KIndle Update Brings Personal Document Synchronization to Users

This cloud thing is becoming bigger and bigger by the moment... don'tcha think? And I continue to be impressed with the way Amazon has embraced the concept of cloud computing and the way the company continues to make The Cloud part of its customer experience.

As regular readers know, i've devoted a fair number of electrons lately to blogging about Amazon and The Cloud. Now that's not because I own stock (I don't, but probably s should) or the fact that I"m a raving Amazon fanboy (I like the service but refuse to drink the Koolaide). No, I just think the management at AMazon is doing this the right way.

So, I was once again pleasantly surprised when I stumbled across the following:

In the latest update to the software the runs the Amazon Kindle, there are management systems built-in for your personal documents. One of the lesser known features of the Kindle, which has existed since the early days of the device, is the ability to store your personal documents. That's right, you can either connect your Kindle to your computer via USB and add documents to the device or you can email your documents directly to your Kindle. After doing that, the docs show up in the personal documents area in your Cloud Storage at Amazon. Once the documents are in your Cloud Storage they can be deleted or sent to any device linked to that account. In my case, that means documents can be on my Kindle, iPad, Xoom, iPod, and Samsung Galaxy S. Actually that's a bit of a fib. This only currently works on the Kindle, but the engineers at Amazon are hard at work to create updated Kindle apps that will allow the functions I just described on any device running a Kindle app.

This also means that, once the apps are done, reading your personal documents will be synced across the cloud just like things you have purchased and downloaded through the Kindle store.

It's just one more way to stay organized in both your reading for pleasure as well as your reading for your job!

Here are the details on the 3.3 update direct from Amazon:

Download Version 3.3 You can download the update below. All Kindle Keyboard users will receive this software update automatically via Wi-Fi. To see if your Kindle Keyboard has already been updated, from the Home screen press the Menu button and use the 5-way controller to select "Settings." If the Settings screen displays "Version: Kindle 3.3" (or later) at the bottom of the screen, your Kindle Keyboard already has the latest software installed. To update your Kindle Keyboard software, turn your wireless on and connect to an available Wi-Fi network. From the Home screen, press Menu and select "Sync and Check for Items." The software update will automatically download in the background and install when your Kindle Keyboard goes into sleep mode. Here's how to download the Kindle Keyboard software update version 3.3 and transfer it to your Kindle Keyboard via USB: Determine your software version: From Home, select Menu, then Settings. On the Settings screen you will see the Kindle version at the bottom of the screen. If you see "Version Kindle 3.1" or earlier (3.1.2, 3.0.3, 3.0.2, 3.0.1, or 3.0), please proceed with the steps below to update your Kindle Keyboard to the latest software. Download your software: Click on the appropriate link below to download the software update file directly to your computer: Kindle Keyboard Wi-Fi:Download 3.3 Your serial number will start with "B008" Kindle Keyboard 3G (Free 3G + Wi-Fi) - U.S. and Canadian Customers*: Download 3.3 Your serial number will start with "B006" Kindle Keyboard 3G (Free 3G + Wi-Fi) - European Customers*:Download 3.3 Your serial number will start with "B00A" Your Kindle Keyboard serial number is visible at the bottom of the Settings Screen. From Home, select Menu, then Settings. *We automatically ship your Kindle Keyboard with the best built-in wireless card based on the shipping country you select during checkout. If your country is not listed above, please check your serial number to determine which download to use. Transfer software to your Kindle Keyboard: Turn your Kindle Keyboard on and connect it to your computer using the USB cable. Drag and drop the new update file from your computer to the root Kindle drive. (The drive contains a number of folders - such as "audible," "documents," and "music" - and is typically displayed as a "device" icon). Monitor file transfer and disconnect: Check your file transfer progress to ensure file transfer to your Kindle Keyboard is complete before disconnecting. After the file has transferred successfully, eject the Kindle to safely disconnect Kindle Keyboard from your computer. Disconnect the USB cable from your Kindle Keyboard and your computer. Start the software update: Go to the Home screen, press the Menu key, and select "Settings." Press the Menu key again, and then select "Update Your Kindle." (This option will be grayed out if the most recent update has already been installed or if the file transfer was not successful.) Select "Ok" when prompted if you want to perform an update. Your Kindle Keyboard will restart twice during the update. After the first restart, you will see "Your Kindle is Updating". Once the update is complete: Your Kindle Keyboard will automatically restart a second time. When you go to the Settings page, you should notice Version: Kindle 3.3 at the bottom of the screen. Once you see this, you know your update is complete. Free Access at AT&T Hotspots Enjoy free Wi-Fi access at AT&T hotspots across the U.S. to shop for and download Kindle content -- no AT&T registration, sign-in, or password required. You will need the Kindle Keyboard software update 3.1 or later to use free Wi-Fi access at AT&T hotspots. Update your Kindle software for free. Troubleshooting Update Issues Symptom Cause Resolution "Update" menu option on the Settings page is grayed out. The update file is in the incorrect directory, or was not transferred successfully. Plug your Kindle Keyboard back into your computer and verify the update file is present in the root directory of your Kindle Keyboard, not in a folder. File download won't complete or doesn't appear to start. Your firewall software may be blocking the download. Verify that your firewall is setup to allow the file transfer. Internet Explorer may prevent downloads. Right-click the download link and select "save as" to save the file to your computer. If this method is unsuccessful, complete the following steps to download as an Administrator: From the Start menu, right-click on the Internet Explorer icon. Select "Run as Administrator." Return to this page and try the download again. Received an error message when selecting "Update Your Kindle." Incomplete download. Redownload the installer from the Download your software section of this page. The software update file was renamed. Delete the update file on your computer and Kindle Keyboard, and repeat the software update process above. Unsupported software modifications are present. Kindle Keyboard doesn't support software modification, and will be unable to update the Kindle software if it has been modified. Contact the original developer of the software modification for instructions on how to remove the modification. Unable to download when selecting "Sync and Check for Items." Not connected to a Wi-Fi network Kindle Keyboard software update 3.3 is only available for download over Wi-Fi or from this page. Connect to a Wi-Fi network and the update will download in the next few days, or download the correct file listed above. If you still cannot successfully update your Kindle Keyboard software using the instructions above or encounter any difficulty with your software update, please contact Kindle Support by clicking the "Contact Us" button in the right hand column of this page. Kindle Tools Know Your Kindle Kindle FAQs | Kindle Discussions | Manage Your Kindle | Troubleshooting Your Kindle

Self-Service Kindle Tools Manage Your Kindle Manage Your Subscriptions 1-Click Payment Settings View Digital Purchases View Your Collections Registering Your Kindle Customer Service Forum

Starbucks Announces Release of "Official" Android App

The age of a "cashless society" is upon us. Of course, maybe it's just a "walletless society", but nonetheless there seems to be fewer and fewer reasons to actually carry cash or a checkbook these days.

I remember being in the Salt Lake City airport shortly after the 2000 Olympics and i saw the vending machines all had Ethernet connections & you could swipe a credit card in them. Obviously this was a necessity when you got tons of travelers coming through that don't have US Currency (possibly not even speaking English) and still want a Coke. Being able to swipe & go was a tremendous service to offer these visiting travelers, not to mention a (most likely) cash cow for the vending machine companies. Heck, I bought a Coke from one of the machines just because I wanted to say I'd done it. It's not always inexpensive being a traveling geek!

Anyway, now with credit & debit cards a lot of folks really aren't carrying much cash these days. I personally can't remember the last time I carried a check book either. Well, this is all taking an even more techie turn as smart phones get into the fray of this as well. As an example, let's take a look at my favorite coffee company, Starbucks. One of the neat marketing things Starbucks does is the concept of your "own" coffee card. Someone can give you one or you can get one for yourself. It's a gift card that can then be registered to a certain user (you) and then reloaded with cash whenever the balance gets low. By having a card tied to you by registering it through the Starbucks website, the owner's coffee habits can be tracked and Starbucks assigns "points" for purchases. It's a great way for the company to ensure loyalty and the consumer gets some perks as well.

In January, the company released an App through the Apple App Store that allowed the consumer to put in their Starbucks Card number and then use the app to charge/pay for the purchases... even if the buyer didn't have their card with them. This made Starbucks truly cashless. It also meant that more and more people began locking themselves into a card since they could reload it at their leisure and didn't have to worry about having cash or their card with them.

The bummer part of the deal came when no Android App showed up. Trust me when I say, "Geeks drink coffee." i know of what I speak. Geeks also use phones other than those made by Apple. So, anyway today Starbucks announced that they have an Android App that mimics what iPhone users have had for 6 months now.

However, you don't have to use this new app if you don't want to. Because there was a need and no solution by Starbucks, an app called My Coffee Card. This amazing and FREE app allows you to charge your purchases by creating an onscreen barcode that can be scanned by the cash register. It also tracks your spending and stores your receipts. This receipt/account function is so fast that I can pay for my coffee using the app, check my balance, and have the updated/current balance on the screen before my coffee is in my hand. You can also use it to reload your card using a secure connection where you simply punch in your credit card number and then tell it how much you want to put on the card. Heck, it even has a Starbucks locator for those of us who travel.

I've been using My Coffee Card since the early part of 2011 and I can't say enough good things about it. In fact, it does such a great job, I'm not quite sure why Starbucks bothered to bring out an app after 6 months of not having one.

Now just to be fair, I did download the "official" Starbucks app today and I'm going to give it a try, but honestly it's going to have to really sweep me off my feet to get me to give up my beloved My Coffee Card.

Apple Announces OS X Lion & Shows How the Internet has Changed Things

Today at the World Wide Developer Conference in San Francisco, Apple announced that the next version of their OS X operating system, named Lion in keeping with the cat theme, will be available in July. The update will set you back $29.99 US and will be found in the online App Store. Now I'm a Mac guy (although Windows runs my office by keeping Eaglesoft as the center of my dental practice universe) so I'm always excited when a new Mac version arrives. However, this time something in the announcement got me to thinking about days past...

In the early days of the Internet & computing, I lived in a Windows world exclusively and I was beyond pumped for the release of Windows 95. On the day it was released, August 24, 1995 I was one of those die hard geeks that waited in line to get my hands on a copy of the new Windows operating system. When I got home & opened the box, I was greeted by a stack of 3.5 inch floppy disks. In fact, the installation required 13 of those disks. Of course, this was because the CD drive was almost unheard of back then. Most computers did not have a CD-ROM drive, but every one of them had a floppy drive.

Fast forward to Windows 98. Suddenly, in just 3 years the computing world had gone from floppies to CD's. This made the install much faster & much easier. Suddenly it seemed like any type of software came on a CD. OS updates continued to arrive on optical disks for years. My last Mac update, Snow Leopard, was installed from a DVD.

So what does this have to do with today & the announcement of LIon's availability next month? Well, listen to this... Apple will not be distributing this software on a DVD. No, Lion will be available only by download from the App Store. That's right, there will be no "boxed" version of the software. The 4GB update will only be available over the Internet.

What does this mean? Welcome to The Cloud. It means that broadband proliferation has become so mainstream there is no reason to sell DVD's.

If you can't even buy your computer's operating system on a disc, what does that say for the future of movies, music, etc? Why did Apple also announce their iCloud service to compete with Amazon's Cloud Player? The rules just changed. The network is now at least as important as the computer. It's a web based world.