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Kindle for Android Updated with Improved Audio, Navigation Support

kindle itunes logo Amazon released a new version of their Kindle app for Android  and I think you’re going to like it. The Kindle app v4.6.0 adds a bunchaton of useful features, including a couple additions that should make it more fun to listen to audiobooks in the Kindle app.

In addition to a new option for controlling system brightness and screen orientation from inside the Kindle app, the app also now has a full screen immersive reading mode (Android 4.4 and above, alas).

And with this update  readers (and book designers, too) can use a multi-level TOC; to be more exact, Amazon says that the front matter (copyright page, title page, etc) has been combined into a single entry labeled fromt matter. The TOC has also been updated so they will all display a link to the cover as the first entry.

And that’s not all. Amazon also reports that the app can now be paired with Bluetooth devices (I’m thinking earpieces), andwhat’s even better is that playback will automatically pause if Bluetooth is disconnected. Also, if you put your Android tablet or smartphone to sleep while it is playing an audiobook you can wake it up and control playback from the lock screen.

It looks something like this:

I don’t much care for audiobooks, but if I were listening to one on my phone I would really appreciate the new features. Amazon just made it a lot easier to listen to audiobooks while leaving your smartphone in your pocket.

You can find the app in Google Play and other fine app stores.

Changelog:

  • Read books in immersive full-screen mode (Android OS 4.4+)
  • Tap the bottom right corner of a page to lock orientation
  • Control playback from the lock screen while audio is playing in the book
  • Choose system brightness in reader settings
  • Navigate table of contents by sub chapter
  • Pair with Bluetooth devices (Permission)

Google Play

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Comments


Juli Monroe August 12, 2014 um 8:34 pm

Whoo hoo! Finally, immersive mode. Off to update and play with it.


Tom Semple August 13, 2014 um 2:23 am

The orientation lock was there before this update.

The TOC improvement was sorely needed: you could not tell which chapter you were reading before. The iOS app needs this as well.

Full screen mode is very nice!

Don’t understand what’s changed with BlueTooth other than an additional permission. Since they added audiobook 'read-along' in 4.3 I’ve used that a lot, and you can pause/resume with the BT button (though that sometimes would stop working), it pauses playback when a phone call comes in, etc.. But the lock screen controls are new, I think (obviously the Audible app has had that for awhile).

Hope they managed to fix some of the problems with TalkBack support; it works but is a little finicky. Wish they would just add TTS directly like so many other Android reading apps have.

And they need to add X-Ray, BYO dictionaries. Popup footnotes.


Tom Semple August 13, 2014 um 2:35 am

Yes, need popup footnotes. Really easy to get lost now: the Back control takes you back to the Library screen, not to previous reading location as it once did. You have to tap on those tiny little dots on the scrubber (and which one?) to get back to where you were. Same with the iOS app.

Greg Muir February 2, 2015 um 3:12 pm

It’s completely broken now. I have a lovely cookbook that I’d like to use on my phone and it is heavily link-dependent. Those stupid little dots on the bottom DO. NOT. WORK. You click on them and maybe you get close to where you came from, maybe not! You have no idea.

I can’t believe they allowed someone to change such basic functionality. Any manager worth his salt would have taken one look at the suggestion and taken the designer’s thumbs.


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