Tag Archives: Chromecast

Daily Links and Deals: How did ‘Cyber Monday’ begin? (Plus deal, deals, deals!)

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cybermondayIt is Cyber Monday, and there are lots of deals today on tablets, ereaders and hundreds of ebooks at priced at under $5.

Daily Links for day, November 28,  2016:

Tablets: Why businesses are falling in love with them, just as consumers are getting bored (ZD Net) European businesses are liking 2-in-1 tablets in a big way.

‘Google Cast’ is being phased out in favor of Chromecast for connected TVs and speakers (PC World) And the name is….Um, I think somebody needs to make up their mind.

Why you should start using Google Keep right away (Computer World) Trying this now. Because of the price increase, I am trying to clear my Evernote account before the renewal date. And, yes, Keep is available as an app for your desktop or as a Chrome extension.

Here’s the tech you shouldn’t buy on Black Friday (CNET) Since this applies in spades to Cyber Monday, it is worth a read.

How did ‘Cyber Monday’ begin? Here’s an interesting video on the origins of CyberMonday

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals for Cyber Monday includes over 400 titles at up to 85% off!

Today’s Deals include the Moto Z Unlocked Smartphone, 64GB (U.S. Warranty) plus many, many more.

For Cyber Monday, Kindle Unlimited subscriptions are on sale! Get 25% off a 6 months subscription, 33% off 12 months and 40% off a two year subscription.

All of the Echo lineup is on sale. Get the Amazon Echo  for $139.99, the Echo Dot (2nd Generation) ($39.99) and the Amazon Tap  for $89.99.

The All-New Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote  is $29.99.

If you are looking for an e-reader deal, you can get a basic Kindle for $50 ($30 off), a Kindle Paperwhite for $100 ($20 off) and a Kindle Voyage.for $170 ($30 off).

Want a Fire Tablet? Amazon has you covered. Get the Fire tablet, 7″ for $33.33; Fire Tablet Variety Pack (3 tablets), $99.99;  Fire HD 8, $59.99 and the Fire Kids Bundle for $74.99.

Amazon also has a great selection of Certified Refurbished devices available. These come with a full one-year warranty. You can find deals on Paperwhites ($80), a Kindle Voyage ($120) and the Amazon Echo ($120) here.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find for Cyber Monday is 500 NOOK books under $5. The Romance Daily Find is Sweet Little Lies (Heartbreaker Bay Series #1) by Jill Shalvis.

Barnes and Noble also has a selection of NOOK Books Under $2.99.

All of the Nook Devices are also on sale here! You can find the new $50 NOOK tablet, the entire line of Samsung branded tablets and the e-ink Glowlight Plus, all at reduced prices.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks. The Extra Daily Deal is Pretty Girls: A Novel by Karin Slaughter.

For Cyber Monday, Kobo is also having a huge blowout sale with hit ebook titles under $4.99. (Today only.)

In device deals, the Kobo Aura Edition 2 is $99.99. The Kobo Touch 2.0 is $89.99 and includes a free sleepcover. All Kobo device offer free shipping today.  (The Aura One is still out of stock until early 2017.)

iTunes’ Weekly is also having an Great Books, Amazing Deals sale with hundreds to titles. Books include A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin and other fiction and non-fiction titles.

Google has a lot of Cyberweek Specials: In Books, there are deals for Cyber Monday and you get up to 75% off Comics. In Movies, get half off any movie to own or 50% off anyone movie rental.

In devices, the Google Home is only $99 and comes with 6 months free of YouTube Red music. Plus, you can save $10 on the Chromecast or Chromecast Audio.

(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: More than half the world is still offline

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daily_links_1Today, a look at the world’s internet use and the truth about how many still don’t have access, especially among the poor. Also, Chromecast is having its third birthday, an article on the good you can do with used books and a library opponent takes a second look. In deals, a Hoover bagless vacuum that’s designed for pet owners.

Daily Links for Monday, July 25, 2016:

More than half the world is still offline (Computer World) Pretty staggering statistics.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Google Chromecast! (OMG Chrome) That little dongle is having a birthday! Has it really been that long?

Brown: An eye-opening visit to a library (Roanoke Times) A man wrote an article about why we don’t need libraries any more. The push back inspired a visit to see for himself…

Finding a World of Good in Used Books (Publishers Weekly) This is something we can’t do with ebooks, unfortunately.

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals includes Poisoned Love by Caitlin Rother.

In Today’s Deals, a Hoover WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet Bagless Upright Vacuum, UH70931PC – Corded.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey. The Romance Daily Find is Operation One Night Stand by Christine Hughes.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is ARKANE Thriller Box-Set: Stone of Fire, Crypt of Bone, Ark of Blood by J.F.Penn. The Extra Daily Deal is Taking the Lead: Secrets of a Rock Star (Book 1) by Cecilia Tan.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes SF novel Astral Fall by Jessica Mae Stover.

Google Books has a Topsellers Under $10 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: 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: The End of the News as We Know It: How Facebook Swallowed Journalism

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daily_links_1Daily Links for Wednesday, March 9, 2016:

Chromecast snags 35 percent of global streamer market in 2015, says Strategy Analytics (Android Central) – That’s an impressive number for a little device.

Wayne State University Libraries launch digital collection of Detroit Sunday Journal (Wayne State) – Unique because it was published by striking newspaper union workers, this is a fascinating piece of Detroit history.

The Great Crossword Plagiarism Scandal (Plagiarism Today) – Fascinating story. Crossword puzzles and plagiarism in the same sentence?

IRS shuts down identity security tool for taxpayers due to security problems (Ars Technica) – There is something deeply disturbing about the fact that even the government can’t protect our data.

The End of the News as We Know It: How Facebook Swallowed Journalism (Medium) – A look at the changing news ecosystem and how social media is changing everything.

The digital world: Crossing the great divide (The Next Web) – This article makes the argument that it is the walled garden that helps create the digital divide..

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deals includes Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan (Author), Howard Goldblatt (Translator) for $1.99.

Amazon’s Today’s Deals includes up to 60% off select Wi-Fi routers, range extenders, modems, security cameras, and more.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is The Hidden: A Novel of Suspense by Bill Pronzini for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is My Kind of Wonderful (Cedar Ridge Series #2) by Jill Shalvis for $1.99.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Miracles from Heaven A Little Girl and Her Amazing Story of Healing by Christy Wilson Beam for $2.99.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Pattillo 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: AOL to consider ditching its iconic brand name

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daily_links_1Daily Links for Sunday, January 17, 2016:

AOL to consider ditching its iconic brand name (The Next Web) – That sound you hear is a 9600 baud modem handshake….

Ad Blocking: A Primer (Techcrunch) – Here’s a basic primer on the ad blocking issue.

Newspaper bosses ‘paralyzed’ by change, clueless about paid content, says Steve Brill (Poynter) – Newspapers, readers and paywalls – a harsh but realistic look at the problem.

What you can watch on Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Android TV (CNET) – There are a lot of apps for entertainment out there. If you are not sure which app a systems allows you to  run, here’s a handy chart to help you out.

Microsoft changes rules of Windows 10 upgrade game (Computer World)- Irritatingly, Microsoft is not going to let up until everybody is using Windows 10.

Amazon Echo can read your Kindle books aloud on request (Engadget) – Wemay not have text-to-speech on the Kindles, but the Amazon Echo has it.

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal includes books from select best-selling mystery & thriller series, including the Wayward Pines Trilogy and the Tracy Crosswhite Series, are $1.99 each.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is The Light of the World: A Memoir by Elizabeth Alexander for $3.99. The Romance Daily Find is Treasured by Candace Camp for $1.99.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Irish Thoroughbred by Nora Roberts for $1.99. Kobo is still featuring their Up to 80% Off Long Weekend Sale.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes Tough Customer by Sandra Brown for $1.99.

According to The Verge, Google is offering a free Chromecast with the use of Android Pay. You can read the article with the details here.

(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: Rakuten buys Overdrive

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daily linksDigital Life:

Are Message Boards on the Way Out? (Teleread)

 30 times the novel has been declared dead since 1902 (Vox)

New App Blocks Profanity From Being Displayed On eBooks (Galley Cat)

Pushkin Press Announces New Crime Imprint: Pushkin Vertigo (Publishing Perspectives)

ICANN, Copyright Infringement and the Public Interest (Wahsington Post)

Rakuten Buys OverDrive; What’s it Mean for Kindle Library Books? (The Ebook Reader)

Telephone and Broadband:

LG’s ridiculously cute AKA gets a wider release (Android Central)

Gaming and Streaming:

Watch Thousands of Free Movies at Documentary Heaven (Lifehacker)

How Many People Want to Pay for ESPN? The Web Will Tell Us. (Recode)

Discovery Channel Founder Starts Nonfiction Streaming Video Service Recode)

 Chromecast update allows some users to control it with a TV remote (Android Central)

PlayStation Vue launches live-TV service in three cities, starts at $49/mo (Ars Technica)

Apple Reportedly Gearing Up for Online Television Service (Gear Diary)

Classic FPS Descent to be rebooted by Star Citizen alums

Tips, Tricks and How-to:

How to use FaceTime on iPad (Tab Times)

How to Access Dropbox on Chrome OS (Google Chromecast)

Finds and Deals:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deals for today feature romance, biography and science fiction, including Walter Tevis’ classic, The Man Who Fell to Earth (the basis for the amazing 1976 film  staring David Bowie).

The NOOK Find of the Day is The Rise (The Originals Series #1) by Julie Plec for $2.99. This is a tie-in to the TV series.

The Kobo Daily Deal is The Lions of Lucerne – The Scot Harvath Series (Book #1) by Brad Thor for $1.99.

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 the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

 

Daily Links: CES 2015 Day 3

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CES webMore new shiny toys for day three:

The YotaPhone 2 is coming to a U.S. carrier, exec says (Android Central)

Hands On With the Hemingwrite (Digital Reader)

Cast-Fi is a speaker with a display and a port for Chromecast (Gigaom)

This Gadget Could One Day Charge Your Mobile Device from 15 Feet Away (Digital Reader)

 USB 3.1 and Type-C: The only stuff at CES that everyone is going to use (Ars Technica)

Hands-on with Intel’s new mini-desktops: Faster, smaller, more expandable (Ars Technica)

Your future kitchen knows when food is spoiling, tells you what to make for dinner (Mashable)

I tried to search for USB Type-C cables and was disappointed in the results, so I am not quite sure the future is actually here yet….

You can check out the official CES website here.

 

 

2-day sale: Fire TV stick only $19 for Prime members

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Fire TV stickIf you are an Amazon Prime member and have been thinking about trying one of the Fire TVs, Amazon may have a great deal for you. For two days only, Prime members can pick up the new Fire TV Stick for $19 – that’s $20 off the regular price of $39.

The stick comes with a remote control, but it is not voice-activated like the Fire TV Box. Instead, there is a downloadable app for voice control that can be used with the device, or you can purchase a voice-activated remote control separately. You can play games with the included remote control and it also supports the use of the optional Fire game controller.

There are some differences between the Fire TV Box and the stick. The Box has a Quad-core processor and 2 GB RAM The Fire stick is a Dual-core processor with 1 GB RAM. Both devices are wireless, but the Fire TV Box can also connect directly with an Ethernet cable.

I had personally held off on the Fire TV Box because I already own a Roku box and a Chromecast stick, both of which I use pretty much daily. Truthfully, when the Fire TV came out, I didn’t see much of a need for another streaming system. But for only $19, I am willing to give this one a try. 🙂

ETA: The Fire TV Stick  is a pre-order and will be released on  November 19th.

How about you? Is the $19 price tag tempting to you?