Archive for the ‘Random’ Category
KOLL to get Potter books no comments
Amazon has reached an agreement with Pottermore to bring all seven of the Harry Potter ebooks to the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL). From June 19 the Potter series will be available at KOLL in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.
Amazon Prime members can borrow one Kindle book at a time per month for free from KOLL. The KOLL catalogue appears to be growing steadily, in spite of considerable skepticism when Amazon launched the service – Amazon says there are now 145,000 books, up from 130,000 at the end of March, roughly six weeks ago.
It also appears that J.K. Rowling has done a complete about face since a few years ago when she refused to even let the Potter books be released in ebook format.
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E Ink Holdings announces planned furlough and pay cuts no comments
Sales of LCD tablets like the Kindle Fire, which Amazon says has replaced the e-ink Kindles as its bestselling product, are apparently taking their toll on the sales of devices with e-ink displays.
E Ink Holdings reported worse earnings than expected for the first quarter of this year, turning in its first quarterly loss in the last two and a half years or so. Today the Taiwanese EPD manufacturer announced planned furloughs and pay cuts – 589 employees will have two unpaid days off in May and June and employees of division director rank or above will see their paychecks get a 10-20 percent haircut over the same period.
(via Focus Taiwan)
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B&N to get MasterCard’s new digital wallet service no comments
Yesterday MasterCard announced PayPass Wallet Services. This is a digital 
wallet service that, in addition to providing a ‘Buy With PayPass’ button on participating online merchant’s websites, will also be integrated with Near Field Communication (NFC) chips embedded in mobile devices. NFC chips enable mobile devices to exchange information with other devices that have embedded NFC chips or objects with unpowered NFC tags when they touch or come into close proximity to each other.
In a recent interview with Fortune, Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch said that NFC chips will be coming to Nook devices, enabling Nook users to do things like hold their ereader up to a pbook on a shelf at a B&N store and get information on the book and possibly even purchase the ebook version and have it start downloading to their ereader’s library.
Indeed, MasterCard said in its announcement that Barnes & Noble and American Airlines will be among the first merchants to begin using the service by having the PayPass online checkout button on their websites. You can expect to start seeing the PayPass button sometime in the third quarter of this year. Probably the next generation of Nook ereaders will feature the NFC chips that will let them read NFC tags affixed to paper books in B&N stores.
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Digital Manga sale at B&N no comments
Barnes & Noble is running a promotion on digital manga this month. Every Monday during the month of May a selection of digital graphic novels are on sale at the Nook store for 40% off of the regular price.
Today there are five digital manga titles in the sale for $2.99 each:
- Death Note, Volume 1 by Tsugumi Ohba – The Death Note movies were a major hit in Asia; if you like Japanese horror films you should see these.
- Dragon Ball Z, Volume 1 by Akira Toriyama
- Bakuman, Volume 1 by Tsugumi Ohba
- Rosario+Vampire Season II, Volume 1 by Akihisa Ikeda
- Toriko, Volume 1 by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro
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A few ereader and tablet refurb deals for today no comments
In its weekly ad, Staples is offering gift cards with the purchase of the Kindle Touch ereader and the Kindle Fire:
- Get a $10 gift card with a Kindle Touch Wi-Fi with Special Offers at $99
- Get a $40 gift card with the purchase of a Kindle Touch 3G with Special Offers at $149
- Get a $15 gift card when you buy a Kindle Fire at $199
The best deal will probably be the Kindle Touch 3G, which is effectively $109 after the promotion – only $10 more than the Wi-Fi only model. Be aware though that the 3G connection on this particular Kindle cannot be used for the web browser, which only works over the Wi-Fi connection. The 3G can be used to connect to the Kindle Store and access Wikipedia. These offers are good through May 12, 2012.
Walmart is offering a $30 gift card with the purchase of the Nook Color at $169 or the Nook Simple Touch ereader at $98.86.
Woot has refurbished Motorola Xoom 32GB Wi-Fi only tablets for $299.99 today only.
SaleADay has Asus Transformer 16GB refurbs bundled with the keyboard/docking station for $349.99. This one is also today only.
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A new waterproof cover for the Kindle Touch & Kindle Keyboard no comments
Just in time for summer, UK company Proporta has a new waterproof cover for the Kindle 4, Kindle Touch and Kindle Keyboard. These have only been out for a little more than a month, so there are few user reviews yet, although there are BeachBuoy covers for a variety of other gadgets
Proporta’s waterproof covers feature a sealable plastic pouch/bag design with neck strap similar in appearance to that of TrendyDigital’s cases. But while TrendyDigital’s WaterGuard case is water resistant only and not meant for immersion, Proporta’s BeachBuoy covers are rated waterproof to a depth of 15-16 feet.
The BeachBuoy Waterproof case for the Kindle Touch is $27.56 with free shipping from the UK (also available in the UK for £15.96). A model is also available for the Kindle Keyboard and the Kobo Touch at the same price.
Proporta also has several bundles
Since there are no reviews of the BeachBuoy for the Kindle Touch ereader yet I’ve taken the plunge and ordered one. I’ll update this post when I get it.
Proporta also makes a number of regular cases
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Free ebooks for Kindle & other ereaders – 5/4/2012 no comments
Lots of mysteries on the list today – this one has kind of turned into the mystery and thriller special edition. Do make sure they are all still free before hitting the Buy button or your credit card statement could prove to be rather thrilling all on its ownsome.
I meant to get this out earlier, but my power has been out for an uncomfortably large portion of the day (big shout-out to SCE); many of these will probably cross over into the paid section on Saturday.
The Black Stiletto by Raymond Benson (4 1/2 stars/31 reviews) Suspense; Women sleuths.
Deadly Aim (Angel Delaney Mysteries) by Patricia H. Rushford (4 1/2 stars/6 reviews) Mystery. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Cut, Crop & Die (A Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery) by Joanna Campbell Slan (4 1/2 stars/16 reviews) Mystery; Women sleuths.
Refuge on Crescent Hill: A Novel by Melanie Dobson (4 1/2 stars/63 reviews) Suspense; Adventure; Treasure hunt.
The Blasphemer (For Fans of Daniel Silva and Stieg Larsson) by John Ling (4 1/2 stars/35 reviews) Political thriller.
Fatal Loyalty by Sue Duffy (4 stars/11 reviews) Suspense.
The Sound of Red Returning (Red Returning Trilogy) by Sue Duffy (4 stars/31 reviews) Suspense.
Implicated by Peter Michael Rosenberg (4 1/2 stars/12 reviews) Thriller; Contemporary noir.
Journey Into Darkness by S.J. Harris (4 1/2 stars/3 reviews) Mystery; Women sleuths.
Proximity: A Novel of the Navy’s Elite Bomb Squad by Stephen Phillips (5 stars/20 reviews) War; Terrorism.
The Wolf’s Moon by Patrick Jones (4 1/2 stars/20 reviews) Thriller.
Children of the Fog by Cheryl Kaye Tardif (4 1/2 stars/119 reviews) Thriller.
Vengeance (A Steve Williams Novel) by J.E. Taylor (5 stars/9 reviews) Suspense. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Butler Did It! (The Matthew Butler Adventures) by Keith Pomeroy (5 stars/2 reviews) Thriller. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Think Fast Die Last by H Elliston (5 stars/4 reviews) Thriller.
Follow Titanic (Marsha & Danny Jones Thriller) by Ken Rossignol (5 stars/3 reviews) Thriller; Cruise.
Crime Beat by Scott Nicholson (4 1/2 stars/24 reviews) Mystery; Hard-boiled.
Dangerous Inheritance by Shirley E. Watson (4 stars/3 reviews) Mystery.
Family Cursemas (The Megamillionaire Murders) by Rod Kierkegaard Jr (5 stars/4 reviews) Mystery.
Clearwater Journals (Clearwater Series) by Al Rennie (5 stars/2 reviews) Mystery. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Night Shift by Marcelle Dubé (4 stars/3 reviews) Mystery; Short story.
Classmate Murders by Bob Moats (4 stars/48 reviews) Mystery. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Trouble Brewing by Edward Winslow (4 stars/8 reviews) Thriller; superhero parody. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Zoned for Murder (Sound Shore Times Mystery) by Evelyn David (5 stars/6 reviews) Mystery; Women sleuths.
Hard Press’d (The Preston Andrews Mysteries) by Linda Rae Blair (4 stars/10 reviews) Mystery. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Island Ghosts: A Will Castleton Adventure by David Bain (4 1/2 stars/10 reviews) Mystery; Hard-boiled. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Plankton We Have Heard on High by Foghorn Jollypox (4 stars/8 reviews) Mystery; Humor; Short story. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
The Baba Yaga, a Dr. Adam Karl Mystery (Myth-steries) by Leon Shure (5 stars/2 reviews) Mystery; Police procedural. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Blood on the Vine (Book 1 of the Jay Leicester Mysteries Series) by JC Simmons (4 1/2 stars/9 reviews) Mystery; Hard-boiled. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Mad Money (Madeline Carter) by Linda L. Richards (4 1/2 stars/13 reviews) Mystery; Women sleuths.
The Billionaire’s Curse with Bonus Material by Jonny Duddle and Richard Newsome (no reviews yet) YA Mystery. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Merrie Axemas (Special Agent Constance Mandalay) by M. R. Sellars (5 stars/11 reviews) Paranormal mystery. Also free at Kobo and Barnes & Noble.
The Magic of Windlier Wood (The Adventures of Newert) by N. R. Williams (4 1/2 stars/11 reviews) Fantasy. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Melody and the Pier to Forever (Book One) by Shawn Michel de Montaigne (4 1/2 stars/7 reviews) YA (?) Fantasy; Epic; 934 pages. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
The Raie’Chaelia by Melissa Douthit (4 stars/28 reviews) YA Fantasy. Also free at Kobo.
Grace and the Drawl (The Grace Trilogy) by Dale Cusack (4 stars/28 reviews) YA Fantasy. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
The Four Towers of Alacantar : Episode 1 (Third Age of Timare) by Stephen I. Carmer (4 stars/1 reviews) YA Fantasy. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
The Homecoming Masquerade (Girls Wearing Black: Book One) by Spencer Baum (4 1/2 stars/19 reviews) YA Fantasy.
Dragon’s Pupils – The Sword Guest (Dragon’s Pupils Series Book 1) by Martin Chu Shui (4 stars/17 reviews) YA Fantasy. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
The Wicked Heroine (Legend of the Shanallar, Book 1) by Jasmine Giacomo (4 stars/17 reviews) Fantasy.
Magnus Opum by Jonathan Gould (5 stars/9 reviews) Fantasy.
Unleashed Fury (BloodRunes: Book 1) by Laura R Cole (4 stars/17 reviews) Dark fantasy. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
The Watchers of Ur: Cradle by LaMonte M. Fowler (4 1/2 stars/12 reviews) Science fiction.
Quantum 7 by T.R. MacKie (5 stars/2 reviews) Science fiction; Time travel.
The Tale of Emma Ott by Wynema Taylor (4 stars/1 reviews) Fantasy; Time travel romance. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Moon Spell (The Tale of Lunarmorte #1) by Samantha Young (4 1/2 stars/84 reviews) YA Paranormal romance; Shifters.
Until the Dawn (Nemesis, Book One) by Desiree Holt and Cerise DeLand (4 1/2 stars/3 reviews) Romantic suspense. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Angel on Fire (Angel Investigations) by Jacquie Johnson (4 stars/22 reviews) Romantic suspense.
The Inheritance (The Donatelli Series) by Sue Fineman (5 stars/3 reviews) Romantic suspense. Also free from the same author: Nick’s Journey (Donatelli Family Series) by Sue Fineman (5 stars/3 reviews). The latter is also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
No One But You by Jillian Hart (5 stars/5 reviews) Contemporary romance. Also free at Kobo and Barnes & Noble.
Taboo (A Classic Romance) by Mallory Rush (4 stars/8 reviews) Contemporary romance.
Super Zero by Rhonda Stapleton (4 1/2 stars/7 reviews) Contemporary romance.
Before the Midnight Bells (Once Upon a Romance) by Jessica Woodard and Suzanne Spaihts-Mohns (4 stars/35 reviews) Romance; Cinderella remake.
Oops! I’m the Paparazzi (Romance, Humour & Mischief) by De-ann Black (4 1/2 stars/11 reviews) Romantic comedy. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Windswept by Cynthia Thomason (4 stars/12 reviews) Historical romance.
Ireland Rose by Patricia Strefling (4 stars/14 reviews) Historical romance from a faith-based publisher.
Campaign Promises by Laurel Osterkamp (4 stars/12 reviews) Contemporary fiction; Humor; Politics. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Chick-Lit Saved My Life by Maureen Reil (4 1/2 stars/2 reviews) Humor. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
What Would Satan Do? by Anthony Miller (4 stars/28 reviews) Humor.
Open by Marcus Engel (4 1/2 stars/4 reviews) Contemporary fiction; Medical.
Angel by Mary E. Kingsley (5 stars/11 reviews) YA fiction.
Tattoo: The Awakening by Toni Leland (5 stars/3 reviews) YA Contemporary fiction. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
The Wrong Side of the Tracks – Book 1 by Mike Wells (4 1/2 stars/11 reviews) YA fiction; Bullies. Also free from the same author: Wild Child (4 1/2 stars/37 reviews), The Mysterious Disappearance of Kurt Kramer – Book 1 (5 stars/1 reviews) and Baby Talk – Book 1 (4 stars/24 reviews). Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
The Widow’s Son by Bruce Robb Steinberg (5 stars/26 reviews) Historical fiction set in 1960′s.
The Unseen by Luke Alistar (4 1/2 stars/8 reviews) Historical fiction; Mental asylum.
Amelia’s story by D. G Torrens (4 1/2 stars/14 reviews) Biography.
Me and the Ugly C by Becky Dennington (5 stars/47 reviews) Memoir; Cancer.
Heaven Is Now by Andrew Farley (5 stars/11 reviews) Christianity. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Handle with Prayer: Unwrap the Source of God’s Strength for Living by Charles Stanley (5 stars/10 reviews) Christianity. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Our Quirky Pot Luck Recipes by Various contributors, Katy Ardans, Eve Walter and Alan Kipust (4 stars/4 reviews) Cooking.
Fresh Fruit Quick Breads (In the Pantry Quick Breads) by Joyce Middleton (5 stars/16 reviews) Baking.
Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious – Cookies, Brownies & Squares by Denise Paré-Watson and Urbnspice (5 stars/8 reviews) Recipes.
Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious – CAKES by Denise Paré-Watson and Urbnspice (5 stars/18 reviews) Recipes.
How to Buy Cheap Airline Tickets Updated 2012 (Thrifty Traveler) by Emily Kim (4 stars/12 reviews).
Google Apps Express: The Fast Way To Start Working in the Cloud by James Beswick (4 1/2 stars/19 reviews).
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Skinitis currently offering 20% off of device skins with coupon code SKINZ20 – use at checkout.
DecalGirlalso has a coupon code – ILOVEMOM – that will get a 25% discount through May 14th.
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Velocity Micro T301 refurbs – $60 no comments
Here is yet another refurbished tablet sale: Woot is currently selling the Velocity Micro T301 7-inch tablet for $59.99 + $5 shipping.
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Kindle Fire refurbs $139 1 comment
Today’s Gold Box deal at Amazon is on Kindle Fire refurbs,
All of today’s Lightning Deals
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Sony launches a new Reader app for Android no comments
Sony has updated its Reader app for Android. Perhaps ‘updated’ is not quite the word, since Sony has released a totally new Reader app – users are requested to delete the old app after installation of the new one. This appears to be a forced upgrade – the old app would not open on my phone, but would direct me to install the new version. On my Xoom I didn’t get the message to install the new app, but the old one would not sign into my account (actually, I don’t think I was ever able to successfully sign into the Reader Store on my Xoom).
Sony does not go into detail on the changes it has made to the app, other than to say that it has a new and improved interface and bug fixes. There are many user complaints about this new version, the most egregious being that some users apparently can no longer access the ebooks they have previously purchased at the Sony Reader Store.
I only have a few ebooks I’ve bought from the Reader Store, and they all are present and accounted for in the app’s bookshelves. In fact, and rather bizarrely, on my Xoom the app is even picking up Nook books that I’ve downloaded with the Nook app on that tablet, including a magazine that I subscribe to from Barnes & Noble, and displaying them in my Reader library, from which they can be opened and read. The magazine is presented differently than the manner in which the Nook app does it, and in my opinion not as nicely.
I have noticed some other odd misbehavior. Several times when trying to change font sizes on both my phone and Xoom the app dropped me at another page in the ebook – and not a nearby page, either. Why does it seem as though with Sony’s digital reading business it is often a case of two steps forward and one step back? Actually, this time the backwards to forwards ratio might be much worse than usual, especially for those who have lost access to their library.
On the plus side, the new home page on my tablet is quite nice, with a side scrolling panel of recommended ebooks and other panes showing what I’m now reading as well as recently added and opened titles. Another nice feature is a two page view in landscape mode. On the downside, there is no built-in dictionary.
