Amazon announces firmware update for Kindle 2

Amazon has announced a firmware update is on the way for its popular Kindle 2 e-reader. The update will give the 6-inch e-reader native PDF support and also claims to increase battery life by a whopping 85%, meaning the device will last up to 7 days between charges (even with the wireless service turned on) rather than 4.

“Kindle, already the #1 bestselling, most wished for, and most gifted product on all of Amazon.com, is now even better—with 85 percent more battery life and a built-in PDF reader,” said Ian Freed, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “These two significant enhancements are available now.”

The company says the update is the product of 6 months of testing and development and will offer the native PDF support of the update to owners of the original Kindle as well. It will be delivered wirelessly, although Amazon has yet to say when.

Kindle has been wildly popular since its release 2 years ago. It’s appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show in October 2008, along with her pronouncement that it was her favorite gadget, led to the device selling out just as the holidays hit. A minor controversy followed when Amazon discontinued it and releases the Kindle 2 in February of this year. It has remained popular but now faces competition from Sony, Barnes and Noble, and other manufacturers, and has versions of its software for the iPhone/iPod Touch, PC, and soon for the BlackBerry.

Read [Amazon]