Kindle Touch finally shipped internationally !!!

Finally Amazon has got organized and started shipping the great e-reader Kindle Touch outside US!

Link to the international site you'll find HERE.

If you scroll down the page you'll find the similarities and the differences between the now four different Kindle e-readers. Read and enjoy :-)


 
There is only one version of the Kindle Touch available, and that is the Kindle Touch with built-in Wi-Fi

• Price is $139

No Kindle Touch with 3G yet - but, at least we have got the touch version!

I have waited some time now for the Kindle Touch. Not because I want to swap my beloved Kindle Keyboard but I couldn't see any sane reason for the Touch not being sold outside US. Well, the waiting is over. It's all yours :-)

Have fun!

Powder and sun - who needs more? Røldal Norway :-)

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Great skins and covers for all Kindle's!

I own a Kindle Keyboard and have got a replacement for the one which died on me just before Christmas. But it has lacked something, my own little finish so to speak. There are so many beautiful skins out there to choose between. This time I didn't go for a colorful variant, but a more discreet one which matches both of my covers. My Kindle Keyboard looks like this for the moment:

A pretty skin from DecalGirl for just $15! This design is called WindMill.

 In addition to a skin I have already invested in no less than two different handmade leather covers from Oberon Design.  As a skin is more like a personal touch to the Kindle, a cover however protects both the screen and the keyboard from scratches, dust and moist. In addition is it very convenient visually - it prevents me from grabbing my boyfriends Kindle when I'm in a hurry...

I have chosen two covers which I alter between. It's kind of boring to have only one.. because then all my books look the same :-) I am extremely satisfied with these covers which have a 100% wool felt screen protector inside and the attachment system provides excellent shake and drop security. The custom leather cover easily folds in half & stays open or you can read your Kindle as a book. The cover is also stiff enough for a reading light attachment. These are my two chosen ones:

Check out Oberon Design for a variety of both colors and patterns. They cost $67 each.

And - yes, I have also invested in a cover which I bring to the beach. Electronics and sand is a bad mix, and I would hate to destroy my beloved gadget. I found a very good, water repellant and sandproof cover with a transparent front. The cover is soft enough to enable you to change pages without a problem. In addition you have easy access to the sleep/off button at the bottom. You just choose where you put the zippers. I chose this one from M-Edge:

You can get the M-Edge cover from Amazon's Kindle Store

The M-Edge cover is not totally waterproof, so I wouldn't take it with me into the pool, but it has covered all my needs both on the beach and by the pool several times already.

There is also other extra's which can be nice to have, but a skin and a cover I find both pretty, practical and smart. I have to admit that I have invested in a little led light which I can attach to the top part of my Kindle or Oberon covers. The thought was to bring it to our next photo safari, but that camping trip has for some reason been delayed. When our next Africa-trip is planned however, I am already prepared :-)

A Vervet Monkey from our last trip to Botswana

Very good and FREE ebook: Sci-Fi/Action-Thriller!!!

I've got to share this Christmas gift :-) One of my favourite authors, Michael R. Hicks, will give away his "Season of the Harvest" for free! If you haven't read anything by this author earlier, this is the time to get one of his very best novels! The genre is a mix of Sci-Fi/Fantasy & Thriller/Action.

Click HERE to read my review of the novel. I gave it 5 of 5 stars!

The offer is only valid December 21.st through 23.rd, so you have to decide quickly :-) You'll find the e-book on Amazon!

Happy read!

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GREAT Amazon customer service !!!

I am extremely impressed by Amazon! After my Kindle died Sunday (the screen just froze on me) I called their customer service for help. "No worries - we'll send you a new one today, expected delivery date December 16 at the latest!" Right... I didn't quite believe what I heard... I'm not the only one getting packages delivered in December...

But - yesterday, 5 days after my telephone call - December 16 - I got my new Kindle Keyboard!! And bear in mind, I do NOT live in Norway's capital with the main post office next door. I live deep in a fjord in western Norway..!

This is great service !!!

Christmas can come :-) The only job I have to do is a simple copy/paste between my PC and my new Kindle, and I'm good to go!

You hear a lot of bad customer service everywhere, so I thought it was just right to praise Amazon. This has been a very pleasant experience for sure!

Rating?

of 5, and a BIG smile :-)

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Kindle Fire success

It looks like Amazon with their new Kindle Fire has had a great sales start! Information leaked from amazon.com reveals that over 254.000 Kindle Fire's have been pre-ordered the first 5 days! This means an average of 2.100 units pr. hour! Not too bad!!

I don't think the Kindle Fire will sell better than the iPad in the long run, but I have to admit that I'm thoroughly impressed so far, bearing in mind that this is US only (unfortunately).

After having giving it a second thought I have decided not to buy one of the new Kindles. I am too fond of my now newly renamed Kindle Keyboard. It has nothing to do with pricing, more that I'm not that fond of touch screens. Buying the simple Kindle will then be kind of stupid since my excisting K3 in addition to a keyboard also has twice the battery capacity and storage compared to the small, new one.

If I was in the market for a new e-reader and found touch screen an interesting feature I would probably wait till the Kindle Touch reached Europe. It has a nice design, is small and quick and with a one-click easy-buy of e-books from the amazon.com store just a touch away :-)

What I more look forward to is this - and my snowboard out of storage again :-)

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New Sony Reader brings challenge to the Kindle

Sony Reader Wi-Fi PRS-T1

If rumors are to be believed Amazon will get som real Kindle challenge in October. Sony plan to jump back into the ring with their new Sony Reader Wi-Fi PRS-T1. Not the most sexy of brand names, but who cares!

The price will be $149, and that finally follows the pricing for the rest of the industry.

Apart from a nicer price, Sony has finally brought wireless connectivity to the Sony Reader. That has been long sought for. And this eReader is also supposed to be the lightest on the market. Not the worst of news either! Of course you'll find the E Ink Pearl screen and battery life better measured in weeks than hours..., and the touch screen meets the current readers' expectations for modern devices.

A few other things that should excite people is that this is the first major eReader at the price point, to allow users to take notes in-text with a stylus.  It will have expandable memory and come in a variety of colors.  One limited edition offering will even include bundled Harry Potter eBooks!  Things are definately looking up for Sony.

Amazon beware!

Pic of the day: Orchid in my living room

How to convert EPUB files to Kindle format

What has annoyed me for quite some time is the e-book business (or lack of) in Norway (and probably elsewhere too..).

How sane is it that other people should decide which e-reader I am going to read my e-books on?!?

I have always bought my books from Amazon - hardcopies and paperbacks. I have been very happy with Amazon and a few other online stores. Early this year I converted to e-books, mostly because I travel a lot and read even more. I was so tired of carrying all the kgs of books with me everywhere.

But - guess what? Do you think I find Norwegian books on Amazon? Nope! Do I find Norwegian authors? A very few - and only their books translated into English! And I really don't have any problems at all with that. What I do however have a problem with is - that EVERY single e-book in Norwegian comes in EPUB format. And which is my preferred e-reader? The Kindle...

Where there is a will there is always a way... And I found it, hidden inbetween a lot of nonsense and difficulties. If you are in the business of choosing an e-reader, just have in mind the following - Do not hang up on fileformats!!! If you have a Kindle you can read EPUB files. If you have a Sony e-reader, you CAN read Amazon books!

On the left hand side of my blog I will add the following recipes:

• EPUB to Kindle conversion
• Kindle to EPUB conversion
• PDF conversion to both EPUB and Kindle formats

As you can see - one is in place already - ePUB to Kindle. The rest will follow during the weekend!

Spread the word! Choose your preferred e-reader! Despite of the "big businesses" out there trying to confuse you!

My dog Toby :-)