Alexa, the assistant of the Amazon, arrives on the Fire, but still does not speak Italian – Smartworld

Cosimo Alfredo Pina 31/10/2016 12:12

Amazon had announced about a month ago and now it is official: Alexa works on a tablet, the Kindle Fire and Fire HD. Unfortunately, as most of the news for the voice assistant Amazon, this is the prerogative of the United States.

The feature works a bit differently from what was seen on the speaker smart of the range Echo; to enable the recognition of the commands, in fact, it is not possible to do it with the voice ("Hey Alexa"), but you must do it manually holding the home button of the tablet, to the Google Now/Assistant.

ALSO READ: Fire TV Stick Amazon becomes more powerful and integrated with Alexa

In this regard the similarities with the solution of BigG does not end here. In fact, in addition to voice commands, Alexa port on the Kindle Fire of the information cards, for example, about the weather, and games. Complete the set of the new feature, the so-called Voice Cast:; thanks to this, when a user gives a voice command to an Echo, this is also shown on a tablet connected to the same account.

not a bad addition considering the price very affordable Kindle Fire. Pity that still we are not talking about an expansion of the service, and not only in geographical terms; on an Android app or iOS to Alexa, Amazon is still not unbalanced.

Via: The Verge

Kindle Fire HD 8, in this test, the tablet of Amazon – Macity (Blog)

Kindle Fire HD 8, the tablet of Amazon, pointing to a slice of the market that expects a good product at a competitive price, albeit with a experience mixed with that of the famous portal.

Kindle Fire HD 8 is the latest version of the tablet Amazon, a product that deviates from the classic line of Kindle devices, using a color display and an operating system (Fire OS) that is substantially derived from Android, and as such inherits many of the features, including a part of the App.

Macitynet had already tested the model super-cheap 7" of last year with good results, considering the price: this year, Amazon looks to Christmas with a model and more courageous, both for the features for the price. The impression we had is that, without a doubt, the price is worth the candle, and this Fire HD 8 is better in everything and for everything to model 7, although it still remains a purchase to make an informed decision.

Fire HD 8, (more) big is better

The main note of this tablet is definitely the display 8" IPS (1280 x 800 pixels), wide format which makes it much more enjoyable for both the reading and the use of some Apps. The difference with the model 7 you immediately feel, even for a more pleasant sense of handling.

Amazon has started a care of details of secondary importance that had been little considered: the volume keys and the power off now, are the silver color, other than black, the more visible in all conditions. The packaging is minimalist, inside the box is just place the tablet, the Micro USB cable and the power supply (in the pictures in the English version, but the agency has assured us that in the edition of on sale this will be in the Italian version).

The back surface is in black plastic, porous, and leaves hold well in the hand, and also the weight is not excessive, although perhaps still too much for a eBook reader which the Kindle fire aims (also) to be.

Audio, photo down

One of the things that we enjoyed most is, without a doubt, the stereo sound with Dolby: great to turn Kindle Fire HD 8 on a portable player when we are in the office, but that makes it even more in the evening when we watch films in bed with Plex. Of course, it is possible to draw the whole Android compatibility with regard to devices such as Speakers, laptops, or Bluetooth headset.

Poor quality, the camera, the real Achilles heel of this model: 2 megapixel is enough for the front, while to the rear the market offers much better.

A heart Android, well disguised

once turned on, the procedure of customization of the device is very simple and you only need to enter the data one screen at a time, without any use of the computer and only with a Wi-Fi network available.

the power of The processor (quad-core 1.3 Ghz) offers an experience of the use of fresh, and devoid of uncertainties, since browsing between the different sections of the tablet: unlike what is offers iOS, or Android, Fire OS is characterized by a Home, divided into several sections: Apps, Books, Videos, Games, Buy, App Store and Music Store, each of which offers content to the theme, including those purchased and those found locally, giving priority to those most recently used.

the low cost of the Kindle Fire HD 8 is also due to the fact that for Amazon every tablet sold is basically a form of promotion of its services, from the sale of books and music, online store of physical products (recently expanded with a new service): in this, the designers of Fire OS worked well, because the content and the promotions are there, but are never intrusive, and substantially, the system is suitable for those who have never tried a tablet, and wants a simpler system Android pure.

Kindle Fire HD 8, in this test, the tablet of Amazon – Macitynet.en – Macity (Blog)

Kindle Fire HD 8, the tablet of Amazon, pointing to a slice of the market that expects a good product at a competitive price, albeit with a experience mixed with that of the famous portal.

Kindle Fire HD 8 is the latest version of the tablet Amazon, a product that deviates from the classic line of Kindle devices, using a color display and an operating system (Fire OS) that is substantially derived from Android, and as such inherits many of the features, including a part of the App.

Macitynet had already tested the model super-cheap 7" of last year with good results, considering the price: this year, Amazon looks to Christmas with a model and more courageous, both for the features for the price. The impression we had is that, without a doubt, the price is worth the candle, and this Fire HD 8 is better in everything and for everything to model 7, although it still remains a purchase to make an informed decision.

Fire HD 8, (more) big is better

The main note of this tablet is definitely the display 8" IPS (1280 x 800 pixels), wide format which makes it much more enjoyable for both the reading and the use of some Apps. The difference with the model 7 you immediately feel, even for a more pleasant sense of handling.

Amazon has started a care of details of secondary importance that had been little considered: the volume keys and the power off now, are the silver color, other than black, the more visible in all conditions. The packaging is minimalist, inside the box is just place the tablet, the Micro USB cable and the power supply (in the pictures in the English version, but the agency has assured us that in the edition of on sale this will be in the Italian version).

The back surface is in black plastic, porous, and leaves hold well in the hand, and also the weight is not excessive, although perhaps still too much for a eBook reader which the Kindle fire aims (also) to be.

Audio, photo down

One of the things that we enjoyed most is, without a doubt, the stereo sound with Dolby: great to turn Kindle Fire HD 8 on a portable player when we are in the office, but that makes it even more in the evening when we watch films in bed with Plex. Of course, it is possible to draw the whole Android compatibility with regard to devices such as Speakers, laptops, or Bluetooth headset.

Poor quality, the camera, the real Achilles heel of this model: 2 megapixel is enough for the front, while to the rear the market offers much better.

A heart Android, well disguised

once turned on, the procedure of customization of the device is very simple and you only need to enter the data one screen at a time, without any use of the computer and only with a Wi-Fi network available.

the power of The processor (quad-core 1.3 Ghz) offers an experience of the use of fresh, and devoid of uncertainties, since browsing between the different sections of the tablet: unlike what is offers iOS, or Android, Fire OS is characterized by a Home, divided into several sections: Apps, Books, Videos, Games, Buy, App Store and Music Store, each of which offers content to the theme, including those purchased and those found locally, giving priority to those most recently used.

the low cost of the Kindle Fire HD 8 is also due to the fact that for Amazon every tablet sold is basically a form of promotion of its services, from the sale of books and music, online store of physical products (recently expanded with a new service): in this, the designers of Fire OS worked well, because the content and the promotions are there, but are never intrusive, and substantially, the system is suitable for those who have never tried a tablet, and wants a simpler system Android pure.

Amazon puts on the market the new Kindle Paperwhite Manga Model – Blasting News

When we think of the Japan the first things that come to mind are sushi, cherry blossoms, and the #manga . The latter are, as always, of paramount importance to the japanese market, as they charge high amounts of money each year. the #amazon has decided not to miss out on this opportunity and has launched on the market a new device dedicated to reading comic books and is optimized for display of the images: the Kindle Paperwhite Manga Model.

More space and more speed

The first fundamental innovation is to increase the internal memory of the Kindle that by the usual 4GB switch 32 GB, and comes to be able to contain 700 volumes. Readers may think that this is a waste of space since the file destined for the Kindle typically do not exceed the MB, but, in reality, this modification is necessary when the device must be able to store many images.

in Addition, Amazon has also announced the increase of the speed of loading the pages of 33% to allow the page change without having to wait for a time that is too excessive.

Costs and features

Amazon has always been distinguished for his ability to sell excellent products at prices more than acceptable and in this case do not disappoint. The device, in fact, will be around the 142 euro.

as far as the characteristics you reconfirmed the key points of the other models on the Kindle built-in light, Wi-fi and a battery life of several weeks.

Only for those who read the manga?

In reality, this model is presented as a delicacy even in the eyes of that is not interested in the manga because they can read quietly in the file that read the previous Kindle. What makes it attractive is the wide capacity of storage, in fact, a defect of these devices, Amazon is the inability to expand the memory via microSD.

Availability

For now the Kindle Paperwhite Manga Model is only available in Japan, and this has caused the discontent of the rest of the users. We hope that, sooner or later, it will be possible to buy it elsewhere!

#ebook

Amazon preparing for the 32GB Kindle Paperwhite to hold your manga … – CNET

Amazon

Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite is big in Japan — literally. The company this week started taking preorders for a 32GB version of the device, the most storage you’ll find on a Kindle.

Sadly, it’s Japan-only for now. The “cartoon edition” is geared toward manga readers, thus the need for more storage. Most Kindles, like the premium Oasis model, as packed with up to 4GB of storage, enough to hold thousands of e-books.

Amazon claims this special Paperwhite can hold over 700 volumes of manga, and can turn pages 33 percent faster than the standard model. It’s priced at ¥16,280, which converts to around $ 160, AU$ 200 and £130.

The Kindle app on the Windows Store only had one week of life – Smartworld

Leonardo Counters 21/10/2016 14:48 – up to Date the 21/10/2016 hours 14:49

If you have purchased many books in the format Kindle, you are accustomed to the application published by Amazon on the Windows Store for their reading, and for some reason you have removed from your device, hurry up to install it again: Amazon has announced that the next 27 October, the app will permanently remove, and will not be able to install it.

of Course, for any device you have, the giant of online sales has suggested a number of valid alternatives: for PC is the Kindle app for your Desktop PC, compatible with Windows 7 and above, while for the Windows RT tablet you can use the web app Kindle Cloud Reader.

ALSO READ: Amazon launches the Kindle Paperwhite Manga Model

As suggerivamo at the beginning, if you are loyal to the classic app “Kindle for Windows 8″ you can, however, install it prior to the date of removal: in that case, you can continue to use it virtually at infinity in order to download and read eBooks in the Kindle format.

Via: Liliputing

We too want the Kindle Paperwhite 32 GB japanese – Macity (Blog)

Japan is different, and even Amazon will have to adapt. Incoming Kindle Paperwhite 32 GB, a special version for the foibles and passions of the rising sun

A special country with the habits and customs peculiar to Japan is different and also the giants should take it into account to have success, as evidenced by the new Kindle Paperwhite 32 GB designed specifically for the market of the rising sun.

The new special version of the Kindle Paperwhite 32 GB you can pre-order it on Amazon Japan at a price of 16.280 yen, or about 143 euros with early shipments expected as early as October 21. Features and specifications are identical to the standard model, but this model offers 8 times the capacity of the storage compared to Kindle sold in other countries, usually 4 GB is enough to store thousands of ebooks.

The most storage space is designed to store up to 700 volumes of manga and comics, from years of reading and a favourite of the japanese of all ages. The constructor ensures perfect readability even for the characters and the smallest details, thanks to the resolution from 300 dots per inch, to the possibility of making enlargements and reductions with a gesture of two fingers and an improvement of 33% in the rate of page.

of Course, Amazon offers the new Kindle Paperwhite 32 GB in abbimamento a wide selection of manga and comic books offered at discounted prices and competitive compared to the print editions. For the time being, unfortunately do not have news of the possible sale in other markets. A sin: we are sure that many other comic fans in every part of the world would be ready for the purchase.

Will Amazon Prime Reading for Kindle eBooks Hobble BookBub … – Huffington Post

Amazon has blossomed from the world’s biggest retail book sellers, and Amazon is constantly changing the game to stay that way. In 2014, The Atlantic reported that Amazon controlled 64% of printed book sales. But Amazon further excels in the eBook market. Amazon”s Kindle app allows readers to read its eBooks anywhere, on any device. the The Balance reported that in 2015 in the United States, Amazon sold 65% of traditionally published eBooks, and had a whopping 74% market share of all US ebooks sold, both traditionally and independently (“indies”) published. For every dollar readers spent on eBooks, Amazon raked in 71% of the loot.

The sales dollar percentage is slightly lower than market share, probably because indie publishers heavily rely on giving away the first book of a series for free or for a discounted price of 99 cents. Moreover, through Amazon”s Kindle Unlimited program, subscribers can choose from among over one million eBook titles.

Indie authors loved launching eBooks exclusively through Amazon, because of its marketing power and the visibility it afforded new authors.

To increase the visibility, the authors bought ad space in popular eBook and newsletters such as Book Bub, Ereader News Today, and Free Kindle Books & Tips. By far the most effective promotion tool was and remains BookBub. It is the most expensive, but the cost is well worth it, since I have never yet met an author who didn’t sell more than enough books to cover the cost of the promotion.

Visibility Dropped for Free Indie Promotions in 2012

Beginning in 2012, it became harder–but not impossible–for indie authors to run promotions and see long-lasting results, unless the authors are already established with a following. That is because Amazon gave less visibility to free eBook promotions by ranking them separately and segregating them from paid book rankings. The Authors still made their money back with BookBub and temporarily increased the visibility, but many authors saw sales rapidly drift lower, since their rankings when people paid full price were much lower than their rankings during the promotion. Unless an author could push into the top ten in Amazon’s eBooks–and some did–the long-term “halo” sales, they disappeared.

Most authors, still saw an overall improvement, since they would make the top position in selected eBook categories. While that wasn’t as effective as being in the top ten overall, it meant that readers interested in a specific genre easily found the authors who invested in promotions.

Visibility Dropped for Discounted Indie Promotions in 2015

In the spring of 2015, Amazon made the bestsellers harder to find. By default, Amazon showed customers “featured” eBooks, and most readers weren’t even aware they weren’t viewing the bestsellers. To view the bestsellers, customers had to take the extra step of finding and clicking on the bestseller tab that had been removed from the usual drop down menu and moved to the left hand rail.

The result was that promotion tools such as EReader News Today and Free Kindle Books & Tips became much less effective. Only BookBub remains reliably effective.

First Reading: A Game Changer for Book Bub?

In 2014, I wrote a short nonfiction memoir, Decisions, Life and Death on Wall Street. It was unanimously chosen by the editors of Amazon”s Kindle Singles store for placement as an exclusive Amazon product. (Kindle Singles are short, well-written books by authors who are usually much more recognizable than I am.) Amazon edited the manuscript and created a cover for the Kindle edition.

Amazon asked me if I would be willing to include Decisions in its just-launched Early Reading program for the U. S. the First members. The immediately agreed. Amazon has over 63 million Prime members. For 99 dollars per year, members have access to free streaming videos and free music from a wide variety of artists, and free shipping on selected products. Now Prime members also have unlimited reading from curated eBook titles through the new Early Reading program. Readers can download works by authors such as J. K. Rowking, Stephen King, and Janet Tavakoli. (How did I get in there?!)

the First members includes Amazon”s most engaged customers. Many of them own Kindles, but they can also use the previously mentioned Kindle App to read eBooks on any brand of desktop or mobile device. Alert customers are already discovering the new tab Amazon added to the top rail in the Kindle Store: “New! First Reading.” Readers who used to rely on BookBub for deals, you may prefer the advantages of downloading curated books through the First Reading.

This Blogger”s Books and Other Items from…

To Kindle for your manga? Amazon launches 32GB Paperwhite for Japan – Ars Technica

Amazon Japan

Amazon”s Kindle Paperwhite can hold dozens of books without breaking a sweat, but the company is focusing on comics and art with its newest, region-specific model. Amazon Japan launched the “cartoon” model, the Kindle Paperwhite, which offers a performance boost over the current Paperwhite as well as eight times more storage, at 32GB.

The extra storage is meant to help the device hold hundreds of manga books at once. Amazon added a few other new features to make it easier for comic-lovers to enjoy their books, including “rapid page turn” which is 33 percent faster than the page-turning effect on the regular Kindles, and a two-page spread layout for viewing pages side-by-side.

The manga model Kindle Paperwhite also has the same 300ppi display of the newest, regular Paperwhite, and it should get up to six weeks of reading time between charges. The Kindle Paperwhite that’s available worldwide has 4GB of storage, which is more than enough for holding books for the average reader. But for graphic-heavy titles, more storage is essential.

Amazon Japan has opened up preorders for the device, which costs ¥16,280, or about $ 157. Unfortunately, the device is currently only available in Japan.

The Windows Store, new for Camera (Insider), Skype UWP and … – Rt (Blog)

Microsoft has released an update of the app camera the default of Windows 10 to the Insider in Fast Ring. The new version, number 1016.11, it shows some new features in the UI picture-taking; for example, the icons are now white in color solid and the settings button now has the symbol of the gears instead of the three dots.

Some of the innovations seem to appear only with the latest build of W10M for the Fast Ring, 14946: the shift of the button to change the camera in the top left corner, the timer next to the button for the HDR, mode time lapse in the settings and the link to the gallery of square shape instead of round.

It is also updated, Preview Skype UWP, with some improvements in the reception of calls to the Lumia series x50 and other bug fix and generic. The new version is 11.8.202.0.

Finally, Amazon indicates that it is ready to withdraw from the Windows Store Kindle app for Windows 8. The goal, says the company in an e-mail sent to the users concerned, is simplify the offering by concentrating its efforts on the app Win32 (available HERE, direct download). The app for Windows 8 will no longer be available to download starting from October 27, but will remain fully functional for those who already own one.

Note that this speaks exclusively of the app for desktop systems; one for Windows Phone 8 has not been mentioned, which will remain in place.

Amazon launches in Japan Kindle Paperwhite Manga Model – in case you missed it.it

Guide for Borrowing Library Books on Your Phone and Tablet – The … – New York Times

Photo

Reading her tablet by the waterfront, in Annapolis, Maryland. Credit Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor, via Getty Images

This article is part of a series aimed at helping you navigate life’s opportunities and challenges. What else should we write about? Contact us: smarterliving@nytimes.com.

Q. How do I check out library e-books to use on my Kindle?

A. E-books are available for borrowing from about 11,000 libraries around the country, so confirm that your local library lends them and offers the Kindle format. You can find this out from the library”s own website or at OverDrive.com, a digital service that works with libraries to lend digital content to the public.

If your library lends Kindle books, you just need a valid library card and PIN code from the institution itself. You also need an Amazon account, Wi-Fi internet connection and a Kindle e-reader, Kindle Fire tablet, Kindle mobile reading app or the Kindle Cloud Reader.

Next, go to the e-books section of your library”s website. For New Yorkers, the New York Public Library’s e-book collection can be found at http://ebooks.nypl.org, where, audiobooks, videos and e-books in other formats can also be borrowed; the N. Y. P. L has its own reading apps for Android and iOS, too.

Browse until you find an interesting book and click it to open its details page for more information. On the details page, you can download a sample, borrow it or put it on hold in case the title is already checked out.

When you select the Borrow option, follow the screens for your library’s sign-in process and for your Amazon account — and you eventually wind up with the downloaded e-book on your Kindle. Lending periods are often 21 days but may vary, and you can usually renew or return a digital book through your Amazon account ‘ s Manage Your Content and Devices page or your library account.

(Related: The definitive guide to to cord-cutting in 2016, based on your habits)

If you want to read on the cheap, many e-bookstores offer a selection of free e-books. Most of these classic books are older titles in the public domain. You can also find most of the same public-domain books — along with audio and video files — to download free on the vast Internet Archive site.

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Amazon launches in Japan Kindle Paperwhite Manga Model … – Smartworld

Leonardo Counters 18/10/2016 20:40

The manga: are a passion that unites millions of readers all over the world, located in particular (obviously) in Japan, the native country of these comics. There, the turnover linked to these readings moves really impressive figures, so much so that Amazon has just released a Kindle Paperwhite "Manga Model", which is optimized for reading comics.

If to a superficial glance, the new ebook reader seems to be identical to the regular version, which is distributed all over the world, the differences under the hood are the most noticeable of what we might expect: in addition to an increase in the internal memory, which went from 4 GB to 32 GB, the giant of online sales said to have speeded up the page loading 33%.

ALSO READ: Review Amazon Kindle Oasis

Thanks to these advances, made necessary by the increased size of the designs and their "heaviness" on the processor of the Kindle, the new Manga Model will be able to keep in memory up to 700 volumes, allowing its users to read varied and enjoyable in every situation.

The Kindle Paperwhite Manga Model is already available for pre-order from japanese customers, to the price 16.258 Yen (about 142 €), dropping down to 12,280 Yen (a little less than € 110) for students enrolled in the program, Amazon Prime.

Via: TheNextWeb

Amazon Japan introduces ‘Manga Model’ Kindle Paperwhite with eight times more storage – The Verge

Do you know how much storage is in a Kindle Paperwhite? Probably not. Amazon doesn’t really advertise it, because books are small enough to make the stock 4GB to a non-issue for almost everyone, even in a world where the 16GB iPhones were rightfully derided as a disgrace. The company’s Japanese arm clearly thinks it’s a problem for some users, however, as it’s just introduced a region-specific “Manga Model” aimed at voracious readers of Japanese comics.

The Manga Model is more or less identical to the regular Paperwhite, but comes with 32GB of storage that Amazon estimates is good for about 700 volumes — as an example, the company says you could store the entire runs of Naruto, Asari-chan, and Kochikame on the device. Amazon has also boosted performance, claiming a 33 percent increase on page-turning speed.

The Kindle Manga Model is available to pre-order today for 16,280 yen ($ 157) and 12,280 yen ($ 118) for Amazon Prime members, 2,000 yen ($ 19) more than the regular Paperwhite. Amazon still doesn’t quite have the selection of manga you’d expect to find in a Japanese bookstore — I was devastated to find no Kindle version of Shirokuma Cafe, for instance — but the new e-reader sees the company aiming to gain ground with an important local demographic.

The Windows Store, new for Camera (Insider), Skype UWP and Kindle (Windows 8) – Rt (Blog)

Microsoft has released an update of the app camera the default of Windows 10 to the Insider in Fast Ring. The new version, number 1016.11, it shows some new features in the UI picture-taking; for example, the icons are now white in color solid and the settings button now has the symbol of the gears instead of the three dots.

Some of the innovations seem to appear only with the latest build of W10M for the Fast Ring, 14946: the shift of the button to change the camera in the top left corner, the timer next to the button for the HDR, mode time lapse in the settings and the link to the gallery of square shape instead of round.

It is also updated, Preview Skype UWP, with some improvements in the reception of calls to the Lumia series x50 and other bug fix and generic. The new version is 11.8.202.0.

Finally, Amazon indicates that it is ready to withdraw from the Windows Store Kindle app for Windows 8. The goal, says the company in an e-mail sent to the users concerned, is simplify the offering by concentrating its efforts on the app Win32 (available HERE, direct download). The app for Windows 8 will no longer be available to download starting from October 27, but will remain fully functional for those who already own one.

Note that this speaks exclusively of the app for desktop systems; one for Windows Phone 8 has not been mentioned, which will remain in place.

Amazon Prime Reading Provides Kindle Books for Free – TidBITS

does this mean I can cancel my Kindle Unlimited service since I have Prime?

Reply

No, Kindle Unlimited provides access to many more books, as I understand it.

Reply