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TMCNet: Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn., Julio Ojeda-Zapata column

[September 05, 2010]

Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn., Julio Ojeda-Zapata column

Sep 05, 2010 (Pioneer Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Apple's much-ballyhooed iPad tablet was supposed to kill off Amazon's Kindle electronic-book reader, which is the most popular way to read e-books. That hasn't happened.


Cost is one factor: The Kindle is now vastly more affordable than the iPad, not to mention smaller and lighter. Also, its print-like "E Ink" display is more readable at the beach, where the iPad's computer-like screen becomes useless. Finally, e-book selection on Amazon's online store eclipses that of Apple's iBookstore.

In other words, the Kindle ain't dead yet.

In fact, it just got better. Amazon has unveiled new Kindle models that are more affordable and portable, and have an improved E Ink screen with greater contrast for improved readability.

The Kindle model Amazon sent me for review has a dark-gray color that makes the lighter-gray E Ink screen pop. You can also get the new Kindles in white.

The new Kindles have slightly rejiggered physical controls, which include a video-game-like navigation pad and smaller page-turning buttons along with the usual alphanumeric keyboard.

The latter comes in handy when using a still-experimental but vastly improved Web browser, which won't give the iPad's browser any competition but is great for checking e-mail or Twitter.

The Kindle, of course, is mainly for reading books, and it's awesome for that.

Though I adore reading hardcovers in my easy chair at home, I'd much rather use a Kindle on plane or road trips so I don't have to lug paper volumes around.

The new Kindles can use Wi-Fi networks, a first for Amazon. The $189 model has the usual free Sprint broadband access along with Wi-Fi, and a $139 model is Wi-Fi only.

Kindle also sells swell accessories, including an elegant leather case that looks like a bound book when closed, and another, pricier leather case with a reading light. The Kindle is more like a printed book than the iPad in requiring an external lighting source.

If you are a serious reader, the new Kindle is worth a look. Rival readers from Barnes & Noble, Sony and others aren't as good.

You're not restricted to one of these devices when reading Amazon e-books, though; you can also pull them up on Apple or Android phones, on Windows and Macintosh computers, and, yes, even on the iPad. If you're reading one book on multiple devices, as I am, Amazon always saves your place.

This multi-device capability is one reason I'm not considering a Kindle purchase now. When the device inevitably dips below $100, however, I'll be sorely tempted.

Google Voice in your Gmail. I'm a huge fan of Google Voice, a service that assigns me a master phone number with a local area code and lets me do fun and useful things with it.

It can make all my other phones (home, work, cell) ring so I'm easy to reach. Voicemail is archived online and is even transcribed. Calls to U.S. or international numbers placed via Google Voice cost little or nothing. The list goes on.

Now Google is integrating Voice with Gmail, its popular Web-mail service. This turns my computer into a phone. I can dial a number via a virtual keypad and gab away. The call recipient sees my regular Google Voice number in his or her Caller ID.

I can also receive calls. When someone dials my Google Voice number, I'm notified in my Gmail.

Calls I placed last week to friends' cell and land lines via an iMac sounded pretty good, though there was often a bit of a lag. When connecting to one friend, she could hear me but I couldn't hear her.

This sort of computer calling isn't exactly new. Skype does pretty much the same thing, and is also a fantastic service. But those who are already Gmail and Google Voice junkies will appreciate having the two services integrated like this.

If you use Gmail, fire up the service's Web interface and look for the little green "call phone" icon on the lower left. (This won't work if you're using Gmail via a desktop mail client, like Apple Mail or Microsoft Outlook.) You'll be able to make free U.S. calls for now even without a Google Voice account, but you should get one. It's free and open to all in the United States, excluding U.S. territories. You can't make international calls or receive any calls without a Google Voice account.

Google Voice has been priceless for me while on the go, because it's the way I make calls on a cell phone. Now, it's invaluable to me when working on a computer, as well. I'll still use Skype for conference calls, though.

Netflix on your iPhone. One of the great apps for Apple's iPad is Netflix, which makes the service's Watch Instantly streaming-video library of movies and television shows available on the tablet.

Video quality is fantastic, especially via Wi-Fi, and it's easy to add and delete Watch Instantly queue items.

Netflix had announced it would make streaming available on the iPhone and iPod Touch. It has now made good on that promise, with a new combo app that reformats itself for the iPad's larger screen or the smaller displays on Apple's pocket devices.

Video quality on an iPhone 4 is fantastic via Wi-Fi, and surprisingly good via AT&T's 3G network. I'm running the animated movie "Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths" via 3G as I type this, and I have no complaints.

Watching a movie on such a small screen is a bit of a pain but will come in handy on the bus or in the dentist's waiting room. Netflix always remembers where you stopped watching on your Netflix-capable TV, gaming console or Blu-ray player, so you can pick up right where you left off on your iPhone or iPad.

Some users have groused they can't manage their DVD-by-mail queues via their iPhones. That's a minor gripe, though. Overall, Netflix has scored a win here.

Note that the new Hulu+ service, with tons of TV shows and some movies, also works on the iPhone as well as the iPad. As with Netflix, you have to pay a monthly fee for this convenience, but it's so worth it.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata covers consumer technology. Reach him at 651-228-5467 or jojeda@pioneerpress.com. Read his work at yourtechweblog.com and twincities.com/techtestdrive. Follow him on Twitter at @jojeda.

MORE INFO --Amazon Kindle amazon.com/kindle --Apple iPad apple.com/ipad --Google Voice voice.google.com --Netflix for iPhone tciti.es/kindleonapple To see more of the Pioneer Press, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.twincities.com. Copyright (c) 2010, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

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