Amazon Kindle To Get Apps and EA Games 111
Lanxon writes "Amazon currently encourages publishers and authors to sell their books and magazines digitally, but the upcoming Kindle Development Kit (KDK), which goes into beta next month, says Wired, will allow software developers to create a variety of different applications. Amazon has already confirmed a Zagat guide for restaurant reviews from Hallmark and a selection of word games and puzzles, such as Sudoku, from Sonic Boom. EA Mobile is also set to release games on the Kindle."The kit itself is expected to be available next month.
Convergence (Score:5, Funny)
Can we get on with it already? I have a drawer full of devices.....
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Your choice of words made me throw up a little.
That in itself isn't so bad, but I didn't want to get it all over the keyboard so I had to retain it in my mouth till I could stomach it back down in there.
Re:Convergence (Score:5, Funny)
Oh to be alive in such an age of wonders..
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Language? (Score:2)
Anyone know what language(s) will be used for app development on this device? Assuming it has a very slow CPU, so Java is probably out?
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Java was supposed to have a use for embedded systems where the tasks were consistent but the microcontroller might change. Back in the day, it was VCRs. Now, it might be an e-reader.
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The Kindle application framework is Java based. You write "booklets" that work like Java applets. Under the hood the Kindle runs a Linux kernel, so in theory you could just write native C apps, but I doubt Amazon will give developers access to that.
Some more info about hacking your Kindle:
http://igorsk.blogspot.com/2007/12/hacking-kindle-part-3-root-shell-and.html [blogspot.com]
No "generic readers"? (Score:3, Interesting)
Voice over IP functionality, advertising, offensive materials, collection of customer information without express customer knowledge and consent, or usage of the Amazon or Kindle brand in any way are not allowed. In addition, active content must meet all Amazon technical requirements, not be a generic reader, and not contain malicious code.
So if you want to add support for a file format the Kindle doesn't currently support you're out of luck?
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I also see offensive material, which again is the iPhone catchall for 'if we don't like, it won't be on the device.' I wonder if they are going to be as liberal in the active content evaluation as they are for [amazon.com] books [amazon.com].
games? (Score:4, Funny)
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you just wait
they just ported the Unreal engine to the iphone. forgot which version. Kindle version is next
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Re:games? (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:games? (Score:4, Informative)
I agree any app that has any sort of interactivity will be sluggish. It does sequential reading well
The refresh rate on current models will really limit this. Might be ok for crossword puzzles and sudoku.
Although the current way it allows books to be read is fairly limited, (table of contents, basic search) the article mentioned more interactive books, such as cookbooks. And this might be where it will be useful.
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Well obviously they need to put a faster screen in these things! All my other portable devices can play games (and make phone calls), so why can't the Kindle? What's the point if it's not like all the other devices?
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Choose Your Own Adventure games.
Ob Colossal Cave (Score:3, Funny)
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
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Yo Ho!
One step closer to jailbreak (Score:5, Informative)
Re:One step closer to jailbreak (Score:5, Insightful)
People can already SSH [thekindlewiki.com] into their Kindles. If I were Amazon, I would be worried about this kind of support making jailbreaks more attractive, possibly putting a nail into the coffin of their future ebook sales.
Actually... I think that opening the platform up (be it intentionally, or by jailbreaking) will eventually be what makes ereaders a real, viable alternative to printed books.
Right now, if you get a Kindle you're largely stuck buying your books from Amazon. You can't just go to any ebook retailer and pick up whatever you want.
Right now, if you get a nook you're largely stuck buying your books from Barnes & Noble. You can't just go to any ebook retailer and pick up whatever you want.
If they can open up the platform (either with a jailbreak, or an official update, or an app, or whatever) then you'll be able to buy your ebooks wherever you want. Amazon will lose it's vendor lock-in... But they'll pick up sales from folks with nooks and Sonys and whatever else.
Re:One step closer to jailbreak (Score:4, Informative)
Right now, if you get a nook you're largely stuck buying your books from Barnes & Noble. You can't just go to any ebook retailer and pick up whatever you want.
Actually, since the Nook supports Adobe Digital Editions you can go to any store that uses ADE to purchase books. The Sony Reader Store and BooksOnBoard I believe are two of the larger ones. Also, it allows you to check out ebooks from libraries that use the Overdrive system. The Nook also supports the eReader PDB format and DRM scheme, which opens up the eReader and Fictionwise stores. The Nook probably has the broadest DRM format support of any ebook reader out right now.
If they can open up the platform (either with a jailbreak, or an official update, or an app, or whatever) then you'll be able to buy your ebooks wherever you want. Amazon will lose it's vendor lock-in... But they'll pick up sales from folks with nooks and Sonys and whatever else.
The problem is that each major ebook manufacturer is using both a different format and different DRM scheme for their books. Kindle uses either Mobipocket DRM files or their own Topaz format. The Nook appears to use the old eReader/Peanut Press DRM scheme with the EPUB file format. Sony uses the closest thing to a standard in DRM'd ebooks: Adobe Digital Editions protected EPUB. So neither the Nook nor the Sony Readers can use files purchased from the Kindle store and that won't change unless Amazon licenses their software to other companies, which I doubt will happen.
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Kindle will also read unprotected Mobipocket (.mobi or .prc) files and .html.
The biggest annoyance with the Kindle I would say is that it is based on only formats that the Kindle developers had free access to. They did not purchase the Adobe stuff, which would have enabled the format seemingly to be used by a lot of libraries in Phoenix.
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And even that doesn't excuse not supporting epub (the Adobe extensions and Adobe DRM, sure), which is completely free.
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This feature has come in handy, as I now print all my documents to PDF and stick them on my Kindle.
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That's true of the Kindle, without trickery and hacking of the downloaded files (even if you get the Kindle's PID, and if the Mobipocket retailer takes it, you still need to flip a bozo bit in the downloaded file).
But the specs say that the Nook supports any eReader (FKA Palm eReader) file, and any ePub file (even with Adobe's DRM).
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But the specs say that the Nook supports any eReader (FKA Palm eReader) file, and any ePub file (even with Adobe's DRM).
I have a nook.
It handles EPUB files just fine - most of my library is in EPUB format.
But it doesn't read Kindle format. So, while you've got some more options... You still can't go out and buy your ebooks from any place you want.
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True, but that's Amazon's choice to only sell to owners of devices whose Mobipocket IDs have been whitelisted (and to not share how to generate them, and to restrict how they can be added); it's not something that you can hang on the Nook, no more than you can blame Borders for not carrying books printed by Barnes and Noble.
(Yes, B&N does print/sell editions of some public domain texts.)
With Kindle you can read Txt files - Nook -Epubs (Score:3, Interesting)
You're Wrong (Score:3, Informative)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_kindle#Content_sources [wikipedia.org]
Re:You're Wrong (Score:4, Informative)
You're Wrong
No I'm not.
I said "if you get a Kindle you're largely stuck buying your books from Amazon."
Look at that link you provided.
Project Gutenberg is free public domain books... FreeKindleBooks is just the Gutenberg stuff reformatted for Kindle. PDFBooks is the Gutenberg stuff in PDF for the Kindle. World Public Library is just that - a library. The disclaimer on Mobipocket indicates that only demos and free books can be read on the Kindle. ManyBooks is again the Gutenberg stuff. Munseys is more free stuff. MobileRead is free out-of-copyright books. Zinepal is just RSS converted to Kindle.
So, of that list you provided... You can buy your books from Amazon (380,000 titles) or Fictionwise (no indication of how many titles are available) or Webscriptions (1,000 titles) or Feedbooks (4,000 titles) or Christian Classics Ethereal Library (no indication of how many titles are available).
Which means that by far the largest retailer of Kindle ebooks is Amazon. You'll notice that there's no mention of any other big-name book retailers on that page, because the Kindle can't read ebooks from Barnes & Noble, nor can it read ebooks from Borders. So, if you've got a Kindle, you're largely stuck buying your ebooks from them.
Sure, if I just want a copy of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea I've got plenty of choices. I can download it for free from any number of places.
But if I want to purchase a copy of a new book like Under the Dome, I have to buy it from Amazon.
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my sony reader uses EPUB natively now (as in, thats what the store sells even), supports pdfs (adobe digital edition or everyday random pdfs), text files, office docs (even excel!), and a bunch of other formats. I can buy books for it from everywhere, and you can even "borrow" digital books from some librairies.
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Hopefully it will be the Nooks & Sonys and whatever else which bury the Kindle, or at least see Amazon open up the device. Proprietary as most other devices are in some respect, it seems that they have rallied around EPUB + optional Adobe DRM. If DRM has to exist at least it should be device and vendor neutral.
The fly in the ointment is Apple and what they intend to do. They're not exactly known for embracing standards excep
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Hopefully it will be the Nooks & Sonys and whatever else which bury the Kindle, or at least see Amazon open up the device. Proprietary as most other devices are in some respect, it seems that they have rallied around EPUB + optional Adobe DRM. If DRM has to exist at least it should be device and vendor neutral.
My nook can certainly handle EPUB stuff just fine... And Barnes & Noble claims they're going to move their entire library over to EPUB eventually... But I don't know how open and friendly the Barnes & Noble store actually is. EPUB lets you embed whatever DRM you might want. I don't know that a B&N DRMed EPUB would actually work on anything besides a nook.
The fly in the ointment is Apple and what they intend to do. They're not exactly known for embracing standards except as a bait and switch for their own proprietary ones, so they may well support EPUB, but not the DRM everyone else is gravitating around. After all, that would let their users buy their books from anywhere and Apple simply can't allow that.
Apple has enough market penetration that they might just be able to force a kind of "lowest common denominator" as standard... Like it did
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Last time I checked, though, iPods still didn't support FLAC. Since my entire music library is in this format (hey, disk space is cheap!), this means that the iPod is a non-starter for me unless I choose to transcode it to MP3.
Since I prefer lossless data formats that are also open standards based, this ain't gonna happen any time soon.
And yes, I know I'm the exception, not the rule. :)
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Last time I checked, though, iPods still didn't support FLAC. Since my entire music library is in this format (hey, disk space is cheap!), this means that the iPod is a non-starter for me unless I choose to transcode it to MP3.
Since I prefer lossless data formats that are also open standards based, this ain't gonna happen any time soon.
And yes, I know I'm the exception, not the rule. :)
Like I said... Least common denominator.
There are plenty of audio formats that are superior to MP3. But it's the easiest one for everyone to support. So... Here we are.
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I understand from the specs it supports several DRMs. But I think it would be colossally stupid for B&N to push their own DRM onto custom
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I think it would be colossally stupid for B&N to push their own DRM onto customers.
But that is exactly what B&N appears to have done (although only at B&N.com not fictionwise.com). But they do allow you to download a application, to most devices that accept applications, to view their DRM files. Although I guess B&N does seam to use a known DRM format, and use your credit card number as the key. That is more open than Amazon that uses a hidden kindle ID, that isn't meant to be known. At least with the B&N, you can replace your nook and move your DRM content.
It is a sha
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Nook supports a number of common formats for DRM-free ebooks (including epub and PDF, which seem to be the two most used by independent vendors), supports Sony reader store ebooks, and supports Adobe DRM for epub, so, actually, you can go to just about any independent (that is, not associated with a particular e-reader vendor) ebook retailer and p
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Why do you think it will hurt sales? It is already possible to drop drm free .mobi and text files onto the device using a USB cable, so people interested in dinking around already have a path to read any book they have lying around on the device.
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There is nothing to prevent you from putting non-Amazon content on a Kindle already. The device is completely "open" as far as that is concerned.
You can even (gasp!) download books using the Amazon-provided wireless connection from places like manybooks.net for free. At least half of the books on my Kindle have been either downloaded free from non-Amazon sites or placed on the device through the USB connection.
People that think the Kindle is somehow locked down for Amazon only have been reading some consp
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People that think the Kindle is somehow locked down for Amazon only have been reading some conspiracy theory web site rather than getting an uncomfortable dose of reality.
So, what places other than Amazon will allow me to purchase a copy of Under the Dome for Kindle?
EA games on the Kindle? (Score:3, Funny)
Madden 2011 in black and white? is it 3d accelerated like on the iphone?
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+1 Funny (Score:2)
Wait, what? (Score:5, Interesting)
Just my bent $0.02
Re:Wait, what? (Score:4, Insightful)
The designers will have to keep the display in mind - for example, a Solitaire game would only refresh after you make a move, and same for Sudoku.
Tetris would probably be right out, though.
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Nethack on the Kindle would be epic.
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Tetris for an e-ink device (Score:1)
There is an e-ink device called PocketBook.
http://www.pocketbookreader.com/PocketBook_360.html [pocketbookreader.com]
There is version with 5" screen and version with 6" screen.
Just yesterday I have downloaded a Blockout game for my PocketBook.
Yes. THAT Blockout - a 3D version of Tetris.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=sk&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://bookfast.org/category/pocketbook/programs&twu=1 [google.com]
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Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the kindle (and E Ink in general) most efficient as displaying the same thing? Why would I want something with a frame rate killing my kindle battery?
That was my first thought as well.
I don't know about the battery life... It'll certainly go down... But the refresh rate is going to be crap.
I'm not sure why they want to release the Zagat guide as an app... I guess so it's more searchable? Or it can update in real-time? Seems like that would work pretty well as just a standard ebook... Or an emagazine subscription...
As far as games go... Something like sudoku or crosswords or something will probably work reasonably ok... But the refresh rate is not
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Zagat guides are already available on the Kindle, so I presume they're looking to update the book content. I really can't see what else they'd want to do.
As you say, games are going to be pretty basic. The Kindle already has minesweeper, and that pushes it's abilities.
Developers are in for a major challenge, and many of them are likely going to decide, and rightly so, that the Kindle isn't the right platform for them.
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Who cares about battery life? It's PORN after all!
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Interesting timing (Score:5, Insightful)
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You can play DOOM on a Kindle ..at 0.2 FPS
But does it run DNF?
Interesting, but I'm skeptical (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm excited about the possibilities, but worried that some developers will port their apps to Kindle because they can, without considering if it's a good match for Kindle. The Kindle really is a content consumption platform, not a content creation platform (you read, not write, on it). I can see a Twitter client working, however, since 140 characters is about the most I'd ever want to type on a Kindle keyboard. I think Amazon is conscious of this, as they are avoiding the term "app" in favor of "active content."
In any case, the Kindle's very slow refresh rate poses UI challenges that haven't really been faced before. I'm interested to see how developers contend with it. Another possible issue is battery life. The Kindle's battery is actually very, very small. The reason it lasts so long is that only page turns draw current, and even then only a small amount of current, and then you have to read a whole page before you draw current again. If you're refreshing every three seconds instead of every two minutes, you're going to see a serious drop in battery life, especially if the apps expect wireless connectivity. My two week Kindle battery could drop to two days easily.
The Kindle for me is still just for reading. While it CAN do email and web browsing and minesweeper, I use my iPhone for all those things. And while my iPhone CAN read my Kindle books, I use my Kindle for that. Reading is so central a part of my life that I'm not willing to sacrifice the quality of the experience on a convergence device- especially one that will start ringing or flash push notifications in the middle of a very suspenseful book.
But really, the whole thing reeks of Apple envy. This and the royalties change tells me that they feel VERY threatened by the Apple tablet.
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Because it didn't make it to /. but is relevant: Amazon's Press Release about Royalty Hikes [businesswire.com] from yesterday.
Matching Apple's 70% royalties is another major sign of Amazon's Apple envy- but also a strong financial incentive for authors and publishers to be "well behaved" when pricing their Kindle books, as in keep prices lower than paper, offer TTS, etc.
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Isn't the royalty hike a good thing for authors? Amazon's yelling "hey, don't contract away your digital rights, we'll give you 70% of list, your publisher will only give you 12.5%"
What percentage does B&N charge on Nook?
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It's a good thing for authors (more money), for readers (reasonably priced, non-crippled books), and probably good for Amazon (more sales altogether albeit at a lower profit margin). Just because it's a good deal all around doesn't stop it from being a strong sign of nervousness about Apple.
B&N doesn't offer a self-publishing option, so I couldn't find their standard ebook royalty rates online.
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Turn the page every two minutes? So that's wh
Text adventures (Score:1)
I haven't got a Kindle, but if I will be able to play my Infocom text adventures on it, then I might consider getting one.
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Would a Z-code interpreter count as a "generic reader" do you suppose?
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I'd say it's a game interpreter. Contrary to a generic reader, it's not in competition with amazons own business.
Apple Competition (Score:1, Insightful)
Somebody seems a little threatened by Apple's 'slate' introduction next week...
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Yes, no handheld device ever ran applications before the Apple "Islate" came along. This vaporware is so good, it can travel back in time, and beat all the phones that were doing it 5+ years ago...
Really though, the whole of the last decade has been a continual trend of convergence (and even that word was a buzzword for years in the '90s).
And even if you mean in the sense of people making up claims that the "Islate" will be a colour e-reader, there are already models out there doing that (e.g., the Fujitsu
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I agree with what you are saying, but I think what Amazon fears is the marketing ability of Apple to convince a large number of people to adopt a form factor that has been around for years, but never really caught on in a mass market way.
A really sharp, clear LCD screen that has color and a fast refresh rate *could* make the eInk eReaders look quaint. Kindle and company will have the lock on battery life, but the various slates/tablets/netbooks will have the lock on versatility. I see Amazon trying to comba
Re:Nook Competition (Score:2)
I doubt it is Apple, they don't have book content or a all that desirable of a brick and mortar presence. Barnes & Noble is a content provider, and being a droid, has a development kit [android.com] and a emulator [nookdevs.com] so it will have apps in no time. Having a small LCD and 802.11 to play with will give it a (IMHO) huge advantage.
I could see the nook e-reader add-on to any game/game system. since it has 802.11 wireless it could easily be a extra screen. This would be very handy for multi-player games, IE select your
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Or, concerned that the Kindle isn't making as much money as they'd like, and that there are lots of existing, available mobile products that can be used as ebook readers and app platforms (netbooks, smartphones, tablets that consumers can buy today) that compete with it for consumers attention (and, more importantly, money), as well as a number of new announcements of such products that have recently been made (e.g., at CES).
Not
I'm not really sure what good does this do (Score:1)
Add on the other restrictions, such as no VOIP or no generic reader software, and the whole endeavor seems kinda pointless.
Oh boy! (Score:2)
I can haz Madden 2011??
Or Madden 2012?
No Madden 2013 because the world's ending but hey...
Oh yeah, and I can hope that EA puts out NON-SPORTS games and have that futile hope rubbed in my face.
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I can see it now... (Score:1)
EA games? Makes sense (Score:2)
Seeing as though the Kindle is heavily DRM encumbered, and that EA games are similarly DRM-laden softwares, I guess the target audience for the Kindle would be tolerant of DRM to the extent that EA finds desirable.
I am not a customer of either Kindle or EA games.
When did "Hallmark" start developing software?! (Score:1, Informative)
Maybe you mean HandMark!! :)
Reactionary, not visionary (Score:1)
What about opening the Java application? (Score:2, Informative)
One thing that is an absolute pain is that the Kindle has no folder management, and as such, no way to organize the books that are downloaded. Sure, it'll hold 3000 e-books, but try paging through the list. And the startup time is proportional to the length of the list.
Opening up the e-book application interface would go a long way to getting features that Amazon seems disinclined to provide themselves.
Simple apps, but this could be good. (Score:3, Interesting)
I Don't Believe It (Score:3, Interesting)
Let me get this straight. My Kindle doesn't have the functionality to store my library in categories, meaning I have to hack in metatags on all my ebooks using the note-taking feature and search that if I wan't find just my books on Computer Science or Science Fiction, the recent upgrade to my Kindle allows me to view PDF files, but not zoom in on their page content, meaning I still can't read PDF's on it unless I pack a magnifying glass, and I have no way of exporting the personal notes I take on it to a text file or other non-kindle-readable format.
I don't mind these shortcomings, because the whole point of my Kindle is not having to reading books on my cellphone or computer monitor, but now I'm supposed to believe I will soon be getting games on this device currently lacking so many basic features? I'm not drinking this kool aide.
Technical Details? (Score:1)
The article seems to be pretty light on technical details. I wonder what the API will be like. What language will they use? What kind of application framework will be available? Will they develop their own IDE? How much access does the developer have to the hardware? How does the developer distribute software for testing?
Perhaps all of these questions and more will be answered in the next episode of Soap?
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Funny thing is that I'm watching the 3rd season now since I received the 4th season for Christmas (I've watched the 1st and 2nd over the past few weeks when I have time).
Still fricking hilarious!
[John]