Monthly Archives: July 2016

Saturday Daily Deals: The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

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the_rescue_Today’s deals include Specials on Diamondback Bicycles. In books, The Rescue by Nicolas Sparks is a daily deal at both Amazon and Kobo.

Deals of the Day for Saturday, July 23, 2016:

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals includes The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks,  A Well-tempered Heart (Art of Hearing Heartbeats Book 2) by Jan-Philipp Sendker and all seven books in Tom Lowe’s Sean O’Brien series.

In Today’s Deals, savings on Diamondback Bicycles.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Life Among Giants: A Novel by Bill Roorbach. The Romance Daily Find is Sugar Daddy: A Sugar Bowl Novel by Sawyer Bennett.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks. The Extra Daily Deal is Die Again: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel (Book 11) by Tess Gerritsen.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel.

Google Books has a Hot Book Deals promotion.

(A note on Daily Deals: All prices current at the time of posting and subject to change. Most items marked Daily Deals are good for only the day posted.

Many large promotions have discount pricing that is set by the publisher. This usually means that titles can be found at a discount price across most platforms (with iTunes sometimes being the exception). If you have a favorite retailer you like to patronize, check the title on that website. There is a good chance that they will be matching the sale price.)

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. I also post other, different links of interest on Twitter, Facebook, and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Daily Links and Deals: Which Font Should I Use On My Kindle?

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daily_links_1Today, a look at fonts on the Kindle and which one you should use for reading. Also, a new Google app brings museums to your Android phone, a look at why Chromebooks are not a replacement for your Windows PC and a spotlight on women writers and romance book sales. In deals, you’ll find running shoes and Stargate series bundles on DVD and Blu-ray.

Daily Links for day, July 22, 2016:

Google’s New App Brings Hundreds of Museums to Your Phone (Wired) Don’t you just love the idea of a museum to go?

Which Font Should I Use On My Kindle? (Fast Company) Some tips on choosing your font, a look at why options are so limited and some design thoughts for the future.

Chromebook shipments are exploding, but not replacing Windows PCs (PC World) I love my Chromebook, but when my primary computer died, it became really apparent why these are not a replacement for a Windows machine.

Maverick women writers are upending the book industry and selling millions in the process (Quartz) I really like the line that says romance readers are “addicts with e-readers.”

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals includes the classic I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison and four books in the delightful Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja middle grade series.

In Today’s Deals, Amazon is offering ASICS Men’s Gel-Pulse running shoes and Stargate boxed sets and bundles, including DVD and Blu-ray complete series sets.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Absolutely: A Memoir by Joanna Lumley. The Romance Daily Find is A Wedding in Apple Grove by C. H. Admirand.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is also Absolutely A Memoir by Joanna Lumley. The Extra Daily Deal is The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story by Hyeonseo Lee and David John.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Monkey’s Raincoat by Robert Crais.

Google is having an E-originals for under $3 Sale.

(A note on Daily Deals: All prices current at the time of posting and subject to change. Most items marked Daily Deals are good for only the day posted.

Many large promotions have discount pricing that is set by the publisher. This usually means that titles can be found at a discount price across most platforms (with iTunes sometimes being the exception). If you have a favorite retailer you like to patronize, check the title on that website. There is a good chance that they will be matching the sale price.)

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. I also post other, different links of interest on Twitter, Facebook, and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Daily Links and Deals: The last VCR will be manufactured this month

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daily_links_1Today, a story about the end of VCR manufacturing. Also, a followup on Deezer’s new music service, free courses available at iTunes U and a way to try electronics before you buy. In deals, the first three novels in the  Gaius Petreius Ruso Mystery Series for $2 each.

Daily Links for Thursday, July 21, 2016:

iTunes U: Free education to make you smarter (Macworld) You can use iTunes for more than just music and apps. You can find courses from universities from all over the world for free.

The last VCR will be manufactured this month (Quartz) It’s been a good 40 year run, but even Walmart stopped carrying VHS tapes a long time ago.

Firefox will start blocking Flash content next month (PC World) Since Flash is not safe, this is a good thing.

Deezer Is Launching the Strangest Free Access Tier In the World (Digital Music News) A followup to yesterday’s news. So Deezer is starting with paid and adding free later?

Grover lets you rent electronics on the cheap (Techcrunch) This is a great idea for people who want to make sure they really like tech … or to make sure it really works as promised.

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals features the first three books in Ruth Downie’s Gaius Petreius Ruso Mystery Series, including Medicus: A Novel of the Roman Empire.

In Today’s Deals, savings on select CRKT and Kershaw Knives and Tools.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is a collection of twelve Star Trek movie novels for $2.00 each. The Romance Daily Find is Midnight’s Kiss (Elder Races Series #8) by Thea Harrison.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is The Widow’s War by Sally Cabot Gunning. The Extra Daily Deal is Must Love Chainmail: A Time Travel Romance by Angela Quarles. Also at Kobo, Kids & Teen titles at $4.99 & under.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Drafter by Kim Harrison.

(A note on Daily Deals: All prices current at the time of posting and subject to change. Most items marked Daily Deals are good for only the day posted.

Many large promotions have discount pricing that is set by the publisher. This usually means that titles can be found at a discount price across most platforms (with iTunes sometimes being the exception). If you have a favorite retailer you like to patronize, check the title on that website. There is a good chance that they will be matching the sale price.)

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. I also post other, different links of interest on Twitter, Facebook, and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Daily Links and Deals: Deezer’s music streaming service comes to the U.S.

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daily_links_1In today’s stories, Deezer brings it’s streaming service to the US, at a price. Also, Farmers are still fighting copyright for the right to repair their tractors, the FCC won’t stop free channel blackouts, and the government is finally starting to shut down tech support scammers. In deals, there’s a large selection of Amazon covers on sale today in their device accessories sale. Also, deals on an X-Files Blu-ray set and Mr. Beams motion sensor lights.

Daily Links for Wednesday, July 20, 2016:

Deezer’s music streaming service comes to the U.S., but without a free option (PC World) The lack of a free tier, especially in a the crowded US market, may give this service a disadvantage.

Farmers Are Still Fighting For The Right To Fix Their Own Tractors (Jalapnik) When you think of repairing machinery, copyright infringement is the last thing you’d think would be an obstacle, right? What is John Deere thinking?

Cable blackouts of “free” TV channels won’t be stopped by FCC (Ars Technica) Let’s see: It’s not okay to blackout sports, but you can blackout local free TV? Huh?

Feds shut down tech support scammers, freeze assets (Computer World) This is one of the most common scams, especially for the elderly,  and I am glad to see that law enforcement is beginning to address this.

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals includes Last Breath: A Sherry Moore Novel by George D. Shuman.

In Today’s Deals, Amazon is featuring a large selection of Amazon Device Accessories (mostly covers and screen protectors) at significant savings. Also, The X-Files: Complete Series Collector’s Set + The Event Bundle on Blu-ray and savings on select Mr. Beams Motion-Sensor Lights.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Bad Days in History: A Gleefully Grim Chronicle of Misfortune, Mayhem, and Misery for Every Day of the Year by Michael Farquhar. The Romance Daily Find is Brush of Wings by Karen Kingsbury.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is The Night Ranger: A JOHN WELLS NOVEL (Book 7) by Alex Berenson. The Extra Daily Deal is The John Milton Series: Books 1-3 by Mark Dawson.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles.

Google Books has a Hot Book Deals promotion.

(A note on Daily Deals: All prices current at the time of posting and subject to change. Most items marked Daily Deals are good for only the day posted.

Many large promotions have discount pricing that is set by the publisher. This usually means that titles can be found at a discount price across most platforms (with iTunes sometimes being the exception). If you have a favorite retailer you like to patronize, check the title on that website. There is a good chance that they will be matching the sale price.)

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. I also post other, different links of interest on Twitter, Facebook, and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Amazon launches Kindle Single Classics series

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K_single_classics1Back in 2011, Amazon launched a series of short form pieces for the Kindle called Kindle Singles. Today, Amazon has announced a new series called Kindle Singles Classics.

The new series is described as “a way to make iconic articles, stories and essays from well-known authors writing for top magazines and periodicals available in digital form, many for the first time.”

According to the press release, the initial launch features over 140 works that consist of both fiction and non-fiction. A variety of writers are represented: Susan Orlean , Norman Mailer, Gloria Steinem, Lawrence Wright, Margo Jefferson, Gay Talese and Chang-rae Lee, as well as short stories from best-selling authors like John le Carré and Kurt Vonnegut.The works draw from magazines like Time, Playboy and the New York Times Magazine. Some of the pieces date back decades.

Singles Classics are priced from 99 cents and are available for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

In the press release, Amazon does note that “writers and publishers sell their previously published work via Kindle Direct Publishing”, which means that we will probably be seeing more previously published content in the series. If the series works the same way as Kindle Singles, works will probably require approval before they can be published.

Back before Amazon established the 99 cent threshold for books and stories published for the Kindle, I used to find a large number of (undoubtedly illegal) science fiction and fantasy stories available for pennies. I remember seeing Damon Knight’s classic  “Not With a Bang” priced at only 10 cents for the short story.

While I am not overly excited about a glut of old material surfacing on Amazon, there are some amazing short works, especially in the SFF genre, that I would love to read again. Many were originally published in anthologies that have been orphaned or gone out of print and are not available in e-versions. Seeing some of those works available would be wonderful!

Can I be the first to request “Whatever Became of the McGowans?”

Daily Links and Deals: Why does using a period in a text message make you sound insincere or angry?

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daily_links_1Today, a look at what people read into using a period in a text message. Also, the Library of Congress has been hacked, perusing 50 years of Star Trek lawsuits and a librarian hands out books at the RNC convention. Today’s deals feature up to 50 off on Logitech PC accessories and a refurbished Vizio soundbar.

Daily Links for Tuesday, July 19, 2016:

Library of Congress wracked by DNS attack (FCW)  The website seems to be still intermittently down.

Why does using a period in a text message make you sound insincere or angry? (The Conversation) Grammar versus the norm and what it says about you. I wonder how long before using punctuation in texts becomes a tell-tale sign of your age, like using two spaces after a period does now….

The Pleads Of The Many: 50 Years of Star Trek Lawsuits (Trademark and Copyright Law) An interesting piece on Star Trek lawsuit history.

This Librarian Handing Out Books At The RNC Wants To “Make America Read Again” (Bustle) I have got to admit that this is an interesting approach to getting people to read.

Deals of the Day: 

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals includes Drinking Closer to Home: A Novel by Jessica Anya Blau.

In Today’s Deals, get up to 50% off select Logitech PC accessories, including mice and keyboards. Also, a Vizio refurbished 38″ soundbar and MEE audio M7P Secure-Fit Sports In-Ear Headphones with Mic, Remote, and Universal Volume Control.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find includes a number of travel guides in the “Rough Guides” series. The Romance Daily Find is Test Drive by Marie Harte.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Duke of My Heart: A Season for Scandal (Book 1) by Kelly Bowen. The Extra Daily Deal is The Bookseller A Novel by Cynthia Swanson.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Empty Chair by Jeffery Deaver.

If you enjoy YA books, Google Books has a collection of Teen Reads Under $5.

(A note on Daily Deals: All prices current at the time of posting and subject to change. Most items marked Daily Deals are good for only the day posted.

Many large promotions have discount pricing that is set by the publisher. This usually means that titles can be found at a discount price across most platforms (with iTunes sometimes being the exception). If you have a favorite retailer you like to patronize, check the title on that website. There is a good chance that they will be matching the sale price.)

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. I also post other, different links of interest on Twitter, Facebook, and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Daily Links and Deals: 5 essential Google Drive extensions for Chrome

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daily_links_1Today, a story on some really useful extensions for Chrome. Also, you can send a friend a Netflix playlist, there’s a new version of an old Nintendo, and some interesting ebook statistics on Romance Novels. In deals, you can find an Insanity Max DVD set, savings on Yamaha musical instruments and the complete Blu-ray set of Irwin Allen’s Lost in Space.

Daily Links for Monday, July 18, 2016:

Netflix launches ‘Flixtape’ playlists you can send to friends and lovers (The Next Web) This idea is so much better than rattling off a list over the phone like I usually do…..

Comcast expands $10 low-income Internet plan (Ars Technica) The communications giant adds 10Mbps broadband for low-income adults without kids.

5 essential Google Drive extensions for Chrome (PC World) All of these look really, really helpful if you use a chrome browser.

Surprise: Nintendo’s next console is the NES [Updated] (Ars Technica) I’ve seen these retro sets before, and for the true aficionado of the originals, they just don’t measure up. I also bet my puzzle favorites are not part of the mix.

Romance Makes up 4% of Print, and 45% of eBook Sales (The Digital Reader) This study confirms what we already knew: Romance readers have gone for ebooks in a big way.

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals includes Shaun T’s INSANITY MAX:30 Base Kit – DVD Workout. Also, a selection of Yamaha Musical Instruments (including guitars, keyboards and more) and Lost in Space: The Complete Series on Blu-ray.

In Today’s Deals, Amazon is featuring several series, including Area 51 titles by Bob Mayer.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is  All the Presidents’ Gardens: Madison’s Cabbages to Kennedy’s Roses–How the White House Grounds Have Grown with America by Marta McDowell. The Romance Daily Find is Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry Series #1) by Simone Elkeles.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is The Girl Who Stayed by Tanya Anne Crosby. The Extra Daily Deal is Good Kings Bad Kings A Novel by Susan Nussbaum.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman.

Google has a Scorching Summer Romance promotion.

(A note on Daily Deals: All prices current at the time of posting and subject to change. Most items marked Daily Deals are good for only the day posted.

Many large promotions have discount pricing that is set by the publisher. This usually means that titles can be found at a discount price across most platforms (with iTunes sometimes being the exception). If you have a favorite retailer you like to patronize, check the title on that website. There is a good chance that they will be matching the sale price.)

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. I also post other, different links of interest on Twitter, Facebook, and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Amazon is hosting Kindle discussion with an Oasis giveaway

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oasis_slideThe Amazon Kindle team posted a notice on the Kindle Customer Forums that they will be hosting a discussion there starting at 7 a.m. Pacific time on Monday, July 18, 2016. The purpose of the discussion is to share feedback with the Kindle Team on how they can interact more meaningfully with Kindle Customers.

During the discussion, the Kindle Team will be providing links to participants where they can enter giveaways for two Kindle Oasis e-readers.

Amazon staff will be online in the forum from  7 a.m. PDT to approximately 11 p.m. PDT on Monday night and then back for a short while on Tuesday morning.

I am interested to see how this discussion goes. Generally speaking, Amazon representatives rarely post on this particular forum. This is a customer forum and, while people post questions and seek help with device questions, it is typically customers helping other customers. As with any loosely moderated forum, there can sometimes be a fair amount of trolling and snark on the boards. Personally, I would love to see more official Amazon involvement on the forum.

Have something you want to let Amazon know? The Kindle Customer Forum is located at https://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/.

Sunday Daily Deals: A Certified Refurbished Echo

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echoIf you missed buying an Amazon Echo on Prime Day, Amazon is offering certified refubs at  $40 savings off the new Echo price. FYI: Certified refurbished Echos also carry a one year guarantee.

Deals of the Day for July 17, 2016:

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals includes a Certified Refurbished Amazon Echo for $139.99.

In Today’s Deals, get Mountain Man by Diana Palmer for 99 cents. Also available is  For the Win: How Game Thinking Can Revolutionize Your Business by Kevin Werbach and Dan Hunter for 99 cents.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet: Tasting the Goodness of God in All Things by Sara Hagerty for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is Lady Susan Plays the Game by Janet Todd for $1.99.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Partner in Crime by J. A. Jance for $1.99. The Extra Daily Deal is Mudbound by Hillary Jordan for $1.99.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes Entombed by Linda Fairstein for $1.99.

Google has a Hot Book Deals promotion with books starting at 99 cents.

(A note on Daily Deals: All prices current at the time of posting and subject to change. Most items marked Daily Deals are good for only the day posted.

Many large promotions have discount pricing that is set by the publisher. This usually means that titles can be found at a discount price across most platforms (with iTunes sometimes being the exception). If you have a favorite retailer you like to patronize, check the title on that website. There is a good chance that they will be matching the sale price.)

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. I also post other, different links of interest on Twitter, Facebook, and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Tor.com starts ebook club, offers free book monthly

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three-bodyScience Fiction publishing imprint Tor has announced the start of a book club for SF/F ebooks. And to make it really, really easy for you to join in, they are giving away a free ebook every month.

The new program started July 11 and the first book is Hugo and Nebula Award nominated The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu. Books are available in both mobi and epub formats. The book is a free download through July 17, 2016.

This is a good value. :)The Three-Body Problem is currently $9.99 on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and iBooks. And FYI: All of Tor’s books are DRM free so they should be readable on any device that reads mobi or epub files.

You can participate in book discussions on Tor.com, The next new book will be available August 1, 2016.

The fine print: This offer is only available in the US and Canada due to territorial restrictions. You must sign up for the Tor ebook club newsletter to participate. Even if you already receive the regular Tor newsletter, you still have to sign up separately for the ebook club list in order to get the link for the free book.  Each book is available as a free download for only one week.

For more info or to sign up for the newsletter, see Tor’s ebook club page here.