Sunday, December 5, 2010

Free Download of Best Website Bookmarks for Kindle Web Browser - UPDATE5

UPDATED December 5.
  Today's update was to add special links to Facebook and to Google News that work better on all the Kindles.  I also explain what can't be done on the Kindles at those sites.

  I also modified some of the notes about the links to try to make the tips a bit clearer.  The filename remains the same, so you can just re-download it if you already have the older copy.

You can see earlier updated info (9/29/10) here on how to get the file to your Kindle via WiFi directly or via 3G and how to transfer it to the Kindle via USB if unable to send it there directly.

  As of December 5, the Kindle orders are limited to three per customer, and estimated shipping time for orders outside the U.S. is several weeks.

I've updated the freely downloadable bookmarks file andrys.com/mobiweb.azw to include links to sites that work better for Kindle 3 models  (UK: K3), as some of the websites have worked well with Kindle 2 and Kindle DX's but not with the Kindle 3, due to the new model's typed-input not always being recognized by some of Google's productivity sites.

This is a separate Kindle file (in 'book' format) for mainly mobile-device-optimized website bookmarks, which you can use as a Kindle file made up OF the bookmarks listed -- the websites are linked already in that file so that you can use them for the Web when your Wireless is On and this 'book' is open.  The Kindle 3 seems to do better in some cases on non-mobile-device-optimized sites, so those are included also.

  Still part of that bookmarks file are the website links that work well for Kindle 2's and DX's, and at the bottom there are general websites that work well for all Kindles.  See the original blog article that explains it and which also has links to how to use the various web-browsing modes of the earlier Kindles, and with tips in general for browsing on the experimental and limited web browser, whether through the free 3G cellphone network capability (usable without a need to locate a 'hotspot') or via the faster WiFi option (if one has access to a local WiFi network) available for Kindle 3's.

  For anyone not clear on 3G vs WiFi-only, you can read the blog article on 3G and WiFi-Only Kindle 3's - What does it all mean? Which should I get?.

  The Kindle 3 shortcuts added should avoid problems w/some sites when accessing with that model.

    Kindles earlier than Kindle 3 use BASIC and ADVANCED/DESKTOP modes.
    Kindle 3 uses WEB Mode, with ARTICLE Mode available for some web articles.


You can download the file to a computer for transfer to the 'documents' folder of the Kindle or download it directly to your Kindle using the Kindle itself to get the file.  To do any of this, you can

  . either use a USB cable to transfer or "sideload" the
      downloaded file from computer to Kindle's "documents" folder.

  . OR type into your Kindle at the Home screen, bit.ly/kmobiweb
      then 5-way right to "go to" and click on that
        and that will download the file direct to the Kindle

  . OR if in the Kindle Edition blog,
      click on the file link and it should download the file direct to Kindle. 

UPDATE: 10/1/10
Possible problem for some (corrected since, at the server, for lack of recognition of file types by the Kindle 3  even though the Kindle 1, 2, and DX models recognized Amazon Kindle format files for normal download).
  The Kindle 3 opened the Amazon file instead of downloading it as a file, and Kindle 3 users saw gibberish appearing on the screen, which was harmless but ugly.  For me, it happened only with the Kindle 3The Kindle 1, 2, and DX's were able to see it as a file.

  I'm putting the details into a new post so that the programmers might become aware it's happening, as my feedback received a boilerplate response.  See today's post (Friday, Oct. 1) for why it happened and how it was corrected for access at this server.

The ALWAYS RELIABLE ways are #1 above (move downloaded-to-computer file to Kindle) and the similar but more direct way of computer-to-Kindle transfer, which is:

  . Attach Kindle to your computer that is online with the Net
  . The Kindle will be seen as a separate 'drive' such as "F: {Kindle}"
  . Click on the 'documents' folder of the Kindle drive, to enter it.
  . In your browser, right-click your mouse on the file-link
      (some Macs require holding the mouse button instead).
  . Choose "Save Link as" or "Save Target as" or "Download/Save"
      depending on your computer and browser
  . Choose the Kindle 'documents' folder for the download.

Then the file will be where it belongs on the Kindle.  After that, use your computer's way of "safely ejecting" the USB device - in this case, the Kindle. 

The Kindle will show the Home screen again, and eventually the new 'mobiweb' file.

(That's like slower ground transport vs air travel.)

Also, Amazon is, for some reason, not considering an .azw Amazon file that IS a personal doc which they converted, to be a file that is acceptable for emailing to your Kindle.   For over a year, that caused no problem, but it is one now, so I deleted the instructions for emailing personal docs to the Kindle.

    Otherwise, you normally can send personal documents to [yourself]@free.kindle.com or to [yourself]@kindle.com once you have gone to your ManageYourKindle page and have approved any mail-to-Kindle-from-email-addresses for the section titled "Your Kindle Approved E-mail List."

The bookmarks file includes the following advice along with the links:
MAPS option works with Kindle 3, but is blocky and slow.

  Directions sub-option will show you text AND map (workable if ROTATED to landscape -
   almost impossible in portrait or vertical mode.

  TEXT directions, step-by-step are much easier to get and read.

    USE http://maps.google.com/m/directions

      See Kindleworld guide for that at bit.ly/kdriving.

MAIL – If you choose this from this Google menu, it does the usual over-complex mail-threading and folders display and is painfully slow or cumbersome even with WiFi.
  Shortcut to painful mode: http://bit.ly/gmail

  USE http://bit.ly/g_mail for a faster experience and bear in mind that to finish a Reply, you need to arrow to the end and leave the Reply box. If you know a better way, let me know.
  (PgDn gets you down faster but doesn’t allow exiting the box
   but you can PgDn and end with cursor-down to exit.)

    Credit to Bill in Kindleworld's Comments area for the Gmail and Gtasks URLS

  ALTERNATE: For a compromise, here’s Advanced Gmail in Basic HTML
    USE for that: http://bit.ly/gmailmobile
      It’s slower but not so painful.

TASKS/CALENDAR (Google still)
  There are problems, with the Kindle 3, in being able to type input into login or search-fields sometimes, with Google features, even though the Kindle 2 and DX’s can handle those fine.  The new shortcuts I‘ve made for google sites are to versions that work with the K3.

  USE http://bit.ly/g_tasks (that’s with an underscore)

  Tasks are coordinated with your calendar when in Gmail on the computer.

GOOGLE READER (RSS feeds)
  USE http://bit.ly/g-reader '

The bookmark links start with the ones Amazon put on the Kindles, and modifications or recommendations are included.

  At the end, I've added general bookmarks to websites I've enjoyed using on the Kindle.

  That includes pure-text versions of the full NYTimes - much faster to read through on the Kindle when you just want to see the latest news.

You can also reference these on the PC or Mac at the same time if you want, while using the file on the Kindle.  If you haven't already downloaded either of these free apps for your computer, you can do that at Kindle for PC page or at Kindle for Mac page.

Suggestions for links I might add later would be very welcome.


Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's),   DX Graphite

Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

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(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
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24 comments:

  1. Andrys, the andrys.com/mobiweb.azw link does not work in Safari 4: just opens a new tab with junk in it, and Saved link as file.. does not work either. May need to specify a mime type or something in the anchor?

    I was able to download it by copying the link and going there with Firefox, which asked me if I wanted to save the file.

    But thanks for that - I have been meaning to do one of those myself. Note the metadata has what looks like your email address - not sure you intended that.

    BTW you might include some K3 browser navigation tips - for example I just learned that ALT,H and ALT,J scroll left and right, respectively (when zoomed in). So you can scroll around without the 5way. Wonder if there are others...I want one that goes Forward.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tom,
    How odd. Since Safari and the Kindle share the basic Webkit as a starter, that's surprising. It's merely a Word DOC file that Amazon converts to .azw

    Couod you rename a copy of it to mobiweb.prc to see if Safari will read that?

    Kindle for PC and Kindle for mac, as I mentioned, will read it as-is.

    I'm glad to read navigation tips when I find or find out about them, as I just did here, so I'll add those for the next Tips column and credit you of course.

    The two-key thing is sometimes a hassle but I wind up doing the same thing with shift-right and shift-left, since those move web page views in larger increments (just the opposite of PDF use...)

    Thanks much!

    Maybe I'll look up Safari and .azw files.

    Let me know about 'mobiweb.prc' though ... It's an azw file w/o any DRM so it's essentially just a MOBI file, but does Safari read mobi files?

    ReplyDelete
  3. The .azw bookmarks file isn't working for me. I downloaded it and emailed it to my free.kindle.com address, and then Amazon tells me it can't deliver the file.

    Any ideas? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I looked it up -- Safari doesn't like downloading .azw files.
    Well, one person said that.

    But, you do see 'junk' when 'opening' an azw file in a normal browser of course. Firefox would see junk too except that I, as recommended, downloaded Kindle for PC (and Mac users can download Kindle for Mac) and then as usual make sure the computer knows that the Kindle App would be 'called' to open the file in a browser if one were to want to do that.

    The file is for the Kindle, not a browser, so the main problem is not being able to download it at all.

    That is so bizarre to me, that Safari can't even download a file with that extension.

    Is it an older version of Safari ? That file in its original versions has been around for over a year, and it's the first time someone's written to say they couldn't download it.

    No, won't be able to 'open' the file at all on the computer unless you have Kindle for Mac.

    Maybe I should bold-face that... The link is bit.ly/k4macs.

    Could you download that computer reader of AZW files and see if that helps? Thanks for the effort.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jeff,
    Thanks for that alert! Apparently that worked for over a year but now *.azw files are not considered personal docs that can be mailed to your Kindle.

    See my edited post and other ways to do this, all of them no cost.

    ReplyDelete
  6. There's no problem with the file itself, just with Safari's ability to download it. Could be the way the host server is configured, or some side-effect of the cross-domain redirection.

    I can, for example, download .azw or .mobi from here:
    http://blog.diannegorman.net/2010/09/kindle-3-keyboard-shortcuts-et-al/

    No mime type is specified there either, it just works. Note the file is hosted on the same domain as the blog page.

    Don't know what the issue is with sending .azw to @kindle.com. It works for me...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tom,
    Odd because mine is just sitting on andrys.com (not kindleworld blog page) and it's an uncomplicated place.

    WEIRDER is that you could send the downloaded .azw file from your computer (?) to your kindle.com address. I couldn't do that with either my K3 or my DXG.

    Kindle Cust Svc replied only with how it's not among the extensions supported and gave me the same workarounds on how to get it to the Kindle that I put in my blog :-)

    If you can do it, others can too. The vagaries of the Net ...

    The Kindle itself can just directly download it from anywhere, so that's good.

    Thanks for the feedback.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Andrys,

    I'm writing again (not sure you caught my first message earlier this afternoon) that I've been trying (now repeatedly since first writing to you on this) unsuccessfully (several more direct Kindle 3 attempts) to get this to load on my K3. It's the same 'jibberish' I saw when I tried on my iMac w/Safari (5.0.2), that download doesn't happen there as it should either.
    I'm sure I'm tapping in the correct name (bit.ly/kmobiweb) from the Home screen and going over to the 'GO TO' option and clicking in there.
    Also, I see your own URL showing in the Kindle's browser line at the top.
    This is *so* frustrating! What a strange mystery. I hope we eventually discover what the problems are ...

    Halimah Felt
    aka Dawdling Tourist

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Andrys,

    This may seem to be getting silly already, but -- I did just now get the computer transfer file to work! Really cannot think of what/how I tried it differently than earlier when it/I failed several times! So with my iMac and Safari 5, it 'downloaded' properly and I plugged the Kindle with its USB and there it was on my Home Screen (after I dragged it over, of course).
    I just wish it would work from the Kindle itself -- I've used numerous other sources for just such direct downloading, so I know I *can* and *have* done it perfectly well before! Including, so happily with the *Instapaper* link for the Kindle which appears on the Instapaper site which I access thru the Kindle browser directly! I've found that very useful lately ...
    It's amazing how freaky it feels when these 'familiar operations' just suddenly don't work!! sort of *creeepy* somehow! you know? jeeeez
    HF
    aka DT

    ReplyDelete
  10. Halimah / tourist
    No, I didn't see your note earlier and it's not showing up anywhere (unless it's at Yahoo mail).

    First, Safari can't read an Amazon azw file, so people should just be Saving it. I guess I had better edit the blog article to make that clear. Tom had the same problem earlier. No browser could read it.

    If, on the Kindle, you're at the Home screen and start typing in only "bit.ly/kmobiweb" as you said, and then clicking on "go to" you should get a message about downloading the file.

    My email address is the 'author' section when Amazon converts the file to mobiweb.azw and sends it to me.

    I've now gone to my Kindle 2, my Kindle DX, and my Kindle 1 and on each one typed in the URL that you typed here. In each case I got the message to download, and each one arrived and when opened it shows me the file the way it should be.

    This is a real mystery to me. Tom Semple was able to get his to be readable on the K3 even though he had trouble with Safari.

    Could you download it via Firefox or IE maybe and the move it by USB to your Kindle's document folder to see if that winds up okay or not?

    It's a simple file, so this is odd. Tom has a Mac, so maybe he can think of something.

    When mine arrived I opened it in my Kindle for PC. Could you open yours when downloaded by computer to see if your Kindle for Mac can read it?

    You probably have Kindle for Mac? It's at bit.ly/k4macs and that would entered in your Mac browser -- to get the Kindle for Mac app.

    In the meantime I will redo the conversion and get the file again just to make sure, but I can't imagine why my k1, k2, k3, and kdx can all download it direct from the Kindle and be able to read it.

    Tom, can you think of anything since you initially had a problem with Safari? But were able to read it on the Kindle ?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Safari still doesn't work for me. Both Firefox and Opera do (all on Mac).
    IE8 (win7) is okay too.

    Opera gives a little more information: identifies file type as 'application/octet-stream', and offers an option to open it with /Applications/Kindle for Mac (which does in fact open it without any problem).

    One of my ideas was to add a property to the 'a' element that defines the download href: 'type="application/octet-stream"' - but I don't know if that would have any effect wrt Safari - especially since other web sites I've tried don't have a problem downloading .azw even without this explicit declaration.

    I do have one Safari plugin installed: Glims (modifies and extends Safari behaviors). If I can figure out how to uninstall it easily I'll give it another try without it.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Tom,
    Turns out the Kindles 1, 2, and DXG all see it as a book to be downloaded. It's the Kindle 3 that sees it as a 'stream' to 'open' for some reason. I had sent the file to K3 to be converted so didn't realize it doesn't correctly do the file-download as the other Kindles did, instead 'opening' the file to display it.

    Thanks much for the sleuthing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. FYI I tried Safari after uninstalling Glims, still no luck.

    I actually hadn't tried to download using K3 browser. Indeed, that doesn't work either. But I can download content from other web sites. On the webkit theory, I installed Google Chrome browser (also webkit based), and it worked (seems pretty fast as well..). So, the pattern of webkit failure does not hold up.

    If I were getting paid for this, I'd also want to try Safari for Windows, not that anybody uses it. (Ironically, I interviewed for a position with the webkit QE team at Apple a few months ago...they should have hired me!)

    I'll report it to kindle-feedback. You might get a little more traction, however, given your blog's popularity.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Tom,
    I've been testing, and all of my previous .azw files still existing (mostly to do with avatar scripts in .azw and in ePub) still download easily from Kindle 2 and Kindle DX -- correctly, as files.

    With the Kindle 3, it just opens them instead and shows us a stream. Useless that way.

    As for CS and kindle-feedback, they don't know me from Eve.

    I wonder if Mark knows what it is in the K3 that would not acknowledge these are files to be downloaded.

    Just as with K3 not being able to allow us to input login info or search words in many google areas, it is not as smart as K2 or KDX or even K1 (!!!) in recognizing a file is there to be downloaded. I was able to use the Kindle 1 to download the file yesterday.

    Kindle-feedback response? Use the USB cable. Gads.
    It's their own file and the other Kindles can do it...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Links to add for tech sites:

    m.engadget.com

    m.precentral.net

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks, Anonymous at Oct 6, 11:59 AM PDT

    ReplyDelete
  17. hi. i am travelling round the world with a 3g enabled kindle. all the lonely planet books on it fantastic. email on the move with no roaming charges. fantastic.

    however. i would like to be able to book hotels on the move. whats the best site to use for really good searches and quick booking. i have only managed to get something booked on the iphone so far but that needs wifi so its not practical.

    any ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous,
    Sorry I didn't get to this earlier. I enjoy the Lonely Planet books on the Kindle too. Maybe I'll post a q&a blog entry to ask your question and some other ones.

    I have used Trip Adviser for decisions on most things and find I get a better deal calling the hotels direct but these sites need people to of course book with them when that works out. I could not find a mobile site for Trip Adviser though.

    So, will do a Q&A soon to see if others know.

    ReplyDelete
  19. There is a mobile site NY Times at m.nytimes.com

    Super duper easy to navigate.

    And:

    m.wikipedia.org

    ReplyDelete
  20. Carolina,
    Thanks. I have had that under "mobile on the web" feature since early Kindle 2 days. But I should explicitly give it as opposed to Amazon's giving the full website for Kindle 3 as they did. It's been the way I read the NYT often, when out.

    SOME m.___.com/org places don't work well for input on Kindle 3 but are great on Kindle 2.
    So I have a lot of notes on Kindle 3.

    The m.wikipedia.org just resolves to en.m.wikipedia.org which I have on the list.

    Have you tried any of the recommended umbrella sites in that listing?

    I have to start boldfacing so it's more readable. The Google ones are a pain to get working ones for Kindle 3, so those are mainly workarounds.

    I think I'll redo it as HTML instead of Word Doc to see if I can't format it better.

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Carolina,
    One other thing. Amazon gives the Kindle 3 model the full NYTimes website link due to thinking people would want that layout since it's more doable with Kindle 3's WiFi capabilities and layout formatting.
    I prefer the BASIC mode of Kindle 1 and 2 most of the time as the fonts are almost always big and readable.

    But see what they intended with the Kindle 3 - http://bit.ly/white-kindle3.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I have recently launched a site that optimizes web pages for fast and easy reading on the Kindle 3. Point your Kindle browser to http://www.readingthenet.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. To Peter F.
    Your website leads to either blank pages or attempts to go to a 'buy-a-kindle' page, so it won't exactly fit here.

    ReplyDelete
  24. To The Kindle Web Browser -- The mobiweb.azw links file doesn't need to be installed. It just goes under the "Kindle" directory of the Kindle Fire. There should be no error message involved.

    ReplyDelete

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