Thursday, July 2, 2015

Kindle Paperwhite 3 vs Kindle Voyage Comparison Review (Video)

When Amazon first announced the Kindle Paperwhite 3 and it turned out the main change was the addition of an upgraded 300 ppi E Ink screen, the same exact screen that comes with the more expensive Kindle Voyage, many thought that it would close the gap on the Voyage to a point where it wouldn’t […]

How to Tell the Difference Between Kindle Paperwhite 2 and 3

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Sometimes it can be quite difficult determining what e-reader is the latest generation model and what is outdated technology. The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2 and Kindle Paperwhite 3 look exactly the same in a side by side comparison. How can you tell the difference between the 2013 and 2015 edition? Today, we show you exactly what to look for on the retail packaging in a brand new video.

Upon first glance the retail packaging looks almost the same, in terms of size and dimensions. There are some very subtle differences such as the color of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite logo. The 2015 model has a blue logo, whereas the 2013 version is a light cyan. The e-reader on the Paperwhite 3 also is showing an open book, whereas the previous generation shows the library screen. On the back of the packaging the newer model makes numerous references to 300 PPI, whereas the other doesn’t.


Audiobook Deals and Discounts for July 2015

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Do you listen to audiobooks or feel like you have heard a ton about the format but haven’t really engaged with it yet? Every month we will put the spotlight on the best deals around, so you can get a sense of discounts being offered or websites you might not have heard of that let you download stuff for free.

Open Culture – is one of the better gateway websites for educational and cultural media. The site compiles content from around the Web and has an admirable collection of audiobooks — primarily classics — that you can stream over the Web or download on a variety of audio formats for later consumption.

Loyal Books – s a family-friendly website that caters to the classic literature devotee. The site offers a nice collection of public domain novels and short stories in multiple languages, available in both Mp3 and MP4 format in addition to a podcast and an RSS feed. You can also stream book chapters online and browse titles by genre, language, and popularity, or search for specific books using the integrated Google search bar at the top of the page. Plus, most books offer ratings and reviews from fellow listeners, thus giving you a slightly better idea of what to expect before you hit the play button.

Nook Audiobooks – In celebration of Independence Day and big new June/July releases, we think July will be great for audiobooks! For a limited time, we'll be offering a sweet sale of Cool Books for Hot Days – it's filled with audiobooks at great deals that we think customers will love to listen to on the beach, while relaxing by the pool, or while getting fit for the summer. For July 4th weekend, we'll serve up some great collections tailored towards celebrating America and family travel, cooking out, and relaxing at home – these will include some big new releases we're really excited about, including Stephen King's audiobook-only short story release Drunken Fireworks that comes on June 30th, followed up two weeks later with one of the year's biggest books, Go Set a Watchman, narrated by Reese Witherspoon. And to be sure, throughout the month our Daily Find will continue – that's our offer of a specially priced, unabridged audiobook at 60% off or more.

Audible – Normally you only get one free audiobook to start your membership, but Audible is running a promotion to get 2! In addition, the new Amazon Echo allows you to listen to audiobooks anywhere in your house.

Simply Audiobooks – This is a company that allows you to RENT  audiobooks on CD, if that is your thing.  You can use the promo code AUDIOGO72 for some big savings.

Scribd – This company is well known for their unlimited e-book subscription service but they recently added audiobooks. Normally when you sign up you get 14 days for free, but using this LINK you can get a free 3 month subscription and listen to as many audiobooks as you want, including the new E.L. James Grey title.

eBook and Audiobook checkouts hit single day record

While the nation’s librarians gathered in San Francisco for the 2015 annual Conference of the American Library Association (ALA), library users around the world helped contribute to a record setting day in digital reading. Monday, June 29, 2015 saw a new single-day milestone of 500,535 digital titles borrowed across all OverDrive digital collection and readers also placed more than 195,000 titles on hold as well!

"This spike in library lending of eBooks, digital audiobooks, magazines, newspapers and streaming video is the result of the tremendous efforts of thousands of librarians as well as significant ease-of-use improvements including seamless integration with library catalogs," said David Burleigh, OverDrive's Director of Marketing.  "We're also seeing the effects of new access models publishers are offering through OverDrive, which have increased availability for readers."

It’s not just the eBook sector that has exploded in 2015. Librarians at the ALA conference reported substantial growth for audiobooks in MP3 format as well as enhanced eBooks for children featuring "Read-along" Narrated eBooks, which utilize industry-standard EPUB3.  There has also been massive growth for digital magazines and newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and other periodicals now available for U.S. libraries and schools through OverDrive.

Click here to see the full press release.

Laser Dog Monitor

Dave Young lives in Denver with a baby, a wife, and a dog called Penny. Penny’s a good dog (good dog, Penny!) – she’s a softie around the baby, walks to heel, and doesn’t destroy things. All that good dog stuff.

But Penny has one weak spot. Dave says:

Her only issue is that she goes BONKERS for food. My wife and I have done a great job training it out of her when we're around so we no longer have to worry about a cheese board sitting on the low coffee table, but I know she gets on the counters any time we are away. Sounds like a job for a machine!

How’s it work? There’s a laser tripwire, which triggers audio of Dave saying “Hey!” in a COMMANDING MANNER. The setup also takes a picture of Penny’s infraction using the Raspberry Pi camera board.

Full instructions are available over at Element14 so you can make your own. I’m already thinking about ways you could expand this project: Mooncake, the Raspberry Pi cat, doesn’t respond well to voice commands, but we think a Pi-powered water pistol could be just the ticket on those days we want to defrost prawns. Ideas for your own feature-creep in the comments please!

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