The estimated reading time for this post is 4 minutes
Welcome back to Tech-Knowledgy, where your tech question are answered!
Q. I really want to get a Kindle but the books are expensive. Is there any way to borrow books from the library on a Kindle?
A. Good news! Amazon just announced this week that Kindle users will be able to borrow Kindle books from 11,000 libraries in the US. Amazon didn’t announce when this feature will be launched, but did say that every generation of Kindle and every Kindle app will have the ability to use this feature. A very cool part of this is that your Kindle account will remember any notes or highlights you make, as well as the last page you read, even if you return the book. If you borrow the book again or buy it from Amazon, you will find your notes, highlights and last page read are all available on the book again.
Remember that you don’t need a Kindle to read a Kindle book. You can read Kindle books on your computer, iPod Touch, Blackberry, Android, Window Phone 7, iPhone and iPad. All of these apps are free and many Kindle books are free. You could start reading Kindle books now and then sync them to your Kindle later, if you decide to get one.
Q. Why don’t you ever slam any tech? All I read about is how great this tech stuff is on your blog. Aren’t there any apps you think are failures?
A. The Wonder of Tech won’t waste your time with tech that isn’t great. Why would you want to read about tech that doesn’t work, is buggy, breaks down, etc.? I’m sure you would rather be enlightened about amazing tech.
Let’s take apps as an example. With 400,000 apps in the iTunes App Store and almost 100,000 apps for Android, it’s pretty easy to find low rated apps. But finding the gems is what I try to do. (I am grateful to the many Wonder of Tech readers who have recommended apps to review.) When I discover an app that’s great, I’m really excited to share it with my readers. If an app isn’t great, well, maybe the developer needs to work out the bugs, so I will wait to see what happens with future updates.
I’m not going to slam any developer. The truth is, the iPhone, iPad, and Android phones wouldn’t be successful without the app developers. The app developers are what has propelled these devices to their incredible success. But it’s hard for them to break out of the crowd in the app stores and they charge very little for their apps. I haven’t found a successful app yet that isn’t an incredible bargain.
So if you want to read negative reviews of tech, then this isn’t the blog for you. If you want to read about awesome, life-changing tech that’s fun and useful, you’ve found the right place!
Q. I read in your poll that some people have unlimited data. How can I get unlimited data?
A. In yesterday’s Poll: Do You Have a Data Cap?, 38% of the voters (so far) said they have unlimited data. Unlimited data takes the worry away from exceeding a data cap, but some carriers charge a lot for unlimited data.
You may be able to get unlimited data, it depends on your smartphone and your carrier. If you want unlimited data on the iPhone in the US, you need to go with Verizon. But do it soon because Verizon has said they will end their offer of unlimited data on the iPhone some time this summer. If you use an Android or other smartphone, check with your carrier for their unlimited data plans. Sometimes the added cost isn’t worth it, especially if you don’t use much data.
The cheapest unlimited data plan I have found is from Virgin Mobile’s Beyond Talk plan that gives you unlimited data and texts, plus 300 voice minutes per month for $25. See, Smart and Cheap!
Q. I know you used to live in England and like technology, so maybe you can help me. I have a Blackberry mobile phone on the Orange network, but my phone isn’t working. What should I do?
A. The Wonder of Tech is here to help! After conducting exhaustive research, I have found this helpful video that is certain to solve your problem:
No, that last question wasn’t real. Sometimes The Wonder of Tech just wants to make you smile. Have a Good Friday!
Have a tech question? Either post your question in the Comments section or email me at [email protected].
* Image by The Daring Librarian
I would love to borrow library books on my Kindle. Any idea about when this will happen?
Hi Ann, Welcome back to The Wonder of Tech! No word from Amazon yet on when this will happen or other specifics such as which libraries will be included and how long the lending period will be. I’m excited too for this feature on the Kindle. Stay tuned to The Wonder of Tech for further updates!
You just inadvertently answered a question I’d been mulling over, so thank you! I was wondering with all the multitude of tech platforms out there, wouldn’t there be some crossover? As in, if the iPad was so great that it could do almost everything except cook breakfast, why would someone also need a Kindle? I could see *wanting* a Kindle for its e-ink feature (and I’m sure there are other unique features)…but if you could also download and read Kindle books onto the iPad, that is valuable information!
Love your entire blog, btw!
Hi Melanie, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I am very glad you are enjoying the blog and finding it helpful! Yes, you can download Kindle books onto the iPad. You can also download book from other sources too, such as iBooks from the iTunes Store, Google Books, Nook books, etc. The reason some people still like having a Kindle is the E Ink (as you mentioned) and that the Kindle is a single use device. I find I get distracted when I use my iPad exactly because there is so much I can do with the iPad. With my Kindle, I just read and find comfort in not being distracted. But you might be much better than I am at focusing on reading and not being distracted by other things! 🙂
Check out this Tech-Knowledgy from February 18 showing E Ink and an LCD screen side by side which you may find helpful in seeing the difference between the two types of screens.
Thanks for your support of the developers that matter. Thought you answered ‘why no bad app review’ question very well. People who are looking for crap apps, may check this twitter acct: http://twitter.com/krapps 🙂
Thanks, iRewardChart, for your comment and for your support of The Wonder of Tech. Plenty of great apps are out there, the difficulty is in finding them. I used to tell my friends about great apps such as iRewardChart, but now The Wonder of Tech can let the world know about great apps and other fun and useful tech! 😀
Hi Carolyn,
Wow, it would be awesome to borrow books on the Kindle. On the other hand, I’m used to the prices for books in Norway, and buying them on the Kindle from Amazon is a lot cheaper. It’s a lot less than half price from what I’m used to. So, I’m not that worried that borrowing books from libraries probably won’t be possible for me, since I live in Norway. I guess this is a feature that will only be available for people living in the US?
Hi Jens, So far Amazon has only announced library borrowing for the US, but I predict that if the program is successful in the US (meaning more sales of Kindles and Kindle books for Amazon), then Amazon will expand the program to other countries. I will definitely post information about this exciting program when Amazon makes further announcements!
Hi Carolyn. I am interested in a Kindle but don’t have many tech skills, is it just a cse of downloading the books from the Kindle store?
Richie – love the video and highly recommend http://youtu.be/OCbvCRkl_4U from the Two Ronnies. Nothing to do with Tech but will make you laugh out loud
Hi Richie, Welcome back to The Wonder of Tech! Good news, the Kindle is extremely easy to use. You can either purchase Kindle books on your Kindle or on your computer on Amazon and send them immediately to your Kindle. The questions I have been asked about the Kindle and Kindle books involve the more advanced features such as Whispersync, not how to use the Kindle.
Let us know if you get a Kindle! We would love to hear what you think of it!
Thanks for your visit and your comment. 🙂