Q&A on the Kindle's My Clippings feature (repeated for new Kindle owners)

The private password-protected web page that we each get, showing our annotations for each book has been quite thoroughly updated already for the new features in software version 2.5x that is being slowly distributed by Amazon.
  They've added book-reading-status choices that we can customize and the choice to see 'popular highlights' (though I have no interest in the latter but your book club might).  The *basic* information on annotations for that webpage, before the additions, is below.  You can just see the additions when arriving at the page.  Most I've talked with don't know about this webpage, which we've had since May 2009,but soon we'll hear a lot more about it.   There is also important basic information in the Q&A that new, and even some long-time, Kindle owners, will probably find useful.

Q & A on My Clippings file and Highlighting and Notes  (repeat)

Mike M. wrote to ask some questions about the My Clippings file and suggested I could respond in the blog -- a very good idea, so here are his questions.

Q:  If I remove an Amazon book from my Kindle are my marks and bookmarks deleted from the "My Clippings File"?

No, they remain in that file.  The marks (notes, highlighting, and bookmarks) are copies of what you did for your books and are actually retained in the My Clippings file even when the book is no longer on the Kindle, as that is a detailed log of the marks that you make for all your books, in chronological order, for your use in editing or printing (from a computer).

 So, even when the book is inadvertently deleted, copies of the annotations and bookmarks are still on the Kindle in straight-text format for your use.
  (This is why, in the infamous '1984' incident here, the notes taken for homework actually were still on the kindle.)

  The actual marks that are used with your Kindle book are kept in a small associated file for each book, for reference by the Kindle when the book is opened.

  The My Clippings 'book' file is a pure-text file (unlike the book's associated marks-file, which has placement coding in it).  The My Clippings file is made so that the customer can edit or print, at any time, the clippings that were saved while reading.

  To do that, you attach the Kindle to your computer, via the USB cable that is part of your power cord, and use the file manager to copy that file to your computer.  You can then edit or print that copy as you would any text file.

Q:  If I delete a non-Amazon book from my Kindle are my marks and bookmarks deleted from the "My Clippings File"?

No, those also remain in the My Clippings file, which is a separate file kept for you so that you can work with it, apart from your book.  Each note or highlight that you make is automatically copied to that file for use in editing and printing.

 When editing a copy of the file, I recommend highlighting, copying and pasting the file's text to a WORD doc or any text-editing program you use that allows you to retain the bolding for the headings, which look like this:
      " Your highlight at location 1596 "
as that will make your actual notes easier to differentiate from the headers.

Q:  Once I load the "My Clippings" text file onto my computer:
  Is there an easy way to assemble all the clippings and marks from a single book into one location?

Unfortunately, there's no Kindle utility for that.  However, there is a WORD macro made by a Professor that will sort the file and display the notes BY book. From the professor's description:

Here’s what the macro does:

* Creates a table of highlights, notes and bookmarks.
* sorts the table by book and location in book
* removes a (now useless) column
* changes the font to a smaller one
* adjusts the column sizes

If you try it and like it, let him know.

Q:  Can I delete some of the information and copy the altered My Clippings file back on my kindle?

Yes, you can, and it's a good idea.  However, if you decide you prefer to start afresh and you remove the file from the Kindle, the Kindle will create a new one the next time you make an annotation or a bookmark.  Anyone doing that should definitely keep a backup-copy on the computer of what was done in the past in case it's ever needed.

Q:  If I delete the My Clippings file and start fresh, will I still be able to view marks previously made in a book by searching the "My Marks" from the book menu?

As long as your book remains on the Kindle, yes, you'll be able to do that because the actual marks referenced by the book you open are in the small marks-file that is associated with the book.

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Web Kindle Tool for Books Purchased from Amazon
 The title link, above this line, goes to the full blog article on the Web Kindle Tool.
As a bonus -- although it's not a feature that Amazon advertises -- a private, password-protected annotations webpage is made at Amazon for each customer, if the customer has Annotations Backup enabled under Menu/Settings.  This feature backs up, to Amazon servers, annotations for books purchased from Amazon but not annotations for any of your other books or personal documents.

  You find that Kindle setting with Menu button/Settings/Menu button.

  If you delete an Amazon-purchased book (which then just retains it in your Archives at your Amazon page) and then decide you want to download it again, your annotations will also be archived along with the book and will be downloaded as well whenever you need to re-download that book.

  I've written a detailed explanation of how to use that very useful Amazon annotations webpage tool.   They've also added a feature to add notes to your highlights, which should show up on your Kindle too.  Am testing that.  It worked!  Very nice.

  (However, if you ever want to permanently delete an Amazon book from your Amazon highlights -- you'd need to re-buy the book if you wanted it again -- that's also possible.  Some found they hated some books they'd bought and strongly requested that permanent-removal feature.)

Hope that helps!

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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.

KlearKase for Kindle / iRex files for bankruptcy

And now we have another Kindle protector -- this one is an everyday, always-on, always-sealed (if you want) case that protects the Kindle from hard drops, scratches, dirt, and even water, but not for floating in 3 feet of water as The Guardian can, which I wrote about the other day.

  Directly competing, though, against M-Edge's The Guardian, KlearKase is for everyday, normal use.  It weighs 6 ounces, which makes it three times lighter than The Guardian and half the price, though you won't want to toss this onto the water while swimming in the ocean.

  The case won't be available on Amazon.com accessories  until later this month, at an introductory price of $39.99.  Pre-orders will be accepted beginning next week, they say.

Quite a team that put this together
The founders include Dick Brass, who ran the Tablet PC and eBook businesses while a Vice President at Microsoft; Will Poole, formerly VP of Microsoft’s Windows and Unlimited Potential groups; and Bob McKenzie, former General Manager of the mobile software division at Microsoft and manager of its automotive software division; as well as Dave Vaillancourt, who brings more than 30 years of experience manufacturing plastic and waterproof products.

IN OTHER NEWS - Irex
Irex files for bankruptcy.
Irex's DR800SG, which was to be at Best Buy in December for $449 (per a tag seen there in empty shelves) and partnering with Barnes and Noble too, did not have editing tools yet for a business-focused e-reader and, in February, they announced another delay and the editing tools still weren't ready.  The pricing was too high for the current market, and they haven't had a sterling reputation for customer service, while a July 2009 review of their 1000S e-reader/tablet was less than positive.  They have some enthusiastic users though.

The news site linked reports that Rex Technologies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following poor sales of its DR800 e-book reader.  The Netherlands-based company has blamed its financial woes on delays during the FCC approval process.

"CEO Hans Brons suggests the DR800 launch was held up by the FCC and missed the critical window to be placed on shelves for the holiday shopping season. The delay is said to be a direct cause of the current strife.

  ' It's not a hopeless situation, but there is no cash and the banks are cautious at this time, ' says Brons."
  

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 Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources  Top 100 free bestsellers
   Check often:  Latest temporarily free non-classics or late-listed ones

Waterproofing the vacation or pool Kindle. M-Edge via Forbes - Update

Waterproofing your vacation and Kindle 
Forbes's article on waterproofing today's portable electronic devices opens with a story on a couple who took their Kindles out to sea on an inflatable raft.
  During a vacation to St. John , Patrick Mish (of M-Edge Accessories) and his wife (she gets no name in this Forbes article :-) ) were able to read books and magazines on their Kindles while relaxing in the Caribbean -- even, the article says, tossing the costly e-readers into the air a few times and letting them splash into the water.

'Mish says onlookers were so flabbergasted that they swam out to the couples' raft to investigate. "We said, 'They're in waterproof cases!,'" he laughs. "After that, we were dubbed 'the Kindle people.'" '

Mish developed his waterproof Kindle case, called the Guardian, to enable Kindle owners to take their e-readers to beaches, pools, etc., making a case that is not just protective of the screen and its buttons and other controls, it also floats.  Good thinking! if it's meant to allow tossing it into the ocean.

The "Guardian," one of Patrick Mish's M-Edge offerings (and what a sweet article for his business, which is popular among users of Kindle and other e-readers) uses special hinges and latches to form a watertight seal around e-readers and includes three internal, air-filled "buoyancy chambers" that keep the device afloat and upright for in-water, even hands-free, reading, per the website, as it floats level on the water's surface.  I can imagine trying to read that way as it bobs on the water.

This case, which is scheduled to go on sale June 9 for $80, took about a year to produce, and three internal, air-filled buoyancy chambers ensure the case will float, screen up, in water.

M-Edge products for the 6" Kindle are buyable from Amazon but the Guardian is not shown there yet.  Search results that include the Kindle DX are here.

If $80 is beyond the budget for this nicely constructed protection, there are other products claiming to be waterproof (and some use protection against rain, snow, dirt, sand, etc).

I forgot to say that some, including Jeff Bezos, use Ziplock bags for reading the Kindle in the bathtub. Not sure I'd risk doing that in sea waters though. I carried a Ziplock bag when visiting Egypt in case of sandstorms but didn't run into one.
But if the M-Edge waterproof case price were lower, I'd consider it for the protection from drops too.

Maybe The Guardian will be a tad less expensive when it shows up at Amazon? Apparently not, so I struck that out.  You can find it now at Amazon at the same price.

UPDATE - June 10 -  Original post date: 6/8/10, 8:54 PM
Wired has a couple of caveats to consider:
  "You can't access the power button, so if your machine turns itself off while you're re-enacting PT-109 with rubber duckies, you have to dry the case off, exit the tub, and extricate your Kindle to turn it back on again.  Shiny plastic-screen overlay robs the reader of some of its direct-sunlight skills.  Heavy: essentially triples your reader's weight.  Gotta leave it unlatched when you board a plane.  Why? Decrease in pressure could wreck the case's flexible-plastic portion."

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 Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources  Top 100 free bestsellers
   Check often:  Latest temporarily free non-classics or late-listed ones.

Most media misrepresents Steve Jobs's statement on iBook Numbers

'Why Apple’s iBooks Numbers Are Meaningless.'

I saw this accurate headline from the New York Times article by Brad Stone before I saw the e-book market share numbers allegedly claimed by Apple's Steve Jobs and his merry band of high-pricing Big5 publishers :-)

He said, They said
  Then I noticed that what he said was different from the claims of a myriad of newspaper headlines that misrepresented his words (which I think was to be expected and likely yet another smart marketing ploy for Apple).
  Note that the slide label that Apple chose is what would be and was picked up by most.

Typical headline
An AppleInsider headline mimics the slide label: "Apple grabs 22% share of eBook market..." and states: "In the first 65 days, Jobs said users [of 2 million iPads sold] have downloaded more than 5 million books -- amounting to 2.5 eBooks for every iPad sold and giving Apple a near-instant 22% slice of the eBook market

But even the publishing industry's Publishers Marketplace, which keeps its articles behind a paywall, shows this much in the partial summary link:

' Jobs: Agency Publishers Say iBookstore Has 22 Percent Market Share ... Apple consistently talks about unit downloads (which include free books) rather than sales, and Jobs clearly spoke to e-book market share estimates from the ... '

The rest of that sentence would mention the domestic Big5.

Gravitational Pull, however, paid attention, in their headline, to "What Steve Jobs actually said about iBooks market share"

"Here’s what Jobs’ said yesterday in San Francisco:

"I’ve got a few stats today for you. In the first 65 days, users have downloaded over 5 million books and that is about two and half books per iPad which is terrific. The other interesting thing is the five of the six biggest publishers in the US who have their books on the iBookstore tell us that the share of ebooks now that are going through the iBookstore now is about 22 percent. So iBooks market share now of ebooks from five of these six major publishers is up to 22 percent in just about 8 weeks..."

So, Jobs did properly limit his description of iBooks “market share” as being just about US sales of ebooks by the five big publishers participating in Apple’s offering. With one biggie opting out so far (Random House) and no global sales included, the 22% figure obviously wildly overstates Apple’s real market share in ebooks.

So why were some people confused?  I’d say it’s all Apple’s fault.  First for not streaming Jobs’ keynote live to everybody and, second, for including the slide pictured at the top of this post which simply says 'Share of total eBook sales.'  That’s not accurate."

Right, and even Gravitational Pull didn't mention the effect from the Penguin Books negotations with Amazon over the last almost two months, withholding certain e-books from Amazon sales during that time.

Paul Biba of Teleread.com commented on this, and a few readers responded to the iBook numbers topic.  I added my own thoughts there and will include some of that here.

Re the average 2.5 ebooks per iPad downloaded in the first 65 days (preceded by half a year of frenzied media attention) and the notion of ‘considerable spending” on those books — it's worthwhile to remember that the iBook store has 60,000 books, 30,000 of which are *free*.

Now, when familes get a new iPad and are eager to try downloading a book, which type of book will likely be the first download?  Even the second download in some cases.

That’s without mentioning that from what some have seen of Kindle-book buying (hundreds for many on the forums), the 2.5 books average per iPad, downloaded in 65 days, is not high.  But, the dedicated e-book devices will attract a different set of book buyers — one with a more intense focus on just reading.

  On the 22% share of the e-book market idea, for the Big5 at least, not only did the largest of the Big 6, Random House, opt out of the Apple Agency plan and bookstore, but Penguin Group (the next largest, I think) did not make its newer and bestseller e-books available to Amazon for the last 1.5 months or so.  Skewed numbers there also.  Job's statement itself was actually precise but the presentation with the slideshow label smart enough that media headlines are screaming "22% of the e-book market," with ‘the general e-book market’ implied.

 As has already been said by Paul Biba, Brad Stone, and others, these numbers don't include sales outside the U.S. nor the fact that most small publishers don't sell books through Apple.  Stone notes that Amazon "has always been particularly strong at selling lesser known books in the so-called 'long tail'of publisher’s catalogs, many of which Apple does not yet carry."
 Apple has a product with a "wow" factor and has done well enough without inaccurate hype of a type that Alan Weiner, an analyst at Gartner, called “some sort of voodoo algorithm.”

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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 Software Update v2.52 broad rollout IS starting! - Update3

AMAZON KINDLE SOFTWARE UPDATE VERSION 2.5  IS being received by customers, including a person at Kindleboards.com who received version 2.52 and also Frankie Sutton at the Amazon forum.  The first alert I saw was from @mykindlestuff.

Particulars will be reported later. See earlier report about planned roll-out as described by a tech rep to ebook addict and to an earlier hands-on report. Will return soon.

UPDATE - Kindle forum members are continuing to see delivery-reports for software update v2.52.  No one knows if this is the 'final' version but at least reports of receipt keep coming in after 3-4 days of no activity.

  Some details -
    . The much anticipated alphabetical-sorting of listed Collections on the Home Page is not part of the update in this roll-out, sad to say - this was tested and reported by edward boyhan in the ongoing software-update thread linked to before but now over 2,100 notes long.

    . One thing not mentioned previously but a feature of 2.5 is that a long book title expands to full title now (in smaller font) when the file is highlighted, so that now it'll be easier to differentiate between files with the same beginning title despite the lack of room to show it on the first line.

    . While v2.5 users experienced some slowdowns and more battery drain than before, the v2.52 users have had only positive reports so far (but it hasn't been long).  The organization folder-like tagging system has been 'wished for' (in Amazon language) for over 2 years, so this is a big and much-anticipated change for Kindle users.

UPDATE2 - Countries added as they're heard from. At the forums, people have been wondering if the update is being delivered to Kindles outside the U.S., and so far we've heard from Taiwan, Argentina, Spain, Canada, So. Africa, India, and the UK.  Whispernet-delivered software dates to now millions of Kindles, globally, can take 3-4 weeks to be distributed. Most of those on the message boards are hoping a file will be made available for manual download and side-loading to the Kindle's root folder soon.

UPDATE3 - A file for Kindle 2 Int'l (only) is making the rounds, pointed to at both MobileRead and Amazon Kindle forums.  Some say it works if the K2i has version 2.3.4 on it or the update to v2.3.4 to install first -- earlier files are provided by other customers along with the K2i's v2.52 file, reported to run okay.

  But I don't know...Customer Support had said that only some Kindles needed v2.3.4 when they sent a few out.  So, my DX did get it but my Kindle U.S. (v2.3.3) did not.
  I'm surprised that an update Amazon file would work only if certain updates had been installed previously, which would mean that the new software update would depend on the software version currently used by the Kindle.  That hasn't been true in the past.
  I encourage caution, but those are the links to files, from known long-time Kindle owners, being offered for people who can't wait and who take responsibility for any risk involved in using a user-offered file (in case it's the wrong file for their Kindles, though that usually just produces no action but you never know).  I'm not recommending anything here, just reporting it.

Since Kindle owners are reporting left and right at the Amazon forums that they are getting the update, globally, Amazon should post the official files as well as the User Guide that goes with it.

What's unusual is tbat no new Users Guide or note has been or is going with the update to people who don't know it's coming (as of today).  The update changes are quite intuitive, but a quick guide or accompanying e-notice with a link to the help-guides at Amazon would be good.
  If you suddenly see "Collections" at the top right of your Kindle, that will be the most easily-noticed indicator you have the update.

  Those reading the web blog can search in the top-right searchbox for "v2.5" to find Kindleworld blog articles and features guide for the general update even if the current update is named v2.52.

  Kindle-Edition blog subscribers can just start typing, on the Kindle (while reading the blog), '"v.25" and use the 5-way button to click on 'find' (or press the Return/Enter key at bottom right of keyboard) and you'll get a list of results with links to all recent v2.5 info, since your Kindle will have the last 25 blog articles.
  To find out exactly which update is currently on your Kindle, press Menu button, select Settings and then look at the number at the bottom right.  Earlier updates before this update include versions 2.33 and 2.34 (or lower).

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 Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources  Top 100 free bestsellers
   Check often:  Latest temporarily free non-classics or late-listed ones.

Kindle Tops Consumer Reports Ratings for E-readers - July Issue

ConsumerAffairs reports that Consumer Reports has done its first full ratings of e-book readers in its July issue, and the summary of its report and ratings are on its site, specifically at the CR Press Room page.

  The July issue includes a full-scale version of the first look done, along with ABC7, first seen in April and reported here with a videoclip and accompanying story.

  (You can click on the image for the larger version.)

  They say that "Despite improvement to the rival Barnes & Noble Nook e-book reader and the arrival of Apple’s iPad tablet computer, which offers e-reader capability, Amazon’s Kindle is still the best choice for most consumers."

Nine readers were tested, including the Kindle and the Kindle DX, both of which were determined to have "crisper, more readable type than any other model in the Ratings and slightly better than the Apple iPad."

Kindle attributes cited between CR's press release and the initial ABC7/CR report:
 .  crisper, more readable type than the other devices
 .  among the fastest at refreshing and turning pages
 .  easily readable in bright sunlight (implied vs the iPad)
 .  lighter
 .  smaller (more portable)
 .  less expensive

Re the Sony - They were the first popular e-readers and are 'solid performers' but CR notes that the lack of connectivity, until the $399 model (Daily Edition), has been a drawback and that the Daily Edition is now seen as quite expensive and relatively heavy for a dedicated reader.

Re the Nook which draws much interest from those considering an e-reader:
"Navigating content on the Nook was more complicated and touch controls were nonintuitive."

Other e-readers reviewed and rated:
On its press release, CR states, in summary style:
  "Consumer Reports also tested e-readers from three lesser-known brands – the Aluratek Libre eBook Reader Pro, $170, the BeBook Neo, $300, and the iRex DR 800SG, $400 – and found that all were undistinguished at best."

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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.

The Kindle Chronicles Friday Podcast - catching up

Since I am behind and catching up with a favorite Kindle website, The Kindle Chronicles (TKC) Friday podcast, I thought I'd pass along what I'm enjoying, realizing that many newcomers to the Kindle (and even some oldtimers) don't know about this very informative and entertaining Web feature.

 These are programs that can be listened to when there or downloaded for listening on your mp3 player while reading the weekly TKC features that include Kindle (and iPad) news, Tech Tips, Kindle Content, Comments from listeners, and above all the unique audio interviews that Len Edgerly does with those in the Kindle and e-reader universe.

  Here are the interview subjects from the last four weeks along with Len's interview descriptions for them:

'Jay Marine, Amazon’s Director of Product Management for the Kindle, spoke with me from Seattle on Tuesday, May 11. His job in such conversations is to avoid any predictions of future products or enhancements, and let’s just say he’s good at his job. But if you listen between the lines, you’ll hear encouraging passion regarding Amazon’s commitment to keep those Kindle innovations coming.'


'Mike Elgan, Silicon Valley-based columnist, writer, speaker and blogger, this week published a ComputerWorld column titled “Why iPad Owners Need a Kindle, Too.”  In our conversation on May 18th, he provided background to his list of 13 reasons why he thinks every iPad owner who loves books and reading also needs a Kindle.'

'J. A. Konrath’s AmazonEncore deal has everyone in publishing talking, it seems.  In a Skype interview on May 26 linking us in Denver and Chicago, Joe told the back story and details of the deal, in which Amazon will release the Kindle version of the seventh book in his Jack Daniels police mystery series, Shaken, on October 26, 2010, to be followed on February 22, 2011, by the paperback edition.  Click here for a free sample of Shaken and click here for a Digital Book World Roundtable discussion of Konrath’s accomplishment.'



'James McQuivey in a conversation recorded on June 1, 2010, explains why he’s worried Amazon may be about to miss a once-in-a-lifetime shot, if they don’t come up with an iPad killer.  James is vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research.'

Be sure to leave Comments there if you have a question or feedback about the show.

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 Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources  Top 100 free bestsellers
   Check often:  Latest temporarily free non-classics or late-listed ones.