Sunday 5 December 2010

Kindle news, Christmas Ideas and Free Books

Hi, welcome to the latest edition of Great Kindle Deals, I hope you are having a great weekend and thank you for subscribing. As we approach Christmas, I've decided to feature some good Kindle-related gift ideas; that's in addition to our usual kindle news and free books:

Kindle News:
1. Kindles selling out - Amazon UK is running out of Kindles this Christmas season suggesting that they are unable to meet demand. At £109, the Kindle 3 Wifi currently takes an addition 4 to 7 days to deliver and the Kindle 3 Wifi+3G takes an additional 2 to 3 days to deliver. If you are planning on giving a Kindle this Christmas now really is the time to buy to make sure it comes in time for Christmas.

2. Google is set to have its own e-book store - Details have ben leaked that Google will soon be launch its own ebook store, the Wall Street Journal claims that "The long-delayed venture—Google executives had said they hoped to launch this summer—recently has cleared several technical and legal hurdles, people close to the company say. It is set to debut in the U.S. by the end of the year and internationally in the first quarter of next year, said Scott Dougall, a Google product management director."

3. Kindle owners rich - a US survey claims that over 55% of all US Kindle owners have a household income of over $100,00 (£64,000), the average household income in the US is around $60,000. It'd be interesting to see the results of a survey in the UK, although it is clear that spending £109 to £149 for a device that only allows you to read books may not be in everyone's reach.

4. New Kindle ad - Amazon has released yet another UK ad, this time touting the ability to by books on one device and read on any -  the ad features the Kindle store but there's no mention of the Kindle device itself. Watch the ad on Youtube here.

Christmas Ideas:

1. The Kindle - If you know someone that loves reading, they'll love the Kindle. The £109 to £149 price tag doesn't just include the device but also thousands of free books. If you opt for the £149 Kindle 3 Wifi+3G version they also get internet access anywhere including the ability to surf the web and download books anywhere, including around the world. The Kindle 3 Wifi is great value too if you don't think they'll need to download books on the go. Or, alternatively, why not treat yourself? But, remember they are in very short supply so order now!

2. Kindle cases - Keep your Kindle safe in a case - I personally have the sub-£15 Fonem8 case, the £30 Amazon cases are also very nice, as are the £50 Amazon cases with a built-in light.

3. Book light - For £11.40 this Kindle book light doesn't come cheap, but it is bright, sturdy, adjustable and the batteries last a long time. You can also un-clip it and read your other paper tree books with it. What a novel idea.

4. Amazon gift cards - Amazon gift cards are the perfect gift for just about anyone, they get to choose what they want - from books, MP3s, clothing, to electronics and much more!

5. iPod Touch 4th gen - With games, music, two cameras and the ability to read Kindle books, what more could you want?

[Remember if you can, please buy through any of our links above, Great Kindle Deals will get a small percentage to help support the blog while you pay the same price.]

Free Books:


1. Insight by Jamie Magee - Download this ebook then email it to your @free.kindle.com email address and download via wifi. Synopsis: "Before that fateful summer night, Willow had balanced the insight of emotion, and her vivid images. That night,the figure in her nightmare marked her wrist with a star, giving her father no choice but to tell Willow a family secret that would abruptly change life, as she knew it, forever. "

2. Jack Falcon and His Quantum Singularity by Jonathan Cooper - Download this ebook then email it to your @free.kindle.com email address and download via wifi.
Synopsis: "The Myra colony in the Epsilon Eridani system is plagued by rogue solar flares that threaten its inhabitants. The brilliant inventor Jack Falcon is tasked with saving the colony - but since the colony has lost its access to Earth he's forced to handle this alone. The situation is made even more dire when he finds out that a nearby cluster of black holes are an even bigger threat. It's a race against time to prevent the next disaster - the total destruction of the planet!"

See you next week for more Great Kindle Deals!

P.S. Have you read any good Kindle books this year? Email us at greatkindledeals@gmail.com and we'll produce a list for you to take a look in time for Christmas!

Saturday 27 November 2010

News, deals, free books and more!

Hi, welcome to the Great Kindle Deals - the blog that will keep you up to date with the latest Kindle Deals and more. This week we are the number 3 blog on the Kindle Store so thank you ever so much for subscribing. Let's get straight into the news:

News:
1. Amazon's Black Friday Deals - As predicted Amazon did not offer any discounts on the Wifi or 3G Kindle in the UK; in the US, they sold off "thousands" of old stock Kindle 2s. Amazon clearly does not need to lower the price of the Kindle although a £99 price point in the UK might make the Kindle seem that bit more appealing. Amazon sold thousands of other items at discounted prices, this could really be the beginning of the American tradition moving to the UK. Meanwhile until Monday you can get £20 off £60 at Javari.co.uk - the Amazon owned footwear retailer, with free 24-hour shipping, if you click here and use coupon code "JAVMODEL." You can also get £2 free to spend on MP3s when you spend £10 in the Amazon music store located here.

2. Amazon Italy opens - Amazon has launched amazon.it and the lucky folk over in italy are now able to get products from Amazon without having to pay import duties or excessive shipping. In facet Amazon.it is offering 1 year of Amazon Prime membership for under ten euros which guarantees delivery within two to three days.

Book deals:
1. Wish List (£0.71)
Rated 4 stars average from 1 review
Synopsis: "Be careful what you wish for!
When Buddy Pancake and his drinking buddies stumble across the Wish List website, they jokingly post their "impossible" wishes. Imagine their surprise when, one by one, the wishes start coming true! But Buddy and his pals neglected to read the fine print explaining the price they must pay for the wishes they've been granted.
Wish list is a compelling, nail-biting, laugh-out-loud thriller in the tradition of Saving Rachel."

2. Moab Is My Washpot (£2.69) by Stephen Fry
Rated 4.5 stars average from 101 reviews
Synopsis: "A humorous autobiography that covers the author's time at public school, acting and writing career and the ups and downs of his personal life."

3. The Abigail Affair (£0.69) by Timothy Frost
Rated 4 stars average from 6 reviews
Synopsis: "Toby Robinson is 22 and broke. He lands a job as junior steward on a Russian billionaire's yacht in the Caribbean, and feels his luck is about to change.
It is, but not in the way Toby hoped. On his first night aboard he is framed for a brutal murder.
His attractive crewmate Julia seems to be the only one on his side. But can he trust her?
With his mobile phone confiscated, armed only with a winning smile and a flair for mixing cocktails, can Toby clear his name, stay alive - and foil the sinister international conspiracy that threatens to entangle him? It's New Year's Eve and something terrible will take place at midnight. Time is running out, and so are Toby's options ..."


Freebies:

  • Three free books by Amazon bestselling author Stephen Leather: (send these to your @free.kindle.com email address and then download via the kindle's wifi)
    • "The Basement" Synopsis: "A serial killer is torturing and killing women in New York. And two detectives are sure that a writer is behind the murders. But as they close in on their suspect, a woman is being held captive in a basement somewhere in the city. Can they find the killer before the latest victim is killed?"
    • "Dreamer's Cat" Synopsis: "The hero is a Dreamer, a one-in-a-million talent who lays down psi-discs for the Cerebral Broadcasting Corporation. Dreamers are employed on billion-dollar contracts to produce psi-discs, the entertainment of the future. But when Dreamers start to die, our hero has to go into their alternative realities on the track of the killer."
    • "Once Bitten" Synopsis: "Jamie Beaverbrook is an English psychologist working for the Los Angeles Police Department. His job - to sort out the insane from the sane, the crazies from the ones who are pretending to be crazy. But Beaverbrook's life is turned upside down one night when the police find a girl crouched over a man with his throat torn out. The girl has blood on her lips but claims she only found the body. Beaverbrook doesn't take long to establish that she's totally sane - but he is forced to face a bigger question. Is she a vampire? And what does she want from him?"

Thursday 18 November 2010

Kindle news and some great value books

Hi everyone it's almost the weekend, and welcome to the latest edition of Great Kindle Deals. This time we have lots of Kindle news and some cheap books. I'd like to send out a great big thank you to you all as we are now number 14 in all blogs on the Kindle - thank you for subscribing!

Kindle News:
1. The Kindle is sold out internationally - Only Amazon US and Amazon UK currently have stock of the kindle meaning that customers not from these countries, who were previously able to buy Kindles on Amazon.com, are unable to purchase a Kindle. This seems to be due to unprecedented demand for the device due to its gift-ability factor and Amazon's recent campaigns in both print media and in video form portraying the Kindle as the ideal Christmas gift. If you missed these new Kindle adverts, take a look at last week's blogpost here

2. A colour Kindle is now possible - E ink, the makers of the current e-ink displays used by reading devices such as the Kindle, Sony Reader and the Nook, have announced a new technology which allows colour e-ink to be displayed just as black-and-white is now. Although, it does have to be said, this is not an LCD making it unsuitable for video or moving graphics - it is meant to be used as a book-reader with page turns. Would you buy a colour Kindle? What would you use it for? and How much would you potentially pay? Write in to greatkindledeals@gmail.com and we'll select the best for the next newsletter.

3. Consumer reports - US analysts consumer reports, widely respected by many Americans, have just updated their reports on e-readers. The Kindle 3 3G + Wifi claims the top spot for best to sue everywhere with a score of 72/100 with the main problem being that it doesn't currently support rentals (although Amazon has said that they are now coming) and the top spot for best value goes to the Kindle 3 Wifi with 68/100 with the same problem being the lack of a rental feature.

4. Kindle for PC updated - if you sue the Kindle desktop client there is a new update with three new features: you now get the dictionary, you can choose to read in multiple columns and titles can be seen in list rather than thumbnail form.

5. Amazon brings black friday to the UK - Black Friday is a fantastic celebration of deals in the US when retailers slash costs by up to 70% off big name brands. Now Amazon is starting the tradition in the UK too promising millions of pounds of saving starting Monday, 22nd November 2010. If you do grab or bargain or are doing some Christmas shopping, I'd really appreciate it if you use my link on http://greatkindledeals.blogspot.com and click on any of the Amazon products along the side and then search Amazon as normal as we'll get a small referral credit which helps to keep us up and running.

Good cheap reads:
Rated 5/5 stars average from 6 reviews
Synopsis: "Jamie Beaverbrook is an English psychologist working for the Los Angeles Police Department. His job - to sort out the insane from the sane, the crazies from the ones who are pretending to be crazy. But Beaverbrook's life is turned upside down one night when the police find a girl crouched over a man with his throat torn out. The girl has blood on her lips but claims she only found the body. Beaverbrook doesn't take long to establish that she's totally sane - but he is forced to face a bigger question. Is she a vampire? And what does she want from him?

Once Bitten is a fast-paced 73,000 words, about 250 pages."

Rated 4/5 stars average from 9 reviews
Synopsis: "A serial killer is torturing and killing women in New York. And two detectives are sure that a writer is behind the murders. But as they close in on their suspect, a woman is being held captive in a basement somewhere in the city. Can they find the killer before the latest victim is killed?

The basement is a fast-paced novella of 40,000 words, about 120 pages, with a shocking twist in the tail"



Rated 5/5 stars average from 20 reviews
Synopsis: "Caz Tallis restores rocking horses in her London workshop. When shabby but charismatic Joe and his dog turn up on her roof terrace, she is reluctantly drawn into investigating a rock star's murder from three years before - an unsolved case the police have closed. Somebody is prepared to kill to prevent it being reopened - and is Caz's judgment clouding as she falls in love?

REMIX is a feel-good page turner, that you won't want to put down until you reach the satisfying ending."


Rated 4/5 stars average from 4 reviews
Synopsis: "Toby Robinson is 22 and broke. He lands a job as junior steward on a Russian billionaire's yacht in the Caribbean, and feels his luck is about to change.
It is, but not in the way Toby hoped. On his first night aboard he is framed for a brutal murder.
His attractive crewmate Julia seems to be the only one on his side. But can he trust her?
With his mobile phone confiscated, armed only with a winning smile and a flair for mixing cocktails, can Toby clear his name, stay alive - and foil the sinister international conspiracy that threatens to entangle him?
It's New Year's Eve and something terrible will take place at midnight. Time is running out, and so are Toby's options ...

'The Abigail Affair' is a fast-paced suspense thriller with a touch of British humour. 
Length: 105,000 words or about 420 pages. Suggested rating: 15+."


Mailbag:
Have you read any books that you'd like to recommend this year? We're compiling a list of the best of 2010. Nominate a book by email us at greatkindledeals@gmail.com

Thursday 11 November 2010

Lots Kindle news and free books

Hi everyone, and welcome to another issue of Great Kindle Deals.

First of all I'd like to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone that has subscribed, particularly on Amazon.co.uk for 99p a month - we are number at number 9 in the "Internet & Technology" blogs and in the top 50 for all blogs. Thank you very much in particular to "Carrie" for their 5 star review of the blog on Amazon. So, without further a do, let's get straight in to the news:

1. Amazon releases new Kindle Ads
It's always exciting to see the Kindle being advertised on the TV and Amazon has released two more Kindle ads themed for the Christmas and holiday season. The is first is about a grandmother giving her grandson a Kindle when he asks for books for Christmas, take a look here. The other is a more general ad, although it does feature one scene in which a woman unwraps a Kindle, it is known as the Zest and has some pretty catchy music. Watch it here.

2. Kindle store coming to Germany - rumour
Although 95% of our readers are from the UK, anyone moving to Germany or just generally interested may want to know this - there are whispers around that the Kindle store may be coming to Germany. TheBookSeller.co.uk reports that "Buchmarkt reports that publishers at the recent Homer 3.0 conference in Berlin said they were in discussions with Amazon representatives about a 2011 launch of a Kindle store."

3. Amazon gives publishers 70% revenue split - magazines and newspapers
Amazon was previously offering 30-35% of the price of a magazine issue or newspaper to the publisher, with Amazon keeping up to 70%. The tables have now turned with Amazon offering publishers of periodicals 70% of the revenue they make - let's hope this encourages more big publishers to get on board and offer their content digitally on the Kindle.

Free books:


1. Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2011
I'll be the first to admit that this is a bit of a niche "book" but if you want it, it's free!

2. The Demon Girl
Rated: 3.5/5 stars average from 3 reviews
Synopsis: "Rae Wilder has problems. Plunged into a world of dark magic, fierce creatures and ritual sacrifice, she is charged with a guarding a magical amulet. Rae finds herself beaten up, repeatedly, and forced to make a choice: to live and die human, or embrace her birth-right and wield magics that could turn her into something wicked, a force of nature nothing can control."




3. Shatter (The Children of Man) 
Not rated.
Description: "Growing up during the chaos of the Nabosian War, Faela Durante and her entire generation never knew what it meant to live in a time of peace. Though the war ended years ago, the devastation has not. Every decision, no matter how seemingly insignificant, has a consequence and some consequences can never be predicted. But some are foretold."

Monday 1 November 2010

Kindle news, blog news and some free books

Hi, I hope you had a great, productive weekend. This week a lot has happened in the world of the Kindle including an update to the agency pricing for UK books; we also have some Great Kindle Deals blog news and finally a couple of free quick ebooks.

Agency pricing on Amazon UK:
Amazon.co.uk has lost its fight with three major publishers, which are now setting ebook prices for themselves. Publishers Hachette, HarperCollins and Penguin now setting their own e-book prices and if you are about to buy an ebook which has been priced according to the agency model Amazon displays on their page the message: "This price was set by the publisher."

This has caused outcry on the Amazon UK forums, as certain books have sky-rocked by more than 3 times in price such as "Just After Sunset" which now costs £17.99 as opposed to a £5 price tag just a few days ago. Almost all books by these publishers have risen in price.
What do you think? Comment on the blog or send us your comments by replying to this email.

So, let's support independent publishers - I'd like to get recommendations from readers who have read books written by independents and they compile a list of the best to put in the newsletter in the near future. If you have a book to suggest, please reply back to this email with the suggestion or email us at greatkindledeals@gmail.com.

Great Kindle Deals:
1. Great news - Amazon has decreased the price of a blog subscription to "Great Kindle Deals" on the Kindle from £1.99 to 99p a month.  Sign up for the free 14-day trial here to help support us, and help us reach the Top 10 most subscribed blogs on Kindle.
2. GKD Mailbag - We would love to hear your opinions on stories, on books, on accessories or any comments or questions you have about the Kindle or the blog, including what you'd like to see more or less of. Please write in to us at greatkindledeals@gmail.com and I'd like to share some of the emails I receive with you, the subscribers, and share the knowledge!

A couple more free books:
1. Blood lines
Rated 3/5 stars average from 5 reviews.


Synopsis: "Blood is thicker than water -- and far more deadly ! A woman is lured to a remote spot in the Scottish Highlands and strangled almost to the point of death. As she begs for mercy, her tormentor begins to carve her face, before burying her alive. In Edinburgh, unorthodox young lawyer Brodie McLennan becomes tangled up in the case. When it emerges that Brodie was the last person to see the victim and crucial evidence is found at her flat, she must fight to clear her name - and save her own skin. Meanwhile in an asylum in Inverness, a deranged patient writes the name Brodie over and over in her own blood! As another mutilated body is discovered bearing the same ritualistic markings, Brodie is running scared from unknown forces, eager to see blood on her hands! Prepared to be shocked in this dark and gripping thriller, for fans of Ian Rankin and Mo Hayder!"

2. In praise of savagery


Synopsis: "One man’s journey in the footsteps of a great explorer into the heart of Africa. As a young man, Warwick Cairns met the then elderly explorer Wilfred Thesiger and the two men struck up an unlikely friendship. Invited to visit him at his African home, Cairns decides to make a bit of an adventure of it and do some of the journey on foot. When he himself was a young man, Thesiger led an expedition to explore the course of the Awash river in Ethiopia. Every westerner that had gone before him had been killed by local tribesmen. Needless to say, he survived. Alternating chapters chart Warwick’s journey with that of Thesiger creating a captivating dual narrative that is part travel book, part biography, part autobiography, part history with fair doses of philosophy and humour thrown in for good measure.In Praise of Savagery is a highly original book that defies classification but is always effortlessly readable."

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Kindle News Roundup & 2 free books

Hi everyone, here's a mid-week news roundup and some free books to keep you occupied. Enjoy!

Amazon Kindle book sales
Amazon announced this week that they are selling more Kindle editions of their books than hardback and paperback books COMBINED for their top 1000 bestsellers - in some cases the ratio is as great as 2:1.

Steven Kessel, senior Vice President of Amazon Kindle, said: "For the top 10 bestselling books on Amazon.com, customers are choosing Kindle books over hardcover and paperback books combined at a rate of greater than 2 to 1.  Kindle books are also outselling print books for the top 25, 100, and 1,000 bestsellers—it's across the board."

Free Sponsored PDF books at Wowio.com
This site appears to be offering free books supported by ads. Now, the ads aren't randomly splashed over your book, instead they are only on the cover. Nice. These are PDF downloads.

2 free books:

1. Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One
Rating: 3 stars average of 17 reviews
Synopsis: "The first in a series that follows "Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy" from their wedding day into married life, as the author vividly imagines this young and energetic couple as they immerse themselves in their profound love and face the challenges of their era. Elizabeth and Darcy adore each other and the burgeoning love and closeness between them drives the plot. As the narrative unfolds through the honeymoon and then the challenges of Elizabeth assuming the role of Mistress of Pemberley, Darcy and Elizabeth thoroughly reveal their differing points of view of how their relationship blossomed from misunderstanding to perfect understanding. As the couple grows in maturity and understanding, as they accustom themselves to each other and to married life, "Two Shall Become One" emerges as a fascinating portrait of a deep and passionate marriage."

2. To Conquer a Highlander
Synopsis: "When Torin McLeren discovers his neighbor’s plot against his king, he takes their daughter as his prisoner, thereby stopping her father’s plot from going forward. But that leaves him with a woman under his roof whom he can’t ignore, and not just because she’s his enemy’s daughter…A woman who’s as much trouble as she is temptation…Shannon McBoyd decides to use her captor to experience passion for the first time, and then to destroy him. But her plan goes awry because once she has lured Torin into her bed, she no longer wants to hurt the one man who seems to value and understand her…Even if her father will kill him—and her—when he discovers what they’ve done..."



1 product to consider:
1. iPod Touch 8GB - £184.95 - £15 discount = £169.95 (vs £189.99 RRP)
Amazon has Kindle apps available for the iPod Touch and Apple has recently released the latest model which has two cameras, a high-resolution screen, facetime video chat and thousands of games. You can also read your Kindle books on the iPod Touch without having to pay for them again - so waiting in a queue? Why not pop out your iPod and read for a bit.

I normally wouldn't be promoting such a far out of Kindle product BUT Amazon currently has £15 off the iPod Touch, so if you are looking for a good deal for yourself or in getting an early Christmas present this is your chance. This promotion expires at midnight, November 2nd 2010. Use the promo code "ITOUCH10" to get the £15 discount. If you want to grab one click here.

I'll see you during the weekend for some more Great Kindle Deals! Thanks for subscribing.

Sunday 24 October 2010

Some great free Kindle books (grab them quick) - GreatKindleDeals 23 October 2010

Welcome to this week's newsletter round-up. There's been a lot of news out this week, in case you have missed out on any: read about the 3.0.3 preview update here; and about lending books to your friends here and magazines and newspaper coming to Kindle apps here.

So, now that you're bang up to date, let's dive right in:

Free:
1. The Dying Game 
Rated 4.5 stars average from 3 reviews


Synopsis: "WHEN A SHOCKING SCANDAL EXPOSES SOUTHERN SECRETS?
As the blazing heat of summer gives way to sultry September, a shroud of suspicion settles over Noble?s Crossing, a sleepy Alabama town. Nothing is as it seems?and never will be again. Lane Noble Graham stands accused of murdering her ex-husband. And the one man who can help, Johnny Mack Cahill, vowed never to return to the town that scorned him?or the woman whose love he knew he didn?t deserve."

2. Lullaby
Rated 4.5 stars average from 19 reviews

Synopsis: "What should have been a happy family day out quickly becomes a nightmare! The chilling debut from a bright new talent. What should have been a happy family day out quickly turns into a nightmare for Jess Finnegan. One minute she is thankful for a few minutes' peace away from the demands of motherhood. The next she is frantically searching for husband Mickey and 8-month old Louis.They have disappeared, nowhere to be seen. As the police launch a massive manhunt, Jess's panic intensifies. Then Mickey is found, badly beaten -- and alone. Where is Louis? Is he still alive? Could he be the victim of child trafficking or something much closer to home? Just how well does Jess know her new husband? And when her wayward brother turns up out of the blue, what is he after? As the investigation unravels, Jess discovers that the people closest to you are not always what they seem!"

3. City of Fear

Rated 3.5 stars average from 6 reviews.

Synopsis: "The breakout novel from the highly acclaimed thriller writer delves into the underworld of the Manhattan nightclub scene. In a city full of victims, it's murder to choose just one...Chelsea Hart, a fresh-faced Indiana college student, spends the final night of her spring break in the VIP room of an elite New York City nightclub with her girlfriends and a fake ID. The next morning, joggers find her in East River Park, her celebrated blonde hair hacked off. NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher catches the case and quickly homes in on a group of privileged men who were last seen partying with Chelsea. When a tight case is built against a young hedge fund manager, the department is elated. But Ellie has her doubts. Chelsea's murder is eerily similar to three other deaths that occurred a decade ago: the victims were young, female, and in each case, the killer had taken her hair as a souvenir. Ellie's search for the truth pits her against her fellow cops and places her under the watchful eye of of a psychopath eager to add the prideful young detective to his list..."

This is your newsletter so we'd like to hear what you want to read about - do you have any Kindle related questions, want to see anything added to the newsletter, have feedback or comments? Email us at greatkindledeals@gmail.com or simply reply to this email.

If you'd like to support the blog, please consider subscribing and getting this newsletter delivered straight to your Kindle for only 6p a day here.

Thanks for subscribing. See you next week.

Friday 22 October 2010

"Lend books to your friends" - coming soon to Kindle

Amazon today announced that they will soon be offering the ability to lend books to your friends for up to 14 days providing that the book publishers allow this. this feature is already available on the Nook e-book reader. A firmware upgrade will most likely be needed for this feature to be enabled.

This will be available to book Kindle users and Kindle app users on other platforms. The feature is to come later this year.

Amazon said: "We will be introducing lending for Kindle, a new feature that lets you loan your Kindle books to other Kindle device or Kindle app users. Each book can be lent once for a loan period of 14-days and the lender cannot read the book during the loan period. Additionally, not all e-books will be lendable - this is solely up to the publisher or rights holder, who determines which titles are enabled for lending. "

Amazon also announced that "we are making Kindle newspapers and magazines readable on our free Kindle apps, so you can always read Kindle periodicals even if you don't have your Kindle with you or don't yet own a Kindle. In the coming weeks, many newspapers and magazines will be available on our Kindle apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, and then we'll be adding this functionality to Kindle for Android and our other apps down the road. Our vision is Buy Once, Read Everywhere, and we're excited to make this possible for Kindle periodicals in the same way that it works now for Kindle books. More details when we launch this in the coming weeks."

Tuesday 19 October 2010

A nice selection of free books

Here's your weekly roundup of the latest free and cheap books - grab them quick as they disappear quickly (this week they're direct from Amazon UK):

Free Books:
1. Bit Literacy: Productivity in the Age of Information and E-mail Overload
Rated 5 stars from 2 Reviews
"Bit Literacy offers a solution to email overload, media overload, and other kinds of information overload. The daily flood of e-mail, multiple todo lists, a cluttered desktop, documents in various file formats, and the constant distraction of cell phones are all problems that people desperately need help with. More than a quick fix or another "how-to" guide, Bit Literacy offers an entirely new way of gaining productivity, and lowering stress, that users at any level of expertise can put into action right away. Mark Hurst - who has reached hundreds of thousands of readers through his Good Experience blog and Uncle Mark guides, has revealed the way to survive, and thrive, in the digital age: "Let the bits go."

2. Fallen Idols
Rated 4.5 stars from 12 reviews
"Everyone would kill for their fifteen minutes of fame! A Premiership footballer is shot dead in cold blood on a busy London street, and a country is gripped by terror. Who is behind this apparently motiveless killing -- and who's next in the firing line? Jack Garrett is determined to find out. A small-time journalist who's left behind his Lancashire roots for the glitz and glamour -- and seediness and squalor -- of the capital, he's convinced this is no celebrity stalker. Aided and abetted by DC Laura McGanity, desperately trying to juggle police life with motherhood and her feelings for Jack, the trail takes them back to Jack's home town of Turner's Fold -- and his past. What's the connection between the recent murder and the death of a young girl 10 years before? Conspiracy, revenge and the high price of fame all combine in this stunning debut from a dazzling new voice in crime fiction."

3. The Ride of My Life
Rated 4.5 stars from 2 reviews
"At only thirty years old, Mat "The Condor" Hoffman is the Tony Hawk of BMX biking. BMX, like skateboarding, is one of today's most popular extreme sports. Its popularity is enjoying the same resurgence as skateboarding, and now, thanks to BMX activists such as Mat Hoffman, BMX biking is here to stay. Mat is a 10-time BMX World Champion. Mat has brought BMX freestyle riding to a level many thought wasn't possible. He's an innovator who has accomplished amazing feats such as base-jumping his bike off 3,500-foot Norwegian cliffs and clearing 26.5 feet above a 24-foot-high vert quarter pipe-exceeding the world record of 15 feet. Since the early 1980s he has invented more than 50 tricks, many of which are being duplicated by today's riders-and a few that only he has been able to master. He began riding at the age of thirteen, and within three years was the youngest professional rider the sport had ever seen. In 1991 he started his own promotion company, Hoffman Promotions, which sponsored many riders in addition to him. He assembled a team of the best freestyle riders and began organizing tours. He started his own bike manufacturing company, Hoffman Bikes, when his riding skill surpassed what conventional BMX bikes were able to handle. And he did it all by the age of twenty. In the past 10 years, Mat has been a key player in building the sport. He's developed numerous competitions as a way for professional and amateur riders to showcase their abilities. He organized Hoffman Sports Association, which is the organizing body for the X Games. He and his riders were selected to take part in the closing ceremonies at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, GA. His action figure and finger bikes are top sellers in their field. His video game, which was released in May by Activision, is a bestseller. He has produced, directed, and hosted several television shows focused on alternative sports. Now at the age of 29 - after 14 operations, 50 broken bones, more than 50 concussions, and flatlining due to a BMX-related injury-he has retired from competition but continues to perform in demos worldwide. As he shares his stories, he unfurls the bumpy history of BMX riding."

4. The Trophy Taker
Rated 4 stars average from 20 reviews
"A serial killer is on the loose. His target? Lone Western women lured to Hong Kong by the promise of easy money. A serial killer is on the loose. His target? Lone Western women lured to Hong Kong by the promise of easy money. As The Butcher's killing spree escalates, bags of mutilated body parts are found all over the island - and more girls are disappearing. Taking on his first homicide case, Detective Johnny Mann is determined to stop The Butcher's brutal reign. Haunted by the memory of his father's death by the Triads, he's the only man who can track down a killer who's paralysing the city with fear. Georgina Johnson has left her tragic past in England to start afresh in Hong Kong. But soon her life is in peril as she is sucked into the sinister world of the city's hostess clubs. Venturing into dark and dangerous places, Mann unearths chilling evidence about the killings. And then another body is found, one which brings the murders closer to home! Bolt the doors, turn on the lights and pray for mercy - you'll be up all night with this disturbingly addictive debut from a writer being hailed as the female James Patterson."

Kindle 3.0.3 firmware preview update available

The Kindle 3.0.2 update has been available for a few days now officially (if you need instructions on how to get it click here). Meanwhile, Amazon has one again been hard at work and the 3.0.3 firmware preview is now available.

Amazon says that "this software update includes general performance improvements" meaning that there may be faster pageturns happening. If you do decide to download this preview as usual it is at your own risk but we'd love to know whether you have noticed any speed boosts or any bugs fixed.

The update is available for both US, UK and worldwide customers for both 3G and Wifi users. The download is available here along with instructions.

Update @ 15:35:
The firmware upgrade includes the following updates:

* Kernel, wifi driver, usb driver & eink controller driver updates
* Framework updates
* Browser updates

Friday 15 October 2010

Amazon announces Kindle Singles!

Amazon has announced that it will be making available short stories known as "Kindle singles." These will be between 10,000 and 30,000 words which is right in the middle of a blog post at around 1,000 words and a full novel at 50,000 words.

Amazon says that it would like to make these stories quick and easy to read, and Kindle Singles will be fantastic to read on a plane journey and easy to read on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Apps in quick chunks.

Rumours online point to a starting price of around 29p per story and up to £2-3. The 29p price point would be a fantastic price point but would leave little margin for Amazon themselves. 59p would put Amazon on par with the price of a book app in the iTunes App store for Apple's devices. It is also a price which would allow for many readers to make impulse buys.

"Ideas and the words to deliver them should be crafted to their natural length, not to an artificial marketing length that justifies a particular price or a certain format," said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President, Kindle Content. "With Kindle Singles, we're reaching out to publishers and accomplished writers and we're excited to see what they create."

'Kindle Singles' has no launch date as of yet, but Amazon is urging interested writers to write in to digital-publications@amazon.com.

Sunday 10 October 2010

Kindle lights, free e-books and beautiful cases!

First of all I'd like to send out a huge thank you to everyone that has subscribed to this newsletter, it's free and you can forward it to your kindle email address if you want and read it while on the move. Also, if you know anyone who has a Kindle and would like to recommend us please do! Thank you!

Book reading lights:
As I'm sure you are aware, Amazon has a fantastic collection £49.99 lighted cases available on its site in a wide range of colours - black, brown, red, green, blue and pink, though strangely no orange lighted cover. These cases are absolutely fantastic though a bit pricey for me personally, so if you haven't managed to choose a case without a light take a look at this post here including on the right-hand side column. Now that you have a case, it's time for a reading light:

1. Xtra Flex Super L.E.D. Book Light - Silver - At £10.68 delivered this is a great light that is bright enough to read comfortably and the light range does cover the whole Kindle. Also available in black here.

Rated: 4.5/5 stars average from 28 reviews.

Amazon review: "The light given off is sufficient to read by without lighting the whole room, it weighs almost nothing and clips onto a book without getting in the way, the bendy neck is really flexible and the light can stand without being clipped to anything."

2. The Really Tiny Book Light (orange) - £6.80 delivered - Winner of gift of the year 2008. Also available in blue, white, purple and grey.

Rated: 4.5/5 stars average across the different colours.

Amazon review: "I had to buy several of these before i got to keep one for myself! Now the whole family has one. Bright enough to read by, but not too bright as to disturb others trying to sleep. I have tried quite a few of this type of product and this is by far the very best. AND the batteries last ages. Great for room sharing, camping, hosteling and well ...reading in the dark !"


Free e-books:
1. Classmate Murders by Bob Moats - Synopsis: Someone is murdering woman from the class of '67 and it's up to Jim Richards, who has reluctantly just turned sixty, to stop him. Jim's life is in the dumps and then late one might he receives an email from a childhood sweetheart he hasn't seen in over 40 years, pleading for help but he doesn't get to her in time, she's been murdered.
A killer is now stalking and killing his former female classmates for unknown reasons and Jim, along with his only friend Buck, a big, mustachioed biker, they go off to track down the killer before he can get to one former classmate, Penny Wickens, a TV talk show host who Jim has just fallen for while protecting her. The killer is also murdering the women right out from under police protection, driving homicide detective Will Trapper crazy, and he slowly depends on Jim to help. There's humor, suspense, wild chases across suburban Detroit with cops, classic cars and motorcycle clubs; murder, mayhem, and a good amount of romance.

2. Ellen Under The Stairs
Synopsis: "Book #3 in the Bandworld Series. In spite of modern medicine, Ellen, beautiful young wife of John Lyon's History Department Chairman, can't seem to stem the ravages of a virus she'd contracted. Half in love with Ellen as it is, John's plan is to subject her to the healing wizardry he's discovered at the end of a static electric "stairway" in his recently purchased "haunted" house."












Kindle cases:
1. E-volve reversible neoprene sleeve case cover for Kindle -  £9.99 - This neoprene case is stunning and is reversible giving you two designs in one! It looks so good that it could be designer!
But if you are looking for designer, look no further...(well, it's the next item)







2. Diane von Furstenberg Kayley Canvas Clutch for Kindle - £68. These look really, really nice and are fantastically made. Now about that price... Though if you do want to splurge and make your Kindle feel like royalty, why not?

Sunday 3 October 2010

Free books, cheap books and Kindle Accessories

Free books:
1. Ransom X (Legacy Series) - Synopsis: "Martin Legace is a former special ops standout, once recognized as the top field interrogator in the American military complex. His study of the human mind was carried out in make-shift tents on the edge of the battlefield; he didn't write or read the book on how to break a prisoner, he simply followed his instincts, dissecting human behavior in a way that verges on autism. He had a reputation for getting anything out of anyone - "had" being the operative word. Five years ago, a random crime shattered Legace's world. Withdrawing inside himself, he built his life around the only family he had left, his teenage daughter."


2. The Ivory Tower - Synopsis: " Brian English is the whimsical, stoic center of the mysterious and deceptively named US Department of Statistics, Section 3. Armed with the dubious Ivory Tower (a psychosomatic torture device) and accompanied by his melancholy yet outgoing friend Frank Harper, he sets out to make the world a better place in his own unconventional and, perhaps, unintentionally cruel way."






3. All The Creatures Were Stirring - Donate whatever you want, it's free but support the author if you can.
Synopsis: "The prequel to “Flesh Wound” features Max Chandler and Danni McCullough, and takes place just two months after Max was shot after stumbling into the armed robbery that cost him his marriage to Claire and custody of his daughter, Sam.  Claire and Sam are with Claire’s family back east for Christmas. and Max has been invited to spend Christmas with his former Homicide partner Danni McCullough and her family at their luxurious, remote cabin deep in the northwoods.  Sounds relaxing, right?  Not so fast…"







Cheap books:
1. Containment- Just 49p and rated 4/5 starts on average by reviewers. Synopsis: "Arik Ockley is part of the first generation to be born and raised off-Earth. After a puzzling accident, Arik wakes up to find that his wife is almost three months pregnant. Since the colony's environmental systems cannot safely support any increases in population, Arik immediately resumes his work on AP, or artificial photosynthesis, in order to save the life of his unborn child. Arik's new and frantic research uncovers startling truths about the planet, and about the distorted reality the founders of the colony have constructed for Arik's entire generation. Everything Arik has ever known is called into question, and he must figure out the right path for himself, his wife, and his unborn daughter."


1. In Search of Adam - Synopsis: "Motherless, rootless and unprotected, Jude Williams' childhood is fractured by the horror and experience of sexual abuse, forcing her to exist somewhere and nowhere in-between childhood and adulthood. Caught within the limitations of her own language and trapped within a family secret, Jude becomes the consequence of her mother's tragedy. As she moves through the 1980s, Jude's life is buffeted by choice and destiny and she collects experiences that layer her personal tragedy and plunge her into the darkest of worlds. The reader will be unable to put this book down as it careers towards its shocking yet inevitable conclusion."



Kindle accessories:
1. Black Cellapod Neoprene Kindle Pouch Case - At under £7 delivered this is a great way that protect that Kindle that cost over £100. It is soft, sleek, a perfect fit and you could buy seven of these for the price of one of Amazon's lighted cases. Or just use the £43 left over for something else. This is a great deal for a well made case.

2. DURAGADGET Blue Water Resistant Neoprene Soft Zip Case/Cover For New 2010 Amazon Kindle 3 & CAR CHARGER
£10.49 delivered - This is a greart zip neoprene case similar to the one above, however for the extra price you also get a Kindle 3 car charger, so if you read a lot on the move this is a great combination deal. This case is also of slightly better quality than the one above which is already brilliant.

Tuesday 28 September 2010

Kindles now in stock

Amazon UK has cleared its backlog making both the Wifi and 3G versions of the Kindle available to customers instantly. Orders placed now will be dispatched on the same day if possible and it is even possible to get it the same day with evening delivery if you order before 10am in some metropolitan areas in the UK.

Now that the backlog of orders has been cleared there is no need for more updates on this blog regarding shipping, however we will be keeping you updated with the latest great kindle deals to make the most of your cash, as well as with news on new kindles, new updates, features, tips and more.

Saturday 25 September 2010

Lots of free e-books today

We've been scouring the web again and there's a load of free books for you to download, though as always these will most likely only be available for a short period of time. So without further a-do let's get some great kindle book deals:

1. 'Roseanna' by Per Wahloo (Rated 4.5/5 stars from 23 reviews) - This title has only just become free and is likely to disappear quickly.


Synopsis: "'Roseanna' begins on a July afternoon, the body of a young woman is dredged from Sweden's beautiful Lake Vattern. Three months later, all that Police Inspector Martin Beck knows is that her name is Roseanna, that she came from Lincoln, Nebraska, and that she could have been strangled by any one of eighty-five people. With its authentically rendered settings and vividly realized characters, and its command over the intricately woven details of police detection, 'Roseanna' is a masterpiece of suspense and sadness."




2. 'Cybill disobedience' by Cybill Shepherd


Synopsis: "From wholesome beauty queen to saucy cover girl, from heartbreaking movie star to one of television's most loved comediennes, Cybill Shepherd is renowned as sassy, shocking and sexy. In this autobiography she displays the wit and honesty and indomitable spirit of a star who knows it all."










3. 'Clouded Rainbow' by Jonathan Sturak - Usually 99 cents to download, but it is FREE on Smashwords by entering coupon code DK68H when checking out. Download the Kindle (mobi) file and copy it to your kindle via USB or email it to yourself.


Synopsis: "Roger Belkin has everything going for him--the job, the car, the marriage, but on one cold, dark night, he will lose everything... "












4. 'The Expeditioner's Club Volume One' by Rio Roosevelt - Usually $5.99 at Smashwords, using coupon code KB56K will get you this ebook for free. Download the Kindle (mobi) file and copy it to your kindle via USB or email it to yourself.


Synopsis: "Timothy Elliott,is an ordinary boy at the beginning of an extraordinary life. He is terrified first and delighted later when he learns that as the child of two expeditioners, he has been born with the ability to time travel, and what the plan for his life really is. Through his thrilling adventures, Timothy will discover the world as only an expeditioner can." 




5. Twelve free textbooks for Amazon customers - ranging from geometry to calculus. Here's one for you students out there.




















6. Ten more free e-books - There a great range of ebooks here, download the mobi version if available or get the PDF and then email it to your Kindle for free with the word "convert" in the subject line.


















Hopefully those should keep you busy reading for a while and provide you hours of entertainment and joy. All we ask in return is that you recommend us to your friends and online. Thank you.

Kindle 3 Shipping Updates - Saturday, 25th September 2010 [1.30pm]

Amazon has nearly managed to clear its backlog on 3G Kindles and is still feverishly working hard to get out Wifi Kindles as fast as possible today. 3G Kindles ordered up to September 18th are being shipped at the moment and are due to arrive by Monday, September 28th 2010.

Wifi Kindles are still backordered for almost three weeks; the latest orders shipped are for orders made around September 11th and are due to arrive by Friday, 1st October 2010.

Thursday 23 September 2010

The latest great kindle deals - Thursday, 23rd September 2010

Here's a selection of the latest great Kindle Deals:

1. Another Kindle3 Case - Here's a very nice case, the Eco-Nique Natural Hemp Brown Case Cover for 6-inch Amazon Kindle 3/Global Wireless - Black is a nice deal at under £20 - cheaper than the Kindle case but very stylish as well. It is due for release next week.



2. Remix by Lexi Revellian - This a great deal at just £0.86 for the moment. The story is engaging from the beginning with realistic characters who are very life-like. This is a fantastic start from this great new author and at under £1, it really is a fantastic deal. It already has three 5-star reviews on Amazon UK.









3. Twelve Free Romance Novels - For those of you who love romance novels, how about 12 free novels for you? That's right. Everyonesreading.com is offering you the opportunity to grab these free e-books for your Kindle. Just visit the site and download the "mobipocket" version and drag and drop the books to your Kindle.

Kindle 3 Shipping Updates - Thursday, 23rd September 2010 [3G DATES UPDATED]

Kindle orders have once again been flying off the shelves, and contrary to what was said yesterday 3G orders are actually ahead of Wifi orders. Wifi orders made up to September 9th are being dispatched at the moment with an expected delivery date of  Friday, 24th September to Monday, 26th September.
3G Kindles ordered up to September 12th are dispatching right now and are expected to arrive by Saturday, 25th September 2010.

Thank you to those of you who emailed us to let us know of the latest with your orders and helping to make this section more accurate for everyone.

Wednesday 22 September 2010

Kindle 3 Shipping Updates - Wednesday, 22nd September 2010

Amazon has announced that UK users now can get the Kindle in just 14 days, and as soon as one week. Amazon states on the Kindle buying page that the Kindle now ships "within 1 to 2 weeks." This is opposed to the 24 hour shipping available in the US for the Kindle.

The latest orders being shipping by Amazon are orders made up to September 7th 2010 and are due to arrive Thursday, 22nd September. Orders made for 3G units are slighttly delayed by 5-7 days. Wifi units are flying out the door at the moment and all orders made in early September to September 7th (inclusive) are expected to be dispatched in the next 72 hours.

If you are in this group and have a dispatch email, please let us know by commenting below.

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Hachette ebooks removed from Waterstones, WHS and eBook Repository - still on Amazon

Following Sunday's blog post stating that Hachette's eBook prices were to increase, Waterstones, WHS Tesco and eBook Repositorys have removed all Hachette UK's ebooks from sale on their websites. Amazon still has the ebooks up at the same prices as before which may suggest that Amazon has an exclusive deals with Hachette UK. It could also mean that Amazon is ignoring Hachette's requests to increase ebook prices.

What remains clear is that Amazon has not yet changed the prices on it's ebooks and is still following the policy outlined back in August in which it stated that all ebook prices would be set by themselves on the UK Kindle Store. We will be watching eBook prices closely over the coming days to be sure that Amazon doesn't sneak in any price increases.

Meanwhile, Apple has adopted and accepted Hachette's Agency pricing model on its iBook store meaning that these is a significant gap between Amazon and Apple's prices.  Breaking Dawn costs £4.49 on Apple's iBook store, but only costs £3.41 on Kindle.

Monday 20 September 2010

Get free subscriptions to newspapers on your Kindle via Calibre

Newspapers on the Kindle are a fantastic addition but wouldn't it be great to get that £11.99 a month subscription down to, let's say, FREE? Yes, it's possible and legal with a little free program called "Calibre." Follow the steps below and within a few minutes you'll be getting newspapers delivered every day at no cost to you.

1. Download Calibre here, it is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux; install Calibre and start the program.

2. Click on the N button with an arrow pointing downwards (take a look at the image to the left here if you need help identifying it).



3. A window should have popped-up (it should look like the image to the left). Click on the arrow next to "English (UK)" and it will expand to show you all the free newspapers you can get.
As you can see there's quite a variety and even a few magazines and websites - including Wired, Mac World UK, The Guardian and BBC News.

Once you have seen one that you like click on it once and go to step 4 below.

Obviously you can choose to suscribe to magazines and newspapers from anywhere around the world, not just where you live.


4. Click the "schedule for download" tick box and choose a frequency of download and the download time. Make sure to click the first button next to "every day." For newspapers I have chosen 6:50am before setting out and this has worked well for me so far.

Click "save."







5. OK, so now it will get the newspaper every day downloaded to your computer but how about getting it sent to your Kindle? You can too, for free. Back on the main Calibre screen, click the settings button - shown on the image here on the left.



6. Click "sharing books by email" and enter your email details, if you don't have a GMail account I strongly recommend you get one for this. Click "use GMail" if you have a gMail account and enter your username and password. CLick "add email" and make sure that the "auto send" checkbox is checked.
Every time a newspaper is downloaded it will get send to your Kindle. Make sure the email you use in Calibre is on your Amzon account under "Manage my Kindle" and added as an approved email address.

All done! Just make sure the Kindle is connected via Wifi and on the "Home" screen where the books are listed when you'd like it to download.

P.S. Your computer must be on for Calibre to download the newspaper and send it. So if you are planning on getting the newspaper downloaded at 7.10am - switch on your PC a few minute before and make sure Calibre is running.

If you are on a Mac you can get your computer to auto-switch on and off to save power. Just go to "System Preferences" >>> "Energy Saver" >>> click "Schedule" and enter a switch on time and off time. Allow at least 10 minutes for a newspaper to download so make the "switch off" time around 10 minutes after you have set Calibre to start downloading.

Enjoy!