Posts Tagged ‘electrical items’

Amazon Introduces The Ability To Lend Kindle Books To Other Kindle Owners

Saturday, November 13th, 2010

A significant factor in the success of Amazon’s Kindle reader has always been the enormous number of Kindle titles on offer for customers to choose from. At the moment, Kindle owners can take their pick from more than 725,000 paid titles. Amazon also offer 1.8 million books which are now out of copyright and can be downloaded to the Kindle for free.

Apart from making huge volumes of reading material available for Kindle owners, Amazon has also gone out of its way to make it easy to read Kindle books without a Kindle reader. This has been done by making a number of Kindle apps which allow Kindle books to be read on a range of different devices freely available.

At the moment, free Kindle apps exist for the Windows PC, the Apple Mac, any device which runs the Android Operating System, the iPhone, the iPad and Blackberry’s smart phone. At first glance, it almost appears as if Amazon is setting up in competition to itself, but the truth of the matter is that each of these apps acts as a retail outlet for Kindle books.

Amazon has just announced that, in the near future, Kindle owners will be able to “lend” each other Kindle books. Amazon has not yet confirmed the exact date - but it should start prior to the year end.

Kindle users will have the option of lending Kindle books to their family and friends for a couple of weeks at a time. The “borrower” can read the book on their Kindle reader - just as if it was one of their own purchases. The original purchaser will be unable to access the book whilst it is “lent out”. Just the same as real book in point of fact.

It won’t be possible to lend every book. The publishers will have the final decision as to whether or not books may be lent. It will be interesting to learn how different publishing houses respond to this.

Amazon has also confirmed that its currently existing free Kindle apps will be extended to include magazines and newspapers in addition to Kindle books. The Apple devices will be activated first, followed by desktop applications and Android devices.

Over the last couple of years or so, the ebook reader and ebooks have really taken off. Although the ebook market is still developing and is at an early stage, the public already seems to have accepted ebooks. This latest development by Amazon brings ebooks even closer to the functionality of conventional books. Apart from balancing the leg of a wobbly table or pressing flowers, ebooks can now do just about anything that conventional books can. It’s another major step forward for ebooks and ebook readers, and it will help them to become even more widely accepted by the reading public.

Learn more about the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.

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Points To Consider When Choosing An Ebook Reader

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

It’s now been three years since Amazon released their original Kindle reader. Notwithstanding the huge influence of the Kindle, it’s worth recalling that it wasn’t the first ebook reader to be launched. However, ebooks are now becoming accepted by the public - mainly due to the influence of the Kindle. Whether traditional printed books could eventually become obsolete or not is debatable - but it looks as if ebooks are here to stay.

However, many people are getting themselves an ebook reader. The recent ebook reader price cuts from Sony, Amazon and Barnes and Noble has made ebook readers a much more affordable option for a lot of consumers. The Kindle may well be the market leader, but there are other readers to choose from. So what should you look for if you’re considering buying your first ebook reader?

One of the most important factors that you need to consider is the quality of the display. Special e-ink technology displays are used in most ebook readers. This gives a reading experience that is surprisingly similar to reading text printed on paper. It’s considerably easier on your eyes than reading on a back-lit computer screen. It is also easy to read in direct sunlight or even glare from fluorescent lighting. A further advantage of e-ink technology displays is that they use power only when “turning the page” - so battery life is extended.

It’s tempting to go for the largest display possible. Obviously readers with larger screens have a higher ticket price than those with smaller displays. They are also physically larger of course - and they weigh more. This will impact upon the portability of the device. That may not represent a problem for you if it’s your intent to read mainly at home. However, a larger reader will be harder to operate with one hand - something which many users like to do.

One of the key factors in the success of the Kindle was its ability to browse for, buy and download books in less than sixty seconds from practically anywhere. Nevertheless, both Amazon and Barnes and Noble have now launched Wi-Fi only entry level models of their readers. These cost a little less than the 3G readers and could be a good option for anyone who doesn’t foresee the need to download books without using a computer or connecting via a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Obviously there’s not much point in having an ebook reader unless there’s a good selection of books to read on it. At the moment, no standard format for ebooks has been agreed. Google uses the ePub format - but Kindle books are in a format which is proprietary to the Kindle. However, Amazon has made free apps - which allow users to read Kindle books on a variety of different devices (e.g. the Windows PC, the Apple Mac, the iPhone, the iPad) - freely available.

Ebook prices can be vary dramatically across different readers. In fact, If you read a lot of books, then picking the right reader could potentially save you enough money on ebooks to make the reader pay for itself in a just a few months. Before you decide which reader to choose, it’s well worth checking.

Discover the Kindle reader for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.

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Lower E-Book Reader Prices Could Signal The Start Of A New Pricing Policy In The Digital Publishing World

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Amazon has been an important, quite possibly the most important, player in the development of digital publishing using both their Kindle reader family and their huge library of Kindle books as development and marketing tools. November 2007 saw the launch of the original Kindle. Amazon followed up with the upgraded Kindle 2.0 in February of 2009, and the large display Kindle DX model launched in the summer of 2009.

The Kindle readers dominated the market and took a 60% share of all e-book reader sales in the USA. The Sony reader, which was actually launched in 2006 before the Kindle, followed in second place with a share of around 35%. Other companies saw the potential of the e-book reader market and launched or updated their own readers to get a slice of the pie.

Companies such as Sony, Barnes and Noble, Bookeen, Plastic Logic and iRex did their best to get their share of the new and fast developing e-book market, but the Kindle’s dominance looked to be pretty much unassailable. It wasn’t until the launch of the Apple iPad that the Kindle had any credible competition - even although the two devices were very different and would appeal, you would imagine, to different audiences.

Nevertheless, since the release of the iPad, e-book reader prices have pretty much gone into free fall. The Kindle 2.0, which retailed for $ 359 at its February 2009 launch is now priced at just $ 189. The Kindle DX, which has just had a mini makeover and now sports a new higher contrast screen, has had its price slashed from $ 489 to $ 379. Still a pricey piece of kit, but a lot cheaper than before and also way cheaper than even the entry level iPad (which also has a monthly connection fee associated with it). The price of the Barnes and Noble Nook reader has also dropped to just $ 199.

Whilst the price of e-book readers may be falling, the same cannot be said about the price of the e-books which these devices are used to read. Again, Apple had a hand in this. Apple had, in advance of the launch of the iPad, set up their own book store and negotiated a pricing deal with the major publishing houses which basically allowed them to fix the price of their e-book editions at whatever level they wished. The only rider being that they could not offer the same e-book version at a lower price on any other platform. This effectively put paid to Amazon’s policy of pricing e-books at $ 9.99 or lower and was very popular amongst the publishing companies.

Amazon may have had to abandon their low e-book price policy - but that wasn’t necessarily a disaster for them. Considering the way that Amazon have made it possible to read Kindle books on such a wide variety of different devices - you can use the PC, the Mac, the iPod Touch, the iPhone, the iPad, your Blackberry and any device which runs Android to read Kindle books right now (and no doubt there will be further additions in future) - it must be obvious that Amazon are more interested in book sales than hardware sales. The latest downward price movement for e-book readers and simultaneous price increase for e-books means that they can now sell the hardware for less and make their profit by selling e-books over the life of the hardware. The same will apply for Barnes and Noble and Apple themselves of course.

This trend may tend to favor companies which have a foot in both the book and hardware sales camps. Considering the current number of devices which can be used to read Kindle books, it looks as if Amazon will be a major player in the future of digital publishing for some time to come.

Learn more about Amazon’s Kindle reader for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.

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How Is The Operating Efficiency Of Your Domestic Appliances Influenced By A Hard Water Supply?

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

The domestic water supply to the majority of homes is “hard water”. Hard water is simply a definition used to describe water which has a fairly high concentration of minerals dissolved in it. Calcium and magnesium are the two most important minerals. There is, according to the World Health Organisation, absolutely no health risk associated with hard water. However, it can have an effect on the operating efficiency and useful lifetime of a number of different household appliances.

Mineral deposits can build up in water pipes, heating systems and in domestic appliances. Appliances which use hot water - kettles, steam irons, dishwashers and washing machines are especially susceptible to this. This is due to the fact that heating the water liberates many of the minerals which then reform as “scale”. As well as domestic appliances, the central heating system may be affected.

A number of different variables have an influence upon how much scale is generated. One of the strongest influences is the temperature of the water. The higher the water temperature, the greater the amount of mineral deposits that will be freed and the more scale that will form. Lowering the operating temperature of household heating systems, dishwashers and washing machines will tend to reduce the amount of deposited scale and will ensure that these appliances operate more efficiently and have an extended lifespan. Choosing a detergent that includes anti-scaling agents can also help.

Using a lower water temperature with appliances such as steam irons, kettles and coffee makers isn’t very practical. Some kettles come with filters built in these days, which can prevent or reduce the incursion of harmful minerals (as well as improving the taste of hot drinks). Some modern irons incorporate specially designed, removable scale traps which make it easy to wash away any scale under a running tap. Other alternatives include periodically cleaning your appliances with special anti-scale chemicals.

There may be no health problems as a result of a hard water supply, but some people will dislike the flavour of hot drinks and food prepared using this. In this case, a water filter could be used. Various types exist, ranging from simple jug type filters to on tap, under sink and even whole house filters. They are all effective, cheaper than you might imagine and relatively quick to install.

Whilst it may seem like a bit of an inconvenience, it’s well worth taking a little effort to combat the effects of a hard water supply. Apart from improved efficiency of domestic appliances, using the right detergents, operating at a lower water temperature and occasional cleaning will save you money and extend the life of your household goods.

Ironing is a dull task at best. Cut it down to size with a Tefal steam generator iron - you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how much time you can save.

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Reduce Your Ironing Time With A Steam Generator Iron

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Steam generator irons and conventional steam irons look quite similar at first glance - especially the iron part itself. However, steam generator irons are constructed quite differently and have a different mode of operation. They employ a separate base unit which acts as both boiler and water tank. The body of the iron contains no water. Steam is passed from the base unit into the iron using a flexible connecting tube.

Steam generator irons generally cost a little more than standard steam irons - but they have a number of advantages which more than justify this. It’s probably worthwhile taking a moment or two to review the key points to consider when choosing a steam generator iron. The main areas that you should look at when deciding which iron is best for you are water reservoir capacity, steam pressure, soleplate material and design, ease of cleaning, and overall ease of use.

STEAM PRESSURE: The steam causes heat and moisture to penetrate the fabric of the garment being ironed. This makes it more flexible and facilitates the removal of creases and wrinkles. The greater the pressure of the steam, the deeper it penetrates the garment being pressed and the better the finished result will be.

Steam generator irons typically have their output stated in terms of grams of steam per minute. The greater the number, the greater the amount of steam that is produced and the easier it will be to glide the iron over the fabric. Typical values will vary from 70 to 140 grams per minutes (g/min).

Sometimes you may see the steam pressure expressed in bar. Once again, the higher the number is, the more steam that will be produced, the deeper it will penetrate the fabric and the better the results will be.

WATER RESERVOIR SIZE: Steam generator irons normally have a generously sized water tank. This means that you will be able to do a fair bit of ironing before you need to top up the water. The exact duration will vary based upon the type of fabric being ironed - but you should get a couple of hours of ironing out of a 1.4 litre tank.

If you do a lot of ironing then you might like to consider getting one of the bigger tanks available. If your ironing board is one of the smaller ones, then you may wish to ensure that the connecting tube between the iron and the reservoir is of a length which allows the base unit to be located on the floor instead of at the end of the ironing board.

Consider also how easy filling the reservoir is. A lot of the better steam generator irons come with water reservoirs which are detachable, and this makes topping up a lot easier. It’s certainly better than fussing about with jugs of water. Other irons have the option of topping up the reservoir whilst the iron is being used - avoiding the need to disconnect it and then having to wait for it to heat up again after being refilled.

THE SOLEPLATE: The iron’s soleplate should be of a design and material which allows it to pass smoothly and easily over the fabric being pressed. It should be scratch resistant, durable, and easy to clean.

EASE OF CLEANING: Most modern irons, whether standard steam irons or steam generator irons, use plain old tap water. Depending upon the water supply in your area, this will usually contain a number of different mineral - including both magnesium and calcium. This can cause scale deposits which will reduce the efficiency of your iron if left untreated.

If your house is in a hard water area, then you will definitely want to go for an iron which has some type of anti-scale system. Some iron use a special detachable anti-scale cartridge - others use water to loosen the scale and then flush it out.

USABILITY: As already discussed, you may find it preferable for your iron to be positioned on the floor rather than on the board - which needs a long enough hose connection.

A removable water reservoir is also something that most people will find convenient.

Other features, which may appeal to a greater or lesser extent to different people, might include automatically retracting power cords, easy clean soleplates, fast heat up etc.

SUMMARY: Be sure to choose a high enough steam pressure for your requirements. Select a water reservoir which is large enough so that you don’t need to keep stopping in order to top it up. Ensure that the soleplate is of a suitable material and design. If you live in a hard water area, make sure that some anti-scaling system is incorporated.

Ironing is a thankless task at best. Cut it down to size with a Tefal steam generator iron - you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how much time you can save.

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