ROBUST discussion
If you own more than one Kindle, there's something new afoot that could affect you...
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I dislike 'Cloud' computing.When my computer is turned off, the documents are secure. When those documents are all over the web - they are at risk 24/7.
I suppose I shouldn't care - they are just books, after all. But it's got SQUICK written all over it.
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And they say wi-fi is insecure!
Kat, it isn't just books. People email documents to their Kindles rather routinely. All manner of documents. This change by Amazon is a recipe for, at the very least, embarrassment. And at the very worst, broken family relationships, revelation of corporate secrets, etc. I think Amazon really stepped in it this time. It's not about the security of the cloud; it's about the privacy of email-senders who want a document to end up in one place but it ends up in multiple unexpected places. Suppose you're an author writing erotica and you email your work in progress (Word file) to your Kindle, but your 8-year-old grandkid receives it. That's just one example of what can go wrong. It's easy to dream up plenty more.
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People are already freaked out when Amazon deletes certain books from people's Kindles. How are they going to feel when 'the Cloud' eats their documents?
It is a VERY nasty thought.
The whole concept of the cloud is over my head (no pun intended).
This looks horribly inconvenient. I'm not sure why they had to try to "fix" something that wasn't broken by changing this.I still want to get a kindle though. I'll just be sure to be very particular about what I put on it.
Cloud computing...The only thing the user's computer needs to be able to run is the cloud computing system's interface software, which can be as simple as a Web browser, and the cloud's network takes care of the rest.What they've done is re-invented the old 'dumb terminal' using the PC, or in this case, the Kindle, as the 'host' machine while the brains of the machines is 'out there somewhere' on the internet.
As far as I'm concerned there is absolutely NO security, no protection from hackers - and you don't control your own data, someone else's computer does.
Is there a threat to my Kindle? I block my documents from going to the cloud. All I'd have there is books and I don't care if someone hacks those.
Not a threat, just a hole in security that an elephant could live in.
Just lifted this from PG's blog.Originally I’d thought the $79 Kindle shipped with a touchscreen, because there isn’t a keyboard built into its plastic frame — just an on-screen keyboard. But apparently there’s no way to actually type letters into that onscreen keyboard — at least, not using the “touch-typing” that we’re used to with other devices. Instead, Amazon pulls up a picture of a keyboard, then lets you slowly nudge your controller key (up, down, or sideways) to gradually move a highlight across the keyboard — one key at a time — until it’s finally highlighting the next letter you want to type. (And then you press the controller one more time, to select that letter.)
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Where the Kindle has always fallen flat is firstly in the pisspoor programming and secondly in the general input/output area. (I like the side button controls on the K3. They're just right for a *reader*.) So this new Kindle makes what was bad already worse. I don't understand why Sierra should want it, except if she's a rollover for whatever's new.
My Android smartphone cost half that much (on a sale -- it was the second cheapest phone at Carphone Warehouse) and is a satisfactory incidental reader with all kinds of other facilities including fullscreen fingertip handwriting recognition that works well. (I've been into handwriting recognition since before the Newton.) I don't think that for twice the price I would take a cut-down Kindle... Even the wretched keyboard of the K3 is better than nothing.
I am a rollover for whatever Amazon wants to sell me. That's a proven fact if you look at my credit card statements. But the blog PG is quoting is talking about the virtual keyboard on the new, smaller Kindle. We still don't know how appealing it'll be on the Fire, but it too will be virtual.Since I now have the new, smaller Kindle I can say that the virtual keyboard is not a disappointment to me. It's large, easy to see (which the old Kindle's keyboard is not), and it was much faster for me to use. Probably someone who does well at texting, which I don't, will want the Kindle Touch or Fire.
I've seen complaints posted about the placement of the controls, but for me the placement is a big improvement. I also love the size and the new color. It doesn't have everything the keyboard version has, but what's missing is nothing I'll miss, and I think I'll use it more than the keyboard because I like the feel of it in my hand.
I'm on the fence about whether I want a cover. If I get one, it'll be because (as Andre pointed out) I'm a sucker for whatever Amazon puts in front of me.
Yeah, I don't think the keyboard will be the same on the Fire as on the $79 one. I don't have the savvy to post a screen shot, but here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005... Amazon has a comparison of all the Kindles (scroll down) and it lists the keyboard on the $79 one as a 5-way controller, and the Fire as multi-touch.
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http://www.computerworld.com/s/articl...
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-- http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/in...
I read about that before, Andre, but I don't know how much more of my privacy can be exposed to Amazon than already is via my purchases. Also, I do not expect to use that Silk browser much. Being the Amazon addict that I am, I'll use the Fire to download content from Amazon and will probably go to no other sites. I'll use my laptop for that.I don't understand the technology, but from what has been explained on Amazon's product page, it looks like Silk will benefit those who do wish to go to third-party sites because it'll be faster than surfing on some other gadgets.
I never did like the idea of this "cloud" technology although my reason is a suspicion that documents will be unavailable due to the relative scarcity of wi-fi. But there is a simple solution anyway. Instead of emailing your documents, convert them with mobipocket reader and port them to the kindle using a wire. It isn't difficult at all.
Personally, I don't get the whole 'Amazon is out to get me' mentality. I read the link from Dianne and what is set up seems reasonable to me. It appears that there are ways to keep things pretty secure. And if it doesn't work, they are sure to tweak it - the one thing Amazon is good at is customer service. If they get too many compaints they will likely do their best to rectify the situation.As for the 'cloud', it looks as if it is the way of the future - the new 4S iphone announced recently uses cloud f'instance, and this forum uses the technology. I doubt it is any less secure than what we store on our own computers. Does it give me twinges? Yes. Should we be prudent in our use? As with everything in life, yes. My concern is if we have the infrastrucure to support the explosion of info travelling the skies. Here we have the latest technology, my broadband has always been much less unstable than my friends in the UK for instance, but still the internet was dodgy and slow all summer and has not improved much with the kiddies going back to school.
It's all here to stay. We can use it or not, just as my otherwise rather fearless intellectual brother chooses not to embrace the internet because he remembers the old (25 years ago forgodssake) horror stories of folks using computers and he is still afraid if he hits the wrong button he will crash the system. Or it will blow up and kill him or something.
Sharon, I had a relative, now long gone, who worried about all those radio show broadcasts that were sent into the air. He was sure they would suddenly bombard earth and we'd be forced to hear them all at once via the air, not the radio.Dianne's link is a calm display of what the new settings/email options mean, but there is the other side of it. Amazon's set up can result in unintended consequences that could be quite serious for some people. My opinion is that they need to change it and fast, or at least notify Kindle owners that their personal documents are no longer going to be treated in the same way. Some forum member discovered the change and posted it, but I doubt that many Kindle owners hang out in the forum. I know Kindle owners who look at me blankly when I mention the forum. They had no idea it existed.
In my case, if I send something to my Kindle, I don't want it showing up on my three Kindles along with my daughter's, granddaughter's, grandson's, and two friends' Kindles. Right now I don't have to worry about that because all but two of those Kindles will have email addresses all their own because they were on the account prior to the change. But two of my Kindles, one of which has yet to arrive, will both receive whatever I email to the single address Amazon's forcing me to use on them. While that does nothing to harm my privacy, it does put a layer of inconvenience on top of owning more than one new Kindle because I'll have to delete twice when I send once. I can click a spot that will keep one of those Kindles from receiving the emails but that means I'd have to go back into my settings and unclick it when I want it to receive emails, and I'd have to remember which Kindles are enabled. It just seems like Amazon didn't think this through, or if they did, they had a purpose that is not yet clear to me.
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Can't resist remarking that Apple doesn't make silly errors like taking away people's privacy.
Andre, that's only because Apple already knows everything about you by osmosis and they have your DNA on file. Amazon is just playing catch-up.
Maybe I'm just reading it wrong. Admittedly, I don't link to any other Kindle owners, but I do see the point of security vis a vis grandchildren etc. However, the onus for this has always been with the user. I see the convenience of one email addy for all my Kindle devices and the option to enable or not to each device. I cannot see that as any more inconvenient than sending documents to several email addys if that is my wish. Perhaps I'm just not using my Kindle the way others are, but I cannot imagine sending my shopping list to my Kindle. Though that could change with the Fire. But even then I would think I would use an app like Evernote (another cloud-based program).
Andre, why would Apple's cloud be any more secure than anyone else's?
Sharon, the users on my Amazon account use their Kindles for vastly different purposes. I'm certainly not going to want to receive my granddaughter's college class notes on my Kindles, which will soon be three devices just for me. I'd have to delete from all. And if I enable cloud storage, I'd have to then delete them from there, but then she'd lose access to them. I wouldn't want them cluttering my list of docs when I go into personal docs in the cloud. I send my works in progress to my Kindle so I can proof them. I wouldn't want anyone seeing that. Sending to multiple email addresses could be very easy but going into your account and enabling, disabling Kindles on an email by email basis would be insanely inconvenient.By the way, I do send my shopping list to my Kindle, and my appointment times/dates, and things I see on the Internet that I want to read from the device instead of my computer, etc.
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Well there ya go, Patricia, I never could have guessed anyone would use the Kindle in that manner. For me it is far too cumbersome, worse even than my iphone. Thanks for sharing...
If your Kindle is cumbersome, you NEED the new tiny Kindle. Thin, light, and easy to use. Bezos should give me a commission for all the selling I do.
Yeah, or the Fire maybe when it becomes available...
Nope - I didn't drink the Apple kool-ade. I'm not drinking Amazon's either.Long Live the Nook.
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I think the keyboard Kindle K3 is light enough not to be noticed. and I like the size, with enough space to hold it securely when I read it in my bath, which is the only place I still use it.
I'm not anti-Nook because of anything I've had to drink. I just didn't want it because of the weight and lack of good balance, but that may have improved on newer models. It's pretty to look at. I was interested in the color version for magazines, but the Kindle Fire offers more (movies, TV shows) so that's the direction I went.
I was referring more to Apple than Amazon. Some people get lost in the Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field.The kindle isn't bad. It is a Consumer Device - made to make it easier to spend money.
Oh - the passing of a legend.He was genius in many ways. Marketing was the big one.
I just watched a review of his product launches -- video from over the years. Pretty impressive. At the same time, I could see the decline of his health. Dying of pancreatic cancer is a terrible way to go. I lost the love of my life to that.
Patricia wrote: "I just watched a review of his product launches -- video from over the years. Pretty impressive. At the same time, I could see the decline of his health. Dying of pancreatic cancer is a terrible wa..."I am sorry for your lose, Patricia. Cancer is a killer. I have seen it take some very special people in a painful way. I fear that one of my life long friends, like a brother to me may have it. He wants it to be kept quiet so I have to respect his wishes but I am so saddened by it.
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That's rough.
I have the K3, it is perfect for reading ebooks and I love it. No complaint there. But I find it cumbersome for any other use, such as the keyboard and the beta Internet connection. I'm sorry about Steve Jobs. All cancers are awful, but I too have seen first-hand that pancreatic is one of the nastiest. No one should have to suffer like that. My heart goes out to you Patricia. No one should have to watch anyone suffer like that.
Margie, I sincerely hope you are mistaken. Sending out prayers...
I use my kindle for reading books. It's good for that. I can't imagine wanting to use it for anything else. lol.
Ya gotta be a gadget person, Amos, like Patricia and me, :)I would love to occasionally be able to use a reader as a mini-computer. Can't wait to hear more about the Fire...
The above link details Amazon's new way of dealing with those documents we email to our Kindles. There are a couple discussions going on in the Kindle forum about the changes, but this blog sums it up on a single page complete with visuals. Let your imagination fill in how this change might bring woe to some Kindle owners.