Amazon is expanding its Kindle e-book universe with Kindle Cloud Reader, a new Web app that allows people who buy Kindle e-books to read them on their Web browsers.
There's nothing to install or download. Books can be read directly through the Web browser, and there's an option for storing and reading them offline.
Readers can see notes and bookmarks they've made on other Kindle apps while reading. Kindle Cloud syncs to the last page read, so the user can pick up where they left off, no matter which device they're using. As with the Kindle reader, users can customize the page layout, text and background color.
Cloud Reader is optimized for use with the iPad's touch interface.
Kindle books are already available on a wide range of devices besides Amazon's own Kindle, including iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, PCs, Macs, BlackBerrys and Android phones and tablets.
Kindle Cloud Reader is available for Safari on iPad, Safari on desktop and Chrome browsers. It will launch later for other Web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox and BlackBerry PlayBook Browser.
The Kindle Cloud Reader is available at www.amazon.com/cloudreader
First Published: August 12, 2011, 4:00 a.m.