The update includes fixes for typography, better parental controls and includes support for more advanced layouts in books.
via Engadget
Category: Amazon
GlowLight
For now, I’m sticking with my Kindle (partly because I don’t have much choice), but I’m going to have pangs of jealously every time I have to get out of bed to turn off the light at night.
Amazon is winning in the e-ink category because of its ecosystem; no fancy new Nook is going to change that. That said, while this Nook does look interesting, I think the external light-in-a-case seems like a better solution. For example, I don’t see that weird dark line that appears on The Verge’s review photos across the top of my Kindle’s screen.
What I’m Reading This Month
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins — I know I’m a little behind on this, but this series is great. I’m part-way through this one, and already can’t wait to get to the other two books.
- Managing Humans by Michael Lopp — If you manage nerds, this is a must-read.
- Kindle Fire For Dummies by Nancy C. Muir — Haha, just kidding.
Remove Ads from Kindle 4
I wasn’t aware of this until tonight, but can confirm it works.
On the ‘Doomed’ E-ink Reader
Matt Alexander, regarding e-ink readers and full-blown tablets:
As much as you or I might enjoy the e-ink experience, people are not thrilled about buying a device that does one thing very well when they can buy something that does that one thing fairly well along with dozens of other features. And once that “fairly well” becomes “very well” as technology progresses, how could dedicated e-reading devices possibly remain relevant?
Kindle Fire Updated
There are still some things Amazon should fix. For example, magazine reading is still an exercise in frustration; far too often, the row of page-navigation thumbnails still thrusts itself on top of what you’re trying to read. Other problems may not be so simple to fix: for example, the on/off switch is on the bottom edge, where the Kindle’s weight naturally falls when you’re reading.
It turns off by itself a lot.
Kindle Fire Owners Complain About Porn and Purchases
Caryn Talty at healthy-family.org:
Prospective buyers need to know that this very cool, sleek electronic toy has no parental monitoring safeguards installed on the device or available through a software download. I was surprised to find that all merchandise on Amazon’s website is available for purchase on the Kindle unless I choose to lock out my easy one-click buying option. This means anyone handling the device can buy whatever material they wish (electronic downloads and merchandise shipped to your door.) If you have a responsible 10 year old then there’s not much to worry about. But if you are buying for your 5 or 6 year old then you may run into problems when your credit card bill arrives. There is a safeguard in place when a person purchases that asks if it was done by mistake. This can come in handy for innocent accidental purchases.
A Day of (Kindle) Fire
Monday, Nov. 21
8:50 PM — My buddy just dropped off his Kindle Fire. Major props to him for letting me borrow it. Time for some whiskey? I THINK SO!
9:01 PM — The box is very similar to what my $79 Kindle came in — simple, clean. Setup was pretty simple. I powered the device on, entered my WiFi password, and logged into my Amazon account.
9:02 PM — The power button is on the bottom of the tablet (while it’s held in portrait mode). I’ve hit it about a six times already, putting the device to sleep while using it.
Marco, on the Kindle Fire
Ouch:
I expected the Kindle Fire to be good for books, great for magazines and newspapers, great for video, and good for apps and games.
In practice, it’s none of these. Granted, I’ve only spent two days with it, so I can’t share any long-term impressions. But I’m honestly unlikely to have any, because this isn’t a device that makes me want to use it more. And that’s fatal.
The $79 Kindle — A Review
After pre-ordering a Kindle Touch, I changed my mind and ordered the $79 base model.
Back in the spring, I bought my wife a Kindle 3, and have borrowed it a good bit since then. The price was right, so I thought it was time to get my first Kindle. And it doesn’t suck.
Hardware
The new Kindle is quite a bit smaller and lighter than the old one. The keyboard is gone, as is all of the audio gear. The new one weighs just 5.98 ounces. It makes the Kindle 3 — at 8.5 ounces — feel quite heavy.
The Cheap One
The Kindle will let me have a cheap device that won’t heat up in the blistering summer sun, is light enough to hold and read one handed, won’t be affected by glare from the sun, and I won’t mind reading while standing in the pool because for 80 bucks it’s relatively replaceable.
I pre-ordered the Kindle Touch yesterday, but today, canceled that order and got the basic Kindle.
‘A Second Tablet’
Get to it: if you don’t have a tablet, this is the best you’re going to find for the price. If you do have an iPad already, this’ll make an excellent second tablet.
Not only do I disagree with Brownlee’s headline, but this statement just makes me want to smash something.
via @benjaminbrooks