Amazon's holiday content, free, or on special sale only during this week. A few deals are -were- only until midnight Christmas Day.

Special sales announced by Amazon for this holiday week

On Dec 24, I focused on the 40 Android apps worth $220 available for free "until" December 26.  I don't know whether Amazon means until December 26 starts (which is the normal meaning) or until the end of December 26.  In the past, they've stipulated 11:59pm on a given date or they've used the word "through" a particular day.  So, to be certain you get the apps you want from these, aim for the end of Christmas day.


For those just opening new Kindle tablets and e-readers or those who have not looked at the free and low-cost specials available at any given time, there are ongoing specials for a day or for a month (or unstipulated "limited time") at Amazon.  These are listed and linked to at the recent Free and low-cost Kindle books article.  There are a lot of varied free offerings included in that article.


Today-only through tonight, special Goldbox deal
The ongoing daily Goldbox page is featuring for today and tonight (Dec 25, 2014) this Gold Box Deal of the Day: Up to 50% Off Digital Music, Books, Movies, Games, and Apps


Amazon added a "Kindle Book Sale: Up to 65% off" page of books at $1.99 each, which appear to be from the Kindle-Unlimited feature.
  This one started December 25, 2014 and is "through January 25, 2015."
  Note that some at Amazon are clearer by using "through" a given date rather than 'until' (which can be misleading.)

What Amazon calls its Kindle Book Deals for the current day, including the Daily deals, Monthly Deals and Countdown Deals (had never heard of the latter).  These include books with up to 85% discount.

  Amazon's press release adds that: "Starting December 25th and running through the New Year popular Kindle books from best-selling authors will be up to 85% off, including titles from James Patterson, David Baldacci, Rick Riordan, Sandra Brown, Kristin Hannah, Jeff Kinney and Barbara Freethy."
  These will change, though, daily, as to what is featured, from what I can see.


Amazon Device Deals - Amazon's statement on holiday specials for its Kindle tablets and eReaders

' Amazon Device Deals
For a limited time, customers can get $20 off Amazon Fire TV (now $79), $25 off Fire HD 7 (now $114), $20 off [basic] Kindle (now $59) and $20 off Kindle Paperwhite (now $99). '

Amazon's new pages for gifting of Digital Content
There are now pages dedicated to
. gifting Prime Content and
. gifting Kindle books.
  The benefits that come with the gifting for the recipient are described in their statement from the holiday press release:

Customers can easily gift friends and family all the digital content they love.

Give the gift of Amazon Prime and customers automatically get access not only to
  fast, free Two-Day shipping on millions of items,
      but they can immediately start streaming
  tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes with Prime Instant Video,
  one million songs and
  hundreds of playlists with Prime Music,
  free unlimited Photo Storage with Cloud Drive,
  early access to select Lightning Deals and
  access to more than 700,000 books to borrow with the Kindle Owners' Lending Library.
Learn more and schedule your gift delivery at amazon.com/giftprime.

[The giftprime page clarifies that
    'If the recipient is already a Prime member, the gift can be exchanged for an Amazon.com Gift Card.
     The one-year gift membership does not automatically renew.' ]

Kindle books can be given as a gift to anyone with an email address, and
recipients can read a Kindle book gift on any compatible Fire or Kindle device, or free Kindle reading app.
Learn more at amazon.com/kindlegifting [which is actually Kindle book gifting].

Amazon Coins provide an easy way to give the gift of apps and games--simply choose the amount of Coins to gift, who[m] to gift them to and when to have them delivered.  Learn more at amazon.com/giftcoins.

And, in connection with Amazon Prime membership, Amazon's holiday week deals include the following in Amazon Prime Music, Amazon writes:

Prime members can also listen to a variety of popular holiday albums and songs on Prime Music without added cost, including the Christmas album from a cappella group Pentatonix--PTXmas (Deluxe Edition), Mariah Carey's fan-favorite and classic Merry Christmas album and the Christmas album from crooner Michael Bublé, among many more.

  Prime members can also explore a selection of hand-crafted holiday playlists on Prime Music including 50 Great Christmas Songs and Yule Love This as well as Prime Music Stations such as Holiday Classics, Holiday Favorites, Country Christmas and Relaxing Christmas for easy, ad-free holiday listening.

In addition, on [what's left of] December 25th, Amazon's Digital Music Store will offer top albums, including Ariana Grande--My Everything, Frozen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Imagine Dragons--Night Visions, OneRepublic--Native [+digital booklet], Sam Smith--In The Lonely Hour, and more for $3.99 as part of the Digital Gold Box Daily Deal at amazon.com/gp/goldbox.

Since I didn't get the Christmas Day Prime Music apps listed before the day but there are still 3 hours left on the East Coast and 6 hours on the West Coast, I'll stop here and get this up for those who are still exploring with their new tablets or eReaders.


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Kindle Fire HD 7" and 8.9" International models are available for pre-orders globally. Appstore for Android is now open for almost 200 countries. Angry Birds Space app is free through June 3. UPDATE

Quick Alert: Amazon finally takes Kindle Fire HD international - Available for Pre-Order through Amazon, in over 170 countries and shipping June 13

Amazon announced this morning that the Kindle Fire HD global tablets -- 7" and 8.9" can now be pre-ordered by customers in 170+ countries around the world and will ship June 13.  Details are on the product pages linked here for the new global models.

UPDATES
1. Canada is included, of course, but has its own product pages for these at the Amazon Canada store (rather than orderable on the Kindle Int'l product pages).
  Canada ONLY: Kindle Fire HD 7",  Kindle Fire HD 8.9"

2. Both the 7" and 8.9" HD Internationa/Global models are available to the almost 170 countries outside the U.S.
  Kindle Fire HD Global - 7" $214,  8.9" $284

Also announced was the opening, finally, of the Amazon Appstore for Android to almost 200 countries.  From the press release:

' Customers around the world can now buy apps and games directly from the Amazon Appstore on Macs, PCs or Android phones and tablets (including Kindle Fire)...

To celebrate the launch, the Amazon Appstore is bringing back one of its most popular Free Apps of the Day, “Fruit Ninja,” along with “Cut the Rope: Experiments.”  These will be available, for free, on May 23 and May 24, respectively. With the Amazon Appstore, customers will have access to popular features like the “Free App of the Day,” which offers a paid app for free every day.

In addition, the Amazon Appstore includes popular Amazon features like personalized recommendations, customer reviews and 1-Click payments.  One of the important benefits of the Amazon Appstore is that Amazon tests apps and games to make sure they function and perform properly before they are made available to customers.

In addition, Amazon backs its apps and games with its own world-class Customer Service. Apps and games purchased from Amazon can be used across any compatible Android device, enabling customers to buy an app or game once and enjoy it everywhere.

 For a limited time, consumers will also find great promotions and discounts on popular games from leading brands such as Ubisoft, Sega and Rovio, including Angry Birds Space for free through June 3.
  Customers can visit www.amazon.com/appstore to start browsing apps. '

This is following recent launches of the app store for the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China and Japan.   Brazil will be included "in the coming months."

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Kindle Tips: Solitaire app updated. Some key Kindle Fire apps. Angry Birds Rio Ad-free, $0.00 for limited time again. NYT's Pogue looks at patents filed by Apple and Amazon to make reselling eBooks, music, movies, apps possible.(?)

Updated Solitaire, Mahjong Solitaire, Spider Solitaire app for Kindle Fire


7 Dragons, the popular creator of Kindle E-Reader and Kindle Fire apps has updated their Solitaire app for Kindle Fire -- a combination of several Solitaire games released in just one app, for $1 as a launch sale, as the permanent price will be $4 later.

  What's new in version 2.3.7

  1) Support for Kindle Fire (Original Edition), Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire HD 8.9".
  2) HD Graphics for Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HD 8.9".
  3) Performance Improvements.
  4) New Game - Memory Solitaire! '

In fact, FreeCell Solitaire was added after the launch last year.

  Note: This app won't work on other Android tablets, and is available only for the Kindle Fire.

It's very customizable, has Autosave, unlimited Undo, and hints plus optional background music.  There are 19 levels from "easy" to "very challenging."

  An early glitch with a selector button was fixed in an update last year.

There is a lot of detail on the various games and features at the product page.  7 Dragons is also responsible for the 3 Hidden Objects app, introduced a few days ago and getting good feedback.


Angry Birds Rio - AdFree version, $0.00 for a limited time
If you've never played Angry Birds, this ad-free version of Rio would be a good start.  Most seem to prefer 'Rio' to the original version.

  There's also an 'HD' version but an Oct. update seems to have "broken" it for many, and there's been no update to fix that one.


See also Amazon's page of other must-have apps


Amazon and Apple's filings of patents for USED EBooks and other digital-items
These have been much in the news and the patents have seemed to me to be pre-emptive strikes on the concept.  Blog reader Martin J. sends the NY Times column by David Pogue, yesterday, on Reselling E-Books and the One-Penny Problem, and what the patents have to say about how this could be done.

 It's a head-hurting dilemma, like a very tough app with solutions that mainly lead you to new problems to be solved.

  In looking more closely at the language of the patents (which surprised me in Apple wording such as "different than" rather than "different from"), Pogue finds the patents "incredibly broad" and giving "publisher and bookstore a lot of control..."  including "the right to impose a minimum price" for reselling an e-item, dropped limits over time and limits on "the number of times a digital item can be resold..."

  He decides that "The greatest worry isn’t that authors will go out of business.  It is that the resulting used e-bookstores will be so complex and saddled with restrictions, they’ll be ruined before they even open" - based on the many conflicting interests and ends that he and his Twitter readers detail (though he ends the column on a mildly (wildly?) optimistic note.
  Be sure to read it for the many questions being asked.

  Any comments on this situation?



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Kindle Fire Tips: Two favorite Kindle Fire apps: BSPlayer and Tubemate

A few Kindle Fire apps I use the most

The ones described today work for Original Kindle Fire as well as the later models that are in HD.
  If you'd like more info on how some of these work, you can write to the comments area for this blog entry or, if easier, write a question to the kindleworld.andrys Facebook page, as it's easier to do conversations there.  The two apps recommended here are available at Amazon's appstore.


1. BSPlayer Lite - While the Kindle Fire's built-in videoplayer officially plays only certain (but not all) mp4 format videos, BSPlayer Lite (free version) plays almost any format and especially the many camera formats that other good play apps do not play well (having audio probs or halting ones or not being able to play them at all).

   BSPlayer supports:

' avi, divx, flv, mkv, mov, mpg, mts, mp4, m4v, rmvb, wmv, 3gp, mp3, ac3... and streaming content such as RTMP, RTSP, MMS (tcp, http), HTTP Live stream, HTTP.

- Multiple audio streams and subtitles.
- Playlist support and various playback modes.
- Playback media files such as videos and mp3's directly via Wi-Fi from your LAN shared drives/folders (such as external USB drives, Samba (SMB/CIFS) shared drives, PC shared folders, NAS servers (Synology and others)) - no need to convert video files and copy media files to SD card anymore!
- Playback files directly from uncompressed RAR files. '

  It's hardware accelerated and works very well with the Kindle Fire HD (I've not tested it on the original Kindle Fire, but Amazon says that it's compatible).

  CAVEAT:  'Hardware rendering" (the default) works well for Kindle Fire HD models, but you'll be using the app's "software" decoding option on the original first-generation Kindle Fire, which has a different processor and is not High Definition in screen resolution -- it may not handle 720p video resolution files well, not being a high-definition tablet (but I was able to make 720p resolution mp4 files for my Kindle Fire and they played well if the converter used was a good one like DVD Catalyst 4's) while the newer Kindle Fires that were launched Sept 2012 are HD devices.
  With BSPlayer you don't have to do file conversions on most files to play them.

  Earlier, I mentioned that maybe the flash-player problems with Adobe's dropping support for Android devices with later operating systems is causing no small frustration to tablet buyers re video in general and is leading Amazon to offer more generally good video player alternatives.

  With BSPlayer in 'hardware' mode on the Kindle Fire HD models, you can adjust the brightness with a swipe up or down on the left side and can adjust volume with a swipe up and down on the right side, etc.  It has played everything I've thrown at it, flawlessly,  and gives you a lot of file info too.  No other popular video player I tried could play the files from my varying camera video recorders.  If you have HTC devices, read their support notes though.  It's a good idea no matter what device you have, to read an app's support notes, to save some frustration and time.

  The hardware decoder works beautifully but plays audio as-is and doesn't use the Dolby Stereo feature, from what I can tell.  If you want the Dolby Stereo, you'd choose, on any videoplayer-choice popup Menu, to use "VideoPlayer" instead of BSPlayer OR change the Settings in BSPlayer (which I'd rather not do).
  Also, there are higher-resolution files offered by some uploaders at Youtube that are available only in "flv video" and most Android app players don't play those, nor does Kindle Fire's "Video Player" -- but BSPlayer does.

  I use BSPlayer with 'Tubemate' (see below) for Youtube videos that I've downloaded, and there you're asked which videoplayer you want to use.  BSPlayer, itself, does not have a great user-interface but when called from Tubemate, you can find your videos in the 'Downloads' video folder (this will be either the tablet's generic Downloads folder or if, instead, a folder you chose when doing the setup for a program like Tubemate, where you'd want to see JUST Tubemate videos rather than all downloads made.

   In connection with finding items in folders etc., you should get comfortable with a good file-explorer/manager like ES File Explorer  AND, often even better  if you have trouble finding your install (".apk") files, get the Easy Installer, at Amazon also, which automatically hunts those down for you (a must-have app, in my view).


2. Tubemate - This does a GREAT job of downloading Youtube videoclips to the KFHD, to play when not connected to the Net.  And of course you can just watch them w/o downloading them.

  I've written a few times about how to install Adobe Flash Player for Flash-videos, which I use especially for full-past-episodes watching at NetworkTV places like ABC's site, something the iPad can't do.  However, this popular workaround or feature that you can add with the help of Amazon's allowed settings described in the articles is not necessary for accessing Youtube's videos if you use Tubemate or other somewhat-less-capable Youtube-focused apps.

  Also mentioned in the past is that you can use Amazon's web browser (Silk) to get Youtube videos by changing settings to see websites only in 'mobile' format, which can be quite ugly and missing in features when done on a 7" device (especially a high-definition one). The mobile-type access was meant for the tiny screens of smartphones.  But Amazon's silk browser will work with Youtube video viewing if you change the Settings from "Desktop" to either "Automatic" (which will choose 'mobile' access for Youtube) or "Mobile" (which gives only mobile access to all pages, a mode I personally dislike on a larger device).

  As mentioned, when you are wanting to play a video that's in the "Downloads" video folder, you're given options of which video player to use and one of those options will be BSPlayer (if you downloaded that app and set it up), and that option controlled by Tubemate app gives you a nicer overall file-interface for choosing files to play.

  (With BSPlayer opened on its own, you're dropped into the file system and would need to find the "Video" folder to see the video files and would need to know which folder that was.

  But, as ever, when using ANY app, look for a rectangular Menu for it (looks like a washboard, air conditioner, or stepladder) and then look through "Preferences" or "Settings" (or both) to see what settings would suit you best.

  When I show friends what the Kindle Fire can do, the most popular feature next to Amazon's Prime Instant Videos section (which needs no external apps), the runaway favorite is being able to view favorite Youtube videos on the Kindle Fire when there's no WiFi access.

  You are "defaulted," when opening the Tubemate app, to its version of the Youtube user-interface (which is searchable), but I prefer after a short while to have it open to my local Kindle Fire's video downloads folder which it labels "Downloads" in its own menu.  You can change the folder used for that, using the Preferences feature, either way.

  As you view a Youtube video and decide you'd like to watch it offline, there is a somewhat odd procedure but easy enough to remember if you don't want the reminder coming up each time.

You'll see the video starting in a standard mode, but below it on the right side is a GREEN ARROW that points downward.

  You should press this when wanting to download a file and it will then ask whether you want to download or just watch the video (meaning watch it in a video resolution of your choosing if your Internet speed allows).  I press the Green Arrow only when I want to download, as watching in standard mode is okay when I'm just checking it out.

  Then it presents you a list of files in varying resolutions.  Choose the resolution that fits your device best. For Kindle Fire HD 7", it'll be 1280x800 or thereabouts (which is HD video and therefore a larger file -- so think of space considerations vs video clarity), and if no file that large is available for that video, then choose the next size down.
  For the Kindle Fire HD 8.9", choose 1920x1200 or so if it's available, as that is super high resolution (or 'Retina' range specs).

  Now here's the kicker: As of the latest software update, the author does not tell you the file IS downloading, and then when he tells you the file is downloaded, it is visible for maybe 1-2 seconds and we often miss it and you're left wondering.

  You can press the MENU and check your Downloads folder to see if it's there, completed.
On a slow connection the other day, a friend and I were startled to see it had downloaded the file just fine but we'd have never known.

  CAUTION - Watch the File Storage space. (Touch the top row and Swipe down, then click on "More" for more settings, and check "Device" to see how much storage you are using and still have left.)

  If choosing a 16-gig Android tablet by anyone, the space for videos, and especially HD videos!, puts you up against limits very quickly.  I chose the 32GB model for $50 more, which is not much more expensive than getting a solid, fast 16GB SD card that is always there though you can't pop it in and out, but with the Amazon Cloud where I can keep things or with the ability to use my computer or external drive as a backup device, 32GB works very well (though I'll always want more.)

After a few months, I still have about 17 Gigs of space left but I would find it frustrating to always have to swap files in and out if I'd bought a 16GB model.

I'll stop here, as more will probably confuse and will add more Favorite apps later with tips on how to use them.  Of course, please feel free to ask any questions here or at the Facebook kindleworld.andrys area or write any feedback you have on these two apps.  Thanks!



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Kindle News: Amazon Cloud Drive Photos App for Android and Original Kindle Fire

Amazon Cloud Drive Photos - New app for Android devices and Original Kindle Fire

Oddly enough, the Kindle Fire HD is X'd out in the list of models served by the Cloud Drive Photos app.

  That would be because Amazon is planning to have the features of this app as built-in features, and some reports have said that's already available on the Kindle Fire HD.

  The latter isn't quite true yet, however.  Under the top "Photos" tabs (for photos either in The Cloud or on your Device), the only options showing today on a Kindle Fire HD (KFHD) when you long-press a photo are "Add to Favorites"..."Rename"...and "Remove from Device" although pressing the Menu icon will give you the option to  1) Email the photo to someone (or to a group);  2) Send it on to BBC News (!) or wherever via Flipboard, NFC Tapping, Skype, YouSendIt, and Evernote.

  I sent a photo from the KFHD to me in email to test the sending (there's a a separate email-send icon also), and you're given the From/To email form, with the photo already attached, do they've made it a very simple process.

  I suspect the new Kindle Fire Basic will also have the features built in (in subsequent software updates).

 If, however, you have the Cloud Drive Photos APP, which CAN be used by the ORIGINAL Kindle Fire, you can send photos direct to your free Cloud Drive.

The image at the top is a screenshot of the way the Kindle Fire HD shows representative photos from a photo set -- in this case some Wall Photos that were imported (via choosing the option) from my Facebook-Wall page  At the current time, the KFHD CAN download directly from the Cloud to just about any device just by long-pressing the name of the file on the Device.  The HD model just doesn't directly upload to the Cloud Drive yet.

  Sidenote: These few Facebook-Wall photos were of Yosemite.  If interested in seeing more of what I enjoyed this last year there during three visits in different seasons, you can see a Flickr-controlled stream of more photos from that beautiful place.  For automatically-larger photos, try the larger images if you want a better sense of what it was like to be there, and in other parts of the world.  And for some photos that'll inspire, I've collected favorites by others on Flickr.


Using the app with normal Android devices
I've used Amazon Cloud Drive Photos app with my Samsung phone.  The app doesn't offer auto-uploading of each photo taken (and I always choose not to do that because I don't want large photos taking processing power to go up while I'm still trying to take photos).  Also, I prefer to back up just the ones I'll use.

  It's great to have the free backup and transfer area for important photos, which you can view and share whenever you want.  Unfortunately, the sharing of files is done via one file at a time rather than showing people a full album.  The feature is more for fast, easy backup and for your convenience in managing the files.  You can back up a full album by clicking on it, but I've had a problem completing any album-send that is over 54 photos, so far, even though I have the Samsung Galaxy S2 set up to keep doing data activity in the background (especially since the phone goes to sleep in 10 minutes and tends to shut off WiFi during that time).

  Even then, when I tried to share viewing of one file at a time and used the link to the file, it showed up on my blog page only when I'm logged in (!)  I suspect it's because the 'sharing' is to one person at a time and not to 'the public.'

  When I do give someone the link for a shared photo on the server, it's not shown in full size. It's reduced to a smaller photo but the recipient has a highly visible link to "Download" the file.  For the lead photo in this article, which is just a screenshot (see how to do a screenshot) which I sent myself using the email icon in the side Menu of the "Photos" tab content, I used a regular photo hosting site.

Free Cloud Drive Space - Three different types
  1) ALL Amazon customers, globally, get 5 free gigs of Cloud Drive space to use for personal photos, documents, music that they didn't get from Amazon, and  2) Kindle device owners get an additional 5 free gigs of space for personal docs and non-DRM'd books from other sources, for which which Amazon will now provide annotations backup and will also sync the reading of these between one's several devices even though the books and docs don't come from Amazon).

  If you want even more space for non-Amazon items, $10 per year will get you 20 gigs of space.

  3) Anything you buy from Amazon gets automatically-free Cloud Drive space not counted against your space maximums.


If you have more information from experimention all this, I'd love to hear what you find. Thanks.



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.

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