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.

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Kindle Fire Tip: Photo Transfer app (wireless, Android to/from iOS) is Free Android App of the Day, Wednesday 8/6/13

Free Photo Transfer App (wireless) today

This app by ERCLab is normally $1.99 and and is Wednesday's Free Android app of the day.  It's compatible with all Kindle Fire devices and Android ones.

 This is a mixed bag.  It has an average rating of almost 4 stars out of 5, with 284 customer reviews as of today.

  An upside is that if it works for you, you can transfer photos without having to first upload them to a server from one device and then download them from the server on another one.

  Another upside is that the app should work between Android and iOS devices.

  However, there are problems for 48 of those 284 customers as of today's stats, and it involves the fact what one reviewer mentions a lack of security for your photo files  And, for some of these customers, the app worked at one point and stopped working sometime afterward.

  Nevertheless, 196 as of today give it a 4 or 5-star rating.

  I'm letting people know about it in case they want to try it to see if it'll do the wireless transfers for them (and quickly) as it does for many.

Added Tip: Remember that Amazon recently added a "Cloud Photo" feature that automatically backs up, to your server area at Amazon, all photos you put on your Kindle Fire.  You can disable that in Settings if you don't want that done (for space reasons etc).

  All Amazon customers get a free 5 GB of server storage space for almost any kind of file (this includes Video files, but one of those very large multimedia files could eat up most of your free space).

  Kindle owners also get an additional 5 GB of free storage space specifically for "Personal docs" - text files that are not Amazon purchases.



  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. )
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Jeff Bezos, news media magnate for today's world? - Update

Photo by Andrys Basten, 9/6/12     Jeff Bezos often has a gleam in his eye.

Jeff Bezos, News-media Magnate for our Digital Times When the first news came in my email early Monday that the Washington Post Co. had sold their newspaper division to Jeff Bezos (not to Amazon), I thought it was April 1.  This includes not ony the newspaper but its website, several affiliated newspapers and a printing operation in Gaitherburg.   NOT included: The Headquarters, although the building has been for sale since February; Foreign Policy magazine, the websites Slate and the Root, WaPo Labs digital development operation or Post Co.-owned land along the Potomac River in Alexandria. The Washington Post folks would know most about it, though there are things they woudn't be able to say, but some interesting things from the WaPo newspaper:

' Bezos, 49, will take the company private, meaning he will not have to report quarterly earnings to shareholders or be subjected to investors’ demands for ever-rising profits, as the publicly traded Washington Post Co. is obligated to do now. As such, he will be able to experiment with the paper without the pressure of showing an immediate return on any investment.  Indeed, Bezos’s history of patient investment and long-term strategic thinking made him an attractive buyer, [Post publisher Katherine] Weymouth said. '

It was interesting to see that their talks broke down for awhile.

The management team for Washington Post Co., during annual budget discussions late last year "talked about whether [The Washington Post Co.] was the right place to house The Post ...If journalism is the mission, given the pressures to cut costs and make profits, maybe [a publicly traded company] is not the best place for The Post."

What the Post people would most appreciate about this (and it must have been responsible for a pretty quick decision on their part) is the decision by Bezos that "management and operation will continue without disruption after the sale."  NO layoffs among the 2,000 employees. & At least for now.  Bezos stays in Seattle, and existing management will continue to run it.  Bezos says, "I have a fantastic day job that I love."   :-)

The Washington Post's Paul Farhi adds that in an interview, Bezos said,

' I don’t want to imply that I have a worked-out plan,” he said. “This will be uncharted terrain, and it will require experimentation...
  ...
values of The Post do not need changing. The duty of the paper is to the readers, not the owners. '

You know he'll have ideas for the transition from print to digital-based reading and probably be fairly innovative.

  Some similarities in outlook

Bezos told Fortune magazine last year, "The three big ideas at Amazon are long-term thinking, customer obsession, and willingness to invent."

  And in Bezos' letter to employees of The Washington Post yesterday:

' The paper’s duty will remain to its readers and not to the private interests of its owners.
  ...
The Internet is transforming almost every element of the news business...We will need to invent, which means we will need to experiment.  Our touchstone will be readers, understanding what they care about -- and working backwards from there... '

The Washington Post story that I've quoted just snippets from is a very long, very-detailed one, and, considering that they were writing about themselves, I found it a very interesting read.

This story has received so much interest that there are over 4,000 reactions in the Comments section of that article (as of yesterday).


Here are some Reactions by people in the business

Update, 8/8/13
Also, Tim Carmody wrote, for niemanlab.org, an intro to his interesting take on Bezos' interest in this (and I agree with it).  The intro has a link to the article. [End of update]

Thanks to info-digger Edward Boyhan for the earliest alert yesterday, by a few seconds.  Even then, I'm writing about it a day late after finally getting to read some of the details.

In Chrome browser, the header photo was not taking that much space, but in Firefox, the Bezos pic was huge, so I've scaled it down.

The story itself does really mean a sea change, and word on the Web is quite positive overall, about Bezos' stewardship in an area new to him except for the technological aspects involved in helping the 'paper' survive.



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.

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(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
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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. 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!

Kindle Fire HD 7" Tablet Sale: $40 off 'for a limited time' ... Today, $159 for 16GB and $189 for 32GB

Kindle Fire HD on sale again, this time at $40 off both 16GB & 32GB models

Amazon's Kindle Fire HD 7" tablet page is showing, wthout other announcements, a sale for a limited time.  $159 for the 16G model and $189 for the 32GB one (the latter is recommended if you want a lot of media files on it).

Remember that if you paid a higher price at Amazon itself within the last 30 days, you can ask Amazon Kindle Support for a credit (1-866-321-8851 or contact them this way).  A difference-credit has been the case for a few years, at least -- and of course that's somewhat based on the fact there is always a 30-day full refund offer on any new Kindle if you don't want it after all, as Amazon seems to feel very secure about its positives.

I'm going to include here some thoughts and info I wrote for the $30 off sale they had on June 30 for a limited time also, as most new readers won't have seen it and some might be interested.

  As with the Kindle Fire HD, the production-halted Nook tablets do have a great display, with somewhat higher resolution than on the Kindle.   B&N doesn't, as Amazon does, allow straight downloading of any apps from any other sites though, including vendors' own sites.  So, any app you bought from Amazon.com for any other tablet you may have been using has to be re-purchased from Google Play.

  But Google Store access on the Nook is a plus if you don't mind a lack of customer support compared with Amazon and don't care if you can't get apps from other app stores as can be done with the Kindle Fires.  Flash video sites like network broadcasting ones (series episodes, etc.) would require a user find a way to get the older Flash file on an Android tablet using OS v4.x because of the wall put up by B&N against that type of download.

  16 or 32 GB storage?
  Although I tend to recommend lower-priced items as a rule, I recommend, for some, getting the 32-Gig-storage version for the $189 (normally $229) because multimedia files (graphics galore in complex apps and games, plus videos especially) are just very large and with 32GB you wouldn't need to worry often about what to swap out (to the Cloud) next before doing something else you want to do.

  However, for the sale-priced $159 16 GB-storage model, if you've no interest in the 32-GB model for $189, the Cloud storage (free and unlimited for any Amazon digital purchases) is meant for holding apps, music, and books until you need them and then they're easily downloadable.

  The Amazon PRIME program, as regular readers of the Amazon forums and this blog know, is a feature that's popular (and along with all this goes the X-Ray feature on many of their instant videos).

  The free trial on any new Kindle Fire gives the owner an idea of whether or not to pay the $79/yr (equiv to $6.58/mo.) for the Prime program's free 2-day shipping of physical products and then the bonus features of free instant videos (thousands of older movies and tv series, the latter having some very popular just-ended season series which are now exclusive to Amazon).
  Also included is the free borrowing of one Kindle book per calendar month from the Prime Lending Library, with no waiting time or due dates.


Amazon considered #1 "most desirable brand" in the U.S. market, per Clear's report this year
"According to a new “Brand Desire” study by M&C Saatchi’s brand consultancy division Clear, Amazon leads in the U.S. market as the most desirable brand.  Clear surveyed consumers in the U.S., U.K., and Australia about 678 different brands."

For those interested in the details or to see the reasons given:

' Per news.investors.com:
  In the U.S., it interviewed 4,600 consumers about 245 familiar brands.
...
  The Reese's brand, owned by Hershey (HSY), ranked No. 2, followed by Disney, owned by Walt Disney (DIS).
...
  While Amazon kept up its allure, Apple (AAPL) lost some of its luster.  Its brand desirability dropped to No. 50 from No. 8 in 2012 as the brand wavered and lost focus, according to the report.

  "Starting with an onslaught of too many products in the fall of 2012, the debacle of Maps' reliability, as well as 'function over feeling' branding, has affected its reputation for providing technology that truly matters," the report found."

[My note: That seems unduly harsh and likely not accurate, as survey wording is key.  As we all know, Apple is doing just fine.  What's ultimately important in our modern world is the bottom line, and its customers are devoted and, for any of the above factors, pretty forgiving, from what I've encountered.]

... "Amazon’s desirability stems from the great success of the Kindle Fire HD, a steady stream of perks for Amazon Prime members, an increased focus on its Prime Instant Video, and a continued stream of meaningful innovation such as Amazon Lockers.  Amazon has truly transformed from a marketplace for shopping to a digital hub for consumers to manage their lives,” states Clear in a press release via Investor’s Business Daily.

"However, Apple was still the top-rated brand in the British and Australian markets"

Will end this here, so I can get this one out earlier.


  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!

Kindle Tips: August's Monthly Kindle Books for $3.99 or less - 209 items currently - listings by Most Popular or by Average Customer Rating. Alert: "The Big Deal" - up to 85% off on 500 Kindle books - ends tomorrow, Sunday 8/4/13. Also, free non-classics by publication date + discounted-book alerts

AUGUST 2013's Kindle Books deal, for $3.99 or less (See UK page below.)

I highlight this monthly deal at or near the beginning of the month for those who don't know about it or might not remember.

  Also, Amazon has changed the layout of this monthly feature on their U.S. pages, and they no longer call it the '100' monthly books.

  They've been modifying these pages, live, for the last two days, and I waited for it to settle down.

  As of yesterday, August 2, they had included a category for "Up to 85% off, for Editors' Picks, with 15 Kindle books in it.  Today that's gone from that page, replaced by just an Editors' Choice scroll box, no percentage mentioned, and 20 books included.

However, the special feature "The Big Deal" (500 books at 85% off) ENDS August 4, Sunday, end of day.. They bring it back sporadically.

They've moved the monthly Kindle-book deals page and broken down the offerings for the month into separate categories.

 As of August 2, there were 209 titles (rather than 100) and now there are separate categories that are highlighted on that new monthly main page, using Amazon's usual horizontally-scrolling pick-lists, for the following topics that may show fewer titles highlighted on the main page than you'll find if you click on their alternative, vertically-scrolled listing (with sorting options) which they link to via "See all" at the bottom of each horizontally-scrolled category row [ I'm adding direct links to the full category listings ]:

  1. Editors' Picks (they made that singular this time but that's probably a typo) - 20 (Full list)
  2. History (11 horizontally) (12 in the vertical listing) and by Avg Customer Rating
  3. Biography and Memoirs (16) (16) and by Avg Customer Rating
  4. Literary Fiction Deals (16) (16) and by Avg Customer Rating
  5. Religion and Spirituality (20) (27) and by Avg Customer Rating

They've also added, on this new main monthly deals page, two vertically-scrolling categories:
  1. Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense (10 highlighted + 43 in the linked full list w/ sorting options)
      Here's that fuller listing by Avg Customer Rating
  2. Romance (10) (24) and by Avg Customer Rating.

THEN, at the bottom of the new main monthly Kindle book-deals page, they offer the FULL current monthly listing, defaulting to sorting by "New and Popular" and there are 209 in all.

  Here is a direct link to that Full-listing (US), sorted by "New and Popular" for the month (and probably for any month, so
    it's a good one to bookmark if you just want to jump to that) and
    you can choose another sort option for this full listing, such as
        Avg Customer Rating or by Price: Low to High

The new options do make it easier to find books of interest to you.

  The August pricing for this group of Kindle books ranges from $0.99 to $3.99, as is usual for this monthly deal.

What you'll see on that special monthly-deals page (UK version is here) are new for August 2013.

(US Link: amzn.to/mkbooks-1to4,  UK Link: amzn.to/100kbooks-1to4uk)


FREE KINDLE BOOKS (Non-classics) for August (and July)
I've updated the "Temporarily-free books -- Non-classics" search results to show free contemporary Kindle books for AUGUST, sorted by publication-date, as of August 3, 2013.  There are only a few shown on the first day or two of any month, and these include pre-orders due that month.  On the first day of the month, most of these are listed as "free preview" of whatever chapters chosen, some are short stories, and a few (overnight) not-entire-family-safe titles may show up.

  Here, also, are the current Search results for still free Kindle non-classics, by publication date during the last month (July).


The Kindle Daily Deal page
for any given day now shows a lot of books since it includes children's books, a couple of genre-specific deals, and the monthly daily deals as well.


DISCOUNTED / Price Dropped Kindle eBooks II - the ongoing Kindle Forum message thread
  This is an ongoing message thread in which Kindle owners share information on recent drops in pricing on specific Kindle books, often with some added info by the person posting it.

  Here's a link to the thread, starting at an August 1 posting that includes books that are still on sale today August 3, - with a set of mystery books discounted briefly from $9.39 to anywhere between $0.99 to $2.99.
    These tend to be very short-term discounts.

I'm not adding detail on this alerts-discussion thread this month, as there is enough to go through already.

  That forum topic link is to a specific day to start, in this case, a book alert on August 1, as mentioned, but you can look at previous days or keep up with ongoing alerts after that, as Amazon keeps track of the last message# that you read, so that you can start from there next time.  While most of the better deals seem around $1.99-$4.99, there are many larger-publishing house deals included (primarily price-matching) that tend to end in a DAY, so you'd need to double-check the current pricing of ANY Kindle books that interest you to see if the discounts are still active.

  Again, Kindle book prices are discounted for only a very short time, too often, and are promos, and that's another reason to watch the list.  Most of the large-publisher discounts last only one or two days even when they originate the discount.


DISCOUNTS ON ACCESSORIES Amazon's current (some, ongoing) on accessories for Kindle e-Reader and Kindle Fire
  1. Up to 50% (higher discount as a "Spring Sale: than usual) on covers for Kindle eReaders
  2. Up to 50% on covers for Kindle Fire (Gen 2) and Kindle Fire HD tablets

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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 Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

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Google's Chromecast device - a follow up. What it does and doesn't do, a third review added

Google's Chromecast - Chromecast Follow up

In addition to the two articles I linked to on the July 29 blog article that included a look at the Chromecast device that Google priced so well ($35), David Pogue wrote a review this morning that also addresses real-world concerns and is quite positive.  This device is still temporarily out of stock, but if you're interested in it, Pogue's more positive reviews tend to cause a rush to buy, and Amazon is taking pre-orders.  Amazon says it doesn't charge your card until the item is shipped.

  I use the HDMI microport on the Kindle Fire HD devices to show what I want from my tablets to an HDTV (including browsing of webpage) and it's pretty straightforward.  This, if you use the Chrome browser on your mobile devices (including laptops) will also show your web content on a TV and it's very portable and will work with your phone and other tablets as well.

I'm including below the Chromecast info from the earlier post from this blog on July 29, with links to two other excellent articles at the bottom of it.

Chromecast is a 'dongle' that Google is selling for $35 that will stream some web video, music "and more" from a tablet, phone or laptop to a TV in many or most cases.  Reviews differ so far.

  Google was offering 3 months of free Netflix for this, even to those who already subscribe to Netflix.
  They discontinued that free Netflix offer this last week (due to overwhelming demand), to much consternation, especially since people had bought (from Google, Best Buy, and Amazon, et al) one of these gadgets with the expectation of getting that Netflix promo.

  Here is the upshot, on how Amazon will handle the Netflix promo for those who bought before the cancellation was announced:

' Netflix Promotion No Longer Available
Please note that the Netflix promotional offer (which was available in limited supply) has now ended.  Customers who ordered their Chromecast prior to 5:31 PM PST on July 24, 2013 will receive a Netflix gift code via email within 5 days of their product's ship date. '

  If you bought it from Google, their policy is: "Orders placed before 1PM PST on 7/25 will receive their promotion code once their order ships."

  Two excellent articles on Chromecast
  Here's a very informative set of explanations of what Chromecast does and how it does it, by RJ Raphael - "Android Power" column, at Computerworld.
  Also, one titled "... but not for everyone," by Craig Lloyd for Slashgear, includes some caveats.



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New Kindle Fire HD tablets said to have killer specs. Also, Viewing on a Kindle Fire your photos/videos in your Cloud area and uploading them there automatically

BGR has new details from "trusted sources" on the new Kindle Fire HD's expected in late Fall

BGR's Zach Epstein seems to have the scoop on what Amazon plans to launch in (now) "late September," saying that Amazon is reported to be "on track."

  Today's news include details added to the information on very high display resolutions described July 15 and repeated as background in their current report

  Their headline is "From kindling to inferno: Full specs for next-gen Amazon Kindle Fire HD tablets"

The specs (that unexpectedly include the very fast SpeedDragon 800 processor, etc.) look very similar to today's new Google Nexus except that the Kindle Fire HD would likely be keeping its popular HDMI-out port for direct connection to HDTVs (which some complain is missing from the Nexus), and their new back-facing camera is set to be 8 megapixels.  That camera is said to be included only on the 8.9" model (which will likely make it more popular than the first larger Kindle Fire HD) but not on the 7"HD  model -- this is according to BGR's "multiple trusted sources" who provided "the devices’ complete specs."

BGR is uncharacteristically exuberant in its descriptions. Examples:

' [Subtitled] Amazon to combine powerhouse specs and affordable prices in bid to scorch the competition '
. . .
If you think the new Nexus 7 is impressive, just wait until you see what Amazon is preparing to debut this fall.

If the current tablets are kindling, Amazon’s next-generation Kindle Fire HD tablet lineup is a full-blown inferno.
. . .
We’re told the tablet will be powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) system on a chip, which includes four Krait 400 CPUs and Adreno 330 graphics.  Prototypes are said to be clocked at about 2GHz.

As with the Nexus specs, BGR's sources describe a device with 2GB of RAM, similar storage capabilities, though it seems they'll offer an additional, 64GB option in addition to the 16 and 32GB ones.

  As said July 15, the tablets are said to be both smaller and lighter.

  Again, they're reporting that Amazon is trying to keep similar price points to the current models' non-sales pricing.


The big difference with the Nexus
That would of course be direct access to the Google Play store apps (instead of getting them from places like 1mobile.com as we do now for apps not in the Amazon Appstore).

Barnes and Noble, in May, was in a position where they needed to agree to Google's terms.  The Nook tablets were just not selling, due - partially - to a very limited ecosystem for multimedia tablets and also very limited customer support.  I don't know what Google's device customer support is like, but their Nexus users have seemed pretty happy, in general.  For most things, Google company humans are not easy to get on the phone, so this will be interesting to watch.

  What's not generally described was reported in an ABC news story about the kinds of terms Google requires for competing bookstore and app vendor access to the Google Play store.

' Typically Google requires official Android devices with the full app store to preload Google's own suite of apps, including Gmail, YouTube, Google Play, Music and Chrome.  As such, Barnes & Noble had to remove some of its own store apps to gain access, including its own music app.

[B&N VP] Hilt wouldn't comment on the terms of partnership when asked.  Barnes & Noble's Nook Store, which has millions of books and magazines, will still come preloaded on the tablets. '

  For those who want Google Play Store access, can we imagine Amazon giving up its own Music app or even its own browser, or appstore?  As it is, Kindle Fire owners can get the Chrome browser easily as a secondary web browser.  Apple and Amazon have cooperated in the past, so it's not totally impossible Google and Amazon could do a deal that's better for both of the companies.

  It's not likely, though, as Google books, Cloud, and Music are in competition with Amazon, and the Kindle Fires have been the 2nd most purchased tablets next to the iPad, while using an operating system built on top of Google's Android system.

 I've also read that the current Nexus doesn't yet have as robust a parental control setup.  The Kindle Fire interface is easier for most of its target consumer audience, which seems generally not much into setting up their own layouts and with a family-sharing focus.  The Google Play Store does make it easier for anyone to get those Google apps though.  I personally find it easy to get any apps I want from the secondary Google-apps stores like 1mobile.com, iapknew.com, and others noted in blog entries on installing non-Amazon apps.

 It's good that Google will provide the device competition Amazon customers lost with the current halt of production on the Nook tablets.

  I like the Amazon ecosystem, its customer support, and recent improvements like the Cloud Photo feature this week that, on 2nd Gen Kindle Fires, automatically stores in your Cloud (by the Photo feature's default setting) any photos on your Kindle Fire.  Amazon customers get 5 gigs of free storage space for any type of file.  See the Cloud data storage page.  This is in addition to the 5 Gigs available, to Kindle owners, for 'Personal Docs'


Cloud Photo Storage and Viewing
 You can now view, on your Kindle Fire, all photos stored in your Amazon Cloud (the first generation Kindle Fire requires the Android app for that.

  In Landscape mode, the thumbnails are in varied, larger, sizes and easier to view.   In Portrait mode, they're smaller and are all the same size.  You swipe left or right to see Album contents and click on individual pictures to view those.  Again, the Kindle Fire 2nd Gen tablets automatically send copies to your Cloud area, by default, but you can change the Cloud Photos setting to avoid that if you prefer.

  Importing all your photo albums from Facebook to your Amazon Cloud so that you can view those at anytime on your tablets or phones is now lightning fast.
  Viewing those albums on your Cloud is also a speedy, ultra-clear experience (at least on a cablemodem ISP).  I have tons of images on Facebook, and the transfer of umpteen albums of many photos  to my Amazon Cloud area finished in a couple of minutes.

---

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 Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

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(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
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Kindle News: Follow-up on glitchy Kindle Fire software update, w/ workarounds...New Nexus 7" tablets, at Amazon...Chromecast-what-is-it and what about the free Netflix promo...Amazon and job creation + Obama's visit to an Amazon fulfillment center Tuesday...New jobs w/ benefits (warehouse and customer service)...Big Fall Books Preview

Assorted Odds and Ends in the News or from discussion forums the last week

I'll try to keep these shorter and give links for full detail, as there is quite a bit.

First, a caution.  The Kindle Fire software update that went out over the air to a few (but is not offered as a manual update, version [x].4.5 was first mentioned at the bottom of the blog article dated July 21), continues to cause problems, reported on the Amazon Kindle forums in various message threads about website Flash videos or Youtube suddenly not working.

  According to one customer who quoted a note from Kindle Support, this is not an intended effect, and they are studying the reports and working to resolve the problems.

  A few ways to work around it until then, for those who somehow received v[x]4.5 update (but these workarounds don't always work)...

1. At youtube, try going to http://m.youtube.com instead (the simpler mobile version)
or download TubeMate app and use that for Youtube to either play or download a video

2. Using the default Amazon Web browser (named Silk), use the web browser Menu [rectangle] to choose to enable Experimental Streaming Viewer when you see this at the bottom of your webpage after Amazon detects compatible flash video on the page:
 

3. In the meantime, while first-tier customer support may realize that the over-the-air update some have received is causing these glitches, the customer reps don't always know that some tech support have said it is not an intended effect and they're working on it.  This would, though, explain why the software updates page does not offer that software update on a manual basis.


New Nexus tablets - the 16 GB version is in stock for Prime delivery at Amazon
These are making big news this week because of their very high display resolution, large RAM chip, fast processor and much improved audio, all at a decent price, though some are not happy that it still doesn't have built-in HDMI-Out to an HDTV.  That may be due to Google's Chromecast -- more on that latter gizmo in a moment.

  Amazon had the 16 GB in stock for Prime Delivery late last night but apparently those are gone and a 3rd party vendor charging $12 more at Amazon is now offering these.  So this is just for info for those who will hear more about these in the coming days and they're probably the reason we saw all the leaks on the coming new Kindle Fire HD tablets, to be announced, it was said, in August or early September.

  The 32 GB Nexus (and, really, the one to get if you want the Nexus) is being sold by Amazon directly, and shipping via Prime is estimated at 3-4 weeks.  Shipping at most places is slow on this one.

  Here are the product pages for more detail and if you prefer purchasing via Amazon for their customer support policies:  New Nexus 16 GB     New Nexus 32 GB


Google's Chromecast
Chromecast is a 'dongle' that Google is selling for $35 that will stream some web video, music "and more" from a tablet, phone or laptop to a TV in many or most cases.  Reviews differ so far.

  Google was offering 3 months of free Netflix for this, even to those who already subscribe to Netflix.
  They discontinued that free Netflix offer this last week (due to overwhelming demand), to much consternation, especially since people had bought (from Google, Best Buy, and Amazon, et al) one of these gadgets with the expectation of getting that Netflix promo.

  Here is the upshot, on how Amazon will handle the Netflix promo for those who bought before the cancellation was announced:

' Netflix Promotion No Longer Available
Please note that the Netflix promotional offer (which was available in limited supply) has now ended.  Customers who ordered their Chromecast prior to 5:31 PM PST on July 24, 2013 will receive a Netflix gift code via email within 5 days of their product's ship date. '

  If you bought it from Google, their policy is: "Orders placed before 1PM PST on 7/25 will receive their promotion code once their order ships."

  Two excellent articles on Chromecast
  Here's a very informative set of explanations of what Chromecast does and how it does it, by RJ Raphael - "Android Power" column, at Computerworld.
  Also, one titled "... but not for everyone," by Craig Lloyd for Slashgear, includes some caveats.


Amazon and jobs - and an appearance by President Obama
President Obama will be making a speech about jobs at Amazon's Fulfillment Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Tuesday.  This is probably in connection with the heavy creation of new jobs (with benefits) cited this week.

  According to Reuters and other news sources, "the White House said he will discuss proposals "to jumpstart private sector job growth and make America more competitive, and will also talk about new ideas to create American jobs...The speech is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET."

  Amazon to fill 7,000 jobs in 13 states, per AP via Brandenton.com.

  This will include 5,000 full-time jobs at its U.S. distribution centers (see linked article for a list of cities in which they're hiring) and 2,000 jobs in customer service, including full-time, part-time and seasonal.   The customer service jobs are available "in Winchester, Ky.; Grand Forks, N.D.; Kennewick, Wash. and Huntington, W.Va.  Work from home positions are available in Oregon, Washington and Arizona."

  Amazon's own press release on the 5,000 Fulfillment Center jobs headlines the benefits involved:

' Positions pay 30 percent more than traditional retail jobs and include comprehensive benefits beginning on day one, including healthcare, 401(k) and company stock awards

Amazon offers employees innovative programs like Career Choice, where it will pre-pay up to 95% of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon '

For any job-seekers you may know:
  See more recruitment information at Amazon Fulfillment Careers and Amazon Customer Service Jobs.


What else is Amazon up to?
Here are some ideas from Brad Stone, who was "in Silicon Valley for most of this summer, working with Amazon’s hardware design arm, Lab126, according to a person familiar with the matter who wasn’t authorized to discuss it publicly.)
...
  "... It’s hard to make much money when you’re opening refrigerated fulfillment centers around the country, manufacturing your first set-top box ([TV] , preparing to launch a phone, buying up video content in a furious competition with Netflix, and creating original programming, all the while diving into new product categories and revolutionizing the publishing business "

Earlier in April, Stone had written:

' . The e-commerce giant is planning to introduce a device this fall dedicated to streaming video over the Internet and into its customers’ living rooms, according to three people familiar with the project who aren’t authorized to discuss it.

They say the box will plug into TVs and give users access to Amazon’s expanding video offerings.  Those include its à la carte Video on Demand store, which features newer films and TV shows, and its Instant Video service, which is free for subscribers to the Amazon Prime two-day shipping package. '

I don't know how that might compare with Chromecast, since I haven't bought one (I can just beam my Kindle Fire HD contents to my HDMI TV's with the HDMI-out Kindle Fire HD feature, though I get better size results with the 8.9" model than with the 7" one).

Re the question of whether or not Amazon will include competing video streaming services on its device, Stone feels that they likely will (or go unbought!) but that Amazon's "own video and music services will be more prominently integrated into the device."


Amazon's Big Fall Books Preview was just announced
I'll spare you the details here, because they're available at the "20 Big Fall Books" page at http://amzn.to/fallbookspreview


I still have a lot more to write up, but that won't be until Monday night.

---

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 Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

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.

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(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!