New Technology Reviews!.: Kindle

Amazon Kindle ebooks to get HTML5 support

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-top: 0.6em;">
<div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;">
<img alt="Amazon Kindle ebooks to get HTML5 support" class="aligncenter" height="211" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/Tablets/amazon/Kindle%20Fire%20%28home%20angle%201%29s-470-75.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/Tablets/amazon/Kindle%20Fire%20%28home%20angle%201%29s-470-75.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="282" /></div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
More attractive ebooks could be on their way to a Kindle near you, as Amazon Kindle Format 8 (KF8) will come with HTML5 support.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The big news here is that publishers will be able to make ebooks a lot more exciting, using interactive elements and snazzier layouts.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Ebook designers will be able to make use of CSS3 support and fixed layouts, as well as embedded fonts for a wider variety of typefaces. Books will also be able to have drop caps (which is when the first letter of a paragraph is enlarged to add a bit of variety).</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
There's also the option to include floating elements and bullet-point lists as part of the 150 new formatting options, which will all add a bit more interest to the whole Kindle experience.</div>
<h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Fire in the hole</span></h4>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Unfortunately for us UK dwellers, the Kindle Fire will be the first Kindle product to support KF8, which means no flashily designed ebooks for us just yet.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
It makes sense, though – the Kindle Fire is the first of the line up to offer an all-singing, all-dancing colour touchscreen, so expect gorgeous looking art books, picture books and comic boo… er, we mean graphic novels.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
However, support for the new format is set to roll out over the next few months, taking in existing software and hardware as it goes.</div>
</div>
</div>

Amazon Kindle ebooks to get HTML5 support

More attractive ebooks could be on their way to a Kindle near you, as Amazon Kindle Format 8 (KF8) will come with HTML5 support. The...

New Amazon Kindle format to supercharge e-books

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px;"><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-top: 0.6em;">
<div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;">
<img alt="New Amazon Kindle format to supercharge e-books" class="aligncenter" height="211" mce_src="http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/2200/kindlefirebooks47075.jpg" src="http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/2200/kindlefirebooks47075.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="282" /></div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Amazon has detailed a new e-book format for use on the Kindle Fire, which is set to offer up a more interactive experience for things like comic books, children's novels and cookbooks.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
New enhancements that make up the format include HTML5 support, fixed layouts, nested tables, callouts, sidebars and Scalable Vector Graphics.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
In short, Amazon is hoping that its new e-book format will show off the potential of the Kindle Fire, and hide the fact the tablet's screen is not made from e-ink so is not as easy on the eye for reading like the Kindle e-book reader.</div>
<h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
KF8 is going to rock ya</h4>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Amazon is calling the file format KF8 (Kindle Format 8) and has revealed that it will be replacing Mobi 7.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
In all there are over 150 new formatting capabilities and the good news is that a new version of Kindle Publisher Tools is just around the corner, so devs can start utilising the new format shortle.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Amazon is keen to point out that all versions of Kindle books will be available on the Kindle Fire, but using KF8 will add a little <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">je ne sais quoi</span> to books.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
There is still no Kindle Fire UK release date – but we are hoping the device (or an iteration of it) will be released sometime in 2012.</div>
</div>
</span></div>

New Amazon Kindle format to supercharge e-books

Amazon has detailed a new e-book format for use on the Kindle Fire, which is set to offer up a more interactive experience for things ...

Amazon ignores Android with new Kindle Cloud Reader web-app

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-top: 0.6em;">
<div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;">
<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="230" mce_src="http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/6544/amazonkindlewebappandro.jpg" src="http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/6544/amazonkindlewebappandro.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="amazon_kindle_web_app_android_sg_1" width="324" />Amazon has launched a new web-based Kindle app, http://read.amazon.com/, using HTML5 to offer the ereading experience within the browser. However, while the app appears to be a workaround to avoid Apple’s limitations on native iOS apps containing links to external stores, it seems Amazon is also leaving Android out in the cold.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Attempt to access the Kindle Cloud Reader on an Android Honeycomb tablet, and you’ll get the message “Your web browser isn’t supported yet” and the advice to download Chrome or Safari (the desktop versions) instead. We tried in both the native Honeycomb browser and third-party alternative Opera, with no luck in either.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
It’s a shame, since the web app is surprisingly well put together. As well as offering access to the cloud store of previously purchased titles, which can be locally downloaded to an iPad for offline reading, it has seamless integration with Amazon’s Kindle store for buying new titles.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
The decision not to get the app up to speed with Android is somewhat curious, since Amazon is believed to have a pair of Android-based tablets of its own in the works. The company’s native Android app still supports the Kindle store – Google, unlike Apple, doesn’t limit links to places people can buy content – however.</div>
</div>
</div>

Amazon ignores Android with new Kindle Cloud Reader web-app

Amazon has launched a new web-based Kindle app, http://read.amazon.com/, using HTML5 to offer the ereading experience within the browser...

Amazon's Kindle tops its top 10 Xmas sales list

<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Gadgets/New%20Amazon%20Kindle%203/main%20kindle%203-200-200.jpg" />  </div>Amazon has announced its biggest Christmas sellers, and it is its own Kindle  device that tops the chart, beating the Toy Story 3 DVD into second place. <br />
In fact, the top four sellers are all from different genres, the Kindle from  electronics, Toy Story 3 from DVD, Call of Duty: Black Ops from gaming and Take  That's latest album Progress making up the best-selling quartet. <br />
But the well-priced and critically acclaimed Amazon  Kindle has brought in the bucks for the online retail giant, and the  purchase of digital books for the device will only serve to cement the company's  dominance in the market. <br />
"This was the first Christmas that Kindle and Kindle 3G have been available  from Amazon.co.uk and the demand has been exceptional," said Brian McBride,  Managing Director of Amazon.co.uk Ltd. <br />
<strong>£109</strong><br />
"At only £109, Kindle has been on the top of Christmas Wish Lists all over  the country this year and we expect to see many people visiting the Kindle Store  over the days that follow Christmas to take advantage of the massive selection  of low-price Kindle Books available," he added.<br />
Apparently, 27 items were being ordered every second at the peak of its  Christmas buying period – and a total of 2.3 million items were bought on the  busiest day – Monday 6 December. <br />
<strong>Top 10</strong><br />
1.Kindle (3G + Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi only)<br />
2.Toy Story 3<br />
3.Call of Duty:  Black Ops<br />
4.Progress – Take That<br />
5.Inception<br />
6.Jamie's 30-Minute Meals  – Jamie Oliver<br />
7.Now That's What I Call Music! 77<br />
8.Eclipse<br />
9.Downton  Abbey Series 1<br />
10.Just Dance 2 (Wii)

Amazon's Kindle tops its top 10 Xmas sales list

Amazon has announced its biggest Christmas sellers, and it is its own Kindle device that tops the chart, beating the Toy Story 3 DVD into...

Amazon's Kindle tops its top 10 Xmas sales list

<P align=center><img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Gadgets/New%20Amazon%20Kindle%203/main%20kindle%203-200-200.jpg"></P> <br /><P>Amazon has announced its biggest Christmas sellers, and it is its own Kindle device that tops the chart, beating the Toy Story 3 DVD into second place. </P><br /><P>In fact, the top four sellers are all from different genres, the Kindle from electronics, Toy Story 3 from DVD, Call of Duty: Black Ops from gaming and Take That's latest album Progress making up the best-selling quartet. </P><br /><P>But the well-priced and critically acclaimed <a href="">Amazon Kindle</A> has brought in the bucks for the online retail giant, and the purchase of digital books for the device will only serve to cement the company's dominance in the market. </P><br /><P>"This was the first Christmas that Kindle and Kindle 3G have been available from Amazon.co.uk and the demand has been exceptional," said Brian McBride, Managing Director of Amazon.co.uk Ltd. </P><br /><P><STRONG>£109</STRONG></P><br /><P>"At only £109, Kindle has been on the top of Christmas Wish Lists all over the country this year and we expect to see many people visiting the Kindle Store over the days that follow Christmas to take advantage of the massive selection of low-price Kindle Books available," he added.</P><br /><P>Apparently, 27 items were being ordered every second at the peak of its Christmas buying period – and a total of 2.3 million items were bought on the busiest day – Monday 6 December. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Top 10</STRONG></P><br /><P>1.Kindle (3G + Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi only)<BR>2.Toy Story 3<BR>3.Call of Duty: Black Ops<BR>4.Progress – Take That<BR>5.Inception<BR>6.Jamie's 30-Minute Meals – Jamie Oliver<BR>7.Now That's What I Call Music! 77<BR>8.Eclipse<BR>9.Downton Abbey Series 1<BR>10.Just Dance 2 (Wii)</P>

Amazon's Kindle tops its top 10 Xmas sales list

Amazon has announced its biggest Christmas sellers, and it is its own Kindle device that tops the chart, beating the Toy Story 3 DVD into s...

Amazon to hit 8m Kindle sales in 2010

<P align=center><img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Gadgets/New%20Amazon%20Kindle%203/main%20kindle%203-200-200.jpg"></P> <br /><P>Amazon will sell 8 million Kindles in 2010, with the e-reader selling 60 per cent more than analysts had suggested. </P><br /><P>The latest <a href="">Amazon Kindle 3</A> has really caught the wave, and a big marketing campaign has been in evidence across the UK. </P><br /><P>And the device is a success on a global level according to Bloomberg's Businessweek, who suggested 8 million of the devices have been sold.</P><br /><P><STRONG>Low price-point</STRONG></P><br /><P>The Kindle has benefited from a low price-point and the growing awareness of e-readers. </P><br /><P>Priced at £109 and £149 in the UK, the device is likely to be on many Christmas lists, and, assuming the deliveries have got through, Amazon will also benefit from selling digital books through its extensive library. </P><br /><P>There has, however, been criticism from some quarters that digital copies are not significantly cheaper than the physical books, despite virtually no cost in replication. </P><br /><P>Some are also keen to see a digital copy being offered along with a physical book, meaning that using the kindle on your commute doesn't mean you need miss on the tactile pleasure of a real book when carrying it around is less of an issue.</P>

Amazon to hit 8m Kindle sales in 2010

Amazon will sell 8 million Kindles in 2010, with the e-reader selling 60 per cent more than analysts had suggested. The latest Amazon Kindl...

Kindle for Android updated with periodicals and integrated web store, can be installed on SD card

Kindle for Android updated with periodicals and integrated web store, can be installed on SD card

Version 2.0 of Amazon's Kindle for Android software has snuck out tonight, bringing with it access to the company's library of news...

Amazon Kindle service for the web incoming

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com///Review%20images/TechRadar/Gadgets/New%20Amazon%20Kindle%203/P1030755-200-200.jpg"> <br /><P>Amazon is preparing to launch its Kindle service on the web this week, offering up a rival to Google's recently announced (and currently US only) ebook service.</P><br /><P>The Kindle e-reader <a href="">is synonymous</A> with ebooks, so it makes sense that Amazon expands the brand to the web and away from the device.</P><br /><P>It has already launched a successful Kindle <a href="">mobile phone app</A> on myriad formats and it will be hoping to be able to emulate this success with the web.</P><br /><P><STRONG>Caught in a web</STRONG></P><br /><P>The new Kindle web service will allow users to read an ebook straight from the web browser. </P><br /><P>This isn't exactly groundbreaking, but it will hopefully offer synergy between all of the Kindle apps, so if you forget your ebook reader you will be able to carry to read the book on an available computer.</P><br /><P>It will also mean that those who use locked-down machines at work will be able to read their ebooks without fear the thought police will attack as you downloaded an illegitimate program.</P><br /><P>There's rumours abound that the Kindle web service will be available as soon as tomorrow, 8 December.</P><br /><P>We're just hoping that this one will be available in the UK – unlike Google who is leaving us wanting with <a href="">Google eBooks</A>.</P>

Amazon Kindle service for the web incoming

Amazon is preparing to launch its Kindle service on the web this week, offering up a rival to Google's recently announced (and currentl...