Amazon Announces One-Day Tablet Sale!

Amazon Thank You Sale on Fire Tablets

It’s like a “flash sale”. Until midnight, Amazon’s discounting all of their Kindle Fire tablets by 15%. It’s a special one-day sale to celebrate Amazon’s first-place finish in a new survey about customer satisfaction. “To say thank you, we’re taking 15% off all Fire tablets,” reads an announcement on Amazon’s front page today.

For a shortcut to Amazon’s promotion, point your browser to
tinyurl.com/AmazonThanksYou

That front-page announcement leads to a grid showing Amazon’s Fire tablets — each with its old price crossed out, and a lower price printed in bright orange numbers. The Fire HD6 tablet is now just $84, and the larger Fire HD7 is just $118. (Today only!) And while normally the massive 8.9-inch Fire HDX would cost $379, it’s just $322 until midnight.

Even the kids edition of the Fire HD has been discounted. Normally it costs $149, but today Amazon’s reduced its price to just $126. “If you’ve been waiting, today might be a very good day to buy a Fire tablet from Amazon,” wrote my friend Len Edgerly on his “Kindle Chronicles” blog. “This display of corporate gratitude was triggered by an impressive performance by Amazon in the 2014 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) rankings released last week…”

Amazon Thank You Sale on Fire Tablets

It’s a big triumph, because general satisfaction is down among all shoppers, according to the results of the study. But Amazon achieved a score of 86 in the survey — the highest of any retailer. Amazon actually scored an 88 last year, but even this two-point drop still leaves them at the top. NetFlix came in second — tied with Newegg (an online retailer of computer hardware and software) — but both Amazon’s competitors only achieved a score of 81.

Amazon’s always been very aggressive about pleasing their customers, Len Edgerly points out — and this survey suggests that it’s working. A lot of Amazon’s customers are now officially reporting that they’ve enjoyed their shopping experiences. And it’s nice that Amazon’s acknowledging that in a way which is actually meaningful to shoppers.

“To say thank you, we’re taking 15% off all Fire tablets…”

For a shortcut to Amazon’s promotion, point your browser to
tinyurl.com/AmazonThanksYou

Amazon Thank You Sale on Fire Tablets

What’s in Amazon’s 3-D Printing Store?

3D Printed Customized Bobbleheads

It’s been six months since Amazon opened their cutting-edge 3D Printing store — and since then, it’s been stocked with many new weird and wonderful products. They’re created on demand, meaning you can add any thing you want, whether it’s your name, your initials, or even a likeness of your own face. Here’s my selection of some of the most interesting new items.

For a shortcut to Amazon’s 3-D printing store, point your browser to
tinyurl.com/AmazonPrints3D
 

Steampunk Phonecase for the iPhone
iPhone Cases (Yes, Really)

It’s ironic that one of the most popular items in Amazon’s 3-D print store is…a case for your iPhone. (Amazon sells a smartphone too — but Amazon’s own vendors have apparently decided that they’ll get more customers by catering to the iPhone crowd!) But you can order those cases in lots of cool patterns — like the Steampunk pattern above — or get an iPhone case printed with wings, a skull, rivulets of blood, or a nice fractal pattern of leaves. One vendor even created a fancy textured ‘weave’ case — and yes, you can carve out your own text along the side of the case!)
 
3D Printed Twerk Snowflake Ornament

Strange Christmas Ornaments

One vendor got the idea of creating Christmas ornaments with a 3-D printer — and then customizing them with some wild patterns. They’re now selling a snowflake-shaped ornament that’s made out of silhouettes of people twerking. And another snowflake ornament uses silhouettes shaped like cannabis leaves. It comes in nine colors — though I’m guessing the most popular one is green. But at least it shows that anything can be printed with a 3-D printer, and you’re not limited to just jewelry, key rings or a dog tag with your dog’s name printed on the inside…
 

Sterling Silver cuff links 3-D printed

Sterling Silver Luxury Cuff links

A company named UCODO is using 3-D printing to create luxury items out of sterling silver. They’ve created a pair of the most gorgeous cuff links I’ve ever seen — retailing for $255 — but you can customize them with your initials. (17576 possibilities!) And Amazon site also shows a special pair where the initials have been thoughtfully replaced with one four-letter word: ‘Love’
 
 
Doctor Who Tardis Cookie Cutter

Doctor Who Tardis Cookie Cutters

“Make cookies that will be remembered throughout time and space!” promises their page on Amazon. (“Cookie Cutter Novice? Or just need to make lots and lots of your very own edible Space and Time Traveling Call Boxes..?”) This two-piece set of Dr. Who cookie cutters lets you stamp all the necessary details right into your dough, after you’ve cut it into perfect Tardis-shaped cookies. “Worked great for sugar cookies, and cutting out polenta,” wrote one reviewer on Amazon. “The impression stayed in the cookies, even after baking…”

 
 
Amazon 3-D printer makes custom personalized bobblehead

Customized Bobbleheads

imagine buying a bobblehead that’s been customized so it looks like you! You can choose the bobblehead’s eye color, hair color, and hairstyle, and even add eyeglasses. (See a picture at the top of this page.) Even the spring inside the bobblehead is generated by the printer, and it’s only when the bobblehead is produced. “Turn yourself, friends, family, and coworkers into bobble heads,” reads the product’s description on Amazon — which suggests it as the ultimate personalized gift.
 
3D Printed Vase from HoloPed

3D-Printed Vase

A high-end nylon polyamid is used to create this attractive piece (in eight different colors) — and it’s the culmination of a lifetime of artistry. A Canadian software engineer (and “a maker by nature”) spent almost 20 years crafting traditional clay sculptures and pottery before deciding to experiment with the new medium of 3-D printing. “I created The Hybrid Core Vase when I was looking for a vase to print for my wife and couldn’t find anything elegant,” explains its page on Amazon.

“I decided to create my own, and have been 3D modeling ever since!”


Remember, for a shortcut to Amazon’s 3-D printing store, point your browser to
tinyurl.com/AmazonPrints3D

Amazon Sells Same-Day Gifts for Valentine’s Day!

Roses on an Amazon gift card

It’s Valentine’s Day all around the world — and some of the celebration has even found its way to the web, with Amazon sharing some fun ideas for last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts! They’re offering specially-designed gift cards with a Valentine’s Day theme that you can print out (today!) as a gift for your sweetheart. (And for some of the cards, they’ll even let you include your own picture!)

For a shortcut, point your browser to
tinyurl.com/AmazonFebruary14Cards

But for an even fancier twist, Amazon’s letting you deliver your digital Valentine’s Day gift certificate via Facebook! And you can also send your true love a slick digital valentine that’s been customized with your own photo! Just upload it onto the card’s page, and watch the fun begin. And some of the other “digital” valentines are really adorable.

There’s a short film where a cat watches as a dog in its back yard scurrying around on valentine’s day. In another video, a charming puppy sings “That’s Amore” while sailing a gondola through a romantic Italian landscape. In fact, there’s more than 350 cards to choose from — though that’s their entire selection for the year. So some have a “birthday” theme or make specific mentions of other holidays.

And of course, Amazon’s also offering discounts today on their Kindle Fire tablets. You can now buy a Kindle for just $59 — a special 25% discount for Valentine’s Day. And there’s also big discounts on Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD6 tablets, as well as their newest Kindle Paperwhite!

For a shortcut, just point your web browser to
tinyurl.com/AmazonFebruary14

Amazon Kindle Fire HD6 sale

Amazon Holiday Sale on Kindle Fire HDX

Last year I noticed that even Google was getting into the fun. Their Google Play Store had discounted five “romance reads” to just 99 cents, and they’d also got a free video from Walt Disney studios with a Valentine’s Day theme. But there was also a very special animation on the Google home page with a very touching message. There were six candy hearts, but when you clicked on them, a poignant audio clip started to play. “For Valentine’s Day, as people everywhere search for love — something a search engine might not be the ideal tool for — each of these candy hearts brings you a true story of love,” began the narration from “This American Life”. But then it switches to the voices of real people, who describe when they first fell in love.

I hope Valentine’s Day this year is just as special…

Amazon Discounts Their Kindles for Valentine’s Day!

Amazon Discounts Their Kindles for Valentine's Day

You can now buy a Kindle for just $59 — a special deal celebrating Valentine’s Day. That’s a 25% discount, and Amazon’s even offering to spread that out over five payments of just $11.80 each! But there’s also big discounts on Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD6 tablets, as well as their newest Kindle Paperwhite!

For a shortcut, just point your web browser to
tinyurl.com/AmazonFebruary14

Amazon’s reduced the price of their Fire HD6 to just $84. Described as “the most powerful tablet under $100,” it comes with both front and rear-facing cameras (and a speedy quad-core processor). Weighing in at just over 10 ounces, it still offers a high-resolution screen with a very high pixel count (252 pixels per inch!) And there’s also a special edition for children with a tougher screen (and parental controls) which Amazon is now also offering with a special Valentine’s Day discount.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD6 sale

But don’t forget the Kindle Paperwhite! It’s Amazon’s newest touch-screen Kindle which Amazon claims is like reading on paper. (“No annoying glare, even in bright sunlight!”) Its low power consumption lets you read for a half an hour each day without needing a recharge until the end of the month — and its screen also has the ability to glow softly (for reading in the dark). The Kindle Paperwhite weighs just 7.3 ounces, and its “sleek” design makes it the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day. And Amazon’s now lowering its price to just $99!

Kindle Paperwhite discount

I couldn’t find Amazon’s “terms and conditions” for these offers, but they are warning that it’s a “Limited Time” discount. Presumably these are Valentine’s Day specials, so the low prices should last through midnight on Saturday. If you order by Friday — and pay for overnight shipping — you could have a nice geeky gift for your significant other on Valentine’s Day.

But with prices like these, it’s also a great time to do some shopping for yourself!


Remember, for a shortcut, just point your web browser to
tinyurl.com/AmazonFebruary14

Amazon Offers Free Philip K. Dick Stories!

Total Recall book cover by Philip K DickA Scanner Darkly book cover by Philip K DickValis book cover by Philip K DickUbik book cover by Philip K Dick

There’s seven free science fiction stories by Philip K. Dick that are now available in Amazon’s Kindle Store. (Many of the famous author’s earliest short stories have fallen into the public domain.) And Amazon’s also discounting the Kindle version of several of his full-length novels to just $2.99!


For a shortcut to Amazon’s Philip K. Dick stories, point your browser to
tinyurl.com/DickeBooks

 
The six seven free short stories are:

        The Crystal Crypt
        Piper in the Woods
        Beyond Lies the Wub
        Mr. Spaceship
        The Variable Man
        Beyond the Door
        The Skull

 
Two more ebooks are available for just 99 cents — the author’s 93-page novel Second Variety, and a special 364-page collection of 13 of the author’s best stories. And the Kindle Store is also offering big discounts on eight more Philip K. Dick novels. 
 

        The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch ($2.99)
        A Scanner Darkly ($2.99)
        The Man in the High Castle ($2.99)
        Ubik ($2.99)
        VALIS (Book 1 of the VALIS Trilogy) ($2.99)
        Time Pawn ($2.99)
        Total Recall ($3.99)
        The Father Thing ($3.99)

 
Most of these ebooks can be synced with their audiobook version, for a futuristic reading experience. While reading the text of an ebook, you can instantly switch over to its audiobook version on your Kindle tablet smartphone – and the audiobook’s narrator will continue reading right where you left off! And Amazon’s offering a special “Read and Listen” deal for three of the ebooks. You can purchase their audiobook and Kindle editions together for just $8!

 
        The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
        A Scanner Darkly
        The Man in the High Castle

 
But best of all, there’s 26 Philip K Dick novels that are all being made available free for subscribers to Amazon’s “Kindle Unlimited” program!
 
        Total Recall
        The Man in the High Castle
        Ubik
        Now Wait for Last Year
        The Simulacra
        Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
        Time Out of Joint
        The Penultimate Truth
        Martian Time-Slip
        Eye in the Sky
        The Game-Players of Titan
        A Maze of Death
        Dr. Bloodmoney
        The Crack in Space
        The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
        A Scanner Darkly
        VALIS (Book 1 of the VALIS Trilogy)
        The Transmigration of Timothy Archer (Book 3 of the VALIS Trilogy)
        Galactic Pot-Healer
        Gather Yourselves Together
        Confessions of a Crap Artist
        We Can Build You
        The World Jones Made
        The Cosmic Puppets
        Dr. Futurity
        Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick

Amazon’s just released the pilot for an original TV series based on “The Man in The High Castle”. (Offering an “alternate timeline” where the Nazi’s won World War II, it presents a world filled with spies and imposters and raises questions about both authenticity and history itself.) Its executive producer is Ridley Scott, who first popularized the author to mainstream audiences with his 1982 film Blade Runner. It’s nice to see that the author’s stories are also being giving careful attention, and that they’ll survive humanity’s ongoing movement towards digital reading formats.

I want to believe there are people at Amazon who appreciate Philip K. Dick just as much as we do.


Remember, for a shortcut to Amazon’s Philip K. Dick ebooks, point your browser to
tinyurl.com/DickeBooks