VTech InnoTab 2S children’s tablet – Lightning Deal no comments
The VTech InnoTab 2S children’s tablet is the subject of a couple of Amazon’s Lightning Deals today. Right now the pink tablet is priced at $49.99 and at the turn of the next hour the blue model will be on sale.
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Kindle Fire HD tablets shipping to over 170 countries next month no comments
The Kindle Fire HD and Fire HD 8.9” tablets are now available for pre-order for international customers in over 170 countries. The tablets are expected to start shipping June 13th. Pricing for international orders is $214 USD for the Fire HD and $284 for the Fire HD 8.9”.
Amazon also announced today that the Appstore for Android is now available in almost 200 countries. To promote its international expansion, Fruit Ninga and Cut the Rope: Experiments are both free today and tomorrow at the Appstore.
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Google launches music subscription service no comments
Last week at its I/O developer’s conference Google announced a new paid subscription based streaming music service. The service, dubbed All Access, is now live.
All Access gives you unlimited listening to any music you want from Google’s catalogue of millions of tracks. The service can give you smart recommendations based on your musical preferences or you can create a personalized radio station. Other discovery tools include being able to browse charts, new releases, staff picks and featured playlists.
Google is offering a free 30 day trial and after that the service will cost $7.99 per month – if you sign up prior to June 30, 2013. After that the price goes up to $9.99 per month. You should be offered the free trial after installing the update to the Google Play Music app released yesterday.
All Access is a few dollars more per month than an ad free Pandora or Spotify subscription, but it does offer the integration with your music locker (subscribing does not increase your locker size – it’s still limited to 20,000 tracks) and other features, such as being able to share a song or album with Google+ friends. I’ve been using the custom radio station feature of All Access for a few hours and so far I’m impressed by the breadth and relevancy of the music spun off from my initial input.
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Amazon jumps into the fanfic world no comments
Today Amazon Publishing announced Kindle Worlds – a new Kindle store section focusing on authorized fanfic based on several popular franchises that the publisher has negotiated licenses with. Licensing is in place so far for three properties: Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar, Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard, and Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith. More deals are in the works and are expected to be announced soon.
Both the rights holders and fanfic authors will receive royalties from all Kindle books sold under the program. The new Kindle Worlds store is expected to open in June with over 50 commissioned works from best-selling authors such as Barbara Freethy, John Everson and Colleen Thompson. At that time any writer will be able to use the Kindle World self-publishing platform to submit their own stories.
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A couple of ebook sales for today no comments
Both the Wool Omnibus and its sequel set Shift Omnibus by Hugh Howey are on sale today at the Kindle Store. Each set is priced at $1.99 each for today only. If you have not read this series yet, it is a good post-apocalyptic story. I have not read Shift yet – I was waiting until I am actually ready to read it before purchasing – but at this price there is always room on the virtual shelves of my Kindle library.
Kobo has a couple of hundred ebooks that are on sale through May 20th for up to 75% off the regular price. This sale is valid in the US, Canada, and Australia. No coupon code is needed – the prices shown are the discounted prices.
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Weekend catch-up no comments
Amazon recently purchased Liquavista’s electrowetting display technology from Samsung. Amazon apparently tried to make the acquisition undercover but Nate the Great Detective at The Digital Reader ferreted it out.
Of the several reflective color displays I have seen, I have perhaps the fondest memories of Liquavista’s solution. I was a fan of Mirasol until I got to play with an actual ereading demo, which was rather disappointing. Liquavista’s display does not feature the bright and vibrant colors of a backlit LCD display, but rather reminds me of the colors of an older comic book. It resemble a printed color page better than most other reflective displays I have seen.
Does this mean that a color Kindle ereader using an electrowetting display is on the horizon? Well, I wouldn’t hold my breath, but with the technology now an Amazon property I think it has a much better chance of actually hitting store shelves, probably within the next couple of years. If and when it does I will be at the head of the line when Amazon starts taking orders.
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Next Issue continues to get better. Rolling Stone and Us Weekly have just been added to the all-you-can-eat digital magazine app. Both of these magazines are available in both the iOS and Android versions of the digital newsstand app. Access to Us Weekly, like other weeklies, requires the Premium tier subscription.
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The Google Play Books app has been updated and now allows users to upload their own PDF or ePub book files into the cloud and read them on all of their devices. The Library, TOC and recommendation pages have also been redone.
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Amazon Coins go live no comments
The previously announced Amazon Coins (AC) virtual currency went live today and, as promised, Amazon is promoting the newly minted virtual payment system by giving every US Kindle Fire owner a starter supply – if you have a Kindle Fire tablet you should now be richer by about 500 AC.
Amazon Coins are equivalent to about a penny apiece, but can be purchased in bulk for up to a 10% discount. They are good for purchasing apps and games or for in-app purchases from the Kindle Fire tablets.
Customers who purchase one of the Kindle Fire tablets by the end of this year will also have the free 500 AC added to their accounts. Unlike real currency, which does not expire but just seems to buy less and less gas every day, the promotional Amazon Coins do come with an expiration date – the end of the calendar month one year after you receive them. Additional AC that you purchase do not expire.
Not to look a gift horse in the mouth but, as it stands now, the Amazon Coins program will probably appeal mostly to gamers. It would be interesting if Amazon were to expand the program to other types of content, such as Kindle books and MP3s. In that case AC would make an excellent incentive or loyalty reward – purchase a specific item and receive some free AC or have some free Coins added to your account every time you spend money at Amazon.
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Free ebooks for Kindle & other ereaders – 5/12/2013 no comments
Many of these will be free for a limited time only – so please double check the price before ordering.
The Warehouse (A Psychological Thriller–Book 1) by Paxton Helling (4 1/2 stars/27 reviews). Also free a iTunes.
Name and Number: Based On a True Prison Story by John Hoskison (4 1/2 stars/31 reviews).
Blood Mountain by L. J. Martin (5 stars/10 reviews) Historical thriller; Western.
The Insiders by Craig Hickman (4 stars/107 reviews) Spy thriller.
City of Silence (City of Mystery) by Kim Wright (4 1/2 stars/37 reviews) Historical mystery; British.
The Spia Family Presses On (#1 One Olive At A Time) by Mary Leo (4 1/2 stars/51 reviews) Mystery; Women sleuths.
Out on a Limb: A Smoky Mountain Mystery by Carolyn Jourdan (4 1/2 stars/148 reviews) Mystery; Cozy; Medical.
Along Came a Demon (Whisperings) (Whisperings Paranormal Mystery) by Linda Welch (4 1/2 stars/72 reviews). Also free at Barnes & Noble/Kobo/iTunes.
Loose Ends – A Mary O’Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book 1) by Terri Reid (4 1/2 stars/322 reviews).
Touched (The Marnie Baranuik Files) by A.J. Aalto (4 1/2 stars/92 reviews) Paranormal mystery. Also free at Kobo/iTunes.
Pandemia (Genesis) by Nick Lancaster (4 stars/28 reviews) Post-Apocalyptic.
Sora’s Quest (The Cat’s Eye Chronicles 1) by T. L. Shreffler (4 1/2 stars/38 reviews) Fantasy. Also free at Barnes & Noble/iTunes.
Heartless (Tales of Goldstone Wood Book #1) by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (4 1/2 stars/124 reviews) Fantasy from a faith-based publisher. Also free at Barnes & Noble/Kobo/iTunes.
The Kinshield Legacy (The Kinshield Saga) by K.C. May (4 stars/142 reviews) Fantasy; Epic. Also free at Kobo/iTunes.
City of Blaze (The Fireblade Array) by H.O. Charles (4 1/2 stars/26 reviews) Fantasy. Also free at Barnes & Noble/Kobo/iTunes.
Gravity (Gravity Series #1) (The Gravity Series) by Abigail Boyd (4 stars/220 reviews) YA Paranormal romance. Also free at Kobo/iTunes.
Reckless Magic (The Star-Crossed Series, Book 1) by Rachel Higginson (4 1/2 stars/229 reviews) YA Paranormal romance. Also free at Barnes & Noble/Kobo/iTunes.
Verity (Cursed #1) by Claire Farrell (4 1/2 stars/39 reviews) YA Paranormal romance. Also free at Barnes & Noble/Kobo/iTunes.
A Chance for Charity (The Immortal Ones – A Paranormal Romance) by S.L. Baum (4 stars/146 reviews). Also free at Kobo/iTunes.
Seduced by Innocence: A New Adult Paranormal Romance of Shifters & Witches (Rose’s Trilogy, #1) (The Seduced Saga) by Kimberly Kinrade (4 stars/141 reviews). Also free at Kobo/iTunes.
Stalk me. (The Keatyn Chronicles) by Jillian Dodd (4 1/2 stars/265 reviews) YA Romantic suspense. Also free at Kobo/iTunes.
Can’t Stop Loving You (Forever Friends, Book 1 of 4) by Peggy Webb (5 stars/4 reviews) Romantic comedy. Also free at Barnes & Noble/Kobo/iTunes.
Righteous Lies (Book 1: Dancing Moon Ranch Series) by Patricia Watters (4 stars/53 reviews) Contemporary Western romance.
In My Arms (Philadelphia Series) by Taryn Plendl and Madison Seidler (4 stars/59 reviews) Contemporary romance.
MAID in the USA (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) by Judy Angelo (4 stars/303 reviews) Contemporary romance. Also free at Barnes & Noble/Kobo.
Coming Home by Leslie Kelly (4 1/2 stars/106 reviews) Contemporary romance.
A Part of Me (Philadelphia Series) by Taryn Plendl and Madison Seidler (4 1/2 stars/18 reviews) Contemporary romance.
Always You by Kirsty Moseley (4 1/2 stars/190 reviews) YA Contemporary romance. Also free at iTunes.
On an Edge of Glass by Autumn Doughton (4 1/2 stars/56 reviews) Contemporary romance.
In Too Deep (Hidden Cove Series) by Kathryn Shay (4 stars/159 reviews) Contemporary romance; Firefighters. Also free at Barnes & Noble/Kobo/iTunes.
The Outer Edge of Heaven by Jaclyn M. Hawkes (4 stars/45 reviews) Contemporary Western romance.
Cowboy Heat (Hell Yeah!) by Sable Hunter (4 1/2 stars/139 reviews) Contemporary Western romance; Erotica.
Glass Towers, Shattered (Glass Towers Trilogy) by Adler, Holt and Ginger Fraser (4 1/2 stars/47 reviews) Contemporary romance; Explicit.
Scrap Metal by Harper Fox (5 stars/81 reviews) Contemporary romance; Gay & Lesbian. Also free at Barnes & Noble/iTunes.
To Capture A Highlander’s Heart: The Beginning (Scottish Historical Romance) (A Highland Moonlight Spinoff) by Teresa Reasor (4 1/2 stars/12 reviews) Short story. Also free at iTunes.
Out of Darkness (The Prescott Series) by B. J. McMinn (4 stars/24 reviews) Historical romance; Western.
First Impressions: A Tale of Less Pride & Prejudice (Tales of Less Pride and Prejudice) by Alexa Adams (4 1/2 stars/124 reviews) Historical romance; Fanfic.
Secrets of Midnight (Regency Men of Their Dreams Series, Book 1) by Miriam Minger (4 stars/52 reviews) Historical romance. Also free at Barnes & Noble/iTunes.
Wicked in Your Arms: Forgotten Princesses by Sophie Jordan (4 1/2 stars/21 reviews) Historical romance. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
All I Want For Christmas is a Duke (Entangled: Scandalous) by Máire Claremont and Delilah Marvelle (4 1/2 stars/47 reviews) Historical romance. Also free at Barnes & Noble/Kobo/iTunes.
The Lost Pearl by Lara Zuberi (4 stars/22 reviews) Contemporary fiction.
Village Books by Craig McLay (4 stars/111 reviews) Contemporary fiction; Humor.
Me Again by Keith Cronin (4 1/2 stars/244 reviews) Contemporary fiction; Humor.
Out of Gas by Randy Dyess (4 stars/59 reviews) Contemporary fiction; Preppers.
Single Infertile Female by Leah Campbell (4 1/2 stars/54 reviews) Memoir.
Cocktails, Caviar and Diapers by Renee Duke (4 stars/13 reviews) Autobiographical fiction.
Mommy but Still Me by Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar (4 stars/53 reviews) Motherhood.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Treatment Guide, 2nd Edition by Erica Verrillo (5 stars/55 reviews).
It’s Not All About "Me": The Top Ten Techniques for Building Quick Rapport with Anyone by Robin Dreeke (4 1/2 stars/84 reviews).
Defiance:The Essential Guide by Syfy and Trion Worlds (4 1/2 stars/17 reviews) TV programs; Video games. Also free at Barnes & Noble/Kobo/iTunes.
Genetically Modified Foods vs. Sustainability by Pandora Poikilos and Bruno McGrath (4 stars/7 reviews).
Blueberries in Your Backyard: How to Grow America’s Hottest Antioxidant Fruit for Food, Health, and Extra Money by R.J. Ruppenthal (4 1/2 stars/32 reviews).
Vitamin Water by Arnel Ricafranca (4 stars/26 reviews) Recipes. Also free at iTunes.
Another Quiet American: Stories of Life in Laos by Brett Dakin (4 1/2 stars/30 reviews) Travel.
Disrupt: Think the Unthinkable to Spark Transformation in Your Business by Luke Williams (4 1/2 stars/36 reviews). Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Extreme Money: Masters of the Universe and the Cult of Risk by Satyajit Das (4 stars/84 reviews) Finance.
World of Archangels by Sufian Chaudhary (4 1/2 stars/94 reviews) Spirituality.
Megan and Mommy: single parent family (The Happy Family Children’s book collection) by Elizabeth Reed and Malgorzata Godziuk (5 stars/30 reviews) Children’s fiction.
Logic to the Rescue by Kris Langman (4 stars/30 reviews) Children’s books; Logic & language. Also free at Barnes & Noble/Kobo.
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Today only at the Kindle Store 30 romances are on sale for $1.99 each or less.
If you make a purchase at MYHABIT by May 21st you will get a voucher that will let you purchase any or all of 10 beach reads for $1 each from the Kindle Store.
Amazon Local is currently offering a free voucher that will let you buy any or all of a selection of 37 Kindle books for $1 each. Offer ends May 16th or when sold out.
The Arkane series by JF Penn are currently 75% off at Kobo with promo code – pennsale – use at checkout. Sale ends May 20th.
DecalGirlhas a Mother’s Day promo code – THANKSMOM – that will give a 25% discount. Good through May 13th.
Walmart is currently offering the Nook Simple Touch ereader for $59. This is $20 off of the regular price.
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Nook HD and Kindle Fire tablets on sale for Mother’s Day no comments
The Nook HD and HD+ tablets, which now come with Google Play, are on sale for Mother’s Day. During the sale the Nook HD 8GB is priced at $149 and the 16GB version is $179. The Nook HD+ is priced at $179 for 16GB or $209 for 32GB. All come with free shipping. Sale ends May 12th.
Meanwhile, over at the Kindle Store, you can get a $20 discount on the Kindle Fire HD by using the promo code FIRE4MOM at checkout. This will bring the price of the 16GB with special offers down to $179 or the 32GB version to $209. The coupon is good for the Fire HD without special offers as well. This deal is also good through May 12th.
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Nook HD and HD+ tablets get Google Play, discounts in UK no comments
The Nook HD and HD+ tablets now have access to the Google Play app store. Barnes & Noble announced the partial razing of the walls around its garden yesterday:
“By adding Google Play to NOOK HD and NOOK HD+, we are offering our customers even more great entertainment on our award-winning tablets,” said William Lynch, chief executive officer of Barnes & Noble. “Now with access to more than 700,000 apps and the best reading experience available, NOOK HD and NOOK HD+ are must-see products for entertainment lovers looking for high-quality tablets at incredibly low prices.”
The Chrome browser, Google Search, Gmail, YouTube and Google Maps are now built into the HD tablets.
This move does make the future of the Nook HD tablets somewhat less dim. Even so, competing tablets at similar prices with full versions of Android seem more appealing to me. And now that Nook HD users that haven’t bothered to root their devices are no longer tied to B&N’s walled garden, how will that affect sales at the Nook store? HD owners should now be able to easily add the Kindle app and shop at the Kindle Store. They also now have access to the cornucopia of apps available at Google Play and are no longer tied to the Nook app store. This may have been a necessary move on B&N’s part, but it smells somewhat of desperation.
I think the next thing B&N should do is to liberate Nook books from their proprietary DRM and replace it with the normal Adobe chains fettering ePub books at other ebookstores. I’m sure that if Nook books could be read on other ePub ereaders, the Nook Store would be selling content to owners of Kobo, Sony and other ePub capable ebook readers in addition to Nook users.
B&N this week also announced significant discounts on Nook devices in the UK to promote the “Get London Reading” program:
- Nook Simple Touch ereader is now £29.
- Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight is £69.
- Nook HD now starting at £129.
- Nook HD+ now starting at £179.
These prices will be in effect for a limited time only. More info can be found here.
Here in the US, Barnes & Noble has started a new BOGO promotion on Nook Books. Buy one book from a selection of 20 and get another title from the list free. Each weekend there will be a new selection of 20 Nook books to choose from – the initial selection at least does have some upper tier titles. This promotion is only good in-store. You cannot purchase the books online and get the freebie.
To take advantage of this special weekend offer, customers can go to any register at a Barnes & Noble store, purchase one of the 20 qualifying bestselling NOOK Book titles and then select another title from that list for free. The customer’s store receipt will feature two access codes that they can redeem for their purchased and free eBooks at BN.com/redeem. Customers may choose to receive their access codes via email as well.
A list of the current selection of Nook books included in the promotion can be found here.
