Category Archives: Daily Links

Daily Links and Deals: Germany’s fixed-price laws extended to e-books

Posted on by

daily_links_1Daily Links for Friday, February 5, 2016:

Yahoo Games Has Passed Away at Just 13 (Wired) – I remember a time when this was *the* place to go for online gaming.

Would you buy smartphone service from Comcast? You may get the chance (Ars Technica) – Can you hear the cable jokes now?

What If Twitter Died? (reCode) – For those of us who don’t use Facebook? Oh, dear….

Maryland Attorney General: If You Don’t Want To Be Tracked, Turn Off Your Phone (Motherboard) – Does this mean digital ubiquity equals a 1984 type of surveillance state?

Germany’s fixed-price laws extended to e-books (The Bookseller) – Publisher get to set the price for ebooks in Germany.

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal includes A Noble Masquerade (Hawthorne House Book #1) by Kristi Ann Hunter for $1.99.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is  Allen Klein: The Man Who Bailed Out the Beatles, Made the Stones, and Transformed Rock & Roll by Fred Goodman for $2.99.     The Romance Daily Find is The Smitten Collection: Smitten, Secretly Smitten, and Smitten Book Club by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, Diann Hunt for $4.99.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is ‘Til the Well Runs Dry by Lauren Francis-Sharma for $2.99.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes Discovering Pride by Jill Sanders for $3.99.

Google is having a Classics Flash Sale with best sellers up to 70% off.  The  Red Hot Romance Deals and the  Get Ready for Deadpool sale, featuring up to 78% off Deadpool comics, are still continuing.

(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: Bookstores, libraries offer ‘blind dates’ to match readers with romantic novels

Posted on by

daily_links_1Daily Links for Thursday, February 4, 2016:

Bookstores, libraries offer ‘blind dates’ to match readers with romantic novels (Chicago Tribune) – Would you try a book, sight unseen, based on only a few words?

66% of Aussie downloaders also pay for Netflix like services (Torrent Freak) – Yes, maybe it is an issue of the poor availability of content.

Google seemingly kicking standalone ad-blockers from the Play Store (9 to 5 Google) – Turns out, this actually a unique situation and not a statement against ad blockers in general.

Google experiments with e-books designed for your phone (Engadget) – Oh, look! More “evolving” ebooks.

Freeloaders, beware: The Wall Street Journal isn’t letting you read for free in Instapaper now, either (Digiday) – The WSJ is getting really serious about its paywall.

Deals of the Day:

On Amazon UK there is a Romance Sale with ebooks from 99p.

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal includes Cat’s Cradle: A Novel by Kurt Vonnegut for $1.99.

As one of Today’s Deals, Amazon has a Lenovo ThinkPad 11E 11.6″ Ultraportable Business Notebook, Intel N2940 Quad-Core, 128GB Solid State Drive, 4GB DDR3, 802.11ac, Bluetooth, Win10Pro via Woot for $199.99.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know: Engagement Chicken and 99 Other Fabulous Dishes to Get You Everything You Want in Life by Cindi Leive, The Editors of Glamour  for $1.99.  The Romance Daily Find is Bearing It All: A Highlander’s Beloved Novel by Vonnie Davis for 99 cents.

Have an old Nook you want to replace? B & N is offering $50 towards a new Samsung Nook when you trade-in your old device. Offer is good until March 5, 2016 and terms and conditions apply. You can find more details here.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Conversations with Myself by Nelson Mandela (with a foreward by Barack Obama) for $2.99.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes What Do Women Want? by Daniel Bergner for $1.99.

Google is featuring a selection of Red Hot Romance Deals as well as a Get Ready for Deadpool sale, featuring up to 78% off Deadpool comics.

(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: Low-Income Americans Face Internet Access That Is Slow, at Risk of Disruption

Posted on by

daily_links_1Daily Links for Wednesday, February 3, 2016:

Amazon’s rent-a-Buddhist-monk service causes controversy in Japan (Mashable) – I know Amazon sells everything, but… really?

Amazon Brings Its Virtual Assistant Alexa To Older Fire TV Devices (Techcrunch) Alexa is coming to the Fire TV.

App Fatigue (Techcrunch) – Are there just too many apps?

Low-Income Americans Face Internet Access That Is Slow, at Risk of Disruption (ReCode) – How you access the internet is very dependent on your income level.

Kindle Update v5.7.2 Adds Open Dyslexic Font, New Home Page (Screenshots) (The Digital Reader) – Your Paperwhite and Voyage e-reader home screens are getting an update!

Deals of the Day:

On Amazon UK, The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living, by Russ Harris is  £.99 today.

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal includes  Twin of Ice and Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux for $1.99 each and Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard for $2.99.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard for $2.99.  The Romance Daily Find is Tough Love: Back to Buckhorn by Lori Foster for $1.99.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is also the Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard for $2.99.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu 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: Reading Fast and Slow – Observing Book Readers in Their Natural Habitat

Posted on by

daily_links_1Daily Links for Tuesday, February 2, 2016:

Reading Fast and Slow – Observing Book Readers in Their Natural Habitat (DBW) – This is an interesting piece on how different individuals read different books.

Evernote Will Shut Down Market, Its E-Commerce Effort, On Wednesday (Techcrunch) – Unsurprisingly, Evernote is closing down its swag shop.

16 million Americans have no wired broadband access, not even at 4Mbps (Ars Technica) – Look at these numbers. This is why the FCC has so many concerns about this

Bluetooth wireless range and speed are getting better (Computer World) –  Like wi-fi, bludetooth is an integral part of the Internet of Things – and our future.

Deals of the Day:

If you are in the UK, Amazon.co.UK  is featuring Mortality by Christopher Hitchens for £.99 as one of the Kindle Daily Deals.

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal includes A Desperate Fortune by Susan Kearsley for $1.99.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Steelheart (Reckoners Series #1) by Brandon Sanderson for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is Power Play by Tiffany Snow for $1.99. Their 500 Under $5 sale is also still available.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Woman with a Secret by Sophie Hannah for $1.99.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Passage by Justin Cronin 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 Links and Deals: Following Apple’s Move, Samsung Rolls Out Ad Blocking To Android Devices

Posted on by

daily_links_1Daily Links for Monday, February 1, 2016:

Following Apple’s Move, Samsung Rolls Out Ad Blocking To Android Devices (Techcrunch) – A welcome, but not unsurprising addition for Samsung phones.

From the Editor’s Desk: Android, airlines and what’s to come (Android Central) – It used to be that you were incommunicado during a flight. Not any more!

Shelve paperbacks in favour of E-books in schools? (BBC) – A look at where ebooks fit in the classroom.

Homeless People Lose Internet Access Over Illegal Downloads (Torrent Freak) – Disturbing story. Given the fact that  ISPs can now be held liable for infringement, we will probably be hearing more stories like this.

I bought my mom a Chromebook Pixel and everything is so much better now (The Verge) Great article that points of some of the benefits of the Chromebook.

Deals of the Day:

If you live in the UK, Amazon UK has Katherine by Anya Seton as a Daily Deal for £.99. (It is $9.99 here in the US, so it is a good deal!)

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal includes The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Pachett for $1.99.

The Fire HD 10 is available for only $179.99. That’s a savings of $50.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu for $2.99. The Romance Daily Find is 31 Days by Marcia Gloster for $1.99.

B & N also has a great selection in their 500 Under $5 sale.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Dry A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs for $1.99.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes Strong Enough by M. Leighton 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 links and deals: The Wall Street Journal tests closing the Google paywall loophole

Posted on by

daily_links_1Daily Links for Sunday, January 31, 2016:

This smart bag can charge phones, weigh itself… and nearly got me kicked off a flight (The Next Web) – This is definitely an early adopter problem!

The Wall Street Journal tests closing the Google paywall loophole (Digiday) – This is one of the best-known workarounds for a paywall and any changes will certainly affect a lot of people!

Digital Transformation Requires Total Organizational Commitment (Techcrunch) – Interesting look at diigital transformation in practice in a corporate culture.

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal features books in the Sisterhood and the Men of the Sisterhood series by Fern Michaels for $1.99 or less.

Amazon halso has several interesting items as part of Todays Deals. The Kindle Fire HDX 7″ Wi-Fi, 16 GB (Previous Generation – 3rd) – this is the one without special offers – is $149.99, a $65 savings. Ypu can also save $5 off the Amazon Fire TV Stick (it’s $34.99) and $10 off the Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote (it’s $39.99).

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving: A Novel by Jonathan Evison for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is The Bride Wore Red Boots: A Seven Brides for Seven Cowboys Novel by Lizbeth Selvig for 99 cents.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is The Fall of Moscow Station by Mark Henshaw for $1.99.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes Raylan by Elmore Leonard 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 Links and Deals: Audio cassettes are back—because hipsters

Posted on by

daily_links_1Daily Links for Saturday, January 30, 2016:

The internet bundle is already here (The Verge) – What would it be like if the internet has add-on tiers and bundles like cable?

Why the hell is Be Like Bill deemed a bigger privacy risk than ‘123456’ as our password? (The Next Web) – Memes and password scares. Is this our reality now?

Your parents are about to join Snapchat (if they haven’t already) (CNET) – Parents ruin everything, don’t they?

Unlicensed LTE in the 3.5GHz band could be good for enterprises (Computer World) –  Usable spectrum exists that won’t crowd out wi-fi.

MovieLaLa’s desktop GIF Maker will have you ruining Twitter feeds in minutes (The Next Web) – Because we need more GIFs….

Why the war on VPNs is one Netflix can’t win (Engadget) – Licensing rights or security? There is more at stake than protecting geo-blocked territories.

Audio cassettes are back—because hipsters (Quartz) There has been a huge increase in cassette sales. Yes, I said cassette. Will it last?

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal includes all three books in the  The Spider Trilogy  by J.R. Rain, Scott Nicholson and Arthur Night for $1.99 each. This sounds like a fun, sexy vampire series.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is  Departure by A. G. Riddle for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is Night Owl by M. Pierce $2.99.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Tough Customer by Sandra Brown for $1.99.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes Perfekt Order (Aere Saga book 1) by ST Bende for $3.99.

(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: US Commerce Department wants courts to be kinder, gentler to file sharers

Posted on by

daily_links_1Daily Links for Friday, January 29, 2016:

US Commerce Department wants courts to be kinder, gentler to file sharers (Ars Technica) – Under a proposed new adjustment to copyright law, the value of the copyright and an infringere’s ability to pay may be factors in awarding damages.

Windows 10 quick tips: How to protect your privacy (Computer World) – Windows 10 has some settings that aren’t exactly privacy friendly. Here’s a guide that can help you manage the system’s privacy settings.

This New Tool From the FTC Can Help Identity Theft Victims Fight Back (Motherboard) – Identity theft is a problem that has only increased as the world has gone digital. The effects can be devastating. The FTC is offering a new tool that help victims.

How Two Guys Built the Ultimate GIF Search Engine (Bloomberg) – Do you speak GIF? They’re not just pictures, but are a vital cultural communication tool.

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal includes  The (Mis)Adventures of Waverly Bryson Series, Books 1-4 by Maria Murnane for $1.99 each. Also featured are books from the Sandman Slim and Graveyard Queen series.

Amazon is also offering another round of Kindle device bundles, Available are:

There are also a number Fire tablet bundles offered. Included are:

BUDGET TIP: They are a good deal, depending on your needs. If you need a power adapter and like Amazon’s Kindle covers, it’s a savings. If you use a multi-port USB charger for your devices and like 3rd party covers like the Moko,  you may be able to save more money buying separately. 🙂

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Attempting Normal by Marc Maron for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is Tangible by Jody Wallace for 99 cents.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is The Keeper of Secrets by Julie Thomas for 99 cents. Until January 31st, Kobo also has a 50% off with promo code JAN1650 on a select list of books. The  Buy 2, Get 1 free sale still continues through February 1st.

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.

Daily Links and Deals: Google Will Soon Shame All Websites That Are Unencrypted

Posted on by

daily_links_1Daily Links for Thursday, January 28, 2016:

Google Will Soon Shame All Websites That Are Unencrypted (MotherBoard) Is losing a site’s Google rank the solution the web’s security problems?

The FCC wants to totally overhaul how cable boxes work (The Verge) I would definitely want a combination ROKU and cable box if I could get one!

Google brings comments to its entire mobile office suite (The Verge) – Is this a feature you have been waiting for?

Rest in Hell, Java Plug-in (Gizmodo) – At long last, Java bites the dust.

Aereo’s ex-CEO wants to bring wireless gigabit internet to everyone (The Next Web) – The Starry wireless internet that works in an urban setting is an interesting idea, but can they pull it off?

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal includes Sarah Woodbury’s Of Men and Dragons (The Lion of Wales Book 3) for 99 cents. Who doesn’t love King Arthur? Books 1 and 2 of the series are also 99 cents and book 4 is $2.99.

And, as part of Today’s Deal, you can get a Kindle Fire HDX 7″, HDX Display, Wi-Fi, 16 GB (Previous Generation – 3rd) for $149.99. That is $65 off the regular price.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is What I Tell You In the Dark: A Novel by John Samuel for $2.99 (interesting angel storyline in this one…). The Romance Daily Find is Honor Reclaimed (HORNET Series #2) by Tonya Burrows for 99 cents.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Cold Betrayal (An Ali Reynolds Novel) by J.A. Jance for $1.99. And, Kobo’s  Buy 2, Get 1 free sale still continues through February 1st.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes Gold Shimmer by P.T. Michelle for 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: Protecting Anne Frank’s Voice — Even 7 Decades Later

Posted on by

 daily_links_1Daily Links for Wednesday, January 27, 2016:

Review: 5 prepaid mobile hotspots fire up business travel (Computerworld) – A good comparison of mobile wi-fi spots.

Netflix exempts US military bases from copyright Geo-blocks (Torrent Freak) – First Amazon Prime and now, Netflix are exempting military bases.

Protecting Anne Frank’s Voice — Even 7 Decades Later (Forward) – I missed this article from a few weeks ago. This is an interesting piece discussing the often overlooked moral rights issue connected to this controversial case.

The Problem with Ebook Piracy Spam (Plagiarism Today) – Is that spammy pirate site really selling books or just fishing for information? If you’re a reader should you buy? And, if you are an author, should you send a take down notice? The answers may surprise you.

Rebtel Introduces Unlimited International Calling (TechCrunch) – Wireless calling without wi-fi? This sounds interesting!

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal includes Boundary Crossed and Boundary Lines, the first two books in Melissa F. Olsons’s new Boundary Magic urban fantasy series for $1.99 each. Boundary Magic Book 3, Boundary Born, is coming in June. These are favorites of mine and are set in the same world as her Scarlet Bernard novels.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Lamentation (Matthew Shardlake Series #6) by C. J. Sansom for $2.99. The Romance Daily Find is When It’s Right (Montana Men Series #2) by Jennifer Ryan for 99 cents.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is also Lamentation by C.J. Sansom (Matthew Shardlake Book #6) for $2.99. Kobo’s  Buy 2, Get 1 free sale still continues through February 1st.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes Marc Maron’s Attempting Normal 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.