AfterDawn: News

Kindle app reaches Android

The free Amazon Kindle app is now available for Android users, giving users a chance to start reading e-books for the popular e-reader on their smartphones and tablets running the popular open source mobile operating system.

The app is still a bit lacking in features compared to the full software available for PC and Mac users, but it serves its main purpose, which is to allow users to shop and download e-books.



Most books sell for $10-12 USD, and users can read the first chapter free before deciding to take the plunge and buying the full book.

Unfortunately, in version 1.0, you cannot browse for titles, but that necessary feature is upcoming in future updates.

The app allows for portrait and landscape orientations, depending on your preference and screen display.

Kindle for Android is free in the Android Market.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 28 Jun 2010 23:02

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• 9 comments

• KillerBug

  I can already read PDFs on my android, and I have an app that reads books to me as well...it seems the only thing this app brings to the table is the fact that you don't have to spend 20 seconds converting the kindle ebook to PDF.

  28.6.2010 23:20 #1

• lawndog

  Hay I want an app that reads to me!!!! Gimmie gimmie gimmie, what app is it????
  

  30.6.2010 01:23 #2

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by lawndog: Hay I want an app that reads to me!!!! Gimmie gimmie gimmie, what app is it???? If you want it to sound like a human, the only free app that reads to you that I know of is AudioBooks (the books are free too).
  
  There are a ton of TTS apps out there for various formats. If you just want something that speaks whatever you copy-n-paste into it, "Speak It" is a decent app.
  
  Get google translate while you are at it...you never know when you will need it, and it is a lifesaver.

  30.6.2010 07:50 #3

• Gnawnivek

  Originally posted by KillerBug: I can already read PDFs on my android, and I have an app that reads books to me as well...it seems the only thing this app brings to the table is the fact that you don't have to spend 20 seconds converting the kindle ebook to PDF. True, you can do that... but this is a plus if you already have a Kindle and already built quite a collection of books. For people who have a Kindle, they can now read the Kindle books on Android devices, kudos!
  
  FYI... you can manage your books in your Amazon account (i.e. send this book to Android device or send that book to iPhone etc.) The bookmarks are also synchronized i believe. So if you're reading the Kindle and the next day you forgot to bring the Kindle with you and you have your Android device, you can get the book you're reading from the Kindle app and pickup where you're at automatically.
  
  

  Peace!

  1.7.2010 12:35 #4

• Gnawnivek

  Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by lawndog: Hay I want an app that reads to me!!!! Gimmie gimmie gimmie, what app is it???? If you want it to sound like a human, the only free app that reads to you that I know of is AudioBooks (the books are free too).
  
  There are a ton of TTS apps out there for various formats. If you just want something that speaks whatever you copy-n-paste into it, "Speak It" is a decent app.
  
  Get google translate while you are at it...you never know when you will need it, and it is a lifesaver. I don't think the T2S (text to speech) feature works on the apps, but it definitely works on the Kindle. However, the feature is now controlled by the publisher (that is, if the book has T2S enabled, then the Kindle can do it). This was done to satisfy audio book market (duh, bad business for them of course, even if it's a robotic voice).
  
  P.S. I don't understand why the voice has to be a male though... Robotic female voices are still sexy :)
  

  Peace!

  1.7.2010 12:39 #5

• SirPalamon

  Originally posted by Gnawnivek: Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by lawndog: Hay I want an app that reads to me!!!! Gimmie gimmie gimmie, what app is it???? If you want it to sound like a human, the only free app that reads to you that I know of is AudioBooks (the books are free too).
  
  There are a ton of TTS apps out there for various formats. If you just want something that speaks whatever you copy-n-paste into it, "Speak It" is a decent app.
  
  Get google translate while you are at it...you never know when you will need it, and it is a lifesaver. I don't think the T2S (text to speech) feature works on the apps, but it definitely works on the Kindle. However, the feature is now controlled by the publisher (that is, if the book has T2S enabled, then the Kindle can do it). This was done to satisfy audio book market (duh, bad business for them of course, even if it's a robotic voice).
  
  P.S. I don't understand why the voice has to be a male though... Robotic female voices are still sexy :) I've tried half a dozen different ways to turn on the T2S (on enabled books) and have failed miserably. Any suggestions?

  1.11.2010 08:54 #6

• Gnawnivek

  Originally posted by SirPalamona: Originally posted by Gnawnivek: Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by lawndog: Hay I want an app that reads to me!!!! Gimmie gimmie gimmie, what app is it???? If you want it to sound like a human, the only free app that reads to you that I know of is AudioBooks (the books are free too).
  
  There are a ton of TTS apps out there for various formats. If you just want something that speaks whatever you copy-n-paste into it, "Speak It" is a decent app.
  
  Get google translate while you are at it...you never know when you will need it, and it is a lifesaver. I don't think the T2S (text to speech) feature works on the apps, but it definitely works on the Kindle. However, the feature is now controlled by the publisher (that is, if the book has T2S enabled, then the Kindle can do it). This was done to satisfy audio book market (duh, bad business for them of course, even if it's a robotic voice).
  
  P.S. I don't understand why the voice has to be a male though... Robotic female voices are still sexy :) I've tried half a dozen different ways to turn on the T2S (on enabled books) and have failed miserably. Any suggestions? I know there's a lag or loading time when you're using the T2S feature. It works on books you converted yourself (I've tried a few). I think the feature works more often on books not sold from Amazon than the official ones, lol. It's not a very sexy feature, but yeah, for the blinds, it's very important (of course, audio books still beat the crap out of T2S by miles). Good luck!

  1.11.2010 09:07 #7

• Sgrafstein

  So I tried audio books and it looks like they don't have the books I want. So I'm trying to figure out the idea to convert kindle books to pdf and then copy into the speak it software. Can't yet figure it how to convert to pdf. Any suggestions here would be great. Thank you!

  23.11.2010 11:24 #8

• CN (unverified)

  Originally posted by SirPalamon: Originally posted by Gnawnivek: Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by lawndog: Hay I want an app that reads to me!!!! Gimmie gimmie gimmie, what app is it???? If you want it to sound like a human, the only free app that reads to you that I know of is AudioBooks (the books are free too).
  
  There are a ton of TTS apps out there for various formats. If you just want something that speaks whatever you copy-n-paste into it, "Speak It" is a decent app.
  
  Get google translate while you are at it...you never know when you will need it, and it is a lifesaver. I don't think the T2S (text to speech) feature works on the apps, but it definitely works on the Kindle. However, the feature is now controlled by the publisher (that is, if the book has T2S enabled, then the Kindle can do it). This was done to satisfy audio book market (duh, bad business for them of course, even if it's a robotic voice).
  
  P.S. I don't understand why the voice has to be a male though... Robotic female voices are still sexy :) I've tried half a dozen different ways to turn on the T2S (on enabled books) and have failed miserably. Any suggestions? Go into the book want to anable T2S. Press the A+ button on the keyboard. It will bring up your options. Scroll down to enable Text to Speech. You can also do this to pause and stop when you need to take a break. The speed and male/female options are in here as well. Hope that helps.

  8.1.2011 14:28 #9