SENDtoREADER - a new, free tool for the Kindle.
(See UPDATES.)
I received a tweet that asked if I would say a few words about a new web-tool for the Kindle, SendToReader, similar to the popular Send to Kindle, a Chrome browser extension, but the creator of SendToReader says that this one can be used with any of several browsers (although Internet Explorer version is due next) and will keep the images along with the text, something much requested.
I don't have time to test it, so I'm not exactly recommending it, but it sounds promising and I'd like to know what some of you more intrepid explorers find.
It promises the following:
' SENDtoREADER is a simple web application that allows you to send any webpage to your Amazon Kindle Reader instantly.
This gives your Kindle the flexibility to be your work or leisure time companion with a simple click of the mouse. SENDtoREADER is a simple web application that allows you to send any webpage to your Amazon Kindle Reader instantly.
...
Our web app is extremely easy to use. It's just a bookmarklet (or favlet) which works well in all modern browsers including: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Opera. Version for Internet Explorer is coming soon. Once it's added to your favorites, you can start sending web pages to your Kindle with a single click. By default, Kindle is a book reader, but with SENDtoREADER you can also make it your personal Magazine.
In order to protect your privacy, our system requires you to register first. '
Sounds worth a try, no ? Please report what you find. Thanks!
Note: (Be sure to see the earlier Send to Kindle via Chrome article for details on how to use the Kindle-specific email.)
(Original posting was same day at 9:12 AM)
UPDATE - Norti was the first to report in the Comments area:
' Accented international characters in titles ('őűóúíáé') - and in text, of course - and pictures are well preserved with this, so it's already better than any other other page-sending service out there ... those are likely to fail on accented titles). '
UPDATE2 - The Comments area feedback is extremely positive, with images coming through well, good general layout, and "a great feature: history of your sent articles (linked) in your account at sendtoreader.com with an option to resend." Thanks to phelcq and Elmo.
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.
UK-Only: recently published non-classics, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.
Accented international characters in titles ('őűóúíáé') - and in text, of course - and pictures are well preserved with this, so it's already better than any other other page-sending service out there (like klip.me, send to kindle and so on; those are likely to fail on accented titles).
ReplyDeletenorti,
ReplyDeleteThanks for that info. A real plus.
I have managed to send an article with well-preserved pictures. A text in Polish (with Polish special characters) looked great. An article in Chinese looked OK, but some characters were not visible (as it is with other texts in Chinese).
ReplyDeletePlus a great feature: history of your sent articles (linked) in your account at sendtoreader.com with an option to resend.
Hmm.. How is this different than Instapaper? Perhaps it is not.
ReplyDeleteWow! I used my free.kindle.com address, which sent an article to my Yahoo email, which I retrieved on my iPad. With a single click, I downloaded the file and opened it on the iPad Kindle app.
ReplyDeleteThis was a random CNN article and it included all the pics (even snaps of the starting point of the videos) and all beautifully formatted to the page, just like a book.
The only oddity is little "(X)Close" buttons after each section, which take you back to the previous section. I could live without those, but otherwise, I'd almost say this is probably even worth paying for. (But free is better)
Earl
Elmo! Good to see you. Been awhile.
ReplyDeleteWhat you describe will really save me some time. I always want the images too. And decent formatting.
phelcq,
Thanks for that info too. That feedback on the missing Chinese characters (no, I'm here), should be helpful to them.
Well-preserved images and special characters in Polish coming through well is encouraging too.
Especially good: that "history of your sent articles (linked) in your account at sendtoreader.com with an option to resend."
It's obvious the creator of this tool uses it a lot. That always helps the quality.
Thanks, both, for the feedback.
Good to be back in action. Been busy with my new toys... (iPad2 and a NookColor (running customized Froyo) ;> (and I have a Viewsonic G-Tablet on the way too, as a matter of fact. That'll teach my boss to give me such a nice bonus this year...)
ReplyDeleteI ran a comparison of the same article with both SendToReader and Instapaper and found two significant differences:
1) Pictures on Instapaper were smaller and converted to black and white. (Only an issue for non-Kindle readers, of course).
2) Instapaper articles in the Kindle iPad app did not permit highlighting of text or note-taking, while the SendToReader articles operated just like regular books. I haven't had any periodicals sent to my iPad yet, but I suspect that this may be a an inherent limitation of that sub-format. I may have to fire up my ol Kindle DXG and find out.
So, while it appears that both web converters may work well for Kindle readers, SendToReader would be the preferred choice for the Kindle iPad app.
Elmo,
ReplyDeleteBonuses are meant for exactly this kind of thing! I have a NookColor that I enjoy a lot (color mags and portable webbing -- that display mesmerizes me it's so good, but the bugs can annoy) but only Kindles otherwise.
Found the iPad too glarey and heavy for regular use. The Viewsonic G, eh? I'll want your feedback on that. Let me know where you post it when you do. The standard NookColor will have Froyo in mid-April. Am looking forward to the Flash.
This tool deserves all the attention it can get. It's absolutely wonderful.
ReplyDeleteMy dirty little mind thinks that, combined with an RSS reader, it could become a worthy opponent for paid subscriptions ;)
Corneliu,
ReplyDeleteThanks for that added feedback. A real sleeper tool, isn't it. Great that it's such a good job in its first version.
RSS feeds already are pretty good on the Kindle 3 (and sometimes Kindle 2) and the only thing I miss are the nice navigation features of the Kindle editions. I do both types, finding the new navigation of Kindle Ed. newspapers really relaxing. The new features extend to some tools like Calibre's feeds, I hear.
Tried this out for the first time on an article about North Korea in the "Atlantic". It was a 4 page article. SENDtoREADER stripped the photo at the top of the article and only sent the first page of the article.
ReplyDeleteI then tried using the "Reader" extension to Safari on the article to strip out graphics and turn the 4 pages into one document. Interestingly, the photos on the top of pages 2, 3 and 4 did not get stripped out by "Reader" but unfortunately SENDtoREADER still sent only the first page and no graphics.
I'm wondering if I delete the article from the SENDtoREADER web site and try again with "Reader" whether I'll get a different result. Will try and report.
Will play around with this some more and I'm sure it will come in handy from time to time. Over the long run I think I prefer having "Instapaper" accumulate my articles and then email them to my Kindle each Friday as one document containing all the articles.
The SENDtoREADER website apparently does not provide a way to delete the record of articles already sent to your Kindle.
ReplyDeleteI tried another "Atlantic" article of 3 pages and converted it to a single page with Safari's "Reader" extension. Again, only the first page of the article transferred to the Kindle.
My2cworth,
ReplyDeleteThanks for reporting this. You can write him on Twitter (or if he has a contact address on his website). let him know you're having troubles and maybe he can work on this as it's important to know why the Alantic articles aren't working.
Please keep us apprised. If you can't find an email address for him, he's at
http://twiter.com/SENDtoREADER
'Follow' him so he can write you Direct Messages in Twitter.
This tool is perfect. Thank you for making me aware of it! When I could not get for the life of me RekindleIT or Send to Kindle to work, this came along and works flawlessly. It's nearly instantaneous and the formatting is really nice and it titles the document correctly. I love that it gives you a history of the articles you've sent, and the little note that shows that your article has been sent when you've pressed the button is nice too. There is no confusion or wondering for 15 minutes if your article is going to arrive. Just another reason to love my Kindle.
ReplyDeleteAs of now, I've been mainly using it for sending recipes to my Kindle, as I've tired of copying and pasting recipes into text files and subsequently emailing them to my kindle. Now, with one click it arrives on my kindle. No hassle, and much faster.
I'm using Instapaper still to send myself longer articles that I want to read later. I like the way Instapaper stores them in one document on your Kindle... but because of how nicely SENDtoREADER works, it may become my default kindle sender.
I heard from the developer who will try to polish his program to handle the pages of the Atlantic. In the meantime, he reported that if you select the "Print" version of the page (aside from some untranslated HTML code at the beginning-about half a Kindle screen) the photos and full text will be sent.
ReplyDeleteI tried that with the North Korea article in the Atlantic and got some introductory gobbledy gook code followed by all the photos and the full article just as the developer indicated.
So, as a temporary measure until the program is polished some more I was happy with the results and will continue to find this applet very useful.
Leigh,
ReplyDeleteGlad that works so well for you right off. Re Instapaper, it has always been a great tool. Does the site let you send to free.kindle.com now?
My2¢worth,
That was a fast reply then. Glad it works enough to get you the article.
If you can, let us know when his fix is done re needing to get The Atlantic via Print option and it being preceded with uninterpreted HTML at the start.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI just got my $114 Kindle and found out that Amazon disables access to certain features (on all Kindles) unless they are registered with Amazon via wireless internet.
I describe the issue in details here: http://typity.livejournal.com/694.html
If you share my emotions, I encourage you to mention the issue in your blog to increase public awareness of the problem and possibly get Amazon to change their policy.
ypity,
ReplyDeleteI'd read that forum thread again. There's no one upset at the idea you have to complete registration of your received Kindle (pre-registered to you beforehand). How would they know it went to the right hands?
Sometimes they'll do this over the phone with you if you have no wireless around. Call 866-321-8851 for Kindle support who might be able to help.
If you just want to read it, you can. If you want the wireless features (Collection structures recorded and backed up so they can be put back if needed and downloads of books or annotations backed up), what could be wrong with having to complete registration of it?
Since you're really upset about it and want people to know that one must complete registration and via wireless, you probably should return it (you get a full refund within the first 30 days for any reason at all) because the essence of the e-readers has to do with connectivity, the use of wireless and the synchronization between various devices.
There's no reason a company must provide interactive wireless without having a complete registration.
Your comment here will stay on the record and people can read your thinking here and at your blog in the meantime.
Update on SendToReader. Yesterday the developer asked me to try the new and improved SendToReader with "Atlantic" magazine.
ReplyDeleteIf the user selects "Print" mode from the web page before clicking on the SendToReader applet it transmits multi-page articles with all photos intact perfectly.
I think I will be using it frequently.
My2cworth,
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for that update and very useful tip. Will do an update on this soon, as the feedback has been unusually good.