Kindle Fire HDX News: HDX's are shipping in the U.S. now and have been announced for UK/International areas. Yr2013 Basic HD 7" ships in Canada Oct. 24. Table of current (plus some previous) Kindle devices for various countries updated Oct. 18. Review highlights.

Updates on availability of new Kindle Fire line internationally -- shipping of new basic HD model starts Oct 24 for Canada.

  Also, the Table of all current Kindles for the U.S. and International areas has been updated Oct. 18.

  I'm on various other projects and while there hasn't been any big news, reviews have been very good on the new line, as most who are interested will have seen.  The one flaw is that many large tech-sites still seem to enjoy saying that Amazon locks owners in to Amazon's own apps and that one has to do without Google Play apps

  As many who read this blog know, that's not true, even if it simplifies things for large tech-site reviewers.  As said before, Amazon has always ENABLED the Android system Settings checkbox that allows the owner to CHOOSE to install apps from Unknown Sources (can this be more clear?).  After the owner has checked that box, they can go to OTHER app stores like 1mobile.com's site (which has 300,000+ GooglePlay apps) and to various other app stores named in the article-guide you can read at this blog: "How to Install Non-Amazon Apps on a Kindle Fire."

  This allows owners to download direct, to the tablet, the Google Play apps from the other stores that carry them AND which allow Kindle Fire owners to download those apps, although Google Play does not allow Kindle Fires to download them direct from its store.  Google tends to want any associated vendors to negotiate an agreement with them that normally involves becoming main source for its content (Amazon itself sells unique content and because of that, they sell the tablets at cost).  The other android app market stores allow Kindle Fires and it's just a matter of searching for an app by name and then downloading it directly to the Kindle Fire and installing it.  I stress this because after two years, the large tech-sites generally seem to love to say that Amazon keeps its customers from doing that, and it's just the opposite.  NO "rooting" or software "modifications" are needed.

This relatively short blog article is just a quick update, otherwise, as I've had to finish other projects this last week and will be free of most of them by next week -- and except for shipping announcements and a plethora of good reviews which are easily googled, there isn't that much to report.  Amazon did make a list of review blurbs which I can add here for those who would like to see, quickly, what will obviously be the most positive ones, and I'll add those to the end of this article.  Any negative ones I've seen are the statements re any alleged inability to use GooglePlay apps -- a now willfully ignorant view of the Kindle Fire devices.

  Announcements of the release of the new Kindle Fire HDX line in the UK specifically (plus the most inexpensive and basic Kindle Fire now getting an HD screen) can be read in detail at the Daily Mail.

  Product pages for several countries still sell the Yr 2012 models but say the new devices will be available and can be pre-ordered soon.  Customers in Germany can pre-order already.   The countries-table I mentioned has links for each country and I'm now linking to the yr 2013 and yr 2012 lines on those pages where I find the later tablets mentioned, and generally Amazon mentions the new ones are coming.  s;That includes the general international (non-country-specific) models.

  Here is Amazon's listing of reviews that highlight certain features that really are amazing ones, even though I've seen the 'cool set' of reviewers saying that the 24/7 human-person available to show you, ON the tablet, how to do something, find a setting, etc. is for "grandmothers" and those who don't understand tablets.  Well, a careful examination of the new offerings will show the new devices are filled with entertainment and information features you won't find on other tablets, so it can save time, including time that many would otherwise spend on phone help for family and friends, when the giftee's Amazon helper can see the screen layout and show the owner what to do to get an end result.  The review blurbs:

' The reviews are in:

“As it is, the Kindle Fire HDX is a lightweight, sharp-screened, superfast pleasure” – New York Times
“HDX hums with nary a hiccup or UI stutter” – Wired
“It [Mayday] is, in short, an amazing idea well-implemented” – TechCrunch
“It's got a sleek redesign, blazing fast guts, and a few new tricks.  Most of all, though, it's the best small tablet you can buy.” – Gizmodo
“It’s called Mayday, and it’s the most remarkable customer service tool I’ve ever seen.” – The Verge
“Spending the weekend with Amazon’s Kindle Fire HDX 7-inch tablet, it’s easy to see why Amazon has built a commanding lead in the Android tablet space.” – Mashable
“There’s a lot to like about the Kindle Fire HDX.  The screen is superb, the form-factor sober but sturdy, and the processor cutting edge for the market. “ – SlashGear
“Armed with a powerful processor and Amazon's exhaustive content library, the Kindle Fire HDX delivers incredible value for its price, especially for Amazon Prime members.” – CNET
“For the first time, truly, the company has made a product that won't make some users feel like they're compromising an excellent user experience for a cheap price tag.  Because now, Amazon's tablet line has both.” – Fortune '

---

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button

Kindle and Kindle Fire Software Updates Roundup: Update for NEW Kindle Fire HD (2nd Gen) - v11.3.0.1 and for coming HDX - v13.3.0.1 + the recent one for Kindle Paperwhite 1, v5.3.8

SOFTWARE UPDATES for new KINDLE FIRE HDX and HD lineup
1. Amazon has rather quietly made a software update available for the already-shipped (Oct. 2) new Kindle Fire HD 2nd Gen tablet (which replaces last year's basic Kindle Fire that had no HD, no camera, and no HDMI-out and which sold, retail, for $159).

This now current Kindle Fire HD 7" tablet, the new basic model this year, has an even lower price, but has been given an HD (High Definition) display.  However, as with last year's basic model, it has no camera for Skype and no HDMI-out port. (Don't confuse it with last year's "HD" model, which had all that for $199.  Amazon has now titled this year's basic tablet model the Kindle Fire HD (2nd Gen) in the lineup at its all-encompassing Kindles Help page as well as at its software update pages.

The ever vigilant and often prescient Jesslyn of MyKindleStuff wrote early Friday to let me know she'd seen news of and pages for software updates for the new Kindle Fire HDX and HD line at Softpedia.  They, in fact, were mirroring what is at Amazon's software update pages, and after being alerted by Softpedia, I'd always actually get the latest update at Amazon itself.  So, here are the pages for those updates.  (This new trio of tablets will go International later on, with "Stay tuned" the word.)

For the above-described Kindle Fire HD 7" 2nd Gen tablet, software update v11.3.0.1 can be downloaded from its update page if you'd rather not wait for Amazon to send it "over the air," and one method is to merely do it from the tablet.  Instructions are on that page.

' This software update will be delivered wirelessly and includes feature enhancements and general improvements for your Kindle Fire HD 2nd Generation.  This update automatically downloads and installs on your Kindle Fire HD 2nd Generation; however, you can also manually download the software and update your device via USB cable. '

2. The HDX tablets have not shipped yet and are not scheduled to, until Oct. 18 (for the 7" HDX w/o 4G/LTE) and Nov. 7 (for the 8.9" HDX w/o 4G/LTE).
  However, there is already an update waiting for the HDX's, and once your Kindle HDX arrives, it will probably automatically install the update once you are connected to your WiFi network, which means it will reboot at least twice, at that point, since they tend to come with battery power at a 60% level, which is high enough for a software install process.  It's important to not interrupt the re-boot process.  Wait until it's done, even if eager to try it out.  I actually plug mine into the wall socket, to be sure.

  If the software update does not automatically install for you after awhile, you can make it happen at the Kindle Fire HDX software update page.  The changes in this update:

' This software update will be delivered wirelessly and includes feature enhancements and general improvements for your Kindle Fire HDX. This update automatically downloads and installs on your Kindle Fire HDX; however, you can also manually download the software and update your device via USB cable.

The software update includes the following enhancement:
  Mayday Button
  Tap the Mayday button from Quick Settings to get in touch with an Amazon Tech advisor from your device when you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. '

KINDLE PAPERWHITE 1 Software Update v5.3.8

Kindle Paperwhite Software Upgrade to v5.3.8

I incorrectly thought that I'd blogged this update and found today I hadn't when I actually received this "over the air" and couldn't remember what the improvements were and looked up Kindle Paperwhite 1.   See Paperwhite (US);   (UK Paperwhite: here; Global Paperwhite: here.) [Bracketed notes are mine.]

Amazon Kindle Forum Notice
"Initial post: Sep 5, 2013 9:56:10 AM PDT
David A. - Forum Moderator says:

' We have a new, free software update available for Kindle Paperwhite which can be found [here] [U.S.]

    [Here's the UK-only software update page]

This update automatically downloads and installs on your Kindle Paperwhite; however, you can also manually download the software and transfer the update to your device via USB cable.

The software update includes general improvements and the following feature enhancements:

* Search terms highlighted in search results
When you search for a word or phrase within a book, the search terms will appear highlighted within the search results. When you tap a result to go to that location in the book, the search terms will appear highlighted on the page.
* Select other dictionaries when looking up a word
When you look up a word in the dictionary, you can choose to look up the word in other dictionaries on your device from within the dictionary definition window.
* View other definitions of a word [within same window]
When you look up a word that has multiple meanings for the same spelling (homonym), you can navigate through each of the available definitions from within the dictionary definition window. '

As ever, note that keeping your Kindle always connected to a Wi-Fi network can drain your battery faster.  So, once you've got the update "over the air," put the Paperwhite back to "Airplane Mode ON" via the 'Settings' option on the Menu -- the option lets you toggle Wireless Off with the "Airplane On" choice.
 They still have not put the "Wireless Off" and "On" back on the front menu as they recently did for the Kindle Touch, removing the 'airplane mode' icon, which many of us wish they would do, as it is very inconvenient to have it on a secondary menu and many do not even know about the wireless-off feature, causing more battery drain and confusion over that.  Amazon: please do this in the next update; the Kindle Touch team has the right problem-avoiding idea.

  I realize they prefer Wireless 'On' due to delivery of Special Offers but the battery-drain problem can occur when circumstances involve subscriptions that are downloaded regularly or due to a weaker connection that results from the distance from the router, in which case the device keeps trying to connect when a download is due (and that can be for the special offers that Amazon regularly needs to send for those who choose to opt for the less-expensive special-offers feature).

Only if you'd rather not wait - DOWNLOADING and transferring the Update via USB
US:  Go to the Kindle Paperwhite Software Update v5.3.8 download section to get the instructions for the download and transfer to your Kindle via USB:
UK:  Go to the same for the UK-only page


Well, that should do it for today's software update alerts.  Expect more soon, since someone posted in the Kindle forums that they had received v5.4.0 on their Paperwhite (which may have been for the Paperwhite2, but this is all I know for now).



  For daily free ebooks, check the following links:

Temporarily-free books - Non-classics USA: by:    Publication Date      Bestselling   High-ratings UK: PubDate   Popular The Kindle Daily Deal What is 3G? and "WiFi"?       Battery Care Highly-rated under $1,  Newest: $1-$2, $2-$3

Most Popular Free K-Books U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):    Top 100 free UK-Only:    Top 100 free Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources. USEFUL for your Kindle Keyboard (U.S. only, currently):   99c Notepad 1.1,   99c Calculator,   99c Calendar,   99c Converter

  *Click* to Return to the HOME PAGE.  Or click on the web browser's BACK button