Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Kindle Update Coming: Collections, PDF Pan/Zoom, New Fonts, Facebook & Twitter

Kindle on the bookshelf

A post on the Mobileread forums pointed me to an Amazon announcement posted today about a new firmware (software) update for the Kindle and Kindle DX.  Based on the announcement, the update will go to a select group of beta testers first, and then move out to all Kindle users by late May 2010.

New Firmware Features Include:

  • Collections: Organize your books and documents into one or more collections.  Sounds like some sort of “tag” implementation to me although it could be a way to sort your books and other materials by folder – something users have asked for repeatedly.
  • PDF Pan and Zoom: Zoom into PDFs and pan around to easily view small print and detailed tables or graphics.  - This will be a nice addition.  PDF viewing on the Kindle before this was less than ideal.
  • Password Protection: Password protect your Kindle when you're not using it – I’m not sure how many have asked for this one, but I guess some will find it useful.
  • More Fonts & Improved Clarity: Enjoy two new larger font sizes and sharper fonts for an even more comfortable reading experience – A welcome addition.  The more fonts and size options the better.
  • Facebook & Twitter Posts: Share book passages with friends on Facebook and Twitter directly from your Kindle. – I’m not so sure how many Kindle owners will use this, but hey, why not.
  • Popular Highlights: See what the Kindle community thinks are the most interesting passages in the books you're reading – This one sounds interesting.  I’ll have to try it out to know if its useful or not though.

The official Amazon announcement is at Amazon.com.  I’m hoping we’ll see a price reduction as the next big news item from Amazon.