The new Amazon Kindle Application for most iOS devices has just been released and allows multitasking, project Gutenberg books, and the ability to finally sideload ebooks to your Apple device. This allows you to read books on the Kindle app that you just downloaded from the internet.
The iOs 2.5 update is one of the better updates for Apple devices in recent memory. It incorporates a host of great new features, mainly aimed at people who do not want to buy their ebooks from Amazon.
One of the great new features is the access to Project Gutenbergs extensive novel collection, which is around a million public domain books. This is a great aspect of the firmware, as you can now bypass some of Amazon’s outragous prices for the same book that now is just given away.
Another solid aspect of the firmware update for iOs that fully intergrates into the main iOS 4.0 update is the ability to sideload ebooks that you just downloaded from the internet, or have converted to a proper Amazon format (mobi, prc) from (epubs, lit, lrf, txt, doc, etc). This works by allowing you to add MOBI and PRC files into the Kindle library from Mail attachments or other apps that support the iOS feature which allows you to open files in other apps. In addition, you can now drag compatible files to the Kindle app via iTunes, when your iOS device is connected to a Mac or PC. To accomplish this, click on the Apps tab, scroll down to the list of apps with file-transfer support, click on the Kindle app, and then drag files into the window to the right.
Some other minor changes bring better image zooming and a new book indicator as well as multiple unspecified bug fixes. Time to bust out your iPad or iPhone and get the free update from iTunes.
Michael Kozlowski has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past twelve years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.