Amazon Kindle Archives

The wacky world of Elon Musk

Ever wanted to get inside the brain of one of today’s most infamous names in tech? The new book “Elon Musk” contains over 600 pages of juicy details about Musk’s life, from childhood through the wild twists and turns of the X (formerly Twitter) takeover.

Author Walter Isaacson spent two years shadowing Musk as he traveled worldwide. Sure, you can pick up a copy — or just read on for some of the most interesting tidbits. Think of this as the Sparknotes.

Let that sink in

“Elon Musk” gives us a backstage pass to what really happened inside the Twitter drama. One surprising fact: Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey almost walked away from investing in the platform’s new version.

Dorsey had nothing but glowing praise for the tech mogul when news of Musk’s takeover went public. But things quickly took a turn. Remember when he walked into Twitter headquarters with an actual bathroom sink?

Ultimately, Dorsey was convinced to keep his stake in the company, but it was a close call. Musk lucked out, too. The decision saved him around a billion bucks.

The Twitter blues

Musk knew the Twitter Blue rollout was going to be a dumpster fire. He was presented with a long list of recommendations from Twitter’s trust and safety team that would help soften the changes — but went ahead guns blazing.

Musk delayed the launch for two days and warned executives that it would be a disaster. He said it would be “World War III over the blue check marks.” He wasn’t totally wrong.

Now, you play nice

It’s no secret Musk has a history of ruffling feathers. Last year, he was accused of having an affair with the wife of Google’s co-founder, Sergey Brin. Although both parties denied the accusations, Brin and his wife divorced.

Soon after news of the affair broke, Musk weaseled his way into a now-famous selfie with Brin. Unfortunately for Brin, his attempts to avoid the picture were futile.

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3 apps that let you borrow eBooks from your local library

Reading is an excellent way to relax and expand your mind through distant worlds, a suspenseful thriller or a thought-provoking autobiography. Tap or click for ways to get Kim’s eBooks.

That’s why your neighborhood library is more popular than ever. You might even be shocked that more than half of the U.S. population has a library card.

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Gifts for every mom

Mother’s Day is coming up quickly — Sunday, May 12. I’m sharing a series of slam-dunk gifts for all the moms in your life. Today: Gifts for the mom who loves to read.

If Mom uses a Kindle or other e-reader or tablet, this comfy pillow stand (12% off, $21.99) is a total game-changer.
Pair it with this remote, which lets her turn the page while cuddled under a blankie. It’s a whopping 67% off.
For physical book lovers, grab a rechargeable book light with three color temps and dimming. It’s only $9.99.
These lovely bookplate stickers (gold foil!) will help her keep track of her personal library ($6.99 for 60).
A little tabletop bookshelf to help her organize the stack of books by her bed. This one is 18% off ($26.99).

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Your forbidden book section: Keep your steamy romance novels on lock by creating a passkey for your Kindle. Tap the three dots (upper right) and go to Settings > Device Options > Device Passcode. Your passcode can be up to 12 digits long. That’s hot!

Everything old is new again

Open/download audio

Remember when Amazon’s Kindle was the hottest gadget on the block, selling out in just five hours in 2007? It’s making a surprising comeback, here’s the scoop.

Speaking of Amazon: Bad news if you got a new Kindle Colorsoft — many people are complaining about the bottom of the color display having a yellowish tint. If you own one, contact their support for a refund or replacement. Replacements ship out next week.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

43% use Roku

Among 8,000 households surveyed. It’s the most popular streamer of the bunch, followed by Amazon Fire devices, with 35%. Apple TV and Chromecast finish out the top four.

Take screenshots on your Kindle: Tap the upper-right and lower-left corners at the same time. You’ll see a flash when it saves. To view it, connect your Kindle to a computer. You’ll find the image as a PNG file in the root folder.

Read me: On a Kindle, it’s a pain to get to the home screen. With a book open, tap the top of the screen > back arrow > Home. From the Kindle store, hit the X icon > Home. FYI, if your Kindle is old, look for a house icon (top left of the screen) or even a physical home button.

🤑 Amazon’s secret 20% discount: Send your old tech to Amazon through its Trade-in Program and get a gift card for the value. They’ll take just about anything — it doesn’t even need to work. But if you trade in Amazon gear like a Kindle, eero or Fire TV Stick, you’ll get 20% off a new, qualifying device. Nice.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

📚 If you read on a Kindle: Install the Kindle app on your phone, too. It syncs directly with your reading progress on your e-reader, so you can get through a few pages even when your Kindle isn’t with you. Use these links for iPhone and Android.

Finally, a full-color Kindle: Amazon’s new Kindle Colorsoft is easy on the eyes like the classic models but way better for reading colorful comics and magazines. It lasts up to eight weeks on a single charge, and it’s wireless-charging-compatible and waterproof. Preorder one for $280 and Oct. 30 shipping. Pro tip: Trade your old Kindle back to Amazon for 20% off your upgrade.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Amazon’s new lineup of Fire HD 8 tablets: They’ve got double the RAM of the previous models, a 5 MP rear cam, an 8-inch HD display, up to 13 hours of battery life, plus an AI webpage summary tool and a writing assistant. Good time to buy, too: The Fire HD 8 is 35% off right now, and the Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro are both 50% off.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

What the heck does “xiphoid” mean? Sweet iPad trick for you: Next time you read a word that stumps ya, press and hold down on it, then select Look Up for the definition. Works on a Kindle, too!

Kindle upgrade: KTool lets you use your Kindle for more than books by easily sending articles, X threads and newsletters (like mine!) right to it.

📚 When the e-book is … complicated: Activate Word Wise on your Kindle to get brief definitions above tricky words. Open your book, then tap the Aa menu. Select More, then Word Wise. Toggle it on.

📘 It’s fundamental, Watson! Project Gutenberg has 70,000 e‑books free for the taking — legally. Don’t have a Kindle or e‑reader? Put one on your phone and read instead of scrolling through the news. Here’s “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.”

Amazon’s secret 25% discount: Send your old tech to Amazon through its Trade-in Program, and get a gift card for the value. Bonus: You’ll get an extra 20% off if you’re upgrading to a new Amazon device, like an Echo or Kindle.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Try this on your Kindle: If you ever find yourself wondering, “Who’s that character again?” use the X-Ray tool. It provides a quick overview of characters, terms and even locations mentioned in the book so you’re never lost within a complex plot. Just hold down on the word(s) you want to know about.

For all my readers: The Kindle Scribe, Amazon’s bigger and fancier e-reader, is $100 off right now. It’ll house all your books and notes, plus it comes with a stylus. FYI, Kindles go weeks on a single charge.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.