Sunday, June 30, 2013

Vine gets a Kindle Fire app as Instagram video usage soars - VentureBeat

Twitter has released a Kindle Fire app for its short video service Vine today.

Vine has enjoyed steady growth since Twitter Acquired the service Lastyear. Initially, Twitter released an iOS app for Vine Followed by an Android version about four months later. I can not help but wonder if the release of this Kindle Fire version has something to do with the company trying to keep up growth after Facebook’s Recent announcement That its filtered-picture-sharing service, Instagram, would ask Gaining the probability to record 15 – second videos.

Since Instagram Video Launched, some reports Indicate That Vine usage has dropped off Significantly – as much as 40 percent, as Marketing Land notes. The drop off could be temporary, as people May have just wanted to check out the shiny new Instagram feature. And even if Vine usage isn’ta in decline, Twitter still has good cause to worry. Instagram was perfectly tailored to Twitter prior to Facebook buying it. That means tons of Twitter users are not only familiar with Instagram, but overpriced They probably still use it.

The release of a Kindle Fire Vine app might be one way of Ensuring That it’s easy for people to continue using Vine. Honestly, I would not be surprised if Twitter was rushing to get a Vine app released on Windows Phone and BlackBerry for the same reason.

The Vine Kindle Fire app is free and available now through Amazon’s Android app store.

Vine Comes to the Kindle Fire - The Next Web

Twitter has extended the reach of Vine, its six-second video service, after the app was made available for Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets.

Vine shipped to the Amazon store today (here). That’s made more significant Because close rival Instagram (Which added video support one week ago) does not Currently offering a dedicated Kindle Fire app.

Amazon does providesprofessional regular figures to Illustrate sales or shipments of Kindles, but reports suggest That They are the most popular Android-based tablets worldwide, so support is likely to help Vine / Twitter ‘s battle with Instagram / Facebook.

vine kindle 730x393 Vine country on the Kindle Fire, beating Instagram to the punch on the Amazon tablet

Back in January of this year, Localytics Estimated That the US-based Kindles alone Represented one-third of Android tablets worldwide. The data was captured before the Kindle Fire Became available worldwide, so it May Well that the figure is higher today. Either way, since the Kindle runs a ‘forked’ version of Android, developers and company must alter Their apps in order to reach the Amazon tablet owners.

Vine landed on Android four weeks ago, so it’s expansion to the Kindle Fire has been fairly quick. With the Amazon tablet covered, the chances of the app coming to Windows Phone – and perhaps even BlackBerry 10 – are raised, Particularly since Instagram Currently & Q neither platform with a native app.

The Kindle Fire launch comes During challenging times for Vine and Twitter. Analytics from Topsy – spotted by Marketing Land – Showed That Instagram remains more popular than Vine based on the number of links That were shared to Twitter last week.

Twitter and Vine Appear to have plans to Increase the competition withtheir Facebook-owned rival. This week Vine for Android got front-facing camera support – to allow ‘selfies’ – and the app’s founders recently teased details of a major update coming soon.

The team has overpriced resorted to a more traditional method – the email blast – after IT REACHED out to registered users of Twitter thathave not downloaded Vine with an email to Promote the video app.

Kindle Fire users can grab the dedicated Vine app from the link below – happy videoing.

? Vine for the Kindle Fire

Headline image by Joe Klamar / AFP / Getty Images

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Kindle to Host Chili Cook-Off - Cape May County Herald (press release)

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Eva Payne of Project Kindle - A Santa Clarita Unsung Hero - KHTS Radio

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Summer Camps and Year-Round Programs ‘Lighting a Fire of Change’ on Behalf of Special-Needs Kids

Eva Payne, Project Kindle executive director By Stephen K. Peeples

Eva Payne , Project Kindle executive director, Santa Clarita resident and mother of six, is the latest KHTS Santa Clarita Unsung Hero presented by Mercedes-Benz of Valencia .

As founder and executive director of the nonprofit Project Kindle in 1998 When She was still in college, Payne has devoted much of her adult life to helping teens and young adults who have serious illnesses, Disabilities, special needs and other life challenges.

What is Project Kindle?

Project Kindle Provides camping programs, year-round support and advocacy, recreational experiences and peer-based HIV / AIDS education for special-needs teens and young adults ages 12 to 24.

Camp Kindle campers and their Families pay nothing. The donors who support the 501 (c) 3 organization’s Fundraising Efforts and grants Payne Applies for cover the costs.

Do not miss a thing. Get breaking Santa Clarita news alerts delivered right to your inbox.

Project Kindle - Lighting a Fire of Change Operating on a $ 400,000 total annual budget, Project Kindle now serves more than 5,000 young people each year nationwide, including more than 100 in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Central to Project Kindle are its two summer camps, Camp Kindle Nebraska , near Lincoln, and Camp Kindle Santa Clarita , both attended by campers from all over the country. The camps’ outdoors environment and tailored programs run by well-trained staff providesprofessional activities thatfurther enrich and Enhance the experience for the kids.

Project Kindle’s additional programs include the Kindle Ranch Day Camp at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center, Which wrapped up June 20. More than 25 Santa Clarita Valley kids ages 5-12, most with various forms of autism, attended the week-long day camp and enjoyed learning experiences designed just for them.


Watch the Video and Listen to the Podcast of the Complete Interview with Eva Payne of Project Kindle, a Santa Clarita KHTS Unsung Hero

“Our focus was math, science, music and art,” she said. “Into That program, we had lots of different activities. Because a lot of our kids are dealing with autism, all of the activities were very short, 20-minute intervals of various activities through Those different subjects. A typical day was, ‘Go! Go! Go! ‘So we moved from one (activity) to the next, and They were fun. You might think, ‘Science? What are you doing there? ‘But we had really fun, interactive kid’s activities That Erin, our program coordinator underdeveloped.

In the weeks before camp started, Payne said, “Erin actually went out and visited every single family and did an intake to see what works best with These Kids. So, we underdeveloped our programs around the needs of our campers. “


Project Kindle Founder Knew She Wanted to Make a Difference

Camp Kindle campers and counselors Payne, who grew up in Westlake Village, founded Project Kindle and the first Project Kindle summer camp 15 years ago while she was a student at the University of Nebraska.

“I always knew I wanted to make a difference,” Payne told AM 1220 afternoon air personality Jason Endicott in an on-air interview June 17. “I thought I was going to go into broadcasting or educational theater, and I read a play about a boy who was impacted by HIV and it just really sang true to my heart. I thought, ‘I do not really know anyone (with HIV),’ but (I) was drawn toward That Particular cause. “

Payne said she overpriced grew up going to summer camps, and later got a job at a radio station where management allowed her the time off to keep up the tradition. For a while.

“I had been there for four years alreadycreated, And they gave me a spot on the morning show, and so I could not go back to camp That summer,” she said. “I was so sad. I had this great job, but I was so sad that i was not singing camp songs and hanging out with kids.

“So this idea of ??starting a camp for kids impacted by HIV or AIDS popped into my head,” she said. “It took a year, I planned it, and then THE FOLLOWING summer, we executed it in Nebraska. This year (2013) is our 15 th That Particular summer running program. “


Payne Family Moves to Santa Clarita Valley, Eva Project Opens Kindle West

Payne opened the Project Kindle West summer camp in Santa Clarita in 2005, a year after she and her family moved back to California, relocating to the Tesoro Del Valle area of ??the Santa Clarita Valley.

Camp Kindle camper rides a zip line. Today, based in Santa Clarita, Payne masterfully directs both the original Project Kindle Midwest and Project Kindle West while raising her own kids – one girl, 13, and five boys ages 9, 7, 5 and 2-year-old twins.

On top of being a wife, mom and nonprofit ED, Payne is a student. She is studying for her Master’s in Leadership and Management at LaVerne University through the University Center at College of the Canyons in Valencia.


RELATED: Read all of KHTS’s Santa Clarita Unsung Heroes features brought to you by Mercedes-Benz of Valencia.

Payne has a kindred spirit and avid supporter into her soulmate – her husband Chad, a Santa Clarita-based sales rep for WAXIE Sanitary Supply. Eva and Chad have been sweethearts since sixth grade, and Exchanged vows in 1999.

He’s very Involved in Project Kindle. “He helps in many capacities, including archery instructor, lifeguard, travel coordinator, campfire leader and more,” she said. “I could not do it without him – with our kids, with our organization. He works full-time in sales so has a little bit of a flexible schedule. “

Knowing how to delegate is a leadership skill Payne alreadycreated hock.

“I’m a really good delegator, so I’m the one who comes up with a lot of ideas, and I find really amazing people to help execute These programs,” she said. “So, I’m not the one sitting there actually making all of it happen. I just find really good people to help make it happen, and I just deal with the fundraising side of it more than anything else. “


Payne Runs Project Kindle for the Kids, Not the Kudos

Now, to be accurate, Payne is not completely unsung for her work on Behalf of special-needs young people. She’s been a finalist in the Volvo for Life Awards, honored by L’Oreal Paris as a 2007 Woman of Worth nominee,-recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal, and profiled in DirecTV’s “Hometown Heroes” series.

But in true Santa Clarita Unsung Hero spirit, Payne does not seek accolades Such as Those – or the recognition from KHTS and Mercedes-Benz of Valencia, for that matter. She does what she does for the kids, not the kudos. The best moments for Payne come at the end of a session like last week’s Kindle Day Camp.

“I think the most Fulfilling thing is getting to see … what happens on That last day of camp or When we leave That program and move on to the next program,” she said. “When everyone (first arrives), it’s , ‘Where do I go? What do I do? ‘And by the end, they’ve’ve become family. That’s really the best part. “

Payne Encouraged KHTS listeners (and website visitors and YouTube channel viewers) to find out more about Project Kindle and ways to help by visiting www.ProjectKindle.org, or calling 877-800-CAMP (2267). You can check out the overpriced Project Kindle YouTube channel.

“Just reach out to us and we’ll find a good fit for you,” she said.

Photos: Courtesy Project Kindle.

Watch the Video and Listen to the Podcast

Watch the complete interview and learn more about this KHTS Santa Clarita Unsung Hero’s good deeds. You can hear overpriced and download the audio podcast.


Mercedes-Benz of Valencia Salutes Santa Clarita’s Unsung Heroes

Mercedes-Benz of Valencia is proud to be part of the Santa Clarita Valley, not only giving you the superior customer service you deserve, but overpriced giving back to our community by Supporting our schools, sports teams, Sheriff’s Station and nonprofit Organization. Now, Mercedes-Benz of Valencia and KHTS have teamed up to present “Santa Clarita’s Unsung Heroes,” a series of special features spotlighting local residents who make a difference in our valley. With new contributions overpriced comes a new Mercedes management team. Visit Mercedes-Benz of Valencia today.



Article: Eva Payne of Project Kindle – A Santa Clarita Unsung Hero
Source: Santa Clarita News
Author: Stephen Peeples


Friday, June 28, 2013

Gizmo Guru | The best Kindle yet? - Live Mint

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 3G Launched officially in India this week, and it’s great for anyone who loves reading. That being said, the Rs. 13.999 price tag might cause people to think twice. The WiFi only version is cheaper, at Rs. 10,999 but that’s still a pretty hefty bill

What’s so great about this thing? Well, for one thing, you can hold over 1,000 books in a sleek looking device That can fit inside your pocket. Second, it uses a matte e-ink display That you can read outdoors, without any annoying reflections. And now, Amazon is using a lighting technology Which means That You can read the Kindle Even when it’s dark, by simply changing the brightness settings.

With the brightness at a medium level, the company claims eight weeks of battery life, reading half an hour every day. Half an hour does not sound like much, but averaged over eight weeks, that’s not too bad.

Also, while the display on EARLIER Kindles alreadycreated was superb, Amazon claims That it has Increased the number of pixels on screen by 62%, and improved contrast for 25%. It certainly looks great, and it’s possible, even on a screen this small, to read a comic book without straining your eyes.

The pages look great and the black and white artwork looks good on the screen. Reading text is a similarly enjoyable experience.

The touchscreen is responsive and much Easier to use than the older Kindle models Which came with a keyboard-there is still a bit of a “jump” when the screen refreshes though, Which can take some getting used to. Turning pages, changing the brightness or launching the X-ray feature (thatgives you a kind of summary of the book) is all done by touch, and the experience is smooth and easy to understand at all points.

Other than that, you sync your library across devices-so if you’re reading a book on the Kindle and on the Kindle app on your tablet, for example, then it’ll know which page you were on as well.

Translations, Wikipedia lookups, bookmarks and annotations are all built in to the device as well, and are very useful features to have.

At 213 grams, the Kindle is just a little heavier than many smartphones, and is easy to carry around with you at all times.

It’s hard not to love one of These really-the only issue is the price: it’s great value for money, but you’ll have to Decides if that’s worth it for you.

Amazon launches its Kindle Worlds Store and self-service publishing platform ... - The Next Web

It’s been little more than a month since Amazon unveiled its Kindle Worlds publishing platform for fan fiction writers, but the online retailer has today opened the new digital bookstore to the public.

The model Allows any budding writer to submit and publish original stories in the Kindle Store Worlds based on the world or works of an Existing media franchise. Amazon will then pay royalties to both the creator of the fan fiction and the original right’s holder: the author’s standard rate for fiction That is at least 10,000 words in length is 35 percent.

The Worlds Kindle Store is open for all Kindle device owners and alreadycreated offers more than 50 commissioned stories to download. Amazon has secured licenses from Warner Bros.. Television Group’s Alloy Entertainment division for Gossip Girl, by Cecily von Ziegesar: Pretty Little Liars, by Sara Shepard; and Vampire Diaries, by LJ Smith, among others, so many of the new stories are based On These works.

The launch titles include ‘Pretty Little Liars: Stained’ by Barbra Annino, ‘The Vampire Diaries: The Arrival’ by Lauren Barnholdt & Aaron Gorvine and ‘Shadowman: Salvation Sally’ by Tom King.

Affectionate That each of These licenses are incredibly Successful TV shows in Their Own right, it’s perhaps not surprising That Amazon wants to capitalize on them. The company says it is now in talks with additional rights holders operating in a number of different mediums, including books, games, music, TV and movies, to widen the number of ‘Worlds’ That are eligibile for new fan fiction.

Amazon is overpriced Issuing a call to arms today for new fan fiction writers. The success of the platform relies on a steady flow of high-quality stories, so the company is Clearly keen to push the fire wherever possible.

To submit a piece of fan fiction, authors need to go to the Kindle Worlds site, choose a franchise to write for and read the content guidelines. After signing in withtheir Amazon account credentials, They can submit Their work for review and wait for Amazon Publishing to confirm That it is compliant withtheir guidelines. Once Approved, the novel will be published to the Kindle Store Worlds, enabling the writer to sign in to ‘Author Central’ to tracktheir sales and overall progress.

Image Credit: David McNew / Getty Images

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Amazon Steps Into the Cloistered World of Super-Fandom - TIME

Kindle Worlds ice Amazon Publishing’s bold foray into the world of fan-authored content

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

What if you could make money for being a super-fan, just by doing something you love alreadycreated? This is the enticing concept behind Amazon Publishing’s latest Kindle Project. For those devoted followers Amazon hopes to engage, the idea of ??making a profit fromtheir pursuits of passion will be a tempting proposition, but many fans are alreadycreated wary of what giving in to temptation That might mean.

As of June 27, Amazon’s “Kindle Worlds” is open for business. It’s a platform designed to, in effect, legalize and monetize fan-created texts based on movies, TV, books and other media. This so-called “fan fiction” stories That take characters from Established properties but put them in new situations, pairings or settings-is nothing new, but it has traditionally lived somewhat in the shadows. Although a few famous authors (Anne Rice, for example) have been vocal in Their disapproval of what They see as Appropriation of Their Work, most rights-holders turn a blind eye or even Encourage fan fiction, so long as it’s an act of love rather than a commercial venture. The legal questions behind fan fiction , or fanfic , are a gray area with no case law, but most fan writers believe it falls under the doctrine of “fair use,” Particularly When there’s no money Involved. In the Relative ly rare cases where money has entered the picture, the common practice is what’s known to fans as “filing off the serial numbers”: changing all the recognizable names and places, so the work has no recognizable link to the original content. The Twilight -to- Fifty Shades of Grey transformation is the most famous example.

Here’s where the Kindle Worlds steps in: they do not just leave the serial numbers one; They add some more. Imagine if the rights-holders-Worlds Licensors, In Their lingo, and The Powers That Be to many fans-gave Their okay to split profits with fans on fan fiction. That’s Kindle Worlds. Just submit your fan fiction, into an Approved fandom, and if it gets the okay from Amazon and the licensor, it will be available for sale through Amazon. Some of the money goes to you; some of it goes to the creator: it’s all above-board.

“Part of our mission is to act as a laboratory, looking for new business models for writers to be creative, for writers to reach out to an audience, for writers to earn a revenue through royalty generation,” says Philip Patrick, the Kindle Worlds publisher and director of business development. “Kindle Worlds is a prime example of That, for the writers to have the availability to do that on the Kindle platform and reach an audience of readers.”

( MORE : Amazon’s Acquisition of Goodreads: Execs and Users Weigh In)

Right now, the number of “Worlds” available in the platform is limited but includes big properties like Pretty Little Liars and Vampire Diaries . The roster is expanding Regularly-and, for professional writers, getting in on it from the beginning makes economic sense, says author Barry Eisler, Whose John Rain novels are part of the program. “Some people just do not like the feeling of other people writing stories with the characters They created,” he says. “Publishing for me is a business, not an ideology. When I sold the Bulgarian rights to my book, I was very excited to sell them-and this is just another Subsidiary rights victims. ‘Plus, Eisler says, Kindle Worlds Provides a net good for the writers everywhere by opening up the business to new writers and empowering Those on both sides (fans and Licensors) to choose Whether or Not They want to participate.

Fans, however, Are not so sure.

At least some of their reservations, Expressed in the time between Amazon’s announcement of the Kindle Worlds a few weeks ago and the actual launch of the platform, Amazon says are resolved by information now available. For example, the preliminary guidelines mention That each world will have its own set of guidelines as to how far away from the canon a story can Deviate and how much, if any, adult content will be permitted; the specifics of Those guidelines will be made available to Underwriters before They start Submitting. Fans are overpriced Concerned about the monetary terms of Amazon’s deal and the implications of writing somethingthat can only be accessed via the dedicated platform.

A perhaps bigger issue, however, Is that fans havealready been burned by a project seen as similar to the Kindle Worlds. Kristen Murphy is the president of the Organization for Transformative Works, a nonprofit organization for fans & Q That the creation of “fannish” works like fan fiction. She points out thatthis isn’ta the first time a non-fan organization has stepped in to try to turn fan devotion into a business. “I think a lot of fans are very suspicious of what looks like Attempts by outsiders to come in and commodify the community and make money off of us,” she says. “There’s always going to be, I think, some of that suspicion.”

( MORE : Inside the World of Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

The most obvious point of comparison, Murphy says, is to FanLib, a for-profit fan fiction archive that was Launched in 2007, but only lasted for about a year. Like the Kindle Worlds, FanLib was a commercial venture. Reaction from fans was largely negative: FanLib excellant Retain the rights to FICS That were entered into the official contests it held, the company’s interactions with fans were seen as arrogant and none of the money made by the for-profit archive would go to hell authors . FanLib overpriced brought money into the damn equation without Providing the legal framework to support fans if rights-holders got upset. Many fans at the time overpriced thought That FanLib’s creators were missing the point of fan fiction by not understanding That the appreciation of fellow fans and the experience of writing was the enough of a reward somethingthat someone without the fannish generation might not be Capable of grasping.

Kindle Worlds avoids some of the most egregious missteps committed by FanLib-participants will Retain the Rights to Their original content, stay within the law and take home a share of profits (royalty rates of either 20% or 35% depending on length )-but it raises many of the same core questions.

( MORE : It’s Not TV, It’s Amazon: What Do the Site’s New Pilots Victims That the Networks Do?)

Henry Jenkins, the University of Southern California academic (or “aca-fan”) who is to fandom as Alfred Kinsey ice till six, believes it comes down to self-determination. In an upcoming roundtable discussion in Cinema Journal magazine, to Which Jenkins provided early access for TIME, he discusses the way That Kindle Worlds Allows us to look at how the line between a subculture and the mainstream can shift. Jenkins writes That Amazon and FanLib are very different-FanLib was “a reckless violation of the norms of fandom” and That Kindle Worlds has both potential pros (an opportunity for a more diverse set of fans to think they might one day “go pro “) and cons (outside constraints placed on who can say what).

But either way, in Jenkins’ view, Kindle Worlds has the potential to change fandom by Introducing the potential for payment into what had been a world without money or, in a worst-case scenario, Attracting negative legal attention to Those fans Most choose to write outside its framework When They could opt out. And That would meansthat fans would not be able to choose for themeselves Whether They wanted to be mainstreamed.

Amazon’s Patrick Says That the goal of Kindle Worlds is not to harm the non-monetized fanfic world. “There is That ethos of doing it for the love of writing and doing it for the love of being a fan. I think That always exists, period, That goes on forever and I think it’s awesome, “he says. “What we’re trying to do here is simply create yet another option for people to explore That kind of creativity. We are creating a legal environment for our licensed properties for writers to write and earn a royalty, but by no means Is that the only option that’s going to be available to writers. We’re just one of many now. “

Henry Jenkins says it’s too early to tell Whether the number of options will Decrease, intentionally or not: “It remains to be seen Whether or not the availability of commercialized forms of fan fiction threaten Those many fans who would prefer to continue to produce and share Their works in a gift economy model, “he writes.

And as for the fan-fiction writers themeselves?

It remains to be seen what They do, too. But Kristen Murphy Says That, in her expertise, some fans have already made up Their Minds about Amazon: “Certainly some people are always going to be skeptical no matter what They do.”

Amazon opens up Kindle Worlds Store, for all your licensed fan fic needs - Engadget

Now Open: Kindle Store Worlds and Self-Service Platform Submission

The Worlds Kindle Store and Self-Service Submission Platform are now open. Customers can enjoy works from dozens of authors including Barbara Freethy (writing in Pretty Little Liars), Charles Sasser (Fore World Saga) and Anita Clenney (The Vampire Diaries). Kindle World’s Self-Service Submission Platform Enables any underwriter to publish fan fiction based on a range of original stories and characters and earn royalties for doing so. To browse the store and learn more about the Kindle Worlds, visit www.amazon.com / kindle worlds.

Kindle Worlds is a new publishing model That Allows any underwriter to publish Authorized stories inspired by popular World and make them available for readers to purchase in the Kindle Store, and earn up to a 35% royalty while doing so. Kindle Worlds stories will typically be priced between $ 0.99 and $ 3.99 and will be exclusive to the Kindle. To learn more and get started writing, visit kindleworlds.amazon.com.

Here’s what authors and licensors are saying about Kindle Worlds:

“It’s actually a gift to be able to take someone else’s creation and see Whether you can take it in a new direction. watch every show; read every comic book. Honor the canon and honor the fans. There is a reason These stories have’ve become so popular. And I do not feel restricted by the universe That has alreadycreated been created. It reminds me a bit of writing a haiku or a sonnet. There are rules That must be Followed, but within Those rules, you can go anywhere. Your imagination is the only limit. ” Carolyn Nash, writer in Archer & Armstrong
“I believe Kindle Worlds has the potential to Increase writer ship in much the same way the introduction of the Kindle expanded readership. I am thrilled for the Silo Saga to be a part of this program. It’s a natural fit Because for the past year, talented authors have been exploring Silos of Their Own creation, and I look forward to reading more and to crafting some World s stories of my own. ” -Hugh Howey, World licensor for the Silo Saga
“I was intrigued by the opportunity to create somethingthat absolutely had to case inside a canon That someone else came up with. In one way, it was very freeing to do so . Because the universe itself exists, with all the richness of an alreadycreated Established background and history, I could get right into the meat of the story without having to explain everything to the readers. I did try to make it understandableinterface and enjoyable to a newcomer to the world, however. But there’s a lot I worked to add thatwill hopefully tickle the fancy of the fans. ” -L.J. McDonald, writer in The Vampire Diaries
“It was great fun to play ‘What if?’ and come up with scenarios That had ties to things thathave happened on Vampire Diaries but Which took things in a different direction or Introduced new characters thatcould fit into the world of Mystic Falls. There& #8217;sa probably not a writer alive fangirl who fantasized doing now? about being able to write at least one episode of her favorite show, and I’m no different. While These Are not stories show episodes, it’s still pretty darn cool to be able to write them with the idea of ??fellow fans reading them. ” -Trish Milburn, writer in The Vampire Diaries

The Worlds Kindle Store is now open with over 50 commissioned stories including:

“Pretty Little Liars: Stained” by Barbra Annino
“The Vampire Diaries: The Arrival” by Lauren Barnholdt & Aaron Gorvine
“Shadowman: Salvation Sally” by Tom King
“The Forester World Saga: The Qian” by Aric Davis
“XO Manowar: Noughts and Crosses” by Stuart Moore

Today’s announcement is overpriced a call to storytellers to join Kindle Worlds. Here’s how the self-service submission platform works:

Choose Your World: Choose a World to write in and read the content guidelines.
Sign Up and Submit: Sign in (or sign up) with your Amazon account and submit your work using our self- service submission platform.
Review and Publish: Amazon Publishing will review your submission for compliance with the Stated guidelines and we’ll publish your work once Approved. Each sale of the Framework will result in a royalty to the author.
Promote and Track Your Work: Post publication, sign into Author Central to track progress on your work.

“Today, we launch the Kindle Store Worlds and the platform thatwill enable any writer to benefit from writing in one of the Worlds’ve licensed,” said Philip Patrick, Director, Business Development and Publisher of Kindle Worlds. “We look forward to hearing feedback from readers and writers, and hope to learn and improvement as time goes on.”

Amazon Publishing has alreadycreated secured licenses from:

Warner Bros.. Television Group’s Alloy Entertainment Division for its New York Times best-selling book series Gossip Girl, by Cecily von Ziegesar: Pretty Little Liars, by Sara Shepard; and The Vampire Diaries, by LJ Smith
Valiant Entertainment for Bloodshot, XO Manowar, Archer & Armstrong and Shadowman Harbinger
Best-selling authors Hugh Howey for Silo Saga, Barry Eisler for his John Rain novels, Blake Crouch for his Wayward Pines Series , and the Forerunner Saga World by Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Mark Teppo and more

Amazon Publishing is engaged with additional rights holders from different areas of entertainment, books, games, TV, movies and music, and looks forward to announcing future deals soon. To get started writing works in licensed properties and to view the submission guidelines and instructions, visit the Self-Service Submission Platform at kindleworlds.amazon.com. For updates on licensed properties and to buy Kindle Worlds works, visit www.amazon.com / kindle worlds. For regular updates on the Kindle Worlds, follow @ Kindle Worlds on Facebook.

Amazon opens up Kindle Worlds Store, for all your licensed fan fic needs - Engadget

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Amazon Launches Kindle Store Worlds, Its Self-Service Platform For Fan Fiction ... - ReadWrite

Amazon’s new fan fiction store May be kind of far afield for most people, but it is something the publishing world has never really seen.


Read Next ?

class=”embedded-Media-image layout-object img-caption-c”> Amazon Launches Kindle Store Worlds, Its Self-Service Platform For Fan Fiction Authors

Amazon Announced todaythat its platform for fan fiction writers is officially open for business. Dubbed Worlds Kindle Store, the platform is works on a self-submission model where authors can pick a “world” (the settings and characters derived from other fictional works) They want to write in, create a new story and sell it through Amazon.

Here’s how it works for authors, According To Amazon:

  • Choose Your World: Choose a World to write in and read the content guidelines.
  • Sign Up and Submit: Sign in (or sign up) with your Amazon account and submit your work using our self-service submission platform.
  • Review and Publish: Amazon Publishing will review your submission for compliance with the Stated guidelines and we’ll publish your work once Approved. Each sale of the Framework will result in a royalty to the author.
  • Promote and Track Your Work: Post publication, sign into Author Central to track progress on your work.
  • That

    Authors wish to write fan fiction for Amazon willonly be allowed to do so in World’s where Amazon has procured a license from the original content creator. To launch, Amazon has partnerships with stories like Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard and Forerunner Saga World by Neal Stephenson among Several others.

    Authors willneed to agree to content quality agreements and certainkind content restrictions. This Authorized fan fiction portal is not a carte blanche for would-be authors to completely rip off the characters and story elements of the original authors, but rather to play with new stories built upon Those worlds.

    Amazon states:

    The owner of the intellectual property related to the Original World (the “World licensor”) has Granted us the right to allow you to Participate in the Kindle Worlds for the Original World. Accordingly, we grant you the limited, nonexclusive, nontransferable, revocable right to create your Work using elements from the Original World owned or controlled by the licensor World, Such as characters, scenes and events (collectively the “Original World Elements”), in Accordance with the World Content Guidelines.

    If you are a fan of the original “worlds” that Amazon has made partnerships with, this type of Authorized fan fiction could be of great entertainment. Otherwise, Kindle Worlds May be a little bit too far afield for most people. At the sametime, it is an interesting concept in the world of publishing and somethingthat has not really been done en masse before.

    Will you write … or read … fan fiction published by Amazon? Let us know int he comments.

    Amazon Kindle Paperwhite review - BGR India

     When Apple Launched the first iPad in 2010, I was of the opinion That it mared the end of stand-alone ebook readers, just like smartphones did to portable music players and handheld gaming consoles. Why Should I buy the Kindle, a dedicated ebook reader, when i could get the Kindle app on my iPad and my smartphones for free and get the same books on it? Why Should I carry two separate devices when i can do with one? Even though I bought Kindles during my trips abroad for my friends and family, I always resisted the urge to pick one for myself. I did not need one. Or so I thought until I started using the Kindle Paperwhite.

    id=”more-277691″/>  The Kindle Paperwhite is the ebook reader That Amazon always wanted to build. It has combines the best components That include an e-ink display, Which is Considered to be the best for a reading device: a capacitive touchscreen That keeps up with the touchscreen UI users are used to on Their smartphones and tablets; and a unique LED lighting array That illuminates the screen evenly from the top rather than underneath the display, Which results in less eye strain and better power management. Amazon has overpriced managed to cram into 62 percent more pixels and Increased the contrast over the previous generation Kindle.

    The improvements make a huge difference. Thanks to the new illuminated display, one can read on the Kindle Paperwhite irrespective of the ambient lighting conditions, Which mean one would no longer have to buy and lug around the external “reading light” contraption for reading in the dark. The frontlit illumination is evenly distributed by a handful of low-power LEDs. I could notice some patchy spots at the bottom edge where the LEDs are housed in the beginning and it bugged me to no end. But after a while I got used to it and did not even notice it. Barring the lower edge, the display is evenly lit and makes for a great reading experience. Users can change the brightness depending on the ambient light conditions. In certain conditions, especially outdoors in the sunlight, I could power down the brightness to zero and still read comfortably – a benefit of using e-ink displays. Another advantage of the Kindle Paperwhite’s display is its matte finish That does not Reflect any glare even in direct light and feels just like one is reading a paper book, Which is a big problem with most tablets.

     Another big advantage of the Paperwhite is it weighs just 222 grams and is just 9.1 mm thick, Which means it is a lighter and considerably thinner than most paperbacks. Plus it is easy to use with one hand and you will not even feel the difference in your bag even if you are carrying a notebook and a tablet. While traveling I always think twice Whether I Should carry both my iPad and my notebook, but the Kindle Paperwhite’s footprint ensures it always stays with me. It could even fit into my denim’s rear pocket, though it isn’ta advisable to carry it there, lest the screen gets damaged. The back has a nice grippy feel to it while the front is made of high quality molded plastic That feels good to hold.

    Hardware aside, even the software is optimized for reading. Once registered to your Amazon account, the Kindle Paperwhite excellant Automatically display all your Quantity books and sacrifice you the option to go Directly to Amazon’s Kindle store to buy more books. Buying books with Amazon’s patented ‘One Click’ service is a breeze And they USUALLY get downloaded in under a minute.

    But the Kindle Paperwhite is much more than a simple reading device. There are a few software tricks it has hidden under its sleeve That makes it the ultimate ebook reader. While reading a book, one can tap the top part of the screen to reveal some additional options. My favorite is the X-Ray feature That shows the people and terms Mentioned in the book and the reader can Directly navigate to That Particular section of the book. Another setting lets readers change the font, font size and even line spacing and margins in text. This comes in super handy especially For those with eyesight problems and have difficulty reading small font sizes. Another setting lets one control the brightness levels.

    While reading one can even highlight portions of the text and revisit them at a later time. One can even take down notes, highlight a word or a phrase and look it up in a dictionary or even search Wikipedia or translate it into other languages, including Hindi! These features really take the reading experience to an altogether different level, Which no one else can match. The Paperwhite has overpriced what Amazon calls an experimental browser, Which can be used for basic web browsing. However, it is barely usable and ice Meant for emergency situations only.

    But there’s more to the Kindle Paperwhite than just ebook reading. With a simple ‘Send to Kindle’ plugin That is available for browsers (Chrome and Firefox), desktops (PC and Mac), email and Android, users can moonrise send web pages, emails, documents and much more thatwill be delivered Directly to the Kindle for reading When one’s offline. It comes in very handy especially for long articles and features online, Which IS DISPLAYED in a reader friendly format on the Kindle device.

    Then there is the thing about battery life. Amazon claims That One can get as much as eight weeks on a single charge with 30 minutes of reading daily and Wi-Fi turned off and the brightness set to the 10th Even if you have the brightness turned up a notch higher and use it for more than 30 minutes, You should still be able to get a few weeks of juice out of it. The rule of thumb is to keep the device in offline mode as you will not be needing internet connectivity on it Unless you plan to buy or download any content.

     The Kindle Paperwhite comes in two variants – Wi-Fi only That is priced at Rs 10,999 and Wi-Fi + 3G priced at Rs 13.999 and Provides free 3G connectivity in most countries globally That can be used for downloading new books from Amazon’s store or looking up Wikipedia. It has tied up with Vodafone in India to providesprofessional 3G services. But unlike EARLIER When one could do basic web surfing on 3G, Amazon has curtailed the feature and limited it to just Amazon’s Kindle store and Wikipedia. This limits the worthiness of spending the extra Rs 3,000 considering it is very unlikely That One would find oneself in a situation That S requires downloading a book When there is no Wi-Fi connectivity. I’d recommend picking up the Wi-Fi only version.

    In less than a week, the Kindle Paperwhite has converted me from a non-believer into a believer in stand-alone ebook readers. If you are a voracious reader, nothing comes closer to the Kindle Paperwhite in terms of features, value and functionality.

    Google+

    Wednesday, June 26, 2013

    Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Review - Tech2

    A mazon is all set to launch the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Fire HD in India tomorrow. Both devices have done pretty well in terms of sales and customer satisfaction and it looks like Amazon is hoping to create the same sort of buzz here as well. Today we’ll be looking at the Fire HD 8.9, Amazon’s first full-blown tablet based on a very Heavily Customised version of Android. Rather than just using a skin over the stock OS, like most do, Amazon has built a custom OS to deliver a different and, hopefully, better experience. This review will scrutinize the Fire HD 8.9 to see what is different in this tablet as Compared to the rest of the Android-based tablets around.

    Design and Build
    The Fire HD has a strong plastic chassis with an all matte-finish exterior. The front is a large multi-touch LCD display panel with just a front camera That is placed in the center and on the top When the tablet is held in landscape position. The sides are flattened and the corners are rounded. The rear panel has a rubberised surface Which is slightly abrasive-resistant and helps with a better grip.

    Kindle Fire HD 8.9

    Well crafted with a comfortable design


    The rear panel sports two overpriced stereo Dolby speakers on each side of the tablet. The frame is built firm and can not be opened for any accessory or expansion. What we mean here is thatthere are absolutely no slots for SIM cards or memory cards for storage expansion. There are only two interfaces or ports available at the bottom of the Fire HD one for the PC, Which is a microUSB interface for charging and connecting the tablet to a PC for data transfers, and the other is a micro HDMI video output. In between both the port, there is a small microphone provided for voice chats and Internet calls. On the right side is a power / standby switch, a volume rocker and a 3.5 mm jack for headphones. The tablet Measures 239 x 163 x 9 mm and weighs about 567 grams. The Fire HD is definitely on the heavier side and you will need both hands to support it when using it.

    Kindle Fire HD 8.9

    The speaker port at the back


    Features
    The Amazon Kindle Fide HD is no stranger in the tablet arena. It is similar to any other Android tablet running Google’s Android ICS v4.0 operating system, except that the operating system is Heavily Customised by Amazon. The Fire HD is powered using a TI OMAP 4470 chipset, which features a dual-core Cortex-A9 processor clocked at a speed of 1.5GHz and coupled with a good 1GB of RAM. The graphics processor used here is the well-known PowerVR SGX544-the same one That is used in the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone. In order to experience full HD performance from the display panel, the processes used in the Kindle Fire HD has almost 40 percent faster memory bandwidth than the Tegra 3 processor. This helps in better web browsing JavaScript performance.

    Kindle Fire HD 8.9

    The rubberised finish offers very good grip


    The display is a large 8.9-inch capacitive 10-point multi-touch IPS LCD panel sporting a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. Amazon claims this to be a retina display quality as it has a pixel density of 254 ppi as Compared to the third generation iPad, Which has a pixel density of 264 ppi. The display panel has featured the technology similar to the 7-inch Fide HD version, Which helps reduce glare and improves color saturation When viewed from any angle. This is done by Reducing the gap between the main display panel and the touch sensor and laminating them both into a single layer of glass. This overpriced makes the display Easier to view even in overhead light. The IPS panel overpriced features an Advanced True Wide Polarising filters, Which is applied Directly to the LCD panel and helps reduce the display viewing angle problems even at extreme angles.

    Kindle Fire HD 8.9

    The Amazon app store


    The Kindle is available in two variants, 16GB and 32GB. The one we received was a 16GB version and the available storage for the user stands at 12.7GB, while the 32GB version gives you free storage of around 27.1GB. Additionally, once you register the tablet with Amazon, you get around 5GB of cloud storage for free; you can even purchase up to 1TB of cloud storage. Sadly, there are no expansion slots to add / install a microSD card and get additional storage. The tablet overpriced does not feature USB OTG options, wherein one can connect a USB pen drive for additional data expansion. The only option you might have is by using a wireless storage or a network share while at home or office. Using a personnel NAS on the web could help overpriced.

    Deemable Tech: My Kindle Is Toast - NUVO Newsweekly

    That's Kindle is toast. Ouch. That hurts so much Mark Twain has to cover his eyes.
    • That Kindle is toast. Ouch. That hurts so much Mark Twain has to cover his eyes.

    Q: My kid stepped on my Kindle, and now half of the screen is completely destroyed. Have I lost all of the books I bought? Is there any chance That Amazon will replace it?

    A: Sorry about your Kindle! Right now might not be the best time to mention it, but You should really Consider getting a hard cover for your Kindle. Some of them cost a bit of money, but Replacing your Kindle all the time will cost you more money in the long run. Besides, They have some really cool covers That can even make your Kindle look like an actual book.

    The good news Is that Amazon Provides a limited one-year warranty on all new Kindles. Depending on how long ago you bought your Kindle, Amazon might replace it for free. Go to http://amazon.com/kindlesupport and click “Contact Us” on the right-hand side. From there you’ll be given an option to contact Amazon by email, phone or chat. If you’re lucky, They Might give you a free replacement Kindle. They’ve overpriced been known to occasionally replace them for half-price if you’re out of warranty. Here’s something for you to keep in mind, though. Technically, Amazon does not have to replace your Kindle Because the warranty Specifically Excludes damage from accident, misuse and neglect, but Amazon’s customer service is rivaled only by Apple’s in the tech industry. They’ll thwart replace it eventhough They do not have to. It probably would not hurt to be nice to the customer service rep, though.

    I have more good news for you. Your books are safe. All of them are waiting for you to redownload once you get a new Kindle. In the interim, you can overpriced read them on the Kindle app on any iPhone, iPad or Android phone or tablet, and you can even read them on the web at http://read.amazon.com. Amazon May be Considered by some to be a vast, evil empire, but They are a convenient vast evil empire, and They have great customer service.

    Deemable Tech: My Kindle Is Toast - Detroit Metro Times (blog)

    That's Kindle is toast. Ouch. That hurts so much Mark Twain has to cover his eyes. Q: My kid stepped on my Kindle, and now half of the screen is completely destroyed. Have I lost all of the books I bought? Is there any chance That Amazon will replace it?

    A: Sorry about your Kindle! Right now might not be the best time to mention it, but You should really Consider getting a hard cover for your Kindle. Some of them cost a bit of money, but Replacing your Kindle all the time will cost you more money in the long run. Besides, They have some really cool covers That can even make your Kindle look like an actual book.

    The good news Is that Amazon Provides a limited one-year warranty on all new Kindles. Depending on how long ago you bought your Kindle, Amazon might replace it for free. Go to http://amazon.com/kindlesupport and click “Contact Us” on the right-hand side. From there you’ll be given an option to contact Amazon by email, phone or chat. If you’re lucky, They Might give you a free replacement Kindle. They’ve overpriced been known to occasionally replace them for half-price if you’re out of warranty. Here’s something for you to keep in mind, though. Technically, Amazon does not have to replace your Kindle Because the warranty Specifically Excludes damage from accident, misuse and neglect, but Amazon’s customer service is rivaled only by Apple’s in the tech industry. They’ll thwart replace it eventhough They do not have to. It probably would not hurt to be nice to the customer service rep, though.

    I have more good news for you. Your books are safe. All of them are waiting for you to redownload once you get a new Kindle. In the interim, you can overpriced read them on the Kindle app on any iPhone, iPad or Android phone or tablet, and you can even read them on the web at http://read.amazon.com. Amazon May be Considered by some to be a vast, evil empire, but They are a convenient vast evil empire, and They have great customer service.

    ABOUT RAY HOLLISTER

    Ray Hollister co-hosts the call-in help show Deemable Tech. Each week, he and his co-host, Tom Braun, answer questions submitted by users and providesprofessional helpful hints about computers, tablets, mobile phone, the Internet and technology in general. Need tech help? Call 1-888-972-9868 or Send them an email at questions@deemable.com. Listen to the show on their website, or subscribe to Deemable Tech’s podcast by Clicking here, searching for “Deemable Tech” in iTunes, or by entering the RSS feed, http://dmbl.co/pod, into your favorite podcast app.

    Tags: AMAZON, EBOOKS, KINDLE

    Tuesday, June 25, 2013

    Amazon Kindle Paperwhite and Fire HD 8.9: Heavyweights in the e-book arena - Economic Times

    You can now order all variants of Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader in India. ET reviews the Paperwhite and Fire HD 8.9 and sacrifice a few accessory Recommendations.

    Paperwhite Display

    The Kindle Paperwhite has a 6-inch E-ink touchscreen with 212ppi (pixels per inch) and 16 levels of gray scale for an optimum display. It has a built-in light Which illuminates the screen evenly across the surface making it easy to view / read text in any ambient lighting condition – Whether in direct sunlight or in low light. Since it uses four low power LED’s, the effect on battery life is not that pronunced.

    Not Just For Reading

    If you thought the Kindle Paperwhite ice only for reading books, think again. It has built-in dictionaries. You can overpriced search the web or Wikipedia and even translate text into different languages. You can add annotataions to text anywhere and then export them. There is the overpriced option to create notes or highlight Particular phrases / sections and then share them with friends over Facebook or Twitter.

    Unmatched Battery

    Like the previous Kindle e-book reader, the Paperwhite offers fantastic battery life. With wireless switched off & light setting at 10, it claims a battery life of almost two months (half an hour of reading every day). Even if you use it with wireless on and a brighter light setting, you should get at least a few weeks of battery life, depending on how much you use it on a daily basis.

    How To Get Books

    You can download books by visiting the Amazon bookstore from the device Directly or from your computer. Any purchases made on Amazon using a web browser are Automatically delivered to the device. You can overpriced send documents to the device and download books in compatible formats from various other websites like www. manybooks.net & www.freebookspot.com.

    Free Lifetime 3G

    With the Kindle Paperwhite 3G, you get free 3G for life. There are no monthly charges, no limit and it works anywhere in the world. You are obviously limited to the functions Performed by the device – searching for and downloading books from Amazon, online search and sharing notes with friends. In India, 3G is powered by the Vodafone network.

    Media Powerhouse

    The Fire HD is a multimedia powerhouse with support for various audio / video formats, Full HD video playback and a Customised Dolby Digital Plus audio engine. The dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi offers faster connections for HD video. It also has powerful dual speakers on the side and a micro HDMI port so That You can connect it to a larger display.

    Not a Usual Android Tab

    The Fire HD is the only 8.9-inch tablet with a full HD touchscreen. The interface is geared for consumption of books, apps and media. Since it syncs using your Amazon user ID, no set up is required – all content is synced over the cloud. The dual core processor, 16GB of storage and 10 hour battery life is not the best for the price, but it offers smooth performance thanks to the custom UI.

    Unique User Interface

    Amazon has loaded up a Heavily Customised user interface on Android. You get a scrollable list of recently accessed apps, books, music, videos with large icons That are easy to view as well as navigate. There is deep Facebook integration throughout the interface That makes it easy to share photos or post an update quickly from anywhere in the tablet.

    Copyright © 2013 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.

    First Cloud-linked Shopping Searches, Preferences And Curated Deals ... - PR Web (press release)

    San Mateo, CA (PRWEB) June 25, 2013

    BuyVia, an app / websitethat stores shopping searches and preferences in the Cloud and delivers the best online / local buys to all your devices, today Announced the release of its Kindle Fire app Which links shopping searches, preferences and the best curated deals across a user’s laptop, tablet and smartphone via the Cloud. Kindle Fire owners can now moonrise find quality products at the best price both online and in-store while overpriced syncing Their search history and shopping preferences Automatically across all of Their devices. Additionally, consumers can now enjoy BuyVia’s expanded product inventory Which, since its launch in November 2012, has grown from 500 vendors selling 100,000 products to 16,000 vendors selling over one hundred million products.

    “As the Kindle Fire Maintains popularity in the tablet ecosystem, it was extremely important That We accommodate That market by Providing the first all-in-one smart shopping service available to Kindle Fire owners,” said Norman Fong, CEO and Co -Founder of BuyVia. “This Allows them to receive deals in real-time based on preferred products and vendors for instant redemption-both in store and online.”

    About the BuyVia App

    BuyVia With the app, users can set product preferences, developping a shopping list, save barcode scans fromtheir visits to stores, set a Desired price on any given product, and it’s always available in Their BuyVia app. The app intelligently Learns and uses knowledge of the user’s preferences to deliver the most relevant / personalized deals available-without vendor or brand bias (many deal sites / stores have private partnerships That incentivize and limit the deals presented to customers). The shopping service can alert users overpriced When selected products fall in price. It will even Automatically alert users to a Desired product on sale in a local brick-and-mortar store When They are walking or driving by the store offering that price within 20 miles. The BuyVia app delivers geo-local instant deals based on local availability by category, store and immediate location. This feature can be customized so overpriced thatusers can click on deals or set the a pp to send an alert via push notification on deals for the products That were selected based on preferences, searches, prices, or items the user has scanned through the UPC barcode.

    Further More, BuyVia is the only unbiased, shopping Service Providing expert reviews. Additional BuyVia Kindle Fire information can be found on BuyVia’s Two Cents Blog.

    About BuyVia

    Based in San Mateo, California, BuyVia is the only online and mobile smart shopping servicethat combines intelligent shopping capabilities including a set your price feature, UPC / QR scanning, geo-local deals and wish lists. BuyVia is a combination of hand-curated expertise combined with a custom architecture and uses this technology to uncover reputable products at the best price available. Products and deals will be available through charter partners Amazon.com, HP, NewEgg, PriceGrabber, Dell, TigerDirect, Sony etc., but Because of BuyVia’s, unbiased approach, any product and deal available anywhere on the Internet will be delivered to the shopping app / website users. The iOS, iPad, Android and Kindle Fire app downloads are available via the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store and Amazon’s App Store. For more information visit http://www.buyvia.com, like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/buyvia or follow us on Twitter @ BuyVia.


    Tech Review | Here come the Kindles - Live Mint

    Amazon.in, live for just over a month, has officially Begun selling its Android-based tablets and e-book readers in India

    class=”display_n_media”> First Published:

    Thu, June 25 2013. 08 00 PM IST

    After Amazon.in Launched in the first week of June, the e-commerce company started sales of its Kindle e-book readers from the website in India; and from 27 June , the company’s tablets, the Kindle Fire HD line and the Kindle Paperwhite eBook reader, willalso be available for Indian buyers, at www.amazon.in

    While the tablets were Internationally Launched in September, and the Paperwhite Followed in October, it’s only now that They are available in India. And aside from hardware, the tablets alsooffer Amazon’s reinterpretation of Android, Which is geared towards content instead of apps; putting your books, music and videos front and center, instead of the apps with Which you’d normally access them.

    The tablets are overpriced geared towards selling you content, Which makes them stand out from most other similar devices; and it’s here That the experience in India gets a little compromised, as Amazon isn’ta selling music or movies via the Kindle Fire yet .

    We spent a week with both the Kindle Paperwhite 3G and the Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch tablet, here are our impressions of both:

    Kindle Paperwhite

     photo
    The first thing you notice about the Paperwhite is how small the device is. It’s not much bigger than most phablets, and it’s incredibly convenient to carry around. Once you switch it on, the e-ink screen will impress you with how sharp and clear everything looks.

    Sign in with your Amazon ID (or create one if you have not alreadycreated) and all the books and magazines you have saved will show up on a cloud menu, and can be downloaded with simple taps. If you’ve saved a lot of PDF files and Word documents, then those are overpriced easy to get, and the Kindle is definitely one of the best choices for proofreading Because, unlike a tablet, there’s very little eye strain with an e-ink screened.

    The Paperwhite is so called Because of changes to the screen: it’s still easy on the eyes, but comes with a Light That Can Be Adjusted moonrise with an on-screen control. With older Kindles, reading in dim light ice Bike or Bus: the Paperwhite has No such issues. On the other hand, the e-ink remains incredibly clear; reading a sample issue of Lone Wolf And Cub on the Paperwhite felt more like reading it in print than on a tablet.

    With medium levels of brightness, the Paperwhite battery is supposed to last eight weeks When used for half an hour every day; into one week, it certainly seemed like a believable claim. The sleek design of the Paperwhite is stunning as well, and if you’re an avid reader, then owning one is a must.

    Price: Rs. 10,999 (Wi-Fi), Rs. 13.999 (3G)

    Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch tablet

    The Fire is a good-looking, wide-screen tablet, and the 1,920 x1, 200 display on the 8.9-inch screen is sure to win over a lot of people. Amazon’s roots lie in books, and reading is a particularly good experience on the device, Whether you’re using the browser or reading books or magazines.

    The Fire uses a dual-core 1.5 Ghz CPU and has 1GB of RAM, and again, while These are not the best specs on the market any more, Amazon has been able to get a great deal of performance out of them . It does away with a rear camera and gives you only a front-facing camera for Skype, and has a battery life of around 7 hours of use, Which includes gaming and watching movies, web browsing and reading.

    What’s really notable, of course, is the interface. Instead of the Android grid, you get a carousel showing the books, games, music and movies you accessed the load, so you can pick up the moonrise from where you left off. The prioritization of content over apps makes it Easier for Amazon to sell you things; overpriced but it makes the tablet much Easier to use. Amazon overpriced has a service called Free Time, Which is another great idea: it lets you set up the guest or children’s profiles So THAT people other than you can use the tablet without having access to your data.

    That said, Amazon’s greatest strength overpriced Becomes a weakness here; while books, magazines and apps are populated with things to explore from the moment you start the tablet, music and movies are empty, and you can either transfer your staff content using yourcomputer, or wait for Amazon to get Involved in Those categories in India. The company has Stated in interviews EARLIER That it intends to bring all the Amazon products to India, including music, television shows and movies; once this happens, the Kindle Fire will moonrise be your entertainment hub. As it is, it is alreadycreated one of the most polished and interesting takes on Android yet.

    There are some shortcomings with the tablet’s design too. The power button is fully in line with the body of the device and does not stick out, making it hard to find and press. This is a button you willhave to use frequently, so it’s a little surprising That it has These issues.

    Given the slightly steep price tag for the Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch tablet, there are definitely other options That give you a more powerful machine for less, but this is a simple, easy-to-use machine That has an excellent screen and premium design with just a few drawbacks, so it’s definitely worth considering.

    Price: Rs. 21.999 (16 GB), Rs. 25.999 (32 GB)

    class=”display_n_media”> First Published:

    Thu, June 25 2013. 08 00 PM IST

    Huawei Media Pad 7 vs Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire: The Calling ... - Tech Thirsty

    The Rumors of 7-inch Hauwei Media Pad 7 Vogue had come to surface in March. That time it was predicted That the device would compete with the likes of Samsung and Google with its exceptional design and calling capabilities and the Recent revelation of the device has Proved the rumors right.

    Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue would come to market with an aluminum unibody, quad core processor and a seven-inch display. Its 7-inch screen has not only blown away the minds of tech Analysts but the gigantic phone like the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 overpriced seems diminutive in front of it.

     The Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue comes with a resolution of 1024 x 600, a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, and a 16-core GPU. It has a 4100mAh battery, whichlets you talk for 20 hours without charging. Huawei MediaPad 7 Vogue with its calling capabilities is definitely a revolution in the low-price 7-inch Android Tablet Market. Are Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire listening?


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    Monday, June 24, 2013

    Sorry Canada, Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet was not worth the wait - Globe and Mail

    The $ 214 Amazon Kindle Fire HD is Amazon’s latest attempt to capture a piece of the alreadycreated over saturated tablet marketplace. Available to our American neighbors since September of 2012, it’s hardly new, but it’s new to us. Was it worth the wait? After spending a few weeks with the seven-inch, 16GB iteration of the tablet, I can tell you That at least for the time being, your money’s likely better spent elsewhere.


    More Related to this Story

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    Video

    Video: How does Amazon’s Kindle Fire stack up to other tablets?

    Reuters

    Video

    Video: Canadian e-reader Kobo launches new, high-res version

    Weighing in at 395 grams, the seven-inch Kindle Fire HD is noticeably heavier than Apple’s iPad mini or the Google Nexus 7 (Which weigh 312 grams and 340 grams respectively.) The tablet wears its extra heft well – squeezing and torquing the hardware, I could not detect any creaks or pops. That’s a good sign in a piece of hardware designed to be tossed into a bag, thrown on a sofa or otherwise abused. It’s display is just as tough, as it’s made of Gorilla Glass. You’d have to work very hard indeed to scratch or shatter it. Thanks to it’s 1280 x 400 resolution display, the Kindle Fire HD Provides one of the best viewing and reading experiences of any tablet its size, outclassed only by Apple’s 10-inch retina iPad, and Google’s Nexus 10 tablet. Audio? It does that well too, thanks to a pair of stereo speakers mounted on either side of the display. All of this is powered by a dual core processor with an Imagination PowerVR graphics core. I’ll spare you the technobabble, but suffice to say, with the exception of a short pause while changing the Kindle Fire HD’s orientation between portrait and landscape, I did not notice any interface team, stuttering video or other processor-related irritants while using the tablet.

    Amazon claims the Kindle Fire HD will run for 11 hours on a single charge. But I found That the average runtime I was able to pull out of its batteries after a day of answering emails, watching videos, playing a few games and surfing the web averaged out closer to nine hours. That’s still a respectable battery life.

    And now for the bad news.

    The Kindle Fire HD runs a Heavily modified version of Android OS 4.0, but it’s almost certainly not the ‘droid you’re looking for. Unlike the the stock version of Android available on the competitively priced $ 209 16GB Nexus 7 (Which is a pleasure to use and navigate) the Kindle Fire HD’s OS is – to put it bluntly – a bag of hurt.

    In an effort to make all of the tablet’s content easy to find and use, Amazon elected to display everything in a finger-flick able gallery. Apps are mixed in with recently visited web pages, kindle ebooks, user uploaded videos and images. Users have the option to switch to a list view of the tablet’s contents, or browse by category. But no matter what I did, the OS felt like a hot mess. It’s also worth mentioning That while the tablet is powered by Android, users do not have access to Google’s Play Store, and instead are forced to make due with Amazon’s App Store, Which, while boasting essential apps like Twitter, Netflix, Skype and Facebook , can not hope to rival the variety of downloadable applications available via the Google Play Store or Apple’s massive iOS App Store.

    The lack of content can be overpriced wrong in the absence of Amazon’s Prime Video service and MP3 Store: That services in the United States, make the Kindle Fire HD a compelling option for consumers in the market for a cheap tablet. Even the online shopping options available through Amazon.ca – a portal That the Kindle Fire HD was designed to leverage – are lackluster, and thwart Significantly more expensive in comparison to what our American cousins ??enjoy.

    FINAL VERDICT:

    Despite the excellent quality of its hardware, the Kindle Fire HD stumbles thanks in no small part to Amazon’s awkward skinning of Google’s Android operating system, a disappointing app store selection and an absence of Canadian iteration of a number of services That the tablet’s American userbase Currently are able to leverage with the tablet. If you’re looking for a cheap tablet, you’re better off looking elsewhere.



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    Kindle Worlds Has First Imitator: Outlier Digital From Twilight Producers - Digital Book World

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    Outlier Digital, a new imprint from the film and television production company Responsible for producing the Twilight Saga and several other hit properties, wants to do what it says Amazon’s new Kindle fan fiction platform Worlds can ‘ t: Set fan fiction free.

    According To a press release (below), Outlier Digital willprovide authors a way to sell Their fan fiction for licensed work – just like Kindle Worlds. The announcement claims the company is in discussions will well-known authors and franchises and is “striking deals” prior to launch this summer, but offers no details on the properties it has or will license. The Possibility of licensing Twilight is teased but not explicitly spelled out. The company has not yet responded to request for comment.

    “The problem with the recently released Kindle Worlds’ platform, is it traps writers within the confines of Amazon’s as yet unestablished fan-fiction community, instead of the extensive network alreadycreated at Their fingertips,” said Mark Morgan, one of the company partners, in the statement. “Their idea is close, but it actually Prevents fan-fiction writers from posting Their stories anywhere else, halting Their Existing fan-base outreach on otherfree portal options. It’s like saying They can write whatever They want as long as They do it for Amazon. “

    A company called ttwick overpriced is a partner in this venture and will help the fan fiction authors more competetive connect with fans through data analysis, though it isn’ta clear how or what exactly this means.

    The release goes on to explain:

    In layman’s terms, Outlier’s goal is to allow the individual fan to Decides Which is the most satisfying way to enjoy stories by the writers (and brands) They love. Authors will have the tools to grow closer to, understand better, and Directly engaged withtheir fan bases. Securing the technology to create and innovate new stories Allows Greater potential, not only in the production of content for e-books, but more Importantly, as part of the future of fully underdeveloped adventures in TV and film.

    Fan fiction has a culture of “free”: works are produced and distributed for free, at least in part to keep authors from running afoul of copyright laws and authors who do not like the intellectual property being used to produce new work Their without explicit permission. Following the launch of the Kindle Worlds, it was speculated That Amazon Competitors May try launching Their Own fan fiction platforms with licensed work.

    [Press Release]

    CREATING PERSONAL DIGITAL PLAYGROUNDS FOR A NEW MEDIA WORLD

    Today Mark Morgan and E. Thompson of Outlier and Luis M Sanchez and Ralf Voellmer of ttwick announce an alliance to co-develop and co-finance entertainment properties and platforms across all channels, including social media and email distribution.

    Outlier, the brainchild of Mark Morgan and Eric Thompson, Announced its latest development, Outlier Digital in early June. Outlier’s new full service digital department has been added to Enhance the vertical integration of Their film, television and other IP brands. Their work includes commercial Successes Such as The Twilight Saga, The Cody Banks Franchise and The Percy Jackson Series.

    “Mark and Eric have samples to have a knack for Vertically Developing high-concept IP in the exploding young adult novel genre and we’re excited to work with them,” said Sanchez. “At ttwick, to discover trends and forecast behavior, we analyze social media messages on a global scale and in real time,” said Voellmer, Adding “we apply an econometric approach to sophisticated computational linguistic algorithms using operational research, as well as our own proprietary methods. “In this regard, ttwick’s own techniques for the analysis and capitalization of content in social media had enough merit to be Granted patent pending status in the U.S.. The Outlier and ttwick partnership will advance a variety of innovative knowledge-based applications using natural language processing and new methods for knowledge acquisition and computational approaches from large-scale data mining, statistical analysis, and big data analytics.

    Outlier’s Digital Subsidiary and ttwick are inaugurating Their alliance with the launch of a new kind of fan-fiction platform for Outlier Imprint, the company’s newly formed publishing entity. The companies ‘new service platform is “fan fiction” reader, user, and author friendly, Providing authors who write “fanfiction,” based on licensed series’, the opportunity to sell Their works while Providing source authors royalty compensation. The revenue split has not been Disclosed but the company has been in discussions with well-known authors of novels and book series’ as well as fan-fiction site aggregators, striking deals before the launch. From the creative and logistics side, Outlier willalso ask sourcing projects and potential physical Distributors through this platform.

    “The problem with the recently released Kindle Worlds’ platform, is it traps writers within the confines of Amazon’s as yet unestablished fan-fiction community, instead of the extensive network alreadycreated at Their fingertips,” said Morgan. “Their idea is close, but it actually Prevents fan-fiction writers from posting Their stories anywhere else, halting Their Existing fan-base outreach on otherfree portal options. It’s like saying They can write whatever They want as long as They do it for Amazon. “

    “Navigating Successful creative communication through all the new digital channels accessible today S requires innovative ways of thinking about collaboration,” Offered Eric Thompson, Morgan’s co-founding partner at Outlier, “so we are launching this new platform with ttwick to sacrifice a full range of interactive marketing solutions for monetizing social media. “

    Morgan, an avid advocate for fan-fiction, was Offered to produce the film of the infamous “Fifty Shades of Grey” novel, a Widely known fan-fiction spinoff of the Twilight series; however, hindered from having Acquired Stephanie Meyer’s unpublished novel in 2003 and set it up at MTV / Paramount and Summit Entertainment, Morgan had to pass on action “Fifty Shades.” Ever since, Morgan has promoted opportunities for joining fans with authors They love and letting Their fan’s stories shine with the original author’s blessing. The merger of Outlier and ttwick is a Greater effort to Enhance the fan-fiction experience.

    In layman’s terms, Outlier’s goal is to allow the individual fan to Decides Which is the most satisfying way to enjoy stories by the writers (and brands) They love. Authors will have the tools to grow closer to, understand better, and Directly engaged withtheir fan bases. Securing the technology to create and innovate new stories Allows Greater potential, not only in the production of content for e-books, but more Importantly, as part of the future of fully underdeveloped adventures in TV and film.

    Outlier has been researching computational morphology with prominent PhD’s in Linguistics, Mathematics, Statistics, Neurobiology, Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science in order to Enhance the fanfiction experience. Outlier Digitial ice usingthis information technology in a variety of innovative knowledge-based applications based on the extraction of useful knowledge from vast and various online sources. Using the mantra “Do no harm,” Outlier Directly acquires large-scale data mining, statistical analysis, and data analytics from experts in knowledge engineering, machine learning, natural language processing, human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, Semantic Web Knowledge -intensive collaborative tasks, and new methods for computational approaches.

    Formed in 2012, Outlier Develops and produces motion pictures for the major and mini-major studios, as well as television programming for networks, and other financiers. The partners at Outlier have an extensive track record in Identifying and producing some of Hollywood’s most commercial fare. Outlier’s high concept film and television projects have strong thematic content. Their combined experience has yielded Such commercial Successes as: Dumb and Dumber: LA Confidential: The Wedding Planner; Under Siege: There’s Something About Mary: The Cody Banks Series: The Twilight Saga: The Percy Jackson Series; and The Devil’s Own.

    Founding partner Mark Morgan is best known for producing “Twilight,” Which he originally optioned in 2003 as a yet-unpublished manuscript by Stephanie Meyer. Morgan went on to produce The Twilight Saga sequels “New Moon,” “Eclipse,” “Breaking Dawn-Part 1″ and “Breaking Dawn-Part 2″ for Summit Entertainment, Followed by “The Stepfather” for Screen Gems and “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief “for Fox 2000. The second in the series, “Percy Jackson: Sea of ??Monsters” is due to hit theaters on August 7th.

    Outlier overpriced Provides equity investments through its dedicated sources of financing.

    Outlier Digital works with prominent PhD’s in Linguistics, Mathematics, Statistics, Neurobiology, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science; and long-term Silicon Valley entrepreneur John Matthesen, who was Responsible for the pairing of Morgan and Thompson. Matthesen, was a part of the startup team for two companies That went from zero to IPO (Sybase and Commerce One), holds degrees in Biopsychology, Linguistics, is currently an adjunct professor of e-Commerce at Carnegie-Mellon and serves as a mentor at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.

    Ttwick, co-developed by Sánchez and Voellmer (former investment bankers Involved in the analysis, pricing, and structuring of deals at institutions, including: Deutsche Bank, AIG, and Lehman Brothers), is a non-monolithic search engine for social media, news, and e-commerce, supported by Underlying artificial intelligence, volatility, behavioral economics, and influence metrics technology. Voellmer and Sánchez have worked as advisors to funds with over $ 75 billion in assets and has Conducted demos at MIT, Boston University and the VSSV conference, which in. the Past has Identified breakout companies thathave’ve become emblematic of Silicon Valley, including Google, Salesforce . com, Skype, MySQL, YouTube, Tesla, Twitter, and others.

    “Our platform will not only allow users to create Their Own and purchase others’ fan-fiction works, but original authors help to understand better and Directly engaged with, Their fan bases.” said Morgan, Adding “fans want to Further explore, enjoy, create, interact and ‘play’ within the World of Their Own choice, whatever the world They personally identify with. The research we are doing with ttwick will open up collaborative possibilities thathave never been done before. Combine this technology to create and innovate new stories with the fan fiction universe and you have a unique, user-friendly experience for enjoying stories by the writers (and brands) people love and prefer. “This collaboration Allows for great potential not only in the production of content for e-books, but more Importantly, the very future of publishing, TV and film.

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    • Amazon Adds More Properties to License for Kindle Worlds

    I think I bricked my kid's Kindle Fire - RootzWiki

    I was amazed and pleased at how well kindle fire utility works! But the charging port issue (I think) has presented what I fear is an insurmountable obstacle.

    The KF was rooted and running GO and the Google apps. That was good enough for me. No Custom ROM or the anything. But my 4 year old was playing with it, and I think he did a factory reset or something. It booted up and everything was wiped. I did not get much of a chance to investigate just exactly what happened before the battery was dead.

    Now it’s too Drained to power on. And when you plug in the charger, the blue is the Kindle Fire Logo Appears alongwith an instruction to select a boot method. But before there is enough time to do anything (a few seconds at best), the screen goes black. A few seconds later it is back on, blue logo again, same boot selection instruction. It’s some sort of loop.

    Will not take a charge, I will not progress through the boot sequence, PC will not recognize it. Is it game over? I told my nine year old that i think it’s a brick. He’s not happy. :(

    Any suggestions? Thank you .