Amazon Kindle Editions with video and audio added to iPhone / iPad app
By Thomas Ricker 
posted June 28th 2010 1:15AM
posted June 28th 2010 1:15AM
Amazon Announces New Functionality for Kindle Apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch
Readers can now enjoy embedded video and audio clips in Kindle books on their iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch
SEATTLE, Jun 27, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced a new update to Kindle for iPad and Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch, which allows readers to enjoy the benefits of embedded video and audio clips in Kindle books. The first books to take advantage of this new technology, including Rick Steves' London by Rick Steves and Together We Cannot Fail by Terry Golway, are available in the Kindle Store at http://www.amazon.com/kindleaudiovideo.
"We are excited to add this functionality to Kindle for iPad and Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch," said Dorothy Nicholls, director, Amazon Kindle. "Readers will already find some Kindle Editions with audio/video clips in the Kindle Store today--from Rose's Heavenly Cakes with video tips on preparing the perfect cake to Bird Songs with audio clips that relate the songs and calls to the birds' appearances. This is just the beginning--we look forward to seeing what authors and publishers create for Kindle customers using the new functionality of the Kindle apps."
"We are truly excited to have collaborated with Amazon to launch Kindle Editions with audio/video," said Peter Balis, Director, Digital Content Sales, Wiley. "Innovations like these represent the advantages that digital can offer. Advancing our content in this manner is important for our authors and our readers and it will raise the bar on what digital reading can offer for years to come."
"In the new Kindle Edition with audio/video of Rick Steves' London, the embedded walking tours allow customers to listen to Rick as they explore the sites of London," said Bill Newlin, publisher, Avalon Travel. "Rick's narration adds depth to the reader's experience, while listeners can follow the routes more easily with the text."
Kindle Editions with audio/video are available now with the latest Kindle App on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Kindle for iPhone is now optimized for iPhone 4's retina display. For more information, go to http://www.amazon.com/kindleapps.
Readers can now enjoy embedded video and audio clips in Kindle books on their iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch
SEATTLE, Jun 27, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced a new update to Kindle for iPad and Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch, which allows readers to enjoy the benefits of embedded video and audio clips in Kindle books. The first books to take advantage of this new technology, including Rick Steves' London by Rick Steves and Together We Cannot Fail by Terry Golway, are available in the Kindle Store at http://www.amazon.com/kindleaudiovideo.
"We are excited to add this functionality to Kindle for iPad and Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch," said Dorothy Nicholls, director, Amazon Kindle. "Readers will already find some Kindle Editions with audio/video clips in the Kindle Store today--from Rose's Heavenly Cakes with video tips on preparing the perfect cake to Bird Songs with audio clips that relate the songs and calls to the birds' appearances. This is just the beginning--we look forward to seeing what authors and publishers create for Kindle customers using the new functionality of the Kindle apps."
"We are truly excited to have collaborated with Amazon to launch Kindle Editions with audio/video," said Peter Balis, Director, Digital Content Sales, Wiley. "Innovations like these represent the advantages that digital can offer. Advancing our content in this manner is important for our authors and our readers and it will raise the bar on what digital reading can offer for years to come."
"In the new Kindle Edition with audio/video of Rick Steves' London, the embedded walking tours allow customers to listen to Rick as they explore the sites of London," said Bill Newlin, publisher, Avalon Travel. "Rick's narration adds depth to the reader's experience, while listeners can follow the routes more easily with the text."
Kindle Editions with audio/video are available now with the latest Kindle App on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Kindle for iPhone is now optimized for iPhone 4's retina display. For more information, go to http://www.amazon.com/kindleapps.
Media's really come a long way... Just take a look at some of the Newspaper apps. It's getting more and more interactive, freaking amazing.
@MrFairladyz i know but IMHO, the experience of holding an actual book or newspaper in your hand cant be achieved through these devices.
@statickeith That's true. Using an e-device for reading books seems foreign. But the experience is refreshing.
@statickeith hmm, i disagree on that. reading newspapers has been an awkward experience for ages, most of the proper newspapers are just too damn big. if my local newspaper offered an ipad subscription, i'd switch without a doubt.
convenience is how i'd like to do my part for the environment =)
@statickeith
I'd make that argument for a nice hard cover novel but for magazines and newspapers I'd prefer a nice website or app.
@statickeith
reading an ereader in bed is far superior to reading a "real" book in bed. try it.
@statickeith
Depends.
The experience of an aching wrist after a few hours of reading a good book?
The experience of the book closing when you go to make a snack, and losing your page?
Or perhaps the experience of trying to turn to the next page of a broadsheet newspaper on a crowded train?
It really depends what the experience you are looking for is. Mine is interpreting the funny little squiggles and marks that deface the pristine paper. But then I'm a bit weird like that. If you want to sniff and fondle paper. Go for it. As fetishes go, pretty harmless.
For text books and manuals, no argument. Paper books are far superior solutions. Random access on e-books sucks.Will for several more years at the very least.
For pleasure reading, if the thing you are reading from even registers, then the book has failed to engage. Simple as that.
@sinai This is true, as long as it's a dedicated e-reader. Reading on an iPad is not comfortable, because you need to balance the weight of the device with one hand while you "turn pages" with the other. It's meant to be used sitting up, not lying down.
@greyseal
I read on my iPad while lying down almost every night. I've yet to find the 1.5 lb iPad "too heavy to hold".
Also...I'd say the kindle has the obvious advantage in terms of selection, but the iBooks app really does a great job of re-creating the book experience. Kindle app just feels like reading a computer screeen as usual.
@statickeith well IMHO, everything is according to what you're used to. I hate having to switch sides constantly while reading a book in bed, which is what I usually do, So a single page e-reading device works pretty well, I actually read an entire series of books on my iPhone and I've read faster than I have on most paper books. I still hate reading newspapers because of the ridiculously huge size that makes it awkward to hold and read and requires a table for me to actually understand what I'm reading. And maybe because I'm a younger generation sort of person, or because I was exposed to internet articles and reading at an earlier age, I don't mind not getting to touch the screen while I read. Its all personal preference and what you've been used to. Heck, my parents didn't think anyone was going to leave hotmail because gmail wasn't the ideal email experience. see how thats going?
Android please Amazon? Thought for sure I'd get Kindle waaaaaaay before Slingplayer.
@CMA
Yeah, I'm surprised we don't have it yet. That press image for the T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant has Kindle listed as a feature, so maybe we'll see it soon.
@Dafrety here's to hoping. i am an android owner again, and the only thing i still keep my 1st gen iphone around for is the kindle app, it's WAY cheaper than buying a new kindle. i need this yesterday for android.
@CMA
Just calm down and be patient. They told us July/August. It's still June ;)
wouldnt this hurt sales for the amazon kindle?
@The Truth Hurts
Wouldn't allowing google maps search and mail on every mobile device imaginable hurt Android sales?
You're missing the point.
@The Truth Hurts
Amazon's not selling the Kindle, they're selling the books. The Kindle isn't where they're making the money.
@The Truth Hurts
Im surprised apple allows the kindle app still seeing that they have their iBook store that competes with it. I hope sometime in the future they allow an alternative for music and movies such as zune pass. I know its a lot to hope for but that would be a big win for consumers.
@James Traditionally Apple make their money on Hardware, so as long as people buy an iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch then they are happy. Of course they'd prefer you to buy their books as well.
@James
Well they run the danger of getting their app "rejected" from Apples app store - such is the risk when developing for the iphone.
Although it probably won't happen as Amazon is big and rich with many lawyers.
So the Kindle app on the iPhone is better then the Kindle app on the Kindle...
@Edobe
Dur. Obviously.
@Edobe
Not necessarily. The iPhone won't last several weeks on a charge, nor will reading be as comfortable as the E Ink display.
@Wesscoast
What crawled up your bum?
@Edobe
no search, no dictionary.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you... Kindle 3..
Er...
*awkward..
Why build a new kindle, when we can just make the iPad into a kindle... Amazon wins
@MattsZ
because other competitors have ereader apps on ipad as well?
@sinai But Amazon still have the most content, I think. So this is smart for Amazon to push Kindle to any devices as their business is to sell books, not gadgets. I just wish Amazon moves away from their own DRMed format.
@pika2000
I forsee new kindle hardware being released quite soon.Everything now is all about the ecosystem.Which would amazon rather have:
1.everyone on kindles buying books mostly from amazon or
2.everyone on 3rd party devices that have a kindle application but probably have several other similar options.
This is an acknowledgement of the popularity of the apple platform and they'll soon release hardware compatible with all their book features. Just my $0.02
@MattsZ
Apple wins too... 500-1000 dollar iPad = Sold.
@MattsZ
have to keep kindle around to insure you have a place to sell ebooks.
can't rely on the kindness of 3rd parties to play fair.
@hated one
The Palm Pre (Pixi too) isn't dead, not when you can get it on Sprint Verizon, or AT&T.
My next prediction will be that you are banned soon. You can change your username to Nostradumus (or without misspelling, Nostradamus) then.
Translation: the Kindle sucks ass.
If the author approves ok but I don't like the idea of multimedia with books. It just clutters the simplicity of a book and ruins concentration.
Also its frustrating they do all this stuff but don't do updates on the basics, like letting the user choose their own custom cover for their Kindle books like iTunes lets you with cover art.
Hey Engadget! Perhaps you mean "Rick Steves"? The guy lives down the street from me and I know he'd just be heartbroken to find you've misspelled his name.
Kindle app needs alot of work, yeah its pretty, but its nowhere near as slick as the iBooks app.
I use it, but only because the prices in the Kindle store cost huge amounts less.
@geekthree
I was about to see if anyone could make a recommendation of one over the other. Kindle app vs iBooks.
Are there any other reasons to use Kindle over iBooks than price? (that is a big one though)
@Dafrety Nostradamus? I was thinking of putting this guy in a tank next to the German octopus that predicts soccer results
Er, um... don't you mean Rick Steves?
So they basically just outdated their own device?
@Mahnsh
unless a new version came out, ibooks was superior due to dictionary integration.
both are free so feel free to double dip.
Egos aside, Apple is not a bookseller and Amazon is not a hardware/software co. Combine forces, dominate the eBook/eAudio market.
@choupique : Eh, they should still push it out to other tablet devices too, not just the iPad...
It's just like the "multimedia CD-ROMs" that were (not) popular in the '90s. Déjà vu all over again!
...but if all newspapers go Kinda/iPad/etc., how will spies, secret agents, and professional assassins hide their faces from their foes/marks while seated on a bench?
Is this an update to an app or just some new books? I didn't get any updates for the app.
@Smarty2600
I have the same question. Have been looking for an update all day.
Store says last update was 6/23, tho it does mention optimized for Retina display and Audio/Video. Guess we're already hooked up.