At a time when everything — even Bluetooth headsets — is becoming a platform for third-party applications, Amazon.com has decided to make its Kindle e-reader part of the crowd. On Thursday, the online retail giant said it’s encouraging developers to build and upload content to the Kindle Store and promised a Kindle software development kit (SDK) soon.
The company said the SDK, due as a limited beta in February, will give programmers access to the Kindle’s interface, tools and documentation. It will also include a Kindle Simulator to let developers test applications by simulating the six-inch Kindle and 9.7-inch Kindle DX on Mac, PC and Linux computers.
Looking Forward To ‘Being Surprised’
Ian Freed, vice president of Amazon Kindle, said the company looks forward to “being surprised by what developers invent.” As examples of products, Amazon pointed to Handmark, which is creating an “active Zagat guide” for restaurants, and to Sonic Boom, which is developing word games and puzzles.
Coming in the wake of news that Amazon will sweeten its royalty deal with publishers and authors, the move can be seen as positioning against e-book and tablet announcements at the recent Consumer Electronics Show and preparation ahead of Apple’s expected announcement next week of a tablet computer/e-reader.
Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, said he isn’t sure if the announcements of potential competitors were a factor. In any case, he said, “Amazon is taking the steps it needs to, in order to remain competitive.”
“Virtually every product line these days needs applications,” he noted. Greengart pointed to Aliph’s Jawbone ICON Bluetooth headset, as well as downloadable applications for the Samsung Blu-ray player, new TV sets, and smartphones, iPods and computers. “All of these devices are effectively computers,” he said, “or variations on smartphones.”
E-Reader Category Growing
The Kindle at first was a relatively single-purpose…