Logo

Amazon is introducing new social features to its Kindle and Kindle 3G e-readers, although it has yet to confirm when (or if) they will be included in its mobile apps for other devices.

Revealed in a blog post, the new features include Public Notes, which enable Kindle users to "make their book notes and highlights available for others to see". What's more, they will also be able to see the Public Notes of people they follow.

Another new social feature is called Before You Go... It kicks in when a user finishes an e-book on their Kindle, prompting them to rate it, but also share their thoughts on the book with their social network. Recommendations for other e-books to read will also be provided at this stage.

The update also includes a long-demanded feature on Kindle: real page numbers. "Our customers have told us they want real page numbers that match the page numbers in print books so they can easily reference and cite passages, and read alongside others in a book club or class," explains Amazon.

"We've already added real page numbers to tens of thousands of Kindle books, including the top 100 bestselling books in the Kindle Store that have matching print editions and thousands more of the most popular books." The company says this feature will roll out to the Kindle apps in the coming months too.

Finally, newspapers and magazines delivered to Kindles will now have an improved layout, with a "quick snapshot" of news to direct readers to the most interesting stories. Kindle owners can manually download the new software update now, or wait for it to be pushed out to them via Wi-Fi in the near future.