Amazon Kindle : The Perfect Graduation Gift?

Amazon.com's proprietary Kindle Wireless Reading Device is one of the best kept secrets in electronics. In contrast with Apple's iPhone media blitz, Amazon generates sales that often outpace their Kindle production capacity with little more than their own web-based promotion. While the First-Generation Kindle is now fairly well-known, the same cannot be said for the updated Kindle 2, or the upcoming Kindle DX, currently available for delivery this summer.

Kindle readers include a subscription to Amazon's Whispernet 3G Wireless service, subject to certain limitations. Although the terms of the contract could be clearer, it seems that normal web browsing is permitted. The service explicitly includes free downloads of first chapter previews, and discounted electronic "kindle" versions of 275,000+ books to date. Amazon is currently negotiating with several major textbook publishers, which potentially will dramatically increase the value of the Kindle to collegians.

Amazon acquired Mobipocket in April 2005, so Windows users can download the free Mobipocket Creator 4.2 Home Edition software, allowing them to convert a wide variety of files into the kindle-supported .PRC format. Understandably, Amazon doesn't aggressively publicize the fact that thousands of public-domain titles are freely available in this form from Amazon, Mobipocket, Project Gutenberg, and others.

For Apple enthusiasts, there is a Kindle App for iPhone and iTouch, although these devices obviously suffer from their small screen size. You will find useful information on Amazon's "Shopping the Kindle Store on Amazon.com" page, but it would be well worth the nominal fee to download The Kindle 2 Cookbook: How To Do Everything the Manual Doesn't Tell You

Popular Women's Shoes @ Amazon.com

Amazon.com recently rearranged their Women's Shoe Department, no doubt as part of the launch of their endless shoes and handbags subsidiary. This had the unfortunate side-effect of invalidating all the links in my Shoe Mania aStore. Paradoxically, my shoe sales soared. Apparently the programming that Google uses to determine the "significance" of the pages they index prefers a bunch of blank navigation pages over pages that actually link to products.

I'll resist the urge to wander off into a discussion of search engines and search engine marketing, except to make the point that using a vendor's own on-site search is frequently more productive than relying on one of the major search engines to find the products you want. To that end, I've cobbled together a couple of remote search boxes that will help you find what you're looking for on either the Amazon or Endless sites. They seem to work now, but because they rely on the vendor's software, they could break down in the future. Please feel free to leave feedback using the comments link at the end of this article.

Search All Departments ------------------------- Women's Shoes Men's Shoes Kids' Shoes Bags & Accessories ------------------------- Designer    Women's Shoes    Men's Shoes    Bags & Accessories ------------------------- SALE    Women's Shoes    Men's Shoes    Kids' Shoes    Bags & Accessories

Search All Shoes ------------------------- Women's Shoes Men's Shoes Girls' Shoes Boys' Shoes Bags & Accessories ------------------------- Designer    Women's Shoes    Bags & Accessories ------------------------- SALE

Here are some popular shoes sold here in the past ten days. Clicking on the name of the shoe will take you to a perfectly functional Shoe Mania page with limited navigation. Clicking on the picture will take you to endless.com, and hovering your mouse over the "@ Amazon" link will bring up a pop-up with additional information, or clicking on it will take you directly to the appropriate Amazon page.

Anne Klein New York Women's Amannda Slide @ Amazon	Anne Klein New York Women's Tabatha Platform Sandal @ Amazon	Annie Women's Amber Sandal @ Amazon
Annie Maka Dress Sandal @ Amazon	Boutique 9 Joleen Sandal @ Amazon	California Magdesians Women's August Pump @ Amazon
Circa Joan & David Women's Presley Pump @ Amazon	Kathryn Kerrigan Sabrina Slingback @ Amazon	Lifestride Women's Mariah Slingback @ Amazon
Oh! Shoes Women's Reflex Pump @ Amazon	Penny Loves Kenny Women's Attar Sandal @ Amazon	Penny Loves Kenny Women's Attar Sandal @ Amazon
oh DEER! Women's Waldorf Pump @ Amazon	LifeStride Women's Caitlin Slingback @ Amazon	Easy Street Principle Dress Sandal @ Amazon
Bandolino Women's Berry Pump @ Amazon	Vince Camuto Angie Peep Toe Sandal @ Amazon	Annie Sadie Evening Dress Sandal @ Amazon
Charles David Women's Jester Sandal @ Amazon	farylrobin Women's Kyrie Pump @ Amazon	Miss Me Women's Kate-8 Moccasin @ Amazon

Free Indie Rock MP3 Downloads

I was minding my own business (to the extent that I actually do that) when I happened on the Free Indie MP3s banner above. Well that certainly called for a web posting. Before I could even finish this page I realized that I had stumbled upon the motherlode of free mp3s.

If Indie isn't your thing, no problem. Amazon has thousands of completely legal free mp3's in virtually every style.

Barsuk Records: 2009 Amazon Digital Sampler	2009 Bar/None Records Sampler
Sub Pop's Amazon Sampler	Anti Sampler 2009
Secretly Canadian 2008/2009 Sampler	Jagjaguwar 2008/2009 Sampler
Dead Oceans 2008/2009 Sampler	Saddle Creek sampler 2008-2009
Slumberland Records Spring 2009 Sampler	Arts & Crafts Label Sampler
Victory Records Label Sampler	Worn & Grazed: A Park the Van Sampler

Valentine's Day Sales @ Amazon.com

Amazon.com regularly features gift suggestions, although the page link can be a little hard to find. These suggestions include seasonal favorites, in this case for Valentine's Day. This year they are sweetening the pot with a 30% off sale on select jewelry and a couple of other sales listed below:.

The intimate apparel sale gets you a $10 discount on purchases of $50 or more FROM ONE SELLER. Most of the more "exotic" selections are over $50, so that shouldn't be a problem. If you find something nice for less, you can add some shorts or something to reach the $50 threshold. There are also a lot of items in the $25 range if you want to double up. You can browse all the selections, or concentrate on these sellers:

• Amazon.com
• Bare Necessities
• Fresh Pair
• First Fantasies
• LoveFifi.com
• Pretty Sinful
• Skimpy Outfits
• Spike Angel
• Summit Fashions

You can save $10 on select Men's & Women's Fragrances by entering the promo code FRAGFEB9 at checkout time on orders of $59 or more. Like most of these promo code offers, this one can't be combined with other specials in the same order, although you can submit two or more separate orders any time. Note that "Fragrance" includes not only the obvious perfumes and colognes, but also a number of bath and aromatherapy needs.

There are a number of sales in the Gourmet Foods section. Some of these are specifically Valentine's day sales (expire February 14th) but many will be available afterwards. In addition to the Amazon Gift Guides, be sure to check out the gourmet Valentine's gift items

Fresh cut flowersare very popuilar on Valentines Day. In fact, Valentine's Day is for florists pretty much the same as the Christmas shopping season is for retailers generally. Amazon.com features flowers from two major suppliers: ProFlowers and Falcon Farms. Because flowers are perishable most will automatically be shipped next day air, but you can schedule February 14th delivery as long as you order by midnight February 11.