The Kindle from Amazon is an incredibly popular device that has truly revolutionized the book industry and how we consume content. How it works is very simple: You buy a book and it’s automatically added to your device.

Previously, it was only for reading and more recently there was the ability to surf the web. With the Kindle Fire, it’s completely transformed into an Android based tablet, but with previous generations, it was still, again, primarily for reading.

Amazon announced a new feature called Send To Kindle which changes that. Now users can much more easily transfer files from their Windows PC’s to their device.

Via PC Mag:

“Kindle users have always been able to transfer personal documents to their devices by either emailing them to an address assigned to their Kindle account or attaching the ereader to a computer and dragging the files over. With Send to Kindle, the process is simplified.”

“Users can transfer files from Windows Explorer by simply right-clicking on a document and choosing Send to Kindle. From any other Windows application that can print, users can select Print, and then choose Send to Kindle.”

The document file types supported are .doc, .pdf, .txt, .rtf, and the image file types supported are .png, .jpg, .bmp, and .gif. Now, Amazon did specifically mention that this new feature is for Windows users, however, a version is coming soon for the Mac the company said.

This wireless transfer process is much more convenient and will enable users to push other content to their Kindle, even if it’s in another room.

The Amazon Kindle Turns Into Better Storage Device With New Feature is a post from: The Inquisitr

The sale of the Kindle might be on fire but that doesn’t mean that Amazon has any plans on being nice to anyone whop wants to make third party accessories for it; or so it would seem if the lawsuit from M-Edge Accessories is any indication.

According the the company, who manufactures sleeves and protective cases for e-readers, Amazon is guilty of patent infringement, unfair competition, intentional interference with contracts and false advertising.

The lawsuit was filed last month in federal court in Maryland and first reported about in today’s Wall Street Journal and says that Amazon has been demanding an increased commission rate on Kindle cases and accused of threatening to “de-list” M-Edge from its retail store if they didn’t agree.

From the suit:

In February of 2010, Amazon’s Marine called M-Edge and stated that despite the existing contract terms, M-Edge had to retroactively pay the difference between the 8% fee and the 25% fee for all of January, 2010. That amount was approximately $600,000; a sizable sum to M-Edge. M-Edge refused, pointing to its existing, three-year contract which it had just signed in November of 2009. Marine replied that Amazon was “disappointed”, and stated that there would be “ramifications” resulting from M-Edge’s refusal.

GeekWire has the full text of the suit.

Amazon being called a corporate bully by Kindle case maker is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you’ve picked up a Kindle since the price plummeted to a mere $79- cheaper than many pairs of jeans on Amazon- you probably ticked off the imagined savings in your head, switching from expensive-to-produce paper versions to cheaper digitally created and distributed texts.

After all, there’s no printing cost, no expenses from shipping to the seller, no allocation of warehouse space to house physical copies of the book you’ve just bought. But you may have noticed that in-demand e-book titles often command a price in line with that of their dead tree counterparts, hovering around the exact same price point if not in some cases inexplicably costing more than a version that cost the publisher money for paper, glossy covers, and freight. And then you get hooked on the slim lines, the easy to use interface, the ability to carry hundreds of books in your purse- and you’re stuck paying jacked up prices and it sucks.

The Wall Street Journal brought the issue to light this week with a piece about price collusion amid publishers, sparking debate over fair pricing of ebooks. The paper confirms that the Justice Department is looking into whether the actions of publishers to keep the prices on par with those of printed tomes falls afoul of laws preventing such agreements:

The Justice Department confirmed last week that it was investigating whether there was improper collusion between the publishers and Apple to prevent discounting. Publishers last week either disagreed with the allegations, said they were cooperating with regulators or declined to comment. Random House said it isn’t part of the probe and otherwise declined to comment. Apple declined to comment at the time.

Do you find ebooks to be creeping ever steadily upward in price?

E-Readers Are Cheap Now, But Are Ebook Prices Skyrocketing? is a post from: The Inquisitr

One of the more interesting things about Amazon’s new Fire tablet is their own browser called Silk. What makes the browser interesting is that it uses a “split” design that has any browser traffic using Silk going through the Amazon servers.

This apparently has gotten a few folks in Congress concerned because of possible privacy issues. Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) has come out saying that the idea of Amazon funneling all the traffic through its servers is bothersome to say the least.

Not to be left out Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) has sent a letter to Amazon seeking some clarification on the possible privacy issues. In his letter MArkey is asking:

• What information does Amazon plan to collect about users of the Kindle Fire?
• How does Amazon intend to use this information?
• How will Amazon convey its privacy policy to Fire and Silk users?
• If Amazon plans to collect information about its users’ Internet browsing habits, will customers be able to affirmatively opt in to participate in the data sharing program?

Congress is concerned over privacy issues with Amazon’s new Silk browser is a post from: The Inquisitr

Brits, Aussies, Canadians: prepare to gorge on cheap (or even free) e-books. Though it’s taken a while, Google’s E-book Store has finally made it to the UK, Australia, and Canada, after a period of US exclusivity.

That means those with a Kindle or an Android handset (an Android app is already available, though version 2.1 or later is required) can choose from millions of e-books, plenty of which are free public domain classics.

Here’s Google blowing its own trumpet:

“Readers in the UK now have access to the world’s largest e-books collection, with hundreds of thousands of e-books for sale – from major UK publishers like Hachette, Random House and Penguin – as well as more than two million public domain e-books for free.”

So there you go, yet another way to read books. If you head to the Android Marketplace now, you’ll see a ‘Books’ section has been added, alongside the usual ‘Apps’ and ‘Games’ icons.

The books should work on phones, tablets, laptops, and e-readers. I severely questions the point of reading a book on a tiny smartphone screen, but then I’m clinging on to paperbacks for as long as I can manage.

So, who in the UK, Oz, and Canada is spending the day downloading the whole of Shakespeare’s back catalog later today then never read it? Let us know in the comments!

Google’s E-Books Store Finally Launches in UK, Australia and Canada is a post from: The Inquisitr

There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of Harlequin reading for a guilty pleasure but it seems that when it comes to the Kindle, and the Nook as well, there has been an influx of what is termed erotic romance, or as the less gentile might call it – soft-porn.

Right now the Top 100 listing for the Kindle is home to books like “Bent Over”, “Double Teamed”, “Bedded by the Boss”, and “Hot Daddy Cop” and while that might not seem all that bad what is raising a few eyebrows is that these e-books are coming with some rather suggestive cover art.

Needless to say, most of the books feature scantily clad figures, often intertwined, on their covers. Now, we’re not prudes, but when a woman’s bare behind shows up in the top 100 list on the Kindle (as is currently the case with “Bent Over”), you start to wonder whether someone over at Amazon might get a little concerned about its image and what the young folks who own Kindles might comes across in their browsing. (Start clicking on “related titles,” and things go downhill quickly–from the risque to the downright perverse.)

via Cnet.

Of course romance, or erotica romance if you prefer, has always been popular and the hasn’t changed with the rise of e-books. What has some folks concerned apparently is the cover art as that is the first thing some-one sees when looking through the titles

Has the Kindle become the new home of soft-porn? is a post from: The Inquisitr

An increasingly large number of libraries have begun offering Amazon Kindle E-Book rentals to their patrons and now the Library On The Go E-book collection is available to those customers.

We learned about the program (libraryonthego.org) from the Helen Matthes Library in Chicago where patrons are able to download eBooks and audiobooks for their PC, Mac, mobile devices, MP3 players and eBook readers.

Using their library card users can check out best-selling and classic eBooks directly from the library’s website while retaining full use of Amazon Whispersync technology which provides for synchronizing notes, highlighting and marking the last page read.

Pushing their program as the next generation of library check-outs the Helen Matthes Library is even giving away a brand new Amazon Kindle to one lucky resident who signs up for a library card before the end of September.

Library programs throughout the United States have begun turning to technology in an effort to drive more people to their locations, along with eBook check-out capabilities thousands of locations also now offer Red Box movie machines and full computer labs for use by their patrons.

Do you think the Library on the Go program is a good way to drive in business at public libraries?

E-book Collections for Amazon Kindle Reaching More Libraries, Offering More Content is a post from: The Inquisitr

We all suspected – knew, even – that Amazon would be announcing a new Kindle today at their event, but boy did they have a few surprises up their sleeves, namely the Kindle Fire.

The Kindle Fire is a tablet that is more or less the answer to Apple’s iPad. It’s a little smaller than its competition, boasting a 7-inch display, a lightweight body, and, according to a report by Bloomberg, the Kindle Fire runs off of Google’s Android OS.

It’s described as being essentially a “souped-up” version of the Kindle, but that’s probably not what will catch people’s eyes – what will be catching people’s collective eyes is the relatively cheap $199 price tag, which is considerably cheaper than the $499 asking price for the iPad 2.

For Amazon’s next product reveal, they announced an updated version of the Kindle Touch, which will retail for an equally absurd $99. If you insist on having 3G functionality with your Kindle Touch, you’ll have to fork over $149.

Perhaps the most surprising announcement to come out of the event is the new Kindle. It’s more or less the upgrade you’d expect, being lighter and sleeker and having an overall improved design, but that’s not even the exciting part; Amazon announced that the new Kindle will retail for just $79, making it by and far the most affordable Kindle so far.

The Kindle Fire will start shipping out on November 15, followed by a November 21 date for both Kindle Touch models. The new barebones, affordable Kindle, on the other hand, starts shipping today.

via Bloomberg

Amazon announces Kindle Fire tablet, new Kindle Touch, cheaper Kindle is a post from: The Inquisitr

Amazon.com announced that Kindle and Kindle app customers can now borrow Kindle books from more than 11,000 local libraries in the U.S..

Jay Marine, Director for Amazon Kindle, said:

“Starting today, millions of Kindle customers can borrow Kindle books from their local libraries. Libraries are a critical part of our communities and we’re excited to be making Kindle books available at more than 11,000 local libraries around the country. We’re even doing a little extra here– normally, making margin notes in library books is a big no-no. But we’re fixing this by extending our Whispersync technology to library books, so your notes, highlights and bookmarks are always backed up and available the next time you check out the book or if you decide to buy the book.”

If you want to borrow Kindle books, all you have to do is to visit your local library’s website where you can search and select a book. No need to go physically to the library. After choosing a book, you may choose to “Send to Kindle” and it will be delivered to your device via Wi-Fi or USB. You can check out a Kindle book from your local library and start reading on any generation Kindle device or free Kindle app for Android, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac, BlackBerry or Windows Phone, as well as in their web browser with Kindle Cloud Reader.

Marcellus Turner, city librarian for The Seattle Public Library, welcomed this development:

“This is a welcome day for Kindle users in libraries everywhere and especially our Kindle users here at The Seattle Public Library. We’re thrilled that Amazon is offering such a new approach to library ebooks that enhances the reader experience.”

By the way, you still need a valid library card.

You Can Now Borrow Kindle Books in Over 11,000 U.S. Libraries is a post from: The Inquisitr

I will admit at the outset that I am a devoted e-book reader- I have a Kindle, but mostly use the Kindle app on my iPhone and have shunned paper and ink books since my very first Kindle Edition.

That said, people decide on whether they should lay the mack on someone on the subway based on their reading choices? Doing it wrong. Intellectual compatibility is very important, but an otherwise attractive and fancy-smelling person can be reading a dodgy book for any number of reasons. The fact that other riders could be judging me by my choice of embarrassing vampire romance novel is worrying- so it’s probably good that I rely solely on my iPhone e-reader. Maybe they think I’m doing something more highbrow and respectable, like playing Bejeweled.

The notion Kindles are putting a dint in the subway-based dating scene comes courtesy of the New York Times. The writer, Lisa Lewis- in her not at all dramatically titled piece How E-Readers Destroyed My Love Life, bemoans these awesome devices because she cannot judge a prospect by his choice of reading material:

I had one good pickup line, and e-readers ruined it. I can no longer hit on a handsome man on a long commute by asking about his book — because I can’t see it. Gone are the days when, sitting on a train delayed in the station, I could imagine exactly where in the New York Public Library we would first kiss — in the stacks between Mailer and Malamud or Foer and Franzen? E-books may be saving literature, but my dating life has suffered.

So, you spot Dreamy McHotterson on the G Train. He smells like jet fighters and punching. He’s enlightened enough to not only invest more than $100 in reading, but he loads up his device and brings it with him to work. And the Kindle isn’t enough to “hey, baby” him? An opener raving about battery life? Lauding the newfound lightness of your work bag? Complaining about a hot new release that costs more than the hardcover for the Kindle edition?

I suppose paper books could serve as a shibboleth for all the luddites- do you judge hotness based on reading material and/or format?

[via Gawker]

[Or Look At it This Way] Kindle Spares You Shallow Chat Ups is a post from: The Inquisitr

Does anyone else expect this to happen every time an anti e-books person asks to see their Kindle?

[via]

E-Reader Haters is a post from: The Inquisitr

Just hours after Barnes & Noble announced their low priced $139 Nook internet giant Amazon has fired the next shot, dropping the price of their Amazon Kindle 3G to just $164 from an original price of $190.

For that price users receive 3G and Wi-Fi data connectivity however the unit also features “offers” in the form of advertisements that appear on the device, something some users will not appreciate however the deals Amazon is promising look pretty good:

You’ll receive special offers directly on your Kindle. Example special offers include:

• $10 for $20 Amazon.com Gift Card
• Save up to $500 off Amazon’s already low prices on select HDTVs
• $1 for a Kindle book, choose from thousands of books
• Spend $10 on Kindle books and get a free $10 Amazon.com Gift Card

It’s sort of like an Amazon specific LivingSocial for your Kindle lifestyle.

Users can also pick up the Kindle Wi-Fi only version for $114, a price that places the unit $20 under the Nook Wi-Fi only device.

Just like the newly announced Nook users will also receive a 6″ display with E Ink Pearl Technology.

Amazon Kindle 3G Attacks Nook with Price Drop, Special Offers Feature is a post from: The Inquisitr

Barnes & Noble have released a massive firmware update to their Nook Color, edging the device closer to tablet status and gaining some distinct edges over Amazon’s Kindle.

It’s a bit interesting that while Amazon seems to be focusing on price-centric updates- last week, the online retail megalith announced the ability to borrow library books and previous released a dead-cheap ad-supported Kindle- Barnes & Noble has kept the price static at $250 while making the device more feature-rich. Today’s update- which will be available for download directly on Nook devices next week- adds an app store, built-in email and support for Android 2.2 (Froyo) and Flash.

Nook Color users can now play Angry Birds, stream music using Pandora and browse recipes on Epicurious with the new app store updates. The company says that at $250, Nook Color is the best value tablet available when compared with devices like Motorola’s Xoom and Apple’s ubiquitous iPad 2. While Nook currently lags behind Amazon with a 25% market share, the new functionality could drastically change that fact.

Does the new update make you more keen on using a Nook over a Kindle, even at the higher price point? Do you think with Flash capabilities and apps, it might grab market share from Apple, too? Have you given the update a spin on your Nook? What do you think?

Nook now supports Flash, Android 2.2, built-in email is a post from: The Inquisitr

Barnes and Noble’s Nook looks set to lose one of its major competitive edges in the booming e-reader market, with news Amazon’s Kindle will now also allow users to borrow library books on the popular devices.

Amazon recently added an aggressive price drop for users willing to be exposed to advertising on their Kindle devices, and library lending is one of most cited reasons many users say they’ve opted for the Nook over the Kindle. Lending privately owned e-tomes appears to be a mixed bag at the moment, with few titles available on Kindle for loaning to friends once they’ve been purchased. In a statement on Wednesday, Amazon announced in their standard self-aggrandizing way that the feature would finally become available to Kindle owners later in 2011:

“We’re excited that millions of Kindle customers will be able to borrow Kindle books from their local libraries,” said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. “Customers tell us they love Kindle for its Pearl e-ink display that is easy to read even in bright sunlight, up to a month of battery life, and Whispersync technology that synchronizes notes, highlights and last page read between their Kindle and free Kindle apps.”

Marine glowingly continued about note-taking and highlighting features that copy over from borrowed copies to purchased copies:

“We’re doing a little something extra here,” Marine continued. “Normally, making margin notes in library books is a big no-no. But we’re extending our Whispersync technology so that you can highlight and add margin notes to Kindle books you check out from your local library. Your notes will not show up when the next patron checks out the book. But if you check out the book again, or subsequently buy it, your notes will be there just as you left them, perfectly Whispersynced.”

Amazon is partnering with OverDrive, a “leading provider of digital content solutions,” to bring the service to more than 11,000 public libraries later this year. If you haven’t yet bought a Kindle, will this feature finally sway you?

Sweet! Kindles to finally get library lending is a post from: The Inquisitr

Just a few months after they got their own New York Times Bestseller list, electronic books hit another acceptance milestone- they’ve outpaced paperbacks as the single bestselling format in the US.

The sales stats turned in favor of electronic books earlier this year, with paperbacks outselling them in January. By February, ebooks took the top spot:

The Association of American Publishers revealed in their latest report, which compiled sales data from US publishing houses, that total ebook sales in February were $90.3m (£55.2m). The AAP said this report makes digital books the largest single format in the US for the first time ever, overtaking paperbacks at $81.2m. Paperbacks led up until January, with ebooks coming second.

Adult hardback and paperbacks plummeted 34.4% in February, compared with sales growth of 202.3% for their electronic counterparts in the same period. Deputy editor of The Bookseller Philip Jones commented on sales projections for the format:

“Ebooks have grown massively, but they do not yet match overall print books and nor is it predicted that they will. The most bullish predictions suggest that ebooks will account for 50 per cent of the US market by 2014 or 2015, and then will probably plateau.”

The AAP credits an influx of Christmas-gifted readers as well as broader offerings in the market for the recent jump in e-book sales.

E-books outpace paperbacks in February sales is a post from: The Inquisitr

Amazon just announced a new way to get yourself a new Kindle and save $25.00 in the process, the only catch is that you have to be willing to live with ads as well as things like sponsored screensavers and other special offers that will show up in your Kindle whether you like it or not.

From their press release:

Millions of people are reading on Kindle, Kindle has more 5-star reviews than any other product on Amazon, and in just five months the latest-generation Kindle became the bestselling product in the 16-year history of Amazon.com. Today, Amazon introduced a new member of the Kindle family – Kindle with Special Offers for only $114. Kindle with Special Offers is the same #1 bestselling Kindle, plus special offers and sponsored screensavers. Kindle special offers and sponsored screensavers display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen. Learn more about all three latest-generation Kindle family members–$114 Kindle with Special Offers, $139 Kindle, and $189 Kindle 3G–at www.amazon.com/kindle. Kindle with Special Offers is now available for pre-order to customers in the U.S. and will ship on May 3.

So,let’s see, you get to save $25 off of the stock $139 Kindle and in return you agree to have ads .. err .. special offers and ad sponsored screensavers 365 days of the year.

Yup, that sounds like a fair trade in order to save a measly $25. NOT!

Sorry, but if you want me to have a Kindle that I agree to having ads in my face for 365 days then you are going to have to do a lot better. Like for free better.

Save $25 buying a new Kindle, as long as you don’t mind the ads is a post from: The Inquisitr

Has pretty much covered every future post on the subject.

[via]

Electronic publishing Bingo is a post from: The Inquisitr

Phillip R. Greaves II, the author of controversial ebook The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-lover’s Code of Conduct, has been arrested… wait for it… on child porn-related obscenity charges.

The book sparked a bit of debate as to whether Amazon should vet certain kinds of content after it was thrust into the spotlight for its questionable subject matter. According to this local news report found on Fark, Greaves unwittingly shipped “his own personal copy of the book” to law enforcement agents:

Judd says the book contains two graphic stories depicting an adult engaged in sex acts with children, and also trains adults regarding illegal sex acts between adults and children… Detectives and attorneys reviewed the book and presented the material to Polk County Judge J. Michael McCarthy.

Greaves is facing the third degree felony charge of “distribution of obscene material depicting minors engaged in conduct harmful to minors” in Polk County, Florida.

Man who authored Amazon pedophile’s guide arrested on obscenity charges is a post from: The Inquisitr

With Christmas fast approaching, Amazon has finally extended its Kindle store with a simple and overdue feature: eBook gifting.

From today Amazon customers are able to gift eBooks to anyone with an email address. To use, you need the recipient’s email address to gift the eBook, and naturally they’ll need either a Kindle, or Kindle application on their device of choice to read the eBook.

“We are thrilled to make it easier than ever for our customers to give their favorite Kindle book to a friend or family member as a gift,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “We’re making this functionality available in time for the holidays to offer an easy, stress free holiday shopping option for anyone — not just Kindle owners.”

The only flaw we can see so far: there’s no way to gift an eBook at a later date (the gift is sent immediately), so if you’re wanting to give the gift of eBooks this Christmas, you’ll have to wait to do it on Christmas Day.

Amazon Now Offers eBook Gifting is a post from: The Inquisitr

Well, this kind of feels like a bit of a pivotal moment for e-books- the most nationally referenced best-seller list is getting an e-book list, too.

The New York Times, whose best-seller list is often used as a reference point for an author or work’s legitimacy or success (the Times itself modestly refers to its own list as the “industry standard”), has been ranking best-selling books since 1935. Janet Elder, the gray lady’s editor of news surveys and election analysis, said the e-book best-seller ranking was a long time in the works:

“We’ve had our eye on e-book sales since e-books began,” Ms. Elder said. “It was clear that e-books were taking a greater and greater share of total sales, and we wanted to be able to tell our readers which titles were selling and how they fit together with print sales.”

It’s probably about damn time the NYT began ranking e-books, which according to Mashable are expected to top a billion dollars in sales this year. One of the nation’s top booksellers, Amazon, said earlier this year that e-book sales have outpaced hardcover books, and that they’re expected to outsell paperbacks by the end of 2011.

‘New York Times’ to add e-book best-seller list is a post from: The Inquisitr