The Kindle Oasis continues to be Amazon's newest flagship e-reader, with impressive features like waterproofing and a large, sharp display. But now the company has revealed that one of the device's best features is coming to the bottom of the Kindle line-up. The cheapest Kindle model will soon be updated with support for audiobooks from Audible.
Amazon released what amounts to a full reboot of their Kindle app this week, for both Android and iOS. This new version of said app includes a fully redesigned inside and out, making a bunch of relatively small adjustments all add up to one major change. This version of the app taps into the Goodreads community, too, allowing users to learn from friends' reading habits and rate their own books on an already-established platform.
If it has been a long while since you last used a library, you may be surprised to learn that many of them have a digital library that offers up digital goods to card holders. Among these digital goods are ebooks, which can be downloaded with the appropriate app for a certain duration before the file expires. This is all free in the same way it is free to rent a physical book, and Google just made finding this content easier.
Kobo isn’t new to the ereader and ebook market, but it is new to the world of subscription ebook services. The company has launched its own ebook subscription option, giving voracious readers the option to pay a single monthly fee in exchange for access to tens of thousands of digital books. Such a service aims, no doubt, to compete with Amazon Unlimited, a similar subscription service, and other competitors.
The Humble Freedom Bundle has come and gone, but it's ending its week-long run in success. The Humble Freedom Bundle was unlike any other Humble Bundle we'd ever seen before, offering nearly 50 games and books to benefit three charities: the ACLU, Doctors Without Borders, and the International Rescue Committee. The bundle apparently resonated with PC gamers, as it raised nearly $6.5 million by the time everything was said and done.
It looks like the Humble Freedom Bundle has resonated with PC players. The massive collection of video games and books has managed to raise more than $4 million for three different charities - the ACLU, Doctors Without Borders, and the International Rescue Committee - in just two days. That makes it one of the most successful Humble Bundles ever released.
Ever since it first got rolling all those years ago, Humble Bundle has offered a countless number of pay-what-you-want bundles for charity. If there was ever one that was too good to pass up, though, it might be the latest. Say hello to the Humble Freedom Bundle, an absolutely massive bundle that brings together dozens of books and games in one big package that benefits three very important charities: the ACLU, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), and the International Rescue Committee. What's not to love?
Amazon Kindle devices will have a manga update in the next few weeks that allows swift reading. Amazon has heard the cry of manga fans everywhere, bringing faster page turns to the platform. This update will work for all titles - everything from Black Butler to Vampire Knight. Each of the digital editions of these titles will be able to push through your mind at high speed, at last.
George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones series has become a huge hit worldwide thanks to the HBO drama, but the original books are just as popular in their own right. To help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first novel in the series, Apple's iBooks store is releasing new, exclusive digital versions in the form of their enhanced editions, featuring interactive elements and artwork.
This week the folks at Kobo have announced the Kobo Aura One, a device they suggest is "crafted to deliver the absolute best reading experience, period." This device looks super simple from the outside - just a touch-friendly display up front with enough bezel to be able to comfortably hold on from any side and a textured backside with a single physical button (the power button.) This device does not look extravagant - but that's sort of the point.
This week the folks at Google have taken their Google Books platform to a new level at SDCC. Comic books - those participating in the project - will be coming alive (so to speak) with a service called Bubble Zoom. This feature will allow portions of each comic page to zoom and grow when a user's finger moves overhead. This could make the entire medium change and inspire comic artists to change the way they create comics. If nothing else, this feature will certainly make each page pop.
Amazon may have ushered in a new flagship model of its Kindle e-reader with the release of the Oasis several weeks ago, but that doesn't mean they've forgotten about the entry-level model. The basic Kindle has just been refreshed today, with improvements including a thinner and lighter chassis, more RAM, and a color choice of black or white. The price remains $80, however, making the Kindle one of the best bargains around.