The latest generation, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Scribe 2, Kindle Scribe 1, and Kindle and the upcoming Kindle Colorsoft, all have something in common. When you plug them into USB into your PC or MAC, they no longer appear as external drives. This prevents users from using file managers to back up their books or to sideload new books onto the Kindle. Amazon has also removed the download and transfer via USB option for purchased ebooks from the content page. This will likely prevent people from striping the DRM from the books and sharing them on piracy websites. This is not
    • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      1·
      7 months ago

      It needs an internet connection for the initial download and DRM check, but then you can go offline. So it doesn’t need a constant internet connection, only when you want to load new books onto it. I’ll have books on hold and checked out between times I access the internet to load books on (so I’ll load a few, go offline, once I’m done go online and fetch the books I’ve checked out in the meantime).

      I have no issue w/ my eReader being online occasionally to fetch updates or get new books.

        • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          1·
          7 months ago

          And for me, I honestly don’t care too much if Libby knows what I read. If I did care, I’d just get DRM-free books, either legally or not, and bypass the library entirely.

            • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
              1·
              7 months ago

              I’m having trouble following. If you check a book out at the library, the library has a record that you checked it out, no? So the only real difference w/ you stripping the DRM is that they won’t know how much of it you read (if that’s even tracked) or if you read it at all. And I also highly doubt the DRM check shares any of your personal data (esp. if you live in the EU, as your instance would suggest), so the publisher would only know that this specific license is in-use, and the only way to connect that to you is by talking to the library.

              Also, how is it tied to your passport? Mine is tied to my name and address, which my passport is also tied to, but the library system is local (US city and state) and therefore would require a fair amount of extra work to link (i.e. legal subpoena). So the only way the two would ever be connected is if I’m being investigated for a crime and they’re looking for motive, which I’m sure they could come up with any number of ways. Granted, w/ the NSA revelations, the barrier for “legal subpoena” could be quite low and the lookup nearly instantaneous, but the only way they’re looking at it is if I’m already suspected of a crime (otherwise, why bother?).

              You do you of course, I just don’t see how stripping DRM from a library book really protects you, the interesting data is already present just by checking the book out. You might as well just pirate from the internet directly and skip the library entirely…

                • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                  1·
                  7 months ago

                  they do want your passport to sign you up for the library system

                  Interesting. Here, a lot (most?) people don’t have passports, so they don’t even mention that as a valid form of ID to get a library card. All they want here is two proofs of address (utility bills work) so they know you live in the library’s jurisdiction, and they don’t record that anywhere AFAIK. In fact, if you have a library card from a different jurisdiction, you can generally continue using it, and if it expires, you generally just need to go in and ask them to renew (no proof of current residency needed in most libraries).

                  I guess libraries work a bit different here vs where you live.