With all the shiny new devices announced yesterday, it may have been easy to overlook some of the other announcements Amazon made on a very busy Thursday. Along with the revamped Kindle Fire and Kindle e-readers, and the introduction of the Kindle Fire HD line, Amazon also made some improvements to their operating system that will help them compete with Apple and all other Android devices.
One new addition parents of younger children will love is Kindle FreeTime. This feature allows you to set profiles for different people and set limitations for what they can get into and how long they use the device. FreeTime also allows you to set time limitations for certain apps, so if you want little Johnny to not just play games but read as well, FreeTime will take care of it for you. FreeTime will let you know it’s working because the screen will light up blue. So no more feeling like you have to watch every little thing your child does with the Kindle, just make sure FaceTime is on and let your child enjoy.
There is also Kindle X-Ray, which expands into more areas of the Amazon ecosystem. You can now use the Kindle X-Ray discovery tool while watching a movie or reading a textbook. Have you ever watched a movie and thought “I really like this actor/actress. I wonder what else they are in?” Well now with Kindle X-Ray powered by IMDb you can find out other movies they have been in while watching it on your Kindle, and add it to your queue for later. This feature may also be helpful for students who are reading a textbook on their kindle and get to something they just do not understand. With Kindle X-ray you can search words or phrases and have an online glossary to help you understand.
Amazon also improved specific apps. The email client now includes support for Exchange, Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo. Now with more supported emails and a faster email client, it’s a major improvement over the original. The new custom Facebook app comes with the ability to easily share highlights from books you’re reading. Amazon also mentioned connecting with fellow gamers but was not clear if that meant sharing in games or just making connections over games. Either way it will probably be an improvement over the original Kindle Fire Facebook app.
So many new features Amazon is truly making this a tough competition for Google’s Nexus 7 as the affordable media tablet, while also contesting the iPad’s dominance. Amazon said on their website that the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is not just the best tablet for the price, but the best tablet. Time will tell if the sales agree. Here is a commercial Amazon released to advertise the new Kindle.
Source: The Verge