Category: Discussions

Discussions

Kindle DX available again!

Kindle DX available again! Well, a lot of people will be happy to see this…and it’s a bit bizarre! The Kindle DX, Free 3G, 9.7″ E Ink Display, 3G Works Globally is available again, new from Amazon…it’s even in the “family stripe” at the top of Kindle pages. That latter point suggests that this isn’t just some kind of fluke…they’ve really resurrected the 9.7″ RSK (Reflective Screen Kindle…not backlit like a Kindle Fire). That also means that Amazon again has an RSK with text-to-speech…not quite the solution I was expecting, but interesting. The price? $299 I didn’t really see anything that suggested …

Discussions

eReading in the UK: big new National Literacy Trust survey

New research from the UK’s National Literacy Trust. They surveyed 34,910 young people aged eight to 16, and found… * 39{d4437cd6d307ed9534e797be84e4820aa16c2e197e83fd1e65fe6e8fb55e5ac2} of young people read daily using electronic devices including tablets and eReaders. * Nearly all young people have access to a computer at home, and 4 out of 10 now own a tablet or a smartphone. * 3 in 10 young people do not have a desk of their own. * Screen reading is not always pleasant for long-form reading. Those who read only on-screen are three times less likely to “enjoy reading very much”.

Discussions

Kindle Worlds – official fan-fiction platform

Kindle Worlds has been announced. It’s a special fan-fiction corral, in which fans can publish and profit from works under official licenses. Currently it’s limited to Warner Bros. Alloy Entertainment’s girl titles. But more are promised in the future.

Reviewing ColcaSac Uintah for the Kindle Fire

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Reviewing ColcaSac Uintah for the Kindle Fire

I recently got the opportunity to try out a ColcaSac sleeve for my Kindle Fire and thought that it might be useful to share my thoughts.  It’s proven to be an interesting product. First impressions The sleeve I ended up with was the $29.95 Uintah style for the Kindle Fire.  A fairly minimal design made of undyed hemp canvas and lined with a surprisingly soft recycled polyester fleece.  This fits together with the company’s environmental concerns without sacrificing quality.  There is absolutely no question, holding the sleeve in my hands, that this is a durable product. Getting the device into the …

Amazon Picks Up Goodreads For Kindle Social and More

Discussions

Amazon Picks Up Goodreads For Kindle Social and More

A few weeks ago, Amazon announced that they were going to acquire Goodreads, one of the most popular social sites on the internet for book lovers.  Goodreads has become a great place to go for sharing reviews, recommendations, ideas, and more since its debut in 2007.  While this is certain to be mutually beneficial in many ways, we have to assume that the goal here is to develop the Kindle Social experience into a real selling point for the eReader line. The Kindle has an interesting position with regard to social interaction. By its very nature it allows greater privacy …

Introducing Amazon Coins: A Digital Currency for Kindle Fire Owners

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Introducing Amazon Coins: A Digital Currency for Kindle Fire Owners

Amazon’s most recent Kindle Fire marketing effort is the introduction of Amazon Coins.  They’ve released their own digital currency that can be used to purchase apps and games from the Amazon Appstore.  On the surface it’s a confusing move, given the larger trend of companies moving away from internally controlled currencies, but there’s a lot to be said for the idea if it is handled correctly. Most users should already have received the email informing them that 500 Amazon Coins have been added to their account.  That will hopefully give people a chance to get interested in …

TKC 249 Guy Kawasaki

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TKC 249 Guy Kawasaki

Founder of Alltop,  author of APE: Author Publisher Entrepreneur – How to Publish a Book Interview Starts at 13:55 People say, “Well, Guy, if you’re successful and more people become self-publishers there’s going to be more crap out there.” That’s true…. You could make the case that the cave-in started when Gutenberg had a printing press. Up till then you only had scribes working for the Pharaohs and the Pope and rich people. Let’s just face it: that horse is out of the barn, and that horse is procreating already, so you ain’t going to put it back in the barn. So now more people will write…

TKC 250 Vivienne Roumani

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TKC 250 Vivienne Roumani

Director of “Out of Print” Interview Starts at 16:37 He [Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos] wanted to give me a half an hour–he gave me 45 minutes. And it was really an amazing interview. He was very bright, very warm, very gracious, and you got the sense that he really wanted to do good. That’s the sense you got–of course, still being a brilliant businessman, and those are not mutually exclusive. Show Notes and Links: Intro Belmont Hill School News “Amazon is Going to Buy Liquavista” by Nate Hoffelder – January 21, 2013 “Confirmed: Amazon Bought Liquavista — Color Kindle to Follow?” by Nate Hoffelder – May 13, 2013 The…