Tech-Knowledgy: Kindle Book Refunds, Traveling in Europe, Google+ Invitation, Sinful and Thankful!

The estimated reading time for this post is 6 minutes

Welcome to Tech-Knowledgy, where your tech questions are answered!

Q. Help! I accidentally bought the wrong ebook for my Kindle. Is there any way I can get a refund or am I out of luck?

A. Good news! You are in luck. Amazon will refund to your account the purchase price of a Kindle book if you request the refund within seven days of purchase. Here is Amazon’s official policy:

Any content you purchase for Kindle from the Kindle Store is eligible for return and refund if we receive your request within 7 days of the date of purchase. Once a refund is issued, you will no longer have access to the item. To request a refund and return, click the Customer Service button in the Contact Us box in the right-hand column of this page to reach us via phone or e-mail. Please make sure to include the title of the item you wish to return in your request.

You can find the link here: Amazon’s Kindle book refund policy. Happy reading!

Q. I read this from a Wonder of Tech post last spring:

• On your iPhone to go Settings => General=> Network=>Data Roaming=> Off
• On your 3G iPad go to Settings=>Cellular Data=> Data Roaming=> Off
• On your Android Phone go to Settings=> Accounts & sync settings=>uncheck  Background Data and Auto-sync. You can also manage your accounts such as Facebook and email to turn sync off from that screen.

I have an Android (Virgin Mobile) & my husband has a Blackberry (AT&T). We’re travelling from the US to Ireland this summer. Is there anything else we need to know about or do with our phones?

A. That article was International Travel with Your Mobile Device! which appeared in The Wonder of Tech in April. You are wise to be aware of cell phone issues when you travel internationally. Those who don’t pay attention to these issues often return home to an astronomical cell phone bill.

I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that your Virgin Mobile Android phone is only compatible with CDMA networks, meaning that it won’t work outside the US, except for a very few countries such as Japan. So you don’t have to worry about turning your data off, though it’s a good idea to do that anyway.

To turn your data off on your Android phone, go to Settings => Wireless & Networks => Mobile Networks => uncheck Data Enabled.

The bad news is that you won’t be able to use your Android phone for calls or text messages when you’re out of the country. CDMA phones, such as those on Verizon, Sprint and Virgin Mobile, don’t work outside the US. In many countries, you can rent a temporary phone with a local number at the airport when you arrive.

For your Blackberry, AT&T and T-Mobile are on GSM networks, so your Blackberry can work outside the country. But some people rent mobile phones in other countries anyway, even if they have GSM phones, to have a local number and avoid exorbitant international rates from US carriers.

To turn off Data Roaming on Blackberry, Home => Manage Connections => uncheck Mobile Network.

Your Blackberry phone is probably not unlocked, meaning you wont be able to replace your AT&T Sim card with one from an Irish mobile phone carrier.

You should sign up for AT&T’s International Traveler Plan, which is $5.99 a month, but pays for itself after about 15 minutes of calling in Ireland (see AT&T’s international rate comparison chart). Call 611 from your AT&T phone while you’re still in the US to sign up. You can cancel this plan when you return.

Ireland is one of my favorite countries I have visited. I hope you have a great time on your trip!

Q. Okay, you’ve got me interested. I have been reading about nothing but Google+ this week (at least it seems that way) and I want to join. How can I get an invitation?

A. I can understand your wanting to join Google+. Even the least curious people must be wondering by now what Google+ is like. But Google+ is still invitation only so you can’t just head there and check it out.

If you would like an invitation, I am happy to send you one, as well as to any other Wonder of Tech readers who would like an invitation. Please email me at: [email protected] and I will send one to you. Google+ invitations can be sent to any email address, but you will need a Gmail address to sign up for Google+.

Q. I am painfully bored at work on Friday afternoons. Our company is supposed to have half days on Fridays in the Summer, but my boss doesn’t believe in that so my department has to stick around until the boss leaves. No one is getting any work done, we’re just waiting for the boss to leave. Do you have any suggestions for computer games I can play at work?

A. Playing computer games at work can be a great way to take a mental break or bide time before leaving at the end of the day. Don’t play them too much or you’re bound to get caught. But every once in a while you might be able to take a break without leaving your desk.

I’ve got you covered. Check out the guest blog post I recently wrote for SEO People: Sinful: 10 Games You Can Play During Work. The article covers 10 games you can play online or on your iPad that are perfect for work because they don’t involve a lot of rapid mouse clicking, fast movements or intense concentration.

Enjoy your Friday!

Q. What are you thankful for?

A. I am very thankful that I have two guest posts this week to share with Wonder of Tech readers! The first is the one I just discussed above is on the Search Engine People website. The second guest post is one I wrote for the inspirational blog Hajra Kvetches!. Here is the link to my guest post on Hajra’s awesome site: Fridays will be Different… Thanks to “Techie” Carolyn!.

I am also grateful for the opportunity to share my love of personal technology with amazing Wonder of Tech readers!
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Have you ever needed to get a refund on a Kindle book? Have you traveled internationally with a cell phone? Do you play computer games at work? What are you thankful for? Let us know in the Comments section below!

* Image by Ron Bieber

** Image by British Airways

*** Image by Gwynneth Anne Bronwynne Jones