US e-retailer Amazon.com has released the first major software update for its popular Kindle e-reader since it unveiled the Kindle 3 last year. The new software introduces real page numbers that match the pages in printed books, a feature long requested by users of the popular device.

The software update, version 3.1, will be pushed to SA Kindle users in the next few days. A Wi-Fi connection is needed to download and install the update. It will not be made available over the cellular networks.

Amazon says the new “real page numbers” feature is a popular request from Kindle users. “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,” it says.

Other features included in the update include “public notes”, which lets Kindle users choose to make their book notes and highlights available for others to see; “before you go”, which allows readers to rate a book when they’ve finished reading it and share it on their social networks, get personalised recommendations on what to read next, and see more books by the same author; and a new layout for newspapers and magazines.

Amazon doesn’t publish sales numbers for the Kindle. — Staff reporter, TechCentral