Amazon Updates Mac Desktop Client, Kindle Firmware

Amazon’s newly overhauled Kindle application for Mac offers notes, search, two-column reading and a much-improved UI. It might even make me read e-books on my computer again.

It’s funny: I used to read a lot of e-books in client apps on my MacBook and iPhone. Since I got my Kindle 3, I hadn’t read any.

Amazon was frankly slow to bring its e-book software to Macs. The PC desktop client came first, and a pared-down Mac application only eventually followed in March. Meanwhile, Barnes & Noble had already released a Nook desktop app for Mac simultaneously with PC.

B&N’s Mac client offered every feature you could ask for: copy-and-paste, two-column reading, notes and highlighting, text search, built-in dictionary, multiple viewing themes, use of every font on your computer. I still think it might be the most powerful e-reading application available on the desktop.

Even generic readers beat Kindle’s UI. Amazon just didn’t seem serious about Mac support, or desktop readers at all.

A few days ago, I noticed that even though I’d been buying Kindle books again, I didn’t even have the Kindle app on my Mac. I hadn’t bothered to transfer it over from my old machine.

So I go to Amazon’s site and download the application, open it up — and I’m astonished. The Kindle desktop app is so much better than I remember — not quite the equal of Barnes & Noble’s app, but infinitely closer.

I thought I was hallucinating, or my memory was faulty. Actually, I’d just downloaded the brand new app a day before it had been officially announced.

Improved WhisperSync support means that I can read a book on my Kindle, open it on my Mac, and it will open to the last page read on the Kindle. When I open the same book on the Kindle again, I have the option to pick up where I left off either on the Kindle or the Mac. I actually like that it’s a prompt on the Kindle, rather than an automatic sync; on the desktop too, I can toggle between last page read on Kindle or last page read on Mac, but it’s a menu option rather than a prompt.

Just because Amazon’s finally getting serious about the Mac doesn’t mean it’s neglecting software updates for the Kindle; only a week after the 3.02 firmware update graduated from beta, Amazon’s offering the 3.03 version for download as a preview release.

As you might guess from its version number, it’s a minor release, offering some performance improvements (moderately faster page syncing and page turns, mostly) and reportedly plugging some security gaps. 3.02 seemed to improve the Kindle’s performance in direct sunlight. 3.03 is download-only for now, but will be available as an over-the-air update soon, probably in a few weeks.

Kindle for Mac — Read Kindle eBooks on your Mac [Amazon.com]

See Also:


CyberPower gets diminutive with LAN Party EVO SFF desktop family

Look out, Shuttle — CyberPower’s getting all up in your territory with its new LAN Party EVO series. Introduced today, this foursome of minuscule monsters relies on mITX and mATX motherboards and plenty of high-end internals to deliver solid gaming performance in a desktop that’s at least somewhat portable. The Party EVO Mini is wrapped in a Silverstone SG-07B enclosure, while the Xtreme, Commander, and Ultra tout In-Win’s Dragonslayer. Aside from integrating its Max Airflow Package to keep things a couple of notches below “Molten Lava,” the whole crew is equipped with a 64-bit copy of Windows 7, a three-year warranty and free lifetime phone support. As for specs, the Mini ($1,079) gets a Core i7-870 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5770 GPU and a 1TB HDD, while the Xtreme ($799) steps down (oddly enough) to a Core i5-760 and an HD 5670 on the graphics front. The Commander ($999) includes a Core i7-950, 6GB of DDR3 RAM and NVIDIA’s GeForce GTS 450 (1GB), and finally, the Ultra ($759) branches out with an AMD Phenom II X4 955 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 memory, ATI’s Radeon HD 5670 GPU (1GB) and a full terabyte of hard drive space. So, which is going to be, buster?

Continue reading CyberPower gets diminutive with LAN Party EVO SFF desktop family

CyberPower gets diminutive with LAN Party EVO SFF desktop family originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceCyberPower PC  | Email this | Comments

NextComputing Vigor Evo rugged PC shipping with three displays, 11TB storage

NextComputing has a line on the types of PCs we will always lust over, yet we’ll never ever be able to justify purchasing. Case in point: the Vigor Evo Plus is a thirty-five-plus pound behemoth, featuring a rugged mil-anodized external chassis, shock-mounted internal chassis, and options including a single or dual Xeon, up to 16GB ECC RAM, up to 11TB storage, up to six full-length, full-height PCI Express and PCI-X slots, and up to three integrated 17-inch displays. Call the company for a price quote if you’re curious — we weren’t up to the task, but we’re sure that it’s either this bad boy or our rent for the better part of a year. PR after the break.

Continue reading NextComputing Vigor Evo rugged PC shipping with three displays, 11TB storage

NextComputing Vigor Evo rugged PC shipping with three displays, 11TB storage originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Screen Grabs: Thermaltake Level 10 plays coy on NCIS: Los Angeles

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today’s movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com.

It ain’t the first time we’ve seen fresh hardware hit the small screen, but we can’t think of a chassis much larger than this making a cameo on the tele. Thermaltake’s monstrous Level 10 enclosure popped up on NCIS: Los Angeles this week, with Chris O’Donnell doing his darnedest to lift valuable information off of the internal HDDs via telepathy. Or maybe we missed the point.

[Thanks, Daniel]

Screen Grabs: Thermaltake Level 10 plays coy on NCIS: Los Angeles originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 03:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

OQO founder lists prototype handheld PCs on eBay

This is definitely one for hardcore fans only: company founder Jory Bell has listed two of the very first prototype OQO computers on eBay. Sadly, they may or may not be bootable (you’d have to break out the soldering gun to figure that one out), but both will definitely look great in the self-styled “Museum of Legacy Computer Hardware, discontinued AD&D Modules, and Heavy Metal T-Shirts” you have going in your parents basement. What will the lucky winner receive for his hard-earned dough? The Brazil PC dates back to 2000 or 2001, and is missing many of the things (batteries, CF card) that actually lets it function. Fun, huh? The other prototype, ATTO, apparently held the Guinness World Record at one time for smallest PC. It includes a capacitive touchscreen display, firewire, an integrated antenna for WiFi and Bluetooth, and more. Feel like going nuts? You’ve got about a week to bid as of this writing, with the lot currently going for just over $4.

[Thanks, Picasso]

OQO founder lists prototype handheld PCs on eBay originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceeBay  | Email this | Comments

DIY casemod features fins, automatically vents your rig

Truly epic casemods grace the humble pages of Engadget from time to time, but here’s a spoonful of liquid awesome you might actually be able to try. Using an off-the-shelf fan controller, servo motor and Arduino board, plus some water-cut styrene parts he farmed out to an online shop, user SXRguyinMA outfitted his NZXT Tempest Evo case with a rad robotic cooling system. When the Arduino detects the temperature changing, it automatically actuates the servo to raise or lower the louvers accordingly, and the rig features a pair of supercapacitors that can store enough power to close the vents even if power is lost. There’s also the all-important little red button to instantly make jaws drop. Video after the break, full worklog at our more coverage link.

Continue reading DIY casemod features fins, automatically vents your rig

DIY casemod features fins, automatically vents your rig originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 07:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHack a Day  | Email this | Comments

Kobo rolls out desktop application for Windows and Mac

It may be facing an uphill battle against the likes of Amazon, but it looks like Kobo’s footprint is only continuing to get bigger, with it now matching Amazon with a desktop application of its own for Windows and Mac. That will naturally let you access your current library and buy new books from the Kobo eBook Store, and maintain bookmarks from your Kobo eReader or other devices using the Kobo app. Otherwise, the application is about as simple as you’d expect, with it boasting some basic font customization options and a full-screen mode for some distraction-free reading — and it’s free, of course. Head on past the break for the complete press release, and hit up the link below to download the application.

Continue reading Kobo rolls out desktop application for Windows and Mac

Kobo rolls out desktop application for Windows and Mac originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceKobo  | Email this | Comments

Zotac introduces ID33 and ID34 Zbox mini PCs, complete with Atom D525 and Blu-ray

Now this is an HTPC worth gawking at. Zotac has just revised its long-standing Zbox line with a new duo, and we have to say — we’re digging the new look. Beyond the exterior improvements, the outfit has bolstered the internals by providing the HD-ID33 and HD-ID34 with Intel’s new 1.8GHz Atom D525 CPU, 2GB of DDR2-800 memory, NVIDIA’s next-gen Ion graphics platform, an HDMI output, 6-in-1 card reader, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a couple of USB 2.0 ports and an unexpected pair of USB 3.0 sockets. The only notable difference between the two is the inclusion of a 250GB hard drive in the ID34, while the 2.5-inch HDD slot is left open for DIYers in the ID33. Windows 7 is onboard, naturally, as is a slot-loading Blu-ray drive that the company is (rightfully) proud of. It’s not talking prices just yet, but we’re willing to overlook a modest premium to finally get BD support within a delightfully small package. Hit the gallery below for more eye candy.

Continue reading Zotac introduces ID33 and ID34 Zbox mini PCs, complete with Atom D525 and Blu-ray

Zotac introduces ID33 and ID34 Zbox mini PCs, complete with Atom D525 and Blu-ray originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Hot Hardware  |   | Email this | Comments

Acer introduces Atom D525-equipped Aspire Revo 3700, your den swoons

Ah, hello again! It seems like just yesterday that we were talking up Acer‘s latest Aspire Revo — a ‘3600‘ model equipped with a dual-core Atom 330 and NVIDIA’s Ion graphics system. Nearly a year to the day, we’re now faced with the company’s latest and greatest subcompact, the Aspire Revo 3700. As far as evolutionary advancements go, this one’s fairly predictable — within the one-liter box is a 1.8GHz Atom D525 dual-core processor, NVIDIA’s next-generation Ion platform, support for 1080p video playback, a 500GB hard drive, four USB 2.0 ports, 4GB of DDR3 memory, VGA / HDMI outputs, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, gigabit Ethernet and a mini PCIe slot. It’s expected to ship later this year with a $580 price tag, but it’s still a TV tuner shy of being exactly what our living room asked for.

Continue reading Acer introduces Atom D525-equipped Aspire Revo 3700, your den swoons

Acer introduces Atom D525-equipped Aspire Revo 3700, your den swoons originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Origin PC’s Big O desktop: half gaming PC, half Xbox 360, all muscle

Oh, sure — we’ve seen an Xbox 360 enclosure stuffed with x86 innards, but we can’t say we’ve ever seen anything quite like this. Gaming upstart Origin PC has just shattered every preconceived notion about its potential with the Big O, an appropriately titled luxury machine that combines a liquid-cooled gaming PC with a liquid-cooled Xbox 360 Slim. In one box. A pair of base configurations are available (though customizations are limitless), with both of ’em rigged up to run the PC and Xbox concurrently. In other words, these bad boys can actually crunch SETI@home data while you explore the vastness of Halo: Reach. The $7,669 build includes an overclocked 4.0GHz Core i7-930 CPU, Rampage III Extreme mobo, twin NVIDIA GTX480 graphics cards, 6GB of Corsair memory, a 1,500 watt power support, 12x Pioneer Blu-ray burner, two 50GB OCZ SSDs wired up as a boot drive, Windows 7 Home Premium, a liquid-cooled Xbox 360 and bragging rights the size of Texas Alaska. For those still unsatisfied, there’s a $16,999 version that’s frankly too lust-worthy to spell out here (but is in the gallery below). Hit the source link if you’re feeling ambitious, but don’t blame us for blowing your kid’s college fund in one fell swoop.

Continue reading Origin PC’s Big O desktop: half gaming PC, half Xbox 360, all muscle

Origin PC’s Big O desktop: half gaming PC, half Xbox 360, all muscle originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceOrigin PC  | Email this | Comments