Software update brings Paperwhite features to Kindle Touch

Software update brings Paperwhite features to Kindle Touch
Bit touchy

Amazon has released a new software update for the Kindle Touch, giving it a new lease of life after it was usurped by hot young upstart, the Kindle Paperwhite.

New features include a revamped user interface in which your archived books and mags will be stored under the heading Cloud, some enhanced parental controls, book cover view in your library and store, recommendations and better ability to handle graphic novels and comics by letting you read panel-by-panel.

The update also brings Whispersync for Voice to the Touch, which allows you to swap between reading a Kindle book and an Audible audio book without losing your place.

Book it in

There are other little Paperwhite-esque additions to look forward to, like Amazon's Time To Read feature which tells you how long it will take you to finish a chapter and the book as a whole based on how quickly you read.

Endurance readers might like that, others will want to disable it pronto. Still, the faster you get through one e-book, the sooner you'll buy another from the Kindle Store…

A more universally useful addition is the sample-to-book upgrade, which will set you off reading from where you left off in the sample when you upgrade to the full book.

Whatever you make of the new features, Kindle Touch owners will be relieved to hear that Amazon isn't leaving them out in the cold. You can download the new software from Amazon now, or sit tight for the over-the-air update to hit in due course.

From Amazon via The Digital Reader

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.