Kindle Tips: Kindle for iOS software update v4.9 and for Kindle Fire tablets. Also, small update v4.5.4 for Kindle Fire tablets. Family Library sharing. Free Kindle books listed for June. Monthly Kindle book specials.

Software update to v4.9 for Kindle for iOS and Kindle Fire devices

Amazon announced, on their Kindle Forums, a software update for both Kindle for iOS (v4.9) and on the Kindle Fire tablets.  Here's the main info from that:

' Several exciting improvements offer faster reading with less eye strain.

Discover these features on Kindle for iOS and Fire tablets today, with more devices coming later this year.

What's New in Version 4.9?
Available today on hundreds of thousands of books, including most bestsellers like J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," Stephen King's "Revival," Veronica Roth's "Insurgent," and Abigail Strom's "Almost Like Love."
And coming soon to most Kindle books.

Faster Reading, Less Eye Strain
Hyphenation plus smoother word spacing result in faster reading with less eye strain.
Improved character placement increases word recognition speed at any font size.

Beautiful Page Layout
Drop caps, text, and images adapt automatically to look great no matter your screen or font size.
Print-like layout dynamically adjusts for any combination of screen size and font setting.

Large Fonts, No Compromises
Enjoy reading with larger font sizes without compromising your reading experience.
Page layout and margins automatically adapt to work well at even the largest font sizes.

Bookerly - The Font for Readers
Bookerly is a new Kindle exclusive font designed for reading on digital screens.
Warm and contemporary, Bookerly is inspired by the artistry of the best fonts in modern print books but is hand-crafted for optimal readability at any screen size. '

The Kindle for iOS software-update page at Amazon also mentions

' • Audible Improvements – This release includes a new look for the Audible player controls in the reader and a new player bar that appears in the library while you’re listening to an audio companion '

Latest Fire OS update, v4.5.4 for Kindle Fire tablets (in addition to the built-in Kindle Reader update v4.9)
My Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" tablet (Yr 2013) received an over-the-air (OTA) update yesterday, and the reasons shown are
  "...includes general improvements and performance enhancements."
So it's just a maintenance update.
All Kindle Fire tablets get an OS update at the same time.
  Software update pages: US and UK

  No new features have been announced since v4.5.1 in September 2014 (though some will have missed some noteworthy ones) when the latest features newly introduced were:

• Family Library: Family Library lets owners share apps, games, audiobooks and ebooks with another adult in their household, even if they have a different Amazon account.  Available in the US, UK, and Germany.

• Lock screen media controls: The update brings MP3 and Audible playback controls to the locks screen, and for tablets that have a rear-facing camera, this too can now be activated form the lock screen.

• Prime Music Stations: Prime members now have access to ad-free personalized stations with unlimited skips. "Over a million songs by artists including U2, Blake Shelton, Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, Madonna, and more.   Just open the Mujsic tab and select Prime Stations to start listening."  Available in the US.

• Emoji: The Amazon keyboard now features hundreds of color emojis.

• Camera for Kids: Amazon FreeTime now includes a camera feature designed for kids that allows them to play with the camera but not post photos to social media.  Available in US, UK and Germany

June's free Kindle books (contemporary or non-classics)
    May 2015  June 2015.
    Also, all currently free non-classics sorted by:
    Publication Date   Bestselling    High ratings

  There are only a few shown on the first few days of any month, and these include pre-orders due that month -- most of these are listed as "free preview" of whatever chapters chosen, some are short stories, and a few (overnight) not-entirely-family-safe titles may show up.  Since this is June 2, the listing will not include more already available, full books

Reminder: The special monthly book deals for June 2015
  JUNE 2015's monthly Kindle Books deal, for $3.99 or less   (See UK listing here.)

---

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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(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
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Software Update v5.6.1 for Kindle Paperwhite2, Kindle Voyage, and $79 e-Ink Kindle (Gen 7). US and UK -- Tips and detailed info

Amazon has released a software update for their current line of e-Ink Kindles.  

The free update will be rolled out automatically in the coming weeks, and those who prefer to manually download the update can do that, as before.

At the left is a screenshot of the expanded X-Ray for Books feature.

I received confirmation that Amazon's "goal is to make this update available for the first gen Kindle Paperwhite" (Paperwhite 1) as well. 

  (Updates for older generation devices tend to follow a few months later.)

New features include [quoting their forum announcement and press release]:

·         Word Wise—For readers learning English and children learning to read, Word Wise makes it easier to understand more challenging books more quickly. Short and simple definitions automatically appear above difficult words, so you can keep reading without having to stop and look up a word. To see the various meanings the same word can have in different contexts, just tap on the word to quickly bring up a card with definitions, synonyms, and more. You can adjust the number of definitions you see with a slider, dialing them up or down as you learn and grow your vocabulary. Word Wise is already available on thousands of titles, including The Hunger Games, The Giver, and Wonder. See a screenshot: www.amazon.com/wordwise.
  [A sample is show below.]

·         Family Library—For the first time, you can access not only your own Kindle books, but also books from the Amazon account of a spouse or partner. See a screenshot: www.amazon.com/family-library.

·         Kindle FreeTime Unlimited—For as little as $2.99 per month, kids get unlimited access to hundreds of hand-picked chapter books and early readers, all curated for age-appropriateness, so parents don’t have to spend time and money guessing what their kids will enjoy. Includes favorites such as the Harry Potter series, The Borrowers by Mary Norton, Big Nate and Friends by Lincoln Peirce, and Newberry Medal and Honor winning books such as The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare, and Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell.

·         Expanded X-Ray for Books—X-Ray now makes it easier to explore as you read—quickly flip through all the images in a book, and use the new timeline view to easily browse the most notable passages. See a screenshot: www.amazon.com/x-ray-for-books [and above].

·         Deeper Goodreads Integration—Goodreads on Kindle now allows you to easily share your reading progress updates, add books from your Kindle library to your Goodreads shelves, and see your friends’ updates, ratings and reviews when looking at a book on Goodreads. See a screenshot: www.amazon.com/goodreads-integration.

  

·          Enhanced Search—Makes it even easier to find what you are looking for by combining and previewing results from your Library, Goodreads and the Kindle Store on the same page. See a screenshot: www.amazon.com/kindle-search.  

  

·         About This Book—See information about the book as you start to read, including its place in a series and author information, plus mark it as “Currently Reading” on Goodreads. See a screenshot: www.amazon.com/about-the-book. 

This is a screenshot of Wordwise

To Manually download updates if not wanting to wait for automated over-the-air updates:

Here is the umbrella Kindle Software Updates page that covers ALL current Kindle devices (U.S.)
  Here's the equivalent UK page for Kindle software updates.

Again, the free update will be rolled out automatically in the coming weeks.

New Kindle Software Update Version (The version no. will be the same for the UK models)
All 3 models are getting the v5.6.1 software update.

Kindle Basic (7th Gen):
  NOTE: I've made a specific page link here, because Amazon's software updates page isn't clear in the left column about which "Kindle software update" is for the current basic Kindle (Gen 7).  The other models are clearly shown at the left of the umbrella page for updates.

  If you scroll down the general updates page, viewing the images of the models in the body of the page, it's easier to see which device-link to click for your software update file.

  Remember, the update is *automatically* sent to Kindles over an interval of a few weeks and it will be easier for most to wait and get it that way, fully automated.

Otherwise:
HOW to do a manual USB transfer and install of a Kindle software update
Here's Amazon's general page of instructions for USB transfer and installation of updates to a Kindle device.
 Each update page for a specific device has a Determine Your Software Version link that needs to be used before trying to transfer a file for installation

Tips and Reminders
How does Family Library work?
Amazon has a very clear write-up on this book-sharing feature. It starts:

' Use Family Library to share content between two adults in your household.

Family Library lets you link your Amazon account to that of another adult in your household so you can easily share Kindle books across your Amazon devices and Kindle reading apps. Each adult chooses what they want to share: they can share all of their Kindle books, or, they can choose to only share individual titles.

Once you’ve set up Family Library, shared content will appear in the Cloud tab of each of your supported devices, which you can filter (for example, See My Books, See My Partner's Books, See All Books, etc.). When accessing shared content, each adult has their own settings for that content, such as furthest page read, notes and annotations, and more. '

    See the About Family Library help page for much more detail.

A Reminder about how syncing of your reading between devices and apps is done
In order for this to work reliably, the changes to your last page read and any new annotations done (highlighting, notes and bookmarks) must be 'seen' by the servers at Amazon -- this means that your WiFi or 3G wireless connection would need to be 'on' at the time you close the book by tapping the Home icon.
   Once the Amazon servers note the changes, they'll be available to the next Kindle-compatible reader or app you open (with Wireless on that device turned On also).
  You can turn 'off' the WiFi or 3G Wireless connection after leaving the Kindle book reading, which will help maximize battery use on that device.)

  When an eInk screen is displaying a page but there is no change to that screen, the display is having no effect on the battery.
  When you change what's being displayed (changing or adding anything on the page, as in tapping it on the side to get a new page or when an action brings a pop-up window or dialog box), the display IS using the battery.  That's why just pressing the power button for only ~1 second puts the Kindle to 'sleep' during which it displays an image, which doesn't use the battery, but the Paperwhite light turns off.

  Leaving it in this sleep state doesn't draw battery power as a result of the image display itself.  If, however, WiFi is On during Sleep state, any activity with subscription downloads or a Special Offers download -will- use battery power.

  There is always very slow battery drain in between charges even when a device is turned off.

  So, the "Screen Off" is a relatively new choice on mine.  This just blanks the screen and puts it into sleep state.  SOME have requested a blank screen so they know it's "Off" but, in this case, it's only that there's no image seen - not even Amazon's default images during normal sleep-screens.

Mentioned previously also:
  "Restart" acts more like a soft-reboot on a computer and clears up memory states that may be causing problems.

(Using the Paperwhite as an example)
  There is no option on my Paperwhite to completely Power Off or Shut down the Kindle.  My options are to (1) Cancel a longer key-press action, (2) Restart the Paperwhite (mine is a Paperwhite 1), or (3) choose "Screen Off." On other devices, some will see an option to "Power Off" or "Shut Down" the Kindle.

  Also, holding in the power button for over 20 seconds (rather than 5 seconds) does still cause a Restart (and a clearing of current memory use), as in the past.


IF you experience unusual battery drain
Note that keeping your Kindle always connected to a Wi-Fi network can drain the battery faster under certain circumstances.  If you're experiencing that, then once you've got the update "over the air," put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" via the 'Settings' option on the Menu -- the option lets you toggle Wireless OFF, using the "Airplane On" choice.

  Amazon's Paperwhite development team hasn't returned the Wireless Off/On choice to the front menu as they did one year for the Kindle Touch when they removed the 'airplane mode' icon that confuses many.  It's inconvenient to have the WiFi On/Off setting on a secondary menu and many, as a result, don't even know that they can actually turn WiFi Off if needed to conserve battery power.

  Amazon may prefer that we keep Wireless 'On' due to delivery of Special Offers but a battery-drain problem can occur when circumstances involve (1) subscriptions that are downloaded regularly (my New York Times Latest News subscription updates the Kindle edition about five times a day - $1.99/month)) or (2) due to a weaker connection that results from the distance from the WiFi 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 model with the special-offers feature) and is then often active.

  On the other hand as mentioned earlier, WiFi needs to be 'On' after you've read a book and made annotations for a session AND when you then want to be able to continue reading later, on another device (like a smartphone), starting at where you'd stopped.
  If WiFi isn't turned on, the Amazon servers won't have any way of knowing the last-page-read location nor any notes or highlighting you've made, which you'd want to be able to access on the other device.  So, a reminder on my usual recommendation:

1. When you're finished reading, tap the top-toolbar and press the HOME icon.
  On most e-Ink devices, this will 'close' the book session and record the last page read and log the annotations.
2. Tap the top of the eReader to bring up the toolbar and menu icon.
3. If you see an airplane icon at the top, your WiFi is Off (and you're in "airplane" take-off mode).
4. Tap 'Settings'
5. Turn Airplane Mode OFF, and that'll turn WiFi ON.
6. At that point, the Kindle will try to sync your changes to the Server and will download anything that is pending (a subscription to a newspaper, magazine, or blog, usually).
7. After that's done, you can go ahead and leave WiFi ON if you have no problems with faster battery drain
      OR you can turn OFF the WiFi if you need to save battery power.

Again, and only if you'd rather not wait -- DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Software Update page (or to the UK page to get the instructions for the download for your specific Kindle eReader and to transfer the appropriate update file to your Kindle via USB:

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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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-- 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. )
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Kindle for iOS - Update v4.2 and reactions to it. Other Kindle-apps available. Personal Documents feature gets updates and enhancements

From:

Initial post: Apr 23, 2014 9:24:04 AM PDT

Megan H. - Forum Moderator says:

    

We're excited to announce an update for the Kindle for iOS reading app available in the Apple App Store.

What's new in version 4.2?

Table of Contents: Customers can now access their table of contents from the left panel navigation menu from within most books and see chapter headings and page numbers. Curious readers can tap a chapter to navigate directly to that part of the book.

X-Ray Smart Look-Up: Look up Amazon exclusive X-Ray information without ever leaving the page.  Select a word or name and learn more about the concept, person, or place in the Info Card provided at the bottom of the page.

So far, people do like the new Table of Contents and X-Ray features, and it was also pointed out by Ed at the Kindle Community Forums that "Previously page animations had to be off in order to get 'time left in chapter'.  Now it can be turned on and all works fine. Nice!"

Another Kindle iOS app user who was wondering why he can't copy highlighted text was reminded of something that most I've talked with do not realize -- that we all have our own Amazon Annotations Web Page (if we allow Amazon to back up our highlights and notes), at kindle.amazon.com -- I've described the amazing features (including reading and copying highlights and notes from our Kindle books) in the blog article about our own annotation webpages at Amazon.


Kindle app for OTHER phones and tablets
For those who read Kindle books on other phones and tablets, here's the general Amazon Kindle apps page to get to descriptions for those.


Personal Documents - Updates and Enhancements
Also, recently Amazon updated the Personal Documents feature (Kindle-device owners get 5 gigs free, for personal documents that are sent to our free Amazon server Personal Documents space, and these include non-rights-protected books, articles, and documents.  These will now be placed in the general "Cloud" drive along with other files for which we get additional free space.

  All Amazon customers worldwide also get 5 free gigs for other types of data such as photos, even video (but those can take a lot of space) and music not bought at Amazon.  Here's Amazon's forum announcement on that (emphases mine):

Initial post: Apr 15, 2014 4:51:55 PM PDT
Megan H. - Forum Moderator says:
(AMAZON) (AMAZON OFFICIAL)
We are excited to announce an improvement to the personal document experience on Kindle!

Personal documents are now in Amazon Cloud Drive: Starting today, all personal documents that you have archived in your Kindle Library will be available to access, delete, organize, and share from your Amazon Cloud Drive.  You can see these documents in a new "My Send-to-Kindle Docs" folder on Amazon Cloud Drive alongside all of your saved content, such as photos and personal videos.

There is no action required on your part.  Your personal documents features will continue to work just as they have in the past.  And as always, you can use Manage Your Devices and Content (formerly Manage Your Kindle) to see a list of your documents, re-deliver them to Kindle devices and free reading apps, delete them, or turn off auto-saving of documents to the cloud.  Documents will be delivered just as they have in the past and you will continue to have 5 GB of free cloud storage for your personal documents. Just "Send Once, Read Everywhere."

Documents saved in their native format: Also starting today, new documents that you save to the cloud with Send to Kindle will be kept in their native format (e.g. MS Word, RTF, TXT) so you can access them anywhere from Amazon Cloud Drive.

To learn more about sending documents, news, blogs, and other web articles to your Kindle, please visit http://www.amazon.com/sendtokindle

To learn more about Amazon Cloud Drive features and apps, please visit http://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/learnmore

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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.

  *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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(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!

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.

---

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 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.

Send to Kindle

(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 News: Follow-up on glitchy Kindle Fire software update, w/ workarounds...New Nexus 7" tablets, at Amazon...Chromecast-what-is-it and what about the free Netflix promo...Amazon and job creation + Obama's visit to an Amazon fulfillment center Tuesday...New jobs w/ benefits (warehouse and customer service)...Big Fall Books Preview

Assorted Odds and Ends in the News or from discussion forums the last week

I'll try to keep these shorter and give links for full detail, as there is quite a bit.

First, a caution.  The Kindle Fire software update that went out over the air to a few (but is not offered as a manual update, version [x].4.5 was first mentioned at the bottom of the blog article dated July 21), continues to cause problems, reported on the Amazon Kindle forums in various message threads about website Flash videos or Youtube suddenly not working.

  According to one customer who quoted a note from Kindle Support, this is not an intended effect, and they are studying the reports and working to resolve the problems.

  A few ways to work around it until then, for those who somehow received v[x]4.5 update (but these workarounds don't always work)...

1. At youtube, try going to http://m.youtube.com instead (the simpler mobile version)
or download TubeMate app and use that for Youtube to either play or download a video

2. Using the default Amazon Web browser (named Silk), use the web browser Menu [rectangle] to choose to enable Experimental Streaming Viewer when you see this at the bottom of your webpage after Amazon detects compatible flash video on the page:
 

3. In the meantime, while first-tier customer support may realize that the over-the-air update some have received is causing these glitches, the customer reps don't always know that some tech support have said it is not an intended effect and they're working on it.  This would, though, explain why the software updates page does not offer that software update on a manual basis.


New Nexus tablets - the 16 GB version is in stock for Prime delivery at Amazon
These are making big news this week because of their very high display resolution, large RAM chip, fast processor and much improved audio, all at a decent price, though some are not happy that it still doesn't have built-in HDMI-Out to an HDTV.  That may be due to Google's Chromecast -- more on that latter gizmo in a moment.

  Amazon had the 16 GB in stock for Prime Delivery late last night but apparently those are gone and a 3rd party vendor charging $12 more at Amazon is now offering these.  So this is just for info for those who will hear more about these in the coming days and they're probably the reason we saw all the leaks on the coming new Kindle Fire HD tablets, to be announced, it was said, in August or early September.

  The 32 GB Nexus (and, really, the one to get if you want the Nexus) is being sold by Amazon directly, and shipping via Prime is estimated at 3-4 weeks.  Shipping at most places is slow on this one.

  Here are the product pages for more detail and if you prefer purchasing via Amazon for their customer support policies:  New Nexus 16 GB     New Nexus 32 GB


Google's Chromecast
Chromecast is a 'dongle' that Google is selling for $35 that will stream some web video, music "and more" from a tablet, phone or laptop to a TV in many or most cases.  Reviews differ so far.

  Google was offering 3 months of free Netflix for this, even to those who already subscribe to Netflix.
  They discontinued that free Netflix offer this last week (due to overwhelming demand), to much consternation, especially since people had bought (from Google, Best Buy, and Amazon, et al) one of these gadgets with the expectation of getting that Netflix promo.

  Here is the upshot, on how Amazon will handle the Netflix promo for those who bought before the cancellation was announced:

' Netflix Promotion No Longer Available
Please note that the Netflix promotional offer (which was available in limited supply) has now ended.  Customers who ordered their Chromecast prior to 5:31 PM PST on July 24, 2013 will receive a Netflix gift code via email within 5 days of their product's ship date. '

  If you bought it from Google, their policy is: "Orders placed before 1PM PST on 7/25 will receive their promotion code once their order ships."

  Two excellent articles on Chromecast
  Here's a very informative set of explanations of what Chromecast does and how it does it, by RJ Raphael - "Android Power" column, at Computerworld.
  Also, one titled "... but not for everyone," by Craig Lloyd for Slashgear, includes some caveats.


Amazon and jobs - and an appearance by President Obama
President Obama will be making a speech about jobs at Amazon's Fulfillment Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Tuesday.  This is probably in connection with the heavy creation of new jobs (with benefits) cited this week.

  According to Reuters and other news sources, "the White House said he will discuss proposals "to jumpstart private sector job growth and make America more competitive, and will also talk about new ideas to create American jobs...The speech is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET."

  Amazon to fill 7,000 jobs in 13 states, per AP via Brandenton.com.

  This will include 5,000 full-time jobs at its U.S. distribution centers (see linked article for a list of cities in which they're hiring) and 2,000 jobs in customer service, including full-time, part-time and seasonal.   The customer service jobs are available "in Winchester, Ky.; Grand Forks, N.D.; Kennewick, Wash. and Huntington, W.Va.  Work from home positions are available in Oregon, Washington and Arizona."

  Amazon's own press release on the 5,000 Fulfillment Center jobs headlines the benefits involved:

' Positions pay 30 percent more than traditional retail jobs and include comprehensive benefits beginning on day one, including healthcare, 401(k) and company stock awards

Amazon offers employees innovative programs like Career Choice, where it will pre-pay up to 95% of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon '

For any job-seekers you may know:
  See more recruitment information at Amazon Fulfillment Careers and Amazon Customer Service Jobs.


What else is Amazon up to?
Here are some ideas from Brad Stone, who was "in Silicon Valley for most of this summer, working with Amazon’s hardware design arm, Lab126, according to a person familiar with the matter who wasn’t authorized to discuss it publicly.)
...
  "... It’s hard to make much money when you’re opening refrigerated fulfillment centers around the country, manufacturing your first set-top box ([TV] , preparing to launch a phone, buying up video content in a furious competition with Netflix, and creating original programming, all the while diving into new product categories and revolutionizing the publishing business "

Earlier in April, Stone had written:

' . The e-commerce giant is planning to introduce a device this fall dedicated to streaming video over the Internet and into its customers’ living rooms, according to three people familiar with the project who aren’t authorized to discuss it.

They say the box will plug into TVs and give users access to Amazon’s expanding video offerings.  Those include its à la carte Video on Demand store, which features newer films and TV shows, and its Instant Video service, which is free for subscribers to the Amazon Prime two-day shipping package. '

I don't know how that might compare with Chromecast, since I haven't bought one (I can just beam my Kindle Fire HD contents to my HDMI TV's with the HDMI-out Kindle Fire HD feature, though I get better size results with the 8.9" model than with the 7" one).

Re the question of whether or not Amazon will include competing video streaming services on its device, Stone feels that they likely will (or go unbought!) but that Amazon's "own video and music services will be more prominently integrated into the device."


Amazon's Big Fall Books Preview was just announced
I'll spare you the details here, because they're available at the "20 Big Fall Books" page at http://amzn.to/fallbookspreview


I still have a lot more to write up, but that won't be until Monday night.

---

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 Brazil China - Amazon China [?] Japan - Amazon Japan

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A Kindle Fire Software Downdate to version x.3.1 for HD models and 2nd Gen Kindle Fire is available, but two of us received an update to x.4.3 ... This is an alert, and I'd wait for more news.

Kindle Fire software downdate to version x.3.1 from x.4.1 but with some Kindle Fires updated over-the-air to x.4.3

In the rest of the world, when an update may be causing unexpected oddities, vendors will offer an option to fall-back to the former software version.  Amazon hasn't done that in the past, though customers sometimes request that option if they feel an update brings unforeseen glitches and needs further updating.

  The other day, Nate Hoffelder of The Digital Reader found that his Kindle Fire now had software version 7.4.3.  The last update announced for the 7" Kindle Fire HD was v7.4.1, and the Kindle Fire Gen 2 and HD models received the version x.4.1 updates.

  However, when you go to the associated software update page linked for your Kindle Fire model, those Amazon software update pages now show (for the last 2 days) Version x.3.1 and there is no explanation for it there.  The main difference I see is that the update pages normally show what to do for downloading a file for manual-updating if preferred, depending on your software version number, with added update-steps for some devices with old software versions.

  For the last two days, it has said "If you see a System Version other than x.3.1_user_3140720, follow one of the steps below to download the latest version."  No mention of version x.4.1 that had been announced and used since May 29 or so.

  Stranger yet - Version x.4.3 was received by Nate, and today, when I looked at version numbers under the Device "About" settings for both my 7" and 8.9" tablets, they show "Current Version: 7.4.3..." and "8.4.3" respectively.

  It seems that Amazon developers are planning to do these over the air but aren't putting the x.4.3 update files on the public area until (maybe) they are certain that the apparent glitches with version x.4.1 are fixed with version x.4.3 sent wirelessly to customers, in batches.

What were the glitches?
Best guess? Problems with charging and battery drain and some random freezing were mentioned in the forums and those experiencing them hoped for a fallback to the older version.  But I have nothing to go by but that.

  I didn't have the random freezing but did see faster battery drain than normal. The newer x.4.1 update brought us the Show Battery Percentage in Status Bar option.  Anytime you monitor something like this and update the figure, the battery is used more than when it doesn't have to monitor or update what is showing for the figure.  However, the battery calculation IS used already for the battery icon, although small percentage changes wouldn't cause icon-display changes as often, and the drain seemed faster than one would expect.

  The version x.4.3 update being sent over the air (but the Amazon software update pages for those who want to do this manually not showing it yet and instead offering only the older x.3.1 software version) may lessen the drain.  Some apps will generally cause hanging when they're not taking into account what to do when operating memory is too low but there should be recovery methods in those apps and in the system.  I've not experienced any system hangs except with the very buggy ABCWatch app for its full-episodes.

Recommendation:
  Do nothing, unless you're experiencing glitches that interfere with normal use of your device.  In that case, you can use the blog article announcing updates for versions x.4.1, which will link you to the current software files for your Kindle Fire (US and UK), which (until they offer the version x.4.3 file), currently shows the older x.3.1 software version.

  Since I hardly ever get a software update over the air until after most people have, I'd guess that the version x.4.3 upgrade will be here within a couple of days for most and if you sync your Kindle Fire, that may cause it to slowly download when the device is idle.  Once a file is fully downloaded, then it will be installed.

  If you're having no particular problem with yours, there's no reason to get the current older file.

---

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 News: Kindle Fire HD (7 and 8.9 inch) + Kindle Fire (2nd Gen) get software fixes in updates 7.3.1, 8.3.1, and 10.3.1

Amazon's product pages are showing software update for the Kindle Fire HD 7", 8.9" and Kindle Fire 2nd generation models

There was no notice of this, but at about 5pm Wednesday, I just noticed, there were notes in the Kindle forum that a couple of Kindle Fire owners saw updates happen on theirs.

  My Kindle Fire HD tablet hasn't received the update, so I checked the product pages.  However, there have been reports of glitches on the three software updates x.3.0 made to the three models on March 30.

  The sofware update pages that the changes include: "bug fixes and performance enhancements."

As usual, am adding UK software pages to the info here, though their pages haven't been updated.  The link will go to whichever is the current software version for that model.

Here are the software update pages for each model:

Kindle Fire HD 8.9":
  [v8.3.1 here]   [Probably soon: UK software page].

Kindle Fire HD 7":
  [v7.3.1 here].   [Probably soon: UK software page].

Kindle Fire 2nd Generation:
  [v10.3.1 here].   [Probably soon: UK software page].

If you need assistance with one of these updates, please visit the Kindle Help Forums. '

IF Choosing to Manually Download the Latest Version

(instead of waiting for it to arrive via WiFi)
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. KF: Tap the top of the device -- KFHD: Swipe down from the top of the screen.
     Then 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 the update arrive via the automated download.

NOTE that when it does arrive, 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

  . Follow-up info on v7.3.0, v8.3.0, and v10.3.0 updates (Apr 9)
  . Software Updates for v7.3.0, v8.3.0, and v10.3.0 updates (March 30, 2013)
  . 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


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Kindle News: Kindle Fire (First Generation) maintenance update v6.3.2. was ready March 8, 2013

KINDLE FIRE FIRST GEN SOFTWARE UPDATE v6.3.2 has been ready at the Amazon Kindle software page since Mar. 8, 2013

This is not a large update like the ones announced March 27 for the 2nd Generation Kindle Fires, and no notice was given for this.  Those without WiFi accessible or turned 'On' won't know it's been ready for awhile.

I just noticed it while writing about the major upgrades for the 2nd gen Kindle Fires this week.

If you haven't received it and you don't want to wait for the automatic download via WiFi
  You can download v6.3.2 at the software-update page (good instructions there).  The last version, v6.3.1, was released in May 2012.

Here's the extremely brief announcement Amazon placed on that software update page a few weeks ago.

'We have a new, free software update available for Kindle Fire 1st Generation that includes bug fixes and performance improvements.  The software update will be delivered automatically via wireless.

EARLIER posts on Kindle Fire v6.3.x
Kindle Fire v6.3 features
READING VIEW feature



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Kindle News: Kindle Touch update v5.3.2.1 has suddenly appeared. Updated info 3/28 on fix.

Kindle Touch Software Upgrade to v5.3.2.1 - an apparent maintenance update that nevertheless appeared on my Kindle Touch with a very long "letter" from Amazon describing all the changes that actually came not this week but on January 8, 2013.

Originally posted March 27, this March 28 blog-info-update includes, a user report today on a couple of glitches that were fixed, and Tom Semple's report earlier, at the bottom of this article, of another problem that was resolved by the software update.

The bug-fix report today, March 28, from a blog commenter:

' I installed update 5.3.2 several weeks ago manually.  My Kindle Touch was stuck trying to finish indexing, causing battery life to suffer greatly.  In addition several games and apps would not open, giving an error message.  After a week or so trying to figure out this behavior (I figured that it was due to the update), I contacted Amazon about the problems. I was told that update 5.3.2.1 was available and should solve the problems I was having. It did! '

  The changes in the earlier huge update January 8 included user-interface features first seen in the Kindle Paperwhite, and it received a lot of comments on the blog article (worth reading) for that as well as in the Kindle community.

  Am glad to see that a swipe up or down in a book still allows a move to the next or previous chapter, for books that have chapter markings, a feature I wish they'd put on the Paperwhite.

  I've enjoyed those new features but usually use the Paperwhite now because of the built-in light which is as enjoyable in daylight as it is in low light situations, but I keep the Kindle Touch for the text-to-speech feature.  Last night I saw a news article that reported this update as if the new interface features had just arrived with this 4th digit upgrade.  That's understandable since the long Amazon letter came with it, as if the update introduced all the new features described that were received over two months ago.
  That's odd, but maybe that was meant for a few who somehow had never received the original v5.3.2 update.

FOR THOSE RECEIVING v5.3.2 AT ALL FOR THE FIRST TIME, here's a repeat of the features
  From the Amazon US update and Amazon UK update pages -
  (bracketed info is by me.)

"The update will be delivered wirelessly and includes an updated user interface and new features.  This update automatically downloads and installs for Kindle touch customers; however, you can also manually download the software an udpate your device via USB cable."

' This software update includes the following new features:

  . A new user interface
  . Whispersync for Voice   [ US only]
  . Enhanced Parental Controls
  . Book Covers
  . Time-to-Read
  . Recommended Content   [ This can be turned off. ]
  . Enhanced book samples
  . Navigate graphic novels, and comics '

If your Kindle Touch has software version 5.1.0, 5.1.1 or 5.1.2, or 5.3.2 installed, you'll either get this wirelessly or you can download it manually as mentioned.

If you have a version prior to 5.1.0, Amazon links you to the earlier 5.1.0 update that must be downloaded and installed before doing the 5.3.2.1 update.

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,  UK ) leads you through what to do, depending on which Firmware Version is showing for your KTouch.


What Was New Jan 8, 2013 -- and what you need to know
Amazon has a page explaining the new features ( US   UK ), including the fact that "Archived Items" is gone, and "Cloud" replaces it, listing all the items or, in this case, Kindle books or newsstand titles you've purchased (including the $0.00 ones) and which can be (re)downloaded to your Kindle at any time.

  It includes fuller descriptions of the new features and also explains that you can turn off "Recommended Content" if you don't want to see it (which entails going to Settings, Device Options and then Personalize your Kindle).

  Other descriptions detail:
  . how to view your book covers or, instead, just a listing
  . how to track your reading progress with Time to read
  . enhanced sample-to-book feature
  . navigation of graphic novels, comics, and children's books


The Kindle Community forums post listed them at athe time, and I'll include that here for easier access in one place (italics and bold-facing added by me):

' * Updated User Interface: We have an updated and streamlined interface for your Kindle.  Archived Items has been renamed to Cloud and appears in the top left of your screen under the toolbar.  All your archived items can be found there.

* Book Covers on the Home screen: View the covers of your books by selecting Cover View in the menu from the Home screen.

* Time to Read: Kindle Touch calculates your reading speed to let you know when you'll finish your chapter or book.

* Recommended Content: We've made it easy to discover new titles with recommended content.  The Kindle Store uses the same personalized customer experience you're used to across Amazon.com, matching our best recommendations to your personal reading habits.

* Enhanced Sample-to-Book Experience: When you buy a book after reading a sample, we will now automatically start the book at your last reading location in the sample and remove the sample from your Kindle.

* Parental Controls: With the latest software update, parents can restrict access to the Experimental Web Browser, Kindle Store, and Cloud.  While the Kindle Store and Cloud are locked with Parental Controls, you can continue to buy books from a computer and send them to your Kindle wirelessly.

* Whispersync for Voice: Now you can switch back and forth between reading and listening without losing your place.  Whispersync for Voice will synchronize what you read on any Kindle platform device with Audible playback on Kindle Touch, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle Fire, or on Audible apps for iPhone and Android.

* Author Profiles: We've added biographical information and the ability to browse other books by the same author from within your book.  When reading, tap the Menu button and select About the Author.

* Children's Books and Comics: Children's books come to life with Kindle Text Pop-Up, enabling you to easily read text over images.  Comic books can now be read with Kindle Panel View, which allows you to read a comic book panel by panel.

We will be delivering this update over Wi-Fi in the coming weeks.  Customers who prefer to receive the update immediately can manually download and install the software update from [the] kindlesoftwareupdates/touch page ( US   UK )

If you have questions or need help with this update, please head over to the Kindle Help Forum [no announcement in UK forum at the moment]. '

What users discovered about the upgrade in January
1. Kindle books can't be searched before a re-indexing of keywords is done.  This re-indexing will happen automatically and will take quite a bit of time in the background (you can read a Kindle book in the meantime) and will use the battery pretty heavily before it's done.

  *~*Pineapple*~*, a Kindle Forum Pro, writes

' To check for indexing, search on the Home page (Device) for an uncommon or nonsense word like zxcvb and at the bottom of the list will be the number of unindexed books.

To start them indexing:

1. Turn on wireless
2. Restart (Home > Menu > Settings > Menu > Restart)
3. Wait '

Depending on how many books are on your Kindle, it could take hours or a day, but you can use the Kindle while it's slowly re-indexing the books in the background.

Note that the software update file is a big one and it takes longer than usual.  Leave it alone when you see it happening and let it complete.  It may take up to 15 minutes.  I like to plug in my Kindle when manually doing an update, but it's not necessary.  However, it's a good idea to plug it in for the re-indexing that will have to be done and can be quite a battery drainer.

At any rate, the original extensive v5.3.2 update was quite a boon for Kindle Touch owners, and they've apparently added maintenance fixes in this v5.3.2.1 update.

Updated info mentioned on 1/11/12
Users have reported problems with font face selections, and Amazon customer reps have told them they are working on a further update that will fix that.

Added March 27, 2013
My guess is that this update may include fixes for those font face selection problems.  And maybe Tom Semple will find that the problems with downloading of graphic novels have been solved.

Added March 28, 2013
It turns out that Tom Semple's problems with downloading of graphic novels were solved with this.

---

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


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

Kindle News: Kindle for iOS updated to v3.6.- Updated info

Kindle for iOS Update v3.6

The update was announced in an Amazon Kindle Forum thread yesterday.

Here's the posting there (emphases mine):

' Initial post: Feb 14, 2013 9:13:49 AM PST

Kevin G. - Community Manager says:

Kindle for iOS 3.6 is now available in the Apple App Store. New features include:

* Multicolor Highlights - Four color choices make it easier to distinguish important passages.
* Book End Actions - Just finish your book? Share the accomplishment with friends on Facebook and Twitter. Rate and write your own review.
* Brightness Control - the brightness setting will now be saved across device sleeps.

If you have questions about this update please ask visit the Kindle Help Forum: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/forums/kindleqna '

Nice to have the separate brightness setting.  Hope they make this possible with Amazon's own Kindle devices.
  Update - Commenter Tom Semple adds that he thinks there was a brightness setting before "but the setting didn't persist if you went to another app and returned (iOS apps have to save their 'state' and shut down when you switch to another app). So that's more of a bug fix.
  ":-)

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