Kindle Review – Kindle 3 Review, iPad Review

Kindle Tips – Use GPS and Google Maps on the Amazon Kindle

May 2010 Update: These tips only worked on the Kindle 1. Kindle 2 and Kindle DX did not have these shortcuts working. These are supposedly not working on the Kindle 1 any more.

Turn the Amazon Kindle into a GPS navigator. 

I’d already posted the Kindle hacks from the IgorS blog. Anyways here’s some more details -

The Kindle seems to have location-awareness in the CDMA module. You can plot your current location on Google Maps when you are in Browser Mode by pressing Alt -1 . The other shortcuts are:

Basic Options: 

Alt-2 find gas station nearby
Alt-3 find restaurants nearby
Alt-5 find custom keyword nearby

Advanced Options:

Alt-D dump debug info to the log and toggle highlight default item
Alt-Z toggle zone drawing and show log

Alt-1 show current location in google maps

I’m hoping some viewers can try it out and comment on how they find the experience. BTW I do have Google Maps on Kindle as part of my Header Image

Filed under: kindle | Tagged: Kindle Maps, Kindle Google Maps, Amaozn Kindle Google Maps, maps on kindle, kindle location awareness

12 Responses

1. Isryel, on December 11, 2008 at 5:41 pm Said:

   i have a kindle and i cant get my gps location
   i press alt 1 and i get restaurants that aren’t even nearby

   Reply
   • switch11, on December 11, 2008 at 6:15 pm Said:

     where were you located when you tried this? zip code?

     Reply
2. Gregory E Wright, on December 12, 2008 at 12:55 pm Said:

   I tried all these shortcuts. Nothing happened.

   Reply
3. switch11, on December 12, 2008 at 1:11 pm Said:

   could you let me know the steps i.e.
   1) go into browser mode
   2) press alt-1.

   and so forth that you followed. thanks,

   Reply
4. mathmom, on February 27, 2009 at 9:27 pm Said:

   Sadly, this no longer works on kindle 2

   Reply
5. Chirishman, on July 20, 2009 at 2:28 pm Said:

   Doesn’t work for me on a kindle 1, 02465. opened browser and hit alt-1. it filled in the box with “Not Avail, Not Avail”

   Reply
   • switch11, on July 20, 2009 at 4:12 pm Said:

     hmmm. perhaps it’s a recent change.

     Reply
6. KindleDX55730, on May 9, 2010 at 9:28 am Said:

   dosent work at all. tried it on my kindle dx, and dosen’t do anything.

   Reply
   • switch11, on May 9, 2010 at 9:51 am Said:

     OH. Will update the post. This only works on Kindle 1 and I think it’s disabled on it too now.

     Reply
7. Shawn, on August 15, 2010 at 6:35 pm Said:

   I have a Kindle DX, I have tried all the shot cuts and nothing happen. Do I need to be outside of building? or Do I need a GPS locator or something?

   Thanks

   Reply
   • switch11, on August 15, 2010 at 8:02 pm Said:

     This only works for Kindle 1. Kindle DX doesn’t have some of the shortcuts for Kindle 2 and doesn’t have a lot of the shortcuts for Kindle 1.

     Please try this post – Kindle DX Tips.

     Reply
8. R. Lenon, on August 25, 2010 at 5:26 am Said:

   Don´t try to do…
   This only works for Kindle 1.

   Reply