I was already happy that they thought it was important to let me know before I started to see a different price on my credit card bill, and then I read this next part:

As an existing subscriber to Newsweek you will continue to be billed at the previous rate of $1.49/month for six months (until September 5th, 2010) after which you will be billed at the monthly rate then in effect.

I get to keep the original price for another six months?! That’s a nice way to soften the blow that my subscription price is increasing, even if it is doubling…

The newsstand price of Newsweek is $5.95 per issue and a subscription signup through Amazon for the paper edition is $0.74 an issue, so I’m pretty comfortable paying three bucks a month for four issues, even without getting all the charts and graphs.

Click here if you’d like to subscribe to the Kindle edition of Newsweek. Don’t forget that all Kindle magazines and newspapers come with a 14-day free trial, and it’s super easy to cancel your subscription at any time.

A job posting went up just yesterday for a manager for iBooks Asia & Canada (link).  The summation is below:

The role includes: working with management, regionally and in Cupertino to determine strategies and priorities for iBooks in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries; identifying content providers to target, establish and develop relationships; working with legal and production teams to finalize relationships and secure content; and coordinate launches with partners, production, and marketing. This role will also be responsible for marketing the books offering on the iBooks store by coordinating with Apple’s production teams, the marketing team, and the production and marketing teams of partners.

Is this good news for iPad buyers? Does it mean the doom of international sales on the Kindle?  I doubt it, but it’s still good news for book lovers overseas who don’t have a Kindle.

Unfortunately, if you purchased any version of the Kindle device before the global versions were released, your device will not receive global wireless. The 6″ Kindle was released in a global version on October 19, 2009 and the 9.7″ Kindle DX was released in a global version on January 19, 2010. If you wish to receive global wireless, and you received your Kindle before these dates, you will need to purchase one of the new Kindles.

The global Kindle is available in both a 6-inch version and a 9.7-inch version.

Kindle for BlackBerry allows BlackBerry owners to download and read Kindle books – with or without a Kindle. If you do have a Kindle, Kindle for BlackBerry will sync your books to the furthest page read, allowing you to seamlessly switch between Kindle and BlackBerry whenever it’s convenient for you.

Kindle for BlackBerry is free, and is available for download at Amazon.com.

I’ve never really understood why a strap was needed to keep your cover closed when you’re not using the Kindle, but I have a feeling the strap is less of a useful cover feature, and more to keep folks from opening the Kindle backwards and cracking their Kindle screen. After all, if you try to open the cover the wrong way, the strap is on to prevent you, and once you remove the strap, you’ll know which way you should have the Kindle facing.

The covers are $34.99 and available immediately from Amazon in black, red, and pink.

• My Kindle screen cracked – what do I do?
• My Kindle has gray lines/a gray patch on the screen – what do I do?
• I need to update my credit card information. How do I do that?
• I tried to get a refund for a book I downloaded, but it didn’t work. I want my refund.

To get help with these questions – and in any situation where your Kindle is broken or you have questions about your Amazon account – contact Amazon support. They can be reached by visiting their website by clicking the Contact Us button on the help pages at http://www.amazon.com/kindlesupport or directly by calling one of these numbers: Inside the United States: 1-866-321-8851, Outside the United States: 1-206-266-0927.

I love answering reader questions, but sometimes it’s an issue that can only be taken care of by Amazon. Of course, if you email me with a problem I can’t solve, I’ll be happy to send you this contact information again.

I have a feeling Prady had something to do with the Kindle that appears on “The Big Bang Theory” recently.

• Three Reasons Why the iPad Won’t Kill Amazon’s Kindle – The New York Times‘ Bits blog says that there are three major reasons the iPad isn’t a Kindle Killer: The Kindle is for book lovers, and the iPad is not. Amazon will continue to improve on the Kindle. The Kindle store will continue to thrive.
• iBook Therefore I Am – The iPad vs the Kindle and the Nook – MacLife covers what the iPad is and isn’t when it comes to books and traditional media. Suffice it to say that it’s not the savior of the publishing industry that people were predicting.
• Amazon Responds to Macmillan E-books issue – Shortly after the news of the iPad e-book pricing, Macmillan books disappeared from Amazon’s virtual shelves. They have since returned, with e-books priced higher than most readers are willing to pay. Amazon has made a statement saying that they have decided to allow the customer to decide whether or not to pay the price Macmillan is asking. (For more on e-book pricing and consumer attitudes, check out this poll on Lifehacker.com.)
• Steve Jobs compares iPad battery life to Kindle’s: “You’re not going to read for 10 hours” – In this 5 minute video clip, Apple CEO Steve Jobs comments on the shorter battery life of the iPad than the Kindle. His argument – “You’re not going to read for 10 hours…you just end up pluggin’ it in.” Fair enough, I guess, except that I read about two to three hours per day on my Kindle and don’t have to charge it for sometimes a month at a time. With all the other things you can do with an iPad, 10 hours of battery life may not cut it.
• Apple iBooks e-reader: First Take – From CNet.com comes one of the first reviews of Apple’s new iBooks e-reader application and store. They compare the app to other e-reader apps already available in the iTunes store, such as Classics, Stanza, and of course the Amazon Kindle for iPhone App. (In related news, the striking similarities of the new iBooks interface and the popular Mac software Delicious Library did not go unnoticed by its creator.)

I’m sure the stories comparing the Kindle and the iPad are only going to increase in the coming weeks as we get closer to the iPad’s late March release date.

The only floating waterproof case for Kindle

That’s right. They say it floats! Floats and protects your Kindle from the water.

The Guardian isn’t available on MEdge Guardian yet, but likely will be shortly.  It will be available in six colors: Black, Red, Orange, Navy Blue, Light Blue, and Yellow.  It is presently only being marketed for the 6″ Kindle (current version) but a DX version will likely follow.

From MEdge:

Made of molded plastic, the Guardian safeguards the device in all water environments up to 1 meter deep, from the bathtub to the pool to the ocean. The Guardian Case allows for full functionality of Kindle’s navigation buttons and keyboard through flexible sealed button cutouts. Users can even read hands-free in the water, because the Guardian floats upright. The Guardian keeps a secure, watertight seal around Kindle by utilizing a dual-hinge, integrated gasket and four-latch closure system. Three internal buoyancy chambers provide distributed flotation to keep Kindle afloat and upright for in-water reading. An anti-reflective film protects the Guardian’s screen area while allowing for uninhibited reading in sunny environments. Made of a transparent polycarbonate, the Guardian’s hard shell exterior provides impact protection while the custom molded interior and soft mounting pads provide gentle support for the device.

For more about the Guardian, visit MEdge’s website: www.medge.com or view the image below.

MEdge Guardian

From the image, it looks as though the keyboard and next/prev buttons are open, and possibly the space over the screen as well.  If that’s the case, is this really water proof?  Would you try your Kindle to this case?

Should the Kindle be worried?  Initially I’d say no, since the price point for Apple’s device is reportedly much higher than any of the other e-Readers on the market, Kindle included.

Here’s some specs about the new Apple iPad direct from the conference:

• .5″ thick
• 1.5 pounds
• 9.7″ IPS display
• 1.4 Ghz Apple A4 Processor
• Available in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB hard drives.
• Bluetooth 2.1
• Wifi 802.11N
• Accelerometer & Compass
• Speaker & Microphone built in.
• 10 hour battery life. (Over a month on standby, reportedly.)

Does this new device interest you? Would you abandon your Kindle for an iPad?  Leave your opinion below in the comments!