Sending your WORD Doc files to the Kindle

          
KindleToday points us to a New York Times article with a tip on How to Move Your Own Documents to Kindle.   By "Your Own" they mean reports or memos you've created yourself with Microsoft Word.

What they describe is well presented.  I'd explained some of this in a previous Kindleworld blog article, and since I included links in it, I'll include some of that here, with slight re-wording.  See the NYT article for other details, including other formats that will work for this.

  For your own WORD Docs and even for more complex pages from the Web (multi-column, for example), you can Highlight text you want, Copy it, open up Microsoft WORD, Paste the copied section to a new blank document, and Save the file.

  Just make sure your margins will work with the Kindle screen in portrait orientation if you intend to read it in vertical mode, or make sure they work with the Kindle screen in the wider view offered by the Kindle's Landscape mode.  This will all depend on the font size you decide to use.  Use narrower margins to be on the safe side so that you don't need to experiment as much.

  The saved WORD Doc file can then be sent to [you]@kindle.com, etc., and Amazon will send it back, converted for the Kindle.  That's just one of many ways to do it.

  Be sure to set up a [you]@kindle.com address first, of course.  This is done at your Amazon "Manage Your Kindle" page near the top at the left.  Here's a guide for using that management page.

  You can then email these new Doc files to [you]@kindle.com (direct to your Kindle).   Amazon charges 15c per megabyte per file, rounded up, to send one of your personal documents (non-Amazon books) direct to your Kindle, after a conversion by Amazon if needed.

  You can instead email items to [you]@free.kindle.com -- at no cost, as implied -- and then use the usb cable to move the converted files to your Kindle or Kindle DX.

 (Other alternatives are to do it yourself, converting the file with MobiPocket Reader or saving the Doc file to HTML in WORD and converting it through Calibre, though these would take more time.  But you'd have some control over the layout.)

  This is one of my favorite Kindle capabilities, as I often look up places I'm visiting on a weekend and then I send the info and even things like boat schedules to my Kindle.  This came in handy when I wanted to take a different boat back from Angel Island after deciding to stay there longer than first intended.  I turned on the Kindle's 3G wireless while at the Angel Island store, googled the Tiburon ferry and got the boat schedule and directions to the ferry from where I was.

  Also, I had earlier copied Yahoo map driving directions from home to the ferry site and back, and did put those on the Kindle also. 

  When I got back, I made an intro page of the trip for friends in simple webpage format and then while using a browser to view it, I highlighted and copied it to a narrow-column DOC file and put it on the Kindle as a memento.



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  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

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Learning other languages online for free

Since we've been on the subject of word definitions, with the WordWeb utility working not only for the Kindle for PC of course but for just about any Windows text we happen to be reading, here's an expansion on that idea. 

When travelling to another country or meeting a new person who comes from another country (especially one where they take pains to understand our English when we're visiting them), being able to say a few words in their language can be very helpful.

If you're interested in learning, at no cost, a bit of other languages (often searched under "foreign languages" so I'll include that term here),  I recommend a site that points you to other sites that offer absolutely-free lessons in a variety of languages.  I tried out just a few and there are quite a variety of approaches.  Some of them include audio so you can hear the words too.  Try Free Online Language Courses at the word2word.com site.


Photo credit: tuition.com.hk/

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 See the ongoing Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources
  Check often: Latest free non-classics, shortcut http://bit.ly/latestfreenonclassics.)

A great little free dictionary to use with Kindle for PC app (Windows)

In the recent blog article on the updated Kindle for PC app, I wrote that there was no in-line dictionary yet like the one on the Kindle itself, with the summary definition at the bottom of the Kindle screen for the word your cursor might be on and the ability to get the full definition and etymology via the American Oxford Dictionary.  I missed that.

Jerry wrote in the comments area:
  "For a dictionary on Kindle for PC, I would strongly recommend installing WordWeb (http://wordweb.info/).  It has hotkey functionality which allows you to look up any word instantly, from inside any Windows application.  It works great with the Kindle for PC.  (I am not affiliated with the product.)"

So I tried it out, as I've enjoyed WordWeb in the past.  The free version of this memory-resident program takes up very little memory and processing power and works with everything I've tried, whether just browsing or writing this entry in an editing box.  The default 'hot-key' is ctrl-alt-w or the more intuitive Ctrl-right-click.  However, I changed it, in the Options menu, to Ctrl-left-click, which is just more natural for me. The definition box comes up in an instant and, while it doesn't provide etymology of a word as the Kindle's does, it gives a decent amount of information.

  As their website says, "...each set of synonyms is linked to other related sets.  Look up "tree", click on the "Types" tab and you'll have a list of different types of tree.  Click on "Part of" and WordWeb will tell you that a tree can be part of a "forest" or "wood".

  The free version is fully functional and can be used freely beyond 30 days under one, unusual, condition.  They ask that the user  take no more than two commercial flights (not more than one return flight) in any 12 month period, to help cut down on global greenhouse gas emissions.  You can read their full expanation of that here.  For frequent travelers, they ask that people buy the 'Pro' version instead.
A comparison between the free version and the Pro 6 edition ($19).

FREE VERSION The comprehensive English thesaurus and dictionary includes: Definitions and synonyms Proper nouns Related words 5000 audio pronunciations 150 000 root words 220 000 word senses Fixed web reference tabs

WORDWEB PRO 6 In addition to all the free version features, the full Pro version includes 5000 more definitions and numerous extra features including: 70 000 audio pronunciations Custom web references Custom glossaries Optional third-party dictionaries Wildcard word search Full text definition search Find and solve anagrams Search optional word lists

Personally, I'm happy with the Free version.
Here's their FAQ.

Optional dictionaries include the New American Oxford Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary of English, and if you're ordering any extras, then you need to click on the "show all" link in the line about optional dictionaries.  I find the ordering page and pricing for the pro version and assorted extras a bit confusing.

  Again, I'm fine with the free version, which I already find amazing for a free program.  Thanks to Jerry for the tip!

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 See the ongoing Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources
  Check often: Latest free non-classics, shortcut http://bit.ly/latestfreenonclassics.)

Consumer Reports has some issues with 3G iPad streaming video

I posted this at An E-Reader World blog, but I am re-posting it here because many Kindle owners I know have bought WiFi-Only iPads and some had said they are returning them to buy the 3G cellular wireless iPad being released this week.

Consumer Reports writes about its tests with streaming video on the 3G cellular wireless capable iPad, which is being shipped to those pre-ordering earlier and will be officially available for others on May 7 -- for $629 for the lowest storage capability of 16G.

They speak to the issue of $15 vs $30 for a month's of cellular web-data from AT&T's 3G network on top of the added $130 cost for 3G capability of the hardware.

Most of us know that 3G cellular wireless will tend to be slower in real-world access speed than a strong WiFi system.  But I would have held out for the 3G capability for use when not near a WiFi hotpoint.  This report recommends against that.

Excerpts: notable points

3G was slower than Wi-Fi. Download and upload speeds were significantly slower than the Wi-Fi version, but still fast enough for routine Web browsing.

You can’t stream all sources on 3G.
  [ The ABC Player app does not support cellular apps at this time.]
  [CR's attempt to download a TV show over 3G from the iTunes store was also thwarted, with a message they'd need Wi-Fi or should use iTunes on a computer to buy the video.]

Video quality varied by app
[ The YouTube video was blocky and lacked detail.  Netflix was better but still softer ]

Video quickly eats into the cheapest iPad 3G plan
[ The $15/mo. plan can be used up pretty quickly -- a few Youtube videos, a short segment from a Netflix movie, downloading some small apps and buying a couple of books used up more than 30%.]

[They'll run more tests over the coming week.   but here's their take so far:]

You won’t want to buy the iPad 3G to stream videos; we encountered too many problems.  It might come in handy for Web browsing and e-mail, but odds are you already have a smart phone to do just that.  Unless you want to spend another $30 a month to browse on a large screen, we recommend a pass.

My take The 3G iPad does have WiFi capability too though, so it's still at least as useful as the WiFi-only model while giving some capability when away from hot spots, if you can justify the expense.

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 See the ongoing Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources
  Check often: Latest free non-classics, shortcut http://bit.ly/latestfreenonclassics.)

Kindle for PC App Updated with Excellent Features but missing a few

The Kindle for PC page has been updated (see features of original, basic Kindle for PC) to show the following features added:

* Create new highlights, notes [identified with mouse movements], and bookmarks
*   and manage those created on your Kindle
* Full screen reading view [love it]
* Color modes [allows the change of background & text colors and offers sepia as well -- this feature is found under the Aa icon as well as through the View sub-menu option for "Text Color" although this should say "text-background color" rather than "text color" since I thought at first they meant text-fonts color.   I'd especially wanted this set of features after reading about them in the Kindle for iPad app].
* Brightness controls [sliding control under Aa icon also "

These are excellent features, but I wish they had the Kindle-style Search capability ready.  I use that in Kindle books more than any other feature except the in-line Dictionary and really miss the search capability when using this otherwise pleasing alternate method of reading a Kindle book.

 And it seems the Dictionary might not be available for the PC and Mac "Kindle for..." apps (?), as I've seen no mention of it at for those -- BUT in the Kindle for iPad ad, Amazon promises "Coming soon: Search and instant dictionary lookup .

  Might Amazon actually decide to make the iPad more useful for Kindle books (offering the instant dictionary) than our Kindle-owner pc's and Macs would be ?  Had to ask that question, and I'll send it to the feedback crew.  I'll hope that was just an oversight.

Being a keyboard-shortcuts type (speedier for me and avoids repetitive mouse/arm movements), I especially like the keyboard shortcuts they've made available.

The general Kindle for PC Help webpage is easily reachable through the app's Help option, and the most helpful sections for day-to-day functions, can be found under the Using Kindle for PC page.

  The Navigation icons are explained under Using the Reading Tool Bar section which also details the three methods for turning pages.

  The highlighting and notes guide is at the Using Highlights and Notes section.

At the Future Improvements page for this app (easily reachable from the app's Help menu's Future Improvements choice), Amazon tells us what they are thinking of bringing to the app in the "near future."

* Search
    You will be able to search within your book or across your Kindle library
    [That had been one of the features listed last time.]
* Two page reading mode
* Zoom and rotate images
    Click on an image to see an expanded view and rotate it if desired
* Collections
    [to organize the books downloaded to Kindle for PC, a feature now being slowly rolled out, to a few, on current Kindle models' software update v2.5, and to be distributed to all current Kindle models by late May.]

The Kindle team says they'd like to hear from Kindle for PC users.
  " You can send them to the Kindle team at kindleforpc-feedback@amazon.com or via the feedback form available in the application - we'd love to hear what you think! "

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 See the ongoing Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources
  Check often: Latest free non-classics, shortcut http://bit.ly/latestfreenonclassics.)

Amazon pricing some Penguin hardcovers at ~$10 during pricing battle

Venture Beat reports that Amazon is hanging tough with the last of the Big 5 publishers bent on the Apple Agency model, which allows the large publishers their heart's desire to set higher pricing for bestselling e-books and uniform pricing for the customers at all e-bookstores, even if this nets the publishers less than they would have received for the lower-priced e-books under the earlier traditional wholesaler arrangement.  Their focus is not to allow their newer e-books to be "devalued" in that they feel the $9.99 pricing lowers the perceived value of books in general.

  While the other 4 in the Big 5 group have completed agreements with Amazon, it seems Penguin and Amazon are currently at an impasse in the negotiations on ebook pricing and availability.  Neither company is commenting on this.  Venture Beat's Anthony Ha writes:

' Details of the agreements haven’t yet been disclosed, but Penguin has refused to sign on.  It was the lone holdout.  As a result, Amazon had to stop selling the publisher’s e-books as of April 1.  The retailer appears to be retaliating, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal — not by removing books, but by dramatically lowering the prices on hardcovers.  Amazon is taking the loss of revenue, but the [Wall Street] Journal says publishers hate those price cuts, because they lower the value of the book in the eye of the consumer.

  For example, the hardcover of Roger Lowenstein’s The End of Wall Street” has a full price of $27.95, and Barnes & Noble’s website is selling it for $15.37.  On Amazon, it’s $9.99.  Or there’s Annie Lamott’s Imperfect Birds — $25.95 full price, $18.68 on Barnes and Noble, $9.99 on Amazon. '

So, if you're interested in getting any Penguin or Penguin Riverhead (Annie Lamott et al) hardcover books at the lower prices, now's the time.
  Be aware that only a few of their hardcovers are priced as low as $9.99 though.

Again, here are links to hardcovers for just Penguin and Penguin Riverhead.

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See the ongoing Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources
  Check often: Latest free non-classics, shortcut http://bit.ly/latestfreenonclassics.)

Seneca Grade School Library and its Kindle program

Kathy Parker, school librarian for 33 years for Seneca (IL) Grade School, is active on Twitter (@MariansLibrary) and reads on a Kindle—and now so do many of her seventh and eighth graders who use the Amazon Kindle in a language arts program she helped launch last year.

  The school bought six Kindles in 2009 and downloaded some titles that summer.

' By the fall, seventh and eighth graders were sharing 18 devices and reading novels, ranging from Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars (Clarion, 2007) to Lisa Graff's The Things About Georgie (HarperCollins, 2007), for class assignments. Within six months, older students were bringing the devices home.

 The pilot program, which cost about $2,800, proved so successful that after a presentation to the Board of Education in December, Seneca CCSD 170 Superintendent Eric Misener helped secure funds to buy Kindles for every eighth-grade student, along with enough devices for one seventh-grade class to use this year. '

The article cites support from Twitter followers like Will DeLameter who runs the Edukindle website.  He alerted others, including M-Edge Accessories, which is donating covers for all the Kindles.

  Parker pointed out that her budget takes into account that each book can be downloaded onto up to six devices for the cost of the one book.

' She says it's well worth the investment as she's seen firsthand how students respond to being able to change fonts, using the text-to-speech feature, and even having the devices display what percentage of the book they've completed.

  "The bottom line for me is the Kindles have generated a love of reading among those students who would not have otherwise picked up a book," she says. '

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 See the ongoing Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources
  Check often: Latest free non-classics, shortcut http://bit.ly/latestfreenonclassics.)