Monthly Archives: February 2013

Does Your Kindle Fire Need Virus Protection?

* * * Today’s post is brought to you by ESET Smart Security, the tech security product I’ve used for years and love. Advertisers make it possible for Digital Media Mom to bring you great content each day for free, so thanks for your support. * * * Note: Kindle Fire HDX owners, please see this more recent post, which is specific to the HDX line – Kindle Fire HDX Antivirus: Do You Need It? In a word, at this point in time (October 2014), assuming you haven’t hacked your Fire and don’t “sideload” apps to it, no. Not really. While it’s true that the Kindle Fire runs on the Android platform, and there have been numerous reports of hackers targeting phones that run on the Android platform, that doesn’t mean they’re also targeting your Kindle Fire. Here are the reasons why: The Kindle Fire runs on a custom, Amazon-proprietary version of…

Kindle Fire Tips: Text To Speech, Charger Options and Where’s My App?

My last post with Kindle Fire tips was such a hit, I figured y’all might like another! Text To Speech: Amazon Doesn’t Advertise It, But It’s Available On The Fire HD Line The first-generation Kindle Fire was rolled out without Text To Speech (TTS) functionality, which upset and annoyed the many fans of this feature. TTS is a feature that originated with the original, monochrome Kindle device. Where the publisher has enabled this feature, TTS reads the Kindle book aloud to you using text-recognition software and a computerized voice. It’s nowhere near as a good a reading as you’ll get with an audiobook narrated by a professional actor or voice actor, but for the sight-impaired it’s a godsend. Many Kindle owners who are not sight-impaired made regular use of TTS as well. When Amazon unveiled its new, HD line of Kindle Fire devices last year, TTS fans anxiously waited to hear if it…

Wilderness Dumbass Movies

Let me open by saying I have done minimal research on the three real-life people whose stories are told in three of the movies I’m about to tear down, because I didn’t enjoy any of the films enough to want to learn more about the real life figures and frankly, I’ve got better things to do with my time than study up on people I don’t care about. So if you’re about to come at me all, “But in real life…”, forget it. I don’t care about “in real life,” I’m only talking about these movies. And in these movies, those three guys are Wilderness Dumbasses. Two of the guys I’m about to talk smack about died on account of their Wilderness Dumbassery. While I am sorry for the loss to their family and friends, and do not celebrate the deaths of any well-meaning and essentially decent people, the lesson…

Can’t Afford To Buy New Digital Media & Devices? Amazon’s Buyback Program Wants Your Used DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, Vinyl, Books & Electronics

It’s one thing to realize digital is the better, less expensive, more versatile and more portable way to go with your entertainment media, or to know the Kindle Fire HD 8.9” totally p0wns your first-generation Fire*, but you can’t do anything about it until you’ve got the means to buy that newer and better stuff. Amazon’s Semi-Secret Buyback Program Well you’re in luck, because in its quest to become Media & Retailing Master of the Universe, Amazon has launched a massive media and electronics buy back program. They don’t advertise it much, and they don’t make it particularly easy to find either, but Amazon’s buy back program allows you to send in your used stuff in exchange for Amazon store credit. Amazon even lets you look up your items first, to see what their trade-in values are, and provides a pre-paid postage label you can print out at home so that shipping costs are covered. All you…