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Amazon Kindle To Get Apps and EA Games

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the in-glorious-greyscale dept.

Lanxon writes "Amazon currently encourages publishers and authors to sell their books and magazines digitally, but the upcoming Kindle Development Kit (KDK), which goes into beta next month, says Wired, will allow software developers to create a variety of different applications. Amazon has already confirmed a Zagat guide for restaurant reviews from Hallmark and a selection of word games and puzzles, such as Sudoku, from Sonic Boom. EA Mobile is also set to release games on the Kindle."The kit itself is expected to be available next month.

9 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. Convergence by djdavetrouble · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can we get on with it already? I have a drawer full of devices.....

    --
    music lover since 1969
    1. Re:Convergence by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 4, Funny

      Wait, it gets better! Next iteration of Kindle will have extra circuitry, a microphone and speaker so you can... MAKE PHONE CALLS!!!

      Oh to be alive in such an age of wonders..

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
  2. games? by rhainman · · Score: 4, Funny

    With the refresh rate of the Kindle, and FPS will involve you shooting at the place where the bad guy was 5 seconds before.

    1. Re:games? by aicrules · · Score: 5, Funny

      Kindle's version will be a turn-based FPS.

  3. One step closer to jailbreak by goldaryn · · Score: 4, Informative

    People can already SSH into their Kindles. If I were Amazon, I would be worried about this kind of support making jailbreaks more attractive, possibly putting a nail into the coffin of their future ebook sales.

    1. Re:One step closer to jailbreak by Ephemeriis · · Score: 4, Insightful

      People can already SSH into their Kindles. If I were Amazon, I would be worried about this kind of support making jailbreaks more attractive, possibly putting a nail into the coffin of their future ebook sales.

      Actually... I think that opening the platform up (be it intentionally, or by jailbreaking) will eventually be what makes ereaders a real, viable alternative to printed books.

      Right now, if you get a Kindle you're largely stuck buying your books from Amazon. You can't just go to any ebook retailer and pick up whatever you want.

      Right now, if you get a nook you're largely stuck buying your books from Barnes & Noble. You can't just go to any ebook retailer and pick up whatever you want.

      If they can open up the platform (either with a jailbreak, or an official update, or an app, or whatever) then you'll be able to buy your ebooks wherever you want. Amazon will lose it's vendor lock-in... But they'll pick up sales from folks with nooks and Sonys and whatever else.

      --
      "Work is the curse of the drinking classes." -Oscar Wilde
    2. Re:One step closer to jailbreak by donovansmith · · Score: 4, Informative

      Right now, if you get a nook you're largely stuck buying your books from Barnes & Noble. You can't just go to any ebook retailer and pick up whatever you want.

      Actually, since the Nook supports Adobe Digital Editions you can go to any store that uses ADE to purchase books. The Sony Reader Store and BooksOnBoard I believe are two of the larger ones. Also, it allows you to check out ebooks from libraries that use the Overdrive system. The Nook also supports the eReader PDB format and DRM scheme, which opens up the eReader and Fictionwise stores. The Nook probably has the broadest DRM format support of any ebook reader out right now.

      If they can open up the platform (either with a jailbreak, or an official update, or an app, or whatever) then you'll be able to buy your ebooks wherever you want. Amazon will lose it's vendor lock-in... But they'll pick up sales from folks with nooks and Sonys and whatever else.

      The problem is that each major ebook manufacturer is using both a different format and different DRM scheme for their books. Kindle uses either Mobipocket DRM files or their own Topaz format. The Nook appears to use the old eReader/Peanut Press DRM scheme with the EPUB file format. Sony uses the closest thing to a standard in DRM'd ebooks: Adobe Digital Editions protected EPUB. So neither the Nook nor the Sony Readers can use files purchased from the Kindle store and that won't change unless Amazon licenses their software to other companies, which I doubt will happen.

  4. Wait, what? by Drethon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the kindle (and E Ink in general) most efficient as displaying the same thing? Why would I want something with a frame rate killing my kindle battery?

    Just my bent $0.02

  5. Interesting timing by nscheffey · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wonder if it has anything to do with this?