Special Pages - Reports

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Kindle News: Kindle Paperwhite is showing as GLOBAL now. UPDATE

The Kindle Paperwhite is getting around

A week or so, it was Canada where it can be found in the Amazon Canada Kindlestore; now it's finally not only shipping to Australia, where it's been eagerly awaited, per customer comments to blog posts here -- the Amazon US's pages for Kindle Paperwhite International (WiFi), is also showing it as available, in both WiFi only and 3G/WiFi, for shipping to places like Australia, Madagascar, Poland, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and to most developed areas of the world not in (cold or hot) war zones and which don't already have their own Kindlestores.

  With readability in bright sunlight, built-in lighting for low-light environments, and what's been described as 25% contrast improvement over the previous model, it's a natural.

  Both the WiFi-Only Paperwhite and the 3G model that comes with free 3G cellular network wireless (in addition to the usual local network WiFi wireless access) will be purchasable by residents of probably ~100 countries that don't have their own Amazon Kindlestores, AT the U.S. Amazon Kindlestore's Paperwhite Global/International product pages -- Paperwhite WiFi Only and Paperwhite 3G/WiFi.

  It's not been announced, as far as I've seen, so this is just a report that this is obviously in the works at this moment -- customers were reporting receiving Paperwhites in Australia last week -- and the Amazon pages now show it shippable internationally.  As of this moment, the Kindle Paperwhite WiFi-Only page does not show a link to the Paperwhite 3G/WiFi page, and Amazon probably hasn't finished the product pages yet.

Again, this is a report that the product pages are showing global availability for the Paperwhite, but it's by no means official.  If you're interested in ordering one, from outside the U.S., I'd give it a try.  (Don't forget the power adapter if you don't already have another Kindle model and need the wall charger.)

Update - Commenter Kindlejoy reports she was able to buy the Paperwhite for shipment to Norway this morning, so while it's not "official" the International Paperwhite pages are definitely functioning.
Originally posted 5:30am PST, Updated 6:58am PST.

Update2 - The only news-site mention of this currently is one today (Jan 30) by "Motley Fool" an investment site.  Kevin Chen's headline is that the Paperwhite is "in 175 countries" and reminds us that the Paperwhite can be used "in nine languages -- Brazilian Portugese, French, English, British English, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese."




Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
  NOTES on newer Kindles.
US:
Updated Kindle Fire 2 Basic  7" tablet - $159
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$249
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $299/$369
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $499/$599
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi+3G - $179/$199
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free slow web
Kindle DX - $379 $299 Discontinued
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi
£109
Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK
£169
Kindle Fire 2, UK
 £129
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK
£159/199
Canada - Kindlestore, CDN-$
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $139
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi+3G - $199


*OTHER International*
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $139
Kindle Keybd 3G - $189
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
Paperwhite WiFi: $139 & 3G/Wifi: $199

France Boutique Kindle
Deutschland - Kindle Store
Italia - Kindle Store
Spain - Tienda Kindle
Brazil - Amazon Brazil
China - Amazon China
Japan - Amazon Japan

  For daily free ebooks, check the following links:
Temporarily-free books - Non-classics
USA: by:
   Publication Date  
   Bestselling   High-ratings

UK: PubDate   Popular

The Kindle Daily Deal

What is 3G? and "WiFi"?       Battery Care

Highly-rated under $1
,  Newest: $1-$2, $2-$3
Most Popular Free K-Books
U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):
   Top 100 free
UK-Only:
   Top 100 free

Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.

USEFUL for your Kindle Keyboard (U.S. only, currently):
  99c Notepad 1.1,   99c Calculator,
  99c Calendar,   99c Converter

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

Monday, January 28, 2013

Kindle Tips: Kindle Software Update v4.1.1 Ready for Kindle Basic No-Touch (US, UK, Canada pages)

 
New software update v4.1.1 for the Kindle Basic - No-Touch/No Keyboard a few days ago.

The Software v4.1.1 update for the $69/$89 No Touch Kindle (US)  is ready for download online as an option.

  Here's the UK software update page for the UK model of the Kindle Basic, £69.  Canadians will use the U.S. software update page.

While the update is ready for manual download and install, it will be delivered automatically to your Kindle over WiFi if you prefer to wait for that.

If you'd rather get it sooner (it can take a couple of weeks sometimes), then follow the steps outlined at the download pages linked above to get it on your Kindle sooner.

The update includes "optimizations for your Kindle's performance."

I read in the forums that some reported the fix of a glitch that occurred with some who have thousands of Kindle books in their "Manage your Kindle" area.


For those who are still trying to decide on this basic model or another one:
  Remember that for this model, any searches for words, or any instructions needing typing such as location number or typing the first alpha character for a title look-up, will require use of an on-screen alphabetically-arranged keyboard-diagram pop-up, which is accessed via the front bottom controller button to "select" each character one by one.  It also, like the Paperwhite, has no audio.

However, it's only 6 oz's, is therefore very light and very small and may be fine for those who never plan to do regular searches or much keyboard input.  For some, size is very important, in snug purses, pockets, etc.  Truly portable even if not my own preference, as I do use the keyboard a lot for searches and Wiki.  The price is right.



  For daily free ebooks, check the following links:
Temporarily-free books - Non-classics
USA: by:
   Publication Date  
   Bestselling   High-ratings

UK: PubDate   Popular

The Kindle Daily Deal

What is 3G? and "WiFi"?       Battery Care

Highly-rated under $1
,  Newest: $1-$2, $2-$3
Most Popular Free K-Books
U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):
   Top 100 free
UK-Only:
   Top 100 free

Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.

USEFUL for your Kindle Keyboard (U.S. only, currently):
  99c Notepad 1.1,   99c Calculator,
  99c Calendar,   99c Converter

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

Friday, January 25, 2013

Kindle News: GUNS - Stephen King's new Single, an Amazon exclusive. Amazon buys IVONA TextToSpeech company.

Stephen King's new Amazon Single, Exclusive to Amazon, at $0.99

"GUNS" is a "personal essay." Stephen King explains:

  “I think the issue of an America awash in guns is one every citizen has to think about,” said King. “If this helps provoke constructive debate, I’ve done my job.

  Once I finished writing ‘Guns’ I wanted it published quickly, and Kindle Singles provided an excellent fit.”

Well, that's certainly timely.


Amazon acquires IVONA
I'll just include the press release.  Amazon already uses IVONA technology in the Kindle Fire HD.  It'll be interesting to see where Amazon takes this.
' SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 24, 2013-- (NASDAQ:AMZN)—Amazon.com, Inc. today announced that it has acquired leading text-to-speech technology company IVONA Software. IVONA delivers world-class technologies that power the “Text-to-Speech,” “Voice Guide” and “Explore by Touch” features on Kindle Fire tablets. Additionally, IVONA delivers text-to-speech products and services for thousands of developers, businesses and customers around the world.

“IVONA’s exceptional text-to-speech technology leads the industry in natural voice quality, accuracy and ease of use. IVONA is already instrumental in helping us deliver excellent accessibility features on Kindle Fire, including Text-to-Speech, Voice Guide and Explore by Touch,” said Dave Limp, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “The IVONA team shares our passion for innovation and customer obsession, and we look forward to building great products to deliver world-class voice solutions to customers around the world.”

“For more than ten years, the IVONA team has been focused on creating innovative text-to-speech technologies,” said Lukasz Osowski, CEO and co-founder of IVONA. “We are all thrilled that Amazon is supporting our growth so that we can continue to innovate and deliver exceptional voice and language support for our customers.”

IVONA offers voice and language portfolios with 44 voices in 17 languages and more in development. '

Note to Google RSS-feed Readers
I updated an earlier blog article on Les Miserables (books, music, movie, videos) and am letting you know here since Google Reader doesn't move updated articles up.




Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.
US:
Updated Kindle Fire 2 Basic  7" tablet - $159
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$249
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $299/$369
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $499/$599
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi+3G - $179/$199
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free slow web
Kindle DX - $379 $299 Discontinued
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi
£109
Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK
£169
Kindle Fire 2, UK
 £129
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK
£159/199
Canada - Kindlestore, CDN-$
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $139
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi+3G - $199


OTHER International
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $139
Kindle Keybd 3G - $189
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB


France Boutique Kindle
Deutschland - Kindle Store
Italia - Kindle Store
Spain - Tienda Kindle
Brazil - Amazon Brazil
China - Amazon China
Japan - Amazon Japan

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Kindle Tip: Free Kindle Fire (and Android) App of the Day - White Noise


White Noise, by TMSOFT, v4.7.2 worth noting

The White Noise app works with all Kindle Fires and other Android-based devices.  Various ambient sounds and a timer and alarm system.

There's a normal free version as well, but that one doesn't allow you to use your device for other functions like reading while the sound is going.

  This one does have that flexibility and is usually $1.99 but it's today's Free App of the day at Amazon, so I thought I should blog it, as normally the free app of the day is a game for the younger set.
Product Description
Copied from product page to make it easier than reading it all on the tablet or phone]
' Recommended by Dr. Oz as a miracle for better sleep! Features ambient sounds of the environment like ocean waves, rain storms, flowing streams, and more. Includes 40+ perfectly looped ambient sounds, audio background service so you can use other apps, and an advanced alarm and timer system that wakes you up refreshed. Featured in Health Magazine, The Washington Post, New York Times, PC Magazine, and raved about by thousands of satisfied customers. Find out why the world is sleeping better with White Noise.

Includes the following great features:
- 40+ perfectly looped sounds for relaxing or sleeping.
- Import new sounds for free from the White Noise Market at http://whitenoisemarket.com/
- Background audio support so you can use other apps
- Designed to work on all Android-based phones and tablets
- Create multiple alarms that slowly fade in waking you up feeling refreshed
- Sleep digital LED clock perfect for any nightstand. Drag up and down to adjust brightness. Swipe left and right to adjust color.
- Sound timers turn off audio to save battery life and fade audio out so won't suddenly awake
- Star your favorite sounds in the catalog for quick access in the favorites category view
- On-screen media and volume controls and gesture support allows swiping left or right to navigate sound collection
- Tons of custom settings: Device volume, sound volume, balance, buffer size, auto play, background audio, headset unplugged, auto sleep clock, prevent clock burn-in, allow screen lock, auto share on sleep, prevent device interruptions, alarm snooze time, changelog, help tips, rate app, restore defaults, and send feedback
- No Ads

"Revolutionary Sound App!" --Dr. Oz

AMAZING ANDROID APPS - Book by Daniel A. Begun
"White Noise can instantly transform a chaotic environment into a calm oasis."

THE WASHINGTON POST: Smartphone Puts Newborn to Sleep
"For the next four months, the infant slept with his father's phone in his crib and White Noise tuned to 'air conditioner.' The monotonous buzz kept the baby sleeping soundly and his parents happy."

HEALTH MAGAZINE
"Help you turn off your brain, fall asleep faster, and get the rest you desperately need."

Includes the following unique sounds:

Air Conditioner, Airplane, Amazon, Beach Waves, Boat, Cars, Cat Purring, Chimes, City Streets, Clock, Clothes Dryer, Crickets, Crowd, Drip, Fan, Fire, Frogs, Hair Dryer, Heartbeat, Blue Noise, Brown Noise, Pink Noise, Violet Noise, White Noise, Ocean Waves, Car Rain, Light Rain, Heavy Rain, Extreme Rain, Rain Storm, Shower, Sprinkler, Stream, Tibetan Bowl, Thunder, Train, Vacuum, Washer, Water, Wind '

So, yes, I'm presenting their marketing brochure.  But it intrigued me and I'll be getting it, so am passing the info along to others who may be interested but don't have time to check the apps each day.




Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.
US:
Updated Kindle Fire 2 Basic  7" tablet - $159
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$249
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $299/$369
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $499/$599
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi+3G - $179/$199
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free slow web
Kindle DX - $379 $299 Discontinued
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi
£109
Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK
£169
Kindle Fire 2, UK
 £129
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK
£159/199
Canada - Kindlestore, CDN-$
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $139
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi+3G - $199

OTHER International
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $139
Kindle Keybd 3G - $189
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB


France Boutique Kindle
Deutschland - Kindle Store
Italia - Kindle Store
Spain - Tienda Kindle
Brazil - Amazon Brazil
China - Amazon China
Japan - Amazon Japan

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Kindle News: Kindle Paperwhite goes to Canada. Earlier reviews and updated information included.

CANADA GETS THE KINDLE PAPERWHITE

The Latest generation Kindle, the basic NoTouch version (lightest and smallest Kindle ever offered), was made available in Canada in December, but Amazon announced today that the front-lighted Kindle Paperwhite for Canada is finally available there as well.

The WiFi+ free 3G Wireless Kindle Paperwhite, for downloads of Kindle even where WiFi is not available and with free 24/7 access to Wikipedia from almost wherever you are (with no need to hunt for WiFi spots), is CDN$199 and the WiFi-only Paperwhite is CDN$139.

Amazon's press release for Canada added, "Canada Kindle Store on Amazon.ca offers the largest selection of the most popular books, including the most best sellers from the Globe and Mail and Le Devoir best seller lists, winners of the Giller prize, and over 50,000 French-language titles."

They say that "In addition, Canadian customers now access the Canada Kindle Store directly from the Kindle...  The Canada Kindle Store has over 1.5 million Kindle books, including over 250,000 exclusive books customers won’t find anywhere else, over 35,000 free books, and [as mentioned] over 50,000 French-language titles."

  I am here only briefly today but to make things easier, I will add here some info from the earlier blog article on Kindle Paperwhite reviews, which includes updates.  The earlier article on reviews, which many haven't seen since it was posted in early October, includes updates that explain the light panel, as there were questions on how it works and what to expect from the new technology.

From the earlier article covering Paperwhite reviews in the U.S.
 Early customer reviews mentioned the responsiveness of the capacitive screen   (made by Touchco, owned by Amazon) vs an infra-red one (the latter type of screen is on the current Nook Glowlight and the Kindle Touch). [See updates on this further down.]

  On the left or just above  is an image from the video I took of a very good demo of what it's like to use the Paperwhite, and if you didn't see it earlier, it'll help to take a look.  I had just tried out a few menu options and asked a Kindle Team member to show some of the features and functioning for the blog.

  OK.  What do the Net Tech Sages have to say?
Gizmodo's Kyle Wagner - "Forget Everything Else, This Is The E-Reader You Want" is the headline.

  Description:  "The Kindle Paperwhite is a pivotal step forward for the technology of ereaders.  It makes previous generations feel like a pulpy paperback held up next to an ornately illustrated tome.  In short: this is the best ereader you can buy."  Wagner is one who has loved the Nook readers.'
  I'm pausing here as, one of his many points is fairly key.  I wrote, on Sept. 21, that the the screen would probably be "less fragile" than an earlier front-lit one.

  Kyle Wagner was the one who had accidentally dropped something onto his Glowlight, causing a "light tunnel" to form and he blamed himself but warned that people should not drop things on it, and his column was followed by Nate Hoffelder's story on his key-drop tests.

  At the Amazon announcements, I asked a Kindle Team member about the strength of the screen, because I was concerned the Paperwhite might have the same problem, and the Kindle rep said they had, in fact, done several tests on this, dropping even a brass object on it, without bad effect  (no warranty on that, of course).  We're talking relative strength.  That was reassuring -- but I was talking to what I thought was a knowledgeable salesman with a technological bent.

Sidenote and Update:
I later discovered it was Amazon's Director of Product Management  at Lab 126, Laurent Sellier.  No wonder he was so immediately responsive about the drop-on-screen tests.
  [End of Side note and update]

  Wagner, who'd dropped a remote control on his Nook Glowlight and probably read about Nate's series of dropped-keys tests (from 4 ft), has this to say on that topic:
' We tossed a set of keys onto the screen a few times from about three feet  (don’t tell Amazon), and didn’t wind up with any light pillars shooting out of the display.  So it’s sturdy.'
Be sure to read Wagner's full review as it's VERY detailed.

  Other Reviews
 Chicago Sun-Times' Andy Ihnatko - "Industry-best e-reader gets better"
  [Although he refers to a "backlight" (as many still do), he knows it's front-lighted but continues to refer to "backlighting" throughout his story.]

  [Ihnatko says the unit is  "noteworthy" because Amazon]

 " added the illumination to the Kindle in a smarter way... its true function is to make the apparent contrast of the display even greater...the Paperwhite’s background truly looks as white as a sheet of paper.

 "... At the end of five hours of reading...my brain still thought it was paper.  My eyes had none of the complaints that often come at the end of a long session staring at a conventionally backlit tablet or notebook screen.

: ... The backlighting doesn’t seem to affect the device’s battery life in any way that was obvious during a week of use."

  [Ihnatko mentions that the 3G model lets you download books and content when away from WiFi but he probably doesn't know about an important feature that most reviewers won't run across:

    With the 3G model, you get 24/7 Wikipedia on Free 3G -- that's from anywhere that an AT&T phone works, and this feature also works outside the U.S. when you're on vacation.]

Read his full review.  Fun last line.

Endadget's Brian Heater really likes the added contrast and adds,

  "The Nook Simple Touch, on the other hand, loses contrast when bumped up to the GlowLight version, offering fairly uneven text throughout...

... On the whole...the light distribution is far, far more even than on the GlowLight."

  Engadget's photo is a bit dark but gives an idea of that.  Here's the full article.


Slashgear's Cory Gunther - "For those worried about this new light and capacitive touch technology to hinder the reading experience, it’s safe to say that isn’t the case.  Reading is simply awesome and we’ve loved our limited time with the new Paperwhite — and you will too.

"... the concave back on the NOOK is still something we favor

"... [Amazon has] even added a few awesome additions to make things even better. We have time to read, x-ray, and tools for readers all available with ease. X-Ray lets you instantly find any and all details of any character, place, or moment in a book. Amazon explains this as letting you explore the “bones of the book” with a detailed breakdown, and so far we love it.  Seeing and jumping to exact points in a 400 page read with ease is an awesome new feature for those diehards...

.".. We also have instant translations by simply highlighting a section for easy translation.

 "...So far I’ve read a little daily for the past week and a half and haven’t seen the battery meter drop one bit — so take it as you will..."   Full article here.


TIME's Harry McCracken - "The Screen Makes It the Best E-Reader Yet"

"... The Nook with GlowLight’s light-up screen is good.  But the one on the Kindle Paperwhite?  It’s spectacular — the best thing to happen to e-readers since the original 2007 Kindle came along.

"For one thing, it’s the first e-reader with illumination that’s designed to stay on all the time, not just when it’s absolutely necessary. It turns on every time you press the Paperwhite’s power button. In dark rooms, it makes the display readable when the previous Kindle would have suffered a blackout. But it also helps in brighter environs and even outside in direct sunlight, largely eliminating the unappetizing greyish look of E Ink."   Full article here.


TechCrunch's John Biggs - "The Kindle Paperwhite Is A Reader’s Dream"

"...To be fair, the Paperwhite does have an absolutely beautiful screen when backlit and it looks almost perfectly white while the Nook still has a tinge of grey.

"My recommendation, as well, is to pick up the 3G version, as it makes it easier to grab books on the go than the Wi-Fi-only model...

"...I’m wildly impressed with the simplicity and beauty of this device.  If ever there was anything similar to the fabled Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, this is it."   Full article here.


CNet (group review) -

"...for the moment, the Kindle Paperwhite has jumped to the head of the e-reader pack.  It may not be perfect, but it's definitely the Kindle a lot of people have been waiting for."


  CNET's David Carnoy - An Update November 30 to add this one by Carnoy, as I missed it in the original blog article (and saw it referenced today on the Kindle forums), but it's the most detailed I've seen insofar as features are concerned, indicating he had already used the device in depth (this is unusual in mainstream reviews) by Sept. 12.  It's very well written too, which is why I looked, this late, at who had written it.

  Titled "Kindle Paperwhite shines," his bottom line is that "With an excellent built-in light and Amazon's best-in-class e-book selection, the Kindle Paperwhite rises to the top of the e-reader pack."
  Carnoy describes, in detail, reading features that many others miss and he points out some that are missing from this model although they were included in previous e-Ink models.  The pros and cons of hardware and software elements are given good context.
  Caution, I normally have extra pop-up blockers on (tech sites talk about Amazon ads, but these are really In Your Face, so I had not known most are greeted with these huge ads, which I saw, going in via a tablet w/o sufficient pop-up protection.  I really like ads to be more subtle instead of the 'BUY HERE' type.  What happened to CNET?

That should give a pretty good idea of what the reception is like.  If I see any unusual ones, I may add more later, but there have been so many rave reviews since this was first posted, that I felt the above would do unless there was something new being said.  If you've received a Paperwhite and would like to add your thoughts, pro or con, to the reports, that'd be helpful.


UPDATE2 and 3 - The Light Panel - Some have mentioned that the bottom-most slice or row has uneven lighting that's noticeable when the room light is very low.  That's where the four lower-power LEDs are, underneath the bezel, where they're the light source for the fiber optic sheet of the display.

  The light travels about 1/2 inch, as it is, before it becomes evenly diffused, and you'll see some darker portions at that lowest space.  This is not very noticeable in daylight but is seeable in the dark and is to be expected (but not mentioned in the early marketing materials, and so people had wondered if it's normal).

  Amazon explains that their design uses "nanoscale optical diffractive patterns" to enable 'fine-grain control" over the direction of the diffused light.

  Here's a very good video of this bottom area, with explanation, by phototristan, shot in a darkened room.

Updated to include the portion showing the same Paperwhitein normal room lighting before he turned the lights off.

  The patents involved with this are an interesting read (for some).  Considering the light guide layer is above the touch screen (front-lighting it), it's impressive that the screen is as responsive as it is.

      UPDATE 3a
Some reported pale discolorations in very dark rooms.  Prismatic in look, they have seemed to disappeared, for many (but some will want pure-white, even in the dark), or are not noticeable after a few days.   For questions on any Kindle purchased, one can contact Amazon Kindle Support who are very responsive.

I noticed some muted or pastel color areas if I looked for them, in a room without any light at all, where you normally cannot read an e-Ink Kindle at all, but they have virtually disappeared on my own Paperwhite, and in a darkened room I'm happy to be able to read the Kindle without attaching a light.  [End of Reports plus Update 2 and 3]


The upshot
That includes (1) mainstream reviews when the Kindle Paperwhite was released and (2) some updates I made to the U.S. Paperwhite reports, so that you don't read only external reviews or product marketing information on any Kindles of interest.  I hope that's been useful.




Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.
US:
Updated Kindle Fire 2 Basic  7" tablet - $159
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$249
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $299/$369
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $499/$599
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi+3G - $179/$199
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free slow web
Kindle DX - $379 $299 Discontinued
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi
£109
Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK
£169
Kindle Fire 2, UK
 £129
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK
£159/199
Canada - Kindlestore, CDN-$
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $139
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi+3G - $199


OTHER International
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $139
Kindle Keybd 3G - $189
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB


France Boutique Kindle
Deutschland - Kindle Store
Italia - Kindle Store
Spain - Tienda Kindle
Brazil - Amazon Brazil
China - Amazon China
Japan - Amazon Japan

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Kindle News: The coming Amazon smartphone. Expanded textbook rentals? Reports on the Digital Book World Conference.

More rumors of an Amazon smartphone soon and a widening of Kindle textbook-rental offerings, plus reports on Digital Book World Conference

There aren't many news stories the last few days except the ones that say that, according to the usual Taiwan news sources, Amazon will release a smartphone by summer 2013 and that it'll probably cost between $100-$200 without the need for a long-term contract.  They suggest that Foxconn has already signed a deal and that the "initial order for the very first Kindle Smartphone is said to total 5 million units."

Without a contract? That would be a no-brainer for buyers who just see no need for the latest whizbang smartphone.  As one who enjoys the Samsung Galaxy S2, and its ability to give a few devices WiFi via the tethering feature, I wouldn't be one of that target market, but it's a big segment from what I've seen from friends and family who have no interest in the fancier phones but who do want a smartphone and who don't want to tie themselves down to a 2-yr plan to get a decent price.
  I did get my Samsung for a penny when Amazon Wireless had one of those specials.

  A big-selling smartphone would be another draw for app developers.


Speaking of apps...
 Business Insider's Business Intelligence is selling a full report on "How Amazon is Trying to Create A Huge Mobile Business" and offering a free trial on what would be a $300 to $400 yearly subscription for businesses needing that kind of information.  In the column describing this, they say:
' Software sales:  The Amazon Appstore has been a huge success on the Kindle Fire.  Developers make almost as much revenue per active user as they do on iOS, and Apple executives reportedly worry that Amazon's controlled, iTunes-like approach makes it more competitive than other app stores, including one operated by Google.

  Given strong early results, Amazon shouldn't have a hard time convincing developers to bring their apps to an Amazon phone. '


Amazon and book rentals? - an expansion of textbook rentals
There also has been some excitement about Amazon's apparent testing of book rentals (see Dave Zatz's "Zatz Not Funny" page for the first example cited).  I saw a couple of more rentable non-fiction Kindle books over the weekend but didn't note the names.  The kicker for those hoping that this will include novels is that every Kindle book noted, as well as the two I've seen, is a non-fiction book recommended for classrooms.

Textbooks have had rental plans at Amazon for some time.

I first explained how it works on July 19, 2011, in the blog entry "Amazon's Kindle Textbook Rentals - Up to 80% off"  And this is still something many families don't know about, so it's worth a read 1.5 yrs later.

 The recent ones, though, are "softer" textbooks in that they're not the heavy-duty $100+ textbooks you normally see but they're, so far, published by more academically-inclined publishers.  Would the Big5 publishers be interested in this for the fiction titles? We'll see, but I'm not optimistic.  Still -- better only a few dollars (for rental) than no dollars.

But for now it's good to see the alternative spelled out on the product page for some of the non-fiction books that are not the usual hardcore textbooks.


The Kindle Chronicles' Len Edgerly Details the Digital Book World Conference
The Kindle Chronicles' Len Edgerly offers an extremely thorough three days of detailed LIVE blogging of the DBW Conference that anyone interested in Publishing today should peruse.  This Conference and Expo took place January 15-17 in NY.

  It's capped off by the weekly podcast's interview segment, which this week involves seven interviewees at DBW, including David Burleigh from OverDrive (which handles the Public Library lending of e-books).

  Len links to the work of all those interviewed.  In that list, I saw that Paul Biba, Former Editor-in-Chief of Teleread, reported on the Conference also, as he has for years.  Paul's view of the proceedings is an intriguing read, describing what worked for attendees and what didn't.  You can also read other blog articles he's written for Goodereader.




Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.
US:
Updated Kindle Fire Basic  7" tablet - $159
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$249
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $299/$369
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $499/$599
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139
Kindle Paperwhite, 3G - $179/$199
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free but slow web
Kindle DX - $379 $299, Free, slow web
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £89 Refurb'd
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi
£109
Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK
£169
Kindle Fire 2, UK
 £129
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK
£159/199

Canada - Amazon Canada
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $89
OTHER International
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $139
Kindle Keybd 3G - $189
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB


France Boutique Kindle
Deutschland - Kindle Store
Italia - Kindle Store
Spain - Tienda Kindle
Brazil - Amazon Brazil
China - Amazon China
Japan - Amazon Japan


Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

Friday, January 18, 2013

Kindle News: Paperwhite Software Update v5.3.3 is ready


Kindle Paperwhite Software Upgrade to v5.3.3

I saw an alert from Paul Biba on Twitter about this update for the Kindle Paperwhite (US)   (UK Paperwhite: here)

From the Amazon US and UK update pages
"We have a new, free software update available for Kindle Paperwhite. The software update will be delivered wirelessly when connected to Wi-fi. This update includes optimizations for your Kindle’s performance, image viewing, registration and Wi-fi connectivity."

Note that keeping your Kindle connected to a Wi-Fi network will drain your battery faster.  So, once you've got the update "over the air," put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" - which turns Wireless Off (unless they have finally put the "Wireless Off" and "On" back on the front menu as they just did for the Kindle Touch recently and removed the 'airplane' icon).

Only if you'd rather not wait - DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Paperwhite Software Update v5.3.0 download section to get the instructions for the download and transfer to your Kindle via USB:
UK:  Go to the same for the UK-only page



  For daily free ebooks, check the following links:
Temporarily-free books - Non-classics
USA: by:
   Publication Date  
   Bestselling   High-ratings

UK: PubDate   Popular

The Kindle Daily Deal

What is 3G? and "WiFi"?       Battery Care

Highly-rated under $1
,  Newest: $1-$2, $2-$3
Most Popular Free K-Books
U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):
   Top 100 free
UK-Only:
   Top 100 free

Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.

USEFUL for your Kindle Keyboard (U.S. only, currently):
  99c Notepad 1.1,   99c Calculator,
  99c Calendar,   99c Converter

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

Kindle Tips: Inexpensive, highly-rated cases for Kindle Paperwhite. New Utility Kit app. KBook about beating stage-4 cancer, free through Sunday


Moko Cover Case for Kindle Paperwhite with Auto Sleep/Wake and a Lifetime Warranty

Had to post this one.  These prices fluctuate quite a bit.  But at this time, the price for this one is $5.99 and it's eligible for membership shipping which, if you are a member, means free delivery to arrive within 2 days in most places in the U.S.  Canada has other rules for Prime shipping, and I'll go into that this week also.

  This cover has 188 customer reviews with an average rating of 4.6.

 The MoKo also comes with some kind of "Lifetime Warranty" although I haven't seen the fine print.

  I've bought Moko products before and liked them.  I already have the official Amazon Kindle Paperwhite case, which though I thought it expensive is beautiful and thin, the Kindle edges framed perfectly by the recessed case.

RooCASE Ultra Slim
 However, I found that I prefer to read the Paperwhite without using a cover as it's really light that way and it's an ordeal to TRY to take it out of the Amazon case!  So I wound up also getting an inexpensive one from which I can remove the Paperwhite easily.

  In this case, so to speak, I bought a rooCASE Ultra Slim Vegan Leather Folio Case, which has AutoSleep.  I do love the thinness and flexibility of the cover.  This one looks a bit like a photo frame in that the Kindle screen is somewhat recessed in it.  The front cover bends back easily.  In a way, the Kindle is easier to hold in this in that you can slip a thumb or other finger behind the Kindle if you're holding it in your left hand, which makes it seem lighter to hold while reading.

  However, this one, which I had considered inexpensive relative to the $50 Amazon regulars is $14.88 currently.  It also is a product, with the 2 days free shipping in the U.S.

With all of these faux leather cases, there is initially an odor out of the box, and I put any of these by a window for 2 days and the problem goes away.  This one has 132 customer reviews and an average 4.5 stars.  It has no pocket on the left the way the Moko does.  Otherwise it looks exactly the same, up to the opening for the power cord connector and power-on button plus look of the faux leather.


Kindle Fire Hd 7 and 8.9 Inch Standby case w/ autosleep/wake feature
The CaseCrown Ridge Standby Case for the 7" and 8.9" Kindle Fire HD models is currently $20.21 for the 7" (with ) and $15.23 for the 8.9" today (again, these prices fluctuate), BUT there is a shipping cost of $5 on the larger one for the Kindle Fire HD 8.9".  That's right, the price is essentially the same for the cover for the considerably larger 8.9" model as for the one for the 7" model.

 Though there was no Prime shipping eligibility for the larger model, that case came just as quickly, but the $5 shipping was added of course.

 This one uses velcro to hold the screen in place, in either horizontal or vertical mode.  It works reliably for me so far.  It's NOT an ultra-slim case though, but this particular case, unlike another CaseCrown cover, has three solid placement indents so that you can change the angle of the display  More important for me is that it stands up on its own and has flexible angle viewing.

The Amazon cases are more elegant and thinner, but these are more affordable alternatives for those wanting that.


EARLIER blog articles on recent Kindle accessories
The blog article on December 20 includes info on three other cases that have been highly-rated economical options plus info on three wireless bluetooth keyboards that work well with the Kindle Fire HD models.


A new e-Ink Kindles app that's a Swiss knife for Kindle eReaders


Utility Kit
, by Metalgrass Software - with 7 Applications for Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Touch, and Basic (NoTouch) Kindle.

  Tools include: Calculator, Stopwatch, Countdown timer, World clocks, Calendar, Units conversion, and a Notepad.  Metalgrass prices it at $1.99.




The C Card and Me - How I beat stage IV cancer (to a pulp)

2nd Edition, by Ali Gilmore, illustrated by Bradley Keen.

  $0.00 through Sunday Jan 20, 2013.  Described as a very short, conversational and "irreverent" guide to getting through treatment for Stage 4 colon cancer, at first written for another person she heard was having to start the process.  A guide "designed to be read in a day."
  Text changes from the 1st edition were "made to Chapter 3 and to the Epilogue."
  "About the book" page
  I saw the PR release and have not read the guide, but it's free, is on a topic that'll be of interest to some facing a tough time, and it's a no-risk 'buy' -- the sample will give an idea though.




Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.
US:
Updated Kindle Fire Basic  7" tablet - $159
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$249
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $299/$369
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $499/$599
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139
Kindle Paperwhite, 3G - $179/$199
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free but slow web
Kindle DX - $379 $299, Free, slow web
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £89 Refurb'd
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi
£109
Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK
£169
Kindle Fire 2, UK
 £129
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK
£159/199

Canada - Amazon Canada
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $89
OTHER International
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $139
Kindle Keybd 3G - $189
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB


France Boutique Kindle
Deutschland - Kindle Store
Italia - Kindle Store
Spain - Tienda Kindle
Brazil - Amazon Brazil
China - Amazon China
Japan - Amazon Japan


Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Kindle Tips: A good Beethoven Big Box mp3 album, 99c for awhile. Adobe Creative Suite 2, free to download still.


A special price on a Beethoven box
that probably will be raised soon.


I should have posted this one earlier, but about a week ago, I noticed that this box of 99 tracks of Beethoven, complete pieces, all movements (meant to be) intact and in the proper order (unlike what you see in some of these large compilations), was priced at $0.99 although any individual track is listed as $0.99.  I did get it.

They're good to excellent performances, and since these albums usually are priced eventually at $4.99 to $9.99, it's a good deal, if you're wanting this kind of music.
  Note that the same label's Big Tchaikovsky Box is currently $9.99, so if you're interested in the material, I'd get the Beethoven while it's at this price.

There are currently quite a few boxes at $0.99 to $2.99 but they really vary in quality.  The ones that don't give you full movements of a work, tracked together, are like book offerings that give you only a chapter or two.

  Amazon's classical-music compilations are obviously put together by people who don't even think a composer's name is of any interest.  We tend to find out who composed a piece when a customer lists that normally-basic information on each track within a review.  Having said that, this album's music is by only one composer so that's not as important here.

  Customers have identified problems with a few tracks that don't hold the correct movement and belong to other works.  In cases like that, you'll see replies by Greg Barbero for The Bach Guild/Vanguard (a label with a good rep for some time)  in this vein:
' Greg Barbero says:
Thank you - you are correct.  On behalf of the Bach Guild, thank you for pointing this out.  We will provide a replacement track to Amazon - and if they do not supply you with a track, we will send you a replacement immediately. '
As the same customers tend to say, the album is an 'amazing bargain.'

As Corneliu Dascălu reminded me, mp3's are generally not available to those outside the U.S., which has to be maddening to non-US customers. I hope this changes somehow.


Adobe Creative Suite 2 now available for free download, free
Adobe is now on Creative Suite 6, and it's been 8 years since Adobe Suite 2 reigned. There are newer inexpensive tools that can do a bit more in some ways, but the entire suite includes:
Acrobat 3D 1.0
Acrobat Standard 7.0
Acrobat Pro 8.0
Audition 3.0
GoLive CS2
Illustrator CS2
InCopy CS2
InDesign CS2
Photoshop CS2
Photoshop Elements 4.0/5.0
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0

Adobe meant the downloads to be free for existing owners who cannot re-install their Adobe 2 programs because Adobe retired, on Dec. 13, the activation servers that supported Creative Suite 2 legitimate re-installs.

  Imaging Resources found that Adobe did not intend this for others and then IR updated their own "Free" advisory (as did Forbes), but now the various sites have found that Adobe left up the links and serial numbers, after explaining the original intent, so of course people are still downloading it and there is no language on Adobe's download page telling people not to download it.
   One still had to register with Adobe (that's free) to get the download but even that seems to have changed.  

  An update was made by most sites announcing the free download, explaining it had not been meant to be free to all -- but then later updates were posted saying that Adobe has nevertheless left the links up anyway and has left no explanations or warnings at the download page.  Adobe's disinterest in advising that the downloads were not intended for everyone has led to sites like slickdeals.net still spreading the news, explaining the system requirements and advising that it does work for some who are on Windows 7 (32 & 64 bit) despite the age of this software.

Mobilemag has noted the following:
'...the doors to the free downloads and serial keys are still open, and in fact, Adobe have even opened it up wider by turning off the requirement to log into adobe before accessing the page. '
That's fascinating.

  Here is Adobe's own CS2 downloads page which offers these by individual programs for Mac and for Win.

  DownloadCrew recommends the entire-suite download at the top of Adobe's download page and then explains how to handle the little glitches or questions that can come up with the installation of the set.
  I recommend printing out that page if you do decide to download the set.

 Really, it's not surprising that they left the download and serial number up on their site, open to all, after learning the world is downloading it, because what can Adobe lose from people being able to install a version 8 years old?  This set was programmed for Windows XP2000 and XP and it does take some work to install them on a modern PC -- and there is no Adobe support for problems you might encounter.

  It can make new customers out of some who had always found it either too expensive or too difficult to learn and can now learn it slowly at no cost and decide whether they want to go to something like a newer version of the more inexpensive stand-alone Photoshop Elements, which is one part of the set in version 2.

  Although I've since acquired a later version of Adobe's set, I am still using Adobe 3, one step beyond Adobe 2 until I can find time to set up a very new way of working with photos, when jumping to Adobe 6.

  Adobe's new idea for software revenue is to offer a subscribership to the current version of the Adobe set, which costs $50 per month, something that won't be chosen by most who try Adobe.  I don't doubt that this latter is behind their decision to leave the software up without any language whatsoever against downloading it, as it can't hurt Adobe and can only help bring them a few new customers

  Here are search results on free tutorials for Photoshop 2.




Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.
US:
Updated Kindle Fire Basic  7" tablet - $159
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$249
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $299/$369
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $499/$599
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139
Kindle Paperwhite, 3G - $179/$199
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free but slow web
Kindle DX - $379 $299, Free, slow web
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £89 Refurb'd
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi
£109
Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK
£169
Kindle Fire 2, UK
 £129
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK
£159/199

Canada - Amazon Canada
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $89
OTHER International
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $139
Kindle Keybd 3G - $189
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB


France Boutique Kindle
Deutschland - Kindle Store
Italia - Kindle Store
Spain - Tienda Kindle
Brazil - Amazon Brazil
China - Amazon China
Japan - Amazon Japan


Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button