Okay, this one is going to seem a bit techy, maybe. It’s hard to say exactly what the impact will be on, you know, readers. 🙂
Amazon put out a
that will allow authors and publishers to put “active” content in the Kindle store during 2010.
We’re going to have to watch this carefully to see what really happens. You know those hacks that are against the Terms of Service? The one that lets you put in your own sleep mode pictures, and the one that lets you change the fonts and add character sets (so the Kindle can display Russian, for example)?
Well, the difference between a hack and an app is that an app is authorized. It’s not quite that simple, but this could create some very interesting possibilities.
Amazon heads the press release with this:
“Travel books that suggest activities based on real-time weather and current events, cookbooks that recommend menus based on size of party and allergies, and word games and puzzles–just some of the possibilities with the new Kindle Development Kit”
When you hear “app” you may think of the iPhone, and that makes some sense. There have been great (and goofy) iPhone apps, and they are definitely part of the charm of that device.
You can count on things like crossword puzzles, sure. One of the other interesting things, though, is that the Kindle knows (pretty vaguely) where it is in the world. Well, it knows where the cell tower which it is using is located.
How about this? You open your Kindle newspaper…and it shows you the news/weather/sports for wherever you happen to be? You go on a trip? You get the local news.
How about a used bookstore finder? Yes, Kindleers still like bookstores. 🙂 You open it up, it tells you where and what the nearest used bookstores are.
What about fiction? Hypothetically, you could have a hardboiled murder mystery…set in whatever city you want. You put in your zip, or just let the Kindle figure it out. It then changes street names, names of “social establishments”, the name of the park where the tipster meets the main character…it would be possible.
Some Kindle books use some interactivity now…like the Sudoku book I mentioned in this earlier post.
All of this is likely to drain the battery a bit more, of course, and they could mess up the Kindle in other ways…although they will undoubtedly be carefully scrutinized for that.
It could also mean that some of the things you couldn’t download from websites before will work now.
I can think of a lot of possibilities, but other people will think of a lot more.
If you are one of those development folks, take a look here:
Amazon is going to take a 30% split (just like they are going to offer for books through the Digital Text Platform as an option starting in June). There wil be delivery charges to the publisher (fifteen cents a megabyte), again like the new DTP option.
They will allow three pricing options: free, one time, and subscription. They have guidelines for the use…and some for the content (no advertising, no voice over IP…like phone use, nothing “offensive”, no mentioning Amazon or the Kindle).
That “no offensive” thing is interesting, because Amazon allows some pretty racy stuff in books and blogs for the Kindle, including ones with the word “erotic” in them. They may end up with an interesting legal statement on what “offensive” means. Anything can offend somebody…heck, I’m sure some people are offended by what I write. Hey, some people are offended by typos and misuse…like using the word “loose” (not tight) when you mean “lose” (to no longer have)! I wonder if Amazon will forbid those apps. 😉
Are there apps you’d like to see? A to do list? A calendar? Ooh, an organization system? Feel free to comment on this post and let me know.
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.
I Love My Kindle 
January 21, 2010 at 9:42 pm |
How about a sync program that posts things on the computer onto the Kindle, like address book, calendar, spreadsheets, etc like the “Missing Sync for Palm OS” does.
January 22, 2010 at 6:14 pm |
I’m happy about the apps being added. Other than folders and allowing for uploaded library books via “overdrive” I’d love to be able to access my Mac mail, which is currently not supported. On the other hand, I don’t expect my Kindle to brew coffee, tell me the best way to get to Sacramento, or tell me if the Red Sox will win the World Series. I bought it to be an e-reader and I don’t want a whole lot more features than that. As one guy described it to Len on his The Kindle Chronicles, he likes the K2 for it being a “Unitask” thing. For the fancier things, I’ve got a computer,a GPS, and an iPod touch.
January 22, 2010 at 6:21 pm |
Thanks for writing, Bob!
Yes, I agree…the Kindle became a success when it appealed to non-techies…readers who didn’t want to carry a laptop around when reading, and actually might prefer not to get messages in the middle of Machen. 😉
On the other hand, I’m excited to see how reading can be enhanced, especially non-fiction. Let’s say you are reading a book birdwatching, and it can alert you to which ones you might see in the area where you are currently reading? That might be fun. 🙂 The gadget writers want it to do more and more…I don’t think that’s what a lot of the readers want.
It’ll be fun to see what happens, though!
January 23, 2010 at 2:18 pm |
This is a really exciting and intriguing develpment (pun intended)! I can’t wait to see what the creative developer’s minds come up with. Although I do have a few ideas of what I’d like to see which I’m sure other Kindleers want as well; screen saver options, font options, the ability to sort books different ways. How about an app that tracks what you’ve read and sampled on your Kindle and suggests other books, or an app that asks you a few questions abut your reading preferences and suggests books, magazines and newspapers? I know amazon does this but theirs seems to also factor in searches. Thanks for your fun and informative blog Bufo 🙂