Three Mobile Support

Friday, 12 October 2012

Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Owners' Lending Library going to the UK, France, Germany. Paperwhite for Italy+Spain also. Kindle hardware is sold at Amazon's cost, Jeff Bezos tells BBC News.

Posted on 16:58 by Unknown

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite on its way to Europe, along with Kindle Owners' Lending Library

Jeff Bezos, in a video'd cafe interview with BBC News yesterday, said that "Basically, we sell the hardware at our cost, so it's break-even on hardware" and, as we learned Sept. 6 at their announcements of the new Kindle line, their plan is to make money through sales of books and other content subsequently bought by Kindle owners.

Apple, CNet's Dan Farber writes, "reportedly makes around a 40 percent margin on its WiFi-based iPad..."

Amazon is releasing the Paperwhite in the UK, along with the Kindle Fire on Oct 25 and has been promoting its PRIME subscription program, long available in the U.S. and now extended also to customers in France, Germany, and the UK on November 22. I saw that the Paperwhite will be released in Spain and Italy too, but nothing has been said about the Prime program in those countries yet. In the UK, the annual subscription to Prime will be £49.

The Kindle Owners' Lending Library - for Europe soon
The Kindle Owners' Lending Library (KOLL) is coming to the UK, Germany and France in late October. As in the U.S., Prime members who own a Kindle device can borrow one Kindle book per calendar month for free, with no waiting lines or due dates. This is on top of the basic Prime feature of free 2-day shipping (1-day in the UK), which in parts of Europe will tend to be for purchases of Euro 15 or more. Thanks to commenter David Williams for the info on 1-day free shipment for the UK.

PaidContent reports:

' Amazon opened it up to self-published authors in December 2011 through a program called KDP Select, and the library now contains over 200,000 titles, nearly all of them self-published. Authors are paid out of a fund each time their ebook is borrowed. (In exchange for including books in the KOLL, self-published authors must sell them exclusively through Kindle for a period of at least 90 days.) All seven Harry Potter ebooks are also available through the KOLL in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

In the press release announcing the expansion to Europe, Amazon said it is increasing the pool of money that self-published authors are paid from to $700,000 for October, from $600,000 last month, and “a larger increase anticipated in November.” The company says “in September, authors earned $2.29 per borrow, which is more than many KDP books earn per sale.” (Of course, not all books are borrowed even one time.) '

Why we see Amazon 'Special Offers" and "Customers also purchased"
The "also purchased" recommendations were added lately to Kindle Fire HD and Paperwhite, in connection with Kindlers' favorite genres or authors showing in most-recent reading on the Carousel or book listing. There will be an option to not show these, in the next Kindle software updates, but some enjoy seeing them. Barnes and Noble has had "You might also like" on the lower half of its Nook Touch for over a year but have managed to market it as an e-reader "with no ads."

redOrbit points out:

' Considering that Amazon makes little or no money on sales of hardware devices, having customers purchase content is critically important.

Bezos said that part of the reason Amazon’s break-even hardware strategy works is because customers’ desire for media grows significantly once they own an Amazon device.

“What we find is that when people buy a Kindle they read four times as much as they did before they bought the Kindle.”

“But they don’t stop buying paper books. Kindle owners read four times as much, but they continue to buy both types of books.”

Amazon hopes its devices will also help generate sales of non-media products sold online, since customers who purchase Amazon Prime receive faster delivery, at no additional cost, of products purchased from its warehouses.

Although the expedited delivery adds to shipping costs, evidence has shown that subscribers end up spending more overall and are less likely to comparison shop at rival online retailers. '

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.

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

UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £109
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB
Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - £109
Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK - £169
Kindle Fire 2, UK - £129
Kindle Fire HD 7"16/32GB, UK - £159/199

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

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

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

For daily free ebooks, check the following links:

Temporarily-free books - Non-classics
USA: by:
Publication Date
Bestselling High-ratings
UK: PubDate Popular

The Kindle Daily Deal

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

Highly-rated under $1, Newest: $1-$2, $2-$3

Most Popular Free K-Books
U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):
Top 100 free
UK-Only:
Top 100 free

Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.

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

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

Posted in amazon kindles sold at cost, kindle, kindle owners lending library for europe, paperwhite in europe | No comments

Wednesday, 10 October 2012

Kindler-related Tablet and eReader news-bits. The iPad Mini: Where/What. HTC tablets discontinued in U.S.

Posted on 15:43 by Unknown

A few headlines from the news

These are mainly quick links to tablet/reader-related news stories that might interest readers.

Analyst predicts Google 10" tablet -- Richard Shim, an analyst with NPD DisplaySearch, had accurate information beforehand on all three Kindle tablets announced in September.

NASDAQ reports that his info is that Google has teamed up with Samsung to build a 10-inch version of the Nexus tablet. That will take awhile, and it promises to be fairly pricey, as the specs he quotes exceed Apple's in important ways.
One example: Apple iPad 3's display resolution is 2048 x 1536, and he expects the 10-inch Nexus to reach 2560 x 1600. He bases his predictions on "supply chain indications."

Shim describes the anticipated 10-inch Nexus as "high-end" and also says that Google will also produce a $99 tablet in December. Many doubt the $99 one will happen or that it would be worth buying, since the current basic Nexus 7" tablet is $199 and has only 8GB of RAM, just one speaker, and no HDMI out. It has GPS though.

A new survey indicates strongly that the iPad Mini may not be quite the auto-buy for Apple users (or others) as had been expected. See the full story for details.

Apple's rumored IPad Mini and the much-awaited invite (world. bated. breath)
The invites to hear about the iPad Mini were to go out today, but as of 3pm PDT, no one's reported seeing one yet. So the expected invite date is changing to Thursday. Most of the current news stories are that the unit will have no cellular option (WiFi only) and won't be using the Retina feature, which is confusing reporters because a unique feature at this point becomes more important, with the current popularity of the Kindle Fire HD, the Google Nexus 7", and the new B&N Nook Tablets HD (which have SD slots, higher screen resolution but, oddly, no front-facing (or any) camera, so no way to do Skype on them -- which I think is a mistake).
Most think the iPad Mini 7" will be priced at around $299.

Some images said to be of the iPad Mini were shown on Twitter yesterday. The Daily Mail has a clearer picture of the small unit placed on the iPad.

A recent Pew Research Center report:
52 percent of tablet owners reported having an iPad -- down from 81 percent in Pew's 2011 survey. Android-based devices made up the remainder of the U.S. tablet market, per the survey. If it's true that the iPad Mini may not be as in demand as first anticipated, it may be fortuitous for Apple that:

iPad Mini shipments estimate has already been cut
10 million iPad Minis were said to have been ordered (per WSJ and others) for the 4th quarter. That estimate was changed today to about 5-7 million, with supplier difficulties cited. Fortune's Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports that Brian White's dispatches from an Asian road trip, as of Tuesday, describe what a "challenge" it is for suppliers to fill in time, due to the specs, with 'yields' being 'frustrating.

In the meantime
. HTC has discontinued sales of its tablets in the U.S. As we've seen, the tablet market is crowded and low margin, for the most 'successful' vendors.

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.

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

For daily free ebooks, check the following links:

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

Posted in apple, google 10-inch tablet, google nexus 7, ipad mini, kindle fire hd, nook tablet hd, tablet rumors, tablet surveys | No comments

Amazon Studios making movies in Hollywood with input from customers. Script in digital comic format downloadable free, for input.

Posted on 06:33 by Unknown

AN UNUSUAL FREE COMIC BOOK DOWNLOAD
Amazon Studios has a new approach to film making, called "Crowdsourcing," per Alistair Barr's article for Reuters.

Amazon has been developing movies and tv programming with added help in the form of data from consumer feedback and tracking as it goes. Then they make adjustments from that, as one way to help avoid "bombs" from audience disinterest in the subject matter or approach.

According to Barr, Amazon spends about $1 billion a year to stream programming from others over Prime Instant Video.

I've seen bits and pieces about Amazon Studios in newspaper articles that don't get much notice, but Barr mentions that since late 2010, Amazon's film studio in Hollywood "has let aspiring screenwriters and film makers upload thousands of scripts to its website" and has an exclusive, 45-day option to buy movie scripts for $200,000 and TV series for $55,000. It can also pay $10,000 to extend options for 18 months."

Amazon "helps develop the scripts it options into trial videos" and posts them online to get reviews and feedback from its customers. Writers make adjustments based on that feedback.

I didn't know this was going on, but Barr writes:

' For instance, Amazon took its nine best test movies from 2011 and posted them on Amazon Instant Video, the company's streaming video service.
Customers viewed the projects hundreds of thousands of times, according to the company. It is using reviews and feedback to re-write scripts.

Amazon also collected data on how long customers watched the test videos and how many watched all the way through.'

How it works

The article goes on to describe how it all works.
One script has been turned into a digital comic ("Blackburn Burrow Issue #1") that comes with a survey to get input, and this Kindle comic was recently "the most-downloaded free comic in the Kindle store.

The article includes some additional thoughts on the process from Edward Saxon, Oscar-winning producer of "The Silence of the Lambs," who's "one of a handful of big-name producers who have signed on to Amazon Studio projects." ... Amazon "has 21 movie projects and nine TV projects in development, to be made for theatrical release." Warner Bros Pictures gets "first-look" at these.

This definitely involves a new, innovative type of focus group :-)

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.

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

UK:
Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69
Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £109
Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149
Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB

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

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

Posted in amazon studios, blackburn burrow, crowd sourcing, digital comic, edward saxon, focus groups, silence of the lambs | No comments

Monday, 8 October 2012

Jeff Bezos: What was that about the goal of "The best tablet" ? - Less-seen reviews of Kindle Fire HD - Comparisons with Google Nexus 7-inch

Posted on 06:38 by Unknown

"This year, we want to have the best tablet at any price."

Introducing "Kindle Fire HD...."	"AND...we decided to go big."
Next, Bezos describes "the best..."	The actual daring comparison

Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos had rather boldly announced that this year they want to have the best tablet at any price, before showing what they had.
Above are my photos of Jeff Bezos, right after that, introducing the "Kindle Fire HD" line on September 6, 2012, which he began by raising the 7" tablet and saying, "the Kindle Fire HD", pausing for the applause "AND...we decided to go big," holding the 8.9" tablet up along with the $199 tablet.

After putting them down, he then said:
"Our large display tablet is only 8.8 millimeters, weighs 20 ounces. Gorgeous 8.9" display, 254 pixels per inch, in-plane switching technology [IPS]..."

The "Kindle Fire HD" (KFHD) designation includes:
A 7" WiFi tablet - 16GB and 32GB versions - 1280x800 resolution - $199 for 16GB
An 8.9" WiFi tablet - 16GB and 32GB versions - 1920x1200 resolution - $299 for 16GB
An 8.9" WiFi tablet w/ 4G LTE - 32GB & 64GB versions - 1920x1200 - $499 for 32GB

He had one chart comparing a Kindle Fire HD's 4G LTE cellular network data plan with the $499 iPad 3's.

Now, logically, from that, would any of us say that he meant the $199 tablet, at 7"
and 1280x800 display resolution and with no 4G, was "the best tablet at any price" in a lineup shown that offers more with each model announced for release this year?

Or, might he have been referring to the $499 8.9-inch tablet with a 1920x1280 display resolution and 4G LTE cellular network data plan that he compared with an iPad plan in a chart?
Ya think?

If it HAD been the $199 one that was "the best...at any price," rather than the $499 one that costs considerably more but which would then presumably not be a better tablet, I'd be wondering about Amazon pricing.

The Three, usually referenced as "The Reviews"
1. Instead, we have David Pogue wondering, in his NYT review of the 7" tablet, What's been "seeping into the water supply" at Amazon's offices. "They’re hailing Amazon’s new touch-screen tablet, the Kindle Fire HD, as “the best tablet at any price.”

He goes on to compare the $199 model's features with the $499 iPad 3, of course, and finds what he likes to call more "soot" than sparks. One could wonder if he chose that image because it may have set his teeth on edge that a company introducing a line of tablets with differing capabilities would challenge Apple with one of them. Otherwise, why the lack of logic, highlighted by bad-water digs that open and close the article? He may have been working too fast, however, since there were four NYT corrections made.
I regularly enjoy his very direct columns and humor, but this one had a shaky basis.

2. Even Consumer Report's Paul Reynolds, in a very fair review (as usual), opened his review with, "The Amazon Kindle Fire HD may not meet the company's goal of creating "the best tablet at any price," our tests suggest. But it's a fine performer..."
Other media have picked this up along with the other two here as indication of generally not particularly positive reviews, with CNN and other syndication columns repeating a couple of these even this weekend.

3. Walt Mossberg, in his All Things D review of the 7" KFHD, headlined his, "Kindle Fire HD is Better but It Isn't the Best Color Tablet" and wrote, "However, after testing the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD, I can’t agree with the sweeping claim that it is “the best tablet at any price. The Fire HD isn't as polished, fluid or versatile as the [$499] iPad." Of course it isn't.

He also says the Kindle Fire HD screen is "inferior to the superb Retina display of the current [$499] iPad" (no kidding) but he doesn't list the screen resolution of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" that does have a resolution rather close to the Retina display, at 1920x1280 on an 8.9" device -- announced with a release date this year.
Others may have noticed that Bezos was introducing a line of tablets with one having greater capabilities and cost than the others.

The pictures above illustrate what occurred right after the stated goal of "the best tablet at any price" was announced. As mentioned, Bezos goes on to describe the $499 model after displaying the two sizes and compares the 8.9-inch KFire HD with the iPad 3's 4G LTE cellular network data plan.

A misinterpretation that was the large focus of each of those reviews
Here's the thing. W. Mossberg wrote this review on September 11, 5 days after the announcements were made and with enough time to have read the fairly important interview with Jeff Bezos by All Things D (the tech publication where his own reviews appear) right after the September 6 announcements.

Mossberg's now famous videoclip with his good questions for Steve Jobs, cited by the Dept of Justice as evidence regarding Apple's foreknowledge of 'set' group pricing, was shot by writer Kara Swisher, who described Mossberg as "my All Things Digital partner."

So, the closing paragraph of that announcements-day interview of Bezos by one of his website news partners was something he would likely be told about. What was actually said by Bezos in that last paragraph, with his final point, matched the sequential stills from my video from the event.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, from the interview with All Things Digital's Tricia Duryee, Sept. 6, 2012, 6 PM, titled,

"...Jeff Bezos Explains It All (Mostly)"

It's a fun interview, by the way.

' Final question: What’s the message that you wanted people to walk away with today?
Bezos: That we have the best tablet at any price. Last year, we wanted to build the best tablet at a certain price. And, this year, we wanted to build the best tablet at any price.
Take away the price and it’s still the best tablet.
It also happens to be only $499.

Walt Mossberg missed that final statement from the interview in the tech publication that later carried his review of Sept 11? Or did All Things D just not tell him about the interview (which was a coup, as Jeff Bezos doesn't give many) before he wrote his review?

OTHER REVIEWS (more detailed) and w/ no focus on the false 'best' idea.
I read the reviews below earlier, before The Reviews by The Three trickled-down to other news-sites that then referenced them heavily for summaries of Kindle Fire HD reviews and before a flood of literally hundreds of local newspapers picked up those summaries.

An example is a syndicated article by Doug Gross for CNN (Scripps Media), as seen at local wptv today and many other local news sites, focusing on "Not the Best" and ending with Pogue's easy crack about "Seattle water" needing inspectors. :-)

The many other reviews below, of the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD, have interesting details about features of interest to consumers, rather than just unimaginative quick-loading of web pages and saying one took a second or two longer than another and wasn't as good as an iPad. Bezos had said the difference in WiFi time would show up in high-definition streams of video and other multimedia material that often give viewers problems when watching movies via WiFi.

CNet's Josh Miller
...
"Streaming-video performance was where the Fire HD's new networking hardware earned its keep. I started streaming an HD episode of "Breaking Bad" on both the Nexus 7 and Fire HD and while neither had any trouble reproducing a crystal-clear 720p image when within close proximity of my test router, things changed as I left the lab and walked several feet away.

" At about 20 feet away (and between two or three walls), the Nexus 7 lost the streaming signal and never picked it up again, delivering only a spinning circle for several minutes. The Fire HD, on the other hand, never stopped streaming and kept the episode's HD resolution even as I left the test router's range and the tablet seamlessly switched to CNET's building-wide network.

"The 7-inch version of the Kindle Fire HD features an in-plane switching (IPS) screen, running at a 1,280x800-pixel resolution. Colors pop from the display and have a really vibrant, high-contrast look. Everything just looks a bit sharper and cleaner here compared with the Nexus 7's still-great screen, and when viewed from extremely wide angles, the Fire HD's screen better retains its brightness, color integrity, and contrast ratio. Pinch-to-zoom requests were delivered quickly, and the Fire HD responded just as fast to them as the Nexus 7 did."
[My note: Miller finds the Nexus better for games performance for various reasons and writes that there are 'very few compelling games' for the Fire HD ready yet "if you're not willing to go through the trouble of sideloading" install-files (the way I did for the Google Maps app, but it's actually easy to do).

However, sometimes games are a bit more hardware specific or might do better on pure Android systems until a version is made for the Kindle Fire HD's customised Android operating system. Miller is careful to point out that the current iPad is 2.5 times the price of the $199 Kindle Fire HD.]
"While watching movies, playing games, or listening to music, I found the Fire HD's speakers deliver clear, loud (if you need it to be) sound that's noticeably better than what I've heard from other tablets.
...
"The Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD serve different purposes and the advantages of one do not diminish the value of the other. They can coexist and still prosper..." Full article here

Gizmodo's Kyle Wagner - "Everything a Tablet Should Be -- And Not Much More
[ Wagner wishes it were a "hardcore multi-tasking workhorse."
"You won't use this as the device to power you through a day full of events and email and documents."
But when he lists the pluses they are stated pretty strongly.]
"Basically, the Fire HD is wonderful to hold and touch and look at and listen to. It's exactly what you'd want any tablet to be. But that doesn't mean it's perfect.
...
"Reading and watching and listening on the Fire HD is sublime. Once you're in, you're in...
"The screen in particular is wonderful, and holding the 7-inch tablet in portrait is actually comfortable (unlike the first Fire or the Nexus...
"...The onboard sound is really good...it makes quite a big difference in using a tablet to watch a movie. There's no comparison to any other popular tablet, and it's even louder than most laptops we've tested it next to...

"...As a value proposition, it's hard to argue with top notch hardware at a total cut-rate price. You could spend the same on a Nexus 7, but you'll have to trade the Fire HD's screen, speakers, and extra storage for a more robust UI and the full Android app ecosystem.
"...The Skype app is as good as any Skype client you'll use, and the front-facing comes across crisp on the other end. It also handles the crappy lighting video chats typically have pretty well.
"...The Wi-Fi really is better than competitors; MIMO is no joke. The Fire HD was on average more than twice as fast as the Nexus 7 and the original Fire.
"...Momentum scrolling is still choppy at times, and touch areas for smaller stuff, like "See All", can be frustratingly small and hard to activate.
"...Amazon's Silk Browser, which is built on Chromium this year, instead of the base web client, generally outperformed the Nexus 7 in HTML5 benchmarks, and was vastly more consistent than either. Its real world performance isn't nearly as full-featured as mobile Chrome or even Safari, though.
"...it's a very well-made tablet, with an outstanding ecosystem behind it and enough perks to make it very appealing for the price..." Full article here.

The Verge's Joshua Topolsky
"The 7-inch, 1280 x 800 display on the Fire HD is fantastic. The IPS, LCD screen looks better than probably any other tablet display I've seen, save for the new iPad. While the pixel density is the same for both the Nexus 7 and the Fire HD (216 compared to the iPad's 264), the Fire blows away the Nexus in terms of color richness, black levels, and general brightness. It definitely looks more like an Apple-quality display..." Much more at the full article.

Wired's Roberto Baldwin - "...Second Time's a charm"
"The new features Amazon has added to the e-book reading experience are also top-notch. Initially, I thought the Immersion Reading feature — a sort of “read along with me” trick that highlights text while the audio version of a book is read aloud — was just a cute gimmick I would tire of quickly. But after reading along to the text of “Bossypants” as Tina Fey spoke the same words to me through the speakers, I’m a believer. It’s mesmerizing.
...
"...All the herky-jerkiness of the original Fire’s UI has been exterminated."
[But he does list where it's not always as smooth as he'd like.]
...
"X-Ray — the feature that brings up an index-like listing of information for whatever you’re reading or watching — is outstanding, and especially helpful for novels with a plethora of characters. The new integration of IMDB data into the X-Ray for Video feature is also excellent

"Speaking of sound, the audio pumped out by the Kindle Fire HD sounded better than other tablets. The Dolby-tuned stereo speakers actually produce a clear stereo image..." [More at the long, full review.]

USA Today's Edward C. Baig -"Kindle Fire HD gives Nexus 7 stiff competition"
"The processor is more robust, leading to a faster and more fluid experience. I did have one crash — and discovered a bug that messed up audio. On some songs, I couldn't hear any sound at all; on others, the volume inexplicably rose by itself. Amazon says a fix is coming in an upcoming software release.
...
"The 7-inch Kindle Fire HD that I reviewed weighs 13.9 ounces, making it a little heavier and roughly an inch wider than the 12-ounce Nexus 7. That makes a difference if you're trying to stash the tablet in your inside coat pocket. Advantage: Google.
[My note: For photos, it's a better size, showing the full photo.]

"...The Nexus 7 has GPS. The 7-inch Fire HD has location-based technologies built around Wi-Fi hot spots. (GPS is coming to the 8.9-inch 4G models, Amazon says.) Adding GPS improves accuracy.
"...Kindle Fire HD includes an HDMI port for connecting the tablet to a large high-definition display that the Nexus 7 lacks. Kindle Fire HD also has integrated stereo speakers with Dolby technology. Movies and music come alive with the bolstered sound, even when you don't don headphones. And Amazon promises more robust Wi-Fi connectivity.
"...Where Amazon especially shines is in some of the latest features that bolster content. I'm especially keen on X-ray for Movies, a boon for cinema fans. If you ever have watched a movie and wondered the name of an actor, you'll appreciate this neat feature...The beauty is you don't actually have to leave the movie to open a separate app.

"...You can view and download photos on the device that are stored in Amazon's cloud.
"...I got just about 5½ hours in my own harsh battery test in which I kept the display on at all times with the brightness cranked up, kept Wi-Fi going and had a movie playing. I suspect you'll come much closer to the 11 hours or so that Amazon is claiming under more normal conditions." Full article here.

Engadget's Tim Stevens
"It's the Kindle Fire HD and it quite handily addresses nearly every concern that we had with the original Fire...
... MIMO connectivity. That's multiple-input multiple-output if you're not hep with the lingo, basically meaning the tablet can both send and receive data simultaneously over its pair of antennas.

"In theory, if you're sending and receiving a lot of data this means you'll receive better overall throughput. The dual antennas will also mean higher overall signal strength, and compared to a few other Android devices we had kicking about (a Nexus 7 and a Motorola Droid RAZR M), the Kindle Fire HD was easily the best of the bunch.

We loaded up the Wifi Analyzer app on all three and the Kindle consistently had a 10 to 15dBm stronger signal, and was able to keep that signal farther away from the router than either of the other two.
...
"...[It]...can finally do all that HD content in the Amazon store justice. That said, with that HDMI output you also can push that content digitally to whatever other display you want.

"...sound is distinctly on the tinny side, as one might expect given the size, but they are respectably loud and, frankly, it's a refreshing change to have two of the things.
Here they're well-positioned so that you get maximum stereo separation when watching a movie or playing a game and we found that they work well even when covered by your hands. That, too, isn't something that can be said for the sound ports on other slabs.
[My note: Both the Nexus and iPad have only one speaker.]
...
"Web pages load quickly...The Chrome browser on the Nexus 7 rendered every page we threw at it faster than the Fire HD, all without relying on any fancy off-site rendering techniques...
[ My note: I turn OFF KFire's "web acceleration" mode and it's faster that way.]
...
"...the SunSpider JavaScript browser test gave us an average score of 1,767ms. That's nearly 700ms faster than the previous Fire and almost identical to the Nexus 7's 1,785ms.
...
"...you can listen on any supported device and have your current position follow you wherever you are. We tried this with the recently updated Android app and it worked perfectly, dropping us into the book right where the Audible recording left off.
...
[ Vs the Google Nexus 7 ] "For the same money the Fire HD gives you twice the storage, proper stereo speakers, HDMI output and better WiFi performance. Plus, there's an amazing wealth of premium content always at your fingertips"
[AB Note: But while the Nexus and Kindle Fire HD are close in Engadget's overall comparison, Stevens prefer the huge Google apps store, Gmail, Google Maps and the feeling of "raw, uncompromised Jelly Bean [OS]."

However, Amazon (unlike Barnes and Noble) allows its tablet owners to install apps from "unknown sources" and there are a few more or less trusted sites like 1Mobile.com, Getjar.com, and Slideme.org that carry the major files from GooglePlay.

I was able to get Google Maps from the Getjar app by just downloading it via the web browser, and then it installed. After the Install, it seemed to give me a revolving circle, I closed the Getjar app, opened up the Google Maps app and was able to get around just fine, including in Satellite maps mode (Google uses Location Services when the hardware doesn't include GPS). [End of Note]
Full Engadget Article with even more detail here.

Digital Trends's Rob Enderle -
"...while both the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD are good products, the Kindle Fire is more Apple-like in its focus on the user experience. That makes it, in my opinion, the better product. It may not have all of the sensors that the Nexus does, but chances are you won’t use them anyway if you already own a smartphone. Amazon focused on things like a more expensive case and better screen instead. As a result, the Kindle Fire HD diverges sharply from the Nexus 7, is easier to use, and does core things better. But it doesn’t do as many things, so the two products likely appeal to different audiences." Full article here.

ABC15's Kirk Yuhnke, Phoenix.
"...The smaller form tablet makes for a great Skype experience and the caller on the other end said my video looked good.
"...Simplicity is key here...in my testing, the entire OS felt fluid and complete. Love their interface or not, they have put together a nice package that makes consuming multimedia very, very simple.
"...included Kindle FreeTime app. It essentially allows parents to lock down the tablet before handing it over to their kids. It limits what apps, movies, videos and books each of your kids can access. On top of that, you can set time limits for certain categories. For example, you can limit games to 30 minutes a day while setting books to unlimited.
"...It’s built well and is a multimedia monster...designed for people who don’t want to notice the operating system while on their way to enjoying a movie, reading a book or playing a game." Full article here. '

Links to other reviews and reports that give detailed information
. Larry Magid for Huffington Post
. Seattle Times's Brier Dudley with some very interesting info.
. TechCrunch's event coverage with good instant write-ups of Kindle Fire HD tablets.

Reminders from the above reviews
The KFire HD is really for media consumers and not Android techies. The Google Nexus at $199 also, has only 8GB storage (for an HD world), one speaker instead of KFireHD's two Dolby-Plus speakers, and no HDMI port out to HDTV while KFireHD does, but the Nexus is good for the full-Android-inclined.
For multimedia without dependence on external stereo spkrs, headphones, etc., the Kindle Fire HD is definitely very nice. Gorgeous picture. Loud (for a tablet), clear speakers with good spatial effect.

Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.

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

For daily free ebooks, check the following links:

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

Posted in detailed Kindle Fire HD reviews, Fire reports, Galaxy Nexus, iPad, Kindle Fire HD features, the best tablet statement | No comments

Sunday, 7 October 2012

Kindle tip: 14 Novels by Sci-Fi's Philip K. Dick are $1.99 each today only

Posted on 09:14 by Unknown

Just an alert. Am working on a long article on the Kindle Fire HD that'll be done today.

Amazon's description today:

Kindle Daily Deal: 14 Novels by Sci-Fi Master Philip K. Dick

Award-winning author Philip K. Dick was one of the most innovative and influential science fiction authors of all time. His work inspired many seminal and critically-acclaimed films, such as "Blade Runner," "Total Recall," and "A Scanner Darkly." Today's Daily Deal features 14 of his ground-breaking books for only $1.99 each.

Today only: Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012

For daily free ebooks, check the following links:

Temporarily-free books - Non-classics
USA: by:
Publication Date
Bestselling High-ratings

UK: PubDate Popular

The Kindle Daily Deal
What is 3G? and "WiFi"? Battery Care
Highly-rated under $1, Newest: $1-$2, $2-$3

Most Popular Free K-Books
U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):
Top 100 free
UK-Only:
Top 100 free

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

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

Posted in | No comments

Friday, 5 October 2012

Kindle News: Kindle DX Graphite $299 on the product page ($80 less)

Posted on 23:55 by Unknown

Amazon has quietly changed the price on the DX Graphite from $379 to $299 - at least for today.

The DXG is back in the 'Kindle Family' header (where I haven't seen it since September 5, although it has been in the comparison table on product pages).

Commenter QZA reported seeing the lower pricing at the "Caribbean Amazon" and I checked the U.S. page, and sure enough, it's $299 with no wording on the drop from $379, although it's no surprise they'd ultimately reduce the price now that LCD tablets of similar size (~10") are more economical than they were two years ago when the DX Graphite was released.

I don't see it in Amazon's Gold Box or Lightning deals today, so it's probably more than short-term, but I have nothing to go on.

Kindle DX has 3G access but not WiFi
Kindle DX includes Free 3G wireless that works globally, like the Kindle Keyboard. It does not have WiFi. Here's Amazon's wording on the product page [emphases mine] :

' Wireless Access to Wikipedia
Kindle DX also includes free built-in access to the world's most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopedia--Wikipedia.org. With Kindle DX in hand, looking up people, places, events and more has never been easier. It gives whole new meaning to the phrase walking encyclopedia.

Search
Kindle DX's keyboard makes it easy to search within a book, across your library, in the Kindle Store, or even the Web. To use the Search feature, simply type in a word or phrase you're looking for, and Kindle finds every instance in your book or across your Kindle library. Looking for the first reference of a character in your book? Simply type in the name and search. You can extend your search to the Kindle Store to find related titles you may be interested in. Explore even further by searching Wikipedia and the Web. Web access is not currently available for some customers outside the U.S. Check your country '

Bear in mind that the web access is ULTRA slow on e-Ink and can tax anyone's patience, but it is useful when you have a need for it to quickly check mobile versions of email webpages or to do lookups that are primarily text-based.

Amazon UK has a page on the countries in which the 3G can be used when UK (or US) residents are traveling there. I just updated it as it's now 59 countries rather than 61, with Russia and the Ukraine not included in that table now.

The Kindle DX Graphite
If you click on the image at the top of today's blog, you'll get the larger image. Then if you click on "Next" while there -- at the top-right while viewing, there's a zoomed in version of that photo so that you can see the font display better.

For more on the DX Graphite model, here are Day 1 reports on it in the Kindle forums after it was released

Also, here are reactions to the DXG by the tough-minded Mobileread Forum folks, a crowd which tended to favor the Sony display before the Kindle Graphite DX was released.

A 6" Kindle? Or the largish 9.7" DX?
This was a common question I was asked at the time. I wrote a blog article, when the first Kindle DX was released, about questions you should ask yourself before deciding between a smaller, more carryable Kindle and the larger, more readable one.

The advice would be the same for the current 6" models and the DX Graphite Kindle though, except that the current 6" Kindle Keyboard, Kindle Touch and Paperwhite have considerably darker fonts than the old Kindle 2 had.

Screen examples of older DX model (White) showing PDFs, landscape mode, sheet music
Here are examples of material (PDFs and sheet music) as displayed on my older Kindle DX before they improved the model with the DX Graphite which has darker fonts and higher contrast.
These will still give you an idea. Click "next" at upper-right of the image page to get more examples as you go.

I use the Kindle Fire more, but for many PDFs, I reach for the DX Graphite, as it's easier on the eyes for more sustained reading. The words look etched on the screen and fewer page turns are needed, but it's also heavier. I've used it only in the house but brought the DX with me on a 3-week trip to Egypt where I wanted to be able to check the many diagrams I'd saved from web articles.

Posted in 9.7-inch, dx graphite, e-Ink kindle, kindle discount, kindle dx price decrease, kindle price drop | No comments

Wednesday, 3 October 2012

Kindle News: Kindle Paperwhite - 1st reports and reviews - UPDATE3

Posted on 05:31 by Unknown

First user reports from Kindle forum are coming in and I'll mention the first few and get on with excerpts from the regular print reviews, which are, fittingly, glowing like a front-lit Kindle. :-)

I'll add that when I saw the Paperwhite, in early Sept, I wondered how could it NOT sell like crazy? This piece sells itself, just sitting there. But, as I've said, it's very responsive too, which some of you saw in the video I took.

The Kindle Paperwhite started shipping officially yesterday, on time, and the first quick report I saw in the Kindle Forum today was by J. Davidson -- the message thread will grow, so you can watch it for as long as needed:

' Short review. Just received mine and best Kindle ever!! Light OMG I love it!

[ Pressed for more, J. added:

'...Love the touch screen feel. Power button is harder to push, so no accidental pushes...have found I need more light to read and this Kindle is what I've been waiting for.'

bookloveranne says:

' 'Mine just arrived. I seated it in the case and hooked it up to the charger. I haven't messed with the fonts yet, but what I've played with so far, I love! '

They mention there are a few negative reviews in the Amazon customer reviews area from people upset that it doesn't have audio. It shouldn't be a surprise to shoppers who read the details before they buy though. I mentioned it early, in the Notes, so that people would know in advance, and many others have discussed it.

In another thread, started before delivery date, someone points out,

"Experimental Web browser faster than on KK, for sure...."

It's always fun on the first day to read the high anxiety over the (non)arrival of UPS or FedExpress, while some do sentry or greeter duty at their front doors. One dog got excited, alerting the family to The Arrival, but it turned out to be Jehovah's Witnesses, whose booklets were not on a Paperwhite.

The Paperwhite product page already has some very helpful, detailed early customer reviews. The gist of these reports is that other e-Ink upgrades were skippable but the reviewers there feel this model is different It's not only the front-lighting, it's also the responsiveness of the capacitive screen (Touchco's) vs an infra-red one (the latter type is on the current Nook Glowlight and the Kindle Touch). [See updates on this further down.]

On the left or just above is an image from the video I took of a very good demo of what it's like to use the Paperwhite, and if you didn't see it earlier, it'll help to take a look. I had just tried out a few menu options and asked a Kindle Team member to show some of the features and functioning for the blog.

OK. What do the Net Tech Sages have to say?

Gizmodo's Kyle Wagner - "Forget Everything Else, This Is The E-Reader You Want" is the headline.

Description: "The Kindle Paperwhite is a pivotal step forward for the technology of ereaders. It makes previous generations feel like a pulpy paperback held up next to an ornately illustrated tome. In short: this is the best ereader you can buy." Wagner is one who has loved the Nook readers.'

I'm pausing here as, one of his many points is fairly key. I wrote, on Sept. 21, that the the screen would probably be "less fragile" than an earlier front-lit one.

Kyle Wagner was the one who had accidentally dropped something onto his Glowlight, causing a "light tunnel" to form and he blamed himself but warned that people should not drop things on it, and his column was followed by Nate Hoffelder's story on his key-drop tests.

At the Amazon announcements, I asked a Kindle Team member about the strength of the screen, because I was concerned the Paperwhite might have the same problem, and the Kindle rep said they had, in fact, done several tests on this, dropping even a brass object on it, without bad effect (no warranty on that, of course). We're talking relative strength. That was reassuring -- but I was talking to what I thought was a knowledgeable salesman with a technological bent.

Sidenote and Update:

I've just discovered who it was, and it turns out to have been Amazon's Director of Product Management at Lab 126, Laurent Sellier. No wonder he was so immediately responsive about the drop-on-screen tests.

Only the VPs wore name tags at the press conference demo area and others involved on the team didn't, and, although I asked, I wasn't able to quote him by name (rules of the day) at the time. But he said OK to a photo and, because of something I saw in Amazon's explanations of how they got Paperwhite to work after several years of development (boosted by the acquisition of Oy Modilis), I saw a French name, put 2+2 together and verified who my capable demo'r was. The work they've done has certainly paid off in results. [End of Side note and update]

Wagner, who'd dropped a remote control on his Glowlight and probably read about Nate's series of dropped-keys tests (from 4 ft), has this to say on that topic:

' We tossed a set of keys onto the screen a few times from about three feet (don’t tell Amazon), and didn’t wind up with any light pillars shooting out of the display. So it’s sturdy.'

Be sure to read Wagner's full review as it's VERY detailed.

Other Reviews

Chicago Sun-Times' Andy Ihnatko - "Industry-best e-reader gets better"
[Although he refers to a "backlight" (as many still do), he knows it's front-lighted but continues to refer to "backlighting" throughout his story.]

[Ihnatko says the unit is "noteworthy" because Amazon]

" added the illumination to the Kindle in a smarter way... its true function is to make the apparent contrast of the display even greater...the Paperwhite’s background truly looks as white as a sheet of paper.

"... At the end of five hours of reading...my brain still thought it was paper. My eyes had none of the complaints that often come at the end of a long session staring at a conventionally backlit tablet or notebook screen.

: ... The backlighting doesn’t seem to affect the device’s battery life in any way that was obvious during a week of use."

[Ihnatko mentions that the 3G model lets you download books and content when away from WiFi but he probably doesn't know about an important feature that most reviewers won't run across:

With the 3G model, you get 24/7 Wikipedia on Free 3G -- that's from anywhere that an AT&T phone works, and this feature also works outside the U.S. when you're on vacation.]

Read his full review. Fun last line.

Endadget's Brian Heater really likes the added contrast and adds,

"The Nook Simple Touch, on the other hand, loses contrast when bumped up to the GlowLight version, offering fairly uneven text throughout...

... On the whole...the light distribution is far, far more even than on the GlowLight."

Engadget's photo is a bit dark but gives an idea of that. Here's the full article.

Slashgear's Cory Gunther - "For those worried about this new light and capacitive touch technology to hinder the reading experience, it’s safe to say that isn’t the case. Reading is simply awesome and we’ve loved our limited time with the new Paperwhite — and you will too.

"... the concave back on the NOOK is still something we favor

"... [Amazon has] even added a few awesome additions to make things even better. We have time to read, x-ray, and tools for readers all available with ease. X-Ray lets you instantly find any and all details of any character, place, or moment in a book. Amazon explains this as letting you explore the “bones of the book” with a detailed breakdown, and so far we love it. Seeing and jumping to exact points in a 400 page read with ease is an awesome new feature for those diehards...

.".. We also have instant translations by simply highlighting a section for easy translation.

"...So far I’ve read a little daily for the past week and a half and haven’t seen the battery meter drop one bit — so take it as you will..."   Full article here.

TIME's Harry McCracken - "The Screen Makes It the Best E-Reader Yet"

"... The Nook with GlowLight’s light-up screen is good. But the one on the Kindle Paperwhite? It’s spectacular — the best thing to happen to e-readers since the original 2007 Kindle came along.

"For one thing, it’s the first e-reader with illumination that’s designed to stay on all the time, not just when it’s absolutely necessary. It turns on every time you press the Paperwhite’s power button. In dark rooms, it makes the display readable when the previous Kindle would have suffered a blackout. But it also helps in brighter environs and even outside in direct sunlight, largely eliminating the unappetizing greyish look of E Ink."   Full article here.

TechCrunch's John Biggs - "The Kindle Paperwhite Is A Reader’s Dream"

"...To be fair, the Paperwhite does have an absolutely beautiful screen when backlit and it looks almost perfectly white while the Nook still has a tinge of grey.

"My recommendation, as well, is to pick up the 3G version, as it makes it easier to grab books on the go than the Wi-Fi-only model...

"...I’m wildly impressed with the simplicity and beauty of this device. If ever there was anything similar to the fabled Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, this is it."   Full article here.

CNet (group review) -

"...for the moment, the Kindle Paperwhite has jumped to the head of the e-reader pack. It may not be perfect, but it's definitely the Kindle a lot of people have been waiting for."

CNET's David Carnoy - An Update November 30 to add this one by Carnoy, as I missed it in the original blog article (and saw it referenced today on the Kindle forums), but it's the most detailed I've seen insofar as features are concerned, indicating he had already used the device in depth (this is unusual in mainstream reviews) by Sept. 12. It's very well written too, which is why I looked, this late, at who had written it.

Titled "Kindle Paperwhite shines," his bottom line is that "With an excellent built-in light and Amazon's best-in-class e-book selection, the Kindle Paperwhite rises to the top of the e-reader pack."
Carnoy describes, in detail, reading features that many others miss and he points out some that are missing from this model although they were included in previous e-Ink models. The pros and cons of hardware and software elements are given good context.
Caution, I normally have extra pop-up blockers on (tech sites talk about Amazon ads, but these are really In Your Face, so I had not known most are greeted with these huge ads, which I saw, going in via a tablet w/o sufficient pop-up protection. I really like ads to be more subtle instead of the 'BUY HERE' type. What happened to CNET?

That should give a pretty good idea of what the reception is like. If I see any unusual ones, I may add more later, but there have been so many rave reviews since this was first posted, that I felt one would do unless there was something new being said. If you've received a {a[erwjote and would like to add your thoughts, pro or con, to the reports, that'd be helpful.

UPDATE2 and 3 - The Light Panel - Some have mentioned that the bottom-most slice or row has uneven lighting that's noticeable when the room light is very low. That's where the four lower-power LEDs are, underneath the bezel, where they're the light source for the fiber optic sheet of the display.

The light travels about 1/2 inch, as it is, before it becomes evenly diffused, and you'll see some darker portions at that lowest space. This is not very noticeable in daylight but is seeable in the dark and is to be expected (but not mentioned in the marketing materials, and so people have wondered if it's normal).

Amazon explains that their design uses "nanoscale optical diffractive patterns" to enable 'fine-grain control" over the direction of the diffused light.

Here's a very good video of this bottom area, with explanation, by phototristan, shot in a darkened room.

Updated to include the portion showing the same Paperwhite in normal room lighting before he turned the lights off.

The patents involved with this are an interesting read (for some). Considering the light guide layer is above the touch screen (front-lighting it), it's impressive that the screen is as responsive as it is.

UPDATE 3a

Some have reported discolorations. Prismatic in look. For some, they've disappeared after a few days. For others, they remain. If they do remain, Amazon Kindle Support (1-866-321-8851) is replacing them.

[ End of Update 2 and 3]

NOTE - The Paperwhite is more or less backordered, as too many of us know, but to see it earlier you can go to places like Staples and Office Max. While the stores should get something from carrying them, I should also mention one thing that I ran up against when I bought a Kindle for a family member at Staples. They're nearby and I needed it quickly. They mentioned that while Amazon has a 30-day return policy, Staple's is 14 days. It was worth it to me.

Kindle return policies (from Amazon Help Page)

Amazon's language: "Note: If [sic] want to return your Kindle for a refund and you purchased your Kindle from a third-party retail store, you must return your Kindle to the retailer where you made the purchase according to the retailer's return policies."

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

Posted in first customer reports, front-lit e-ink kindle, Kindle paperwhite reviews, paperwhite reports | No comments

Three Mobile Support

Friday, 12 October 2012

Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Owners' Lending Library going to the UK, France, Germany. Paperwhite for Italy+Spain also. Kindle hardware is sold at Amazon's cost, Jeff Bezos tells BBC News.

Wednesday, 10 October 2012

Kindler-related Tablet and eReader news-bits. The iPad Mini: Where/What. HTC tablets discontinued in U.S.

Amazon Studios making movies in Hollywood with input from customers. Script in digital comic format downloadable free, for input.

Monday, 8 October 2012

Jeff Bezos: What was that about the goal of "The best tablet" ? - Less-seen reviews of Kindle Fire HD - Comparisons with Google Nexus 7-inch

Sunday, 7 October 2012

Kindle tip: 14 Novels by Sci-Fi's Philip K. Dick are $1.99 each today only

Kindle Daily Deal: 14 Novels by Sci-Fi Master Philip K. Dick

Friday, 5 October 2012

Kindle News: Kindle DX Graphite $299 on the product page ($80 less)

Wednesday, 3 October 2012

Kindle News: Kindle Paperwhite - 1st reports and reviews - UPDATE3

Popular Posts

Categories

Blog Archive

About Me