Test App For Browsing For A Good Kindle Book To Read

CoryDog · 01-29-2011, 06:43 PM

Update:
Book Search (new "Speech" capability is supported)
Sample Kindle Books Online!!
Added two new genres, Politics and Current Events as well as Business.
Now >40,000 Kindle books to browse.

Hi everyone,

Over the holidays I toyed around with scratching an itch I've had for a loooong time regarding Amazon and the difficulty in sort of just browsing about for a Kindle book. It's just too hard to casual browse through the offerings. e.g. Click get some list of books, scroll, click scroll, reject, back button, back button, ... too slow, too many clicks. So I came up with a small chrome web app.

FIXED URL: http://goo.gl/Slesw

The Problem I'm Trying To Solve: Can't browse the long tail of Amazon's Kindle book offerings quickly and easily. I want to somehow recapture the feeling of "speed" browsing a bookshelf at my local book store with the goal of checking out as many books as possible in the least amount of time. I don't want to replace Amazon's shopping or using the various social books sites for recommendations, just offering a complementary alternative means to "finding a good book to read".

Acorn · 01-29-2011, 08:30 PM

"Item not found. This item may have been removed by its author."

kranu · 01-29-2011, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acorn

"Item not found. This item may have been removed by its author."

Same. OP has to shorten the link (use goo.gl or something) because the extension id gets truncated.

CoryDog · 01-29-2011, 09:25 PM

[sigh] Thanks. Fixed the URL. Hope some of you will still check it out.

CWatkinsNash · 01-30-2011, 04:54 PM

I like it so far! I would definitely use it. I miss "shelf browsing" and this is as good a facsimile as I've seen of that.

I hope you get more people to check it out and give you feedback - it's a very promising app IMO.

CoryDog · 01-30-2011, 08:21 PM

CWatkinsNash - Thanks for the encouragement. Though I can count the number of installs I have to date on fingers and toes, I still find it an interesting project. I just put out a new release. Tiny cleanups and added the Romance Genre with 7,637 more Kindle books. Chrome can take over a day to grab an update. You can force an immediate update with "Wrench -> Tools -> Extensions -> Update All Extensions" should get you there. v0.2.0
Next - Mystery & Thrillers

CWatkinsNash · 01-31-2011, 12:27 AM

You're welcome. I forced the update and did some more browsing. Definitely keep me posted when I need to grab updates. I won't allow myself to actually buy any more books for a week or so, but browsing is almost as fun. Your app seems to be pulling the results faster than browsing on Amazon's site, which I'm loving, so whatever you do, don't add anything that will slow it down.

CoryDog · 01-31-2011, 08:38 AM

New version 0.3.1

Very quick cleanup of UI. It was just too horrible. Hope to give it a through overhaul soon. Same blazing speed.

spacemonkey · 02-03-2011, 07:35 AM

I just get an empty frame, with the navigation etc, but no book covers...

CoryDog · 02-03-2011, 08:18 AM

SpaceMonkey, only thing I can think of is firewall issue. Currently the AJAX calls are happening to a server running on 8060. I believe this has affected others as well. Switching things to port 80 is currently #1 on the list.

spacemonkey · 02-03-2011, 08:38 AM

Ah, that's likely it, just tried it remotely at home, and it works like a charm.

8060 must be blocked from here.

SM

CoryDog · 02-03-2011, 09:03 AM

Just lit off another instance on 80 as well. Uninstall or install again. Or in your Chrome "Wrench -> Tools -> Extensions" On top right click developer mode. Now button on top left "Update Extensions Now". V0.3.2 (and beyond) works on port 80.

spacemonkey · 02-03-2011, 10:07 AM

That now works behind my firewall.

Sweet.

SM

Edit:
OK, now played with it a bit, like the general approach and refine stuff. Don't know how it's implemented in your service calls, but what about the option of a free text search across title/summary? So for instance I can go Sci-Fi -> Refine "zombies" etc?

CoryDog · 02-03-2011, 07:42 PM

SM,

Thanks for the feedback.

Free text search is now on the list. 1-2 wks I'd say. Before end of April for sure.

CoryDog · 02-20-2011, 11:02 PM

New release minor improvements. Most notable is the Similar Books tab now show something

.

01-31-2011, 08:38 AM	#8
CoryDog Member Posts: 22 Karma: 44 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony EReader PRS-500	New version 0.3.1 Very quick cleanup of UI. It was just too horrible. Hope to give it a through overhaul soon. Same blazing speed. Last edited by CoryDog; 02-02-2011 at 11:07 PM.

02-03-2011, 10:07 AM	#13
spacemonkey Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 120 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: kindle 3 wifi	That now works behind my firewall. Sweet. SM Edit: OK, now played with it a bit, like the general approach and refine stuff. Don't know how it's implemented in your service calls, but what about the option of a free text search across title/summary? So for instance I can go Sci-Fi -> Refine "zombies" etc? Last edited by spacemonkey; 02-03-2011 at 10:13 AM.

02-03-2011, 07:42 PM	#14
CoryDog Member Posts: 22 Karma: 44 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony EReader PRS-500	SM, Thanks for the feedback. Free text search is now on the list. 1-2 wks I'd say. Before end of April for sure. Last edited by CoryDog; 04-10-2011 at 01:59 PM. Reason: status update.

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01-29-2011, 06:43 PM	#1
CoryDog Member Posts: 22 Karma: 44 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony EReader PRS-500	Test App For Browsing For A Good Kindle Book To Read Update: Book Search (new "Speech" capability is supported) Sample Kindle Books Online!! Added two new genres, Politics and Current Events as well as Business. Now >40,000 Kindle books to browse. Hi everyone, Over the holidays I toyed around with scratching an itch I've had for a loooong time regarding Amazon and the difficulty in sort of just browsing about for a Kindle book. It's just too hard to casual browse through the offerings. e.g. Click get some list of books, scroll, click scroll, reject, back button, back button, ... too slow, too many clicks. So I came up with a small chrome web app. FIXED URL: http://goo.gl/Slesw The Problem I'm Trying To Solve: Can't browse the long tail of Amazon's Kindle book offerings quickly and easily. I want to somehow recapture the feeling of "speed" browsing a bookshelf at my local book store with the goal of checking out as many books as possible in the least amount of time. I don't want to replace Amazon's shopping or using the various social books sites for recommendations, just offering a complementary alternative means to "finding a good book to read". Last edited by CoryDog; 04-22-2011 at 08:46 PM. Reason: New Release Update

01-29-2011, 08:30 PM	#2
Acorn Connoisseur Posts: 56 Karma: 74 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle 3	"Item not found. This item may have been removed by its author."

01-29-2011, 09:25 PM	#4
CoryDog Member Posts: 22 Karma: 44 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony EReader PRS-500	[sigh] Thanks. Fixed the URL. Hope some of you will still check it out.

01-30-2011, 04:54 PM	#5
CWatkinsNash IOC Chief Archivist Posts: 3,950 Karma: 53868218 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Fruitland Park, FL, USA Device: Meebook M7, Paperwhite 2021, Fire HD 8+, Fire HD 10+, Lenovo Tab P12	I like it so far! I would definitely use it. I miss "shelf browsing" and this is as good a facsimile as I've seen of that. I hope you get more people to check it out and give you feedback - it's a very promising app IMO.

01-30-2011, 08:21 PM	#6
CoryDog Member Posts: 22 Karma: 44 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony EReader PRS-500	CWatkinsNash - Thanks for the encouragement. Though I can count the number of installs I have to date on fingers and toes, I still find it an interesting project. I just put out a new release. Tiny cleanups and added the Romance Genre with 7,637 more Kindle books. Chrome can take over a day to grab an update. You can force an immediate update with "Wrench -> Tools -> Extensions -> Update All Extensions" should get you there. v0.2.0 Next - Mystery & Thrillers

01-31-2011, 12:27 AM	#7
CWatkinsNash IOC Chief Archivist Posts: 3,950 Karma: 53868218 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Fruitland Park, FL, USA Device: Meebook M7, Paperwhite 2021, Fire HD 8+, Fire HD 10+, Lenovo Tab P12	You're welcome. I forced the update and did some more browsing. Definitely keep me posted when I need to grab updates. I won't allow myself to actually buy any more books for a week or so, but browsing is almost as fun. Your app seems to be pulling the results faster than browsing on Amazon's site, which I'm loving, so whatever you do, don't add anything that will slow it down.

02-03-2011, 07:35 AM	#9
spacemonkey Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 120 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: kindle 3 wifi	I just get an empty frame, with the navigation etc, but no book covers...

02-03-2011, 08:18 AM	#10
CoryDog Member Posts: 22 Karma: 44 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony EReader PRS-500	SpaceMonkey, only thing I can think of is firewall issue. Currently the AJAX calls are happening to a server running on 8060. I believe this has affected others as well. Switching things to port 80 is currently #1 on the list.

02-03-2011, 08:38 AM	#11
spacemonkey Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 120 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: kindle 3 wifi	Ah, that's likely it, just tried it remotely at home, and it works like a charm. 8060 must be blocked from here. SM

02-03-2011, 09:03 AM	#12
CoryDog Member Posts: 22 Karma: 44 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony EReader PRS-500	Just lit off another instance on 80 as well. Uninstall or install again. Or in your Chrome "Wrench -> Tools -> Extensions" On top right click developer mode. Now button on top left "Update Extensions Now". V0.3.2 (and beyond) works on port 80.

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02-20-2011, 11:02 PM	#15
CoryDog Member Posts: 22 Karma: 44 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony EReader PRS-500	New release minor improvements. Most notable is the Similar Books tab now show something .