Kindle Fire and Android Tip: Interesting Mars news story today plus Amazon's Free App of the Day: Exploration Mars (normally $2.99)

 
First photo is from a news story received today on the possibility of ancient life existing on Mars.
This is a very interesting article on correspondences between formations seen there under varying conditions and those we know of here.

Second photo is from Amazon's Free Android App of the Day, normally $2.99 and one that many families (and schools) will want to explore. Some beautiful work was put in on this, and it's very informative.

I'm just sending off this alert, as there are only 5-1/2 hours left, after I noticed it, and those who are tuning in might want to take advantage of it.






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Kindle Fire Tips: PicShop photo editor for Kindle Fire and Android is Free App of the Day, Tues, Aug 13, 2013. Filters, frames, overlays (and Caveats)

In reply to the blog entry about the HD Camera app (which is about how to use the front-facing camera to take photos of yourself or whatever is behind you), commenter David Silva once alerted us to another camera app he recommended for Kindle Fire HD owners.

  It's the PicShop Lite Photo Editor, by esDot Development Studio, and this "Lite" version is always free.

1.  For the always-free version, there are currently 337 customer reviews, with an average rating of 4.1 stars.

TODAY, the paid version of PicShop - Photo Editor (usually $4.99) is free, for just today -- August 13, 2013.

Product Features

(for both versions)
Full Editing Suite
Filters and Effects
Frames and Overlays
Sketch Mode w/ 8 different brushes
Meme Maker
Speech Bubbles
Text w/ Adjustable Font
Fun Stickers (Hats, Moustaches, Love etc)
Social Integration (Facebook, Twitter, Email)
Customize app with your own personal theme

The "Editing Suite" includes:
Color / Saturation; Brightness / Contrast; Sharpen / Blur; Tilt Shift
Depth of Field; Blemish Remover; RedEye Remover; Auto-Correction;
Crop; Rotate; Flip


2.   The usually $4.99 paid version also has an average 4-star rating, with 1,053 customer reviews currently showing on the actual customer-reviews page. There are a large number of dissatisfied users and a seeming lack of customer support for too many (and no identifiable vendor responses seen) but also over 600+ 5-star reviews.
  Image-quality-conscious photobugs should read the CAVEATS (in red) below also.

The app maker doesn't mention what the differences are, between free and paid versions, but one customer said the "full version" was needed to "unlock" something, another customer wishes she "didn't have to buy [the] full version" to get the rest of it, and one person said it seemed to "taunt" you with things available only in the paid version (although if one likes it, $5 is not a huge price and it has a sizeable number of people who chose it over the free one eventually).

*CAVEATS* - A review today pointed out that any image he saved (even if he made no changes) was badly compressed by the SAVE action and was no longer the clear artifact-free image that the original was.

  He doesn't mention what tablet or phone he was using or if he tried it with another device, but the probability is that it's the method of Saving the image (and maybe a setting somewhere to choose the quality of the saved image but I haven't tried the newest version yet).

  Since it's free today, it's probably worth trying to see if this happens to your images.  You would Save (the changes) AS [another filename], giving the saved-changes file a different name.  Never "Save" an original photo or image by overwriting an existing image but save it with a new name or make sure you have a backup copy.

  There are now many reviews from today's downloads, and many users cannot save changed images to their devices, while others are highly enthusiastic about what it does.  It seems to work well with the Kindle Fire but not with some other devices.  What is disturbing is that the appmaker offers this for free today but doesn't respond to problems voiced over the last half year and should be responding today too.

  I'd like to hear what blog readers here experience happening to their test image when saving changes and what device you are using, if people don't mind reporting on that.


The Product Description from the product page:

---

Photo editing on your Android device

"Full-Featured Photo Editor for Android

PicShop - Photo Editor features a beautiful design combined with tons of editing options and dozens of filters. With support for HD images up to 8MP, PicShop is great for serious photographers as well as casual.  Post your perfected photos to Facebook, Twitter or e-mail with a single click.

The UI Layer for PicShop is fully GPU accelerated, which translates into extremely low battery consumption, and a beautifully smooth 60hz interface. This app is a joy to use.

Photo Editing Controls

This photo-editing Suite includes Color/Saturation, Brightness/Contrast, Sharpen/Blur, Tilt Shift, Depth of Field, Blemish Remover, RedEye Remover, Auto-Correction, Crop, Rotate, and Flip."

This editor can of course be used with photos that you transfer to the Kindle Fire HD or to whatever Android device you're using, either via a USB connection to a computer or via the WiFi File Explorer "over the air."

---

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


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.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
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Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

Kindle Fire Quick Alert: Free App for day is $3.99 Food and Diet Tracker

Am back and working on a blog entry but wanted to do this alert for the one-day free app

SparkPeople's Diet and Food Tracker is a popular diet tracker in its Website version, where it is free.

  The Android app used to be free too, but they started charging $3.99 at some point and there were quite a few upset people who wrote 1-star reviews about that charge.

  Also, as with so many Android app venders (and all of the ones on Facebook) they want access to your contact list in the "Permissions" section.  That's a consideration too.  Add that you have to register with the website (but that part seems normal to me).

  Add that to use it, you have to be in a WiFi area if you don't have 3G as you do on phones.

  However, a lot of 1-star customer reviewers say it's not worth it for $4 but if it were free, they'd download it.  Others are unhappy because they're under 18, and you have to be 18 to use it.

  So this is just an alert for those of you who might be interested and want to download it on the day it's free, in case you do want to use it later.

  So, that's the alert. Meant to send it earlier, but even the east coast has the night hours remaining, for those who are interested.

---

  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


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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Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

Kindle Fire Tip: The ScreenDim Kindle Fire and Android app, an eye saver when reading

ScreenDim Full

While reading a Kindle forum question by someone hoping for a larger e-Ink Kindle like the old 9.7" DX, to be used only for reading, I saw another informative post by Amazon Kindle Forum Pro Josh1120, who feels Amazon is unlikely to do that but replied that the larger Kindle Fire is worth considering as an alternative, explaining that:   "You'll miss the e-ink display but the improvements in the KFHD display combined with an app like ScreenDim that enables you to control brightness and contrast independently comes close to an e-ink reading experience in most cases."   Since I've always wanted to be able to control the contrast of a display when reading, I downloaded the app.  The trial version is free but lasts only 3 days, and the "full" version is 99 cents.

 Ironically, the paid 'full' version has a higher customer rating than the trial version, with 73 customer reviews and an average rating of 4.8 stars.  The free 3-day trial version is here.

  Amazon's "Test Drive Now" instantly on either your computer or your tablet is a great feature, giving you an idea of what the app is like, although the actual app worked better than it does in the test drive mode.

  The higher increase/decrease line is for brightness and the lower one's for contrast.
  For me, the lower levels of dimness of any of the Kindle Fire models are good enough, but there are books in which I've wanted higher contrast when seeing light blue links.

In customer reviews, others find the built-in dimmest light-setting still too bright, one person writing that at night, in "my darkest closet, was able to reduce the brightness setting below Kindle Fire's lowest, and read comfortably without backlighting."

  When you have a setting you like, you can long-press one of the pre-sets and save it to that or to a name you designate.

  As with the Speaker Boost app, you access it for further adjustments while listening or reading -- tapping the screen near the middle (not on the edges since that will turn a page), which brings up the Amazon top and side menus, and then swiping down from the top left as you do when viewing Notifications.  That gives you access to the opened-app and its further adjustment features.

  One customer finds it works especially well for the original Kindle Fire which lacks contrast when dimmed in the normal way but retains much of its contrast when dimmed while ScreenDim is active.

  Contrary to one review, this works fine on the Kindle Fire HD 7" and Amazon notes it as working on all the Kindle Fire models.

  I always have the Paperwhite with me, but I do find myself reading books more often on a Kindle Fire tablet than with the eReader mainly because I use it for other features and I've been surprised to find that it is unexpectedly comfortable (for my eyes) for reading when the brightness is dimmed fairly low, especially since I use the 'Aa' options to use a Sepia background (and others can use the white text against black background).



For links to the various current Kindle models that apply to countries outside the U.S., am adding the reference listing rather than try to include alternate links in the body of the text.

---

  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

---

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


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.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

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

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.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

Kindle News: Office Suite Pro 6 app: $0.99 thru' June 17. Prime Instant Video gets hundreds more from MGM.

Office Suite Professional 6 app for the KindleFire, normally $14.99, is $0.99 until end of day June 17.

The Office Suite Professional 6 customer reviews are mostly enthusiastic. Some low '1'-votes were given because of updates that appear to cost extra.  However, as a commenter points out based on the company's Facebook page, updates to this app are free for registered users, so do register right away after downloading the app.  I grabbed this one when it was free for one day many moons ago, and the updates never cost me anything.

The "Most helpful" review so far (by K. Tevald) includes these statements:

' The word processor is,for me,the most outstanding portion of the software. The text editing and alignment. options are easy to use and translate perfectly when opened in MS Office Blue. The indentation and margin options available in OfficeSuite pro are second to none and adding pictures and media into the .docs is as easy as can be.
...
Until this I was using QuickOffice Pro. QuickOffice Pro does not offer anywhere near as useful a word processor, and it often loses formatting when importing and exporting to and from MS Word. QuickOffice Pro does not compare to this in any way. '

Amazon announces a licensing agreement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studies.
Business Wire posting: As a result of the licensing agreement with MGM, Amazon is "adding hundreds of classic movies and hit TV episodes throughout 2012 to the Prime Instant Video catalog. Prime Instant Video now features more than 18,000 movies and TV episodes to instantly stream and enjoy at no additional cost."

These include "favorites like The Silence of the Lambs, Dances with Wolves, Rain Man and The Terminator, as well as fan-favorite TV series like Stargate."

  To start watching Prime Instant Video, visit amzn.to/primeinstantvideo.

  To find out what devices are compatible with Prime Instant Video, see amzn.to/watch-anywhere.

  Customers who are not already Prime members can enjoy a free one month trial of Prime. (Link: amzn.to/primevideos )

I'll add here a reminder that there's always the Kindle Daily Deal that changes each night at about midnight. (Link: amzn.to/kdailydeal )

---

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links

US: Kindle Fire  7" tablet - $199 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $79/$109 Kindle Touch, WiFi - $99/$139 Kindle Touch, 3G/WiFi - $149/$189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189, Free, slow web Kindle DX - $379, Free, slow web

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £89 Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £109 Kindle Touch 3G/WiFi, UK - £169 Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB

OTHER International Kindle NoTouch Basic - $109 Kindle Touch WiFi - $139 Kindle Touch 3G/WiFi - $189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB

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 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.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

Kindle News: (1) Draw Something is ready for Kindle Fire, (2) SendToKindle for Mac, (3) Amazon's surprising 1st Qtr results

Free version

Paid version

The L.A. Times' Michelle Maltais highlighted the new Kindle Fire app yesterday, Draw Something

' Picture this: Kindle Fire users finally get to join in the addictive fun of Draw Something. '

Note there are free and paid versions.  I haven't seen what more is available with the Paid version, but reviews are sort of ecstatic on both versions.

In images above, cLick on 'Free' to read the description for that and on 'Paid' to get that one (and I'll just add links in on this line).

While Draw Something had been available for regular Android users, the Kindle Fire runs, she points out, on an altered version of the Android operating system and Amazon tests them for compatability and reliability before approving them for their Android Apps Store

The multiplayer game is a bit different in that you try to get your opponent to guess the right answer, and you both get rewarded.  Maltais writes that in less than two months after launching on Android and Apple's iOS, the app has had 50 million downloads across platforms.


NEW KINDLE APP: sendtokindle for Mac (Send Once, Read Everywhere

Amazon released this in the last week.  Their page explains that with this Mac-focused Kindle app, you can:

• Send personal documents to your Kindle from your Mac.
• Drag and drop one or more documents on to the Send to Kindle icon in your Dock or launch the application and drag and drop one or more documents on to it.
• From any Mac application that can print, select the print menu and choose Send to Kindle.
• From Finder, simply control-click on one or more documents and choose Send to Kindle.
• Choose to archive documents in your Kindle library, where you can re-download them conveniently at any time.

Note the System Requirements though:

• A Mac with a 500 MHz Intel processor or faster
• At least 512MB of RAM
• 100MB of available disk space
• Mac OS X v10.6 (Snow Leopard) or Mac OS X v10.7 (Lion)

AMAZON SURPRISES INVESTORS AND ANALYSTS
Amazon's net profits -- after sacrificing short term profitability by putting money back into expanding the market (Kindles and digital media) and the business, opening distribution centers galore, hiring 9,000+ more people recently, providing better customer service (a major strength) -- were down over last year but less so than anticipated by the analysts ('beating expectations'), so there was a lot of cheering Thursday over the numbers.

  While they were expected to have first quarter earnings of only $0.07 per share, the earnings were $0.28 per share, 4 times higher than anticipated by the experts -- despite earnings per share falling 35% compared to last year's $0.44.  It's all about beating (and managing) expectations.  News of their revenues increasing 36% and their obviously on-track long-range plans to grow the business are causing the stock to soar the last 2 days.

Good reading on this, with many details:
Seeking Alpha - "Investors Are Cheering After Another Quarter Of Margin Sacrifices," by Robert Broens

  A note to Kindle-Edition Subscribers: Remember that Kindle Keyboard and Kindle Touch e-readers have MENU/ARTICLE MODE once you reach the articles I link you to (which means you are then using the e-Ink Kindle's web-browser).

  The linked articles' fonts won't be particularly readable, size-wise, until you choose Menu/Article Mode, but then you'll see how easy it is to follow these links and read comfortably on the E-Ink Kindle after Article Mode removes ads and side-columns.

  Kindle Fire users: The new software update v6.3 has a Web READING VIEW, which shows up now as a pair of glasses that show up next to the Bookmarks ribbon at the bottom status bar showing the rectangular lined Menu.
  This feature removes any side elements (ads, links to other features) and just shows you the body of the article in very readable font, isolated, and with clickable links which the e-Ink Article Mode feature doesn't have.
  This new feature is SO good that I now use Amazon's Web ("Silk") by default instead of my previously preferred "Dolphin" Android browser which doesn't have the Reading View.

  Kindle Fire readers have an advantage in that they can double-click the normal web page text and that will enlarge the font of the story and fit it to the width of the screen usually, depending on your web settings.  But the new Reading View feature is a sure thing.


Here are several RELATED ARTICLES that I'll link interested readers to, as they give a better idea of the dynamics involved with Amazon's history of longer-range planning and they help explain what's happening now with Amazon in a digital-media-focused world.
  I'd mentioned that their new main page shows an emphasis on digital products, front and center, and that this emphasis was duplicated on submenus -- and that's where most of the profits came.  But a LOT of it came from their third-party Marketplace area, where company expenses would be lower.

  Amazon Kindle Fire has 54.4% of U.S. Android Tablet market, by TechnoBuffalo's Todd Haselton

  Note that Amazon's having over 54% of the Android Market here is rather huge for obvious reasons and also because Google owns the Android operating system.  I enjoy a Galaxy 10.1" Tab, and the very popular Samsung's percentage in comScore's data-collection is 15.4%, in 2nd place.

  All this is despite comScore's subtitle, '10" Tablets Have 39 Percent Higher Content Consumption Rate than 7" Tablets' (How does that affect advertising? How much reading is done on the Kindle Fire?)

  The Kindle Fire doubled its share of the Android Tablet Market in two months.

  Is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2  7.0 a better Kindle Fire than the Kindle Fire?, by Eric Franklin

  I want to go into this one a bit more later but am pointing readers to the article, as it's related to what is happening with Amazon's overall sales of course.

  The answer in the article is No, and Franklin makes good points about why he thinks the Kindle Fire would be the better choice for Amazon's audience despite more features in the Samsung hardware.

  Even TIME Techland's Keith Wagstaff, in his review of the new Samsung 7", while impressed with the Samsung otherwise for only $50 more, ends with, "So, the $250 question: Should you buy this instead of a Kindle Fire?  If you have Amazon Prime, the answer is no.  That tablet was built as a media mecca for Amazon’s ever-growing library of books and movies, and it serves that purpose extremely well..."

  Amazon: Jeff Bezos Is a Genius, by The Street's Rocco Pendola (thanks to Island Librarian Nancy Picchi's alert, is a very interesting, entertaining article.


SOME GOOD SENSE ABOUT KINDLE FIRE AS 'LOSS' LEADER
Say something enough, even based on soft assumptions, and many will just repeat it until it becomes an Internet truth.

  Forbes's Tim Worstall asks, Does Amazon Really Sell The Kindle At Break Even Or a Loss?.
  Worstall makes points that should have been made by others long ago, with most news articles I've seen just repeating the first guesstimates given, as fact.  Looking at device parts and assuming one knows the prices Amazon could get for massive production orders is odd.  Repeating an even educated guess as 'fact' from that is even odder to me.  But, yes, as Worstall points out, the margins at the same selling price tend to increase with time on electronic devices.

---

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links

US: Kindle Fire  7" tablet - $199 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $79/$109 Kindle Touch, WiFi - $99/$139 Kindle Touch, 3G/WiFi - $149/$189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189, Free, slow web Kindle DX - $379, Free, slow web

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £89 Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £109 Kindle Touch 3G/WiFi, UK - £169 Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB

OTHER International Kindle NoTouch Basic - $109 Kindle Touch WiFi - $139 Kindle Touch 3G/WiFi - $189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB

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 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.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!