Keeping You Up To Date...Kindle has a few new products or accessories that I thought were noteworthy. Read below and let me know what you think!

‘Send to Kindle’ Plug in

Amazon has just announced a new plug in for the Kindle eBook reader. The plugin is called ‘Send to Kindle.’ Put simply, the ‘Send to Kindle’ plug is software for the PC designed too make it super-easy to send files to your Kindle.

Of course you have always been able to send files to your Kindle using your email address, but it was not straight forward. The ‘Send to Kindle’ plugin offers quick simple file transfers. Amazon says that: “From Windows Explorer, simply right-click on one or more documents and choose Send to Kindle.”

Other benefits this feature brings to the Kindle is archiving documents and downloading documents to your device for reviewing at your preference. Syncing, just like with Kindle books, is also available with the ‘Send to Kindle’ plugin so that the last page you read is book marked just as if it were an eBook. Notes, highlights are also auto synced. The only exception are PDF files. Supported documents include: .doc, .txt, .jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp, and .pdf.

You can download the new ‘Send to Kindle’ plugin from amazon.com.

Sorry Mac users...no Mac support as of yet, but is expected to come along soon.

Solar Kindle

SolarFocus Technology unleashed the ‘SolarKindle’ at the CES show in Las Vegas. What is ‘SolarKindle’ you ask? It is the world’s first solar powered e-reader cover.

Kindle is known for the long lifespan, however the claim from SolarFocus is that once you’ve charged your SolarKindle the lifespan increases to around three months. Following the full charge, each day thereafter that SolarKindle receives a good soak up of the sun’s ray you will receive three more day’s of reading time. The theory is that you can take the SolarKindle on a long trip abroad and never have to plug it in!

Not only does SolarKindle expand the lifespan it is made of premium leather and comes with a mini LED light ideal for night-time reading. The LED light does not use any of your Kindle’s power but is powered by the integrated reserve battery for up to 50 hours of use.

"For the past six years, SolarFocus has been dedicated to developing the most technologically advanced portable solar powered solutions for consumers," said Dick Lu, EVP at SolarFocus. "We will continuously improve the price / performance ratio of our solar powered solutions on even more consumer electronic products to reduce carbon emissions."

Talking of price, the SolarKindle will hit US shops on 15 January, priced at $79.99. No word on a UK release as of yet and also no word on whether Amazon has okayed the use of the word Kindle in the name....