Amazon Kindle How-To Series – Find Out the "Secret" Functions on the Kindle 1
Michael Piston asked:
Amazon has built a number of different features into the Kindle that never made it to the menus you use to access your e-books and audio books. You can do everything from make screen shots of your Kindle screen to find your location on Google Maps using the WhisperNet wireless technology in the Kindle.
NOTE- the features discussed here are for the Amazon Kindle 1 device. The Kindle 2 device available after February 24, 2009 likely will have different keyboard accessible features.
To access these features you will use a combination of keys on your Kindle’s keyboard. Most all of the features begin by pressing the key which is the at the lower left-hand side of your Kindle keyboard. You also may have to press the key which is directly above the key and has an upright arrow symbol. Here are a few of the special features you can access:
1. Play a game of Minesweeper on your Kindle – From the Home Screen press the key and the key and then the key to access a basic Minesweeper game. The Minesweeper menu lets you control the grid size and the number of mines you have to find.
2. Find-out the time – From the Kindle Home Screen press the key and the key. The page number display (i.e. 1 of 3) at the bottom left of your Kindle screen will change to a time display.
3. Find-out the time – From the Kindle Reader Screen (i.e. while reading and e-book) press the key and the key. The “Locations” display at the bottom left of your Kindle screen will change to a time that is in text vs. numeric format. For example 1:31 is “Twenty-nine till two”.
4. Take a “screen shot” of your Kindle screen – From any screen press the and key, then the key. You won’t get any notification that a screen-shot has been taken but you will find the screen shot on your Kindle’s SD card. The Kindle won’t save screen shots to its internal memory.
5. Find your current location – Open the Kindle’s browser – Menu > Experimental > Basic Web then press the key and the key. Google Maps will open with your location shown. Your location is “triangulated” from the WhisperNet wireless access built into the Kindle so it’s not entirely accurate. But you can zoom in and out on the map to get a better idea of where you are – this gets you in the ball park.
6. View your e-book as a slide show – From the Kindle’s e-book reader press the key and key to turn on the slide show capability. Then press the key and key to start the slide show. Press the key and the key to turn the slide show off. Press the key and the key again to disable the slide show capability.
7. Control the Kindle audio player – Press the key and key to play or stop the audio player. Press the key and the key to advance to the next track.
8. Reboot your Kindle – If you Kindle has been acting a bit “flaky” you can do a soft reboot by pressing the key and the key then the key.
The eight features listed above should give you an idea of the capabilities that are “hidden away” in your Kindle. Some of them will make your Kindle experience a bit better, and some will help you when you’re trying to trouble shoot problems with your Kindle. Keep this list handy so when you get tired of reading your favorite e-book or listening to your favorite audio book you can give them a try.
Amazon has built a number of different features into the Kindle that never made it to the menus you use to access your e-books and audio books. You can do everything from make screen shots of your Kindle screen to find your location on Google Maps using the WhisperNet wireless technology in the Kindle.
NOTE- the features discussed here are for the Amazon Kindle 1 device. The Kindle 2 device available after February 24, 2009 likely will have different keyboard accessible features.
To access these features you will use a combination of keys on your Kindle’s keyboard. Most all of the features begin by pressing the key which is the at the lower left-hand side of your Kindle keyboard. You also may have to press the key which is directly above the key and has an upright arrow symbol. Here are a few of the special features you can access:
1. Play a game of Minesweeper on your Kindle – From the Home Screen press the key and the key and then the key to access a basic Minesweeper game. The Minesweeper menu lets you control the grid size and the number of mines you have to find.
2. Find-out the time – From the Kindle Home Screen press the key and the key. The page number display (i.e. 1 of 3) at the bottom left of your Kindle screen will change to a time display.
3. Find-out the time – From the Kindle Reader Screen (i.e. while reading and e-book) press the key and the key. The “Locations” display at the bottom left of your Kindle screen will change to a time that is in text vs. numeric format. For example 1:31 is “Twenty-nine till two”.
4. Take a “screen shot” of your Kindle screen – From any screen press the and key, then the key. You won’t get any notification that a screen-shot has been taken but you will find the screen shot on your Kindle’s SD card. The Kindle won’t save screen shots to its internal memory.
5. Find your current location – Open the Kindle’s browser – Menu > Experimental > Basic Web then press the key and the key. Google Maps will open with your location shown. Your location is “triangulated” from the WhisperNet wireless access built into the Kindle so it’s not entirely accurate. But you can zoom in and out on the map to get a better idea of where you are – this gets you in the ball park.
6. View your e-book as a slide show – From the Kindle’s e-book reader press the key and key to turn on the slide show capability. Then press the key and key to start the slide show. Press the key and the key to turn the slide show off. Press the key and the key again to disable the slide show capability.
7. Control the Kindle audio player – Press the key and key to play or stop the audio player. Press the key and the key to advance to the next track.
8. Reboot your Kindle – If you Kindle has been acting a bit “flaky” you can do a soft reboot by pressing the key and the key then the key.
The eight features listed above should give you an idea of the capabilities that are “hidden away” in your Kindle. Some of them will make your Kindle experience a bit better, and some will help you when you’re trying to trouble shoot problems with your Kindle. Keep this list handy so when you get tired of reading your favorite e-book or listening to your favorite audio book you can give them a try.
The Amazon Kindle 2 Warranty
Janene Dalton asked:
The Kindle 2 is an amazing reading device that has changed how America now reads. This little electronic e-book reader has been selling like wildfire in the months since its release. Many people are satisfied with their purchase, but sometimes things can go wrong. This article will take a look at the warranty of the Kindle 2 reader and what people should be aware of. It will highlight what is and is not covered under this limited 1-year warranty.
The Kindle 2 is one of those devices that are out to change the world. It is the most popular e-book reader and it has created an interest in a product that many claim will be the future. The kindle 2 allows people to read electronic books on a 6″ device that is slim and portable. Many people like this product for the fact that they are able to carry up to 1,500 books on this one device and it is simple to use.
When it comes to the Kindle 2 warranty, what people get is a limited one-year warranty. Like most electrical devices, the warranty on the Kindle will cover it against possible defects that could occur during the manufacturing process. These defects can cause a device not to work or other problems could arise. In the event that something should go wrong during the 1 year, the company will repair or replace the device.
The Kindle 2 is an amazing reading device that has changed how America now reads. This little electronic e-book reader has been selling like wildfire in the months since its release. Many people are satisfied with their purchase, but sometimes things can go wrong. This article will take a look at the warranty of the Kindle 2 reader and what people should be aware of. It will highlight what is and is not covered under this limited 1-year warranty.
The Kindle 2 is one of those devices that are out to change the world. It is the most popular e-book reader and it has created an interest in a product that many claim will be the future. The kindle 2 allows people to read electronic books on a 6″ device that is slim and portable. Many people like this product for the fact that they are able to carry up to 1,500 books on this one device and it is simple to use.
When it comes to the Kindle 2 warranty, what people get is a limited one-year warranty. Like most electrical devices, the warranty on the Kindle will cover it against possible defects that could occur during the manufacturing process. These defects can cause a device not to work or other problems could arise. In the event that something should go wrong during the 1 year, the company will repair or replace the device.
E Reader Review Terms
Kindle DX Vs The Sony Reader Daily Edition – The Best Ebook Reader Is?
John D. Emerson asked:
There are a lot of ebook readers out there on the market, but it makes the most sense to compare the Kindle DX vs. the Sony Reader Daily Edition if you are looking for the best quality ebook reader money can buy..
What’s so special about the Reader Daily Edition and Kindle DX readers? They both represent the “Top-of-the-line” ebook reader designs for Sony and Amazon. Both have more robust features than their cheaper counter-parts; the Kindle 2 and Sony Reader Touch and Pocket Edition.
Here’s a detailed comparison between the two big boys on the market.
The Display Screens for both the Kindle DX and Daily Edition use the E-ink technology that is used for the majority of ebook readers on the market today. Pictures and text look sharp and clear, in 16 shades of gray. Text can be resized to much larger or smaller, depending on the reader’s needs.
The Sony Daily Edition has a touch screen navigation, whereas the Kindle DX is push button navigation on the bottom and sides. This seems to be a hot point of debate for many. Seeing a touch screen, to many people, means that it must be easier to use, more advanced, and therefore better right? On the contrary, it could be seen as actually getting in the way during the reading experience, since if you touch the screen with a swiping motion the page changes. Obviously, it’s user preference when making the choice.
Screen Size- The Kindle DX has a 9.7-inch screen, whereas the Sony Reader Daily Edition is 7-inches. The DX obviously has more display screen and reading screen space, and will in turn be a larger device.
Rotation for Landscape View- Both the devices let you read in a “landscape” or “wide-screen” view, just by turning it on it’s side.
Standard Memory Space for the Readers differ widely, as the Kindle DX is 3.2 GB (3,500 books) and the Sony Reader Daily Edition is 1.6 GB (“hundreds” according to Sony). However, you can add an SD card to the Sony Reader to add more memory.
Wireless- Both the ebook readers allow you to download books, magazines, and other publications wirelessly without the need to hook up to a computer. Download time for a book is around a minute with both devices.
Global Wireless? However, only the Kindle DX works in other countries outside the U.S.. Meaning, you can’t hook up wirelessly to the network to get new publications (daily newspapers) or new book titles when travelling abroad, or if you simply live outside the U.S..
Document Types and Number of Books and Publications Available- The DX and the Reader Daily Edition allow you to read PDF’s, and other document types as well on the device. Amazon has just over 350,000 titles available, whereas the Sony has those same titles, plus the “public domain” works that Google has compiled over the last few years. These are older books that no longer have copyrights applicable to them.
Taking Notes on the Device- The Sony Daily Edition has a “stylus” that comes with it to allow you to take notes in the books and on documents, etc…
And last but not least, the pricing of the two – The Kindle DX is priced at $489 whereas the Reader DE is priced at $399.
So there you have a detailed comparison of the features of, arguably, the best two ebook readers on the market today.
There are a lot of ebook readers out there on the market, but it makes the most sense to compare the Kindle DX vs. the Sony Reader Daily Edition if you are looking for the best quality ebook reader money can buy..
What’s so special about the Reader Daily Edition and Kindle DX readers? They both represent the “Top-of-the-line” ebook reader designs for Sony and Amazon. Both have more robust features than their cheaper counter-parts; the Kindle 2 and Sony Reader Touch and Pocket Edition.
Here’s a detailed comparison between the two big boys on the market.
The Display Screens for both the Kindle DX and Daily Edition use the E-ink technology that is used for the majority of ebook readers on the market today. Pictures and text look sharp and clear, in 16 shades of gray. Text can be resized to much larger or smaller, depending on the reader’s needs.
The Sony Daily Edition has a touch screen navigation, whereas the Kindle DX is push button navigation on the bottom and sides. This seems to be a hot point of debate for many. Seeing a touch screen, to many people, means that it must be easier to use, more advanced, and therefore better right? On the contrary, it could be seen as actually getting in the way during the reading experience, since if you touch the screen with a swiping motion the page changes. Obviously, it’s user preference when making the choice.
Screen Size- The Kindle DX has a 9.7-inch screen, whereas the Sony Reader Daily Edition is 7-inches. The DX obviously has more display screen and reading screen space, and will in turn be a larger device.
Rotation for Landscape View- Both the devices let you read in a “landscape” or “wide-screen” view, just by turning it on it’s side.
Standard Memory Space for the Readers differ widely, as the Kindle DX is 3.2 GB (3,500 books) and the Sony Reader Daily Edition is 1.6 GB (“hundreds” according to Sony). However, you can add an SD card to the Sony Reader to add more memory.
Wireless- Both the ebook readers allow you to download books, magazines, and other publications wirelessly without the need to hook up to a computer. Download time for a book is around a minute with both devices.
Global Wireless? However, only the Kindle DX works in other countries outside the U.S.. Meaning, you can’t hook up wirelessly to the network to get new publications (daily newspapers) or new book titles when travelling abroad, or if you simply live outside the U.S..
Document Types and Number of Books and Publications Available- The DX and the Reader Daily Edition allow you to read PDF’s, and other document types as well on the device. Amazon has just over 350,000 titles available, whereas the Sony has those same titles, plus the “public domain” works that Google has compiled over the last few years. These are older books that no longer have copyrights applicable to them.
Taking Notes on the Device- The Sony Daily Edition has a “stylus” that comes with it to allow you to take notes in the books and on documents, etc…
And last but not least, the pricing of the two – The Kindle DX is priced at $489 whereas the Reader DE is priced at $399.
So there you have a detailed comparison of the features of, arguably, the best two ebook readers on the market today.
What are people saying?