Kindle active content on Amazon - why cannot buy it?

SnowRipple · 12-20-2016, 10:37 AM

Hi there!

I have KPW2 and I was trying to install some games/apps on my kindle like chess or sudoku. I see there are some titles on Amazon website, e.g. from Oak games Limited but I cannot buy any of them... The massage says "This title is not currently available for purchase"

Is there some other source/website i could use, preferably without applying any complicated changes to my device?

Many Thanks!

Barbara1955 · 12-20-2016, 10:45 AM

Those older games wont work on PW. They stopped them at K3.

AnemicOak · 12-20-2016, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katie1

Those older games wont work on PW. They stopped them at K3.

Not true at all. Many of the "apps" currently available work on devices up to and including the 6th Gen PW (PW2)

SnowRipple are you in the US? IIRC active content was a US only (UK too maybe?) thing.

SnowRipple · 12-20-2016, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Not true at all. Many of the "apps" currently available work on devices up to and including the 6th Gen PW (PW2)

SnowRipple are you in the US? IIRC active content was a US only (UK too maybe?) thing.

Currently I am in Switzerland, but my Amzaon account and Kindle are registered in UK. When I click the link you've provided above I get "Your search did not match any products." from Amazon. Does it show some apps/games on your end?

AnemicOak · 12-20-2016, 01:57 PM

Yes, it shows the active content for sale (& some free) in the US Kindle store. Like I said at one time active content was US only and I don't know if that ever changed before Amazon basically killed it off.

ntamas · 12-20-2016, 08:56 PM

Well, have a look at this topic:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=274271

The basic conclusions are the following:

If you wanna try these apps you should get a Kindle Keyboard (as most of the active content apps are compatible with that). Kindle 4 or 5 are also OK for this purpose, but there are some apps like Inheritance which are sticked to a physical keyboard.

Some of these apps are created for the touch versions but honestly I can't tell any example when the touchscreen can come in handy by these apps.

When you buy any Kindle other than Kindle Keyboard, then bear in mind that you can come across incompatibility issues. There are approx. 400 apps available in Kindle Store and about the 20% of them are not available for any US accounts either! From the remainder just only a few are not compatible with Keyboard. But much more are not compatible with Paperwhite or Kindle 4 or 5!

Secondly, use a US account. You don't have to be in the USA, just create a US account, so that you can list these apps and hopefully buy them.

Also set the country in the store settings to USA. This determines what you'll see in the Kindle Store.

SnowRipple · 12-21-2016, 07:43 AM

Thanks ntamas!

After couple of hours of fiddling with Amazon, I created a dummy US account, changed shop to US, deregistered and registered my PW2 to new account and it works!

So far all free applications and sudoku and chess work great!

My Kindle got new life! Many Thanks!

Btw I see that you can download applications in azw format using usb cable, so it seems that anyone with this file can play these games.

If someone has some other kindle active content games/application maybe we could swap?

ntamas · 12-21-2016, 10:17 AM

Quote:

If someone has some other kindle active content games/application maybe we could swap?

Hehe! No. The azw2 files are also copyprotected so you can't just copy them to another Kindle and run them. Though you can, but you can't start any of them.

What I have found out is that these files are actually zip files containing java class applet parts but so far I haven't been able to decompile them unfortunately.

And if you compare two azw2 files with the same content but downloaded to different Kindles you'll find out that only the Kindlet.data file is different.

But somehow if you could decompile the whole code, you would be able to compile it again and have it run as a developer app.

Otherwise the only way to transfer these apps between Kindles is to register your Kindle to an account with already purchased apps, so your unique Kindlet.data will be correct for that particular device.

dontcarewho007 · 03-16-2017, 11:29 PM

can i manually transfer kindle active contents..? is there any other sites which offer free downloads other then amazon

Cinisajoy · 03-16-2017, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontcarewho007

can i manually transfer kindle active contents..? is there any other sites which offer free downloads other then amazon

I don't think so.

rioachim · 03-17-2017, 05:49 PM

Active Content can be bought if you set a dummy US address as the Country setting in Manage your content and devices section. If buying many apps at once, you might get a warning from Amazon asking you to confirm your US address. Better use an US proxy. Some apps are free, you can see the price after the Country change.

The last compatible device is PW2. You can transfer all compatible active content on any compatible device you log in to. Afterwards you can log out on that device and the apps will still work. In every app's page you can see the device compatibility list.

For me active content is great, I bought another PW2 as a spare especially for this, as I have around 40 purchased titles.

ntamas · 03-17-2017, 06:14 PM

rioachim:

Are there any apps apart from this one that won't run on Kindle Keyboard?

nharvey · 05-06-2017, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontcarewho007

can i manually transfer kindle active contents..? is there any other sites which offer free downloads other then amazon

IF you find a way to get ahold of a file, you should just be able to drop it on your kindle via USB.

I was able to do this with the Kindle Javascript shell (very dangerous), but when I tried to open it on the kindle it said it wasn't compatible. So basically YMMV.

nharvey · 05-06-2017, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontcarewho007

can i manually transfer kindle active contents..? is there any other sites which offer free downloads other then amazon

I believe you can, if you can only get ahold of the file (which I haven't been able to do). If you do come up with a file somehow, you should be able to drop it on to the kindle via USB.

ntamas · 05-06-2017, 07:12 PM

Yes you are right in regard to the copying but since the azw2 files are copyprotected zip files you won't be able to use them on other Kindle ereaders than the one you bought them for, though you can copy them to any other Kindle ereaders but of course they won't work.

12-20-2016, 10:37 AM	#1
SnowRipple Zealot Posts: 131 Karma: 1400002 Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: UK Device: Onyx Note Pro	Kindle active content on Amazon - why cannot buy it? Hi there! I have KPW2 and I was trying to install some games/apps on my kindle like chess or sudoku. I see there are some titles on Amazon website, e.g. from Oak games Limited but I cannot buy any of them... The massage says "This title is not currently available for purchase" Is there some other source/website i could use, preferably without applying any complicated changes to my device? Many Thanks!

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12-20-2016, 10:45 AM	#2
Barbara1955 Non-Techy Posts: 4,454 Karma: 15499273 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: WV---USA Device: Samsung Cell Phone & Amazon Fires & Kobo eReaders	Those older games wont work on PW. They stopped them at K3.

12-20-2016, 01:57 PM	#5
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Yes, it shows the active content for sale (& some free) in the US Kindle store. Like I said at one time active content was US only and I don't know if that ever changed before Amazon basically killed it off.

12-20-2016, 08:56 PM	#6
ntamas Zealot Posts: 106 Karma: 875040 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Hungary Device: Kindle paperwhite 3 + Kindle keyboard	Well, have a look at this topic: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=274271 The basic conclusions are the following: If you wanna try these apps you should get a Kindle Keyboard (as most of the active content apps are compatible with that). Kindle 4 or 5 are also OK for this purpose, but there are some apps like Inheritance which are sticked to a physical keyboard. Some of these apps are created for the touch versions but honestly I can't tell any example when the touchscreen can come in handy by these apps. When you buy any Kindle other than Kindle Keyboard, then bear in mind that you can come across incompatibility issues. There are approx. 400 apps available in Kindle Store and about the 20% of them are not available for any US accounts either! From the remainder just only a few are not compatible with Keyboard. But much more are not compatible with Paperwhite or Kindle 4 or 5! Secondly, use a US account. You don't have to be in the USA, just create a US account, so that you can list these apps and hopefully buy them. Also set the country in the store settings to USA. This determines what you'll see in the Kindle Store.

12-21-2016, 07:43 AM	#7
SnowRipple Zealot Posts: 131 Karma: 1400002 Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: UK Device: Onyx Note Pro	Thanks ntamas! After couple of hours of fiddling with Amazon, I created a dummy US account, changed shop to US, deregistered and registered my PW2 to new account and it works! So far all free applications and sudoku and chess work great! My Kindle got new life! Many Thanks! Btw I see that you can download applications in azw format using usb cable, so it seems that anyone with this file can play these games. If someone has some other kindle active content games/application maybe we could swap?

03-16-2017, 11:29 PM	#9
dontcarewho007 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2017 Device: kindle 2i	can i manually transfer kindle active contents..? is there any other sites which offer free downloads other then amazon

03-17-2017, 05:49 PM	#11
rioachim Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 150000 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: PW2	Active Content can be bought if you set a dummy US address as the Country setting in Manage your content and devices section. If buying many apps at once, you might get a warning from Amazon asking you to confirm your US address. Better use an US proxy. Some apps are free, you can see the price after the Country change. The last compatible device is PW2. You can transfer all compatible active content on any compatible device you log in to. Afterwards you can log out on that device and the apps will still work. In every app's page you can see the device compatibility list. For me active content is great, I bought another PW2 as a spare especially for this, as I have around 40 purchased titles.

03-17-2017, 06:14 PM	#12
ntamas Zealot Posts: 106 Karma: 875040 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Hungary Device: Kindle paperwhite 3 + Kindle keyboard	rioachim: Are there any apps apart from this one that won't run on Kindle Keyboard?

05-06-2017, 07:12 PM	#15
ntamas Zealot Posts: 106 Karma: 875040 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Hungary Device: Kindle paperwhite 3 + Kindle keyboard	Yes you are right in regard to the copying but since the azw2 files are copyprotected zip files you won't be able to use them on other Kindle ereaders than the one you bought them for, though you can copy them to any other Kindle ereaders but of course they won't work.

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