KINDLE SCRIBE LETS YOU SCRIBBLE ON EBOOKS

I like to highlight passages in my ebooks. But if I get Amazon’s “Kindle Scribe,” I can also add my handwriting to the margins or even all over the page. The new tablet’s 10.2-inch screen, like the Kindle Paperwhite, mimics natural writing on paper. It doesn’t have the bright colors of other tablets, but is great for reading and writing. A basic digital pen is included, and there’s a premium pen for an extra $30. The premium pen has a digital eraser at the top and a customizable shortcut button. Neither one uses batteries. Besides adding handwritten notes to the book you’re reading, with the Scribe you can handwrite your memoir, sign documents, make shopping lists or create art. Your […]

Read more

A NEW STIMULUS

There’s a new social network in town. It’s called “Stimulus.” They had me with “cash giveaways.” So far, Stimulus has given out over $100,000. In their welcome message, a middle-aged guy with a strong Italian accent says: “You’re like me. You’re tired of all the fake accounts that spoil all the fun. Stimulus is a happy social network where brands and generous people give away money to earn attention. Brands need attention to grow, people need money to live. Stimulus helps both.” I was sold. I clicked on a post saying “don’t forget your lima beans,” and was immediately entered into a $500 giveaway. Winners will be announced in three days. Next, I clicked on 10 more giveaways. Each one […]

Read more

FIRE UP THE TABLET

Joy left her Kindle Fire tablet in the gym. At first we thought it was somewhere around the apartment but it never turned up. So she decided to bite the bullet and buy Amazon’s “Fire HD 10.” It’s $150 and looks as good as an iPad for less than half the price. She got it in blue. She knew the old one had been stolen as soon as she turned on the new one; now there was one Portuguese and two Chinese dictionaries. Some circumstantial evidence is pretty suspicious. So she went to the “Manage your Kindle” section of Amazon and de-registered the old device. The Kindle Fire HD 10 and HD 8 come with Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant. It […]

Read more

STILL HOT FOR THE LATEST KINDLE FIRE

When we briefly mentioned the new $50 Amazon “Kindle Fire” tablet, ours hadn’t arrived yet.  Now that we have it, we’re more impressed than we expected. Here are a few things we haven’t seen in other reviews: First off, the full content of the Washington Post  is free for the first six months, $4 a month after that. That’s because Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, recently bought the Post, so he can offer any deal he wants.  A catchy headline from the newspaper on the main screen of the tablet lures you in. This is totally addictive: Joy hasn’t gone a day yet without reading the Post’s featured story.

Read more

READING IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT

A reader wrote to say his wife has a Kindle and loves reading outdoors. His iPad costs hundreds of dollars more but he can’t read it in sunlight. “Not fair!” he said. “My wife grins at me as I struggle.”

Read more

BOOK EM!

Joy’s friend Frieda is going to France but leaving her Kindle behind for safe keeping. Joy said to her: “Why not use your phone as a Kindle?” Here’s how to do that:

Read more

KINDLE OR IPAD

We were at a launch party for “Suffer No Fools,” a new PBS documentary, when a guy asked us if he should get the latest Kindle or the new iPad Mini. This is a tough question – and he was a tough-looking guy.

Read more

BATTERY

We heard from a reader who has a Kindle just like ours but its battery failed to take a charge. Amazon customer service told her to buy a new one, though her Kindle was only a year old. (They’re pushing it; don’t buy a new one.)

Read more

THE IPAD MINI

Joy’s Kindle Fire went into a coma for several months and the battery wouldn’t charge. So we got an iPad Mini, a smaller version of the iPad for $278 from Amazon.

Read more

BACK TO SCHOOL

Boundless.com is being sued by textbook publishers for offering cut-rate and cut-down versions online.  They cover 21 subjects and all the books are $20, which is quite a bargain compared to $100-200 for many printed textbooks. Here’s how it works: Instead of an actual textbook, Boundless summarizes all of the key information, chapter by chapter into a condensed version about 90 percent shorter. You’ll miss the author’s style, but you’ll get what you need to know, complete with flashcards, quizzes, and reminders. Their own research shows Boundless users study far less than other students and get better results.

Read more