New Kindle Fires Sparks Interest in Google Maps App Post

My Map Strings web site has made $6.50 in ad clicks this month vs. ‘nothing’ most months (a 22,000% increase). I’m assuming this has something to do with Apple maps, but let’s look at the data:

Visits started going up Sep 5 and peaked on Sep 6 at 42 visits a day, but averaged 30 a day for the next 20 days. Most keyword searches are for ‘google maps for kindle fire’ or some variation. How To Run Google Maps On the Kindle Fire is the top content post, making up the majority of the traffic.

So I guess it has nothing to do with Apple maps, but what would cause the increase starting on Sep 5th? Maybe this stuff:

So apparently Amazon had a meeting on September 6th and announced two new Kindle Fires and because the Kindle doesn’t natively come with Google Maps (or Apple Maps) my nifty guide on how to manually add it seemed to resonate with people. If you’re interested in the new Kindle Fires, details below:

The Kindle Fire HD is $199 and comes with a 1280×800 HD display, Dolby audio, dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi for 40% faster downloads and streaming (compared to iPad 3), and a 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor with Imagination PowerVR 3D graphics core for fast and fluid performance. It has integrated support for Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! and more, as well as Exchange calendar, contacts, and email. But here’s the kicker: free Skype video calls with front-facing HD camera and free unlimited cloud storage for all your Amazon content. Wowsers.

Here’s the bottom line: if you’re looking for a media device that can deliver Amazon content like Amazon Instant Video, you can’t get that on an iPad. This is where it works best.

Comments

One response to “New Kindle Fires Sparks Interest in Google Maps App Post”

  1. Labeeb Avatar
    Labeeb

    I live in Cairo, Egypt and picked up the Kindle this sumemr while I was back home in the US on vacation. The whispernet service worked flawlessly for me even allowing me to do last-minute splurge book shopping before the airplane door closed on my flight back out of the US. Amazon you have revolutionized the way I meet my voracious appetite for books now. I love that I can buy any book and receive it immediately even if that book is not available on the continent where I live.The screen is incredibly easy to read. The page turn buttons are sensitive enough to make them simple to hit but not so sensitive that I am accidentally hitting them. As someone who likes to simultaneously read multiple books, I really enjoy the string of dots under each title on the home screen showing the approximate book length and the bold dots indicating how far I am through each book. It’s easy to glance and decide which book I’m going to pick up and continue reading.Unexpected bonus, I no longer have to flip my head and book from side to side when I read laying down. If I find a comfortable position, I can hold the Kindle with either hand and stay in that position for as long as I want.My 9-year old daughter is enjoying the Kindle’s built-in dictionary and is looking up the meaning of more words than ever before helping improve her vocabulary much faster.Personally, if the Kindle content continues to catch up to my desired reading list, I’ll never want to read on paper again.What would make it even better:1) Allow custom sorting of the order of books and/or allow filing into custom categories. I want to separately view my children’s books, my favorites and the next books I am planning to read. Allowing custom sorting would meet my need to put my e-books in virtual organized bookshelves.2) Allow sneak peeks to be synchronized without whispernet. Today, I can easily purchase books and move them to my Kindle by manually connecting the device, but any free previews queue up to be wirelessly delivered only. If I want this sneak peek from outside the country, I have to sit at the PC to read it not at all what you want to do once you’ve experienced the ease of reading the screen on your Kindle.