Support NeoGAF

[bloodydrake]

Yeah, but a little impractical to my eye... I'd want to be able to bend the cover all the way back to make it as easy as possible to hold in one hand. Those covers look like they would be difficult to double over without creasing the art.

They are certainly beautiful.

No its solid piece of leather cover. Think of it like a Baseball glove you have to work in.
I've had mine in the folded over position under stack of Dnd Books at night and its breaking in the seam quiet well.
All that happens is you get wrinkles in the leather of the seam but it won't split or affect the tooling of the front or back.
One of the videos they show on youtube shows the effect its not bad at all

heres video of IPad cover go to 5:30 seconds to see the wrinkle effect..he addresses it specifically
http://www.youtube.com/user/OberonDesigns#p/a/u/1/PVh0eGqLzO4

 

[bengraven]

Ask and thou shall receive.
Oberon Design Kindle 2 covers

Oh thank you, those are beauti---

MORE EXPENSIVE!? FUUUUUUU

 

[PjotrStroganov]

Love my kindle.

No its solid piece of leather cover. Think of it like a Baseball glove you have to work in.
I've had mine in the folded over position under stack of Dnd Books at night and its breaking in the seam quiet well.
All that happens is you get wrinkles in the leather of the seam but it won't split or affect the tooling of the front or back.
One of the videos they show on youtube shows the effect its not bad at all

heres video of IPad cover go to 5:30 seconds to see the wrinkle effect..he addresses it specifically
http://www.youtube.com/user/OberonDesigns#p/a/u/1/PVh0eGqLzO4

Love these small companies with a passion for what they are doing. Not afraid to point out the specifics of their product.

 

[Weenerz]

Is it possible to create categories on my PC or does it have to be done from the kindle?

 

[bloodydrake]

Love these small companies with a passion for what they are doing. Not afraid to point out the specifics of their product.

ya its weird watching it i had a moment of "umm your doing it wrong" when he started pointing out limitations..then I remembered thats actually how it should be when you believe in your own work.

 

[bengraven]

Is it possible to create categories on my PC or does it have to be done from the kindle?

I wish this feature existed.

 

[Weenerz]

I wish this feature existed.

Damn. Thanks anyways.

 

[bloodydrake]

Is it possible to create categories on my PC or does it have to be done from the kindle?

heres a link to a windows app. Never used it so not sure how well it works
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94261

 

[Weenerz]

So special offers is already paying for itself, they had a coupon code for 50% off Roku XDS, and I was almost ready to get it for $100.

 

[HiroProtagonist]

For people who are setting up "Send it to Kindle" and "Instapaper" accounts (and probably most document forwarding apps):

@free.kindle.com: Works only with the Kindle 3, and only send over the Wi-Fi network.

The free.kindle.com option will not incur any data usage charges from Amazon.

If you have an earlier version of the Kindle, you'll receive the emails but the 'Send to Kindle' documents will not be delivered to your Kindle.

@kindle.com: Works with all Kindle models over 3G and Wi-Fi.

Which will incur charges for 3G delivery by Amazon.

'Send to Kindle' assumes no responsibility for charges incurred by your use of this feature.

On your Kindle management page it probably only lists the @kindle.com email address, but you also have a @free.kindle.com account that Amazon does not list.

 

[UltimaKilo]

Here's what I use. It's not a cover, it's a sleeve. I don't need more bulk to my Kindle. I already love the way it looks and feels in my hand. A cover doesn't protect it well enough from the elements and they're too expensive.

For $6.99 I can take my Kindle to the beach, zip it in here when I'm done and toss it on a towel or on the sand when I go for a swim.

The sleeve has an outer pocket where I toss my iPod in to carry around. You honestly can't beat it for the price.

 

[tim.mbp]

Just picked the Special Offers Kindle at Best Buy. I can live with an ad banner on the home screen and screensaver ad if it means I get some deals. Did not pick up a cover. I was hoping there will be a 'special offer' for one. There was an offer for 50% any Roku streaming device. I'll probably end up ordering a Roku XDS now.

 

[Your Excellency]

Getting one in about 2 weeks, once exams are finished. Can't wait!

 

[Weenerz]

Just picked the Special Offers Kindle at Best Buy. I can live with an ad banner on the home screen and screensaver ad if it means I get some deals. Did not pick up a cover. I was hoping there will be a 'special offer' for one. There was an offer for 50% any Roku streaming device. I'll probably end up ordering a Roku XDS now.

Ahah, yea I'm gonna get an XDS now too, once the code comes in my email. Damn this was a great pick-up.

 

[Bboy AJ]

Nice OP. It's great to see people come around to e-ink. Too many people are all about "LCD is just as good!" until they actually experience e-ink. You don't read novels the way you read websites.

 

[Manics]

Nice OP. It's great to see people come around to e-ink. Too many people are all about "LCD is just as good!" until they actually experience e-ink. You don't read novels the way you read websites.

The argument I hear from people is "but but but the iPad is so much more versatile, videos, games, web surfing you can't do those things great on the Kindle" and I say "the Kindle is a replacement for actual books, not an all purpose net device". Like frig man when I'm reading a good book I don't suddenly have the urge to check my email or play a game. People have to get their heads around having a dedicated reader in the Kindle (or any e-ink device for that matter)

 

[bengraven]

Wow, I didn't even realize this was an OT: I thought it was another Kindle thread.

Fantastically done and full of information! I've had my Kindle for almost two years and I'm finding out a lot of shit I didn't even know.

 

[demon]

Regarding ebooks in general, is it true that you'll soon be able to check out ebooks from libraries for free soon?

 

[tyguy20204]

So I have a Kindle 3 and I love it. I also love the pop-up dictionary.

After looking online, I've seen that you can implement other dictionaries other than the standard English one. For example, I see that you can download a English->Russian dictionary.

Now, I'm a student of Russian language. I love that the Kindle 3 supports cyrillic characters. However, it would be a godsend if I could somehow get a Russian->English pop-up dictionary on there so that while I'm reading Russian texts the dictionary would pop-up with the English definition, if I so desire.

However, no such dictionary exists, as far as I am aware. Does anyone know if such a thing is possible on the Kindle 3 or if there are any plans for a future release of such a thing? Or if such a thing exists and I'm simply overlooking it?

Thanks for the help, it would be amazing for my language learning if I could get the Russian->English dictionary implemented.

 

[Manics]

Regarding ebooks in general, is it true that you'll soon be able to check out ebooks from libraries for free soon?

Libraries already have ebooks in ePub format but Amazon announced Kindle lending for libraries is coming "this year". So in short, yes.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

For people who are setting up "Send it to Kindle" and "Instapaper" accounts (and probably most document forwarding apps):





On your Kindle management page it probably only lists the @kindle.com email address, but you also have a @free.kindle.com account that Amazon does not list.

Thanks so much for this - I just assumed all document delivery incurred charges, seems that's not the case!

 

[bengraven]

Doesn't it charge you if your Kindle address is "@kindle.com" instead of "@freekindle.com"?

 

[Ollie Pooch]

Doesn't it charge you if your Kindle address is "@kindle.com" instead of "@freekindle.com"?

Probably does - i made sure to use the free.kindle.com one.

Actually - was flicking through Mobileread forums and they seem to think that regardless of which email address you use, if it delivers via WiFi it's free. 3g, you get charged.

 

[VistraNorrez]

Another question. I'm assuming that most of you are avid readers. Do you miss not having a physical collection of books? Having a bookcase filled with your favorites?

I haven't gotten rid of my collection, and I occasionally purchase dead tree books (because no e-book is available or I've started a series as DTBs), but I do not miss anything about them. I appreciate the beauty of a well designed cover and how a collection looks on a bookcase, but really it's the story I care about most. And my Kindle is the best current medium of getting to that story. It is so much more comfortable to read from, especially in bed. Reading a long hardcover in bed gets in the way of my reading. I'm forced into one position and adjusting means taking me out of the book. It wasn't something I thought of much before, but after the Kindle it makes going back harder.

And I know some people wonder how the whole book signing thing will work anymore but I have an idea for that. Sell what would be the cover art for the book with an e-book voucher. It seems so simple I'm surprised no one is doing that. That would also keep the B&M stores around, even if they would become art sellers, and the atmosphere would be largely unchanged.

 

[kr2t0s]

quick question about folders:

I have a kindle 2 (white, 3g, us version i think it is ultimately called). And when I create a folder - lets say harry potter. It creates the harry potter folder just fine, but it doesn't 'move' the books into the folder, it just copies them. So my giant list has all the harry potter books as well as the folder. Making folders seem completely useless to me unless i'm missing something?

Thanks!

 

[Bboy AJ]

Doesn't it charge you if your Kindle address is "@kindle.com" instead of "@freekindle.com"?

If your Kindle is wifi only, it doesn't matter, it's always free. If you have a 3G Kindle, only 3G downloads cost money. The free. address prevents any 3G downloads.

Basically, if it costs Amazon 3G bandwidth, it costs you money.

 

[PjotrStroganov]

Doesn't it charge you if your Kindle address is "@kindle.com" instead of "@freekindle.com"?

Afaik not when only using wifi.

Damned tabbed browsing

quick question about folders:

I have a kindle 2 (white, 3g, us version i think it is ultimately called). And when I create a folder - lets say harry potter. It creates the harry potter folder just fine, but it doesn't 'move' the books into the folder, it just copies them. So my giant list has all the harry potter books as well as the folder. Making folders seem completely useless to me unless i'm missing something?

Thanks!

You essentially tag the book with the folder name. It is still only one file but it can pop up in multiple folders associated with the folder/tag. If you connect the Harry Potter books to for instance Child's Literature and Fantasy, it will show up in both folders.

At the home screen, scroll up and select collections and it will show the folders first and untagged books below.

 

[bishopcruz]

Any sort of CFW for kindle 2g? I have one and love it, but would kill for the 3.1 features, I think it's kinda BS that they stopped updating the firmware on these after 2.53.

 

[HiroProtagonist]

So I have a Kindle 3 and I love it. I also love the pop-up dictionary.

After looking online, I've seen that you can implement other dictionaries other than the standard English one. For example, I see that you can download a English->Russian dictionary.

Now, I'm a student of Russian language. I love that the Kindle 3 supports cyrillic characters. However, it would be a godsend if I could somehow get a Russian->English pop-up dictionary on there so that while I'm reading Russian texts the dictionary would pop-up with the English definition, if I so desire.

However, no such dictionary exists, as far as I am aware. Does anyone know if such a thing is possible on the Kindle 3 or if there are any plans for a future release of such a thing? Or if such a thing exists and I'm simply overlooking it?

Thanks for the help, it would be amazing for my language learning if I could get the Russian->English dictionary implemented.

How to change Kindle dictionary

I don't speak Russian, but this Russian-English dictionary thread from mobileread.com/forums points to this Russian language thread on the-ebook.org/forum/ as a solution.

This may also be useful: How to create your own mobipocket dictionary for any language

 

[Nymerio]

Just ordered one. I hope it's as good as you guys say

 

[HiroProtagonist]

I've updated the OP with a news section, and a tips and tricks section.

New news:

On the Lookout for an Amazon Tablet

The latest version of the Kindle went on sale over 10 months ago, so it’s been some time since we’ve heard a major new hardware product announcement from Amazon.

But a new and improved device could be coming soon, if we give credit to a hint dropped by Jeff Bezos, the company’s chief executive.

Amazon's Top-Selling Kindle Has Ads

Amazon's best-selling Kindle e-reader is its newest and cheapest—and the one that's got ads, according to the company's bestseller chart.

 

[Tokubetsu]

Kinda eh on my upcoming purchase but im not really interested in tablet anyway and it'll probably be outside of my budget haha.

 

[HiroProtagonist]

Kinda eh on my upcoming purchase but im not really interested in tablet anyway and it'll probably be outside of my budget haha.

How'd you go from 'Excited!' to 'eh' in three pages? It's eInk all the way baby! Screw tablets - I just posted it cause it was kindle-related.

Get hyped!

 

[Weenerz]

Was sad to see that Amazon was only selling their official case with the included light (which I did not want). So I thought I'd head out to Target to see what they had as far as cases were concerned and they had it!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DZ163E/?tag=neogaf0e-20


Totally made my day and now my kindle is finally not naked.

 

[Tokubetsu]

How'd you go from 'Excited!' to 'eh' in three pages? It's eInk all the way baby! Screw tablets - I just posted it cause it was kindle-related.

Get hyped!

Just want to be sure some new awesome version of eink doesn't get announced a day after I order haha. Should have my gift code by Tuesday the latest! I'm still excited!

 

[HiroProtagonist]

Was sad to see that Amazon was only selling their official case with the included light (which I did not want). So I thought I'd head out to Target to see what they had as far as cases were concerned and they had it!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DZ163E/?tag=neogaf0e-20


Totally made my day and now my kindle is finally not naked.

The Amazon leather case, both versions, are super well made. It's the best choice if you're not going to be a crazy person and get one of those drop-dead gorgeous, and amazingly expensive, Oberon cases.

Just want to be sure some new awesome version of eink doesn't get announced a day after I order haha. Should have my gift code by Tuesday the latest! I'm still excited!

I believe that eink pearl is still the E-ink corps. best tech besides the Triton color. (which I've been reading that they have been having some problems with) Plus, did you see the tips and tricks? Hello.... Minesweeper anyone? Okay, it's not amazing, but it's kind-of cool.

Screenshot

• ALT+SHIFT+G or ALT+SHIFT+H (saves a .GIF in the Kindle document directory)
• The screen flashes for both ALT+G and ALT+SHIFT+G. As it is easy to do an ALT+G by mistake, ALT+SHIFT+H may be a safer way to do a screenshot.

Background Music

• Play/Stop: ALT+SPACEBAR
• Next track: ALT+F
• Music files must be MP3s in the Kindle’s ‘music’ folder

Games

• Minesweeper: ALT+SHIFT+M from Home screen
  MENU for game options
• GoMoku: G from Minesweeper

Kindle Calculations

• The search window can be used as a simple calculator. Steven Ehrbar has kindly provided most of these details:
  Standard operators are + (addition), – (subtraction), * (multiplication), / (division), % (modulus), and ^ (exponentiation).
  Parentheses () work for grouping, {} and [] do not.
• You can assign values to variables with =; for example, test=9.
• The results of the last operation are stored in the variable _ (underscore).
• Assign _ to a variable before using it in further calculations. I have found that using _ directly results in the calculation being done twice. For example, if you enter 5*2, then _ is 10. Entering _*2 results in 40, not 20. However, if you enter y=_, you get a result of y = _ = 10. y*2 then correctly results in 20.
  The values of pi and e are stored in pi and e, respectively.
• Functions, which work on a value or expression in the parentheses, are:
  Trig functions: acos(), asin(), atan(), cos(), cosh(), sin(), sinh(), tan(), tanh()
• Arguments for trig functions must be in radians
  radians = degrees * (pi/180)
• You can assign pi/180 to a variable (eg k=pi/180)
• To find the tan of 10°, you can then type tan(10*k)
• Other functions: abs() [absolute value], exp() [e to the power of], ln() [natural logarithm], log() [base 10 logarithm], sqrt() [square root].

 

[UltimaKilo]

Just want to be sure some new awesome version of eink doesn't get announced a day after I order haha. Should have my gift code by Tuesday the latest! I'm still excited!

It probably won't be for another 1-3 years (max) until perfected color e-ink is released on a high quality level. It would be helpful in reading charts, newspapers and magazines.

 

[Manics]

Was sad to see that Amazon was only selling their official case with the included light (which I did not want). So I thought I'd head out to Target to see what they had as far as cases were concerned and they had it!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DZ163E/?tag=neogaf0e-20


Totally made my day and now my kindle is finally not naked.

Dude there's a reason they're not selling the non-lighted case any longer -- there are issues with it causing freezing and rebooting of the Kindle. Basically the the top little metal attachment thing on the lighted cover provides power to the cover light, the case without the light somehow short circuits the damn kindle cause that metal thing doesn't attach to a light. My sister had all sorts of freezing and rebooting issues until we figured out it was the non lighted case. It doesn't affect all Kindles because I also had the non lighted case until my kid busted it. I never had reboot issues. So be forewarned you MAY have issues.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

Was sad to see that Amazon was only selling their official case with the included light (which I did not want). So I thought I'd head out to Target to see what they had as far as cases were concerned and they had it!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DZ163E/?tag=neogaf0e-20


Totally made my day and now my kindle is finally not naked.

you missed out by not getting the light. that thing is genius.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

The Amazon leather case, both versions, are super well made. It's the best choice if you're not going to be a crazy person and get one of those drop-dead gorgeous, and amazingly expensive, Oberon cases.



I believe that eink pearl is still the E-ink corps. best tech besides the Triton color. (which I've been reading that they have been having some problems with) Plus, did you see the tips and tricks? Hello.... Minesweeper anyone? Okay, it's not amazing, but it's kind-of cool.

Screenshot

• ALT+SHIFT+G or ALT+SHIFT+H (saves a .GIF in the Kindle document directory)
• The screen flashes for both ALT+G and ALT+SHIFT+G. As it is easy to do an ALT+G by mistake, ALT+SHIFT+H may be a safer way to do a screenshot.

Background Music

• Play/Stop: ALT+SPACEBAR
• Next track: ALT+F
• Music files must be MP3s in the Kindle’s ‘music’ folder

Games

• Minesweeper: ALT+SHIFT+M from Home screen
  MENU for game options
• GoMoku: G from Minesweeper

Kindle Calculations

• The search window can be used as a simple calculator. Steven Ehrbar has kindly provided most of these details:
  Standard operators are + (addition), – (subtraction), * (multiplication), / (division), % (modulus), and ^ (exponentiation).
  Parentheses () work for grouping, {} and [] do not.
• You can assign values to variables with =; for example, test=9.
• The results of the last operation are stored in the variable _ (underscore).
• Assign _ to a variable before using it in further calculations. I have found that using _ directly results in the calculation being done twice. For example, if you enter 5*2, then _ is 10. Entering _*2 results in 40, not 20. However, if you enter y=_, you get a result of y = _ = 10. y*2 then correctly results in 20.
  The values of pi and e are stored in pi and e, respectively.
• Functions, which work on a value or expression in the parentheses, are:
  Trig functions: acos(), asin(), atan(), cos(), cosh(), sin(), sinh(), tan(), tanh()
• Arguments for trig functions must be in radians
  radians = degrees * (pi/180)
• You can assign pi/180 to a variable (eg k=pi/180)
• To find the tan of 10°, you can then type tan(10*k)
• Other functions: abs() [absolute value], exp() [e to the power of], ln() [natural logarithm], log() [base 10 logarithm], sqrt() [square root].

Holy shit what is this voodoo? I had no idea.

 

[bloodydrake]

Heres link to thread about Calibre Kindle Collection pluggin
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118635

Looks pretty cool like everything in Calibre bit confusing but you can import collections from device and when you send books to kindle it will assign to collection automatically ect.

 

[Bboy AJ]

I called Amazon about the non-lighted cover crashing my Kindle. They were quick about solving the problem. They refunded me for the cover and sent $25 credit to cover the rest of the price of the lighted cover. They even told me not to send the non-lighted one back. Awesome. I knew I made the right choice by not immediately buying the lighted cover.

 

[TheSailerman]

This topic is absolutely fantastic. So many things I didn't know about the Kindle - and I always try to keep on top of popular tech.

I've got my fingers crossed that I will be receiving a Kindle 3 as a college graduation gift from my parents. They offered to buy me a nice watch, but I asked for a Kindle since I'll get a lot more use out of it (it's cheaper than the watch too!).

I've been using the Kindle apps on my iPad and phone for a while, but I've only managed to get through one book so far. The backlit screens are definitely not ideal for long-form reading. I'm sure I'll appreciate the apps more when I'm using them as supplements to the Kindle instead of my main reading devices.


I do have one question I've never seen asked/answered: If I load an ebook onto the Kindle (one that wasn't purchased from Amazon), remove it after reading it, then load it on again at a later date, will my highlights and notes still be there? Or are they saved as part of the ebook file?

 

[HiroProtagonist]

Added free games to the OP:

Blackjack

Blackjack - one of the most popular casino card games of all time is now available on Kindle.
The Kindle version features all of the most common aspects of the game including splits, double down, surrender and insurance, as well as multiple options for customization that allow you to play the style of Blackjack that you want to play. For example, you can configure the game to match specific structures like 'Dealer must hit soft 17' - a common rule variation in many Las Vegas casinos.

Every Word

If you like word scrambles then Every Word is the game for you. Test your vocabulary as you try to find as many words from the scrambled letters in this fun and fast-paced word game.

Shuffled Row

Can you keep up with Shuffled Row? See how many words you can make from 60 lettered tiles.

The tiles are added to your row one at a time so you'll constantly be working with a new set of letters. After you submit a word, the letters you used will be removed and new ones will be added. Increase your score by using less common letters. Create longer words and increase your score even more.

Video Poker

Play Vegas-style video poker on Kindle anytime, anywhere.

Video Poker accurately simulates the Vegas-style video poker machine known as Jacks or Better. After making a bet, you will be dealt five cards. You select which of these five cards to hold, and redraw the rest to try to make the best poker hand possible. A hand with a pair of Jacks or better wins

Number Slide

Number Slide brings the classic sliding number puzzle to Kindle.

In Number Slide, you are presented with a set of numbered tiles on a grid. One tile is removed and the remaining tiles are scrambled. The objective is to get all the tiles into proper numeric order by moving the tiles into the one open space and sliding them around until they are back where they belong.

Dots and Boxes

The classic game of Dots and Boxes comes to Kindle!

In Dots and Boxes, you are presented with a set of dots in a 5x5 grid. One by one, each player must fill in a horizontal or vertical line between two dots. The player that completes a box by filling in the fourth side captures that box. Completing a box allows a player to immediately make another move. When all 16 boxes are claimed, the player with the most boxes wins.

 

[Charmicarmicat]

Is there any way to quickly flick between two sections of a book? Without having to resort to the 'go to page...' function? I'm currently working my way through the Discworld books, but all the footnotes are printed at the back of the book, and by the time I'm finished and at the end I've forgotten what they all relate to

 

[LethaL ImpuLse]

Ok, I tried doing the Font hack through the link in the OP, and I think I fucked up my Kindle. I followed the directions as it said (I did the screensaver hack successfully) and as it was updating the screen got stuck at the Amazon Kindle splash image. I rebooted and now all I get is a blank page at the home screen.

Funny thing is, pressing the Menu button works, so I tried using the uninstall .bin file but I can't get the Update Kindle dialog to come up. I can't get it to install by rebooting the kindle either. I also tried installing the default firmware from Amazon but I can't get it to work either.

Does anyone know of a way to completely reset everything on the Kindle? Including the fonts, so it would be like it was before. I really hope it's not permanent damage :\

EDIT: I managed to reset everything with what was called Recovery Mode (Hold switch for 15 seconds then hold the Home button). It formatted the entire Kindle including all my books, but at least it works now.

 

[Manics]

Ok, I tried doing the Font hack through the link in the OP, and I think I fucked up my Kindle. I followed the directions as it said (I did the screensaver hack successfully) and as it was updating the screen got stuck at the Amazon Kindle splash image. I rebooted and now all I get is a blank page at the home screen.

Funny thing is, pressing the Menu button works, so I tried using the uninstall .bin file but I can't get the Update Kindle dialog to come up. I can't get it to install by rebooting the kindle either. I also tried installing the default firmware from Amazon but I can't get it to work either.

Does anyone know of a way to completely reset everything on the Kindle? Including the fonts, so it would be like it was before. I really hope it's not permanent damage :\

EDIT: I managed to reset everything with what was called Recovery Mode (Hold switch for 15 seconds then hold the Home button). It formatted the entire Kindle including all my books, but at least it works now.

If you were able to get to the Menu you could have gone to the Settings link and then press Menu again and there's a "reset to factory defaults"

 

[VistraNorrez]

Is there any way to quickly flick between two sections of a book? Without having to resort to the 'go to page...' function? I'm currently working my way through the Discworld books, but all the footnotes are printed at the back of the book, and by the time I'm finished and at the end I've forgotten what they all relate to

Can't you just click on the footnote number and it will take you there? Then you just hit the back button to take you back to where you left off.

 

[Great King Bowser]

Where can I find those games on the Amazon UK store?

 

[ReBurn]

Kindle as a device is cool. Kindle as a platform is awesome! I can download my Kindle purchases to practically every device I have. My iPad is my primary eReader, but being able to pick up where I left off on my phone is awesome when I have unexpected downtime.

I'm planning to get the device because I like the form factor. Can't wait!