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 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.

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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

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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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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!