Is Amazon hiring devs to build a robust web browser for Kindle?

Are you a software dev with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science, familiarity with current Web standards, and experience with browser engines, Linux on embedded devices, and Java? If so, do we have the job for you. Lab126, the group at Amazon responsible for the Kindle, wants you to help "conceive, design, and bring to market" a new embedded browser on a Linux device. Might this be a sign that the company is ready to start taking web browsing on the e-reader seriously? We don't know, but it sure sparked some interesting discussion over at All Things Digital. As Peter Kafka points out, a decent browser for the thing is pretty much a no-brainer in light of the Apple iPad. On the other hand, the idea of a robust browser on the Kindle has its own complications. What about subscription content like the New York Times -- why would anyone pay for something that's available for free on the web, if you're using the same device to view both? And what about all that new data traffic? Surely AT&T will have something to say about that. Of course, we've been hearing enough scuttlebutt about a mysterious next-gen device being developed at Amazon that perhaps this has nothing to do with the Kindle whatsoever. Who knows? These are all questions that will have to be answered sooner or later, but in the meantime we can say with some certainty that E ink is definitely not the best way to troll 4chan.

[joelaf Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:24PM]

Kindle will do cat pics? Why was this not in any of the reviews?

[anachostic Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:53PM]

@joelaf
I cannot exit the cats.

[joelaf Posted Mar 9th 2010 5:00PM]

@anachostic

Cats, I can't quit you. A quote from Arched Back Mountain.

[SmokemeaKipper Posted Mar 9th 2010 6:03PM]

@joelaf

That's 4chan

[AlexSanchez Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:24PM]

Sounds to me like Kindle is listening to their customers.

Up next, Kindle Navigation baby, and a car dock!

[dingus Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:27PM]

@AlexSanchez Navigation Baby sounds like a Sony product.

[RenegadeRunner Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:24PM]

Porn for E-ink displays anyone?

[larciel Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:26PM]

@RenegadeRunner that'd bring back the memories of b/w nipples I saw back in 1990 on a x486. I'm in

[ACiB708 Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:26PM]

@RenegadeRunner FTW! lol

[Floppy Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:30PM]

@larciel Judging by that 4chan screen grab you might be seeing a lot more than you bargained for...

[Jimbojones Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:49PM]

@larciel you are obviously younger .... I remember 1985 pretty amazing B/W 2 seconds porn video in COM format on my XT with orange/black MDA screen, it took almost whole 360kb 5.25" floppy drive

I was very happy 12 year old with my 2 seconds

[pleasenopuffin Posted Mar 9th 2010 6:46PM]

@Floppy Yeah, they cut off the CP. I don't see much use for 4chan other than perv stuff.

[Eal Posted Mar 9th 2010 9:07PM]

@pleasenopuffin You are confusing /b/ with 4chan /g/ and a bunch of other boards are fine.

[Jaylittles531 Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:25PM]

Will they also consider it to be the "ULTIMATE WEB EXPERIENCE!"?

[doubtfm Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:27PM]

@Jaylittles531

At least they'll add flash

[Jimbojones Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:54PM]

@doubtfm until then there will be blue F logo, hold on black/white logo

[iKid Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:26PM]

Ugh E-Ink is so friggin ugly. Reminds me of my old monochrome Nokia

[Jimbojones Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:50PM]

@iKid ugly, but lasts 10 days on single charge and my head is not spinning after 2 hours reading it

[dark star Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:28PM]

i dont think ATT cares. kindle is on sprint's network.

[burnside Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:35PM]

@dark star
Exactly. Nice research there engadget.

[solarmoo900 Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:40PM]

@dark star http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10381325-1.html

only some of them are

[jj2me Posted Mar 9th 2010 5:08PM]

All new Kindles are on AT&T, in order to serve the international market with one platform. Nice research there burnside.

[Josh S Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:30PM]

I don't really see the iPad as competition for the Kindle, they are after completely different market (even if Apple is in denial about it). The kindle is a dedicated reading device, designed to make reading electronic content as simple and comfortable as possible. The iPad is a big iPod touch, focusing on the multi-media experience with books sort of thrown into the mix. I cant see many people doing much reading on the iPad because of several reasons, including its weight, short battery life compared to the kindle, and the fact that it is an LCD, which is bad for the eyes to read from.

[kjb434 Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:37PM]

@Josh S

But if iPad and other tablet devices cannibalize the e-reader markets, then what's the point of having e-readers.

Non-apple tablets will sell for close to the price of the Kindle and especially the KindleDX but will be able to do more. I see Amazon eventually bringing to market a complete tablet PC versus just an e-reader.

[Jimbojones Posted Mar 9th 2010 5:18PM]

@pukerocket very intelligent response indeed

[Josh S Posted Mar 9th 2010 5:28PM]

@pukerocket I guess I'm supposed to apologize for not reading every single comment since then to make sure I didn't reiterate what someone else said?

[jsbaugh Posted Mar 9th 2010 5:42PM]

@Josh S Whats everyones deal with the battery life on the kindle? So what it has 10 days of battery life. You going to read for 10 days straight without being around a charger? Dumbest argument I have heard yet.

[Josh S Posted Mar 10th 2010 11:05AM]

@jsbaugh Some of us like to go on these funny things called vacations, and sometimes said vacations take you to places where you can't charge something every day, or it's inconvenient to do so (mountains, beaches, other countries). Also, I just plain old don't WANT to charge something everyday that is supposed to replace my books, because its a) a pain in the arse and b) I'm going to forget sometimes and not be able to use it. I don't know if your an avid reader, but reading a book for 10+ days without having to plug it in is a must have for me (weeks with regular daily use). And if you are trying to tell me you wouldn't go for weeks of battery life in any device you use regularly if it was practical and available, I'll call your bluff

[fiq Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:30PM]

caturday? on my kindle!?

[ThePengwin Posted Mar 9th 2010 7:44PM]

@fiq i was thinking "Caturday, on a tuesday?"

[davincithought Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:34PM]

basement cat...meet kindlecat...

[Agent007 Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:35PM]

Yeah I love browsing the web in black and white

[AaronX Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:36PM]

Currently the browser on the Kindle is really sluggish. It doesn't feel like a 500 MHz processor. Hopefully a better browser will fix it, and they'll allow browsing other sites in Australia too!

[jj2me Posted Mar 9th 2010 8:09PM]

I had hoped the Kindle 2 browser could replace dialup at a vacation house. Not even close--I was surprised.

Browsing on the Kindle 2 seems like a 14.4 kbps dialup experience, but using a terrible browser that regularly gets confused. And we're not even talking about the scrolling via page turns, nor monochrome.

[Jeff Andersen Posted Mar 15th 2010 10:09PM]

@AaronX Yeah the current browser is slow and they label it Experimental...let's stop experimenting

[HikaKao Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:37PM]

Interesting choice of browser pic

[blland Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:38PM]

why is nobody even mentioning 4c-

o wait, rules 1 and 2.

[detection Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:54PM]

@blland The writer of this article already broke rules 1 and 2.

[Nicknin10do Posted Mar 9th 2010 5:06PM]

@blland
"Rule 1: You do not talk about /b/
Rule 2: You DO NOT talk about /b/"
No, I broke rules 1 and 2,
he didn't

[robindahoods Posted Mar 9th 2010 5:48PM]

@Nicknin10do

you broke rules 1 and 2...
I want rule 34 on kindle.

[Alex Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:44PM]

Web browsing on the Kindle is and will always be a joke. I love the Kindle and all, but browsing on a monochrome display with a half-second-refresh is just a pathetic idea.

I don't know what the solution is for combining e-reading into other features (music, cellphone, etc), but maybe someone will invent a cellphone with a switchable dual-layer screen (one layer LCD and one layer e-ink).

[Jimbojones Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:52PM]

@Alex they are obviously coming with new device, my bet it's going to be touch screen and color ink screen

[drummerlars Posted Mar 9th 2010 4:46PM]

4 out of 5 /b/tards agree: CP is better on the Kindle.

[ChazClout Posted Mar 9th 2010 5:02PM]

I can't get out of the cats.

[crichton007 Posted Mar 9th 2010 5:03PM]

Why would I want a B&W browser?

[iPaul Posted Mar 9th 2010 6:53PM]

@crichton007 yes, yes, yes some common sense here.

[Mars478 Posted Mar 9th 2010 5:13PM]

Sprint.

[techlord Posted Mar 9th 2010 5:25PM]

If next kindle still has free 3g and can surf the web will kill of ipad like no yesterday.

[Wesscoast Posted Mar 9th 2010 5:33PM]

Brilliant, hope they can do it within the next two weeks.

And a color screen and an App Store.

[iPaul Posted Mar 9th 2010 6:52PM]

C'mon this is pointless Black & White people.

1945 called they want it back.

This is craziness.

Wake up, we are going backwards, just look at the iPad.