Kindle app update adds X-ray, push notifications, better audiobook controls

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Published 9 Dec 2014

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The Kindle’s X-Ray feature is an excellent differentiator from other eReader apps. It’s like a specialized kipedia for each Kindle book, curating details about characters, locations, history, many other facets of both fiction non-fiction texts.

The X-Ray feature is finally available in the Kindle Android app as part of the version 4.8 update. en you’re reading a book just tap the middle of the screen, then touch the X-Ray icon on the top menu bar (if it’s not there, then your particular book isn’t supported).

kindle roid x ray

Kindle’s X-Ray feature details the context about places, events, other information from your book.

You’ll then be able to browse or search through the X-Ray content; it auto-hides spoiler information by default to avoid ruining the story for you. The X-Ray feature also hunts down people, terms, images, collects together any notable pieces from the text. It also suggests similar search terms; just touch them to find out what Kindle has cooked up for you.

ong with X-Ray, the Kindle app now offers push notifications for book downloads promotions (you can turn these off in the settings). There’s also an option to create flash cards from textbooks – though it is limited to very specific tomes right now.

You can now better control the audiobook playback within books, too. Many eBooks have an audio component that can be purchased together with the book or added on later through the Kindle app. 

y this matters: ile Amazon makes its own Kindle eReader Kindle Fire tablet hardware, a ton of people read their Kindle books on Android tablets (or even phones, if you have a big-screened device like the Nexus 6 or Galaxy Note 4). So keeping feature parity among platforms is important to prevent you from being tempted by rival platforms like the Nook or ay Books.