Amazon adds audio, video capabilities to Kindle app for iOS devices
Amazon this week updated its Kindle application for iOS devices including the iPhone and iPad, bringing users the ability to view audio and video with new e-books that include multimedia content.
Some new e-book titles available for the Kindle now include embedded audio and video clips. The new functionality for iOS devices means that Apple's hardware can view content that Amazon's own Kindle e-ink hardware cannot.
Titles included with the expanded format range from "Les Miserables" to "Knitting for Dummies." Also included are "Rick Steves' London" by Rick Steves and "Together We Cannot Fail" by Terry Golway. Titles are $9.99 and available at amazon.com/kindleaudiovideo.
"We are excited to add this functionality to Kindle for iPad and Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch," said Dorothy Nicholls, director, Amazon Kindle. "Readers will already find some Kindle Editions with audio/video clips in the Kindle Store today -- from Rose's 'Heavenly Cakes' with video tips on preparing the perfect cake to Bird Songs with audio clips that relate the songs and calls to the birds' appearances.
"This is just the beginning--we look forward to seeing what authors and publishers create for Kindle customers using the new functionality of the Kindle apps."
In addition to the new audio and video functionality, Amazon has also updated its Kindle for iPhone application to take advantage of the new high-resolution Retina Display found on the iPhone 4.
"We are truly excited to have collaborated with Amazon to launch Kindle Editions with audio/video," said Peter Balis, Director, Digital Content Sales, Wiley. "Innovations like these represent the advantages that digital can offer. Advancing our content in this manner is important for our authors and our readers and it will raise the bar on what digital reading can offer for years to come."
Since the iPad was announced, Amazon has reportedly internally rethought its strategy with the Kindle hardware. In February, The New York Times reported that the company purchased multitouch company Touchco and folded them into its engineering team. Soon after, the Kindle group posted over 50 job openings for positions related to hardware design, suggesting the company is looking to create a new version of its mobile reader.
Last week, facing increased competition from the iPad, starting at $499, and the Barnes & Noble Nook, which reduced its starting price to $149, Amazon slashed the price of the Kindle. The e-ink reader now costs $189, down from a price of $259.
Some new e-book titles available for the Kindle now include embedded audio and video clips. The new functionality for iOS devices means that Apple's hardware can view content that Amazon's own Kindle e-ink hardware cannot.
Titles included with the expanded format range from "Les Miserables" to "Knitting for Dummies." Also included are "Rick Steves' London" by Rick Steves and "Together We Cannot Fail" by Terry Golway. Titles are $9.99 and available at amazon.com/kindleaudiovideo.
"We are excited to add this functionality to Kindle for iPad and Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch," said Dorothy Nicholls, director, Amazon Kindle. "Readers will already find some Kindle Editions with audio/video clips in the Kindle Store today -- from Rose's 'Heavenly Cakes' with video tips on preparing the perfect cake to Bird Songs with audio clips that relate the songs and calls to the birds' appearances.
"This is just the beginning--we look forward to seeing what authors and publishers create for Kindle customers using the new functionality of the Kindle apps."
In addition to the new audio and video functionality, Amazon has also updated its Kindle for iPhone application to take advantage of the new high-resolution Retina Display found on the iPhone 4.
"We are truly excited to have collaborated with Amazon to launch Kindle Editions with audio/video," said Peter Balis, Director, Digital Content Sales, Wiley. "Innovations like these represent the advantages that digital can offer. Advancing our content in this manner is important for our authors and our readers and it will raise the bar on what digital reading can offer for years to come."
Since the iPad was announced, Amazon has reportedly internally rethought its strategy with the Kindle hardware. In February, The New York Times reported that the company purchased multitouch company Touchco and folded them into its engineering team. Soon after, the Kindle group posted over 50 job openings for positions related to hardware design, suggesting the company is looking to create a new version of its mobile reader.
Last week, facing increased competition from the iPad, starting at $499, and the Barnes & Noble Nook, which reduced its starting price to $149, Amazon slashed the price of the Kindle. The e-ink reader now costs $189, down from a price of $259.
Comments
This kind of thing happens apparently as Amazon's software and hardware teams are separate and do not necessarily work together. Hence the Kindle software guys just want the best Kindle book experience possible on as many devices as possible, regardless of what that does to perceptions of the Kindle hardware.
amazon is everywhere
and is everything to all people platforms and devices
amazon ma evan brand a pad device for it self like the green HP pod from yrs back
amazon understands to bow to apple and make a ton of money
google can you hear me ???
flash guys adobe can you feel me ????
go amazon
Pretty soon they'll be giving these things away.
scary huh
This kind of thing happens apparently as Amazon's software and hardware teams are separate and do not necessarily work together. Hence the Kindle software guys just want the best Kindle book experience possible on as many devices as possible, regardless of what that does to perceptions of the Kindle hardware.
I think it's more likely that they've made a corporate decision that their real business is selling books and the Kindle is a distraction.
When there were no good eReaders, it made sense to release the Kindle. But now that there are alternatives (which are better in most respects), they're apparently focusing on the software and book sales.
It's nice to see someone focusing on what they do well rather than expanding willy-nilly into new areas that they know nothing about (see Google).
Amazon's strategy going forward should be to focus on making the Kindle software for iDevices as good as possible and selling books. If they don't have the stones to keep the price of the hardware Kindle steady, they don't belong in that business. Big price drops smell of desperation which cause a lack of confidence in the platform's viability and a downward spiral begins.
It's nice to see someone focusing on what they do well rather than expanding willy-nilly into new areas that they know nothing about...
I agree.
Apple should ditch iBooks, at least in it's current state. It serves no purpose for Apple to compete against Amazon.
They would do better to hand the iBooks code and IP over to Amazon and maybe even get a couple of Apple developers working within Amazon to keep the iDevice Kindle application as the primary and best platform for Amazon content.
Maybe Apple could even push for some exclusive content...
... Apple should ditch iBooks, at least in it's current state. It serves no purpose for Apple to compete against Amazon. ...
It's serves the purpose of providing some significant competition in the ebook marketplace and keeps Amazon from exerting the sort of control over the industry they previously did. So, the only one it would be good for for Apple to ditch iBooks would be Amazon.
amazon understands to bow to apple and make a ton of money
The Kindle was and still is a means to an end for Amazon. It has NOTHING to do with "bowing to Apple." Amazon wanted to establish itself as the premiere supplier of digital books before someone else beat them to the punch (like Apple did with music).
Amazon's not stupid enough to miss out on a potential market, hence the available of applications capable of reading Kindle-formatted books for the PC and Mac and not limiting it to the Kindle. And that's why Android app is on its way.
It's serves the purpose of providing some significant competition in the ebook marketplace and keeps Amazon from exerting the sort of control over the industry they previously did. So, the only one it would be good for for Apple to ditch iBooks would be Amazon.
That's a romantic view of the world
Pretty soon they'll be giving these things away.
This article is primarily about the Kindle app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad - and that is a free app, so they are "giving" it away.
I do find it interesting how you see more and more advertising for the Kindle and they lowered the price and now this. So what is their marketing campaign, "Buy the Amazon Kindle and get fewer bells and whistles than you do with our free app on the iPad."
It is a great thing to offer, it will push publishing companies to make their books and magazines more robust and interactive. I like how the future continues to become the present. Thank you Apple for pushing others to develop and not be lazy.
That's a romantic view of the world
It's not romantic at all, it's entirely empirical. Before Apple announced iBooks, Amazon did dictate the terms under which ebooks would be sold. Now they don't. QED.
That's a romantic view of the world
It's a realistic view of the world ... unlike your moronic suggestion of a new business model (and I use that term loosely) of Apple turning over iBooks to Amazon so they could concentrate on hardware. I can only hope you were trying to use humor that was "over my head" ... if so .. I apologize for the use of the word moronic ... if not, moronic stands.
With a price war breaking out over dedicated e-Readers, it makes sense for Amazon to get out of the hardware business as soon as possible. With the huge price drop, it is likely that Amazon loses money with each Kindle device it sells (or the margin is razor thin, at best.) Hoping that people buy enough books to make it profitable is a risky strategy.
Amazon's strategy going forward should be to focus on making the Kindle software for iDevices as good as possible and selling books. If they don't have the stones to keep the price of the hardware Kindle steady, they don't belong in that business. Big price drops smell of desperation which cause a lack of confidence in the platform's viability and a downward spiral begins.
Risky perhaps, but not at all unusual. The game console makers have used this strategy for a long time. The hardware is a wash at best -- all of their profits are on software.
But I also don't see how Amazon remains in the hardware business, or even why they'd want to. It only made marginal sense for them initially, as a way of driving e-book sales. Unless they are prepared to invest big in hardware and software design, competing with Apple in this market is fool's errand. Even with the investment, I think they haven't got much of a chance. Going toe-to-toe with Apple on hardware and software -- now that's a risky strategy!
Amazon's strategy going forward should be to focus on making the Kindle software for iDevices as good as possible and selling books... Big price drops smell of desperation which cause a lack of confidence in the platform's viability and a downward spiral begins.
Keen observation. I, too, am glad to see Amazon offer their Kindle software to many iDevices. But, with the "touch" engineering want ads... this makes me think they are not ready to give up on the Kindle. Friends that have one, love that it stays charges for weeks and months -- with single functionality.
Unfortunately, Amazon may have to do a bit more "downward spiral" before they give up the hardware.
It's serves the purpose of providing some significant competition in the ebook marketplace and keeps Amazon from exerting the sort of control over the industry they previously did. So, the only one it would be good for for Apple to ditch iBooks would be Amazon.
I agree. A bit of competition is better than none... and Apple can build in things like the PDF bookshelf.
It's not romantic at all, it's entirely empirical. Before Apple announced iBooks, Amazon did dictate the terms under which ebooks would be sold. Now they don't. QED.
No doubt, but how does that benefit Apple... or rather, how does that benefit Apple as compared to having some kind of exclusivity deal with Amazon when the flood of $99 Android eReader\\iPad clones starts hitting the market?
If Apple want iBooks to be a competitor they should make it a competitor. At the moment it's crap. Only the most foolish of people will start building their eBooks collection in it when the Kindle app is there as an alternative.
It's a realistic view of the world ... unlike your moronic suggestion of a new business model (and I use that term loosely) of Apple turning over iBooks to Amazon so they could concentrate on hardware. I can only hope you were trying to use humor that was "over my head" ... if so .. I apologize for the use of the word moronic ... if not, moronic stands.
All I read in that was "wah wah wah"... what was your point?
No doubt, but how does that benefit Apple... or rather, how does that benefit Apple as compared to having some kind of exclusivity deal with Amazon when the flood of $99 Android eReader\\iPad clones starts hitting the market?
If Apple want iBooks to be a competitor they should make it a competitor. At the moment it's crap. Only the most foolish of people will start building their eBooks collection in it when the Kindle app is there as an alternative.
Good working relationships between companies happen only when the goals are similar. There is no advantage to Amazon in giving Apple an exclusive on the Kindle app - and a huge downside risk. OTOH, there is a big disadvantage to Apple in such a deal, too - they would have to give up iBooks and lose control over content delivery. Neither side would benefit.
As for iBooks, what's wrong with it? I'm sure there's some little geeky feature that it's missing that 12 people in the universe care about, but overall, it's a great app. I just finished Lord of the Rings (1400 pages or so) and was very satisfied with it. Of course, I was more interested in the contents of the book than the features of the app - and iBooks does a great job of staying out of the way.
If you prefer an app that's in your face and gets between you and enjoyment of the book, feel free to look for alternatives. There's always Kindle.app.
As for iBooks, what's wrong with it?
The app is great, the problem is that the books are tied to it. I'm happy with my iDevice world at the moment, but I can't give that guarantee for 5 or 10 years in the future.