Archive for the ‘EBooks’ Category

Best Kindle 3 Sleeves

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Choosing the best Kindle 3 Cover is of course a very personal choice.  If you want to keep reading your device without anything extra weighing you down you would probably prefer a simple sleeve.  These are pouches, with zippers, Velcro or just a good fit to keep the ebook reader inside.  They will offer protection when you aren’t using your reader, but will let you get at it quickly when you do want to start reading.  There are hundreds to choose from and some are decidedly better than others.

Here are a few of our favorites and the reasons why we recommend them:

  1. M-Edge Touring Kindle sleeves are our favorite zipper type carry case.  These are made from tough neoprene so are difficult to damage but easy to keep clean.  The double zipper means you can charge your device easily whilst inside and a large extra zip up pocket on the front lets you store a reading light or charger easily.  Being M-Edge they are made well with a great fit – your device won’t move around inside so remains safe from harm.  Best of all they come in a wide range of cool bright colors that mean you will never lose your favorite ebook reader.
  2. Timbuk2 quilted envelope sleeves are a little more expensive, but offer a good deal more protection.  These have a memory foam core that gives great padding against knocks and bumps.  The interior is fake fur which gives a great soft feel and keeps the display free from scratches.  The tough nylon exterior has carefully laid out stitching to further help offer some shock absorbency for the device.
  3. Built sleeves are the most simple on our list.  These again are made from neoprene.  This time though there is no closure mechanism.  But because they are perfectly designed to fit the device so well it should never accidentally escape.  These simple pouches have a curvy shape almost like an hourglass to ensure the corners of the reader are given extra protection against knocks.  Best though is the great range of retro designs and bright colors that these come in.

I hope this run down of the best Kindle 3 sleeves available at the moment helps you pick the perfect on for your ebook reader.

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Which is the Best Kindle 3?

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

To those unfamiliar with the world of wireless – knowing which Kindle 3 to buy can be a touch difficult.  Go with the more expensive Kindle 3G because if its more expensive it must be the best seems to be the average response to the dilemma.  But often customers would have just a fine user experience if they went for the cheaper wi-fi only model instead.  Here is a little guide to knowing which of amazon’s book readers are best for you:

The first thing to realize is that in all respects other than the way the device connects to the internet and Kindle book store, both 6″ Amazon readers are identical.  So the only reason to choose the more expensive model is if you will benefit from the 3G capability that allows it to go on-line using the 3G mobile network.

To determine this you should think about where you will be using the Reader.  If you have a wireless internet router at home and that is where you are likely to be when wanting to access the internet, then the wifi only version will serve you very well.  For actually reading you do not need to be connected to the web, it is only when downloading material, accessing the internet or synchronising your library.

If you would prefer to be able to do all these things without looking for a wireless hotspot you should consider the more expensive model that has both 3G and wifi connectivity.  But before you buy it do be sure to check the 3G coverage map to ensure there is a good enough signal in your area or you could be sorely disappointed.

We hope this has simplified the matter for you and explained completely that it is only with regard to wifi versus wifi + 3G that you need to think about when deciding which is the better Kindle 3.

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Amazon’s Kindle for the Web

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

Amazon recently launched the beta for Kindle for the Web, an application that will lure many bloggers, authors and website publishers who can now be a part of the Amazon Associates Program and embed samples of Kindle e-books on their own websites. This way they will be entitled to a percentage of the revenue from referrals if customers complete a book purchase using their website links. This makes it an attractive viral marketing tool.

With Kindle readers can now read book samples directly from the browser and there is no need for any kind of installation or downloading. You simply click the “Read the first chapter FREE” of any book product button and the first chapter will pop up in the browser. There is an option to customize the font size, line spacing and background color for your convenience. There is also a networking aspect that allows you to share your favorite reads through Facebook, Twitter or e-mail.

The Kindle offers free applications for iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Mac and Windows PC computers. Amazon will soon launch it for the BlackBerry PlayBook.

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10 Non Tech Reasons to Buy the Kindle 3

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

For something a little less serious than we are used to in this technology obsessed world, here are my non tech reasons to buy the Kindle 3.  This is not scientific it is just a little light-hearted take on the world of the Kindle Reader:

  1. All those cool new brighter, funkier accessories available - Kindle 3 Covers are groovy baby!  There are so many cool retro designs out there – I love the scatter-dot designs by Built.  Any excuse to shop is fine by me!
  2. Its just so teeny tiny and pretty, now you get the chance to order one in cool slate grey – no more boring white eBook Readers.
  3. There are millions of free books that are now actually easy to get onto your eReader.
  4. The fact you don’t need to be scientifically minded to get the thing to work (yes Sony Reader we’re talking about you!).
  5. Now I can chat to all my Facebook buddies and Tweet all my Twitter friends while I am trying to read.  Cool!
  6. I can sit back and let the reader do all the work for me.  Turn on the Text to Speech feature and you don’t even have to bother reading anymore!
  7. It’s now a working mp3 player too, so that’s one less gadget to carry around with me.
  8. It can display alternative scripts and characters so its great if you happen to be learning Japanese or Latin.  No this point is definitely not going to be of any concern to me, but I’m sure someone will love it!
  9. It’s so much lighter than before, that even a wimpy girl like me has no problem carrying around her Kindle 3.
  10. You get tons of storage.  Now around 3500 books can be saved onto one Kindle.  That’s going to take a long time to read, so should keep you busy if you get stranded on a desert island with your ebook reader!

There you go ten daft reasons to buy the Kindle 3, what are you waiting for?

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Green Awareness By Using the Amazon Kindle

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

How refreshing to think of the Amazon Kindle as a device that  actually helps our planet by being green and friendly instead  of another in the series of techy ebook readers? I love to  read my books, mags and newspapers. I love to hold these in  my hands and to feel the paper as I am turning the pages. The  appeal of the Kindle as device with which to read something,  is not something that I can relate to. However, the fact that  perhaps more people will start to read their daily material,  such as newspapers and magazines, as well as books, via this  device, means that less tress with need to be chopped down.  And that bit sits with me quite well.

Kindling

For me, having devices such as the Kindle, or Nook or the  other ebook readers, means that I won’t need to buy my  magazine or newspaper anymore and I can access everything  through this device. Which means that there will be no  reading material for me to throw away because I read  everything online or electronically and it is just a case of  deleting the document. It would feel so less cluttered and  effecient and less to carry. Best of all, it would mean that  fewer trees would need to be cut down because our need to  consume vast quantities of paper are reduced.

Our homes and offices would benefit greatly from becoming  paperless environments. Just the mere thought of having less  paper to deal with, whether it is at home or in the office,  means less clutter to deal with, less waste to throw away and   more free space. We waste so much paper in our homes and  offices, especially in the latter and most of the papers we  print off and access go unread. If we could store our  information digitally and access it via ebook readers,  computers, laptops, mobile phones and other electronic  devices, think of how much more effecient and organised we  would be.  There would be less paper to deal with and less  trees to cut down.

A paperless home and office makes for a clearer, less  cluttered and more effecient way of working. It also helps us  in an environmentally friendly way because we lessen the  amount of trees that would have needed to be cut down. In  this way, ebook readers such as the Aman Kindle, are a good  thing and although I won’t be rushing to buy one soon, I applaud the fact that less trees might potentially be destroyed due to these devices being used by the masses.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Finally Samsung have released their contender for the slate market, the Samsung Galaxy Tab. They have been beavering away over their invention to rival the Apple iPad and have come up with something rather good, it will certainly throw down the gauntlet to Apple and in fact to Dell who this year produced the Dell Streak tablet-phone. Whilst checking out the new tab have a look at the new Samsung Galaxy Tab Cases to protect your tablet.

Smaller than the iPad and at almost half its weight the Galaxy Tab weighs in at 380g and 7 in length. This is a much more portable version to the iPad but still has a screen size that can be viewed comfortably on its HD screen. It’s actually 2in larger than the Dell Streak and perhaps because it does sit between the two it will manage to find its niche. In fact Samsung have been talking about the possibility of releasing different sized version next year so that they can access the needs of their patrons.

The Galaxy Tab uses the Android 2.2 system and so shall have access to the Android Marketplace and all of the corresponding Apps, also it will feature Flash 10.1 support. The Samsung Tab has a 600×1024 pixel color screen and is only 11.98mm wide.

There will be two cameras one for video calling and the other on the front with a 1.3MP camera. Just one camera would have beaten the iPad and this Galaxy Tab features two. There is also reasoning that with these cameras and the full GPS system and geo magnetic and gyroscopic sensors it will be nicely set up to deliver augmented reality.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab will also feature Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, HSUPA and HSDPA. Also having a choice of two memory sizes with the option to extend these sizes with the addition of the microSD slot is very beneficial. The standards will be 16GB or 32 GB but with the addition on to either of these of a 32GB microSD card there will be the corresponding increase to either 48GB or 64GB.

Samsung still haven’t actually released their pricing for the Galaxy Tab but hopefully they will soon and it will be competitive, though there is the possibility that the phone companies can absorb some of the cost prior to issuing the contracts on these. If they can’t bring the price below that of the Apple iPad then they may not be able to compete in the market place no matter how good their technology is.

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Hot Gadget Gifts for the 2010 Holiday Season

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

Summer is nearly over folks and that means it is time to starting thinking about the holiday season.  Personal electronics are always a safe bet, it seems we all love technology nowadays, and there is so much to choose from everyone has a perfect gadget gift.  Here our our hot tips for the greatest gadgets for 2010:

  • First up it has to be new Kindle 3.  This is one of the cheaper costing yet coolest gadgets around.  So much of a hit that pre-orders have far outweighed expected stock levels on its release.  If you wan the Kindle 3 you probably need to think about ordering soon as at the time of writing expected delivery was running a month behind order placement.  If you want to buy one at the last minute you could be very disappointed.
  • Secondly it will be (we hope) the New iPad Mini.  With a rumoured iPad Mini Release Date of December 2010 it is going to be a close call if you want to get one of these for a loved one.  But if you manage it they are going to be overwhelmed by a far more practically sized tablet that is lighter, has a clearer screen and simply makes a lot more sense than the over-sized original.
  • In third position is the iPhone 4.  This one is already available but with if you know any Apple technology fans who do not already have it, this one will be a well-received gift for sure.

Well those are the electronic gadgets you should be shopping for to keep your family happy this year.  But if your budget is not quite so well endowed do not forget all the great gadget accessories out there.  Speck Pixel Skins and Otterbox cases for any gadget already owned are super stylish, practical and modern.  Remember no-one can have too many handbags, shoes or gadgets so get shopping!

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Ebook Software on the Rise

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

For those who thought ebooks was a recent technology would be surprised to know that it has actually been in the market for over 30 years. The idea of an ebook was first conjured in the 1970s by Michael Hart. To him, computers should solely be used for computing purposes. It had greater capabilities beyond that like storing, searching and retrieving information. This gave computers more ‘life’ other than long codes and formulas. With that in mind, the first ever ebook- the Declaration of Independence was produced. Fast forward to present day and the ebook software has certainly improved leaps and bounds. Ebooks now have different medias embedded in them. These include graphics, audio, video and animation that enhance the storyline.

The shifting from traditional paper bound software to digital, electronic form is not unexpected. Traditional paper bound books have recently come under fire for being an environmental waste. Considering books now come in all types of sizes and fanciful covers and colours, they certainly pose a hazard to the environment. Ebooks are definitely more environmentally conscious since it rids all of the materials needed above and requires lower energy consumption. For those who think that ebook readers are also energy eating devices, they actually require low energy. There are new products on the market that charge their batteries using solar and renewable energy.

With ebooks coming in all sorts of forms and functions, the trend looks set to stay. As more people warm up to the idea of flipping books with a touch of their finger rather than manually, it is expected that demand for ebooks and ebooks software will only go up. The consumer base is also expanding and the older generation is also catching up with this popularity. Next time you search for a book, trying looking for it online first before trying out your bookstore.

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