The estimated reading time for this post is 4 minutes
Welcome back to Tech-Knowledgy, where your tech questions are answered! This week The Wonder of Tech received so many questions about Kindle and its Whispersync feature that I am dedicating the first section of Tech-Knowledgy to Kindle and Whispersync. If you don’t have a Kindle or have already mastered the art of Whispersync, feel free to skip that section and read the other questions instead. (Note: Whispersync allows a reader to sync Kindle books between devices. This means you can start reading on one device, say your Kindle, and pick up where you left off on another device, such as your Android phone.
Kindle/ Whispersync Questions
Q. Does it cost money to use Whispersync?
A. No, Whispersync is free to use, even if you are traveling internationally.
Q. Do you have to be connected to the Internet to use Whispersync?
A. Yes, both devices must be connected to the Internet for Whispersync to work.
Q. Does Audible use Whispersync for audiobooks?
A. No, Whispersync is just for Kindle books, not for audiobooks.
Q. If you buy a Kindle book, do you get a copy of the real book too?
A. No, you just get the ebook (though many would call the ebook a “real” book).
Q. Can you use Whispersync between two iPads?
A. You can use Whispersync between any two devices with Kindle apps.
Q. Do I have to be connected to the Internet when I’m reading a Kindle book?
A. No, you need to be connected to the Internet to download a book and to use Whispersync, but you do not need to be connected to the Internet to read a book on any device.
Q. Is there a data cap on my Kindle?
A. No, there is no data cap on the Kindle. Feel free to download as many books as you like!
Q. Can you read on your Kindle app when playing music on your iPhone?
A. Yes, you can do both at the same time on the iPhone.
Q. Do I need sign up for a data plan on my Kindle?
A. No. If you have a 3G + Wi-Fi Kindle, the data is included for free on your Kindle. No data plan is required.
Q. If I buy a Kindle book, where is it stored?
A. A Kindle book is stored at Amazon.com (or Amazon.co.uk or your local country’s Amazon website). When you download a Kindle book to a device, the book is stored on the device, but also remains at Amazon. If you delete a book from your device, but want to read it again later, you can always download is again from Amazon to your device.
Q. Do I need a Kindle to read a Kindle book?
A. No, Kindle apps are available for nearly all models of smartphones, tablets and computers. You can read your Kindle books on any or all of these devices and use Whispersync to sync between them.
Other Questions
Q. I’m really interested in the Virgin Mobile Plan you talked about in Smart and Cheap!, but I want to use my iPhone with it. Can I do that?
A. I wish that were possible. That would be my ideal situation, to have the amazing deal of unlimited data and texts with 300 minutes of talk time for $25 per month. Sadly, you cannot use the iPhone with the Smart and Cheap plan with Virgin Mobile. Virgin Mobile restricts the use of its network to the phones that it sells, though currently that selection includes two models of Android phones.
Q. I need to print out emails often but when I press Control + P, I get a print of what’s on the screen instead of what is in my email. Is there a better way of printing my emails?
A. Yes, Control + P (or Apple + P on Mac computers) is a shortcut that will allow you to print files. This may include images that you don’t want on your screen but leave out other things that you want to print. Shortcuts are great, but they have their limitations.
When you need to print an email, don’t use the Control + P shortcut or File => Print on your toolbar. Instead, open the email you want to print and click on the Print button within your email program. This way you only print the email and not the other text and images on the screen.
Have a tech question? Either post your question in the Comments section or email me at [email protected].
* Image by The Daring Librarian
** Image by Yutaka Tsutano
*** Image by Ron Mader
Hi Carolyn,
I’m using my Kindle every single day, and I still enjoy it. Actually, I’m not reading “regular books” anymore. At least that how I feel at the moment. It’s more fun to read via the Kindle.
I have heard about Whispersync before, but I didn’t know what it was. I have the 3G + WiFi, and will download books all across the world (but I have no need to sync between devices). I’ll be testing this in Italy in September 🙂
Have a great weekend.
Jens
Hi Jens, I’m glad you are enjoying your Kindle so much! Do you have the Kindle app on your iPhone? If not, you should download it as the app is free and it doesn’t cost you anything to sync the books between devices. You may not think you’re going to read a book on your iPhone (and I don’t do it often), but you may be surprised at how handy it is to have access to your Kindle books on your iPhone.
Enjoy your weekend too!
Hi Carolyn!
Wow, I didn’t know that you could read Kindle books on smartphones! So I can read on my Blackberry? Pretty cool.
Even still, I think this post might be a sign for me to go buy a Kindle for my husband for father’s day – he’s been dropping not-so-subtle hints for weeks 🙂
Thanks for making me aware that after I buy it we can share books btwn his device and my blackberry!
Hi Tisha, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, you can read Kindle books on your Blackberry. While it may not seem enticing to read a book on the small screen of a smartphone, you might be surprised how, if the book is good enough, you can get lost in the book and forget about the device.
Once I was traveling without my Kindle and really wanted to know what happened next in a book I was reading on the Kindle. I downloaded the book to my iPhone just to finish a chapter. Next thing I knew, I had finished the book!
I also think it’s handy to have access to reference books on your smartphone, so why not download the free Kindle app to your Blackberry!
I hope, if you decide to get your husband a Kindle for Father’s Day, that both of you enjoy your generous gift! 😉
By the way, this week Amazon started offering the 3G + Wi-Fi Kindle with Special Offers at a discounted price of $25 off of the price of that model Kindle without ads.
I was contemplating between Kindle and a Nook for some time, although I was leading towards Kindle anyway. Awesome review and it’s nice that the Kindle doesn’t have a data cap.
Hi Vitaly, Welcome back to The Wonder of Tech! It’s a tough choice these days between the Kindle and the Nook. Barnes and Noble has announced a new touchscreen eInk Nook to be launched in June called the Simple Touch. The color Nook can function as an Android tablet so there are a lot of reasons to recommend the Nook.
But the Kindle has a lot to offer too, such as Whispersync and the largest ebook collection available for devices.
There are also rumors that Amazon may be offering a Kindle tablet. Stay tuned to The Wonder of Tech to learn about developments with ebook readers.
Tough choices.
My Etch A Sketch doesn’t seem to clear when I shake it anymore; do you know if they have come out w/ a newer version?
Thanks for the tips, when I get some toys I know where I’ll come when I have questions.
Hope you have a great day.
Hi Bill, Welcome back to The Wonder of Tech! I have some very good news for you. There is a free Etch A Sketch app available in the iTunes App Store Etch A Sketch App. A premium version is available for the iPad for $2.99 Etch A Sketch HD App. You can also get Etch N Sketch from the Android Market for free Etch N Sketch App.
But if you don’t yet have any of these devices, it’s probably cheaper for you just to get a new Etch A Sketch. 😉
Thanks for the visit and the comment. Have a fun Memorial Day weekend!
Now this made me think of geting myself a Kindle 2:) You bet I’m going to pop you some questions about whyspersync in the future. However, this time I think I will read more about Kindle and its features. Thanks Carolyn!
Hi Jill, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m glad you’re interested in the Kindle and would be happy to answer any questions you might have about the device. I just wanted to let you know that the current model is the Kindle 3, which is available at Amazon.co.uk for £152 for the 3G + Wi-Fi version and £111 for the Wi-Fi only version.
Thank you for the visit and the comment! 🙂
Very interesting! Keep up the good work.
Hi Gramps, Welcome back to The Wonder of Tech! Thank you for your kind words about the blog. I’m glad you are enjoying it! 🙂