Showing posts with label kindle for ios. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kindle for ios. Show all posts

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Amazon news: Kindle for iOS v4.12 ... Amazon Cloud Drive v1.2 ... AT&T increases data cap. Also, Things to know: Clarification of Prime Rule changes a couple of months ago ... Manage your Prime acct page ... Amazon Video compatible devices. UPDATED Prime-sharing info 10/15/15.


These are some items I'd noted that probably aren't widely read but should be of some interest to users of Amazon devices and to Prime members.  Most are links to information for those interested, and I've filled in some basic details given in a response to CNet questions.

It had not been clear who can share or what content in Prime Sharing.
I've updated Prime-sharing information below.  (originally posted 10/14/15)

LINKS for new info:
1. What's new in Kindle for iOS v4.12

2. Android and Kindle app for Cloud Drive, v1.2 adds file and folder deletion from the device finally.

3. AT&T Increases Data Cap In Face Of $100 Million FCC Fine.  This should be of interest to those who bought Fire Phones or tablets with cellular network access and have contracs with AT&T.


Manage your Prime page
I didn't know there was a page for managing your Prime membership but ran across it recently.  This briefly describes each Prime membership feature and offers quick access to each, with control over aspects of some of those features shown on the 'Help' pages for each feature.

Amazon Prime Rules - the actual changes that occurred earlier and were or are misunderstood by some.
There was initial misunderstanding as shown in Techcrunch's article at the time -- this is included just to show what some were unhappy about due to some misreading, but I made a comment at the bottom of the article, clarifying what actually was changed, rather than what was described in the article.  What they did change was previously having prime-shipping shareable with 4 other people in a 'household' (the latter interpreted widely by customers) while video-streaming was NOT shareable at all.

  Households
Now they've made a Households feature or category.

 This is comprised of up to six members.
  • Two adults, each with their own Amazon account.
  • Up to four children, who don't need Amazon accounts in order to be a part of the household

  Within this feature is "Family Library" -- two accounts can be linked and their books *shared* on your Kindle and "other compatible Amazon devices and media apps."

  Probably more important for some is that another adult household member without a Prime account can share another adult household member's eligible Prime benefits now, including video streaming.

  Another customer confirmed the added benefit.  I still see some misunderstanding in this area.  What they did remove was multiple-sharing of *free-2-day shipping*, which is now available only to another adult member of the Prime member's household (both must share one credit card each and therefore must really trust each other), although Amazon is "grandfathering in" those already sharing Prime under another member's account.  Once any of those people leave the 'household' the slot for someone sharing the benefits disappears.

  What I explained in two Comments to the article:
' Andrys Basten · Blogger at Kindleworld
Actually, my understanding had been that all along, "Amazon previously allowed anyone with an Amazon Prime subscription to share its shipping benefits and a few others, [BUT *NOT*] including Prime Instant Video access, with up to four other “household” members."

In other words, they could share the free 2-day shipping benefits with up to 4 others sharing the same household (and street address, although I don't think the latter was strictly monitored) but they could not share the Prime Instant Video with anyone at all.

The recent addition of the "Amazon Household" feature allows the Prime Instant Video to be shared with another adult in the household now [and, it would appear, up to 4 children in that household].'
and
' First, with 'Household' they =added= the perk of being able to share a Prime Instant Video benefit with another adult in the same household.  That's new.  There's no scaling back on that particular benefit.

Updated info 10/15/15
CNET received responses from Amazon to the initial brouhaha over what was felt to be a downgrade of Prime benefits.
' For instance, Amazon Households requires the two adults on the account to be able to share credit cards -- a change made to let those users share purchased television shows. However, having shared credit cards may not sit well with dorm roommates or distant friends.

Despite the concerns raised, [Amazon spokesperson Julie] Law said the changes were not made for financial reasons. "It was how do we allow people to share more of their benefits -- particularly Prime Instant Video -- among a family," she said.

She added that Amazon doesn't actively seek out people skirting the rules on their memberships. So, not only are those grandfathered accounts still active, but also users who have shared one account log-in with multiple family members will likely still be able to do that without getting a nasty call from CEO Jeff Bezos.

"This change isn't related to those types of outliers," Law said about people using their accounts fraudulently. "This change was related to our most active Prime shoppers...It's something we wanted to offer our customers for a long time." '
See more at cnet's full article.  [End of updated info]

  Similarly, for about 7 years+ they've allowed (although publishers dislike this) people to have their Kindle devices under another person's account, in order to share the Kindle books in that account, and in that case, the guest device could then order as well, with the acct owner's credit-buy setup -- so 'trust' between members sharing was a large requirement there also, which discouraged sharing between people who aren't at least close friends.

  One might have access to the other adult household member's credit cards with 'Household' sharing program but for a second adult in that household -- the trust thing matters and they're less likely to use the other person's credit card without permission.  The video publisher streaming contracts are much tighter than the ebook ones (which are already quite tight). Amazon has had a history of trying to find ways to make sharing somewhat easier than publishers want but not so blatantly easy that the publishers would object and withdraw their content. '

The Consumerist, usually hard on Amazon, had a good article explaining that Amazon was NOT 'cracking down" on shared prime and described what the changes actually were and the probable reason(s) for it.


Amazon Video compatible devices page - Just one more useful reference page.


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!

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Kindle Tips: Kindle for iOS software update v4.9 and for Kindle Fire tablets. Also, small update v4.5.4 for Kindle Fire tablets. Family Library sharing. Free Kindle books listed for June. Monthly Kindle book specials.


Software update to v4.9 for Kindle for iOS and Kindle Fire devices

Amazon announced, on their Kindle Forums, a software update for both Kindle for iOS (v4.9) and on the Kindle Fire tablets.  Here's the main info from that:
' Several exciting improvements offer faster reading with less eye strain.

Discover these features on Kindle for iOS and Fire tablets today, with more devices coming later this year.

What's New in Version 4.9?
Available today on hundreds of thousands of books, including most bestsellers like J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," Stephen King's "Revival," Veronica Roth's "Insurgent," and Abigail Strom's "Almost Like Love."
And coming soon to most Kindle books.

Faster Reading, Less Eye Strain
Hyphenation plus smoother word spacing result in faster reading with less eye strain.
Improved character placement increases word recognition speed at any font size.

Beautiful Page Layout
Drop caps, text, and images adapt automatically to look great no matter your screen or font size.
Print-like layout dynamically adjusts for any combination of screen size and font setting.

Large Fonts, No Compromises
Enjoy reading with larger font sizes without compromising your reading experience.
Page layout and margins automatically adapt to work well at even the largest font sizes.

Bookerly - The Font for Readers
Bookerly is a new Kindle exclusive font designed for reading on digital screens.
Warm and contemporary, Bookerly is inspired by the artistry of the best fonts in modern print books but is hand-crafted for optimal readability at any screen size. '

The Kindle for iOS software-update page at Amazon also mentions
' • Audible Improvements – This release includes a new look for the Audible player controls in the reader and a new player bar that appears in the library while you’re listening to an audio companion '

Latest Fire OS update, v4.5.4 for Kindle Fire tablets (in addition to the built-in Kindle Reader update v4.9)
My Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" tablet (Yr 2013) received an over-the-air (OTA) update yesterday, and the reasons shown are
  "...includes general improvements and performance enhancements."
So it's just a maintenance update.
All Kindle Fire tablets get an OS update at the same time.
  Software update pages: US and UK

  No new features have been announced since v4.5.1 in September 2014 (though some will have missed some noteworthy ones) when the latest features newly introduced were:
Family Library: Family Library lets owners share apps, games, audiobooks and ebooks with another adult in their household, even if they have a different Amazon account.  Available in the US, UK, and Germany.

Lock screen media controls: The update brings MP3 and Audible playback controls to the locks screen, and for tablets that have a rear-facing camera, this too can now be activated form the lock screen.

Prime Music Stations: Prime members now have access to ad-free personalized stations with unlimited skips. "Over a million songs by artists including U2, Blake Shelton, Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, Madonna, and more.   Just open the Mujsic tab and select Prime Stations to start listening."  Available in the US.

Emoji: The Amazon keyboard now features hundreds of color emojis.

Camera for Kids: Amazon FreeTime now includes a camera feature designed for kids that allows them to play with the camera but not post photos to social media.  Available in US, UK and Germany

June's free Kindle books (contemporary or non-classics)
    May 2015  June 2015.
    Also, all currently free non-classics sorted by:
    Publication Date   Bestselling    High ratings

  There are only a few shown on the first few days of any month, and these include pre-orders due that month -- most of these are listed as "free preview" of whatever chapters chosen, some are short stories, and a few (overnight) not-entirely-family-safe titles may show up.  Since this is June 2, the listing will not include more already available, full books

Reminder: The special monthly book deals for June 2015
  JUNE 2015's monthly Kindle Books deal, for $3.99 or less   (See UK listing here.)




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!

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Kindle Tips: Kindle for IOS update version 4.5 mid Sept 2014 (and v4.5.1 yesterday) . Customer forum tips on handling oddities that may occur with iOS 7 and 8.x

 
The Kindle Forum has a recent announcement that Kindle for IOS, v4.5 has been ready for download.  Apple's problems with iOS 8 and then the abrupt recall of iOS 8.01 last week due to suddenly non-functioning features, for too many, appeared to affect apps.
  Apple's problems with iOS v8.01 update included loss of cellular and WiFi connectivity, lag, sync'g issues, and Touch ID not working for many.

  I waited for things to settle down a bit and am logging this Kindle for iOS update and adding tips and workarounds from customers and Kindle Forum moderators.

  As of a couple of days ago, Apple released iOS 8.02 Friday to fix the problems with iOS 8 and 8.01, but unfortunately, customers are still reporting both cellular call and WiFi problems as well as slowness, affecting several earlier iPhone models.  These will affect apps on the devices too, of course.

  PhonesReview requested feedback on v8.02 and it's not good news.  From the feedback, the problems seem worse for too many.

  But it's time I logged here what the Kindle for iOS update v4.5 has in enhanced features.  Customer and Kindle Support tips from the forum will be below the announcement by Amazon.  ((V4.5.1 was reported by one customer to have been received yesterday.)

 Here's a copy of the announcement (Any bolded emphases are mine).
' Initial post: Sep 18, 2014 01:56 AM PDT
Megan H. - Forum Moderator says:
(AMAZON) (AMAZON OFFICIAL)

We're pleased to announce the latest version of Kindle for iOS is now available in the Apple App Store.

What's New in Version 4.5?

Kindle for iOS Version 4.5 makes reading multiple books easier with the handy Kindle Today Widget. Customers also get the ability to copy passages from their books and paste them into text messages, e-mail, and other applications on iOS outside of Kindle.  Readers who encounter words or phrases in other languages can quickly comprehend the author's meaning with a convenient translation feature. This release also includes iOS 8 support, bug fixes, and stability improvements.

* Kindle Today Widget (iOS 8 only - Multi-book readers can now surf between books from anywhere on the device by pulling down the `Today' view and tapping on one of the three titles in the Kindle Widget. They can choose from their most recently opened library titles, like the `jump' function on a TV remote.

* Copy & Paste - Customers asked and we listened. Version 4.5 includes the ability to copy passages from your books and add them to the iOS clipboard for pasting into a text message, e-mail, social media, or other iOS applications outside of Kindle.

* Smart Lookup Translation Card - Authors often include phrases in other languages to add depth or meaning to a story. Readers can now get a full understanding by selecting the word or phrase and viewing the translation card. '

Re the Copy & Paste
Remember that, as with Notes Export, there's an alternate way for you to export notes and highlights from any Kindle book, not just the "Print Replica" textbooks.  Kindle-compatible device- or app owners have a personal, password-protected website that holds your annotations for each book.  You can view them by Your Highlights (which are grouped secondarily by book) or you can choose 'Books.'
You can copy (for emailing or personal logging) and print sections from these.

A few customer tips and feedback from Amazon's Kindle Community forum
The first report was that the app works fine with iOS 7.  Here are some responses of possible interest to readers here:
' Dorsie says
You press the word at the start of the section you want to copy.  When the highlight color circles appear, drag the right control to the and of the last word in the section.  It will allow you to drag to the next page if you need to.  The highlight control bar shows four colors and three b/w controls.  The b/w control third from the right and just to the right of the orange color looks like two overlapping pages.  Press that and the word Copied will pop up.

Now the whole section is in the clipboard and can be pasted into any other app when you press and hold in an input section and select Paste. This could be a word processor or e-mail or any app that allows text input.

~~~
LASoundCrafter says:
Great copy function.  Also, they kept the reading feature: I use the triple tap on the home button to turn on "voice over" and the "double swipe" down and Siri starts reading on and on ... The translation feature is very good.  Overall a very stable upgrade.

~~~
Cindy says:
No problems with 10000+ books on ipad air.

~~~
C. Petko says:
I just upgraded to iOS 8, have upgraded Kindle for ipad, and cannot see the widget for what I am reading today yes, I have two books started if that makes a difference

~~~
thebeartrack says:
The translation feature is not working on my iPad using iOS 8.  I have deregistered, deleted the app, many times to no avail. It works fine on my iPhone 5s.  Calling Amazon gave me no help at all.  They said it was an Apple problem......SOS

A call to Apple solved my problem.  I needed to restore as a new iPad and then restore my apps. Works like a champ now!!  I love the translation feature!!! Good job Kindle!!!

~~~
R. Thomas says:
I have an iPod, not an iPad, and I wasn't aware of this feature [Kindle Today Widget] until I read your post.

Here's how I figured it out on the iPod, which I just updated this morning.

Pull down the notification pane, the pull down menu from the top - school down and you'll see "edit" and I'm sure you can take it from there.

Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention. I nearly always have two or three books going at once , and this is a very nice feature. THANKS!!

~~~
lonbeehold says:
Go to the bottom of your notification list when you're in the Today tab on your home screen. You will see an edit button. Tap it to see the apps that you give the option to have a notification appear in the Today tab. Tap Kindle to turn the feature on.

~~~
thebeartrack says:
Does anyone have an iPad Air with the Kindle application?  This is what I have but the translation in the dictionary will not function.  It works just fine on my husband's iPad 2 and my iPhone 5s. I have deleted, reinstalled, de registered until I am blue in the face.  I also phoned Amazon and they just told me it is an Apple problem.  Any help out there in the ether????
[ No answer yet ]

~~~
KMH says:
In order to have enough storage space in my iPad, I deleted my kindle app so I could download iOS 8.
When I went to reinstall the app, it is stuck in an installing mode. I tried to delete it and start again but it won't let me delete it. It says "installing" and it's been like that for days. Help!!

~~~
Dorsie says:
If a simple restart doesn't help, try the hard restart done by pressing and holding both the power and home buttons until it turns off. It won't harm any data or apps. After about ten seconds press and hold the power button until it starts rebooting.

~~~
Gabriele says:
...ever since Ive upgraded, my app seems to not download new content.  It keeps saying 'downloading' but never actually does.  Then i'll try a bit later on and it works.  Sometimes i send new content to my kindle app and it doesnt even recognise that i've send anything.  My internet connection is fine and i've tried turning the phone on and off (I read everything on my iphone) but nothing changes.  I've NEVER had this issue before, the only thing i can think of is this upgrade maybe having a bug? Has anyone else had this issue? Any suggestions?

~~~
Anna F. Forum Moderator says:
(AMAZON) (AMAZON OFFICIAL)
Hi Gabrielle, I'd recommend removing the app and re-downloading it.  If you continue to experience delays in downloading, please contact us through this link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-us/kindle-help.html?ref=cssoc_FM_CU_KIN

~~~
S. Kessler says:
I tried out the copy and paste function, and it's a little tricky to get just what you want in a passage, but once I tried a few things, I got it to work beautifully.  This is absolutely the best update feature.

~~~
shermie says:
...I have been told my older iPad would have difficulties with ios8 so not to update that at this time.

~~~
Sonja S. - Forum Moderator says:
Hey shermie, you'll need to have iOS 7 or greater installed. If you don't have iOS 8 installed you won't have access to some of the features, for example the Kindle Today Widget...

~~~
Ed says:
Yeah, observed the same distraction with page turn animation. Turned it off.
Library>settings>page animations.

~~~
Mary McManus says:
I am using the latest version of iOS7 on an iPad 3 and a mini.  Both of them have the latest Kindle update.  The Kindle app on the iPad3 seems to be working fine but on the mini is very sluggish with page turns, either tapping or swiping there is a delay.  I have flicked the app out of the recently used apps and then did a restart by holding the home and power buttons, but it's still slow.  Any suggestions?

~~~
Dorsie says:
Haven't heard of this one, but it could come from hidden copies of books caused by duplicate registrations. If you find you have to delete and reregister anyway, use IPad Setting, General, Usage and let it bring up memory use for all apps. Select the Kindle app and delete it with the Red Delete button. That will get rid of the orphan books/data too. Then use Manage Your Content and Devices and deregister the iPad and any duplicates from there. That gives you a perfectly clean slate at both companies to redownload and reregister the app...

~~~
Paul Gorman says:
Looks bad on the iPhone 6 Plus.  I expected to see the whole page like on my iPad mini instead it is an iPhone view.  Don't you know the 6 plus is an iPad micro? :-)

~~~
Dorsie says:
The Accessibility Zoom feature can help with this. It's super easy to use and the screen stays stable as you turn pages.

Here's the iOS 8 online manual.
http://help.apple.com/ipad/8/
The Accessibility options icon is the fourth icon up from the bottom with all the info on how to use the zoom.

I recommend in Settings, General, Accessibility, Zoom turning off the new features "follow focus" and "show controller and set it to "full screen zoom." Zoom remembers the last magnification you used so it's simple to just tap twice with three fingers to turn it on and off. To see any part of the screen clipped by the zoom, drag with three fingers.

Edit to add: The Zoom works identically on iPads and iPhones. Here's the online manual for iPhone iOS 8.
http://help.apple.com/iphone/8/

~~~
Hussain Ahmadi says:
I love the kindle widget on ios 8 it saves time as I can go directly in the book.

However, when I finish reading a book how am I supposed to remove it from the widget? Is there any option for that?

~~~
David O. - Forum Moderator says:
(AMAZON) (AMAZON OFFICIAL)
... Hussain: In Today view, you can jump directly to where you left off in your three most recently read Kindle titles.
[AB Note: I'd think that removing the Kindle book from the device would work also if the developers coded to include in the widget only the most recently read that are still on your device... but i don't know that they did.]
~~~
Paul Gorman says:
I am reading a user manual for a camera which has many diagrams.  Then I loaded a page I had been reading on my iPad mini the diagram was half on the page and half outside the border and the text was huge.

Things improved by making the text much smaller which made the whole page real estate bigger and the images fitted into the page. I guess the images are not scaled like the text can be. The application text is still huge as that is not affected by the text being displayed...

~~~
Mary McManus says:
If your camera manual is a pdf file, I would highly recommend that you open it in the GoodReader app for the iPad which is superb for reading most any type of file: Word, Pages, pdf, jpegs.  But it is especially good for pdfs.  When I was reading books about World War I, I had saved maps from the internet as pdfs and put them in GoodReader so I could refer to them while reading the books on a Kindle.

~~~
Ed says: [in a post dated Sept 29, Monday]
There's a 4.5.1 update for iPad and phones available. '
Forum Source

Kindle reading-app Update - Where?
Go to the page for download instructions.
  If you have iOS 7 or above, the normal steps listed there apply.
The page has an "Important" section for those who are still on iOS versions earlier than iOS 7.




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!

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Kindle Tips: Kindle for IOS update version 4.4 released; Kindle Placeholders, Notes Export, Sync to most recent page read - across all Kindle devices and apps, Wikipedia Smart Lookup

   
The Kindle Forum has an announcement that Kindle for IOS, v4.4 is ready for download.

 Here's a copy of the announcement (Any bolded emphases are mine).

' Initial post: Jul 29, 2014 1:41:40 PM PDT
Megan H. - Forum Moderator says:
(AMAZON) (AMAZON OFFICIAL)
We're pleased to announce the latest version of Kindle for iOS is now available in the Apple App Store.

What's New in Version 4.4?

Kindle for iOS Version 4.4 provides several customer-requested features that make sync and navigation easier.

* Sync to the most recent page read - Any books you are reading on Kindle for iOS will now sync to the most recent page read across all Kindle devices and/or reading apps registered to your Amazon account.
  Customers can still manually sync to the furthest page read from the left navigation menu.

* Kindle Placeholders - Allow customers the freedom to explore other areas of the book without losing their current place. Jump directly to previous locations with "placeholders" on the progress bar.

* Notes Export - Studying for the next exam or writing the next term paper just got easier. Students can now export notes, highlights, and more to e-mail from their "Print Replica" textbooks, giving students easy access to their information.

* Performance and stability improvements

* Wikipedia Smart Lookup: Select a word and learn more from Wikipedia in the Info Card at the bottom of the page. '

Re the notes export
Remember that there's a way for you to export notes and highlights from any Kindle book, not just the "Print Replica" textbooks. Kindle-compatible device- or app owners have a personal, password-protected website that holds your annotations for each book.  You can view them by your most recent highlights (which are grouped secondarily by book) or you can choose 'Books.'
You can copy (for emailing or personal logging) and print sections from these.

How the Placeholder feature works
In the Kindle Forum, Sonja S., a Forum Moderator explains:
' In reply to an earlier post on Aug 1, 2014 7:22:18 AM PDT
Sonja S. - Forum Moderator says:
(AMAZON) (AMAZON OFFICIAL)
Hey Karen, a placeholder is a temporary bookmark, represented as a dot on the progress bar.
  Placeholders mark the current location and the previous two locations visited.
The "oldest" placeholder disappears after a reader visits a third page.

Placeholders are added when navigating the book by any method other than page swipe.
  When you jump to another page in the book - for example, with the help of annotations or table of contents - a placeholder is added to the progress bar.
  Tapping this placeholder will return you to a previously visited page.
  In this way, you can quickly jump back and forth between the current page you're reading and another page recently visited.

  Note that these locations are stored locally on your device, and do not sync across devices.

Let us know how else we can help! '


Kindle reading-app Update - Where?
Go to the page for download instructions.
If you have iOS 6 or above, the normal steps listed there apply.
The page has an "Important" section for those who are still on iOS 5.




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!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Kindle Fire Sale on HDX models thru' Tuesday night, Jan 21, 11:59 pm. Kindle for iOS update v4.1.1 fixes several problems. AT&T offers lower data plans, w/o contracts.


Amazon is offering another Limited-time offer of $30 off, this time on the Kindle Fire HDX tablets, the Big Game.
  "Enter code GameOn30 at checkout"


Note: This is for U.S. customers only and "while supplies last" and ends TONIGHT, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, at 11:59 pm.

For easy reference, am showing a reduced version of the small comparison table that shows only the HDX models, and their product pages have the general comparison table with more details.
  Note - See Terms for the sale.

  Also see below for added info on the new Kindle for iOS app v4.1.1 update that fixes some problems with previous update version 4.1, and in this one I'll include what the new feature enhancements are now that this update and fix is available.


Regular pricing bases plus Amazon links for the new HDX models
  Both of these models have Dolby Audio Dual Stereo Speakers and Dual band WiFi, as well as dual antennas also.

Starting prices are with special offers that they say will offer more savings than Lighting deals.
Kindle Fire HDX 7" - $229
  'Personal' HDX tablet
16, 32 or 64GB options
Display: 1920 x 1200, 323 PPI
Ram: 2GB
Front-facing, 720p camera
No HDMI-out: Use 'Fling' or Miracast
Quad-core 2.2 GHz processor
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" - $379
  'Does it all' HDX tablet
16, 32, or 64GB options
Display: 2560 x 1600, 339 PPI
Ram: 2GBfling
Adds 8MB rear-facing camera
No HDMI-out: Use 'Fling' or Miracast
Quad-core 2.2 GHz processor

For those who didn't see the last Kindle Fire sale blog article, here are some excerpts from December reviews.
ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes for Ziff-Davis's Hardware 2.0 area headlined an article that will surprise some but which reflects points made by several articles I cited in December:

  "Why the Kindle Fire HDX is a far better tablet than the iPad"
' Summary: I used to think that the iPad was the king of the tablets, but not any more. It's time to whip the crown away from Apple and give it to its rightful holder – Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX.

...what Apple bought to market Amazon has improved upon dramatically. '

He spells out the usual large pricing difference points as you increase storage size, as anyone who knows how important multimedia files are to tablets will realize.  But it used to be that people assumed the iPad would be superior in capabilities and that the Kindle Fire offerings were just made with less-expensive materials.
  Not so with the Yr 2013 line.  These currently set the standard for the combination of hardware and features now (although those who use Apple apps on their phones and love them will do well to get an Apple tablet to use those same apps on their tablet).  It's just that Apple is not keeping up because they don't feel they need to.

He continues:
' Side-by-side, the display on the Kindle Fire HDX blows away that of the iPad. Not only do colors look superior and more vivid, but also the brightness is better and the way blacks are handled – especially in video – is much more even. '

  He also finds it easier to use outdoors, with less glare in his case, and goes on to give reasons for the other reasons he gives that include:
  "Super-fast Hardware
  "Excellent WiFi range" (for him, it continues working well at the periphery of his system where the iPad starts having difficulties -- and this was true for other reviewers with even the previous HD models vs the Google Nexus tablets, although router-tablet settings sometimes need to be fine-tuned for the various brands and especially the newest techhnologies used by iPad Air, the latest Nexus and the HDX).
  "Superior on-screen keyboard"
  "Better Speakers"
  "Better email and calendar apps" (that does surprise me)
  "The Mayday button" (Help "in the palm of your hand"... "when you need it")

Note that he doesn't go into the Kindle Fire line's unique features as shown in previous articles here (and that includes especially useful parental controls and program features in general:
  1. Overview of New Features
  2. Things to Know about the new features

  Those two blog articles have clarifications for some points that have puzzled some.

In another article, in January, the Salt Lake City Tribune carries Bree Fowler's story for The Associated Press today on "Review: Kindle FreeTime gives parents peace" -- it's a brief one but many aren't aware of how well thought out these features are relative to the other current tablet offerings.  Since AP articles are well-circulated of course, it'll be getting more play today.

Note #2 - The HDX 8.9" does not often go on sale, relative to the smaller ones.  It's decidedly lighter than my 7" HD tablet and is a joy.
  My two favorite electronics (besides non-portable larger HDTV viewing) are the (1) Microsoft Surface Pro 2 laptop/tablet combo that runs ALL full Windows programs in the most speedy way I've ever experienced (but I won't link you to Amazon's 3rd party sellers for these as they are charging too much due to some shortages) and the (2) Kindle Fire HDX 8.9, which I recommend getting with at least 32GB storage.  It's great for both HD videos, including 16:9 format, magazines with reading-view and beautifully enlargeable images (as with the iPad), and two-page reading with larger fonts -- all while remaining very light now.

  I use my phone's "Internet sharing" to give the HDX its 4G used as WiFi when I'm outside and wanting to use my HDX that has no LTE/4G cellular network feature, as I didn't get that model because I already have a good data plan that allows me to share the phone's 4G -- but those who have one of the now popular Family Sharing plans with AT&T or Verizon will find an additional tablet adds only $10 to a current data plan.  LTE/4G capability itself (for the fewer who want it) costs an add'l $100~ on the Kindle Fires and about $130 on the Apple iPad -- that's before you add a data plan for it.

  NEW reduced-priced AT&T Data plans.
  One hitch is that they've added plans that include less Internet web data for those who don't need the larger plans.  I have a 4GB/month plan but found that although I use my phone to access email, enews, restaurant infoo and I also have a feature that allows me to share my phone's 4G with my tablets if I need to when no WiFi network is available, I actually use well under 500MB a month of 4G/LTE cellular network access.  That surprised me.  I don't watch movies when I'm out.  That helps.


NEWLY UPDATED Kindle reader app v4.1.1 for iOS
The Amazon Kindle Forum made an announcement on January 6 that the Kindle Reader for iPad, update v4.1 was ready.  However, there were many reports there (and at iTunes) that it was not working for many and caused crashes.  Some had uninstalled it and then re-installed it at iTunes and *sometimes* that had helped (and it did work well for some).

In that same announcement forum thread, users getting the v4.1.1 update this week say that, for them, it HAS fixed the problems with crashes, and large book collections are supported again by the new update and functioning well.  One glitch is that a downloaded book may not appear on the device quickly, but if you close the app and then re-open it, the book will show up.  Customers are much happier with this version.

  You can read the customer reactions and advice to other customers at the Amazon Kindle Forum's Kindle for iPad update-announcement thread, which has the listing of enhancements.
  For convenience, since the app is working well again, I'll add this info here now (emphae mine):
' Megan H. - Forum Moderator says:
(AMAZON) (AMAZON OFFICIAL)

We're pleased to announce the latest version of Kindle for iOS is now available in the Apple App Store.

Kindle for iOS version 4.1 brings new features to students (flashcards), multiple improvements to the reading experience based on customer feedback, and stability & performance improvements.

New to Students (US/Print Replica Textbooks Only)

* Flashcards for print replica textbooks: Students can now convert important terms from the X-Ray for Textbooks feature or their notes and highlights into flashcard sets for studying. Students can keep track of concepts or terms that have been mastered and those that need more practice, allowing them to improve their recall of the subject.

* Improved in-book search: Search in print replica textbooks is now faster and more powerful. Search terms based on the words in the book are suggested to students as they type. Results are almost instantaneous. Students will love the speed and convenience.
New to Readers

* Notebook Filters: Readers can now easily filter bookmarks, notes, highlights, and even specific colored highlights, making annotations much easier to find. Customers can also navigate directly to the annotated passages for context.

* Page Footers: Readers can now see page numbers or time left in book on the lower left-hand corner of the page. Readers can switch between page #, time left in book or a blank footer by simply tapping on the text or empty area. A setting is available to turn off the page footer if customers prefer.

* X-Ray Update: Readers who want to go deeper into the story will appreciate the updated experience. X-Ray characters and terms can now be sorted by relevance, alphabetically, or in order of appearance in the book.

* Dictionary Redesign: The Dictionary Interface has been updated for iOS7 and makes it easier for customers to switch between alternate language and purchased dictionaries.

* Stability and Performance Improvements

New to the Library - Collections multi edit capability

* Collections Refinements: From the library view, customers can now see which collections a book already belongs to and can add to or remove from multiple collections using multi edit. Readers will find it easier to manage their collections. '

  ADDED NOTE: I found this added paragraph on the Amazon iPad app page (emphases mine).
' About the Latest Version of Kindle for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch
* Kindle for iOS 4.1 is optimized for OS 7.0
* Features Flashcards for Print Replica Textbooks on Kindle for iPad

Important: iPad, iPhone and iPod touch with iOS 6.0 or greater are able to download the latest version of the Kindle reading app.  Devices running iOS 5.0 will get an option to download the last compatible version. '


  As I've mentioned recently - Even when there is no startling news, I respond to questions in the Comments areas of the blog entries -- and the Q&A entries are always shown in summary form and linked to, latest first, on the blog's right-hand column (used for information that's ongoing or for reference materials on topics of interest to many who visit the blog).  So, check "Latest Comments" (in the info/reference column on the the right side of the page whenever you're curious what people are asking and the responses made.
  There is a lot about installing non-Amazon apps on the Kindle Fire as well as playing Flash on the HDX models.


That's it for now, as I need to get this off for the new sale that ends tonight.




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!

Monday, September 9, 2013

Kindle Quick Alert: Kindle for Apple iOS v3.9.2 is ready and should be installed before new Apple system update


Kindle for iOS v3.9.2
is ready for updating.

9to5mac.com's Mike Beasley reports that the new update is required before Apple users update to iOS 7

  If this isn't done before the new Apple iOS 7 is installed, then, Beasley warns, "this could cause users to have to login again and re-download their books."

  The Kindle app update is downloadable at the iTunes Store now.

  The Apple explanation there is displayed in FAINT purple and I personally can't read it.  What possesses web developers to make sure that the important text is barely seeable, much less readable? Is it just that it's an attractive color? Or, maybe, it's the idea that Apple users may be younger than most.

  Details of what the app does are linked to at this Kindle Apps page.




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!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Kindle News: New update v3.9.1 for the Kindle for iOS app - fixes freezes, etc..


Kindle for iOS app has now been upgraded to v3.9.1.

This was done for "Stability and performance improvements" over v3.9 that saw problems with the Search function causing not only extreme slowdowns but freezes.

At the Kindle Forums, Kindle Universe contributor Tom Semple points out, re the dictionary function:
' In terms of the update, I cannot use a Russian-English dictionary I have with the 'Bring Your Own Dictionary' feature.  The app detects that it IS a dictionary, and lists it along with the other dictionaries, but when I select it, no definition is returned.

  The same dictionary and Russian text works perfectly on my Paperwhite. Seems like a bug. '

[ AB Note: Tom adds something below that he noticed with Dropbox (which is
    not an Amazon appstore app but is very popular.]


' I don't know if this is related to the update, and haven't tried it for awhile, but I used to be able to open .mobi files from Dropbox (it should offer Kindle as one of the Open In choices).
  This does not work on my iPod Touch, but does work on iPad. '



Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
US:
Updated Kindle Fire 2 Basic  7" tablet - $159
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$229 *
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $269/$299
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $399/$499
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $99
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi+3G - $179/$199
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free slow web
Kindle DX - $379 $299 (Yes)
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi
£109
Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK
£169
Kindle Fire 2, UK
 £129
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK
£159/199
Canada - Kindlestore, CDN-$
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $129
Kindle Paperwhite, 3G - $199
Kindle Fire HD 7" - 214.00
KFire HD 7" $214,  8.9" $284


*OTHER Int'l pages*
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89
Kindle Keybd 3G - $189
  Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
Paperwhite WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $199
KFire HD 7" $214,  8.9" $284


France Boutique Kindle
Deutschland - Kindle Store
Italia - Kindle Store
Spain - Tienda Kindle
Brazil - Amazon BrazilRp
China - Amazon China [?]
Japan - Amazon Japan
Kindle Fire HD 7: * $40 off on both 16GB and 32GB models, 8/4/13, for a limited time.



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!

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Kindle News: Kindle Touch E-Reader update v5.3.7 is available to replace v5.3.2.1. Added info on Kindle for iOS update v3.9: -NOT- recommended currently. Some info on a coming Kindle Fire software update. UPDATE2



Kindle Touch Software Upgrade to v5.3.7. has been made available.

These are improvements they recently gave the Kindle Paperwhite model.  Excellent to see continued support for the older models.

  At the software update page, US  (UK page here), they explain:

  "This update automatically downloads and installs on your Kindle Touch when connected wirelessly; however, you can also manually download the software and transfer the update to your device via USB cable.

  The software update includes general improvements and the following feature enhancements:"
' Improvements when buying from a book sample
While reading a sample of a book, you can view the price of the full book and purchase from the reading toolbar with one tap.

View full definition when looking up a word
When you look up a word in the dictionary, you can now view the full definition in the definition window.

Search enhancements
You can easily search for a highlighted word or phrase in your book, your items, or in the Kindle Store.  Highlight the word or phrase, tap More, and then tap Search. '


  If you have a version prior to 5.3.2 and you don't want to wait for the update to arrive on your Kindle Touch and prefer to do it manually yourself, Amazon links you to the appropriate earlier update that must be downloaded and installed before doing the 5.3.2.1 update.

How to determine your software version

  1. From Home, tap Menu and then tap Settings.
  2.  
  3. On the Settings screen, tap Menu (the Amazon update page omits a step here) and THEN select Device Info. Your software version is listed under Firmware Version.
The Kindle Touch Software update page ( US here,  UK here ) leads you through what to do, depending on which Firmware Version is showing for your KTouch.

Again, Amazon will be delivering this update over Wi-Fi.  Customers who prefer to receive the update immediately can instead manually download the software and transfer the update to the device via USB cable.
  The software-update page for Kindle Touch:   US     UK


Kindle for iOS update - *NOT* recommended for download at this time.
Linked forum message thread shows *too many* problems, causing slowdowns and freezes.
  Thanks to contributor Tom Semple again for the alerts a couple of days ago on the new Kindle for iOS update v3.9 availability and some positive info on the dictionary feature and reflowing of book content.

  This one is most noted in press reports for the new ability -- while using this app for iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch -- to search for free Kindle book samples and access a link in the downloaded sample for the Amazon product page for that book while still in the app, without having to get out to Safari -- not officially mentioned).  You can email yourself that link.

  In connection with that idea, MyKindlestuff's Jesslynn alerts us to the US Department of Justice's recommendation to Judge Denise Cote that Apple allow direct links within e-reader apps to the app-vendors' stores.

  Believe it or not, I don't necessarily agree Apple should be forced to allow this, but I also feel that they should not take 100% (!) of the app-maker's commission either, as had been their policy of taking 30% of an E-book's selling-price (not vendor's profit amount) for in-app store-links under Apple's Agency model (no longer in play for ebooks though, for a couple of years, after Apple lost the lawsuit), which would be the entire Amazon or Barnes and Noble commission on an e-book.

  Update2 - See my additional thoughts on this in-app fee, in response to a question from a commenter on this blog article.

Tom also mentions the not-listed feature of "some level of KF8 reflowable support" in v3.9, and he discovered that it was also there in the Kindle for iOS v3.8.1 app, crediting Nate Hoffelder in his TheDigitalReader article on the new v3.9 update.

Here are the official features as announced in the Amazon Kindle forum by Kevin G, the Community Manager there.
' What's New in Version 3.9?
* Kindle Free Sample Search - From the existing Library Search, customers can now search Amazon's catalog of millions of Kindle books and download free samples from within the app. New books are easier than ever to find.
* Bring Your Own Dictionary - Customers can now use previously purchased Dictionaries, such as medical, legal, or other translation references to define words in any of their other eBooks. Dictionaries downloaded to the device automatically appear in the selection list. [ ab here: This is GREAT! ]
* Accessibility Quick Reference - Accessibility gestures for blind and visually impaired customers are included for quick reference and can be found under the FAQ section in settings. The guide has been translated for all supported languages.
* Instant Cover Loader - Book cover art displays quicker and more fluidly.
* Bug Fixes/Stability Improvements

If you need assistance with this update, head over to the Kindle Help Community. '

Do take a look at that announcement message thread, as it has a LOT of customer feedback on this update along with help given there.
  However, there are too many bugs affecting this one.  I'd avoid downloading this one if possible.  Messages in that forum thread advise on how you may be able to turn OFF 'automatic updates.'
  ;There'll almost certainly be a follow-up software update soon to address these apparent memory problems.  It may affect, more, users with many books in their Library, but it's hard to tell right now.  There are indications not enough memory is released after the first Search even if it works.  The number of results and the fact that the software acknowledges each individual letter input before a word or phrase is completed are other possible factors.


Kindle Fire software update that's due soon
With reference to the follow-up article with workarounds for an over-the-air software update version [x]4.5 sent to a few customers but not placed on the servers for manual installation, the glitches reported with Flash video when using web browsers like Dolphin browser have been fixed, as shown by an unofficial interim update [x]4.6 which has been, in effect, sent to those who got the wirelessly-sent update (limited distribution to a few) but reported glitches, and there's general rejoicing involved.

This means it's likely due soon on the servers.  It is said to work also with the Time to Read bugginess some were experiencing.  Kudos to Amazon Kindle Team for working with the customers this way.




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!

Monday, May 6, 2013

Kindle App for iOS and Kindle Fire News: Kindle Fire HD Sale -'FIRE4MOM' promo code gets $20 off as Mother's Day offer on Kindle Fire HD 7-inch. tablet. Kindle for iOS update v3.7 adds accessibility for the visually impaired


Promo code FIRE4MOM brings $20 off
for any Kindle Fire HD 7-inch tablet through Mother's Day, May 12, 2013. (US only)

That means the price for the 16 GB model will be $179, and for the 32 GB model it'll be $209.

As before, I highly recommend, because of the size of multimedia files, the 32 GB model; think of it as deciding on an additional built-in 16GB SD Card for the additional $30.  It'll help avoid having to swap apps in and out of the Kindle Fire HD to keep from running low on space (which can slow down some program processes). This is for the standard Kindle Fire HD with 'Special Offers' on the Lock Screen only, and many do prefer to know about Amazon's special offers.  If you don't like that idea, $15 more does away with them.  Many of us choose to keep them though.

Be sure to know that Amazon's promo codes cannot be applied to orders placed with 1-click purchasing, so you'd need to turn that off if wanting to use the promo code.

Also, they specify only one promo-code purchase per customer.


Kindle for iOS: the new Accessibility Features
Amazon's forum announcement of these new accessibility features for its Kindle reading apps for Apple iPhones, tablets, and iPod touch (those running iOS 5.0 or higher) is followed by Kindle customer comments that include advice by Apple device owners about where to find the various features and how to use them.  Worth a look if you've one of these devices.

  There is good general info and help on these apps at the Amazon Kindle for iOS Help page.

The new features, using Apple's VoiceOver technology, are aimed at visually impaired users and include the ability to have read aloud to you ~1.8 million Kindle Store titles, added navigational help, as well as more accessible X-Ray and sharing features.

Important also is that Amazon promises a similar update for NON-iOS versions of the app eventually, and it would be a good use for the Ivona Software they acquired in January, already used in the Kindle Fire for text-to-speech, voice commands and "Explore by Touch."  Ivona offers voice and language portfolios with 44 voices in 17 languages

  Lifehacker describes the use of Siri's voice for this, pointing out that it's not done with a tap of a button.  "You have to enable VoiceOver in the accessibility settings in iOS before you can have Siri read to you, and even then she only takes one line at a time as you move your finger down the page...For those who are blind or have poor vision, VoiceOver support makes navigating the Kindle app and reading books possible."

  Here are more details, from the Amazon Kindle forum announcement and thread:
' New accessibility features of the Kindle app enable blind and visually impaired customers to:
- Read aloud over 1.5 million titles available in the Kindle Store using Apple's VoiceOver technology. Over 300,000 of these books are exclusive to the Kindle Store. Over 700,000 books are less than $4.99; over a million are less than $9.99.
- Seamlessly navigate within their library or within a book, with consistent title, menu and button names; navigate to a specific page within a book and sort books in the library by author or title.
- Read character-by-character, word-by-word, line-by-line, or continuously, as well as move forward or backward in the text.
- Search for a book within their library or search within their book and navigate to specific text.
- Add and delete notes, bookmarks, and highlights.
- Use customer-favorite features like X-Ray, End Actions and sharing on Facebook and Twitter.
- Look up words in the dictionary and Wikipedia.
- Customize the reading experience including changing the font, text size, background color, margin, and brightness.
- Use iOS accessibility features like Zoom, Assistive Touch, and Stereo to Mono, as well as peripheral braille displays.

Other new features include:
- Easily rate and review books by accessing `Before you go...' directly from The `Go to' menu
- Enhancements to `Before you go...' including the ability to download a free sample and email yourself a reminder about recommended books.
- Additional Font Selection for Japan - Hiragino Mincho ProN (Serif)

These new accessibility features are available first on the Kindle app for iOS and accessibility features will be added to other Kindle apps in the future. Customers can download the new Kindle for iOS app for free from the App Store on iPad, iPhone or iPod touch or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore.  Blind and visually impaired customers interested in using a Kindle app can also choose Kindle for PC with Accessibility Plugin, a free application for Windows PC's.

You can download [for free] a quick reference guide here: Kindle for iOS Accessibility Gestures - Quick Reference Guide.

If you need assistance with this update, please drop by the Kindle Help Forum '



Current Kindle Models, worldwide 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/$229
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $269/$299
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $399/$499
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $99
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 - $79
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $129
Kindle Paperwhite, 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!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Kindle News: Kindle for IOS v 3.6.2 Update Fixes Registration Issue and Other Bugs

Kindle for iOS Update to v3.6.2 released at Apple iTunes at about 3pm today (2/27/13)

The odd situation had the update v3.6.1 info on the iOS devices cautioning people NOT to install it (strange they didn't just drop the update file but I suppose they had good reasons having to do with their need for cooperation with Apple's own update processes).

At the Kindle Community Forum Message Thread on this update, there is advice given to people who did install the earlier v3.6.1 version (see below).

For those who did NOT install v3.6.1, getting the v3.6.2 version is proving to be a smooth process.

HOWEVER, for those who DID download the earlier v3.6.1 from yesterday, Forum Moderator Abigail R., an Amazon Official, has this advice:
' Abigail R. - Forum Moderator says:


Hi all,

If you upgraded your Kindle for iPad or iPhone software to version 3.6.1, you may have been prompted to register the app again.

If you are seeing a "license exceeded" error when you try to download books, please do the following:

1. Visit Manage Your Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/myk
2. Locate your Kindle application in the "Manage your Devices" section
3. Click the "Deregister" link
4. Open the Kindle app on your device and enter your Amazon account e-mail address and password

Once you've re-registered the app, you may need to download your books again.

We apologize for any inconvenience this causes. Version 3.6.2 is now available for download to fix registration errors. '

For the Kindle for iOS update to v3.6.2, go to the Apple iTunes Kindle for iOS page.

  There, Apple describes "What's New in Version 3.6.2"
  . Fix for Registration Issue
  . Various Bug Fixes and Security Fixes



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: AVOID Kindle for iOS Update to v3.6.1

CAUTION: DO NOT update Kindle for iOS to v3.6.1 yet

At the Kindle Community Forum Message Thread on this update, Kindle iPhone and iPad users discuss the many problems with Update v3.6.1 released late last night (2/26). The iTunes page dates the release of v3.6.1 as of 2/27 though.

UPDATE - v3.6.2 released at 3pm Wed. 2/27 to fix the registration problem.
  See later post about that.


EARLIER:
Examples of what's being said:
' I updated via App store upgrades to 3.6.1 on an iPhone 5. This version of the application did not preserve the device registration, and I was forced to re-register the device. I had book samples, which I use for my queue of new books to purchase, on the device. These were lost. Amazon.com does not maintain a listing of the samples downloaded.

The only way to get this version to work was to register as a new device. That is what caused [the] loss of data stored on the iPhone.

----------
I also had to re-register my iPhone and have to re-download over 500 Ebooks! Please Fix!

----------
...has not only caused me to lose a potential shopping list, it has also cost Amazon (and authors) revenue as I have no way to recover the Samples and no written record of what they were. Best guess is that I had about 6-8 books as samples, I probably would have bought 4 of them at $10 (average) each. Loss to Amazon is not just my $40 that I won't spend, but multiply that by the number of other users who will run into this....

----------
Made me re-register my iPad and is now showing my iPad device as my second iPad. I only have the one iPad. I logged in using my same email and password too.
Spoke with customer service. She said she had been getting calls on this and would report to app development. I had several partially read books that I've lost my place in, and I also used the books on my device to keep track of what I've read. Not happy!

----------
When I entered my amazon login information in order to restore my books, received the message that none exist. Do not upgrade!

----------
It shows my iPad as a 3rd device and won't allow me to download from the cloud because "the license limit exceeded." I saw the warning after it started to download. The warning looked like every other description of any upgrade. Couldn't stop the download once in progress.

----------
I only have one iPad and it registered a second one. '

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!

[Valid RSS]