Amazon jumps into Androidland

ONLINE BOOKSELLER Amazon will be offering an app that will allow users of Android smartphones to read books in the Kindle format.

It means that owners of smartphones running Google's Android OS will be able to gain access to Amazon's huge catalogue of ebooks without having to buy its reader.

The Amazon press release takes a few digs at Apple's selection of books available at its Itunes online store. It said that its Android application will deliver books that people "actually want to read" rather than a list of titles that Steve Jobs claims are kosher and don't have too many rude words in them.

Like all Kindle apps, Kindle for Android will include Amazon's Whispersync technology, which saves and synchronizes a customer's bookmarks across their Kindle, Kindle DX, Iphone, Ipod touch, Ipad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry and now Android phones as well.

While you might think that this would cannibalise sales of the Kindle ebook reader, Amazon seems to think that it is good for Kindle and Kindle DX owners.

Jay Marine, director of Amazon Kindle said, "We think customers are going to love the convenience and simplicity of having instant access to a massive selection of books from Amazon on their Droid, Nexus, Incredible and many more Android devices." µ