Kobo is pushing out a new firmware update 4.23.15505 to the Kobo Touch A/B, Kobo Touch C, Kobo Glo, Kobo Glo HD, Kobo Touch 2.0, Kobo Aura, Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 v1, Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 v2, Kobo Aura ONE, Kobo Aura ONE Limited Edition, Kobo Aura Edition 2 v1, Kobo Aura Edition 2 v2, Kobo Nia, Kobo Clara HD, Kobo Forma, and the Kobo Libra H2O. It has not been released to the Kobo Mini. This new update adds a number of features such as better ebook discovery and new clock!
The clock appears in the upper left when you are on the home screen, library, and the store (the tab for which is labeled discover). It also appears in your currently open book.
Easier navigation
- Now, you can access and discover more books or go back to the Home screen with one less tap.
- Tap More to see everything else like reading activity, settings, and help articles. You can now scroll up and down your list of books.
New
- We’ve added a clock to the upper-left side of your screen
- Check release note information by going to Settings > Device Information > View release notes
- New style for library tabs
- No more pagination controls in the library views.
One of the most interesting things about this firmware update is a feature that is currently not being used, `org.bluealsa` DBus wrapper in libnickel, implying the next Kobo will have Bluetooth audio. This would be the first time that a Kobo e-reader had the ability to buy and listen to audiobooks. It will likely be a Forma refresh.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.