Kindle Keyboard fails again and again on a 3G connection

Resting in the summer house, I tried to get a new book. My connection is a 3G/Wi-Fi router that is not super fast, however I can browse news sites, amazon.com and even watch youtube videos. In other words, a good connection to buy a book.
It's not a news that Kindle 3 (Kindle Keyboard) is capricious. It connects some way to Amazon services and refuses to hold the connection if it fails to collaborate with these services.
Today's situation is as follows: Kindle 3 v.3.4 connects seemingly well, however the Archived items list is not fresh, not saying about downloading a book.
Kindle on Ipad 2 downloads books well (not fast but reliable). My ipad 2 and a netbook also good in browsing the Amazon site.
If I choose the option Deliver to my [Kindle name], Kindle thinks a lot and, finally, a long message appears: Your Kindle could not download, blah-blah-blah. This means that something is sent by an Amazon service, the Kindle responded but understood that it merely can't.
That's interesting, so advertised Amazon tablets with dual-band dual-antenna Wi-Fi are good in this situation, or I'm able to download books only on ipad, netbook and Windows Phone??

Wow! Meet Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Paperwhite

Just a copy from Amazon:

Dear Customers,

Today we're excited to introduce the all-new Kindle Fire HD.

Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G isn't just the best tablet for the price, it's the best tablet. $499 now gets you a large-screen HD tablet with a stunning 8.9" display, exclusive Dolby audio, dual stereo speakers, the fastest Wi-Fi, ultra-fast 4G LTE wireless, plus our new unprecedented $49.99 one-year 4G data package. Customers save hundreds of dollars in the first year compared to other 4G tablets. Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is also available in a Wi-Fi only model for $299.

Kindle Fire HD is the world's most-advanced 7" tablet, with a stunning HD display, plus the same exclusive Dolby audio, dual stereo speakers, the fastest Wi-Fi, and 16 GB of storage. Kindle Fire HD is just $199.

We are also introducing the world's most advanced e-readers,Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Paperwhite 3G.

You'll do a double take when you see Kindle Paperwhite—we've added 62% more pixels and increased contrast by 25%, so whites are whiter, and blacks are blacker. We've also added a revolutionary built-in front light for the perfect reading experience whether you're out at the beach or at home in bed.Kindle Paperwhite starts from just $119. Kindle Paperwhite 3Gis available for $179 with free 3G wireless—never pay for or hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. We've also updated our smallest, lightest Kindle with improved fonts and 15% faster page turns—it now starts at just $69.

Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Paperwhite are each in a class by themselves when it comes to hardware—there's nothing better. But the real magic is that they are also a service. When combined with our enormous content ecosystem, unmatched cross-platform interoperability and standard-setting customer service, we hope people will agree these are the best tablets and e-readers anywhere, at any price.

Thank you for being a customer,

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO

Will the Kindle follow OLPC netbooks?

An interesting news comes on one of LinkedIn banners: Mashable's article on the world-wide spread-up of Kindles for youngsters around the world. Since the emergence of OLPC (One Laptop Per Child), even since the rumors about OLPC started circulating, a number of other devices have been announced as thing to deliver on charity.
OLPC was a revolutionary product in some respects: a cheap laptop with Wi-Fi and a jog to charge the device by a hand. Its production was scandalous, some vendors, Intel included, separated and started their own production of competing devices. Nonetheless, OLPC helped companies around the world to commence the era of netbooks.
Event before the first shipment of OLPC was on the way, competitors declared their selves as manufacturers of similar devices. Since then, netbooks and tables have been promised for the poor at a low price for charitably many times.
Okay, the today's announcement is promised to be successful as it's not only from a big company, but also the government took part in the affair. Below is the whole text from Mashable:
"

U.S. Will Send Amazon Tablets to Kindle Relationships Abroad

9 hours ago by Alex Fitzpatrick6

TweetSharePin ItShare

Can Kindle tablets bridge the gap between the U.S. and young people living in far-off corners of the globe?

The State Department and Amazon certainly think so. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will join Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos next Wednesday to announce a partnership that will send Kindles jam-packed with useful software to youth around the world.

Called the “Kindle Mobile Learning Initiative,” the program will deliver Kindles that include english language instruction apps and other content in an effort to expose them to American culture.

“This public-private partnership with Amazon.com and the U.S. government will create a global e-reader program that introduces aspects of U.S. society and culture directly to young people, students, and international audiences in new ways and expands English language learning opportunities worldwide,” reads a White House press release.

Currently, further details are scant, but we’ll have more information next Wednesday. For now, tell us your ideas in the comments for how Kindles could be used to connect far-off youth with the United States.

"

One more dubious deal of the day

Never have I seen such deals before. Are they changing prices during the day (of deal)? If so, which price would we expect? $30, $20, $20?

Today I practised reading with the index finger. The goal is to eliminate regressions.
Regressions may be of two types: intentional and unintentional. Whereas the former is a result of a conscious re-reading of what has been read, the latter is a waste.
The latter can be divided into two groups: movement of eyes from the end of a line to the beginning of the next line and movements inside a line.
Reading with the index finger is against these movements inside a line. You are simply following the finger and eyes never go back until the end of line. The speed at the finger is moved also helps you read faster. My speed this time was 235-240 WPM. Do you feel the difference? As much as twice, the method definitely works.

The price is fixed

Today's marketing fault is fixed:

Although it has been fixed, the difference between today's and regular prices is not so jaw-dropping as usual. Often, a book that costs $20 or event $35 is sold for the same mere $10, offering the possibility to save money. This offer could be $5 or $6 (I didn't dare to say $3) to be at the same extent attractive as regular discounts...

A deal of the day

Is there a reason to buy a book today?

The message from Bezos of Hogwarts

A good news from everyone who likes Harry Potter books. I have read a year and half ago three of them and started the fourth. Though even three books of one author is pretty enough to cover author's language, I'm planning to finish reading somewhere in the future. Of what I'm talking about? The message from Bezos promises that we'll be given Harry Potter books through book lending service in June.

An enchanted kindle or a broom, there are offers you may choice from.

Sooner or later, today I decided to start learning English speed reading. I have bought Kump's book and a couple of books to be used as a self-study material. Both of them a general reading, what is highly recommended. The first book is written by a journalist and quite popular, the second is also on a general topic, but it slightly closer to my everyday doings.
Today I started and the speed I've been reading at was 120 WPM (words per minute). Actually, I called the dictionary for one word and not being accustomed to these tests is also a factor. I'd speak that my speed could be 150 WPM, for example. Despite this, what was measured was measured.
Okay, 120 WPM is a result. Fortunately, I managed to be at the very speed, below which students are to be sent to a specialist before taking a course in speed reading.
This is the same speed that I read when I was learning in the 1st class approximately 10 years old. Was it my speed or a normative, I was taken to the 3rd class to demonstrate there how to read. :)

This was the speed youngsters should be reading at aloud. Here is the need to say that when I eventually decided to be proficient in English, I started reading with intentional internal speaking aloud, even though I was aware that this is a brake for reading. I simply had not any interlocutor to practive my English, and I started to read books with internal articulation.

Oops, LG folds e-Ink screen

This week is generous with news that better match the Fool's Day's papers than being published on regular days. BElieve or not, one more news hits the market:
LG unveils flexible plastic e-paper display, aims for European launch next month
And what would you prefer, a black-and-white kindle in your back pocket or a color kindle fire.
This week, the announcement has been put out that a 4096-color e-Ink screen has been released and shipping comes soon. I lost the link, but it was Hanvon's.

Okay, after the Fool's Day is over, who would be a fool, who believed in the news or who didn't?

Wow, Amazon! We're going to read more

Today's announcement is what was promised moths ago: the public library for kindlemen (kinelepersons? kindlepeople?).

The exact quote says:

Dear Customers,

Today we're announcing a new benefit for Kindle owners with an Amazon Prime membership: theKindle Owners’ Lending Library.

Kindle owners can now choose from thousands of books to borrow for free, including over 100 current and former New York Times Bestsellers — as frequently as a book a month, with no due dates.

Not without a big fat hornet in the ointment of course: you should be a client with the Prime membership. What, in turn, means that you'd be better the US resident as only there you can benefit most of Prime.

Well, even if not absolutely free, it's a small step for a man and a big one for the Internet giant.

Kindle for PC 1.8.0: working with collections improvements

As I noticed while've been testing 1.8.0 on two desktops, there has been done some bugfix. Many may remember, that when one created a collection on a device in a locale not the same as at the time the collections have been imported from the device, suffixes applied to collections names like

collection@sp for a collection created when the locale has been set to es-es,

collection@sv is a result of creating collections when the locale was set to sv-se and so on.

Today I changed the locale thrice, every time creating a collections, and after importing, these collections appeared without suffixes. Maybe the reason is that I haven't restarted the device, since the collections I created previously still have the suffix, even to delete and to re-import them.

I'll continue testing the app and describe if possible the logic of creating and import collections.

Kindle for PC 1.8.0 for serious language learners

Amazon delivers a new version of Kindle for PC on a two months' or quarter basis.

First and foremost, why one should use a desktop application if the goal to make reading comfortable for eyes? I use the desktop version as well as web and cloud versions (are there now two or one web-based version?) primarily to read technical books. That is, if I need search and read from several sources, I put on my Kindle on a cradle (a $1 cradle for paper books :)), open cloud and desktop version and it's better than navigate on a slow device.

Well, about the news: since several days ago, Kindle for PC support several language GUIs as well as several mono-language dictionaries. Gratis.

Okay, may you say, there is nothing useful if you use Kindle for PC only for technical reading. Yes, of course, no more languages for technical reading than English. However, there may open possibilities to take a time for foreign-language reading. Along with excellent Oxford and New American Oxford, and Duden, Amazon blessed us with Portuguese-to-Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish-to-Spanish, French-to-French and Italian-to-Italian dictionaries. Enjoy, learners, enjoy!

Brand-new Kindle family members came to light!

What I say more? Nothing. Well said, and a great offer:

Dear Customer,

There are two types of companies: those that work hard to charge customers more, and those that work hard to charge customers less. Both approaches can work. We are firmly in the second camp.

We are excited to announce four new products: the all-new Kindle for only $79, two new touch Kindles – Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G – for $99 and $149, and a new class of Kindle – Kindle Fire – a beautiful full color Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games, web browsing and more, for only $199.

These are high-end products – the best Kindles we’ve ever made. Kindle and Kindle Touch have the most-advanced E Ink display technology available, and the 3G Kindle Touch adds free 3G wireless – no monthly fees and no annual contracts. Kindle Fire brings everything we’ve been working on at Amazon for 15 years together into a single, fully-integrated experience for customers – instant access to Amazon’s massive selection of digital content, a vibrant color IPS touchscreen with extra-wide viewing angle, a 14.6 ounce design that’s easy to hold with one hand, a state-of-the-art dual core processor, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, and an ultra-fast mobile browser – Amazon Silk – available exclusively on Kindle Fire.

We are building premium products and offering them at non-premium prices.

Thank you for being a customer,

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO

p.s. – Kindle Fire has a radical new web browser called Amazon Silk. When you use Silk – without thinking about it or doing anything explicit – you’re calling on the raw computational horsepower of Amazon EC2 to accelerate your web browsing. If you're curious, watch this short video to learn more about how it works.

Buzz: Kindle Fire to fire today

BlogKindle admires technical data that are ascribed to the new toy. Dual-core OMAP with fantastic 1.2 Hz frequency should serve well at least a year, being ahead of NookColor.

The screen is 7''th typical one, of readable quality of course.

In addition, with competitible price equaling to Nook Color's, the tablet will include out of the box Amazon Prime subscription, free for a year.

As a consequence of this release, there may be a pleasant price fall, as said at TechCrunch, down to $99.

We're awaiting, Amazon. :)

Kindle appstore expands

Hmm, today's news says http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2011/09/19/amazon-appstore-expands-to-australia-elsewhere/ .

Today, that's a strange fact, I filled up a new tablet with software. I set up a number of e-book readers and tried to set up Kindle for Android. I won't read much on an LCD screen, but what's not to set up e-book readers? Well, I found the Kindle app and set it up. I was shocked, having thought previously that it's not possibly to do. But I managed to set up.

To my amazement, after some time I found news where was declared that appstore is available across a bunch of countries.

What's a coincidence! I tried to set up the app the same day it perhaps was announced as for not only the US market.

A small Cloud Reader bug is reported

Today I reported the following (in the next post I'll describe the pleasant Cloud Reader that I discovered recently):

"Hello,

first of all, I would thank you the Amazon team for this amazing Cloud Reader.

What is the most demanded thing for technical people? To see code samples or technical details in paralel with the related work in process. And to make highlights (i.e., quotes) and to put them into code or into letters as a proof in a discussion. Along with the kindle.amazon.com -> Your Highlights, the cloud Reader is a promising feature.

But there I found a bug. I use highlights intensely. The book I'm working with for now is of thirteen thousand locations long and I have hishlights in various areas of the book. Of course, I don't read technical books from cover to cover, instead I read what I needed now leaving gaps in 'highlights space'.

Coming close to a bug, the bug is that I can see in the Cloud Reader only highlights before location 2195, whereas I have at least several highlights near 7775th location and in other locations.

Th highlights list simply ends up at 2195th.

My chrome is 13.0.782.112 m.

Thanks, Alexander

P.S. Another minor bug is the window where I'm writing this - its size is unchangeable.

P.P.S. Time ago I asked for the ability to open several books in parallel. Cloud Reader is the answer. Thanks again!"

Below the screenshots of what was described in the letter. The first figure displays the highlight in Kindle for PC 1.6:

The same book in Cloud Reader is deprived of highlights after location 2195:

A new proposal to improve Kindle software from technical readers' point of view

I've sent the following to Amazon:

Hello,

I'd like to discuss the needs a reader of technical literature may have. Further, I'll propose a variant of solution done from the reader's point of view.

First of all, what the process of working with technical books is? I work more than ninety-five percent of time that I spend working with techbooks with computers-related (programming, system administration) literature.

How does the working process go? The person uses computer-related books in two ways:

- reading (or reading and doing actions like control clicks, menu clicks and so on)

- search with small stripped reading.

The first way is obvious, there is only one problem: poor bookmarking functionality. For example, the user guide says that you need to open the 'View notes and marks' menu option and navigate from there.

Aha, the technical literary is the area where people do a lot of highlights. Why? To see Your Highlights everywhere, to see highlights on a desktop (Kindle for PC), to see highlights of your personal documents (I use also for reading the documentation of the products I'm working with) using third-party software.

Now, let's recall what we a second ago discussed: bookmarks. How is it possible to navigate to a bookmark having tens or hundreds highlighted places in the book you are reading?

The conclusion is simple, you need or to add a menu item 'Navigate bookmarks', or a window as it's done in other vendors' e-readers. The first way is preferable since there is less to do than in the second, UI is athe same and it's also the same 'View Notes and Marks' menu item but with filtering 'only bookmarks'.

The second problem is not so easy to resolve. Again, it is the Search. When you need to find something, it's very rare luck if one book suffices. Compared to Advanced Search in Adobe Acrobat Reader, your search in almost nothing. (Do you know their search? Open a document, press Ctrl+Shift+А and type a path. After that Advanced Search works over a FOLDER of documents (one document is also supported). Of course, working with more than ten or twenty documents may feel burdensome (desktop slows down, even Acrobat may fall down if too many resources have been consumed), but compare please with your offer.

The key of success is the ability to search in a book as well in several books. There'll be very good if you allow us to search in three books in parallel, and work with three books in parallel. Three is usually enough because or these three helpful, or one or two should be closed and other opened.

The typical style of work with technical books is to get code samples from three of four places and to read in one or two areas of one book. The dedicated bookmarks navigation would help here.

The second stage is search in two or three books in parallel, finding alternate solutions in books or code sample in the first and something like an explanation how it works in the other (some authors are best in code writing, whereas others write text well :)).

Please think about the propossal. As a technical person (I also read fiction, but there is no problem) I need to have improved navigation and search capabilities.

What do you the Kindle users think about the above proposal?

How fast are books you have bought visible at Kindle.Amazon.com?

As I noticed, the worst thing with the Kindle.Amazon.com portal is that books you have recently bought are not added to the Your Books list for a significant time. Even hiatus more than twenty-four hours is lately observed.

How can it be avoided? Seemingly, simple search in the search box promises to be helpful. You search for the full book title or for a fragment, and it returns books so that one of them is the result. Or you need to see the full search results list to pick up what you need. However, the marking a book as Read or Reading doesn't add the book to the Your Books list!

This is strange, you have at this portal two lists! One list is the Your Books one (books that you bought in an electronic format or in paper from Amazon), the second is the list in your profile. The latter includes not only the books you have bought at Amazon, but also any books you got through search and marked as Read or Reading (or any other status).

The roles of lists are different too. Being added to the Your Books list is a necessity if you want that a book was visible in Daily Review or in Your Highlights. At the same time, the books list in your profile is your profile's showcase, no more.

Okay, when both lists got synchronized, the happiness takes you. Then you see your highlights, can use Daily Review and your profile is truthful.

There is no right solution at this time on how to speed up the sync. Even issuing the request to support won't help since they reacted only when sync is done. :) As a palliative there can be advised the way to log off from the Kindle.Amazon.com portal and log in back; or use another browser.

Kindle fun

Too many applications, aren't there?

This is an existing book, bought from the Amazon's store. Technically speaking, in some cases replacing 'applications' with ones are not applicable since they are used in slightly different contexts...