scouring

Travis Lee asked:


Amazon has outdone itself again. Just within days of launching the Kindle 2, Amazon also released its new Kindle iPhone app and sent iPhone users scrambling to download the free app and trying it out. The verdict? iPhone owners have been impressed enough that many of them have jumped on the Kindle bandwagon and have purchased one themselves.

How exactly does this Kindle iPhone app work? For starters, it’s like having an extension of your Kindle with you wherever you go. If you’re one of those who think that reading the Kindle even while waiting in lines or taking subway rides is a bit overdoing it, then the iPhone app is the answer to your reading dilemma. Take the iPhone with you anywhere and take advantage of short bursts of reading your Kindle books whenever you have some free time.

Applicable for both the iPhone and iPod touch, the Kindle for iPhone app has even taken the effort to make reading from the iPhone a pleasant experience. Given that the iPhone is a compact device, the readability is still great with 5 font sizes to choose from. Plus, going through pages is easily done with just a mere swipe of the screen right to left, or back. For bookmarking pages, finding the table of contents, going to the beginning or a specific location, and looking at the image cover, a couple of taps is all it takes as well.

Accessing all your Kindle books even without the Kindle around is also possible with the Kindle iPhone app. Just log-in to your Amazon account and download any of your books stored there straight to your iPhone. Even better, you can continue to read right where you left off from either device, thanks to Kindle’s Whispersync technology. Make sure to sync your Amazon Kindle or iPhone before leaving and either one of them will automatically go to the last page read when you resume reading.

Another great thing about the Kindle iPhone app is that it gives the reader a full-color version of the images from its LCD screen, as opposed to the Kindle’s shades of gray. What it cannot do however, is permanently replace the Kindle as the choice reading device. While the iPhone acts as a perfect foil to the Kindle, the latter’s e-paper technology, wide screen, and superior readability is still the best device for hours of nonstop reading.

However exciting the new Kindle for iPhone may be, it still has a few downsides. First, buying books from Amazon or even just browsing available titles directly through the app is not yet possible. Moreover, the Kindle iPhone app is currently exclusive for ebooks and not for newspapers and magazines as yet. And one more thing, the dictionary feature is not available yet on the Kindle for iPhone app. These are minor drawbacks though, and with the way things are going with the Kindle, these features are surely not far off.

See the Kindle iPhone App in action and then be sure to read the full Amazon Kindle 2.0 review here.

Andrew Mullins asked:


The electronic book reader should be considered the wave of the future and the Kindle 2 is no exception. The basic features include an e-Ink screen with 16 shades of grey, 6 different type sizes (good-bye reading glasses!) and a 10oz light weight. (no more hand cramping for arthritic hands, fingers and wrists!).

The Kindle 2 electronic book reader can hold up to 1500 average sized books and uses wireless technology when connecting to the internet for book downloading and access to Wikipedia. There is no monthly fee for the wireless access or any fee other than the cost of the Kindle 2 and each book. As a matter of fact, most of the Kindle books are priced at about $9.99, which is about $4/book cheaper than the Sony DRM versions on average.

The Kindle 2 also includes text to speech capability for those times when you need for hands for something. I can see this feature as a great help in the kitchen when you’re preparing ingredients while the Kindle 2 reads the recipe to you!

In addition to books, you can also download newspapers, magazines and some 1000 blogs. An average book, they say, takes about 60 seconds to download at their fastest speed. There are currently 230,000 titles available for download at Amazon’s Kindle Store with more being added everyday.

While Sony offers a very similar product, the Kindle 2 electronic book reader offers more options at a much better price. The advantage of being able to download books without a computer, included chargers (USB and wall charger) access to Wikipedia and newspaper and magazine downloads and the price of individual books is just to much of an advantage over the Sony version.

The one and only downfall of the Kindle 2 electronic book reader is it’s lack of an LED light for night reading. However, this omission on the part of Amazon can easily be overcome by purchasing a $15 clip light.

Overall, The Kindle 2 is a clear leader in the electronic book reader genre. Expect it to sell out quickly!

Bob Livolsi asked:


Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, began this year’s Holiday season with the release of the Amazon Kindle. This device is a groundbreaking step in increasing the popularity of eBooks. It boasts an electronic-paper display to mimic the look of real paper, wireless connectivity, more than 88,000 books, newspapers and magazines available for purchase, and the capability to email Word documents and pictures. But has Amazon really figured out how to revolutionize the way people read?

The Kindle’s electronic-paper display is not so revolutionary, considering this has been seen before in other products, such as the Sony Reader. The display is also limited to black and white, and is not backlit. This is a far cry from a full-color, high gloss magazine, or even a blog. Also, the free wireless connectivity, WhisperNet, operates on an EVDO network and is therefore only available in the US, and tends to have limited reach and reliability within the US. Amazon charges for every document or picture you receive through email on the Kindle, and does not offer PDF support. The Kindle has a single proprietary format, MOBI. From the leader in the online bookstore industry, you may also expect to have the largest selection of eBooks to choose from for the Kindle, but that is not the case. Amazon only offers 88,000 eBooks for sale, while some smaller companies can offer up to 154,000 eBooks, almost twice as many as the Kindle and nearly eight times as many as Sony.

The biggest question being raised about the Amazon Kindle is about its price. Technological mobility always carries a hefty price tag, but is $400 for a grayscale eReader a worthy price? Keep in mind that this $400 does not include the cost of books, magazines, blogs, and newspapers. Other stores have been recognized for having the best prices on the web for eBooks with no monthly fees, so you can enjoy the convenience of having thousands of titles at your fingertips without the hefty price tag from Amazon. These stores also offer eBooks that are compatible with all PCs, Macs, laptops, PDAs, Windows Mobile PocketPC, Smartphones, Blackberry and even iPods. In addition to the price is the amount of customer service Amazon has shown customers in the past. There has been two instances where Amazon has bailed on eBook customers in the past year. First in 2006 deleting the backed-up bookshelves of eBook customers, and then in 2007 shutting down its Mobipocket servers for ten days. In each occasion no warning or explanation was given to customers. This history demonstrates a clear lack of concern for end customers, concerned first and foremost with the benefit of volume. Amazon’s customers can be discarded because they can afford to buy new ones with major advertising and marketing dollars. Smaller companies like BooksonBoard and Fictionwise care about each customer because it’s their practice.

So has Amazon really found the answer? Not yet. While Amazon’s valiant attempt to revolutionize the industry are definitely appreciated, there are just too many wasted opportunities that the Kindle fails to take advantage of; perhaps Amazon’s efforts will inspire Steve Jobs or even Google to come up with a true revolutionary eReader.

Paul Rodgers asked:


The battle of the giants, Sony eBook Reader and Amazon Kindle is fierce. The Kindle reader is now available from Amazon. Amazon Kindle is a revolutionary portable reader that wirelessly downloads books, newspapers, magazines and blogs to a crisp, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight. But overall the most important development in the Kindle reader is that it is going to break the stereotype that eBooks are not usable and convenient like normal books. Actually, Amazon’s Kindle reader is an excellent product and a person can simply order books directly through the device without integrating with a PC or other wireless device - the Kindle has its own wireless connection that operates in the background.

Kindle’s mission statement is to eliminate the need for hard copy documents, by providing you with a all-in-one reference source. Kindle is the first ebook reader with its own cellular wireless connection to let you get new books anytime, almost anywhere when the mood strikes. Kindle has a standard-layout keyboard that makes it possible for users to search the Kindle Store, their entire library of purchased content, and Wikipedia. Kindle simply plays MP3 files in random order as background music without any user control over the order of play. Kindle holds over 200 titles and Kindle does not use WiFi, but EVDO like cell phones. Kindle has no monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments.

Amazon pays for Kindle’s wireless connectivity so you will never see a monthly wireless bill for shopping the Kindle Store. Using the same 3G network as advanced cell phones, we deliver your content using our own wireless delivery system, Amazon Whispernet. Amazon has complied with Linux licensing by making its modified source code freely available. But whether you choose to jump aboard now or later, Amazon’s entry into the eBook market is a BIG deal — it forever changes the game.

The same Amazon shopping experience customers are accustomed to is offered in the Kindle Store, including customer reviews, personalized recommendations, Click purchasing, and everyday low prices. The email service supports several formats of open-source books as well as Microsoft Word but not PDFs and text-based, but not image-based PDFs.

1- Amazon has actually out-Appled Apple in ease-of-use. Like the iPhone, Kindle lets you buy media-books and periodicals, in this case - without your PC.

2- Amazon’s $9.99-and-under book pricing means book fans can buy more books. They can look up words in a dictionary, Wikipedia or on the Web right from the device.

3- Amazon already sells books. The company long ago figured out the complexities of online book distribution and most book buyers already trust Amazon.

In many ways, the Amazon Kindle is the ultimate ebook reader, but to see just how far that statement holds true, you will just have to try it for yourself. Recommendation: If you typically carry a large stack of books with you or travel semi-regularly, the Amazon Kindle is a no-brainer. The Amazon kindle is definitely a fantastic selection and can definitely be upgraded.

The Amazon Kindle is the first ebook reader that I have truly loved. The Kindle is a game-changing revolution in buying, reading, managing and using electronic books and other content. It’s also the hottest holiday gift you can buy this year for anyone who loves to read.

Michael Piston asked:


Fans of Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader have plenty of content from which to choose. Amazon offers over 260,000 (as of this writing) e-books, newspapers, magazines, and other publications that can be transmitted by wireless to the Kindle. With all of this content you may wonder if you’ll ever need another source for your reading enjoyment. But think of all of the other content you may have stored away in your computer in the form of Adobe Acrobat .pdf files, text files, or .HTML files you’ve downloaded from the Internet. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to put these on your Kindle as well?

As a matter of fact you can! There are several ways you can do this. Amazon offers a file conversion service for Kindle owners. Check our web site at the address below for an article that provides the steps to use Amazon’s service. But, there is another way that we’ll describe in this article and that is with the Mobipocket Creator software. Mobipocket Creator software is designed to convert documents into the Mobi .prc format that can be read by the Mobipocket e-book Reader software for PCs and for phones using the Palm Os, Windows Mobile, Symbian Os, and Blackberry operating systems. Interestingly Amazon owns Mobipocket and the Amazon Kindle’s book format is based on the Mobipocket format.

What does this mean to you? It means that files you convert with the Mobipocket Creator software can be loaded onto your Kindle through your computer and read as any other Kindle e-book! Here are the instructions for converting your files with Mobipocket Creator software:

1. Realize that this software ONLY works with unprotected files. If the file you want to convert have any sort of DRM (digital rights management) protection then you cannot convert your books.

2. Download the Mobipocket Creator software from Mobipocket’s web site - you’ll find the link below. Make sure you download the “Publisher” edition and not the “Home” edition. The current version is 4.2.

3. Install Mobipocket Creator software on your PC following the installation instructions.

4. Open Mobipocket Creator - you will be at the “Home” page.

5. You will see “Import From Existing File” on the right side of the “Home” page. For this example we’ll convert an Adobe Acrobat file so choose “Adobe PDF” from the menu - this will bring you to the Import File Wizard.

6. Choose the file you wish to convert (using the “Browse” button) and the location in which you wish to place the imported file (again - use the “Browse” button). Click the “Import” button.

7. You will be brought to a work screen that shows you the Publication File or files you’ve imported. From here you can either build your final output to save on your Kindle, or modify some of the options for your e-book.

8. If you wish to add a Cover Image or Table of Contents choose the appropriate menu items under the “View” menu on the left side of the program window. You also can modify a number of settings for your e-book and add or modify the book’s metadata by choosing other options under the “View” menu. Note that you do not have to modify any of the settings under the “View” menu - they are there as options for your use if you choose.

9. When you are done click the “Build” button on the toolbar at the top of the program window. You will be brought to the “Build Publication” window. You can choose the compression settings for your e-book (”Standard” is fine for your Kindle) and also encryption options (choose “No Encryption”). Click the “Build” button just above the progress bars when you are ready to create your e-book.

10. You will go next to the “Build finished” window.  This window will let you know if you’ve successfully created your e-book. You may get a message that says “Build succeeded but with warnings.” Normally this indicates a minor error or notification such as when you choose not to add a cover to your e-book. This will not prevent you from loading the e-book onto your Kindle. 

11. Click the “Open folder containing eBook” then click “OK.” The folder you provided in step 6 will open and you will see a number of files. This will include your initial Adobe PDF file,  plus files with the extension .html, .opf, .xml, and .jpg. You also will see the file you need to transfer to your Kindle, the file with the extension .prc. 

12. Attach your Kindle to your computer using the USB cable. Open your Kindle and locate the “documents” folder. Copy the .prc file you created with Mobipocket Creator into your Kindle’s download folder. Close the Kindle > documents window and disconnect your Kindle by opening “My Computer”, right clicking on the “Kindle” drive icon, and selecting “Eject” from the menu.

13. Your new document will appear on your Kindle’s Home Page. You may need to refresh your Home Page view by pressing and holding down the “ALT” key and then pressing the “Z” key.

14. You can now enjoy your new Kindle e-book.

This process will work for Microsoft Word (.doc), Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), Text (.txt), and HTML files. You can download the Mobipocket Creator software from the Mobipocket web site - http://www.mobipocket.com.

By the way - if your new e-book file does not appear the way you expect on your Kindle 2 and you wish to delete if from your Kindle simply highlight the book and move the 5-way navigator to the left.  The “delete” button will appear, press down on the 5-way navigator and then confirm the delete.

Congratulations! You now know how-to convert files into e-books you can read on your Kindle wireless reading device. 

 

 

Travis Van Slooten asked:


You might have heard that making money by writing your own ebook is a great way to earn an income these days. The trouble is, it can be so hard to set up your own website to sell that book and actually get people to come to the website. If you don’t have traffic, you’re not going to sell anything!

There is an easier way! You can write books that will be published on Amazon Kindle. While this might seem like something that is far out of your reach, it definitely is not. As long as you can write, publishing on the Kindle can be a great income stream for you. In fact, this is perfect for teachers, entrepreneurs, business people, and many others!

First of all, it’s helpful to understand how the Kindle marketplace functions before you understand how you can make your mark there. Basically, when someone has a Kindle they are able to use their reader to browse through book selections. When they find one they want, they simply select that book and make their purchase. They don’t need to bother with their computer or Internet connection, or anything like that.

You can benefit from this by being at the other end of things selling the book to the Kindle customers. Amazon allows you to become a publisher, effectively putting your ebook in their marketplace for sale. When someone buys your work, you make a sale!

Listen, you know that your writing is good and that you have something important to say. Unfortunately, not all of us can get book publishing deals. Even if you’re just trying to market online, you know the headaches that come with that.

When you’re an Amazon publisher you are using the power of their website and Kindle system. In fact, you don’t really need to worry about anything as you get to take full advantage of their traffic as well. There are thousands upon thousands of people who are using the Kindle (which is why it’s sold out all the time!) so there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to make money by being a publisher.

All you need to do is believe in yourself and your ability to write and deliver good content for people. It is best to do some research before you get started, and to see how other people have had success selling on Kindle. That way you can rest assured that you won’t be wasting your time running into dead ends as you get started. That isn’t to say that it has to be difficult, because it definitely doesn’t!

Writing ebooks gives you an amazing sense of accomplishment. There is no reason for you to end up discouraged just because you’re finding it hard to get a website up and traffic to that site. Amazon can really cut some corners for you with their Kindle marketplace, making it a lot easier for you to earn an income by selling your ebooks there.

The Amazon Kindle is one of the hottest portable ebook readers on the market right now. See it in action by watching the video and full Amazon Kindle 2.0 review here. Afterwards, you’ll have a better understanding what it’s all about and why publishing ebooks for it is so lucrative.

B Hopkins asked:


xt generation of the Amazon Kindle has brought in a new design that has a better resolution and a thinner profile as well. As a result, many of the accessories that were for the original Kindle don’t work with the new version of the Kindle. One of these accessories is the cover.

3rd party Kindle covers became popular because the original version didn’t come with a very good cover, so as a result, many third party companies came up with their own Kindle covers to fill in the gap. Brands like M-edge and Belkin became very popular with Kindle owners. The new Kindles have completely different dimensions.

The New dimensions are 8″ x 5.3″ x 0.36″. These new dimensions means the new version is thinner than the original Kindle. They are a somewhat lighter as well, but not enough to make a significant change in the kinds of materials needed to create a high quality Kindle cover. These new covers have all of the same features as the covers for the 1st model, including snap closures and a better design to keep the Kindle in place so it doesn’t slide out.

Other models are available for the Kindle 2 such as zip pouches and Neoprene sleeve case covers and leather covers. Cole Haan, a producer of high-end leather covers perfect for business owners who want to impress for success is a new player in the Kindle cover market.

M-edge is still a big player for the Kindle covers in the new market. Some of their most popular models are the platform jacket and the prodigy jacket for the Kindle 2. The prodigy jacket comes in many colors of leather and has the standard book-cover style with a strap close mechanism (a strap that slips into a loop to keep it closed. Inside of the cover, there are reinforced loops that keep the Kindle secure.

The Platform jacket is a new style that came out for the Kindle 2. This style is made out of leather and also comes in many colors just like the other m-edge styles for the Kindle 1. The difference with the style of the Platform jacket is that it is rotated 90 degrees and the cover flips up like a notepad instead of to the side like a book. This construction allows the Kindle user to use the jacket as a Kindle stand when they turn the cover inside-out so they can experience hands free reading. Although this is clever, I don’t know how many users will use this cover in this fashion because most people hold the Kindle to read it like they are holding a book. The stand feature could be useful if the reader has their hands full while they are reading (such as following a recipe).

Amazon also has created a new cover design for the new Kindle as well. Many of the complaints from the previous version of the cover have been addressed with this new version, although not all of them. The new version is very cost effective and get the job done, but was built for functionality and not luxury. There have been many more favorable reviews of this version.

The new features of the Kindle 2.0 will cause new types of accessories to be created to enhance this electronic reader. As Kindle owners begin to take advantage of these new features, new accessories will emerge to fill the demand. The Kindle cover is no exception to this rule. New styles of Kindle covers are currently available and are being used today by the owners of the electronic reader. Protect your Kindle 2 with a stylish and functional cover so you can enjoy your electronic reader for years to come.

Ellie asked:


sts, lists, everyone has a list. There\\\’s the grocery list, the gift list, the to-do list and the bucket list. A lot of these lists are written, temporary reminders of things we need or should do or want to do. But, then there\\\’s the wish list. The one where we put our dream goals or items we\\\’ve always wanted but that are out of reach for one reason or another. Many wish lists these days include a notation to buy Amazon Kindle 2. This is one cool gadget, and it\\\’s not a gimmick. Amazon has truly produced a little device that gives access to hundreds of thousands, yes, hundreds of thousands, of books and publications. It is possible that there will be a book that someone wants that isn\\\’t available, but reading the catalog will take so long, it\\\’s likely they will forget what they were looking for.

The Kindle 2 also gives the owner access to various types of music, but that\\\’s not its main function. The main function of the Kindle 2 is reading. When you buy Amazon Kindle 2, you are buying access; access to the world of books, newspapers, and publications of all kinds. anyone can use the Kindle to read national newspapers, daily, without additional cost. If you want to, you can use the Kindle to read several of your favorite books at once. And if you get tired of reading for yourself, then you can let the Kindle read to you with its Text-to-Speech feature. If you like to take notes in the margins of your books, the Kindle 2 has QWERTY keyboard, and makes it possible to make your annotations just like with a paper book and pencil. Isn\\\’t that amazing? Trying to keep your eyes to finish, but you are just too tired? Let Kindle take over and read it to you. This device is lightweight and slender, making it easy to hold and easy to store and take along.

Adding the Kindle 2 to your wish list is nearly too easy. It\\\’s almost a question of what\\\’s not to like about this little machine. When one can buy Amazon Kindle 2, one can buy the privilege of being able to read almost anything. And what\\\’s not to like about that sort of access to the world of books? Especially when it\\\’s the world of instant books?

Luvuyo Mdebuka asked:


Amazon’s electronic reader, Kindle™

Introducing Amazon Kindle. Three years ago, we set out to design and build an entirely new class of device—a convenient, portable reading device with the ability to wirelessly download books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

The result is Amazon Kindle™. We designed Kindle™ to provide an exceptional reading experience. Thanks to electronic paper, a revolutionary new display technology, you’ll find reading Kindle’s screen is as sharp and natural as reading ink on paper—and nothing like the strain and glare of a computer screen.

Kindle is also easy on the fingertips. It never becomes hot, and is designed for ambidextrous use so both “lefties” and “righties” can read comfortably at any angle for long periods of time. We wanted Kindle to be completely mobile and simple to use for everyone, so we made it wireless. No PC and no syncing needed.

Using the same 3G network as advanced cell phones, we deliver your content using our own wireless delivery system, Amazon Whispernet. Unlike WiFi, you’ll never need to locate a hotspot. There are no confusing service plans, yearly contracts, or monthly wireless bills—we take care of the hassles so you can just read.

With Whispernet, you can be anywhere, think of a book, and get it in one minute. Similarly, your content automatically comes to you, wherever you are. Newspaper subscriptions are delivered wirelessly each morning. Most magazines arrive before they hit newsstands.

Haven’t read the book for tomorrow night’s book club? Get it in a minute. Finished your book in the airport? Download the sequel while you board the plane. Whether you’re in the mood for something serious or hilarious, lighthearted or studious, Kindle delivers your spontaneous reading choices on demand.

We’re very proud to introduce Kindle and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do. - The Amazon Kindle Team http://www.getamazonkindle.com

B Hopkins asked:


w Amazon Kindle 2 is a cool tool as well as a powerful electronic reader. With that sentiment out of the way, let’s move on to the features and benefits of having this really cool, new gadget. It had to happen; books, newspapers, blogs and audio books were due for an upgrade. In line with that idea, Amazon, one of the largest booksellers and now sellers of just about anything else that can be shipped, took on the task of making a sleeker, smaller, more portable version of the book, newspaper et. Al.

Enter a book reader. Now, book readers are not new. There have been a plethora of book readers on the market for years starting with the Franklin eBookMan in 1999. What makes the e-reader such a nice thing to have is its size. It can hold a lot of books, doesn’t weigh much and reads just like a book. E Ink Technologies developed a 166 resolution, simulated book paper that looks so much like the average book that it is hard to tell the difference. Amazon took it t the next level.

The original Kindle holds up to 200 books, while when you buy Kindel 2, there is room for over 1500 books. You may wonder why you’d ever need over 1500 books; however, the point may be that you can carry your entire library in a device that weighs only 10.2 ounces which is lighter than your standard paperback book and is just over 1/3 of an inch which is as thin as most magazines.

There have been some other improvements when you buy Kindel 2 over the original Kindle. There is an improvement in the display, and it now reads more like real paper with 16 shades of grey for even crisper images and clearer text. The batter life has been extended by 25%, and page turning is now 20% faster. It also allows you to adjust the text size to where it is comfortable for your vision needs.

One of the newest, novel features of the kindle is that it now has a text-to-speech function so that if you want, you can have your magazines and newspapers read to you. This makes a wonderful companion as you drive or do other work, which requires your hands and vision to be focused elsewhere.

When you buy ebook readers, there are some things that separate the standard models from the swanky, high-class cousins. Amazon’s new Kindle 2 is coupled with the Amazon bookstore where you can download over 250,000 books plus a wide assortment of U.S. and international magazines, newspapers and blogs. You can also download books at a much-reduced price, including the New York Times bestsellers and new book releases at $9.99 unless marked otherwise.

When watching television, for instance, and you see a book that interests you on a talk show, you can instantly purchase and download that book to your Kindle library through their proprietary broadband network called Whispernet. You can also surf the Internet and even read your email online. With all of the new features that the Kindle 2 provides, you might want to ask instead why not buy Kindel 2 and take advantage of all the benefits it has to offer.