What’s the General Data Protection Regulation（GDPR）?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which has came into force from 25th of May 2018 is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union and the European Economic Area. It also addresses the export of personal data outside the European Union and European Economic Area. The GDPR aims primarily to give control to citizens and residents over their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international business by unifying the regulation within the EU.

What is GDPR compliance?

GDPR establishes a set of compliance and security processes around managing personally identifiable information so that it is not misused.

Data breaches inevitably happen. Information gets stolen or otherwise released into the hands of people who have malicious intent. However, under the terms of GDPR, not only will organizations have to ensure that personal data is gathered, but those who collect and manage it will be obliged to protect it from misuse - or face penalties for not doing so.

What is a GDPR breach notification?

Organizations will be obliged to report any breaches which are likely to result in a risk to the rights of individuals and lead to discrimination, damage to reputation, financial loss, or any other economic or social disadvantage. This will need to be done via a breach notification, which must be delivered directly to the victims. It must be a one-to-one correspondence with those affected.

GDPR is built upon trust in order to make Europe fit for the digital age. With solid common standards for data protection, people can be sure they are in control of their personal information.

Best 5 Free Online Backup Service

Cloud storage service is an Internet hosting service specifically designed to host user files. Storing files in the cloud has many advantages. You can view your files from any phone, tablet or computer that's connected to the Internet, and the cloud can also provide backup for files so they'll never disappear if your phone gets lost or your computer crashes. Fortunately for you, we've rounded up the best 5 free online file storage to help you pick the one that's right for you.

1. Google Drive 

Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service developed by Google. It allows users to store files on their servers, synchronize files across devices, and share files. In addition to a website, Google Drive offers apps with offline capabilities for Windows and macOS computers, and Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. Google Drive encompasses a Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, an office suite that permits collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, forms, and more. Files created and edited through the office suite are saved in Google Drive.

Google Drive offers 15GB of free cloud storage. If you need more than the 15GB of free cloud storage, for $1.99 per month customers get 100GB of storage, and for $9.99 per month customers receive 1TB of storage.

2. Box 

Box, winner of PC Magazine's Editors' Choice Award, is a cloud content management and file sharing service for personal accounts and businesses. This service is more of a business-collaboration and work-flow solution than a storage service. In addition, the business versions of Box include access to a variety of work programs, which are integrated with Box's cloud storage and services. Box is fast, secure and simple to use, so you can be productive from anywhere, which is the reason many businesses, including General Electric, P&G and The GAP securely access and manage their critical information with Box. It is available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Blackberry.

The free package gives you 10GB of free space, but the upgrade is expensive, at $10/month for only 100GB of storage.

3. Microsoft OneDrive 

OneDrive is a file hosting service operated by Microsoft as part of its suite of Office Online services. It allows users to store files as well as other personal data like Windows settings in the cloud. Files can be synced to a PC and accessed from a web browser or a mobile device, as well as shared publicly or with specific people. It's the obvious cloud storage service for Windows users because it's built into Windows 10. OneDrive's biggest strength is that it works closely with Microsoft Office apps, such as Word or PowerPoint.

OneDrive offers 5 GB of storage space free of charge. There are paid-for plans, of course, and you'll get 50GB of storage for only $1.99 per month. And if you sign up for Office 365 (as well as all of the other Office 365 features) for $59.99 per year, you get 1TB of space.

4. Amazon Drive 

Amazon Drive is a cloud storage application managed by Amazon. It offers secure cloud storage, file backup, file sharing, and photo printing. Using an Amazon account, the files and folders can be transferred and managed from multiple devices including web browsers, desktop applications, mobiles, and tablets. Access all of your documents from anywhere, and share them with friends and family, without having to log on to your computer.

All Amazon users receive 5GB of free storage. If you need more than 5GB storage, then for $59.99 per year you can have unlimited storage.

5. Dropbox 

Dropbox is one of the only cloud storage services to offer clients for Linux and Blackberry, alongside the usual Windows, macOS, Android and iOS standards. There's an official Windows Phone app too. Dropbox isn't the first cloud-based storage service, but it is the one that popularized it. Dropbox can create a special folder on the user's computer, the contents of which are then synchronized to Dropbox's servers and to other computers and devices that the user has installed Dropbox on, keeping the same files up-to-date on all devices.

Dropbox has received many praise, including the Crunchie Award in 2010 for Best Internet Application, and Macworld's 2009 Editor's Choice Award for Software. The free Basic account comes with a paltry 2GB of storage. You can upgrade to the 1TB plan for $9.99 per month.


Online cloud storage has greatly benefit our work as well as daily life. It provides us a secure place to back up our all kind of files, and gives us access to the content from anywhere with the desktop and mobile apps on iOS and Android, and share them with friends and family without having to log in your computer.

How to Manage and Export Kindle Notes and Highlights

Kindle is the treasure trove full of amazing books, filled with all the important highlights and notes you have made with them. So if you are a big fan of exporting all kindle highlights and notes to your computer or to Evernote where can keep these precious memory vividly with time passing by, then the below tools can do you a big favor.

Tool 1: Evernote Web Clipper

Thanks to Amazon's e-reader hardware and the apps it makes for other gadgets, its Kindle e-books can be read on numerous devices. And the highlights and notes you make in your Kindle books, no matter which screen you have been using, are all synchronized over the Internet — and you can see all those annotations online Amazon Kindle page. On the Your Highlights page, you can add, edit or delete notes to your books, copy and paste the text, and print the list from your web browser.

So if you want to export Kindle notes and highlights from the website to Evernote application, you also need to install the Evernote Web Clipper to your computer. Next, all you need to do is select all the notes and highlights of one book, then click the icon of Evernote Web Clipper to clip the content to Evernote application.

Tool 2: Klib

Klib is a new way to manage highlights and notes for Kindle & iBooks. As a great clippings manger, Klib could help you gain more from reading. Every time you starts Klib, Klib will automatically import highlights from Amazon, and then export to Evernote. Your highlights will be safe and accessible everywhere via Evernote.

1. How to import from kindle

Click the menu File>Import from Kindle… in Klib after connecting your Kindle to your Mac via USB. Then choose the Kindle folder in the pop up dialog and start Import.

Tips: You only need to import manually the first time. Later Klib will automatically import your notes the next time when your Kindle connects.

2. How to export to Evernote

Click the menu item File > Export to Evernote… in Klib. And you need to authorize when exporting for the first time. Later, Klib will automatically export to Evernote on startup or when importing new notes.

Tool 3: Clippings.io

Clippings.io is a website which offers an easy way to organize your Kindle notes and highlights as well as help you export it. Follow the below steps to export kindle notes and highlights to Evernote.

1. You will need both an Evernote and Clippings.io account. Both are very simple to set up and are free.

2. In your Clippings.io homepage, go to Account settings page to configure Evernote. You will be asked to sign in with your Evernote details to authorize Clippings.io.

3. From your Clippings.io homepage, click on Import in the top-left corner after connecting Kindle to your computer. Then select the kindle book which you want to export the notes and highlights.

4. Click on Evernote after you select Export. Here, you get another opportunity to change your Evernote settings, such as the inclusion of notes and tags. Next click Start Export. When the export is finished, a link will appear which allows you to view your highlights and notes in Evernote.

Tool 4: KindleMate

Kindle Mate is a neat and efficient tool with rich features designed to sync, organize, import & export Kindle clippings (Kindle highlights and notes) and Kindle Vocabulary Builder words on computer. Just connecting Kindle to your computer, Kindle Mate can auto-sync, import Kindle highlights, notes and vocabulary words, and the synced content will be organized by author, title, words learning status, lookup frequency.

If you want to export notes and highlights of one Kindle book, you can right-click the book title and select Export to File.

Now you can manage and edit your kindle notes and highlights as you like.

How to import personal documents to Kindle for iOS on iPad/iPhone?

On top of Kindle books you purchased from Amazon, you can also send your personal documents directly to the Kindle app for iOS on your iPad via Kindle Personal Documents Service.

The following file types are supported by the service:
Document Files (.DOC, .DOCX, .PDF, .TXT, .RTF)
Image Files (.JPEG, .JPG, .GIF, .PNG, .BMP)
HTML (.HTML, .HTM)
eBooks (.MOBI, .AZW, .PRC)
Personal files other than those formats cannot be imported to your Kindle app or devices.

These personal documents can be sent from an authorized email address or a Send to Kindle application.

Method 1. You can send the personal documents to the Kindle app for iOS on your iPad by emailing them to your Send to Kindle email address. Your Send to Kindle email address is a unique address that is assigned to you when you register your compatible device. To be delivered successfully, an email can contain up to 25 attachments. It can be sent to up to 15 distinct Send to Kindle email addresses. The total size of your documents should be 50 MB or less. Please ensure the sender's email address is added to your Approved Personal Document Email List.

Method 2. You can send the personal documents to the Kindle app for iOS on your iPad from a Send to Kindle application. Please download and install Send to Kindle for PC or Send to Kindle for Mac on your computer. Right click on the personal file and select "Send to Kindle". Deliver it to your iPad.

P.S. Only DRM free personal documents can be imported to your Kindle app for iOS on your iPad, hence I highly recommend you to install the best eBook DRM removal and converter – Epubor Ultimate!

Download Epubor Ultimate (WIN)

Download Epubor Ultimate (MAC)

Ultimate Way to Remove Kindle KFX DRM

Epubor Ultimate is the only tool crafted to work on Kindle KFX DRM removal directly without installing any plug-in or downgrading the version of Kindle for PC/Mac. It’s easy to operate and handle your KFX files efficiently.

To ensure the successful DRM removal and format conversion, please don’t relocate the path that stores the KFX files. You must keep the entire KFX files that make up the eBook intact. Any file or subfolder is missing will lead to failure of DRM removal or format conversion.

Step 1. Install Epubor Ultimate

Download Epubor Ultimate (WIN)

Download Epubor Ultimate (MAC)

Step 2. Run Epubor Ultimate

Once you launch Epubor Ultimate, it will detect and load your Kindle books from your Kindle eInk Reader and Kindle desktop app automatically.

Click on “eReader or “Kindle” tab, and you’ll see all your Kindle books are listed in the left side column. You can also drag and drop the KFX books to the main interface of the program. The KFX books are decrypted automatically when they’re loaded to the program.

KFX books downloaded from Kindle eInk Readers are saved in .kfx extention.

KFX books downloaded from Kindle for PC/Mac v1.19 or later are saved in .azw extension.

You can see a checkmark and "Decrypted" next to the KFX books you've removed DRM from. Double click on "Decrypted", the decrypted file output folder will prompt automatically.

On the bottom part, you can choose the output conversion format, click “Convert to XXX” button, and the program starts to decrypt the books and convert the formats simultaneously. Once the conversion is done, the output converted folder will be opened and prompted automatically.

Heads up: Please ensure the KFX books are purchased via your own Amazon account and downloaded via Kindle e-ink device or Kindle for PC/MAC installed on your computer. The books must be associated with your Amazon account. Loaned books or books obtained from other sources cannot be supported by the program.

Try Epubor Ultimate for free

Download Epubor Ultimate (WIN)

Download Epubor Ultimate (MAC)

Extended reading: How to convert KFX to PDF, KFX to EPUB, KFX to MOBI, etc.?

Best Kindle KFX Removals in 2018: Calibre vs. Epubor Ultimate

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Best Kindle AZW3 Readers for iOS

It’s universally known that AZW3 is the Amazon proprietary format and all AZW3 books delivered by Amazon have DRM encryption. Hence, the DRMed AZW3 books can only be read on Kindle related devices or apps. However, Kindle for iOS is not an option when it comes to reading AZW3 books on an iOS device. We’ve tested and found that AZW3 files cannot be read on Kindle for iOS but can be read on Kindle for Android.

Then what apps on earth can read AZW3 books on an iPad or iPhone, you wonder? Please take a look at the following Best AZW3 Readers for iOS:

TotalReader: Rating 4.5 points (according to 57 reviews in Apple App Store)
1. Wide range of supported formats (fb2, epub, mobi, azw, prc, chm, fbz, rtf, txt, djvu, pdf, xps, doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, pages, numbers, key, cbr, cbz, cb7, cbt)
2. Compatible with all popular archive formats (rar, zip, 7z, gz, tar ...)
3. Speech synthesizer
4. Integration with popular cloud services(Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, Yandex.Disk)
5. Integration with popular network services(SMB, FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, DLNA)

KyBook: Rating 4.3 points (according to 199 reviews in Apple App Store)
1. Supports eBooks in EPUB, FictionBook (fb2, fbz, fb2.zip), TXT, RTF, PDF, DJVU, CHM, Comic Book (cbr, cbz) and Audio Book (mp3, m4a, m4b) formats.
2. Online book catalogs(OPDS) and network folders
3. Integrated with Google Books, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and Yandex Disc
4. Integrated with social networking services (Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte)
5. Flexible reading mode settings
6. DJVU, CHM, Tor Network and 'Speed Reading' requires in-app purchase "Upgrade to Pro Version".

Mobi Reader: Rating 4.6 points (according to 27 reviews in Apple App Store)
1. Wi-Fi Transfer allows user to download/upload few media files with one click
2. Integrated with cloud services (Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, Yandex.Disk)
3. Integrated with network services (SMB, FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, DLNA)
4. Maximal support OPDS standards
5. Users can contact technical support and leave a comment without quitting the application

Librairie: Rating 4.3 points (according to 199 reviews in Apple App Store)
1. iOS Cloud Ebook Reader – works with DRM FREE EPUB, MOBI and AZW3 files
2. Automatically scans your cloud accounts (Dropbox, OneDrive or Goole Drive) to find your ebooks and presents them in a nice looking library
3. Stream your ebooks from the cloud - No space taken on your device
4. Convert your ebooks in ePub, MOBI and PDF file formats and export them to any compatible app on your device.
5. Clean and elegant typography - support for hyphenation and dynamic page numbers

Traditionally AZW3 files do not work on Apple devices. But I can tell you some solutions to bypass the limitation, liberate your purchased AZW3 books, and allow you to read them on an Apple device. The only prerequisite is you must remove the DRM from the AZW3 books. Without stripping DRM, the AZW3 books are locked by Amazon and are confined to be read on Kindle eInk readers, Kindle desktop app, and Kindle for Android.

I don’t want to brag about the magic tool, Epubor Ultimate, but it does work like a charm!

As the most easy-to-use eBook DRM Removal and Format Converter, Epubor Ultimate only requires one-click to get things done.

Try Epubor Ultimate (WIN) for free

Try Epubor Ultimate (MAC) for free

Extended reading: How to read Kindle AZW3 books on an iPad or iPhone?

A Comparison between Audible and Google Play Audiobook Pricing Strategies

Google brought audiobooks to Google Play Store in January 2018 while Audible still takes the lead and pulls ahead of its contenders in audiobook market. In this post, I’m going to compare the audiobook services provided by Audible and Google in terms of pricing strategy respectively.

Audible

Audible is well known for its membership subscription plans which subscribers pay a monthly/annual fee and get credits in return. The Gold plan is priced at $14.95 per month for 1 credit, and the Platinum plan is priced at $22.95 per month for 2 credits. Once you’re an Audible member, you can buy 1 audiobook for 1 credit no matter how much the audiobook costs. All Audible members can make regular audiobook purchases at a 30% discount. A limited number of unused credits can be rolled over into the next month or year, depending on which membership plan and the amount of allotted credits. Audible members have unlimited listening access to all Audible Channels content.

Actually there’s a hidden Silver plan that Audible doesn’t advertise. Audible Silver membership plan costs $14.95 every two months, instead of every month. You still only get one free credit every time your subscription renews. If six books a year is enough for you, then Silver plan suits you well. There is no quick access to this silver subscription, you have to go to Audible customer service page and start a chat to ask them to downgrade your membership to silver.

While Audible constantly pushes its membership plans, it also lets you buy the individual audiobook from Audible, but the prices especially for new titles are fairly expensive. Good news is that Audible offers a DAILY DEAL where you can pick up cheap title to listen to: today’s deal is Mark Miodownik’s Stuff Matters, which costs only 2.95$ (the regular price is 26.59$). An added benefit with Audible is it offers aggressive discount on the audio companion if you’ve already bought its ebook on Amazon. If you’ve bought Danny Baker’s Going on the Turn on Amazon, you just need to pay 2.99$ rather than the regular price 20.65$ to get the audiobook version from Audible.

Google

Google doesn't adopt any membership plan for its audiobook service. You need to pay for individual titles at their shelf price. At the initial stage, Google is running a promotion where most audiobooks are heavily discounted. It’s offering a decent range of titles (including older classic titles and new releases) on limited time offers. Google also offers a 50% discount on your first audiobook. For now, no discount is offered on a Google Play audiobook if you’ve already purchased the eBook version. As for this point, those who enjoy swapping between ebook and audiobook have a firm reason to stick with Audible.

If you’re a Google Home device owner, you probably get a promo email from Google saying some Google Home users can redeem a complimentary audiobook of their choice for free. The promotion is valid until February 9th, 2019.

Audible is cheaper if you are listening to one or more audiobook per month, let alone it offers a 30-day-Audible-free-trial-membership. If you’re not a regular listener and not preoccupied with new releases, it’s always cheaper to buy off the shelf. Right now, Google Audiobooks is a better alternative for selective titles because of the heavy promotional discounts. However, once the promotion period ends, prices will be back to normal, and Google may lose its price advantage in the long run.

Through the above comparison, we can see that Audible audiobook is superior to Google audiobook service in terms of pricing plans. However, Audiobooks downloaded from Audible website are in the Amazon proprietary format AAX or AA. The Audible audiobooks are locked by DRM which prevents you from sharing your purchased audiobooks with your friends. Moreover, the DRMed Audible audiobook are confined to be played on selected Audible supported players or devices, so you can’t transfer them among multiple platforms and devices. Given the above situation, it’s imperative to remove Audible DRM and convert their formats to a universal audio format such as mp3, wma, wac, etc.

Epubor Audible Converter is a powerful tool dedicated to stripping DRM from your purchased Audible audiobooks and converting the AA and AAX formats to mp3 or other compatible DRM free formats.

For more information please read this article: Ultimate Way to Remove Audible DRM and Convert AAX/AA to MP3

Amazon reveals Mother’s Day 2018 deals on Kindle and Fire

Mother’s Day is around the corner so naturally Amazon has their lineup of Kindle devices on sale again.

The first Sunday of May is usually the time when Amazon starts limited-time offers aimed at people who want to shop gifts for Mother’s Day. The list of Mother’s Day 2018 deals on Amazon devices will be extended over time, and as usual we will share all deals in a special guide to book-related promotions for people who love to read.

Here are Amazon eReader deals for Mother’s Day 2018:

Kindle – $59.99

Kids Kindle  – $79.99

Kindle Paperwhite – $99.99

Kindle Paperwhite Gift Bundle – $149.97

The Kindle Paperwhite is marked down to $99.99 and the entry-level Kindle is $59.99, both are $20 off the regular price. The Kids Kindle Bundle is $79.99 ($50 off), and the Kindle Paperwhite Gift Bundle is $149.97 ($60 off).

Here are Amazon Fire deals for Mother’s Day 2018:

Fire 7 – $39.99

Fire HD 8 – $59.99

Fire HD 10 – $119.99

Fire 7 Kids Edition – $79.99

Fire HD 8 Kids Edition – $99.99

They also have the 7-inch Fire tablet marked down to $39.99 ($10 off), the Fire HD 8 is $59.99 ($20 off), the HD 10 is $119.99 ($30 off), the Fire 7 Kids Edition is $79.99 ($20 off), and the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition is $99.99 ($30 off).

If the above on sale product list doesn't include your favorite device, you can check the full list of Mother’s Day 2018 deals on Amazon devices.