Archive for the ‘kindle for android’ tag
Amazon updates Kindle for Android no comments
Yesterday Amazon updated the Kindle for Android app again. Besides the usual bug fixes and performance enhancements v3.1.0 changed the home screen, adds a slider of Kindle book recommendations and editor’s picks when you visit the Kindle Store from your device and adds upgrade notifications in-app.
I’ve installed this on my Xoom. The library screen does look cleaner to me, though scrolling through the grid of thumbnails still does not work as smoothly as it does in the Kindle for iPad app. I think this is a problem with the app and not the hardware, as scrolling through the library in the Nook app works fine on my Xoom. True, I do have many more titles to scroll through in my Kindle library.
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Amazon to introduce Kindle apps tailored for Android and Windows tablets no comments
Amazon announced today that it would be releasing its Kindle apps tailored specifically for Android and Windows based tablets. Like the other Kindle apps, the new versions will be able to sync across devices.
The current crop of Android tablets cannot access the Android Market and there is no reason Amazon would not want these users to have access to the Kindle Store. The Kindle for Android app originally was available through the Android Market, but has been showing up lately in other app stores as well. Soon the app should be easily available to all of the Android tablets out there.
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Newspaper and magazine support comes to Kindle for Android app no comments
Amazon announced today that it is updating the
Kindle for Android app with added support for reading newspapers and magazines. New features include overnight delivery of subscriptions, buy once and read across multiple devices, full text search and Wikipedia and dictionary lookup. Periodical support will be coming to the other Kindle apps as well in the near future.
Of course, it is up to the publishers whether you will be able to read your periodicals across multiple devices. There have been reports that the WSJ would not allow subscribers to read their subscriptions across multiple devices and platforms and, indeed, the WSJ is missing from the initial list of available newspapers for the Android app.
Other improvements include being able to shop at and buy from the Kindle Store from within the app, share reading progress via social networks and the ability to zoom into graphics.
If you already have the Kindle for Android app installed it should update automatically. For more info on the app, see Amazon’s Kindle for Android page.
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Verizon to Preload Kindle App on Android Phones no comments
Verizon and Amazon have announced that the Kindle for Android ereading app will come preloaded on the Droid 2 and Droid X phones from Motorola as well as the Samsung Fascinate.
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New Phone – Motorola Droid X – First Impressions no comments
Time to get a new phone, so I opted for the Droid X 
by Motorola. I’ve only had it a couple of days, so I’m still in the getting-to-know-you phase. I’m still working on getting it personalized and learning the features.
I’m not going to give a full-blown review of the Droid X; I just want to note a few features that I’m more or less impressed with so far, especially as they pertain to the subject matter of this blog.
First of all, you probably already know that the Droid X is quite large. The body is approximately 5 x 2.5 x .39 inches. Nevertheless, I find the Droid X quite comfortable to hold. This is helped by the fact that it is thin, except for a bulge above the battery compartment – which actually aids with the grip. I do have to admit to having rather large hands though.
The upside of this large size is, of course, the 4.3 inches of LCD screen goodness. This makes the Droid X one of the best phones I’ve had for reading, amongst other things. Throw into the mix the availability of the many Android reading apps including those from Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and others and you have a great phone for ereading.
I do prefer e-ink for reading, but when I read on my phone it is usually on a casual basis – I’m usually trying to kill a few stray minutes between appointments, etc.
The other killer feature for me is the Droid X’s 
ability to generate a Wi-Fi hotspot to which you can connect up to five devices. This is an optional feature for which you must cough up an additional $20 per month to Verizon and there is a 2GB data cap. The per-monthly charge is actually $10 less than the clumsier USB tethering I was paying for to connect my Storm to my netbook.
I should be able to stay under the 2GB cap – if not it can get expensive as the overage charge is $0.05 per MB. If one is comfortable with the 2GB usage cap, this feature can open up a lot of possibilities. For example, when out and about I can carry my Wi-Fi iPad with me and connect via my phone’s Wi-Fi. The iPad may not have all of the features of my netbook, but it has enough. And it is much faster to get booted up and to work on – when I’m on the road time is my most precious resource. Wi-Fi only ereaders and other devices also become much more attractive if your phone has this feature.
The only complaint I’ve had so far with the Droid X is with getting my email accounts set up. My previous Blackberry was the best cell phone I’ve ever had when it comes to connecting and staying connected to my email accounts. I have four accounts – two Gmail, a Yahoo and a Hotmail account. The Gmail accounts sync with no friction as one would expect. My X could not connect with either my Yahoo or Hotmail accounts however.
For Yahoo I have installed their mobile email app. I have not had good luck with Yahoo’s mobile email apps in the past, so we shall see. For the Hotmail I set up Google’s Mail Fetcher, which will import my MSN email into Gmail. This seems to be working well and was easy to set up. I may end up doing the same for the Yahoo account as well.
The Droid X seems to do a really good job at power management. Even with the large screen and with some use of the Wi-Fi hotspot feature I’ve been getting about a day and a half between charges.
Yes, I could have gotten the new iPhone. But not as long as it is chained to AT&T.
I’ve noted before my distaste for all things AT&T. Listing all of the problems I’ve had with that company would require several long and tedious posts. Suffice it to say that over the last several years I’ve canceled around $350 a month in AT&T services, both personal and business. For the most part these were services that I was happy with before they got themselves blessed with the AT&T logo. In every case, after that less than holy event, the quality of service went down while the cost went up.
Having for the most part eliminated AT&T from my life almost feels like I’m breathing fresher and cleaner air. If you are familiar with Kim Harrison’s Rachael Morgan series, then you will know what I’m talking about when I say that it feels as though I’ve eliminated some of the black smut from my aura.
I’m going to go out on a limb here (OK, this is safer then it looks folks; this is a really big limb and there is no way this sucker is going to break) and say that Apple does indeed have a lot to fear from Android. And not just because of the AT&T thing.
This is my first Android phone. The iPad was my first iDevice, and yes, I do get the appeal of the Apple Way. But I’m sorry Stevie J – I guess the dark side is pulling me – I like less structure and control and a bit more chaos and anarchy and the ability to do things my own way in my own life. I like a bit of sandbox in my game rather than just being funneled down a preprogrammed linear path. That’s why I’ve never been an Apple fanboi, even though they make some cool products and I’ve always admired the way in which Apple has driven the aesthetics of the technology that we use. And then there’s that AT&T thing.
The Droid X is a keeper for me.
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Amazon Releases Kindle for Android no comments
Today Amazon announced the release of the promised 
Kindle for Android app. This is a free app and is available for customers worldwide. From the press release:
Android-powered device owners can now take advantage of the features that customers love about Kindle and the Kindle app experience, including:
- Search and browse more than 620,000 books, including 108 of 111 New York Times Bestsellers, plus tens of thousands of the most popular classics for free directly from their Android device. Bestsellers such as "Backlash" by Aaron Allston, "Big Girl" by Danielle Steel, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot, and "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown, and hundreds of thousands of other popular books are $9.99 or less in the Kindle Store
- Read the first chapter of books for free before they decide to buy
- Access their library of previously purchased Kindle books stored on Amazon’s servers for free
- Synchronize last page read between their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry and Android-powered phone
- Customize background color, font color, and font size to help ease eyestrain
- Read in portrait or landscape mode, tap on either side of the screen or flick to turn pages
- Adjust screen brightness from within the app to make reading easier
Several features will be added to Kindle for Android in the near future, including full text search and purchasing of Kindle books from within the app.
The press release makes a point of telling us that the Kindle Store now has over 620,000 books – that’s up 80,000 from May 19 when in another press release Amazon said there were more than 540,000 books. The Kindle Store has been growing by more than 13,000 titles per week during this period – that’s a lot.
You can find the download link for the new Kindle for Android app on the Kindle reading apps page.
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Dell Streak Incoming no comments
A couple of months ago some leaked Dell flyers surfaced of what Dell is now calling the Streak. This is an Android-based tablet and one of the features listed on the flyers was a Kindle reading app. This was seen as predicting a Kindle for Android app, and indeed a few days ago Amazon announced that such an app is forthcoming.
Now Dell has announced that the 5-inch Streak tablet will debut in Britain in early June, 2010 and in the United States a month or two later. The Streak, which is also a cell phone, will be available through mobile carrier O2 and Carphone Warehouse in Britain. Dell’s UK website will also have the Streak later this month. So far there does not seem to be any pricing information.
Some of the features of the Dell Streak:
- Rear-facing 5 megapixel camera plus a second forward-facing camera for video conferencing
- MicroSD memory card slot (up to 32GB)
- 5-inch multitouch screen; 800 x 480 resolution
- Wi-Fi, 3G & Bluetooth
- GPS
- Multitasking
- 1 GB Snapdragon processor
- Update to Android 2.2 and Flash 10.1 later in the year
- User-replaceable battery
Engadget reports that initially the Streak will only be available in black, but more colors will be available later. Also see the Direct2Dell blog for more info. The Streak is the first of a series of tablet devices – Dell is working on larger format tablets as well.
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Kindle for Android Forthcoming no comments
Amazon has announced that it will have a Kindle for Android app ready this summer. The press release also mentions that the Kindle store now has over 540,000 books.
"Kindle for Android is the perfect companion application for Kindle and Kindle DX owners, and is also a great way for customers to enjoy over 540,000 books in the Kindle Store even if they don’t yet have a Kindle," said Jay Marine, director, Amazon Kindle. "We think customers are going to love the convenience and simplicity of having instant access to a massive selection of books from Amazon on their Droid, Nexus, Incredible and many more Android devices."
Android owners can take advantage of the features that customers love about Kindle and Kindle app experience, including:
- Search more than 540,000 books, including 96 of 110 New York Times Bestsellers, plus tens of thousands of the most popular classics for free directly from their Android device. Bestsellers such as "Backlash" by Aaron Allston, "Big Girl" by Danielle Steel, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot, and "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown, and hundreds of thousands of other popular books are $9.99 or less in the Kindle Store
- Browse by genre or author, and take advantage of all the features that customers enjoy in the Kindle Store, including Amazon.com customer reviews, personalized recommendations and editorial reviews
- Access their library of previously purchased Kindle books storedon Amazon’s servers for free
- Synchronize last page read between their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry and, soon, Android
- Choose from five different font sizes
- Read the beginning of books for free before they decide to buy
- Read in portrait or landscape mode, tap on either side of the screen or flick to turn pages
Customers can see a sneak peak and sign up to receive an e-mail when Kindle for Android is available at http://www.amazon.com/kindleforandroid.
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Kindle App For Android Coming? 1 comment
Engadget has posted some leaked internal Dell flyers showing the Android-based Dell Mini 5 and listing some of its features:
- Kindle “book reader” applications
- Amazon MP3
- Amazon Video Streams
- Amazon Store
This could mean that Kindle for Android is coming soon. Amazon has not announced anything, but with the number of Android-based devices coming to market it seems obvious that Amazon will want to make an Android reading app to go along with Kindle for PC, Kindle for Blackberry and the soon to come Kindle for Mac.
There is a Kindle blurb on the Dell flyer that claims over 300,000 books available in the Kindle store. That would have been correct about 4-5 months ago if memory serves; now there are over 420,000 books. So I’m guessing that the leaked docs are probably from about that time?
(Via jkOnTheRun)
