Category Archives: eReaders

Amazon raises price on Kindle Unlimited subscription

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Amazon has notified customers via email that the company will be raising the price on its Kindle Unlimited (KU) subscription effective May 11th, 2023. The price will increase from $9.99 to $11.99, effective on the subscriber’s next month’s renewal date, effectively giving subscribers one month’s notice before the change takes effect.

Subscribers have the option to keep their current prices for a limited time. Until July 31, 2023, subscribers can lock in the current $9.99/month price by purchasing upfront 6 months or 12 months of Kindle Unlimited. According to Amazon, “The lock-in price will take effect on the next billing date after the offer is purchased.” To learn more about this offer, click here.

This is Amazon’s first price increase since the program’s inception in July 2014. The program began with over 600,000 titles and audiobooks, with a limit of accessing ten items at a time. Nine years later, the program includes over 4 million titles, and has expanded to include digital magazine subscriptions and comics. Subscribers can now access 20 items per month at one time.

It is interesting that Amazon is choosing to raise the price for this program now, given the fact that Kobo has recently introduced their Kobo Plus Read and Listen service for $9.99 per month. Kobo’s service features over 1.3 million books and over 100,000 audiobooks. Competitor Scribd’s subscription service is already priced at $11.99/month.

Since most users of the service are avid readers, it will be interesting to see if the price increase will affect the number of KU subscribes. How about you? Is $2 a deal breaker for you?

The new Kindle Scribe adds notetaking and a pen

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Today, Amazon announced its new Kindle device, the Kindle Scribe. The device is the first e-ink Kindle to add writing capabilities to its reading features and is obviously geared towards competing with tablets like the Remarkable, the Kobo Elipsa and the Onyx Boox Note Air 2 Plus.

While I personally own (and love) my generation one Remarkable tablet, as someone who is heavily invested in the Amazon/Kindle ecosystem, after a quick look at the specs, I jumped on the chance to pre-order this device with the front-lit display being the main selling feature since that is a feature the Remarkable does not have.

The Kindle Scribe is a 10.2-inch, 300 pixels per inch (ppi) device with a Paperwhite display. It features an auto-adjusting front light. Purchase of the device includes pen that never needs charging.

Purchase options include choice of 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB of storage. You also have the choice of either the Basic Pen or Premium Pen, which includes an eraser and customizable shortcut button. Additional Pen Replacement tips (nibs) for the pen are also available.

Additional features include:

  • a variety of templates, including to-do lists for tracking tasks and lined paper for meeting notes
  • comes with a Basic or Premium pen option (replacement pens are also sold separately)
  • digital sticky notes to easily add handwritten notes

Plans for future connectivity are already in the works. According to Amazon:

All notebooks are automatically saved and backed up to the cloud for free, and, coming in early 2023, they will also be accessible via the Kindle app.

With the Send-to-Kindle feature, you can import personal documents from your computer or phone to Kindle Scribe and write directly on PDF documents. You can also import and create handwritten sticky notes in Microsoft Word documents, web articles, and other document formats with adjustable font sizes and layout. From early 2023, you will be able to send documents to Kindle Scribe directly from within Microsoft Word.

Also available are covers for the Kindle Scribe in various colors and materials. The covers can be be folded to support the device at different reading angles. Leather covers are available in Black and Burgundy. Premium leather covers can be pre-ordered in Dark Emerald and Tungsten. Currently, fabric covers are available for pre-order in pink, denim and black colors. As of yet, there are no third-party covers available for the Kindle Scribe.

Kindle Scribe is available for pre-order for a November30, 2022 release date. Prices start at $339 depending on size and pen bundle configuration and some customers may be offered monthly payment options (I was). For a limited time, Kindle Scribe comes with a free, four-month Kindle Unlimited membership (some terms apply). You can learn more on the pre-order page.

New Kindle Paperwhites! Finally, USB-C and wireless charging for the Kindle

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News had recently leaked of upcoming new versions of the Kindle Paperwhite. Today, Amazon has announced three new versions of the popular device, an all-new generation of Paperwhite, a Paperwhite Signature Edition, and a Paperwhite for Kids.

All three devices come with a larger 6.8-inch display, a new adjustable warm light and 300ppi resolution.

The new Kindle Paperwhite offers an increased battery life as well as an additional 10% brightness at the maximum setting. The device features 8GB storage and a USB-C charging cable is included. The price starts at $139.99.

The Paperwhite Signature Edition adds an auto-adjusting light sensor with a front light that automatically adapts the brightness of the display based on the lighting around you. The ereader includes 32GB of storage,uses an USB-C connection and is the first-ever Kindle to offer wireless Qi charging. The price starts at $189.99.

The Paperwhite for Kids also includes 8GB of storage, a cover and a 1-year Amazon Kids+ subscription. The price starts at $159.99.

All three versions of the new Paperwhites will be released on October 27, 2021.

Edited to add: For a limited time, the new Kindle Paperwhite and the Signature Paperwhite come with a free, four-month membership to Kindle Unlimited.

How to see the books you’ve read on Kindle Unlimited (Updated)

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One of the most popular posts on this blog is one that I wrote in 2016 on how to see the books you’ve read in Kindle Unlimited. Recently, Amazon has been making some changes to its Kindle Unlimited program that affect the way you find the books you’ve previously read in KU.

Before this change, you found the books you had previously read under the “Manage Your Content and Devices” link under Your Account tab.Now, that method only shows you the books you currently have borrowed from Kindle Unlimited. You can no longer see previously borrowed titles here.

Now, you can only see the lists of books you have previously borrowed on your “Your Memberships & Subscriptions” page.

UPDATE: The original method is working again. The method that follows is an alternative method for accessing the books you’ve read.

Getting to the page:

Please note: Amazon uses dynamic pages for their website and frequently tests new designs, so all customers do not always see the same site. It will also vary depending on whether you are browsing the web on a desktop, laptop, tablet, ir phone or whether you use the Amazon Shopping app. Therefore, I am posting several different ways ways to find the Kindle Unlimited history lists.

So far, I have found several ways to get to the page where you can see your borrowed books.:

From your account:

Method one:

Click on Your Account, the choose “Your Memberships & Subscriptions” link under your account tab. If you do not see any subscriptions, click on the arrow in the section that say “Don’t see your subscription? Take me to my…”. Choose “Kindle Unlimited.” This works on the Amazon Mobile shopping App and the web browser on mobile and on a desktop.

Method two:

On the right side of the menu bar, mouseover or click your name and account. Choose “Your Kindle Unlimited” under the tab. This works on a desktop

Other desktop methods:

Directly: If you are logged in to your Amazon account, you can get there directly via https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/ku/ku-central.

Kindle Unlimited main page:  From the drop down menu in the upper left corner, choose Kindle E-Readers and Books>Kindle Unlimited. This takes you to the main KU page.

If you are not logged in or do not currently subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, you will see the page to sign up.

If you are currently a member, you will see a slider with promotions:

Under the slider, you will see four links: Browse the catalog, Manage your titles, Frequently Asked Questions, and Gift Kindle Unlimited. Click on Manage your titles under the slider. This takes you to “Manage your Kindle Unlimited Membership” page where you will see info about your membership, payment and cancellation options, as well a your borrowed books

On my Chrome browser window, there is also a gray bar at the bottom of the window with “Your Kindle Unlimited titles”  on one side and “Manage Your Titles on the other. Click on the bar to go to the “Manage your Kindle Unlimited Membership” page.

This page will take you directly to the borrowed items page.

The Borrowed items page:

Under your borrowed items, you will see the number of total titles you currently have borrowed. Underneath are your options for showing Kindle Unlimited titles.

  • Show all, current or returned books.
  • Sort by Title (A-Z and Z-A), Author (A-Z and Z-A), and Borrow Date (Oldest -Newest and Newest-Oldest).

The page then shows the covers of the titles you’ve borrowed, the date borrowed or returned, and the the status. On the desktop, the “Read Now” button opens up the Kindle Cloud Browser for me to read on. (On my account, the cloud browser is already listed on my account as one of my devices.)

On my mobile app, I only see a large orange button saying “Return.”

Note that, according to one of my readers, if you have cancelled Kindle Unlimited at any time and re-subscribed, you will NOT see the titles from your previous subscription period.

Need more help?

Amazon is currently making a number of changes to Kindle Unlimited. Current changes include issues with gifting Kindle Unlimited and buying pre-paid subscriptions. I have seen pages related to the subscription service come and go, then return over the past few weeks. I suspect that these changes will continue and plan to discuss some of those changes in a followup post.

The main help page for Kindle limited is here, however, the help page has not seemed to address the most recent KU problems. You may also be able to find additional information on the official Amazon forums.

Kindle Unlimited features unlimited access to over a million titles, and includes audiobooks. Kindle Unlimited books can be read on any Kindle device, including apps, ereaders and tablets. From Amazon.com, it is available only in the United States. It is available internationally in select countries through the local, country-specific Amazon site.

Happy (Non) Birthday from Kobo

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Several times over this past year, I have received strange emails from Barnes and Noble that contained receipts for (very) old purchases, half a press release or notifications, and other assorted mistakes.

Well, Kobo evidently joined the glitch club and sent me an email wishing me a happy birthday and offering me 20% off a select group of titles.

Small problem: My birthday is still over six months away.

According to the email, this offer ends 01-15-2019. I wonder if I can get a rain check?

Anybody else get this or am I the only lucky one?

#oops

An amazing price for this Paperwhite Audible Bundle for audiobook lovers

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Amazon is offering a special bundle just for audiobook lovers! The special Audible bundle includes a Kindle Paperwhite (8GB, Wifi, Special Offers), over ear wireless bluetooth stereo headphones, and a 3 month free trial of Audible, all for just $139. (The 32GB model bundle is also available.)

It is the headphones by POP Design that make this bundled price such a great deal. These are lightweight (185 grams), boast a 16 hour battery life and have a recharge time of 2 to 3 hours. There are built in features for Kindle Audible and Audible Audiobooks App controls,  as well as the standard music and calling features. An audio cable for a wired connection is also included. So far, the headphones are getting five star reviews on Amazon.

Amazon sells the headphones with a case separately for $79.99. Since the Paperwhite alone is regularly $129.99, when you add in the 3 month Audible subscription (normally $14.95 per month with a 30 day free trial), this bundle offers significant savings, especially if you are planning on using the device for audiobooks.

The fine print regarding the Audible subscription:

Redemption instructions will be sent via email after your order ships. No obligation to redeem. After 3 mos., subscription will auto-renew for $14.95/mo.

Amazon lists this bundle as a $255 value. The deal is available until Dec 22, 2018.

All New Paperwhite ereader on sale for only $99

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If you have been on the fence about one of the All-new Kindle Paperwhite ereaders, this might be a good day to decide to pick one up. The 8GB WiFi version of the ereader is on sale today for on $99 and you can get the 32GB version for only $20 more. There is also a WiFi plus cellular version available at discounted pricing.

The All-new Kindle Paperwhite is thinner, features more LEDs, and has more storage than previous generations. It also has a flush bezel and an IPX8 waterproof rating.

This version has also added Audible and Bluetooth capability so the device can be used with Amazon proprietary Whispersync for Voice feature that allows you to switch back and forth between the ebook and Audible versions of a book.

At $30 off, this is the lowest price yet for the newest Paperwhite, with the price lower than those offered on Black Friday. And, it ships in time for Christmas!

Finally! Third-party covers for the New Kindle Paperwhite are starting to appear

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Last week, Amazon began shipping the new version of the Kindle Paperwhite (the 10th Generation). If you are like me and don’t like the proprietary Amazon device covers, I have news. Some third-party covers are beginning to appear on Amazon. Quite a few covers have pooped up recently, Here’s a sampling:

Clamshell Cases:

Fintie Slimshell Case for All-new Kindle Paperwhite (10th Generation, 2018 Release) – Premium Lightweight PU Leather Cover – $9.99 to $17.99 – Available in Black, Denim Charcoal, Rose Gold, Galaxy, Jungle Night and Love Tree.

OMOTON Kindle Paperwhite Case (10th Generation-2018), Smart Shell Cover with Auto Sleep Wake Feature for Kindle Paperwhite 10th Gen 2018 – $11.99 to $13.99. Available in Black, Blue,  Purple, Brown,  and Love Tree print.  This case is PU ( artificial) leather.

Infiland Kindle Paperwhite 2018 Case, Lightweight Shell Case Cover Compatible with All-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 10th Generation 6″ 2018 – $7.95 to $8.95 – Available in Black, Gray, Mint Green, Navy,  Orange, Purple, and Royal Blue. Synthetic leather.

ACcase Kindle Paperwhite Case 2018, ACdream The Thinnest and Lightest Leather Smart Cover Case for 2018 Kindle Paperwhite – $12.99 – Available in Black, Purple, Navy Blue, Red, Purple Glitter, Rose Gold, Rose Gold Glitter and Sky Blue  This case is PU (artificial) leather, and, according to the description only fits 2018 Kindle Paperwhite, 10th Generation.

Coopts Case for Kindle Paperwhite (10th Generation, 2018 Releases) – Ultra Slim Lightweight PU Leather Shell Cover with Auto Wake/Sleep Compatible Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2018 Tablet – $14.99 – Available in a variety of colors and patterns. Synthetic leather.

Other cases (folio, cut outs, elastic, etc.):

Fintie Folio Case for All-New Kindle Paperwhite (10th Generation, 2018 Release) – Book Style Premium Fabric Shockproof Cover – $15.99 – Available in Denim Charcoal (fabric) and Vintage Antique Bronze (synthetic leather).

ACcase Kindle Paperwhite Case 2018, ACdream Folio Smart Cover Leather Case – $9.99 to $12.99 – Available in Black, Hot Pink, Purple, Purple Glitter, Rose Gold Glitter and Sky Blue. This case is PU (artificial) leather, and, according to the description, fits various models of Paperwhites.

Ropada Case Kindle Paperwhite 2018 Released Kindle 10th Generation E-Reader 6” PU Leather Kindle Paperwhite Covers – $17.99  Available in Black, Blue and several other patterned designs. This case has elastic bands to hold ereader in place, so it will also fit other Kindle versions.

Flip covers:

Infiland Kindle Paperwhite 2018 Case, Multiple Angle Stand Case Cover Compatible with All-new Kindle Paperwhite 10th Generation 6″ 2018 Release – $9.95 – Available in Black, Gray, Mint Green, Navy,  Purple, and Royal Blue. Synthetic leather.

MoKo Case Fits Kindle Paperwhite (10th Generation, 2018 Releases), Premium Vertical Flip Cover with Auto Wake/Sleep Compatible for Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2018 Tablet – $11.99 to $17.99 – Available in Black, Coffee, Indigo 1, Indigo 2,  Purple, Red, Rose Gold,  and Lucky Tree print.  This case is PU (artificial) leather.

TiMOVO Case for All-new Kindle Paperwhite (10th Generation, 2018 Release) – Slim Fit Vertical Multi-Viewing Flip Stand Cover with Auto Sleep / Wake for Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2018 – $16.99 – Various colors, depending on availability. This case is PU (artificial) leather.

A couple of caveats:

Note that Amazon Prime shipping may not be available for all of these covers. Many covers start off shipping from their manufacturer and later become available directly through Amazon.

The reviews for some of these covers are less than stellar. Due to Amazon’s confusing naming convention for their Kindles, it is unclear whether the poor fit reviews are due to buyer error or poor product design as there aren’t enough reviews for a true consensus. I recommend using caution when buying until there are more reviews.

Kobo introduces the Forma e-reader

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Kobo is releasing a new premium e-reader and I have one (excited) word to say: BUTTONS!!!!

The Kobo Forma, (Kobo’s answer to the Kindle Oasis) takes blends features of the Kobo Aura One with some of the popular features from Amazon’s high-end e-reader.

Features:

  • The new Kobo Forma features an eight inch display, which is larger than both the Aura One (7.8 inches) and the Kindle Oasis (7 inches).
  • Like the Aura One, the Forma is IPX8  rated and is immersible up to 60 minutes in 2 meters of fresh water.
  • At 197 grams, the Kobo Forma is lighter than both the Kobo Aura One and the Kindle Oasis.
  • The Kobo Forma and the Aura One both feature Kobo’s ComfortLight PRO lighting which reduces blue-light exposure for the best nighttime reading. The Kindle Oasis, on the other hand, has an adjustable light sensor, but does not reduce blue light.
  • Like the rest of Kobo’s e-reader line up, the Kobo Forma features integration with Rakuten’s Overdrive system for libraries. (**Dependent on library participation: Overdrive is available through public libraries in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.)

What’s new and exciting:

There are a couple of important features that differentiate the Kobo Forma from other devices in the Kobo lineup. The Forma has added physical page turn buttons. The back of the Forma is flat and, instead, the buttons are placed on an angled section that is slightly thicker than the rest of the device.

The new hardware also features a gyro so the device can be used either right or left handed as well as in landscape and portrait modes.

Sleep cover:

There is an interesting Kobo sleep cover for the Forma. The design is Similar to the original Origami covers Amazon offered for some of their e-readers and Fire tablets. The Forma sleep cover is priced at $49.99.

Storage, Price and Availability:

The Kobo Forma has 8 GB of storage. The 32 Gb version of the device will only initially be availabe in Japan, with other countries to follow at a later, unspecified date. Price for the Forma is $279.99, which is $50 more than the Aura One’s $229.99 price tag.

The Kobo Forma is available for pre-order now and will be released on October 23, 2018. You can find the complete specs here.

My thoughts:

Mostly, I use my Kobo Aura One for library books (some books are only available in an epub format and can’t be borrowed on the Kindle). I also buy books on sale through the Google Play store which require Adobe Digital editions to download. Since I bought my Oasis, trying to read on the Kobo Aura One has been harder for me because I really, really miss the page turn buttons. Personally, I am going to be watching the reviews on this one carefully. I am thinking that it may be a good candidate for a backup eInk reader.

What do you think?

Amazon introduces new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader

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Amazon has made a new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader available for pre-order. The device will be released on November 7, 2018.

Features:

Here are the features of the new device:

  • The new device is thinner and lighter than the previous generation of Paperwhite. And, yes, that means a new size cover. According to the specs for the new cover, it will not fit any of the previous Paperwhites.
  • The new Paperwhite has more LEDs so it is brighter than the previous generation.
  • The screen is now flush with the bezel of the e-reader.
  • It’s waterproof:  IPX8 rated to protect against accidental immersion in up to two meters of fresh water for up to 60 minutes.
  • It’s got more storage: The basic version comes with 8 GB (twice the previous model). Or, you can choose 32 GB to hold more content. (This is a must if you are going to use the content for comics and audiobooks.)
  • Audible compatibility. Amazon had added Bluetooth so you can pair with headphones or speakers. The device is now Whispersync For Voice compatible, so you can not only sync across devices, but can switch back and forth between the ebook and Audible versions of a book.

The new Kindle Paperwhite also includes the ability to invert black and white text, allowing for nighttime reading with white text on a black background. That is one of my favorite features from the Kindle Oasis and it is exciting to see it available on the Paperwhite.

Covers:

Currently, Amazon has three covers available for the new device:

I will be on the look out for 3rd-party covers for this new model and will do a post as soon as new covers are available.

Bonuses:

  • Kindle Unlimited – Amazon is offering 6 months of Kindle Unlimited free with the purchase of a new Paperwhite. The Kindle Unlimited a subscription service that offers unlimited reading of books, magazines and audiobooks. Offer is only available after purchase and terms and conditions apply.
  • Trade in – Take advantage of Amazon’s trade in program and trade in your existing Kindle before you buy a new one. Besides a gift card for your old Kindle, you will get 25% off the purchase price of your new one. (And, yes, some Fire Tablets are eligible for trade in, too!)

The new Kindle Paperwhite prices start at $129.99 (only $10 more than the previous model). It is available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 4G LTE models. Complete specs are here.

So, what do you think? Are these new features worth an upgrade to you?