Category Archives: Kitchen sink

Kindle Lending Library Details

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Amazon explains the Kindle Lending Library program in more detail on their help page for the lending program.

A few main points:

  • The program is only for Amazon Prime Members
  • The program is only open to U.S. Kindle and Fire owners
  • The books can only be read on devices, not the software apps. They cannot be read on an iPod or iPhone.
  • The device must be registered to the same account as your Prime membership
  • The program does not begin until Thursday, November 3, 2011.
  • You can only read one book per month with no “roll-overs.”

Did Jeff Bezos say millions?

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Amazon released a statement announcing the Q3 earnings today. Net sales were up 44% to 10.88 billion dollars.

From the press release:

“September 28th was the biggest order day ever for Kindle, even bigger than previous holiday peak days – we introduced Kindle Fire for $199, Kindle Touch 3G for $149, Kindle Touch for $99, and our all new Kindle for only $79,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. “In the three weeks since launch, orders for electronic ink Kindles are double the previous launch. And based on what we’re seeing with Kindle Fire pre-orders, we’re increasing capacity and building millions more than we’d already planned.”  [Emphasis added]

“Millions,” he said. That’s a lot of tablets. Already the rumors are starting that the Kindle Fire will outsell the iPad 2. And don’t forget the huge sales of the new Kindles.

But, ironically, investors weren’t happy because net sales were predicted to reach 10.95 billion – and didn’t. I guess you really can’t please everybody.

News Bits and Bytes 10-21-2011

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On the self-publishing front, three of the so-called “Big Six” publishers announce plans to give authors access to sales data. Melville Books calls it war with Amazon.

Why else is this important? Well, back in the spring, authors’ sales data and royalty statements were somewhat of an issue, as Kristine Kathryn Rusch indicates in her piece on book royalties and the follow-up update.   (Note: I haven’t heard of any updates on this story – If anyone has, please share in the comments.)

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If you have privacy concerns about the Amazon Kindle Fire’s new Silk browser, this article from the EFF should interest you.

News Bits and Bytes for 10-20-2011

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Kobo has announced their new color reader, the Vox. It is available for pre-order and will be shipping on October 28. You can read the press release here.  Kobo is also having a contest in which you can win a Vox.

According to this article from SlashGear, Amazon has added Kindles to their electronics trade in program.

What do you do if your beloved eReader is [Gasp] lost or stolen? This article from Mashable has some tips.

Barnes and Noble is expanding their Marketplace,  “adding over one million new products to the catalog,” according to today’s press release. 

For self-publishers, Amazon has announce Kindle Format 8, which has HTML 5 support. Read Mike Cane’s take on the news here.

New software update for the Kindle Keyboard

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Yesterday, Amazon announced an update for the Kindle Keyboard. This updates document and Whispersync features as well as Amazon Local offers for those who have Kindles with Special Offers.

From the Amazon forums:

We’re excited to let you know that we’ve started delivering a new, free software update for Kindle Keyboard over Wi-Fi, which will bring software enhancements and new features, including:

–Download your archived Personal Documents on Kindle Keyboard: You can now view and download your archived personal documents to your Kindle Keyboard conveniently anywhere at any time. Your personal documents will be stored in your Kindle library until you delete them from the Manage Your Kindle page at http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle.

–Whispersync for Personal Documents on Kindle Keyboard: Just as with Kindle books, Whispersync automatically synchronizes your last page read, bookmarks and annotations for personal documents (with the exception of PDFs) across the Kindle devices. Learn more about Kindle Personal Document Service on http://www.amazon.com/kindlepersonaldocuments.

–AmazonLocal deals – Kindle Keyboard with Special Offers users in many regions can now view, purchase and redeem AmazonLocal deals directly from Kindle Keyboard – no computer, no printer, no hassle. AmazonLocal offers savings up to 75% off products and services from businesses in your city, national chains and online merchants. Learn more about AmazonLocal on http://www.amazonlocal.com.

To receive the update, turn your wireless on and connect to an available Wi-Fi network. From the Home screen, press Menu and select “Sync and Check for Items.” The software update will automatically download in the background and install the next time your Kindle goes into sleep mode. You can also manually download the update to your Kindle. You can learn more and download the update at http://www.amazon.com/kindlesoftwareupdates.

Back to the Future of eReading: Kindle Beginnings

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With all the recent Kindle news, I thought it might be interesting to look back at the very first Kindle and the eBook climate at that point in time.  Here’s Jeff Bezos on the Charlie Rose Show in 2007 talking about the first Kindle and what Amazon was trying to accomplish.  So much has changed since then, it is unbelievable!

Surprise, a new Nook…

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As expected, Barnes and Noble today announced a new Nook. The wi-fi only device has a touch interface (no buttons) and is available for pre-order for $139. It is scheduled to ship in time for Father’s Day. You can read the press release here.

There is a PDF of the device features on Barnes & Noble’s website. There are also more images and video of the new device on the site.

Just yesterday, Kobo announced its new touch reader, which will sell for $129 and is also shipping in June.

This means lots more choices for consumers. Currently, Amazon is rumored to be working on an android tablet to compete with the Nook Color. It will be interesting to see if Sony responds with price changes or new devices of its own.

This blog entry composed while listening to Ballads & Blues by Odetta

Kindle DX on sale

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Today’s Amazon Gold Box Deal is the large screen Kindle DX for only $299. It normally retails for $379.

The item raises a couple of interesting questions. Amazon never puts the Kindles on sale, so does this item mean that we are going to be seeing either a new Kindle DX or the much rumored Amazon Android Tablet soon? Kindle aficionados have noted that the DX hasn’t had any updates recently, another possible sign that Amazon is close to rolling out a new product. Most users think that it doesn’t handle fonts and PDFs as well as its Kindle 3G  counterpart. The DX is also not available in WiFi – a definite deal breaker for me, even though I would love the larger 9.7 inch display.

Stay tuned for future updates…

Random House Adopts Agency Pricing

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Random House has announced that they will be adopting the agency pricing model as of March 1, 2010. The agency model allows publishers to set the price of a book and pay retailers a commission.  In its press release, Random House says that

The agency model guarantees a higher margin for retailers than did our previous sales terms. We are making this change both as an investment in the successful digital transition of our existing partners and in order to give us the opportunity to forge new retail relationships.

The list of Random House imprints is quite large, as shown by this list from Wikipedia.

The other five of the Traditional publishers adopted the agency model last spring. The prices for eBook from Traditional publishers rose significantly.

Coupled with the news that Harper Collins is limiting library checkouts on ebooks, this is devastating news for eBook lovers who were hoping that the agency model would disappear and market forces could act on prices.