A Kindle World blog: December 2009

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Tip: If Wireless suddenly stops working for you

Happy 2010, all !
Here's an intriguing tip for the new year.

While at the Amazon forums, I saw a tip from a customer whose Whispernet on his new Kindle (Global wireless had suddenly stopped working. Because he is not in the U.S. he couldn't easily call Amazon support w/o charges to his phone. (U.S. residents would call Kindle Customer Support at 866-321-8851 for a quick response and no time charges.)

Kindle customer support wrote him to advise him that he should use Amazon's Call Me Now feature, which is available, though, only in the U.S., Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. International callers would need to call 1-206-266-2992

Customer Support asked him to go through some steps with them and it worked to get his Whispernet wireless working again. Here are the steps he reported but first you'd need to turn ON the Wireless and also go to Settings page by pressing the Menu button and then 'Settings' ...

' On the Settings page I had to press 311 - this opened up an application that searched for al the wireless providers in the area.
I chose one that I knew had good signal in the area and that was that... '

I have a Kindle 2 U.S. (not global) and the '311' doesn't work in my case.

It could ALSO, possibly, be that '311' doesn't work unless you are on the phone with Customer Service, who might enable the application he decribes.

But any of you who have the global (or International) Kindle can try it out to see if it works on its own.

SIDE NOTE
At the settings page, inputting '411' will get you device info, such as whether the Kindle is registered, the Kindle Serial Number, the Radio Serial Number, Roaming Version Number, and other info we normally don't care about -- but the Kindle Serial Number is handy because the one on the back of the Kindle is so small it can be quite hard to read when you need it.

Inputting '611' there will get you modem and cellular network info

When you're done with any of these pages, press the 'BACK' button to get back to where you were and press that button again if you want to go another 'jump' back.

Also, be sure to turn your Wireless Off at that point (unless you're using it). Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Amazon's Best of 2009 and new Bestsellers Archive

Today, in a press release, Amazon announced its "Best of 2009" lists and launched the Bestsellers Archive.

The "Best of" lists include the bestselling, 'most-wished-for' (not a PR phrase I particularly like) and favorite gift products in 2009.

The Bestsellers Archive is a new feature which allows customers to view historical bestsellers in Books, Kindle Books, MP3 Downloads, Movies & TV, Music, Video, Video Games and Video On Demand (for example, here are the Bestsellers in Kindle Books for 2009).

When there, you'll see that you can choose to see the bestseller lists for each topic for any year going back to 1995 by choosing the year from the pull-down box for 'Year'...

AN ASIDE: The NY Times also has a looking-back piece today, a chart of the last 10 years by topic with an image that represents the most unforgettable aspect of each of those years, at least for Phillip Niemeyer, the art director for the nostalgic piece, Picturing the Past 10 Years.

Back to Amazon
Eva Manolis, VP of Retail Customer Experience (an interesting title) adds that customers exploring the lists will likely find not only some of their favorites there but also items they haven't known about. Smart marketing :-)

Maybe of interest to readers: their Business Wire includes a list of Bestselling Products of 2009 (below), by total units sold -- I didn't find a page for this specific list at Amazon itself, so I've linked (above) to the overall 2009 page there. If anyone wants, I can later make a link to each dept from this list to speed up access to those bestseller2009 topic pages.

* Electronics: Kindle Wireless Reading Device
* Books: "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown
* Kindle Books: "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown
* DVD: "Twilight"
* Video On Demand: "Twilight"
* Music: "I Dreamed a Dream" by Susan Boyle
* MP3 Album: "No Line on the Horizon" by U2
* MP3 Song: "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas
* Video Games: Wii
* Computers: ASUS Eee PC 1005HA 10.1-Inch Black Netbook
* Software: Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
* Home & Garden: Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator
* Grocery: Coffee People, Donut Shop K-Cups for Keurig Brewers
* Gourmet Food: 50's Decade Box Gift Basket
* Health & Personal Care: Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer
* Beauty: Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation
* Toys: Scrabble Slam Cards
* Baby: Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether
* Clothing & Accessories: Levi's Men's 550 Relaxed Fit Jean
* Shoes and Handbags (Amazon.com and Endless.com): Crocs Cayman Sandal
* Jewelry: Sterling Silver Marcasite & Garnet Glass Heart Pendant
* Watches: Casio Men's Sea Analog Illuminator Dual LED Dive Watch
* Sports & Outdoors: P90X Extreme Home Fitness Workout Program
* Home Improvement: Toro Ultra 12 Amp Variable Speed Electric Blower/Vacuum
* Automotive: Battery Tender 021-0123 Battery Tender Junior 12V Battery Charger Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Kindle 2 and DX - basic folders and organization (before July 2010)

Ever since Christmas Day, an additional 1000+ visitors have been visiting these pages each day (how do they find it?), so I'd like to welcome them/you to the Kindle world :-)
One way to do that is to highlight today a Kindle Tip from August that explains basic organizational features of the Kindle. From forums, I've seen that even oldtimers often don't know about these features.

UPDATE - The instructions on this page pertained to Kindle 2 software BEFORE July 2010. Version 2.5.x of the software has changed the functioning of file-handling, so this page should be ignored for Kindle 2's that were appropriately updated at the time and now is just a record of how it used to be. See Introduction and Guide to Kindle 2 v2.5 features. Also see Guide to Collections feature.

There are no customizable folders, although Amazon is working on a software update to help with book organization, which they say will be ready before the Summer.

However, there are built-in features for displaying only some sub-groupings of books when you choose to do that (limiting the number of items showing on your screen at a given time by type of document), and there are four ways to sort the displayed document titles.

You'd be hard-pressed to notice the options by looking at the Kindle screen, which makes maximum use of screen real estate and keeps a clean interface, so doesn't show those options.

The key is to cursor UP to the top and then to the LEFT, to then see the options to display only Personal Docs; or only Subscriptions; or only Books; while you can also choose instead to display All Items.

While up there, at the top of the screen, you can also go to the Right and choose to SORT what is shown, by Author, Title, or Most Recently received or opened. On both of these options, you can go back and forth and then click on the two options you want.

Below is the original tip or guide to the Kindle's basic organizational features,
which was first posted here on August 18, 2009.

Original posting August 18, 2009
There are some recurring questions in the Amazon Kindle forums as the Fall school sessions near, and I'll start including some of the more frequently-asked ones here, along with some answers and illustrations.

One from today, for both the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX.
Q: "...my request is how do I put order to my list of books and file on the Kindle? I don't want to see every book I have in the order of last viewed - makes it hard to find what I'm looking for - I cannot find in the user's guide how to create folders or way to categorize my Kindle content."

A: You'll need to use the 5-way button to get to the top line, to even see the options available.

Then, 5-way to the LEFT to see four category options for the type of items you want displayed (in this case I chose "Personal Docs).

. Personal Docs (pdfs, Word docs, text you created on a pc and moved to the Kindle)
. Subscriptions (Amazon's newspaper, magazine and blog offerings)
. Books
. All My Items (This will display everything.)

Of course you have to make sure you're at the top line, because going to the left could actually start a deletion of a book or file if you're not at the top.

Next, you'll want to sort the group you chose, and there are three options for that. (In this screen picture I switched my choice to books).

Stay on the top line but, this time, 5-way to the right until you see:

. Most Recent First
. Title
. Author

Those are the three sorting methods offered us.

NOTE: Amazon's database for authors apparently sometimes allows input for
1. last name, first name and
2. first name last name.

In this case, "Alan Zeleznikar" is displayed according to the first name while "Christopher Breen" uses the last name for the sort, coming before "Bufo Calvin."

A search for "zeleznikar" will bring up the title though.

Unfortunately, there is no way to make user-customizable folders currently.
As a workaround until competitive forces create additional reasons for Amazon to offer this basic organizational tool, try a customer-created solution using the idea of "tags" created by using the note-feature for books and articles.

I have a small list of topics I want to cover. If you have questions about how something might be done, feel free to add them under Comments here or write me at andrys1 [at] yahoo.com . Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Sunday, December 27, 2009

Beware amazing media misintepretations

This google search will show how a few media-styled sites misread the CNET story on Amazon items sold on December 14, including this one by The Tech Herald [since corrected /Update 12/29/09] just tweeted within the last hour. Other sites have picked up the misinterpretation (whoever started it), replacing Amazon "items" sold with "Kindle units" or 'Kindles' or "devices" (!), actually writing that they sold 9.5 million Kindles in one day and therefore "110 units per second"... and then it showed up on Twitter.

Here's what CNET actually wrote:

' In another milestone for the e-reader, the company noted that on Christmas Day, for the first time ever, Amazon customers bought more Kindle books than physical books. The company didn't offer specific numbers for either category.

The peak shopping day for the online retailer was December 14, when customers ordered more than 9.5 million items worldwide, "a record-breaking 110 items per second."

Among those items bought between November 15 and December 19, the top electronics, following the Kindle, were Apple's iPod Touch 8GB and the Garmin Nuvi 260W GPS. '

This happens sometimes in a less obvious way though. I guess the deadlines come too fast and maybe holiday cheer gets in the mix, but I was surprised to see this rather optimistic :-) figure repeated by others. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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$0.99 Kindle-book tip: A Long Way from Disney

Here's a new Kindle book, for 99c, that has already received nine 5-star reviews from customers, A Long Way from Disney: stories of the 1980s. Its author, Seth Harwood, already has a reputation for good crime fiction via his apparently popular podcast, but this book of short stories is said to be a nostalgic look at growing up in a world quite different from what was seen on TV in the 80s. A typical review:

' This was a very different Seth than I read in "Jakes Wakes Up". These stories were quieter, sometimes darker, and always poignant.'

Give the customer reviews a look to see if the book might be of interest to you, for 99 cents. It's rare for any book to get all 5-star reviews, but, a caveat: they may be from regular fans, who heard about it from his podcast.

LINKS FOR SEARCHING FOR FREE OR LOW-COST E-BOOKS
Here is the ongoing set of links for various Searches for free or low-cost Kindle-compatible books. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Web Kindle Tool for Books Purchased from Amazon

This is info I thought would be useful for new Kindle owners, but I've found that oldtime Kindle users don't tend to know it exists, and definitely students involved in the pilot programs at universities don't seem to know either, judging from some reports.

If you check your Menu button/Settings/Menu button (again) options, you'll see one for "Enabling" or "Disabling Annotations Backup." These are for the personal highlighting and notes that you can make on any regular books purchased from Amazon which are then, if you authorize it, BACKED UP to your own private, password-protected webpage at Amazon. (PDFs on the Kindle have no annotation features.*)

The Kindle User's Guide is the first book placed on your Kindle (by Amazon) and is also readable on the Net and downloadable to your computer in PDF format for reading on your pc or Mac).
Be sure to check the parts on how to highlight and make notes (as well as everything else it can do).

But highlighting is as simple as going to the start of the highlighting and clicking on the 5-way button and using that 5-way to go to the right or down (or across a page turn) until you see where you want to end the highlight.
Then you press the 5-way button again. That's it.

There can be confusion at times with the cursor as to whether you want to start a search or just see a dictionary summary definition for a word or start an annotation -- but if the highlighting doesn't work, press "Back" button (my favorite or most-used button) to get back to where you were and start again.

SIDE-NOTE on the much-appreciated BACK button
The "Back" button is also used when you jump to another Location in the book or to a search result for the book or when you decide you want to look up a detailed definition of a word your cursor is on.

The key word is "jump." When I Search a word or phrase in a book, to see where it occurs elsewhere in that book, the Kindle gives me 6 search results (depending on the size of the chosen font) on the first page of results and I can choose to click on any or all of them -- BUT to get BACK to where I was in the book, I then press the "BACK" button and I'm back where I was before the Search and 'jump' to the results page.
It's the same when you click on a link to another part of the book; you press 'BACK' to return to where you were before the 'jump.'

I read a lot of non-fiction, so I do use this feature a lot. A big help for any Kindle user is the ability to check your previous annotations for a book, on the Kindle, where they are shown to you via the "My Notes & Marks" option when you click the "MENU" button at bottom right of teh kindle.

The highlighting and notes feature is especially useful for those in book clubs or for those who are taking a class that uses the book.

But what's the easiest way to print them out for use elsewhere, if you don't just bring your Kindle and go through it that way?

PRIVATE WEB KINDLE-ANNOTATIONS PAGE FOR OUR BOOKS
Your private books-annotation webpage at Amazon. Again, it's password-protected so only you should have access to it. I think that's part of the agreement with Amazon too. Each of us can get to that page by typing http://kindle.amazon.com or you can just bookmark it when you get there. Be sure to click on "Your_Highlights" when you land on the main page.

When you put in your password, you'll be brought to your list of purchased or free books from Amazon and you can sort them by title or author. Click on a link for one of your books, and you'll see a group of about 5 highlighting entries and notes you made for the book (if you did). If you made more annotations than are seen on that page, you'll see, at the top, a list of pages numbered for more of your notes, which you can click on to see the rest of your notes.

BUT an additional great feature is that you can click near the bottom left of that group of annotation results, on the link to "See all your highlights and notes on one page." And that's the way I look at them.

Here's a link to an actual web page showing some highlighting entries for a specific book I bought (and haven't finished yet). The book is a fascinating take on what it's like to actually win an election and enter the White House and all that comes with that.

* PDF books: you can ask Amazon to convert a copy of any of these by emailing it to [you]@free.kindle.com with the word "Convert" in the Subject field, and they'll send for free a converted copy back to your email. From there you can move it to your Kindle with the USB cable, putting it into the 'documents' folder of the Kindle.

The larger text, reflowed to fit into a 6" screen will be easier to read, but the original layout tends to be lost when the PDF is complex. For single column documents it's usually fine though -- plus your inline dictionary will work for these (not for actual PDFs), as will book-searches with multiple-results Kindle style, text-to-speech, and highlighting and notes. Annotations for books purchased from non-Amazon sources are not backed up to the Amazon server nor are the annotations for those though. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Saturday, December 26, 2009

Non-Amazon free books, one NOT readable on Kindle

UPDATE 12/26/09 at 9:43 PM PST - Apologies, the University of Chicago Press book below is a PDF that's protected by Adobe Digital Edition, which I did download to the computer (it's free to pc and Mac users), following instructions there.

The book, protected by Adobe with "Digital Rights Management" (called "DRM") is readable on the computer. I browsed the book on my pc and yet managed to forget it needed the Adobe rights protection and that the Kindle would then need the special Adobe digital-rights software for one to read it on the Kindle, even though I'd recently explained the Adobe/Amazon DRM sitation at Kindleboards forum and at the Amazon Kindle forum when people felt it doesn't matter that Amazon hasn't paid Adobe for Adobe's DRM package.

In August, I explained the possible problem for Amazon in using Adobe's DRM and opined that

' Adobe and Amazon are competitors in some ways, so that might be a problem, but it'd be nice if Amazon could get/buy the full licensing from Adobe for annotating PDFs and also whatever it takes for Adobe's DRM over ePub.

Amazon owns Lexcycle which makes Stanza and focuses on ePub, so it's all possible, but they will have $$business reasons for not doing this (but I think they'll eventually have to, to stay on top of the e-readers stack).'

I should delete this blog entry so as not to raise hopes as I did re that free-book series, but it's a good example of varied DRM-use. Amazon is decried by anti-DRM groups because they use DRM on their books to protect them from piracy.

The DRM Amazon uses, furthermore, is its own (no surprise) -- Sony also used their own until this month, when they switched to Adobe's DRM (with payment to Adobe) which is used over any purchased or rented ePub and PDF formats.
For mobile e-readers, Sony and other e-reader manufacturers are starting to use "The Adobe® Reader Mobile software development kit (SDK), available by license."

"MOBI" format (which Amazon uses) used to be "the open format" before ePub took hold, which is one reason Kindle users can download easily and read the mostly-free MOBI files from Project Gutenberg (30,000)), Freebooks.com, Manybooks.net and even Fiction-wise (as described in the ongoing free-books blog article here.

The "free" book by University of Chicago Press below is normally sold and is protected by Adobe's Digital Rights Management protection, but Amazon would have to buy the Adobe rights-software/firmware for use on their Kindle device before the book can be read on the Kindle. My Bad.

So, for Kindle users, your computer is where you can read the books protected by Adobe, and the instructions for downloading the 'free' book below leads us to the free user-software for Adobe (allowing us to read it on our computers).

I've corrected the title. The free Adobe Editions app for PCs and Macs is described by Adobe this way:

' Adobe® Digital Editions software offers an engaging way to view and manage eBooks and other digital publications. Use it to download and purchase digital content, which can be read both online and offline. Transfer copy-protected eBooks from your personal computer to other computers or devices. Organize your eBooks into a custom library and annotate pages.
Digital Editions also supports industry-standard eBook formats, including PDF/A and EPUB. '

It's similar to the situation of a non-Kindle owner being able to buy any Kindle book for reading, with no Kindle, on their computers after downloading the also free Amazon "Kindle for PC" application (Mac and Blackberry versions coming any day).

Similarly, non-Kindle owners can read a Kindle book (purchased or free) on their iPhones or iPods (with the free Kindle app for iPhone and iPod) w/o owning a Kindle.

So, if Kindle owners really want to read a book that's protected by Adobe's method of DRM, it's not readable on the Kindle unless Amazon has purchased from Adobe the software for use in the Kindle's firmware. But they can read them on the computer the way non-Kindle owners can read purchased or free Kindle books on their computers. (as of early November).

(Original posting of University of Chicago's free monthly book, below)

1. The University of Chicago Press makes available, in PDF* format, each month, a free e-book version of one of their books. December's is Headless Males Make Great Lovers And Other Unusual Natural Histories.

From their description: ' The natural world is filled with diverse—not to mention quirky and odd—animal behaviors. Consider the male praying mantis that continues to mate after being beheaded; the spiders, insects, and birds that offer gifts of food in return for sex; the male hip-pocket frog that carries his own tadpoles; the baby spiders that dine on their mother; the beetle that craves excrement; or the starfish that sheds an arm or two to escape a predator's grasp.'

A review in New Scientist says:

' “It’s not just about insect sex—though there is a lot of it here. Marty Crump’s book is a trawl through the whole gamut of weird animal behaviors. Watch out for spine-anointing, toad-chewing hedgehogs; tortoises that stomp the ground to draw up worms; and the mantids of the title that mate more effectively once the female has bitten off their heads.… This beautifully written and charmingly illustrated book combines acute observation with helpful explanation. Nature has never seemed so bizarre and splendid.”—Adrian Barnett, New Scientist '

The regular pricing on this e-book is between $5 to $14 depending on how long you want to keep it, and the paperback copy is $14 while the cloth version is $25. Here's the page for their explanation of their pricing.
But until the end of December, this e-book is free.

2. As written last week here, TechCrunch's Paul Carr is offering a free PDF* of his book Bringing Nothing to the Party - True Confessions of a New Media Whore, and you can read about its background and how to get it free here.

* PDFs are now readable on Kindle (US) and Kindle International. You'd need to download them to your computer and then move them to the 'documents' folder of your Kindle.

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Kindle books outsell physical books on Christmas Day

Amazon's statement in a news release today (so this is PR, but it's interesting).

' On Christmas Day, for the first time ever, customers purchased more Kindle books [at Amazon.com] than physical books. '

I imagine that was because of all the people who had just opened their Kindles and wanted to try them out with downloads, including free ones as well as ones they've wanted. Amazon also updated the number of books in the store and are responding to the 1-million book ads of Barnes and Noble as well as Sony's online store (thanks to Google's free scanned books). They added that

' The Kindle Store now includes over 390,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read, including New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases. '

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Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas 2009 - Update

Am in a sentimental mood and wanted to share some favorite music today. To hear the two mp3s, Kindle Edition subscribers would go to A Kindle World via computer and put "christmas" in the upper left searchbox (and I would like also to thank subscribers for the support of this site with your subscriptions, and I hope it'll continue to be useful).

The first piece is sung by Judy Frankel, who died last year, too early, and is a Sephardic lullaby, one of the more beautiful ones I've heard -- Durme, hermoza donzelle. That file is quite large, so phone-modem visitors should download instead the smaller file in lower fidelity but a 10x faster download.

The other piece is a favorite from long ago when I first heard it on the sidewalks on Christmas Eve. I have it on LP still. It's from a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The full poem and lyrics are at the linked page.

Here's an mp3 of the music I heard back then by (oldtimers) Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians. The re-released album, on CD, is currently unavailable though probably only temporarily, but if you like the mp3 you might want to look for the album next Christmas :-) I love the set.
Here are some verses from the song.

" I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
. . .
Till, ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
. . .
And in despair I bowed my head;
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;
‘For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!’ "
Well, we can hope.

And then there's an interesting solo variant of this by Harry Belafonte online though it doesn't have the change of tone along with verse that the choral one has.
It's a personal rendition. Caution, these songs do not rock ;-).

A great Christmas to all, and I'll get back to the Kindle and books tomorrow :-) Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Stephen King's Under the Dome in Kindle edition

Stephen King's new book is in Kindle format, with a "publisher" date of December 24, today, but there are 315+ customer reviews of it, mainly from those who read the hardcover book. It's listed as being on the Kindle-books Top 100 bestseller list for "1 day" so far and I don't see front page publicity on that yet.

Since they delayed this so long, I wonder how Kindle sales will be relative to what it might have been if they'd released this along with the hardcover book, since a lot of reviews are available. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Random House Kindle books added for international download - Update

Amazon announced today that Kindle owners around the world can finally download English-Language books by Random House that were previously available only to U.S. customers. Okay, the international community got their Christmas gift, where's ours? LOL! Just kidding.

They explain:

' Until now, Random House English-language books, such as Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol," were only available to Kindle customers living in the United States. Today, Amazon announced that it is adding to its international Kindle Stores books published by all of Random House's English-language publishing divisions.

These titles will be available in the Kindle Store for download in any area where Random House has the digital rights, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

... Other popular English-language titles that are now available to download in any area where those digital rights are available include Danielle Steel's "A Good Woman" and Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief."

UPDATE - As of the morning of Dec 24, the programmers don't seem to have enabled the international buying feature yet on the Random House books, as reported by a UK and a Canadian person. Give it a couple of days, or call Customer Service at 866-321-8851 but it's a holiday for many. They were replying to people today on the Stephen King book so are on duty but I'm leaving the house. Good luck, all. 4:04pm on 12/24. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Free 1-day shipping for Kindle Int'l placed Dec 23

Just a reminder for Dec. 23, Wednesday, for any last-minute Kindle-interested people who would like one delivered by Christmas Eve. This is just a re-posting of the announcement of the morning of Dec. 22, for today.

Amazon has announced "FREE One-Day Shipping on all Kindle orders for shipment in the continental United States made on Dec. 23. "

~~That's in~~ That was in addition to the still free Two-Day Shipping on Dec. 22 for the Kindle Int'l per details on their Christmas shipping page. It says by 8PM PST but the deadline depends on the item involved. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Nook hack, and free, approved Kindle web-browser

There's been no little excitement the past week over the rooting of the Nook, allowing unofficial apps to be put on it, with the most wanted feature being a web browser (murky photo of success at left).

Aside from AT&T's ability to restrict usage on it if there is a noticeable amount of activity (or B&N would have to pay through the nose for it), hacking the Nook is no piece of cake and would also void the warranty and call down the wrath of AT&T :-).

The irony is that all this work makes possible, on an e-reader, a capability that's been part of the Kindle package since the beginning (2007) and which is included in the $259 device -- the Amazon-approved web browser, slow but improved over the last few months for 24/7 use anywhere you are (for free) if there is cellphone-type reception (Sprint and AT&T).

Most reviewers don't mention this feature in comparison reviews or they dismiss it while many of us use it when on the streets and needing to look up text information quickly (restaurants, movie theater times, product reviews).
It can be especially useful for those who haven't chosen to pay $30 to $50 monthly for web browsing on their smartphones.

While most countries outside the U.S. don't have the web browser enabled, all Kindle countries allow 24/7 free access to Wikipedia from books, newspapers, etc., being read on the Kindle.
No other e-reader offers anything like it. See my tips for getting more out of the web browser, including a downloadable Kindle "book" file of mobile-unit optimized web sites, with links you can click on and go to with the Kindle.

[Apologies to Kindle Edition subscribers: the photos-section is not displayed
correctly by the Kindle Edition reader.]

Here are, for those who haven't explored this, some samples from all three models, starting with the only-4-gray-levels Kindle 1, as well as for the 16-gray levels Kindle 2 and Kindle DX models.

This is the now almost 2-yr old Kindle 1, shown doing a google search at a cafe last year.	Here's my Kindle 2 posting to the mobile version of Facebook last May.	On the Kindle DX, this is a page from one of the regular, not mobile-version, Engadget pages shown.	A page from mobile-ESPN, on the DX. Also, photos of the Kindle 1 & 2 web browsers at ESPN and at an Oscar event
Here's one maybe familiar sample in Landscape mode, as the DX does auto- or manual rotation for books, periodicals and PDFs. The Kindle Int'l has a manual rotation mode, which allows for wider displays and somewhat larger font sizes.

The energetic mind behind the rooting of the nook is California high school student Robbie Trencheny. Hear a The Kindle Chronicles Podcast audio interview by Len Edgerly with Trencheny, whose main website and Twitter pages are regular stopping places now for the Nookers. That includes his guide to rooting the nook.

There's one other favorite Android feature enabled this week: Pandora. Listening to a music station in the background would be great, but the wireless drain on the battery and the eventual recognition by AT&T of the constant-On use can work against it for long-term free use.
With an SD card, you can insert a card with your favorite music in it and play that in the background. From my Kindle music player experience, it does tend to run down the battery some though but it's worth it sometimes. 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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Monday, December 21, 2009

Nook update and Adobe Digital Edition probs

For Nook users who are reading this blog (which covers news on competing models also).

Adobe Digital Edition books (library books -- or books purchased with Adobe DRM elsewhere possibly) are not being recognized with the new 1.1 firmware update.

Solution: Move the "Digital Editions" folder to your nook's "My Documents" folder and that will get it all working again. Apparently the nook is ignoring the "Digital Editions" folder when it's in the root folder.
OR, move the ADE books to the "My Documents" folder. 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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Sunday, December 20, 2009

1) ConsumerReports video: E-readers for the holidays. 2) A DIY book scanner

Consumer Reports has made a videoclip titled "E-Book Readers for the Holidays" which they feature on their ConsumerReports.Org page. They allow embedding of the video on blogs and other websites, so if you click on the picture or on the link above, you can play the video.

They discuss the Nook, Sony, and Kindle readers and make recommendations.
Which reader(s) will get the nod?

UNUSUAL GIFT SOME CAN MAKE FOR THEMSELVES (only a few)

Priya Ganapati of Wired.com's Gadget Labs writes about an amazing Do-It-Yourself book scanner put together by Daniel Reetz who saved several thousands of dollars by building a system with simple materials that cost him about $300. Ganapati explains:

'So over three days, and for about $300, he lashed together two lights, two Canon Powershot A590 cameras, a few pieces of acrylic and some chunks of wood to create a book scanner that’s fast enough to scan a 400-page book in about 20 minutes.

To use it, he simply loads in a book and presses a button, then turns the page and presses the button again. Each press of the button captures two pages, and when he’s done, software on Reetz’s computer converts the book into a PDF file. The Reetz DIY book scanner isn’t automated – you still need to stand by it to turn the pages. But it’s fast and inexpensive.

“The hardware is ridiculously simple as long as you are not demanding archival quality,” he says. “A dumpster full of building materials, really cheap cameras and outrageous textbook prices was all I needed to do it.”

... commercial book scanners that are completely automated cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000. The $50,000 Kirtas book scanner, for instance, can capture 3,000 pages an hour. '

See the photos of his basic setup, including an animated one showing it from all angles, at Wired's report. I have similar cameras and would be tempted if I were of a more creative bent. Questions of digital rights are discussed, of course, as well as a lot more in this meaty story -- it's a fun read.

You can download his 79-page guide to building the DIY book scanner at Reetz's site. 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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Saturday, December 19, 2009

Free or low-cost Kindle books - 12-19-09 - Update

Many of these are likely to be short-term.

Paul Carr and TechCrunch are offering his book, Bringing Nothing to the Party - True Confessions of a New Media Whore, in PDF format, for free, in the U.S., under a Creative Commons License though it is for sale outside the U.S., with rights owned by his publisher and it is still available as a Kindle book (for $9.99) at Amazon. His friends apparently don't tend to have Kindles and I guess wouldn't want to read it on an iPhone, iPod, or on their laptops etc., so he is making the book available for $0.00 in the U.S.

He still owns the U.S. rights to his books, despite the frowns of his publisher, W&N, and its parent company, Hachette Livre, about releasing one of his books for free -- Hachette has "decreed that they will not allow any ebooks to be distributed for free, or without DRM." W&N and Hachette have reminded him that foreign readers would be able to download the PDF e-book from the U.S, which would breach W&N's contractual rights.

But you can download the PDF version now. He adds:

' Finally it’s worth saying that, for all of my ego, the book is actually quite a hard thing for me to give away: its 275 pages tell the story of a very strange few years of my life – years that cost me my career, my reputation, the love of my life, and very nearly my freedom. In other words, it’s a real feel-good Christmas romp. '

Read the background article I link to in the beginning to get the full background. You can also get the HTML version with linked footnotes.

Midnight in Madrid By Noel Hynd, Kindle Ed. $0.00 U.S. 10 user reviews, 4.5 stars "...With echoes of classic detective and suspense fiction from The Maltese Falcon to The Da Vinci Code..."	My Bondage and My Freedom By Frederick Douglass, 1818-1895, Kindle Ed. $0.00 U.S. 8 user reviews, all 5 stars (Hardcover, 2008 - $24.95 Paperback, 2005 - $6.95) "...he ...documents the memories of being owned, how slaves coped during these times, and how he managed to pull himself out of it all." -from James Hiller's review.
Metagame By Sam Landstrom, Kindle Ed. $1.59 U.S. 53 user reviews, 4.5 stars There are several rave reviews for this apparently quite creative science fiction book by a writer new to the readers.	The Voice: New Testament By Thomas Nelson, Kindle US Ed. (with book and chapter navigation) $0.00 U.S. 16 user reviews, 4 stars Very unusual translation using modern expressions -- script-like, and with additions that are noted and sourced. Controversial for those reasons but liked very much by many.

LINKS FOR SEARCHING FOR FREE OR LOW-COST E-BOOKS
Here is the ongoing set of links for various Searches for free or low-cost Kindle-compatible books.

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-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

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Friday, December 18, 2009

Kindle DX - Yesterday's reports and possibilities

Thursday night, I wrote two entries.

The early evening story included that the Kindle DX is not shipping for 4-6 weeks. I opined then that the DX-International might be released in a few weeks -- the new 'batch.'

Not long after midnight, I added an entry about PVI launching a plastic e-ink screen in the Spring and that it was 9.7" and I wrote

'...it's thought that there's a likelihood Amazon could be involved already...This will be 9.7-inches so would be useable in a new Kindle DX...PVI "refused to disclose" whether or not they're working with a specific partner on a new version of the system. '

I was of course hinting, as did the article I referenced at FT, that Amazon could be coming out in the Spring (in this case it would be earlier Spring) with the plastic screen on the new DX, which would not be too far from Plastic Logic's release of its own, also mentioned in the article.

Timing is tough. If PVI were launching in the Spring, would they do it this way, favoring one of its many vendors for the first edition? While I wondered about this, I thought it unfeasible for PVI to so openly appear to have favored one of its client companies to that extent. Nevertheless, it remained a possibility, so I mentioned it, though my writing was a bit subtle about that.

But the thing that I now remember being mystified about in October comes to the fore. When Amazon went international with the Kindle 2, I didn't understand why they didn't do this with the DX as well -- unless they needed to get rid of the older inventory before doing an international release, but they could have sold those for a bit less less as they did the domestic Kindle 2 while they still had them. So that continued to not make much sense, unless PVI and eInk Co could not produce enough DX's at that time for the big splash that International release was.

Now I wonder if it doesn't make more sense that they did not want to do two new releases of the DX too close together as that would have a very bad effect.

Is that why the DX International was delayed? Will we see a plastic-screen version of the DX at the same time? At this point, I think it's a good possibility -- at the risk of our being disappointed if they release only a DX International next :-) Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Brief: PVI (eInk) develops plastic screen, for Spring 2010

E-Ink plastic screen coming. Financial Time's Peter Marsh in London reports today that Prime View International (PVI), who bought eInk, plans to launch a lightweight plastic screen in Spring 2010, available to all its customers, and it's thought that there's a likelihood Amazon could be involved already.
This will be 9.7-inches so would be useable in a new Kindle DX and most important for the educational market due to the higher probability of dropping a unit in that environment. It would be more competitive with the coming Plastic Logic 'Que' also.

PVI "refused to disclose" whether or not they're working with a specific partner on a new version of the system. A 9.7" screen based on plastic would likely "...weigh about 330g, about a third less than the 500g or so of a product based on a glass screen."
If that link doesn't present the full story, here's an alternate one. 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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Thursday, December 17, 2009

Kindle International - Free 2-day shipping for Xmas - Update2

Amazon announced today "FREE Two-Day expedited shipping offer for Kindle ... in time for delivery by Christmas Eve."

This is only for shipment within the continental U.S. though and is for orders between now and December 22, in order for delivery by December 24.

The larger Kindle DX does not ship, however, for 4 to 6 weeks at this point. It's been popular with those who need to read PDFs for business or who are in college and for better (larger) display of web pages. See differences at my Kindle photo pages and a list of questions you should ask yourself if not sure whether to get a Kindle Int'l or the Kindle DX. In the meantime I suspect the DX Int'l might be released in a few weeks, but I don't know. They always have the 30-day refund policy with no re-stocking charge (which is rare).

Amazon also announced that more people bought Kindles in the first half of December than in any full previous month. So many different e-readers were announced for release this year, which indicated other companies recognized the demand for e-readers, that I think those increased e-reader interest even more while the vendors were unable to release their own new readers in sufficient quantities (or condition) in time for Christmas.

PaidContent's Staci D. Kramer confirms that the iRex 8" DR800SG won't be ready after all due to iRex having "experienced unexpected delays” and there is no new delivery-date yet.

I do think a lot of thought went into the features the Kindle has and which the other e-readers don't and won't have:

. a free 24/7 web browser for mobile-unit optimized websites
(most areas outside the U.S., except for Japan, Hong Kong, and Mexico, get only Wikipedia but plans are to include them later, Amazon has said)

. Read-to-me (text-to-speech) feature for most books and all personal + business documents and subscriptions for times anyone wants that (small stereo speakers or headphones can be used)

. an inline-dictionary that shows a bottom-line summary definition of the word your cursor is on

. Search of a book with several results present in 6 rows with context shown ...

. Searches of a word/phrase with clickable options to Google the word/phrase in countries with webbrowser generally enabled -- or, if not, to be presented the current Wikipedia page for that information, live, and for free in countries with Kindle and its wireless delivery access for books.

. a private webpage for Kindle owners, showing, on one page, annotations for any of their books if they have authorized Amazon to back up their annotations

There are more differences, but these are the outstanding ones, in addition to an interface that minimizes the number of steps you have to thumb through, with more direct access to your reading.
I think that other companies did find it's not that easy to do well.

An available pocketable alternative for less but with no wireless and no study features
The Sony Pocket Reader, at $189 At Amazon, is a good pocketable reader that has no wireless, and none of the study features mentioned (dictionary, search, annotations), but if one wants a basic pocket reader and limited storage, and doesn't care about the rest, it's a good alternative. 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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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Anne Rice: 'Should Major Authors consider going straight to Kindle?'

Anne Rice started a fascinating thread the other day in the Amazon Kindle forum , which she titled "Should Major Authors consider going straight to Kindle?"

The question is much more complex than that, as she is loyal to her publishers, and the discussion is in detail. But she has real concerns about Random House and their "grab" at digital-book rights. Author and blogger Bufo Calvin wondered if her question to Kindle users should be quoted and linked and she said she was writing on a public forum under her own name and that would be fine. So I've included some excerpts.

She wrote on Monday:

' Some of you may wonder: why would an author like me discuss all these business issues in a public forum? Yes, I love my publisher. Yes, I am loyal to them. And yes, I am very interested in the possibilities of e publishing. But I willing to bet that nobody in hard cover publishing will become aware of this discussion. I am willing to bet that most people working in hard cover publishing today do not even know these forums exist. Maybe I'll be proved wrong. Maybe my phone will ring with concerned voices from New York about my views and the views of others here. But I doubt it. I'll certainly let you know if it happens. '

And she added to another Amazon Kindle reader:

' Interesting points are being raised. But --- going straight to Kindle for a major author wouldn't mean choosing to sell only through Amazon Kindle. It might involve a deal where Amazon licenses rights to other publishers. The question is would an ebook publisher be the best primary publisher? Amazon Kindle could be primary, and license hard cover and paperback editions, and possibly, given Amazon's advertising power and business savy, they could do a much better job of announcing and publicizing the new book. After all, Amazon is making history; hardcover publishers are not making history...

If electronic books are cutting into hardcover sales so significantly that hardcover publishers are wanting to delay ebook release, I would say that ebook sales are serious sales. --- And by the way, I think holding back on ebook sales (for months to give the hardcover an edge) is a very bad idea. It's reactionary thinking. You cannot hold back the rise of ebooks in that way. People who embrace this new technology and build on it, and see new ways for it to get more books to people, those people will be the winners.

Imagine this: Amazon Kindle publishing a major writer, and offering with the Kindle a gift certificate for 50% off a hardcover copy of the work. In other words every Kindle download of the new book would be advertising for a hardcover. And what would the 50% off mean when Amazon already so heavily discounts hardcover books? There are so many possibilities here. We have to think creatively about this. Why are ebooks making history? Why are people paying $200 for ebook readers? What is the way of the future? '

And yesterday, Rice posted to Calvin and the forum:

' ...I think we are having a good discussion here about an important subject. ------ I'm still unable to put into words my "sense" of how momentus ebook publishing and Amazon's investment in it is. --- When a single short story can be made available on Kindle for $3.99, something huge and new and different is happening. And that is only one aspect of the Kindle miracle. ---- What's at work on Amazon is a view of the book world that is creative and inclusive and embracing. That spirit is not at work in hardcover publishing. Not that publishers aren't trying. They are. They love books; they love authors. But they're discouraged and confused. Amazon keeps opening doors. We need to talk more and more about this. So, surely, do link to this thread and quote me any time you like. I'm learning here. I hope others are too.'

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-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

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Countries now getting the iPhone Kindle App

UPDATE to Kindle for iPhone in 60 countries

The 60 countries newly included have been announced:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Br...azil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Rep., Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Republic of, Mexico, Moldova, Republic Of, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam

And, don't forget the Kindle for PC that everyone gets for free (whether or not you have a Kindle). The Kindle for Mac release is imminent, and the Blackberry Kindle app is scheduled. 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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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

1) Amazon's exclusive rights to 2 Covey ebooks. 2) Australian lament

NY Times's Brad Stone and Motoko Rich report that Stephen R. Covey, "one of the most successful business authors of the last two decades, has moved e-book rights to two of his best-selling books from his print publisher, Simon & Schuster ... to a digital publisher that will sell the e-books to Amazon.com for one year."

Amazon will have exclusive rights to sell e-book versions of 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' and 'Principle-Centered Leadership.'

He also plans, the NYTimes said, to "gradually make other e-books available exclusively to Amazon, which will promote them on its Web site."

Hardcover publishers are already unhappy with Amazon's low Kindle book pricing and are collaborating to withhold e-book versions of new releases for four months, as they feel they cut into hardcover sales at those prices. I think that withholding these until reviews come in, and until people will have lost initial excitement about a no-longer new release, will just cut into e-book sales and decrease their bottom line.

Publishers are also trying to claim exclusive rights to publish e-editions of decades-older works while authors and agents feel the digital rights reside with the author, since electronic rights were not explicitly spelled out earlier.

' On Friday, Random House sent a letter to dozens of literary agents stating that on all backlist books, it retained “the exclusive right to publish in electronic book publishing formats.”

But the younger Mr. Covey noted that Franklin Covey was also experimenting with self-publishing new books, another way of cutting out the traditional print publisher. '

UNAVAILABILITY OF MANY BOOKS FOR AUSTRALIA
PCAuthority's Stuart Turton bemoans the number of desirable books not available to Australians for the Kindle International but blames it on the Amazon Kindle format when it's a matter of publisher digital-rights in each of the countries. He also laments the lack of Kindle versions of books by JK Rowling, but the fact is that she won't allow her books to be released in any e-book format.

He's aware though that "On the bright side, Amazon's finest does support Mobipocket and TXT files, at least allowing you to download free eBooks from Project Gutenberg and its ilk." Since Project Gutenberg's collection is about 30,000 books, not to mention what's offered by "its ilk" (including half a million free Google books that are easily auto-converted to Kindle format), a lot of reading can be done while publishers are encouraged to straighten out this situation.

Writing with tongue-in-cheek partially, he does recognize you can "crowbar" PDFs, DOCs and RTF's onto the Kindle by a conversion process but doesn't realize that PDFs can just go directly onto it the way plain text files can.

' These flaws are all the more infuriating because the Kindle's hardware is staggeringly good. The keyboard offers a handy way to search and add notes to books, and the little joystick can be used to highlight text, navigate menus and bring up definitions of words from the Oxford American Dictionary.

We're particularly amused by the text-to-speech feature, which veers from being mildly useful one minute, to doing impressions of HAL having a heart attack the next. [ Good description! ]

More relevant is the 1.4GB of usable storage and a 532MHz ARM processor that ensures the Kindle moves faster than a cheetah being shot out of a cannon, although it tends to get bogged down when dealing with image-heavy PDFs.

However, the pick of the technological litter is undoubtedly the 6in E Ink screen, which renders in 16 shades of grey. It's hard to explain the difference this makes without seeing it in action, but it softens and deepens the picture immeasurably. '

Amazon doesn't include photographs with international editions of subscriptions and told him that they need to keep the price of subscriptions lower. Turton feels it has more to do with "avoiding excessive data charges" until a better wireless network situation is in place -- but the two do go together. If data charges are higher, of course the subscription cost would have to be also. I'm in agreement with him though that the subscriptions are unattractive without the accompanying photographs. He sums up this woeful (as he puts it) posting with:

' Which sums up our feelings towards the Kindle as a whole. The Kindle feels like a device whose brilliant hardware has been short-changed by Amazon's thwarted ambition.

Had the store offered a wider selection of titles, or the device not been so totally dependent on it, the Kindle's Performance rating would be up there with that of its Features & Design. '

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-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

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Monday, December 14, 2009

Kindle for iPhone in 60 countries. iRex 8"reader missing.

KINDLE APP FOR IPHONES GOES GLOBAL

Amazon announced today that the iPhone Kindle App is now worldwide, expanded to 60 countries, though the press release doesn't identify which countries are included. Techwatch reports that the UK is one of the countries.

TheBookSeller explains to new Kindle customers internationally that "a user can read a book on their Kindle and then pick up where they left off on their iPhone. Other features include the ability to read the beginning of books for free, read books in full colour and choose from six font sizes and number of words per line." It's not necessary to buy a Kindle to use the free app to download and read Kindle books.

IREX $399 (or $449) 8" EREADER MISSING IN ACTION
Marketwatch's story on Amazon today and the difficult Xmas season for e-reader competitors, has the first mention I've seen of the iRex DR800SG, which was due to appear late November, with Best Buy having readied (per an earlier news story) a spot for the device, with labels showing $449 rather than $399 as had been planned earlier. But iRex hasn't made an appearance. It was or is to be one of Barnes and Noble's e-reader choices and is slated to offer books from the B&N store

Marketwatch's Brett Arends reports that Best Buy yanked it from their website. It mentions "three weeks to Xmas" (but the article is dated today, 11 days from Xmas) and there is no sign of it. He adds that iRex "admits" in email to "unexpected delays" but is mum otherwise.

Is it really worth $260?
There is a long, current Amazon forum thread in which someone asks if the Kindle has been worth $260 (or more), and the answers are interesting. Many give reasons that some reviewers have said were not that germane (free web browsing, text-to-speech) but they're real-world uses. 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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Saturday, December 12, 2009

M-Edge The New Yorker Jacket - Newer Free books

"The New Yorker Jacket" by M-Edge
Per Business Wire and the Amazon pages, M-Edge has partnered with The New Yorker to create the branded jackets or Kindle covers, shown below.

Sunday Afternoon
in Central Park
By Bob Knox

Book Lovers
By Adrian Tomine

Bookopolis
By Eric Drooker

These are for M-Edge’s popular GO! jacket, a slim, lightweight cover made with 100% genuine leather. A photo sublimation process was used for the printed fabric on the front panel, to closely replicate the original cover art.
The jacket has a tan microfiber interior and uses the protective but strap-free Kindle-compatible hinge system.

You can click on any image to get the product page and a better idea of what the cover is like.

The jackets are also compatible with M-Edge’s optional, integrated e-Luminator2 booklight for reading in low-light conditions

All three are for the Kindle International 6" Display (Latest Generation) and cost about $20 more than the standard black Kindle jacket.

FREE BOOKS - likely to be short-term

Metagame

By Sam Landstrom

$0.00 Kindle edition, U.S. 47 user reviews, 4.5 stars

There are several rave reviews for this apparently quite creative science fiction book by a writer new to the readers.

The Voice: New Testament

By Thomas Nelson
(with book and chapter navigation)

$0.00 Kindle edition, U.S. 16 user reviews, 4 stars

Very unusual translation using modern expressions -- script-like, and with additions that are noted and sourced. Controversial for those reasons but liked very much by many.

It's weekend free-books reminder time. So, on to the regular free and under-$1 Kindle book searches. :-) 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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Friday, December 11, 2009

My visit to BN and the Nook last night & more videos - Updated

Driving past Barnes and Noble last night, 1/2 hour before they closed, I thought it might be good to drop in and actually see the Nook function, in person, instead of via videos. They had it at the customer help booth, which is fairly large and had two Nooks, both chained to their posts.
Both had clear plastic over the entire face of the Nook to protect it.

To my eyes, the Nook has a beautiful exterior design, more striking in person than in photographs, and the screensaver of the San Francisco bridge shown was gorgeous and much more welcoming than the forlorn-looking author pictures we're used to. I asked if I could open a book, explaining that I had read reviews about the formatting time, and also see page turns for myself to see if any slowness was that bothersome.

Both staffers told me it was not possible to open a book because the store is only having 'demo' Nooks and they don't allow downloads, and to open a book you must download it first. What?! I tried to explain they can download it and it will be on the unit and not have to be downloaded again! They said, no, it wasn't allowed, as the management erases stuff on it each night and they don't want children [or children-like?] people downloading away on it -- so they didn't have a book to open on it, because of the no-download policy (!)

I then explained this would look very strange because reviews are saying it's too slow to open a book and that page turns take an inordinately long time -- people will wonder if that's why they're not allowing customers to even open a book on it.

After awhile, when a couple also really wanted to see this, one of them agreed to download a book. Then I saw it was a sample! I explained that was not a good test of load times :-) They were very pleasant and said I should probably come back in the morning because the day crew knows more about the Nook, so that's what I'll do.

In the meantime, Barnes and Noble has a problem (as seen on the forums when people have asked questions at the stores and received quite inaccurate info) in that their general customer service in-store will not be as trained on the Nook as official customer service people specifically trained on an e-reader (and even the latter is not wholly dependable or course). I heard a staffer tell a questioner that yes, she could buy and download books from B&N while traveling in Europe. But B&N staff online have explained why this is not possible for the Nook and they hope to have publisher agreements to be able to do that someday.

In the meantime, I must say that if I didn't already have a couple of good e-readers I would have bought it on the spot! It's very attractive, and all the menu steps and delays (an added 30 seconds for a Google book he opened, one Nook owner said) would not bother me if I weren't now used to more direct opens (which I appreciate even more these days), searches (w/excellent search-result displays - see sample below), and faster page turns.

It's my feeling that people new to e-readers could be very happy with the Nook, as it has a very friendly feel to it, and the screen text to background contrast ratio is decidedly better than the Kindle 2's, with the background lighter and the text fatter and therefore darker.

SONY POCKET READER
I also liked the Nook immediately more than the Sony readers I've seen. The Sony Pocket reader is 'only' $200 and fits into a pocket nicely, so a lot of men prefer it even if it does not have an inline-dictionary, any search capability, annotations, or wireless features.
It just lets you read and is very compact. But I think they'll need to bring that one down to $150 and then I might get one, just for reading ePub formats (instead of doing auto-conversions on them as I do now), especially with the Adobe Digital Edition in place, with library capabilities, even if its screen is slightly smaller. On the other hand, I am spoiled by having search capabilities and dictionary summary defnitions at the bottom, of a word my cursor is on, so am not sure about that but I'd be tempted.
See a recent review by Huffington Post's Stephanie Vaughn Hapke, aka GeekGirl, who is doing a series on various e-readers, with an unusual sense of fairness.

NOOK FUNCTIONING AS SHOWN IN VIDEOS
With regard to how the Nook functions and how troubling any delays or navigational steps might be, here's a very good video for seeing what's involved for various functions posted by Matt Miller of ZDNet who does only glowing reviews of the Nook - he is enchanted by it, focusing on the positives (the glass half-full thing maybe?) His video is 25 minutes, as he shows how various features work. The good and the bad are there for you to see, so it's helpful.

Miller's video does show that when he opens up The Lost Symbol, it takes from 16:36 on the tape to 17:02, which is 26 seconds, and he sort of chirps through it, unfazed by the delay. I think many other people would not be bothered by it either (though I would).
At about 20:00, he shows how to do a search. However, there is no result and only a blank page for "ritualistic" -- dictionaries sometimes show only the root word, 'ritual' so it's not really surprising. Still, while the Kindle dictionary doesn't have that word either, the Kindle takes you, after listing books that have a search-result, not to a blank page, but to the dictionary page that starts with "ritualism' and has 'ritualization' and 'ritualize' also.

Consumer Reports also has a very brief video focusing on page turns.

Wired has a quite balanced video report with more real-time page-turns.

MobilitySite.com - This 11 minute video of a first look at the Nook is done by a very cheerful and thorough hobbyist reviewer. Starting at time 2:50 Chris Leckness demos the color touchscreen at the bottom, and with unusual patience he shows us a disquietingly unresponsive touchscreen for up/down scrolling especially (that part is painful to watch), and for pressing/clicking on a selection (which can take several attempts).

BARNES & NOBLE "Getting to know your nook" web page
Here's a very helpful page by Barnes and Noble with information on what to do when encountering oddities reported. Example: If books downloaded don't show up, "go to My Library and tap the Check for New B&N Content.
UPDATE 12/18/09 - 11:37 PM (The original page was removed with no forwarding link, but I found the new URL for this Nook help webpage, linked above. (But, why must the font be a gray, faint one? One can guess.)

Also see
1. Follow up to David Pogue's NYT review - Q&A
Collected feedback to the review, with David Pogue's responses
2. Combined reviews - early & newer
3. Newer reviews, and Nook gets public library books
4. Early reviews
5. Nook-Kindle comparison info
6. Nook User Guide online Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Snatched Crunchpad appears with new name JooJoo - Update

Update 12/11/09 - Original posting was 12/9 at 5:22 am.

CrunchPad files lawsuit against Fusion Garage, and Michael Arrington details their case against them.

The court documents are linked at that page.

CNet story, by Rafe Needleman, on JooJoo, a name that is said to mean "magic" and does sound too much like Voodoo.
Also, here's Engadget's story by Ross Miller and a direct link to their video (larger).

The unsavory story of Crunchpad was thought to be an ending (though my own take here was "Doesn't actually sound like The End to me but a last grasp for control."), but now we have the guy who forced Arrington out, days before the unveiling, apparently feeling that the world will accept his showing up with the item and a new label covering the "Crunchpad" name, demonstrated by himself in a hotel room, and pay him for it.

And it might have, in this world, had Fusion Garage's CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan not overpriced it at $499 for a unit that does only web browsing but can't use a printer or save files of interest and uses a virtual keyboard that is not functioning well at this late date.

To be fairer, here is his side of the story. There's little question though that Arrington's blog clout spurred the interest and certainly the direction of development. For one partner to push the other one out of the picture at delivery time, presumably because they had no written contracts, leaves a very bad taste. You have to trust the future of the company behind a product and especially the company itself. How easy will that be?

Here's a more positive take on the JooJoo, by Information Week's Marin Perez Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Thursday, December 10, 2009

Follow-up to the David Pogue review - Nook-Kindle

This is a follow-up because Nook-interested are very unhappy with David Pogue's review, and he replies to some of it.

Also, the video he made to go with his review is clear that besides the navigational and lag diffculties that frustrated him, the marketing of features by Barnes and Noble was misleading, and the video makes sport of the "fine print" that was never mentioned (with the help of a Nook Footnotes guy - hilarious concept).

Most of his frustration would come from having used another ereader that does not have the many steps and long-waits reported and which are seeable in video examples on many review sites on the net, even from one site whose review was positive (which has been a rare thing this week).

The Public Library loan ability was, strangely, not marketed by B&N, and B&N did not confirm that capability this week when asked, but it does work (perhaps inadvertently?) because the Nook does come with Adobe Digital Edition DRM reading capability), and this feature is a real boon for Nook users.

If Nook fixes the many problems, too many of them caused by basic design decisions causing many steps to get anything done (font changes, book-formatting upon re-opening, the many steps to get searches done and then the one-word at a time search results, which those with e-reader experience will find frustrating), then there will be even more interested in buying.

That B&N kept calling it "The most advanced" e-reader, due to having WiFi capability that is ultra-limited (access to B&N store), was odd when a "less-advanced then" e-reader gives 24/7 free access to the web and does read-to-me for those who can use it when in a rush, even on articles and personal/business documents, and offers well acted Audible books -- that was what was worthy of the treatment given in the video, in the eyes of those not happy with the half-truths in the advertising. Fine print restrictions that are not given exposure will upset some people.

From the Comments section to the article:
Here are some letters to David Pogue and his responses to some of them.

Sam wrote: "3 seconds to turn a page? that's ridiculous, and if it was what you experienced, you have a defective model."

You can see the 3-second page turn in my video, side-by-side with the 1-second Kindle. Do I have a defective model? Barnes & Noble doesn't think so --the company hasn't challenged that result.

- regarding your faulty price comparison between Amazon and Barnes & Noble -- To use an outdated comparison like this is simply bad journalism. 5 minutes on the Barnes & Noble discussion boards would have clued you into the price drops.

The data is a month old. That's not bad journalism. I also hand-inspected the 175 NY Times bestsellers, and the proportion of cheaper Kindle books-to-Nook books is still there. Amazon is cheaper almost 100% of the time that there's a price difference.

- 'audible audio-book playback'? nook plays mp3 files as well, so I'm not seeing the advantage.'

Then you're obviously not an Audible audio-book subscriber! They're fantastic.

[Khurt wrote:] "The software update that fixes all those bugs will be out before the Nook is available to buyers."

Not quite. The first software update, next week, fixes a small number of the most egregious bugs:

1) reduces the interval that the "FORMATTING" message is on the screen every time you open a book (but does not eliminate it).

2)Eliminates the SECOND tap required to open a book after your initial tap.

3) Fixes the bug that takes you to the Home screen when you tap the Down button.

They still have a LONGGGGG way to go after that!

Just got my own Nook and have seen very few of the problems David Pogue has described. I already own a Sony Reader and have found on my Nook that page turns are no slower than the Sony Reader. I have had 5 books download very quickly and I have not had the same formatting issue. I have found the touchscreen strip to be somewhat unresponsive, but so is my iPhone, occasionally. And isn't generally available WiFi better than none? Maybe BN was quick to the draw, but so is a two day long review. You couldn't give it a week?

I had the Nook for 6 days, same as all other reviewers.

The free google books were even slower, needing 30 seoconds of extra "formatting" before displaying, and left stange [sic] mangled artifacts on the screen.
[ No response to this one but I found it worth quoting. ]

No mention of the update B&N already pushed out Monday afternoon to address some of the early issues with formatting time and responsiveness?...
Was this written last week and you never bothered to follow-up with B&N at all this week?"

I was in constant contact with Barnes & Noble, up to, and even after, the review was published.

The other factor that you failed to mention (surprisingly, given your appreciation of the iPhone aesthetic advantages over its competitors) is that the Nook is *so* much better looking than the Kindle. I actually don't feel there's much between the Nook and the Kindle in terms of the primary capabilities - call me shallow, but the good looks of the Nook mean that its the one I want to take to bed with me!

[No response but I found it worth quoting. I have always noticed that the looks were key here.]

Okay, so I went back to B and N today to check it out again. Three devices all freezing up, dying, and not working properly. THe pages flipped fine, but the rest of the device was bunk. Furthermore, B and N had a nervous girl who KNEW these things were not working right trying to sell them...I hope they pay her well, because there was a legion of confused potential customers disappointed in the device. Oh well, this review was harsh. In a world of dying newspapers, I think nytimes should be behind an e-reader movement to increase circulation and hopefully develop a new revenue stream.
[ Worth quoting as the writer preferred a softer review. ]

David, I got my Nook last night. It is a nice piece of hardware with some flaws in the software that should not be a deal-breaker for many folks. (I timed my page-turning whilst reading a book--less than one second.) I am happy with my Nook. I suggest that potential buyers try out a demo at the local B&N, if possible, and judge for themselves. It's not as bad as your snide article suggests, but it's not the Second Coming, either.
[ Worth quoting as a view from a customer with less expectations. Many will not care about the tougher navigation if they've not used another, good, e-reader in the past -- and the Nook has its attractions. ] Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Nook Reviews Update 6 - ZDNet, NYT, WSJ - Update1

Rather than move the older reviews-post up, I'm just adding a link to the latest update for reviews, as people are still having a hard time deciding between the promising Nook and the Kindle.

You can jump to Latest Update, #6 done on 12/10/09. It includes reviews by ZDNet's Matt Miller, NY Times's David Pogue, and WSJ's Walter S. Mossberg.

Some might be interested in views of Kindle owners who have been interested in the Nook and are discussing checking out the demo models at Barnes and Noble. Some wanted to, and did, buy a Nook (this is seen in various Kindle forums) so they could read ePub format files without needing to put them through the 2-3 minute conversion to Kindle format.

What's odd to me is that the Nook doesn't support Microsoft Word doc files nor even text or .txt files. Since many of us highlight info on the web sites and copy/paste them into Word docs, we can have them converted for free by Amazon for our Kindles. Obviously, it's nice to be able to put one's own Doc or text files on our ereaders. The Kindle even supports basic HTML renamed .txt ...

For best balance, be sure to visit the Barnes and Noble Nook Help Forum discussions.

UPDATE
SOME GOOD NEWS from there for Nookers. See the public library thread. Some have confirmed that they can download to their computers e-books from the library and that they are readable on their Nooks if they move the book file VIA ADOBE feature (which is the rights-protection).

There is of course the problematical as is shown in this thread about books being blank when downloaded, or skipping pages.

Also see Nook vs Kindle - some facts

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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Textbook trade-ins + Kindle to add features for vision-impaired

Textbook trade-in is not a Kindle post, but the 2nd and 3rd items are.

Amazon announced Dec 3 their new Textbooks Trade-In program, which allows customers to exchange used textbooks in return for an Amazon.com gift card. Available year-round, the Textbooks Trade-In program will offer students the ability to trade in textbooks they no longer need for what Amazon describes as a great price, with an easy-to-use interface. They add that students can avoid long lines at the bookstore and trade in their textbooks from their dorm rooms or from home.

At the text-book trade-in page, linked above, they can search for the books they want to trade, print a pre-paid shippig label and drop the package in the mail.

"Once the book is received and verified by a third-party merchant, an Amazon.com gift card will be deposited into the student’s Amazon.com account ... the gift card can be used toward the purchase of next semester’s books, or the millions of other items on Amazon.com."

The Textbooks store offers "...savings of up to 30% off the list price of more than 100,000 new textbooks and up to 90 percent off the list price of millions [?] of used textbooks."

A KINDLE 'TEXTBOOKS' SEARCH
These are not your usual textbooks, but there are a few that get high ratings.

Also, it appears some McGRAW SAT practice books are rated highly.

KINDLE TO ADD AUDIO MENU AND SUPER-LARGE 7TH FONT SIZE
MSNBC site's AP piece reports on Amazon's press release announcing they'll be making the Kindle more accessible to vision-impaired users by adding optional audio to its menus and a 7th, much larger font. (Tweeted by alexebowman.)

Two colleges not part of its DX pilot-program announced they wouldn't be using the Kindle because blind students cannot use the audio read-to-me feature, as just turning it on requires navigating through screens of text menus.
Federal monies available to colleges require equal access to educational materials, and there are scanners available for the printed textbooks.

AP adds "The audible menus would let the Kindle speak menu options out loud. It's also working on an extra-large font for people with impaired vision. The additions should reach the Kindle next summer, Amazon said."

No one, including National Federation of the Blind, knows enough about how the new features will work (due by summer) to say whether this will fill the bill.

HERE'S AN INTERESTING PORTABLE GADGET FOR THE BLIND
Engadget's Nilay Patel writes

Squibble portable Braille interface is clever, beautiful. Says it "allows users to operate mobile phones and other technology over Bluetooth, using 779 ultrasonic motors to lift illuminated caps against a silicon cover and form Braille letters and other easy-to-understand icons. There's also audio feedback, and a grip that allows for use without having to set it down flat like other Braille readers" This is in "advanced" development stage, designer Andrew Mitchell said.

The story also cites a November '09 article that will be of interest to many with macular degeneration - British surgeons using radiation beams to halt macular degeneration. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Amazon $25K shopping spree sweepstakes and wishes

Amazon is having a final push on the Wishlist feature improvements, and the finale is a sweepstake in which they are offering a chance to win a $25,000 Amazon.Com Gift Card for "your own holiday shopping spree." Their instructions:

" Just create, add an item to, or share a Wish List, and you'll be invited to enter our $25,000 Shopping Spree Sweepstakes. Ends 12/13/09. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. See official rules. Good luck! "

A WISH GRANTED
For those who don't download the daily Kindle Blog to their Kindles or who don't check it on their Kindle visits to the Store (but you can always visit the Kindlestore page via your computer), they've decided to grant customers a common wish -- the ability to add a Kindle book to your wishlist.

Yes, we can finally add Kindle books to our Amazon.com Wish Lists.

Amazon says that if you previously used the "Save for Later" feature on Kindle, they'll move any items you'd saved, into a new private Wish List. They also point out that Kindle items on your Wish List, like other digital content on Amazon, can't be purchased as a gift at this time.
I guess the "at this time" means there's hope for that feature later. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Thursday, December 31, 2009

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Friday, December 25, 2009

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Monday, December 21, 2009

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Friday, December 18, 2009

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Monday, December 14, 2009

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Friday, December 11, 2009

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

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