Gear Diary » Amazon Kindle http://www.geardiary.com Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:00:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Virtual City for the Kindle Fire Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/12/virtual-city-for-the-kindle-fire-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/12/virtual-city-for-the-kindle-fire-review/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:00:37 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182543

A while agoI reviewed the iPhone and iPad versions of Virtual City, noting that my only real complaint was the lack of a sandbox mode - and the high initial price of the iPad version (which has been lowered). The game already took advantage of the high resolution Retina display which made it shine on the iPad, so my assumption was that there would be a minimal difference in the move to the Kindle Fire. Turns out I was right ... and wrong. Read on to find out what I mean. The Hype: Build a city of your dream - a residential paradise or an industrial center. Build dwelling Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/12/virtual-city-for-the-kindle-fire-review/feed/ 0 Special Enquity Detail – The Hand that Feeds for Kindle Fire Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/special-enquity-detail-the-hand-that-feeds-for-kindle-fire-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/special-enquity-detail-the-hand-that-feeds-for-kindle-fire-review/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:00:41 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182548

Mix together a crime-drama mystery, puzzles, hidden objects, and tons of twists and turns and intrigue ... and you have the makings of one of the most compelling casual games made this year. The name of that game is "Special Enquiry Detail: The Hand that Feeds" from G5 Entertainment, and I reviewed the iPad release earlier this year. Now it is available for Android! Let's take a look and see how the port stands up to the original release! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/10/special-enquity-detail-the-hand-that-feeds-for-kindle-fire-review/feed/ 0 Supermarket Mania 2 for the Kindle Fire Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/supermarket-mania-2-for-the-kindle-fire-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/supermarket-mania-2-for-the-kindle-fire-review/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:43 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182542

I loved the PC version of SuperMarket Mania 2, and now that it is available for iPhone and iPad I wanted to take another look and see how it would work as a port! Read on and find out how they did! The Hype: Nikki and her friends are back in Supermarket Mania 2! Help her uncle Ross manage and run his chain of grocery stores on the other side of the country. Keep the supermarket shelves stocked up, floors clean and customers coming as you work on improving the stores and increasing profits. It's not all peachy though, as the evil Assistant Torg and his robotic Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/09/supermarket-mania-2-for-the-kindle-fire-review/feed/ 0 Mystery of the Crystal Portal for the Kindle Fire Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/mystery-of-the-crystal-portal-for-the-kindle-fire-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/mystery-of-the-crystal-portal-for-the-kindle-fire-review/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:00:42 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=182768

I had bought and enjoyed Mystery of the Crystal Portal for my iPad and also loved the PSP version in spite of some issues with having to pan around the scene, so I was excited to try out the Kindle Fire version. It had been a while since I played, so it felt fresh as I had forgotten most of the game. Let's take a loot at hwo the experience translates to the Kindle Fire! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/08/mystery-of-the-crystal-portal-for-the-kindle-fire-review/feed/ 0 Amazon Makes Good On Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/24/amazon-makes-good-on-ray-bradburys-fahrenheit-451/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/24/amazon-makes-good-on-ray-bradburys-fahrenheit-451/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:00:10 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=180341

In my review of the ebook version of Fahrenheit 451 I was sharply critical of the massive amount of typos and mistakes in the text. It was suggested that I take my complaint to Amazon, which I did ... but honestly never expected anything. It wasn't the first time I had complained, but I had never heard anything back in the past. But last night I got a happy surprise - an email from Amazon's Kindle Store that an update had been made to Fahrenheit 451, and I could download it from my account. So I headed to the link, and wound up wading through the sea of too many unread books Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/24/amazon-makes-good-on-ray-bradburys-fahrenheit-451/feed/ 2 If An eBookstore Falls in the Internet and No One Hears It…http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/18/if-an-ebookstore-falls-in-the-internet-and-no-one-hears-it/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/18/if-an-ebookstore-falls-in-the-internet-and-no-one-hears-it/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:00:53 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=179447 20120118-135913.jpg

(image courtesy nikdaum) eBooknewser reported today that Amazon quietly shut down Mobipocket, an ebook store that those of us with PDA roots probably remember fondly. Amazon purchased Mobipocket and still uses their format as the basis for Kindle books. After reading the post, I headed over to Mobipocket and found what appears to be the internet equivalent of a broken, abandoned storefront. There's no announcement that Mobipocket is gone, but the files appear to have all disappeared. Bestsellers, fiction, non-fiction, everything is just gone, with the exception of a handful of classics that appear on the main page. Meanwhile, things aren't exactly hopping over at eReader/Fictionwise. They haven't carried a new bestseller or mainstream Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/18/if-an-ebookstore-falls-in-the-internet-and-no-one-hears-it/feed/ 0 Does Anyone Buy eBook Readers For The Hardware Anymore?http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/16/does-anyone-buy-ebook-readers-for-the-hardware-anymore/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/16/does-anyone-buy-ebook-readers-for-the-hardware-anymore/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:00:49 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=177663

There's an interesting (and honestly, inevitable) trend in the book world lately: no one's talking hardware anymore. Yes, there's new devices, and sales are touted when they're impressive. But the big announcements that come up again and again are "ebook sales are increasing by these triple digits/these authors are making this much money through ebooks/we have this many free ebooks, etc". Plus, all those lovely ebooks are available on tablets, computers, smartphones and dedicated ebook readers...so does it pay for a company to offer the hardware without the ebooks anymore? In my view, the answer is no, and I think 2012 is the year we see many of the unaffiliated hardware drop by the wayside. Sony, Ectaco Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/16/does-anyone-buy-ebook-readers-for-the-hardware-anymore/feed/ 2 Kindle Lending Library And Direct Publishing Program is a Home Run So Far!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/kindle-lending-library-and-direct-publishing-program-is-a-home-run-so-far/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/kindle-lending-library-and-direct-publishing-program-is-a-home-run-so-far/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:00:03 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=178775

The Kindle Lending Library and Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) program debuted this past fall, and so far they're off to a great start whether you're a consumer or an author. As a refresher, the Lending Library is available to anyone with a Kindle and an Amazon Prime account, and you can download one book per month free of charge through the service. The KDP program offers perks to authors willing to sign up exclusively with Amazon, including a share of a $500,000 pool per book borrowed through the program. Needless to say, the exclusivity clause has been a subject of debate among ebook fans, since it tightens Amazon's hold on the digital book market immensely, and Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/13/kindle-lending-library-and-direct-publishing-program-is-a-home-run-so-far/feed/ 0 SolarKindle Cover Lets You Charge Your Kindle Without An Outlet!http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/08/solarkindle-cover-lets-you-charge-your-kindle-without-an-outlet/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/08/solarkindle-cover-lets-you-charge-your-kindle-without-an-outlet/#comments Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:15:36 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=177595

Ordinarily I am skeptical of "solar powered chargers", as they seem more gimmick than useful gear, but a solar powered Kindle charger is a stroke of genius! Kindles don't require charging more often than once a month or so, meaning finding sunlight to charge isn't an inconvenience. Plus a Kindle is one of the few devices that might get used regularly on the beach, or camping, or other places where outlets aren't available, but sunlight is free and plentiful! The specifications on the SolarKindle cover sound very impressive! From the press release:
Makes Unplugged E-Reading Come True
The first practical solar gadget that makes unplugged e-reading come true, SolarKindle is designed with the utmost
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/01/08/solarkindle-cover-lets-you-charge-your-kindle-without-an-outlet/feed/ 0 Keeper Password and Data Vault Now Available for Kindle Firehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/31/keeper-password-and-data-vault-now-available-for-kindle-fire/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/31/keeper-password-and-data-vault-now-available-for-kindle-fire/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:30:22 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=176521 Okay, so you just got a new Kindle Fire, and you've started happily buying up books, movies, TV shows, magazines, and I don't know what-all.  Excellent!  Now the problem is:  how do you keep that data secure, eh? Well, the Keeper password and data security app is now available for the Kindle Fire.  Keep them passwords and data safe and secure for a nominal annual fee, and stop worrying.  Available on the Amazon Market for an MSRP of $9.99 a year.  (Which honestly strikes me as a pretty good price.) Full information below.
Downloaded by millions of users worldwide and published in 10 languages, Keeper® is the world’s most trusted mobile security software. Now
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/31/keeper-password-and-data-vault-now-available-for-kindle-fire/feed/ 0 Kindle DX On Woot for $199!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/31/kindle-dx-on-woot-for-199/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/31/kindle-dx-on-woot-for-199/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:25:46 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=176605

If you didn't get an ebook reader this Christmas and you really want a bigger screen, Woot! has you covered. They apparently still have some Kindle DX models left over from their pre-Christmas blowout, so if you missed it last time now's your big chance to snag one. The DX is basically the only "large screen" ebook reader, so if that is important to you or a loved one this is an amazing deal! Amazon is selling brand new units for $379, so $199 for a refurbished one with a warranty is a steal! Via Woot Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/31/kindle-dx-on-woot-for-199/feed/ 0 G5 Entertainment Brings Supermarket Management to Kindle Fire on December 29th!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/29/g5-entertainment-brings-supermarket-management-to-kindle-fire-on-december-29th/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/29/g5-entertainment-brings-supermarket-management-to-kindle-fire-on-december-29th/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:10:32 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=175371

I reviewed Supermarket Mania for DSiWare, and Supermarket Mania 2 for PC and iPad ... and I really just thoroughly enjoy the lightly story-based time management fun the games have to offer. And it looks like I will soon be enjoying it on my Kindle Fire, as "G5 Entertainment invites Kindle Fire users to join Supermarket Mania obsession December 29th"!
Help Nikki make her supermarket chain prosperous in this fantastic time management rush. San Francisco, California – December 21, 2011 – Leading casual games publisher, G5 Entertainment, today announced that its award-winning time management adventure, Supermarket Mania, is coming to Kindle Fire on December 29, 2011. Developed and
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/29/g5-entertainment-brings-supermarket-management-to-kindle-fire-on-december-29th/feed/ 0 Free eBooks from the Local Library!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/28/free-ebooks-from-the-local-library/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/28/free-ebooks-from-the-local-library/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:30:06 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=176189

I swung by my local library today and discovered they put together a very clever way of promoting library eBooks. They had free "gift cards" out for "free eBooks", which was just a printed card with the library's website on the front and QR code for the site on the back. The marketing campaign signs around the library suggested people could give them alongside Kindles, NOOKs, etc. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/28/free-ebooks-from-the-local-library/feed/ 0 M-Edge Suing Amazon; You Had Better Stock Up on Kindle Cases Now!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/27/m-edge-suing-amazon-you-had-better-stock-up-on-kindle-cases-now/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/27/m-edge-suing-amazon-you-had-better-stock-up-on-kindle-cases-now/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:15:57 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=176209 M-Edge makes some awesome cases for the Kindle and other ebook readers. They made the case I had my original Kindle in for many years, and I loved it. We've also covered many of their iPad cases here at Gear Diary and they consistently receive high marks for build quality and useful, eye-catching designs. Unfortunately, M-Edge is alleging in a lawsuit that Amazon doesn't feel the same way about their Kindle cases. According to the Wall Street Journal, M-Edge is claiming some pretty unpleasant business dealings have gone down with Amazon:
M-Edge said in the lawsuit that in November 2009, it signed a three-year agreement to pay Amazon a roughly 15%
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/27/m-edge-suing-amazon-you-had-better-stock-up-on-kindle-cases-now/feed/ 1 SugarSync Update Helps Add to Android App Market Confusionhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/sugarsync-update-helps-add-to-android-app-market-confusion/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/sugarsync-update-helps-add-to-android-app-market-confusion/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:15:00 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=175527

Yesterday I got a message from SugarSync, one of my favorite Cloud Storage companies. They were announcing, amongst other things, that:
Kindle Fire - SugarSync is now available for the Kindle Fire, so you can access all your files from the SugarSync Cloud.
That was great - I clicked on the link in the email, checked out the blog post, then clicked the link in the article to grab the new version and ... landed at the Android Market as shown in the image below.

Now don't get me wrong - this is an excellent update Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/sugarsync-update-helps-add-to-android-app-market-confusion/feed/ 2 Looking for a Great Puzzle Game for Your Kindle Fire? Try Mahjongg Artifacts Chapter 2!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/looking-for-a-great-puzzle-game-for-your-kindle-fire-try-mahjongg-artifacts-chapter-2/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/looking-for-a-great-puzzle-game-for-your-kindle-fire-try-mahjongg-artifacts-chapter-2/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:15:05 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=175533

I reviewed the PSP Minis version of Mahjongg Artifacts and Mahjongg Artifacts Chapter 2, and aside from PSP-specific complaints about the screen, I thoroughly enjoyed them! Now just in time for the holiday school vacation the games have arrived for the Kindle Fire! This is how G5 describes the game:
Tile-matching action abounds in Mahjongg Artifacts: Chapter 2, keeping you tapping the screen for months on end! Players must pair up tiles to dismantle hundreds of board layouts, gather pearls to purchase special powers, utilize a selection of ground-breaking powerups and earn trophies. Choose Story Mode, Classic Mode, or Endless Mode and enjoy gorgeous graphics and rich audio. The
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/23/looking-for-a-great-puzzle-game-for-your-kindle-fire-try-mahjongg-artifacts-chapter-2/feed/ 0 Wired Illustrates the Limitations of Paper Publishinghttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/22/wired-illustrates-the-limitations-of-paper-publishing/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/22/wired-illustrates-the-limitations-of-paper-publishing/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:15:09 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=174840 Over at Teleread, they've called Wired magazine onto the carpet for a set of eBook reader reviews that pitted the low-end Kindle against touchscreen, higher-end competitors, and for not breaking out the Special Offers/non-special offers versions of the Kindle. The Wired writer responsible for the segment responded in the comments, and after a few days of mulling it over, it seems to me that his explanation hurts print magazines more than it does to exonerate Wired. For reference, the review is over two pages: Page 1, Page 2. Here's what Tim Conway said over at Teleread:
The problem that we had doing the roundup was that Amazon couldn’t get us a
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/22/wired-illustrates-the-limitations-of-paper-publishing/feed/ 2 Gear Deal: KindleDX on Woot!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/22/gear-deal-kindledx-on-woot/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/22/gear-deal-kindledx-on-woot/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:55:48 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=175439

Quick! Are you searching for one last gift for a big reader, or you wanted to buy Grandma a Kindle but the screen is too small? Woot! has you covered with a Kindle DX for only $199! It is refurbished by Amazon and that gives you a $179 savings (Amazon still has this at $379)! Best of all, if you order by 12pm Central time (1pm Eastern, 11am Mountain, 10am Pacific) your order should arrive by Christmas! Head over to Woot right away! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/22/gear-deal-kindledx-on-woot/feed/ 0 Give Your Amazon Kindle Touch a BodyGuardhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/20/give-your-amazon-kindle-touch-a-bodyguard/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/20/give-your-amazon-kindle-touch-a-bodyguard/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:00:22 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=174909 Safari A few weeks ago we took a look at the BodyGuardz Armor Carbon Fiber for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. While it doesn't guard from drops or bumps, the Armor does protect the entire back of my iPad from scratches. I like that and now use my iPad sans case more often than ever. On Cyber Monday the company offered some steep discounts on other products so I ordered a few, including a pre-order for protecting the Amazon Kindle touch. It came in the other day and I just put it on my Kindle. Here's quick look Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/20/give-your-amazon-kindle-touch-a-bodyguard/feed/ 0 G5 Unleashes MORE Great Kindle Fire Games on December 15th!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/15/g5-unleashes-more-great-kindle-fire-games-on-december-15th/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/15/g5-unleashes-more-great-kindle-fire-games-on-december-15th/#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:15:39 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=174245

Right after the release of the Kindle Fire last month, G5 was there with a few games - Mystery of the Crystal Portal, Mahjongg Artifacts, and Success Story. They followed up with Supermarket Management the next week. Now they are back with more - some were released last week, and others are launching today! If you own a Kindle Fire (like me!), rejoice - you are getting some awesome games! Stand O'Food:
Leading casual games publisher G5 Entertainment today announced that the hit Time Management game Stand O'Food will rush into Kindle Fire on December 15, 2011. With millions of players worldwide enjoying the game on all mobile platforms
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/15/g5-unleashes-more-great-kindle-fire-games-on-december-15th/feed/ 0 eReader Critical Mass and Other Vacation Tech Tidbitshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/13/ereader-critical-mass-and-other-vacation-tech-tidbits/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/13/ereader-critical-mass-and-other-vacation-tech-tidbits/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:00:15 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=173843 During my week away I noticed that eReaders seem to have hit critical mass. Yes, this year, more than any other, saw Kindle's, nook's and iPads in use on the beach and at the pool. (Interestingly, I did not see a single Kindle fire!) I have seen an uptick in the use of devices over the past few years but this year seemed to show a huge jump in their presence. In fact, a cursory look this past Saturday saw MORE electronic devices than dead-tree reading material at the pool. But that was only a small part of the tech I witnessed while traveling. Here are a few more tidbits. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/13/ereader-critical-mass-and-other-vacation-tech-tidbits/feed/ 0 The Gear Diary Kindle Fire Tablet Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/08/the-gear-diary-kindle-fire-tablet-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/08/the-gear-diary-kindle-fire-tablet-review/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:00:55 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=169476

November 15th saw the release of what will quickly become the #2 selling tablet of all time: the Amazon Kindle Fire. Since then we have seen plenty of 'race to be first' reviews, but my goal was to spend some time integrating the Fire into my life before completing my review. This week we also saw the usability study that looked at the issues around the 7" screen specifically with the Fire but related to mid-sized tablets in general. Dan and I each got one that arrived on the 15th: Dan's has already gone back to Amazon, while I have decided to keep mine. So while we never got to do a Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/08/the-gear-diary-kindle-fire-tablet-review/feed/ 3 Agency eBook Pricing Model Under Anti-Trust Scrutiny!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/07/agency-ebook-pricing-model-under-anti-trust-scrutiny/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/07/agency-ebook-pricing-model-under-anti-trust-scrutiny/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:30:17 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=173091 The European Union has finally stepped up to handle the biggest issue facing the economy today. It's a long time coming, but someone is finally asking questions and looking for answers. Yes, the "agency model" for ebooks is finally being investigated! What, you thought I meant something else? ;) According to Businessweek, several publishers as well as Apple are listed in the investigation, but not Amazon. My guess is that since Amazon was not soliciting contracts for the agency model (they were forced into it after a very public battle) they're not under the microscope. It will be interesting to see if Amazon or any other retailer besides Apple gets included in this as the investigation Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/07/agency-ebook-pricing-model-under-anti-trust-scrutiny/feed/ 0 Kindle Fire Usability Study Speaks to the Entire 7″ Android Tablet Markethttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/07/kindle-fire-usability-study-speaks-to-the-entire-7-android-tablet-market/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/07/kindle-fire-usability-study-speaks-to-the-entire-7-android-tablet-market/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:30:09 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=172987

The web is abuzz today with the 'Kindle Fire Usability study from UseIt.com, which can be summed as stating that "Amazon.com's new Kindle Fire offers a disappointingly poor user experience." Here are a few points of note:
Fat-Finger Problem Makes Mobile Sites Superior The most striking observation from testing the Fire is that everything is much too small on the screen, leading to frequent tap errors and accidental activation. You haven't seen the fat-finger problem in its full glory until you've watched users struggle to touch things on the Fire. One poor guy spent several minutes trying to log in to Facebook, but was repeatedly foiled by accidentally touching
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/07/kindle-fire-usability-study-speaks-to-the-entire-7-android-tablet-market/feed/ 1 iBooks Grows Up, Is It Enough to Make it Your eReading App?http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/07/ibooks-grows-up-is-it-enough-to-make-it-your-ereading-app/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/07/ibooks-grows-up-is-it-enough-to-make-it-your-ereading-app/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:45:03 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=173122 20111207-074619.jpg The iBooks apps for iOS, that means iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, just made the leap to version 1.5. It is a nice update that includes a new arrangement of annotations, full screen reading mode, new fonts and an awesome new nighttime reading mode. I used the nighttime reading mode last night for a bit and it worked great. It is nice to see iBooks maturing but it also reminded me that, when it comes to something like eBooks, it isn't the app that ultimately matters but rather the ecosystem one has decided to use. I decided some time back that I would be investing in the Kindle platform since it is more "universal" so, while I'll certainly use iBooks for Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/07/ibooks-grows-up-is-it-enough-to-make-it-your-ereading-app/feed/ 8 One More Tablet Gone; Can Microsoft Avoid the Same Fate?http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/03/one-more-tablet-gone-can-microsoft-avoid-the-same-fate/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/03/one-more-tablet-gone-can-microsoft-avoid-the-same-fate/#comments Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:50:13 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=172624 image courtesy of BerryReporter 

Clinton recently wrote an opinion piece entitled, "As RIM Writes Off The Playbook, The Pressure is on Microsoft to Make a Complete Windows 8 Tablet", in which he says:
This morning the Wall Street Journal reported that RIM is taking a $485 million charge for their lackluster tablet, the Playbook.  The charge comes by way of a markdown in the value of the massive inventor that RIM still has of the devices.  It is a brutal and costly reminder that if you kinda-sorta-maybe-woulda-shoulda your tablet strategy, the price can be steep.  Very steep.
and
The challenge facing Microsoft is that they are behind when it comes to a tablet strategy.  Regardless of what
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/12/03/one-more-tablet-gone-can-microsoft-avoid-the-same-fate/feed/ 14 Amazon Releases First Kindle Fire Firmware Updatehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/30/amazon-releases-first-kindle-fire-firmware-update/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/30/amazon-releases-first-kindle-fire-firmware-update/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:30:42 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171947

It has been two weeks since the Kindle Fire stormed on to the market, with loads of pre-orders fueling an extremely successful Holiday period for the product. I am still finishing up my review, and Dan has already sent his back ... and last night Amazon released the first firmware update for the Fire. Here are the details from Amazon:
We have a new, free software update available for Kindle Fire. This software upgrade provides improvements to the operation of your Kindle Fire. If you are not sure what software version you're running, tap the Quick Settings icon, tap "More," then tap "Device." If your System Version begins with "Current version: 6.2,"
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/30/amazon-releases-first-kindle-fire-firmware-update/feed/ 1 Can’t Burn This – Fahrenheit 451 Released as a 50th Anniversary eBook!http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/30/cant-burn-this-fahrenheit-451-released-as-a-50th-anniversary-ebook/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/30/cant-burn-this-fahrenheit-451-released-as-a-50th-anniversary-ebook/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:15:31 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171935

I have always loved Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and introduced my kids to the book as well as the 1966 movie (free to stream on Netflix or Amazon with accounts). Now for the 50th anniversary of the classic novel, Bradbury has finally relented and allowed for an eBook release. From the LA Times:
Simon & Schuster released an e-book edition of Ray Bradbury's science fiction classic "Fahrenheit 451" on Tuesday. First published in 1953, "Fahrenheit 451" is a dystopia in which reading is banned and it is the job of firefighters to burn books. 451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper burns. The irony of releasing an
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/30/cant-burn-this-fahrenheit-451-released-as-a-50th-anniversary-ebook/feed/ 0 Grid Detective for Kindle Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/29/grid-detective-for-kindle-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/29/grid-detective-for-kindle-review/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:00:23 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171807 I am a huge sucker for logic games. When I was a kid, we used to do them all the time in school, and I have very fond memories of drawing my grid, X-ing out the wrong choices, studying the clues, and cracking the puzzle. Last week I was trolling the Kindle bestsellers lists, and stumbled upon Grid Detective; it was free, it was the logic puzzles from my childhood, I had to try it! Gameplay is extremely straightforward. You start with a paragraph explaining the scenario (the puzzle I am on now involves four friends reupholstering furniture) and the game asks you to solve for several answers. In this case, you need to determine the full name of each person, along with their color choices and the eventual room placement of the reupholstered chairs. The scenario just sets up the variables you're solving for, and none of these are classic literature. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/29/grid-detective-for-kindle-review/feed/ 0 The Free Amazon Kindle Books I Snagged Todayhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/26/the-free-amazon-kindle-books-i-snagged-today/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/26/the-free-amazon-kindle-books-i-snagged-today/#comments Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:20:07 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=171318  Entangled, by Barbara Ellen Brink:
A Minneapolis attorney inherits a small California winery, reawakening memories that have lain dormant for twenty years. One summer of her childhood is a mystery she intends to solve. But digging up her past also lays bare the skeletons of others, including her mother’s. Entangled between what she once believed and a new reality, will she be able to live with the consequences of full disclosure?
  Open Season, by Archer Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/26/the-free-amazon-kindle-books-i-snagged-today/feed/ 5