Amazon's storewide Black Friday Weekend and CyberMonday Week deals. Kindle 9.7" DX e-Ink eReader at $169. Office Suite Pro for Kindle Fire / Android on sale ($0.99 this minute). Adobe's unusual Black Friday deal on Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5. Excellent guide to Lightroom 5 for 35% off. Photography guide books at up to 50% off. Amazon's "sneak preview" of home and personal deals for CyberMonday Week.

Black Friday Deals
 While Amazon has been having the usual early Black Friday activity, it all started in earnest after midnight last night, everywhere.
  The links for Amazon: Amazon's Black Friday deals US, (UK also, as well as Canada)

There'll be new deals every 10 minutes, according to the business wires.

For Kindle Fire tablet users, Office Suite Professional, is $0.99 at the moment -- it's normally $14.99 at the Amazon Appstore,
  It'll be available at varying prices during the week, their press material says.

  The Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" has a limited subset of this productivity on the tablet.

A lower price agaih on the large, 9.7" Kindle DX e-Ink eReader again
We have a very quiet new reduction this week (originally said, 4 days ago, to be "for a limited time" but that statement is missing now -- yet, it shows both the $239 price (which prevailed the last 6 months until the recent change to $199) and the $169 which was said to be a limited-time offer.  That's probably so, judging by the two prices under the Kindle eReader family header for that model currently.

  The Kindle DX Graphite e-Ink eReader had been $239 for awhile after the price was lowered from $299 for the resuscitated e-Ink giant, and for a few days it was $189 before going back to $239 on Oct 15.  $199 seemed to be the new price on Nov 13 rather than a temporary number but they've lowered it this week while keeping the $239 tag on it as well.

This 9.7" e-Ink Kindle eReader, with more text on a 'page' and larger fonts that look as if they are etched onto the screen, had made a sudden re-appearance on Amazon's e-Ink family header in May 2013, at $299 (formerly $379 when new).

  You can see detailed information on what this device is like in the blog article from May 31 about the larger e-Ink eReader many have hoped would remain available.

I see no other Kindle items mentioned though, though I imagine they will have an older model on sale briefly during one of their "Goldbox" or "Lightning" deals that will be changing very quickly this week.


Adobe's Creative Cloud program for Photoshop and Lightroom
Before I list items for which Amazon plans to offer some heavy discounts during "Black Friday Week" (not detailed on their page this way but itemized on a press release), I want to draw attention to three Sales items (two of the three are not Amazon-related) for the Photography buffs in your fanily or circle, as the Adobe deal is an unusual deal for those who have never bought Photoshop before because it was unaffordable, and the other is a guide to Adobe's Lightroom 5. /
  The guide is an excellent (and beautiful) tutorial to the ultra flexible and powerful Lightroom 5 software that Adobe developed for customers working with just photographic images (no Illustrator, Dreammaker or designer features) and which is therefore less pricey due to its more concentrated focus.

First, Adobe has had a deal (for a little over a week now) which ends at midnight on Monday Dec. 2.  Their more than controversial Creative Cloud program had changed Adobe's distribution method from Package Sales to Subscription Plans, with subscription pricing that was rightly met with tremendous hostility from the photography-inclined, as it was too costly and, as with car rentals, you don't keep the car if you stop leasing it.

  The current and final boxed edition of Photoshop is Version 6.  They will support updates for new cameras and bug fixes but won't be adding new features.  Instead they now offer 'CC' (Creative Cloud) versions of Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustratork and 36 or so other Adobe programs.  In an attempt o mollify the photographer mobs, in September they made a special-priced subscription of $19.95/month for Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5 users who had previously purchased Photoshop 3 or later versions.  But that was still too high for software you don't keep if you stop your subscription and also for those who have avoided Photoshop due to its overly high pricing (for example, the now older Photoshop 6 Box package is $700).

As of last week and until Monday night at 11:59pm, ANYone (whether or not you previously purchased an expensive Photoshp package) will be able to join the "Creative Cloud" program and have unlimited access to full Photoshop and updates as well as to Lightroom 5 -- for $9.99 per month for the first full year  Remember that the last Photoshop box package is still $700 to purchase and its software updates have cost $130 to $150 or so each time.

To learn more about this or to take Adobe up on this very unusual limited offer, here's the article that alerted me to the $10/mo offer and and here's the Adobe's info and sign-up page with a link to their FAQ on this.  They've told two workshop leaders (Scott Kelby and Michael Frye) that they don't plan to raise the pricing the 2nd year but one can't rely on that.
  It looks as if previous owners of Photoshop 3 or above have until December 31 to take the deal, while others have a deadline of December 2.
  Kelby, the prolific photography book author and Photoshop adherent, points out, impatiently, misinformation about the deal.

  Here's info on the Black Friday special for Michael Frye's excellent Step by Step guide to Lightroom 5 in PDF format.  He's a wonderful photographer who writes some of the best, easy to follow tutorials around.  Normally his guide to Lightroom 5 is $14.95 but it's 9.95 until Monday night, Dec. 2.

  Anazon also has a sale on photography guides.  Most of the discounts are on printed versions, at up to 50% off.


Amazon's deals will come every 10 minutes during Cybermonday week
  These start Sunday night st midnight, running for 7 days and including "50% off select top toys and 50% off a 46-inch Samsung LED HDTV."  This immediately follows Black Friday (links at the top), and the Black Friday pages have CyberMonday links on them, as the idea is to of course Sell, and all the stores are aggressively doing that.  Watching this on TV, I wouldn't know we are in the middle of a slow economy.

Here's the sneak preview listing of the "CyberMonday" items going on sale after Midnight Sunday, from their press releases.

Electronics
Samsung 46-Inch 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV, $477.99
Samsung 46-Inch 1080p 240Hz 3D Ultra Slim Smart LED HDTV, $1,297.99
40% off a Panasonic 47-Inch and 55-inch 1080p 240Hz Smart 3D LED HDTV (Includes 4 Pairs of 3D polarized glasses with built-in camera)
Touchscreen laptop, $199.00
Roku HD streaming media player, $39.99
Canon PowerShot point-and-shoot, save 46% off
Canon EOS Rebel T3 DSLR (18-55 kit) for $399
Nikon COOLPIX P520 with bag and memory card for under $300
Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera and 2 lens kit, under $500
Save up to $150 on select Sony Handycam camcorders
10% off select Beats and Bose headphones
57% off a Philips speaker dock for iPhone5
40% off a TomTom 6-inch GPS navigator with lifetime traffic & maps
50% off a Sony portable Bluetooth wireless speaker system
$100 Amazon.com gift card plus free SONOS BRIDGE with the purchase of a SONOS PLAYBAR
Toys

Up to 50% off select top toys
50% off Barbie 3-Story Dream Townhouse
40% off Lincoln Logs Redwood Junction - Amazon Exclusive
Razor Spark 2.0 Kick Scooter, $44.99

Pets
20% off Ruffwear dog apparel and accessories
Aquarius Glofish 180 3-1/2-gallon aquarium kit, $26.35

Home and Tools
Dyson multi floor compact canister vacuum cleaner, $179
More than 65% off select DEWALT tools
Get a $40 Amazon.com gift card with purchase of a Nest Learning Thermostat - 2nd Generation
GreenWorks 40V 16-inch DigiPro brushless chainsaw, $239.20
Hoover FloorMate SpinScrub wet/dry vacuum, $89.99
Custom Leathercraft Tool Backpack, $49.99
Fiskars Ultra Blade Power Gear Bypass Lopper for pruning- 25-Inch, $24.96
Rayovac LED flashlight, $19.99
Grill Daddy Pro grill brush, $15.98

Books, Movies and Music
Up to 50% off popular books including Guinness Book of World Records 2014
Save up to 58% on over 7,000 movies & TV shows on DVD and Blu-ray including Homeland: Season 2, Rise of the Guardians, and Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures
Save on popular CDs including Eric Church “Chief” $5.49, Imagine Dragons “Night Visions” $5.49 and Celine Dion “Loved Me Back to Life” $7.49
Over 60 superhero movies and TV shows including Superman, Smallville and more available at Amazon Instant Video, up to 60% off

Kitchen
Cuisinart 10-Piece premium grilling set, $40.95
More than 50% off select Circulon, Anolon and Cuisinart copper cookware sets
Marcato pasta machine, $59.99
Peugeot Elis U'Select electric 8-inch salt mill - Stainless Steel, $55.96
Save 15% with purchase of $50 or more on Chef’n kitchen items
Save 20% with purchase of $100 or more on Paderno World Cuisine kitchen items

Sports and Outdoors
Up to 70% off New Balance clothing
Up to 70% off ASICS running clothing
Up to 45% off Adidas golf apparel
50% off TaylorMade Burner Plus Irons
Up to 35% off top golf GPS units by GolfBuddy

Fashion
30% off $100 shoes for the family – boots, slippers and more
Up to 65% off men’s and women’s cashmere
Up to 70% off jewelry
Rubber and silicone watches, starting at $59.99

Baby
30% off Graco baby swings
20% off Philips AVENT gift set

Automotive
Up to 70% off select car floor mats
Up to 40% off select car care products
Stanley 500-amp jump starter with built-in air compressor, $60

All prices available at select times and while supplies last.

For reference, here is the Current Global Listing of available Kindle devices.

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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

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How to Play Flash on Kindle Fire HD / HDX. Step-by-Step guide to install Flash video for Youtube and other Flash-driven websites. Network TV full-episode changes. UPDATED Nov.27, 2013

How to install flash to play flash videos on Kindle Fire HDX and HD devices, for Youtube and websites using Flash

This blog article, updated November 26, 2013, is a companion article to How to Install non-Amazon apps on Kindle Fire HD.

  NOTE: - The current update has to do with (1) a recommendation of an older Dolphin browser version for the HDX line + advice on downloading the specific flash app-file recommended for Kindle HD and HDX (and Nexus tablets) and with (2) the Network TV Full Episodes being available in dedicated app form now, with the Networks favoring their own apps for mobile-device watching (probably having to do with ad statistics) and restricting mobile-device access on web video versions.

  Where Dolphin web browser tended to work with a "user agent" setting of "Desktop" mode instead of "Android" in those cases, that workaround has been hampered by some new Network processes.

  The upside, of course, is that Network TV full episodes are now easily watchable via their dedicated apps, some of which are at Amazon's appstore and those that aren't can be downloaded by using 1mobile.com's appstore.
  (1Mobile now has over 500,000 apps available from GooglePlay, athough you'd search there for the NBC TV or CBS TV apps having the usual network logos and showing the highest number of downloads -- or you can just view and match their icons, app names and version #'s with the apps that are listed on GooglePlay itself.)

  TIP: Amazon's own browser can now handle NBC Full Episodes website video! (Nice job, Kindle Team.)

  TIP 2: Amazon's own browser currently handles Youtube well by taking you to the mobile version of that site, showing you a small version of the video selected from a search and, when you click on one, shows you a full screen version of it in decent quality w/o your needing to change (via a long-press) the Youtube video gear-wheel setting at the right-bottom of a video, to change the video quality.

  Youtube's mobile area was completely rewritten by Youtube to use HTML5 rather than Flash and in the recent past sometimes had a somewhat smaller selection of videos, but they are very similar now.  Amazon works with the HTML5 via their new experimental Flash-replacement streamer, which will be described further below.

  NOTE: The quality of streaming will be affected by the speed of your Internet connection.  Providers of DSL home Internet access usually use a default, first-tier lower speed that's often about 1/6th the speed of cablemodem speeds, so if you love to watch Internet streamed material via WiFi network connections in your home, I do recommend cablemodem access like Comcast's.

  Apps already carried at Amazon's appstore:
  WatchABC, which includes viewing of LIVE ABC programs rather than just after the fact, is quite a boon and is much more stable now after some updates.  (I think that CBS app (available at 1mobile.com) requires a 5-day delay.)  Also carried at Amazon is "Xfinity TV" app, which Comcast users use for "On Demand" offerings.
  Amazon's appstore also carries PBS, Smithsonian TV apps, and other TV apps.  If you Search the Amazon store for "TV" you'll also see apps for Discovery; History; WatchESPN; RAI; and several others.
  But then there's always Amazon Instant Prime viewing, which now includes downloadable files for watching offline, and Amazon keeps adding exclusive material on that feature while providing optional X-Ray background info on actors in the scene you're watching.

  Sidenote: One of my favorite new features is playing a favorite mp3 song from the Cloud or downloaded to my device and seeing the new x-ray'd lyrics scrolling down, with the current line highlighted.

TIP 3: - Amazon's new HDX tablets provide what has been described by major tech-site reviewers as the fastest and smoothest experience on tablets today (I still haven't done a report on all that but will), and if multmedia files are your focus and you want them accessible on your device to play offline, get a device with more storage than 16 GB.
  I didn't want to pay a few hundred dollars for a multimedia tablet and wind up feeling constrained (as I also have a lot of photos on mine), so I got the 64GB one and love the freedom from worrying about space, Cloud or no Cloud.
  I think of it as a built-in SD card space.  Still, a 32GB tablet will be enough for many multimedia users though.

When shopping different makers and models and analyzing costs, note that a key competing tablet will cost an additional $100 to get to each higher level of storage space - to 32 and to 64GB - and that one does not play Flash on web sites created with Flash.

ADOBE and Flash Support
In October 2012, Youtube and other Flash video no longer worked on Kindle HD and other newer Android devices like the Nexus tablet line, because Adobe stopped supporting Flash on later models of mobile devices.

  The workaround was to use a web browser that supports an Adobe flash player file that works with later mobile devices.  (Since all this No-Flash drama happened, Amazon has been working on its own workaround, at Youtube and with a growing number of web sites.)

  Many of us are able to view, using Amazon's own default Silk web browser, some of the main Flash-playing sites, even for network TV full episodes now, as mentioned, as Kindle Team has been working on Amazon's Experimental Streaming Viewer which works with a limited number of sites, but they are large, popular ones, and Amazon is expanding the number of websites that will be able to work with it.

  Here's my earlier introduction to the Experimental Streaming Viewer, with some initial tips that will help, though there may be some added web-browser setting changes needed via the browser menu for some.
  A key step is to enable "Accelerate page loading" setting in the Silk web browser menu (it's now the default setting on the HDX tablets), which automatically turns 'ON' the Advenced Setting of "Prompt for experimental streaming viewer."

Back to the Google-owned Youtube:  Here's a brief history of THAT dilemma brought on by Adobe's dropping of Flash support.
A Kindle support rep encouraged customer Daryl R. Budd in October 2012 to download the Dolphin browser, which had been a common recommendation of Kindle owners who are regulars on the Amazon Kindle forums.

  Adobe announcement about ending support for Flash Player on mobile browsers.
  Despite Adobe's decision, there were some browsers that supported the final Flash Player file that still ran fine on mobile devices for Android systems up to v4.1 (Kindle Fire HD was using v4.03), and that file was made available on a developers forum for devices like the older Google Nexus and the Kindle Fire HD.

  As time went on, the Nexus was upgraded again, and XDA developers had to find another Flash Player file that would work with it (which also works for the Kindle Fire HD and HDX).  The Adobe site HAS this in their "Archived" files area.  The Amazon Kindle Forum regulars have relied on the XDA Developer Site for the latest working file to be tested by knowledgeable XDA forum members and offered for download.

  Over the last year, Youtube's videos have worked sporadically for various devices, with intermittent Flash compatability with browsers using special Flash files, while Youtube developers worked to provide full HTML5 support (the eventual Flash replacement on all websites that keep up to date) in place of Flash.

  Amazon has now been able to improve Experimental Streaming Viewer so that Youtube videos can be viewed without any special work on the part of the user.

  (Just be sure to look at your web menu Settings option and choose to use that experimental feature by checking that box.)

  Amazon does take you to the mobile version of Youtube as described above.  You see a large thumbnail of the video you're about to play and when you click on that, it plays full screen and automatically in HD if the video was done in HD and if your Internet connection is fast enough.


WORKAROUND and Step-by-Step GUIDE, for sites that need the Flash-player workaround
  Per Amazon's Kindle Forum discussions, Kindle Fire HD and HDX owners are using, as needed, three files that provide a good workaround, the same 3 files that Google Nexus owners need to get Flash video on Youtube since the Adobe Flash (Non)Support travails.

  Re those three files, linked below, FIRST do the following:
STEPS: (based on *~*Pineapple*~*'s guide from the forums:

Do the following on the Kindle Fire HD or Kindle Fire HDX tablets:

• Go to the 'Home' screen.
• Swipe down (lightly pressing and pulling down) from the top of the screen.
• That gets you the Quick Settings Menu.
• Click on "More" at the top right.
• Go down the Settings list to "Device" and click on that.
• Choose to "Allow Installation of Applications From unknown sources."

Installation files end in ".apk" ...

Then download and tap to install, to your Kindle Fire 2/HD, the files at the following links, with your new Kindle Fire HD or HDX tablet:

1. the free file manager app, ES File Explorer
   
     [It's ALSO useful, in case of an install problem to get Easy Installer app, which can do a search for install-files and then shows them to you so that you can choose which one to install.
       Be sure to check Easy Installer's top-right Menu
         (3 vertical squares),
       click on 'Setting' and check the 'Scan Hidden Directories' box.]
   
   
2. the specific Adobe Flash file offered at XDA Developers Forum Please read recommended alternate source just below.
   
     The XDA Developers Forum file links now lead to strange ad-crazy pages, one of which asks for your credit card info and one of which promises racy pictures.
     So, since the actual recommended file uploaded by XDA forum's "Recognized Contributor" stempox is the Flash File version that ends with ".27" and that file is directly available at Adobe's Archives with no download fuss:
     Here is the general Adobe Archive page for Flash Player files, and, more to the point, here's the direct Adobe link to that same file (Flash Player 11.1.for Android 4.0 (11.1.115.27) in Adobe's own archives.
   
     Also:
   


3. Here's the Dolphin browser (v8.5.1), identified in the forum post as "APK Download," which supports that specific Adobe Flash Player file.

   (I've, in the past, used the most recent Dolphin browser HD (v10.0.3), with the earlier Yr 2012 Kindle HD as that had worked well for me with the older special Adobe Flash Player file.)
     HOWEVER, on the HDX 8.9" tablet I have, the older v8.5.1 Dolphin browser file, linked to above, works more smoothly with the current recommended Adobe Flash Player file.
   
   (If you want the the latest Dolphin browser despite that, you can get it from 1mobile -- To use any android appstore, you just download its store app, which will work like the Amazon store app).  The Dolphin makers continue to update that browser; HOWEVER, the one file that's recommended at the Amazon Kindle forum is the v8.5.1 linked to above, so it's better to just get v8.5.1 linked above to be sure, especially with the HDX tablet)

Once an install file (.apk) downloads, you'll receive a Notification that it's been downloaded.  Then, do the following:

When you receive notification that the Adobe Flash Player is downloaded, run or launch the ES File Explorer app if the Amazon Silk browser doesn't do it automatically.   So, ONLY IF needed:

1.   Use ES Explorer file manager to look in the "Download" folder
       if an app doesn't auto-install.
2.   You should see the Dolphin HD browser icon.
3.   Tap it to install the browser.
4.   If needed, do the same for the Adobe Flash Player file.

Dolphin HD Browser settings

When you've launched the browser, the usual Android Menu icon (it's square and looks like an air conditioner or a washboard) can be tapped to bring up several options.

1. Tap on "More" (it has 3 lines).
   
2. Then tap on the 3rd option, which is "Settings."
   
3. Go down to "Web Content" and tap "Flash Player" -- the choices are:
   • Always on (videos will auto-run - easiest but it'll slow down some page loads and sometimes Flash routines will cause crashes, one reason Steve Jobs hated it).
     
   • On Demand (You'll tap a blank rectangle -- or one with a down-arrow in it -- to have it run only when you want that.)
     
   • Off (I see no reason to use this.)
4. Other settings - ones I use, in case you wonder what might work:
     . Auto-fit Pages: ON
     . Default Zoom: 200% (Close up)
     . Open Pages in Overview: ON

ALSO, make sure Javascript setting, just below Flash, is On or Enabled.

Then, after installing the app files and making sure that the Flash setting is set to run Flash either Always or On Demand, you'll be able to switch to the Dolphin HD browser app when needing to see a video requiring Flash.

Very interesting additional Dolphin setting:
Getting back to the Main Settings page list, the FIRST one is "User Agent"   I tend to use "Desktop" there because I hate ugly, oversimplified mobile-device optimized pages, which are built for small smartphones.

 The webpages you visit with the tablet will tend to know you're a visiting Android, or Android device :-) and sometimes will not run Flash as a result.

  For example, SOME TV video pages will actually not allow videos to run on Android devices but will allow them to run for "Desktop" devices or on iPads.  This is where you can camouflage your device as a a 'Desktop' or iPad  :-)
  Remember to change it back when needing to use the Android setting though.

Troubleshooting.   Restarts - I had an HD Youtube video close on me one night in October 2012 after a few seconds.  Twice, after I'd been running the browser with many tabs open.   When quite a bit has been run on a tablet, sometimes memory gets fragmented and there's not enough to hold what's needed in 'contiguous' mode and then an app will close.

  In case that might be the reason, I just powered off the device from the Home page, which will clean up the memory the same way our computers do upon power-off or restart.  After doing that, I had no problems with that same 9-minute Youtube High Definition video and played it full-screen a few times, using the Dolphin browser and the Adobe Flash Player file that members of the Kindle forums recommend.

Other app stores that are recommended when Amazon does not have a particular app   Besides 1mobile.com, popular ones are androiddrawer.com, m.getjar.com, iapktop.com slideme.org, handango.com, and others.  As with any appwstore, you can search for an app and download it to the tablet.   This is because Amazon has always allowed the option of installing appication files "from unknown sources" despite what you'll read on large tech sites (for reasons I don't understand, since they spend space talking about 'rooting' the tablets or doing 'modifications' on them and the normal mode requires none of that.  Just a checkmark on a box.

I always recommend though that people wait a few days before getting apps from any other sites, to see if anyone is having problems with malware (even at Google Play market, when Google allows access, but Google doesn't acknowledge Kindle Fire devices).  Google doesn't take as much time to vet apps as Amazon does, to test for both malware or incompatability.

  Amazon's appstore should be supported though.   Of course, if Amazon carries the app, it's definitely best to get it from Amazon because Amazon does a strong vetting of the apps they offer and because it's the way they make revenue from (now the highest-quality hardware) tablets sold at cost.   They also keep a copy of the app in your Amazon Cloud area, which is useful when you are getting another Kindle tablet or if you just need to re-install the file.  I think it's important to support the Amazon Android appstore, but I also think it's important that Amazon make more good apps available to us at a faster pace, and maybe they should have a suggestion box for the more popular requests.

The actual ADOBE statement on Flash Player support (or not) for types of tablets. Also, the Android versions involved
 The Kindle Fire HDs are currently using Android v4.03, and the HDX's OS 3.x is a heavy customization of Android Jelly Bean v4.2.2.  The Google Nexus uses v4.3.x.

  Adobe: "The easiest way to ensure ongoing access to Flash Player on Android 4.0 or earlier devices is to use certified devices and ensure that the Flash Player is either pre-installed by the manufacturer or installed from Google Play Store before August 15th [2012].   If a device is upgraded from Android 4.0 to Android 4.1, the current version of Flash Player may exhibit unpredictable behavior, as it is not certified for use with Android 4.1. [Nexus]   [Discovered by josh1120 of the Kindle Forums]

  "Future updates to Flash Player will not work.  We recommend uninstalling Flash Player on devices which have been upgraded to Android 4.1."

  As we've seen, Adobe seems to be reluctantly providing SOME support via their archived file versions.

SHORTCUT Links for this blog article that will be easier to remember:
  http://bit.ly/kfhdflash
    OR   http://bit.ly/how-to-install-flash-player-on-kindle-fire-hd

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RELATED posts on Kindle Fire HDs which are useful also for the Kindle Fire HDX line (descriptions of Kindle 7" features will apply to the 8.9" models also).

  . Getting non-Amazon apps on Kindle Fires
    (The basic models of each Kindle Fire tablet line
      have storage space limitations though.)
  . Google Maps, Street View and other apps on my Kindle Fire,
      via enabling one device setting
  . Downloading and playing YouTube videos on Kindle Fire HD.
     Also, TubeMate app for Youtube will download videos to play on your Kindle Fire,
      and BSPlayer app will play almost ANY video format.
  . Using the camera and Video, Panorama mode, Time Lapses
  . Add Wi-Drive pocketable disk/stream'g for Kindle models
      and for other tablet or phone devices,
      or, Portable wireless 320G Patriot Gauntlet drive/stream'g for 7" & 8.9" devices.
  . App for WiFi file transfers w/o cable.

For reference, here is the Current Global Listing of available Kindle devices.

---

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

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New Kindle Paperwhite-2 Tips: Update v5.4.2 brings long-awaited CLOUD Collections, GoodReads integration (US), Personalized Freetime profiles for parental control

NEW KINDLE PAPERWHITE 2 Software Update v5.4.2 with long-awaited feature enhancements

Kindle Paperwhite Software Upgrade to v5.4.2

  REMINDER: Even when here is no startling news, I respond to questions in the Comments areas of the blog entries -- and the Q&A entries are always shown in summary form and linked to, latest first, on the blog's right-hand column (used for information that's ongoing or for reference materials on topics of interest to many who visit the blog.  So check "Latest Comments" (in the info/reference column on the the right of the page whenever you're curious what people are asking and the responses made.

On to the latest Paperwhite 2 (the newest Paperwhite model) update 5.4.2 eff. Nov. 19, 2013.

  Devices involved: See Paperwhite 2 (US),   UK Paperwhite 2: here; Global Paperwhite: here.

Tne new, free software update available for Kindle Paperwhite 2 can be found [here] [U.S.]

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

The software page explains how to check the software version currently on your Paperwhite 2.  I'm usually one of the last to receive software updates, so sometimes I do follow the instructions to do a manual download and install to my Kindle if the change is important to me.

This update automatically downloads and installs on the applicable Kindle Paperwhite 2 eventually; however, as mentioned, you can also manually download the software and transfer the update to your device via USB cable.

Here's what they describe for update v5.4.2 [Emphases mine]

* Kindle FreeTime
FreeTime lets you create personalized profiles for kids, and give them access to titles from your collection of books.  Kids can keep track of their personal reading progress and earn achievement badges. To learn more, go to Kindle FreeTime (US) or for UK: here).

* Goodreads on Kindle
    [For customers in U.S., Canada, Australia, and
     Int'l customers registered to an Amazon.com acct]
Connect with the world's largest community for readers from your Kindle Paperwhite. See what your friends are reading, share notes, and rate the books you read. To learn more, go to Find and Share Books with Goodreads on Kindle.

* Cloud Collections
Use Cloud Collections to organize titles in custom categories and store your collections in the Cloud. To learn more, go to Organize Your Content with Cloud Collections (US) or for UK: here.

As ever, note that keeping your Kindle always connected to a Wi-Fi network can drain your battery faster.  So, once you've got the update "over the air" or manually, put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" via the 'Settings' option on the Menu -- the option lets you toggle Wireless Off with the "Airplane On" choice.

  Amazon has not put the "Wireless Off" and "On" back on the front menu as they did earlier this year for the Kindle Touch, removing the confusing-to-many 'airplane mode' icon, which many of us wish they would do, as it is very inconvenient to have it on a secondary menu and many don't even know about the wireless-off feature, causing more battery drain and confusion over that.  Amazon: please do this someday; the Kindle Touch team has the right problem-avoiding idea.

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

Only if you'd rather not wait -- DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Paperwhite Software Update v5.4.2 download section to get the instructions for the download and transfer to your Kindle via USB:
UK:  Go to the update and download area for the UK-only page

That's it for the latest software update from Amazon.

---

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.

US: New Kindle Fire HD 7" 2nd Gen - $139/169 Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB - $229/269/309 Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB - $379/429/479 - with 4G added: $479/529/579 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16GB - 1st Gen $229 - 32GB w/ no special-offers: $314 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89 Kindle Touch WiFi - $99 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi+3G - $189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free web Kindle DX - $379 $199 (*New* price)

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - £109 Kindle Paperwhite2 3G, UK - £169 Kindle Fire Basic HD 8/16GB, UK -  from £119 Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB, UK - from £199. 4G/3G Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB, UK - from £329. 4G/3G CANADA - Kindlestore, CDN-$ Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79 Kindle Paperwhite 2 - $139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, 3G - $209 KFire HD Yr 2012 7" $214,  8.9" $244. Yr 2013 KFires: HD Gen2, HDX line

*OTHER Int'l pages* Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89 Paperwhite 2 WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $209 KFire HD Yr 2012: 7" $214,  8.9" $244 Yr 2013: HD Gen2 + HDX line Australia Kindlestore France Boutique Kindle Deutschland - Kindle Store Italia - Kindle Store Spain - Tienda Kindle Brazil - Amazon Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

  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

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Kindle Fire HDX and HD2 Tips: Software updates adding some promised features for the new tablets are here - v11.3.1, v13.3.1, and v14.3.1. Details added. Also, a Miracast adapter recommended by Amazon. And new customization of personalized Kindle covers announced.

SOFTWARE UPDATES for promised additional features for the KINDLE FIRE HDX's and the new 7" HD 2nd Gen

Amazon has made a software update available as of today for the new HDX line and for the new Kindle Fire Basic 7", which is called "HD 2nd Gen" (which replaces last year's basic Kindle Fire that had no HD, no camera, and no HDMI-out and which sold, retail, for $159).

Most of the new features added in this update group are described below, and they also include the usual general improvements as well as the mentioned feature enhancements.

  One neat feature not mentioned in the software-download pages, but noted in the press release, is the addition of Voice Dictation.
  "Voice dictation converts your speech to text -- available in all languages when online; offline support available in US English"

  In addition to the Voice Dictation feature, some other features mentioned in Amazon's press release but not detailed on the update pages include the following:

  "New accessibility enhancements that enable blind and visually impaired customers to save a separate accessibility profile for children in Kindle FreeTime, scroll lists automatically when swipe navigating, hear enhanced sound feedback and screen orientation changes announced, and have more control when editing text and navigating web content."

  "Dozens more new features, performance and battery life improvements, and bug fixes."

These updates will be delivered wirelessly as usual in a distribution over a few weeks -- but if you'd rather get them now, you can do a manual update by downloading the software and updating your device via USB cable.  Here are direct links to the software-update pages for the 3 tablets involved (emphases are mine):

  Update Page for Kindle Fire HD 7" 2nd Gen
  Update Page for Kindle Fire HDX 7"
  Update Page for Kindle Fire HDX 8.9"

The main added features described on the update pages (shown below) are the same for all three tablet models except that the sentence under the "Enterprise" category on the HDX 7" update page inadvertently omits "Protect secure data on your Kindle Fire with device encryption tools" although the feature IS included in the described features for the lower cost HD 7" 2nd Gen tablet.  So, that would just be an oversight.

* Find and share books with Goodreads
Goodreads on Kindle lets you connect with the Goodreads community to follow friends and see what they are reading, and share and rate books on your Kindle Fire.

* Organize your content with Cloud Collections [Long requested]
Organize your content library into collections like "Favorite Books" and "Sports Apps" that are synchronized with compatible Kindle devices and reading apps.

* Watch movies and TV shows on another device with Second Screen
Fling movies and TV shows from your Kindle Fire to your 2013 Samsung Smart TV or PlayStation 3 using Second Screen.

* Learn more about books with Smart Lookup
With the Smart Lookup feature, you can quickly look up words in the dictionary or Wikipedia or translate text in a book.

* Print from your Kindle Fire [Built-in support instead of dependence on an external app]
Print Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents, photos, e-mails, calendar events, and contact information from your Kindle Fire to a printer that supports mobile printing.

* Free up storage space with 1-Tap Archive
With 1-Tap Archive, your Kindle Fire groups all content that has not been used recently so you can move it to the Cloud with just one tap.

* Enhanced enterprise features [See Note above]
Protect secure data on your Kindle Fire with device encryption tools, manage security certificates, and connect to your company’s Wi-Fi network—whether you’re at home or at work -- with remote VPN capabilities.

* Set alarms and view additional time zones with the Clock app
Use the all-new Clock app to check the date and time, set an alarm clock, and more.

The press release adds a larger explanation of Second Screen
"Fling TV shows and movies from your tablet to your big-screen TV.   Second Screen turns your TV into the primary screen and frees up your Fire HDX to provide playback controls, a customized display for X-Ray, or simply a place to email, browse the web, and more while you watch a movie.  Second Screen is available for PlayStation 3 and Samsung TVs, and will be available starting later this year for PlayStation 4."

  This is in contrast to Miracast, which -- like the cabled HDMI-out, in last year's HD models, will "only" MIRROR what is on your tablet (whether a movie or web-browsing) HDTV without using cables from your tablet to the TV.

  Here's a recommended Miracast adapter (seen mentioned positively in the Amazon Kindle Forums based on a recently added recommendation by Amazon as "Certified" at its tablet Miracast help page) -- The Netgear Push2TV PTV3000 --
-- BUT NOTE that Amazon says it requires a Firmware-update for the adapter before using it.
 The update likely fixes a main reason for some '1' ratings in earlier customer reviews on the product page).  The adapter is $60 but Amazon has its 30-day refund policy on this Prime shipping product shipped and sold by Amazon.

  Here are two recent comments given on the Amazon Kindle Community forums when I asked if anyone had found a Miracast adapter without notable lag time:

' Steve Z. says:
I have read the reviews of the miracast adapters sold on Amazon as well. They all seem to have a lag problem. Then I read the reports by several here in the forums that they had had good luck with the mirroring technology with their HDX's. I also did a search in Amazon help and see that Amazon recommends the Netgear Push2TV adapter. This happened to be the same one others in these forums have suggested. I purchased one figuring I could return it if it didn't work. It arrived last Monday and the first thing I did was update the firmware. ( the newest firmware is dated in November.) I hooked it up to my TV and it immediately worked. Turning on mirroring in the HDX is very simple. I detected no lag or stuttering. It mirrored well with pictures, video (youtube), and simple games. (Have not tried a graphics intensive game yet.) Last night we watched an entire Amazon Prime movie with no hiccups or errors. Works for me.


Jules Nichols says:
I agree with Steve Z, I got my Netgear Push2TV adapter on Monday, I didn't update the firmware, but went straight to try it out. Worked fantastic. No lag or stuttering. I'm using it with the 7"HDX. '

Note that the recommendation (and certification) is by Amazon and not by me, as I haven't bought the product yet.

For MORE DETAILS on the new feature enhancements on this update, see the earlier HDX/HD2 articles with far more thorough descriptions of what they do:

  1. Overview of New Features
  2. Things to Know about the new features

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

ADDED TIP on a tablet cover + a new "Personalization" feature
The first tip is for those who find the Origami cases more pricey than wanted.

  1. The Poetic Slimline cover is notable for having 65 customer reviews currently, with 63 of them 5-star and the other two, 4-star, while being inexpensive ($9.95 currently for the 8.9" model) -- and while this page highlights the 8.9" HDX model, the bordered TEXTBOX under Availability at the top of that product page gives links for these covers for the 7" HDX and HD 2nd Gen models as well.  They all carry the same ID number for links.  Each headlines a 3-year manufacturer warranty from Poetic.

  A new Customization or Personalization feature for Kindle covers was announced, and you can read about that on the "Create your own Kindle accessories" page but from what I see it has to be ordered at the same time you order the case.  You can upload your own photo or image design or choose from several pre-designed ones offered by Amazon.  This is all I know for now, though.

  Probably enough info, overall, for one day?  Am still working on a report on the 8.9" HDX 64GB I bought and have been putting through the mill (and it generally has exceeded my expectations).

---

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.

US: New Kindle Fire HD 7" 2nd Gen - $139/169 Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB - $229/269/309 Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB - $379/429/479 - with 4G added: $479/529/579 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16GB - 1st Gen $229 - 32GB w/ no special-offers: $314 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89 Kindle Touch WiFi - $99 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi+3G - $189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free web Kindle DX - $379 $199 (*New* price)

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - £109 Kindle Paperwhite2 3G, UK - £169 Kindle Fire Basic HD 8/16GB, UK -  from £119 Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB, UK - from £199. 4G/3G Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB, UK - from £329. 4G/3G CANADA - Kindlestore, CDN-$ Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79 Kindle Paperwhite 2 - $139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, 3G - $209 KFire HD Yr 2012 7" $214,  8.9" $244. Yr 2013 KFires: HD Gen2, HDX line

*OTHER Int'l pages* Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89 Paperwhite 2 WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $209 KFire HD Yr 2012: 7" $214,  8.9" $244 Yr 2013: HD Gen2 + HDX line Australia Kindlestore France Boutique Kindle Deutschland - Kindle Store Italia - Kindle Store Spain - Tienda Kindle Brazil - Amazon Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

  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

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Kindle News: 9.7" e-Ink DX Graphite, w/ free slow 3G web lookups, now $199. Paperwhite 2 with 3G back in stock in 2-3 weeks. Kindlestore launches in Australia, HDX's arrive in the UK. Pricing drops updated. Amazon and USPS beginning Sunday deliveries in two cities.

The 9.7" e-Ink Kindle DX Graphite is now $199.

This one doesn't carry language about a "limited time" offer.  It had been $239 for awhile after the price was lowered from $299 for the resuscitated e-Ink giant, and for a few days it was $189 before going back to $239 on Oct 15.  $199 seems to be the new price rather than a temporary deal.

This 9.7" e-Ink Kindle eReader, with more text on a 'page' and larger fonts that look as if they are etched onto the screen, made a re-appearance on Amazon's e-Ink family header in May 2013, at $299 (formerly $379 when new).

  You can see detailed information on what this device is like in the blog article from May 31 about the larger e-Ink eReader many have hoped would remain available.

  Alert: The current e-Ink family header with the discounted DXG price has an oddity on it, still: The 3G Kindle Paperwhite picture is linking to the previous Paperwhite 3G model at $179 rather than to the current and "New" 3G Paperwhite 2 3G model that is $189.
  If you click on the header link to the previous 3G model, note that the newer one will be back in stock in about 2 weeks.

NOTE: While the newer 6" touch-based e-Ink eReaders with 3G cellular network capability have 3G access to just the Amazon store and (few know this) 24/7 free access to Wikipedia from almost wherever you are as long as a cellular AT&T tower is nearby, the older keyboard (non-Touch) e-Ink eReaders work (with no-added-cost) for slow, 3G web browsing whereever an AT&T smart phone would.

  The 9.7" Kindle's 3G is the connecting mechanism for this device with a keyboard -- there is no WiFi capability on this model.  Amazon still gives, on this device, slow but free 24/7 access to all websites that offer mainly text content with few images.

  An image-heavy site should be avoided because all the images would not load in your lifetime, so you'd use the 'm' or mobile version of a website, which normally sends fewer images and focuses on text.

  Many find this slow 3g-web-lookup useful on trips abroad, where very expensive 'roaming' charges would apply, to check email, text-based news, or to get driving directions from one place to another.

  To check what countries' residents can use the 3G web-browsing feature for the e-Ink Kindle DX eReader, see the web Countries page in connection with e-Ink keyboard models with 3G.

  This larger eReader can be shipped to customers outside the U.S. also.


Amazon launches a Kindlestore in Australia.  Australians wondering whether to make the switch (from the U.S. store) should read these articles:

  * BRW report on where Kindle HD and HDX's will be sold and Australian Kindle book pricing vs U.S. prices.
  * Lifehacker's Amazon Australian Kindle Store: Everything You Need To Know
  * Lifehacker's How Do Amazon's Australian Kindle Book Prices Compare?.


Amazon's new Kindle Fire HD/HDX line in the UK
See parcel2go.com's article.  I've verified the product pages and updated the Full global Kindle list for these changes and for various pricing drops.


Amazon partners with the U.S. Post Office for Sunday delivery in two cities
Starting this weekend with the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and New York City, Amazon will offer Sunday delivery via the U.S. Postal Service and the company plans to expand the service in 2014, with Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, and Phoenix mentioned so far.

  There'll be no extra charge for Sunday delivery, which will be for both Prime shipping members (free 2-day delivery of most Amazon-sold products) and non-Prime members, who can get free 5-8 day delivery on orders of at least $35 (up'd from $25 recently).

  An interesting factoid from the USA Today article: "...the USPS is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation – 152 million homes, businesses and post office boxes.


I received my Kindle HDX 8.9" tablet with 64 GB storage and have been making notes while enjoying it even more than I'd expected and am doing a follow-up report on the HDX line and its reception and features that have been given a lot of press recently.

 It should be done by Thursday night, but I've been experimenting with a lot of the features and changes that show Amazon was listening to its customer base.

---

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.

US: New Kindle Fire HD 7" 2nd Gen - $139/169 Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB - $229/269/309 Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB - $379/429/479 - with 4G added: $479/529/579 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16GB - 1st Gen $229 - 32GB w/ no special-offers: $314 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89 Kindle Touch WiFi - $99 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi+3G - $189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free web Kindle DX - $379 $199 (*New* price)

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - £109 Kindle Paperwhite2 3G, UK - £169 Kindle Fire Basic HD 8/16GB, UK -  from £119 Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB, UK - from £199. 4G/3G Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB, UK - from £329. 4G/3G CANADA - Kindlestore, CDN-$ Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79 Kindle Paperwhite 2 - $139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, 3G - $209 KFire HD Yr 2012 7" $214,  8.9" $244. Yr 2013 KFires: HD Gen2, HDX line

*OTHER Int'l pages* Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89 Paperwhite WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $209 KFire HD Yr 2012: 7" $214,  8.9" $244 Yr 2013: HD Gen2 + HDX line Australia Kindlestore France Boutique Kindle Deutschland - Kindle Store Italia - Kindle Store Spain - Tienda Kindle Brazil - Amazon Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

  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

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Kindle Tips: Another Kindle Paperwhite 1 software update, v5.3.9

KINDLE PAPERWHITE 1 Software Update v5.3.9

Kindle Paperwhite Software Upgrade to v5.3.9

Reader Peraino sent another tip (yesterday) that yet another software upgrade for Kindle Paperwhite 1 is available, though not with the new features of the Paperwhite 2 yet -- that would normally take months to happen.

I've still not been around lately, but when I am, I'm now working on setting up my new, main computer, which is a Microsoft Surface Pro 2, which is a spectacularly capable "TabTop" -- essentially a very fast, smooth, can-do-anything 2-lb laptop with a separate 1/2 lb Type keyboard cover (which, when the keyboard cover is detached, also functions as a super fast, though relatively heavy, tablet -- but it's most notable for being able to run, easily, full Windows programs of the most graphically-complex types like Adobe Photoshop's latest and Lightroom 4 or 5 and the full Office Suite, if you get a model with sufficient storage space and 8 GB of RAM.  I'm really loving it.

  So, I'm on my way back to Kindle productivity after dealing with that and finishing a couple of other projects that kept me mostly away from the blog.

  NOTE: Even when not actively blogging (when there is no startling news), I respond to questions in the Comments areas of the blog entries -- and the Q&A entries are always shown in summary form and linked to, latest first, on the blog's right-hand column (which is used for information that's ongoing or for reference materials on topics of special interest to many who visit the blog.  So check "Latest Comments" (in the info/reference column on the the right of the page, whenever you're curious what people are asking and the responses made, even when I'm not actively blogging.

On to the latest Paperwhite 1 (previous Paperwhite model) update v3.5.9 eff. Nov. 8, 2013.

  Devices involved: See Paperwhite (US);   (UK Paperwhite: here; Global Paperwhite: here.)

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

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

  The software page explains how to check the software version currently on your Paperwhite 1.  Mine still has v5.3.8.1 on it rather than v5.3.9 -- I'm usually one of the last to receive software updates, so sometimes I do follow the instructions to do a manual download and install to my Kindle if the change is important to me.

This update automatically downloads and installs on the applicable Kindle Paperwhite 1 eventually; however, as mentioned, you can also manually download the software and transfer the update to your device via USB cable.

Here's what they describe for update v5.3.9 ...

' The software update includes general improvements and the following feature enhancements:

* Hide Reading Progress Option
While reading, tap the bottom left of the screen to switch between four reading progress options, including Location in book, Time left in chapter, Time left in book, and None, which hides your reading progress from the bottom of the screen.  To learn more, go to "View Your Reading Progress" at the Amazon "Reading Basics" help page.

* Improved PDF Performance
General performance and stability improvements for PDF files.

* Improved Homonym Lookup in Chinese and Japanese
When you look up a word that has multiple meanings for the same spelling (homonym), you can view a full list of the available definitions from within the dictionary definition window. '

As ever, note that keeping your Kindle always connected to a Wi-Fi network can drain your battery faster.  So, once you've got the update "over the air," put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" via the 'Settings' option on the Menu -- the option lets you toggle Wireless Off with the "Airplane On" choice.

  Amazon has not put the "Wireless Off" and "On" back on the front menu as they recently did for the Kindle Touch, removing the confusing-to-many 'airplane mode' icon, which many of us wish they would do, as it is very inconvenient to have it on a secondary menu and many don't even know about the wireless-off feature, causing more battery drain and confusion over that.  Amazon: please do this someday; the Kindle Touch team has the right problem-avoiding idea.

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

Only if you'd rather not wait -- DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Paperwhite Software Update v5.3.9 download section to get the instructions for the download and transfer to your Kindle via USB:
UK:  Go to the update and download area for the UK-only page
http://bit.ly/kpw-v538-uk

---

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.

US: New Kindle Fire HD 7" 2nd Gen - $139/169 Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB - $229/269/309 Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB - $379/429/479 - with 4G added: $479/529/579 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16GB - 1st Gen $229 - 32GB w/ no special-offers: $314 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89 Kindle Touch WiFi - $99 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi+3G - $189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free web Kindle DX - $379 $239 (New price)

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69 Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - £109 Kindle Paperwhite2 3G, UK - £169 Kindle Fire 2, UK -  £129 Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK - £159/199 CANADA - Kindlestore, CDN-$ Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79 Kindle Paperwhite 2 - $139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, 3G - $209 KFire HD Yr 2012 7" $214,  8.9" $284. Yr 2013 KFires: HD Gen2, HDX line

*OTHER Int'l pages* Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89 Paperwhite WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $209 KFire HD Yr 2012: 7" $214,  8.9" $284 Yr 2013: HD Gen2 + HDX line France Boutique Kindle Deutschland - Kindle Store Italia - Kindle Store Spain - Tienda Kindle Brazil - Amazon Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

---

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

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

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