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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Kindle 3 is Shipping!

Update: It's been confirmed by Amazon (looks like I let the cat out of the bag, as I reported this two hours before Amazon). I've included the press release below.

As an Amazon affiliate, I get generic reports when people order using my links.Nothing that identifies anyone or even what is ordered at the same time, just a daily summary of what items were both ordered and shipped (so that Amazon can tell me if I made anything that month; the advertising fees from Amazon support both the blog costs and my reading habit). Several readers have placed orders for the new Kindle and Kindle Wi-Fi and this morning one of them is showing that it "shipped" sometime yesterday!

So, one lucky reader has a new Kindle that is "on it's way" -- which may mean, it's in a truck on the loading dock, waiting to be joined by several thousand others, in order to get the best shipping deal from the post office, or it may mean that it's already on the way via UPS or Fedex.

I just checked the status of my order and it has switched to "Shipping Soon", which generally means that shipping labels have been printed and it's being processed/packaged (so the order can't be changed or canceled), but that the package isn't quite wrapped up and on the truck, just yet. My lighted cover is also being processed at the same time (it originally had a week later delivery estimate). Looks like the UPS/Fedex folk will be making to the house this week, after all!

So, did you order one? If so, are you the lucky one whose order has already shipped?

Update: Here's the full press release from Amazon:
New Generation Kindles Are the Fastest-Selling Kindles Ever and Already the Best-Selling Products on Amazon
New Kindles start shipping to customers today--two days ahead of previously announced release date

SEATTLE, Aug 25, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

(NASDAQ: AMZN)--Amazon.com today announced that more new generation Kindles were ordered in the first four weeks of availability than in the same timeframe following any other Kindle launch, making the new Kindles the fastest-selling ever. In addition, in the four weeks since the introduction of the new Kindle and Kindle 3G, customers ordered more Kindles on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk combined than any other product, continuing Kindle's over two-year run as the bestselling product across all the products sold on Amazon.com. The new Kindles started shipping to customers today--two days earlier than previously announced.

"Kindle is the best-selling product on Amazon.com for two years running and our new generation Kindles are continuing that momentum," said Steven Kessel, senior vice president, Amazon Kindle. "Readers are excited about all that the new Kindle has to offer--50 percent better contrast, 20 percent faster page turns, 15 percent lighter, up to one month of battery life--and a new price of only $139."

The all-new Kindle has an electronic-ink screen with 50 percent better contrast than any other e-reader, a new sleek design with a 21 percent smaller body while still keeping the same 6-inch-size reading area, 15 percent lighter weight at just 8.5 ounces, 20 percent faster page turns, up to one month of battery life with wireless off, double the storage to 3,500 books, no glare even in bright sunlight and built-in Wi-Fi--all for only $139. The all-new Kindle 3G with all of these new features plus the convenience of free 3G wireless is only $189.

Early comments from product reviewers on the new Kindle include:

"This e-book reader's lighter weight and complete overhaul make the third-generation Kindle the best reader from Amazon yet... After spending some quality time curled up with the new Kindle, I have to say it's the first e-reader in months that's left me wanting to read more. Its solid build quality, along with its improved design, integrated store, and cross-platform transportability (books are usable on any Kindle reader app, including iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, and PC) all add up to a winner that shoots to the head of the pack." - PC World

"Despite some predictions that the iPad and other Web-oriented tablets would start the Kindle doom clock ticking, its continued popularity bodes well for the future of single-purpose long-form reading devices. The new third-generation Kindle only makes that future brighter. All its basic virtues--instant downloading from an abundantly stocked store, light weight, ability to read in sunlight--are still there, with significant improvements in text readability, physical design, and battery life." - Wired

"...given its new low price along with its massive library of ebooks and dead-simple book buying, the Kindle keeps its crown as our Editors' Choice. Simply put, it's the best dedicated ebook reader you can buy." - PC Magazine

"Amazon's newest Kindle (simply called "Kindle," though it's sometimes referred to as the "Kindle 3") is the best ebook-reading device on the market." - Fast Company

Also in the four weeks since their introduction:

* Kindle and Kindle 3G are the most gifted and most wished for products on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk combined.
* Customers in 125 countries on six continents from Austria to Zimbabwe have already placed orders for the new generation Kindles. Some of the most remote shipments will be sent as far away as Mongolia and the Northern Mariana Islands.
* Customers are already ordering books to read on their new Kindles. The most popular are the books in Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, "Star Island" by Carl Hiaasen and "The Rembrandt Affair" by Daniel Silva.

Kindle offers the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read. The U.S. Kindle Store now has more than 670,000 books, including New Releases and 107 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers. Over 550,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 73 New York Times Best Sellers. Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle devices. More than 235,000 books have been added to the Kindle Store in just the last seven months, including New York Times Best Sellers "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest," "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" and "The Passage."

Kindle lets you Buy Once, Read Everywhere--on Kindle, Kindle 3G, Kindle DX, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry and Android-based devices. Amazon's Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off. With Kindle Worry-Free Archive, books you purchase from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in your Kindle library on Amazon where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly for free, anytime.

Customers can discover full details and order the new Kindle and Kindle 3G at www.amazon.com/kindle3G and www.amazon.com/kindleWi-Fi.

For high-resolution images of the new generation Kindle, visit www.amazon.com/pr/kindle/images.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle, Kindle 3G and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle 3G and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.amazon.cn. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

SOURCE: Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Hotline, 206-266-7180
www.amazon.com/pr/kindle

Free Book (Sony) - Julip

Julip ($8.80 Kindle), by Jim Harrison, is free in the Sony bookstore today.

Book Description
In three novellas, Jim Harrison takes us on an American journey as he leads us through the wondrous landscape of the human heart. Julip follows a bright and resourceful young woman as she tries to spring her brother from a Florida jail-he shot three of her former lovers "below the belt." The Seven-Ounce Man continues the picaresque adventures of Brown Dog, a Michigan scoundrel who loves to eat, drink, and chase women, all while sailing along in the bottom 10 percent. The Beige Dolorosa is the haunting tale of an academic who, recovering from the repercussions of a sexual harassment scandal, turns to the natural world for solace. In each of these stories, the irresistible pull of nature becomes a magnificent backdrop for exploring the toughest questions about life and love.

Click HERE for the free download.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

100 Free Back-to-School iBooks from Kaplan

Apple seems to be determined to position the iPad as the device of choice. This week, they've teamed up with Kaplan Publishing to give away 100 books in a Back-to-School promotion, but one that anyone can participate in ... so long as you have an iPad (or an iBooks capable iPhone or iPod Touch; my older iPhone is not). There isn't a link to use in particular, as the ibookstore isn't accessible unless you are running the iBooks app, which, although free, only works on select Apple devices. From inside the iBookstore, wait until the scrolling banner on the top of the main page shows the ad for Learn Anytime, Anywhere/100 free titles, click it and you'll be taken to the correct page to access the deal (be careful, though, as at least one title was still showing a price as of 9:30AM EST). You have until August 30th (according to the press release) to purchase the books, but they should stay on your bookshelf after that (otherwise, we all need a book on speed-reading first).

The selection is pretty deep; 22 titles on law school prep, for example, including study guides for finals in several subjects. I tried it a bit early and was able to access the list with the original prices and most of the titles were listed for $4.99 or $9.99.  So far, I've purchased several of the titles, but they haven't actually downloaded to the point that I can read them (they act like the one pre-order title that is on my bookshelf).  If any of you take advantage of this offer, let me know if your books download right away or see to be stuck as a pre-order, as mine are.

Here's a copy of the press release (note that the titles may have changed since this was released):
Kaplan Kicks off Back-to-School for Everyone with Free book Downloads Offer
Only on the iBookstore


August 24 – 30, 2010


High school students; college students; future doctors, lawyers, MBA’s and nurses; and many more can find over 90 valuable Kaplan test prep guides, study aids, and related titles that would normally cost hundreds of dollars, for free on the iBookstore from August 24 -30th. Anyone can enjoy these titles on their iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch device with the iBooks app.


These titles represent a significant one-time savings for students getting ready to prepare for college entrance exams, qualify for advanced certifications, and improve their understanding over a range of academic subjects.


To download free Kaplan ebooks on the iBookstore, visit kaplanpublishing.com/itunes
No promotional code is needed because the cost will appear as $0.00.


If you don’t already have the iBooks app you can download it for free at
www.itunes.com/apps.ibooks


(This promotion is not available on any other eReading device)


The complete list of titles offered:
  1. Call To Nursing
  2. Collected Writings
  3. Corpus
  4. Crime: Its Cause and Treatment
  5. Evolution of Modern Medicine
  6. First Year Nurse
  7. First Year Teacher
  8. Get Into Graduate School
  9. Get Into Medical School
  10. Impaired
  11. Kaplan 101 Algebra Practice Questions
  12. Kaplan 101 ASVAB Practice Questions
  13. Kaplan 101 Biology Practice Questions
  14. Kaplan 101 GMAT Verbal Practice Questions
  15. Kaplan 101 GRE Quantitative Practice Questions
  16. Kaplan 101 GRE Verbal Practice Questions
  17. Kaplan 101 MAT Practice Questions
  18. Kaplan 101 SAT/PSAT Critical Reading Practice Questions
  19. Kaplan 101 SAT/PSAT Writing Practice Questions
  20. Kaplan ACT Strategies for Super Busy Students
  21. Kaplan AP Biology 2011
  22. Kaplan AP Macroeconomics/Microeconomics 2011
  23. Kaplan CCRN
  24. Kaplan GMAT Math Workbook
  25. Kaplan GMAT Verbal Foundations
  26. Kaplan GMAT Verbal Workbook
  27. Kaplan GRE & GMAT Exams Writing Workbook
  28. Kaplan GRE Exam Advanced Math
  29. Kaplan GRE Exam Advanced Verbal
  30. Kaplan GRE Exam Math Workbook
  31. Kaplan GRE Exam Subject Test: Psychology 2009-2010
  32. Edition
  33. Kaplan GRE Exam Verbal Workbook
  34. Kaplan MCAT Biology Review
  35. Kaplan MCAT General Chemistry Review
  36. Kaplan MCAT Organic Chemistry Review
  37. Kaplan MCAT Physics Review
  38. Kaplan MCAT Practice Tests
  39. Kaplan MCAT Verbal Reasoning and Writing Review
  40. Kaplan Medical Internal Medicine Question Book
  41. Kaplan Medical USMLE Master the Boards Step 3
  42. Kaplan Medical USMLE Step 1 Qbook
  43. Kaplan Medical USMLE Step 2 CK Qbook
  44. Kaplan Medical USMLE Step 3 Qbook
  45. Kaplan NCLEXPN 20102011 Edition
  46. Kaplan NCLEXRN 20102011 Edition
  47. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Civil Procedure
  48. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Conflict of Laws
  49. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Constitutional Law
  50. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Contracts
  51. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Corporations
  52. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Criminal Law
  53. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Criminal Procedure
  54. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Evidence
  55. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Family Law
  56. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Property
  57. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Remedies
  58. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Torts
  59. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Trusts
  60. Kaplan PMBR FINALS: Wills
  61. Kaplan PMBR: Multistate Performance Test (MPT)
  62. Kaplan PMBR: Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam
  63. (MPRE)
  64. Kaplan Portable GMAT
  65. Kaplan Portable GRE Exam
  66. Kaplan Portable SAT
  67. Kaplan SAT Critical Reading Workbook
  68. Kaplan SAT Math Workbook
  69. Kaplan SAT Score-Raising Dictionary
  70. Kaplan SAT Subject Test Chemistry 2010-2011 Edition
  71. Kaplan SAT Subject Test: Biology E/M
  72. Kaplan SAT Subject Test: Mathematics Level 1
  73. Kaplan SAT Subject Test: Mathematics Level 2
  74. Kaplan SAT Subject Test: U.S. History Edition
  75. Kaplan SAT Writing Workbook
  76. Kaplan SSAT & ISEE
  77. Law School Labyrinth
  78. Lives in the Balance
  79. Manual of Surgery
  80. Math for Nurses
  81. MBA Fundamentals: Accounting and Finance
  82. Med School RX
  83. Memorable Thoughts of Socrates
  84. Notes on Nursing
  85. Paralegal's Handbook
  86. Path of the Law and The Common Law
  87. Routine Miracles
  88. Saving Lives
  89. Sharp Vocab
  90. Sharp Writing
  91. Socratic Dialogues
  92. SOS: Stressed Out Students' Guide to Dealing with Tests
  93. SOS: Stressed Out Students' Guide to Handling Peer Pressure
  94. SOS: Stressed Out Students' Guide to Saying No to Cheating
  95. Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands
  96. Reflections on Doctors
  97. Real Life of an Internist
  98. New Lives
  99. Meditations on Hope
  100. Final Moments

Free Book (Sony) - The Last Days of a Rake

The Last Days of a Rake, by Donna Lea Simpson, is free in the Sony bookstore today. This title was free from BooksOnBoard this past June and still isn't available in the Kindle store. This is a novellette (approx 50-60 pages in the Sony software)  from the new publisher Carina Press and is a companion piece to Love & Scandal ($4.69 Kindle), which released on June 21.

Book Description
In Love & Scandal, Collette Jardiniere is outraged when notorious roué Charles Jameson appears to take credit for The Last Days of a Rake, a novel she wrote under the pseudonym Colin Jenkins to satisfy Victorian convention.

Can a rake be true to himself, yet remain free from sin?

Edgar Lankin has lived the life of rake, a man who cares for nothing but the pleasures of the flesh. But it is the seduction—and abandonment—of a gentle maiden that turns him from mere gadabout to immoral cad. Too late, Lankin realizes his self-centered ways have left him incapable of finding enjoyment in anything. Now on his deathbed, he relates the shocking tale of his wasted life to John Hamilton, a school chum who chose a different path.

In telling his story, can Lankin find redemption for the trail of ruined lives he leaves behind?

Free Book (nook) - Map of Bones

Update: the price has gone up and it's now $1.99. The best deal is now for Canadians in the Kindle store, at $1.59.

If you held off on ordering the new edition of Map of Bones, by James Rollins, which was delivered yesterday on the Kindle, and you have a EPUB capable reader, then you may want to pre-order it from Barnes and Noble, where it is free (rather than $1.99), but a week later in delivery that from Amazon. Like the Kindle version, this version contains an excerpt from Altar of Eden, which is once again down to $9.99 on Kindle (and was free from B&N last December).

Book Description
The bestselling master of astonishing adventure James Rollins delivers his most relentlessly exciting page-turner to date—a gripping and explosive novel of an ancient conspiracy to create a terrifying new world order out of the ashes of modern civilization.

The crime is inhumanly cruel with horrific consequences both unthinkable and inevitable. During a service at a cathedral in Cologne, Germany, a band of armed intruders dressed in monks' robes unleash a nightmare of blood and terror, ruthlessly gunning down worshippers and clergy alike. The killers haven't come for the church's gold and valuable artwork, but for a priceless treasure secreted within: the preserved bones of the Three Magi who once came to pay homage to a newborn savior. As they flee the carnage they have wrought, they carry a prize that could reshape the world.

The Vatican is in turmoil, and Lieutenant Rachel Verona of Rome's carabinieri is assigned to lead the investigation. But no ordinary police organization alone can deal with the bizarre theft and massacre, and SIGMA Force—an elite covert arm of the U.S. Defense Department—is called in under the command of Grayson Pierce. New to SIGMA, Pierce assembles a crack team of scientific and Special Forces operatives to unravel the mystery of the stolen bones, and together they set out on a twisting trail through a labyrinth of clues and dark revelations that carry them to the sites of the Seven Wonders of the World—and to the doorstep of the mystical and terrifying Dragon Court.

An ancient, secret fraternity of alchemists and assassins, the master-adepts of the Dragon Court have plans for the sacred remains that will alter the future of humankind in devastating ways that only the maddest of zealots could desire—and they will let nothing and no one stand in their way. Suddenly Pierce, Verona, and the SIGMA team are the hunted as well as the hunters, forced to use every skill they possess to survive as they follow the bones to the ultimate confrontation between darkness and light—in a lost place of history where science and religion will unite to unleash a horror not seen since the beginning of time.

A masterful novel that combines the exhilarating mysticism of The Da Vinci Code with the pulse-pounding action of a Tom Clancy thriller, James Rollins's Map of Bones is destined to be a modern classic that will stand among the very best adventure tales ever written.


Click HERE for the free now $1.99 pre-order in the B&N store.