As I've said before, the Kingston Wi-Drive is a great way to add 16 or 32 gb of storage to your Kindle Fire. But I didn't own one myself until recently because I wasn't running out of space on my Fire. Now I am. Due to total immersion in a series of novels that I've been reading on my Kindle Touch, I've neglected my magazine subscriptions. Paper magazines have been piling up at home and digital mags have been filling up the Fire's memory.
Because the Wi-Drive user manual is not completely clear on the procedure used to connect the Wi-Drive to the Fire, I'll attempt to clarify.
Using the Wi-Drive usually consists of two steps- transferring files from your computer to the Wi-Drive, and connecting the Wi-Drive to the Fire via Wi-Fi. Of course, you can also move files from the Fire directly to the Wi-Drive, and vice-versa.
You can connect the Wi-Drive directly to a computer with the included mini-USB to USB cable, in which case the Wi-Drive shows up as a disk drive on the computer. Then you can transfer files back and forth via drag and drop with your usual file manager. Note that Wi-Fi is disabled while the Wi-Drive is connected to a computer so you can't use it with the Fire at the same time.
To connect the Wi-Drive to the Fire, first install the free Wi-Drive app (found in the Andoid Store on Amazon on your Fire. The turn on the Wi-Drive and wait until the blue Wi-Fi light is flashing (this can take a few minutes. Then turn on the Fire and tap the top right status bar to bring up the menu bar. Then
tap Wi-Fi and tap Wi-Drive to connect to the drive. By default, the Wi-Drive has no password- but you should change this.
Now start the Wi-Drive app on the Fire. After a short time the Wi-Drive will be shown as well as local storage on the Fire. Tap on the Wi-Drive line to open the Wi-Drive. Tap on folders to open them, then tap on a file to open or play the file using the appropriate app on the Fire. Note that there doesn't appear to be a way to create new folders on the Wi-Drive from the Fire- you'll have to do that while the drive is connected to your computer. But by long-pressing a folder you can delete or copy it. Long-pressing a file name lets you delete or copy the file, as well as send the file via email. If you have the Dropbox app installed you can also send the file to your Dropbox folder, which gives you another way to transfer files between the Wi-Drive and your computer.
As mentioned above, by default the connection to the Wi-Drive is not password protected. You should use WPA-PSK security and a password to secure the connection. To do this, open the Wi-Drive folder on the Fire, tap the menu icon at the bottom of the screen, and choose "Settings". Then choose Wi-Drive Settings, select the encryption method (WPA is preferred), and enter your password. Tap "Done" when finished. You will need to restart the Wi-Drive and reconnect via Wi-Fi from the Fire, this time entering your new password.
You'll probably notice that when you connect your Fire to the Wi-Drive it loses its connection to the local Wi-Fi network. Fortunately your can use the Wi-Drive app to "bridge" the Fire to the local network. To do this, tap the Wi-Drive line to make sure you're in the Wi-Drive file system, then tap the menu icon at the bottom of the screen. Next, tap "Settings", select "Network Settings", choose the desired Wi-Fi network, and connect. If the Wi-Fi connections is encrypted, you'll be asked for the password. In either case, the Wi-Drive will reset. When it restarts, your Fire should be connected to both the Wi-Drive and the internet via your local Wi-Fi network.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
More Fire Without Wires
Tonido is another way to sync files from a computer to your Kindle Fire, other mobile devices, and other computers. Setup is really easy- all you do is download Tonido Server for your PC, Mac, or Linux homne or main computer and install it. Then install the free Tonido app on your Fire- it's available in the Amazon Android App store from your web browser or Fire app store. After you create a free account, anything you place in the Tonido folder on your computer appears in the Tonido folder on your Fire, as well as on any other devices or computers running the Tonido app or client software. The same occurs in reverse- any file you place in the Tonido folder on the Fire appears on your computer.
Of course, the computer running Tonido Server must be on and connected to the Internet, and your Fire or other device must be connected wirelessly in order for synchronization to take place. And you have to log in to your Tonido account to access your account and synchronize files. But other than that Tonido works seamlessly.
You don't have to be limited by the internal memory and lack of an SD card slot on the Fire either. The Kingston Wi-Drive is available in 16 and 32gb sizes and connects to the Fire via Wi-Fi. A USB port and cable allows you to directly sideload files from your computer if you wish.
In combination with productively software such as Documents to Go, ES File Explorer, and OfficeSuite Pro, the Fire has the ability to be a nifty little work tablet. And when you've done enough work to feel you've accomplished something, you can always relax with a movie or some music.
Of course, the computer running Tonido Server must be on and connected to the Internet, and your Fire or other device must be connected wirelessly in order for synchronization to take place. And you have to log in to your Tonido account to access your account and synchronize files. But other than that Tonido works seamlessly.
You don't have to be limited by the internal memory and lack of an SD card slot on the Fire either. The Kingston Wi-Drive is available in 16 and 32gb sizes and connects to the Fire via Wi-Fi. A USB port and cable allows you to directly sideload files from your computer if you wish.
In combination with productively software such as Documents to Go, ES File Explorer, and OfficeSuite Pro, the Fire has the ability to be a nifty little work tablet. And when you've done enough work to feel you've accomplished something, you can always relax with a movie or some music.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Kindle Fire Updates
Amazon has just released new firmware for the Kindle Fire, upgrading version 6.22 to 6.3. This is probably the most significant update since the release of the Fire. In additional to general but unspecified performance improvements, the update adds:
- Sharing of highlights and notes in Kindle books to other readers of the same book, and sharing via Facebook and Twitter. Sharing is a feature already enjoyed by users of the E-Ink Kindles.
- Book Extras is similar to the X-Ray feature available on the Kindle Touch. It provides a snapshot of the important characters and terms in the book. Like the X-Ray feature, Book Extras is not available for all titles.
- Personal documents that are converted and transferred via Amazon's email service are now archived in the Amazon Cloud, as are annotations. This is the same service already available to E-Ink Kindle owners. Note that personal documents side loaded directly to your Fire via USB cable are not archived in the cloud, and neither are annotations.
- Students can now buy thousands of print replica textbooks at deep discounts. These textbooks have the same color and formatting of their print editions.
- The Fire now has a "Reader" mode. This works the same as "Article" mode on the E-Ink Kindles- removing all extraneous content to allow you to focus on the main text of a web page.
- As requested by many Fire owners, the loan period for movie rentals downloaded to the Fire now starts when you first start watching the movie, instead of when it is downloaded. This allows you to stock up on movies before a trip without having to worry that they'll expire before you can watch them. Its another example of Amazon's focus on the customer.
- Faster reconnect of Wi-Fi when you wake up your Fire from sleep mode.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Quick Battery Drain on the Kindle Touch 3G
Now that I've had time to put some more miles on my Kindle Touch 3G as a travel reading device, I've noticed that the battery sometimes gets depleted pretty quickly, even when I'm not using it. There are a couple of possible reasons for that.
One is leaving the Kindle on and closing the cover. That's a real no-no if you then stuff it in a bag, as I learned with the Kindle Keyboard. Until the device goes into sleep mode, any pressure on the cover could press keys and cause it to stay on and possibly do page turns. I know that happened with the Kindle Keyboard because I'd turn it on and find it was on a different page than where I left it.
Accidental key presses can happen with the Touch also, because of the Home button on the front. Every it gets pressed, the Home screen is refreshed, even if you're already on the Home screen. Of course, the solution is to manually turn the Kindle off with the power button when you're done reading. It's become a habit and now I turn the Kindle's off even when I'm just going to set it down.
The other cause of battery drain appears to be the 3G connectivity. I've noticed that when wireless is on and I'm in an area with little or no 3G service (and no Wi-Fi), the battery often loses half its charge in one day without ever being turned on. The answer is to make sure wireless is off if you'll be out of 3G and Wi-Fi range for long periods of time and don't have an easy way to charge the Kindle.
As a charter pilot, one of the places I often fly is Grand Canyon West, on the far southwest rim of the Grand Canyon. Cell coverage is marginal there and the Kindle Touch has no 3G or Wi-Fi connectivity. I'm usually at Grand Canyon West for about four hours at a time and I've noticed that the Touch loses about half its battery charge in that time- and I usually only read for an hour or two.
By the way, I haven't noticed such quick battery drain on the Kindle Fire. This is probably because there are no buttons on the bezel to be pressed by the cover, and also that the current Fire only has Wi-Fi, not 3G.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Kindle Software Updates
This is a quick look at the changes brought by the latest software updates for the current production Kindles since they were first shipped in late 2011. The Kindle Keyboard version 3.3 software and Kindle DX version 2.5 software have not been updated recently.
Kindle basic version 4.0.1
Kindle basic version 4.0.1
- Option to refresh page at every turn instead of every 5th page
- General software improvements but no changes to the user interface or menus
- Items can be removed from the Carousel, but only one at a time
- General improvements to performance and fluidity
- Full screen mode for Web pages
Two often requested features are landscape mode for the Touch- that's the main thing I miss from my Kindle Keyboard- and a way to remove the Carousel entirely from the Home page of the Fire. Amazon says that the touch screen implementation on the Kindle Touch makes changing the screen orientation difficult, but they appear to be working on it.
To me and many others, the Carousel seems completely redundant. Why not devote the Home screen entirely to the Favorites list, which the user has full control over?
Friday, December 16, 2011
Fire without Wires
I've always used my E Ink kindles as a place to keep personal documents for handy reference while away from my home office. For example, as a photographer I like to have camera manuals on my Kindle in case I forget some arcane setting. As a professional pilot I like to keep a copy of the FAA regulations and Airman's Information Manual on the Kindle for reference. The Kindle Fire is even more useful for personal documents because of its vivid color display. On the Fire I can store charts and other color graphics in PDF format and zoom in to see the details.
Off course, you can transfer files by connecting the Fire to your computer with a USB cable, or by emailing the files to your @kindle.com address. But an easier way is to take advantage of your Wi-Fi connection:
WiFi File Explorer is a free app that installs on the Fire and allows you to browse the Fire's folders and files from a Web browser on your computer, as long as the Fire is on and connected to your home network via Wi-Fi. I suggest you try the free version first, and if you like it, buy the pro version. WiFi File Explorer Pro adds more features.
If all you need is the ability to transfer files, have a look at Dropbox. After installing Dropbox on your computer and on the Kindle Fire and creating a Dropbox account, a Dropbox folder appears on the hard drive of your computer and on the Fire. Any files you place in the Dropbox folder are available on the Fire and any computer running Dropbox. The Dropbox app on the Fire lets you browse, open, share, and delete files in the Dropbox folder. To move files such as music files to another folder on the Fire, you'll need an app such as ES File Explorer, which is free.
Off course, you can transfer files by connecting the Fire to your computer with a USB cable, or by emailing the files to your @kindle.com address. But an easier way is to take advantage of your Wi-Fi connection:
WiFi File Explorer is a free app that installs on the Fire and allows you to browse the Fire's folders and files from a Web browser on your computer, as long as the Fire is on and connected to your home network via Wi-Fi. I suggest you try the free version first, and if you like it, buy the pro version. WiFi File Explorer Pro adds more features.
If all you need is the ability to transfer files, have a look at Dropbox. After installing Dropbox on your computer and on the Kindle Fire and creating a Dropbox account, a Dropbox folder appears on the hard drive of your computer and on the Fire. Any files you place in the Dropbox folder are available on the Fire and any computer running Dropbox. The Dropbox app on the Fire lets you browse, open, share, and delete files in the Dropbox folder. To move files such as music files to another folder on the Fire, you'll need an app such as ES File Explorer, which is free.
Getting a Charge Out of Your Kindle
Most travelers are able to keep their Kindles (and cell phones, music players, and the like) charged by using AC power in hotels. Even those on extended camping trips generally like to rent a room occasionally, which is what I do on photography trips. But for extended travel away from sources of AC power, you'll have to come up with another power source.
On extended camping trips, you can charge your Kindle from the 12 volt power in your vehicle, assuming you're driving between campsites. If you're not driving, or if you're in the wilderness for extended periods such as a backpacking trip or river trip, or in countries areas where AC power is unreliable or the wrong voltage for your wall charger, then solar chargers are about the only alternative.
I've done some tests on the current Kindle models (except for the DX, which I don't own) to determine their power drain during charging. It turns out all of the Kindles draw around 500 milliamps (mA) to charge at maximum rate. The Kindle basic and the Touch both need about 460 mA, the Keyboard about 550 mA, and the Fire 445 to 640 mA. If your charger supplies less power, then it will take longer to charge the Kindle. For example, powered USB 2.0 ports on desktop computers and USB 2.0 hubs supply 500 mA, but unpowered hubs and laptop USB ports may supply as little as 100 mA. The newer USB 3.0 standard requires that these ports supply 900 mA.
Solar chargers come in two basic types- those with internal rechargeable batteries and those without. The difference is that solar chargers with batteries can charge your Kindle during the night or cloudy weather when there is no sunlight. There are two drawbacks to solar chargers with batteries- first, there is a loss of power with the additional step of charging the solar charger's battery and then the Kindle's battery. Second, the solar charger's battery may not have enough capacity to fully charge the Kindle or to run it. Most of these devices can be charged from a USB cable as well as from the sun, so you can make sure it's fully charged before leaving home.
I have a Scosche SolBAT II Solar Powered Backup Battery and Charger that puts out 445 mA in full sunlight, enough to charge any of the current Kindles. But in my tests the internal battery can only charge the Fire about half way. Still, that may be enough to keep your Kindle going until you have full sunlight.
A couple of higher capacity chargers, the Soladec Hybrid Solar Power Charger and the XTG Solar Charger, have enough power to fully charge a Kindle, but of course they are more expensive and weigh more.
The sCharger-5 is a higher-power solar panel only, without an internal battery. But at 1000 mA output it has enough power to charge a couple of Kindles, cell phones, or other devices at the same time.
A unique charger, the Solar leather lighted cover for Kindle basic has a solar panel on the cover that charges a battery in the cover as well as the Kindle's battery. It also includes a flip-up reading light much like the one on the Amazon Kindle Lighted Leather Cover. The solar cover is currently available only for the Kindle basic but models for the other Kindles are under development, according to the company. It appears to work well but of course is dedicated to a specific model Kindle.
On extended camping trips, you can charge your Kindle from the 12 volt power in your vehicle, assuming you're driving between campsites. If you're not driving, or if you're in the wilderness for extended periods such as a backpacking trip or river trip, or in countries areas where AC power is unreliable or the wrong voltage for your wall charger, then solar chargers are about the only alternative.
I've done some tests on the current Kindle models (except for the DX, which I don't own) to determine their power drain during charging. It turns out all of the Kindles draw around 500 milliamps (mA) to charge at maximum rate. The Kindle basic and the Touch both need about 460 mA, the Keyboard about 550 mA, and the Fire 445 to 640 mA. If your charger supplies less power, then it will take longer to charge the Kindle. For example, powered USB 2.0 ports on desktop computers and USB 2.0 hubs supply 500 mA, but unpowered hubs and laptop USB ports may supply as little as 100 mA. The newer USB 3.0 standard requires that these ports supply 900 mA.
Solar chargers come in two basic types- those with internal rechargeable batteries and those without. The difference is that solar chargers with batteries can charge your Kindle during the night or cloudy weather when there is no sunlight. There are two drawbacks to solar chargers with batteries- first, there is a loss of power with the additional step of charging the solar charger's battery and then the Kindle's battery. Second, the solar charger's battery may not have enough capacity to fully charge the Kindle or to run it. Most of these devices can be charged from a USB cable as well as from the sun, so you can make sure it's fully charged before leaving home.
I have a Scosche SolBAT II Solar Powered Backup Battery and Charger that puts out 445 mA in full sunlight, enough to charge any of the current Kindles. But in my tests the internal battery can only charge the Fire about half way. Still, that may be enough to keep your Kindle going until you have full sunlight.
A couple of higher capacity chargers, the Soladec Hybrid Solar Power Charger and the XTG Solar Charger, have enough power to fully charge a Kindle, but of course they are more expensive and weigh more.
The sCharger-5 is a higher-power solar panel only, without an internal battery. But at 1000 mA output it has enough power to charge a couple of Kindles, cell phones, or other devices at the same time.
A unique charger, the Solar leather lighted cover for Kindle basic has a solar panel on the cover that charges a battery in the cover as well as the Kindle's battery. It also includes a flip-up reading light much like the one on the Amazon Kindle Lighted Leather Cover. The solar cover is currently available only for the Kindle basic but models for the other Kindles are under development, according to the company. It appears to work well but of course is dedicated to a specific model Kindle.
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