Category: Book

Manually upgrade Kindle 2 International to 2.5 (2.5.2)

Anticipated the firmware 2.5 upgrade for weeks but still it’s not available thru the Whispernet, so I told myself it’s time to find another way … by browsing the sites like mobileread.com and kindleboards.com, I found there is a way to do it manually – even though the firmware 2.5 (or 2.5.2) is not available from Amazon website.

In previous firmware upgrades, Amazon placed a link in the help page such that you could download the binary file and upgrade your Kindle manually if you didn’t want to wait for or could not access to the Whispernet. However, somehow Amazon does not do that for firmware 2.5. On the other hand, they placed the firwware binary file in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) and some smart people found itΒ  (and it’s now named 2.5.2) … So, here are the steps and some screen shots of the version 2.5 new features.

(Note: these binary files work for Kindle 2 International version only and the files are available from the download links as of 2010-June-12)

  • First of all check your firmware version in your Kindle 2. In my case, it’s version 2.3.2.
  • So I downloaded the firmware 2.3.3 and upgraded my Kindle 2 International;

http://rapidshare.com/files/382788816/Update_kindle2_gw_2.3.3.bin

  • Then I downloaded the firmware 2.3.4 and upgraded again;

http://rapidshare.com/files/382794043/Update_kindle2_gw_2.3.4.bin

  • Lastly, downloaded the firmware 2.5.2 file and upgraded … simple and it worked !!

http://www.mediafire.com/?nqy2qmnmyjm

(To upgrade, transfer the binary file to the root directory of your Kindle, then go to Home / Setting / Update Your Kindle, then click yes)

Update 1 : (2010-06-16) The download is now available from Amazon website for your Kindle US and International version !!

Manage social network in Kindle

Kindle Apps for Tablet Computer (including iPad)

Ah, the Amazon development team is really efficient, just after a week from the release of Kindle for Mac they have another new product ready to roll out. Somehow the news is broken not from their official press release, but from a report in New York Times. This is the Kindle Apps for Tablet Computer, and it works on table computers including the iPad as well (obviously, they want people to know about this application, before the official launch date of iPad in early April).

Kindle Apps for Tablet Computers

Unlike other Kindle applications (iPhone, PC, BlackBerry, Mac), there are some new fancy features like:

  • Tailored to the size, look, and feel of your tablet computer
  • Adjust screen brightness from within the app to make reading easier
  • Page turn animation replicates the look of turning a page in a book. Or choose Basic Reading Mode for a simpler and unadorned reading experience

In the case of iPad version (assuming Apple will approve it …), the New York Times reports that:

“… large images of book covers are set against a backdrop of a silhouetted figure reading under a tree. The sun’s position in that image varies with the time of day.”

I know you want it, don’t you ? Check out the pictures and have a feel of this new application.

Kindle for Mac, now available

Yap, just one month after the beta version of Kindle for BlackBerry, today Amazon rolls out the Kindle for Mac. The features are similar to other free downloads like Kindle for PC and Kindle for iPhone. However, according to the press release …

Several features will be added to the Kindle for Mac app in the near future, including full text search and the ability to create and edit notes and highlights. Kindle for Mac is available to customers around the world as a free download.

So I guess, we need to keep an eye on the future upgrade as well. You can download the free application from www.amazon.com/kindleformac. Will install it tonight to try it out …

Kindle for Mac

Kindle for BlackBerry (beta) is now available

After the Kindle devices, the applications Kindle for iPhone and Kindle for PC … now we have the Kindle for BlackBerry. The Kindle family is getting bigger and bigger. I can imagine soon we will have Kindle for Android, Kindle for OSX, Windows Phone Series 7 etc. etc. However, something new to me from their press release …

  • Search and browse more than 420,000 books, including 102 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers, directly from their BlackBerry
  • Read books in full color, including children’s books, cookbooks, travel books, textbooks and graphic novels

Wow, 420,000 books !! And books in full color !! May be because I didn’t downloaded any cookbooks or travel books before, so I don’t really know whether my Kindle for iPhone and Kindle for PC have this function or not. Anyway, good news for all BlackBerry users.

Don’t forget to check out other Kindle posts !!

Kindle for iPhone International version and how WhisperSync works

Amazon released the Kindle for iPhone application now to more than 60 countries. In other words, you can now download it to your iPhone even though you don’t have an iTunes US account. In addition, you can now synchronize your reading between the Kindle 2 International and your iPhone (with Kindle for iPhone International application installed). If your country is not covered in that list of 60, you still can install the Kindle for iPhone US version by a proven method.

How WhisperSync works

First of all, we need to understand how all these devices are linked together – in fact, they are not linked directly, but via Amazon:

Kindle 2 <— X —> Β  Amazon <— Y —>Β Β  iPhone

If you’re in US, the connection “X” is the Whispernet via Sprint network; and the connection “Y” is the 3G phone network. And since Sprint network is not available outside US, that’s why the sychronization with your Kindle 2 US version will not work outside US.

However, in the case of Kindle 2 International, the connection “X” is just ordinary 3G / GPRS network. Therefore, the synchronization works … with a twist. That is, how you “trigger” the synchronization.

Two scenarios here, the first one is how to synchronize your furthest reading page to Amazon. To save battery and data transfer, the Kindle (and the Kindle iPhone application) will not send the page information to Amazon, whenever you flip to next page. Instead, it will do it only when you “close the book”. In other words, in Kindle iPhone application’s case, closing the application will not send the information back to Amazon.

  • For Kindle, when it goes to sleep mode or you close the book (i.e. go to Home page by pressing Home button), the latest information will be synchronized to Amazon. Of course, you need to turn on your wireless first.
  • In Kindle for Iphone, you need to press the “Home” button on the top left to “close the book”, then the furthest read page information will be sent back to Amazon…

The second scenario is how your other device pick up the furthest read page from the original device.

  • In Kindle 2, press Menu, select “Sync to Furthest Page Read”, Kindle will connect to Amazon.com and then ask you whether you want to synchronize the page. Press Yes and you’re done. Again, make sure the wireless option has been turned on.
  • In Kindle for iPhone, it is easier, as every time you start up the application, it will connect to Amazon via the phone network to synchronize and you will also be prompted to ask you whether you want to synchronize the page. Press Yes and that is it.

Enjoy !!

Kindle photo

Update 1: Somehow my Kindle 2 always connect to WhisperNet via GPRS, not 3G network in HK.Β  A great tips from reader John and also Mobileread.com, you can actually select the network you want !! Check out this post.