Saturday, April 03, 2010, 01:00 am

Amazon Kindle iPad app approved, Netflix working on iPhone app

By Prince McLean

Apple's mobile devices are cross-pollinating: Amazon's Kindle ebook reader was just approved for iPad, while Netflix' iPad app for viewing Instant Streaming videos is being ported to the iPhone and iPod touch.

The existing, free Kindle app in the App Store is now universal, meaning that it can be downloaded and used on either the handheld iPhone or iPod touch, or the larger form factor iPad, where it has been optimized to present the company's library of 450,000 ebook titles.

Amazon's new iPad version of the app (below) competes with Apple's own new iBooks app for iPad, which is not yet available for the company's small screen devices.

Apple's iBooks app is not bundled on the iPad, leveling the playing field for third party competitors in a novel way. The company has been criticized for implying to developers that they should not bother to submit apps that replace the functionality of core bundled apps, an issue at the heart of the Google Voice controversy.

Ten days ago, Opera tested the limits of Apple's approval policies when it submitted an iPhone version of its Opera Mini browser, which technically replaces Mobile Safari for web browsing, but does so using a quick and novel but SSL security impaired proxy mechanism. The app has not yet been approved or rejected.


Separately, Netflix has noted on its blog that interest in its new iPad app for watching Instant Streaming videos was also piquing the curiosity of subscribers about a small screen version.

"For those of you asking whether Netflix will be on the iPhone and iPod Touch: We wouldn't invite you to dinner without planning to serve dessert. In other words, we're working on it so stay tuned," wrote Steve Swasey, VP of Corporate Communications.