I can’t believe how many times folks ask me how they can find more content for Amazon Kindle. I am more in science and technical books, and there are plenty available, but a whole lot of folks actually use their Kindle to read novels and classic masterpieces. Now, that is you, then you have about two choices. You can either look for it on Amazon. But what if Amazon doesn’t have the work you are looking for? Try eBay!

That’s what I have been doing for a while now. There are folks who actually sell content for Kindle on eBay (take a look at this). eBay maybe a struggling company these days, but it is still a goldmine for niche items such as Kindle content. The good thing about purchasing Kindle content on eBay is that you can get your items fast. But you want to make sure you work with the right seller.

In the end, there are thousands of books available for the Kindle platform (way more than anyone can consume in a lifetime). But if you are looking for a super niche book, then you should try eBay (or maybe craigslist).

Your take: have you had any success finding ultra rare e-books for your Kindle on eBay?

I am a gadget junkie. I have probably spent more on gadgets than I have ever made money in my life so far. The concept of a smart watch too intriguing for me to ignore a couple of years ago. Think about it. No need to adjust your watch when you travel, having the ability to get the latest news on your watch, and figuring out the closed roads and avoiding them, these were all features that were interesting to have on a watch at a time. But watches were on their way down even in 2006. Studies have shown year after year that less people actually wear watches in the U.S. and rely on their cell phones to get the information they need.

Smart Watch 2006 may be dead, but Kindle can learn a thing or two from the tiny watch. For one,  that tiny device allowed access to much more information on the fly than Kindle. It’s true that folks are using Kindle as laptops these days (sending instant messages, e-mails, and Twitter updates), but Smart Watch was a very interactive and unique device. For instance, you would get news alerts on your watch, helping you keep yourself up-to-date with the latest sports, science, or political news. You could also customize the type of information you wanted to see on your watch (e.g. track a specific stock).

Smart Watch died a quick death, and there was a reason for that. But Amazon should put more effort in improving Kindle’s software than its hardware if it wants to truly become a mega device in this digital era.

You decide: what would you change about Amazon Kindle’s current software? How would you improve it.

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving and holiday to everyone.

I don’t know about you but I have waited a year for Amazon Customer Vote promotion. Basically, this is Amazon’s most popular promotion every year which allows a lucky few to save a ton on best selling items on Amazon. This year we have PS3, hot GPS, HDTVs, and mini laptops for sale, but Amazon customers don’t get to vote for the Kindle. I was hoping for Amazon to have 100 Kindles available for $99 each, and based on the deals that I have seen that wouldn’t have been outrageous. So why did Amazon leave Kindle out of its Customer Vote promotion?

No one knows for sure. It could be that Kindle is out of stock and folks won’t want to buy it even if it’s going for $99, having to wait a couple of months to get it. It could be that it’s so hot right now that folks would pay $359 for it without even thinking twice. But could it be that folks rather buy a PS3 instead of a Kindle for the holiday season?

Either way, Kindle is left out of the biggest Amazon promotion of the year. Disappointing? Yes! Maybe, just maybe, Amazon will offer another promotion on Kindle before the year’s end. Besides, the current deals are not that bad either.

You decide: should Amazon Kindle be a part of Amazon Customer Vote promotion?

Amazon Kindle started going out of stock a while ago. You could see that Amazon was telling folks they had to wait 3 weeks to get their Kindle. Now Amazon is claiming that you need to wait 11 weeks(!) to get your hands on Kindle.

I am personally glad that I picked up a couple for the Christmas way back. But at the same time, I feel bad for folks who missed out. I don’t know how accurate these numbers are but Amazon does usually over-shoot, which means if you get your Kindle now, you may get it before the new year’s eve.

Has anybody here missed out?

For a while now I have been trying to compile a comprehensive list of all accessories that are available for Kindle. But I am curious if you have bought any Kindle accessory for your Kindle. A lot of folks I know believe Kindle is good enough as it is and there is no need for more accessories. Obviously, I don’t believe that. So here is the question: What’s your favorite Kindle accessory and why? Please share your thought here.

Is Amazon getting ready to give a discount on Kindle for Black Friday or the holiday season in general? While I believe they should, I don’t see any indication that they will. The truth is, Amazon is hurting from the effects of our hurting economy, and I’d be surprised if they dropped their price on their hottest gadgets for the holiday season.

In recent years, Amazon did offer one day deals on their bestsellers, and that could be the case this year. But my best bet would be on Amazon offering a similar deal to what they did a couple months ago when you go get $100 off of Kindle with Amazon Visa Card. A permanent price cut does not seem to be in the works for this year (my best bet is we will see a $100 to $150 price drop when Kindle 2.0 comes out).

A lot of folks don’t know about it, and I am sure Amazon is not exactly super excited about putting the refund policy forward. But Amazon does in fact cover your content purchases as long as you return them in 7 days:

Any content you purchase for Kindle from the Amazon Kindle store is eligible for return and refund if we receive your request within 7 days of the date of purchase. Once a refund is issued, the item will be removed from Your Media Library and will no longer be readable on your Kindle. To request a refund and return, click the Customer Service button in the Contact Us box in the right-hand column of this page to reach us via phone or e-mail. Please make sure to include the title of the item you wish to return in your request.

One may wonder if 7 days is a fair period to have for returning the content. I know that when you buy a paper book from Amazon, you can return it in 30 days. If we consider that reading a digital book will take as much as reading a paper book, then the return period for Kindle content should be 30 days as well. Does Amazon know something that we don’t?

Perhaps! Returning Kindle content is much easier than returning a paper book. There is nothing to mail back, and all it takes is a touch of a button. I get that. What I don’t get is Amazon banking on the fact that folks won’t return their Kindle content in 7 days. That is such a short period of time. I don’t know about you, but I buy so much from Kindle store that sometimes it takes me a week to just check out all the stuff I have bought.

Amazon has been known for making things easy for customers. For instance, they make it very easy to cancel subscriptions or Prime membership. They don’t try to hide things or make things difficult. That is why it’s surprising to see Amazon offering only a short period for returns.

You decide: Is Amazon’s return policy fair?

I have got to admit that I have been surprised by Amazon’s persistence on not working on deals to give customers discount on their Kindles. If you haven’t seen it, Amazon has been promoting their new special offer for the iPod Touch:

The offer basically gives $100 off on eligible purchases when you sign up for Audible services for a year. Unfortunately, Kindle is not among the devices that are eligible for this deal. Now let’s not forget taht this deal doesn’t exactly give you $100 off for nothing. You will have to pay $14.95 a month for your Audible subscription. But after all is said and done, you will save $100 on your total.

Is Amazon admitting that folks don’t listen to audio-books on Kindle?

I am one of those people who try to be optimistic with everything but always find a way to find a negative in every positive. A couple of years ago, I read about Sony Reader, and how it was so handy for folks who read a lot of books on the go. I almost bought a Sony Reader back then. It was going for $400, and it was a primitive device (in comparison to Amazon Kindle). There were many positives to it at the time. But I found a way to talk myself out of it.

I remember that day clearly. I was thinking of this crazy scenario where I would settle down and retire in a place that was not as developed as most U.S. cities. There are still places in this world that don’t have access to Internet or even necessities such as clean water and electricity. So I thought, I can live with the water issue, but how can I continue using my reader if there is no electricity?

Now this is a scenario that hopefully I will never have to live through. But Amazon Kindle going solar makes sense on many levels. I know you can get about a week worth of reading with your Kindle battery. But wouldn’t be great if you could charge your Kindle by letting it get some sun? It’s more convenient, and it brings Kindle experience closer to that of a paper book (a paper book doesn’t need to be recharged, and a solar Kindle wouldn’t be too inconvenient to recharge).

Technology firms are not necessarily on green movement’s Christmas guess list. Apple got a lot of attention for not making iPhone 1.0 green enough. Amazon can not only help the environment by going green, but it can also generate some needed buzz for Kindle in the near future. Oprah effect is going to wear off eventually, and Amazon needs to find a way to accelerate the Kindle movement.

The challenge for Amazon will be keeping the costs low. Solar devices tend to be a bit more expensive than their non-solar counterparts, so that could be a problem. The design issues are also going to be significant. But regardless of all these issues, going green can help Amazon reach out to extreme users and get them on board.

Your take: what challenges do you foresee for Amazon going green with Kindle? Can solar Kindle become a reality in the next couple of years?

The times are tough, especially if you are living in the U.S. these days. A whole lot of folks have lost their jobs, and some folks have lost their year-end bonuses. So I am just wondering where does Kindle rank on your shopping list. Buying Kindle is more than just throwing a couple of dollars away. You are making a long-term investment. Having said that, with all the gadgets that are out there (iPhone, XBox, PS3, iPod, Wii, Pleo, …), where does Kindle rank on your shopping list, if it does at all.