Amazon plans to release a tablet computer by October, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. The company hopes customers will use its tablet to buy and rent content available on its website. An Amazon spokesman didn't respond to requests for comment. Amazon's tablet will have a roughly nine-inch screen and will run on Google's Android platform, said people familiar with the device. Unlike the iPad, it won't have a camera, one of these people said. While the pricing and distribution of the device is unclear, the online retailer won't design the initial tablet itself. It also is outsourcing production to an Asian manufacturer, the people said. One of the people said the company is working on another model, of its own design, that could be released next year. Amazon also plans to introduce two updated versions of its black-and-white Kindle in this year's third quarter. One of the new Kindles will have a touch screen, which current models don't have.
