Kindle tip: Kindle for iOS - Major new update v4.0 for the Kindle reading app for Apple devices

Amazon announced last night the new, major update for the Kindle for iOS app, Version 4.0

' Initial post: Sep 18, 2013 9:50:16 AM PDT
David A. - Forum Moderator says:
(AMAZON OFFICIAL)

Major Update Includes Brand-New Design & Collections! Kindle Version 4 is beautifully redesigned around the themes of deference, clarity and depth.  Collections give customers the ability to simply and easily organize their libraries.

What's New in V4?
* Collections: Easily categorize books, docs, and magazines with a few easy taps
* Flatter style controls create a sharp, new customer experience
* Translucency effects keep constant connection between customers and their content
* Slide-out menus in Library and Reader that combine key controls and glide to the touch
* Performance and Stability Improvements

If you have any questions or need help with this update, please post in our Kindle Help Forum: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/forums/kindleqna. '

You can find the Amazon Kindle for iOS v4.0 update in the usual place:
the Apple ITunes store.

I read user reports this morning that the Collections feature works just as it does on their Kindle e-reader and that everything works well.



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.

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Kindle News: Kindle for IOS v 3.6.2 Update Fixes Registration Issue and Other Bugs

Kindle for iOS Update to v3.6.2 released at Apple iTunes at about 3pm today (2/27/13)

The odd situation had the update v3.6.1 info on the iOS devices cautioning people NOT to install it (strange they didn't just drop the update file but I suppose they had good reasons having to do with their need for cooperation with Apple's own update processes).

At the Kindle Community Forum Message Thread on this update, there is advice given to people who did install the earlier v3.6.1 version (see below).

For those who did NOT install v3.6.1, getting the v3.6.2 version is proving to be a smooth process.

HOWEVER, for those who DID download the earlier v3.6.1 from yesterday, Forum Moderator Abigail R., an Amazon Official, has this advice:

' Abigail R. - Forum Moderator says:


Hi all,

If you upgraded your Kindle for iPad or iPhone software to version 3.6.1, you may have been prompted to register the app again.

If you are seeing a "license exceeded" error when you try to download books, please do the following:

1. Visit Manage Your Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/myk
2. Locate your Kindle application in the "Manage your Devices" section
3. Click the "Deregister" link
4. Open the Kindle app on your device and enter your Amazon account e-mail address and password

Once you've re-registered the app, you may need to download your books again.

We apologize for any inconvenience this causes. Version 3.6.2 is now available for download to fix registration errors. '

For the Kindle for iOS update to v3.6.2, go to the Apple iTunes Kindle for iOS page.

  There, Apple describes "What's New in Version 3.6.2"
  . Fix for Registration Issue
  . Various Bug Fixes and Security Fixes



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Kindle News: AVOID Kindle for iOS Update to v3.6.1

CAUTION: DO NOT update Kindle for iOS to v3.6.1 yet

At the Kindle Community Forum Message Thread on this update, Kindle iPhone and iPad users discuss the many problems with Update v3.6.1 released late last night (2/26). The iTunes page dates the release of v3.6.1 as of 2/27 though.

UPDATE - v3.6.2 released at 3pm Wed. 2/27 to fix the registration problem.
  See later post about that.

EARLIER:
Examples of what's being said:

' I updated via App store upgrades to 3.6.1 on an iPhone 5. This version of the application did not preserve the device registration, and I was forced to re-register the device. I had book samples, which I use for my queue of new books to purchase, on the device. These were lost. Amazon.com does not maintain a listing of the samples downloaded.

The only way to get this version to work was to register as a new device. That is what caused [the] loss of data stored on the iPhone.

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I also had to re-register my iPhone and have to re-download over 500 Ebooks! Please Fix!

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...has not only caused me to lose a potential shopping list, it has also cost Amazon (and authors) revenue as I have no way to recover the Samples and no written record of what they were. Best guess is that I had about 6-8 books as samples, I probably would have bought 4 of them at $10 (average) each. Loss to Amazon is not just my $40 that I won't spend, but multiply that by the number of other users who will run into this....

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Made me re-register my iPad and is now showing my iPad device as my second iPad. I only have the one iPad. I logged in using my same email and password too.
Spoke with customer service. She said she had been getting calls on this and would report to app development. I had several partially read books that I've lost my place in, and I also used the books on my device to keep track of what I've read. Not happy!

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When I entered my amazon login information in order to restore my books, received the message that none exist. Do not upgrade!

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It shows my iPad as a 3rd device and won't allow me to download from the cloud because "the license limit exceeded." I saw the warning after it started to download. The warning looked like every other description of any upgrade. Couldn't stop the download once in progress.

----------
I only have one iPad and it registered a second one. '

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Kindle News: Kindle app for iOS gets X-Ray feature. Also, new "FreeTime Unlimited" parental control plan. Kindle Fire HD 8.9" software update v8.1.3

Two Amazon announcements this week and a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 tablet S/W update

First:
Photo credit: Ben Rotman at Lost at e minor.

See the larger version of the penguin-x-rays image and more at that site.

  Also, indie publishers, Rotman has an intriguing excerpt (involving a seemingly sleepless child whose nights are spent exploring his urban surrounds on the trains of Paris) from "an as yet unpublished screenplay."

  Also check out the whimsical flip flops by Kusa at the end of the page.
  (I don't know him -- I found his x-ray images for the blog and enjoyed them and the site.)

Others of you who may be more interested in crafts, might enjoy the feature on Izziyana Suhaimi's "black and white pencil and watercolor drawings with colorful ornate embroidery in her seductive textured illustrations."

All right, when here, I've been gathering and organizing material for some HowTo-oriented articles, but they're not ready at the moment.  After that off-topic intro prompted by the X-ray feature, I'll bring you the latest commercial Kindle-related news from Amazon.

  Note to Kindle-Edition blog subscribers: Remember that if you click to follow a link, you can click on an article and then choose Menu/ArticleView to read it in a special book-like format.


Kindle for iOS gets X-ray support
PC Magazine's Stephanie Miot relays an alert on the Kindle for iOS app update.

For those who've seen the name of a character on a page and wondered WHO that was in pages past, Amazon's X-Ray can be a Godsend.  I've appreciated it most in books like Columbine and for the many characters in Steve Jobs's life.  X-ray links you to every appearance of that person in the book, in context of a paragraph for each.  True for topics, ideas, etc.

This update for iOS also has manga image rendering improvements.


Kindle FreeTime Unlimited
The key word in the BusinessWire release is Unlimited - and it's an optional upgrade over the free version of FreeTime, which is available for the new Kindle Fire models announced in September 2012.

  For families who could benefit from this new content service "for kids ages 3-8," it features unlimited access "to thousands of titles including exclusive-to-Amazon Android apps and games—all curated for age-appropriateness."

  The new feature is priced at $2.99/mo. per child for Prime members, or $6.99 per month per family ($4.99 per child or $9.99 per family for non-Prime members).  It'll be available "as part of a free, over-the-air software update that will be automatically delivered in the coming weeks."

  Owners of any of the new Kindle Fires can try it at no cost during the first month of use.

  Per the press release, some of the benefits mentioned:
  For children:

• They can explore all the content on their own and pick for themselves what to read, watch or play next
• With individual profiles, everything in their library is theirs—no sharing a home screen with siblings or parents and no losing their place in a movie or TV show when someone else picks up the Kindle Fire
• They can easily explore their favorite topics...

For parents:

• All apps have in-app payments, advertisements and social media removed
• No worries that the young'un will run up a bill
• All-you-can-eat pricing means no negotiations with the kids about what to buy or rent
• All content has been pre-screened for age-appropriateness.

For details on the content (which includes "Popular Kids Movies and TV Shows" and how it all works, see the BusinessWire release.

As an aside, when I worked for a science-education museum, I was advised not to refer to children as "kids" as that word refers more to goats :-).  In real life, that's the general word though.  "The kids [don't] want to do that!"


Software Update for Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch tablet
Software update v8.1.3 was just released and was received at my Kindle Fire Hd 8.9" tablet sometime in the last two days.  When an update happens, your tablet may act strangely when you fire it up and it decides there is enough battery power remaining to download and install the new upgrade.

  The software update info, including how to tell which software version you have currently, and a guide to how to get the update manually (for what appears to be just a maintenance (glitch-fix) update) is on Amazon's KFHD 8.9" software page.

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Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links.
NOTES on newer Kindles.

US: Updated Kindle Fire Basic  7" tablet - $159 Kindle Fire HD 7" 16/32GB - $199/$249 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16/32GB - $299/$369 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G 32/64GB - $499/$599 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $69/$89 Kindle Paperwhite, WiFi - $119/$139 Kindle Paperwhite, 3G - $179/$199 Kindle Keybd 3G - $139/$159, Free but slow web Kindle DX - $379 $299, Free, slow web

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

OTHER International Kindle NoTouch Basic - $89 Kindle Touch WiFi - $139 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB France Boutique Kindle Deutschland - Kindle Store Italia - Kindle Store Spain - Tienda Kindle

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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: Update v2.6 for Kindle for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, for iOS 6 and iPhone 5 support, more brightness control, new font selections

Be sure to read the Warning below for devices with versions EARLIER THAN iOS 5.

From an Amazon Kindle Forum announcement a few days ago:

'                                               Initial post: Sep 24, 2012 10:27:38 AM PDT

Kevin G. - Community Manager says:


The latest version of Kindle for iOS is 3.3. Recent updates include:
* Optimization for iOS 6
* iPhone 5 support
* Increased brightness control: greater control of lower ranges for
   improved reading in dark conditions
* New font selections
* Minimum supported version increased to iOS 5

To check which version of Kindle for iOS you have, tap the Settings icon (the cog) in the lower right corner of the application Home screen (on the iPhone, then tap "i") and then tap About.  You can download and install the latest version for free from the App Store.  To learn more, visit http://www.amazon.com/kindleapp.

If you need help with this update, please visit the Kindle Help Forums '

Again, note that the minimum iOS version supported is iOS 5.

WARNING for those with earlier iOS versions
M. Ratcheson found a reason for some update problems at the Kindle for iDevices help page (emphases mine).

' Why can't I install the latest Kindle app?

In order to offer new and enhanced features on Kindle for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, the minimum requirement for the reading app is iOS 5 and greater.

We are unable to make previous versions of the app available for download due to App Store restrictions.  If your Apple device has software versions 3.0 or 3.1, we recommend that you do not uninstall your current Kindle app as it will no longer be available to download.  Some devices cannot update to iOS 5.0 including iPhone 1, iPhone 3g, iPod 2, and iPod 1.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. '

Per forum responses, the new fonts include Helvetica, and these additional fonts and adjustable margins in 3.2 have improved the reading experience on the iPad.

---

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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-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

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Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

Update v2.6 for Kindle for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad - Real page numbers etc

The Kindle for iPhone (also for iPod Touch and iPad) app has been updated with version 2.6 with the following new features:

• Real page numbers for thousands of books in the Kindle Store.  Now you can make proper citations in the classroom or follow along with people reading print books in a book club.
• View your percentage completed while reading [new for iPhone/iPod Touch].
• Home screen now shows your progress through books in list view.
• Look up words on Google and Wikipedia without leaving the app.
• Instant word lookup on included dictionary with 250,000 entries and definitions

You can see full details and download the new update by clicking the top image at the Kindle for iPhone/iPod Touch app page.  You'll get the same info at the Kindle for iPad app page except that it doesn't include "View your percentage completed while reading" as a new feature for the iPad (it may have been included before).

Thanks to Golf11 (Randall) again for the alert Sunday.


Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's),   DX Graphite

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Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.
UK-Only: recently published non-classics, bestsellers, or highest-rated ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

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(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

Kindle Editions with embedded video and audio for Kindle for iPad, iPhone and iPod

Amazon announced yesterday a new update to the Kindle for iPad and Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch apps, which allows readers to enjoy video and audio clips embedded in enhanced Kindle books.  The first books using this new technology, which include Rick Steve's London by Rick Steves and Together We Cannot Fail by Terry Golway, are available in the Kindle Store at http://www.amazon.com/kindleaudiovideo.

This added functionality for Kindle for iPad and Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch can be found in Kindle Editions already at the Kindle Store.  Examples given in the press release include Rose's Heavenly Cakes, with video tips on preparing the perfect cake, and Bird Songs, with audio clips that relate the songs and calls to the birds' appearances.

For travelers, the new Kindle Edition with audio/video of Rick Steves' London, includes embedded walking tours which allow customers to listen to Steves "as they explore the sites of London," said Bill Newlin, publisher, Avalon Travel.  I hope they have video clips of London's features and surroundings as well (but I don't know if they do).

Kindle for iPhone has been optimized for iPhone 4's retina display.  For more information, visit http://www.amazon.com/kindleapps.

Here are some early forum reactions to the new feature of enhanced Kindle books for use with your iPad/iPhone/iPod touch Kindle apps.

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Check often:  Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free or Low-Cost Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
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Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!