Tip for the absent-minded: checking what day it is - UPDATE3

UPDATE 9/7/10 - Robert Presser found that the old delightful Day, Date, Time result (with '@t') no longer works in the old way after software update 2.5.x for Kindle 2, and I found it doesn't work for Kindle 3 either.  But there's a new way.

  Using "@time" now will get you the full Date as well as Time, in longer format, at the top of unwanted search results for 'time' if you want that info while reading.  And there's more, as Diane tells us below.

UPDATE2&3, 9/7/10 - Diane Gorman added in the Comments that the Date/Time info we get now is available without the '@' sign, so you can just enter 'date' or 'time' to start the search we don't want but which will give us the date/time info at the top of the search results.
  AND best, clicking on that top piece of info, which is a LINK to the top 'search result' for 'date' or 'time,' gives THE DAY + Date and Time.

   I've modified the tip below for the above and also to give examples of using a URL from the home page in two ways.

First postings of this tip in its original form, June 2009, with updates
Reminder for newer Kindle owners:  If you're ever reading your Kindle and wondering, as I do too often, what day it is (or isn't), you can find out without putting down the Kindle.
  This long-format Date/Time AND linked-info-popup works for the older refurbished Kindle 2's and DX's, and the newer Kindle 3's and Kindle DXG.

  Typing 'time' or 'date from the HOME screen and clicking on 'search my items' (or just pressing the Return key because the current Action shown IS 'search my items) will get you, then, Day, Date & Time at the top of (unneeded) search results and then clicking on that underlined link will get you the full info with DAY and timezone.

NOTE: A search of the Kindle takes awhile of course, since it searches to see if a word is in any of the books you have on the Kindle.  The Kindle may SEEM to 'freeze' during the search, because the keys aren't workable while the Kindle is performing a search.  Be patient, because it'll end eventually. The spinning wheel at the upper left will go on for awhile.
  Doing subsequent requests for 'time' or 'date' seem to take less time though.

  MORE IMPORTANT though, the '@' is not needed anymore for the new date/time info, but I will leave in the "@" in the steps below so that readers know how to bring up the '@' sign at the beginning when that's needed.

Note that the '@' is not necessary for Date/Time but is needed for @dict, @help, @print [? - a useless one], @store, @url, @web, @wiki, @wikipedia, which I discussed a bit at a blog article in July '09 in a @-shortcuts entry.

  Also, the @url shortcut can be used on the home page by just typing, for example,
"@url google.com/reader/i" and then, since the 5-way button Action showing this is by default "search my items" and that's the one we want (as above) when using the "@url" feature, you can just press the Return key to start it.  I made a link-shortcut (just below) for the simpler, faster, and more reliable mobile Google Reader page for the Kindle:

  EXAMPLES (going to google reader or cnn)
    http://bit.ly/g-reader

  It's important to NOT use "http://" when using @url  and to use
      'search my items' as the 5-way button Action

  DIFFERENT EXAMPLE for the Main way to do a URL from Home Page:
    (not using '@url' "shortcut" at all)
  MAIN way to do this, though, is to just type the URL alone
      (No 'http://' and No '@url')
  Then, 5-way to the right until you get to "go to" and press the 5-way down
  on that.  It's easier because there's no '@' symbol to do.
      Try typing just m.cnn.com and 5-way to the right to "go to"
  to see how fast that does work now.

EXAMPLES OF HOW TO GET THE SYMBOL KEY AT HOME PAGE OR IN A BOOK:
At the Home page, press the Enter key (or the Del key under it) to bring up the search box.
Enter '@' by pressing SYM key and navigating to the '@' symbol
    and then press down on the 5-way (clicking it) to choose that '@' sign.
Type 'time' or whatever other function from the ones above.
Press Return/Enter key.

And you'll get DATE/Time in long-form on top of unwanted search results.
  (Again, this is just a how-to on bringing up the symbol box.
    The '@' sign is not needed for the Date function now.)

Getting expanded day/date/time information while reading a book
The main factor here is that 'date' or 'time' is used with "my items" as you saw above, although the Home screen's version of that option is worded "search my items."
  The "my items" wording means that it is looking through the entire Kindle.

  So, when you're in a book, the same principle holds.  If you type 'date' or 'time' while in a book, the default search action is "find" and that means find something WITHIN the current book. &nbps;Clicking that Action option won't work for day/date.  However, moving the 5-way button to the right just one step gets you "my items."  And that means Search the entire Kindle instead of just the book.  Click on that to start the search for 'date' or 'time'...

  As a result, so to speak, you get the same full Day/Date/Time and Timezone pop-up info from within the book that you get for the Home Screen search.

CAUTION repeated here:
NOTE: A search of the Kindle takes awhile of course, since it searches to see if a word is in any of the books you have on the Kindle.  The Kindle may SEEM to 'freeze' during the search, because the keys aren't workable while the Kindle is performing a search.  Be patient, because it'll end eventually. The spinning wheel at the upper left will go on for awhile.
  Doing subsequent requests for 'time' or 'date' seem to take less time though.

Also, you can use any  "@"-key shortcut  within books also, by:
. pressing spacebar to bring up the typing/search box and
. entering the "@[search word]" as before, and then
. doing a 5-way to the right to get to "My Items"
. and pressing down on the 5-way on that option.

[EDITED, on same day in July 2009]  Am just adding here that this is an undocumented feature that I discovered in June 2009 when experimenting with keyboard combinations.  I posted it with other "@x" features but my post about them was fairly incoherent and I'll modify and repost the still-working ones later.)


Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's),   DX Graphite

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Getting Day, Date & Time with the Kindle 2 / DX (and more)

Originally posted 6/15/09 - 10:18 PM
UPDATE - Some of these don't work with latest software updates to Kindle 2, DX and Kindle 3 - See the portion for date that does still work in a later updated post.

ARCHIVES - Ignore the @t below, outdated as of July 2010

UPDATED 6/28/09 to add info (in green) from trying out new DX
UPDATED 7/5/09 to add info (in orange, at bottom), from another experiment.
UPDATED 1/2/10 FINAL one to show the actual message and to make this more coherent.
    It's called Tip for the absent-minded: checking what day it is.

ORIGINAL posting below. (I'd use the January 2, 2010 one though.)

I forgot about this feature until I was participating in a blog comment area, and I've decided to post the tip here too.

Typing '@t' from the HOME screen
will get you Day, Date & Time in a pop-up box.  No, it doesn't look like the quick image which I just grabbed, too lazy to do a printscreen right now.

At the Home page, press Enter key (below the ‘Del’ key) to bring up the search box.
Enter '@' by pressing SYM key and going one-up and one-right
    and then pressing 5-way down to choose that '@'
Type 't'
Press Enter key.

And you'll get the pop-up box.

This works with the DX also.
Also, both the Kindle 2 and the DX are able to use the @key shortcuts
  within books (exception: "@url") by:
. pressing spacebar to bring up the typing/search box
      when reading books/articles AND cursor is not in text body
        (otherwise start a 'search' through the Menu instead)
. keying in the @item and then
. doing a 5-way to the right to get to "My Items"
. and pressing down on the 5-way on that option
      instead of pressing the Enter key for default option "Find"...

Typing '@h' at the Home screen gets you a pop-up box saying

" Supported shortcuts: @dict, @help, @print [?] @store, @time, @url, @web, @wiki, @wikipedia "

We know that a one-letter abbreviation works for @time and @help...

(Interesting that the @print is there, looking ahead?)

UPDATE 6/15/09 - 10:18 PM.   Originally posted 6/15/09 4:45 PM - Added new find(s)

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@store [searchterm] - reported by Elmo Glick
    Brings up the Kindle store with all books containing the search term in the title.

@p and @print - reported by Elmo Glick
Takes you to the Amazon Store of all places and shows you books with the work "print" in the title.   Gee, Amazon, that makes sense.

@url [www.website.xxx]
Don't type the "http://"
  Type just:
    &url [xxx.website.xxx]
      Then 5-way to right to "...my items" and press down.
That takes you to the website. - reported by Elmo Glick
A useful shortcut.

UPDATED 7/5/09 - ON THE OTHER HAND,
  You can also just type in the actual URL itself (and, again, Omit the 'http://') part -- because you can use the option to the right to "GOTO" a URL.
  That's the EASIEST way to use a URL from the home screen.  No SYM key is needed because you don't use '@'

  The difference? @url [website] uses the option at right: "search my items"
  And the URL-only (no "@url") uses the option: "goto"

UPDATED 7/25/09 - AND ANOTHER WAY:
  You can type in the URL while reading a book or article
    if your cursor is NOT on the screen.

      Then start typing in the website url (with NO http://) and then
      5-way to "go to" and press down.

  After finishing with website, press 'Back' key to return to book page.

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(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!