Amazon Kindle How-To Series – Five Cool Things You Can Do With Your Kindle 2
Michael Piston asked:
Once you’ve had time to spend a while with your new Amazon Kindle 2 you really begin to appreciate the enjoyable reading experience provided by this great device. If you’ve had a chance to download some e-books into your Kindle 2 you also have enjoyed an additional benefits of a great audio book listening experience. But, your Kindle 2 is capable of so much more! Here are five cool things you can do with your Amazon Kindle 2:
Cool Capability #1) – You’re spending a relaxing afternoon reading an e-book on your new Kindle 2 e-book reader and the thought strikes you – “I need to check my e-mail to see if I’ve heard back from my daughter!” Now normally that means that you have to stop reading, put down your Kindle, and check your e-mail account on your computer. But, if you have a Gmail account you can read and respond to e-mails right on your Kindle!
First, go to your Kindle’s built-in basic web browser (Home > Menu > Experimental > Basic Web). Next, make sure that Javascript for your Kindle’s browser is turned on (Browser > Menu > Settings > Enable Javascript). Finally, go to the Gmail Internet address (Browser > Menu > Enter URL > Gmail address – see below), enter your Username and Password.
IMPORTANT – use the standard Gmail URL and not the Google URL provided by default in the Kindle’s bookmark folder. If you try to access your Gmail from the URL provided in your Kindle you will be prompted to load a Google Gmail application. Applications cannot be loaded onto your Kindle so this will fail – you need to use the URL provided above to be able to use your Gmail account.
Cool Capability #2) – Are you a Twitter user? If you’d like to send a “Tweet” to your friends and followers about the great new book your reading on your Kindle you can do it right from your Kindle. This popular microblogging service offers a mobile version that works great on your Kindle.
Go to your Kindle’s built-in basic web browser (Home > Menu > Experimental > Basic Web). Next, make sure that Javascript for your Kindle’s browser is turned on (Browser > Menu > Settings > Enable Javascript). Finally, go to the Twitter Mobile URL (Browser > Menu > Enter URL > [http://www.m.twitter.com]), enter your Username and Password.
IMPORTANT – The standard Twitter URL is too complex for your Kindle to display properly. Use the URL above for best results on your Kindle.
Cool Capability #3) – Have you ever wanted to “save” a page you were reading to share with a friend? The Kindle has two different ways to do this. The first way is to take a screen shot of the page you wish to share. To take a screen shot hold down the and the keys then press the “G” key. You will notice that the Kindle screen will “flash” showing that the Kindle created the screen shot.
The screen shots are stored in your Kindle’s “documents” folder as image files with a .gif extension. You can get them by plugging your Kindle into your computer using the USB cable that you got with your Kindle. Open “My Computer” and look for the Kindle drive icon. Double click on the icon to open up your Kindle and then double-click on the “documents” folder. Look for files that end with .gif and you’ll find the screen shots you just made.
To share them with your friends you can save the files to your computer and then attach them to an e-mail message. You also can print-out the screen shots by opening them in a graphic program such as Windows Paint or Windows Internet Explorer. The quality is not great – but is certainly acceptable for sharing several pages.
Cool Capability #4) – There is another way to capture and share passages from Kindle e-books. When you highlight passages from Kindle e-books and make notes your Kindle saves them to a file in the “documents” folder called “My Clippings.txt”. You can open this file with a program like Windows Notepad and copy your highlights to save in another program or share.
To do this, go to the passage you wish to share. Move the Kindle cursor to the beginning of the passage you want to save and click the navigation button. Now move the cursor to the end of the passage you want to save and press the navigation button again once all of the text is highlighted. This will save the highlighted text to the “My Clippings.txt” file.
Plug your Kindle into your computer then look for the Kindle icon in “My Computer.” Double- click on the Kindle drive icon then double-click on the “documents” folder. Locate the “My Clippings.txt” file and double-click on it to open it in Windows Notepad. Find the text you highlighted on the Kindle. It should be at the bottom of the file. You can copy the text and paste it into a program like Microsoft Word to save it. Or you can copy and paste the text into an e-mail message.
Cool Capability #5) – Up to now we’ve been talking about text – now let’s talk about graphics. If you haven’t noticed, your Kindle 2 offers the ability to enlarge graphics so you can actually see them! To do this simply move your cursor over the graphic and it will change to a magnifying glass. Press the navigator button and your Kindle will zoom-in on the image so that it fills the Kindle’s screen.
This is very handy when you are reading books with technical graphics or screen shots. The Kindle 2′s screen is enough better quality that these graphics are worthwhile reviewing as you read through your books. To return to the original page view, press the button or the button.
Congratulations! You now know about five cool things you can do with your Kindle 2. You can use your Kindle 2 to check your Gmail and send “Tweets” with Twitter, take screen shots to save or share, save or share passages from Kindle e-books, and make graphics in your e-books more relevant by using the Kindle’s “zoom” feature.
Once you’ve had time to spend a while with your new Amazon Kindle 2 you really begin to appreciate the enjoyable reading experience provided by this great device. If you’ve had a chance to download some e-books into your Kindle 2 you also have enjoyed an additional benefits of a great audio book listening experience. But, your Kindle 2 is capable of so much more! Here are five cool things you can do with your Amazon Kindle 2:
Cool Capability #1) – You’re spending a relaxing afternoon reading an e-book on your new Kindle 2 e-book reader and the thought strikes you – “I need to check my e-mail to see if I’ve heard back from my daughter!” Now normally that means that you have to stop reading, put down your Kindle, and check your e-mail account on your computer. But, if you have a Gmail account you can read and respond to e-mails right on your Kindle!
First, go to your Kindle’s built-in basic web browser (Home > Menu > Experimental > Basic Web). Next, make sure that Javascript for your Kindle’s browser is turned on (Browser > Menu > Settings > Enable Javascript). Finally, go to the Gmail Internet address (Browser > Menu > Enter URL > Gmail address – see below), enter your Username and Password.
IMPORTANT – use the standard Gmail URL and not the Google URL provided by default in the Kindle’s bookmark folder. If you try to access your Gmail from the URL provided in your Kindle you will be prompted to load a Google Gmail application. Applications cannot be loaded onto your Kindle so this will fail – you need to use the URL provided above to be able to use your Gmail account.
Cool Capability #2) – Are you a Twitter user? If you’d like to send a “Tweet” to your friends and followers about the great new book your reading on your Kindle you can do it right from your Kindle. This popular microblogging service offers a mobile version that works great on your Kindle.
Go to your Kindle’s built-in basic web browser (Home > Menu > Experimental > Basic Web). Next, make sure that Javascript for your Kindle’s browser is turned on (Browser > Menu > Settings > Enable Javascript). Finally, go to the Twitter Mobile URL (Browser > Menu > Enter URL > [http://www.m.twitter.com]), enter your Username and Password.
IMPORTANT – The standard Twitter URL is too complex for your Kindle to display properly. Use the URL above for best results on your Kindle.
Cool Capability #3) – Have you ever wanted to “save” a page you were reading to share with a friend? The Kindle has two different ways to do this. The first way is to take a screen shot of the page you wish to share. To take a screen shot hold down the and the keys then press the “G” key. You will notice that the Kindle screen will “flash” showing that the Kindle created the screen shot.
The screen shots are stored in your Kindle’s “documents” folder as image files with a .gif extension. You can get them by plugging your Kindle into your computer using the USB cable that you got with your Kindle. Open “My Computer” and look for the Kindle drive icon. Double click on the icon to open up your Kindle and then double-click on the “documents” folder. Look for files that end with .gif and you’ll find the screen shots you just made.
To share them with your friends you can save the files to your computer and then attach them to an e-mail message. You also can print-out the screen shots by opening them in a graphic program such as Windows Paint or Windows Internet Explorer. The quality is not great – but is certainly acceptable for sharing several pages.
Cool Capability #4) – There is another way to capture and share passages from Kindle e-books. When you highlight passages from Kindle e-books and make notes your Kindle saves them to a file in the “documents” folder called “My Clippings.txt”. You can open this file with a program like Windows Notepad and copy your highlights to save in another program or share.
To do this, go to the passage you wish to share. Move the Kindle cursor to the beginning of the passage you want to save and click the navigation button. Now move the cursor to the end of the passage you want to save and press the navigation button again once all of the text is highlighted. This will save the highlighted text to the “My Clippings.txt” file.
Plug your Kindle into your computer then look for the Kindle icon in “My Computer.” Double- click on the Kindle drive icon then double-click on the “documents” folder. Locate the “My Clippings.txt” file and double-click on it to open it in Windows Notepad. Find the text you highlighted on the Kindle. It should be at the bottom of the file. You can copy the text and paste it into a program like Microsoft Word to save it. Or you can copy and paste the text into an e-mail message.
Cool Capability #5) – Up to now we’ve been talking about text – now let’s talk about graphics. If you haven’t noticed, your Kindle 2 offers the ability to enlarge graphics so you can actually see them! To do this simply move your cursor over the graphic and it will change to a magnifying glass. Press the navigator button and your Kindle will zoom-in on the image so that it fills the Kindle’s screen.
This is very handy when you are reading books with technical graphics or screen shots. The Kindle 2′s screen is enough better quality that these graphics are worthwhile reviewing as you read through your books. To return to the original page view, press the button or the button.
Congratulations! You now know about five cool things you can do with your Kindle 2. You can use your Kindle 2 to check your Gmail and send “Tweets” with Twitter, take screen shots to save or share, save or share passages from Kindle e-books, and make graphics in your e-books more relevant by using the Kindle’s “zoom” feature.
E Reader Review Terms
Kindle Alternative – The Ectaco Jetbook
Tim Pecunia asked:
The Ectaco Jetbook is the smallest among the among the leading e-book readers. The screen size is at a mere 5 inches, which can be a great advantage or disadvantage depending on your personal preference. The small size compromises on its readability on one hand, but greatly enhances its portability on the other.
To make up for its size, this e-book reader has a great feature that enables you to rotate the text on the screen. You could either read your e-book straight up, or read it at landscape by rotating the device. The contrast and readability of the Ectaco Jetbook may not be as good as other models such as the Amazon Kindle or the Sony Prs 505, but it is good enough to provide a comfortable read in most lighting conditions.
Because of its small size, the Ectaco Jetbook seems to have a longer battery life compared to many other e-book readers. A single charge can last up to a week of constant use. This little device also boots up faster than many e-book models. There are three conveniently located page-turn buttons that allows for easy page flipping. The page turns on the Ectaco Jetbook are also smoother than many leading e-book models.
A feature that makes the Ectaco Jetbook stand out among the rest is its great built in file manager. Compared to the Amazon Kindle and the Sony e-book reader, the Jetbook has a great file manager that allows you to manage, delete and organize your e-book files. Browsing though thousands of files on this little device is also a breeze. Like many e-book readers, the Ectaco Jetbook has a built in MP3 player.
The Ectaco Jetbook is the smallest among the among the leading e-book readers. The screen size is at a mere 5 inches, which can be a great advantage or disadvantage depending on your personal preference. The small size compromises on its readability on one hand, but greatly enhances its portability on the other.
To make up for its size, this e-book reader has a great feature that enables you to rotate the text on the screen. You could either read your e-book straight up, or read it at landscape by rotating the device. The contrast and readability of the Ectaco Jetbook may not be as good as other models such as the Amazon Kindle or the Sony Prs 505, but it is good enough to provide a comfortable read in most lighting conditions.
Because of its small size, the Ectaco Jetbook seems to have a longer battery life compared to many other e-book readers. A single charge can last up to a week of constant use. This little device also boots up faster than many e-book models. There are three conveniently located page-turn buttons that allows for easy page flipping. The page turns on the Ectaco Jetbook are also smoother than many leading e-book models.
A feature that makes the Ectaco Jetbook stand out among the rest is its great built in file manager. Compared to the Amazon Kindle and the Sony e-book reader, the Jetbook has a great file manager that allows you to manage, delete and organize your e-book files. Browsing though thousands of files on this little device is also a breeze. Like many e-book readers, the Ectaco Jetbook has a built in MP3 player.
Where to Buy Amazon Kindle 2?
Jim Lucas asked:
In a nutshell, the Amazon Kindle eBook Reader is reading made easy, comfortable and fun. Those who have actual experience with this marvel of a device will surely attest to that. It’s great in many ways and the e-book reader’s most underrated attribute must arguably be the quality of the display. The screen is such a boon to those of us who are struggling with old sightedness. For the first time in a long time, a great number of senior folks are reading more, faster and longer.
People buy Amazon Kindle for different reasons. Cutting-edge technology is a foremost one and the e-book reader oozes that all over, not least in its display. After all, reading is about viewing text and the display screen is where it physically starts. They say that Amazon’s aim was to simulate the paper book but many users will swear from first-hand experience that the high resolution electronic paper technology on the Kindle has actually surpassed its own very benchmark.
Many older readers are beset with eye strain from reading conventional print or the computer screen. Over time, they are resigned to fatigued eyes as part and parcel of reading. Nothing is further from the truth and the Electronic Ink Digital Display of the Amazon Kindle proves that. Kindle readers notice that tired eyes are a thing of the past even for those who indulge in prolonged or binge reading. For bi-focal or reading glass users, the effect will be all the more profound.
The brilliance of this mobile reading device display lies in the hi-tech virtual ink and the electronic paper. It boasts 16 levels of gray-scale shades in state-of-the-art resolution to give a printed paper look more consistently and with even less glare than the conventional paper print. Ink is indeed used but is displayed in particle form electronically. There’s no backlight as is standard in lesser electronic displays so it actually reads even better in bright sunlight.
Aesthetically, the Kindle is classy and stylish, yet modest. After all, the top design objective at Amazon was to make the Kindle disappear so you get ‘lost in your reading, not the technology’. The ergonomics are superb with the display centrally placed and occupying the best part of the real estate like a good video appliance should. The look and feel is so close to a real paperback that one could be caught absent-mindedly trying to dog-ear the Kindle.
Another important factor is how the Kindle display helps to preserve your eyesight in good health. That could jolly well be the most important feature of all if you want to keep on reading. If they could talk, your eyes would be crying out to read only on the Kindle. With 480,000 pixels on the 6 inch screen to project that hi-definition display to your eyes’ comfort plus the option to zoom in on images, that’s easy to see why you should buy Amazon Kindle, quite literally.
In a nutshell, the Amazon Kindle eBook Reader is reading made easy, comfortable and fun. Those who have actual experience with this marvel of a device will surely attest to that. It’s great in many ways and the e-book reader’s most underrated attribute must arguably be the quality of the display. The screen is such a boon to those of us who are struggling with old sightedness. For the first time in a long time, a great number of senior folks are reading more, faster and longer.
People buy Amazon Kindle for different reasons. Cutting-edge technology is a foremost one and the e-book reader oozes that all over, not least in its display. After all, reading is about viewing text and the display screen is where it physically starts. They say that Amazon’s aim was to simulate the paper book but many users will swear from first-hand experience that the high resolution electronic paper technology on the Kindle has actually surpassed its own very benchmark.
Many older readers are beset with eye strain from reading conventional print or the computer screen. Over time, they are resigned to fatigued eyes as part and parcel of reading. Nothing is further from the truth and the Electronic Ink Digital Display of the Amazon Kindle proves that. Kindle readers notice that tired eyes are a thing of the past even for those who indulge in prolonged or binge reading. For bi-focal or reading glass users, the effect will be all the more profound.
The brilliance of this mobile reading device display lies in the hi-tech virtual ink and the electronic paper. It boasts 16 levels of gray-scale shades in state-of-the-art resolution to give a printed paper look more consistently and with even less glare than the conventional paper print. Ink is indeed used but is displayed in particle form electronically. There’s no backlight as is standard in lesser electronic displays so it actually reads even better in bright sunlight.
Aesthetically, the Kindle is classy and stylish, yet modest. After all, the top design objective at Amazon was to make the Kindle disappear so you get ‘lost in your reading, not the technology’. The ergonomics are superb with the display centrally placed and occupying the best part of the real estate like a good video appliance should. The look and feel is so close to a real paperback that one could be caught absent-mindedly trying to dog-ear the Kindle.
Another important factor is how the Kindle display helps to preserve your eyesight in good health. That could jolly well be the most important feature of all if you want to keep on reading. If they could talk, your eyes would be crying out to read only on the Kindle. With 480,000 pixels on the 6 inch screen to project that hi-definition display to your eyes’ comfort plus the option to zoom in on images, that’s easy to see why you should buy Amazon Kindle, quite literally.
What are people saying?