Tag Archives: Snapchat

Daily Links and Deals: EU states set to have more power over setting own VAT rates

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daily_links_1Today, stories on EU VAT rates, Sling TV adding multiple channels, disturbing news about the Horror Writers Association, email privacy  and more. In deals,Fallout 4 for PC, multi-port chargers and Fire tablet bundles and deals.

Daily Links for Thursday, April 14, 2016:

EU states set to have more power over setting own VAT rates (RTÉ) I missed this story in all the new Kindle excitement, but it is an important one. High VAT rates on ebooks are a real problem affecting sales in the EU.

Sling TV addresses one of its biggest problems with debut of a streaming service for multiple devices (Techcrunch) Sling’s one stream rule at a time was a deal-breaker for many people (including me).  Here’s their alternative.

Are e-books really that important to Amazon? (Teleread) Everyone is scared of Amazon’s domination of the ebook market, but are ebooks that important to Amazon’s bottom line?

Why and When I Will Begin Boycotting the HWA (Brian Keene) Profoundly disturbing story about some of the goings on with the Horror Writers Association.

US House Committee approves bill requiring warrants for e-mail (Ars Technica) Legal provisions to protect our email privacy are wending their way through the system. Will they become a reality.

How Snapchat Killed the Homepage: In an attempt to woo Generation Z, publishers are launching social media-only concepts. (Business of Fashion) It is not your parent’s internet anymore….

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals includes Men of the Otherworld: A Collection of Otherworld Tales (The Otherworld Series Book 1) by Kelley Armstrong for $1.99.

In Today’s Deals, there’s a deal on Fallout 4 for the PC, Sabrent 60 Watt (12 Amp) 10-Port Family-Sized Desktop USB Rapid Charger and savings of $15 on a Fire Essentials Bundle.

Amazon is still offering savings on the Fire HD 6 and the pre-owned Fire tablets.  I am also still seeing the option for 5 payments of $58 for the Kindle Oasis pre-order.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is Dark Within by Candice Gilmer for $99 cents.

Barnes and Noble is promoting pre-orders for Bill O’Reilly’s Killing the Rising Sun, the epic true story of America’s fight against World War II Japan.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Tall, Dark, and Wicked: Wicked Trilogy (Book #2) by Madeline Hunter for $1.99.

Still available until April 18, select Romantic Times winners & nominees are on sale for under $3 at the Kobo store.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stweart for $1.99. This book about the plants that humans have turned into alcoholic drinks sounds fascinating!

(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: Why You Try iPads and Quinoa So Readily, and Drop Them Just As Fast

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daily_links_1In today’s links, we have stories on Snapchat, wireless spectrum and everything from ebooks and ipads to quinoa. In todays deals, there’s a unlocked Blu GSM phone and some great books, including Dean Koontz and some personal recommendations by me! 🙂

Daily Links for Wednesday, March 30, 2016:

A wireless-spectrum battle means you’ll get a signal in more places (FAQ) (CNET) All the details on what’s at stake here.

Snapchat just made a huge change to become your go-to messaging app (Quartz) Well, this looks somewhat easier, LOL!

Bowie tribute concert at Radio City will be streamed on Skype (Engadget) Donate to charity to catch performances by the Pixies, Blondie, the Flaming Lips and more.

What is a kernel – Gary explains (Android Authority) If you have heard the term “Linux Kernel” and were clueless about what it meant, this one’s for you.

Amazon cracks down on dodgy USB Type-C cables and adapters (Ars Technica) This is a good thing. Now,  about some of those supposedly “OEM” and lightning cables….

28,000 French-Language Ebooks Are Newly Available in the US (Publishing Perspecitves) But you can’t get them at Amazon….

Why You Try iPads and Quinoa So Readily, and Drop Them Just As Fast (Ad Age) Personally, I have stuck with quinoa and I LOVE kale, so that means I probably don’t have “Hyper-adoption” syndrome, right?

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals includes Above the Waterfall by Ron Rash for $1.99.

In Today’s Deals, the BLU Life One X – 4G LTE Smartphone – GSM Unlocked, black or white is $99.99. You can also find Bluetooth headphones, and universal car mounts among the deals. And, Amazon still has deals on  pre-owned Fire tablets.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is The Warrior (Warriors Series, #1) by Ty Patterson for 99 cents. The Romance Daily Find is Savage: The Complete Series by Shelli Stevens for 99 cents.

B & N is running a special where you can get a NOOK Bundle Offer: 10″ NOOK Device, Free Screen Film and Free Cover of Your Choice- a $330+ Value for Just $199.99. And finally, you can take 75% off all Nook Accessories.  And if you have jumped on the coloring books bandwagon, B & N  now has Harry Potter Magical Places & Characters Coloring Books available.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson for $2.99.

Kobo also still has the Great Reads For $1.99 or Less promotion going on.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Moonlit Mind (Novella) by Dean Koontz for $2.99.

A couple of personal book recommendations: 

Several of my favorite authors have new books hitting the virtual shelves!  The Second Death, Volume three in T. Frohock’s Los Nefilim urban fantasy series has just been released. It’s a fantastic series, beautifully written, with a really cool system of magic – and the books are priced at just 99 cents each! And if you like dark fantasy, check out her exquisite novel, Miserere. (I re-read this book several times a year – it’s that good!)

I am really excited that Broken (The Extrahuman Union Book 1) by Susan Jane Bigelow is now back in print. This moving story of superheroes in a dystopian world really, really deserves a much wider audience. The other volumes in the series will be re-released this year, along with the new and final book in the series. The ebook edition includes tie-in prequel short story “Crimson Cadet” and a preview of book 2 in the series, Sky Ranger.

(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: #BOOKNERDPROBLEMS: Wanting to read books that don’t exist

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daily_links_1In today’s stories, we talk about #booknerdproblems, mysterious library returns , aspect ratios, copyright and more. In today’s deals, we have Anker and Microsoft computer and electronic accessories.

Daily Links for Monday, March 28, 2016:

A lost 120-year-old newspaper collection is mysteriously returned to a D.C. library (Washington Post)  A piece of history is anonymously returned to the library.

It is illegal to screenshot and share Snapchat snaps without permission, Government minister says (The Independent) Um…Why copyright and not privacy?

Widescreen, letterbox and black bars: How to wrangle TV aspect ratios (CNET) Understand the various TV aspect ratios and how to deal with them.

People are paying to remove sex, violence, and Jar Jar Binks from movies (Quartz) Yet another censorship service crops up. Is this copyright versus the right to sanitize.

#BOOKNERDPROBLEMS: Wanting to read books that don’t exist (Overdrive) I can so relate. I have bought books written by fictional characters like the Nikki Heat series written by TV character Richard Castle….

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s selection of Kindle Daily Deals includes The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell for $1.99.

In Today’s Deals, savings on Anker devices and accessories, including chargers, bluetooth speakers and cables. You can also save up to 70% off select Microsoft computer accessories, including headsets, keyboard/mouse bundles and web cams.

Have an old Kindle to trade in? Amazon is having another trade-in promotion for both working and non-working Kindles. You can get between $5 and $50 for your old device plus a $20 bonus coupon good towards the purchase of a new Kindle. The details are here.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is Apartment 3B: A Novel by Patricia Scanlan for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is Roses by Leila Meacham for $1.99.

Barnes and Noble is still running several promotions” First, you can take 50% or more off teen bestseller Nook books. They are also running a special where you can get a NOOK Bundle Offer: 10″ NOOK Device, Free Screen Film and Free Cover of Your Choice- a $330+ Value for Just $199.99. And finally, you can take 25% off all Nook Accessories.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is The Secret Daughter of the Tsar by Jennifer Laam for $2.99.

Kobo has a Great Reads For $1.99 or Less promotion going on right now. Also ongoing is is the Supersale, offering up to 80% off and  5X Super Points on all purchases. And, continuing through March 28, Kobo is still featuring  bestsellling memoirs for $2.99 and under.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes The Blind Man of Seville by Robert Wilson 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, Facebook, and on the Google Plus eBook Evangelist Page.

Daily Links and Deals: Audio cassettes are back—because hipsters

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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: How to preserve your work before the Internet eats it

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daily_links_1Daily Links for Thursday, January 14, 2016:

How to preserve your work before the Internet eats it (Poynter) – We keep saying that information on the internet never goes away. We may want to re-think that….

Oh Snap! Founding Fathers Didn’t Envision Snapchatting State of Union (California Magazine) – How 21st century technology like Snapchat is affecting politics.

Do Americans Care About Privacy? It Depends, Because Privacy Is Personal… (Techcrunch) – Recent research seems to be offering somewhat ambiguous answers.

BBC risks excluding viewers by prioritising online content (The Guardian) – Since BBC viewers have to pay for their television, there are some valid concerns here.

‘Braille Kindle’ developed for the blind: Tactile tablet will allow people to feel images and text on the screen (Daily Mail) – This reader has a lot of potential.

Onyx Boox Maclay Android eReader Launches in Russia (The Digital Reader) – Another Onyx Boox e-reader launches at a more affordable price point.

Deals of the Day:

Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal includes Song of the Silent Snow: Stories by Hubert Selby Jr. for $2.99.

As one of their Today’s Deals, Amazon is offering a Motorola Nexus 6 Unlocked Cellphone for$249.99 to 299.99, depending on color and configuration.

And,  to celebrate their Golden Globe Wins, Amazon is offering free streaming of Mozart in the Jungle Season  from Friday, January 15, at 9:00 p.m. PT to 11:59 p.m. local time on Sunday,  January 17, 2016. Amazon Prime will be available for the reduced price of just $73 during the same period.

The Barnes and Noble Nook Daily Find is The Scream Catcher by Vincent Zandri for $1.99. The Romance Daily Find is paranormal romance Fated by Rebecca Zanetti for $2.99. B & N is also running a number of January promotions you can read about here.

Kobo’s Daily Deal is Fix, Freeze, Feast: The Delicious, Money-Saving Way to Feed Your Family by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik for $2.99.  There is also a selection of Great Reads For $4.99 or Less.

iTunes’ Weekly Bestsellers Under $4 includes Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais 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.