Author Archives: Glinda Harrison

Amazon called to say “update”

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phone_640I’ve been talking a lot here on the blog about the critical update Amazon has been rolling out for the older Kindles. I’ve talked about the e-mails (here), the Web messages (here), the snail mail (here), and even the the fact that Snopes.com addressed the rumors surrounding the update. There’s been no doubt that Amazon wants to make sure its customers install this critical security fix.

Today, however, Amazon took it one step further. We actually got a recorded phone call at the house from Amazon reminding us that we need to update our Kindles in order to keep accessing the Kindle libraries and Amazon’s servers. The recorded message, which was repeated twice, re-iterated the instructions on the Kindle update page and emphasized that Amazon customer service was available any time to offer assistance by calling 1-866-321-8851.

The recording instructed us to please disregard the message if we had already updated within the last few days. (We had done all of ours over the last few days.)

[Please insert Adelle “Hello” joke here.]

Did you get a phone call about your update?

Daily Links and Deals: Is the Term ‘Mobile First’ Becoming Outmoded?

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daily_links_1Today we have stories on  iPhones, Chromecast, Mac Books, and telescopes. There are also stories about the current mobile first philosophy and a look at how our TV sets are being reinvented. And in the deals department,  you can get The Host by Stephanie Meyer for $3.99

Daily Links for day, March 20, 2016:

Everything Apple announced at today’s iPhone SE event (Quartz) All the news about the baby iPhone new iPhone, ipads and other news from the Apple event.

The Joy of Owning an Eight-Year-Old MacBook (Gizmodo) With all the fuss over all the new Apple tech, I found this amusing.

Eye to the sky: Austin Public Library now offers a pair of telescopes for checking out the night skies (Austin Daily Herald) Big +1 for this library. Great tool for learning!

Google rebrands its Chromecast app to Google Cast to reflect expansion to more devices, including speakers (Techcrunch) It’s not just for the Chromecast anymore. And, Vizio is making TVs and soundbars that work with it. And in the Deals department: Star Trek novels!

Is the Term ‘Mobile First’ Becoming Outmoded? (ReCode)Is it really mobile first or do we need to optimize for all platforms?

REMOTE, CONTROLLED: How Vizio and Google radically reinvented the TV (The Verge) Having had a ROKU box go belly up because of a wifi remote problem, I am not sure about this one…

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deals includes Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica for $1.99.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Coup de Foudre by Ken Kalfus for $1.99.The Romance Daily Find is Dragon Fall (Dragon Fall Series #1) by Katie MacAlister for $1.99.

Barnes and Noble is promoting James Patterson’s new BOOKSHOTS series, all-new, original stories that feature a “cinematic storytelling experience” in 150 pages. The stories include favorite characters  like Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, and the Women’s Murder Club.  They are available for pre-order now.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving for $1.99.

In other deals, continuing through March 28, Kobo is still featuring bestsellling memoirs for $2.99 and under.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Host by Stephanie Meyer for $3.99. An adult sci-fi novel by the author of Twilight. This is one of my personal favorites. ♥  Amazon , Kobo and Barnes and Noble have this one too!

Google has a selection of Limited Time deals starting at 99 cents. Lots of Star Trek novels in this lot, if you are interested. 🙂

(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: 68% of digital content providers geo-block in the EU

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daily_links_1Daily Links for Monday, March 21, 2016:

Donate Your Kindle (ISEROTOPE) Want to donate a Kindle? The Kindle Classroom Project promotes the love of reading by providing Kindles and good books to high school students in San Francisco and Oakland.

68% of digital content providers geo-block in the EU (Torrent Freak) So much for one EU! That’s a large percentage of content blocked by location.

Amazon begins reselling Comcast services on new site, the “Amazon Cable Store” (Techcrunch) So one of the companies with the best customer service partners with the company with some of the worst customer service on the planet.

Lessons to learn from my Mexican phone theft nightmare (The Verge) Is the everybody’s nightmare?

Google Now lets you block content from publishers you don’t like (The Next Web) Welcome to the era of extreme customization.

After dropping its paywall, The Sun focuses on rebuilding traffic (Digiday) Being paywalled devastated traffic. Now, The sun is trying to rebuild.

Doctor Who is coming back to Amazon Prime Video as a US streaming exclusive (The Verge) Eight seasons of of Doctor Who are coming to Amazon Prime on March 27th. Is that enough of a reason to sign up for Prime?

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deals includes  The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut for $1.99.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, Elizabeth Sherrill, John Sherrill for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is Mermaid Moon by Colleen Coble for $1.99.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Shopping for a Billionaire Boxed Set (Parts 1-5) by Julia Kent for just 99 cents.

Today is the last day to get 3 eBooks for $9.99 and for the  use coupon code 30MARunlimited times for 30% off on select box sets promotions.  Continuing through March 28, you can find bestsellling memoirs for $2.99 and under.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Secret Daughter of the Tsar by Jennifer Laam for $2.99.

(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 and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Yes, Virginia, you really have to update your Kindle. Snopes says so

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snopes_kindle_updateI have been writing quite a bit here on the Kindle critical update situation. I’ve noticed that I am still having a lot of hits on the blog looking for info about the need for updates for the older Kindles. What is interesting is the number of hits trying to verify whether this information is true or if it is some kind of spam or a scam.

I am seeing search terms like:

  • What’s this about updating pre-2012 Kindles?
  • I have received a email about a software update for my Kindle
  • Amazon now demanding that you update your Kindle
  • Kindle update by March

And so on….

It seems that so many people have questioned whether or not this was a hoax, Snopes.com has finally weighed in on the topic. Snopes is pretty much the go-to destination on the web for debunking rumors. The article, Amazon Kindle Owners Face Mandatory Update, was published yesterday and verifies that yes, these emails and this update is indeed legit.

In case you are not clear as to which Kindles need updating, the article notes:

This update is not required for every model of Kindle, but only those from 2012 and older. Customers who act before the deadline will face a relatively easy task: Kindle models from 2010 to 2012 can be updated via Wi-Fi, and models from 2007 through 2009 can be updated via the devices’ wireless connections. However, Kindle users who miss the deadline will have to update their e-readers manually, typically by downloading the software update to PC or other devices and connecting their Kindles to those devices with a USB cable.

If you have been sitting on the fence about this, the clock is winding down. In order to update over the air via wi-fi, you must update by March 22nd in order for your device to be able to connect to Amazon’s servers and your library. After that date, you will have to connect to your computer using USB and install the update manually.

Perhaps after all the updates are done, it might be nice to come back and revisit this topic and try to figure out why so many people thought that this wasn’t real. Is it being constantly deluged with emails from Nigerian princes and online pharmacies? It makes you wonder….

Screenshot by Glinda Harrison/The eBook Evangelist

Daily Links and Deals: Inside the Starburst-sized box that could save the Internet

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daily_links_1Daily Links for Sunday, March 20, 2016:

Okay Google, now write all my emails  (The Next Web) Self-answering emails sounds wonderful! Wouldn’t you love for Google to answer all your emails?

Downloading MP3s from Spotify is easy but  feels dated (Torrent Freak) A command line prompt? Okay, sure….

Inside the Starburst-sized box that could save the Internet (Techcrunch) Randome numbers and quantum computers – this could be a total complete game changer.

Farewell, Pagination (Slate) It is about time. Pagination on web pages? That is so yesterday….

Algorithmic feeds force us to compete (Techcrunch) Recent changes to Instagram and Twitter may have unintended consequences.

Japan plans to open national manga museum (Chicago Tribune) A museum for manga and anime? What a great idea!

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deals includes After I’m Gone by Laura Lippman and Jodi Lynn Anderson’s Tiger Lily, a retelling of the Peter Pan story. Both books are $1.99.

In Today’s Deals, Amazon has some interesting Lego sets and tons of toys today. Most of my online friends collect, LOL! And yes, those Kindle Fire 8.9 HDXs are still reduced.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is Finn (Blue-Collar Billionaires #2) by M. Malone for $99 cents.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is My Kind of Wonderful Cedar Ridge (Book #2) by Jill Shalvis.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Names by Don DeLillio for $1.99.

(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 and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Daily Deals: Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception

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spy the lieDeals of the Day  for Saturday, March 19, 2016:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deals includes Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception by Philip Houston, Michael Floyd, Susan Carnicero, Don Tennant for $2.99. This sounds like fun, doesn’t it?

Amazon is also still offering special pricing on the 8.9 inch HDX line of Fire Tablets.

I also found The Killing Doll  for by Ruth Rendell for $1.99

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is The Race for Paris by Meg Waite Clayton for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is The Velvet Promise (Velvet Montgomery Series #1) by Jude Deveraux for $1.99.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay for $1.99. This is said to be “reminiscent of Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves, John Ajvide Lindqvist’s Let the Right One In, and Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House.” Impressive company to be in!

Kobo also still has the get 3 eBooks for $9.99 going on.  You can also still  use coupon code 30MARunlimited times for 30% off on select box sets.  Both of those promotions are valid through March 21. And through March 28, you can find bestsellling memoirs for $2.99 and under.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan for $2.99.

Google has a selection of limited time deals with prices 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 and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Daily Links and Deals: 5 ways adblockers are changing your entire online experience

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daily_links_1Daily Links for Friday, March 18, 2016:

SoundCloud has signed a licensing deal with Sony Music (The Verge) And hopefully, this means that Soundcloud will be sticking around for a while…

Stagefright exploit puts millions of Android devices at risk (Computer World) Since our phones are so essential to our lives nowadays, all these phone threats are scary.

Don’t like Twitter’s new algorithmic feed? Then turn it off. (Engadget) Hopefully we can convince Twitter that there is an advantage to a linear feed.

5 ways adblockers are changing your entire online experience (The Next Web) User-centric or publisher centric? It will be interesting to see how those interests align.

Apple is going to make my new iPad obsolete. Again (CNET) Now we have to factor “Will I be okay if they bring out a new one in 3 months” into our purchasing decisions?

Should Your Therapist Read Your Twitter? (Motherboard) Wow, is this a life in the digital age question!

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deals includes Pane and Suffering (A Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery) by Cheryl Hollon for $1.99.

Right now, Amazon is offering the high end Kindle Voyage for just $199.99. You rarely see this one on sale,so this is a good deal if you have been thinking about one of these. There are also several deals on new Fire tablets. 🙂

In Today’s Deals, Amazon has a great deal on a Anker Wireless Charger PowerPort Qi Wireless Charging Pad for $14.95.  This works for the Samsung S6 / Edge / Plus, Note 5, Nexus 4 / 5 / 6 / 7, Nokia Lumia 920, LG Optimus Vu2, HTC 8X / Droid DNA and All Qi-Enabled Devices.  Amazon is also offing special pricing on the 8.9 inch HDX line of Fire Tablets.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find features seven novels in the Byrnes Family Ranch Series by Dusty Richards, including Texas Blood Feud (Byrnes Family Ranch Series #1) for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is Made for Us by Samantha Chase for 99 cents.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Only Enchanting – A Survivor’s Club Novel (Book #4) by Mary Balogh for 99 cents.

There are lots of other Kobo deals: The Kobo Glo HD is still on sale for $20.00 off. You can get 3 eBooks for $9.99 YOu can also use coupon code 30MAR unlimited times for 30% off on select box sets.  Both of those promotions are valid through March 21. And through March 28, you can find bestsellling memoirs for $2.99 and under.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880 – 1964 by William Manchester for $2.99.

(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 and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Daily Links and Deals: Even researchers agree that slow internet can stress you out

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daily_links_1Daily Links for Thursday, March 17, 2016:

Tennessee kills muni-broadband expansion bill after AT&T opposition (Ars Technica) Big business wins against the people again. My city wanted to put in free wi-fi, so stories like this his close to home. 😦

Mossberg: The False Debate Between Open and Closed in Tech (ReCode) Part of the problem may be how we are defining these terms.

Newly discovered malware could attack factory-configured iPhones (The Next Web) The fact that this can affect factory-configured phones and not just jailbroken ones in a big deal.

Even researchers agree that slow internet can stress you out (Engadget) See? Too much buffering is bad for you! We now have studies to back it up!

NYC’s Free Wifi Service Is Turning Into a Privacy Nightmare (Gizmodo) Free wi-fi may be more expensive than you thought….

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deals includes Fated (Dark Protectors Book 1) by Rebecca Zanetti for $2.99.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is The Irish Americans: A History by Jay P. Dolan for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is The Deputy’s Redemption by Delores Fossen for 99 cents.

And just for St. Patrick’s Day,  you can take $10 Off Your Purchase of $75 or More With CodeBNLUCKY17 when you shop BN.com.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Good at Games by Jill Mansell for $1.99.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes Envy of Angels – A Sin du Jour Affair by Matt Wallace  for $2.99.

(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 and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Amazon nags via snail mail, too….

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In today’s snail mail:

kindle update mail

They are postcards sent to my husband and me reminding us that our kindles need a critical update. Postcards? From Amazon?

The irony: I tried to update one of my older e-ink devices yesterday, and for some reason, the update failed. I followed all the directions, but nothing happened. I am trying the others tonight, then calling Amazon tomorrow to try to pin down the problem (if necessary). I will post an update after I call. If I have to manually update all these Kindles, I am not gonna be happy…. 😦

How did your updates go?

Daily Links and Deals: The complete guide to Netflix password-sharing etiquette

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daily_links_1Daily Links for Wednesday, March 16, 2016:

New Nook Hardware Could Become Worthless in the UK After May 2016 (The Digital Reader) This is really, really bad and is the reason why licenses are not as good as owning something.

Handful of Biologists Went Rogue and Published Directly to Internet (NYT) Not sure which is more interesting: this article or the response talked about here.

Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, & Slides will soon let you set expiration dates for document access (9 to 5 Google) I can see how this could be very useful!

New Print Technologies Help Art Books Survive in a Digital World (NYT) Art books are one of those areas where print is still nicer than ebooks.

Amazon Echo: The Invisible Platform (ReCode) I am awaiting my new Amazon Tap to try out this new platform, but I can’t see it replacing my phone….

The complete guide to Netflix password-sharing etiquette (Quartz) Good to know the etiquette of this. I was gonna ask Miss Manners. 🙂

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deals includes The Country Cooking of Ireland for $2.99.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Pup: A Novel of Accidental Heroism by Christopher Slater for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is Shattered (LOST Series #3) by Cynthia Eden for 99 cents.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt for $1.99.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes

(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 and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.