Kindle Fire Prevents Android Market Visits, Re-Rooting
Kindle Fire users have discovered that Amazon prevents them from shopping the Android Market via the Silk browser. Meanwhile, the latest firmware nukes root and prevents future rooting.
Tom's has confirmed several reports that Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet prevents users from visiting the Android Market in the Silk browser. The 7-inch tablet contains a hidden utility app called "MarketIntentProxy.apk" which can detect when the end-user is hunting for an app, and will force a re-direct to the Amazon Appstore installed on the device -- literally hijacking the browser.
But it doesn't stop there. The hidden app will hijack the Silk browser even when the proxy server is turned off. That said, when users can't find the app they want to install -- like Minecraft Pocket Edition for instance -- on Amazon's Appstore, they're either forced to root the device and install the Android Market, or download the app from a repository and side-load it.
Then again, rooting may now be out of the question. Typically when Amazon releases an update for the Kindle Fire, it breaks root. However the latest firmware update, which was just released by Amazon and will likely appear on devices over the next few days, will break the current root and actually prevent users from re-rooting the device using SimpleOneClick.
But despite the root issue, here's a bit of good news for users who aren't quite so naughty. The update brings smoother scrolling, an option to lock Wi-Fi access to the tablet so the kids aren't purchasing and downloading apps like Whirl-A-Girl 2, and the ability to remove books, apps or other content from the revealing home screen carousel. Users can also delete that silly Facebook icon which is really just an Internet shortcut, and not an actual app.
Consumers scared away by the complaints surrounding the first-generation Kindle Fire model may have to wait a while for the second generation device, as industry sources report that makers in the supply chain won't begin preparing the needed parts and components for the Kindle Fire 2 until 2Q12. Still, it may be worth the wait, as sources claim the next version will sport an 8.9-inch screen and SoCs from Nvidia and Texas Instruments -- sounds like two Kindle Fire 2 models are in the works.
According to the sources, Amazon may employ controller ICs from Atmel or Cypress in addition to current supplier ILi Technology (Ilitek). The company will also add Foxconn Electronics to its OEM partner list for the assembly of the new device. Quanta Computer, the current primary manufacturer of Amazon's Kindle Fire, will remain on the assembly list. Sources claim that Quanta may ramp up its current Kindle Fire shipments from 4.7 to 5.3 million units by the end of the month instead of the previously projected number of 3.5 to 4.0 million units.
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It is actually good that this update improves the customer experience...
...because we all know that they can not REALLY prevent future rooting, if someone really wants it. It's just a challenge, to be defeated within a week. This way, one can have the latest updates AND root afterwards.
No one is "FORCED" to root their device... they CHOOSE to... If you don't want to work within the confines of the Amazon Appstore, the Kindle Fire is not for you!
This is why I don't have a smart phone or tablet. Companies don't want you to have intimate access to the hardware and software. They want it to be a nice play thing but not a fully functional computer. I'll buy a tablet (maybe) when they get off the drugs and let people have root access all they want to the stuff they bought.
Why do they try to prevent root access anyway? It's unrelated to piracy.
I imagine it's because they like to have a hold on the software that their tablet will run and the profit from app stores?
This is why I don't have a smart phone or tablet. Companies don't want you to have intimate access to the hardware and software. They want it to be a nice play thing but not a fully functional computer. I'll buy a tablet (maybe) when they get off the drugs and let people have root access all they want to the stuff they bought.Why do they try to prevent root access anyway? It's unrelated to piracy.I imagine it's because they like to have a hold on the software that their tablet will run and the profit from app stores?
because it is the first step for piracy?
in fires case, because they sell it at a loss and expect to recupe the cost through the app store and the books.
Because they want to control what you can do, and force their bloatware on you. If they cared about user experience - kindle fire would be running 4.0 (or at least 3.2)... we'll see if that will ever happen. Can't wait until custom 4.0 is out so I can root my phone and tablet.
No one is "FORCED" to root their device... they CHOOSE to... If you don't want to work within the confines of the Amazon Appstore, the Kindle Fire is not for you!
Hardware I purchased is my property, and I'm allowed to do whatever I want with it within the confines of the law. If Amazon wants to tell me how to operate my device that I purchased, the Kindle Fire is not for me.
Why do they try to prevent root access anyway? It's unrelated to piracy.I imagine it's because they like to have a hold on the software that their tablet will run and the profit from app stores?
Amazon runs their own app store, and they want to force customers to use their app store instead of Google's. What's worse is that when they announced the Fire, they had an attitude that they would be okay with rooting. Guess the policy changes once customers actually buy them.
Amazon's just another big corp managed by people with no clue how to actually deal with customers. The Fire will be rooted regardless, trying to block it only challenges people to crack it faster, and the customers will give Amazon's app store less business thanks to the attempt.
I'm guessing that when someone purchases a kindle fire somewhere along the line they agree to a user's license, the terms of which are violated by rooting the device. I don't care if people root there devices or not, but I cringe at how routinely people agree to something that they know up front is a lie on their part. I'm sure some people will respond with the following:
Liar: I bought the device so it's my right to root it.
Me: Does your neighbor have the right to open a garbage dump in his front lawn and ruin your property value. It is his property.
Liar: Hey, my rooting the device doesn't hurt anyone else.
Me: Yes it does. It helps destroy the business model that makes the initial cost of ownership lower for everyone else.
Liar: Well I'm just one person, I'm not going to bring the business model to it's knees!
Me: Oh, sorry, Mr. Liar. I forgot that just because it's you doing it and not everyone else, then the normal rules don't apply. Do you also think it is okay to steal from a charity because if it is only you doing it, then the amount of money will be so slight as to not be noticeable?
Self Centered Liar: Well that is different. Stealing from charities is taking something that is not yours to begin with. The kindle is mine, I bought it.
Me: Yes, but your defense to weakening the business model was based on the fact that not everyone does it, just a few people. I'm just pointing out that this argument cannot be used to absolve you of moral bankruptcy.
Liar: Get off your high-horse you piece of crap.
Me: QED
I understand Amazon's side partially. They do sell it at a loss with the expectation being they'll recoup the costs in sales via their store.
But I don't understand the mentality of...you bought it, we own and control it. I just can't agree with that philosophy. Something fundamentally wrong about telling people you own what they bought.
They did however say they were ok with rooting previously
Glad I did not buy one. If this is how Amazon 'handles' their customers they may also keep Verson 2.0, 3.0 or whatevet.
Funny isn't it how everyone was all about the Kindle Fire and how Amazon wasn't another Apple so they would let you do as you please with your device. Oh how simpleminded some of you are... It's all about the $$$$$ and you're damn skippy they will make it as difficult as possible for you to circumvent their store. At least Apple is up front about it.
This is why I don't have a smart phone or tablet. Companies don't want you to have intimate access to the hardware and software. They want it to be a nice play thing but not a fully functional computer. I'll buy a tablet (maybe) when they get off the drugs and let people have root access all they want to the stuff they bought.Why do they try to prevent root access anyway? It's unrelated to piracy.I imagine it's because they like to have a hold on the software that their tablet will run and the profit from app stores?
The whole thing with the Kindle Fire was that Amazon is taking a hit on the tablets and loosing money on every one they sell, but with that they plan on making up the loss with their own App Store. That was their logic, sounded pretty legit to me.
Misleading title is misleading. As you said, when a firmware released, it usually breaks root. That is true but just because you can't use your favorite rooting tool "SUPERoneClick" (Not SIMPLEOneClick), which is a tool that basically tries the most common rooting methods, doesn't mean Amazon is preventing users from rooting. It just means that software doesn't work and needs updating.
No one is "FORCED" to root their device... they CHOOSE to... If you don't want to work within the confines of the Amazon Appstore, the Kindle Fire is not for you!
You are right that's why I don't have one. F'em
Then... don't buy the FIRE. I don't recall Amazon putting a gun to your head, same as Apple.
As far as I know you can still "side-load" non Amazon appz onto your kindle fire for example Spotify. For me that would be the deal breaker if I couldn't. I just read that a recent update to the BN nook kills the root AND the side-loading capabilities..That being said I wouldn't be surprised if Amazon did it in a future update. For now I still will keep my Fire that is being sent to me as I type this..
Funny isn't it how everyone was all about the Kindle Fire and how Amazon wasn't another Apple so they would let you do as you please with your device. Oh how simpleminded some of you are... It's all about the $$$$$ and you're damn skippy they will make it as difficult as possible for you to circumvent their store. At least Apple is up front about it.
This thread is not about Apple; you're in the wrong place. Trying to troll a bit? Besides, people like you could never understand why we are not pleased with Amazon's (or B&N's) approach. They went back on their word, pretty much, and that's what is not acceptable. Just like SONY did with the firmware update for their PS3.
In this case, though, I believe the damage is not too great, as there will be some other solutions besides SuperOneClick, or this one WILL be updated to include the latest firmware. Some "simpleminded" devs out there are making sure of that. Being so sophisticated, I am pretty sure you can grasp that, can't you?
amazon's anti-rooting rootkit/spyware!
No one is "FORCED" to root their device... they CHOOSE to... If you don't want to work within the confines of the Amazon Appstore, the Kindle Fire is not for you!
You're absolutely correct. The Amazon Fire is not for me. Now I have to look for a decent priced tablet. I have a problem parting with $200 and told how I can use my device.
haha they're just not as good as APPLE to hide this kind of shite
This thread is not about Apple; you're in the wrong place. Trying to troll a bit? Besides, people like you could never understand why we are not pleased with Amazon's (or B&N's) approach. They went back on their word, pretty much, and that's what is not acceptable. ?
They went back on their word? Where exactly did they promise that you could root their device at will and for the rest of it's life? I could be wrong but I would be surprised if that was in the EULA.
In this case, though, I believe the damage is not too great, as there will be some other solutions besides SuperOneClick, or this one WILL be updated to include the latest firmware. Some "simpleminded" devs out there are making sure of that. Being so sophisticated, I am pretty sure you can grasp that, can't you?
I was calling the folks who believed that Amazon/B&N would put out a device at a loss and allow you to easily root (and not purchase apps from them) simpleminded. I don't really think the devs are simpleminded. That being said, Amazon/B&N approach is to make it difficult to root the device (not impossible); this limits the number of people rooting it and thereby increases their potential revenue stream.
It was one of the first things i tried, i would have thought this was well known that trying to hit the android market with any browser will pipe you to the amazon app market (you actually have to launch and install from the android market app itself)
Other than revenue Amazon does has some legitimacy in having amazon app store, the fire has some interesting idiosyncrasies (like no home button, no volume buttons, the status bar to name a few), the majority of folks who buy the fire wont know squat if their apps started to behave funny
side-loading is still possible
at least they didn't bricked any rooted devices
I could not find the app "Whirl-A-Girl 2" on the android market place...
It is on Amazon
Selling at a loss is decptive in itself. They are just doing this to give the preception that they have a cheaper Android "tablet" than the next guy. The deception is realized when you get it home and realize that you are locked into doing business only with them.
I would rather them mark the harwadre up a bit more so they make money and won't resort to decptive ad controlling software crap to stop me from using a computing device I bought as I want to use it.
And hijaaking search queries ... Come on ... That is what viruses do.
Um, ah, I don't yet have the update and I haven't been able to install Android apps - those not in Amazon's own store - since the day I got the FIre about 3 weeks ago. Believe me, the first thing I tried to do was get Firefox mobile and when I went to download, I got an error message from the Fire. (I did find a workaround and got it loaded only to discover that, for me, on the Fire, Opera Mobile is the better browser.)
While the recent update (6.2.1) did break root it also eliminated the browser redirect when you tried to access the official Android Market. You can now access and download from the official Android Market right from the browser [NO re-ROOT required!] http://got-google.blogspot.com/201 [...] indle.html
@bleyten
actually wont work, you need to have associated a Google account with a kindle fire device, which is only possible if you had installed Android market, which is only possible with a rooted device, but the good news is anyone who has done this now has access to android market and can have android market push apps to your kindle fire (you can actually log into android market on a desktop select the apps you like and have it pushed to your kindle fire the next time it has a wifi connection)
@RemySecor
Ive found that sideloadeding the apk from mozilla a bit of a mess and resulted in a very buggy firefox, firefox on android market is much more stable (no idea why) and dont even touch nightly (it's not even remotely in the same stability league as the desktop nightly), but firefox is flashless, so far the most complete experience i have had with he kindle fire is using Dolphin HD i would highly recommend it