In case you missed it…here is my brilliant panelist debut on BookChatter…. Disclaimer: My Texas accent is thick. (I had NO IDEA how bad it is until I listened to myself.)
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Misty
BookChatter
After scrambling to finish my book today…and being unsuccessful, I thought I would let y’all ponder an article I read today. Just 1 more reason to be in love with my Kindle. Happy Reading!
Battle of e-readers shows Kindle books much cheaper than Nook, Sony
Mar 1st 2010 at 3:00PM
After reviewing various e-readers recently in one of our savings experiments, I thought I would compare the cost of a variety of books currently sold by the three dominant forces in the e-book field, Amazon (Kindle), Barnes & Noble (Nook), and the Reader Store, which sells books for the Sony Reader.
For this study, I chose the New York Times selection of the 10 best books of 2009; five fiction, five non-fiction. I avoided current bestsellers, since they are often subject to price wars and loss-leader pricing.
The results of my survey were startling. Since Amazon recently came to an agreement with major publishers, agreeing to sell e-books in Kindle format at a price closer to that of of the printed versions (a sop to the brick and mortar book business), I wasn’t surprised the prices had risen on Amazon above what had been $9.99.
| Book | Amazon for Kindle | Barnes & Noble for Nook | Reader Store for Sony |
| Chronic City by Jonathan Letham | $15.37 | $20.76 | $9.99 |
| Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy | $14.27 | $18.53 | $18.16 |
| A Gate At The Stairs by Lorrie Moore | $14.27 | $19.27 | $9.99 |
| Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| A Short History Of Women by Kate Walbert | $9.99 | $17.82 | $9.99 |
| The Age Of Wonder by Richard Holmes | $23.76 | $29.71 | $40.00 |
| The Good Soldiers by David Finkel | $9.99 | $18.57 | $9.99 |
| Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr | $9.99 | $22.27 | $9.99 |
| Lords Of Finance by Liaquat Ahamed | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| Raymond Carver: A Writer’s Life by Carol Sklenicka | $19.25 | $26.00 | $24.50 |
| Total | $136.87 | $192.91 |
$152.5 |
What did surprise me was how many books remained at that low price, and the shocking difference in price between Amazon, the Reader Store and Barnes & Noble. In just these 10 books, books for the Sony Reader were 11.5% more expensive, while the Nook cost 41% more.
I asked Mary Ellen Keating, senior vice president of corporate communications and public affairs for Barnes & Noble, about this price disparity. She replied via e-mail “eBooks are an emerging category and many pricing models are being tested by both publishers and retailers. What’s important is that we are committed to providing our customers with the widest catalog of digital books and eperiodicals, that they can read and take with them on their computers and most (or mobile) devices. We are not focused on any one device, rather we’re about giving consumers choices as to where they want to read their digital content. We are also committed to offering these ebooks and periodicals at a very competitive price.” Take from that what you will.
Is Amazon continuing to sell these books at a loss to build its Kindle business? That would be my guess. In the meantime, those of us who read books on another platform, Blackberry in my case, have a choice between versions of the Nook and Kindle readers. Guess which one I’ll be using.
Amazon Launches Kindle For BlackBerry
The retailer said user demand spurred them to develop the e-book reader software for BlackBerry smartphones.
By Antone Gonsalves – InformationWeek
Amazon on Thursday launched its Kindle application for the BlackBerry, making it possible for users of the smartphone to read digital books purchased from the online retailer and synchronize bookmarks with the Kindle electronic reader and other supported devices.
The Research In Motion smartphone joins Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch with a Kindle app, which is also available for Windows PCs. Amazon also plans to release applications for the Mac and Apple iPad, a tablet computer set to be released at the end of March.
Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin wow the crowd at the New York City intro of T-Mobile’s G1 Android Google phone. Video by InformationWeek’s Alex Wolfe.
E-books purchased from Amazon can be downloaded to the Kindle using its Whispersync wireless technology or to any other device with the Kindle application. E-books purchased on one device can also be accessed by other devices through Amazon.
In releasing Kindle applications, Amazon does not tie customers to its own e-reader or hamper the reseller from selling as many e-books as possible. Amazon said it chose to support the BlackBerry because of user demand.
“Since the launch of our popular Kindle for iPhone app last year, customers have been asking us to bring a similar experience to the BlackBerry, and we are thrilled to make it available today,” Ian Freed, VP of Amazon Kindle, said in a statement.
Customers using BlackBerry devices on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and other U.S. carriers will be able to use the Kindle application. Amazon has 420,000 e-books available, including 102 of the 112 New York Times bestsellers. However, because Amazon uses proprietary copyright protection technology, the retailer has fewer than half the e-books available from competitors, such as Sony and Barnes & Noble, which support an open e-book standard in their e-readers, the Reader and Nook, respectively.
Nevertheless, the Kindle leads the e-reader market, with Sony’s Reader a distant second. In releasing fourth-quarter financial results last month, Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos said the retailer sells six books for the Kindle for every 10 physical books with the same titles. The total number of Kindle books downloaded would be higher, if Amazon counted free books.
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Rapid Car / Auto Charger
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Product Description Custom designed to safely meet the needs of any nomadic professional; Gomadic Rapid Charger provides a versatile solution to the confusing mass of cords taking up space in your glove compartment; allowing you to safely focus on the road. In addition; this product; like all Gomadic products; is backed by a lifetime warranty.
Technical Details - High output Rapid Charging adapter fits cigarette lighters in both foreign and domestic vehicles - 12 – 24 VDC; 1000 mA high output current for faster charging - Advanced internal circuitry prevents device from power surges; overcharging and short-circuiting - Charging adapter works with both foreign and domestic car lighter port - Lifetime Warranty on Gomadic Brand products
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Kradle KA-222S in Sand For Kindle (6″ Display, Global Wireless)
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Key Product Features - Holds Kindle at “15 degrees from vertical”, “15 degrees from flat”, or 45 degrees when Positioned with the Kindle Cover - Low-profile of less than 1 inch high, shorter and narrower than your Kindle, makes it highly-portable - Read hands-free at breakfast, the cafe or at work - Feather-light at just 4 ounces, the one-piece design is made of resilient ABS plastic - When reading for long periods of time, vary your handgrip by holding the E-Reader in the reading stand in the “15 degrees from flat” position - You choose between provided felt and rubber pads so your reading stand either easily slides on table surfaces (use the felt pads) or stays put (use the rubber pads) - A cord slot in the “15 degrees from flat” position allows you to charge your Kindle while in the stand - Keep your Kindle and Cover safely above accidental spills when reading while eating - Handsomely displays your Kindle when not in use - Reflective surfaces of the reading stand enhance sound clarity |
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Neoprene Kindle Sleeve
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Product Description Built’s Kindle Compatible Neoprene Sleeve in Nolita Stripe is the ideal case for your 6″ Display, latest generation Kindle. This sleeve features Built’s propritary hourglass shape and form to hold your Kindle tight, with a soft inner lining to protect your Kindle screen from scratches. Your Kindle slides in and out of the top for easy access, but is snug within the neoprene and will not fall out. Perfect for when you are traveling with your Kindle anywhere and everywhere. When you are using your Kindle, this Built sleeve lays flat for easy storage. Machine washable (air dry). Design and function from Built. LOVE YOUR STUFF! Technical Details - Soft inner lining will not scratch screen; form fitting design - Keep your 6″ display, latest generation Kindle secure in this hip yet protective neoprene sleeve; designed for readers on the go - Proprietary hourglass shape provides an instant, built-in bumper system for extra protection; Certified Kindle Compatable - Sleeve lays flat when not in use; Machine wash cold; air dry |
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2-Year Extended Warranty for Kindle (6″ Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation)
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From the Manufacturer Every Kindle comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. With the 2-Year Extended Warranty for Kindle, you will receive protection against accidental damage such as drops or spills for the entire two years. In the 2nd year, your coverage extends to protect against failures that occur during normal operation. This helps avoid the inconvenience and costs associated with a broken device. The warranty stays with the device even if it is gifted or sold to another party. What is Covered - Two years of coverage (limited to a single claim) for accidental drops or damage such as spills that affect the functionality of your covered device. - One additional year of coverage (after the end of the manufacturer’s warranty) for failures that occur during normal operation. - One time claim for battery malfunction during second year of coverage - Available to U.S. customers only How it Works - Purchase 2-Year Extended Warranty for Kindle (6″ Display, Latest Generation) for your qualifying Kindle (you will receive an information packet in the mail) - Contact Service Net customer service at (877) 441-3836 if your Kindle fails - For covered failures, receive a replacement Kindle and return your damaged device to Service Net About Service Net Service Net is an industry-leading service management company focused on delivering a full range of service solutions including warranty management administration, extended service programs, customer service support, service network management, claims processing services, and service contract underwriting. The warranty stays with the device even if it is gifted or sold to another party. |
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e-Luminator2 Booklight for Amazon Kindle
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Overview The M-Edge e-Luminator2 booklight (patent pending) is the ultimate accessory for the Amazon Kindle. Based on the input of loyal M-Edge customers, this custom designed booklight has been developed to work seamlessly with most of M-Edge’s jackets for the Amazon Kindle (2nd Generation). The powerful light features a super-bright LED light bulb which provides ample illumination for the Reader’s screen while a mirrored reflector and optical quality lens disperses the light uniformly.The light is powered by a standard AAA battery (not included) with endurance enough for more than 20 hours of operation without dimming.The light is operated by a three position switch with two light intensity settings.A flexible and resilient steel neck allows the user to position the light in the desired direction.Perhaps the most impressive feature of this light is that it is designed to be stored via a slim support arm sized to match a pocket sewn into the back of many of M-Edge Jackets for the Amazon Kindle. The light pocket is conveniently located behind the Kindle and does not interfere with the use of the eReader. When in the storage position, the light is located conveniently in the jacket so you can easily bring your light while on the go (for our Platform, Prodigy and Halsea for M-Edge jackets). For our Latitude Jacket, there is a storage pocket to easily place your e-Luminator2 when not in use. Features - Lightweight and compact booklight works seamlessly with most of M-Edge’s Jackets for Amazon Kindle (2nd Generation) - Light stows in many M-Edge covers and easily pivots up to allow for optimal light positioning. Fully adjustable flexible steel neck allows for fine tuning light position. - Powered with 1 AAA battery that provides more than 20 hours of use without dimming (battery not included; alkaline recommended) - Optical lens spreads light evenly over Kindle screen, and Super Bright LED light bulb never needs replacing - High and low light intensity settings allow for tailored screen illumination Specifications - Compatibility: Amazon Kindle (Fits 6″ Display, Latest Generation Kindle) - Weight: 0.9oz (without battery); 1.3oz (with battery installed) - Dimensions: 4.75in x 7.5in x .5in |
It looks as if color screens and Wi-Fi might be the next additions to Amazon’s Kindle.
Last week, Brad Stone and I reported that Amazon had acquired the New York based multitouch screen company Touchco to integrate into Lab126, the Kindle hardware division.
This move sends one clear message: Amazon is not going to back down from a fight with Apple and its iPad. But it does leave open a plethora of new questions, one in particular: Will the next Kindle be solely an e-reader or a full-fledged computer?
Robert Brunner, founder of the design company Ammunition, worked with Barnes & Noble to create the Nook e-reader and says he believes that the Kindle will actually become two Kindles. “I think they are going to have to split their line. They can’t abandon E Ink screens, but they will need to create a color device too,” said Mr. Brunner. “Where it gets interesting is, do they just do a device that’s a color Kindle or is it a full computer?”
One thing is certain, the company is looking at color for its device. You can take a look at the over 50 job listings on Amazon’s Lab126 career board and see a range of new positions that suggest more about the next Kindle.
One job opening in particular, for a Hardware Display Manager, tells the applicant that “you will know the LCD business and key players in the market.” The key point here is the word “LCD,” which means the Kindle is possibly exploring color (unless they are hiring an LCD manager to simply gain an understanding of the color-display market).
Other job openings include Wi-Fi specialists (the current Kindle has only a 3G wireless connection), and openings for someone to “lead the software development teams that develop and maintain the applications.” The applications division could signal a move to create more apps for the Kindle, or someone who will manage the latest app store developments after Amazon announced a new software development kit was released last month to independent programmers.
But if this is true, and if the next generation of the Kindle will be full color, full multitouch, with Wi-Fi and apps, then what about the operating system?
There the crystal ball is murkier. Brian Jepson, a senior editor at O’Reilly Media who programs extensively for Google’s Android, makes the point that building a operating system to handle multitouch and color on an LCD Kindle might not be the best use of resources and time. “It’s a question of necessary versus new,” Mr. Jepson said. Amazon could go through the difficult job of baking touch into their current OS, he said. “But is it necessary to do all that when you could just grab the Android OS and use that instead?”
Using an existing platform, like Android, that already comes with thousands of applications would allow Amazon to focus on selling content and customer relationships — two areas where they clearly excel. Mr. Brunner said Amazon should be less concerned with creating something new just for the sake of it and “rather than just take a book and drop it on the Kindle, they could work with publishers to create content for their device.”
Robert Fabricant, vice president for creative at Frog Design, believes Amazon could even offer a better experience than Apple when it comes to purchasing content. “Part of what Amazon could offer is a device that is a entrance into a store, into a richer experiences for you,” Mr. Fabricant said.
“One way to think about it, one of things that seemed backwards about the iPad was that dorky bookshelf that was like something from the mid ’90s,” Mr. Fabricant said. Amazon doesn’t “just put products on a shelf, they create experiences around the products.”
Either way, Amazon’s Kindle team have their work cut out for them as they try to stay relevant as e-readers evolve quickly. Even for a company that doesn’t specialize in hardware, it’s clearly not over yet. As Mr. Fabricant put it, “If people buy a phone from Google, why won’t they buy a media device from Amazon.”
Apple Courts Publishers, While Kindle Adds Apps
SAN FRANCISCO — It’s a formidable high-tech face-off: Amazon.com versus Apple for the hearts and minds of book publishers, authors and readers.
Amazon’s Kindle devices and electronic bookstore now dominate a nascent but booming market, accounting for more than 70 percent of electronic reader sales and 80 percent of e-book purchases, according to some analysts. And on Thursday it will take a page from Apple and announce that it is opening up the Kindle to outside software developers.
Apple’s much-anticipated tablet computer, which is widely expected to be announced next Wednesday and go on sale this spring, will be a far more versatile (and expensive) device that will offer access to books, newspapers and other reading material through Apple’s popular App Store on iTunes.
Book publishers, who rail against the dominance of Amazon and its insistence on discounting new releases to $9.99, are now playing the tech titans against each other.
In the process, they may be rushing from the clutches of one tenacious chief executive, Jeffrey P. Bezos, into the arms of another, Steven P. Jobs, whose obstinacy over pricing has given the music industry similar paroxysms of anxiety.
“Will Kindle pricing trump Apple sex appeal? Isn’t that the question, really?” said Richard Charkin, executive director of Bloomsbury Publishing in London, who has been watching developments in e-book sales with keen interest. “I haven’t the faintest idea. All I would say is, great. The more people that are out there marketing books in digital or any other format, the better.”
There are now almost daily tactical moves by various parties in the business, with no end in sight.
In its announcement Thursday, Amazon will say that it is letting programmers create what it calls active content — similar to applications — for the Kindle and keep 70 percent of the revenue from each sale after paying for wireless delivery costs.
Amazon will release a set of programming guidelines that other companies — including publishers of books and periodicals — can use to create and sell applications for the Kindle.
Until Amazon introduces more advanced models of the Kindle, developers will be limited by its slow-to-refresh black-and-white screen.
Ian Freed, vice president for the Kindle at Amazon, said he expected developers would devise a wide range of programs, including utilities like calculators, stock tickers and casual video games. He also predicts publishers will begin selling a new breed of e-books, like searchable travel books and restaurant guides that can be tailored to the Kindle owner’s location; textbooks with interactive quizzes; and novels that combine text and audio.
“We knew from the earliest days of the Kindle that invention was not all going to take place within the walls of Amazon,” Mr. Freed said. “We wanted to open this up to a wide range of creative people, from developers to publishers to authors, to build whatever they like.”
The move may also represent a shift in Amazon’s relationship with newspapers and magazines that make digital editions for the Kindle. Many executives at those organizations have expressed dissatisfaction with their 30 percent cut of subscription fees on the Kindle and lack of a direct relationship with those subscribers.
With a Kindle app store, those media companies will be able to sell more profitable Kindle applications, and present news that is updated throughout the day.
Amazon may be rushing to change the rules of its Kindle platform with an eye toward the fanfare that will no doubt greet Apple’s long-awaited tablet. The devices, to be sure, are fundamentally different: Amazon has positioned the Kindle as the ultimate reading device, easy on the eyes and slow to deplete its battery. Analysts say that to buyers of an Apple tablet, playing video or video games may be more important than reading.
But for book publishers, Apple’s introduction provides a potentially golden opportunity: the chance to counter Amazon’s control over the e-book market and regain some leverage over sensitive matters like pricing.
Apple representatives have been in New York this week talking to the largest trade publishers, according to industry executives. They said Apple had proposed an arrangement under which publishers would get to set the price of their books, with Apple taking a 30 percent commission and the publishers keeping the rest. Steve Dowling, an Apple spokesman, declined to comment on what he called “rumors and speculation.”
Depending on whether Apple sets an upper limit on pricing, its model could be much more appealing to publishers, who resent how Amazon has aggressively discounted their books. Typically, Amazon charges $9.99 for new releases and best sellers, a price that other e-book vendors, including Sony and Barnes & Noble, have effectively been forced to follow.
While Amazon pays publishers a wholesale price typically equivalent to half the list price of a print book — meaning that Amazon generally sells new e-books at a loss — publishers fear that Amazon has accustomed buyers to unreasonably low prices. They say that if Kindle were to maintain its dominant position, it could force publishers to lower their wholesale prices.
The probable entry of Apple and its tablet into the e-book market gives publishers hope that they might gain some leverage in negotiations with Amazon. They could, for example, delay the release of e-books in the Kindle store while selling more expensive versions for the Apple tablet.
“There’s a battle going on for what is the value of a digital book,” said a publishing executive who did not want to be quoted by name because of the delicacy of discussions with Apple. “In that battle, Apple has put an offer together that helps publishers and, by extension, authors.” Some publishers warn that Apple’s terms can be restrictive in other ways, and that a model that looks good in theory may not be as attractive in practice.
And Amazon has moved to counter Apple’s appeals as well. On Wednesday it announced it would improve the royalty terms for authors or publishers who publish e-books directly onto the Kindle — essentially beckoning authors and their agents to split off e-book rights and sell them directly to Amazon.
Under the new terms, Amazon says it will offer authors and publishers who set e-book prices below $9.99 a royalty rate of 70 percent of the digital list price (after delivery costs, typically about 6 cents a book) — an obvious echo of Apple’s offering.
But publishers can anticipate another high-tech heavyweight entering the business: Google, which has pushed its own plans to begin selling e-books.
“The more companies that control consumer transactions, the more important the publishers’ role will be,” said Mike Shatzkin, chief executive of Idealog, which helps publishers develop digital strategies. “If Apple enters this market, and in three months Google follows, we may be looking at a completely different e-book world in the next year.”
For those of you who are new to the Kindle world… I thought I would bring you a few more helpful tips just in case your Kindle decides it is having a bad day.
Don’t forget you can find loads of helpful info on the Troubleshooting page at Amazon.com
Happy Kindle-ing!!
Content Issues
| Symptom | Resolution |
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Book did not download / haven’t received book, subcription, or blog. Possible Cause:
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| Cannot delete book from Kindle. |
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Book will not open / receiving an error message when opening a book. Possible Cause:
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Book has several pages missing Possible Cause:
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Kindle 2 update adds battery life, native PDF reader
By Tim Conneally | Published November 24, 2009, 1:42 PM
Today, Amazon announced that an automatic update to its popular Kindle 2 e-reader will extend the device’s battery life by 85% and add a native PDF reader to its repertoire of functions.
The Kindle 2 could previously stay on for four days with wireless connectivity activated, following the firmware update, Amazon says the device will be able to stay turned on for a whole week.
Formerly, PDF documents had to be converted to Kindle format to be viewable on the family of e-readers. Now, users can e-mail PDF documents or upload them to their Kindle through a USB connection and be able to read them without conversion.
It’s a small, but significant upgrade as e-readers are looking like some of the most desirable gadgets this holiday season and the competition to Amazon’s Kindle 2 is stronger than it’s ever been.
For those of you out there who have yet to jump on the Kindle band-wagon, here is an EASY and now FREE way to get your read on! Happy Kindle-ing my lovelies!
Amazon Kindle goes free on PC
November 18, 2009 by Jackson NJ Online
Filed under Articles & Features
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 10, 2009– Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced the availability of “Kindle for PC,” the free application that lets readers around the world enjoy Kindle books on their personal computers (PC). The U.S. Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore) currently offers more than 360,000 books, including New Releases and 101 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers, which are typically $9.99 or less. The Kindle Store is the only place to find some of today’s most popular books in digital format. Kindle books can now be read on the Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch and PC. Kindle for PC is now available as a free download to readers in over 100 countries at www.amazon.com/KindleforPC.
Kindle for PC features Amazon’s Whispersync technology that automatically saves and synchronizes bookmarks and last page read across devices. Whether you read Kindle books on a Kindle, Kindle DX, or one of the free Kindle applications, you can always have your reading with you and never lose your place. With Kindle for PC, you can read some on your PC, read some on your Kindle, and always pick up right where you left off. Whispersync helped make the Kindle for iPhone application the most popular books app in the Apple App Store.
“Kindle for PC is the perfect companion application for customers who own a Kindle or Kindle DX,” said Ian Freed, vice president, Amazon Kindle. “Kindle for PC is also a great way for people around the world to access a huge selection from the Kindle Store and read the most popular books of today even if they don’t yet have a Kindle.”
With Kindle for PC, readers can take advantage of the following features:
Microsoft demonstrated Kindle for PC for the first time ever at the Windows 7 launch event last month in New York City. Kindle for PC takes advantage of capabilities in the new Windows 7, including Windows Touch technology. In addition to Windows 7, Kindle for PC is also compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Kindle for PC is available for free download at www.amazon.com/KindleforPC.
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