Kindle Fire HDX For Dummies
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Amazon's Kindle e-reader is pretty easy to use, but these shortcuts and tips make using the Kindle, well, fantastic. Once you’ve learned the different tips and tricks for accessing and reading books, magazines, blogs, and newspapers, you’ll be amazed at what you can make your Kindle do.

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Newspaper and magazine content

The Kindle deletes newspapers and magazines that are seven issues old to make space for new content. Usually that’s just fine, but if a particular issue has information you need, you have a couple of options to ensure that it isn’t deleted.

  • To save the entire issue, open it and then click Menu. Select Keep This Issue. The word keep will appear next to the issue name and the issue will stay on the Kindle until you remove it.

  • To save an article, you’ll want to make a clipping. Open the article you want to save, and click the Menu button. Choose the Clip this Article option from the menu to save the clipping in the My Clippings section of the Home page. When the magazine is deleted, your article will remain in the My Clippings file.

Annotations

When you read books in the Kindle you can add notes or comments just like you might write in the margins of a real book.

  • To add a note, just position the cursor in the text where you want the note to appear and press the 5-way controller. Type your note and select Save note at the bottom of the page. Notes are indicated with a superscript number. Just select the note’s number and press the Return key to view or edit the note.

  • When you delete a book, magazine or newspaper that had highlighted text or personal notes, the Kindle saves your notes. You can go back to these notes any time by accessing the My Clippings file on the Home Page.

You can place a bookmark in your text, simply by positioning the cursor where you want it and pushing the 5-way controller twice. It’s that simple.

Searching the Web with the Kindle

You probably knew you could use the Kindle’s search feature to locate passages in the content, to find definitions, and to find new content on the Kindle Store. But did you know that you can also use your Kindle to search Wikipedia and Google?

  • To perform a search, just start typing a search term. The search box will appear with the find button located on it’s right. The find option will locate the term in the text you’re reading. For more options, click the arrow next to it. You’ll see options for searching my items, store, Google, Wikipedia, dictionary and notes.

  • If your wireless feature is turned on, you can search for your item on Google and Wikipedia. The Kindle will bring up a Basic Web page, which doesn’t have all the bells and whistles you’d see if you’re searching on your computer. Even without the fancy graphics, you can read the Web content and follow links as well.

Making reading more comfortable

The Kindle makes reading easy and comfortable by allowing you to adjust the font size so that it is comfortable for your eyes. You can also use the new Text to Speech feature to have the Kindle read for you.

  • To adjust the font size, press the Text key. Select the font size you want and press the Text key again.

  • To turn on Text to Speech, position the cursor and then press Shift + Symbol. Adjust the speed and voice of the narrator, by pressing Text key.

Transfer files to the Kindle

Storing your Kindle archive on your computer frees up space on the Kindle for more books and music. When you’re ready, just connect your Kindle to the PC using the micro-USB cable that came with it and transfer the files you want.

  • Personal documents (Word files, picture files, PDF and HTML files) must be converted before they will open in the Kindle. To get these files converted at no charge, send them to “name”@free.kindle.com. You’ll receive an e-mail with the converted files that you can transfer to your Kindle.

  • To use your Kindle while it is charging via the PC, you must eject it using the PC’s system software. For Windows Vista and Windows 7, you’d use the Safely Remove Hardware command. For Windows XP, you need to use the Eject command.

Remember that the Kindle only recognizes a few file formats: Kindle format, .TXT, .MP3, .AA, .AAX, and mobipocket. Also, you must place the files in the right folder or the Kindle won’t recognize them.

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