My Kindle Stuff

(Update: This method does not work since the 2.5 update. Hopefully there will be a manual way to do this in the future)

I have written a couple of times on how Amazon needed to have some way for customers to update their ‘Furthest Page Read’ settings without going thru the hassle of a phone call or email to Customer Service. Thanks to dyingc from the MobileReads forum, there is a way to do it yourself although somewhat clunky.

Here’s the issue -

When using Whispersync, staying on the correct page across multiple devices works great–until you decide to re-read your content.

You read thru a book on either your Kindle and your iPhone (or another Kindle).  First time thru, you stay in sync on any device.  Later you decide to either re-read or restart the book. Unfortunately, the ‘Sync to Furthest Page Read’ will always be the furthest page you got to, so your furthest read page remains at either the end of the book or the furthest page you got to and Whispersync will be let you know when you open that book on the device.  You can tell it not to go to the furthest page and continue reading.  Go to the other device and try to sync, and you will be taken to the furthest page read, not the place you were at when you stopped reading on the other device.

This is a problem in a couple of ways.  The simplest is that it makes it hard to re-read or restart any book and use Whispersync to keep your place on more than one device.

Solution – Reset the Furthest Page Read
Use the same device for all of the steps below before opening the book on a different one, the below example is using a single Kindle

1. Set the Synchronization off  on your Amazon Account (Go to Amazon -> Your Account -> Manage Your Kindle -> Manage Kindle Device Synchronization -> click the “Turn the Synchronization off” button to turn off the synchronization)
2. Wait about a minute, then exit & re-enter your book
3. Go to the beginning of your book on the Kindle
4. Sync to the furthest  page. If it tells you that you’re on the furthest location, you’re good to go. You must get this exact message “Already at furthest read location”, If not, see 4.1. 
   1. Select Cancel on the sync message that is displayed, exit and re-enter the book to attempt the reset again.  (I think that the Amazon databases have to get reset-thus the delay; in any case, it always works for me on the 2nd attempt). Proceed to Step #5 if you get a message “Already at furthest read location”
5. Turn on the synchronization setting on your Account – your Furthest Page read will be reset to your new location.
6. On your other devices–if further along in the book, you will have to go to the beginning of the book, but once done the Furthest Page Read location will sync with your Kindle.

Like I said, its not the most elegant solution, but it works.

A lot of excitement has generated around the announcement of a Kindle 2.5 update that will bring long awaited features to our Kindles, but it seems like the update for the Kindle for PC app has gone unnoticed.

Amazon announced 4/30/2010 that an update for Kindle for PC is available.  It includes:

• Full screen reading
• Background color and brightness controls
• The ability to create and edit notes and highlights in your books

They also have a Future Improvements page that lists upcoming features that they are ‘thinking’ about:

• Search
• Two page reading mode
• Zoom and rotate images
• Collections

The newly added features for Kindle for PC will soon be available for the Mac as well.

Amazon was busy last night adding pages on how to use the new features in the Kindle 2.5 update.  For a synopsis of those features, see the post here.  Although the Amazon Kindle Help pages have been updated, as of this post, the downloadable Kindle Guide has not.

Edit: Right now a few lucky ‘beta’ users are getting the upgrade.  Who knows, turn on your wireless and maybe you be able to join the crowd

Organizing your Kindle

After creation, you can add items, rename or delete a collection without changing your document or book.  Collections seem to only apply to Books and documents and it looks like periodicals and blogs can’t be added to them, however books can be added to multiple collections..  Similar to your clippings and notes, collections will be available on other Kindles, but it doesn’t look like they will be available yet on other devices unless Amazon is using the word ‘Kindles’ to mean Kindle devices like the PC/MAC, iPhone/iPad or BlackBerry. Importing a collection will NOT add the book to your device at the same time.

Popular Highlights

Amazon will let you opt-in to their Annotate Backup feature and your highlights will be added to the list of highlights for that book if two other customers have overlapped the same passage.  Other users will see those highlights with a grey dashed underline when reading the book or on the kindle.amazon.com page.  You can also share your highlights and notes on Facebook and Twitter after you link those accounts to your Amazon account.

Fonts and Text Sizes

The Kindle will have a total of 8 fonts sizes compared to the current 6.  You’ll also be able to zoom any images and the zoom will utilize the portrait or landscape orientation as needed when increasing the image.  PDFs can now be increased based upon set percentages and a ‘fit to screen’ option.

Kindle Password

Along with setting a password, you’ll be able to add a password hint.  Should you forget the password, Customer Support can help you reset it.  Self reset of the password will wipe the device.

You can see all the details on any of the new features on the Amazon website.

A new Kindle update is coming soon! It looks like Amazon is adding features that Kindle users have been requesting since the first Kindle hit that first user’s hands. The update should hit your Kindle in late May.

Book and document organization -   You’ll be able to add documents and books into collections.  Users have been asking for folders, others have been asking to tag books–I bet this functionality lands right between the two.

PDF Updates – pan and zoom PDF files to read that super small text you’ve been complaining about.

Password Protection – You’ll be able to add password protection to your Kindle.

Fonts - Amazon is adding two fonts sizes.

Facebook/Twitter integration – Looks like we’ll be able to post to either service.  Not something I need, but I know that many users frequentlyn utilize both.

Kindle Community Highlights – This has not been on the top of anyone’s list that I’ve seen, but the ability to see book highlights that other users have found interesting or compelling will bring your Kindle books into an entirely new realm.

Edit: Sadly, these updates will not apply to the Kindle 1 (First Generation)

———————————-

From the Kindle Update page

Kindle Software Update Version 2.5

• Kindle Version 2.5 Overview
• Automatic Wireless Updates
• Information for Kindle (1st Generation) Users

Kindle Version 2.5 Overview

The 2.5 software update for Kindle and Kindle DX is coming soon. We are rolling out the new software update to a limited group of Kindle users and plan a broad release in late May 2010. Check back here for updates on the release schedule.

Here’s a list of the coming enhancements:

• Collections: Organize your books and documents into one or more collections.
• PDF Pan and Zoom: Zoom into PDFs and pan around to easily view small print and detailed tables or graphics.
• Password Protection: Password protect your Kindle when you’re not using it.
• More Fonts & Improved Clarity: Enjoy two new larger font sizes and sharper fonts for an even more comfortable reading experience.
• Facebook & Twitter Posts: Share book passages with friends on Facebook and Twitter directly from your Kindle.
• Popular Highlights: See what the Kindle community thinks are the most interesting passages in the books you’re reading.

Automatic Wireless Updates

We send out software updates wirelessly in batches. When a new software update is available for your Kindle, it will automatically be delivered to your device as described below. There is nothing you need to do.

• Kindle checks for updates: All Kindles are designed to automatically check for and download updates when one is available. If an update is available, your Kindle will download and install the update the next time the wireless connection is activated and your Kindle goes into sleep mode.
• Updates in less than 10 minutes: During the update, you’ll see screens that show the update progress. The update should take less than 10 minutes and is complete when your Kindle displays the Home screen. Do not power off or reset your Kindle until the update is complete. You can check to confirm the software your Kindle is running, by going to the Settings screen on the device. The software version will be displayed on the bottom of the screen.

I really, really love my new iPad. I watched an episode of Private Practice, tweeted, posted to my Facebook page, downloaded a couple of apps, read some email, posted to Kindleboards, etc. With the exception of some trouble in the App store, the iPad is fast, the graphics are great and it does all it was advertised to do. But I did not enjoy the longform ebook experience as much as I do on my Kindle.

I opened the same book on the iPad and on my Kindle. After some brightness and font adjustments I got the iPad to a state where I felt I could read, but I just couldn’t get comfortable. The sepia (that I use on my iPhone) was too brown on the bigger screen and the black and white just seemed too—crisp? too white? I’m not sure, but after 1/2 hour I couldn’t take it anymore. Also the iPad is way too heavy for me to use reading one-handed. It’s a device you have to rest on your lap, with a cover, my poor wrist probably couldn’t take it. And I don’t have any physical limitations, it was just too heavy and turning the pages took a bit too much thumb movement.  I’d probably get used to that, but for that 1st use, it was a pleasure to go back to a simple thumb press on the Kindle. I also found myself having to prop it up; that left out my favorite chair and reading while lying in bed.

I have since read that some folks feel the appearance of the text on the iPad is superior to the Kindle, but I can’t agree. The backlight is too…backlit .  I did like the book covers on the Kindle App; anyone who was impressed by the sorry LCD screen (IMO) on the nook should take a look. But, for me, eInk is the way to go for now.

What I did like better on the iPad were books, magazines and newspapers with color; and the iBooks had a few features that I can see Amazon incorporating into their app. I plan on using the Dr Seuss ABC books app with my grandson on a regular basis because of the availability of color. Backlit just doesn’t do it for me, but for everything else, the iPad is all it was cracked up to be. In my view, the iPad is in the laptop killer, not Kindle killer category for me; I’ll probably be leaving my laptop at work now, instead of lugging it home every day.

My Kindle is Fred, my iPhone is Wilma and my new iPad will be Barney.  I’ll be taking it with me everywhere-just like I do my Kindle. Thank goodness I just got a huge purse!