Showing posts with label paperwhite. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paperwhite. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Further Amazon e-Ink Kindle eReader new software-feature updates, v5.6.5, with Kindle models further identified. Tuesday's Free Android App of the day: PianoMaster, normally $2.99.


Free App of the Day - Piano Master


Free for one day (Tues.), the Full version, normally $2.99

Further Updates on E-Ink Kindles Last week
This software update, v5.6.5 was released the day after I wrote about other software updates and it's being slowly being received over the air, receivable when you're connected to WiFi.

TIP for anyone not seeing enhancements in enabled Kindle books
The new features are available on books prepared to use the enhancements.  A couple of people have experienced no changes seen in enabled Kindle books but found that if they deleted the Kindle book from their Kindle devices and re-downloaded it from the 'Cloud' then the enhancements were shown.

  The new Bookerly font is very readable, as I've written in a past blog article on the Paperwhite 2 update that got this font earlier.  In my case, I still use the Helvetica font because it has the most contrast.  The Paperwhite 2 did not receive the new layout features at the time, however, and they're available to the mentioned models now.

 This blog article quotes the Amazon announcement made at their forums and highlights a few items in bold face, with added information in brackets to further identify the models affected.
'Software Update for Kindle Voyage, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle

We have a free software update available for Kindle Voyage, Kindle Paperwhite (7th Generation) Paperwhite 3 ], the previous generation Kindle Paperwhite Paperwhite 2  ], and Kindle (7th Generation) current Kindle basic model with Touch screen ].

In addition to performance improvements for your Kindle, new features include:
Smart Cards
A redesigned Smart Lookup makes it easier to get to the actions you want to take while reading - highlight, create a note, share a quote, and more, while keeping your favorite Smart Lookup features like Dictionary, Wikipedia, and X-Ray easily accessible.  Just tap and hold on a word, phrase, or sentence to bring up Smart Lookup and swipe right to see the next card.
Reading Improvements
   These reading improvements are:
~Bookerly, a new font specifically designed for digital screens and tailored for Kindle books, is now available on Kindle Voyage, the previous generation Kindle Paperwhite [Paperwhite 2 ], and Kindle (7th Generation) current basic Kindle model ], in addition to Kindle Paperwhite (7th Generation) current Paperwhite model ].  It introduces a lighter, more graceful look that's akin to the best traditional fonts found in print books.

~Improved word spacing, which results in faster, easier reading across all fonts. When words are unevenly spaced on a line of text, or the spacing between words varies from line to line, it's harder for the eye to scan a passage of text while reading. So Amazon's new technology uses advanced rules for breaking words across lines with hyphenation while adjusting the space between words, to create paragraphs that are more even and consistent line to line.

~Improved character placement, which increases word-recognition speed. Digital fonts in browsers lack the subtle variable adjustments between characters that make high-quality print materials look great. Amazon's reading technology now applies kerning, which looks at neighboring pairs of letters in context and adjusts the character spacing to suit the word.

~Large font optimizations, which reduce visual distractions when customers choose larger font. The text is automatically left aligned to reduce gaps, and margins, indents, nested lists, borders and drop caps all get special treatment to keep the page easy to read with less effort.

~Enhanced page layout with typographically correct drop caps, and images and graphics that fit the page as the author meant them to be displayed, scaling correctly to reflect the page size and the customer's preferred font size.

~Footnotes, endnotes and chapter notes are displayed in a pop up panel, either at the bottom of the page when the note will fit in the bottom-third of the page, or full screen if the note will not fit in the bottom-third of the page.

Personalized Recommendations on Goodreads on Kindle
Now you can access book recommendations personalized just for you inside the Goodreads app on your Kindle. The Goodreads algorithms analyze more than 20 billion data points and deliver surprising suggestions-all to help you find the book you'll want to read next. If you haven't used recommendations on Goodreads before, simply tell us your favorite genres and rate some books, and we'll provide you with personalized recommendations.
  To learn more about a recommended title, just tap on the book cover to see more details. The more books you rate, the better your recommendations will be.


These features will be delivered automatically as part of a free, over-the-air software update in the coming weeks, or you can visit Amazon's software update pages for the U.S. and for the UK to download the software update. '



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

UK: PubDate   Popular
The Kindle Daily Deal
What is 3G? and "WiFi"?       Battery Care
Highly-rated under $1,  Newest: $1-$2, $2-$3
Most Popular Free K-Books
U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):
   Top 100 free
UK-Only:
   Top 100 free
USEFUL for your Kindle Keyboard(U.S. only, currently):
  99c Notepad 1.1,   99c Calculator,
  99c Calendar,   99c Converter


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



Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

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, November 26, 2014

Alert: Black Friday Amazon device deals include UNlocked GSM Fire Phone including add'l 1 yr of PRIME, for $199 total, not locked into any cellphone services provider ... plus Kindle device deals thru' wkend or Cyber Monday


In case you didn't see these yet, there are some unusual deals for the next few days.

Received an alert from Tom Semple, who drew my attention to the unusual offering of an UNLOCKED model of the Amazon Fire Phone, which includes 1 year of Prime (for new membership or additional year for Prime members).
  (List price $449 - States taxes are based on the $199 price, per Tom Semple's exploring.

  This is especially good (and economical, as unlocked phone prices go) for those who did not want to be locked into using AT&T.

  He also saw that "Amazon Amazon helpfully enumerates all of the 'compatible' GSM carriers" but that he will just use its WiFi capability with the features, which is how I use my old Samsung Galaxy 2 phone, which is older and now like a very small tablet for me that saves my cellphone battery when WiFi is available.

The 99 cent deal that goes with a specific 2-yr data plan is still a current one.


The listing from Amazon for Black Friday and extended through the weekend

Black Friday deals for Amazon devices beginning tomorrow. These deals will extend through the holiday weekend. Deals include 

·          Kindle for just $49  (11/27-11/29
·         New Bundle : 6 months of Kindle Unlimited plus a Kindle for $79;
          also available for Kindle Paperwhite for $129 (11/27-11/29)
·         $119 Kindle Paperwhite for $99 (11/27-11/29
·         $99 Fire HD 6 for $79 (11/27-11/29
·         $139 Fire HD 7 for $109 (11/27-12/1
·         Fire phone is now available unlocked with a no contract price of $199 through Cyber Monday
          (11/25-12/1

Amazon's details and wording are below:


Kindle (deal running 11/27-11/29)
All-new Kindle - featuring a touchscreen display, a 20% faster processor, and twice the storage. Kindle e-readers are lightweight and easy to hold, measure battery life in weeks, not hours, and allow for reading with no glare even in bright sunlight. 
Kindle Paperwhite (deal running 11/27-11/29)
Kindle Paperwhite is one of Amazon’s most popular Kindles, with a touchscreen that has no screen glare in bright sunlight, a battery that lasts for weeks, not hours, and a built-in light that allows you to read without eyestrain.
Kindle Unlimited/Kindle Bundle (deal running 11/27-11/29)
Better together: Get the $79 Kindle and 6-months of Kindle Unlimited for just $79 or Kindle Paperwhite and 6-months of Kindle Unlimited for just $129. Kindle Unlimited offers unlimited reading from over 700,000 books, including best sellers like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Harry Potter series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid books and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Landing page:
Fire HD (Fire HD 6 deal running 11/27-11/29; Fire HD 7 deal running 11/27-12/1)
The new Fire HD tablets are available in both 6” and 7” and five color choices - black, white, cobalt, magenta, and citron. The new Fire HD, features a quad-core processor, front and rear-facing cameras, an HD display and a world-class ecosystem of exclusive features, services, and content.
Fire phone (deal running 11/25-12/1)
The Fire phone is now available unlocked.  The unlocked Fire phone works with GSM carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, Metro PCS and Cricket and for a limited time only is only $199. Fire phone includes a full year of Amazon Prime membership for access to Amazon’s vast digital ecosystem and unlimited photo cloud storage as well as exclusive features like Mayday, Second Screen and X-Ray.

Since this is an alert, will get this off.

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!

Friday, March 7, 2014

Kindle Tips: Large Software update v5.4.4 for Paperwhite 1 (Yr 2012). REVISED for New power-off options. [Paperwhite 2 also being updated, separately, linked to here]

KINDLE PAPERWHITE 1 Software Update v5.4.4

Kindle Paperwhite Software Upgrade from v5.3.9 to v5.4.4.

The Kindle Forum has an announcement that a major software update to the first Kindle Paperwhite is available, adding features to Kindle Paperwhite 1 that were first seen on the Paperwhite 2, the later and current model with a faster processor.  (A Paperwhite 1 U.S/ software update {UK page here} is also ready.)

  Affected Paperwhite models: See Paperwhite 1 (US);   (UK Paperwhite 1: here;  Global Paperwhite 1: here.)   [Bracketed notes are mine.]

  The new, free software update available for Kindle Paperwhite 1 can be found [here] [U.S.and international]

    [And Here's the UK-only software update page.]


 The software page tells you how to check the software version currently on your Paperwhite.  Mine still has v5.3.9 on it rather than v5.4.4

This update automatically downloads and installs on the applicable Kindle Paperwhite; however, you can also manually download the software and transfer the update to your device via USB cable.

  I've revised this blog entry March 10 to add, at the bottom, new information on the Power off options.

The software update includes general improvements and the following new features:
* Kindle FreeTime:
FreeTime lets you create personalized profiles for kids, and give them access to titles from your collection of books. Kids can keep track of their personal reading progress and earn achievement badges. To learn more, go to Kindle FreeTime

* Goodreads on Kindle (US only)
Connect with the world's largest community for readers from your Kindle Paperwhite. See what your friends are reading, share notes, and rate the books you read. To learn more, go to Find and Share Books with Goodreads on Kindle.

* Cloud Collections [Long awaited]
Use Cloud Collections to organize your content in custom categories. See your collections in a Collections view, and customize where your collections show on your device. To learn more, go to Organize Your Content with Cloud Collections.

* Page Flip [Great feature many of us have hoped for]
While reading, you can skim the book page-by-page, scan by chapter, or skip to the end for a sneak peek without losing your place. To learn more, go to Go To Other Locations in a Book

* Enhanced Bookmarks, Highlights & Notes
Access and manage all of your bookmarks, highlights, and notes more quickly and easily. To learn more, go to Bookmarks, Highlights & Notes

* Smart Lookup
When you look up a word or character, Smart Lookup provides you with dictionary, X-Ray, and Wikipedia information.To learn more, go to Explore Your Book with X-Ray.

* Vocabulary Builder
Words looked up in the dictionary are automatically added to Vocabulary Builder. View the definition and usage of the words, and quiz yourself with flashcards. To learn more, go to Expand Your Vocabulary. '

In a forum discussion, Kindle Forum Pro CBRetriever wrote the following about changes noticed in the (1) Cloud Collections processing (which AVOIDS the Paperwhite 2 problems from a default-automatic-importing of Collections from ALL other devices sharing the same account) and (2) Kindle Paperwhite Restart procedure.  (Bracketed info and emphases are mine):
' It didn't import any collections from my other kindles (YAY!!!!) not even in the Cloud

... my notes so far:

There's another new thing I've never seen before - when I hold the button in for 30 seconds, it doesn't restart, but I'm given 3 choices and I had to pick one (Shut Down, Cancel or Restart) I'm wondering if the new PW2 has the same choices [it DOES] ... I also had to reboot since it came up with a 2G and not a 3G connection. My collections have stars...

It did not bring in the Collections from other Devices.  I have now added 11 more dictionaries and user guides... I had to go download the user guide via manage Your Kindle - it didn't automatically download. ' [UK user's guide here]

New Power-off Options display
  Oddly, my Paperwhite 1's pop-up dialog box showed options different from what's described above.  The choices I saw during the attempts to either Power Off (holding the Power On/Off button for ~4 seconds) or force a clean "Restart" (holding the Power On/Off button for 20+ seconds) were:
"Cancel | Restart ! Screen Off" ...

  When an eInk screen is displaying a page but there is no change to that screen, the display is having no effect on the battery.
  When you change what's being displayed (changing or adding anything on the page, as in tapping it on the side to get a new page or when an action brings a pop-up window or dialog box), the display is not using the battery.  That's why just pressing the power button for only ~1 second puts the Kindle to 'sleep' during which it displays an image but the Paperwhite light turns off.

  Leaving it in this sleep state doesn't draw battery power as a result of the image display itself.  If, however, WiFi is On during Sleep state, any activity with subscription downloads or a Special Offers download -will- use battery power.

  There is always very slow battery drain in between charges even when a device is turned off.

  So, the "Screen Off" is an odd new choice on mine.  This just blanks the screen and puts it into sleep state.  SOME have requested a blank screen so they know it's "Off" but, in this case, it's only that there's no image seen - not even Amazon's default images during normal sleep-screens.

  "Restart" acts more like a soft-reboot on a computer and clears up memory states that may be causing problems.

  There is NO option on my Paperwhite 1 to completely Power Off or Shut down the Kindle.

  It could be that my dialog box for powering off is different because I chose not to get Special Offers sent to my Paperwhite (I accept Special Offers on my Kindle Fire tablets though) and, therefore, blanking the screen with a "Screen Off" does not interfere with the marketing offers on the lockscreen.

  CBRetriever, quoted above, may choose to get the offers on the Paperwhite and, as a result, doesn't get the 'Screen Off' option.  That's just conjecture on my part.

  But she does get the option to 'shut down' her Kindle.  Odd.

  Also, in my case, holding in the power button for over 20 seconds did cause a Restart, as in the past.


IF you experience unusual battery drain
Note that keeping your Kindle always connected to a Wi-Fi network can drain the battery faster under certain circumstances.  If you're experiencing that, then once you've got the update "over the air," put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" via the 'Settings' option on the Menu -- the option lets you toggle Wireless OFF, using the "Airplane On" choice.

  Amazon's Paperwhite development team won't return the Wireless Off/On choice to the front menu as they did last year for the Kindle Touch, removing the 'airplane mode' icon which confuses many.  It's very inconvenient to have the WiFi On/Off setting on a secondary menu and many, as a result, don't even know that they can turn WiFi Off if needed.

  Amazon probably prefers that we keep Wireless 'On' due to delivery of Special Offers but the battery-drain problem can occur when circumstances involve (1) subscriptions that are downloaded regularly (my New York Times Latest News subscription updates the Kindle edition about five times a day - $1.99/month) or (2) due to a weaker connection that results from the distance from the WiFi router, in which case the device keeps trying to connect when a download is due (and that can be for the special offers that Amazon regularly needs to send for those who choose to opt for the less-expensive model with the special-offers feature) and is then constanty active.

  BUT WiFi needs to be 'On' after you've read a book and made annotations for a session AND when you then want to be able to continue reading later, on another device (like a smartphone), starting at where you'd stopped.
  If WiFi isn't turned on, the Amazon servers won't have any way of knowing the last-page-read location nor any notes or highlighting you've made, which you'd want to be able to access on the other device.  So, a recommendation:
1. When you're finished reading, tap the top-toolbar and press the HOME icon.
  That will 'close' the book session and record the last page read and log the annotations.
2. Tap the top of the Paperwhite to bring up the toolbar and menu icon.
3. If you see an airplane icon at the top, your WiFi is Off (and you're in "airplane" take-off mode).
4. Tap 'Settings'
5. Turn Airplane Mode OFF, and that'll turn WiFi ON.
6. At that point, the Kindle will try to sync your changes to the Server and will download anything that is pending (a subscription to a newspaper, magazine, or blog, usually).
7. After that's done, you can go ahead and leave WiFi ON if you have no problems with faster battery drain
      OR you can turn OFF the WiFi if you need to save battery power.


Only if you'd rather not wait - DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Paperwhite Software Update v5.4.4 download section to get the instructions for the download and transfer to your Kindle via USB:
UK:  You can do the same for the UK-only 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!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Kindle tips: Kindle basic and Paperwhite e-Ink readers on sale for one day, at $49 and $99, recent reviews. Free Android app of the day is a highly-rated educational one for kids (of maybe any age) - US geography



A one-day sale on these two e-Ink readers

(I don't know why it's only a one-day sale.)

 Recent articles (February 2014) that might be of interest to people who are wondering if this is for them or not:

  . USA Today - "E-book readers vs tablets: Which one is right for you?"

  . Tapscape: Detailed review, titled, "Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2013) Review: the best ereader yet?"

  . Business Today: Kindle Paperwhite Sixth Generation.  India got its Kindles much later than we did, so there are many recent reviews from there, as a result.

  . In fact, Economic Times's review on Feb. 10 focuses on what the Paperwhite 2 has that the first Paperwhite doesn't, a good article for anyone wondering whether to go to the newer Paperwhite or not.  I didn't, as the first one is good enough for me, but have been tempted at times by the ability to flip to other pages while remaining on the same page underneath that flipping, along with the noticeably speedier response.

  . Oxford University review, UK  - "New Kindle Paperwhite Makes e-Reading Easy"


Odd changing pricing
The Kindle Paperwhite with 3G is normally $189 and is showing that today.  But 2 days ago, when I was blogging the various thpes of Kindle book discounts, I saw it shown on the header as $209 - something I'd never seen before and I thought it was strange that Amazon would raise the normal price like that without saying anything in advance.  Today the price is back to $189 and shows as normal pricing again.

If interested in the 3G model and whether it could be worth that much more -- in this day of smartphone ownership, not so much, for my situation, but maybe so for those who either travel a lot to various locales outside the U.S., or just don't want to use smartphone data charges for downloading books and shopping Kindle store or for browsing Wikipedia on Free 3G 24/7 with the 3G model) -- there's a recent review titled, "So long, Paper. Is the new Kindle Paperwhite 3G a good travel companion? Two airports, two bumpy flights and two cities later, here’s what we felt."


Stack the States  - Free Android App of the Day

It has good customer reviews and looks to be a fun educational tool.  Might help people interviewed by Jimmy Kimmel's street interviewer :-)

From the Product description:
-  Voted Best Educational Game App - iEAR.org 
- "Stack the States is a must have." - The iKids Blog 
- "If you have children who are elementary school aged this is a fantastic educational app that’s also a hoot." - The iPhone Mom.com 

Product Features  (from the app's product page)

  • Hundreds of unique questions
  • Interactive map and 50 state flash cards
  • Choose any of the 50 friendly-looking states as your avatar
  • Create up to six player profiles
  • Collect all 50 states and track your progress on a personalized map
  • Earn FREE bonus games: Map It, Pile Up, Puzzler and Capital Drop
  • High resolution pictures of famous US landmarks
  • All games are powered by a realistic physics engine
  • Fun sound effects and music




Current Kindle Models for global reference, plus free-ebook search links.
US:
New Kindle Fire HD 7" 2nd Gen - $139/169
Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB - $229/269/309
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB - $379/429/479
- with 4G added: $479/529/579
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16GB - 1st Gen $269 $229
  $299 Price rise ~2/24/14
- 32GB w/ no special-offers: $314
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $99
Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - $119/$139
Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi+3G - $189
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free web
Kindle DX - $379 $199
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £59
Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi
£109
Kindle Paperwhite2 3G, UK
£169
Kindle Fire Basic HD 8/16GB, UK
 from £119
Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB, UK
from £199. 4G/3G
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB, UK - from £329. 4G/3G

CANADA - Kindlestore, CDN-$
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79
Kindle Paperwhite 2 - $139
Kindle Paperwhite 2, 3G - $209
KFire HD Yr 2012 7" $214,  8.9" $244.
Yr 2013 KFires: HD Gen2, HDX line
India - Amazon India


*OTHER Int'l pages*
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89
Paperwhite 2 WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $209
KFire HD Yr 2012: 7" $214,  8.9" $244
Yr 2013: HD Gen2 + HDX line

Australia Kindlestore
France Boutique Kindle
Deutschland - Kindle Store
Italia - Kindle Store
Spain - Tienda Kindle
Brazil - Amazon Brazil
China - Amazon China [?]
Amazon Japan - 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!

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Kindle Tips: Kindle Paperwhite software update (most likely just for Paperwhite 1, but the Amazon page doesn't say)

KINDLE PAPERWHITE 1 Software Update v5.3.8.1

Kindle Paperwhite Software Upgrade to v5.3.8.1

Reader Peraino sent a tip that a software upgrade for Kindle Paperwhite 1 is available.

I have not been around lately, and when I have, my main laptop (HP) has been dying and finally did collapse this week, and although I'm now on a 5 year old reliable old Samsung with only 2 GB RAM on it I can at least get online with this one.  A Surface Pro 2 is arriving Wednesday and I hope to be back to speed with that one.

  See Paperwhite (US);   (UK Paperwhite: here; Global Paperwhite: here.) [Bracketed notes are mine.]

A new, free software update available for Kindle Paperwhite 1 can be found [here] [U.S.]

    [Here's the UK-only software update page]

Amazon's lack of separation of Paperwhite software update pages
What's odd is that this is under Paperwhite software updates and there's no differentiation between Paperwhite 1 and 2 devices, but their software IS different in that the Paperwhite 2's have other features like the page-flipping one, and someone had mentioned that the new device's software is v5.4.0, but since I did not upgrade mine and didn't request a review copy, I don't know why they don't have a separate page for Paperwhite 2.

  Nevertheless, the software page does tell you how to check the software version currently on your Paperwhite.  Mine still has v5.3.8 on it rather than v5.3.8.1

This update automatically downloads and installs on the applicable Kindle Paperwhite; 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 that were already announced (see below for a REPEAT of that announcement) for v5.3.8 early in October.  This would be just a 'maintenance' update for general improvements.
'
* Search terms highlighted in search results
When you search for a word or phrase within a book, the search terms will appear highlighted within the search results. When you tap a result to go to that location in the book, the search terms will appear highlighted on the page.
* Select other dictionaries when looking up a word
When you look up a word in the dictionary, you can choose to look up the word in other dictionaries on your device from within the dictionary definition window.
* View other definitions of a word [within same window]
When you look up a word that has multiple meanings for the same spelling (homonym), you can navigate through each of the available definitions from within the dictionary definition window. '

As ever, note that keeping your Kindle always connected to a Wi-Fi network can drain your battery faster.  So, once you've got the update "over the air," put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" via the 'Settings' option on the Menu -- the option lets you toggle Wireless Off with the "Airplane On" choice.
 They still have not put the "Wireless Off" and "On" back on the front menu as they recently did for the Kindle Touch, removing the 'airplane mode' icon, which many of us wish they would do, as it is very inconvenient to have it on a secondary menu and many do not even know about the wireless-off feature, causing more battery drain and confusion over that.  Amazon: please do this in the next update; the Kindle Touch team has the right problem-avoiding idea.

  I realize Amazon prefers Wireless 'On' due to delivery of Special Offers but the battery-drain problem can occur when circumstances involve subscriptions that are downloaded regularly or due to a weaker connection that results from the distance from the router, in which case the device keeps trying to connect when a download is due (and that can be for the special offers that Amazon regularly needs to send for those who choose to opt for the less-expensive special-offers feature).

Only if you'd rather not wait - DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Paperwhite Software Update v5.3.8.1 download section to get the instructions for the download and transfer to your Kindle via USB:
UK:  Go to the same for the UK-only page

More when I learn more...




Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
US:
New Kindle Fire HD 7" 2nd Gen - $139/169
Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB - $229/269/309
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB - $379/429/479
- with 4G added: $479/529/579
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16GB - 1st Gen $229
- 32GB w/ no special-offers: $314
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Touch WiFi - $99
Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - $119/$139
Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi+3G - $189
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free web
Kindle DX - $379 $239 (New price)
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd
Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi
£109
Kindle Paperwhite2 3G, UK
£169
Kindle Fire 2, UK
 £129
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK
£159/199
CANADA - Kindlestore, CDN-$
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79
Kindle Paperwhite 2 - $139
Kindle Paperwhite 2, 3G - $209
KFire HD Yr 2012 7" $214,  8.9" $284.
Yr 2013 KFires: HD Gen2, HDX line

*OTHER Int'l pages*
Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89
Paperwhite WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $209
KFire HD Yr 2012: 7" $214,  8.9" $284
Yr 2013: HD Gen2 + HDX line


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

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Kindle Paperwhite News: Paperwhite Software Update v5.3.6 and feedback about an error message which can be safely ignored


Kindle Paperwhite Software Upgrade to v5.3.6

I missed a forum notice about about a software update four days ago for the Kindle Paperwhite (US)   (UK Paperwhite: here; Global Paperwhite: here.) [Bracketed notes are mine.]

Amazon Kindle Forum Notice and thread
"Initial post: Jun 17, 2013 10:38:18 AM PDT
Kevin G.., Community Manager, says:
' We have a new, free software update available for Kindle Paperwhite which can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/kindlesoftwareupdates/paperwhite [U.S.]

    [Here's the UK-only software update page]

The software update will be delivered wirelessly and includes a feature enhancement and general improvements for your Kindle Paperwhite.  This update automatically downloads and installs on your Kindle Paperwhite; however, you can also manually download the software and update your device via USB cable.

The software update includes the following enhancement:
* 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..

If you have any questions or need help with this update, please visit the Kindle Help Forum:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/forums/kindleqna/ref=kindle_help_forum_gd. '

As ever, note that keeping your Kindle connected to a Wi-Fi network will drain your battery faster.  So, once you've got the update "over the air," put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" - which turns Wireless Off.  They still have not put the "Wireless Off" and "On" back on the front menu as they recently did for the Kindle Touch, removing the 'airplane' icon, which many of us wish they would do, as it is very inconvenient to have it on a secondary menu and many do not even know about the wireless-off feature, causing more battery drain and confusion over that.  Amazon: please do this in the next update.

  I realize they prefer Wireless On due to delivery of Special Offers but the battery-drain problem is real.

Only if you'd rather not wait - DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Paperwhite Software Update v5.3.6 download section to get the instructions for the download and transfer to your Kindle via USB:
UK:  Go to the same for the UK-only page

  - The v5.3.6 enhancement and some feedback on the software at the forum
This is an update I think most wouldn't rush to get, waiting for it to be delivered over the air instead, as it makes it easier for you to buy a book from the sample you're reading and is more an enhancement for Amazon, though it's convenient, but I thought it was easy enough as it was, when you're asked if you'd like to buy the book, and you can click to get to that function.

  One fear expressed was that people could make a tap they didn't intend and wind up buying a book if inadvertently tapping the link on the toolbar to get the book.  I don't have the update on mine yet, but I imagine that after the one-tap, you'd be asked if you want to buy the book, but if a person is distracted s/he may click an unintended Yes if in a hurry and not reading carefully.

  NOTE: Amazon has always asked, at the end of a purchase, if you've just bought a book by mistake and then reverses it if you click on Yes -- and they also have a refund period you can use if the book is unsatisfactory in some basic formatting, is missing pages, or is filled with typos, etc., and even if you realize later that you didn't intend to get that book.  This would work better when you're not on record as having read the full book.

  The "general improvements" are not listed or described.

  Unintended-error-messages after the install have been reported by some of the forumners after the installation when requesting a download of a book.  If the error messages are ignored, the download completes without problems (unless you really have exceeded device limits for that book).

  The "Exceeded device limits" message has been received even for two Oxford dictionaries, which are not subject to the restriction which publishers can require on normal e-books.

  A couple of customers reporting this said they were called by Amazon to to get more information on the glitch.

  Other than that, there've been no reports of installation problems or other glitches involved with the upgrade over the past 5 days.



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

UK: PubDate   Popular

The Kindle Daily Deal

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

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

Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.

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

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


Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

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, April 28, 2013

Kindle Fire and Kindle Paperwhite News: Paperwhite Software Update v5.3.5 enhancements. Word Games Pack for Kindle Fire tablets



7 Dragons Inc. releases an update to Word Games Pack, Free, for Kindle Tablet

The 7 Dragons group has been one of my favorite app makers since the early Kindle days.  Now they've released Word Games Pack for Kindle Fire owners - the word-game app updated April 22 (v2.8) to have 5 word games rather than 1 and from a paid app to a free one with 8-10 categories, with options to unlock the other categories via In App Purchases (or one can buy the also updated Paid Version for $1).

As mentioned, the free app is a combination of 5 word games -- Word Search, Kriss Cross, Quote Falls, Hangman, and Speed Words.

The app has received high marks by customers for the first, paid version, originally only for 1st Gen Kindle Fire but extended now to all Kindle tablets, and at Barnes & Noble, where the paid app has an average rating of 4.5 stars from a total of 356 reviews as of today, with 262 of them 5 stars and 77 4 stars.  That's unusually favorable.



Kindle Paperwhite Software Upgrade to v5.3.5

The Amazon Kindle Forum had a notice I missed about a software update with feature enhancements for the Kindle Paperwhite (US)   (UK Paperwhite: here; Global Paperwhite: here.) [Bracketed notes are mine.]

Amazon Kindle Forum Notice and thread
"Initial post: Apr 24, 2013 2:59:11 PM PDT
Brian S., Amazon Official, says:
' We have a new, free software update available for Kindle Paperwhite which can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/kindlesoftwareupdates/paperwhite [U.S.]

    [Here's the UK-only software update page]

The software update will be delivered wirelessly and includes feature enhancements and general improvements for your Kindle Paperwhite.  This update automatically downloads and installs for Kindle Paperwhite customers; however, you can also manually download the software and update your device via USB cable.

The software update includes the following enhancements:

* 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, select More, and then select Search.

If you have any questions or need help with this update, please post below. '

As ever, note that keeping your Kindle connected to a Wi-Fi network will drain your battery faster.  So, once you've got the update "over the air," put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" - which turns Wireless Off.  They still have not put the "Wireless Off" and "On" back on the front menu as they recently did for the Kindle Touch, removing the 'airplane' icon, which many of us wish they would do, as it is very inconvenient to have it on a secondary menu and many do not even know about the wireless-off feature, causing more battery drain and confusion over that.  Amazon: please do this in the next update.

Only if you'd rather not wait - DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Paperwhite Software Update v5.3.5 download section to get the instructions for the download and transfer to your Kindle via USB:
UK:  Go to the same for the UK-only page

  - Those v5.3.5 enhancements
The ability to get a full definition right away has LONG been wanted by me, at least, and with the earlier Kindle eReaders I loved the ability to search my entire Kindle, including all text-based newspapers and magazines (and personal docs) on the device, for any word.  It's terrific to search for a news event and quickly see all device "items" that include the word(s), within context of the surrounding words, and with a hyperlink to each 'location' holding the word(s).

  This is one of the reasons the Kindle is so popular over other eReaders that don't have features like this as well as the many sync'd annotation features (including personal, password-protected webpage backup of those, which are printable and editable as well as shareable if wanted.



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

UK: PubDate   Popular

The Kindle Daily Deal

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

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

Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.

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

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


Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

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, December 20, 2012

Kindle Tips: Last full day on Amzn's 2-day holiday shipping schedule. Deals on Kindle accessories. Wireless bluetooth keyboards that work with Kindle Fire HD, portable tablet stands, expanded Kindle Daily Deal


Last days for Holiday Markdowns on Kindle accessories:

Amazon's pages have had these for awhile, in December, but today is the last day for the Prime program's free 2-day shipping for arrivals before Christmas. "Save up to 30%"


In addition to these special deals, I'll note some highly-rated but economical options for cases for Kindle Fire HD and for Kindle Paperwhite:

Roocase
for Kindle Fire HD 7"

amCase leather case
for Kindle Paperwhite



MoKo case
for Kindle Paperwhite


Wireless Bluetooth Keyboards - for use with Kindle Fire HD models

Logitech Keybd for Android 3.0+
for Kindle Fire HD 7"


Motorola WirelessKeyboard

Trent Wireless Keybd

Logitech
There's also now a newer Logitech model that is also good for Windows8 and RT as well as Android, but I really like the concentration on Android-feature keys on the one specifically for Android 3.0 Plus.

  There are no instructions (unless you go onto their web page) that alert you to the fact you need to press a button on the *back* of the keyboard in order to connect with another bluetooth device.

  The stand for the Logitech is very stable for either Kindle Fire Hd 7" or 8.9" tablets and is also a hard-protective case when unfolded.

  The older Logitech I bought offers a feature that the Motorola doesn't have -- the ability, when using Dolphin browser on the Kindle Fire HD, to edit with options of going to beginning or end of a line and movement by words.   It also allows a direct move to the top or bottom of a page, using Ctrl and Alt keys.

  Those editing key-combos don't work with the default 'Silk' browser though.
 Here's a quick how-to on using non-Amazon apps on the Kindle Fire,

  The function keys also provide PgDn & PgUp movement with the arrow keys.

Motorola
The Motorola Wireless Keyboard with trackpoint and Stand.

  Here's the larger image showing the unusual number of keys for a light device.  The Logitech is heavier but simpler and more straightforward (and less expensive).  They both make very fast typing possible.

The Motorola, with a central trackpoint and a full keypad, is expensive, but I bought it on Woot! a month ago for a one-day sale at $35 and the price has gone up at Amazon since then (Amazon owns Woot!), maybe because it's lighter than the Logitech and it has a tracking pointer and other unusual features.

  Its cover/stand is usually a mystery at first, because it seems likely to break if you use force to open it, but force is what's needed and it's fine but is not the smoothest operation.

  The little stand that the Motorola has is also, as mentioned, the cover and works better as a stand than expected but, being much less wide than the Logitech one, it doesn't provide as much support for the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" though I do use it for that often as it's easy to pick up and use for a smart phone too.  The function keys on this Motorola (at least on mine) don't work for PgUp/PgDn though.

  However, its trackpoint in the center (acting as a mouse) means I don't have to have the screen right by me to be touching it all the time, and the full bottom KeyPad with left and right mouse-clicker equivalents works well, working with both Windows and Android 3+.

New Trent
  The New Trent iShuffle Multifunctional Wireless Bluetooth keyboard and stand combo works with iPad, Android, and Windows OS tablets, and the company claims it's the only keyboard with a "touch pad" compatible with Android and Windows Tablet and has three switchable models - iOS, Android, Windows.  I have no experience with this one, but the pull-out number pad, which seems to also work as mouse/cursor support somehow, doesn't work with the Apple iOS devices.

Apple Wireless Keyboard
  The Apple Wireless Keyboard is said to work well with the Kindle Fire HD also.  Its function-based keys are geared toward Apple users, with Cmd rather than Ctrl and Option rather than Alt.


Small, Portable Stands
Here's the fairly popular Arkon Portable Fold-Up Stand, with 813 customer reviews as of today and an average of 4.8 stars,

  Also, the Amazon Basics Mini Travel Stand, which costs less, with 99 ratings, averages 4.3 stars.



EXPANDED Kindle Daily Deal page
The Kindle Daily Deal now includes deals in genres such as daily romance and science fiction & fantasy.




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

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


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


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, October 13, 2012

Amazon addresses some uneven lighting on Paperwhite in dark rooms, decisions to omit audio and have less storage


Amazon adds a "We want you to know" section to the Kindle Paperwhite product page

I earlier called attention (Oct. 5) in an Update about the first Kindle Paperwrite reports and reviews, to a situation developing in which some owners were concerned about the bottom 1/2-inch of the device, which, in darkened rooms especially, often shows some uneven light where the LEDs begin sending light to the rest of the screen and, at the start, the light isn't yet evenly diffused.

 I described this and linked to a Youtube video that shows the same device in daylight indoors and in a room completely darkened.

  Also, some units have arrived with what seem to be discolorations, usually in dark rooms, although with many of these, the colors aren't being seen after a few days of exposure to the air.  In a very few cases, they've remained visible in all lighting situations and, if so, those should be returned to Amazon for replacement -- Amazon has been replacing these with no trouble, sending out replacements the same day.

  The latter indicates a possible bad batch though, and the reported problematical ones are being sent to engineers to check out, per some customer rep responses to forum members.  In the Kindle forums, some are upset by the normal bottom 1/2-inch unevenness and this is partly because Amazon's product illustrations tend to show the ideal display, as marketing materials will -- so for those buyers, it seemed a flaw.

  In my early Notes for buyers, I drew attention on Sept. 8, in points 3 and 5 and in the "Things Buyers should Know" section, to the lack of audio capability in the Paperwhite and the lower storage capacity of 2GB vs the 4GB of the previous e-Ink Kindles (Aug 2010 and after).  That was to prevent prospective buyers from purchasing without realizing these things.  I also gave a couple of theories beyond what Amazon explains as of yesterday.

  Yesterday Amazon added its "We want you to know" section on the Paperwhite product page.

Because it's so unusual, here is their advisory in their own words:
We want you to know...

Kindle Paperwhite is the best Kindle we've ever made by far, but there are certain limitations and changes from prior generations that we want you to know about.
  • Kindle Paperwhite does not have audio or Text-to-Speech. This makes the device smaller and lighter than it would otherwise be. Audio and an improved Text-to-Speech engine are supported on Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD. 
  • Under certain lighting conditions, the illumination at the bottom of the screen from the built-in light is not perfectly even. 
    [Edited for the Kindeworld blog Dec 28, 2015, after an alert by Mr.Cyberdude in the Comments area on December 28, 2015:
    Examples of how the screen looks in different lighting conditions accompanied the text on the product page for the original Paperwhite released Sept 2012, but now that Amazon has been on the Paperwhite 3 for a year or so, the product page for that first model is used only for selling Used Paperwhite 1's, and all the descriptive product text (except for basic specs) have been removed.
      The smaller image I made at the head of this blog article is all that's left of the accompanying images.]
    These variations are normal and are located primarily in the margin where text is not present. The illumination is more even than that created by a book light or lighted cover. The contrast, resolution and illumination of the Paperwhite display is a significant step-up from our prior generation. 
  • The Kindle Paperwhite has 2 GB of storage. Some previous Kindle models had 4GB of storage. 2GB allows you to hold up to 1,100 books locally on your device. In addition, your entire Kindle library is stored for free in the Amazon cloud, and you can easily move books from the cloud onto your device.
Thank you, and we hope you enjoy Kindle Paperwhite.
- The Kindle Team '

Essentially, the 4 lighting situations shown include:
  1.  Daylight with maximum setting at '24'
  2.  Bright room with light setting not as high, at '20'
  3.  Dark room, light setting low
        which they recommend for 'most comfortable reading'
  4.  Dark room light setting at full brightness,
       which they do NOT recommend.

Amazon reiterates at the bottom of the 4 illustrations:
  "In darkness, the most comfortable illumination level for most readers is a lower light setting."  That's probably because in a dark room any light will stand out more.

  Notice that (i) the bottom half-inch shadings are stronger when you're in a dark room and the light-setting is very high and that (ii) when you're in a dark room, and the light-setting is low, Amazon's photo shows some mildly pink and green discoloration at that level and may be what some have seen.
  When these also appear in daylight to any noticeable or bothersome degree, that wouldn't be what's expected and a few forum members have returned those units for replacements which were usually better.

What Amazon doesn't mention, in a section that describes what they want people to know are normal appearance of the Paperwhite under very varied light, is what their battery rating is based on:
  The ~8 wks battery life of the Paperwhite, customer reps have said, is based on a light-setting at '10' and with wireless Off most of the time.
  Most owners report using their Paperwhites at battery settings from 9-14 for best appearance and comfortable reading.

News-site reactions to Amazon's additional information
Gizmodo's Casy Chan - "...an awesome, awesome e-reader. But it's not without problems! ... For the lack of audio and limited storage, there’s really nothing that can be done. If you needed those two features, you shouldn’t get a Paperwhite. As for the lighting issue? Well, watch your brightness levels."

Cnet's Roger Cheng - "How's this for honesty? Amazon took it upon itself to post a note today on its site listing the limitations of its newest e-reader, the Kindle Paperwhite...For instance, Amazon acknowledged that the built-in light will provide uneven illumination under certain lighting conditions.  The uneven lighting occurs in the margin where text isn't present...Of course, a cursory look at the product page would also reveal some of these differences.  Amazon, however, has opted to be crystal clear about the differences between the Kindle Paperwhite and older models."

  Their headline though: "Amazon preemptively discloses some potential shortcoming in its latest Kindle e-reader compared with previous models [That would be audio and space], most likely to get out in front of user complaints."

The Verge's Chris Welch - "So far as uneven lighting is concerned, Amazon readily admits that its front-lit solution isn't perfect while simultaneously calling the variations "normal" and assuring customers they mainly affect areas of the screen that display little to no text.  The slight difference in uniformity didn't hamper our enjoyment of the device, so it's hard to fault the company here."
  The comments to the article are an interesting read.


EXCellent Customer Video Review
This almost two-minute video review is especially apropos because the reviewer, on Oct. 1, was attempting to show, he said, the glow screen and address the comments about the LED lights at the bottom.   He felt it was "no big deal" and found the screen very clear and bright.

Upshot - my take
From what I've seen of photos of Before and After replacements units, there -was- a bad batch, but also there are some who are a lot more sensitive than others are to the bottom half-inch variances as well as some who didn't expect any unevenness at all (probably because Amazon's marketing states that the lighting is even, top to bottom) and couldn't get past seeing them, while most owners I read found them no problem once they started reading.

  So I think Amazon was wise in addressing what may be normal, as there had been no indication by them of any variances dependent on lighting situation and there'll be more realistic basic for expectations now.




Current Kindle Models for reference [as of Oct 13 2012 blog-entry only], plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles [at that time]

US:
Updated Kindle Fire Basic  7" tablet - $159
Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$249
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $299/$369
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $499/$599
Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139
Kindle Paperwhite, 3G - $179/$199
Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free but slow web
Kindle DX - $379 $299, Free, slow web
UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £109
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
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

* Kindle Fire HD to be released October 25, 2012 in listed European areas above;
    Paperwhite to be released November 22, 2012 there.



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

UK: PubDate   Popular

The Kindle Daily Deal

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

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

Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.

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

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



Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

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!

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