Kindle Tips: Web 'Article Mode' / Nook Touch's "hidden" web browser.

  Click on 1st image to get Nook Touch web browser story with video.  Click on 2nd image to get the larger version of the Kindle 3 web pic.

Nathan of The EbookReader found that the Nook has a "hidden" web browser.

  As he points out, it's hidden for a reason.

' Scrolling, zooming, and activating hyperlinks are hit-or-miss, and pages don’t load half the time. I tried downloading an EPUB from Feedbooks, the download worked, but the ebook would not open...
...Overall, though, it needs a lot of work—probably why Barnes and Noble never mentioned it. '

  In fact, in their current Nook comparison chart, Barnes & Noble actually marked that the Nook Touch doesn't have a web browser.  By that, I guess they mean it doesn't have a correctly functioning one.
  Some see that as a challenge to "root" the device though it's a tad risky or frustrating with B&N doing unannounced firmware upgrades as they have.

  Nathan says the menu system, otherwise, "seems to work well" and it shows "promise."

The Nook Touch uses the Android operating system, as does the much faster LCD NookColor.  Both of them will find websites if you start a device Search while specifying a website or URL like "google.com" for that search.

  Many of us suspect that's a basic Android OS feature which can be built on when developers want.  At Mobileread forums, there's an interesting discussion on this, and Antioch says:

' It could just be an artifact of using Android. The Android search functionality will take you to the web to find things so maybe this is just that. Unless it's not the native Android browser... '

  Definitely boosting that theory is what's explained at the android developers webpage on their Guide to the Basics, "What is Android?"

' Developers have full access to the same framework APIs used by the core applications. The application architecture is designed to simplify the reuse of components...
  Underlying all applications is a set of services and systems, including:

  . A rich and extensible set of Views that can be used to build an application, including lists, grids, text boxes, buttons, and even an embeddable web browser... '

As for its incomplete functioning, Mobileread Forum's tom e reports being at B&N trying it out, and he wrote:

' ...You seem to have to know the web address you want.  You can get to google.com easily, but when you try to 'google' something you get knocked out of the browser. '

trescenzi agrees that

' There is a really good chance this is an artifact from it being android based.  The browser has the usual android browser features and if you swipe down it brings up the address bar and options.  Also when you go to search the button labeled "search" switches to "go" making me think it recognizes addresses as such.

Update:
Looks like even though you can use the address bar it wont actually connect to addresses entered there.  Just got onto my gmail account and everything works great.-Scratch that looks like any attempt to send mail crashes the browser. '

tom e adds to his earlier report:

' ...I did view my own blog on it though, by typing the URL, and I did see the main page for the google online apps.  I think I even saw a hint of multitouch capability (did the opposite of the 'pinch' on the screen)  It did appear to zoom in, but only barely and then got stuck.  Maybe the refresh rate was too slow?  Maybe I imagined it. (?) '

  He mentions Nathan's video (on Nathan's page, linked above) and seeing Landscape mode at one point. The (Android-based) NookColor, which I have and which definitely has a smooth browser, does have Landscape mode active for Web, although B&N programmers don't enable Landscape for non-children's books for some reason, nor for PDFs.
  The video shows the web browser to be, otherwise, pretty smooth and responsive.  It could be that the e-Ink screen can't keep up with what the enbedded Android browser needs.

trescenzi adds a positive note:

' With respect to RSS if you use google reader to read RSS the mobile app is awesome and worked great when I tried to use it on the nook touch's browser. '

forkyfork writes:

' It's neat from a "look, it's something we didn't expect" perspective, but DO NOT BUY THIS MODEL IF WEB BROWSING IS AT ALL IMPORTANT TO YOU. '

And tom e adds,

' Yep I totally agree that it's not a browser that is sufficient on its own, as is.  I wouldn't buy it just now (at least not with the belief that it's going to be more than they advertise) nor would I recommend anyone else do so.

  On the other hand I think it shows us that it's plenty able to do some simple things that I want...
  I do not think it's very capable for real web browsing though, no matter what people root and put on. Basically, it flashes so much just trying to load most pages (or scrolling down them YUCK!) that it would make me crazy... '

  At the pace of Barnes and Noble's updates for my NookColor (and even REMOVING highlight, copy, paste from the web browser, I don't know how much energy they'd put into working on the Nook Touch e-Ink web browser while on the verge of being bought by Liberty with the stipulation that the current BN head, Leonard Riccio, would join the buyout.  There are concerns about voting by other stockholders and the fact that Ron Burkle and Aletheia Research and Management own almost 31% of the stock between them and may have a say in things.

  As the NYTimes put it, B&N "faces some difficult choices about the company’s second-largest shareholder while simultaneously managing a conflicted sale to Liberty Media and the bookseller’s largest shareholder."

  As B&N has been stressing and analysts explain, in this technewsworld article,

' The market may now be ready for that type of simpler device for a crowd that isn't willing to invest in a complex personal device.

  "There is a group of people who are using traditional computing technologies today, and then those who say, 'This is too complex for me, I need a simple solution.' That audience is looking for a device that does one thing and does an excellent job at that, and the e-reader does that by being a replication of the book-reading experience and removing the complexity of that," said Orr. '

But I think B&N would be smarter to enable fully and develop the functioning of the e-Ink web browser and eventually unhide it, as the current gadget world just expects at least a simple web browser if only for emergencies, and their biggest competitor, Amazon, has a working one.

  Not only that, the Kindles (UK: K3's) have, as I've stressed, a truly unique and valuable feature, free 3G web-browsing almost anywhere you happen to be and this is possible in 60 of 100+ countries, while the 3G itself is enabled for Amazon book downloading plus free Wikipedia 3G web access in over 100 countries.

  If B&N Nooks had those capabilities, the press would probably be whooping it up, but the many features that Amazon has given the Kindle are given short shrift, as there's "nothing new" in any of that :-).  All Kindles have had that since 2007. Slow, but faster than zero, and other ereaders enable any 3G web browser for bookstore-sites only.

KINDLE WEB BROWSER TIP
I've found that almost no one I know personally is aware of the web-browser feature added in August that makes the Kindle 3's web browsing more pleasurable and they're using instead only the Zoom feature, which I find awkward.  I'll illustrate the steps in another blog entry later, but here's, basically, what you do.

  1. Go to a website, which will default to 'fit width' of the screen, which means the fonts will be tiny and nearly unreadable.

  2. Use the Aa type/font key to choose 150% or more to zoom into a specific box-framed area of the display that you want to explore -- a given article, usually.

  3. Click to get the article.

  4. When the article's settled in (e-Ink is not speedy),
      Press Menu button and select "Article Mode"

  5. This will make it very readable by getting rid of extraneous ads, polls, side-columns, etc., while increasing the font size considerably.  The effect is similar to what you get when using "Readability," "Instapaper" or "SendToReader" web tools that show you just the article's text.

  6. If the font still is not large enough for comfort, you can press the Aa font/text key to choose to increase the size of the text.

  7. If you want to see more on a line than you can in Portrait mode, the Kindle 3 lets you use Aa font/text key to rotate the Kindle to Landscape, which gives you even more readable text across the screen, but working the next-page button or the scroll down cursor is a bit more awkward that way.

At any rate, it ends up VERY readable and the text reflows very nicely to fit the screen margins, etc.

  When I use (often) the step-by-step directions from/to a place on a Kindle (see Driving directions), using Google Map's text directions, the instructions are easy to read on the Kindle 2 or DX (or even Kindle 1), but they're tiny on a Kindle 3. Why, I don't know.

But you can treat the results for driving directions the way you do any article. Press Menu and select "Article Mode" and that'll make them easily readable.

MOBILE-DEVICE OPTIMIZED SITES IN "KINDLE BOOK" FORM
Remember that you can download this mobiweb.azw file at any time, to your Kindle, from the Kindle.

  The file is explained (if you can stand any more verbiage) here.

  ONE Correction - With the GMAIL URL I recommend, SENDING an email reply required, I thought, exiting by moving the cursor down to the bottom of the reply box, and going to the SEND field.  It's actually EASIER to move UP to the Subject field and over to the SEND field at the top of the reply.

  It's times like that when we would prefer a touch screen.

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3G and WiFi-Only Kindle 3's - What does it all mean? Which should I get?

WIRELESS OPTIONS - WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
On the Amazon Kindle forums, the most frequent question I've seen in connection with the new Kindles is about the wireless options -- what "3G" means and how it differs from "WiFi" -- both types are included in the $189 model while the "WiFi-only" model is offered for those who feel they won't ever need the "3G" wireless feature.

This article is written for those new to the wireless scene.  I meant to make it short, but decided to write in more detail.

The word "wireless' here pertains to both 3G and WiFi networks.
  If the e-reader is not attached to a computer but it can access online sites, it's using a "wireless network."  I've seen that many use the term "WiFi" when they mean "3G" mobile-wireless, as it's a confusing area to most who have had no reason to even think about these words before.

3G  WIRELESS
As the image at the left indicates, 3G Wireless involves huge wireless networks that cover very long distances -- our cellphones access these networks.  This is often referred to as 'mobile wireless' -- or wireless on the go.  Coverage involves very large areas and involves cell towers.

WI FI  WIRELESS
This involves very "local" and ultra short-range wireless networks -- usually in effect for a home or an office or office building, set up by the individuals using them, but increasingly, cafes and shops are offering customers use of their own WiFi networks while there.

The picture on the left is of my 7-year old Netgear WiFi network router.   Mine takes a signal from Comcast's high-speed cable internet service and routes that cable-modem signal via a wire to my main computer and then broadcasts the signal "locally" around my home so that it's accessible without-wires by my printer/scanner and my laptop.
 My neighbors have WiFi networks in their apartments as well, and we all use the normal security of some kind of passkey so that others can't "steal" access to our wee networks and slow us down by sharing them without permission.

 If you're getting a WiFi-only reader and expect to download books directly to the e-reader without having to hook it up to a computer, you'll need to have a WiFi network set up.  They're very inexpensive these days -- it costs about $40 for a good router -- but someone will need to set it up and understand how to maintain it.  Friends can help.  It's not difficult (except for those without experience with computers), and software that comes with the small router can make it almost automatic.

BOOK-DOWNLOADS DIRECT TO KINDLE
I think the reason that the Kindle reader 'took off' when other e-readers received much less interest is the capability that Amazon built into the reader so that owners can access the cellphone or mobile networks wherever they are (except in some remote areas) to just download a new book on the spot upon hearing about it.

Amazon has said they wanted customers to be able to use the Kindle without need for a computer.
  With 3G mobile wireless, it doesn't matter where you are -- you can usually download a book you want or do a look-up online.  As Amazon's pages point out, there's no need to look for a "hot spot" -- a place that offers a WiFi network that is sharable by customers, whether for a fee or for free (Starbucks and McDonald's WiFi networks are free).

Nook's implementation of the 3G wireless feature
Nook owners can use the WiFi network access that is available at Barnes and Noble stores, but they can't use that type of wireless in a bus or at the beach as Kindle users can with its 3G.
  The Nook's 3G is able only to access the B&N store online.  (See Len Edgerly's video demo of differences in the implementation of other features that the Nook and the Kindle share.)

HIGHER COST OF 3G+WIFI vs WIFI-ONLY
It's a one-time $50 difference between these two models.
  As an example of the value of 3G access:
  The iPad costs an additional $130 for the lowest-cost model with 3G capability ($629 vs $499).
  To USE the iPad's 3G wireless, a monthly data plan is needed, at $15 to $30/mo.  For normal smartphones, any added 3G web-data access is usually between $30-$60 dollars monthly.
There are no monthly charges for the Kindle's 3G wireless access.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOUR E-READER CHOICES? - A SUMMARY
This more basic summary is modified from one of the earlier articles here.
1. 3G - cellular or mobile networks -- this type is, as with cellphones, accessible over the air almost anywhere. You can be on a bus, at the dentist's office, or at the beach and it can work there.
 If Amazon enables 3G wireless use of the web-browser in another country, you'll be able to use that feature in other countries as well if Kindles sent to your country are enabled for the web-browser.

Personally, I wouldn't give up the free 3G access for a one-time $50 savings when it normally costs $30-$60/month for this type of feature on a smart phone.

2. WiFi - wireless local area networks (WLAN) -- You need to be near a 'local' area network in this case, so these are usually set up in homes or offices and you can find "hotspots" at places like Starbucks, McDonald's and other cafes though some require a per-hour charge and/or a password/passkey.

While the initial cost of the WiFi-Only model is about $50 less, you give up Free 3G cell-phone-type wireless access forever with the unit.
  However, those with 3G web-data plans already on their smartphones or tablets won't miss it that much.  They won't be able to download a book to the Kindle on the spur of the moment from almost anywhere, but that's just a luxury and many are just as happy to wait until they have access to a WiFi network.

IS 3G WEB BROWSING AVAILABLE IN MY HOME COUNTRY?
That depends on the 3G wireless arrangements Amazon has been able to make with wireless providers in that country.

  Amazon has not enabled the experimental web browser in some regions of the world (probably because the 3G browsing arrangements they could make are too costly for them), although in ALL areas that offer wireless downloads of books, Amazon features 24/7 free access to Wikipedia, which is very useful when done from a book you're reading.

New web browser on the K3's
The Kindle 3's are using the new WebKit-based browser.  Amazon says the updated web browser is "faster, easier to navigate, and provides a new 'article mode' feature that simplifies web pages to just the main text-based content for easier reading."
  That simplification will be great for Kindle Edition blogs when following links in stories.

3G AMAZON 3G WHISPERNET COVERAGE MAPS
Here are links to to Amazon's 3G Whispernet coverage maps for the latest Kindles:
  North America     Worldwide

_______
See earlier articles on
. Accessing Google Maps site for Text-only Step-by-Step driving directions on the Kindle (quite fast access)
. A downloadable bookmarks-type file for accessing mobile-device optimized websites
. Sending a highlighted Kindle book passage to friends on Facebook or Twitter (doable from where you are if you have a 3G model).
. a listing of countries for which the Amazon country-specific Kindle-2 pages did not show the web browser as 'unavailable' and countries with product pages specifically stating the web browser was not available for those countries (June 2010) although some were able to use the web browser in those countries for awhile, especially after software update 2.5.x, but now are unable to, and the status of those may change with time.

  The current language of the international Kindle product pages is considerably more vague, with the Wikipedia site listed as available on 3G Whispernet for all, while for the rest of the Net, WiFi access is at least encouraged and in some cases would be 'required,' as 3G web-browsing is not available in some areas.
  Those in countries that were NOT identified as having the web browser 'not available' still seem to be able to use the web browser.
  Other areas, such as The Netherlands and Portugal, which were identified in June as not having web browsing available, did have some Kindles enabled until recently but don't appear to have that capability now.  Amazon doesn't seem to want to be clear on this and it may be because of contract negotiations, ongoing or unsuccessful.

  In the meantime, Germany's now says that 'social networking features' are not available which would indicate the web browser is not enabled, while the other pages are, as I mentioned, vague product page, as of late Sept has been changed to use the same wording as other European pages no longer saying only that "social networking features are not available."
Updated this paragraph Oct. 15, 2010

See http://bit.ly/kwkweb2 for -some- info on countries with 3G web access for Amazon Kindles.

  Amazon has voiced hopes to have web-browsing enabled worldwide and has gone further along that road faster than I'd expected.  The addition of WiFi capability to the new Kindles should help a bit where 3G web browsing is not currently available.


Kindle Touch 3G   Kindle Touch WiFi   Kindle Basic   (UK: KBasic)   Kindle Fire
Kindle Keybd 3G   (UK: Kindle Keybd 3G)   K3 Special Offers   K3-3G Special Offers   DX

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    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

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Cnet's good E-reader comparison won't post my Kindle information

CNet's John F. Falcone, in his otherwise excellent new overview of several e-readers, which I recommend, has posted a brief comment I made about the difference between Sprint and AT&T access in the various Kindles.

 For some reason he has decided not to publish my earlier longer general comment - even though he specifically asked us for our experiences.  I had signed it with "kindleworld.blogspot.com" and figured that this was the problem, so I re-uploaded it without that identifier at all.  But after almost an hour and a half, he has not published it.  Although it gives him extra information which I think is extremely important when comparing models, I have to think he does not want this information added to his e-reader comparison, for whatever reasons.  Maybe he wants to verify that the info is correct and that takes awhile.

 But in the interests of not having the differences hidden by some gadget sites, when they can be important to those looking for an e-reader today via reading comparisons and overviews in a good publication, here is what I wrote to his invitation for our own experiences.

 That way, the added information is available at least here, though I wish more serious gadget sites would note some of these differences.  It could be they don't spend enough time with the many e-readers to explore these types of differences.

' That is an excellent overview, with a lot of things caught that other reviewers don't.

I want to add a couple of important items though, since you guys are even asking for what we think (which is not that usual).

The Kindle includes, in its Free 3G mobile-network access, a (now much faster) web-browser that has no limits on where you can use it.

It's of course useable (as e-ink is slow) mainly with mobile versions of websites such as ESPN's, CNN, BBC, etc. That means you can use this for lookups at Google, Wikipedia, Yelp, etc wherever you are, while camping or sitting on some park bench, at no added cost.
Using it is a bit of a drain on the battery for a session though.

But no other e-reader does this, and for sure, not for free.
The Kindle's web browser is now working officially in about 56 countries and unofficially in about 65 countries.  (I asked people to write me if it was enabled in their countries and Amazon's product pages show 56 countries officially enabled for that.)

About 100 countries that get wireless do get at least the free Wikipedia accessible from their books.  It used to be very slow but they improved it recently.

Also, functioning needs to be looked at.  The nook is beautiful and has better screen contrast than the Kindle, but if you've used their directory and Search functions you'll see how many menu steps you have to go through to use them.

With the Kindle you just start typing the keyword or phrase for Searches while reading, and you get a list of results with context and links to the pages.  The inline dictionary has a summary definition of the word your cursor is on at the bottom and if you want more info, you press Enter to get it.

With annotations, the nook software currently is a problem for the person trying to find the annotation later, because you have to page through again until you reach it.

With the kindle you can get a list of your annotations with links that get you to them, and the Kindle features include a customer's private password-protected webpage that holds all the annotations made for each book, displayable to you on one page for each book, and it's copyable and editable.
This is available to us only if we don't "Disable Annotations backup" backup .

The new software update also allows you to highlight a passage you're reading and send it to friends at Facebook and/or Twitter, with an intro note, even if you're sitting on a bus.

That is not possible w/other e-readers either (except the iPad with 3G, which as you point out costs more).

- Andrys '

Two hours later and it's not up, though the later short note is, so my information is posted here instead.  I recommend his article, nevertheless, because it is more thorough and more accurate than I've read elsewhere.  It was just missing the information on the differences between the Nook and the Kindle when it comes to what the 3G wireless does and does not include.

Experimentation with the Kindle Basic Web browser today shows Amazon has really sped it up quite a bit from only a month ago.  Some of us won't pay for web-data plans on our smart phones, so the Kindle's no-added-cost 3G can be quite valuable when we're outside the home or office.

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Check often:  Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.

Kindle Experimental Web Browser Expands Globally. Glitch? Seems Real - UPDATE4

The Kindle Web-browser expanded to 61 more countries?

Updated 10/29/10 - Original posting, 6/15/10 - 6:39 AM
See "Global Kindle Free 3G Web Browsing: Where? Some Answers. UK table of countries" and the updated Countries Listing also.

Updated 6/16/10 and 6/18/10 - Original posting, 6/15/10 - 6:39 AM
It looks as if Jay Marine, director of product management for Kindle, was serious when he was reported to have said that Amazon does intend to enable its experimental browser in every country.

  I'd read posts from Kindle-owners in other countries saying that their Kindles were suddenly enabled to use the Experimental Web browser.  My speculation had been that it might be a glitch in setting up the new software update and that Amazon may have inadvertently enabled the web browser for many more countries or areas.

An inadvertent enabling occurred with Canada last year when Kindles were first released there.  But there the country-specific features-information at the time for Canada at the Kindle International product pages did show Canada not enabled for the web-browser and that was an error and they disabled them, unfortunately.
  This is different.  The product pages tend to match the noticed new full access by some.

I saw that at Slashgear the U.K. writer says:

'...we’ve also just tested the web browser on our Kindle in the UK – which previously was restricted to viewing Wikipedia – and it seems Amazon has unlocked the 3G connection so that you can now view any site. '

Today, there are about 52 more countries with Amazon product-page feature descriptions which no longer list them as having the web-browser disabled for Kindles bought for use in those countries -- only blogs are disabled in those countries now, as it's been for most International Kindles all along.

  The wording for countries with the web browser disabled tends to be:
"Blogs, social networking features, and the experimental web browser are currently not available for your country. You will have free access to Wikipedia if wireless is available. "
  (The 'social networking features' are new and that feature isn't often mentioned for the possibly affected countries.)

UPDATE: I received corrections from people who know more, for some of the now 65 countries/areas listed on the the preliminary countries-listing linked to below.

Along with the web-browser feature, some European customers are reporting that some books that are free to U.S. residents are now also free to them rather than ~$2.00 as they have been.

This is all coinciding with the new version 2.5.x software.

AGAIN, Amazon has not confirmed ANY of this and it may all be the result of a system glitch on their country product-pages for all I know. But it looks, two weeks later, to be true and in process.

UPDATE: The international 3G access with the experimental web browser turned out to be true and not a system glitch.

UPDATE - See country details on a separate page.

COUNTRIES WITH CUSTOMERS REPORTING FULL ACCESS BRIEFLY BUT FOR WHICH
  THE AMAZON PRODUCT PAGES WERE NOT SHOWING THE 3G WEB BROWSER AVAILABILITY
  Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden product pages at Amazon didn't currently show them enabled, but some Kindle owners reported full web access in those areas for a brief time after software update 2.5.x -- the access became UNavailable for most in those 9 countries, with a later 2.5.x software update in August.

    UPDATE: The Amazon Kindle country product-page wording changed constantly during August through September.

Last updated September/October, 2010

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Check often:  Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.

Alex, Kindle: e-reader web browsers. Apple 'pad' name-grab

E-readers and web-browsing capabilities

The long-awaited Alex is shipping today.  This e-reader has a lot of great features, including web-video in that small window below.  From what I remember, text accessed via the web browser can be transferred to the e-ink screen above to read on the e-ink screen.  I don't know if that will be done with still photos or illustrations; ads haven't shown any.  (The lawsuit Alex makers filed against Barnes and Noble re its somewhat look-alike Nook is still active.)

WiFi Only, No Cellular Wireless
Unfortunately, the Alex, in this iteration, will not have the feature of cellular wireless almost anywhere you happen to be (the way that the Kindle, Nook, and Sony do) for instant downloads of books wherever you are.

Any web-browsing would be done only when you're using a WiFi network -- usually at a home or office network or at (hopefully free) hot spots you find.  Unlike the Nook and Sony, the Alex would let you web to any website, and unlike any of the others it could show video in the 3.5" touchscreen LCD screen even if only with a WiFi network for now.

Android-based
It's Android-based, so it offers a lot of flexibility for development, with cooperation from the makers and wireless providers (insofar as cellular wireless costs of apps would need to be calculated and paid by the maker or the customer, if the cellular capability which lies dormant in the Alex is offered later).  The Alex will be using the Borders book store and what they call the Alex Market of bookstores with downloads available.

Erroneous information on the Kindle in the review of the Alex
While reading about the Alex at GoodEReader (which has an excellent summary today of Apple's Steve Jobs's attempt to own the word "Pad" !), I saw this odd paragraph, which unfortunately is what many who don't use the Kindle (or who don't use its added features) tend to think, pegging the Kindle as a one-note device):

"The future should bode well for the Alex in the short term due to its Internet Web Browser built into it, something the Kindle and the Nook do not have the ability to do.  Although to be fair, Spring Designs web browser has driven Amazon to make its own internet browser as a firmware update for all Amazon Kindles within the next 6 months, and they have also opened up a SDK for developers to make applications."

Here is what I wrote in response to that clearly erroneous paragraph:

' The Amazon Kindle has had a web browser on it since 2007, and while it has always been slow, it has gotten considerably faster recently.

Moreover, it's cellular wireless and can be used on the streets - no WiFi network or hotspot needed.

And there is no cost for the ongoing access to this web-data. This weekend I found that a movie I wanted to see was no longer there and I needed to find a good movie elsewhere at the right time and not too far from the favorite restaurant with reservations already made.  Found a good movie in a nearby city, googling via my Kindle while in the (stopped) car.

Then when we got there I had time to use the Kindle in the theater, on a bench there, to find the phone number for the restaurant, so I could change the reservations.

The web-browser for Kindle is mainly due for improvements.  It's been an unusual feature of the Kindle from the start.  Internationally, all Kindle owners with wireless in their cities can access Wikipedia for free from their books. '

Coincidentally, I began this blog March 19, 2009 with an article comparing, using photos, the first Kindle (Kindle 1, 2007) with the Kindle 2 that was released in February 2009.   You can click on the Kindle image above-left, and here, to see that photo-comparison article.

There are also photos of the Kindle DX using the web-browsing feature.

  Both Kindles do the web with no website limitations except the extreme slowness of the first Kindle's web access.  As mentioned, the web access, especially for mobile-optimized sites, is considerably faster in the last couple of months.  Last weekend, both searches came up with results and stories right away, but the first page will always load more slowly as the Kindle pre-loads all the pages involved before showing the first page.  The rest of the pages then come in pretty quickly.

  You can begin a google search from the Home listing page by just starting to type the word(s) you want to google.  In my case, last weekend,
    "date night" theater berkeley
and then use the 5-way button to go to the right until you see the word "google" and then click on it.
There are other options in addition to 'Google' in the choices given.

For tips on getting best web-browsing speed (or dropping colors for better contrast in b&w), see Working with the Kindle web browser and also my blog article on Accessing Mobile-device-optimized Websites.
  In the latter article there's a free, downloadable file that acts as a book, with links to many mobile-device optimized sites, including good sets of them, with the full NY Times available in text format under News in one or more of the sets.

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See the ongoing Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources
  Check often: Latest Free Nonclassics and Late Listed Free Nonclassics pages
  Also, a page of links that confine searches to mid-range priced e-books for those looking for a larger selection of non-classics below $7.

First anniversary of the blog - Unique uses for the Kindle

Without realizing it, I celebrated the first anniversary of this blog yesterday, March 19, by spending some time at a park and then going next door to Costco, where I used the Kindle again to check product reviews on sales items.  (Until I received a note reminding me, late last night, I totally forgot it had been a year.)

HOW TO GOOGLE REVIEWS, NARROWING RESULTS
At any rate, after you turn on wireless and wait for it to get a good 3G connection, you can google reviews easily from the Home Page by just starting to type the Search terms or Keywords.  In this case, I typed 'samsung' and then the model number, followed by the word "review" after it and then pushed the 5-way button to the right until it said 'google' and pressed down on the 5-way.

There's usually no need to do a log-in to read reviews, so you can do this in the 'Basic Mode' setting and it's a bit faster usually.  But I was in 'Advanced
Mode' yesterday at times too and it wasn't as slow as before nor did the colors always get translated into many shades of hard-to-read-gray on the review pages.
  But, normally, I recommend Basic Mode for this.

The web browsing experience, overall, seems considerably faster than it was last year.  I'd still never call it 'surfing' -- it can be more like swimming against the tide, but it's better lately.  I wonder if they're working on that a bit as part of the software updates.
  Getting the first page of results or of any article will take the longest because it's gathering the rest of the pages also.  After that, next-paging is as fast as on a computer now.

After you've clicked a link to 'jump' to a review and finished reading or skimming it, you press the 'BACK' button to get back to the search-results page where you can choose another link.

You can also view this in Landscape mode and be able to read more easily sometimes.  (Press the Aa key to rotate the display.)  I checked http://gmail.com (not the mobile version, which doesn't work well with Kindle) in Landscape mode and was able to awkwardly get through its input blocks to read latest mail.  It's not fun but it's doable.

If interested in trying the web-browser feature, take a look at my tips on getting better speed with it.  The blog article also includes a downloadable file (free) with prepared links to webpages that are optimized for mobile-devices.

FROM THE FORUMS - Unusual/Unique things done with the Kindle
Today's blog entry won't be about other readers, tablets, or the book-pricing wars but -- in keeping with seeing how Kindle owners are enjoying their readers a year after I started this site -- this will feature what some of what people at the forums are saying the last 3 months about the unusual things they enjoy doing with their Kindles.  The topic has been going on for some time, with good ideas (recipes being a favorite, as well as searching for info as a rider in a car in a new place), but there are a few more uses.  These will be the latest from the message thread titled The Most Unusual/Unique Thing You Use Your Kindle For.

' [Starting with the most basic use]
A. Sisk says:
Most of things you all talk about I use my iPhone for...I just use my Kindle as ....well....a book.

And I love it.

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A. Book Lover says:
Merriam Webster Spanish-English Dictionary ($6.36) works fine on my Kindle 2. I made it the default dictionary and it works as a translator at the bottom of pages in a Spanish language book I bought.

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VKI says:
Okay, my children are Irish dancers. At their Oireachtas (regional championship), after I saw the competitor lists, I went online and looked up the results from last year. That helped me remember what name went with which dancer and about how well they were all dancing last year.

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Maggie Leung says:
For travel, I compiled a file of handy foreign phrases and loaded it on my Kindle.

This is one source for phrases:
http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/index.htm

It has a bunch of useful phrases, plus this goofy one, which I'm looking forward to springing on someone:

"My hovercraft is full of eels."

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techweenie says:
I put my lecture notes on my Kindle instead of printing them out every semester.

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techweenie says:
... good idea. I also keep book lists on mine, so I know what the next book in a series is.

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A. MacDiarmid says:
Techweenie: I do that too but also books by favorite authors so I can easily find which book I want to get next even if it is not in a series.

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[Lead Singer 63 asked how the following was done from a previous posting by E. Sund that said:]
I used my Kindle to read a paper I wrote for grad school out loud to me because it was easy to catch grammar mistakes and awkward wording that I would have missed if I read it silently. I think I'll do it with every paper from now on!

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A. MacDiarmid says:
Lead Singer 63: ... I use Open Office which saves files in ODT format. Calibre can translate that to a Mobi file which is readable by the Kindle. I just send it to the device and it translates and copies it to the Kindle in one click. Calibre handles a lot of different file types, so look and see if it has yours.

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Carbonbased says:
I have the Installation of Officers for my fraternal organization on my Kindle. I originally typed it up in word and saved a copy in .rtf so I could use it on a palm-based pda. When I got my [Kindle] DX, I attached the .rtf file to an email to (me)@free.kindle.com.

It comes back as .azw [Kindle format] and TTS [Text-to-speech] works on it. For a very small fee [15c per megabyte of a file], you can [instead] send it wirelessly [to your Kindle] from any email you have given permission to send. You give permission on the 'manage your kindle' page. Your home email on file with Amazon is already listed, with a function to add other specific addresses or whole domains.

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Tawnilynani says:
My husband & I went to a city we were not that familiar with to buy me a car, after driving around for about 45 minutes looking for a certain bank, I remembered I had my Kindle with me. I used it to find the nearest bank branch & the car auction! Thank goodness my Kindle is always in my purse!

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Patti D. says:
I'm now storing genealogy records on it, so they'll be with me whenever I want to access them.
I also have lecture notes on mine, in case I need to step in for a colleague who is ill, without advance warning.
(I plan on putting all of my lecture notes on mine, eventually.) '

  Another useful forum thread that's ongoing is in response to forum visitors who wonder whether the Kindle is worth $260.

THE COMING YEAR
When I started this blog, I think the only solid competitor Amazon had was Sony, a company which was making e-readers quite some time before the Kindle -- but the free wireless downloads of books from almost anywhere was the defining and usually irresistable feature (for those who wanted e-readers at all) in a unit that was well thought-out for those who like to not only read but search a book, make notes and highlight passages.  If only Amazon would make that possible for its PDF handling.

 Maybe the 50 or so new e-readers marching toward Amazon's gates will help Kindle customers get some needed features more quickly. ( An update for Kindle organization is due before summer, per Amazon's Kindle support team.)

  I used to feature info on new ereaders, to see what other companies are offering, but they are in such abundance now that I'll tend to wait until they become reality and people have had a chance to explore the functioning of the units -- we've seen how misleading ad specs can be this last year.

  I noticed a tweet the other night from @Merrilyn (Jan Zlendich):
"Using the new Kindle for Mac software makes me think I'll not be using the iPad for reading books - e-ink makes for a more relaxing read."

I have the same reaction to long-session, sequential reading on a really good netbook screen even with white background dimmed (Samsung's matte screen - with almost no reflections) even though I can read short articles on the web for hours on a computer).  It'll be interesting to see how people new to e-reading will respond to non-e-ink screens for book-reading.

FRIDAY'S THE KINDLE CHRONICLES PODCAST
This week's interview is with Joshua Tallent, Founder and CEO of eBook Architects, who spoke with Len Edgerly in person on March 14, 2010, in Austin, where they were attending South by Southwest Interactive.  They discussed the iPad, eBook prices, and how authors can succeed in publishing for eBook formats, especially the Kindle.
  Each Friday's podcast includes Kindle news, tech tips, an interview, and comments from listeners via phone or email.  I learn something new with every podcast.

And for those interested in the latest in the e-reader and tablet scene, visit his new The Reading Edge Podcast - "Conversations about the eBook Revolution Hosted by Len Edgerly." Lots of interesting stuff.

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Ongoing GUIDE TO FINDING FREE OR LOW-COST KINDLE-BOOKS AND SOURCES
Also, a page of links that confine searches to mid-range priced e-books.