Category: Book

Kindle 2 firmware update to read PDF files

Amazon released the latest firmware update (version 2.3) for Kindle yesterday (2009-November-24), and couple of new features are extremely important and exciting for Kindle 2 users. Here are the details as well as the steps, findings.

New firmware features for Kindle 2

  1. Longer battery life for Kindle (International version): You can now read for up to 1 week on a single charge with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for up to 2 weeks (i.e .the same as before).
  2. Built-in PDF reader: Your Kindle can now display PDF documents without losing the formatting of the original file (it works but not all files, see below).
  3. Manual screen rotation: The Kindle screen can now manually rotate between portrait and landscape views so you can see the entire width of a web page or magnify the page of a PDF file. The page-turn buttons work the same in either orientation, and the 5-way controller movements are switched to match the orientation. (See more below)
  4. Option to convert PDF files to Kindle format. If you prefer to have your personal PDF documents converted to the Kindle format (so that they can reflow), type “Convert” in the subject of the e-mail when you submit your personal document to your @kindle.com address. (I don’t see any difference on the Convert feature, but will test more)

Upgrade your Kindle 2 firmware, wirelessly

  1. First of all, some preparations – make sure you have a fully charged Kindle 2, unless your Kindle 2 is connecting to your computer. Check the current version of the firmware (go to “Home”, press “Menu”, select “Settings” and check the bottom of the page). If the version number is 2.2 or lower, you shall upgrade to the latest version to enjoy the new features.
  2. If you want to apply the new firmware manually (e.g. you don’t have access to the wireless network), check out the steps recommended by Amazon in their support page.
  3. Now, turn on the wireless connection (go to “Home”, press “Menu”, select “Turn Wireless On”), then select “Sync & Check for items”. It will then take 15, 20 minutes to download the new firmware as well as checking any new books to download.
  4. Once it finished to download the top bar of your Kindle may show “No new items” – it just means there is no new books to download, but your new firmware may has already downloaded. You can check it to see whether there is a new item in the menu – go to “Home”, press “Menu”, check if there is a new item “Update your Kindle”. If yes, then your new firmware is downloaded.
  5. Now select “Update your Kindle”, your Kindle will apply the firmware and restart the device. Another a few minutes, your Kindle is upgraded. Again, check the firmware version to see if it is version 2.3 (go to “Home”, press “Menu”, select “Settings” and check the bottom of the page). In addition, every time you turn on the Kindle from sleep mode, you will see a word “Opening” flashing …
  6. To test it out, simply send a PDF file to your Kindle via your personal Kindle email address – xxxxx@kindle.com. After a few minutes, try “Sync & Check for items” in the “Menu” again, and Amazon will download the PDF file to your Kindle. You will see a new file in your Home menu with a “pdf” in the left hand side. Select it and you shall see your PDF file with all the formatting in place !! (Somehow, one of my PDF files was not displayed correctly, but it is one with all graphics …). If the PDF file page is too small, try the new screen rotation function come with the version 2.3.

Screen Rotation

The Kindle screen image can be rotated so you can see the entire width of a web page or magnify the page of a PDF file.

Here’s how to lock your screen into portrait or landscape mode:

  1. Press the “Text” key (i.e. “aA” key, next to “SYM”) located on the bottom row of the keyboard. Screen Rotation is displayed at the bottom of the menu.
  2. Move the 5-way to select one of the four options to lock the display in a set orientation – Portrait; Landscape with the keyboard on the left; Portrait with the keyboard at the top; Landscape with the keyboard on the right.
  3. Press the controller to confirm your choice.

However, you can view Kindle Store pages only in portrait mode.

Hope it helps and enjoy this Thanksgiving Day gift from Amazon !! And if you don’t have the Kindle 2 yet, it is probably the best time to have one …

Update 1: With this new version, you shall be able to read PDF with other languages (e.g. Chinese PDFs, Japanese PDFs) as well. Just make sure your PDF writer has all the languages / fonts installed. Then print the source file (with large font size, and narrow margin) to PDF and transfer to your Kindle will do.

Buying US Kindle books, without hiding IP address

Just couple of weeks ago, Kindle users outside US like us found that we could not buy books for our Kindle 2 anymore. Even though we found that the solution is to hide your IP address when surfing Amazon web site, it is still very troublesome. Then in mid October, Amazon released the Kindle 2 International version and since then, we need to pay higher price for the same book.

I recently bought a new laptop with Windows 7 and I am not that keen to install a “hide-your-IP” software in the new machine (as this approach always slow down the browsing experience). But today I have a new book to buy (What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell) … so, what shall I do ?

Believe it or not, somehow I bought a US Kindle book just now without hiding my IP address (I’m staying in Hong Kong). First of all, I have set up my Amazon account with an US mail address, and also the 1-click payment method with an AMEX card with an US billing address. And then, I follow the steps below:

  1. Sign out from your Amazon account, if you have already logged in;
  2. Search for the book as usual, Amazon shall search for US books by default;
  3. You will be able to find the book, in US selling price (in my case, US$ 9.99, instead of US$ 11.99 for Asia and Pacific version);
  4. As long as you don’t log in (seems it trigger Amazon’s IP / Region check logic), and don’t change the Your country or region on the left-hand side menu, you can keep searching the right books;
  5. Then just go ahead to click 1-Click to buy the book, and only at this point log into your Amazon account;
  6. Confirm to buy the book for your Kindle 2 International version;
  7. That’s it, I bought an US Kindle books for my International version – without utility like Hotspot and Ultrasurf to hide my IP !!
  8. Then go to the “Manage your Kindle” page, and download the book to your computer, and subsequently transfer to your Kindle;
  9. One point to note is : still in the right hand side menu of the “Manage your Kindle” page, there is a pending item (the new book) to deliver to my Kindle. In other words, Amazon may eventually send me the book via wireless network and charge me extra US$ 2. But to me, install one less program in my computer is great !!

Hope it help.

Order detail

Update 1: It seems that as long as I have set up the Amazon account with US mail address, I can visit the Amazon shop from the Kindle International Edition (via Whispernet) and access the US bookstore. So, I can buy books not available from Asia & Pacific region, even I am now actually in Hong Kong. Great !!

US books for Kindle 2 international version

I bought the new Kindle 2 international version to replace my broken Kindle 2 US version. However, there are two issues :

  1. Not all books that you can buy for your Kindle 2 US version are available for international version.
  2. Many books are more expensive even they are available for the Kindle international version

For example, the book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness, is not available in Asia & Pacific market. And for the book Presenting to Win by Jerry Weissman, it is less expensive for US version Kindle, than the Kindle International version.

Softcover
Price

US version
Price

International version
Price

Nudge

US$ 10.83
(before shipping)

 US$ 9.99 Not available

Presenting to win

US$ 17.81
(before shipping)

 US$ 9.99 US$ 11.99

So, how to buy US books for your Kindle International version ? Check out my other post on how to buy US Kindle books. But of course, if you don’t mind a little bit more expensive books and all the books you want to buy are available for the International version, go ahead to get the new device !!

Kindle 2 US vs. Kindle 2 International version

I bought my Kindle 2 (now the US version) last March, with a dozen of Kindle books afterward (see update 5 of how to purchase Kindle US books from outside US). Unfortunately, I broke the screen exactly six months later and therefore I decided to buy the Kindle International version to replace the broken one.

The new Kindle certainly looks the same as the US version, the screen is still easy to read and the keyboard is still difficult to use. Some minor differences are though:

  • The packing of Kindle 2 International version looks cheap, compare to the US version.
  • Once connected to my computer, the drive number of the Kindle is now I: drive (I suppose it stands for International version) instead of previously K: drive.
  • There are some new screen-savers.
  • The firmware version is 2.2.

Once fully charged the new Kindle, you may want to register the device first. Since the new device supports the phone network around the globe (US version support Sprint network only), you can now do it by submitting your Amazon account email address and password thru “Home” / “Menu” / “Settings” / “Register”. The submission is slow. Looks like the network connection is GPRS only, even though 3G is available everywhere in Hong Kong.

However, two important questions came to mind …

  1. Can I transfer the books to the new Kindle 2 ?
  2. Can I read the US ebooks in the Kindle 2 international version ?

First, I tried to copy the ebooks (as I have a backup in my computer) to the new Kindle 2 and it didn’t work. I believe it is a protection to prevent people copying the books (.azw files) from one device to another … each of the books may have stamped some information of the registered Kindle(s) in your account.

Luckily, there are three ways to do it :

  1. Provided you registered your device to your Amazon account, you will find your previously purchased book in the “Archived items” in your Kindle (of course you needed to register your device first). Just pick the books and redownload again thru the phone network – again the process is quite slow.
  2. I also tried another approach – that is log into your Amazon account, select “Manage your Kindle”, then in the “Your Orders” section, pull down the “Deliver to …” menu and select your new Kindle as the destination device. It also works. But that may incur the extra US$ 1.99 download fee.
  3. The third approach is to download the book again to your PC and transfer to your new Kindle. As long as your new Kindle is registered, the book shall be able to copy to your new Kindle without any problem (the ebook probably now stamped with your new Kindle information).

You can select the “Sync and check for new items” from the home menu to force the Kindle to connect to download the books. The books showed in the Home menu of the Kindle a while later, one by one … and I can read the books again. Even the books are purchased for my US Kindle, I can read it with my new Kindle international version – looks like there is no regional check here.

So far, so good …

Kindle international version in box

Kindle US, Kindle International verison

Kindle accessories

Other than the Kindle reader itself, you may think all you need is the leather cover from Amazon:

But sometimes, you need better protection than the standard cover (I broke the screen of my first Kindle because the Amazon cover is not that tough …), a stand for your Kindle and may be, a reading light as well. And here are my recommendations … turn out a better cover can also works as a Kindle stand and it can fit a reading light as well !!

Lastly, other than Kindle for iPhone, what else is better than reading your Kindle books from your PC ? Yes, the Kindle for PC is almost ready, register here !!