New Kindle Paperwhite-2 Tips: Update v5.4.2 brings long-awaited CLOUD Collections, GoodReads integration (US), Personalized Freetime profiles for parental control

NEW KINDLE PAPERWHITE 2 Software Update v5.4.2 with long-awaited feature enhancements

Kindle Paperwhite Software Upgrade to v5.4.2

  REMINDER: Even when here is no startling news, I respond to questions in the Comments areas of the blog entries -- and the Q&A entries are always shown in summary form and linked to, latest first, on the blog's right-hand column (used for information that's ongoing or for reference materials on topics of interest to many who visit the blog.  So check "Latest Comments" (in the info/reference column on the the right of the page whenever you're curious what people are asking and the responses made.

On to the latest Paperwhite 2 (the newest Paperwhite model) update 5.4.2 eff. Nov. 19, 2013.

  Devices involved: See Paperwhite 2 (US),   UK Paperwhite 2: here; Global Paperwhite: here.

Tne new, free software update available for Kindle Paperwhite 2 can be found [here] [U.S.]

    [Here's the UK-only software update page]

The software page explains how to check the software version currently on your Paperwhite 2.  I'm usually one of the last to receive software updates, so sometimes I do follow the instructions to do a manual download and install to my Kindle if the change is important to me.

This update automatically downloads and installs on the applicable Kindle Paperwhite 2 eventually; however, as mentioned, you can also manually download the software and transfer the update to your device via USB cable.

Here's what they describe for update v5.4.2 [Emphases mine]

* Kindle FreeTime
FreeTime lets you create personalized profiles for kids, and give them access to titles from your collection of books.  Kids can keep track of their personal reading progress and earn achievement badges. To learn more, go to Kindle FreeTime (US) or for UK: here).

* Goodreads on Kindle
    [For customers in U.S., Canada, Australia, and
     Int'l customers registered to an Amazon.com acct]
Connect with the world's largest community for readers from your Kindle Paperwhite. See what your friends are reading, share notes, and rate the books you read. To learn more, go to Find and Share Books with Goodreads on Kindle.

* Cloud Collections
Use Cloud Collections to organize titles in custom categories and store your collections in the Cloud. To learn more, go to Organize Your Content with Cloud Collections (US) or for UK: here.

As ever, note that keeping your Kindle always connected to a Wi-Fi network can drain your battery faster.  So, once you've got the update "over the air" or manually, put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" via the 'Settings' option on the Menu -- the option lets you toggle Wireless Off with the "Airplane On" choice.

  Amazon has not put the "Wireless Off" and "On" back on the front menu as they did earlier this year for the Kindle Touch, removing the confusing-to-many 'airplane mode' icon, which many of us wish they would do, as it is very inconvenient to have it on a secondary menu and many don't even know about the wireless-off feature, causing more battery drain and confusion over that.  Amazon: please do this someday; the Kindle Touch team has the right problem-avoiding idea.

  I realize Amazon prefers Wireless 'On' due to delivery of Special Offers but the battery-drain problem can occur when circumstances involve subscriptions that are downloaded regularly or due to a weaker connection that results from the distance from the router (or even due to a weaker router), in which case the device keeps trying to connect when a download is due (and that can be for the special offers that Amazon regularly needs to send for those who choose to opt for the less-expensive special-offers feature, or for chosen subscription deliveries.)

Only if you'd rather not wait -- DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Paperwhite Software Update v5.4.2 download section to get the instructions for the download and transfer to your Kindle via USB:
UK:  Go to the update and download area for the UK-only page

That's it for the latest software update from Amazon.

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Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.

US: New Kindle Fire HD 7" 2nd Gen - $139/169 Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB - $229/269/309 Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB - $379/429/479 - with 4G added: $479/529/579 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16GB - 1st Gen $229 - 32GB w/ no special-offers: $314 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89 Kindle Touch WiFi - $99 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi+3G - $189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free web Kindle DX - $379 $199 (*New* price)

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - £109 Kindle Paperwhite2 3G, UK - £169 Kindle Fire Basic HD 8/16GB, UK -  from £119 Kindle Fire HDX 7" 16-64GB, UK - from £199. 4G/3G Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16-64GB, UK - from £329. 4G/3G CANADA - Kindlestore, CDN-$ Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79 Kindle Paperwhite 2 - $139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, 3G - $209 KFire HD Yr 2012 7" $214,  8.9" $244. Yr 2013 KFires: HD Gen2, HDX line

*OTHER Int'l pages* Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89 Paperwhite 2 WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $209 KFire HD Yr 2012: 7" $214,  8.9" $244 Yr 2013: HD Gen2 + HDX line Australia Kindlestore France Boutique Kindle Deutschland - Kindle Store Italia - Kindle Store Spain - Tienda Kindle Brazil - Amazon Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

  For daily free ebooks, check the following links:

Temporarily-free books - Non-classics USA: by:    Publication Date      Bestselling   High-ratings UK: PubDate   Popular The Kindle Daily Deal What is 3G? and "WiFi"?       Battery Care Highly-rated under $1,  Newest: $1-$2, $2-$3

Most Popular Free K-Books U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):    Top 100 free UK-Only:    Top 100 free Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources. USEFUL for your Kindle Keyboard (U.S. only, currently):   99c Notepad 1.1,   99c Calculator,   99c Calendar,   99c Converter

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

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Kindle Quick Alert: Kindle for Apple iOS v3.9.2 is ready and should be installed before new Apple system update

Kindle for iOS v3.9.2 is ready for updating.

9to5mac.com's Mike Beasley reports that the new update is required before Apple users update to iOS 7

  If this isn't done before the new Apple iOS 7 is installed, then, Beasley warns, "this could cause users to have to login again and re-download their books."

  The Kindle app update is downloadable at the iTunes Store now.

  The Apple explanation there is displayed in FAINT purple and I personally can't read it.  What possesses web developers to make sure that the important text is barely seeable, much less readable? Is it just that it's an attractive color? Or, maybe, it's the idea that Apple users may be younger than most.

  Details of what the app does are linked to at this Kindle Apps page.

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Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

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Kindle Fire Tips: "Silk" Web Browser gets an Extreme Makeover for Kindle Fire 2nd Generation tablets.(adding info Mon. night)

Kindle Fire Web Browser ('Silk') user interface redesigned with unique readability and more speed

  The Kindle Forum announcement is titled, "Silk Update for Kindle Fire 2nd Generation, Kindle Fire HD 7", Kindle Fire HD 8.9"" so apparently this update doesn't pertain to the original Kindle Fire tablet first sold in 2011.

  (Sad added note: I spent about 4 hours updating this blog entry to add information, explanations, and special tips to help with confusion I saw in forums from some who felt they had lost a lot of features which have been moved to different areas.  The updated draft was automatically saved, but then I did a manual Save again on the WRONG browser tab for this blog and lost all that work.
  Was not home Sunday, must be out for the day Monday and will redo the additions late Monday.

  I first read about the web browser changes in the news Friday morning but there was no evidence of changes on my Kindle Fire HD 8.9" tablet, and early reports on the main forum were that Amazon's 'Silk' web browser blog had just announced the changes and was doubling as a tutorial on the new look and more intuitive navigation (although some users miss the 'Starter' page).

  For me, the browser changes seemed to come in increments on my Kindle Fire, and owners reported, early Friday, different experiences with the layout.  For instance, I had most of the changes described below in the Kindle Forum announcement (bold-faced emphases in it are mine) but did not have the top-left web-menu, which came in as a part of the changes later that night.

  Apparently, the groundwork was laid with software version [x].4.6 just received in the last week or so.

  Here is the forum announcement, which is essentially an introduction to the blog-tutorial page which gives much more detail, with screen captures.

' What's New?

*Brand new look for Silk - The Silk browser is now better, faster, and easier to navigate.

*Removal of the Starter page - When you open the Silk browser for the first time, you'll see the Most Visited page. From here, you can tap a website you view the most to visit it, or tap the Address Bar to find a website.

*User interface enhancements - Create up to ten tabs for easy tabbed browsing within the Silk browser.  With enhanced Reading View, you can read the web page in a single-screen format that is optimized for reading by removing most graphics, advertisement, or links from the web page.

*New left panel navigation - Use the Left Navigation Panel to access your saved websites, browser history, and downloads from Silk.

*Other performance enhancements.

If you need assistance with this update, head over to the Kindle Help Community. '

That "enhanced Reading View" is terrific.  First, the Reading View alert or icon is now impossible to miss, being highlighted in green alongside the URL or Location Field at the top of the page.
  NOTE: The green Reading View icon doesn't show up until the page is completely loaded, as the software apparently analyzes, where possible, which space with text constitutes a key article you might want to read in larger font and without all the ads and what the developers may decide are distracting links that are inserted (to other articles) and not essential to the article text.

CAVEAT: While the new browser is very smart, it doesn't work well with some pages.  The new Reading View isn't able to analyze correctly some Google-based blog pages (some Blogger and Blogspot.com sites) such as the one you're reading, in either Desktop or Mobile mode when there are dual columns -- one of which is a persistent site-oriented webpage column that is not part of an article.

  With most of the blog articles in A Kindle World, the text-focused Reading View can't differentiate between the article body and the blog title header, and it misses 80-90% of the actual text of the article while grabbing info from a side-column.

  Even if choosing the Kindle Fire's "Mobile" web-browsing View (see the general tablet-Menu's new "Request another view" option which is great to have while viewing a webpage), the Mobile view doesn't work on this Blogspot site yet.**

  What's odd is that the earlier version of Reading View WAS able to read individual Kindleworld articles correctly, identifying and showing just an article's content.

  ** Workaround for this blog:
      For tablet/phone reading of A Kindle World, use the following link:
      kindleworld.blogspot.com/?m=1
so that Google-Blogspot gives you the Mobile version.  You tap on an article's Title to get the individual article's text, and it's VERY readable.
  Ignore the Reading View icon in this case, where you're already in a customized mobile-device-optimized version of the blog.

 I'll write Silk Team feedback on this.  It does well with most websites.

That caveat aside, I now enjoy this browser more than the various ones I've tried on any of my tablets, with the exception that the Dolphin browser used with an old Adobe Flash Player works best for sites with Flash video for now.

  ANOTHER key improvement in Reading View is the ability to change the font size used.  The earlier browser version was a fixed-sized font that generally was still too small for me to read comfortably so I chose to use another browser that would allow me to change the font size while getting good word wrap on that.  Now I'll likely choose Silk browser more often to read articles (and will chooseFF the Dolphin browser when I want to see a web Flash video that might not be compatible with Silk's new, experimental streaming viewer yet).

  To get options while in Reading View
  To get the font options (as well as full/not-full screen and tablet-menu options), press the "||" icon visible at the right edge when in Landscape mode or at the bottom of screen when in Portrait mode.

  Not only can you change the font size to your liking when in Reading View, you now have additional background color options.  As with Kindle books or magazine article-text views, the Reading View mode allows you to view the website article text in Sepia (easier for some readers' eyes) or in white text against black AND even to choose Left alignment (with nicely raggedy right-edges and no big gaps in text spacing or instead choose Right-justified text.  There are also margin adjustments.

  REMINDER: If you'd rather read an article in original layout mode while viewing the surrounding material, you can double tap on the text to get a fixed larger font size, which sometimes will be enough.

The Silk Team ends their blog tutorial with, "Our goal is continuous improvement.  With that in mind, we’d love to hear from you.  Please get in touch and let us know what you think of Silk.  You can reach us at amazon-silk-feedback@amazon.com."


ID-numbers on my tablets for this Silk update.
Because my Silk changes seemed incremental, with some of it not matching the tutorial at first, I took a look at the Settings to check for any ID numbers.  Below is what I found after my updates were complete and the browser layout finally fully matched the tutorial.
  Another Note: I'm also assuming that our tablets should have the latest Kindle Fire 2nd Gen software update [x].4.6 released recently.

App settings
. Lightly tap on "Applications"
. Tap "Apps" to get "App Settings"
. On "Version and Release Notes"
.   I tapped on "App version release-6.1000.512.47A_622704710" to see:
    "Version
     release-6.1000.512.47A
     Last Updated: [Recent date] (1.0.988.1)

SILK settings (mine)
. Lightly tap on "Applications"
. Tap "Installed Applications"
. Choose Filter by "All Applications"
. Go down to "Silk" and click on it
. You then see "Application Details" and, under that,
.     "version 1.0.68.293-Gen5_34034610" (in my case, for both 7" and 8.9")

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Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.

US: Updated Kindle Fire 2 Basic  7" tablet - $159 Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$229 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $269/$299 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $399/$499 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89 Kindle Touch WiFi - $99 Kindle Paperwhite 1, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite 1, WiFi+3G - $179/$199 Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi+3G - $189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free slow web Kindle DX - $379 $299 (Yes)

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69 Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB Kindle Paperwhite 2, WiFi - £109 Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK - £169 Kindle Fire 2, UK -  £129 Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK - £159/199 Canada - Kindlestore, CDN-$ Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79 Kindle Paperwhite 2 - $169 Kindle Paperwhite 2, 3G - $209 KFire HD 7" $214,  8.9" $284

*OTHER Int'l pages* Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB Paperwhite WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $209 KFire HD 7" $214,  8.9" $284 France Boutique Kindle Deutschland - Kindle Store Italia - Kindle Store Spain - Tienda Kindle Brazil - Amazon Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

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Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

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Kindle News: New update v3.9.1 for the Kindle for iOS app - fixes freezes, etc..

Kindle for iOS app has now been upgraded to v3.9.1.

This was done for "Stability and performance improvements" over v3.9 that saw problems with the Search function causing not only extreme slowdowns but freezes.

At the Kindle Forums, Kindle Universe contributor Tom Semple points out, re the dictionary function:

' In terms of the update, I cannot use a Russian-English dictionary I have with the 'Bring Your Own Dictionary' feature.  The app detects that it IS a dictionary, and lists it along with the other dictionaries, but when I select it, no definition is returned.

  The same dictionary and Russian text works perfectly on my Paperwhite. Seems like a bug. '

[ AB Note: Tom adds something below that he noticed with Dropbox (which is
    not an Amazon appstore app but is very popular.]

' I don't know if this is related to the update, and haven't tried it for awhile, but I used to be able to open .mobi files from Dropbox (it should offer Kindle as one of the Open In choices).
  This does not work on my iPod Touch, but does work on iPad. '

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Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.

US: Updated Kindle Fire 2 Basic  7" tablet - $159 Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$229 * Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $269/$299 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $399/$499 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89 Kindle Touch WiFi - $99 Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi+3G - $179/$199 Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free slow web Kindle DX - $379 $299 (Yes)

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69 Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - £109 Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK - £169 Kindle Fire 2, UK -  £129 Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK - £159/199 Canada - Kindlestore, CDN-$ Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79 Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $129 Kindle Paperwhite, 3G - $199 Kindle Fire HD 7" - 214.00 KFire HD 7" $214,  8.9" $284

*OTHER Int'l pages* Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB Paperwhite WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $199 KFire HD 7" $214,  8.9" $284 France Boutique Kindle Deutschland - Kindle Store Italia - Kindle Store Spain - Tienda Kindle Brazil - Amazon BrazilRp China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

Kindle Fire HD 7: * $40 off on both 16GB and 32GB models, 8/4/13, for a limited time.

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Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

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Kindle News: Kindle Touch E-Reader update v5.3.7 is available to replace v5.3.2.1. Added info on Kindle for iOS update v3.9: -NOT- recommended currently. Some info on a coming Kindle Fire software update. UPDATE2

Kindle Touch Software Upgrade to v5.3.7. has been made available.

These are improvements they recently gave the Kindle Paperwhite model.  Excellent to see continued support for the older models.

  At the software update page, US  (UK page here), they explain:

  "This update automatically downloads and installs on your Kindle Touch when connected wirelessly; however, you can also manually download the software and transfer the update to your device via USB cable.

  The software update includes general improvements and the following feature enhancements:"

' Improvements when buying from a book sample
While reading a sample of a book, you can view the price of the full book and purchase from the reading toolbar with one tap.

View full definition when looking up a word
When you look up a word in the dictionary, you can now view the full definition in the definition window.

Search enhancements
You can easily search for a highlighted word or phrase in your book, your items, or in the Kindle Store.  Highlight the word or phrase, tap More, and then tap Search. '

  If you have a version prior to 5.3.2 and you don't want to wait for the update to arrive on your Kindle Touch and prefer to do it manually yourself, Amazon links you to the appropriate earlier update that must be downloaded and installed before doing the 5.3.2.1 update.

How to determine your software version

1. From Home, tap Menu and then tap Settings.
 
2. On the Settings screen, tap Menu (the Amazon update page omits a step here) and THEN select Device Info. Your software version is listed under Firmware Version.

The Kindle Touch Software update page ( US here,  UK here ) leads you through what to do, depending on which Firmware Version is showing for your KTouch.

Again, Amazon will be delivering this update over Wi-Fi.  Customers who prefer to receive the update immediately can instead manually download the software and transfer the update to the device via USB cable.
  The software-update page for Kindle Touch:   US     UK


Kindle for iOS update - *NOT* recommended for download at this time.
Linked forum message thread shows *too many* problems, causing slowdowns and freezes.
  Thanks to contributor Tom Semple again for the alerts a couple of days ago on the new Kindle for iOS update v3.9 availability and some positive info on the dictionary feature and reflowing of book content.

  This one is most noted in press reports for the new ability -- while using this app for iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch -- to search for free Kindle book samples and access a link in the downloaded sample for the Amazon product page for that book while still in the app, without having to get out to Safari -- not officially mentioned).  You can email yourself that link.

  In connection with that idea, MyKindlestuff's Jesslynn alerts us to the US Department of Justice's recommendation to Judge Denise Cote that Apple allow direct links within e-reader apps to the app-vendors' stores.

  Believe it or not, I don't necessarily agree Apple should be forced to allow this, but I also feel that they should not take 100% (!) of the app-maker's commission either, as had been their policy of taking 30% of an E-book's selling-price (not vendor's profit amount) for in-app store-links under Apple's Agency model (no longer in play for ebooks though, for a couple of years, after Apple lost the lawsuit), which would be the entire Amazon or Barnes and Noble commission on an e-book.

  Update2 - See my additional thoughts on this in-app fee, in response to a question from a commenter on this blog article.

Tom also mentions the not-listed feature of "some level of KF8 reflowable support" in v3.9, and he discovered that it was also there in the Kindle for iOS v3.8.1 app, crediting Nate Hoffelder in his TheDigitalReader article on the new v3.9 update.

Here are the official features as announced in the Amazon Kindle forum by Kevin G, the Community Manager there.

' What's New in Version 3.9?
* Kindle Free Sample Search - From the existing Library Search, customers can now search Amazon's catalog of millions of Kindle books and download free samples from within the app. New books are easier than ever to find.
* Bring Your Own Dictionary - Customers can now use previously purchased Dictionaries, such as medical, legal, or other translation references to define words in any of their other eBooks. Dictionaries downloaded to the device automatically appear in the selection list. [ ab here: This is GREAT! ]
* Accessibility Quick Reference - Accessibility gestures for blind and visually impaired customers are included for quick reference and can be found under the FAQ section in settings. The guide has been translated for all supported languages.
* Instant Cover Loader - Book cover art displays quicker and more fluidly.
* Bug Fixes/Stability Improvements

If you need assistance with this update, head over to the Kindle Help Community. '

Do take a look at that announcement message thread, as it has a LOT of customer feedback on this update along with help given there.
  However, there are too many bugs affecting this one.  I'd avoid downloading this one if possible.  Messages in that forum thread advise on how you may be able to turn OFF 'automatic updates.'
  ;There'll almost certainly be a follow-up software update soon to address these apparent memory problems.  It may affect, more, users with many books in their Library, but it's hard to tell right now.  There are indications not enough memory is released after the first Search even if it works.  The number of results and the fact that the software acknowledges each individual letter input before a word or phrase is completed are other possible factors.


Kindle Fire software update that's due soon
With reference to the follow-up article with workarounds for an over-the-air software update version [x]4.5 sent to a few customers but not placed on the servers for manual installation, the glitches reported with Flash video when using web browsers like Dolphin browser have been fixed, as shown by an unofficial interim update [x]4.6 which has been, in effect, sent to those who got the wirelessly-sent update (limited distribution to a few) but reported glitches, and there's general rejoicing involved.

This means it's likely due soon on the servers.  It is said to work also with the Time to Read bugginess some were experiencing.  Kudos to Amazon Kindle Team for working with the customers this way.

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Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

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Kindle News: Kindle for Android Update v4.1 has been released

Amazon updates the free Kindle for Android app again. this time to version 4.1.0.66, or v4.1.0 for short.

Two months ago, Amazon had a large Kindle for Android Update (v4.0.1.3), which was fully described and discussed here, with the help of knowledgeable contributor Tom Semple, who always goes beyond what's described in the product description after examining thoroughly the updates himself.

 

Speaking of that, since you're likely to have seen his helpful additions all around the Net, don't miss the interview with Tom, by The Kindle Chronicles' Len Edgerly.

Re the update. (Two pages for downloads and info: Amazon product page and info, with Google Play link, the info not fully updated yet.)

This update to both the phone and tablet versions of Kindle for Android includes (from the Amazon Kindle forums -- emphases mine):

' For the phone app
- Enjoy your favorite magazines with glossy, full-color layouts.
- Easier PDF navigation, tap the screen for visual previews of each page.
- Bug fixes and performance improvements

For the tablet app:
- Find what you're looking for fast with visual previews. Just tap the screen and go.
- Enjoy your favorite magazines with glossy, full-color layouts, photographs and illustrations.
- Highlights, bookmarks and notes are organized into a notebook for your textbook.
- Textbooks now support highlighting pictures.
- Bug fixes and performance improvements.

If you have questions with this release, please drop by the Kindle Help Community '

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Current Kindle Models for reference.  Note the current KindleFire HD 7" sale.

US: Updated Kindle Fire 2 Basic  7" tablet - $159 Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$229 * Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $269/$299 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $399/$499 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89 Kindle Touch WiFi - $99 Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi+3G - $179/$199 Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free slow web Kindle DX - $379 $299 (Yes)

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £69 Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - ~£89 Refurb'd Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - £109 Kindle Paperwhite 3G, UK - £169 Kindle Fire 2, UK -  £129 Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB, UK - £159/199 Canada - Kindlestore, CDN-$ Kindle Basic, NoTouch - $79 Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $129 Kindle Paperwhite, 3G - $199 Kindle Fire HD 7" - 214.00 KFire HD 7" $214,  8.9" $284

*OTHER Int'l pages* Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB Paperwhite WiFi $139, 3G/Wifi $199 KFire HD 7" $214,  8.9" $284 France Boutique Kindle Deutschland - Kindle Store Italia - Kindle Store Spain - Tienda Kindle Brazil - Amazon Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

* $30 off, 6/30/13, for a limited time.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

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DOJ-APPLE Trial quotes...AmazonFresh delivery service may launch in Los Angeles within a week...The Kindle Daily Deals page now includes "10 Top-Rated Deal Books at $3.99 or Less"Kindle for iOS app gets another update, v3.8, for layout enhancements

Amazon working in earnest to expand 1-Day Grocery Delivery in effect

NPR's Maria Godoy points us to Joe Nicholson's AP report that Amazon may expand its fresh grocery delivery service (tested in Seattle since 2007) to Los Angeles possibly "as early as this week" and delivery in San Francisco "is on the horizon for later this year, according to Reuters and adds that "By 2014, the company could expand grocery delivery to as many as 40 major urban areas."

  Apparently, it's popular in Seattle and its features include "no minimum order, pre-dawn delivery (the most popular option) and the ability to choose the time when your food shows up. You can also opt to have your groceries dropped off in a chilled tote bag."

  In Seattle, this includes items from favorite vendors, "from artisan breads and doughnuts to craft beers" from a popular local market and "deliveries from local restaurants."  A retailNet Group analyst expects Amazon to do something similar as it expands into LA and SF.

  The Reuters report references two people who "were not authorized to speak publicly," one of whom said that if the two new locations "go well," they may launch AmazonFresh in "20 other urban areas in 2014, including some outside the United States," with a target of "as many as 40 markets."

  As usual, the thinking seems to be, the reports say, that Amazon doesn't have to make a profit off these but this would be foot-in-door purchasing on a more regular basis, and it's expected that those customers would be interested in buying other, more profitable, products online at Amazon.

  It's a daunting effort, as fresh food doesn't stay fresh for long.  Wal-Mart is said to be testing something similar in the San Francisco Bay Area and already operates one in Britain.  See Reuters for considerably more detail.


Newish Kindle Book Deal
The ongoing Kindle Daily Deal page now also includes "10 Top-Rated Deal Books, $3.99 or Less" as well as the monthly specials.


IN OTHER NEWS - quotes and links
Quotes from DoJ-Apple Trial
Web news is large with the Apple and Big5 ebook pricing trial now going on and it's fairly dramatic as each publisher is asked to step up and describe the interactions with Apple, and yesterday Amazon's VP of Kindle Content, Russell Grandinetti, testified about the tense conferences with publishers back in 2010 and the threats that went back and forth.

 Just picking one generic story randomly from a "Breaking News - Business"-focused site, I see what shows up in most news stories last night:

' Carolyn Reidy, chief executive of Simon & Schuster...testified she met with Apple executive Eddy Cue and that [she] was aware that other big publishers were in talks with the California tech giant to end the pricing model imposed by Amazon...

  "You left the meeting understanding Apple didn't want [Amazon's price of US$9.99] to continue?" [US DoJ lawyer Lawrence] Buterman asked.
  "Clearly," Reidy responded.
...
The Justice Department also presented evidence of Reidy's telephone contacts with other publishing CEOs during the Apple negotiations.

  Reidy denied discussing the Apple talks with them, but the government introduced an email from Reidy to Cue, in which she said she "looked forward" to his progress in “herding us cats." '

Remember that the case is now focused on Apple as "ringleader" ("facilitator and go-between") and all the publishers involved have settled, albeit for a relatively low $164 million and stopping the current arrangement and a promise not to try Agency plan again for a couple of years.

PaidContent's Laura Hazard Owen brings up, despite S&S's Reidy arguing "that Apple did not require the publisher to move Amazon and other accounts to the agency model":

' A related, charged point raised by the government was an internal mail to the S&S team on January 4, in which Reidy writes in part about how to respond to Eddy Cue’s proposed Apple terms, noting that ‘we are in total agreement that…agency model should hold for all retailers.’” '

PaidContent's Mathew Ingram wrote, on June 4, a story headlined, "The DoJ has an open-and-shut case," calling the evidence "overwhelming."

  "...the fact is that the DoJ has what amounts to a slam-dunk case: no matter how you look at it, the company colluded with publishers to keep e-book prices high."

  Ingram reiterates that Apple's argument that boils down to "But your honor, we had to do this because our competitor is too large and it was the only way we could compete with them” just won't fly in an anti-trust case focusing on collusion.

' ...antitrust law in the U.S. isn’t designed to help prevent competitors from being squashed by a large player in an industry — even if that player has what amounts to a monopoly position.  The key point is whether that particular company’s behavior alters or damages the marketplace in a way that harms consumers.  And when it comes to that, the DoJ is on rock-solid ground. '

  As Kindle owners will remember, and it came up in Grandinetti's testimony yesterday, Amazon was told that if they didn't agree to the Agency agreement as set up (for the higher pricing forced on them), then they would not get Kindle editions of the popular new books until several months after the release of the print book.  This was not an attractive option for them nor for Kindle owners.

  Publishers Weekly's Calvin Reid reminds everyone of a strange faux pas Steve Jobs made which this blog pointed out as significant ("says too much") when this was all happening.  See that link for the video of what Jobs said to Mossberg.  It was not widely circulated but eventually would be big in this case.

  He gave away to Walt Mossberg that he knew the prices would be fixed, in the brief video'd interview after the iPad launch, in which Mossberg asked why anyone would buy a book for $14.99 at Apple's store when they could get it for $9.99 at Amazon.

  When Jobs replied that, in effect, Amazon would not be selling the mentioned book at a lower cost than Apple, and Mossberg couldn't understand why -- in reply to Mossberg's question, "You mean you won’t be $14.99? Or they won’t be $9.99" -- Jobs would smile and say, "The prices will be the same.." (See the video in two versions.)

  I was flabbergasted by that at the time, and The Register, UK's Brid-Aine Parnell reports on a piece of email evidence submitted (the wording in that email is unpleasant but it was said by the general counsel of Simon and Schuster and not stated by me -- I just thought Jobs's words were really unwise).

' In further evidence to support its allegations, the DoJ showed an email from Eliza Rivlin, then general counsel of publisher Simon & Schuster, who was horrified that Jobs had made the comments [in that video'd interview].

“I can’t believe Jobs made the statement… Incredibly stupid,” she wrote.
  The Department of Justice's lawyers suggested Rivlin was incredulous because Jobs’ comments pointed out their conspiracy.  But Apple lawyers said that the Feds were twisting the facts to paint a “sinister” picture of Apple. '

  Trial Exhibits
  For those intrigued by all this and wanting to know more, see the actual Trial Exhibits for this case.

  A fascinating read, because of the inclusion of information from voluminous emails never meant to be public, is the PDF file for Plaintiffs' Proposed Findings of Fact.  It's more interesting than most mystery or detective books I've read, and it's still up to the reader to sort out what it all really means.


New Kindle for Apple iOS update, v3.8
NEW: (Get the free app/update at iTunes.)
• Line Spacing - loose, normal, and tight line spacing options change the page layout to suit your reading preference
• Multipage Highlights – highlight long passages that span multiple pages for added convenience
• Print Replica Textbooks notebook improvements – filter by type: notes, bookmarks, and highlights by color; Sync starred notes between devices
• Accessibility Improvements – select a higher maximum font size, bug fixes
• Bug Fixes/Stability Improvements


Current Articles Reference:
See:
1. June's current Kindle and Kindle Book deals info here:
2. All Kindle Fire HD tablets $20 off through June 8 + some other Amazon specials.  Has an interesting price comparison.
3. Large E-Ink Kindle DX Graphite available again, almost as pricey as before.
4. Software Update x.4.1 for HD and 2nd Gen Kindle Fire tablets
5. Current worldwide listing of Kindle devices


  For daily free ebooks, check the following links:

Temporarily-free books - Non-classics USA: by:    Publication Date      Bestselling   High-ratings UK: PubDate   Popular The Kindle Daily Deal What is 3G? and "WiFi"?       Battery Care Highly-rated under $1,  Newest: $1-$2, $2-$3

Most Popular Free K-Books U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):    Top 100 free UK-Only:    Top 100 free Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources. USEFUL for your Kindle Keyboard (U.S. only, currently):   99c Notepad 1.1,   99c Calculator,   99c Calendar,   99c Converter

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

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Kindle News: Large Kindle for Android Update - new features, customer reactions. Tom Semple adds what he's found.

New update for the free Kindle for Android app - v4.0.1.3

The Amazon Kindle for Android updates:
· New design and user interface: Apparently many customers have told Amazon that they really like the User Interface (UI) of the Kindle Fire, as find it easy to access and navigate the content on the tablet.

  Amazon has extended that design to Kindle for Android by
  1. optimizing the Kindle Store for tablets
  2. improving the library interface
  3. redesigning the home screen, which includes the Carousel option for recent items), and
  4. simplifying navigation through the app.

· Easy access to samples: To help customers new to Kindle or Kindle apps get started, Amazon is making samples of many of the best sellers very easy to find; the samples will be on the home screen of their Kindle app.

More info is at the Kindle for Android details page.

From Google Play store's What's New page

What's in this version:
4.0.1.3
• Redesigned library experience.
• Carousel displays recent items on the Kindle app home screen.
• Navigation panel organizes content for quick access to your Books, Documents, and Newsstand periodicals.
• Browse all your items in the Cloud or just the content downloaded on your Android device.
• Explore and download popular samples in the Kindle Store.
• Fixed a crash some customers reported.

Contributor Tom Semple weighed in early
This guy is the Kindle world's intrepid explorer and is everywhere.
Tom has given permission to quote what he's found so far (I'm just late getting to it, and I saw reports that some are finding that the Table of Contents can be balky under the new update and that customer service has said they are aware of that and are working on it).

  Here's Tom: (Bracketed entries are mine.)

' Kindle for Android finally has a version of the 'Cloud/Device' pattern found on Kindles and Kindle apps, with Recent added to Sort options.  Very welcome.  [Yay!]

  As usual, there's also an experiment: an item called 'Popular Samples' brings up a list of 25 samples that we are to believe are popular (and hopefully not some manipulation on the part of Amazon to direct us to certain books).
    [They say they're from the already "best sellers.]

The Kindle Store experience has been greatly improved as well.  There's also a Carousel view, which thankfully one does not need to use. [ ]  Now, if only they'd add TTS [Text-to-Speech], I would use the app a little more (which I try to do anyway on the assumption that Amazon updates the apps that are used the most).

By my count there are at least 3 features unique to Kindle for Android:
- Voice search
- Send To Kindle (shows up as a Sharing option with a number of other Android apps)
- Popular Samples'

Thanks, Tom.  I use Google Voice search a lot on my Samsung S2 phone and on my 10" Galaxy tablet which I hardly use anymore since I am spoiled by the HD display of the KFires.

  Off topic
  Although we're talking about Kindle for Android and NOT Kindle Fire apps, I just tested my Google Voice app on my Kindle Fire anyway (I downloaded the app from 1mobile.com long ago) and it works really well.  This is just my usual, confusing side note.

  I use Dolphin browser (for its Flash support) on the KFire and when I brought up google search, I touched the side "||" mark to get the Menu on the side and tapped the Star to get Favorites while still using Dolphin browser  Then I tapped 'Voice' and once I did that, the mic icon showed and asked me to say what I wanted and I said, "a kindle world" and it gave me a short list of what I might have said to the mic.  I tapped the correct item and then Dolphin browser took over, and the Google links to the blog showed up.  Can we say 'insular' ? But Google Voice is so smooth -- both on pure Android devices (the topic of this blog article) and even on the Kindle Fire.

BACK to the topic of Kindle for Android devices
The user reviews for the Kindle for Android app at Google play store are an interesting read.  Excerpts from the first few on the top (the most recent):

. Wow, great app to read book - Also, the dictionary is very good as some people mentioned. Great work, Amazon!

. BETTER NOW...The app's interface is much cleaner and modern now.

[He mentions it has List View and that you don't have to use the Carousel.  You can just open the slider on the left, tap books and at the top right, toggle list view or grid view.]

. Best of the DRM readers [Loves the new Recent reads and the Carousel, as well as "the whole new layout. Good job!"]

That was just the first three showing right now, and you have to click on 'more' to read the rest.
  The 2nd page notes some things people want it to do (like TTS].

  Also, it's evident that the phone users are less ecstatic about how the layout fits on the smaller screens -- some of it is optimized for tablets.  Table of Contents links are too close to the edge on some devices, so you might turn back a page instead of going to the chapter selected.  Amazon is working on fixes for any glitches with the table of contents.

  Things to watch for:
  Reading progress was reset in a few cases.
  Some don't realize the Carousel is an option and that you can choose between List and Grid views.

  A mix of really happy and really unhappy reactions :-) depending on the devices.

  AND, at the Amazon app store, here are the reviews sorted by most recent date so that you can see what people are finding - positive and negative - about the update.

  5-star ratings are most evident, but with a few who experienced problems.  You should view these to see what experiences are for the pure-Android device(s) you own.  Again, customer support says they ARE working on an update for the glitches that occur in the Table of Contents for some.

---

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

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Update v7.2.3 for Kindle Fire HD 7-inch model

NEW SOFTWARE UPDATE v7.2.3 for the Kindle Fire HD 7" tablet - bug fixes and performance improvements

This blog entry also includes links to earlier articles with tips on how to add needed apps from other sources to the Kindle Fire plus Flash player work arounds, as well as some comparison reviews.

Commenter kindleowner alerted us to the update 7.23 received over-the-air by a few without a notice by Amazon the last two days.  I saw an added post about it in the Kindle Community Forums Wednesday and one in Mobileread Forums quoting a poster in XDA Developer forums.  But that was all I noticed as of early Thursday morning.  Then kindleowner saw the update go live on the Amazon software page and let us know later Thursday morning (thank you!).

The new update -- v7.2.3 for Kindle Fire HD 7" -- will automatically download and install for most Kindle Fire customers.  My Kindle Fire HD 7" is still on v7.2.2, and sync'g my device didn't seem to show an update file there that could be clicked on, but it takes a while to deliver these huge files and they're installed normally when the Kindle is not being used but WiFi is accessible.
  UK Link is: Kindle Fire HD 7" v7.2.3, UK.

Amazon notes only that the update "includes bug fixes and performance improvements" and that, as usual, it will be delivered automatically via wireless.

However, one fix was noted yesterday:

' Posted on Dec 13, 2012 12:09:47 PM PST
Chuck1 says:
Just received the 7.2.3, and it fixed the "destroying of all my calender appointments" after each update..."'

Checking which software version you have.
I checked by swiping down my Top Menu, then clicking on "More" and then "Settings," where I looked at "Device," then "About" and saw that I still have System Version 7.2.2.
  Since I am experiencing no problems with it, I might wait for it to be delivered automatically rather than get the file and manually install it.

  For those who prefer to do the updates via USB cable because you don't have WiFi, the update files are at the Amazon server locations linked above.

IF Downloading Version 7.2.3

This update automatically downloads and installs for most Kindle Fire customers; however, you can initiate the software update from your Kindle or manually download the software update via USB (some use the excellent WiFi File Explorer PRO app rather than the USB cable hookup).

Again -- before you begin, confirm your current software version:

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap More.
2. Tap Device, and then tap About.

The instructions for manually downloading, if needed, the update via USB are at the software update pages mentioned above.  Most will find it more convenient to have it arrive via the automated download.

NOTE that when it does, your Kindle Fire will reboot and sometimes it does that twice, so don't be alarmed when it happens while it's idle and you're nearby.

EARLIER posts on Kindle Fire HD

  . Getting non-Amazon apps on Kindle Fires (non-HD Kindle Fires have storage space limitations)
  . More comparisons on iPad mini and Kindle Fire HD
  . Basic Features Comparison Table for iPad mini, Google Nexus 7", Kindle Fire HD 7"
  . Comparison reviews of the Kindle Fire HD 7" and Google Nexus 7" tablets
  . Step-by-step guide for installing a working Adobe Flash player when needed.
  . Google Maps, Street View and other apps on my Kindle Fire, via enabling one device setting
  . Downloading and playing YouTube videos on Kindle Fire HD
  . Using the camera and Video, Panorama mode, Time Lapses
  . App for WiFi file transfers w/o cable.

---

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books  
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.   Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
  Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

 *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

Read More