Saturday, May 29, 2010

Kindle Skills - Update coming

May 29, 2010 Cindy O'Neal

What version do you have now?
There is a new updated (v 2.5) coming to a Kindle near you any time now.  To see what the current version is on your Kindle (just in case the update sneaks up on you), press the Menu button while you have the Home screen showing. Toggle the 5-way down until the word Settings is underlined. Press in on the 5-way. Look at the bottom of the Settings screen. Your current version will show at the bottom right.

I'm not sure what happend to my Kindle 2 yesterday, but it sure gave me a scare. I was reading Kindle Nation Daily blog and noticed my screen froze. I tried resetting it by sliding the top switch to the right and holding it for 15 seconds. The screen went blank the way it should when you reset, but when it came back, only the top of the blog I was viewing appeared, not the Home screen I was expecting after a reset.

I jumped on Google and did a search for resetting a Kindle 2 and found different instructions for resetting the darn thing... something about since the last update, the reset instructions had changed to prevent accidental resets.

Here's what I read:

Reset procedure for DX is now different -- requires two steps

I just encountered this problem on my DX and there is a new reset procedure, according to Kindle tech support. A software upgrade apparently added a step, probably to prevent accidental resets. The new procedure is to slide the power button to its on position and hod it there for thirty full seconds, then release it and press and hold the HOME button until the screen flashes.

I had tried the old 15-second power switch procedure to no avail, then called Amazon via their web CallBack link. They called back immediately and then walked me through this process. I asked about the 15-seond method still published on the Amazon site, and they said "that's out of date since the most recent software update." I didn't even know there had been an update! Apparently Amazon can install these unilaterally and silently when it wants to.
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I was too desperate to "fix" my Kindle 2 to notice the post was written In January this year. Also the thing was referring to someone's DX, and I was having the issue with my Kindle 2. Needless to say, I gave it a whirl and by God it worked! The screen flashed after a few seconds holding down the Home button and when I let it go, all seemed back to normal.

I hope this was just a Twilight Zone moment. I'm not sure what to look for with the new update, but hope it happens soon. I am really looking forward to it.

Moral(s) of the story:
  • Don't be afraid to try something new.
  • You can fix anything with a Google search!