As stated in Amazon’s press release, “With Kindle devices and Kindle apps, customers can choose from over 700,000 books in the U.S. Kindle Store – the largest selection of the most popular books that people want to read–including New Releases and 108 of 111 New York Times Bestsellers. Over 575,000 of the books in the Kindle Store are $9.99 or less, including 80 New York Times Bestsellers. 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.”

Like all Kindle books, you can buy the electronic book once, and read everywhere on any Kindle App. Amazon has made it even more compatible by offering the free Kindle Apps for a wide range of devices. Amazon’s “Whispersync” technology is able to sync where you left off in a Kindle book so that when you pick it back up on that device or a different device, you can pick up where you left off in that book.

Out of the 750,000 Kindle books that are available on Amazon.com, users can catch up on their reading on a Kindle, Kindle 3G, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PC, Mac, Android based devices, and also the new BlackBerry PlayBook.

As stated in Amazon’s press release, “When you buy a Kindle book, you can already read it on iPhone, iPad, Android, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, and of course on your Kindle, Kindle 3G, and Kindle DX,” said Dorothy Nicholls, Director, Amazon Kindle. “We’re very excited to add the new BlackBerry PlayBook to that list. As with our other Kindle apps, the BlackBerry PlayBook app will be free and will incorporate our WhisperSync technology so you can seamlessly switch between devices. Our vision is ‘Buy Once, Read Everywhere.’”

For more information on the free Kindle apps that are available, and to download them or find out how to download it onto your device, visit www.amazon.com/kindleapps.

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This feature was announced in an Amazon.com press release last week. All customers have to do is visit the Kindle Store on the Amazon.com website, and then choose a book that they wish to gift and select the “Give as a Gift” button. Customers are able to pay for this the same way they would any other purchase on their Amazon.com account.

Kindle books may be gifted to anyone with an e-mail address, so essentially someone who doesn’t have an Aamzon.com account or even a Kindle could be gifted a book for the Kindle.

As stated in Amazon’s press release, “We are thrilled to make it easier than ever for our customers to give their favorite Kindle book to a friend or family member as a gift,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “We’re making this functionality available in time for the holidays to offer an easy, stress free holiday shopping option for anyone – not just Kindle owners.”

Gifting these books is compatible with all versions of the Kindle device, and even includes the software only versions of the Kindle Reader. This way, all users should be able to receive these Kindle books as presents from friends, family, and possible admirers.

As further explained in Amazon’s press release, “Kindle Books can be read on Kindle devices and free Kindle reading apps for iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry and Android-based devices. For more information or to give a Kindle Book as a gift, go to www.amazon.com/givekindlebooks.”

Even though Amazon hasn’t ever officially released any specific sales figures for their Kindle device, they claim that millions of people around the world have access to their service. This figure also probably includes users of the software only version of the Kindle Reader.

As stated in Linux World, “Possibly in response to increased competition from Barnes and Noble’s Nook and Apple’s iBooks, Amazon has been accelerating the pace at which it introduces new features in the past year. In addition to gifting, the Kindle team announced in late October that it would make periodicals available for reading on software versions of their e-reader, and that a book-lending feature would be introduced later in the year.”

Amazon’s (NASDAQ: AMZN) Kindle Now Has Support For Gifting Books was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

The newly announced “Kindle for the Web” falls into the category of pushing the Kindle as much as possible. This new Kindle for the Web will allow users to read the first chapter of any book that has a Kindle edition. This chapter can be read right in your browser on the Kindle. You can even change font sizes, adjust line spacing, choose from three different color modes (black, white, and sepia), and users can even determine how many words per line they want to view.

These options should be familiar to those who have used any of Amazon’s Kindle applications for many computer devices available (and even some unavailable right now). The option to buy the full Kindle edition of the book is available too, of course. This is easily done by clicking on the “Get Kindle Edition” button at the top of the window. To read the book on your computer however, you will need to have additional software installed.

Jumping onto the social networking bandwagon, Amazon also included social media goodies. You can share the preview of the e-book with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail. For those that Blog, you can even embed the Kindle for the Web preview onto your blog (or any website that allows embed codes).

As stated by Mac World, “the most interesting thing is how you access Kindle for the Web. When viewing the product page of a physical book that has a Kindle edition available, a green button appears labeled Kindle Edition. Click the Read First Chapter Free link and that book’s first chapter is displayed using Kindle for the Web. Although a similar button doesn’t appear on Kindle editions, you can still send sample chapters of Kindle books to either your Kindle device or Kindle app with a click of a button.”

Even though the Kindle for the Web is only in beta right now, Amazon does promise future updates that will include new features and better compatibility for mobile browsers. However, if you are able to display the Kindle for the Web, you can also probably download and use the free Kindle app for your phone too.

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The trend continues to show that e-books are continuing to out sell hard cover books and Amazon revealed recently that sales of their Kindle electronic reader continues to develop a loyal band of followers.

Dropping the price has helped increase sales. Since dropping the price from $259 sales of the Kindle have tripled. They have also recently revealed that the new third generation Kindle which is lighter and smaller is priced at $189.

Contrast this with the successful Apple iPad that retails for $499. With the broad price point for e-readers, Amazon is banking on being able to sell millions of Kindles at their new $139 price for the wireless only version.

The electronic reader is slowly replacing hardcover books and since being introduced in 2007 for $359, the Kindle has grown in popularity and as a result the price has dropped. Volume selling of electronic devices usually leads to better manufacturing prices, which in turn drives down retail prices. That is good news for consumers who want to purchase a Kindle.

E-readers download content digitally and the consumer can read books, magazines, and newspapers on an easy to transport and hold tablet. Amazon, in addition to selling the e-reader, has a significant library of books (more than 630,000) that can be purchased by Kindle owners. Each book is separately priced and start at $9.99.

To make them more ‘book like’ manufactures include page turning visuals complete with sound. Buying an e-book is similar to buying any type of book. You buy the book once and then the book is yours to read on most e-type devices such as Kindle, Kindle DX, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC and Blackberry.

Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) Launching Wireless Kindle to Fend Off iPad was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Many people prefer Kindle e-books as opposed to larger bulkier versions of hardcover books. This leaves those avid Kindle fans wondering, why can’t you give someone a Kindle e-book as a gift to a fellow Kindle lover?

Amazon doesn’t really address the issue on their Giving Kindle and Kindle Content page either. They only mention that you are able to “use an Amazon Gift Card, Gift Certificate, or Promotional Certificate to purchase Kindle devices, books and accessories.” If someone wants to send a specific e-book for another user, it appears that you are unable to do so, for now. Your only option is to send a gift card or gift certificate and hope they buy what you suggested to them for their Kindle. This makes for an awkward “gift” which people probably won’t be gifting.

Amazon isn’t alone in this limitation of e-books. The iPad’s iBookstore, Sony’s e-book store, and the Barnes & Noble’s Nook all appear to have this same limitation on gifting e-books.

Perhaps these bookstores don’t understand that it might be easier for someone to just e-mail an e-book in .pdf or .mobi format to the person they want to send it to. If people do this, the person gets the book for free and cuts out the middleman anyway, leaving Amazon (and the other stores) not making any money on the gift at all. Maybe this is something that could open their eyes to in the future, but for now, they seem to blindly ignore it.

Installing an e-book onto Kindle or the other devices isn’t hard for many people, but for some it is absolutely out of the question. This is what the retailers want after all, that way the person just buys the book in the proper places and doesn’t download them illegally or get the book for free from a friend.

Amazon is one of the leaders of online retailing though. So, it is quite surprising that they haven’t started reworking their system for Kindle to make gifting e-books available. Perhaps in the future, but for now, it is unavailable.

Gifting Kindle E-Books From Amazon Not An Option (NASDAQ: AMZN) was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Last Sunday, they announced a multimedia upgrade to the free Kindle application for Apple’s iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad which they debuted last year. On these Apple devices, the Kindle application can now also play audio and video files that are embedded in some of the Kindle releases. For example, some of the books feature authors reading passages or descriptions aloud, which can now be heard or seen through this upgrade.

However, the reader program for Android smartphones that Amazon announced recently won’t have those multimedia enhancements that the Apple products have. The free Kindle for Android requires devices to at least run the 1.6 release of Google’s operating system. It also resembles the retailer’s older iPhone software and the Blackberry application it shipped in February.

The Kindle for Android displays books you’ve bought on the Kindle Store and will even keep your place as you switch from reading an e-book to another program. However, shopping requires the user to switch over to an Android phone’s Web browser. You also can’t read newspapers, magazines, or blogs that you’ve subscribed to through the Kindle Store. This is a big frustration for many of the Kindle users.

To be able to enjoy the newspapers, magazines, and blogs you subscribe to on Kindle, you will need to switch over to Amazon’s new and updated Kindle DX e-reader tablet that was introduced last week. This new Kindle features an e-ink screen that Amazon states offers 50 percent more contrast than previous versions of Kindle.

The Kindle DX is selling for $379 right now (lowered from $489), and comes in a dark gray plastic exterior which should hide dirt better than the old DX’s off-white exterior. The Kindle DX shipping date is July 7, 2010.

Even with the new upgrades and additions to Kindle, it still isn’t perhaps a good deal when in comparison to an iPad at $499, and it lets the user do much more than a Kindle alone will. Aside from reading books, you can do many of the basic things you could on a computer with on an iPad. The little price difference may indeed drive the Kindle price down faster than normal, and perhaps push it out of the competition altogether.

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Amazon has also said that most of it sales comes from its online bookstore. They have also made an application for iPad and the iPhone, so users can download and use Amazon ebooks on their own devices. The iPad actually has the potential to increase Amazon’s long term sales for it’s online bookstore.

The Kindle’s screen and display is set up for easy reading indoors and out. There is a very limited browser that makes it possible to purchase ebooks. The price tag may also sway readers to buy it instead of the iPad for users just looking for an ebook reader, being roughly three hundred dollars cheaper then the iPad.

Although Amazon won’t rise up or make changes to the Kindle to try and challenge the iPad, it might be OK for them not to do so. As the iPad already runs Amazon’s application, and Amazon’s focus is their dedicated online bookstore anyway.

Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPad Out Performing Amazon’s (NASDAQ: AMZN) Kindle was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

“Kobe” is basically an ebook reader, trim both in price and size compared to Amazon’s “Kindle”. It’s price is going to be $199 (Australian), roughly $149 (American). It also boasts a universal reader, allowing for almost any ebook to be read on the device. The only real difference is that the “Kindle” has a G3 network, whereas the “Kobe” has to be connected to a personal computer or laptop. To further their strong hold, Borders has also announced that it’s going to provide ebook software for more mobile devices and computers to be coming soon.

Borders Australia has also taken a more aggressive stance to win some ground in this international ebook war. They vowed to try to match Amazon’s price on all eBooks, and then take an additional 10% more off. All of these deals are in hopes that Borders can get a good hold of the international sales that Amazon has enjoyed for so long. Borders has already announced that on its website all ebooks are available, some even for free.

Typically this kind of competition benefits consumers greatly. We will have to wait and see how Amazon responds to this aggressive sales plan that Borders has announced. But even now the savings can be felt, and Australia greatly benefits in having a good quality ebook reader that can accept all kinds of eBooks. The prices are roughly $50 dollars less then the Amazon “Kindle”, but will people chose the “Kobe” over the “Kindle”? Will the G3 network the “Kindle” has that “Kobe” does not be the deal breaker?

Reference: http://topnews.us/content/220028-borders-australia-gearing-undertake-amazon

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Users will be able to Tweet passages from their favorite ebooks or let the Facebook community know what they are reading. Users also have the ability to read and rate the most popular passages being posted on social networking sites. Later this month, Amazon is expected to provide a full release to all Kindle users with the updates being sent via automatic wireless connection.

Amazon hopes to cut off the competition, namely Barnes and Noble’s Nook and the Apple iPad by adding the social networking capabilities. The upgrades for the Kindle have already been sent out to a select group of Kindle users. The update also includes two new font sizes, sharper fonts, book collection tool sorting capabilities, and password protection options. The security feature of password protection has curiously not been added until now..

Kindle was first launched in 2007 and has already released major updates for the Standard and DX versions of the Kindle 2.5 firmware. The Kindle is the first mainstream ebook reader but has been under pressure from the iPad which has already sold over a million units around the world in less than 30 days.

Before the announcement of the upgrade, Amazon allowed only for the 3G wireless connection to access the online bookstore. Now that the company has allowed social networking capabilities, there is no way to tell how far Amazon will go when it comes to the Web. However, the Apple iPad does already have a fully functional Web browser so more upgrades are to be expected if Amazon wishes to stay competitive in the e-reader market.

Amazon’s (NASDAQ: AMZN) Getting Social With Kindle was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

The Kindle app for iPad offers more inventory (more than 7.5 times as much) as Apple’s iBooks application. While iBooks has 60,000 books to choose from, the Kindle app which allows iPad users to browse and purchase from Amazon features 450,000 available books. It is expected that many iPad users will download and install the Kindle app for their iPad to have access to more books.

Before releasing the iPad, Apple did not reach an agreement with the publisher Random House. Readers wanting to download work from Random House Writers, would need to download the Kindle app since these books are not available through iBooks.

For the most part, there is little difference between the functionality and appearance of the Kindle for iPad and iBooks applications. Both allow users to create bookmarks while reading their books, and are graphically animated.

Amazon is an online book retailer – but Jeff Bezos, the CEO, talked about his strategy to keep their hardware products separate from the e-bookstore. By creating applications that work on competitor equipment, like the Kindle app for iPad, Amazon succeeds in keeping their bookstore separate from their hardware and even benefits from the competitors success. The Kindle app makes Amazon the largest bookstore available on the iPad, from the first day of the product’s release.

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The exact release date of the Kindle iPad app has not yet been announced by Amazon, but industry experts expect Amazon would have it available for download on or about the same time iPad becomes available in the US on April 3^rd. This will start the competition between the Kindle app and Kindle Store from Amazon with the Apple iBook and iBookstore app from day one. Ipads don’t ship with Apple’s iBooks, so it will need to be downloaded separately just as the Kindle app will be, meaning consumers will have a choice as to which application they’re most interested in downloading.

Barnes and Noble doesn’t plan to sit by and watch the technology pass them by, either. They are expected to have an eReader application available for the iPad on or near April 3^rd, as well.

Amazon has also mentioned producing Kindle apps for tablet computers, and possibly Android, and in the future, Dell’s forthcoming “Streak” tablet. The Kindle for tablets will also make it possible to create notes, highlighting effects, annotations and view those created by other Kindle software you use. On a tablet, the Kindle app features your downloaded books against the silhouette of a tree with a sun in the background changing it’s position depending on what time of day it is. You can choose whether to instantly jump from page to page, or to mimic the appearance of turning pages in a book as the page “digitally” turns on the screen.

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Takes on Apple’s (NYSE: APPL) iBooks with Kindle App was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Proof that competition does in fact result in a better situation for all involved, this new program is considerably better for publishers than the contract it will replace in June of this year. It also ensures that prices will remain competitive for consumers.

Under the terms of the new agreement, Amazon will increase the percentage of each sale that goes to the publisher to 70% after delivery costs, up from 35%. To capitalize on the essential doubling of royalties publishers must ensure their product meets the following specifications.

The Conditions

• The book’s list price must fall between the $2.99 and $9.99 range.
• The book’s price must also be at least 20% below the lowest price of the physical edition of the book.
• The author and/or publisher must ensure that Amazon’s price is the lowest or equivalent to the price of the book on all other competing sites.
• The new royalty structure will not apply to books first published in or before 1923.
• The increased royalties will also only be available on books that are sold in the US initially.

Amazon’s move to secure some market share by sweetening the deal for publishers is certainly not done out of a burst of generosity. Several companies have revealed that they plan to release competing e-reader devices and some of these models boast features the Kindle does not have, like touch screen capability and color.

Of course the most notable of these would be the Apple tablet device mentioned earlier that is set to be released next week.

Clearly Amazon has decided to use its head start on the e-reader market to ensure it keeps a considerable portion of electronic reading sales revenue. Newer entrants that still need to prove their viability may not be able to afford to match this generous royalty offer, especially if they did not predict Amazon’s bold move.

Only time will tell just who will emerge the e-reader king, but Amazon’s new royalty share program definitely ensures that it is still very much in the race.

When Apple releases its reader next week consumers will really see if they will be able to compete in terms of price or if they may find themselves floundering in the gust of wind that this price strategy has put in the sails of Amazon’s Kindle.

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As ebooks continue to grow in popularity, there are more devices becoming available which contain e-reader applications. Blackberry and iPhone have recently added ebook readers to various devices with plans for other additions in the future. There have been some claims that the screens on smartphones are simply too small to accommodate ebooks. According to Steven Pendergrast, president of Fictionwise LLC this is not the case and noted that ebooks have been selling very well to users of smartphones and other hand held users.

One and a half million ebooks were sold by Fictionwise in 2008 with the average sale price coming in at about the same cost of a paperback book. With 50% growth in year-to-year revenue, Fictionwise is anticipating the trend to continue in 2010.

Smartphones may be one of the reasons ebook sales are on the rise, however it is not the only reason. There are other dedicated ebook readers available that remain popular among readers including the Kindle from Amazon.com and others from Sony Inc. Beyond the devices that have the ability to read these books, you also have the readers themselves leading the movement toward ebooks.

Today more consumers are turning to ebooks to take advantage of the huge wealth of authors and titles available that may not be available in printed publications. Authors have the opportunity to sell their work in a digital format without all the hassles and more importantly costs typically associated with publishing a book. This means consumers now have the opportunity to read the work of talented writers that otherwise might not be available.

It is believed the typical ebook readers today are women between 40 and 50 years of age. These readers generally have a higher than average income level and education. This trend will likely change to include young adults and even school children if ebooks continue to grow in popularity at the current pace. If you are not yet on board the ebook bandwagon, you might just want to give it a shot this year. It appears 2010 will be a great year for the electronic book industry.

Electronic Books Growing In Popularity was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Barnes and Noble, one of the nations largest book retailers, announced on Monday that the arrival of the long-awaited Nook will be delayed at least a week. The bookseller’s Nook is their answer to Amazon’s Kindle, and is an electronic reader for e-books. The company website states the delay is due to high demand for the product and that consumers can expect the electronic gadget in stores December 7.

Just ten days ago, Barnes and Noble disappointed many customers who were told that any orders placed after November 20 would not be delivered until after the holidays. Afraid of missing the big profits for Christmas, the bookseller encouraged customers to order anyway and they would send an “elegant Nook holiday certificate” promising the e-reader in a week or so. Today, the frustration continues with the latest delay, as well as the fact that even on December 7, the inventory in stores would be a “very limited number” of Nooks. The Nook is retailing at $259, an identical price to Amazon.com’s Kindle, the latest generation.

The Nook advertises benefits over the Kindle, such as WiFi in addition to 3G technology, a microSD slot and a secondary multitouch color display to navigate the device. On the other hand, the Nook’s battery will last about 10 days, while the Kindle can keep you reading for two full weeks. The Nook also allows readers to loan books to others for up to two weeks. There is also an app for Blackberry and Motorola phones, so you can switch between the Nook and reading on your phone at will.

Electronic book readers are a hot item for consumers, with capability of storing about 200 books, while weighing only about 10 ounces. The readers are lighter and thinner than a typical paperback, making them far more convenient than storing dozens of books. Books are downloaded within a minute of purchase and are owned permanently. Many of the e-readers also function as an MP3 player.

Although Amazon and Barnes and Noble will likely be the biggest contenders in the e-reader wars, they are not the only players on the field. Sony has launched two versions and Adobe is in the running as well. Amazon has a sister product called the Kindle DX, with a larger screen and a larger price to match.

Whether you pick one up after Christmas, or settle for an announcement certificate, there is little doubt Barnes and Noble’s Nook will give the Kindle a run for its money. Consumers will likely be waiting for the next revolution in the e-reader world soon.

Barnes and Noble’s Nook Not Ready as Planned was created by and is property of American Consumer News.