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The Kindle Paperwhite is ready for the bath
Sometimes you just want to read a book. Or maybe all the books. That's the promise of the Kindle line. Access to thousands of books in a form factor that's mobile and won't distract you with a litany of notifications about the world being on fire or that someone liked your photo of last night's poke.
Amazon's updated Kindle apps let you seamlessly switch between text and audiobooks
It's a hulking behemoth now, but let's not forget that Amazon got its start peddling books. It never really forgot those roots, either: somewhere along the way it built its own e-reading platform and snapped up a pricey purveyor of audiobooks. Now the e-commerce titan is trying to blur the lines between those two properties even more thanks to a new update to its iOS and Android Kindle apps. The changelog is a pretty lengthy one, but the addition of Whispersync for Voice is the real standout here -- now book buffs can leap between words on a digital page and a professional audio recording without having to leave the Kindle app proper. The upside for Amazon is clear: if it can make it easier for you to jump back and forth between reading and listening, it's got a decent shot at selling more audio recordings. Synergy, folks! If that somehow improves your reading experience along the way, well, that's just peachy too. Just be warned that not every book available from Amazon's virtual shelves has an Audible equivalent -- the company has said there are about 45,000 book/recording matches out there.
Amazon brings GameCircle integration to iOS
Amazon's GameCircle framework has just gone cross-platform -- as of today, iOS developers can integrate the cloud service into their apps. The iOS programming interface mirrors its Android counterpart's ability to sync achievements, leader boards and saved games across devices, even if the player switches operating systems. Developers can also post any achievements and scores to Apple's Game Center. The tools are free to use, so those who want to build GameCircle into their next iPhone title just need to visit the source link to get started.
Amazon said to have tested technology for its own wireless network
Amazon may not be happy with just piggybacking on other wireless carrier's signals for Whispernet-style offerings, as Bloomberg has heard it's trying out technology that would let it create its own wireless network. The technology used in the tests is from Globalstar, which is seeking to convert its spectrum -- intended for use by satellite-connected devices like the Global Phone pictured above -- for strictly ground-based use. The report points out a letter from Globalstar technical adviser Jarvinian to the FCC indicating it was helping a "major technology company" assess the performance benefits available earlier this year. The usual people with knowledge of the situation have filled in the blanks, however whether the tests are continuing or if Amazon will ever make real use of it is unknown. If things do move forward Amazon would hardly be alone in its efforts with Dish Network's similar push to use spectrum it owns for LTE. If Globalstar really can do LTE / public WiFi better we're ready to hear about it, although hopefully it will connect to more hardware than just some future Kindle Fire 4.
Amazon opens GameCircle integration to all Android devices
Looks like gamers with Amazon Kindle tablets will no longer be competing amongst themselves... because starting today, Amazon's proprietary GameCircle platform is now open to all Android devices. The backend cloud service has offered up leader boards, achievements and progress saves to Kindle users for a year now, and as of today, it also supports conflict resolution between mobile devices. The reveal comes at an interesting time, which parallels the recent launch of Google Play game services. Naturally, it's reasonable to speculate that Amazon's move could be an attempt to keep its service relevant. More than 500 games currently support GameCircle, but for all Android users to benefit, developers must first integrate the latest API into their games. At least they now have a bit of motivation to do just that.
Amazon debuts Kindle Windows 8 app
With all the hubbub surrounding today's Microsoft event, who can blame Amazon for wanting to get in on the action? The mega-retailer used the opportunity to announce the Windows 8 version of its popular reading app. Interested parties can download the thing for free from the Windows Store, giving them access to the company's selection of 1.5 million titles. The app is available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese and offers up good old Amazon features like Whispersync. Amazon also used the opportunity to announce that Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung will be pre-loading the app on their devices. More information can be found in the source link below.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD review (7-inch)
More Info Amazon announces 7- and 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDs, pricing starts at $199 Kindle Fire HD 7-inch hands-on (Update: video) Amazon Kindle Fire review It was 10 months ago that we had a doppelgänger in our midst. Amazon unleashed the Kindle Fire to the world and we spent much of the beginning of our review comparing and contrasting it to the (even then a bit long-in-the-tooth) BlackBerry PlayBook. Now, finally, we can stop making that comparison -- at least for this, Amazon's current top-shelf tablet. It's the Kindle Fire HD and it quite handily addresses nearly every concern that we had with the original Fire. It's thinner, lighter, faster and, yes, better looking. It's a huge step forward from that which came before and yet it still follows very much in the footsteps of its predecessor, existing as a physical portal to a digital marketplace with an alluring selection of premium content. Is it enough of an improvement to topple our current king of budget tablets, the Nexus 7? You'll just have to read on to find out.
Amazon announces Whispersync for Voice and Whispersync for Games, cloud syncing goes meta
Audiobooks are great for the car. Textual books? Not so much. Now Amazon is bringing those two great experiences together and letting you pick up in text right where your audio book left off. So, if you've listened half-way through chapter three while in the car but you feel like reading something after you get home, your Kindle will bring you in the text exactly to where you stopped listening. And, in the morning when it's time to commute back to the office, the audio version will skip ahead as appropriate! Amazon also announced Whispersync for Games, which would allow game developers to store game progress in the cloud. Sick of re-starting Angry Birds every time you get a new device? Never again. Take that, piggies.%Gallery-164592% Follow the Amazon liveblog here!
Kindle Fire update brings sharing, 'print replica' textbooks, more to tablet
Amazon has started pushing out an over-the-air update that'll bring a slew of new features to its budget Kindle Fire tablet. Topping the list of upgrades is new sharing functionality that makes it possible for readers to send passages and notes from within the comfort of a book via social networks like Facebook and Twitter by highlighting and clicking "Share." Also on the slate is supplemental material powered by Shelfari, letting users find character descriptions, glossaries of of common terms, locations and author information from inside a text. Version 6.3 also brings "print replicas" of textbooks, which include linked tables of contents and Whipsersyncing of notes and highlights. For a full rundown of the new features, check out the source link below.
Amazon lets you check out Kindle books from library websites, asks you to shush yourself at home
Love libraries, but hate having to look at all of those dusty old books? Good news: following the recent Seattle-only launch, it's now possible to check out Amazon Kindle books from some 11,000 library sites, as long as you have a valid library card and an Amazon account. You can check a library's inventory (like their physical counterparts, the libraries only have a limited number of Kindle copies for each title) and download copies to your Kindle or Kindle app-enable device via WiFi or USB. Like the libraries' physical books, Kindle copies will carry an expiration date -- but after that time, they can either be renewed or purchased through Amazon, with all of your bookmarks and notations still in place. Press release after the break.
AT&T will start selling Kindle 3G e-reader in its retail stores from March 6th
AT&T is adding the first e-reader to its catalog of connected devices and, unsurprisingly, it's the 3G version of Amazon's latest-generation Kindle. There's nothing peculiar about this agreement, the 3G Kindle will cost $189, the same as it does on Amazon's online portal, and there are no special content or add-on deals in place. It's just another locale where you'll be able to "test drive" and purchase Amazon's all-time best-selling product. Stock should be arriving shortly for a March 6th launch, though if you're looking for the WiFi-only Kindle, you'll have to look elsewhere, AT&T will only be selling the 3G-equipped 6-incher.
Amazon promises tablet-specific Kindle apps for Android and Windows slates
You can read your Amazon-bought ebooks on your Kindle, your PC, your Mac, your mobile, and even on your iPad. Now, it's time to have them, contained in a tailor-made application, on your Android and Windows tablets as well. Amazon has just announced its intention to introduce a free app for reading Kindlebooks on devices running Google and Microsoft's operating systems, which will expand its device compatibility list as the year goes on. Amazon specifically notes that these apps are intended for upcoming devices, which probably foreshadows the sort of tablet-heavy year we're going to be having. Skip past the break for the full announcement.
Kindle for Android coming this summer
What was hinted at in those leaked Dell Streak flyers is now official: Kindle for Android. Unfortunately, it's not quite ready to download. Amazon's free Kindle ebook reader -- already out for Mac, PC, BlackBerry, and iDevices -- won't launch until later this summer. When it does, users of Android 1.6 and above (with SD card) will have the ability to search, browse, and purchase (without exiting the app) any of the half million books in the Kindle Store. Like the other apps, Kindle for Android features Whispersync to keep your bookmarks, last page read, notes, and highlights synchronized across all your Kindle-enabled devices. Expect to see this demonstrated at Google I/O starting tomorrow.
Kindle for PC app out now, Mac version to soon follow
Amazon has just expanded the potential audience for its ebook format by a few orders of magnitude with the Beta release of its free Kindle for PC application. Doing exactly what it says on the (imaginary) tin, this will allow you to read the locked-down Kindle format on your Windows weapon of choice, though Mac users are left with merely the "coming soon" message you see above. Given that you'll now be able to consume Amazon's ebooks on your PC and iPhone, there's a risk that people might entirely sidestep the Kindle and Kindle DX for more familiar hardware, but clearly the company is willing to undertake it in order to get its wares out to a wider client base. We still think Amazon should do away with the proprietary madness and utilize a common standard like ePUB, but until then we can at least appreciate being given the ability to sync our Robinson Crusoe read across a few more devices than before.
