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For the past week or so, blogs like ours here have been buzzing with thoughts about a study done of relative reading speeds between the Kindle, iPad, PC Monitor and Paperback Book. The general consensus seems to have been anything from “See, eReaders are bad!” to “Look, it proves the iPad is better than the Kindle!” This leads me to believe that a large number of people have only a very vague understanding of what this study actually means. Let me explain.
In the actual text of the reading speed study, we are given the details of their methods. The sample size is actually quite small, with only 32 people involved total of whom a mere 24 were included in the final data set. Putting aside that flaw, the data gathered provided no useful information at all besides that reading on anything but a computer monitor is preferred. For those who are talking up the slight difference in reading speed between the iPad and the Kindle, there is a note in the results that “the difference between the two devices was not statistically significant”. For those who do not have any statistics/science background, this means that no difference can be said to exist, with any reasonable accuracy, that stem from anything but random chance.
Basically, if you were hoping for scientific evidence of which device is better, even if you judge “better” in terms of how fast you can read, there’s nothing in this recent study to help you out. Maybe next time.
 HMSHost, the company that runs any number of airport shops you might encounter as you travel the country, has just acquired exclusive rights to sell the Kindle in the aforementioned airports! So, what does that mean for you? So far, they have announced that Kindle devices will be sold in a number of stores to begin with. Specifically, the Simply Books and Authors Bookstores in Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, John Wayne in Orange County, Charlotte/Douglas in Charlotte, Salt Lake City, Dallas Fort Worth, San Diego, George Bush in Houston, Miami, Tampa, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. These stores will be selling pre-charged Kindles ready to go on a moment’s notice for anybody who desires one.
Let’s face it, an eReader is practically a vital accessory for any regular traveler these days. The ability to keep a variety of entertainment material on a 10.8 ounce package with only very infrequent charging needs is a perk that simply cannot be beaten on the long flights and even longer layovers that plague the lives of many. Now that the Kindle can be found in the middle of travel without the hassle or delay of ordering and shipping, there’s simply no downside or hassle remaining. The HMSHost Slogan says it all in this case: Making the Traveler’s Day Better.
This is a great step for Amazon that should have been done long time ago. More than a year ago I blogged about my Kindle being bricked on an airplane. I was in the middle of long transatlantic journey with multiple connections. All I could find in terms of eReaders back then were Sony PRS readers which were of little use to me since I didn’t have my notebook with me to create an account and buy books. Being able to but a eReader and start using it right away is a great perk.
Unfortunately I don’t plan to visit any of the mentioned airports any time soon. However if you do, please drop me an email or a comment. I’m very interested what Kindle airport buying experience is like. Specifically it’s interesting how would they handle buyers who don’t have Amazon.com account yet.
In light of the recent major price drops on the two most popular devices in the eReader market, there’s every reason to believe that a fresh wave of first time buyers is likely to be hunting for the right fit. New to the eBook situation and wanting some advice on which way to go? Let’s see what we can do for you.
Looking at the major points of interest for these devices, each has its strengths and weaknesses. For the purposes here, we’ll assume that the choices are the $199 nook and the $189 Kindle because 3G coverage is neat and because we don’t know yet what Amazon(NASDAQ:AMZN) is going to be doing with their WiFi Kindle model(assuming those rumors are true).
Size, Weight, and Feel
- Kindle: 6″ screen, 1/3″ thick, 10.2 ounces
- nook: 6″ screen, 1/2″ thick, 12.1 ounces
Subjective Evaluation: The screen is slightly better on the nook due to a better contrast ratio. On the other hand, the extra thickness and weight of the nook, slight as it is, makes it a very small bit harder to read for long periods of time than the Kindle. It’s pretty much a tie in this category.
A Note On The Screens: You’ll see many people complain about the screen flicker and page turn delay. In general, I advise ignoring these people. In both cases there is a delay in screen refresh that is so slight that turning the page in a paper book at the same speed with any regularity will likely leave you with a ruined book. These aren’t your average computer LCDs. Different technology, different uses.
Input Method
- Kindle: QWERTY keyboard, 5-way controller stick
- nook: LCD touchscreen
Subjective Evaluation: As far as moving through the stores, library, and things in general goes I’ve got to give it hands-down to Amazon. The on-screen navigation is intuitive and has only the rarest of hiccups. The nook’s touchscreen, while flashy, leaves something to be desired in terms of responsiveness on the eInk screen.
Selection and File Support
- Kindle: 600,000+ titles, supports: AZW, TXT, PDF, MOBI, PRC, converts: HTML, DOC
- nook: 1,000,000+ titles, supports: EPUB, PDF, PDB
Subjective Evaluation: At first glance, Amazon has the edge in terms of file formats, especially when you take into account that many of the nook’s million titles are simply freely available Google Books downloads. The nook, however, supports EPUB files. EPUB is the industry standard format at the moment and tends to be the easiest to get your hands on, assuming you’re the type who prefers to shop for the best deal rather than simply grabbing everything from one store. The nook comes out well ahead in this comparison for just that reason. You’re not jumping through nearly as many hoops if you want to shop around as the Kindle makes you.
Storage space, in both cases, is generally a non-issue. In several years of using these devices heavily, including during the completion of a degree in English Literature, I have never found a situation where there was any advantage to holding 1,500+ books in my hand at once. If you really need to walk around with your entire library at once, then Amazon’s recent addition of a feature called Collections that makes it possible to organize your books according to your own specifications might make the Kindle your preferred eReader. At present the nook does not have this ability and a list that long might get unwieldy for casual aimless browsing.
Battery Life(Entirely Subjective Evaluation)
- Kindle: 30hr active, 20 days standby
- nook: 24hr active, 7 days standby
Now, these measurements are not in any way when is being advertised by the makers of the devices, nor am I claiming that everybody will see the same performance. I have had both and used both for some time now, however, and this is what I’ve seen. It is, quite literally, impossible to run down the charge on either device in a single day by reading at a normal pace. Simply put, if you want a device that you charge overnight and otherwise don’t have to worry about then either is fine. If you want something you can throw in a briefcase and carry around all week, then charge on the weekends, the Kindle has a slight, and I want to emphasize slight, advantage in battery life. Probably the lack of LCD screen. Neither of these takes into account the power draw of leaving your wireless connectivity going constantly, since this is generally not needed. You connect, download your book, then disconnect. Leaving it open is almost always just a waste.
Major Features
- Kindle: Read to Me, Facebook/Twitter integration, web browser, password protection
- nook: games, web browser, WiFi capability, in-store B&N perks, interchangeable back plates
Subjective Evaluation: I’ll start by saying that the Facebook/Twitter thing is not something I’ll comment on. If these features are valuable to you, there are plenty of places to do the research. I cannot comment. As for the rest, the Kindle’s main selling point here is the password protection. Since you will generally have a credit card linked to the account that is linked to your device, to make store purchasing quicker and easier, this bit of safety is a must-have. The Read to Me feature is nothing to sneeze at either, as it opens the door to use of the Kindle as a learning tool or simply a way to enjoy your favorite books even after the eyes get tired. It’s not perfect, but it does a good job and is not at all unpleasant to listen to.
The nook, on the other hand, comes up with mostly fun and superficial changes. You get a couple of games to play, with the hope of more to come of course, some incentive to visit the B&N store for free access to books and free coffee, and the ability to customize the appearance of your device in a way that goes beyond the usual cover choice. The web browser on the nook is slightly easier to use than the Kindle’s due to the touchscreen, but this also seems to result in faster battery depletion, so it’s something of a double-edged sword.
The Kindle wins for functionality, but don’t rule out the nook in terms of fun. Also make note of the fact that because the nook runs Android and therefore a much wider potential developer base in the long term, should an app store become available.
The Overview
I can’t tell you one device is better than the other because they’re both simply great products. It’s all about what you like and what you want your eReader to do for you. I use my Kindle when I want bestsellers, a device to travel with, independent authors, and the ability to annotate my books. I use my nook when I’m looking for the best price on a book, when there’s some question regarding 3G coverage wherever I’m staying, and when sudoku or browsing the web seem like good uses of my time. The best way to be sure of what you want is to try them out in the store. Check them out, do your research, and know what you want for your money. You would be hard-pressed to be disappointed either way.
 As of today, 6/16/2010, Random House’s Magic Tree House series, a childrens’ staple since 1992 by Mary Pope Osborne has been released for the Kindle. All 43 books in the amazingly popular series are now up for sale in the Kindle Store as I write this, with the 44th already available for preorder, anticipating its September 14th release.
The Magic Tree House series has sold over 70 million copies worldwide, been translated into 28 languages, and distributed in 31 countries over the course of its life cycle so far. It is a widely acknowledged tool in promoting childrens’ literacy and can be(and often is) coupled with Random House-distributed educational material related to the stories for use in classrooms as a teaching aid in any number of subjects.
Much publicity has focused on what the Kindle can do on college and high school campuses, but this brings useful attention to the fact that an eReader with a properly durable case, perhaps even a library’s worth of them, could easily enhance the learning experiences of children at any age. The Text-to-Speech feature is helpful for any struggling reader and the ability to vary the font size can make a text more approachable for easily overwhelmed young readers still unsure of their ability. Clearly a step in the right direction.
This isn’t the first such contest we’ve brought to your attention, so you probably know the general idea by now, but here we go again! From now through June 30th, SmartPlanet is taking entries for a free Kindle giveaway. The registration process takes just a moment. You go to this page, enter your information, and you’re done for the day! One entry per day is allowed.
Now, as a warning, you might want to take a look at the site first and decide if you like the content as this will automatically sign you up for a copy of their email newsletter. That’s a fairly negligible issue, however, since in the same announcement telling entrants about that, they make clear that you can unsubscribe right away should such be your preference.
I had never heard about this site previously(Excellent draw for your site, guys!), so it’s hard to make an informed recommendation, but the front page story listing led me to a few fairly interesting things I also had not run into before. Early developments in wireless energy transfer just plain interest me. Coverage on the developing privately funded space flight industry is similarly cool. Where they caught me, however, was the vat-grown human liver. I’ll be honest, I’m not much of a news guy. I follow what interests me in as narrow a way as possible on most occasions because I don’t want to be bombarded with information on what famous person leaked a sex tape with what other famous person and so on. Finding a site that covers the interesting stuff on a broader scope without that sort of inanity is at least potential, in my book. Worth a shot, especially when I might get a new Kindle in the process.
 Recently M-Edge began taking orders for their new Guardian case for the Kindle. This neat new accessory comes just in time for the many Kindle owners out there who want to take their reader for a relaxing day at the beach or pool. Now, the “waterproof” eReader case isn’t a new idea. There have been similar devices on the market for years now, in fact. The difference here is that M-Edge seems to have gone the extra mile to make this case worth the money and the attention.
Where other cases will let you wipe off condensation or splashes from the water, the Guardian will keep your Kindle safe in up to a meter of water, all while remaining completely functional and controllable. It also has the added bonus of providing flotation for your book, so that dropping or setting aside what you’re doing isn’t going to be something you’re left regretting.
The Guardian comes in three colors(Black, Red, and Blue), features an anti-reflective screen for better reading in the glare of the sun, weighs barely more than 1lb, and can be attached to a lanyard through a ring at the base for added security. It isn’t the cheapest thing on the market, at a surprising $80, but there can be no doubt that it’s worth the money if you’re serious about taking your Kindle with you everywhere you go.
 Amazon’s(NASDAQ:AMZN) first publishing imprint, AmazonEncore, has announced plans to bring us ten titles for the fall of this year from a variety of areas. For those who are unaware, AmazonEncore is a program that uses information from the Amazon.com site, in the form of sales trends, review data, etc, to identify new or outstanding works that deserve a wider audience and introduce or re-introduce these books to the public through both digital and print media.
This fall’s lineup will include:
These titles range from self-published works, including what I believe to be the first self-published Kindle edition to get optioned for a movie(A Scattered Life), to complete originals. There’s something there for almost any audience. So check them out. Seriously. Go on, I can wait. Anyway, it’s good stuff. Clichès aside, I’m going to go order some of my own now.
 It appears that we’ll be looking at the new Kindle people have been talking about a little bit sooner than expected. According to rumors and reports, we’re likely to be getting improvements on existing technology as well as the new and interesting. The new version will be slimmer, which is probably the most well reported feature so far, and it will have a sharper and significantly more responsive screen that will more closely emulate the feel of reading directly off of a page. Personally, any improvement to the reading experience is more than welcome, of course.
The unexpected feature that is, at present, merely a well-substantiated rumor, is that the new Kindle will finally be offering up the option of WiFi connectivity either in parallel with or exclusive of the existing 3G connection. This opens up at least the possibility of having multiple pricing options depending on user requirements, since there is some evidence that plans have been made for a 3G-free model. It also adds in a much-needed interface option for those who enjoy the Kindle device but do not have regular 3G access in their homes. Coverage is growing all over the place, but it’s simply not quite everywhere just yet. Even for those among us who do have the coverage, the speed boost offered by such an option will be a more than welcome advantage when it comes to web browsing and downloading. This is to say nothing about the potential effect on price that going without 3G coverage might entail. August is likely to be a fun month.
While they are still in the market for a vendor and making efforts to arrange matters of budgeting and potential purchase bundling discounts, Clearwater High(Clearwater, FL) has made known its intent to move the student body over to the use of the Kindle as a replacement for the traditional textbook collection that students have always known and “loved”.
The intention is to supply all 2100 students with a Kindle that comes preloaded with every book they will require for the academic year. Students will not be given the ability to purchase further books on the school property, but it seems likely, given the fact that students will have internet access, that there will be the ability to transfer privately acquired eBooks as desired. In order to reduce parental concerns and school liability somewhat, all students will be required to sign a form agreeing to avoid accessing inappropriate material on their eReaders via the internet browser.
There is no guarantee that this move will save the school money. It is intended more as a way of connection with a student body far more at home in front of one electronic device or another than behind a book. With luck, giving these students just what they’re used to in non-academic settings as a component of their learning will increase interest and focus on what they need to do. The recent addition of Facebook integration probably won’t hurt much either, sadly.
Everybody has their little pet peeves when it comes to their favorite eReader. Nobody ever has every feature quite the way we want it and nothing will ever be quite perfect. One of the complaints I’ve heard surprisingly often with the Kindle has been its lack of normal page numbering. While this seems like a simple sort of thing to deal with, since we are given a progress counter of sorts anyway, I can certainly understand it getting on the nerves of some.
In response, we have The Natural Page(TM) from Forbidden Stitch Press. Their first book, Spirit in The Sky, is now available for download from the Kindle store for $9.99. The basic premise is that by setting a page length at right around 400 words, it is possible to put a page number, formatted as (Page 12), at the bottom of each screen as the reader moves through their book. It’s a novel concept, if you’ll pardon the pun. While there’s little chance that this will work out as a long term solution, being rather un-dynamic and therefore breaking any time the reader changes font size or a Kindle DX, it’s a good thing to have around, most likely. If nothing else, the reader response could point out to Amazon(NASDAQ:AMZN) that this is a desired, and quite possibly easy to include, feature for a future patch. The best way to get your point across about a product has always been to vote with your wallet, after all.
 It appears that we have a major addition to the Kindle platform’s family coming up this summer. Kindle for Android has been announced and issued its preview page, where interested users can look into the details first-hand and sign up to be notified the moment the application is openly available. The features listed are basically those that one would expect: Availability of purchased books across all Kindle platforms, Whispersync across your entire account keeping track of last page read and annotations, five font sizes to choose from, and a generally intuitive touch-screen page turning interface in either portrait or landscape mode. All of the features we’ve come to expect from the Kindle Store should translate as well.
While it’s no secret at this point that LCDs aren’t quite as pleasant as eInk displays to read off of, the overwhelming sense of convenience and availability for most people in a day when cell phones go everywhere with us makes this a truly exciting announcement. It also raises the question of what effect will a Kindle Android app have on the openness of development for the nook. There was some excitement after the highly successful competing device’s last patch brought the first instance of Android app use and a great deal of speculation about what this could mean. Perhaps this announcement is related?
It looks like Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is looking to become the most cross-platform eBook reader on the market.
Apparently at some point recently, somebody over at Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) gave it some thought and found themselves wondering why so many of their Bestsellers(63/100 as of March 12th) were never actually “sold”, as such. The plan is to eliminate the free book presence from the Kindle Bestseller list. The date on this is still up in the air as far as we know, but the apparent aim is to have two lists: one for sold books and one for free ones.
To publishers, this seems like a no-brainer. It highlights what books people are spending their money on and gives readers a chance to vote with their wallet on whether or not a book does well. Others, on the other hand, may be hit a bit hard by this move. It has become somewhat common for new or self-publishing authors to give away a free book or portion of a book in order to direct attention to their further works.
We’ll have to wait and see how this is handled, but I for one am hoping to be able to access both lists on my Kindle device rather than having to shop the website. I find it interesting to know what new finds people have made lately when I’m looking for something new to pass the time with.
I found myself sitting down recently with a relative of a friend of a friend, back on a break during her first year in college, and talking about my enthusiasm for the eReader concept in general and a few of my specific favorite features on the devices I own. When I mentioned web browsing, after the initial scoffing that I’ve come to expect from somebody who has trouble imagining an internet without bright colors and video, she got thoughtful and said “…but it handles text files really well, I’d imagine, right? I think I might need to get one after all.”
Now, I tend to view the browsing on these devices as a peripheral thing. I might use it to get a book for my Kindle from a non-amazon source or to check some piece of information that catches my fancy on Wikipedia while I’m away from a computer, but it’s a convenience for me and not a selling point at the moment. I couldn’t even imagine, off the top of my head, where one might come across large enough sources of plain old text files to make a sale on no other factor.
She went on to explain to me that one of her more esoteric interests was the reading of Fan Fiction based on her favorite books and movies. I won’t deny that this seems like an odd hobby to me. I’ve been aware that such things exist on the internet for quite a while now, in the same way one might be aware that there’s an Indian/Italian/Korean Fusion Bakery on the other end of town somewhere. You know it’s there for some reason, but it’s hard to imagine walking into it yourself. It seems, however, that there are gigantic databases of homemade work from rabidly enthusiastic consumers of popular media eager to explore the many imagined possibilities that the original creators never would have had the inclination, time, or sometimes even bad taste, to throw into the official story lines.
Putting aside the questionable moral ground on which the distributors of such things stand, since I’ll make the assumption for my own peace of mind that the majority of these amateur authors would desist instantly at a request from the owners of the properties they’re playing with, I can see this being a draw to these devices. It’s always fun to know that your favorite piece of gadgetry can be appealing even in unorthodox areas.
 There are a lot of good reasons to pick up a Kindle. It’s neat to read, occasionally very useful for its ability to be a portable internet device, and it saves on effort and potential injury when you compare it to the hundreds or thousands of paperbacks you might otherwise have to carry down a flight of stairs on moving day. One of the less talked-about uses, however, is as a vessel for audiobooks.
Having worked with the Kindle while helping out students with learning disorders, I can tell you that this is a really useful feature. It’s also proven helpful with an elderly relative of mine who sometimes has trouble even with the device’s largest font sizes, but who still really loves her books. The Text-to-speech feature isn’t bad, though it can trip over some words in odd ways sometimes. I personally prefer to go with actual narrated book readings. It adds something that, if you’re forced or inclined to be listening to a book rather than reading it yourself in the first place, helps significantly with personal immersion.
Since I’m sure there are those of you out there who agree with me, as there are certainly those who find my position ridiculous, I figured it was worth pointing out the current incentive for people still on the fence about the usefulness of eReaders. For the moment, Amazon is offering a discount of $100 off their device if you sign up for a year of Audible.com membership. I don’t really know how limited a time this offer is, but I’d guess not terribly. It’s been around a while. I personally consider it a worthwhile investment if you’re interested in audiobooks. Audible provides good prices on good readings of good books. What more can you ask, really? Chances are that if you’ve read this far into the post, you’re interested in audiobooks anyway. Might as well get a discount on your Kindle and a new source for your reading all at once, right?
 Though Amazon Kindle and Apple iPad are touted to be arch rivals in the e-Reader segment, it hasn’t stopped Amazon from building a Kindle app for iPad. Amazon previewed the Kindle iPad app a couple of weeks ago and yesterday, the app made its way to the Apple iTunes Store. The Kindle app for iPhone has been around for a while now and is very popular amongst iPhone users. The iPad Kindle app is a logical extension of the iPhone Kindle app and its release was on the cards after Apple announced the launch of iPad on April 3. However, there’s one major limitation of using Kindle on iPad – Books bought through Kindle app must be read within the app itself. These books will not be viewable in Apple’s iBooks app.
The Kindle app for iPad lets people enjoy the best of both worlds – easy to use Kindle app interface and supreme performance of the iPad. Further, it gives the users a choice to read books from either Amazon or Apple. Customers always want more choices and e-Readers are no exception to this rule. I’ve come across many voracious readers who are addicted to kindle interface and therefore, they are reluctant to try out the iPad. The Kindle app for iPad is welcome news for all such readers.
While a lot of people have been debating the fortune of Amazon Kindle after the launch of Apple iPad, I believe that Amazon will emerge as the major e-Book provider for iPad. Since iBooks is not pre-installed on Apple iPad, many users might prefer to install Kindle app for iPad as compared to iBooks.
I’ll publish a review as soon as 3G-capable version of iPad hits the stores that I intend to get for myself.
 One of the biggest impediments to eBook Reader distribution has always seemed to be exposure. Those of us who enjoy such things were forced, with each product that arrived on the market, to weigh the pros and cons of each device based on rumors, specs, and buyer feedback without, in most cases, ever having the chance to see a device in person. New reports indicate that this is going to be a phenomenon of the past, however!
Now, I’m not saying that this was a problem for everybody. Originally those who were close enough to a Sony run store had this luxury, of course, and in fact still do. Hell, the Sony Readers have long since come to Target stores around the country as well. Today, however, the eBook market is heating up based on distribution models and 3g devices like the nook and Kindle have center stage as they make the move to the big name storefronts.
Later this month, the 25th if reports can be believed, we should be seeing the Amazon Kindle popping up at Target stores all over the place. In what may be a coincidence, but is probably a reaction, Best Buys will in turn be picking up sales of Barnes & Noble’s nook. This should be a fun time.
This has been a question that I’ve been wondering about for some time. As an avid reader with a habit of finishing at least a book or two per week, I’ve often wondered if, as seemed logical from a knee-jerk instinctive point of view, I was actually saving resources by switching away from printed material in favor of a Kindle. I’m sure many of us have. The answer is a little bit surprising.
A recent article broke things down for me in terms of resource extraction, environmental impact of manufacturing and transportation, energy usage and disposal, within the limits of general understanding since the composition and manufacture of individual screen types and such are often not a matter of public record. Apparently, depending on what factors you choose to gauge your green-ness, an eBook Reader gains the edge after between 50-100 books. This seemed like a lot at first glance, but since that’s about a year of a book per week(not something I consider an unreasonable rate of consumption) it’s easily less than what I plan in the life of any eBook Reader I might happen to pick up. That doesn’t even begin to take into account the resource savings on things like periodical and newspaper subscriptions, which are an area in which the Kindle shines.
It might be a small change, but it’s nice to be aware that in a world increasingly aware of resource deficits and “green guilt” hitting me left and right, I can be proud of this rare intersection of technical convenience, enjoyment, and ecological soundness. Not quite as proud as if I were to start walking to the used book store every week instead, but we all have to start somewhere, right?
I know it hasn’t occurred to me alone, partly because I have seen the idea expressed by others before, but I think we often overlook the wonderful fact that we live in the future. Remember those old films about the promises of the next century? Well, I look around in the distant future of Twenty-Ten and realize that we got a few of them right.
Sure, we don’t have flying cars. I could care less about that. The first time my gas light came on in the middle of nowhere, I’m pretty sure I’d swear off them permanently anyway. What we do have is the Kindle. Think about it.
Every day, I can wake up and have the newspaper already sitting on my desk in the form of a piece of “paper” that changes on a daily basis or whenever I happen to need it for something. I carry around the better part of a library in my pocket, and when I find I’m lacking something it’s the matter of a few moments while it is beamed to me from far off locales to prevent me the inconvenience of getting up and driving to the store. In moments of curiosity, this wonderful device can get me answers to most any question by accessing one of the largest knowledge bases in existence from nearly anywhere in the world at no charge with no questions asked.
It’s so mundane right now, too. That’s quite possibly the most surreal point of all. We have devices like the Kindle and nook and a dozen others to choose from, the main difference between them often being aesthetics and level of convenience, and nobody even realizes what they mean!
I’m still holding out for an affordable version of the house that wakes me up and cooks me breakfast every morning, but I’m willing to let that one slide. So long as I can sit here with an eReader and enjoy, the future is good.
In an bizarre way, people seem to be looking to devices such as Apple’s new iPad as the future of electronic book technology. This seems…shortsighted. Let’s take a moment to look at a couple of the major complaints people have had regarding eReader adoption.
The lack of the “feel” of a book while reading is a very common theme. Nobody can deny that a Kindle in your hand isn’t quite the same thing as a paperback. Fortunately, after a few minutes of reading, the weight and display size are close enough that you hardly care. What are the chances this will prove true with a 1.5lb half inch thick tablet?
As a tablet, we also have to consider the fact that eInk isn’t involved. For many people this will initially seem a good thing. After all, what complaints about the Kindle don’t begin with the words “no color screen” or “slow page turns”? As anybody who has spent some time with the Kindle can tell you, however, the perception of “staring into a screen” that so many people are concerned with never seems to arrive with the eInk screen. Will the benefits outweigh the loss for iPad owners? How many people do you know who can spend hours a day reading books on their laptop?
Sure, Amazon is hedging their bets with the new Kindle software app for the iPad, but it seems unlikely that it will end up being necessary in the long run.
In a rather interesting move, Amazon seems to have increased the general utility of their Kindle. It could, in fact, be on its way to becoming a must-have for vacation-goers this summer. Sure there’s the expected advantage of being able to lug a pile of books to the beach in your pocket, but the sightseers are targeted now too.
In short, it’s been reported that Amazon has recently acquired exclusive rights to sell the always helpful Michelin Driving guides. When added to the functionality of browser-based mapping programs like Google Maps, you can find yourself with an entertaining way to tour the nation without ever getting sidetracked. At present, such offerings as a driving tour of California Wine Country or a run around the Florida Keys are going for a mere $3.99. There’s certainly no shortage of other material there for the taking either, with popular publications like the Zagat Restaurant Guides, Frommer’s Travel Guides, and the Regional Hiking series already available at reasonable prices.
As a fun aside, as you prepare for the upcoming vacation weather, remember that road trips with kids are much more tolerable when they’re having a good time and for the moment Amazon can be very helpful there too with the majority of the popular Series of Unfortunate Events books being available free of charge to Kindle customers for what will likely be a very limited time!
Recently I stumbled upon a blog which describes how to hack Kindle in great details. Even though I’m not a big hacker myself it is quite interesting to see what is going on in my Kindle internals and what steps I would need to take in order to modify it.
Based on his post in order to see Kindle boot sequence you will have to do some additional electrical wiring. That’s how crude final connected version looks like.
If you want to hack you Kindle you’ll need several things:
- Some electrical engineering education… Or be a hacker in your soul.
- a TTL-RS232 or TTL-USB converter.
- a 20-pin 0.5mm pitch flat flex cable with a connector.
- Strong desire to do it.
Or you can keep it simple and send your Kindle to Igor and ask him to hack it :)
Read his entire post on connecting Kindle to a hacking device.
In the next post I’ll try to cover more aspects on kindle hack process I read about in Igor’s blog. It will include some hidden features and easter eggs you have in your Kindle.
If you have tried hacking Kindle and successfully done so please send details to me. I would love to post about them.
Amazon.com has partnered up with Chase in a rare limited time offer where you can get up to $100 off the Kindle paying a total of $259 for the device – the offer ends on September 8th.
Get the Amazon Rewards Visa Card and Get $100 Off Kindle
Thanks to Chase, you get $100 off Kindle when you get the new Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card. Limited time only. Here’s how this works: 1) Apply Online. Get a response in as little as 30 seconds. If you’re approved, we will instantly add the card to your Amazon.com account and you’ll get $30 back on your credit card statement after your purchase. 2) Add a Kindle to your cart. 3) Place your order using the Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card and enter this promo code: VISACARD to get the additional $70 savings at checkout. Additional restrictions apply.
Now you might be thinking why is Chase offering to subsidise you up to $100 for a Kindle, well, they want you to start using their credit card called the Amazon.com Rewards Visa card, and over time Chase hopes to recoup the $100 through interest payments. The promotion is offered and paid for by Chase, not Amazon, so for those who have bought the Kindle in the past couple of weeks, Amazon wont refund you the $70 that Chase is subsidising the Kindle.
Once your approved for the card, which Amazon says takes less than a minute, Chase will add $30 in credit to your Amazon.com Rewards Visa card. Once the card is added to your Amazon.com account you can add the Kindle to your shopping cart and apply the “VISACARD” discount code for an additional $70 off. This code will only work if you add Kindle to you cart and go through the normal checkout process and don’t use 1-click, the discount should work even if you already have the Amazon.com Rewards Visa card, unfortunately the $30 credit is for new card customers only.
A Kindle for $259 was an offer too good for me to pass, for the last couple of weeks I’ve been thinking about getting a Kindle for my wife, once I heard about this offer my mind was made up – I was going to get it. Once I was approved for the card, sure enough I put the “VISACARD” code in and a $70 discount was applied to the Kindle. My wife’s shiny new Kindle should arrive on Monday, perfect.
Now I’m not a big user/fan of credit cards in any case, I religiously pay whatever I owe off every month, but since there isn’t a yearly fee for having the Amazon rewards card, I don’t mind applying for it, I guess it will just sit there nicely in my wallet. If you do decide to go for it, make sure you pay it off and don’t drive yourself into debt, if you don’t trust yourself you can always cut the card up as soon as you get it.
Will you be taking advantage of this offer?
Source: Amazon.com
Yesterday I came across this great post on Google Groups, its a list of Kindle disorders that Kindle owners tend to suffer from – enjoy;
A few days ago I detected a certain malady that some Kindle users may have experienced. I have come to learn that there are many more conditions, symptoms and maladies of which I believe my fellow Kindle users should be aware. The list is not exhaustive so please feel free to add any additional items as you may have experienced on your own.
Kindle Abandonment Syndrome: The feeling of concern when you cannot find a newly published or previously published book in Kindle format which results in you sending threatening letters to publishing houses or checking the “New on Kindle” site every ten minutes.
Kindle Anxiety Syndrome: Worrying that your Kindle will run out of charge before you can reach your home and your charging cord.
Kindle Separation Anxiety: This manifests symptoms which include trying to tap the next page button on a paperback or hardcover book, if you still read those!
Kindle Agoraphobia: The fear of traveling to a destination that goes not have Whispernet access, like a foreign country, a remote location, or a tunnel.
Kindle Envy Condition: This is when people post negative comments about the Kindle on forums without having ever owning one.
Kindle Curiosity Malady: This is when you spot another Kindle owner in public and you insist he or she show you what they have downloaded on their Kindle.
Kindle Braggadocio: This is when you give a ten minute demonstration of how your Kindle works when someone casually asks if that is a Kindle.
Kindle Confusion Malady: This is when you repeatedly lick your finger when you tap the next page button.
Kindle Hoarding Syndrome: This is a condition where you have downloaded 2000 books from every free e-book website you can find. It is particularly serious when you download the Russian versions of
Tolstoy’s books and you cannot read Russian.
Kindle Displacement Condition: This is a condition where you consider your Kindle a member of your family and purchase seven designer covers and extra SD cards but neglect to buy your family milk.
Kindle Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: This is when you check the Velcro patch which secures your Kindle to its case every half hour to ensure it won’t slip out again. It can also manifest itself with the
purchase of multiple batteries and the constant checking of your Amazon Media Library.
Kindle Carpel Tunnel Syndrome: Intense pain in your thumbs from speed reading on your Kindle.
Kindle Obesity: This is the insistence that gaining weight is only due to the fact that with a belly you can now read your Kindle while lying prone.
Kindle Perplexity Disorder: This is when a patient insists that any reading matter he or she received must be in either asw, prc or pdf convertible format because “I don’t read anything that isn’t
Kindlized.”
Kindle Grammar Abuse: Using the word Kindle as anything other than a noun: such as is it Kindleable?; can you Kindlize that? Or I don’t do anything unKindled.
You may ask is there a cure for these maladies. I fear that no cure is available. My only hope that is when the Kindle becomes universally accepted like the IPod and the laptop computer, these maladies will be readily accepted by the population.
Some of these are hilarious and are especially true for me. Do you have any Kindle related disorders you would like to share?
Source: Google Groups
 The Amazon team have added a new button below any book which is currently not available on the Kindle. The new “Please tell the publisher” button aims to alert publisher of a demand for a particular book by Kindle owners and hopefully prompting them to publish a Kindle version of that book.
This is what Amazon said on its blog;
Our goal is to make every title available for Kindle, and to that end some eagle-eyed Kindle owners and enthusiasts have already noticed and been using a new tool to help us do just that. If you’re frustrated that a physical edition of a book is not (yet) available in Kindle version, just look below the book’s image on its product detail page and you’ll find a box that reads, “Please tell the publisher.” Click on the “I’d like to read this book on Kindle” link and we’ll forward your request. Make your voice heard.
It is a nice feature which will hopefully be used by Kindle owners to highlight old and new books which publishers haven’t bothered to Kindle-ize, yet. It would be also nice if once you have submitted you request to be notified by Amazon if the book does become available on the Kindle,
Next step is magazines and newspapers which should also have this button.
Source: Official Amazon Kindle Blog
Photo by Keegan Jones
If you have an image that you would like to submit for Kindle Photo of the Day, then please get in touch! you can send the image via email to  – please make sure you include your name and a link to your site.
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