Kindle Fire Tips & Tricks & How-To's

[SCION]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

I decided NOT to use the Carousel. I just use the Shelves for what I like. The Carousel is really like the Archive folder of the 3rd Generation Kindle Kbd WiFi.

Move what interests you to the Shelves and then roll your screen down so only the Shelves appear. We should have an option to make the Carousel DISAPPEAR like the Archive did in the 3rd generation

Yeah, I agree. The placement of the favorites shelves is convenient enough.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by jswinden

They definitely need to rethink the viewing options for the carousel! If you have hundreds of books, perhaps thousands of songs, plus lots of videos, apps, et cetera, it will be a huge mess to find anything. Still beats the pants off the Nook though!

I find it ugly and annoying and not useful. It too big and I don't like it. I would of been happy with a recent shelf instead.

[obsessed2]

Originally Posted by jswinden

How to Sideload Apps:
I recommend that you install the free ES File Explorer available through the Amazon App Store. You will need an app like it to install sideloaded *.apk files which are apps BTW.

1. Tap Quick Settings, More, Device, then click On to enable Allow Installation of Applications from Unknown Sources.
2. Google your app and search for the APK file. Try looking on the developer's website.
3. Download the APK file to your computer.
4. Copy the APK file to the root on the Fire via a USB connection to your computer. After copied, disconnect the Fire from the computer by clicking Disconnect on the bottom of the Fire's screen and then unplug the USB cable.
5. Start ES File Explorer and select the APK file then select install when prompted.
6. All done.

My son will be opening his Kindle Fire later today. I own two other Android tablets and I have a question regarding ES File Explorer, specifically on the Kindle Fire. On my other two Android tablets I can launch ES File Explorer and in the top left hand corner it says Local. If I press it I get a pull down menu and can change the view to LAN, FTP, or Bluetooth (obviously this last option won't apply to the Fire). If I select LAN it allows me to view shared folders on my computer which I can then access and copy files (Apps, Documents, Photos etc.) wirelessly to my tablet without using a USB cable. My question is: When you launch ES File Explorer on the Fire is there a pull down menu that will allow you to select LAN and view shared computers on your LAN? If so, it may be possible to transfer files wireless instead of USB. If no one responds I'll check this later today and see if it's possible. I like to transfer files wireless to my other tablets using ES File Explorer, much easier and convenient then a USB cable.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by obsessed2

My son will be opening his Kindle Fire later today. I own two other Android tablets and I have a question regarding ES File Explorer, specifically on the Kindle Fire. On my other two Android tablets I can launch ES File Explorer and in the top left hand corner it says Local. If I press it I get a pull down menu and can change the view to LAN, FTP, or Bluetoooh (obviously this last option won't apply to the Fire). If I select LAN it allows me to view shared folders on my computer which I can then access and copy files (Apps, Documents, Photos etc.) wirelessly to my tablet without using a USB cable. My question is: When you launch ES File Explorer on the Fire is there a pull down menu that will allow you to select LAN and view shared computers on your LAN? If so, it may be possible to transfer files wireless instead of USB. If no one responds I'll check this later today and see if it's possible. I like to transfer files wireless to my other tablets using ES File Explorer, much easier and convenient then a USB cable.

It looks like there is so you should be able to.

[obsessed2]

How to Side Load Files (Apps, Documents etc.) using Wireless LAN


You can transfer Apps, Movies, Music, Photos, and Documents from Shared folders on your PC to the Kindle Fire using your Wireless LAN, without using a USB cable. Here's how:

1) Enable Network Discovery, File Sharing, and Media Sharing on your PC (Windows Vista / 7: Control Panel --> Network and Internet --> Network and Sharing Center. Once this is done, create a Shared Folder on your PC using Windows Explorer (e.g. Fire Apps). To share the Folder right click the created Folder and select Share. You can choose to share this with Everyone or just select users. If your PC has a Firewall you need to make sure the Trust Level is set to Share. For example in Norton 2011, under Network Security click on Network Security Map, Edit Network Details, and Edit the trust Level to Shared. Other Security Suites will obviously be different but similar.

2) Download ES file Explorer (free from Amazon App Store)

3) Tap Quick Settings, More, Device, then click On to enable Allow Installation of Applications from Unknown Sources.

4) Open ES File Explorer

5) In the Upper Left Hand Corner Touch Local

6) You should receive a Change View selection

7) Select LAN

8) Select Menu, New, and Scan. (Note: If you know your PC's IP address you can Select Server and enter the IP address, a Username and Password if necessary, or you can log in Anonymous). The Scan option works best for users without a lot of PC experience.

9) If you ran a Scan, you should see a list of PCs on your LAN that have Network Discovery enabled

10) Select your PC and enter Password as needed and the Shared Folder you created should be visible

11) From here you can merely touch an App to "copy" and install it to your Fire. Once the App is downloaded the Fire should prompt you to install it.

12) You can LONG press (press and hold) any App, Document, Movie, Music, or any other file in your Shared Folder and select Copy. You can also select Multiple Files and Copy and Paste them all at once to the Fire. Press the little icon in the right hand corner and another set of icons will appear. Press the one with the plus sign to select multiple files. Once all files are selected LONG press one file and Copy.

13) Back in the top left corner press LAN and select Local

14) Select the Local Folder where you want to copy files. You can use an existing folder create a New Folder using the Menu button.

14) You will see a small slide Tab at the bottom of the screen. Slide it up and long press any file and select Paste or Paste All.

15) Your file should now be on the Fire

16) This procedure is really much easier than it sounds. Plus you eliminate having to use the USB cable every time you want to transfer a document or side load an App.

[wallcraft]

This is perhaps too obvious, but I find the landscape keyboard much easier to use. When entering text, flip between landscape and portrait to see which you prefer.

[dukefingaz]

does anyone know how to load your own videos and what format it needs to be in for the kindle fire

[dukefingaz]

does anyone know how to load your own videos and what format it needs to be in for the kindle fire and how to get to show up after loading it to the cloud drive.

[Radnor]

I'm using Emit to stream videos from my computer. It works surprisingly well.

http://www.amazon.com/Biokoda-d-o-o-...1510995&sr=8-4

[sirmaru]

Best Bibles measured by speed of searches:

PC - Logos
3rd Generation Kindle Keyboard - Osnova KJV and NET plus Crossway ESV
4th Generation Kindle Fire - Tecarta KJV, NIV and NIVSB

Since the Kindle Fire inhibits indexing, the Osnova Bibles are crippled in their speeds while being super fast on the 3rd Generation Kindles.

[janiebegood]

Originally Posted by dukefingaz

does anyone know how to load your own videos and what format it needs to be in for the kindle fire and how to get to show up after loading it to the cloud drive.

I did this just yesterday! Plug the Kindle Fire into the computer via the USB cable. Find the video you want to load (I was moving .mp4 files, so I don't know what other ones it will support). Pull the video into the Pictures folder on the Fire, NOT the Video folder. When you're done, disconnect and open the Gallery icon. Your videos should be there.

[obsessed2]

To check available storage, press the Quick Settings Icon, More (+), and select Device. The first line item shows how much storage is remaining on the Fire.

[paul13]

Hi everyone - first post here, just got my Kindle Fire yesterday...

1. Seems like the only way to get rid of the pre-listed app shortcuts is to actually install them, then long press to remove from device?

2. Just installed Spotify as my first non-Amazon store app. Downloaded apk from m.spotify.com and ran with ES File Explorer. Seems to be installed running fine, but my one problem is that I can't see the pause (and next/prev track) icons which may be hidden by the main menu bar at the bottom of the screen? Anyone else tried the Spotify app on the Fire yet?

3. Agree with the other comments about the carousel being messy and fairly useless once you have more than a few books, etc. Hopefully there will be some way to turn that off and stick with the favourites shelf.

How to Turn On/Off Keyboard Autocorrections (Quick Fixes)

Quick Fixes (autocorrections while typing) on touchscreen interfaces is notoriously annoying, even on iOS. You think you typed one thing, send your email or text message, then realize the autocorrection changed a word or two, often very awkwardly! With the Kindle Fire you can turn Quick Fixes On or Off.

You can turn this On or Off by selecting Quick Menu --> More --> Kindle Keyboard, then for the Quick Fixes option select On or Off.

How to Copy and Paste on the Fire

To copy touch and hold on a word until a dialog box appears then choose the appropriate option such as Select or Select All. The word(s) are then highlighted, so now you can drag the sides of the highlighting to ensure you select all the words you want highlighted. Now touch and hold on the highlighted text until a dialog box appears and choose Copy.

To paste touch and hold where you want to paste the text until a dialog box appears and choose Paste.

This is pretty standard with touchscreen interfaces like iOS and Android. It probably works a bit more smoothly in iOS, but it works okay in Android too.