Posts Tagged kindle

The Latest In E-Readers

Posted by on Wednesday, 25 January, 2012

Are you someone that likes to read? Or perhaps you are looking for that fantastic gift item for someone who is a reading enthusiast. There are many excellent gift suggestions in the marketplace currently for those who get pleasure from reading. There’s everything from your standard gift card to the local book retailer to the very cool Kindle Fire which can be great for someone that is also extremely tech wise, enjoying the most up-to-date and finest in gadgets.

The e-reader sector has skyrocketed lately. First the popularity of the Kindle reader struck, then the Nook and Sony e-reader.  Nowadays these devices are found in the residences of many individuals since rates have come down and gadgets have gotten smaller sized and may include a lot more special features. You’ll be able to virtually take your entire choices with you in a system which weighs in at less than a common paperback book. Envision exactly what that can mean for people who travel a lot for business or pleasure.

The Amazon Kindle Touch is an example of an original gadget that has had a good overhaul. No longer should you mess with a bulky keypad like with the initial if it is something you did not really utilize. Making your alternatives is now as easy as pressing the screen. You’ll find these kinds of gadgets getting more and more sleek as they rise in acceptance. The Kindle Fire is in fact similar to a smaller version of an iPad as you can obtain full Internet connectivity with this gadget also.

When you have a look at Amazon nowadays, you’ll notice a huge rise in books which are available today as Kindle versions. Ebook sales are on an upswing which signifies an amazing potential for freelance writers too. Ebook publishing as a widespread occurrence makes it increasingly simple for any person to self publish their particular titles. If you look into the Kindle Ebook store, you will notice several popular titles and writers that you might have never been aware of before. Most of these writers are able to become recognized for their publishing since this particular market currently exists.

If you have young children or teens who like to read, an e-book reader could be the ideal gift idea. Picture their shock when they open up their new Kindle or Nook which is totally packed with their favorite writer or series of books. Many mothers and fathers would certainly rather see their children with the Kindle in their fingers rather than the newest hand held gaming system. It can be a good way to promote a love for reading.

Many individuals who love to read may think that reading from a device similar to this would be difficult to get accustomed to. Genuine book fans may resist because they adore the feel of actually curling up with a great book to read. It may be somewhat tough to imagine the same sort of sensation curling up with your Kindle, but it is not really that difficult to get used to and many people really love it after they give it a shot.


How would you change Amazon’s Kindle (2011)?

Posted by on Sunday, 18 December, 2011
Amazon’s Kindle is, broadly, the million-selling gold-standard that all other e-readers aspire to. This year’s edition was slashed back to basics, with the hardware keyboard, touchscreen, expandable memory, 3G access and MP3 support sacrificed in favor of a (with ads) price tag. Now you’ve had three months to get to grips with the changes, do you feel it was worth it? Do you miss the keyboard, are the adverts too intrusive, is it the right size for comfortable use? If you were in Jeff Bezos’ shoes, let us know what you’d have done differently in the comments below.

How would you change Amazon’s Kindle (2011)? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iGloLEDset brings the party to the Kindle Fire, helps you lighten the mood (video)

Posted by on Saturday, 17 December, 2011



Back when we first saw what iGloLEDset could do on an iPhone, few would’ve thought an Amazon tablet would exist today. But it does, and let’s face it: the Kindle Fire could benefit from a colorful personality lift. You can make it happen if you’re willing to take on the 9 price tag that’s slapped on a set of remotely controlled LEDs. Aside from its app introduction to the Fire, nothing changes, so you’ll get identical features to those using the bulbs on another Android or iOS device. Certainly a commodity, but no one could blame you for wanting to add a pinch of geek spice to the season’s festivities. Surprise! Video demo is after the break.

Continue reading iGloLEDset brings the party to the Kindle Fire, helps you lighten the mood (video)

iGloLEDset brings the party to the Kindle Fire, helps you lighten the mood (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Dec 2011 02:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kindle Fire’s lack of parental controls raises concerns

Posted by on Saturday, 10 December, 2011

Critics have called out the Kindle Fire for some of its hardware and software shortcomings, which is not unexpected for a new device but hasn’t seemed to slow sales. But a bigger concern is emerging for parents who are thinking of buying the Kindle Fire: it has almost no restrictions to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content or buy whatever they like on the device.

Caryn Talty, a blogger with HealthyFamily.org, wrote about how she was able to access R-rated content on Amazon Prime Instant Videos, which is free for a limited time to new Kindle customers. She also noted that with one-click buying, which comes as the default option on the Kindle, users are not prompted to give a password with each purchase.

“I wish Amazon would install parental controls for their devices so that movies which are rated “R” can be blocked on the Kindle Fire as easily as they can on AT&T Uverse. We need to protect our kids from inappropriate materials online, and this includes electronic readers as well. Amazon should give Kindle Fire owners the option to install a 4-digit pin for content not appropriate for kids,” Talty wrote.

It’s not just movies: The Amazon Silk browser also has no controls for access, so parents can’t disable it for children. In fact, all of the magazines, books and comic books can be purchased with one click. There is a screen lock for the device with a password but almost everything is accessible once inside.

Amazon told Reuters earlier this week that it does provide controls for in-app purchases. But it’s still working on adding additional safety features. The company said it hasn’t had a problem with the way it sends devices pre-registered for one-click purchases.

“Customers tell us they love that Kindle Fire arrives registered to their account and ready to go,” Amazon told Reuters. “Those who prefer to have their Kindle Fire arrive unregistered can select ‘gift’ during the checkout.”

Apple has long had controls that allow parents to restrict access to iTunes, the App Store, Safari and YouTube. And it installed new controls on in-app purchases after parents and some legislators complained about the ease with which children were making app purchases and buying items inside apps. Barnes & Noblealso requires users to confirm a purchase on Nook devices.

Some of the problem is that Amazon is still on its first version of the Kindle Fire and it needs to patch up some rough spots on the device. But it also comes down to the central philosophy of the Kindle Fire, which is basically a big store front for Amazon. Amazon expects to sell a lot of goods through the Fire and as we’ve seen already with the iPad, tablets making very good shopping devices. That’s likely why Amazon is able to offer the device at such a low price with no profit, because it can make up for it on other transactions. Amazon’s trademark one-click checkout is part of the appeal for many consumers and it’s made some of my purchases easier on the Fire. But I’ve also caught myself a little worried that it’s actually too easy to buy something on the Fire. That can be bad for parents with children or people with bad impulse control.

I think Amazon needs to come up with more controls quickly. It may not be an issue with most consumers, but at the price the company is pitching it at, the Kindle Fire has a chance to be the first tablet in a lot of homes. Consumers want to feel safe handing their children a Kindle just as much as an iPod Touch. But it needs to come with more safeguards. I’m sure Amazon is working on this, but it would have been better to ship with those controls in place to show that it cares not just about selling but also respecting the different needs of its users.

Amazon is still going to sell a boatload of content legitimately on the Fire, but it doesn’t need to invite an uproar when parents find their children doing far more with their new tablet than they’d like.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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  • Forecast: the evolution of the e-book market
  • Connected world: the consumer technology revolution
  • Connected Consumer Q3: Netflix fumbles; Kindle Fire shines



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Hacker Ports Android ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’ to Kindle Fire Tablet

Posted by on Thursday, 8 December, 2011

Leave it to the Android community to hack a new device. On Wednesday, an eager Android developer posted a video to YouTube, showing off the new — and still unreleased — version of Android, aka Ice Cream Sandwich, running on a Kindle Fire tablet.



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Kindle could light a Fire under Apple’s iPad sales

Posted by on Monday, 5 December, 2011

Apple may have reason to welcome, not fear, the growing popularity of the Amazon Kindle Fire, which is on track to become the No. 2 best-selling tablet. According to J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz in a note sent late last week, the Kindle could encourage, not take away from, Apple’s own iPad sales. But in order for that to be true, there are certain conditions that have to be met.

Moskowitz is mostly reiterating what he heard from Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppeheimer in a recent sit-down with them, during which they discussed the Kindle Fire’s role in relation to the iPad. Moskowitz came away with the clear impression that “Apple is not seeing much pressure from lower-priced tablets,” and that current Kindle Fire buyers “could gravitate to more feature-rich experiences” down the road based on their initial use of the cheaper Amazon device.

J.P. Morgan and Apple execs apparently aren’t all that concerned over Amazon’s new Android tablet, which is already projected to beat out the sales of all other tablets based on the Google mobile platform by the end of this quarter. And it’s true that the Kindle Fire could act as a sort of gateway drug, turning users on to the tablet experience but leaving them craving features missing from the Amazon device, like a full-fledged market of applications targeted to large-screen devices, a larger screen itself and cellular data access.

It’s an admittedly rosy outlook from a source with a vested interest in seeing this outcome come to pass, however. There’s another obvious possibility to contend with too: Users could find that the Kindle Fire provides everything they really need in a tablet experience (web browsing, media playback) for an acceptable price and look no further. Whether or not those users would’ve looked at iPads otherwise, or whether another, significant portion of Fire owners might not find themselves wanting more is another question.

I think Apple’s optimistic outlook should pan out, however, so long as one thing remains true: tablets continue to encroach upon and replace PCs as primary computing devices for general users. In that case, the Kindle Fire and the iPad likely will indeed enter into a mutually beneficial orbit, with the cheaper device drawing in first-time tablet users and the iPad acting as a sort of graduation gift for when they opt to use tablets as their main computers.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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  • Forecast: the evolution of the e-book market
  • Disruptapalooza 2011: how Amazon’s Kindle is changing the portable media game
  • What Amazon’s new Kindle line means for Apple, Netflix and online media



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