Kindle for Android App Adds Voice Search

[daffy4u]

From PC Magazine

The app, which was released in June, now includes features like searching within the text - by typing or voice. Users can also make annotations and highlight text. There is also a connection to Shelfari, the book-focused social network, which includes things like description of the book, synopsis, summary, and cast of characters.

Kindle 3 currently has a non-functioning microphone. I wonder if a future firmware update will enable it and allow voice search on the Kindle as well.

Is there someone with the Android app who could tell us how this works?

[OakdaleMike]

I just tried it on my Droid. It brings up the standard Google search widget and you can type your search string or touch the microphone icon and speak it. I used "Gulliver's Travels" and tried Lilliput and Brobdingnab with no success. Then I made it easier and tried "species". This time it got it right and found the word 31 places in the book. It brings up a list of text snippets with your search string highlighted. You touch one of them and it immediately goes to that point in the book, again with the search string highlighted.

Cool, but is it useful. Maybe...

[daffy4u]

Thanks OakdaleMike! I wonder if this is a step toward making the Kindle and it's apps more usable for low vision people. Voice navigation, TTS and voice search would be a useful combo.

[emellaich]

Can you tell me how easy it is to get non-Amazon content into the android Kindle app? I tried Kindle on the iPad and it was quite difficult to load other content than the Kindle store.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by emellaich

Can you tell me how easy it is to get non-Amazon content into the android Kindle app? I tried Kindle on the iPad and it was quite difficult to load other content than the Kindle store.

I don't believe any of the Kindle apps work with non-Amazon content.

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

I don't believe any of the Kindle apps work with non-Amazon content.

You know, it SAYS they don't on the Amazon page, but I dragged a non DRM'd mobi into the Kindle folder on the SD card of my Android phone, booted up the Kindle for Android program, and Voila! the book is right there. So hey, I even put a few things of my own in there, like my prescription list, converted to mobi.

Try it. It works.

[bwaldron]

Originally Posted by emellaich

Can you tell me how easy it is to get non-Amazon content into the android Kindle app? I tried Kindle on the iPad and it was quite difficult to load other content than the Kindle store.

As Betty notes, it is as easy as placing your Mobipocket files in the /Kindle folder of your device.

Android is not Apple

However, the Android version doesn't show cover artwork for all non-Amazon files, relying upon an Amazon ASIN tag in metadata as opposed to simply showing the internal cover as other Kindle apps do.

[bwaldron]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

I don't believe any of the Kindle apps work with non-Amazon content.

Actually, I believe all of them work with Mobipocket files that are not infested with DRM. Certainly every one I have used does.

[Kumabjorn]

I did a search test on my HTC Desire, a book about golf and I spoke "pitch" the search widget began looking for "bitch". Why are programmers such misogynists?

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by bwaldron

Actually, I believe all of them work with Mobipocket files that are not infested with DRM. Certainly every one I have used does.

You cannot sideload files to the Kindle app on a non-jailbroken iThing.

[daffy4u]

Thanks for the correction bjones6416 and bwaldron!

[bwaldron]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

You cannot sideload files to the Kindle app on a non-jailbroken iThing.

True -- but the Kindle app supports the content if you get it there...or at least the version I used did, back when I owned a Touch. Splitting hairs, I know.

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Thanks for the correction bjones6416 and bwaldron!

I drag my books all over the place on all my devices. I apparently have a phobia of being somewhere and not having something to read RIGHT THAT MINUTE.