Comments on: Random acts of kind(le)ness http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714 Technology. Parenting. Hippos. Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:32:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jan http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714&cpage=1#comment-68266 Jan Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:25:47 +0000 http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714#comment-68266 Hi all. I've read that the USB wall charger from Dick Smith works. Haven't got one yet though. I noticed Amazon has reduced the price of there one down from approx $30 to $20. Hi all. I’ve read that the USB wall charger from Dick Smith works. Haven’t got one yet though. I noticed Amazon has reduced the price of there one down from approx $30 to $20.

]]> By: Andy http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714&cpage=1#comment-68233 Andy Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:05:40 +0000 http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714#comment-68233 hi Alex I am thinking about purchasing one, but what I don't understand is why Amazon doesn't want/don't ship the Kindle to Australia with a wall charger. The wall charger that is included for US & other countries is rated at 100-240V, and while there is a help page teaching users how to use this when they travel overseas, all we get is a special mention down the very bottom: Notes for Customers in Australia Kindles shipped to Australia include the USB cable for charging via a computer but do not include the U.S.-compatible power adapter. To ship a Kindle to Australia, please visit this Kindle product page. Surely, they can make an Australian version wall charger for something that costs $259USD... if not just include a simple adaptor/or we can buy one ourselves for $2!...but just don't exclude it from the pacakge! hi Alex

I am thinking about purchasing one, but what I don’t understand is why Amazon doesn’t want/don’t ship the Kindle to Australia with a wall charger.

The wall charger that is included for US & other countries is rated at 100-240V, and while there is a help page teaching users how to use this when they travel overseas, all we get is a special mention down the very bottom:

Notes for Customers in Australia

Kindles shipped to Australia include the USB cable for charging via a computer but do not include the U.S.-compatible power adapter. To ship a Kindle to Australia, please visit this Kindle product page.

Surely, they can make an Australian version wall charger for something that costs $259USD… if not just include a simple adaptor/or we can buy one ourselves for $2!…but just don’t exclude it from the pacakge!

]]> By: Alex http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714&cpage=1#comment-68231 Alex Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:15:55 +0000 http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714#comment-68231 I've had a few people comment that there's some phones that have the same kind of problem, and it's undeniably true. It's just that I've never hit a phone that didn't explicitly come with its own wall charger anyway, so the "need" to use a USB wall plug hasn't been there. The fact that Amazon's particularly quiet on the issue is also a worry, I'd say. I’ve had a few people comment that there’s some phones that have the same kind of problem, and it’s undeniably true. It’s just that I’ve never hit a phone that didn’t explicitly come with its own wall charger anyway, so the “need” to use a USB wall plug hasn’t been there. The fact that Amazon’s particularly quiet on the issue is also a worry, I’d say.

]]> By: Alec http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714&cpage=1#comment-68230 Alec Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:20:25 +0000 http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714#comment-68230 The charging issue is not unique to the Kindle - quite a few other devices will suffer from this also. it seems the USB spec wants the data lines bridged (the two middle ones) if you want to charge. When you connect to a PC - this happens...so it charges. Some chargers do this anyway (my blackberry one doesnt, the motorola does) You can connect them if you are handly with a soldering iron. Or just get a usb charger that does it. It is annoying though - ill grant you that. Took me a while to discover this on my Palm Treo Pro. The charging issue is not unique to the Kindle – quite a few other devices will suffer from this also. it seems the USB spec wants the data lines bridged (the two middle ones) if you want to charge. When you connect to a PC – this happens…so it charges. Some chargers do this anyway (my blackberry one doesnt, the motorola does)
You can connect them if you are handly with a soldering iron. Or just get a usb charger that does it.
It is annoying though – ill grant you that. Took me a while to discover this on my Palm Treo Pro.

]]> By: Piers http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714&cpage=1#comment-68229 Piers Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:07:56 +0000 http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714#comment-68229 I note the problems with charging through a wall charger, but has anyone any experience of using the USB outlets on planes? I note the problems with charging through a wall charger, but has anyone any experience of using the USB outlets on planes?

]]> By: Alex http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714&cpage=1#comment-68228 Alex Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:47:48 +0000 http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714#comment-68228 The portability factor is interesting, if you can deal with the screen refresh issue. As noted, this was pretty much a review "for me", and other people might not find that a problem at all! Still waiting on confirmation from Amazon re: charging, but as it stands, it's PC (or Mac; computer, essentially) USB port charging only, which does limit its utility for longer trips unless you always have a charged laptop to hand. The model we're getting is (I'm pretty sure) the Kindle 2, and Amazon's said to be going for colour E-Ink in future models. That'd work for Mags/Papers but not so much for books. Probably what the Kindle 10 will be, though. The portability factor is interesting, if you can deal with the screen refresh issue. As noted, this was pretty much a review “for me”, and other people might not find that a problem at all!

Still waiting on confirmation from Amazon re: charging, but as it stands, it’s PC (or Mac; computer, essentially) USB port charging only, which does limit its utility for longer trips unless you always have a charged laptop to hand.

The model we’re getting is (I’m pretty sure) the Kindle 2, and Amazon’s said to be going for colour E-Ink in future models. That’d work for Mags/Papers but not so much for books. Probably what the Kindle 10 will be, though.

]]> By: dave http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714&cpage=1#comment-68227 dave Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:38:17 +0000 http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714#comment-68227 As an avid reader I'm sort of interested in the portability factors of a kindle or similar. I like the idea that I could cart around the Count of Monte Cristo; Out of Africa; a James Lee Burke Robicheaux adventure; The Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of time saga at the same time. I prefer the size of a kindle-type thingy to PDA size; I don't like the possibility that the machine could only charge via a PC. Or did you correct that comment - I can't remember... Have you fallen asleep while lying in bed reading it? If so does it hurt when it falls on your face? Is the Kindle ready now to be used or should iteration 10 be the one to go for? As an avid reader I’m sort of interested in the portability factors of a kindle or similar. I like the idea that I could cart around the Count of Monte Cristo; Out of Africa; a James Lee Burke Robicheaux adventure; The Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of time saga at the same time. I prefer the size of a kindle-type thingy to PDA size; I don’t like the possibility that the machine could only charge via a PC. Or did you correct that comment – I can’t remember…
Have you fallen asleep while lying in bed reading it? If so does it hurt when it falls on your face?

Is the Kindle ready now to be used or should iteration 10 be the one to go for?

]]> By: Adam Turner http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714&cpage=1#comment-68226 Adam Turner Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:18:39 +0000 http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714#comment-68226 The Testmobile! LOL The Testmobile! LOL

]]> By: Alex http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714&cpage=1#comment-68225 Alex Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:22:38 +0000 http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714#comment-68225 Hadn't tried it (as I hadn't hit battery issues)... To the Testmobile! Ingredients: Kindle Kindle USB cable Wall charger (pinched from iPhone; the in-box Apple model, if that's got anything special about it. Well, special beyond what Apple would probably charge for a branded replacement, anyway). And it's... charging. Fine. Light at the base and electrickety bolt up in the battery charge indicator area. Seems fine. Hadn’t tried it (as I hadn’t hit battery issues)…

To the Testmobile!

Ingredients:

Kindle
Kindle USB cable
Wall charger (pinched from iPhone; the in-box Apple model, if that’s got anything special about it. Well, special beyond what Apple would probably charge for a branded replacement, anyway).

And it’s… charging. Fine. Light at the base and electrickety bolt up in the battery charge indicator area. Seems fine.

]]> By: Jen http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714&cpage=1#comment-68224 Jen Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:41:56 +0000 http://www.alexkidman.com/?p=1714#comment-68224 But did you try and charge it with a wall charger? Cos that's a fail, it seems. But did you try and charge it with a wall charger? Cos that’s a fail, it seems.

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