Its time now for Amazon to come up with the software update that it had promised in Late April – that the 2.5 version of its software will make its way to your Kindles within a month.
Well, this is the time for the update to roll in with the latest e-reader news coming in suggest the process has already started. Or maybe its already delivered to your device as has happened in the case of some Kindle users. This is in addition to those who had already received their updates, albeit the Beta versions in early May. So it’s best to check with your Kindle. Fire up your device and chances are that it might already be flaunting the social networking features that Amazon had said the software update would make available. The update would make its way into your Kindle device automatically while the Kindle is in sleep mode though it will need to have a wireless connection for this to take place. All this while the Amazon official software update page is still flashing the ‘coming soon’ message for the OTA update.
Coming to the new firmware update, it promises to instill in the Kindles some smart enhancements. Like there will now be a folder structure that will allow the user to keep things organized in their Kindles. So it will be easier to sort the books, magazines and other stuff in their e-readers into various Collections.
The software update will also make your Kindle more secured than ever before. Incorporating a new password system that would prevent any unauthorized use of your device, the update also brings the Kindle in line with smartphone passwords.
Users will also be better connected with their peers with the new updated Kindles, thanks to the firmware update that now makes it possible for users to link their Facebook or Twitter account and copy or share messages. Then there’s also a Popular Highlights section that would show those portions in the current text you’re reading that are also being highlighted by other Kindle users.
To round it off, there are other minor tweaks like the feature that would allow panning and zooming to be done with PDF files. Then there are also two new extra large fonts. These changes are aimed at making the Kindles more competitive in the face of competition from an onslaught of e-readers or devices like the iPad
The latest Kindle 2.5 update will however not be compatible with the original Kindle.
More update on this will follow. So keep watching for other tablet/slate or e-reader news.
Sovan Mandal is the senior tablet and tech corespondent for goodereader.com. He brings a international approach to news that is not just applicable to the North American market, but also Asia, India, Europe and others. Sovy brings his own writing flavor to the website and is interested in Science Fiction, Technology and Writing. Any questions, send an email