Disclosure: I’ve been a Kindle user for quite a number of years now and am an avid reader. Since my first Kindle, my reading has increased a thousand percent over when I just had printed books. I am a big fan.
Kindle now offers an unlimited reading service for books and audiobooks for $10 a month (first month is free). It’s like the Netflix of books. Whether it’s a good deal for you or not depends on your reading habits. At first glance it seemed like a good deal for me. Then, I started thinking about it.
Every day, I get a newsletter from Amazon called the Kindle Nation Daily and another independent newsletter called BookGorilla. Both offer books at substantial savings, often free for a short time. My Kindle device is loaded with books I obtained from Amazon because of those newsletters.
The other day I received a four volume fiction series for free. Not long ago, I got a 5-volume edition for the same price. Over time, I found several good books that were also free…and also a few stinkers. Because they were free, I just deleted them.
Another example: There was a book I have been wanting for 2 years since I met the author at the Tucson Book Festival. Titled, “The Last Gunfight,” it centers around the gunfight at the OK Corral and how it changed the West. Since it happened around 70 miles southeast of where I live, it was a topic of interest to me. And author Jeff Guinn is an excellent writer who explores his topics in depth.
I had not purchased it as it was $11 for the Kindle and I had plenty of other books to keep me busy. Well, on Sunday, the book went on sale on the Kindle Nation Daily for one day for $1.99. I snapped it up and am voraciously reading it now. I also bought the audiobook version of it for $1.99. Thanks to Whispersync, I can read the book or listen to it in the car and the two stay in sync.
As an Amazon Prime member, I also get one free book a month to borrow and read, then return. And, still another benefit: Amazon gives me a free book at the beginning of each month that has not yet been published. So, I am already up to my ears in unread books…so Kindle Unlimited may not be the best deal for me.
And there are other places to get books for free. My favorite is the Open Library. There, it is possible to read six million e-texts at your convenience on a Kindle, or any other tablet. You can borrow up to five titles for two weeks at no cost.
My point is not to disparage Amazon for the Kindle Unlimited plan. For many, many people it may be just the ticket. I think it is a good addition to the Amazon line of products.
But let’s move forward. This edition is filled with interesting and thought provoking news stories as well as some handy-dandy tips for your computers and portable devices. So let’s get to it! -JRC
Tech News and Opinions
Amazon Kindle Unlimited
We reported this as a likely rumor in the last edition...now it is a fact. Amazon this week launched a new subscription service for e-books and audiobooks. Dubbed Kindle Unlimited, the service lets readers consume content in a way that is similar to subscription music and video services.
The future of computing is a battle for your personal information
The organizations that are looking to invent, and dominate the next era of computing are, at their heart, based on advertising revenue, and in the process of owning the future, these companies and their device-based competitors will treat the personal information of consumers as a prized commodity.
Google created a team to stop the worst attacks on the Internet
Google has embarked on a series of efforts in recent months to bolster its internal security, as well as improve security across the entire internet. The latest and greatest of these to date is "Project Zero.”
Why Is Internet Still So Slow And Expensive In The U.S.?
Most people in the United States can't get a decent Internet connection. That seems like a simple enough problem, but there is no easy solution. A lot needs to be sorted out before we get decent connections at an affordable price.
Bing continues its gains against Google at the expense of Yahoo
The only metric that matters is usage share and for June, it looks like Bing is on the right path as it has increased to 19.2% of the search engine market, up from 18.8% in May and 18.7% in April for the US market.
Computer Tips and Tricks
Learning Windows Search: Stop Hunting and Start Finding!
Having all your stuff on your computer is great, until you can’t find it. You’ve probably got a ton of photos, documents, music, and even videos lurking on your hard drive Wouldn’t it be great if you could just type a few words into a search box and have your stuff magically appear? Actually, you can.
Why Aren't You Using a Password Manager Yet?
Want to keep your online accounts safer, and be quicker at all your Web activities? You need a password manager-and many of them are free. Here are some tips for getting started.
Get more out of the Windows Taskbar with these 3 shortcuts
As the go-to location for dealing with and switching between open programs, the Taskbar may be the most clickable location on your desktop. But there’s no reason you can’t spice it up with a few keyboard tricks to make things a little more efficient.
How to add Google Now reminders using your desktop browser
Phone not handy? Just type your reminder into a Google search box. Here's how.
17 Skype Tips to Help You Master Web Calling, Video Chat
Making a call can be as easy as a double-click on a name in your contacts list, but Skype can do much, much more than that. And that's where these tips can help.
Mobile Computing
13 ways to optimize your Android smartphone
Listen up, Android users: It's time for a smartphone tune up. Don't get me wrong, most Android devices work fine out of the box. But with a few minutes of manipulation and a few helpful apps, you can optimize your phone to make it more powerful, useful, and efficient.
Avoid the Android vampire apps
Some Android applications will drain your smartphone or tablet of battery life, storage or bandwidth like a blood-sucking fiend. Here's what's what with the worst of the worst.
New Garmin Viago Navigation Application Launches For iOS And Android
Garmin well-known for its GPS navigation hardware has this week announced the launch of a new Garmin Viago navigation application which is available to purchase with prices starting at just $1.99 for both Android and iOS devices
Why wait for iOS 8? Seven cloud-friendly apps for your photos
Big improvements to iCloud are coming which promise to make it easier to keep photos neatly organized and easily accessible in the cloud. But there are a number of iOS photo apps that have already embraced the cloud.
How to move your music and photo libraries from one iOS device to another
Apple has done a pretty good job of getting your various media and photo libraries on to your iPod or iOS device. Getting them off is another matter entirely.
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