Kindle Apps for Windows and Mac now Support EPUBs!

The Send to Kindle app for PC and Mac has been updated to version 1.1.0.254. (The previous version was 1.1.0.253.)

It now accepts EPUBs and still allows MOBI format. You can download the latest version kindle app for Windows and Mac from Amazon's website. If you already install the earlier version Kindle app on your computer, you can update to the latest Kindle app by launching the Kindle app and clicking Download and Install.

Amazon added support for sending epub files to Kindle back in April, and their Kindle apps for iOS/Android have supported epub files since August. Now their desktop kindle apps for Windows/Mac also allow users to send epub files to Kindle eReader and Kindle reading apps. Of course, they only support DRM-free epub files. At the same time, they don't actually send the EPUB files to Kindles, but they get converted to Kindle formats instead.

By the way, sending epubs to Kindle by web is better than sending via these Kindle apps. First, it doesn't require you to download the Kindle apps. Second, the send to Kindle by web provides feedback on the processing of the book after it has been sent to Amazon. 

Best Way to Remove Nook DRM for Free Now!

DeDRM tools version 10.0.3 has some major fixes. The most useful change is that now this new v10.0.3 DeDRM_tools plugin can 

• support extracting the B&N / Nook key from the NOOK Microsoft Store application.
• support extracting the B&N / Nook key from a data dump of the NOOK Android application.
• support adding an existing PassHash / B&N key base64 string without having to write it to a file first.

So now as long as you can download Nook books, you can import your nook files to calibre and remove DRM with the DeDRM plugin.

It is super easy to operate. 

First, download the version 10.0.3 DeDRM plugin to your computer and unzip it.

Second, upload the DeDRM plugin to calibre. The plugin needs to be used with calibre. If you have not installed calibre, you can download it here. 

Third, drag and drop your Nook files to the calibre library, it will be decrypted automatically. Then you can view the epub file with calibre viewer directly.

However, if you still do not know how to make it work using this method, you can use the paid software – Epubor Ultimate to remove Nook DRM. Besides, it can also help you remove DRM from your purchased Kobo/Kindle/Google Play books. 

The Most Daring Innovations about BOOX Newly Released Devices

At BOOX's October Product Launch Event, they are excited to introduce their new ePaper tablet PC – Tab Ultra, as well as two new eReaders - NovaAir2 and Leaf2.

As you can see, BOOX tried to push ePaper devices to their limits over the last year.

For example, the Tab Ultra marks the beginning of our new ePaper tablet PC product line, which is designed for boosting productivity. So you can complete a variety of tasks on one device. And the Nova Air2 retains the elegant design of its predecessor while offering upgraded hardware and software. And the Leaf2 is updated to provide a more immersive reading experience. Now pre-orders for all new products already begins!

Plus, Onyx Boox has just issued the latest 3.3 firmware, which includes a redesigned control center with a more vibrant interface with new useful shortcuts. So all their new devices allow you to split the screen for multitasking.  And the redesigned user interface is able to adjust the refresh and contrast settings. More useful features allow you to explore!

Kindle Firmware 5.1.5.1 Support Cover Art for EPUBS

Although Amazon supports EPUB file format by emailing EPUBS to your Kindle, it can not show the cover of the transferred EPUB files, which could be annoying to navigate to your ebooks quickly. However, right now Amazon fix this issue by updating to the latest Kindle firmware 5.15.1. 

If you don’t know how to send your DRM-free EPUBS to your Kindle, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you out.

Here’s the release note:

Version 5.15.1 – September 2022

Here’s what’s new:

Amazon Kids eBook Store: Kids can now submit requests to their parent to purchase a limited selection of books. Go to the Amazon Kids parental controls page in settings and turn Store Access on to enable this feature.

WPA3 Support: Kindle now supports WPA3 WiFi security type. This keeps you up to date with industry leading wireless security standards.

Performance improvements, bug fixes, and other general enhancements.

As you can see, the book cover change isn’t even listed in the release notes for the new update. But we have already tested on the latest Kindle firmware and all newly added EPUBS have the cover now, but it can not add the cover to the PDFs.

If you prefer to transfer EPUBs to your Kindle, we strongly suggest you upgrade to the latest Kindle firmware 5.15.1 now. 

Amazon's 2022 Entry-level Kindle is Available Now!

Amazon has just announced its entry-level Kindle, which is available for pre-order and will start shipping on October 12th, 2022. The price starts at $99. 

“The new ultralight Kindle is the latest example of how we continue to bring premium features to our most affordable devices for even more customers to enjoy,” said Eric Saarnio, Vice President, Amazon Devices International.

The new Kinde has a six-inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1448x1072 with 300 ppi, a higher resolution than the 167ppi of the previous model. 300ppi is the same resolution found on the Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Oasis.

It has 2x the storage, with 16GB, which is useful for listening to Audible audiobooks. More importantly, the Kindle finally has USB-C charging and longer battery life. Plus the built-in adjustable front light, and the newly added dark mode feature, lets you read comfortably indoors and outdoors any time of the day.

Bonus tip: Epubor Ultimate can help you back up all your purchased Kindle books effortlessly.

What’s New about Kobo Clara 2E?

Kobo released their first new Kobo e-reader - Kobo Clara 2E this year. It is the most environment-friendly eReader made with recycled plastic. It has a 6-inch ebook reader that looks nearly identical to the previous Kobo Clara HD, but it adds support for audiobooks, Dark Mode, dual band WiFi, and it has a USB-C port. It also has double the storage space (16GB), along with an upgraded higher-contrast Carta 1200 screen, and it’s waterproof. 

Technical Specs

Display: 6” HD E Ink Carta 1200 touchscreen, 300 PPI, 1448 x 1072 resolution with Dark Mode

Storage - 16GB

CPU - 1 GHz

Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 ac/b/g/n (dual band), Bluetooth® wireless technology, and USB-C

Battery: Weeks of battery life (Dependent on individual usage.)

Waterproof: IPX8 - up to 60 mins in 2 metres of water

Front Light: ComfortLight PRO – Adjustable brightness and colour temperature

Customizability

TypeGenius: 12 different fonts and over 50 font styles

Dimensions: 112.05 x 159.02 x 8.66 mm

Weight: 171 g (Actual size and weight may vary by configuration and manufacturing process.)

Supported Formats:

15 file formats supported natively (EPUB, EPUB3, FlePub, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR), Kobo Audiobooks (Audiobooks available only in select countries. Bluetooth® wireless headphones or speaker required.)

Here’s an introduction video about the latest Kobo Clara 2E., check it out:

Bonus tips: Epubor Ultimate is a powerful tool to help you back up your Kobo books.

Kobo Firmware 4.33 Has Been Released!

Kobo firmware version 4.33.19759 has been rolled out. This is available to all the devices except the Mini. Some new changes in this firmware are: Add more dictionaries option included in language dropdown, use pinch gesture to change font size when reading, and Turning pages in PDFs will now automatically maintain the current zoom level and position from the previous page. 

Here are the full notes from Kobo: 

Pinch to change font size in eBooks

   • You can now change the font size in your eBooks by using the pinch gesture.

   • As you pinch, a circular preview window will appear to allow you to see the font size as you adjust it.

   • Once you are comfortable with the size you can release your fingers to update the font size on the page.

   • You can also toggle this feature on or off in Reading Settings.

Zoom lock for PDF

   • Turning pages in PDFs will now automatically maintain the current zoom level and position from the previous page.

   • This can be useful if you have zoomed in slightly to remove excess margins and increase the legibility of the content.

General Improvements

   • Show “Add more dictionaries” button under the language dropdown menu in dictionary lookup

   • Bug Fixes

   • Improved Stability

If you want to remove DRM protection from your purchased Kobo files, you can follow this guide to remove Kobo DRM.

Check Out the Latest Onyx Boox Poke 4 Lite

Boox just released an affordable 6-inch eReader with Android 11 -- The Poke 4 Lite. it is a dedicated ebook reader, just as versatile and capable. It is available in black or white. It does a good job at reading manga, books, and listening to audiobooks, podcasts or music. Here are some highlights about this brand new versatile ereader. 

1. A Lightweight and Ultrathin Pocket-size

Measuring 153 x107 x7.1 mm and weighing 150g, the Poke4 Lite is easy to comfortably hold in one hand for hours of reading use. And Boox makes it convenient to slide it into your pocket.

2. Reading-purposed Software Build

With one of the best built-in reader apps - NeoReader, Poke4 Lite offers a superior reading experience on the paperlike screen. It is geared for distraction-free reading.

3. Read from Different Reading Sources in one place

It has Google Play preinstalled which allows you to install third-party reading apps such as Kindle, Kobo, Nook, etc, and sync eBooks from third-party cloud apps such as Dropbox and Google Drive. One eReader for all - eBooks, news, and magazines.

4. Adjustable Front Lights

Poke4 Lite comes with dual-color temperature lights always gives you an interruption-free reading experience.

5. Indulge yourself with audio media

Connect it with Bluetooth-enabled wireless earphones and enjoy your favorite auidobooks, music, news, or podcasts anywhere you want.

Bonus Tips: if you want to know more about how to read kindle/Kobo/Google Play/Nooks books on Boox reader, here's the step-by-step guide for details. 

Spotify can Create More High-quality Voices by Acquiring Sonantic

Streaming giant Spotify, most famous for its music and podcast streaming services, has announced that it is acquiring Sonantic, a dynamic AI voice platform that creates compelling and stunningly realistic voices from text. 

You may not know the name Sonantic, but you may have seen its work. Its technology helped bring Val Kilmer’s voice to life in “Top Gun: Maverick.” Can you tell the differences?

With no doubt, Spotify's acquisition of Sonantic will bring more machine-narrated audiobooks. Spotify said in their newsletter, listeners come to Spotify for all of the best audio content in the world—and we believe that Sonantic’s technology will allow us to create high-quality experiences for our users by building on our existing technical capabilities. 

“We’re looking forward to joining Spotify and continuing to build exciting voice experiences,” said Sonantic co-founders Zeena Qureshi and John Flynn in a joint statement. “We believe in the power voice has and its ability to foster a deeper connection with listeners around the world, and we know we can be better than ever on the world’s largest audio platform.”

Let's hope that Spotify can bring us more high-quality voices.

Top Two Ways to Transfer Documents to Kindle

Although Amazon will drop support for the older MOBI format later this year, now they add EPUB as one of their new compatible formats, including PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, etc. Therefore, you can email EPUB file as an email attachment to your Send-to-Kindle e-mail address or send EPUB to your Kindle library using the Send to Kindle application. Let’s check it out!

Method 1: Send EPUB to Kindle using the Send to Kindle application

Step 1, you can download and install send to Kindle app here.

Step 2, send EPUB to Kindle via Send to Kindle service.

When you download and install Send to Kindle for PC or Mac, Kindle will appear when you right-click on a file and select Send to. So you can send multiple documents to Kindle without opening them, simply select documents and choose Kindle from the right-click sub-menu. It has never been easier to send your personal files to Kindle.

Method 2: Email EPUB as an email attachment to your Send-to-Kindle email address

Step 1, visit the Manage your Devices page at Manage Your Kindle to find your Send-to-Kindle e-mail address.

Step 2, visit the Personal Document Settings page at Manage Your Kindle, add your email account to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List.

Step 3, to send an EPUB to your Kindle, simply attach EPUB to an e-mail addressed to your Send-to-Kindle email.

Bonus tips: Epubor Ultimate can help you convert your files to EPUB effortlessly. 

New Kobo Firmware V4.32 is Available Now!

Have you got the latest update to your Kobo eReader? Well, Kobo has just released the new firmware version 4.32 for all of their Kobo eReaders. It has been three months since the last update. And here's the release note: 

Kobo Store Improvements

1. eBooks in the store now include an estimate of how long they typically take to read. Tap on the Details tab to see word count, number of pages, and estimated reading time.
2. You can now scroll the eBooks storefront to see books related to what you’ve recently read, new releases, and other featured lists.
3. Your Wishlist is now more easily accessible from the Kobo Store homepage.

Notebook Improvements

1. New notebooks will use your most recent pen settings as default
2. Selected blocks in the Advanced Notebook will show a menu with Convert/Edit, Copy, Paste and Delete options.
3. The Basic Notebook now has an improved stylus response speed.

General Improvements

1. Toolbar icons now show a selected circle to make it clearer when they are pressed.
2. Better alignment for VIP price icons in the store.

Bug Fixes

1. Highlights no longer disappear when editing a note.
2. Enabled filtering of highlights and notes.
3. Resolved a font rendering issue with sideloaded EPUBs that caused crashes.

Like always, the release note will not tell the whole story. Besides the above improvements they have listed out, Kobo has also added new fonts options and also allows you to add a supplemental font. Not only have they improved Kobo's responsiveness, but also the transcription seems to be more accurate. Now the writing notes experience is amazing, like night and day. What's more, Kobo allows sideloaded Kepub files to accept annotations instead of just Epub files. 

Bonus tips: if you need to back up your kobo ebooks, you can follow this guide to remove Kobo DRM. 

Transfer EPUB to iPhone Apple Books Wirelessly with Calibre

Having downloaded a lot of epub books from an online ebook site, and want to transfer them from your PC to your iPhone to read in the Apple Books app? Well, here I'd like to share with you a rather easy way to transfer epub books to Apple Books wirelessly with Calibre. 

Step 1. Download and install Calibre to your computer.

Step 2. Run Calibre, and add your epub files to Calibre library.

Step 3. Right-click any book, and then select "Connect/share". Next click "Start Content Server in the drop-down menu. 

Step 4. Click "Connect/share again", and you will see a website address.

Step 5. Type the address on the browser's search bar in your iPhone. As the above image shows, you should type like this, http://192.168.31.12:8080. 

Step 6. Download EPUB books to your iPhone and open them with your Apple Books app.

Download Free Kindle Books for World Book Day!

Every year Amazon will give away 10 award-winning Kindle ebooks that were written by international authors for free. This is the 5th year that Amazon has been giving away free ebooks. The free giveaway is only available for a limited time - starts at 12 a.m. (PDT) April 13, 2022 and ends at 11:59 p.m. (PDT) on April 27, 2022. 

Now you can head over to Amazon's World Book Day page to download the free books. Then you can read them on a Kindle device, the Kindle app, and the web browser.

Tips: you can back up these free Kindle books using Epubor Ultimate.

Downgrading the Kindle App to V1.32 or Lower is Required to Remove Kindle DRM

Recently, the latest version 1.35 Kindle for PC has made some new changes, which makes all currently available eBook DRM Removal tools unable to skip the KFX files. So you can’t remove Kindle DRM as long as your Kindle books are downloaded via the V1.35 and higher Kindle for PC. 

However, the alternative solution is that you can downgrade the Kindle app to version 1.32 or lower to redownload Kindle books. Then your Kindle files can be decrypted with no problem with Epubor Ultimate. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you remove Kindle DRM:

Step 1. Install V1.32 Kindle for PC . 

Run the Kindle app after the successful installation, then log in to your Amazon account and start downloading your Kindle books.

Step 2. Install Epubor Ultimate on your PC.

Epubor Ultimate is designed to help everyone remove Kindle DRM effortlessly.

Step 3. Remove Kindle DRM.

Launch Epubor Ultimate, locate your Kindle books on the left side panel under the Kindle tab, then simply drag and drop the files to the right panel to remove DRM. And you can find all your DRM free Kindle books by clicking the book folder icon on the lower right corner of the software. 

Audible & Nook is Disabling Book Purchases on Android App

According to the Google Play in-app billing payment policy, in-app transactions required the use of the Google Play billing system, which means higher app store tax. The deadline is Mar 31, 2022, and of course, now it is. As for now, this policy has already made some ebook and audiobook providers discontinue in-app purchases on their Android app. The famous ones you may concern about include Barnes & Noble's Nook app and Amazon's Audible app.

How Will Users Be Affected?

For Audible Users:

As of April 01, 2022, and starting with the Audible for Android app (version 3.23), purchasing titles with a debit or credit card in the app is no longer supported, whether you’re a member or not. To purchase a title using a credit card on an Android device, you need to use the Audible mobile site.

The good news is that Audible Premium Plus members will continue to be able to purchase titles by using credits in the Audible Android app. 

For Nook Users:

As of April 4, 2022, with the release of NOOK Software Version 6.1, the ability to purchase has been removed from the Nook App for Android and the Nook HD 10. Nook users will no longer be able to make purchases of digital content in the app.

Kindle Android App Arrives on Windows 11

Thanks to the latest Windows 11 update, users can now run Android apps natively on their PCs. Prior to this update, Android app support was a beta feature exclusive to Windows 11 Insiders, but now, anyone can download and install apps—as long as you meet Microsoft's requirements.

In order to run Android apps in Windows 11, your computer must meet a few basic requirements. 

RAM: 8 GB (minimum), 16 GB (recommended)

Storage type: Solid State Drive (SSD)

Processor: Intel Core i3 8th Gen (minimum) or above, AMD Ryzen 3000 (minimum) or above, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8c (minimum) or above

Processor architecture: x64 or ARM64

Virtual Machine Platform: This setting needs to be enabled. For more info, go to Enable virtualization on Windows 11 PCs.

Once everything is updated and all requirements have been met, open the Microsoft Store and search for "Amazon Appstore". (Note: The Amazon Appstore on Windows is only available in the US. ) Select the entry and click Install > Set Up. After it's finished installing, the Amazon Appstore and the Windows Subsystem for Android™ Settings app will appear in the Start menu and your app list. When you're ready, open the Amazon Appstore and sign in with your Amazon account. Once you are signed in, the Amazon Appstore is available to browse and install Android apps.

For example, if you want to install the Amazon Kindle Android app, just search Kindle, and click the Get button to install it on to your computer.

The app will be downloaded and act like any other Windows desktop app—minimize it, make it full screen, or multitask with Snap Layouts. Find it later in the App List.

Announcing The Shortlist for The B&N Children's & YA Book Award!

The Children’s & YA Book Awards play an important role in shaping children’s literature and celebrating exceptional talent in children’s publishing, which creates a national platform for new, little-known, and emerging talent in Children’s Publishing. 

Shannon DeVito, Director of Books, Barnes & Noble, said, “Our booksellers have curated astounding shortlists of books that have captured the essence of Children’s and YA publishing over the past year. The six titles in each category represent such a diverse offering, highlighting books that have been percolating throughout the past year as well as books that will be a new reading experience to our customers.  Narrowing it down and voting on the winner will be a challenge our booksellers are surely up for.” 

The shortlist reveals 6 books in each category of Picture Books, Young Readers, and Young Adult. These 18 books are selected by the booksellers at Barnes & Noble who specialize in Children’s bookselling in stores across the country. These great books are:

The Barnes & Noble Book Awards Picture Books Shortlist: spark the imaginations in our youngest readers.

The Barnes & Noble Book Awards Young Readers Shortlist: Magic, myth, and real-life choices appeal to our independent readers.

The Barnes & Noble Book Awards Young Adult Shortlist: Hard-hitting plotlines and complex characterization

The winner in each category will be announced in May. At the same time, the overall winner of the Barnes & Noble Children’s and YA Book of the Year will be crowned.   

Are there any books that are appealing to you? You can get them on BN.com. By the way, you can back up all your purchased Nook books and take control over your own books. Then you can share them with loved ones freely. 

HUAWEI Launches MatePad Paper E-ink Tablet on March 16

  

On March 16, HUAWEI has launched the MatePad Paper, a 10.3-inch tablet that relies on an E Ink display. However, HUAWEI MatePad Paper can do a lot more than contemporary eReaders, such as Kindle Paperwhite. Below are the 5 things to love MatePad Paper.

1. 10.3" Eye Comfort HUAWEI FullView Display4

According to HUAWEI, the MatePad Paper offers a 10.3" HUAWEI FullView display and an 86.3% high screen-to-body ratio. It means you can view PDF files on a large screen without having to frequently turn pages. The smart refresh rate adjusts according to the content you view, leading to a smooth and clear reading experience for both business reports and GIFs.

2. Efficient Writing and Recording

HUAWEI M-Pencil (2nd generation) magnetically attaches to the frame of HUAWEI MatePad Paper, ready and waiting whenever the mood to write strikes. The texturized surface of MatePad Paper and 26 ms low latency offers a superior writing experience. You can swipe down from the top right of the screen with the stylus to activate a split-screen, which means multiple screens for multiple tasks.

Besides handwriting, you can even make a mark on your recording while taking notes, then tap on the mark to play the exact audio clip. And your handwriting can be translated into text. 

3. A Multitude of Reading Content

HUAWEI MatePad Paper offers abundant high-quality reading content as houses as well as third-party reading resources. With dual speakers that optimize vocal clarity, listening to audiobooks is also available. 

4. HarmonyOS 2

The e-ink tablet boots HarmonyOS 2 bringing features such as the ability to easily establish a connection between the tablet and Huawei’s laptops, PCs, tablets, and phones. The connection takes the form of a USB drive but wirelessly, thanks to WiFi 6+ and Bluetooth 5.2 support onboard. Thus, you can easily share notes and PDFs between gadgets.

5. Powerful Chip & Large Memory

The combination of a powerful chip and 4 GB + 64 GB large storage provides faster downloading, smoother page-turning, and more than enough space for all your books, files, and notes.

Audie Awards Winners of 2022

The Audie Awards recognize distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment and are sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association. 2022 is the 27th year of the annual Audie Awards. On March 4, the winners were announced for the 27th annual Audie Awards. Winners are announced in 25 categories, including best male/female narrator, best Original Work, and best multi-voiced performance.

Here's a full list of winners.

Audiobook of the Year: Project Hail Mary, written by Andy Weir, narrated by Ray Porter

Audio Drama: Sherlock Holmes – The Seamstress of Peckham Rye, written by Jonathan Barnes

Performed by Nicholas Briggs, Richard Earl, Lucy Briggs-Owen, India Fisher, James Joyce, Anjella MacKintosh, Glen McCready, and Mark Elstob

Autobiography/Memoir: Somebody’s Daughter, written and narrated by Ashley C. Ford

Best Female Narrator: Deepti Gupta

The Parted Earth, written by Anjali Enjeti

Best Male Narrator: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World, written by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Business/Personal Development: Machiavelli for Women, written and narrated by Stacey Vanek Smith

Español- Spanish Language: La casa de Bernarda Alba, written by Federico García Lorca

Narrated by Gloria Muñoz, Elena González, Rebeca Hernando, Carmen Mayordomo, Marta Poveda, Sol de la Barreda, Beatriz Melgares, Cristina Arias, and Antonio Martínez Asensio

Faith-Based Fiction nor Non-Fiction: 

The Gift of Black Folk, written by W.E.B. Du Bois, narrated by Arnell Powell

Fantasy: Rhythm of War, written by Brandon Sanderson, narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading

Fiction: The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, written by Dawnie Walton

Narrated by Janina Edwards, Bahni Turpin, James Langton, André De Shields, Dennis Boutsikaris, Steve West, Gabra Zackman, Robin Miles, and a full cast

History/Biography: Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other

Written and narrated by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish (with a foreword written and narrated by Diana Gabaldon)

Humor: How Y’all Doing?

Written and narrated by Leslie Jordan

Literary Fiction & Classics: All Creatures Great and Small

Written by James Herriot & Narrated by Nicholas Ralph

Middle Grade: Playing the Cards You’re Dealt, written by Varian Johnson

Narrated by Dion Graham

Multi-Voiced Performance: Heresy, written by Melissa Lenhardt

Narrated by Barrie Kreinik, Bailey Carr, Ella Turenne, Nikki Massoud, Natalie Naudus, Imani Jade Powers, and James Fouhey

Mystery: Later, written by Stephen King, narrated by Seth Numrich

Narration By the Author(s): A Promised Land, written and narrated by Barack Obama

Non-Fiction: The Joy of Sweat, written by Sarah Everts, narrated by Sophie Amoss

Original Work: Heroine, written and narrated by Mary Jane Wells

Romance: Reel: Hollywood Renaissance, Book 1, written by Kennedy Ryan 

Narrated by Eboni Flowers, Jakobi Diem, Nicole Small, and April Christina

Science Fiction: Project Hail Mary, written by Andy Weir, narrated by Ray Porter

Short Stories/Collections: Blackout

Written by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

Narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Dion Graham, Imani Parks, Jordan Cobb, Shayna Small, A.J. Beckles, and Bahni Turpin

Thriller/Suspense: Local Woman Missing, written by Mary Kubica

Narrated by Brittany Pressley, Jennifer Jill Araya, Gary Tiedemann, and Jesse Vilinsky Published by HarperAudio

Young Adult: Be Dazzled, written by Ryan La Sala, narrated by Pete Cross

Young Listeners: I and I Bob Marley, written by Tony Medina, narrated by Jaime Lincoln Smith

These incredible audiobooks are the best ones to get you started on your listening extravaganza. FYI, you can share your purchased audiobooks with your friends by converting them to MP3.

Kindle Firmware Update 5.14.2 Introduces New Home Screen!

Kindle Firmware version 5.14.2 is now available for all Kindle devices dating back to the 7th generation Kindle Paperwhite (PW3). Here's what's new:

Performance improvements, bug fixes, and other general enhancements.

Well, this new firmware also introduces a new UI and a different settings structure. Normally, you should get a new home screen after installing the new firmware and syncing and restarting your Kindle. However, this is not the case for most people. We guess Amazon might roll out this change gradually. So there are some people who have been successfully updated to the latest Kindle firmware and have the new home screen, which looks like this:

As you can see from the screenshot, it shows a scrollable list of recent books on the Home screen instead of just three.  Also, the cover thumbnails in the library list view are also present. And the progress bar in the list view is no longer the dots.

Kobo Firmware 4.31 Support Sideloaded Mode

According to Kobo official note about the new released Firmware 4.31,  Kobo has made the below changes in this firmware:

Increased Language Support

 • Added Catalan dictionary

 • You can now select Simplified Chinese in Settings > Language and dictionaries

 • Added Pinyin keyboard

 • Added English - Simplified Chinese dictionary

Book Covers on Sleep and Power Off-Screen

 • Book covers will now appear on the sleep screen for Fnac customers.

 • Tip: You can hide book covers or make them full screen in Settings > Energy saving and privacy.

However, besides these changes included in the Kobo official release note, there are also many new features added to the 4.31 firmware. Here is the detailed version of what’s new about the 4.31 firmware:

• Sideloaded mode

• Improvements in handwriting performance

• FNAC affiliate now has options for showing the cover

• Catalan dictionary added

• Simplified Chinese support:

    o Language in UI

    o Three new fonts any of the Chinese languages are selected (after syncing)

    o English - Simplified Chinese dictionary

    o Pinyin keyboard

• Fixes:

    o Crash when opening sideloaded epubs (Adobe OOM issues)

    o Move Notebook section from More view back to the tab widget on the home page when stylus is detected

    o Remove File Size limit when parsing text document. Previously text files over 2MB were ignored.

    o Syncing annotations across devices

    o Timezone database has been updated.

As you can see, one of the most useful features is that Kobo now adds Sideloaded mode. Once you are in sideloaded mode, it does not force you to sign in and can continue using the device, but, the sing in option is still there. This is definitely designed for users who cannot connect to a network during the setup. In a word, the device works without having to sign in.

Bonus Tips:

You can sideload DRM Free eBooks to Kobo here.

You can sideload DRM Free Audiobooks to Kobo here.

Audible Windows App Has Been Discontinued

On January 13, 2022, the Audible for Windows desktop app has been discontinued. Now it's currently not available in the Windows Microsoft store.

Here is a screenshot of the email message shared by a user:

According to the email sent from Audible,  users who already have the app installed on their PC can continue to use it until July 31st, 2022. But after that date, people won't be able to use the Audible Windows app to access the library.

And they encourage users to use their iOS or Android apps, the Audible Cloud player or the Echo devices to listen to the audiobooks. 

Audible Windows app has provided us a way to download Audible books as AAX format. But now it's discontinued. So the only way to download Audible books in AAX format is to download from the Audible official site www.audible.com. (According to some users, the download on the Italian Audible site has already been discontinued.)

In case Audible will discontinue the downloads from audible.com one day, it's high time that you should download and back up them to your computer.

Here is the detailed guide you can follow to download your Audible books from the Audible official site:

How to Download Audible Books to PC/Mac Computer

Fixed! Adobe Digital Editions Virtual Printing is Not Allowed

 - Can I print books from Adobe Digital Editions?

- Yes, you can. In Adobe Digital Editions, select File > Print or use the Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac) keyboard shortcuts.

However, you can only print books if the book publisher has not restricted the printing of the book. If the print option is restricted, the "Print" button will be greyed out. 

To check the book permissions, go to the Library, right-click the book, and select Item Info. Check that printing is enabled or not allowed in the permissions.

What to Do if Adobe Digital Editions Printing is Not Allowed?

Now the printing is not allowed, what can we do to make the printing available? As we said, the reason why printing is not allowed is that the publisher has made a restriction on the book. So the solution out there is to break the restrictions, more exactly, the DRM protection. Let's follow my steps to remove the DRM protection and print Adobe Digital Edtions books.

Step 1. Remove DRM from Adobe Digital Editions.

Download and install Epubor Ultimate. It's the best Adobe DRM removal & eBook converter for Adobe Digital Editions books. 

Download Epubor Ultimate for Free

 

Run Epubor Ultimate. All your Adobe Digital Editions books are automatically detected and displayed under the "Adobe" tab. Now just drag and drop your books from the left side to the right column. You will find the books are automatically decrypted. It means the DRM is successfully removed. 

Then continue to click the button “Convert to PDF” if your original Adobe Digital Editions books are in epub format. Once the conversion is finished, just click the bottom-right folder icon to find your converted PDF Adobe Books.

Step 2. Print Adobe Digital Editions books.

Once you have got your Adobe Digital Editions DRM-free and in PDF format, all that's left to do is to print the PDF file. There are many PDF readers that support the print function. 

Here I just open the PDF file with Microsoft Edge browser on my Windows 10. If you are using Mac, you can open the PDF files with the native software "Preview". Click on the "Print" icon at the top menu bar, then choose the pages that you would like to print and hit the "Print" button.

That’s all steps for solutions to Adobe Digital Editions printing is not allowed. It's rather easy, right? Don't hesitate to get Epubor Ultimate in handy! 

Best Books of the Year to Kick off the Year 2022!

Is reading more on your to-do list for 2022? If so, here are some of the best books of the year 2021, which can be the titles that can help you kick off the year 2022！

According to Amazon editors, they have announced the list of the top 20 books of the year. And below titles are the best among this list.

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles 

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

Bonus tips: if you back up your purchased Kindle books on your local disk, you can try to use eBook DRM Removal to get rid of the DRM protection.