Amazon is pushing out a new firmware update that adds Firefly functionality to the modern line of Fire tablets. This new feature was first unveiled on the Fire smartphone released last year and will be available on 4th generation tablets in the US, UK and Germany in the coming weeks.
Firefly technology allows you to identify real-world items by scanning them with the camera on Fire tablet. These items can include books, videos, music, email addresses, barcodes, QR codes, web addresses, and phone numbers. You can also use the built in microphone to ID songs and videos and pull up their listing on Amazon or their IMDB info.
I always thought Firefly was one of the most compelling features on the Fire Phone, but now that it is available for existing tablet owners its pretty sweet. The update to bring over this functionality is done via wireless internet access or done if you have a model with a data plan.
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.
