Originally posted March 15, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Free books from bn.com (Barnes & Noble)
It does not cost a thing to sign up for a Barnes & Noble account, and it will give you access to any free books they have available. They have the cutest little free app for your Iphone/Touch. If you have a Blackberry, they even have a little something for you! It is as easy to download, set up and connect to your BN account as the Kindle app is. AND it downloads any "purchases" (free or otherwise) to your IPhone/Touch automatically.
You don't have to have an IPhone or ITouch either. They have free software you can use on your pc too (beginning to sound familiar?).
Ahhhhh! Competition! Thy name is Barnes & Noble!
The Kindle is great, but with a price war for ebooks looming, a "quiet war" is beginning to take place. People are voting with their wallets and quietly letting publishers and resellers know they are not the only option. It has nothing to do with a "WalMart mentality," as some elitists have suggested. It is simply a case of common sense and not wanting to spend money unnecessarily.
Amazon is the main place I purchase books from. I have been happy with them for years, but I still remember the days when I could spend hours browsing the shelves at my local Barnes & Noble store, so I have a long-standing account with them too. If I find a book I really want for less there, I would certainly consider purchasing it for my ITouch. I have several of their free offerings and actually enjoy reading on my ITouch as much as the Kindle. It is a different experience, took a little getting used to, but still a good read. I also have the Kindle app on my ITouch, so I feel like I have the best of both worlds at my fingertips. Why not have both!
Let the games begin!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Free Kindle book
Originally posted March 15, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.
And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Instant refreshers:Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management
Kindle support - 1-866-321-8851
A Passion Most Pure (Daughters of Boston, Book 1) by Julie Lessman (Kindle Edition - Jan. 1, 2008) - Kindle Book
Buy: $0.00
Product Description (from Amazon)
Refusing to settle for anything less than a romantic relationship that pleases God, Faith O'Connor steels her heart against her desire for the roguish Collin McGuire. But when Collin tries to win her sister Charity's hand, Faith isn't sure she can handle the jealousy she feels. To further complicate matters, Faith finds herself the object of Collin's affections, even as he is courting her sister. The Great War is raging overseas, and a smaller war is brewing in the O'Connor household. Full of passion, romance, rivalry, and betrayal, A Passion Most Pure will captivate readers from the first page. Book 1 of the Daughters of Boston series.
From the Inside Flap
EXCERPT FROM CATALOG Sisters are so overrated, she decided. Not all of them, of course, only the beautiful ones who never let you forget it. Faith O'Connor stood on tiptoe behind the side porch, squinting through her mother's prized lilac bush. The sound of summer locusts vibrated in her ears as she gasped, inches from where her sister, Charity, stood in the arms of-- "Collin, someone might hear us," Charity whispered. "Not if we don't talk." Collin's index finger stroked the cleft of her sister's chin. Faith's body went numb. The locusts crescendoed to a frenzy in her brain. She wanted to sink into the fresh-mown lawn, but her feet rooted to the ground as firmly as the bush that hid her from view. Three years had done nothing to diminish his effect on her. He was grinning, studying her sister through heavy lids, obviously relaxed as he leaned against the wall of their wraparound porch. His serge morning coat was draped casually over the railing. The rolled sleeves of his starched, white shirt displayed muscled arms snug around Charity's waist. Faith knew all too well his clear, gray eyes held a maddening twinkle, and she heard the low rumble of his laughter when he pulled her sister close. Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.
And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Instant refreshers:Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management
Kindle support - 1-866-321-8851
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Snap Your Kindle to Attention
Originally posted March 14, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Restart and Refresh
You may notice your Kindle isn't collecting your subscribed blogs properly, or otherwise updating itself via its whispernet connection. Before you scrounge around for the Kindle support number, try refreshing your Kindle with the Settings menu. While you have the Home screen opened, press the Menu button. Toggle the 5-way switch down to Settings and press in to select it. Press the Menu button again, then toggle down to the word Restart and press in on the 5-way to select and make it happen.
Your Kindle screen will go blank. Be patient. The restart process will take a couple of minutes (more or less).
Sometimes this can make all the difference. It certainly won't hurt.
If LIFE only came with a Restart setting...
Instant refreshers:Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management
Kindle support - 1-866-321-8851
Restart and Refresh
You may notice your Kindle isn't collecting your subscribed blogs properly, or otherwise updating itself via its whispernet connection. Before you scrounge around for the Kindle support number, try refreshing your Kindle with the Settings menu. While you have the Home screen opened, press the Menu button. Toggle the 5-way switch down to Settings and press in to select it. Press the Menu button again, then toggle down to the word Restart and press in on the 5-way to select and make it happen.
Your Kindle screen will go blank. Be patient. The restart process will take a couple of minutes (more or less).
Sometimes this can make all the difference. It certainly won't hurt.
If LIFE only came with a Restart setting...
Instant refreshers:Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management
Kindle support - 1-866-321-8851
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Free... for now
Originally posted March 13, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
This title will be released on March 23, 2010. Pre-order now.
I'm not sure what "limited time" means. This book isn't even available until March 23, but it looks as though it can be pre-ordered free (for now). If you like murder mysteries, you need to pick this up asap.
Product Description (from Amazon):
On the morning Karen Friedman learns that her husband, a hedge fund manager, has been tragically killed, Detective Ty Hauck begins his investigation of another man's death in a suspicious hit-and-run in Karen's hometown. The two seemingly unrelated tragedies are about to plunge a beautiful widow and a determined investigator into a maelstrom of murder, vast sums of missing money, and international conspiracy.This special free edition includes an excerpt from Andrew Gross's newest novel, Reckless.
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.
Remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Instant refreshers:
Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management
Kindle support - 1-866-321-8851
by Andrew Gross
New: $0.00 This title will be released on March 23, 2010. Pre-order now.
I'm not sure what "limited time" means. This book isn't even available until March 23, but it looks as though it can be pre-ordered free (for now). If you like murder mysteries, you need to pick this up asap.
Product Description (from Amazon):
On the morning Karen Friedman learns that her husband, a hedge fund manager, has been tragically killed, Detective Ty Hauck begins his investigation of another man's death in a suspicious hit-and-run in Karen's hometown. The two seemingly unrelated tragedies are about to plunge a beautiful widow and a determined investigator into a maelstrom of murder, vast sums of missing money, and international conspiracy.This special free edition includes an excerpt from Andrew Gross's newest novel, Reckless.
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.
Remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Instant refreshers:
Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management
Kindle support - 1-866-321-8851
Rotate the Screen
Originally posted March 13, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
The ability to change views from only one way (straight up and down with the keyboard at the bottom) to 4 different choices happened only recently for the Kindle 2. We didn't have to do a thing. It was all taken care of in an automatic update (LOVE those automatic updates!). This relatively new Kindle 2 feature can come in handy, especially if you click a link that takes you to a website. Having the ability to choose a wider screen view makes all the difference in some instances.
The Kindle DX rotates pages automatically, and can be a bit of a pain at times. To turn off the automatic rotation and retain control, use these same instructions and choose the view you want. You can go back to auto any time.
Whenever you think a wide view is what you need:
1. Press the Text key (on the bottom row of the keyboard - has a large A with a small A next to it)
2. Toggle the 5-way switch until the display option you want is selected (there are 4 to choose from)
3. Press in on the 5-way to confirm your choice and make it happen. This view will remain until you change it.
Enjoy your new view
NOTE: I never noticed this before, but according to the latest manual, you can view Kindle Store pages only in portrait mode. I double checked and even with the screen set in Landscape mode, as soon as I went to the Kindle store, the screen politely shifted back to Portrait view. Very interesting.
The ability to change views from only one way (straight up and down with the keyboard at the bottom) to 4 different choices happened only recently for the Kindle 2. We didn't have to do a thing. It was all taken care of in an automatic update (LOVE those automatic updates!). This relatively new Kindle 2 feature can come in handy, especially if you click a link that takes you to a website. Having the ability to choose a wider screen view makes all the difference in some instances.
The Kindle DX rotates pages automatically, and can be a bit of a pain at times. To turn off the automatic rotation and retain control, use these same instructions and choose the view you want. You can go back to auto any time.
Whenever you think a wide view is what you need:
1. Press the Text key (on the bottom row of the keyboard - has a large A with a small A next to it)
2. Toggle the 5-way switch until the display option you want is selected (there are 4 to choose from)
3. Press in on the 5-way to confirm your choice and make it happen. This view will remain until you change it.
Enjoy your new view
NOTE: I never noticed this before, but according to the latest manual, you can view Kindle Store pages only in portrait mode. I double checked and even with the screen set in Landscape mode, as soon as I went to the Kindle store, the screen politely shifted back to Portrait view. Very interesting.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Many Books
Originally posted March 12, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
You might want to take your Kindle and have it beside you when you graze for FREE books at manybooks.net. These are great additions to your Kindle library. Plug your Kindle in via the USB cable and transfer away! Remember to save your book files where you can find them when the time comes to transfer them to your Kindle. I like to save my stuff on the Desktop. It makes a great staging area until you decide what to finally do with them.
The Opened Shutters
by Clara Louise Burnham
Description (from manybooks.net):
A summer haunt on an island in Casco Bay is the background for this romance. A beautiful woman, at discord with life, is brought to realize, by her new friends, that she may open the shutters of her soul to the blessed sunlight of joy by casting aside vanity and self love. A delicately humorous work with a lofty motive underlying it all.
Note: This book is not free on Amazon. I did a search for it on the Kindle and discovered it was $9.99. If you want the free version, pick it up at manybooks.net!
Captain Blood
His Odyssey by Rafael Sabatini
This one made my heart go pitty pat when I was a kid. Of course the Errol Flynn movie made the old hormones race too! Now that was a man! (sigh)
Did I mention all the books on manybooks.net are free?
The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887)
I must still have cooking on the brain, at least cooking history, because I just could not resist sharing this too.
When your Kindle folder opens, click on the Documents folder to open it. Right in in any empty white area and choose Paste. This will put a copy of your book file right in the Documents folder on your Kindle, where it needs to be. Repeat the process for each book. Disconnect your Kindle from the computer and your new books should be at the top of your Home screen with the word New next to them.
You might want to take your Kindle and have it beside you when you graze for FREE books at manybooks.net. These are great additions to your Kindle library. Plug your Kindle in via the USB cable and transfer away! Remember to save your book files where you can find them when the time comes to transfer them to your Kindle. I like to save my stuff on the Desktop. It makes a great staging area until you decide what to finally do with them.
The Opened Shutters
by Clara Louise Burnham
Description (from manybooks.net):
A summer haunt on an island in Casco Bay is the background for this romance. A beautiful woman, at discord with life, is brought to realize, by her new friends, that she may open the shutters of her soul to the blessed sunlight of joy by casting aside vanity and self love. A delicately humorous work with a lofty motive underlying it all.
Note: This book is not free on Amazon. I did a search for it on the Kindle and discovered it was $9.99. If you want the free version, pick it up at manybooks.net!
Captain Blood
His Odyssey by Rafael Sabatini
This one made my heart go pitty pat when I was a kid. Of course the Errol Flynn movie made the old hormones race too! Now that was a man! (sigh)
Did I mention all the books on manybooks.net are free?
The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887)
I must still have cooking on the brain, at least cooking history, because I just could not resist sharing this too.
Taking it to the Kindle...
Find your book file on your Desktop, right click on it and choose Copy. Then connect your Kindle to your computer with the USB cable. Once connected, you should see a window with choices appear. Choose Open folder to view files with a single left click.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Soooooo tickled!
Originally posted March 11 , 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
What a wonderful surprise! Manybooks.net has a direct link to my Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer article.
I hope it takes the mystery out of downloading for lots of folks.
Thank you ManyBooks.net!
http://manybooks.net/help/
What a wonderful surprise! Manybooks.net has a direct link to my Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer article.
I hope it takes the mystery out of downloading for lots of folks.
Thank you ManyBooks.net!
http://manybooks.net/help/
Cooking with the Kindle
Originally posted March 11, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Made Over Dishes (Kindle Edition) by S. T. (Sarah Tyson Heston) Rorer (1849-1937)
Price: Free
A reviewer gave this book 4 stars, calling it a "waste not want not cookbook," just what we can use for the times we are living in.
This book is only about 60 pages long, but what an education!
and... continuing our education, thanks to Amazon's FREE ebooks... Eat historically and live longer?
Everyday Foods in War Time (Kindle Edition) by Mary Swartz Rose (Author)
And the frosting for the cake:
Etiquette (Kindle Edition) by Emily Post (1873-1960)
There are several on Amazon that are newer (and not free). If you want a feel for behavior in the early 20th century, go for the free one. When I did my search, it was the first one listed (but this could vary). The formatting is a little rough, but certainly readable.
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get either of the cooking books now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search the Kindle store. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.
And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Made Over Dishes (Kindle Edition) by S. T. (Sarah Tyson Heston) Rorer (1849-1937)
Price: Free
A reviewer gave this book 4 stars, calling it a "waste not want not cookbook," just what we can use for the times we are living in.
This book is only about 60 pages long, but what an education!
and... continuing our education, thanks to Amazon's FREE ebooks... Eat historically and live longer?
Everyday Foods in War Time (Kindle Edition) by Mary Swartz Rose (Author)
And the frosting for the cake:
Etiquette (Kindle Edition) by Emily Post (1873-1960)
There are several on Amazon that are newer (and not free). If you want a feel for behavior in the early 20th century, go for the free one. When I did my search, it was the first one listed (but this could vary). The formatting is a little rough, but certainly readable.
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get either of the cooking books now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search the Kindle store. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.
And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
ManyBooks
Go to manybooks.net with your main computer and do an author search for Lewis Carroll. Alice and Wonderland is there for your Kindle. Just download and enjoy.
Refresh your downloading memory:
Download with Firefox
Download with Internet Explorer
Or... stay on your Kindle and toggle your 5-way switch until you see a finger pointing to this link to mnybks.net and click it by pressing the 5-way switch in. If your kindle is connected to the Internet, you will go straight to the mobile version of Manybooks.net. It is a little rougher than your main computer, but you can still search, choose books and download a Kindle version right to your little machine.
Oh... Did I mention all the books on manybooks.net are FREE? Wow!
Refresh your downloading memory:
Download with Firefox
Download with Internet Explorer
Or... stay on your Kindle and toggle your 5-way switch until you see a finger pointing to this link to mnybks.net and click it by pressing the 5-way switch in. If your kindle is connected to the Internet, you will go straight to the mobile version of Manybooks.net. It is a little rougher than your main computer, but you can still search, choose books and download a Kindle version right to your little machine.
Oh... Did I mention all the books on manybooks.net are FREE? Wow!
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Take Your Kindle to Church
Originally posted March 9, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
The Kindle travels very well, and with many versions of the Bible available free, or very inexpensive, it just makes sense to have one or more on your favorite electronic book reader.
It's kind of nice knowing the Number One Most Read Book in the world is handy for inspiration, or just plain reading. You will never lose your place with your Kindle. An additional bonus with the Kindle is that is is also searchable. And I mean quickly searchable. While the Bible is open on your Kindle, type in a phrase or word, or chapter, toggle the 5-way switch to the right until Find is highlighted. Press in on the 5-way switch to begin the search. You may see several pages of results, depending on what you are searching for. Toggle the 5-way switch up or down until the one you want is underlined. Press in on the 5-way to go to that result. You can also press the Back button to return to your search if you want to explore the possibilities more. I wish I could tell you exactly how to search, but I can't. I can say that practice will make searching easier much sooner. You can't hurt a thing with a little practice, and you will find your Kindle to be the most patient practice tool you will ever use. So, go for it! And Enjoy!
Don't have a Bible yet on your Kindle? Go to the Amazon store on your Kindle and do a search using the word Bible as your search word. You will see quite a few. Browse through them until you find a free one if you like. Or your can go to amazon.com on your computer and search the Kindle store for a Bible. Look on the right side of the search page with bibles on it, toward the top... for sorting choices.. Choose Sort by Price: Low to High. Here is a jungle-search.com search (under the Kindle Search tab) I did using just the word bible as my search word, and pricing from 0 to $2.00.
The Kindle travels very well, and with many versions of the Bible available free, or very inexpensive, it just makes sense to have one or more on your favorite electronic book reader.
It's kind of nice knowing the Number One Most Read Book in the world is handy for inspiration, or just plain reading. You will never lose your place with your Kindle. An additional bonus with the Kindle is that is is also searchable. And I mean quickly searchable. While the Bible is open on your Kindle, type in a phrase or word, or chapter, toggle the 5-way switch to the right until Find is highlighted. Press in on the 5-way switch to begin the search. You may see several pages of results, depending on what you are searching for. Toggle the 5-way switch up or down until the one you want is underlined. Press in on the 5-way to go to that result. You can also press the Back button to return to your search if you want to explore the possibilities more. I wish I could tell you exactly how to search, but I can't. I can say that practice will make searching easier much sooner. You can't hurt a thing with a little practice, and you will find your Kindle to be the most patient practice tool you will ever use. So, go for it! And Enjoy!
Don't have a Bible yet on your Kindle? Go to the Amazon store on your Kindle and do a search using the word Bible as your search word. You will see quite a few. Browse through them until you find a free one if you like. Or your can go to amazon.com on your computer and search the Kindle store for a Bible. Look on the right side of the search page with bibles on it, toward the top... for sorting choices.. Choose Sort by Price: Low to High. Here is a jungle-search.com search (under the Kindle Search tab) I did using just the word bible as my search word, and pricing from 0 to $2.00.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Free ebook alert
Originally posted March 8, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Review:
It's not just a page-turner, it's a head-turner. It's Dan Brown meets Al Gore. You can't stop reading and once you're done, you can't stop thinking about its messages. A book that bookstore employees will hand-sell to customers and those customers will then insist their friends read. --Dale Dauten, King Features
More frightening than any vision of our future, Mark Nykanen's Primitive depicts the reality of the here and now. A timely and stunning vision of what happens when true-believers clash, catching innocents in the middle. --Ed Stackler, editor of New York Times-bestselling authors Greg Iles, Ridley Pearson, Ted Dekker, and others.
Primitive captures the raw and rugged high alpine environment, a powerful, emblematic setting for this furiously-paced thriller about a mother and daughter, and the radical environmentalists who want to use them to deliver a desperate message to the world. -- --Christopher Van Tilburg, author of Mountain Rescue Doctor
This one sounds like you might not want to read in a room by yourself... in the dark... alone at night.
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get it now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted, then press in on it to search the Kindle store. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.
And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Review:
It's not just a page-turner, it's a head-turner. It's Dan Brown meets Al Gore. You can't stop reading and once you're done, you can't stop thinking about its messages. A book that bookstore employees will hand-sell to customers and those customers will then insist their friends read. --Dale Dauten, King Features
More frightening than any vision of our future, Mark Nykanen's Primitive depicts the reality of the here and now. A timely and stunning vision of what happens when true-believers clash, catching innocents in the middle. --Ed Stackler, editor of New York Times-bestselling authors Greg Iles, Ridley Pearson, Ted Dekker, and others.
Primitive captures the raw and rugged high alpine environment, a powerful, emblematic setting for this furiously-paced thriller about a mother and daughter, and the radical environmentalists who want to use them to deliver a desperate message to the world. -- --Christopher Van Tilburg, author of Mountain Rescue Doctor
This one sounds like you might not want to read in a room by yourself... in the dark... alone at night.
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get it now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted, then press in on it to search the Kindle store. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.
And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
New Free Book on Amazon
Originally posted March 8, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
This one sounds like a nice little Chick Lit book... My daughter Kelly might like this one. Heck! I probably will too!
New: $0.00
Auto-delivered wirelessly to Kindle.
If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get it now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted, then press in on it to search the Kindle store. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free before pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button if you change your mind (before you press buy).
And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
This one sounds like a nice little Chick Lit book... My daughter Kelly might like this one. Heck! I probably will too!
New: $0.00
Auto-delivered wirelessly to Kindle.
If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get it now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted, then press in on it to search the Kindle store. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free before pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button if you change your mind (before you press buy).
And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Downloading 101 – Firefox
Originally posted March 8, 2010
I have to admit, my favorite browser is Firefox, for many reasons. It is more secure, faster and less of a pain in the tail than Internet Explorer.
You don't need to remove Internet Explorer from your system if you decide to download and install Firefox. Just install it and use Firefox instead. Leave Internet Explorer alone. It won't hurt a thing to have two browsers handy. You will just find yourself using Firefox more.
If you don't have it already, you can find (and read more about) Firefox at mozilla.com. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
The first thing to do if you are new to Firefox is make sure your settings are the way you want. Here is a brief rundown on mine:
- Click the word Tools at the top of the Firefox screen, then Options. When the options window appears, click the word Tabs at the top to see your tab options. Make sure you have Always show the tab bar checked. I love tabs in Firefox. You can browse till your blue, have several tabs open (each on a different website) and still be in the same (one) window. Firefox tabs seem to be a bit less of a drain on your computer resources than the ones in Internet Explorer. In fact in the tabs option area, I have all checked except Warn me when closing multiple tabs.
- Click the word Main (special note... the new version of Firefox now says General) at the top of the options window and in the Send files to area, click the Browse button and make sure your Desktop is selected and showing in that box. That way any time you download something, it will automatically go to your Desktop. Things are so much easier to find there, and once you have decided if you want to keep whatever you downloaded permanently, you can always move it to a permanent home in a folder in your Documents area.
Find the address box at the top of the Firefox window (it has http://webaddress in it) and click in it once so the entire existing web site address is highlighted. Immediately (don't click anything else) type manybooks.net and press the Enter key on your keyboard. Browse around a bit when you get there. It is an amazing site.
When you find a book you may be interested in, click either the title or the cover image. This will take you to a special page for the book with more information. Look for the (orange) Download box to the right of this page. Just below the word Download, there is a little white box with the words select format with an arrow directly to the right. Click the little arrow to see a drop down with choices of different formats you can download this book in. Some will have more choices than others, but the formats native to the Kindle, (meaning they will work right on the Kindle without any converting) are Kindle (.azw), Mobipocket (.prc), Mobipocket (.mobi), and Plain Text (.txt). Choose the format you want to download your book in by left clicking on it once. It will replace the words select format in the little white box above.
Once you have the file format you want, click the Download button (in the same area). A new (small) window will appear. Make sure you click the little circle next to the words Save File and take a peek at the box to the right in that window and make sure Desktop is where it is going to go. When your file is finished downloading, you will see a final Downloads list window. This is just a record of all the files you have downloaded to date. I like to click the Clear List button frequently. You can X out of this window and your Firefox browser when you are finished downloading your file.
You are ready to find your file and take it to your Kindle!
Special Note: Pdf files will also work on your Kindle, but you might find they look better on the larger Kindle DX than on the smaller Kindle.
Taking it to the Kindle...
Find your book file on your Desktop, right click on it and choose Copy. Then connect your Kindle to your computer with the USB cable. Once connected, you should see a window with choices appear. Choose Open folder to view files with a single left click.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Downloading 101 – Internet Explorer
Originally posted March 7, 2010
To begin practicing, click any of the books on the front page. This will take you to a special page just for that book where you will see more information on it. If you would like to see more from that particular author, click the author's name at the top. If there are more from that author, there will be a link to a page with that author's other works listed, with links to the individual books on manybooks.net. Just below the image of the book cover, you should see a Download box with a little arrow to the right of the words select format. Click the little arrow to see the format choices (they will drop down when you left click the arrow). My personal choice is Mobipocket (.mobi) because the title stays pretty much intact, but Kindle (.azw), Mobipocket (.prc) and Plain text (.txt) are also easily used on your Kindle. Any of these four file types can be downloaded and transferred to your Kindle without conversion.
When your Kindle folder opens, click on the Documents folder to open it. Right in in any empty white area and choose Paste. This will put a copy of your book file right in the Documents folder on your Kindle, where it needs to be. Repeat the process for each book. Disconnect your Kindle from the computer and your new books should be at the top of your Home screen with the word New next to them.
Want More? If you find this helps, you can get a daily dose of helpful tips and tricks (not to mention great heads ups on free books) for your Kindle by subscribing and reading this on your little machine. Just type mrs wizard on your Kindle (no need for capital letters) and toggle your 5-way switch to the word store. Press in on the 5-way to search the store. You should see the From the Desk of Mrs. Wizard blog right away. Press in on the 5-way again to subscribe or toggle up to read more. Enjoy automatic delivery to your Kindle the first two weeks FREE!
Tomorrow: Downloading 101 - Firefox
find - download - put on Kindle
We will get a book from Manybooks.net, download it to your Desktop, then transfer it to your Kindle. Well, actually we won't. You will.
Do NOT confuse manybooks net with the same name but .com at the end of it. Whoever owns that domain name hasn't decided what to do with it yet.
Manybooks.net is a great place to find wonderful (free) books for your Kindle. You can graze for daze and never scratch the surface. It is one of my favorite watering holes.
If you have a PC, you have Internet Explorer to surf the Internet. Click the "big E" on your Desktop and you will be off and running. In the address box at the top of the Internet Explorer window, remove what is already there (http://whatever....) and type manybooks.net (no need to type the http:// stuff). Press the Enter key on your keyboard to go to the site. Browsers have come a long way in the last several years. You can type a web address without the http:// or www and your browser is smart enough to know you are typing in a web site as long as you don't forget the .net, .org or .com part... saves a lot of typing in the long run. The browser automatically puts the http:// part in so you don't have to.
When you arrive at the front page of manybooks.net, you will see there are lots of links to begin browsing with. If you know a particular title or author you would like to concentrate on, there is a search box just under the logo on the left. Click in it once (so you see a blinking cursor), then type what you are looking for and press the Enter key on your keyboard.
Left click on your file type choice. The drop down menu will disappear. Click the download button just below to begin your download. The next window you will see will be to choose to open or save the file. Choose Save by left clicking the Save button. You will then see another little window where you can choose where to put the file. I always choose Desktop because that way I don't have to go hunting for the files when I am ready. I use the Desktop as a staging area. After the files have been transferred to my Kindle, they are then either deleted or stored in a special folder in my main Documents folder, just for ebooks I have downloaded.
After you have chosen where you want to save your file, look at the bottom of that little window. You will see a File name box with the file name in it (don't change this.. just look) and you will see a File type box with the type of file in it (just look).
Click the Save button when you are satisfied all is well. The last little window you will see will tell you the download is complete. Click Close on that one and you will be ready to take your book file to your Kindle. Close your Internet Explorer browser window. You won't need it any more (unless you are going to get more books).
Taking it to the Kindle...
Find your book file on your Desktop, right click on it and choose Copy. Then connect your Kindle to your computer with the USB cable. Once connected, you should see a window with choices appear. Choose Open folder to view files with a single left click.
Want More? If you find this helps, you can get a daily dose of helpful tips and tricks (not to mention great heads ups on free books) for your Kindle by subscribing and reading this on your little machine. Just type mrs wizard on your Kindle (no need for capital letters) and toggle your 5-way switch to the word store. Press in on the 5-way to search the store. You should see the From the Desk of Mrs. Wizard blog right away. Press in on the 5-way again to subscribe or toggle up to read more. Enjoy automatic delivery to your Kindle the first two weeks FREE!
Tomorrow: Downloading 101 - Firefox
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Free book no more
Originally Posted March 6, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
I was not kidding on Thursday (March 4) when I said to check out those free books (that sounded so good) as soon as possible. Petals From The Sky is no longer free in the Amazon store. It is now $9.60. The others listed on that day are still free.
The main thing is when you type in a title and search the Amazon store, then select the book in question, you will end up on a page in the Kindle store that describes the book and states the price. If you look closely, you will see the Buy button all nice and highlighted. If you press in on the 5-way switch, the book is as good as yours. If you don't want to purchase yet, but want to read more, toggle the 5-way switch down instead of pressing in on it. This will save you an accidental purchase you would need to cancel.
I was not kidding on Thursday (March 4) when I said to check out those free books (that sounded so good) as soon as possible. Petals From The Sky is no longer free in the Amazon store. It is now $9.60. The others listed on that day are still free.
The main thing is when you type in a title and search the Amazon store, then select the book in question, you will end up on a page in the Kindle store that describes the book and states the price. If you look closely, you will see the Buy button all nice and highlighted. If you press in on the 5-way switch, the book is as good as yours. If you don't want to purchase yet, but want to read more, toggle the 5-way switch down instead of pressing in on it. This will save you an accidental purchase you would need to cancel.
Kindle File Management
Originally posted March 6, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Another way to copy files from one place to another is to left click on the file and (while holding down the left mouse button) drag it to the other window. When you have your pointer where you want to drop the file, let go of the mouse button. For some people, this can get messy. Files can be accidentally dropped in the wrong place and even lost. Using the copy and paste technique can be a neater solution.
The way to really learn something new is to practice, practice, practice! After a few times, it will be more natural.
Tomorrow: Downloading 101 -- Internet Explorer
We will get a book from Manybooks.net, download it to your Desktop, then transfer it to your Kindle. Well, actually we won't. You will.
Copying files from your computer to your Kindle doesn't need to be a personal curse. With a few basic file management and multi windows skills you can be comfortable browsing and copying files soon. The key is practice. Do it as many times as you need to be comfortable with the procedure. After all, if you want to take advantage of all the great free book resources out there in cyberspace, you need to develop certain skills, and file management is at the top of the list.
The most important part of file management is knowing exactly where your file (the little bugger) is at all times. On your computer, if you create the document yourself, it will usually end up in the Documents (or My Documents) folder, unless you save it somewhere else. Your Documents folder is pretty easy to get to by clicking the Start button on a Windows computer, then looking up and to the right for the Documents folder shortcut. Click it once to open. If it is a file you downloaded (like a nifty book from manybooks.net), I hope you downloaded it to your Desktop so it will be easy to spot and drag to your Kindle when the time is right. If you are getting nervous right about now, rest assured I will be covering Downloading from the Internet for both Internet Explorer as well as Firefox in future articles. The bottom line is, you must know where your stuff is. Pay special attention when you save a file. Take your time. Look at the little save window that comes up. It always tells you where that file is going, and it always gives you a chance (with a few mouse clicks) to put it somewhere else. It's up to you to make the choice.
I like to use my Desktop (the main computer screen) as a staging area for things I download. Then, if it is a book, it will go to the kindle, then the copy on the Desktop will be moved to a more permanent storage in another folder I have created just for books I have downloaded.
To transfer (copy) a file to your Kindle:
- Connect the Kindle to your computer with the supplied USB cable
- If you are using Windows (XP, Vista, Windows 7), a little popup window will appear asking you what you want to do... Choose Open folder to view files by left clicking those words.
- This will cause another window to appear with the folders on your Kindle showing. Look for and double click to open the Documents folder. You should see your books listed. The best view is Details. Click the word View at the top of the window, then the word Details. This way you can see your books listed alphabetically, straight down the window. Make sure this window is NOT filling your screen. You need to be able to put your mouse in the Title Bar of the window and (while holding down the left mouse button) drag it to move it. The Title Bar is the very top part of any window. You should see the title of the window you are working with in it. The X to close the window is on the same level. If your window is filling the screen you will not be able to drag it anywhere.
- Move the Kindle window out of the way and find the book file you want to put on it.
- Right click on the book file and choose the word (single left click) Copy.
- Move your mouse pointer to the Kindle Documents folder and right click in an empty white area inside that folder. Choose Paste.
- You should see your book file listed in your Kindle folder now. Disconnect your Kindle and your new book should be listed at the top of your Home page.
Another way to copy files from one place to another is to left click on the file and (while holding down the left mouse button) drag it to the other window. When you have your pointer where you want to drop the file, let go of the mouse button. For some people, this can get messy. Files can be accidentally dropped in the wrong place and even lost. Using the copy and paste technique can be a neater solution.
The way to really learn something new is to practice, practice, practice! After a few times, it will be more natural.
Tomorrow: Downloading 101 -- Internet Explorer
We will get a book from Manybooks.net, download it to your Desktop, then transfer it to your Kindle. Well, actually we won't. You will.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Four New Free books on Amazon
Originally posted March 5, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
These four (found with jungle-search.com) sounded great and the price ain't too bad either -- Great for your GRS (gonna read soon) stack. It is a good idea to go ahead and "purchase" these free books as soon as you see them. They may not be free for long. The first Melody Carlson book I read was a freebie from Amazon... It was the first in the I Heart Bloomberg series, not a genre I would normally read, and of course got both my daughter and myself totally hooked so we purchased the other three in the series. That first book is no longer free, but because it was for a while, we have gone on to purchase other books Melody Carlson has written. Great Marketing tool... free books.
If you are reading this on your Kindle, it will be easier to just type a title you want to see with the keyboard at the bottom of your Kindle screen... then toggle your little 5-way to the right until Store is highlighted... then press in on the 5-way to go there. Before you select the book, make sure it is still free. Things change, sometimes quickly, especially in the Amazon freebies. When your book is on it way, press your Back button to get back to this article... then you can do a search for the next one.
Petals From the Sky
Product Description:
From the acclaimed author of Peach Blossom Pavilion comes a lush and lyrical novel of East and West--and of one young woman's search for her heart's true calling. . .
When twenty-year-old Meng Ning declares that she wants to be a Buddhist nun, her mother is aghast. In her eyes, a nun's life means only deprivation--"no freedom, no love, no meat." But to Meng Ning, it means the chance to control her own destiny, and to live in an oasis of music, art, and poetry far from her parents' unhappy union.
With an enigmatic nun known as Yi Kong, "Depending on Emptiness," as her mentor, Meng Ning spends the next ten years studying abroad, disdaining men, and preparing to enter the nunnery. Then, a fire breaks out at her Buddhist retreat, and Meng Ning is carried to safety by Michael Fuller, a young American doctor. The unprecedented physical contact stirs her curiosity. And as their tentative friendship grows intimate, Meng Ning realizes she must choose between the sensual and the spiritual life.
From the austere beauty of China's Buddhist temples to the whirlwind of Manhattan's social elite, and the brilliant bustle of Paris and Hong Kong, here is a novel of joy and heartbreak--and of the surprising paths that lead us where we most need to be.
Booth's Sister
Product Description:
"My brother killed Abraham Lincoln. That is my weight, my shame. While he remained at large, I was held captive in my home. I should have told the soldiers who came with guns drawn and bayonets at the ready this true thing: I might have stopped him, for I harbored him and kept his secrets. I was a pie safe locked tight and guilty as he." Asia Booth Clarke was twenty-nine years old and pregnant when Union soldiers and Federal detectives stormed her Philadelphia home in search of her assassin-brother. John Wilkes Booth's older sister had grown up in one of America's most notoriously troubled but spectacularly acclaimed acting families. "Johnny" and Edwin, her handsome brothers, were the matinee idols of the era. When John Wilkes Booth's crime left the nation in furious mourning and the Booth family under a dark cloud of accusation, it was Asia who bore the brunt. Booth's Sister was inspired by Asia Booth Clarke's personal memoirs. Author, Civil War scholar and storyteller Jane Singer has masterfully imagined the family dynamics and intimate dilemmas that led to one of America's most fateful crimes and left a sister's life in shambles.
The Someday List
Product Description:
Rachelle Covington has it all. A fabulous home, a handsome and prestigious husband, two beautiful children, and a place in the upper crust that's quite comfortable. But her life is not all it's cracked up to be. When her husband goes away on business trip and the kids are sent off to the grandparents for a month, Rachelle takes up the challenge of a dying friend to start a list of things to do before she dies. She heads back to Jubilant, Texas, to reconnect with her past, her purpose, and herself. But when her ex shows up in town looking very fine and very single, Rachelle must confront feelings she thought she'd long buried. Will she give up everything to recover the past? Or will she find a reason to plan for the future? The Someday List is an honest look at what makes us who we are and what can throw us off track. Author Stacy Hawkins Adams writes with a voice that is fresh, sincere, and completely real. Her characters jump off the page and into her readers' hearts.
As Young As We Feel (oh Lord... Another Melody Carlson)
Product Description:
Once upon a time in the little town on the Oregon coast, there were four Lindas—all in the same first-grade classroom. So they decided to go by their middle names. And form a club. And be friends forever. But that was 47 years and four lives ago. Now a class reunion has brought them all—the New York lawyer, the empty nester, the frustrated artist, and the aging starlet—together again in their old hometown, at a crossroads in their lives. They’re about to explore the invigorating reality that even the most eventful life has second acts…and there’s no statute of limitations on friendship.
These four (found with jungle-search.com) sounded great and the price ain't too bad either -- Great for your GRS (gonna read soon) stack. It is a good idea to go ahead and "purchase" these free books as soon as you see them. They may not be free for long. The first Melody Carlson book I read was a freebie from Amazon... It was the first in the I Heart Bloomberg series, not a genre I would normally read, and of course got both my daughter and myself totally hooked so we purchased the other three in the series. That first book is no longer free, but because it was for a while, we have gone on to purchase other books Melody Carlson has written. Great Marketing tool... free books.
If you are reading this on your Kindle, it will be easier to just type a title you want to see with the keyboard at the bottom of your Kindle screen... then toggle your little 5-way to the right until Store is highlighted... then press in on the 5-way to go there. Before you select the book, make sure it is still free. Things change, sometimes quickly, especially in the Amazon freebies. When your book is on it way, press your Back button to get back to this article... then you can do a search for the next one.
Petals From the Sky
Product Description:
From the acclaimed author of Peach Blossom Pavilion comes a lush and lyrical novel of East and West--and of one young woman's search for her heart's true calling. . .
When twenty-year-old Meng Ning declares that she wants to be a Buddhist nun, her mother is aghast. In her eyes, a nun's life means only deprivation--"no freedom, no love, no meat." But to Meng Ning, it means the chance to control her own destiny, and to live in an oasis of music, art, and poetry far from her parents' unhappy union.
With an enigmatic nun known as Yi Kong, "Depending on Emptiness," as her mentor, Meng Ning spends the next ten years studying abroad, disdaining men, and preparing to enter the nunnery. Then, a fire breaks out at her Buddhist retreat, and Meng Ning is carried to safety by Michael Fuller, a young American doctor. The unprecedented physical contact stirs her curiosity. And as their tentative friendship grows intimate, Meng Ning realizes she must choose between the sensual and the spiritual life.
From the austere beauty of China's Buddhist temples to the whirlwind of Manhattan's social elite, and the brilliant bustle of Paris and Hong Kong, here is a novel of joy and heartbreak--and of the surprising paths that lead us where we most need to be.
Booth's Sister
Product Description:
"My brother killed Abraham Lincoln. That is my weight, my shame. While he remained at large, I was held captive in my home. I should have told the soldiers who came with guns drawn and bayonets at the ready this true thing: I might have stopped him, for I harbored him and kept his secrets. I was a pie safe locked tight and guilty as he." Asia Booth Clarke was twenty-nine years old and pregnant when Union soldiers and Federal detectives stormed her Philadelphia home in search of her assassin-brother. John Wilkes Booth's older sister had grown up in one of America's most notoriously troubled but spectacularly acclaimed acting families. "Johnny" and Edwin, her handsome brothers, were the matinee idols of the era. When John Wilkes Booth's crime left the nation in furious mourning and the Booth family under a dark cloud of accusation, it was Asia who bore the brunt. Booth's Sister was inspired by Asia Booth Clarke's personal memoirs. Author, Civil War scholar and storyteller Jane Singer has masterfully imagined the family dynamics and intimate dilemmas that led to one of America's most fateful crimes and left a sister's life in shambles.
The Someday List
Product Description:
Rachelle Covington has it all. A fabulous home, a handsome and prestigious husband, two beautiful children, and a place in the upper crust that's quite comfortable. But her life is not all it's cracked up to be. When her husband goes away on business trip and the kids are sent off to the grandparents for a month, Rachelle takes up the challenge of a dying friend to start a list of things to do before she dies. She heads back to Jubilant, Texas, to reconnect with her past, her purpose, and herself. But when her ex shows up in town looking very fine and very single, Rachelle must confront feelings she thought she'd long buried. Will she give up everything to recover the past? Or will she find a reason to plan for the future? The Someday List is an honest look at what makes us who we are and what can throw us off track. Author Stacy Hawkins Adams writes with a voice that is fresh, sincere, and completely real. Her characters jump off the page and into her readers' hearts.
As Young As We Feel (oh Lord... Another Melody Carlson)
Product Description:
Once upon a time in the little town on the Oregon coast, there were four Lindas—all in the same first-grade classroom. So they decided to go by their middle names. And form a club. And be friends forever. But that was 47 years and four lives ago. Now a class reunion has brought them all—the New York lawyer, the empty nester, the frustrated artist, and the aging starlet—together again in their old hometown, at a crossroads in their lives. They’re about to explore the invigorating reality that even the most eventful life has second acts…and there’s no statute of limitations on friendship.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Asleep and Awake
Originally posted March 4, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Kindle 1, to put to sleep press the Alt and the Text key at the same time... press the same keys to wake it upAnother way to put your Kindle to "sleep" is to simply leave it alone. It will put itself into the sleep mode all by itself after a time of inactivity (about 10 minutes?)
Kindle 2 and DX, to put to sleep, slide the top switch to the right, then let go... same to wake it up.
To turn the Kindle completely off, slide and hold the top switch for several seconds until you see your Kindle go off. There really isn't any need to turn it completely off unless you need to reset it for one reason or another. The only time the Kindle actually uses any power is when you are "turning" pages, or using the Whispernet. I can't tell you (or remember) the last time I turned mine off completely... makes me nervous just thinking about it.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Sharing a Kindle
Originally posted March 3, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Sharing a Kindle with a family member in the same household is very easy to do if you are each reading a different book. The most recently added or opened books are (by default) listed at the top on the home page. Toggle the 5-way switch to the book you want to read (it will be underlined) and press in on it (think of that 5-way button doing double duty as an Enter key). The Kindle will always take you to the last page you were reading when you last opened the book. It's magic.
Sharing the same book on the same Kindle can be a little tricky, but with a few organizational skills, it is certainly possible. At the bottom of every Kindle page, you will see the Location bar. Depending on which Kindle you have, you can also tell how far you are into your book. On the Kindle 1, there were dots at the bottom of the pages for the progress indicator. I had to smile the other day when my daughter Kelly told me she only had a few dots left on her book and she really didn't want it to end. I am so glad that Kindle 1 is still getting the love and attention it deserves. The Kindle 2 and Kindle DX show the status of your books in the same location, only instead of dots, you see a thin bar across the bottom of the page and the percentage of the book you have read so far.
The Location Numbers Location Numbers are the great equalizer at the bottom of any Kindle screen, including the screens for the Kindle IPod/Touch and PC software. These tell you exactly where you are in a book. The first number is where you are at that moment. The last number is the end of the book. When you are reading a book, make a note of the location number when you are finished for the time being. If your spouse is reading the same book, chances are you will see a different location number at the bottom when you pick up the Kindle again. To quickly get back to your place (and your reading), press the Menu button, then toggle the 5-way down until Go to Location is underlined. Press in on the 5-way. You will see a place to type appear at the bottom of the screen. Type in the number of your location, press in on the 5-way and you will be where you need to be.
Special Note: It might not be a bad idea to make a note of your partner in reading's location number... just in case...
Sharing a Kindle with a family member in the same household is very easy to do if you are each reading a different book. The most recently added or opened books are (by default) listed at the top on the home page. Toggle the 5-way switch to the book you want to read (it will be underlined) and press in on it (think of that 5-way button doing double duty as an Enter key). The Kindle will always take you to the last page you were reading when you last opened the book. It's magic.
Sharing the same book on the same Kindle can be a little tricky, but with a few organizational skills, it is certainly possible. At the bottom of every Kindle page, you will see the Location bar. Depending on which Kindle you have, you can also tell how far you are into your book. On the Kindle 1, there were dots at the bottom of the pages for the progress indicator. I had to smile the other day when my daughter Kelly told me she only had a few dots left on her book and she really didn't want it to end. I am so glad that Kindle 1 is still getting the love and attention it deserves. The Kindle 2 and Kindle DX show the status of your books in the same location, only instead of dots, you see a thin bar across the bottom of the page and the percentage of the book you have read so far.
The Location Numbers Location Numbers are the great equalizer at the bottom of any Kindle screen, including the screens for the Kindle IPod/Touch and PC software. These tell you exactly where you are in a book. The first number is where you are at that moment. The last number is the end of the book. When you are reading a book, make a note of the location number when you are finished for the time being. If your spouse is reading the same book, chances are you will see a different location number at the bottom when you pick up the Kindle again. To quickly get back to your place (and your reading), press the Menu button, then toggle the 5-way down until Go to Location is underlined. Press in on the 5-way. You will see a place to type appear at the bottom of the screen. Type in the number of your location, press in on the 5-way and you will be where you need to be.
Special Note: It might not be a bad idea to make a note of your partner in reading's location number... just in case...
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Free Ebook site
Originally posted March 2, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
While reading blogs on your Kindle is a great way to keep up and learn something constructive, it helps to keep your favorite blogs in your bookmarks or favorites in your Internet browser too. This way you can be sure to be able to take extra advantage of external links and get even more out of the blog. Here is a link to mine, as well as my two (other) favorite Kindle blogs.
From the Desk of Mrs. Wizard - http://mrswizard.blogspot.com/
And two guys I am looking forward to getting to know better...
Kindle Nation Daily - http://kindlehomepage.blogspot.com/ (Stephen Windwalker ... love that name... and reading his stuff daily)
I Love My Kindle - http://ilmk.wordpress.com/ (I learned about jungle-search.com from Bufo Calvin)
Write them down if you like, then you can have us on your Kindle AND your browser. Double the pleasure... Double the fun!
I found this link on Stephen Windwalker's blog, Kindle Nation Daily. It is great to read him on my Kindle every day! I was scanning through his blog on the Internet and happened to notice on the right side of his blog page what looked like a resource I had not seen before for relatively new free ebooks. I clicked and had one of those OMG moments... Thank you Stephen! Here is the link to Inkmesh. You will LOVE exploring this site! I liked it so much I added it to the Kindle resources section of my resources page on mrswizard.com (in the Links section on the left ... the word Resources). Oh yea!
So many great books out there! It is so easy to find a satisfying read for less than $10. Why would anyone want (or need) to pay more for recreational reading?
While reading blogs on your Kindle is a great way to keep up and learn something constructive, it helps to keep your favorite blogs in your bookmarks or favorites in your Internet browser too. This way you can be sure to be able to take extra advantage of external links and get even more out of the blog. Here is a link to mine, as well as my two (other) favorite Kindle blogs.
From the Desk of Mrs. Wizard - http://mrswizard.blogspot.com/
And two guys I am looking forward to getting to know better...
Kindle Nation Daily - http://kindlehomepage.blogspot.com/ (Stephen Windwalker ... love that name... and reading his stuff daily)
I Love My Kindle - http://ilmk.wordpress.com/ (I learned about jungle-search.com from Bufo Calvin)
Write them down if you like, then you can have us on your Kindle AND your browser. Double the pleasure... Double the fun!
I found this link on Stephen Windwalker's blog, Kindle Nation Daily. It is great to read him on my Kindle every day! I was scanning through his blog on the Internet and happened to notice on the right side of his blog page what looked like a resource I had not seen before for relatively new free ebooks. I clicked and had one of those OMG moments... Thank you Stephen! Here is the link to Inkmesh. You will LOVE exploring this site! I liked it so much I added it to the Kindle resources section of my resources page on mrswizard.com (in the Links section on the left ... the word Resources). Oh yea!
So many great books out there! It is so easy to find a satisfying read for less than $10. Why would anyone want (or need) to pay more for recreational reading?
Home Screen Quickie
Originally posted March 2, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
How about this, dear reader?
You turn on your Kindle and the first thing you see is your home screen. You have 10 "pages" of titles.
Instead of hitting the Next Page button over and over, go to a specific page by pressing the number 1, then pressing the Enter key (the 5-way toggle switch) in.
Say you have your titles sorted by Title or Author... press any letter on the keyboard and go straight to all the titles or authors beginning with that letter.
Nifty huh?
Of course any time you want to go back to sorting your titles by date with the most recent first, move your toggle switch to the top of the home screen, then toggle to the right or left until Most Recent First is underlined... then press in on the Enter key.
How about this, dear reader?
You turn on your Kindle and the first thing you see is your home screen. You have 10 "pages" of titles.
Instead of hitting the Next Page button over and over, go to a specific page by pressing the number 1, then pressing the Enter key (the 5-way toggle switch) in.
Say you have your titles sorted by Title or Author... press any letter on the keyboard and go straight to all the titles or authors beginning with that letter.
Nifty huh?
Of course any time you want to go back to sorting your titles by date with the most recent first, move your toggle switch to the top of the home screen, then toggle to the right or left until Most Recent First is underlined... then press in on the Enter key.
Sorting the Home Screen
Originally posted March 2, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
The Home Screen is the first thing you see when you turn on or wake up your Kindle. It is a list of all the content on your little machine, including books, magazines, blogs, personal files, pdf files and even audio books. Think of it as your personal bookshelf on your Kindle. It is also the starting screen for some of your more interesting menu choices.
You can get to your Home Screen at any time by pressing the Home button, clearly marked on the right side of your Kindle. If your list is becoming a little over the top and making you anxious when you look at it, it may be time to do a little sorting to take back control.
Your Home Screen is (by default), sorted with the most recently accessed or received item at the top. There are other options you may want to utilize from time to time. You can always choose to sort by date again. Here's how you can check out the Sort Options for your Kindle:
The Home Screen is the first thing you see when you turn on or wake up your Kindle. It is a list of all the content on your little machine, including books, magazines, blogs, personal files, pdf files and even audio books. Think of it as your personal bookshelf on your Kindle. It is also the starting screen for some of your more interesting menu choices.
- Press the Home button (if you're not already there)
- Toggle the 5-way switch up or down until Show and Sort Options are underlined (almost at the top of the screen)
- Toggle 5-way to the right or left to see choices. Stop when the choice you want is underlined.
- Press in on 5-way switch to make it happen (remember you can always put it back the way it was by choosing sort by date.
Monday, March 01, 2010
Amazon Archives
Originally posted March 1, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
It is amazing how many books you can get on a Kindle. You have potentially an entire library of thousands of books on your little machine, and there are quite a few places, besides amazon.com you can pick up really good free books, not to mention all the books (free and otherwise) available on Amazon just dying to be chosen for your Kindle.
In future posts, I will be going over various ways to download from some of these places, and how to store these extra goodies... on and off your Kindle, but today I want to share a little information about the Archived Items on your Kindle. This is a link to a special place in cyberspace where Amazon stores all the ebooks you purchase from them. This includes all those free books on Amazon you can't resist getting because they (1) sound really great, (2) you want to include them in your library, or (3) you plan to read them real soon.
These books can add up after a while, and while you have plenty of space on your Kindle, the sheer number of pages on your Kindle Home screen to navigate to find a title can become a little unruly. I've got about 12 pages of book titles listed on my Kindle and it can be pretty overwhelming at times. What I do to keep the list pared down (at least a little) is remove books as I read them from the Kindle itself. To delete a book from your Kindle, turn it on so the Home page is showing. Use the 5-way switch to toggle down or up until the book you want to remove is underlined. Toggle the switch to the left and you will see the words remove from device if it is a book you purchased from Amazon. Press the switch in to make it happen.
Special Note: Deleting a book you did not purchase from Amazon is the same. The only difference is when you toggle the switch to the left, instead of seeing the words remove from device, you will see the word delete. Press in on the 5-way to make it happen. You will also need to press in once more to confirm you really want to delete this book. That is because Amazon does NOT archive personal files (and that is what any books you get somewhere other than Amazon are considered). Your personal files and books should be backed up on your own computer.
If you remove a book from your Kindle that was purchased (or free) from Amazon, it is only removed from your Kindle. Since you got it from Amazon in the first place, they will keep it for you in your special cyberspace archive area as long as you want to keep it there. To access the View Archived Items area with your Kindle, press the Home button so your list of books is displayed. Toggle the 5-way switch down until View Archived Items is underlined. Press in on the switch to go to your personal Archived Items area on amazon.com. Oh... Your Internet connection does need to be turned on your Kindle do do this.
Once you are in the Archives area, use the Next Page and Previous Page buttons on your Kindle to browse your titles. If you want to put the book back on your Kindle, just find it in the Archived Items area, move the 5-way switch till it is underlined, then press in on the switch. Your book will be resent to your Kindle.
Is that great or what?!
It is amazing how many books you can get on a Kindle. You have potentially an entire library of thousands of books on your little machine, and there are quite a few places, besides amazon.com you can pick up really good free books, not to mention all the books (free and otherwise) available on Amazon just dying to be chosen for your Kindle.
In future posts, I will be going over various ways to download from some of these places, and how to store these extra goodies... on and off your Kindle, but today I want to share a little information about the Archived Items on your Kindle. This is a link to a special place in cyberspace where Amazon stores all the ebooks you purchase from them. This includes all those free books on Amazon you can't resist getting because they (1) sound really great, (2) you want to include them in your library, or (3) you plan to read them real soon.
These books can add up after a while, and while you have plenty of space on your Kindle, the sheer number of pages on your Kindle Home screen to navigate to find a title can become a little unruly. I've got about 12 pages of book titles listed on my Kindle and it can be pretty overwhelming at times. What I do to keep the list pared down (at least a little) is remove books as I read them from the Kindle itself. To delete a book from your Kindle, turn it on so the Home page is showing. Use the 5-way switch to toggle down or up until the book you want to remove is underlined. Toggle the switch to the left and you will see the words remove from device if it is a book you purchased from Amazon. Press the switch in to make it happen.
Special Note: Deleting a book you did not purchase from Amazon is the same. The only difference is when you toggle the switch to the left, instead of seeing the words remove from device, you will see the word delete. Press in on the 5-way to make it happen. You will also need to press in once more to confirm you really want to delete this book. That is because Amazon does NOT archive personal files (and that is what any books you get somewhere other than Amazon are considered). Your personal files and books should be backed up on your own computer.
If you remove a book from your Kindle that was purchased (or free) from Amazon, it is only removed from your Kindle. Since you got it from Amazon in the first place, they will keep it for you in your special cyberspace archive area as long as you want to keep it there. To access the View Archived Items area with your Kindle, press the Home button so your list of books is displayed. Toggle the 5-way switch down until View Archived Items is underlined. Press in on the switch to go to your personal Archived Items area on amazon.com. Oh... Your Internet connection does need to be turned on your Kindle do do this.
Once you are in the Archives area, use the Next Page and Previous Page buttons on your Kindle to browse your titles. If you want to put the book back on your Kindle, just find it in the Archived Items area, move the 5-way switch till it is underlined, then press in on the switch. Your book will be resent to your Kindle.
Is that great or what?!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Need an extra Kindle?
Originally posted February 28, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
If you have an IPhone, ITouch, or a Blackberry, you have an extra Kindle reader. You just need to find the proper app, download it and install it. The best way is to do it from the device itself. I don't have a Blackberry, but I do have an ITouch. I use it for all sorts of things, listening to audible.com audio books, checking email at night (using the wireless network) when the house computers are turned off, and reading books when I want something really small in my hand.
With the ITouch, you need to be able to connect to the Internet, touch the App Store button and do a search for Kindle. That will take you to the app store where you can choose to download and install it on your little machine. Once installed, open the app and log in with your Amazon account. This will also set it up as an extra Kindle device tied to your account. You will have access to all the books you have purchased on Amazon. Like other apps installed on your ITouch/IPhone, it will look for updates automatically whenever you are connected to the Internet, so you will always have the latest and greatest.
The Kindle for ITouch app isn't a Kindle killer. It won't do everything your Kindle will do, but it can be a pretty good addition to your e-reader arsenal. Some don't like reading on the ITouch, they think it is too small and the back-lit screen is hard on the eyes. I don't have a problem with it. I can go between my ITouch or a regular Kindle with no problems at all. Actually it can be more discreet when it comes to sneaking your favorite book into the bathroom. Just tuck that sucker into your pocket. No one needs to know you are carrying your "library" with you. Of course they may suspect when you end up in there an ungodly long time.
If you have a book on your Kindle and want to read it on your ITouch/IPhone, it will synchronize the last page read between devices, as though it is a regular Kindle. I like this... You can choose to not synch if you are sharing a book with another family member too. Lately I have been reading the I Heart Bloomberg series on my ITouch and since Kelly finished them already, my ITouch wanted to synchronize to the end of the book on "Kelly's Kindle." Kinda felt like a little stalker there for a while... My little ITouch Kindle was telling me where my daughter was on her machine. Of course you can choose not to synchronize too, which is what I did in that instance. Nifty huh?
You can get free book samples sent right to your ITouch/IPod Kindle. It is a "send to" choice when you are shopping on Amazon in the Kindle store. If you can connect to the Internet with your ITouch/IPod, you can also access your book archives on Amazon.
From what I understand so far, you are allowed up to 6 devices on your Amazon Kindle account. This seems to be plenty for us right now, but I can see where I would be happier if the number were higher. We have four computers in this house, one is a Macbook. I already have the (free) Kindle for PC app on my main computer, but if I add it to my Mac (and I would love to, just to test and see for myself), that will bring me up to my limit of 6 devices (Kindle 1, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, PC and ITouch). When a new Kindle appears, I know I will want one, and that will bring me up to 6, unless I want to start thinning out my old Kindles or remove the software from the PC). Oh well, I will cross that little bridge when I get to it and let you know. I DO love these little machines!
If you have an IPhone, ITouch, or a Blackberry, you have an extra Kindle reader. You just need to find the proper app, download it and install it. The best way is to do it from the device itself. I don't have a Blackberry, but I do have an ITouch. I use it for all sorts of things, listening to audible.com audio books, checking email at night (using the wireless network) when the house computers are turned off, and reading books when I want something really small in my hand.
With the ITouch, you need to be able to connect to the Internet, touch the App Store button and do a search for Kindle. That will take you to the app store where you can choose to download and install it on your little machine. Once installed, open the app and log in with your Amazon account. This will also set it up as an extra Kindle device tied to your account. You will have access to all the books you have purchased on Amazon. Like other apps installed on your ITouch/IPhone, it will look for updates automatically whenever you are connected to the Internet, so you will always have the latest and greatest.
The Kindle for ITouch app isn't a Kindle killer. It won't do everything your Kindle will do, but it can be a pretty good addition to your e-reader arsenal. Some don't like reading on the ITouch, they think it is too small and the back-lit screen is hard on the eyes. I don't have a problem with it. I can go between my ITouch or a regular Kindle with no problems at all. Actually it can be more discreet when it comes to sneaking your favorite book into the bathroom. Just tuck that sucker into your pocket. No one needs to know you are carrying your "library" with you. Of course they may suspect when you end up in there an ungodly long time.
If you have a book on your Kindle and want to read it on your ITouch/IPhone, it will synchronize the last page read between devices, as though it is a regular Kindle. I like this... You can choose to not synch if you are sharing a book with another family member too. Lately I have been reading the I Heart Bloomberg series on my ITouch and since Kelly finished them already, my ITouch wanted to synchronize to the end of the book on "Kelly's Kindle." Kinda felt like a little stalker there for a while... My little ITouch Kindle was telling me where my daughter was on her machine. Of course you can choose not to synchronize too, which is what I did in that instance. Nifty huh?
You can get free book samples sent right to your ITouch/IPod Kindle. It is a "send to" choice when you are shopping on Amazon in the Kindle store. If you can connect to the Internet with your ITouch/IPod, you can also access your book archives on Amazon.
From what I understand so far, you are allowed up to 6 devices on your Amazon Kindle account. This seems to be plenty for us right now, but I can see where I would be happier if the number were higher. We have four computers in this house, one is a Macbook. I already have the (free) Kindle for PC app on my main computer, but if I add it to my Mac (and I would love to, just to test and see for myself), that will bring me up to my limit of 6 devices (Kindle 1, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, PC and ITouch). When a new Kindle appears, I know I will want one, and that will bring me up to 6, unless I want to start thinning out my old Kindles or remove the software from the PC). Oh well, I will cross that little bridge when I get to it and let you know. I DO love these little machines!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
About Mrs. Wizard
Originally posted February 27, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Cindy O'Neal has been writing under the name of Mrs. Wizard since 1992. Her personal website, mrswizard.com is a collection of her writing, software reviews, and a celebration of all things Windows and Computers, with a little Mac advice thrown in. Bottom line? If she has played with it, used it or loved it, and it has anything to do with computers, she likes to share it. She has been (and still is) a personal trainer for people who want to make friends with their computers, or special software in a non-threatening, very user friendly way. Her attitude is, if she can do it, you can too! You just need to want to.
She has had a Kindle since the first version was out, embracing the technology with both hands. She couldn't resist the Kindle 2 or the DX and gave the Kindle 1 to her daughter Kelly hoping to "kindle" the same joy of reading in her. It has certainly worked with the latest Melody Carlson Bloomberg series. Mother and daughter both have enjoyed every word and are looking forward to more of Ms Carlson's goodies and that Kindle 1 is hanging in like a champ.
From the Desk of... Mrs. Wizard began as an extension of mrswizard.com, morphed into a personal blog with a computer twist, and now has settled into a way for her to share her experiences and love of the Amazon Kindle. The goal of this blog will be to present you, dear reader with a daily, down and dirty, short and helpful tip or trick for your Kindle. You may not have time (or the inclination) to go through the owners manual, but with a short and sweet something every day in this blog, you will learn a lot. When she learns something new or exciting, she will share it with you, especially the best places she can find to dig for more FREE books and her other favorite resources. Here's hoping you have many wonderful hours with your Kindle!
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Wizard (aka Cindy O'Neal)
Cindy O'Neal has been writing under the name of Mrs. Wizard since 1992. Her personal website, mrswizard.com is a collection of her writing, software reviews, and a celebration of all things Windows and Computers, with a little Mac advice thrown in. Bottom line? If she has played with it, used it or loved it, and it has anything to do with computers, she likes to share it. She has been (and still is) a personal trainer for people who want to make friends with their computers, or special software in a non-threatening, very user friendly way. Her attitude is, if she can do it, you can too! You just need to want to.
She has had a Kindle since the first version was out, embracing the technology with both hands. She couldn't resist the Kindle 2 or the DX and gave the Kindle 1 to her daughter Kelly hoping to "kindle" the same joy of reading in her. It has certainly worked with the latest Melody Carlson Bloomberg series. Mother and daughter both have enjoyed every word and are looking forward to more of Ms Carlson's goodies and that Kindle 1 is hanging in like a champ.
From the Desk of... Mrs. Wizard began as an extension of mrswizard.com, morphed into a personal blog with a computer twist, and now has settled into a way for her to share her experiences and love of the Amazon Kindle. The goal of this blog will be to present you, dear reader with a daily, down and dirty, short and helpful tip or trick for your Kindle. You may not have time (or the inclination) to go through the owners manual, but with a short and sweet something every day in this blog, you will learn a lot. When she learns something new or exciting, she will share it with you, especially the best places she can find to dig for more FREE books and her other favorite resources. Here's hoping you have many wonderful hours with your Kindle!
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Wizard (aka Cindy O'Neal)
Series books
Originally posted February 27, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Some of the best reads I have found have been part of a series. If you find an author you just LOVE, you may want to start at the beginning of a series of books and read them in order. The problem sometimes is being able to quickly find a list of the author's work and the order a series may be in.
An easy way is to look up the author in question on Wikipedia. It is a great resource to look up authors and you can end up with just the information you need.
For example, I did a Wiki search for Christine Feehan. She writes the neatest vampire/romance series. I went through every one of her books (several times). When the Wiki page appears, look toward the top (on the left) for a clickable table of contents box. You will see any series books the author has done under the Bibliography heading. You can either click a series by name and instantly "jump" to that area or you can scroll down the page a bit and get to it that way. If the author has been around a while, Wikipedia should have lots of great information, certainly enough to get you started on a series in the proper order.
Jolene, a new Kindle buddy, told me about a place called fictfact.com. I went to the website to give it a try and was favorable impressed. It is totally dedicated to tracking fiction book series. You do need to register (free) and create a user id and password in order to use it properly, but registering was pretty quick and easy.
I did check the Feehan series and it looked as though FictFact was missing a couple of the last books, but just browsing through the site introduced me to authors I hadn't even heard of yet, and added to my future reading list (of course). It is certainly a place to bookmark as a valuable resource. So many books... so little time! Never ending stories! Geez!
Some of the best reads I have found have been part of a series. If you find an author you just LOVE, you may want to start at the beginning of a series of books and read them in order. The problem sometimes is being able to quickly find a list of the author's work and the order a series may be in.
An easy way is to look up the author in question on Wikipedia. It is a great resource to look up authors and you can end up with just the information you need.
Jolene, a new Kindle buddy, told me about a place called fictfact.com. I went to the website to give it a try and was favorable impressed. It is totally dedicated to tracking fiction book series. You do need to register (free) and create a user id and password in order to use it properly, but registering was pretty quick and easy.
I did check the Feehan series and it looked as though FictFact was missing a couple of the last books, but just browsing through the site introduced me to authors I hadn't even heard of yet, and added to my future reading list (of course). It is certainly a place to bookmark as a valuable resource. So many books... so little time! Never ending stories! Geez!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Googling with your Kindle
Originally posted February 26, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
A successful Google search all depends on what words you use. Make it short and sweet and to the point. The Kindle is a great search tool. It's Whispernet connection is good just about anywhere. If you have your Kindle handy, you have access to Google.
Just for giggles, grab your Kindle and turn it on. Type these words...
recipe chocolate chip cookies
...just like that... no punctuation, no capital letters, just the words.
Then toggle the 5-way controller switch to the right until Google is highlighted. Press in the 5-way switch and give your Kindle a few seconds... Is this not the neatest thing since homemade bread or what? Use the Next Page or Prev Page buttons to see your choices. Use the 5-way controller (up or down) to select the recipe link you want to peruse. Press in on it to make your selection. Then prop your Kindle up on the kitchen counter and go for it!
You don't need a fancy recipe book when you have the entire Internet in your hands.
There are only these few steps to searching Google with your Kindle. If you aren't satisfied with your first results, type in a different set of words. You will be searching like a pro in no time. If you would like to go beyond the basics in the searching arena, try these words for your next Kindle/Google search...
google search tips
Life is good!
A successful Google search all depends on what words you use. Make it short and sweet and to the point. The Kindle is a great search tool. It's Whispernet connection is good just about anywhere. If you have your Kindle handy, you have access to Google.
Just for giggles, grab your Kindle and turn it on. Type these words...
recipe chocolate chip cookies
...just like that... no punctuation, no capital letters, just the words.
Then toggle the 5-way controller switch to the right until Google is highlighted. Press in the 5-way switch and give your Kindle a few seconds... Is this not the neatest thing since homemade bread or what? Use the Next Page or Prev Page buttons to see your choices. Use the 5-way controller (up or down) to select the recipe link you want to peruse. Press in on it to make your selection. Then prop your Kindle up on the kitchen counter and go for it!
You don't need a fancy recipe book when you have the entire Internet in your hands.
There are only these few steps to searching Google with your Kindle. If you aren't satisfied with your first results, type in a different set of words. You will be searching like a pro in no time. If you would like to go beyond the basics in the searching arena, try these words for your next Kindle/Google search...
google search tips
Life is good!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wiki Searching on the Kindle
Originally posted February 25, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Road trip vacations can be great fun, especially if you take your kindle and let your "other half" drive in peace. Our last trip was great; hubby drove and I read lots of good stuff on the Kindle (and didn't back seat drive). It was a fantasy trip as far as hubbys are concerned.
Every now and then, we would have a conversation about one thing or another. It happens. And questions would come up, like ... is Mickey Rooney still working? or is he retired? Sometimes it would be something that would eat at us mercilessly until we could find the answer.
Enter the Kindle... connected all the time with Whispernet... just a few buttons away from a Wikipedia search. We found the Kindle would connect even when our cell phones wouldn't. Of course Whispernet is part of the whole package with your Kindle. And with Wikipedia, you can add a huge (free) Internet encyclopedia to the mix. As of this post, there are more than 3 million articles in English alone. It is an amazing addition to your information resources.
Many new Kindle owners don't eat, sleep or dream computers, so they may not be really comfortable using the Internet as a resource. The Kindle makes searching books and the Internet really easy. It really is like having a library in your hands.
With your Kindle turned on (and the Internet turned on of course), just begin typing what you are looking to find out more about. Then toggle the 5-way controller (toward the bottom on the right, between the Menu button and the Back button) to the right until you see Wikipedia highlighted. Press in on the controller and wait a few seconds for a list of answer choices to appear. Toggle the controller button down (or up as needed) until the one you want to explore is underlined. Press in on the button to go to the article. Use the Next Page or Previous Page buttons to go through articles. Use the Back button to go back to the original Wiki search.
It is hard to argue with a Wiki!
Tomorrow: Googling with your Kindle
Road trip vacations can be great fun, especially if you take your kindle and let your "other half" drive in peace. Our last trip was great; hubby drove and I read lots of good stuff on the Kindle (and didn't back seat drive). It was a fantasy trip as far as hubbys are concerned.
Every now and then, we would have a conversation about one thing or another. It happens. And questions would come up, like ... is Mickey Rooney still working? or is he retired? Sometimes it would be something that would eat at us mercilessly until we could find the answer.
Enter the Kindle... connected all the time with Whispernet... just a few buttons away from a Wikipedia search. We found the Kindle would connect even when our cell phones wouldn't. Of course Whispernet is part of the whole package with your Kindle. And with Wikipedia, you can add a huge (free) Internet encyclopedia to the mix. As of this post, there are more than 3 million articles in English alone. It is an amazing addition to your information resources.
Many new Kindle owners don't eat, sleep or dream computers, so they may not be really comfortable using the Internet as a resource. The Kindle makes searching books and the Internet really easy. It really is like having a library in your hands.
With your Kindle turned on (and the Internet turned on of course), just begin typing what you are looking to find out more about. Then toggle the 5-way controller (toward the bottom on the right, between the Menu button and the Back button) to the right until you see Wikipedia highlighted. Press in on the controller and wait a few seconds for a list of answer choices to appear. Toggle the controller button down (or up as needed) until the one you want to explore is underlined. Press in on the button to go to the article. Use the Next Page or Previous Page buttons to go through articles. Use the Back button to go back to the original Wiki search.
It is hard to argue with a Wiki!
Tomorrow: Googling with your Kindle
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Dictionary at your fingertips
Originally posted February 24, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Yep... it sure is... and it makes your Kindle that much more valuable. You might even stretch yourself a bit with the books you choose knowing you have a quick and easy way to look up anything you might not be familiar with.
Yep... it sure is... and it makes your Kindle that much more valuable. You might even stretch yourself a bit with the books you choose knowing you have a quick and easy way to look up anything you might not be familiar with.
To look up a word, use your toggle switch (5 way controller) to place the cursor immediately to the left of the word in question. Push it up or down, or to the left or right. The moment you begin manipulating the switch, you will see the cursor.
When you are finished reading the definition, press the Back button to continue reading where you left off.
You're going to be soooooo smart!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Sharing your Kindle books
Originally posted February 23, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
It isn't easy, but it is do'able. All my Kindle books are tied to my Amazon account. I have (had) the Kindle 1, a Kindle 2 and a Kindle DX (Love them ALL). I gave my first Kindle to our daughter, Kelly so it could continue to be exercised and loved. Instead of deactivating it and activating it for her personal Amazon account, we kept it on my account. When she wants to purchase a book, she just sends me an Amazon gift certificate to cover the cost (usually for several books). Then she can search for and purchase the books she wants right from her Kindle. She also has access to all the archives associated with the account.
Not too long ago, we discovered the I Heart Bloomberg series... Kelly loved the first one, so as she was finishing it, I jumped on Amazon.com (my favorite place to shop) and purchased the second one for her. It was neat being able to "send to Kelly's Kindle"... can't tell you how good that made me feel as a mom. As a voracious reader, it is wonderful when you see a book "grab" someone you love, and see them enjoy it so much. She has finished the 4 book series, and I finally decided to give the first one a whirl... it grabbed me too! Sure am glad we have the whole series on our Kindles!
It isn't easy, but it is do'able. All my Kindle books are tied to my Amazon account. I have (had) the Kindle 1, a Kindle 2 and a Kindle DX (Love them ALL). I gave my first Kindle to our daughter, Kelly so it could continue to be exercised and loved. Instead of deactivating it and activating it for her personal Amazon account, we kept it on my account. When she wants to purchase a book, she just sends me an Amazon gift certificate to cover the cost (usually for several books). Then she can search for and purchase the books she wants right from her Kindle. She also has access to all the archives associated with the account.
Not too long ago, we discovered the I Heart Bloomberg series... Kelly loved the first one, so as she was finishing it, I jumped on Amazon.com (my favorite place to shop) and purchased the second one for her. It was neat being able to "send to Kelly's Kindle"... can't tell you how good that made me feel as a mom. As a voracious reader, it is wonderful when you see a book "grab" someone you love, and see them enjoy it so much. She has finished the 4 book series, and I finally decided to give the first one a whirl... it grabbed me too! Sure am glad we have the whole series on our Kindles!
Monday, February 22, 2010
MobiPocket Reader
Originally posted February 22, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
This is an absolute MUST freeware application you need on your computer if you own a Kindle. It is amazing! The free MobiPocket Reader software is a great way to read free ebooks on your computer, but it is also a terrific way to take your very own documents (Word Documents, html files, pdf files, text files) and convert them to something your Kindle can easily read by dragging and dropping your completed file right into the reader software. The converted files automatically go into a folder named My eBooks, which can be found in your Documents folder. Handy huh?
I have quite a few of my favorite homemade "Lotions and Potions" recipes listed in one document, then converted with the MobiPocket Reader for use on the Kindle. When I update my original file, I usually just delete the old converted file, and replace it with a new one. I have another "homemade ebook" with my favorite food recipes. It is amazing how much easier it is to grab the Kindle when you want to make your special pancakes or bread recipe... sure beats rummaging through a book or a drawer full of loose papers.
There are also two Creator editions (free) if you are familiar with web editing, html files and would enjoy the satisfaction of creating your own ebooks from scratch. My food recipes were done with the Creator edition. I basically created a web page (html file) with Dreamweaver, gave the titles to each recipe an H1 designation. The creator edition of MobiPocket has an option to create a table of contents (clickable) ... I just told it to look for every H1 designation, and that would be an item to link to... Now this is really simplified for brevity, but it really was easy...a lot easier than you would think... a few mouse clicks and I have a very professional ebook, complete with a clickable table of contents.
This is an absolute MUST freeware application you need on your computer if you own a Kindle. It is amazing! The free MobiPocket Reader software is a great way to read free ebooks on your computer, but it is also a terrific way to take your very own documents (Word Documents, html files, pdf files, text files) and convert them to something your Kindle can easily read by dragging and dropping your completed file right into the reader software. The converted files automatically go into a folder named My eBooks, which can be found in your Documents folder. Handy huh?
I have quite a few of my favorite homemade "Lotions and Potions" recipes listed in one document, then converted with the MobiPocket Reader for use on the Kindle. When I update my original file, I usually just delete the old converted file, and replace it with a new one. I have another "homemade ebook" with my favorite food recipes. It is amazing how much easier it is to grab the Kindle when you want to make your special pancakes or bread recipe... sure beats rummaging through a book or a drawer full of loose papers.
There are also two Creator editions (free) if you are familiar with web editing, html files and would enjoy the satisfaction of creating your own ebooks from scratch. My food recipes were done with the Creator edition. I basically created a web page (html file) with Dreamweaver, gave the titles to each recipe an H1 designation. The creator edition of MobiPocket has an option to create a table of contents (clickable) ... I just told it to look for every H1 designation, and that would be an item to link to... Now this is really simplified for brevity, but it really was easy...a lot easier than you would think... a few mouse clicks and I have a very professional ebook, complete with a clickable table of contents.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Extra duty for the Kindle
Originally posted February 21, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
My Kindle goes everywhere with me. One nice thing about being a gal is carrying a pocketbook with us at all times, and the Kindle has its own special place in my bag.
I can't tell you how many times a question will come up ... at the oddest times, and in the oddest places... could be in the car, or at a meeting... anywhere. With Whispernet, your Kindle can access the Internet (free to you as a Kindle owner) from just about anywhere for a quick google, or wikipedia search. It is great to have that kind of information at your fingertips at all times. I don't know what a guy is to do... guess that is their problem.
To do a quickie search, turn on the Kindle and begin typing your search query. Then toggle the little switch to the right until either google or wikipedia is highlighted. Then press in on the toggle switch and you will immediately be transported to the answer... Quick tip... make your search text just as detailed, but short as possible.
My Kindle goes everywhere with me. One nice thing about being a gal is carrying a pocketbook with us at all times, and the Kindle has its own special place in my bag.
I can't tell you how many times a question will come up ... at the oddest times, and in the oddest places... could be in the car, or at a meeting... anywhere. With Whispernet, your Kindle can access the Internet (free to you as a Kindle owner) from just about anywhere for a quick google, or wikipedia search. It is great to have that kind of information at your fingertips at all times. I don't know what a guy is to do... guess that is their problem.
To do a quickie search, turn on the Kindle and begin typing your search query. Then toggle the little switch to the right until either google or wikipedia is highlighted. Then press in on the toggle switch and you will immediately be transported to the answer... Quick tip... make your search text just as detailed, but short as possible.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Great Blogs Afire!
Originally posted February 20, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Two blogs I subscribe to on my Kindle... They are a great way to always have the latest information!
Kindle Nation Daily
I love My Kindle
Two blogs I subscribe to on my Kindle... They are a great way to always have the latest information!
Kindle Nation Daily
I love My Kindle
Kindle resources
Originally posted February 20, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
You know on mrswizard.com I have a special section just for nifty places to get free books for your Kindle and other great resources? Hmmmmm? You didn't?
Well, here it is!
There is a whole section just for the Kindle.
You know on mrswizard.com I have a special section just for nifty places to get free books for your Kindle and other great resources? Hmmmmm? You didn't?
Well, here it is!
There is a whole section just for the Kindle.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Jungle Search - Kindle Freebies
Originally posted February 12, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
This is a great way to cut to the chase and find free or low-cost books for your Kindle. Put Jungle Search in your favorites (or bookmark it) for future (and frequent) use.
In two clicks you can be taken to the latest free offerings (updated twice daily)
Click the Kindle Search tab, then click the words Free Books. That's all there is to it!
This is a great way to cut to the chase and find free or low-cost books for your Kindle. Put Jungle Search in your favorites (or bookmark it) for future (and frequent) use.
In two clicks you can be taken to the latest free offerings (updated twice daily)
Click the Kindle Search tab, then click the words Free Books. That's all there is to it!
Monday, February 01, 2010
Kindle Propping TIP
Originally posted February 1, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
I caught myself wondering how I could burn a few calories while reading a good book the other day... and needed to prop my kindle so it could be hands free... chewing gum isn't a practical Kindle stopper... you don't need a wad on various tables in various rooms... but I discovered a simple rubber band, even a small one, placed on a table, then sit your kindle on it and prop it against something and it won't slip at all... Great for when you need to have your hands free but don't want to risk your Kindle sliding... I use this technique in the kitchen when I have my favorite recipes open on the kindle.
Oh... did you know the kindle is also a great google searcher for recipes? Try it... just type the recipe you are looking for with the word "recipe" at the beginning or end of the search term. Don't worry about any punctuation... then move the toggle button to the right and press when google is highlighted... you will have more choices than you can shake a rubber band for propping your Kindle with.
I caught myself wondering how I could burn a few calories while reading a good book the other day... and needed to prop my kindle so it could be hands free... chewing gum isn't a practical Kindle stopper... you don't need a wad on various tables in various rooms... but I discovered a simple rubber band, even a small one, placed on a table, then sit your kindle on it and prop it against something and it won't slip at all... Great for when you need to have your hands free but don't want to risk your Kindle sliding... I use this technique in the kitchen when I have my favorite recipes open on the kindle.
Oh... did you know the kindle is also a great google searcher for recipes? Try it... just type the recipe you are looking for with the word "recipe" at the beginning or end of the search term. Don't worry about any punctuation... then move the toggle button to the right and press when google is highlighted... you will have more choices than you can shake a rubber band for propping your Kindle with.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
obviously neglected
Time is just flying for me! I am now sporting brand new "bionic" eyes (cataract surgery in July) so seeing is a joy now, rather than an unpleasant experience. I only need reading glasses for up close and the computer now. It is wonderful going for my walks and actually being able to make out the leaf details and the feathers on the various wildlife... I love it!
Still spending a lot of time with my Kindle... if you haven't experienced the fun of being able to carry an entire library around on a device about the size of a paperback... you need to spend some time reading about it.
This is about to become a Kindle blog, with nuts and bolts tips and tricks.
Still spending a lot of time with my Kindle... if you haven't experienced the fun of being able to carry an entire library around on a device about the size of a paperback... you need to spend some time reading about it.
This is about to become a Kindle blog, with nuts and bolts tips and tricks.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
It's Winter here!
but no snow for the Memphis area. Looks like all sorts of odd places are getting snow and ice all around us. I hope it all clears up before January 2. We are off to the Caribbean on the Queen Mary 2 for 10 days! Hubby and I are really looking forward to it!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
So Glad!
Summer is finally over! It feels good to put on sweats and bundle up a little for my morning walk. I've had some health issues (kidney stones) since April but that all appears to be behind me now and I am ready to rock and roll! I also quit smoking (finally) about that time, so any new writing from Mrs. Wizard will be coming from "formerly nicotine stained fingers." Don't you love it!
I have been walking 3 miles a day most days for years. This summer it has been so hot, I finally figured out the best time was when the sun was coming up... so 6:30 every morning I am out to greet the day around the lake in our neighborhood... It is amazing!
Now that it is cooler, I think I will continue the early morning routine. It seems to be good for me and sets the days up in a really positive way.
Got some new goodies posted at mrswizard.com. A new series of articles/tutorials called "Cheap Tricks." If they prove popular, and enough people want them, I may be encouraged to write some more. We shall see :)
I have been walking 3 miles a day most days for years. This summer it has been so hot, I finally figured out the best time was when the sun was coming up... so 6:30 every morning I am out to greet the day around the lake in our neighborhood... It is amazing!
Now that it is cooler, I think I will continue the early morning routine. It seems to be good for me and sets the days up in a really positive way.
Got some new goodies posted at mrswizard.com. A new series of articles/tutorials called "Cheap Tricks." If they prove popular, and enough people want them, I may be encouraged to write some more. We shall see :)
Thursday, June 26, 2008
I LOVE IT! Don's new Blog!
I just love it when someone I know and have helped a little takes off and lets it all hang out. Don Nitkin has done great on his website, and now with his new blog, he is developing a great resource for computer help and tips... with seniors in mind.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
More Vista Good News
Well! The new Vista laptop is doing great... and we have added a new Dell desktop computer to our arsenal (with Vista too). This one didn't take nearly as long getting all my production software installed. Photoshop is working even better with 4 gig of memory on this big hog! Here is a brand new wallpaper... a webshots photo (screenprint) with some PhotoGraphic Edges magic added to the mix.
To save the image for your very own wallpaper, click the small image. The larger image will appear in a new window. Right click the larger image and choose "set as background" if you are using Internet Explorer. Choose "Set as Desktop Background" if you are using Firefox... and that's all!
ENJOY!
To save the image for your very own wallpaper, click the small image. The larger image will appear in a new window. Right click the larger image and choose "set as background" if you are using Internet Explorer. Choose "Set as Desktop Background" if you are using Firefox... and that's all!
ENJOY!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Busy Busy Busy!
It has been a very busy last few months... Between making more soap and learning more about lotions and potions (all natural of course), I recently discovered Mineral Makeup... Geez! I can't believe this little hobby of mine has grown into such an obsession and can take me away from my beloved computers the way it can! It has certainly been an interesting ride.
I've had to break in a new Dell laptop. It is a lovely little thing. I named it the Inspirator, and it is a piece of work! Took about two months to get all my software settled in on it, several things I had to wait for the new Vista versions before I could install. The Photoshop Suite (CS3) went in great on the new Vista machine, but it was over $600 to upgrade from my previsious (not vista ready) version.
Then a few weeks ago I added another "big" machine (another Dell of course), with lots more memory and a more powerful processor. This way when I need the extra horsepower the laptop just can't provide, I don't have to wait for old Papa Bear to finish with the main machine before I can get any work done. Now we have two "main machines." It works great in this household!
I'm still in the process of getting my new "main machine" up to speed so it can be more productive... just about there... all my most used programs are installed and everything is "vista ready" so I should be back to writing more tips and tricks for mrswizard.com soon.
I've had to break in a new Dell laptop. It is a lovely little thing. I named it the Inspirator, and it is a piece of work! Took about two months to get all my software settled in on it, several things I had to wait for the new Vista versions before I could install. The Photoshop Suite (CS3) went in great on the new Vista machine, but it was over $600 to upgrade from my previsious (not vista ready) version.
Then a few weeks ago I added another "big" machine (another Dell of course), with lots more memory and a more powerful processor. This way when I need the extra horsepower the laptop just can't provide, I don't have to wait for old Papa Bear to finish with the main machine before I can get any work done. Now we have two "main machines." It works great in this household!
I'm still in the process of getting my new "main machine" up to speed so it can be more productive... just about there... all my most used programs are installed and everything is "vista ready" so I should be back to writing more tips and tricks for mrswizard.com soon.
Friday, June 22, 2007
The new mrswizard.com
It is coming along nicely, and I am determined to have it up on the last day of June. Many of the articles on the existing (old) site will be going away, and the rest are being updated to reflect today computers and operating systems. That means new screen shots and going over them word by word. GEEZ!
The dragons will still be around, but that is about it.
Whew!
The dragons will still be around, but that is about it.
Whew!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Tiny Treasures are alive and well!
I really thought the years would not be good to my Tiny Treasures, what with new operating systems, larger hard drives and software trying really hard to take advantage of all the extra resources available, but this one is definitely a goody and I'm so happy Rose City Software dropped it into an email to me!
Let's go over the rules for Tiny Treasures real quick. A Tiny Treasure is a small program, must be able to fit on a 1.44 Mb floppy disk (no one uses those much any more), and can't make old Mrs. Wizard crazy during installation or use. It must be really fun or really useful, and can't gum up the system in any way. That's a lot to ask of a software application, especially nowadays.
DigitWiz is one of those rare utilities that is so useful you will want it handy at all times. At 100 Kb, it is hard to imagine anything that small could do much of anything, but it does, and it does it very well! There is nothing to install, just download the zip folder (97 kb) and put the exe file anywhere you want. When you want to run it, just click the file and go for it.
DigitWiz will convert those annoying worded phone numbers (like 1-800-GOT MILK or other such nonsense) into real numbers instantly. If that isn't enough, there is also a very handy little area code lookup feature so you can quickly search to see where any area code is located in the U.S. Add to all this is the fact it will even work with VISTA!
This is definitely a COOL TOOL!
Let's go over the rules for Tiny Treasures real quick. A Tiny Treasure is a small program, must be able to fit on a 1.44 Mb floppy disk (no one uses those much any more), and can't make old Mrs. Wizard crazy during installation or use. It must be really fun or really useful, and can't gum up the system in any way. That's a lot to ask of a software application, especially nowadays.
DigitWiz is one of those rare utilities that is so useful you will want it handy at all times. At 100 Kb, it is hard to imagine anything that small could do much of anything, but it does, and it does it very well! There is nothing to install, just download the zip folder (97 kb) and put the exe file anywhere you want. When you want to run it, just click the file and go for it.
DigitWiz will convert those annoying worded phone numbers (like 1-800-GOT MILK or other such nonsense) into real numbers instantly. If that isn't enough, there is also a very handy little area code lookup feature so you can quickly search to see where any area code is located in the U.S. Add to all this is the fact it will even work with VISTA!
This is definitely a COOL TOOL!
Thursday, May 03, 2007
At Last! VISTA is good!
Installing all the "important stuff" on the new VISTA machine is just about completed, and I am getting to the point where I can actually fall for this new system. It is a lot more secure, although that extra layer of security can be a pain in the tail sometimes.
My Photoshop and Dreamweaver suite is working great and I'm looking forward to giving it a real workout in the next few days. The Soapmaker program didn't sass Vista much, except for a little work around regarding the help file. Seems you need to give the ".chm" type help files a little extra permission in order to read them properly. I noticed when I installed the latest CorelDRAW graphics suite the help file was unavailable in the Font Navigator... amazing I haven't been able to find a workaround for that yet... and the interesting thing is that on the box it is clearly stamped with an official Vista compatibility seal... Hmmmmm?
I'm not complaining. I have Incredimail installed and all is right with the world!
My Photoshop and Dreamweaver suite is working great and I'm looking forward to giving it a real workout in the next few days. The Soapmaker program didn't sass Vista much, except for a little work around regarding the help file. Seems you need to give the ".chm" type help files a little extra permission in order to read them properly. I noticed when I installed the latest CorelDRAW graphics suite the help file was unavailable in the Font Navigator... amazing I haven't been able to find a workaround for that yet... and the interesting thing is that on the box it is clearly stamped with an official Vista compatibility seal... Hmmmmm?
I'm not complaining. I have Incredimail installed and all is right with the world!
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