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Archives for June 2010

Tricking Out a New or Existing Kindle

June 30, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

Since the price reduction last week to $189, I can tell from the increased number of buyers of my book Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them, this reduction in price has had the desired effect of a surge in new Kindle owners.  Maybe you, while reading this blog on the free two week trial, are a new Kindle owner – welcome!

With my new Kindle, there are several things I need to do to get it “up to speed” similar to the one it replaced.  There’s a lot of things I don’t need to do in order to add more bling to my Kindle, but I am going to treat this post like I never had a Kindle before and have this post be along the lines of “what would I do to accessorize a new Kindle?”  Long-time Kindle owners may something along the lines of “duh, I already know this stuff” which may be true in all respects.  On the other hand, they might be surprised.

Cover

If I were a new Kindle owner, I would want a leather cover to hold my new eBook reader.  Why?  It makes it seem more like a book, and provides a little bit of protection from a fall / drop, carrying around in my laptop bag, etc.

There are all sorts of covers out there – leather, soft-skin, plastic, waterproof, oversize, you name it.  I’ve been very happy with the standard Amazon-branded cover as it is (a) leather, (b) very sturdy, and (c) fits in my hands like an oversized paperback or an undersized hardback.  In other words, it is just right.  To see all of the covers available, Click Here . The kind I have is not made anymore, but it was the standard Amazon leather cover that sells for about $35. 

Extra Power Cord

You can’t have enough chargers, and a replacement or second power charger for the Kindle doesn’t cost too much.  The nice thing, to me, about the Kindle charger is the SB portion separates from the wall charger, and you can then use the wall charger feature with the USB slot to power other USB devices like my kids’ Nintendo DS or iPod.  I keep this one in my computer bag in case the battery needs a boost while I am out of town or away from home (sadly, the laptop goes most places I go).  I just have an extra wall charger (click here to see), but you can also get one for your car’s cigarette adapter (click here to see) for less than two bucks.

Screen Protector and / or Skin

The last thing you want to have happen, among other things, is have your screen scratched.  You can get a pack of two screen protectors from Amazon (click here to see) for about $7, I’ve seen a pack of three at a Radio Shack for $14.99, or you can get one from Decal Girl (http://www.decalgirl.com).

Decal Girl has skins – Amazon does, too, but Decal Girl has hundreds to choose from – things that cover your Kindle and have holes so the buttons aren’t covered up.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as some look good and some, well, leave a lot to be desired.  On my Kindle that died, I had one that made my Kindle look like an American flag, and there was no mistaking it was mine vs. everyone else’s that has the same cover and the same white outline for the unit.  It looked a lot like this one. 

Reading Light

Many people like to read at night, or maybe you need one for the plane or commute to / from work.  I have a Mighty Bright light (click here to see), with no pun intended is pretty bright.  It has two LED lights, and you can have one, both, or none on depending upon your need.  I don’t use mine very much as my wife has basically taken mine from me and uses it all the time.

Other Items

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of other things you can purchase to add more bling to your Kindle.  All things are not for all people and the things I use for my Kindle may not work for you and vice versa.  If I had a bare minimum or two things I absolutely had to have for my new Kindle, it would be the leather cover and screen protector.  Your results may vary.

Hope that helps!

Michael

Want to have this blog sent wirelessly to your Kindle vs. reading it on your computer? Try out the free two-week subscription!  Click here for the Amazon page for Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips.

Don’t have a Kindle?  Click Here to learn more!

Filed Under: Kindle Tips, Misc. and Random Stuff

Oops Forgot Something

June 30, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

You know, one thing I missed in between my broken Kindle being replaced and updating the collections and content on the new one, putting out the free book offers I thought you would be interested in, the Amazon site being down for a good period of time yesterday, and looking at the latest tracker of then Tropical Storm and now Hurricane Alex is an announcement Amazon made – they have finally released a free Kindle application for the Android-software phones.

I have a Droid phone, and I like it a whole lot better than I did the vintage-era Blackberry it replaced.  For me, the screen would be too small to do some serious reading – while my eyesight remains spectacle-free, I want it to remain that way and think it would cause a big strain with prolonged reading – if I increased the font size (which you can, easily), I would be continually turning the page.

That won’t stop some of you – and I’ll probably put the free Kindle for Droid application on my Kindle, too – so if you are interested you can click here or point your computer’s web browser to http://www.amazon.com/kindleforandroid

Want to have this blog sent wirelessly to your Kindle vs. reading it on your computer? Try out the free two-week subscription!  Click here for the Amazon page for Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips.

Don’t have a Kindle?  The price has been lowered to $189!  Click Here to learn more!

Filed Under: Kindle Tips

No Mercy Free Today from Amazon

June 29, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

No Mercy by John Gilstrap is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 16 customer reviews.  You can pick up your free copy by clicking here.

Here is the book’s description from the Amazon website:

Bestseller Gilstrap (Nathan’s Run) launches a thriller series following PI Jonathan Grave. Much like Bruce Wayne, Grave is single and rich, uses expensive gadgets and has a vigilante alter ego. Hokey dialogue (I respect anyone willing to die for a cause…. My goal is to help [terrorists] die for their cause. But I still respect them) hampers an otherwise entertaining read as Grave investigates the disappearance of investigative reporter Tibor Rothman, husband of Grave’s ex-wife, Ellen. Sheriff Gail Bonneville of Samson, Ind., is chasing Grave in turn, since a hostage rescue mission he fronted turned into a shootout. Thriller fans may not mind the cheesiness or flat characters like brutish pilot Boxers and sassy computer specialist Venice (pronounced Ven-EE-chay, by the way), as this fast-paced tale of violence and revenge is all about plot, of which there is plenty.

Want to have this blog sent wirelessly to your Kindle vs. reading it on your computer? Try out the free two-week subscription!  Click here for the Amazon page for Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips.

Don’t have a Kindle?  Click Here to learn more!

Filed Under: Free Book Links, Free From Amazon Store

Tuscan Holiday Free Today from Amazon

June 29, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

Tuscan Holiday by Holly Chamberlin is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user rating of 4 out of 5 stars based on two customer reviews.  You can pick up your free copy by clicking here.

Here is the book’s description from the Amazon website:

In this smart, tender, insightful new novel, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin introduces two very different women who, over the course of two unforgettable weeks, learn about unbreakable bonds, unshakeable love, and the chances that come once in a lifetime — and change us forever…When Elizabeth Caldwell planned a trip to Florence with her daughter, Marina, she secretly hoped for a warm, fuzzy bonding experience worthy of a Lifetime movie. But Marina — twenty-one, newly graduated, and close to her mom in many ways — has always been more the PBS type: dependable, practical, and completely in control. Elizabeth knows Marina wants to avoid the kind of “stupid mistake” that left Elizabeth a single mother at twenty-two, and she’s bitten her tongue as Marina settles for a wealthy fiance who gives her everything she thinks she wants. After all, Elizabeth? — unable to bring herself to fully commit to the man she has dated for years — is hardly an expert in romance. Still, a lot can happen on vacation, especially in Tuscany, where every scent borne on the warm breeze inspires delight, and every view makes the heart soar. There, on streets once walked by Dante and Michaelangelo, Marina is blindsided by a gorgeous Italian named Luca who shows her how gloriously unpredictable passion can be, and Elizabeth finally lets go of the role that has defined her for so long to embrace her own uncertain future…

Want to have this blog sent wirelessly to your Kindle vs. reading it on your computer? Try out the free two-week subscription!  Click here for the Amazon page for Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips.

Don’t have a Kindle?  Click Here to learn more!

Filed Under: Free Book Links, Free From Amazon Store

Lakota Flower Free Today from Amazon

June 29, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

Lakota Flower by Janelle Taylor is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user rating of 3 out of 5 stars based on just 3 customer reviews.  You can pick up your free copy by clicking here.

Here is the book’s description from the Amazon website:

War Eagle, son of a chief of the Oglala Lakotas, leads his hunting party on a raid, killing many soldiers and taking a white woman captive. Caroline Sims sparks a forbidden attraction in the fierce warrior, and the pair soon find themselves locked in a passionate battle for their lives.

Want to have this blog sent wirelessly to your Kindle vs. reading it on your computer? Try out the free two-week subscription!  Click here for the Amazon page for Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips.

Don’t have a Kindle?  Click Here to learn more!

Filed Under: Free Book Links, Free From Amazon Store

Eternal Hunter Free Today from Amazon

June 29, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

Eternal Hunter by Cynthia Eden is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received a perfect 5 out of 5 stars based on 9 customer reviews.  You can pick up your free copy by clicking here.

Here is the book’s description from the Amazon website:

Danger and excitement leap off every page of this fast-paced paranormal romance set in the world of 2009’s ImmortalDanger. A shape-shifter who can’t shift and a psychic who dreams about death live in the body of Erin Jerome, who’s trying to maintain a normal life as a Louisiana assistant DA while avoiding the secret world of shifters, demons, vampires, witches and djinn. When a shape-shifting psychotic starts stalking Erin, sending her gifts of dead bodies in the crazed hope of luring her to his side, bounty-hunting shifter Jude Donovan vows to keep her safe. Erin wonders whether, like her shifter mother, she carries the seeds of madness and fears that when Jude learns the truth about her he’ll turn from her in disgust. Well-crafted characters and nail-biting suspense and passion elevate this tale above the glutted paranormal market.

Want to have this blog sent wirelessly to your Kindle vs. reading it on your computer? Try out the free two-week subscription!  Click here for the Amazon page for Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips.

Don’t have a Kindle?  Click Here to learn more!

Filed Under: Free Book Links, Free From Amazon Store

We Could All Use an Extra $70

June 28, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

One thing I forgot to point out in my “Effort to Be More Personable” post relates to refunds from Amazon.  For example, if you bought a Kindle in the last 30 days for $259, I am sure you are a little bit peeved you didn’t get in on the new price of $189.  I would, as $70 can still buy a few things – imagine if you are one of those who bought it the day before the price drop?

Historically, Amazon has refunded the price difference between the old and new price – last year, my Dad had that happen to him when they had the price decrease to $259. He called Amazon’s Kindle customer service department (1-866-321-8851) and explained how he was disappointed he paid the higher price.  Amazon promptly refunded him the difference between what he had paid and the new price.

To me, that makes sense as you have the right to return it within 30 days.  If everyone did that, then ordered another one at the new price, Amazon would have a restocking inventory nightmare.

If you got burned with the new pricing, why not give them a call?  After all, it might add $70 to your pocket!

Want to have this blog sent wirelessly to your Kindle vs. reading it on your computer? Try out the free two-week subscription!  Click here for the Amazon page for Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips.

Don’t have a Kindle?  They just lowered the price to $189.  Click Here to learn more!

Filed Under: Kindle Tips

The Heir Free Today from Amazon

June 28, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

The Heir by Paul Robertson is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 15 customer reviews.  You can pick up your free copy by clicking here.

Here is the book’s description from the Amazon website:

Robertson’s first novel is a Gresham-like tale of intrigue and murder about the son, Jason Boyer, of a New England financial titan and kingmaker. Jason barely knew his father, a tough, remote man who sent Jason and his brother to boarding schools, but Jason becomes sole heir upon the old man’s sudden death. Jason is cynical but uncorrupted, and his first impulse is to divest himself of the old man’s holdings. Then the power that his inheritance commands seduces him, and he grows as ruthless as his father. And then, once more and finally, he sees the light and proceeds to clean up all that his father and he have befouled. Or, at any rate, he tries, in this suspenseful first novel with a lot of humor and well-drawn minor characters.

Want to have this blog sent wirelessly to your Kindle vs. reading it on your computer? Try out the free two-week subscription!  Click here for the Amazon page for Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips.

Don’t have a Kindle?  They just lowered the price to $189.  Click Here to learn more!

Filed Under: Free Book Links, Free From Amazon Store

Kindle User Manual Upgrade

June 28, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

While I am certain most men have not looked at any previous version, Amazon has recently  updated the Kindle user manual to version 5.  You can read it online with your computer, but wouldn’t that be beside the point?  You have a Kindle – you can read it on your Kindle!

You will, however, need to download it to your computer first then transfer it to your Kindle with the USB cord.  Once you download it to your computer, you will need to transfer it over to your Kindle – that’s a fairly easy process.  If you don’t know how to transfer the book from your computer to your Kindle, just click here to read my free tutorial (this is the same tutorial I charge 99 cents for on the Amazon Kindle store, but you can get it for free).

To go to the location of the user’s guides, you can click here or type http://tinyurl.com/kumv5 into your web browser.  From this page, scroll down until you see your Kindle version and select the User’s Guide with the “AZW” extension as it is already formatted for the Kindle; of course, you could read the PDF version on your computer.  When you click on your version you will want to save it (vs. run) in a location you will remember, then use the instructions provided in the link above on how to transfer a file from your computer to your Kindle.

Hope that helps!

Michael

Want to have this blog sent wirelessly to your Kindle vs. reading it on your computer? Try out the free two-week subscription!  Click here for the Amazon page for Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips.

Don’t have a Kindle?  They just lowered the price to $189.  Click Here to learn more!

Filed Under: Kindle Tips

An Effort to be More Personable

June 28, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

I got a complaint the other day – I’m not politically correct and calling it ‘constructive criticism’ ‘cause I call ‘em like I see ‘em – that while the person enjoyed the free book notices and tips, he thought my posts were too impersonal.  As I, like most people, consider myself to be very personable, that email bothered me a bit.

Like it or not, here are some random thoughts in an attempt to be, well, more personable!  ;}

Status of my Personal Kindle

I told you in a post earlier this week while on my first day of vacation in Mexico, my Kindle’s screen was stuck / frozen on the Emily Dickinson screensaver.  Talk about frustrating: I had downloaded several books, even started one, and the thing would just not work.  I tried the two known remedies (see this post) without any luck; while the Internet service was working great in my little corner of Mexico, I was unable to contact Amazon’s customer service via phone.

Meanwhile, the screen started getting lots of weird lines on it.

<side comment> I was in Playa del Carmen last week and it looks like we got out in the nick of time, as Tropical Storm Alex pounded them today.  Click here for the web tracker of this storm.  Let’s hope this storm goes away without any further loss of life.

Once I got back to the USA, I contacted Amazon’s customer service first thing Friday.  A very helpful and polite customer service representative named “Walter F.” had me walk through a couple of things over the course of 5-10 minutes, and he couldn’t do anything with it.  He told me he would have a replacement Kindle to me first thing the next morning at no charge, and gave me a link to print out a prepaid UPS label to return the defective one to Amazon.

Now, I don’t care where you are, that’s excellent customer service, especially as I have owned this particular Kindle for over a year and I did not purchase the extended warranty.

So, the new Kindle is here and the old one is boxed up and will be on its way back to Amazon to be fixed and sold later as a refurbished unit (more on that in a moment).  Meanwhile, I am glad to have a new one, and a little sad to see the old one go.  We’ve been through a lot together.

The new Kindle is really not new – it is probably a refurbished unit – and it is a US-only Kindle 2 vs. the international flavor they are selling now.  Considering the cost of the replacement (free!), beggars can’t be choosers.

I have noticed the screen appears a little crisper than the old one did.  That may be a fact it is a refurbished unit or, more likely, the patriotic decal skin I had on it (which was dark) might have made everything around it look darker – I haven’t put a skin on this one so it is still white around the edges, but who really knows?

I did have to download all of the books I haven’t read yet, which took some time to complete.  I am a little perturbed at having to go through and catalog everything again, especially with over 100 books on the thing!

Maybe I should come up with a name for my Kindle.  Do any of you have a name other then “My Kindle” for your Kindle?

Refurbished Units

After the price drop this week to $189, Amazon had a brief period of time which lit up several blogs at the pricing on a refurbished Kindle 2 going to $129, claiming it was a steal (seems like it to me) as it looked new and came with a year warranty.  Amazon quickly raised the price to $169 (click here to see one), just $20 less than a new one (click here to see one).  I think I would rather pay the extra $20 in order to get a new one vs. a refurbished!

Baseball

Baseball?  Hey, I’m trying to be more personable!  I love baseball, but it’s hard to be a fan these days living in Houston!

Have a great week-

Michael

Want to have this blog sent wirelessly to your Kindle vs. reading it on your computer? Try out the free two-week subscription!  Click here for the Amazon page for Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips.

Don’t have a Kindle?  Click Here to learn more!

Filed Under: Misc. and Random Stuff

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