many you buy.
| Number of tokens | Price | Price of each token | Rough word count |
| 200 | $1.99 | $0.01 | 20,000 |
| 525 | $4.99 | $0.0095 | 52,500 |
| 1100 | $9.99 | $0.009 | 110,000 |
| 1700 | $14.99 | $0.0088 | 170,000 |
The more tokens you purchase in one transaction, the cheaper each individual one is, with several bundles you can choose from. We've drawn up a graph above so you can see the bundles - the prices are all in US dollars since that's the only currency accepted currently.
If you're a keen author, you should probably know that you only get 50% of the money spent on your episode, as the other half goes to Amazon. Your cash also depends on the bundle the reader bought - if they opted for a better-value pack, that means you're getting less money per word than if they went for the cheaper options.
Check out the Kindle Direct Publishing website for a breakdown of how this works, with some examples of how much you'd make in certain situations. Suffice to say, you'll have to sell lots of chapters to make real money.
Amazon Kindle Vella availability
Right now, Kindle Vella can only be used in the US, whether you're a reader or author. That means you can't read with the service if you live outside the States, and you also can't submit a story through the platform as an author.
We're waiting on official information as to the possibility of Vella launching elsewhere, but it's very likely. Amazon frequently launches services in the US before rolling them out elsewhere, like Halo and Luna.
At launch, you could use Vella either through the official Kindle Vella website , or via an iOS app, but after five months the Android Kindle app also allowed for access. Since Amazon's Fire tablets use Android, that also means they can use it too.
So, how does Kindle Vella actually work?
When using Kindle Vella, an author will break up a story into many, 600-5,000 word chapters, and unlike a standard book, you buy each chapter separately, rather than buying the whole story in one go. Amazon calls them 'episodes', but they're just chapters to you or I.
Amazon recommends authors write stories specifically in the serial format, which makes the chapters more engaging than if you just rip a standard book into arbitrary segments.
Authors will make the first three chapters of the serial free, to give readers a taste of the story, and then if you like what you read, you can pay for each new entry into the narrative.
These chapters won't be available all at once, though Amazon recommends each author publish a good few upfront. New entries could come daily, weekly or more sporadically, depending on the whims of the writer. You can follow a story or author to get notified when new entries are available.
You're able to Thumbs Up a story that you like, in order to give the author a dopamine rush of validation, and once a week you can also Fave a story you really like - frequently-Fave'd works get recommended to more readers on the website.
Writers can leave notes at the end of each entry, to thank readers or add their views on the progression of the story or the chapter - some might opt not to though, which would make Roland Barthes pleased.
Does Kindle Vella work on Kindle ereaders?
For some reason Vella currently isn't available on Amazon's own Kindle ereaders, despite those devices being designed for reading.
There's no official reasoning why, but we'd guess it's because Kindles are designed to require infrequent connection to the internet, whereas Vella needs constant updates to check for new chapters and stories. The process of buying tokens to buy a chapter, rather than just purchasing a book via your Amazon account, could also add an extra step which, on slow-working Kindles, could prove fiddly.
Hopefully, one of two things will happen though. First, it's possible a software update will make Vella available on existing Kindles.
Otherwise, we'd like to see future Kindle ereaders come with the service available. It's been a while since Amazon last launched a book-substitute gadget and we're expecting a new Kindle , Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Oasis to all come out this year (or one of them, at the very least).
Either way, it's important that Vella comes to Kindles at some point, because reading stories on a computer screen or iPhone is nowhere near as nice as doing so on a lovely E Ink display.
Garmin Forerunner 955: everything we know so far
The Garmin Forerunner 955 will be a top-end triathlon watch, following in the footsteps of the venerable Forerunner 945 , and we're rounding up all the latest news, rumors, and predictions for you right here.
Details are scarce so far, but following the launch of the Garmin Forerunner 55 in 2021 and the long-awaited Fenix 7 in January 2022, it's surely only a matter of time before the 955 arrives on runners' wrists.
Latest update: A Reddit user claims to have caught sight of an email from Garmin that was sent to retailers , which provides details of both the Forerunner 955 and 255. According to the email, the two new watches will be available from June 1.
Cut to the chase
Can't wait for the Forerunner 955 to arrive? Here are the best deals on the current Forerunner series right now:
Understanding the Forerunner series
First, a word on Garmin's naming system, which might be a little confusing for newcomers. There are four Forerunner lines: 50, 250, 750, and 95. The lower-level models have a focus on running, but those higher up are also fully equipped with tools for swimmers, cyclists, and triathletes.
Watches in the Forerunner 50 range are affordable entry-level devices with everything a beginner needs, including GPS, all-day heart rate tracking, and sleep monitoring. The most recent entry in the range is the Forerunner 55 , which launched worldwide in June 2021.
The Forerunner 250 range is for runners who want to take their training to the next level, with more advanced training tools and metrics available on your wrist. They cost a little more, but are still in the low-mid price bracket. The latest watches in the range are the Forerunner 254 and 254 Music, which were released in April 2019.
There used to be a Forerunner 400 series with touch-sensitive bezels, but this range has since been phased out (the latest release was the 410, back in 2011).
The Forerunner 750 range is made with triathletes in mind, and equipped with a full range of tools for running, cycling, and swimming. They also have a dedicated triathlon mode that allow you to track a full triathlon event, simply pressing the lap button to switch between stages. They sit in the mid-high price band, and the latest watch in the line, the Forerunner 745, landed in September 2020.
Finally, the Forerunner 950 range is the top of the tree. Watches in this range are a little larger than their 750 counterparts, but with better battery life, offline maps, and more storage space for maps and music. They carry a premium price tag, and the most recent model, the Forerunner 945, was released in April 2019. An update is definitely due, which is why we've got our fingers crossed for a Forerunner 955 in 2022.
Forerunner 955 news and rumors
Garmin doesn't tend to release details of forthcoming watches ahead of their actual launch, but hints and rumors about the Forerunner 955 have picked up steam in recent months.
In January 2022 a few details seemed to briefly appear on the company's Australian website .
Much like the Garmin Venu 2 Plus leak a few months earlier, this seems to be a situation where an incomplete page was accidentally published before it was ready. There were no images this time around, but several Garmin fans managed to capture screengrabs of a listing in the Australian webstore for a Forerunner 955 LTE bundle priced at AU$1,049 (about $750 / £550).
This seems like a plausible listing. An LTE version of the Forerunner 945 arrived a few months after the base-spec model, allowing owners to download apps from the Garmin Connect Store, grab extra maps, sync and transfer data without a Bluetooth connection to their phone. It's an extremely useful extra feature for anyone who's going to be out of range of their handset for a while, and means you'll spend less time fiddling with the smartphone app.
The fact that this is a 'bundle' suggests that, like the Forerunner 945, the 955 will be available to buy with additional chest strap heart rate monitors for more accurate readings. The Forerunner 945 can be bought in a bundle together with the HRM-Tri and HRM-Swim monitors, so it's possible that the 955 may come with these, or the more recently released Garmin HRM-Pro .
It's worth bearing in mind, however, that this could just be placeholder text, and nothing has been officially confirmed. The page was taken down before it could be cached by Google or The Wayback Machine, so there's no way to revisit it and scour for any further details, but the fact that we've seen screenshots taken on different desktop and mobile devices suggests that it could well be genuine rather than a doctored image.
We contacted Garmin after the details emerged, but the company declined to comment.
Things then went quiet for a few months, but in April an authorized Garmin dealer appeared to leak a list of forthcoming devices and their warranty information. These included the Forerunner 955 and 255, plus some surprises, including a watch called the Garmin Instinct Analog.
Interestingly, there was no mention of an LTE edition of the Forerunner 955, but it's possible that the list was abbreviated and didn't list all watch variations.
In May, a Reddit user claimed to have caught sight of an official email from Garmin to retailers , which again mentioned both the Forerunner 955 and 255. The Redditor's post claimed that both watches will feature Garmin's new real-time stamina meter, which shows how much energy you have left during a workout, plus the morning report that first appeared on the Garmin Lily.
According to the email, both watches are due to arrive on June 1, meaning you could have either one on your wrist very soon.
What we want to see
One of the biggest selling points of the Forerunner 945 was its outstanding battery life, and we're expecting the Forerunner 955 to last even longer between charges – particularly if you opt for one of the solar variants that are likely to come alongside the standard model.
The Garmin Fenix 7 solar range, which launched in January 2022, offers seriously impressive battery life thanks to new, more efficient solar cells – and we're expecting Garmin to carry this tech over to the new Forerunner 955 as well.
This also means we're not expecting a big upgrade in screen technology. The Garmin Epix and Venu 2 have bright, crisp AMOLED displays, but this tech puts more drain on your watch's battery than old-school memory-in-pixel, so we're not expecting a big change to the Forerunner 955's display. We've got our fingers crossed that it'll have a white backlight rather than blue like the Fenix 7 (the blue hue tends to muddy the screen's colors), but we're not holding our breath.
We would, however, like the Forerunner 955 to borrow the flashlight feature from the Fenix 7X (the largest watch in the range). This is an extremely handy tool; press the backlight button twice, and a powerful LED shines out from the top of the watch housing, in either white or red. It's handy for seeing keyholes in the dark, locating your running shoes first thing in the morning without waking your partner, and making yourself more visible to motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians at night.
Numerous FIFA 22 accounts have been hit by phishing attacks, EA admits
EA has confirmed reports that a number of FIFA 22 accounts have been hacked via phishing techniques.
In a statement, published on the official FIFA 22 website , the publisher admits that these hackers used threats and other social engineering methods to exploit the customer service team and bypass two-factor authentication.
Less than 50 accounts are estimated to have been affected, according to EA, which has promised to restore ownership to the correct users. The company is also taking action to improve its security by providing additional training to EA Advisors and updating its customer experience software to better identify suspicious activity.
"There is always a human factor to account security and we know we must do better," says EA. "We’d like to apologize for the inconvenience and frustration that this has caused, and that we were unable to share additional details in our original communication last week as we conducted a thorough investigation. Thanks to the whole community for your patience as we continue to address the situation and take corrective actions."
FUT thievery
As reported by Eurogamer , it appears the common targets of these hacks were traders within the FIFA Ultimate Team community.
Top traders said that they not only lost access to their accounts, but also lost thousands of pounds worth of in-game currency.
It's believed that the hackers were tricking customer support into handing over email addresses tied to Gamertags and resetting the passwords, locking out the rightful owners, and giving the hackers free rein with the accounts.
One trader, FUT Donkey, shared on Twitter that he had received numerous emails from EA's customer support to prove he had been hacked. The individual responsible also used his email to make accounts with random websites like IMDB and PornHub.
While this sort of incident is obviously damaging to the FIFA brand, said brand may technically not exist anymore. Following the release of FIFA 22, EA Sports announced that it is considering renaming its football sim series . However, this is because its contract with FIFA itself is expiring and EA is no longer willing to pay for it.