923. EPUB Converter ASCM to Kindle Formats

Occasionally when you borrow an eBook from a public library (FREE people) the book is available only in .ASCM format. Not good for a Kindle! So,

1. Tell your library system to send an EPUB. It will instead send you a .ASCM file. You now need to convert it to an .epub file AND then to a .mobi file that the Kindle 1 recognizes. 

2. Adobe Digital Editions  (download it if you do not have it, set up an Adobe ID (login) to authorize your device (Windows 10). 

3. Copy (or drag) the .acsm file downloaded into Adobe Digital Editions library and READ. This will download the book as a .EPUB file in it's output folder. Locate the .EPUB file on your PC (I use EVERYTHING [slick, download if you don't have it) to find files anywhere on your PC by name or text search]. 

4. Now you need an EPUB to MOBI converter. Be aware that almost all online converters will not remove DRM protection, so get a PC version. I have Any Ebook converter that can be downloaded from  https://www.any-ebook-converter.com/Download . Install, start it. Copy the EPUB over to it by dragging from location found in 3 above. 

5. Bring up Any Ebook Converter, drag the .EPUB into it, hit Convert to MOBI. Again ring up folder with the .MOBI file in it

6. Attach your Kindle to PC via the USB cable and bring up it's Documents folder. This is done by bringing up File Explorer>Network> L2022>Users>r69l1>Documents. Now copy the .MOBI file to you DOCUMENTS folder on the Kindle. To get it to display on "For You" screen, you might have to put it in KINDLE, eBooks, or Books folders; haven't quite figured this out yet.

7. You should now have it on Kindle. Enjoy reading it.

Note: ePub can be bought for a cheap $14 and change. It allows up to 10 conversions as a trial before purchasing. GO to to read all about ePub Converter tools for details.

874. Suddenlink - Lost SSID - plus changing passwords

While I'm in a technical mood, I simply can't overlook the stability of the Suddenlink ISP connection over the last 2-3 weeks. About ever other day at minimum, my network has been losing access to its SSID! Sometimes just a rebbot of router cleared things, but most of the time the Suddenlink modem had to be rebooted first. Then there were several down times for entire Suddenlink system including the phone.

So, regardless if phone remained up or not a reboot of the Suddenlink modem was required to reestablish the SSID, that is, make it available in the connection list. Well, the reboot sequence of Suddenlink modem (power back on after 30 seconds off), followed by router (power on after off for 30 seconds), then all you devices that need to connect after that. All resolved! btw, Suddenlink did take the system down due to Internet issue in the area for about 2-3 hours the other day and everything has been since. I guess a few weeks of inconvenience is acceptable in today's world!

Except, if you were foolish enough to change passwords for your router and network sign in. This is different issue, but warrants documentation. Changing the router password on a Netgear router is simple enough. Sign in, truck off to SECURITY, and changed the password. No reboots are required. However, if you decide to change the Wireless Network Password, then the whole reboot sequence needs to be done after you find your way on the router to WIRELESS and then SECURITY to change the password.Sequence again is: router, then each device. It may be helpful you  you have a checklist for all the devices you need to change before you wife, so, or daughter hits you up for screwing up. Don't forget the FireTV wireless also. I learned that in order to enter the new wireless password on each device you need to get to your connection and tell to FORGET the router. You will then be prompter at connection for new password.

824. Read DRM PDF on Kindle with Akido

Don't bother looking for an app in the Kindle Store that can read DRM (protected) PDF files. I am a reviewer for books at Netgalley.com. Usually the books I am offered are downloadable in Kindle format. The other day I got one only downloadable as a PDF, and a protected one! DRM if you realize it has restrictions and limitations for the file downloaded (Adobe Digital Edition file that ends in .acsm) to protect the distribution and copying of the author's book. If you use a PC to read it, you simply need Adobe Digital Edition installed, plus have an Adobe ID (login for the Adobe website). Click on the .acsm file and ADE will come up. You will need to do a once only thing to Authorize your computer to read the book (PDF) and the dialog under HELP allows you to do the Authorize and specify the Adobe ID. Once that is down, and every other time, when you click on the .acsm file you get (really only a stub, not the book itself), it begins downloading the actual book as a .PDF and puts you into reader mode to read it.

However, the Kindle has no reader for an .acsm file and thus cannot get the .PDF to read in any reader that comes with the Kindle. Along comes Alkido via the Google Play Store. Installing an app from Google Play Store is a different animal itself. I believe I have a post how to get it working. If not, google "google play store apps kindle" and you should find the necessary programs you need to install to utilize Google Play to get to all the apps available from Google. Note that these are for a general Android device, NOT the specifically customized Kindle Android version necessarily. I haven't had any problem though with anything I downloaded from Google Play Store. Anyway, get the Alkido app (can process the .acsm file and download the book into its reader). Again, this time for the Kindle device itself, you need to specify the DRM login info (Adobe ID and PW you created at teh Adobe site).

If both devices, PC and Kindle are enabled as above, you can now read your protected DRM book on wither device.

805. MAYDAY! MAYDAY! Check on POP, Amazon!

Amazon's Kindle had two problems today.

1. I wanted to switch my email from IMAP to POP3 and after configuring, it wouldn't connect to ISP (Suddenlink here).

2. I tried to call up Tech Support via MAYDAY and it didn't work

First, let me address MAYDAY. Today I hit the ICON in Settings and it presented me with NO Connection option and, instead, presented the following screen:

Notice the DISCONTINUANCE of calling for tech support help via the MAYDAY ICON beginning June 5, 2018. Well today is still May 31, but I guess they got a jump on the world and blind-sighted everybody. If you read the paragraphs in the message carefully, you will notice that Tech Support still can get access like they did before, the only difference you have to call Customer Service now instead of simply hitting a connect. Customer Service now has the capability to initiate a Screen Saving session to do what you experienced in the past. Would have been nice if the KNEW about this, which two different reps did not. The second at least had the intelligence to find this out and confirm it was early discontinuance. So, now you just select the Phone or Email button that is presented, enter your info and number and they DO promptly call you.

Now, problem #2. You'd think it would be a simple operation. Go to Network settings for your email account (EMAIL app), select settings, select Incoming blah,blah, blah, and they change the IMAP.yourISP to POP.ISP (the names my ISP service wants) along with the port chenges (993 to 995 for my ISP). Well, this is what I did on 2 PCs and it worked immediately. NOT on the Kindle though! Heres what needs to be done:

a) Go to the EMAIL app and bring up your account(s) and select SETTINGS (I needed to swipe right to get the menu with settings on it). Now instead of selecting your account to change and trying to change IMAP to POP and ports there, DELETE the account and then ADD the account back as a new one. Now, pay attention because the procedure you might think works, doesn't without an additional step or two. 

b) At thsi point (After ADD account) you may specify the name and password, but do NOT invoke yet. Select Advanced where you can tell Kindle to use POP3 or IMAP. Tell it POP3. WARNING: You are NOT done yet. You might think specifying POP3 would automatically change the Incoming name from IMAP to POP. It doesn't!. You need to manually press the Incoming IMAP and change it to POP. What about ports? Well it will pick up 995 for the POP just fine now, so go ahead and submit the new account for creation. You should then be in business.

Why on earth do I want to use POP3 and not IMAP you ask. Consider this posted earlier re Suddenlink issue. ALL emails remain visible in their system even if delete was done on an IMAP email device. For example, I view my emails, like credit card infor, bills, broker messages of transactions, etc., and expected it to be deleted from Suddenlink if I delete it from the email device. Well, yes and no. It does get deleted from INBOX, but is kept in TRASH! I recently had an incident that required me to look on Suddenlink server via their Website and their customer rep could view everything I had in TRASH. A slight PRIVACY & SECURITY issue I would say. He even did a test by SPOOFING my name onto an email and sending it to me! Thus, I'm a POP3 fan now which does NOT synchronize with Suddenlink. I can delete on the device to get rid of it and it without Suddenlink dropping it into TRASH on their system. So, my process is delete from any of my 3 devices if I never want it saved, or SAVE it into a personal folder if I want to save it. NO personal, Private, or secire emails will ever go to TRASH on a device OR Suddenlink. I could be wrong, but I feel ore comfortable now. 

802. Kindle HDX revisited

It's been ages since (only once) I wrote about my Kindle HDX. It just doesn't hiccup! I'm amazed that Amazon can upgrade it's operating system so effortlessly and transparently, unlike Microsoft Windows. Of course, it is only an Android Tablet though.

The first post, # 715, reported Zinio not working and its fix. Ironically, this is a repeat since the Kindle version went belly up a few weeks back and I now have something called DGB Digital application which replaces it. I got it by visiting my RGB Digital magazine page where I borrow magazines via my Arlington Public Library account and at bottom is a hypertext to get the Kindle version of its new reader. That's all it took. Happy again. 😀

Can't say enough about Amazon's products. My wife still uses her 4th version very old reader and won't give it up! So light weight it became part of her hand. Cooking done one-handed, watching TV one-handed, etc. Another nice thing is that Amazon cares about legacy applications and functions, unlike Microsoft which replaces things with more lights and sparkles but less satisfying apps. So, KUDOS to Amazon, especially since it has been a money maker in my stock Porfolio for years and years.

715. Kindle HDX Zinio for Libraries isn't downloading mags correctly

6/1/2018 Update: Zinio for Libraries was replaced by a direct RBDigital App that is available at its site RBDigital.com. 
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Since Amazon upgraded their OS to 4.5.5 a few days ago [around 8/5/15], the Zinio APP on my Kindle HDX randomly fails to download magazines. The version that fails is 1.0.2.20150415 and is the one downloaded from the Zinio RBDigital site. Intead of this version, get the Google Play Store version as follows: On the Kindle in Silk find the Google Play App Download Tool and specify the Google Play Store URL for the Zinio for Libraries reader APP and it will download Zinio 2.7.7028 as a ….crx file. Open it with ES and it will install. You should be back in business.  Note, the Google version is about 5x smaller! Hmm, what has Zinio done to the Kindle version they are downloading?