Monthly Archives: September 2014

Daily Links: Grooveshark Guilty of Mass Copyright Infringement

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From Digital Music News, Grooveshark has been found guilty of massive copyright infringement. The details of what the company did are pretty shocking. I am the wife of a talented musician whose music was illegally used by Grooveshark, We not only lost music sales income, but had to go as far as to hire an attorney to deal with the company’s infringement. Here’s a link to his wonderful holiday jazz album.  🙂

The FCC is considering rules that will change Television, from Mashable. This has the abiltiy to breathe new life into a company like Aereo. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been able to get certain channels since they made the change to digital broadcast!

From Teleread, R.I.P. Eugie Foster. The Nebula award winning writer and editor died on September 27, 2014. Here is a link to her books. 

The Kindle app for IOS has been updated for the iPhone 6, from The Digital Reader. http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/09/29/kindle-ios-updated-iphone-6/

Daily Links are interesting links I discover as I go about my online day. The frequency and number of links posted depend upon the daily news.

Daily Links: Kobo downloads, Bendgate, more

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From the Digital Reader, How to download Kobo books (including the ones they don’t want you to).

Apple apologizes for IOS 8.0.1, from Mashable and then denies the “Bendgate” problem, fromRecode.

From The Next Web, Google’s latest Chrome build has a hidden game that to play offline.

Cosmixology celebrates Nation Comic Book Day by giving away 25 free comics, from The Digital Reader.

From The Ebook Reader, How to export and edit those Kindle notes and highlights.

Daily Links are interesting links I discover as I go about my online day. The frequency and number of links posted depend upon the daily news.

 

 

Free Amazon apps – limited time offer

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app sale 914For a limited time, Amazon is offering 27 apps for free in the Amazon App store. The offerings include tools for productivity like OfficeSuite Professional and Swype keyboard as well as camera apps and games. Many of these have been offered free in the past, but I did manage to find a few new ones.

The offer says limited time and I couldn’t find a end date for the promotion.

Daily Links: KU and Google Play expand overseas, more

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From Teleread, the Amazon Kindle Unlimited program finally launches in the UK.

Google Play Books launches in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine, from The Digital Reader.

From Publishers, weekly, Mother of Columbine Shooter sells her memoir to Crown books; the proceeds are going to charity.

You may have heard that Barnes and Noble no longer allows you to download your e-book purchases via the web. The Digital Reader offers a work around here.

And from Recode, This new IOS update is causing problems. Here’s a survival guide.

Worse than Heartbleed? There a bug in the BASH shell that affects Linux, Unix, even  OS X.

Daily Links are interesting links I discover as I go about my online day. The frequency and number of links posted depend upon the daily news.

 

 

Will a Nook Glowlight case fit the new Kindle Fire 6 inch?

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javoedge6vintageI am still sorting through all the info on the new Kindle offerings to evaluate the specs and decide which one(s) I want. Amazon has given us lots of choices and I even got an email first thing this morning reminding me of certified refurbished Kindle Fire offerings.

So far, I  am most interested in  ordered the new Fire HD 6″ tablet. It looks like a great size to fit in a purse for use on the go. My problem is that I don’t like to use devices without covers and I also don’t want to spend nearly $30-$40 for an official Amazon case. I am fussy about cases and didn’t like the Amazon case  I bought for the Fire HD 8.9. I have usually used third-party cases on my Kindles, beginning with my first Oberon case for the Kindle 1. However, this is a non-standard size tablet and it seems there is nothing available to fit, at least, not yet.

Checking the measurements for the new device and looking for a workaround, I took a look at my current case for my NooK Glowlight. Made by Javoedge, the case looks like it might fit, given its size and the way that it is made.

The JAVOedge 6″ Universal eReader Book Case is described as a universal case, designed to fit the Nook Glowlight, Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo glo, Kobo Aura, Kobo Touch, and the Kindle. It comes in a variety of patterns, including one with a metallic finish.

Pros of the case are lightweight, flexibility in sizing due to the loops holding the device in place and the way it is constructed.The price is a distinct advantage as it is $14.99 versus $30-$40 for the Amazon brand case.

There are a couple of downsides to the case. One is the fact that there is no sleepcover function with this case (or not one that works on my Kindle Paperwhite). Another is the quality of the case. It seems like it is essentially covered cardboard, slightly lighter than that of a hardcover book.  And, because it is designed for an e-reader, it does not have the ability to be used as a stand for normal tablet use.

I have not had any problems at all with the one I use for my Nook Glowlight. I have a one with a cute owl pattern. Yes, I am a cover junkie! 🙂

I have no doubt that one the new Kindle Fires start shipping, we will quickly see new covers for the six inch Fire available on the market. While I don’t think that this is a cover I would want to use long-term (it is not, after all, really designed for tablet use), I intend to try it as a short term solution until new covers are available. Note that I do have other devices (Kindles and Nooks) that will fit this cover, so it is not much of a risk for me to try.

This isn’t the first time I have done this. When the original Kindle Fire came out in 2010, I used the faux lether cover that came with my Kindle 1 for the Fire  until I could find something I liked.

Updated: The answer to will the case fit an HD 6 is no. The case is too wide to safely hold the device. I talk about this in my review of the Fire HD 6.

New Kindles are confirmed and up for pre-order

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kindle_voyageAmazon now has the new lines of Kindles and Kindle Fire tablets up for pre-order. I am still sorting through the info, but here are the links to learn more about the new models:

  • The new basic Kindle with touch screen. The price has also increased by $10 over the previous model.
  • The brand new Kindle Voyage, with improved screen resolution (300 ppi), an intelligent frontlight with brightness sensor and a physical page turn  method called “PagePress.”
  • The new Fire HD 6,  a slightly smaller, six inch tablet that will retail for only $99 (with special offers).
  • The new Fire HD 7, starting at $139 (with special offers).
  • The Fire HD Kids Edition, 6″ or 7″ HD Display,  with a blue kid-proof case, your choice of sizes, starting at $149.
  • The new Fire HDX 8.9, lighter and with a faster processor, starting at $379 (with special offers).

Amazon is also rolling out a new Fire OS called Sangria with new, updated features which include individual emails and profiles for family members. Both the Fires and the E-ink Kindles will also be getting a new feature  called Family Library which will allow family members to share books and videos on an account. This is a feature that I have personally wanted for a long time!

I’ll have more to come on the new devices and features! 🙂

 

Problems with installing the Amazon Instant Video App?

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instant videoLast week, Amazon finally released its long-promised Instant Video app for Android. (There was a previous app a few years ago available for the Sony Dash, but that one was removed a while back.)

The new app is designed for phones, although it is working on some tablets. It is a somewhat complicated install procedure because you first must install the Amazon Shopping app, then download the one for Instant Video.

I was able to install the app on my Samsung Note 2 with no problem. I could not, however, get it to work on my Samsung Note 8.

Both Teleread and The Digital Read have posted workarounds for the flash video problem in the past. Today, the MobileRead forum led me to another install method detailed on the Droid Life site. This install involves directly downloading the Instant Video .apk file from Amazon.

I tried the Droid Life method and it installed correctly on my Samsung Note 8 with no problem. 🙂

Hopefully, one of the methods will enable you to get the app working correctly on your device.

Fire Phone now 99 cents with two-year contract

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amazon fire phoneThe Amazon Fire Phone has been reduced in price. It is now available for 99 cents with a two-year contract or for $449 for an outright purchase of the unlocked phone. The purchase includes a free one-year subscription to Amazon Prime. That’s a savings of $200 over the original price.

There have been a lot of rumors that the phone has not been selling well in the US, even among die-hard Amazon aficionados. The fact that this phone is only available for AT & T and the original sticker price of $649 for an unlocked version are the two most common reasons listed on the Amazon forums for passing on a purchase. I have also seen quite a few complaints about a lack of apps (and the Google Play store) for the phone.