The Kindle Fire is an inexpensive and innovative e-book reader that crosses into tablet computers by adding Internet browsing, e-mail, and the ability to run a large number of Android apps.
1. Set a password and lock your Kindle. When you set up the Kindle Fire account and tie it to an Amazon account, Amazon automatically activates their 1-Click option and no password is required to order Amazon products using the Kindle. This means that anyone who picks up your Kindle Fire can easily place orders without restrictions or passwords, including your kids. This was probably the dumbest thing that I have found thus far with the Kindle. I hope they address this in a future update.
2. Learn how to delete apps that you do not want. Hundreds of free and low-cost apps are available. Quite a number of them are junk. Most new Kindle Fire users tend to download several freebie apps and then find them to be annoying or useless. To delete an app, select the Apps link at the top of the display and lightly press a finger on the icon for the app that you want to delete. Don’t tap it. You need to hold the finger on the app icon for a few seconds. A small menu will appear above the icon. Select Remove From Device and then confirm that you wish to do this.
3. Get a good, sturdy protective cover or case for Kindle Fire. There are a lot of flimsy cases that do not do much to protect you new toy. I personally found the M-Edge Leather Incline Jacket to be the best for my needs. The covers are reinforced to be stiff and sturdy, and it prevents the power button from accidentally being pressed when the Kindle is resting on your lap. Placing the power button on the bottom was a strange design idea, although the Kindle can be rotated to prevent accidentally hitting this button while reading an e-book. When the Kindle is placed on its side and the M-Tech cover is folded back, there is a depression in the leather that allows the jacket to be used as a support stand.
4. Set up a wireless home network (Wi-Fi). Wi-Fi modems are cheap. When I bought the Fire I didn’t exactly know what to expect, but you cannot really use it effectively unless you can connect to a Wi-Fi network. A user can always run down to Starbucks or a local hotel parking lot where Wi-Fi is available, but that is not always convenient. part of the beauty of the kindle Fire is that there is no monthly fee for using the Kindle. Internet access, e-mail services, e-book downloads and other features can be accesses for free–provided you can get on a Wi-Fi network. Also, software updates occur automatically when connected to a network.
5. Organize the carousel on the home screen. The carousel on the home screen gets cluttered with all of your apps and e-books. To remove an item from the carousel, lightly touch the icon and hold it. A small menu will appear with a selection, Remove from Carousel.
6. To conserve battery life, shut the Kindle down when not using it. There are two shutdown modes. If the power button is momentarily pressed, the Kindle goes into standby mode. If the power button is pressed and held, the Kindle will ask, “Do you want to shut down your Kindle?” In standby mode, the Kindle is still powered up and Wi-Fi is still connected. Only the display is shut down. Shutting it down fully conserves the battery.
If you have some favorite Kindle Fire tips that you wish to share, feel free to add a comment below.