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How to listen to audiobooks and read eBooks for FREE

ARTICLE – Last year we remodeled our main bathroom and I ordered a white Amazon Echo Dot and a special outlet wall mount holder so the install would be neat and the Echo wouldn’t need any counter space.

Every morning before I hop in the shower, I’ll say “Alexa, play some music” and she’ll start playing some of my favorite songs that help me wake up. But one morning a couple of weeks ago, I heard myself saying “Alexa, read me a story”. I don’t really know why I even asked that because I’d never issued that command before, but I’m so glad that I did because it’s ignited a new thirst for reading (and listening) to books that I’ve not had in a long time.

See, I love to read but I never seem to have enough time to devote to it. It can sometimes take me a month to get through a book because I only read a couple of pages here and a couple of pages there. I rarely sit down and devote an entire hour or more just for reading.

But from the moment Alexa started the audiobook AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller, I was hooked on audiobooks. Instead of listening to the radio or Spotify on my 20-minute drives to and from work, I listened to the book. I found myself looking forward to getting up in the mornings just so I could get in another 10-minute listening session in the shower followed up by a 20-minute session on the way into work and then another on the way home.

I finished AWOL on the Appalachian Trail this weekend (great read/listen if you enjoy hiking stories like I do) and asked Alexa to read me a new book when I hopped in the shower on Sunday. I was confused when the same book started over and I later found that my Amazon Prime membership must not cover audiobooks like I thought it might. Instead, I think I just got a one-time freebie and was prompted to sign up for a 30-day trial or a full subscription. I don’t need an extra $14.95 a month bill that only gives you 3 books a month, so I went searching for alternatives.

I ended up finding that there are some free audiobooks from Amazon if you have a Prime account, but they are not easy to find (thanks a lot Amazon) and they aren’t new releases or best sellers. I was just about to give up when I found OverDrive and Libby.

OverDrive and Libby are pretty much the same thing. Libby is just an updated version of the OverDrive app for Android and iOS devices that lets you read and listen to audiobooks and read eBooks for FREE. Completely, FREE and no trials, or paid subscription. Just install the app and read or listen… Well, there is one caveat. You will need a library card for your local library to get all these glorious freebies.

Lucky for me, I have a card from my local library which was also free. The Libby app asks you for your library’s name and your account number (on the library card) and voila, you now have access to digital versions and audio versions of your favorite books.




The Libby interface allows you to search on books by title and you can also search for books that are available to borrow immediately. Remember, it’s a library, so some titles may already be checked out, so you’ll have to “get in line” and put checked out titles on hold so you’ll get them when they become available.

I’m not sure if the borrowing period is the same for every library, but for mine, the audiobooks can be checked out for 12 days and the ebooks can be checked out for 21 days. I do not know (yet), if you can renew if the time expires before you’re finished. I also don’t know if the limit of 10 books is per my library or all libraries.



If you like, you can send your checked out books to the Kindle app on your device or you can read them directly through the Libby app. For audiobooks, you listen through the Libby app. The app’s interface is easy to navigate and there are some customization options like changing the playback speed for audiobooks and changing the font, text size, and color.

The built-in Libby eBook reader will also let you click to see a definition of a word and search on words as well as set bookmarks.

To say that I’m excited to have found the free Libby app/service is an understatement. I might have to wait a few days for a new book to become available, but it’s free and there are so many titles to choose from that it’s really a non-issue. Yay for libraries!!!

Another tip for readers is to check out Goodreads.com. It’s a site where you can keep track of all the books you’ve read and books that you want to read. The site also provides ideas for new books to read based on your read books or books in your want to read list.

Here’s a question for all of you. Do you think that listening to an audiobook should count as “reading” the book? I feel like it’s just another way to digest the info and see no reason why listening and reading can’t be considered the same thing.

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How to listen to audiobooks and read eBooks for FREE originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 29, 2019 at 5:11 pm.

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Homever Slow Masticating Juicer review


REVIEW – In today’s world, eating and drinking healthy are popular efforts that have become a sought after lifestyle. In response to this demand, thousands of appliances have flooded the market, all offering to take your healthy ingredients and turn them into even healthier dishes or juices. I love fruit, but I can never seem to get into the rhythm of eating all of the fruit I purchase. However, since I do drink a lot of liquids, the idea of turning the fruit and vegetables into tasty and healthy juices is very appealing to me. There are tons of Juicers that promise to do the job of producing the most juice, in an easy way, and with minimal cleanup. Let’s see how the Homever Slow Masticating Juicer handles the task.

What is it?

The Homever Slow Masticating Juicer is a slow masticating juicer for fruits and vegetables, with a quiet motor and reverse function. It has also been designed to be easy to clean and it is BPA-Free

What’s in the box


1 x Homever Slow Masticating Juicer
1 x Juice Container
1 x Residue Container
1 x Propelling Rod
1 x Tray
1 x Extractor
1 x Juice Filter
1 x Extractor Cover
1 x Cleaning Brush
1 x User Guide

Design and features

Features:

  • 80 Rpm Slow Masticating & Grinding: Homever masticating juicer works in slow speed 80 rpm /minute, producing less foaming or clogging.
  • 7 Segment Spiral System: The 7 segment spiral masticating extraction can fully squeeze the fruits and vegetables.
  • 60 Low Decibel Moter Running: The Homever juice machine produces less than 60db of noise when working, and it is easy to assemble, operate and clean.

On the front side of the base, there is the receptacle that the juicing extractor mechanism connects to.
On the opposite side of the base is the power switch. It includes the on, off and the reverse functions. Below the power switch at the bottom is the built-in power cord.

The juicing extractor mechanism that includes the filter, propelling rod and extractor connects to the base.

Performance

The Juicer is very easy to assemble, and I was able to put the few parts together in seconds. Then, I set it up on my crowded testing counter in the kitchen and I was ready to go., The only challenge I faced was where and how to place the container baffle, but I think I figured it out correctly.

For this test, I decided to use an apple, three clementines, a peach and a bunch of red seedless grapes. The ingredients are shown below.

I started putting the fruit in the feeding tube and very lightly pressed down on the propelling rod.

When I was done with feeding the fruit through the extractor, I had one container with all of the pulp and about 2 glasses of great tasting juice. Maybe I did not place the Container Baffle correctly because I did have some foam in the glass, but I have no problem with the foam. Not sure why some folks do, but for me, it was just great.
The picture below shows the resulting pulp. Everything processed easily so I did not have to use the reverse function. However, I did test it and it works by reversing the direction of the spiraling system.

As shown below, taking the juicer apart is simple and that makes it easy to clean. I did not even have to use the Cleaning Brush. I just ran the filter and other parts under hot tap water and everything cleaned up great.

What I like

  • Simple and effective operation
  • It works with very little effort
  • Produces really nice pure juice
  • It is easy to clean
  • The build quality is good and it is lightweight

What I’d change

  • A more detailed User Guide that is also easier to read. (Larger print and diagrams)

Final thoughts

I have tried several juicers prior to this one. The ones I previously tried were ok, but they always seemed to produce less juice than I expected, required quite a bit of effort to “push” the ingredients through the blades, and were not that easy to clean up afterward. While some of them seemed a bit more robust, this juicer not only really gets the juice out of the ingredients, but it also does so producing pure juice with no reside, and the clean up is quick and easy. So far, I give it 2 thumbs up!!

Price: $102.99 plus 12% coupon = $96.79 (Amazon), $98.99 (Homever)
Where to buy: Amazon and Homever website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Homever

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Homever Slow Masticating Juicer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 29, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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