Is there a second version out there that is causing the price drop? Negative. Obviously, it’s to better position themselves in the market while B&N launches new hardware and changes pricing. And they even beat the competition. The nook is $199 for the 3G/WiFi model, while the Kindle from Amazon, still featuring 3G and WiFi on their model, is just $189. So, we imagine someone at Amazon just said, “Check and mate.” Though, that’d be pure conjecture. And yes, it’s still free 3G wireless access.

So, if you’re a fan of the Kindle, but you’ve been waiting for that price drop you knew was coming, then here’s your time to act. Amazon has said that the Kindle, reflecting the new, lower price, is available right now, so go ahead and head over to Amazon’s site and get your order on. And, when you do, let us know in the comments when you get your new toy.

Press Release:

AMAZON KINDLE NOW ONLY $189

Still with free 3G wireless—no monthly fees or annual contracts

SEATTLE—June 21, 2010—Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that Amazon Kindle, the best e-reader on the market (see this recent press release from the world’s leading consumer reporting organization—http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2010/06/amazons-kindle-tops-cr-ebook-reader-ratings.html), is now only $189, down from $259. Kindle is the 3G wireless portable reader that allows you to think of a book and be reading in 60 seconds, from wherever you happen to be. Easy to read even in bright sunlight, the 10.2 ounce Kindle is light enough for one-handed reading. Even though it’s a 3G wireless device, Kindle has no monthly fees or annual contracts. The Kindle Store includes over 600,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read, including 109 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases from $9.99. In addition, over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are available to read on Kindle. Since its release, Kindle has been the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon. Kindle is in stock and available for immediate shipment at the new lower price of $189. Learn more at www.amazon.com/kindle.

About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including http://www.amazon.com, http://www.amazon.co.uk, http://www.amazon.de, http://www.amazon.co.jp, http://www.amazon.fr, http://www.amazon.ca, and http://www.amazon.cn. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com’s financial results is included in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Kindle devices are sold through Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Two people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the online retail giant has plans set in motion to unveil a new thinner Kindle some time in August. While it may have less in stature compared to the Kindle available now, it will also acquire a sharper screen, according to the sources. There’s not much else to go on here, other than what these two folks have already said, but if we’re going to take what Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said earlier in the week very seriously, and he has indeed seen Kindle prototypes in the laboratory that are not “quite ready for production,” then it seems a few months for now that could change.

Even if the Kindle application is doing well for itself where you can download it, Amazon would be remiss to not introduce a new piece of hardware here soon. That could even mean just a different color. And, while a color screen would be better, we already know that’s not coming for awhile. So, if the Kindle does slim down, are you going to get yourself one, if you haven’t already?

[via CNET]

Right now, as you’re more than aware, the Kindle is only sold on Amazon’s digital marketplace, and it’s there that the eReader made a huge impact for the online retailer. The Kindle is still the number one bestselling item, along with the most wished for, and most gifted item. And since Target is the first brick-and-mortar establishment to sell the Kindle, they’re doing something special for it: Target’s flagship store in downtown Minneapolis, and its 102 South Florida stores, starting on April 25th. That’s what we had heard before, but we had imagined it would have been a national roll-out.

That silver lining we mentioned above, details that Target will begin to roll out the Kindle in more stores later in the year. No exact time frame, but at least it’s happening at all. The Kindle will still retail for $259 at Target stores, just as it does online, so there won’t be any kind of discount. But, at least you’ll be able to touch the e-ink display, and hold the light device in your grip before you decide to buy. Full press release below.

Target(R) Stores to Sell Kindle, Amazon’s Revolutionary Wireless Reading Device
Kindle Available in Select Target Stores April 25

MINNEAPOLIS, Apr 21, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Target Corporation today announced that Target is bringing Kindle, Amazon’s most wished for, most gifted and #1 bestselling product, to Target guests. As the first brick-and-mortar retailer to carry Amazon’s Kindle, Target will make Kindle available at its flagship downtown Minneapolis store and 102 south Florida stores beginning April 25, rolling out to more Target stores later this year.

Kindle is Amazon’s purpose-built reading device that wirelessly downloads books, magazines, newspapers, blogs, and personal documents to a crisp, high resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle fits comfortably in one hand for hours, has an e-ink display that is easy on the eyes even in bright daylight, two weeks of battery life, and 3G wireless with no monthly fees. Customers can read and sync their Kindle books on iPhones, iPod touches, PCs, BlackBerrys, Macs, and iPads. These features, paired with the massive selection of over 500,000 books available in the Kindle Store, have made Kindle the bestselling product across the millions of items available at Amazon.com.

Kindle, which will retail for $259, has been available for purchase on Amazon.com exclusively, but now Target guests can see and touch the e-reader before they buy. Giving Target guests the opportunity to experience a Kindle before they buy is in keeping with Target’s commitment to providing quality products and a best-in-class shopping experience.

“We’re excited to be working with Amazon to help even more readers discover Kindle, in-store only at Target,” said Mark Schindele, senior vice president, Target. “We strive to enhance our product offerings to include surprising products and services at great values so we’re proud to be the first brick-and-mortar retailer to sell Kindle, allowing our guests to feel how lightweight and easy on the eyes Kindle is.”

“Target’s reputation for excellence and value makes it the perfect fit for Kindle,” said Steve Kessel, senior vice president, Amazon Kindle. “We’re excited to work with them to bring readers around the country a new way to discover and buy Kindle, and with it, wireless access to a massive selection of over 500,000 books.”

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation /quotes/comstock/13*!tgt/quotes/nls/tgt (TGT 56.81, -0.12, -0.21%) serves guests at 1,740 stores in 49 states nationwide and at Target.com. Target is committed to providing a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to unique and highly differentiated products at affordable prices. Since 1946, the corporation has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs like Take Charge of Education. Today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week.

Amazon Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com’s financial results is included in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Kindle devices are sold to Target Corporation through Amazon Fulfillment Services, Inc. or its affiliates.

Given the features aren’t expected until Summer 2010, however, we do wonder whether this announcement was pushed out to coincide with reviews of the Barnes & Noble nook, perhaps the first significant wireless ebook reader competitor to the Kindle’s crown.  You can find our nook review here.

Press Release:

Blind and Vision-Impaired Readers to Benefit from New Kindle Features in 2010

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Kindle, the #1 bestselling product across all of Amazon, has enabled many vision-impaired readers to enjoy books more easily than before, and has also helped dyslexic readers and those with learning disabilities improve their reading skills. Vision impaired customers benefit from Kindle’s ability to change the font size – easily making any book a large print edition. Dyslexic readers benefit from being able to listen with Kindle’s text-to-speech technology while simultaneously reading along with the synchronized text. Today, Amazon announced that it is working on a new set of features that will make Kindle even better for these readers as well as a meaningful breakthrough device for the blind.

“Kindle is for anyone who loves to read—in fact, we’ve heard from thousands of vision-impaired customers and customers with learning disabilities over the past two years who have been helped tremendously by Kindle,” said Ian Freed, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “With some key modifications, we believe Kindle can be a breakthrough device for the blind, and the team is excited about making these enhancements.”

Below are examples of emails sent to the Kindle team over the past two years about the significance of these features:

“The other day I took my visually impaired friend to the eye doctor. I just happened to take my Kindle out of my purse to show her the birthday gift I had received. Amazingly, she was able to read on it. How exciting; she had not been able to read books for many years.”

“I’ve always loved to read, but the last year or so vision problems have hampered my reading. Reading small print was extremely difficult and caused eye strain. Fortunately, a dear friend gifted me with my Kindle 2 on my birthday in September. Since that time, my Kindle has not left my side.”

“I have an 11 year old daughter with cerebral palsy. She has very poor vision and cannot turn pages in a book, so the kindle text to speech is a blessing for her. She loves books and will listen for hours!”

“I am an ophthalmologist specializing in rehabilitation of the visually impaired. I have found the Kindle DX to be of tremendous value to my patients. A few modifications could increase its effectiveness.”

[From teacher of students with learning disabilities] “One of my students brought his mom’s Kindle to class this week and gave a little show and tell for two different classes. He is certainly a hard worker, but reading is not an easy skill for him. He reports that the lack of back-lighting, the ability to change font size and the ‘read-to’ features have been very helpful – already he feels he has made great progress! The Kindle has really grabbed the attention of many of my students who have typically been turned off by reading assignments.”

To make Kindle more useful for the blind, the Kindle team is currently working on an audible menuing system so blind and vision-impaired readers can easily navigate to books unassisted, in addition to listening to books as they can already do today with Read To Me. In addition, a new super size font will be added to Kindle, increasing the number of font sizes from six to seven. This seventh font size will be twice the height and width of the current largest font. These new features are scheduled for release by the summer of 2010.

To receive emails from Amazon when new features and updates on this topic are available, please send an email to blind-interest@amazon.com.

The update is, Amazon claim, the culmination of six months of testing and tweaking, and they’re giving themselves a big pat on the back for it too.  ”Battery power management for portable wireless devices” they explain “is a complex technical area”, so we should probably buy them all a drink or something.

The new firmware will be preloaded on all new Kindles, and delivered to existing “new” Kindle models via Whispernet; they haven’t confirmed a timescale for when that update will go out.  Meanwhile, owners of “some” earlier Kindle models – Amazon don’t specify which – will get the PDF reader as an update.  PDFs can then be copied over via a USB connection or delivered wirelessly by emailing them to the ebook reader; putting “Convert” in the subject line will trigger an automatic-conversion to Amazon’s Kindle ebook format.

Press Release:

Amazon Extends Battery Life of Newest Kindle by 85 Percent and Adds Native PDF Reader

Kindle Now Lasts up to Seven Days on a Single Charge with Wireless on, up from Four Days, and Displays Native PDFs in Their Original Form

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 24, 2009– Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced two new enhancements to the latest generation Kindle—85 percent more battery life and a native PDF reader. Kindle now has battery life of up to seven days even with wireless turned on, a significant improvement from the previous battery life of four days. Battery life with wireless turned off remains at the previous level of up to two weeks. Battery power management for portable wireless devices is a complex technical area, and the battery life improvement announced today is the result of a six month firmware improvement and testing program.

Amazon also announced today that the 6-inch Kindle now has a built-in native PDF reader that enables Kindle customers to read professional and personal documents in their original PDF format without conversion. Kindle is in stock and available for immediate shipment today at www.amazon.com/kindle.

“Kindle, already the #1 bestselling, most wished for, and most gifted product on all of Amazon.com, is now even better—with 85 percent more battery life and a built-in PDF reader,” said Ian Freed, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “These two significant enhancements are available now.”

To read their personal or professional documents, Kindle customers simply email PDFs to their Kindle email address or move them over using a USB connection. Customers that prefer to have their PDF documents converted to the Kindle format simply type “Convert” in the subject of the e-mail when sending documents to their “@kindle.com” address.

Amazon also announced today that previous purchasers of the new Kindle will also receive the 85 percent battery life improvements with wireless on, and native PDF support via a firmware update automatically delivered via Whispernet wireless. Native PDF support will also be available for some earlier versions of Kindle via an automatic Whispernet wireless firmware update.

“Good news! Due to strong customer demand for our newest Kindle with U.S. and international wireless, we are consolidating our family of 6″ Kindles. As part of this consolidation, we are lowering the price of the Kindle you just purchased from $279 down to $259. You don’t need to do anything to get the lower price–we are automatically issuing you a $20 refund. This refund should be processed in the next few days and will appear as a credit on your next billing statement.” Amazon email to Kindle customers

Meanwhile Wired have been playing with the new international Kindle, and as we highlighted at its launch they’ve been a little disappointed with the US-centric accessories, such as the power adapter with US pins.  They’ve also suffered mediocre wireless speeds; a 4.4mb ebook took several minutes to download.

However, on the plus side there’s Wikipedia access from the “experimental” browser, a surprise given that Amazon had said that international Kindles wouldn’t have any browser functionality outside of the US.  That at least saves you $99 for a WikiReader.  We’re yet to see an international version of the Kindle DX, but Amazon have confirmed that one is in the pipeline.

[via Engadget]

According to Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener, the international Kindle DX will come “sometime next year”; however he refused to be drawn on exact release schedules and what sort of price the ebook reader might carry.  The international Kindle 2 is $20 more expensive than the US-only version.

US customers will still be able to buy the larger Kindle DX, though for the moment there’s no international version.  While all this sounds great, there are a few signs that the US and International Kindle may be more US-centric than foreign; for instance, they ship direct from the US rather than any of the 100 countries Amazon are now claiming compatibility for, so buyers will be responsible for shipping, import taxes and duty fees.  A UK buyer, for instance, can expect $20.98 shipping and $45 in fees, bringing the total cost to $344.98.

It will also come with a US power adapter, all books and periodicals are still priced in US dollars, and both blog access and the internet browser are not functional outside of the US.  Amazon seem to be using AT&T’s roaming service to gain access worldwide, hence the limitations on potentially data-hungry applications.  It’s a nice attempt, but it feels something of a halfway measure by Amazon; perhaps they’re having more trouble browbeating European carriers than they usually do with the US networks?

Press Release:

Amazon Lowers Price on #1 Bestseller Kindle to $259 and Introduces New Addition to the Kindle Family of Wireless Reading Devices-Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless
#1 bestseller Kindle now $259,
Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless now available for pre-order at $279 and ships Oct. 19

SEATTLE—October 7, 2009—Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that it is lowering the price of its #1 bestseller Kindle to $259, down from $299. Also today, Amazon.com introduced a new addition to its family of portable reading devices—Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless. Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless now enables readers to wirelessly download content in over 100 countries and territories. Readers can pre-order Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless starting today for $279 at www.amazon.com/kindle and it ships October 19.

“Kindle is the most wished for, the most gifted, and the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items we sell on Amazon, and we’re excited to be able to lower the price,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “We’re also excited to announce a new addition to the Kindle family—Kindle with global wireless. At home or abroad in over 100 countries, you can think of a book and download it wirelessly in less than 60 seconds.”

Kindle wirelessly downloads books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution 6-inch electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle utilizes the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so you never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot or sync with a PC. Readers can wirelessly shop the Kindle Store, download books in less than 60 seconds, automatically receive newspaper and magazine subscriptions, receive personal documents, and read from their library—now in over 100 countries and territories.

“Kindle has revolutionized the way we purchase and read books, by making it mobile, easy and intuitive,” said Randall Stephenson, chairman and chief executive officer of AT&T. “We are excited to work with Amazon to help readers access books even faster and from significantly more places than ever before, including more than 100 countries and territories around the world through AT&T’s global wireless coverage.”

The U.S. Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore) now has more than 350,000 books, including New Releases and 104 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers, which are typically $9.99 or less. More than 75,000 books have been added to the U.S. Kindle Store in just the last five months. Starting today, Lonely Planet guides are now available in the Kindle Store, joining existing travel guide selection from publishers Rick Steves, Frommers and Michelin.

“Lonely Planet is excited to make a vast selection of travel guides from Australia to Zanzibar available to Kindle customers around the world,” said Lonely Planet CEO Matt Goldberg. “Travelers can now pack as many Lonely Planet guides as they want into Kindle’s 10.2 ounces and download new guides wirelessly while travelling around the world.”

Over 50 top U.S. and international newspapers such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, Financial Times, The Times (UK), Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and the Shanghai Daily are available in the Kindle Store for single purchase or subscription, and can now be delivered wirelessly in over 100 countries and territories. Over 35 top magazines, such as The Economist, Newsweek, Time, The New Yorker, Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, Forbes, Fortune, PC Magazine, and The New England Journal of Medicine are also available for single purchase or subscription, and can also be delivered wirelessly in the U.S. and abroad. U.S. Kindle customers can also continue to take advantage of the Kindle Store’s selection of over 7,000 blogs and receive new posts while traveling overseas.

Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless offers customers the same features that have helped make Kindle with U.S. Wireless the #1 bestselling product on Amazon.com, including:

Slim and Trim: At just over a third of an inch thin (0.36 inches) and weighing just over 10 ounces, Kindle is pencil thin and lighter than a typical paperback.
Reads Like Real Paper: Kindle’s 6-inch electronic ink display reads like printed words on paper because the screen works using real ink and doesn’t use a backlight, eliminating the eyestrain and glare associated with other electronic displays.
Stores Up To 1,500 Books: Kindle’s 2 GB of memory holds up to 1,500 books and Kindle books are automatically backed up by Amazon so customers can re-download titles from their library.
Read For Weeks On A Single Charge: Kindle’s electronic ink display sips battery power so users can read for over two weeks with wireless turned off and up to four days on a single charge with wireless on.
Read-To-Me: With the experimental Text-To-Speech feature, Kindle can read most newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud.
Automatically Syncs With Kindle and Kindle Compatible Devices: Amazon’s “Whispersync” technology automatically syncs customers’ last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless, Kindle with U.S. Wireless, Kindle DX, and Kindle compatible devices like Kindle for iPhone.
Wirelessly Receive and Read Personal Documents: Wirelessly send, receive, and read personal documents in a variety of formats such as Microsoft Word and PDF.
Instant Dictionary Lookup: Kindle comes with the New Oxford American Dictionary and over 250,000 definitions that appear instantly at the bottom of the page.
Choose Text Size: Kindle lets readers customize their reading preference by providing six different text sizes.
Bookmarks, Notes, and Highlights: By using the QWERTY keyboard Kindle users can add annotations to text, as well as highlight and clip key passages and bookmark pages for future use.
Kindle with U.S. & International Wireless will be available for shipment to customers in over 100 countries around the world on October 19. Media can visit the Kindle Media Room at http://www.amazon.com/pr/kindle for additional media resources and to request an interview.

Full policy after the cut

Amazon will not remotely delete or modify such Works from Devices purchased and being used in the United States unless (a) the user consents to such deletion or modification; (b) the user requests a refund for the Work or otherwise fails to pay for the Work (e.g., if a credit or debit card issuer declines to remit payment); (c) a judicial or regulatory order requires such deletion or modification; or (d) deletion or modification is reasonably necessary to protect the consumer or the operation of a Device or network through which the Device communicates (e.g., to remove harmful code embedded within a copy of a Work downloaded to a Device).

The new policy leaves Amazon with the capability – and agreed right – to remove consumers’ ebooks from their Kindle devices (and the iPod touch/iPhone client), though only in certain circumstances.  Those include failure of payment (or if a refund is sought), “judicial or regulatory order” or should the ebook have harmful code or otherwise threaten either the device or the Whispernet network.

1984 was removed – complete with student Gawronski’s exam notes – after it was revealed to have been added to the Amazon catalog without the permission of the rights-holder.  The new policy means that Amazon will no longer be able to remove from a user’s device such an erroneously-published ebook already purchased, at least not off its own back, but instead the rights-holders will have to seek a court injunction ordering the retailer to do so.

Amazon have previously confirmed that they plan international launches of their ebook reader, which is capable of wirelessly downloading new titles from their online store, but have never made public any sort of timescale for their release.  Qualcomm is tipped as the supplier of wireless modules which will enable 3G connectivity for the digital downloads; however those rumors also suggested that the UK Kindle wouldn’t debut until December 2009.

[via MobileRead]

“As you were one of the customers impacted by the removal of “Nineteen Eighty-Four” from your Kindle device in July of this year, we would like to offer you the option to have us re-deliver this book to your Kindle along with any annotations you made You will not be charged for the book. If you do not wish to have us re-deliver the book to your Kindle, you can instead choose to receive an Amazon.com electronic gift certificate or check for $30″ Amazon email to 1984 customers

The 1984 situation came about after a third-party without copyright authority over the text uploaded it to Amazon’s ebook store.  Many users then purchased it, only to see Amazon wipe it remotely from their Kindle – complete with any notes or annotations they may have made – after a complaint from the true copyright holder.

As for the Authors Guild, they’re angry that Amazon have been criticizing Google Books’ moves to offer out-of-print titles out of a claimed fear of the search giant acquiring “a monopoly”.  Meanwhile they contrast this with what they see as Amazon’s own intentions for the ebook segment, namely bring users into the Kindle ecosystem with cut-price texts, then ramp up the price once they’re committed:

“Amazon’s hypocrisy is breathtaking. It dominates online bookselling and the fledgling e-book industry. At this moment it’s trying to cement its control of the e-book industry by routinely selling e-books at a loss. It won’t do that forever, of course. Eventually, when enough readers are locked in to its Kindle, everyone in the industry expects Amazon to squeeze publishers and authors. The results could be devastating for the economics of authorship.

Amazon apparently fears that Google could upend its plans. Amazon needn’t worry, really: this agreement is about out-of-print books. Its lock on the online distribution of in-print books, unfortunately, seems secure” Authors Guild

[via Gear Diary and via Guardian Technology]

Full statement after the cut

This is an apology for the way we previously handled illegally sold copies of 1984 and other novels on Kindle. Our “solution” to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles. It is wholly self-inflicted, and we deserve the criticism we’ve received. We will use the scar tissue from this painful mistake to help make better decisions going forward, ones that match our mission.

With deep apology to our customers,

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO
Amazon.com

The ebooks – which included famous title 1984 – had been uploaded by a company who did not hold the rights to them, using Amazon’s self-service feature.  When the rights-holder alerted Amazon to the issue, the company not only deleted the titles from their catalog but remotely wiped them from Kindle users’ devices, along with any notes or annotations they may have made.

The company has promised to handle such situations differently in future, saying that it will not reach into users’ Kindles in the same way should a similar problem occur.  Amazon reported their Q2 2009 financial figures earlier this week, with net income for the quarter dropping 10-percent to $142m.

[via NYTimes]

But a $5 million class action lawsuit brought up yesterday against the company seems to have done the trick, as Amazon has just announced they’ll be repairing Kindle 2 models for free. Well, replacing is more the right word.

The Amazon Kindle 2 currently costs $299, so a $200 replacement fee was rather outlandish, especially for what seems to be a design flaw–not carelessness by Kindle owners. But it looks like everything is solved now.

Unlike the US Kindle, which solely uses Sprint’s data network for its mobile connectivity, the UK version is tipped to include WiFi support as well as 3G.  The identity of the carrier involved is unknown, but likely candidates include T-Mobile and O2, both of whom have well-established WiFi networks which their own subscribers have access to.

Amazon are believed to be working to arrange the launch of the UK Kindle before Christmas 2009, and to have already secured agreements with publishers of books and be mid-negotiation with those of magazines and newspapers.  The company’s carrier talks in Germany reportedly broke down in June, after they were unable to reach consensus on a fair price, while a similar break-down is suggested to have taken place in the UK around six months ago.

After “carefully examining” the device, Otani decides there are a few differences between it and the Kindle, though when you’re scrabbling round flagging up differences in button shapes and logo it says a lot about the origins of your inspiration.  Inside the device there’s some form of wireless connection, probably GSM since it requires a SIM card, which can be used for downloading new ebooks while on the move.

According to Founder International this is a prototype, and the eventual product will arrive in China at the end of 2009, with a possible Japanese launch at some point after that.  It’s expected to be priced at around $210 and support the Peking University’s own Apabi ebook viewer software.

[via E-Ink-Info]

The Kindle 2 was announced back in February, keeping the wireless download capabilities, QWERTY keyboard and lengthy battery life of its predecessor but throwing in a newly designed casing and Whispernet synchronization.  At $359, though, it encountered criticism from many users, who suggested Amazon should discount the hardware device and recoup any losses from ebook sales.

More recently, Amazon introduced the Kindle DX, a larger version with a 9.7-inch E Ink display.  That, currently, remains at $489, though despite the significant premium the DX has sold out.  It seems unlikely that, with demand so strong, Amazon will discount their newer device any time soon.

One unnamed Amazon manager described the carriers’ price demands as “excessive”, according to the paper.  Apparently Amazon’s German partners have confirmed that no deal has been made.

The nature of the Kindle/carrier partnership is unusual, because Amazon include lifetime wireless access for their ebook reader with the original purchase price of the device.  Rather than requiring users to sign up to a data contract, Amazon negotiate access for the Kindle with the carriers themselves; in the US, that agreement is with Sprint.  Only actions which might have significant cost – such as converting and wirelessly-delivering a user’s own documents over the network – are billable.

[via MobileRead forums]

The problem arose when Dan attempted to download ebooks he’d already purchased through Amazon onto his iPod touch, which had just been upgraded to iPhone OS 3.0.  While some of the titles would cooperate, others refused; customer services first told him that each book has a limit to the number of times it can be downloaded, and that this limit was both undisclosed (sometimes even to Amazon customer care themselves) and arbitrarily set by publishers.

In trying to corroborate this, and find out how to track the download limits, Dan was then told several different versions of this, until reaching what’s believed to be the bottom line.  Apparently, books can be downloaded an unlimited number of times, though only active on a limited number of devices (e.g. Kindle, Kindle 2, Kindle DX or the Kindle Reader app on an iPhone or iPod touch).  That number is usually five or six, but the publisher can apparently change it to as little as one.  Swapping an older device for a new one doesn’t automatically release the license, so you’ll need to contact customer services to have them do it for you.

Complicated enough, but at least one Amazon ebook publisher has spoken up claiming that nowhere in their distribution agreement or control panel is there the ability to change download settings in the way the retailer describes.

“The device team has the job of making the most remarkable purpose-built reading device in the world. We are going to give the device team competition. We will make Kindle books, at the same $9.99 price points, available on the iPhone, and other mobile devices and other computing devices” Jeff Bezos, CEO, Amazon

The move would be part of Bezos’ plan to treat the ebook and Kindle businesses as separate entities, rather than than have one subsidize the other as is the case with Apple’s iPod and iTunes store relationship.  It would also see more flexibility in how users could read Amazon ebooks; currently there is a client for the iPhone and iPod touch, but that looks set to spread to other mobile devices.

Bezos also obliquely commented on one of our Kindle DX criticisms, the high sticker price.  Talking about subsidized devices tied into a certain number of downloads or a monthly tariff, he said that he wasn’t opposed to such a scheme if enough customers requested it; however he prefers the “cognitive simplicity” of people buying a Kindle and then choosing to use it or not.

[via PC World]

The differences between the Kindle 2 and the new Kindle DX are obvious: a 9.7-inch E Ink monochrome display dominates the front panel, offering around 2.5x the space of the smaller ebook reader and squashing the QWERTY keyboard into tic-tac tininess at the bottom.  Amazon has obviously worked hard to minimize the screen’s impact on the overall chassis, with mixed results.  It’s a scant 0.02-inches thicker than the Kindle 2, at 0.38-inches, with a metal back-plate lending stiffness, but the left-side page controls have been dropped.

Make sure to click through for the full review, photo gallery and unboxing/walkthrough video of the Amazon Kindle DX.

That means that anybody who automatically goes to use their left-hand to turn pages (and that’s not just the left-handed among us) will have to either retrain themselves or follow Amazon’s advice and flip the display 180-degrees.  Doing so obviously puts the keyboard and joystick out of easy reach, so it’s not an ideal solution.

Amazon expect the extra screen inches to be most valued by students reading electronic versions of textbooks, those wishing to migrate to non-printed magazines and newspapers, and business-people keen to tote masses of documentation without impact on their briefcase.  Two elements step into play here: firstly, the Kindle DX gets native PDF support, for Adobe’s ubiquitous file-format, and secondly Amazon has added automatic screen rotation, which will flip the display between portrait and landscape.

PDF support is a nice addition, and we’ve had no problems loading files onto the Kindle DX either via the wireless Whispernet service (where you email the PDF – or indeed a variety of file formats, including HTML, DOC, RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG and BMP – to your DX’s unique email address, and it’s converted en-route) or via a USB connection to PC or Mac.  There’s 3.3GB of user-accessible space, more than twice what the Kindle 2 offers.

Anybody planning on doing this regularly really should get into the habit of using the included USB 2.0 to micro-USB cable, though, as Amazon’s Whispernet conversion fees can quickly mount up.  Shortly before they announced the DX, Amazon quietly changed their policy on wireless conversions: where previously they charged a fixed $0.10 per document, they now bill per megabyte.  Files are rounded up to the nearest whole megabyte (MB), each charged at $0.15.  Given that a typical research paper will range in size from under 1MB (which Amazon will round up) to perhaps 10-15MB depending on length, graphics and whether the original is in color or monochrome, you’re likely looking at least a dollar per conversion.  Manual transfers via the USB cable (Amazon will also convert documents not natively supported and send them back to your email account) are free.

Once on-screen, PDFs generally render well.  The Kindle DX doesn’t support PDF zooming, so if text is too small you either rotate to landscape (which gains horizontal width at the expense of length) or squint.  Here’s another reason why it’s wise to convert and transfer manually: Amazon don’t give refunds if your wirelessly delivered document proves unreadable.

All other documents, whether magazines, newspapers or books, are presented as on the Kindle 2.  That is to say, they show cleanly and crisply, thanks to the highly readable E Ink display, and page-turns, though a little slower than the smaller model, grow less distracting the more you read.  Ebook deliveries via the integrated 3G connection (which relies on Sprint’s EVDO Rev.A network) are fast and simple, and there’s certainly no shortage of choice through Amazon’s online store.  The much-vaunted textbooks are yet to appear, however, so we’ve been limited to testing the Kindle DX with standard ebooks and our own files.

Some of the DX’s more interesting features, Amazon lump under the “Experimental” heading.  Text-to-Speech incurred the wrath of the Authors’ Guild, and now there’s a clear “unless the book’s rights holder made the feature unavailable” high up on the product page, but we really can’t see anybody offloading their parenting duties to the Kindle DX and expecting it to read their kids a bedtime story.  It seems more gimmicky than anything else, and AudioBooks are certainly not at threat.  Amazon also throw in an MP3 player, which is rudimentary in its features but, as long as you’re satisfied with merely MP3 support, does all you ask of it, including background playback either via headphones (there’s a standard 3.5mm socket) or the integrated stereo speakers.  Finally, a very basic web-browser offers rudimentary online access over the 3G connection, good enough for the occasional Google query but unlikely to displace your netbook.

As for frustrations, there are a few.  The automatic page rotation is efficient at spotting an angle change, but we’d like a button or switch to easily toggle it on or off.  Reading when sat upright at a desk may be how students and business people consume their text, but most other people like to read lying down, slumped on the sofa or at any number of angles, all situations in which an automatic page turn is an unwanted annoyance.  The option to turn it off is in the Kindle DX’s settings page, but it’s a few too many steps away to be habitual; a “lock orientation” toggle would make it easier, especially given the few seconds required for the E Ink to rotate.

The missing left-hand buttons are the next main flaw, and in fact the tools on the Kindle DX generally fall short of what the average student or worker might expect to use when reviewing documents.  As with the Kindle 2 you can add text comments and clip sections of an ebook, but there’s no circling, in-line amendments, underlining or any of the common highlighting many people do with their textbooks.  We’re left looking enviously at the touchscreen controls on the unreleased Plastic Logic Reader.

The final – and undoubtedly biggest – frustration, though, is price.  At $489 it’s just too expensive for our liking.  That buys a lot of textbooks (we’re yet to see how much individual electronic textbooks get priced at, too) and puts it out of the reach of many student budgets; it also seems at least $100 too much for mainstream newspaper and magazine readers.  Now E Ink panels aren’t cheap, that’s true, but Amazon’s ebook ecosystem, with the Kindle DX tied so closely into their own retail store, does mean that it’s Amazon’s own door that most people will be knocking on for Kindle content.

Objectively, the Kindle DX is a great piece of hardware.  If the few ergonomic issues – absent left-hand buttons being the most significant – don’t affect you, then working with such a broad expanse of E Ink display is great.  Problem is, most general readers will be quite content with the 6-inches offered by the cheaper Kindle 2, and from the subset of users left over many will balk at the DX’s price.  If Amazon can negotiate strong enough deals with publishers to offer significantly discounted electronic versions of textbooks and technical documents then the initial outlay may seem more realistic; until then, the company has priced the Kindle DX into an even smaller niche.