Amazon’s software program updates for Kindle ereaders have been fairly uninspired recently, with few modifications being made and long-standing bugs not getting fastened (like sideloaded content material getting deleted and customized font settings getting reset), however it appears to be like like they could be making some fairly massive modifications to annotations quickly.
Jhowell over at MobileRead has a historical past of discovering new Kindle options earlier than they get launched by going by way of the firmware code and discovering variations from earlier releases.
After analyzing the latest Kindle software program replace, model 5.16.10.0.1, he discovered the next undocumented modifications:
- New annotation sorts: asterisk, circle, and underline.
- Elective computerized updating of GoodReads (auto-shelving) upon e-book completion.
- Transition to a brand new methodology of dealing with annotations with them being saved in each the previous manner and the brand new manner briefly.
- Inner modifications associated to inter-process communication.
Discovering references to those modifications within the code isn’t a assure they’ll ever get carried out, however it’s definitely one thing Amazon’s software program builders are engaged on, and is one thing that might get enabled with future updates.
After the Kindle Scribe was launched, Amazon put up some notes saying what new options they deliberate so as to add in future updates, however they stopped doing that after a number of updates so now no person is aware of what to anticipate.
It appears to be like like they’re engaged on a brand new annotations system, although, and which may embody Kindle ereaders and Kindle apps, not simply the Kindle Scribe, however many of the new software program options have revolved across the Scribe because it was launched.
It’s not a lot to go off of, however it’s greater than what Amazon offers us in regards to the course of future Kindle updates. These modifications may coincide with a brand new Kindle getting launched later this 12 months. I nonetheless assume there’s probability for one thing like a Kindle Scribe Mini getting launched with the notetaking options on a smaller display screen.
through: MobileRead
