Kindle iPad app adds Amazon Newsstand, Google Voice for iPhone gains group texts

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Amazon has updated its Kindle application for iOS, adding the ability to read magazines on the iPad. And Google Voice for iPhone has also been updated, gaining compatibility with Sprint and support for group texting.



Kindle takes on Apple's iBooks, Newsstand



The latest version of Kindle for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch was released on Wednesday (iTunes link) in the form of version 2.9. The 16.6MB download is a free universal application available on Apple's iOS App Store.



The update packs a handful of new features specific to the iPad, including added access to a selection of over 400 magazines and newspapers that are also available on the Kindle Fire. Amazon's magazine and newspaper selection competes with Apple's own Newsstand feature built in to iOS 5.



Magazines available on Amazon's newsstand include Martha Stewart Living, Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, and Popular Science. Issues are available in full color, and single issues are available for purchase along with subscriptions.



The iPad has also gained access to print replica textbooks. With this, students can buy thousands of titles, and also choose to rent many textbooks. Print replica textbooks maintain the rich formatting and layout of print additions, but add features like notes, highlights, zooming, panning, a linked table of contents, and Whispersync of notes with other Kindle devices.







The update also includes seamless integration of personal documents, allowing users to e-mail their documents to their Send-to-Kindle e-mail address and read them on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. A new built-in PDF reader also allows customers to open and read PDFs within the Kindle application.



Google Voice gains group texting



Also released on Wednesday was an update to Google Voice (iTunes link) for iPhone. Version 1.4.0.2372 is a free update and is a 4.6MB download.



The latest version adds multi-recipient texting to the iOS application, as well as contact autocomplete. The new version also adds support for Sprint, allowing users on Sprint's wireless network in the U.S. to place phone calls through Google Voice.



Other additions to the software are a multi-line text entry field, complete with character count, as well as one-touch copy and paste functionality in the Google Voice dialpad.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    ivladivlad Posts: 742member
    Looks like Amazon knows how to run its business. They are pretty much offering these "key" features from iPad on their own platform. Their App Store, Music and Video store and now Newspapers and Magazine with Books is a great ecosystem to combat Apple's. I hope Apple has two steps ahead with something up their sleeve.
  • Reply 2 of 11
    All GV needs now is MMS support....which they've mentioned is coming eventually.
  • Reply 3 of 11
    gwmacgwmac Posts: 1,807member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ghostface147 View Post


    All GV needs now is MMS support....which they've mentioned is coming eventually.



    They already offer MMS support. The only catch is that it only works on Sprint phones to other Sprint phones. For some reason Google and Sprint are very tight. We can even port our Sprint number over to Google Voice or vice versa.
  • Reply 4 of 11
    I love honest competition. The consumer is the winner.
  • Reply 5 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iVlad View Post


    Looks like Amazon knows how to run its business. They are pretty much offering these "key" features from iPad on their own platform. Their App Store, Music and Video store and now Newspapers and Magazine with Books is a great ecosystem to combat Apple's. I hope Apple has two steps ahead with something up their sleeve.



    This. Amazon acts, Apple responds, Apple acts, Amazon responds. The winner is the consumer. Now lets start the countdown to the haters that will ruin this thread.
  • Reply 6 of 11
    I suppose they might as well start calling this site AndroidInsider, being that everyone here has decided the iPhone will soon go the way of the Mac.<p>



    Aw, the Mac. It was so sad to see that platform disappear. Well, it didn't exactly disappear, but it will soon to drop from 13% market share to a pitiful 20%, I am sure.<p>



    Woe is the iPhone.
  • Reply 7 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iVlad View Post


    Looks like Amazon knows how to run its business. They are pretty much offering these "key" features from iPad on their own platform. Their App Store, Music and Video store and now Newspapers and Magazine with Books is a great ecosystem to combat Apple's. I hope Apple has two steps ahead with something up their sleeve.



    As a user of Apple products and some of Amazon's services, I'm glad to see better content on Kindle for iPad. I wouldn't exactly declare advantage Amazon, though.



    I have not seen the Kindle update yet, but I doubt that it will bring anywhere near the interactivity for magazines that iPad apps have. Newsstand is more a folder than a platform; magazines on iOS can do anything an app can do because that's what they are -- apps. Kindle magazines will be closer to flippable PDFs.
  • Reply 8 of 11
    Jee, my first post. I guess I don't need HTML here.
  • Reply 9 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Icelus View Post


    Jee, my first post. I guess I don't need HTML here.



    Yeah, we use BBCode. I don't know of any forum that allows HTML in user posts.
  • Reply 10 of 11
    conradjoeconradjoe Posts: 1,887member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post






    Print replica textbooks maintain the rich formatting and layout of print additions,










    This is not a typo. This is just plain ignorance of the language.
  • Reply 11 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Yeah, we use BBCode. I don't know of any forum that allows HTML in user posts.





    Well, I know of one, but it is nicer not to need it. The icon bar along the top has the symbols < and > when you post, so I was assuming I should use them.
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