Amazon, in what it described as a "difficult decision," is winding down Kindle Vella and shutting it down completely in February 2025. When the company launched the serialized story platform in 2021, it said Vella was a way for readers to discover new fictional stories and a new way for authors to earn from the Kindle Direct Publishing service. But it hasn't caught on as it had hoped, Amazon explains on its website, and it has decided to throw in the towel three years after Vella's debut. Authors can only publish stories on Vella until December 4, which is also the last day readers can purchase tokens. While readers will no longer be able to purchase tokens after that, they can continue using those tokens to unlock episodes until the program closes in February. The good news for those who've been following specific authors or stories on Vella is that they won't lose their access to whatever episodes they've already unlocked even after the platform shuts down. They can always read the stories they've purchased in their library in the Kindle app for iOS and Android, though they can no longer open them on the web. Any token they don't use by February will be refunded. Responses to Vella have been pretty lukewarm since it became available. Some authors liked the fact that they could use it to earn money from unfinished stories, while some readers said they'd prefer getting a whole book instead of paying for installments. Personally, as someone who follows a lot of indie... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-10-29 12:00:30 UTC ]
This Kindle feature is being retired, this mega-hit series turns 20, Iowa rushes to advance a librarian criminalization bill, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-02-23 16:00:00 UTC ]
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Access this Kindle feature before it's retired, the impressive cast announcement for Christopher Nolan's THE ODYSSEY, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-02-18 16:00:00 UTC ]
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A successful holiday season, which included a 30% increase in sales of Kindle devices, led to a record 2024 at Amazon. Revenue hit $638 billion and operating income soared 86%, to $68.6 billion. The company made an extra $1.5 billion in sales on Leap Day alone. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-02-07 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Unless a new contract is reached by midnight GMT, Amazon will no longer sell Bloomsbury UK's titles in its online stores in the U.K., Europe, and Australia. While Bloomsbury print book availability in Amazon’s U.S. store is unaffected by the action, Bloomsbury’s Kindle editions will not be... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-01-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Enhance your reading experience and protect your device with cases, sleeves, stands, and more. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-12-29 13:02:00 UTC ]
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The Scribe remains a great digital notebook for Kindle loyalists, even if not much has changed over the original. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-12-08 13:00:00 UTC ]
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The brand-new Kindle lineup is on sale for Cyber Monday, as are many other Amazon products, from Eero routers to Ring cameras. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-12-02 13:34:21 UTC ]
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The brand-new Kindle lineup is on sale for Black Friday, as are many other Amazon products, from Eero routers to Echo speakers. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-11-30 20:44:31 UTC ]
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The brand-new Kindle lineup is on sale for Black Friday, as are many other Amazon products, from Eero routers to Echo speakers. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-11-29 13:58:24 UTC ]
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Black Friday deals on Amazon devices have started early. Even the brand-new Kindle lineup is on sale. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-11-22 22:14:23 UTC ]
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The latest Amazon Fire HD 8, updated last month and starting at $100, is a modest refresh, offering more RAM, a nominally upgraded camera and some new AI features. The general sales pitch, however, remains the same: You get a just-competent tablet for the essentials at a dirt-cheap (and... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-15 14:19:25 UTC ]
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For obvious reasons, Twitter users are leaving en masse and heading to Bluesky, its most prominent decentralized competitor. In this episode, we discuss why Bluesky now feels like the best of early Twitter, filled with vibrant conversations and people discovering a new social network filled with... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-15 12:30:52 UTC ]
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November is in full swing, which means Black Friday is right around the corner. But the days in which you had to wait for Black Friday proper to get good deals have long been behind us. The holiday shopping season is effectively the entire month of November now, with early Black Friday deals... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-14 17:34:34 UTC ]
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Faulty devices have thrown a wrench in the company’s trade-in program for its color ebook reader. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-11-14 12:15:00 UTC ]
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Techtober rolled straight into November this year. The first week of the month was a busy one at Engadget HQ as we published a number of high-profile reviews over the last few days. There's the MacBook Pro and Mac mini from Apple alongside the beastly (and expensive) PS5 Pro. Plus, we've got yet... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-09 15:00:04 UTC ]
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Charging two devices at once doesn’t necessarily require a multi-port wall plug — if you purchase the right cable. For example, Anker has a special USB-C cable that splits into two so you can handle two devices at once with a single USB-C port. And the coolest part? Right now, you can... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2024-11-07 16:44:21 UTC ]
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Sony’s new beastly console is a niche product for PlayStation gamers who want the most premium experience. The PlayStation 5 Pro is the console equivalent of the iPhone Pro Max or the Kindle Signature but still cheaper than a PC gaming rig. It has a more powerful GPU, capable of offering 4K and... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-07 12:18:36 UTC ]
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There are really two types of ereaders: Dedicated ebook/audiobook devices or slabs that are more akin to small tablets with E Ink screens. In the first category, the competition is really between Amazon’s Kindle devices and Rakuten’s Kobo readers. Ereaders in the latter group include entries... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-07 08:00:36 UTC ]
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You won't have to worry about repurchasing your Nintendo favorites when the Switch’s successor finally arrives. In its earnings report, Nintendo said its next console will have backwards compatibility and be able to run games made for the Switch. In addition, Switch Online will also be available... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-06 12:15:26 UTC ]
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While we felt that the Kindle Colorsoft was by and large a solid first stab at a color ereader by Amazon, there has been a problem with the device. After several buyers pointed out that a yellow band was discoloring the bottom of the display, the same issue occurred on our review unit. Now, the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-05 19:01:45 UTC ]
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