Apps for The Kindle: Amazon Announces Kindle SDK

By Geoff Duncan January 21, 2010

Kindle DX vs Kindle 2 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Amazon.com has announced a software development kit for its Kindle e-reader, by which it hopes to entice developers to create applications and “active content” for its portable reading platform. The toolkit gives developers the capability to write programs that tap into the Kindle’s 3G wireless networking capabilities and offer interactive, updated content, perhaps tied to book purchases or subscriptions available for the device. As examples, Amazon speculate about cookbooks that recommend menus based on event types and attendees’ known food preferences, constantly-updated word games and puzzles, interactive restaurant guides.

“We’ve heard from lots of developers over the past two years who are excited to build on top of Kindle,” said Amazon’s Kindle VP Ian Freed, in a statement. “The Kindle Development Kit opens many possibilities—we look forward to being surprised by what developers invent.”

The SDK will be available next month as part of a limited beta; developers can sign up now at a Kindle Development Kit Web site.

Amazon says Hallmark is already working on an active Zagat guide featuring their restaurant ratings, and Sonic Boom is already on board to create puzzles and word games.

Entertainment applications for the Kindle won’t be like games for the iPhone or mobile phones: the Kindle’s grayscale displays are designed to look and read like real paper, and aren’t fast enough for typical video game offerings. However, they’ve proven very effective for displaying content, and the ability to present always-up-to-date information would be of tremendous interest to many publishers. Third party applications and active content would also be a way for the Kindle to differentiate itself from the flood of e-readers now going on sale…and perhaps keep the Kindle at the forefront of the nascent e-reader market.

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