You can’t buy Kindle books in the Android apps now: where to get them from Amazon

You can’t buy Kindle books in the Android apps now: where to get them from Amazon

I just bought a Kindle book for someone yesterday in the Amazon Shopping app on my Android phone. I’ve done that many, many times before over the years: you can get a really good Kindle book for someone (they can read it even without a Kindle) for less than the price of a birthday card, it’s delivered instantly (if you want…you can also pick a delivery date), and you can add a message.

This morning, I added a book to my Amazon wishlist. I do that a lot, too. I’ll often see interesting books while doing my morning Flipboard read. I don’t usually “piece buy” books (pay for a book individually, as opposed to reading it through a subscription service) for myself now: I put them on a shared wish list and I love it when family members buy them for me! I usually get my books through

Kindle Unlimited (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

We have years of subscription left on that, although after that, we may switch to

Prime Reading (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

since we’ve moved into a new life phase where money may be tighter…we’ll see.

When I went there this morning, I was still able to add the book to my list, but there was a stark message: I couldn’t buy books through the Android app any more (NOTE: this applies to both the Amazon Shopping app and the Amazon Kindle app). Getting to more information, it said it was to “…remain in compliance with Google’s updated Play Store policies.”

The same thing had happened with the Apple Appstore: this isn’t a choice Amazon would have made, in my opinion. The appstores change how sellers can accept payment through apps obtained through the store. It might be a change to how much the seller pays the appstore on a purchase, or the actual ways in which the payment is made.

Fortunately, Amazon has given us a nice, simple alternative. Go to

http://www.amazon/com/ebooks

in the browser on your phone (probably Google Chrome, since we’re talking Android phones).

That will take you to the ebook “portal” on the Amazon site. I’ve been checking it out this morning: I find it quite well laid out and I think they might have improved it in anticipation of this change (or maybe it was with the Apple appstore change).

It will work very much like the Android app did before today: you can add books to your wish list and you can buy or borrow them.

Also important to note: just like with the Android app, you can get to everything else on Amazon, too…it isn’t just the e-books.

Once you get there, you can add it to your homescreen, so it’s just like launching an app. Use the three dots on top of each other menu, probably in your top right…you’ll see an “Add to Home screen” choice. That gives you a one tap open, and you can drag it around just like you would have the app.

In fact, I’m thinking I’ll just delete the Amazon shopping app altogether, which was probably not Google’s intended consequence for the Play Store. You’ll need to adjust a little bit where you go to look for things: I go to my orders a lot, and that’s in the top right where your name is, next to the cart. Hm…I’ll have to check the notifications, I do like having those. I’ll let you know.

So, it’s an adjustment, but I don’t think you’ll find it a particularly hard one, even if it might have been shocking and a bit baffling if you didn’t know what to do.

Hope this helps…

---

Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!

All aboard The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project!

Bufo’s Alexa Skills

* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get.  Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. 

Advertisement

Samuel J. Jackson Celebrity Voice (for Alexa): 1st Impressions

Samuel J. Jackson Celebrity Voice (for Alexa): 1st Impressions

This was fun!

I’m seeing some misleading headlines on this, but I thought it was well worth the $0.99.

What is it?

You can add Samuel L. Jackson’s voice to Alexa.

The easiest way? Just say, “Alexa, introduce me to Samuel L. Jackson,” and there will be an offer made for you to purchase the voice.

Jackson doesn’t replace Alexa’s voice, contrary to some headlines. It’s an addition.

Every time you want to evoke Jackson, you say, “Alexa, ask Sam to…”

It also seemed that it took a bit longer to process and carry out the action than Alexa does, but I didn’t objectively time it.

Once you get to it, though, it sounds good. In fact, and this is important, even if you had no idea who Samuel L. Jackson was (which is extremely unlikely), you might still prefer that voice to the standard Alexa voice. It sounds much more natural.

That is not, by the way, because it’s all recorded…it’s not. One way you can see that is to say, “Alexa, ask Sam to Wikipedia [something]).” Then, just as Alexa would do, the voice of Samuel L. Jackson will start reading the Wikipedia article (assuming one exists) about your search term.

Jackson can also tell you the time, answer your trivia/knowledge questions, and give you the weather.

I tried to get the Jackson voice to say whatever I wanted…for example, “Alexa, ask Sam to Simon Says…” but that didn’t work. Might have been nice for getting dinner reservations (just kidding, of course).

Some things were clearly Jackson specific: when I asked for a song, I got Jingle Bells in a very clearly Jackson version. Same thing with a joke: a specific Jackson joke.

I have mentioned this yet, but you can have a “clean” version or explicit version, the latter where Jackson swears. You can change that whenever you want in the Alexa App: Settings – Voice Responses – Celebrity Voices. I’ve only used the clean version.

Worth noting that when you pay the ninety-nine cents, it’s good on all of the Alexa devices on your account: I’ve used it on my Echo Auto and in the Alexa app in my phone. That means a fan could have fun with it without having an Alexa device, by just downloading the Alexa app to a SmartPhone.

The future of this?

Well, for one thing, the price for this will go up to $4.99…honestly, even though this is fun, I probably wouldn’t have paid that.

There will undoubtedly be other voices available before long. This is not the old method of someone spending days in a studio recording different phrases so they can get the sounds they want…this involved AI to extrapolate from a smaller set. While I certainly think living celebrities will be first (I could see Morgan Freeman & Scarlett Johansson), there are probably enough sound bites (and the amount needed will reduce over time as the software gets more sophisticated) to do, say, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, or Vincent Price.

TomTom did Star Wars voices for its navigation systems…that could happen.

Another possibility? Having it learn your own voice. That might be something some people really want, so their digital assistants can fake being them on a phone call (this is in the future), or parents could “speak” to their children. Independent voice artists (or programmers) might be able to get some royalties from voices they create being made available. Much further? Video simulations…realistic avatars, augmented reality, and so on.

Another interesting possibility: using it to change someone’s voice, to make it easier to understand for someone with perhaps speech challenges…or engineered to make a politician more persuasive.

I would also say that they’ll be able to use information they learn from working with real voices to improve the naturalism of Alexa’s base voice.

What do you think? Have you tried it? Did you like it? What voices would you like to hear in the future? Do you worry about this technology being used for fraud? Feel free to let me and my readers know by commenting on this post.

Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!

All aboard The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project!

Bufo’s Alexa Skills

* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. 

Shop ’til you help! 🙂 

Amazon releases Prime Video VR

Amazon releases Prime Video VR

Yay!

For the past few years, I’ve been predicting that Amazon was going to release something so we could watch Prime Video in virtual reality.

I know that’s probably still not a really big market (although I’m sure it’s been growing), but I watch TV and movies in VR quite often. In fact, that is my favorite way to watch video…it’s better than a TV, better than a movie theatre.

One place I do it is during lunch at work. I usually exercise, doing floor work. I typically watch Netflix…I’ll explain why later. I also watch Hulu.

However, I’ve pointed out before that, since there wasn’t an easy way to watch Prime Video in VR, it meant I watched a lot less Prime. I did find a way to watch it in a VR browser, but that just doesn’t work as well.

Amazon has now released an “experience” (that’s what we call “apps” for VAM…virtual/augmented/mixed/merged reality) for Prime Video!

Prime Video VR (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

It works on Oculus and Samsung Gear VR, which is Oculus based (Gear is what I use).

I checked it out today: it looked good, although it’s pretty basic.

You start out in a cartoon sort of town and select what you want to watch: VR specific, Prime Video movies, Prime Video TV, and videos you’ve bought from them.

When you select a Prime Video (and it was good about knowing what I had already been watching), you are in a movie theatre.

There’s no one else in it…that’s standard with these apps.

Controls were basic.

It certainly worked, and that’s a good thing. That means I’ll probably try watching The Boys…that’s not a show my Significant Other would want to watch, which means I’d be unlikely to watch it at home. Besides, I don’t like to be in VR when my SO is here…that’s not very social. 😉

The Netflix app is the best one, and Hulu has more options than PVVR.

Why?

Netflix allows the screen to go perpendicular to the floor. If I’m doing leg lifts on my side (I have a chronic medical situation which was greatly improved earlier this year, but floor work still helps), I can have a Netflix video oriented the way my eyes are…I can’t do that with PVVR or Hulu.

Netflix also has a “travel mode”, where it will follow me (slowly) as I move my head. That’s also quite nice.

Hulu does a good job with allowing you to be in different environments, not just one movie theatre.

Hulu also has a lot of VR content.

Prime Video VR’s VR content seemed like they were basically 360 movies (and fewer than ten of them). No games.

They have a Chernobyl piece…but I’ve been to Chernobyl several times in VR in an experience, and that’s amazing! Amazon’s “Return to Chernobyl” didn’t appear to be self-directed.

Oh, for those who don’t know: the experience is like watching a movie…if you are watching, say, Spaceballs, you can’t walk behind Dark Helmet. Why do I like it, then? I’m obviously really focused, and with just my earbuds for my phone, the sound is good.

I think Amazon may add some things to it over time. For example, a family room setting when you choose a TV show. I’d love the social option, so I can watch with someone else. I’d like 360 games and environments, and the ability to watch my personal videos (and listen to audio files).

Overall, though, good job!

Now, I’m still waiting for them to give me something specifically designed to let me read my Kindle books in VAM…especially in augmented reality. Yes, I want to read Lost Horizon sitting on a mountain, but it would also be great to be able to see my current real environment, but also see any of my books in my hands, with the ability to flip pages using gestures. Maybe some day…and that doesn’t take away from this.

Thanks, Amazon!

---

Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!

All aboard The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project!

Bufo’s Alexa Skills

* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get.  Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.

Smile! You’re on Amazon’s Neighbors app

Smile! You’re on Amazon’s Neighbors app

20 years ago, the visionary science fiction author and futurist David Brin speculated about a world in which every street was monitored by a camera:

Review: The Transparent Society

Brin was interested in the sociology of it, what it would mean. In particular, if it couldn’t be prevented, how would we cope?

SmartPhones have put us ever close to that, and so has the

Ring Video Doorbell (at AmazonSmile*)

Amazon bought Ring last year:

CNBC article by Eugene Kim

While you certainly may have known about that, you might not know about the

• Ring Neighbors app at Google Play
• Ring Neighbors app at Apple Appstore

While it says it is from Ring, you don’t need to own a Ring device to use it.

I downloaded it today…and I’m generally pretty comfortable with what many people consider loss of privacy…but this one did creep me out a bit. 🙂

I put in my name, physical address, and e-mail address, and I’m guessing they ran some sort of verification check. The e-mail address would certainly give Amazon a check on my physical address, since both are on my Amazon account.

Right away, I could see videos my neighbors had uploaded from Ring devices. Generally, they were quite clear: if I’d know people in them, I would have had no problem identifying them.

People are only supposed to post safety and crime videos…but that clearly wasn’t being well moderated in real time.

More than one video showed a package delivery person being…not gentle putting down a package. Is that a safety issue? No, unless you are having something toxic delivered. Is it a crime? I wouldn’t put it in that category.

Others had to do with “suspicious” people…walking around, maybe at an odd hour of the day or walking up on someone’s driveway.

Now, some of the videos definitely looked like crimes…they looked like theft (including “porch pirates”, taking delivered packages).

Note that at least most what I was seeing would be visible from the street. That’s important because there isn’t an “expectation of privacy”. If somebody lets their dog relieve itself on someone’s lawn, and there happens to be someone across the street, they could be seen.

Amazon does have guidelines…I just wouldn’t say they are being carefully followed and reviewed.

There were also more official crime reports.

We’ve used the NextDoor site quite a few times, which is similar, and it has value…it’s particularly good for things like lost pets.

We have also seen it used to report people who seemed to us to be fine…there were times when it appeared to be driven more by “otherness” than by actual behavior.

I think you’d find it interesting to download the app and take a look.

Brin was right that we have to think about this…and whether you are thinking about it now, it’s already happening.

What do you think? Have you used Neighbors? If so, was it valuable? Has it helped you? How do you feel about videos of you possibly posted and viewed thousands of times without you knowing it?

Bonus story: I know there are authors who read this blog. I have a writing prompt in my Measured Circle blog today:

Write in my world: the planet Aphotic

I actually debated putting it here, but in polls, ILMK readers have not been big fans of fiction here…certainly, my sense is that fiction not related to the Kindle, Amazon, or e-publishing probably would not be a top heartwarmer. 🙂

If you do like to write, even just for fun, you might enjoy writing about the planet Aphotic…

Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!

All aboard The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project!

Bufo’s Alexa Skills

* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get.  Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.

Amazon updates quotesharing…and it’s nice!

Amazon updates quotesharing…and it’s nice!

I’m a big fan of quotations. For a very short period of time, my book of quotations,

The Mind Boggles: A Unique Book of Quotations (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

was the number one book of quotations in any format at Amazon.

Sharing from Kindle e-books, though, has been…limited. It’s been possible, but you had to connect to your social networks, and you only had a couple of choices.

With the recent updates to the Kindle reading apps, it’s greatly improved!

I want to point out that I tested this on an Android device (a Galaxy s7)…so we don’t have all the fancy sharing which the update to Apple devices has (although those are coming to Android later).

I highlighted a quotation in The Mind Boggles, and I had four color highlight choices, Note, Share, Copy, Search, and Translate as options (for me, the last three were reached by tapping a chevron >).

Tapping Share, I had all these options:

• Message
• Email
• Facebook
• Messenger
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Hangouts
• Skype

and then by tapping “More”, all the sharing options I normally have on my device. For me, for example, that included Flipboard, Samsung Connect, and many more.

For the second day in a row (I’m not saying I’ll do this every day), I’m tweeting a quotation from The Mind Boggles.

The quotations are more than Twitter’s 140 character limit, but that’s fine. You see the beginning of the quotation, and a link…and it includes the cover of The Mind Boggles. When you tap the link, you see the full quotation, and the beginning of the book. You can “Start Reading” the book…even with no Kindle app installed, people can read a sample of the book! There is also an option to buy the book. Additionally, people can share the book (the information about the book, not the whole contents) with others.

When I tweet, I have the choice of a Direct Message (essentially, a private one-on-one communication) or a public tweet.

When you tweet, you can add more text, a GIF, a picture, and so on. I had 26 characters left.

Oh, and I can dynamically switch accounts! I have two Twitter feeds: one for me, which is where I do most things (@bufocalvin) and one specifically for The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip (@TMCGTT). I’ve been tweeting “On This Date in Geeky History” every day on that one. 🙂

Authors and publishers, I think this is potentially a great way to promote your books! I don’t know what the conversion rate is going to be, but I think it’s an easy way to show the value of your book.

It can also be used for simple social sharing, or to communicate something to a public figure.

It’s worth noting that this is as open as the internet: it’s not limited to

Amazon Prime (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

members, or Amazon shoppers, or the USA.

For my readers who are Amazon Associates, there wasn’t a way using this tool to include a referrer link, and I don’t think that works from Twitter anyway.

It’s simple, it’s social, it’s low friction…overall, I’m impressed! Well done, Amazon!

Oh, I also just checked it on my now discontinued Kindle Fire HDX: it’s similar, but without as many options (but I don’t have as many apps). I tried it on my work iPhone 5s (they let us use things like the Kindle app on our work phones)…there were some sharing options, but I suspect it would be smoother on a more recent generation.

What do you think? Have you tried it? Is sharing quotations something you do? Do you ever send a quotation to a public figure? What other apps would you use for sharing…would you e-mail a quotation? Text one? Feel free to let me and my readers know what you think by commenting on this post.

---

You can be part of my next book, Because of the Kindle!

---

• Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!
• All aboard The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project!

* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get.  Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy  Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.

 

 

The next chapter in Microsoft and e-books

The next chapter in Microsoft and e-books

I’ve been seeing quite a bit of reporting this morning on an

MSPowerUser report by Mehedi Hassan

which shows what appears to be a new e-bookstore coming to Windows 10.

At least in the “mainstreamy” tech news, I haven’t seen them referring back to Microsoft’s history with e-books which is, so to speak, storied. 😉

If we start with something recent, Microsoft had invested something like $300 million in Barnes & Noble and the NOOK in 2012…and then, by 2014, was outta there:

Microsoft gives up on the NOOK: a tipping point for B&N?

That was after Microsoft had sued Barnes and Noble in 2011…over the NOOK.

I do think this e-bookstore, as shown, is a serious blow to B&N’s digital literature business…but that’s a bit like discovering a burned out lightbulb on the Titanic. 😉 Not only is Microsoft no longer supporting B&N, they are taking the life raft and slapping them with it. 😉

Just as many reporters aren’t mentioning Microsoft’s history, I don’t think most customers are going to remember .lit and MSReader.

What were those?

Back in 2000, Microsoft released software for reading e-books, MSReader (the book format was .lit). That was seven years before the first Kindle release. It was one of the big formats at the time, and people had faith in Microsoft.

In 2011, four years after the introduction of the Kindle, Microsoft killed MSReader, which sort of stranded people who had purchased .lit books (although they still worked…while you had software with which to read them. Some people converted them to other formats). That left a sour taste for some customers…but I don’t think that’s going to have an impact on the new implementation (which I do think is likely to be real).

If we ignore the past and act like Microsoft is just getting into the e-book market, do I think this will be a success?

Sure…as long as their expectations aren’t too high.

Basing all this on that MSPowerUser report (which I recommend), Windows 10 users will buy books just like they buy apps, videos, and music. There will be a book section. You can buy it right there…and read it in Microsoft Edge (their newest browser), which has EPUB support.

Books shown in the story are from tradpubs (traditional publishers), and include current well-known titles.

They also clearly show that the books will be available on both desktops and mobile (tablets).

The convenience of it is going to convince some people. I think it’s important to note culturally that it puts e-books right into the mix with other digital content. I think it helps illustrate that books are not endangered. 🙂 My intuition is that more books are being read than were being read, say, ten years ago. It may be harder to track that, since books have moved out of being probably 90% controlled by under ten large companies (there used to be “Big Six” of publishers in America, now the Big 5) to hundreds or thousands of tiny publishers (often just the author).

I don’t think it particularly hurts Amazon…it’s not going to much easier to buy a MS book than a Kindle book, even on a Windows 10 device. Microsoft is, interestingly, becoming more of a pop culture ecosystem than it was…but it doesn’t match what Amazon can do for a customer, in part because Amazon can deliver “diapers and windshield wipers”.

One interesting thing: I saw right off a commenter asking if Cortana (Microsoft’s digital assistant, like Siri/Alexa/OK Google) will be able to read the e-books…the way that Alexa can read Kindle store books (unless blocked by the publisher) and play Audible audiobooks. That wasn’t apparent.

Looks like we are likely to see this in April of this year.

Speaking of books still being part of our lives, the TV network Nickelodeon has just introduced

Nick Jr. Books at the Apple Appstore

This looks like an interesting implementation. Part of it is including tips for parents…for example, book club type questions you can ask after your child reads a book.

Interestingly to me, this is not a subser (subscription service)…it’s a “piece purchase” plan, where you pay for each book. You do get three books for free when you first get the app, but that’s an incentive, not a pattern. I saw a concern expressed about that by a commenter…who thought $2.99 was too much for a book. I think subsers are particularly good for kids…many kids read very quickly, and they may have diverse, fickle, and unpredictable interests. 😉

Books are interactive, and can be read offline. There is a reward system (badge style), and overall, it appears to me that they have been thoughtful about this.

It isn’t currently in the

Amazon Appstore (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

or, for that matter, at Google Play.

That doesn’t mean it won’t be there eventually…despite what some people say, Amazon has always carried (some) competitors’ apps in their appstore, including Netflix and Hulu.

I think reading (yes, book reading) is alive and well…and likely to actually be growing.

What do you think? Are more kids reading…and more adults? Will five-year olds now be reading more at 25 than 25 year-olds now? How about at sixty-five? Will you use Windows 10’s new e-bookstore? Do you remember MSReader, and if so, does that affect your feelings about the new store? What about piece buying versus subsers for kids? Feel free to let me and my readers know what you think by commenting on this post.

Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!

All aboard our new The Measured Circle’s Geek Time Trip at The History Project! Join the TMCGTT Timeblazers!

* When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the The Measured Circle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.

Amazon’s Scary Good Deals on Apps & Games

Amazon’s Scary Good Deals on Apps & Games

Through Halloween night (Saturday, October 31st, 11:59 PM Pacific), Amazon has $70 in Apps & Games for free:

Scary Good Deals on Apps & Games (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

Now, let me say first. Amazon has “cured” me of going to their Appstore every day. 😉

That was, I’m sure, an unintended consequence of their excellent Amazon Underground program, which lets us get many apps & games “actually free”, without cost for some apps, levels, and upgrades.

When they did that, they did away with the Free App of the Day.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great swap! The AU apps are often much better than the ones we got for the FAotD.

Still, after weeks, I’ve finally stopped going to the Appstore every day…the draw was the FAotD, which I almost always got.

Anyway, here are some of the apps in this new promotion (again, only good through Saturday night):

• Gamebooks: Read and Learn English Premium
• Splashtop Remote Desktop
• Runtastic Pro
• Cubistry
• Halloweenistry
• LEGO Star Wars TM Minifighters
• Scribblenauts Remix
• Bloons TD 5
• Photolab Pro

and many more!

Enjoy!

Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!

* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get.  Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy  Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.

Over $90 in paid apps & games free (limited time)

Over $90 in paid apps & games free (limited time)

This offer ends at 11:59 PM on Saturday (August 14th…either tomorrow or today, most likely, when you see this).

It’s any of 40 apps and games, which normally cost you something (values up to $9.99, although many are $0.99) for free.

Over $90 in Paid Apps & Games Free (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

I would say the standout for me is

Goat Simulator (at AmazonSmile*)

Yes, that’s right…you are a goat!

I first encountered this app in YouTube videos…and it’s definitely goofy to watch.

That’s one reason why I’m happy this is available for our

Amazon Fire TV (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

I think it’s going to be a great thing in groups…maybe especially with kids, although I haven’t seen enough of it to be sure about the appropriateness. It is rated for “all ages”  though, so it’s probably okay.

Cubistry is also part of this group: 4.4 stars (out of 5) with 1,674 customer reviews!

Another very popular game in this batch: Bloons TD 5, with 2,075 reviews and 4.4 stars.

Other titles include:

• Docs to Go Premium Key
• Toca Kitchen 2
• Distant Suns
• Songsterr Guitar Tabs & Keys
• Sleepy Time
• Bridge Constructor Playground
• C25K Pro (this is a good wellness program: I know of several people who have used it. It stands for “Couch to 5K”…at least, I think this is the one they’ve used)
• King of Math
• Handy Photo
• AVG AntiVirus PRO Android Security
• 150 Flavorful Cupcake Recipes
• Toca Nature
• Fruit Ninja (5th anniversary)
• XnRetro Pro
• PrintHand Mobile Print Premium
• Daily Ab Workout
• Tiny Scan Pro: PDF Document Scanner
• Bridge Constructor Medieval
• Elements of Photography Pro
• Photo Lab 2
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Doodle Creatures
• Synchronize Ultimate Pro
• Call of Atlantis (Premium)
• Atomus HD
• Trainyard
• Ice Rage: Hockey
• Nyan Cat: Lost in Space
• Bunker Constructor
• Montezuma Puzzle 3
• Slydris
• Scribblenauts Remix
• Ultimate Hangman HD
• Lyne
• Blox
• Mind Games Pro
• Sudoku 4ever Plus

Enjoy!

—

Also,  two new articles on the Amazon Echo (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*) in my The Measured Circle blog:

Alexa Skills come to the Echo, plus more home automation

Can the Amazon Echo’s Alexa avoid controversy?

—

Finally, as you know, I like to give you a book piece when I do an apps story…I’ll highlight some recent price drops from

eReaderIQ

Note: the prices can go back up at any time, and they may not apply in your country (I have readers around the world). Check the price before you click or tap that Buy button.

• Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume | 4.6 stars | 851 reviews | $3.43
• Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan | 4.6 stars | 163 reviews | $4.90
• Giotto and His Publics by Julian Gardner | $21.49
• Science and Football IV by Aron Murphy | 5.0 stars  | 1 reviews | $52.20
• Cat Body, Cat Mind by Dr. Michael W. Fox | 3.7 stars | 10 reviews | $11.99
• Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke | 4.3 stars | 855 reviews | $4.93

Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!

* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get.  Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy  Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.

Today’s KDD: up to 80% off US history books…up to $50 in apps for free

Today’s KDD: up to 80% off US history books…up to $50 in apps for free

One of today’s

Kindle Daily Deals (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

is up to 80% off American history (and other non-fiction) e-books, in honor of Independence Day (which is nex weekend).

There are twenty books in this deal, and some are certainly worth a look!

I like reading non-fiction: in fact, I think if I checked, I’ve probably read more non-fiction books in the past couple of years than fiction ones. I do like to think I’m an eclectic reader, though…that’s just my sense of it, I don’t really analyze my reading patterns.

History?

I read it, but I would guess I’m less likely to read what most people would consider mainstream history than intense looks at narrow topics. For example, one of my favorite books which I read in the few years of having a Kindle was

The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America (at AmazonSmile*)

about the “culture war” against comic books in the USA in the 1950s.

Was that a history book? Sure, but I doubt it’s a topic that comes up in many high school or college history courses.  😉

As a Kindle Daily Deal, these prices only apply today, and may not apply in your country (I have readers all over the world…hi, readers!). Always check the price before you click or tap that Buy button.

Remember also that you can buy these books today at the reduced price as a gift, and delay the delivery for the appropriate gift-giving occasion.

Some of these titles are also available through

Kindle Unlimited (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

at no additional cost to KU members.

Titles in this sale include:

• We Were Soldiers Once…and Young: la Drang – The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam by Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway $3.99 at time of wrig KU
• The Kennedy Brothers: The Rise and Fall of Jack and Bobby by Richard D. Mahoney $1.99 KU
• Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States by Bill Bryson $1.99
• Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King $1.99
• Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy by Ian W. Toll $3.99
• Founding Mothers by Coke Roberts $2.99
• The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against  LBJ by Roger Stone and Mike Colapietro $1.99
• Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden $3.99
• The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown $1.99
• Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase to Chase Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson $1.99
• Paul Revere’s Rie by David Hackett Fischer $3.99
• Washington’s Crossing by David Hackett Fischer $3.99
• Gettysburg by Stephen W. Sears $2.99
• On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery by Robert W. Poole $1.99
• The Men Who United the United States: America’s Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics, and Mavericks… $1.99
• America’s Women by Gail Collins $1.99
• Coolidge by Amity Shlaes $1.99
• Bloody Crimes by James L. Swanson  $1.99
• Bloody Crimes: The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the Manhunt for Jefferson Davis by James L. Swanson  $1.99
• To H*ll on a Fast Horse:Billy Kid, Pat Garrett, and the Epic Chase too Justice in the Old West by Mark Lee Gardner $1.99

Enjoy!

Also available, through July 1st:

Over $50 in Paid Apps & Games Free (at AmazonSmile*)

I appreciate that Amazon is not referring to this as a “bundle”, which has been the case in similar sales in the past. You can get as many of these as you want, but you do make individual choices.

I always figure on these, why not? 🙂 I have them go to the Cloud only, so they aren’t taking up any memory on our devices unless we choose to download one. All it takes is the time that it takes me to click or tap on them. 🙂

Titles include (note: I have updated the list, because it does this weird thing of shuffling the titles when I click on one, and I missed some):

• Simply Yoga
• M.A.C.E.
• Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst  (Full)
• AirReceiver
• Mirroring 360 – AirPlay Receiver
• Crazy Rocket
• Trouserheart
• tinyCam Monitor PRO for IP Cam
• Table Top Racing
• Exiles
• AVG Anti-Virus PRO Android Security
• Airport Mania 2: Wild Trips
• Weather Live – Detailed Forecasts and Live Weather Conditions
• Fantastic Four In A Row 2
• No Gravity
• The Bard’s Tale
• Alarm Clock Pro
• Deep Under the Sky
• AirPlay&UPnP
• Endless Skater

Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!

*When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get.  Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy  Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.

Ends Saturday: up to $105 in paid apps for free

Ends Saturday: up to $105 in paid apps for free

In celebration of spring, Amazon is giving away apps for which you  would normally pay:

Up to $105 in Apps and Games Free (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)

The giveaway ends at 11:59 PM (Pacific) on Saturday, April 18th.

There are some with thousands of reviews here…one of the highest rated is

Plants vs. Zombies

with a 4.4 rating out of 5 stars, and 4,188 customer reviews.

Another stand-out is the Oxford Spanish Dictionary, which normally costs $19.99. 4.5 stars, although only six reviews. It looks like it is a pretty sophisticated app. I don’t believe it can be used as the look-up dictionary, but it does let you favorite word, and has a “fuzzy filter”, so you don’t need to spell things correctly. This is a bilingual dictionary, by the way, designed in part for learning.

Other titles:

• Virtua Tennis Challenge
• Unmechanical
• RRDP Pro Client
• Amazing Alex Premium
• Osmos HD
• Pudding Monsters HD
• Table Top Racing
• LectureNotes
• Fun English Course
• Wolfram Alpha
• Chess and Mate
• Adventure Time Game Wizard
• Songster Guitar Tabs & Chords
• F18 Carrier Landing II Pro
• Flightradar 24 Pro
• MeteoEarth
• Splashtop Whiteboard
• Prince of Persia Classic
• Mobile Doc Scanner
• TouchDraw

As always, check the price before you hit that Buy button…this may not apply in your country.

Enjoy!

Bonus deal: you know I always like to do something with books, right? 🙂

Goodreads (owned by Amazon) has a group where publishers/authors can post that they are giving away books:

Free Book Giveaway Goodreads group

Not every book being given away is in the Kindle store, and some of them are a chance to “win” one…there may be only one or two copies available.

However, you are also likely to find ones that are available free for a limited time through the Kindle store.

It’s worth checking, and I may let you know about some of them as well, from time to time.

Join thousands of readers and try the free ILMK magazine at Flipboard!

* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get.  Shop ’til you help!  

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other blogs/organizations, buy  Amazon Gift Cards from a link on the site, then use those to buy your items. There will be no cost to you, and a benefit to them.