Firmware Update New K3 firmware supports non-Latin dictionaries (Russian, Greek, Arabic)

[Doitsu]

I did some tests with the new 3.4 firmware for K3 (Keyboard) and was pleasantly surprised to find out that the dictionary lookup algorithm now finally supports non-Latin input languages. (I only tested it with Classical Greek, Russian and Arabic dictionaries, but other languages should be supported, too.)

Depending on the size of the dictionary and whether it has an inflection index, looking up words in non-Latin languages might take a bit longer but it works. However, since the dictionary format hasn't been updated, Arabic letters are displayed as LTR text.

FW 3.4 also fixed the French word segmentation problem mentioned in this post, which made it impossible to look up words like "l’étoffe," and the dictionary window displays up to three lines now.

This might make a used K3 (Keyboard) a cheap alternative for Kindle users interested in foreign languages.

I cannot recommend it for Arabic though, because it only supports text without vowel signs.

[PoP]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

...
FW 3.4 also fixed the French word segmentation problem mentioned in this post, which made it impossible to look up words like "l’étoffe," and the dictionary window displays up to three lines now.
...

Enfin! Very nice Amazon. Thanks for testing Doitsu.

[NiLuJe]

That's also fixed on the Touch, if someone was wondering (like I was when Doitsu mentioned it ).

[kim1406]

Does this also work on the new kindle paperwhite? as I cannot read Arabic on it other than PDF files.

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by kim1406

Does this also work on the new kindle paperwhite? as I cannot read Arabic on it other than PDF files.

Theoretically, the Kindle PW should also support Arabic .mobi files, unless Amazon removed the Unicode fallback font. If you use Calibre, make sure to select AZW3 as the output format since regular .mobi files don't support RTL languages.

You can also use KindlePreviewer, which will automatically create a hybrid .mobi file.

[horizon21]

Is there any way to type in cyrillic in Kindle 3 software ver. 3.4?
And what about Kindle 4NT (silver)?

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by horizon21

Is there any way to type in cyrillic in Kindle 3 software ver. 3.4?
And what about Kindle 4NT (silver)?

No. Out of the box, Kindles only support English keyboard layouts. However, there's a K3 keyboard localization hack for jailbroken Kindles by "Sir Alex" that probably works for FW 3.4, too.
You may want to ask your question in the Kindle Developers forum. If you speak Russian, you can also check out the Russian Kindle forums.

[horizon21]

Thanks, Doitsu. Sadly, I cannot speak nor understand Russian, as I am Bulgarian. We use Cyrillic, too. I will do some research on the localization hack.

EDIT: Unfortunately, at this point the localization hack does not work on firmware 3.4. In one of SirAlex's posts in the Russian forum he states that he will cease to develop code for Kindle 3 due to the fact that he will focus on Kindle 4NT, Touch and Paperwhite. Someone must take the baton!

[kim1406]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

Theoretically, the Kindle PW should also support Arabic .mobi files, unless Amazon removed the Unicode fallback font. If you use Calibre, make sure to select AZW3 as the output format since regular .mobi files don't support RTL languages.

You can also use KindlePreviewer, which will automatically create a hybrid .mobi file.

Thanks for the reply Doitsu, I tried Calibre and made some AZW3 files, but I got the first page ok on Arabic only, the rest of the pages were messed up, and I don't know if Kindle Paperwhite is accepting AZW3 or not as, the option "Send to my kindle" is not available when trying those files.

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by kim1406

Thanks for the reply Doitsu, I tried Calibre and made some AZW3 files, but I got the first page ok on Arabic only, the rest of the pages were messed up, and I don't know if Kindle Paperwhite is accepting AZW3 or not as, the option "Send to my kindle" is not available when trying those files.

You most likely sent a non-KF8 file to your Kindle and the Arabic text that you saw was the automatic cover that Calibre generated from the first page of your book.

Try Kindle Previewer instead. KP will automatically generate a master mobi file that you can copy to your PW via USB cable.

(You don't need Calibre to transfer files. Simply connect your Kindle to your computer and copy the .mobi file to the documents folder on your Kindle.)

[kim1406]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

You most likely sent a non-KF8 file to your Kindle and the Arabic text that you saw was the automatic cover that Calibre generated from the first page of your book.

Try Kindle Previewer instead. KP will automatically generate a master mobi file that you can copy to your PW via USB cable.

(You don't need Calibre to transfer files. Simply connect your Kindle to your computer and copy the .mobi file to the documents folder on your Kindle.)

I tried KP to convert an Arabic epub file, it worked fine and it shows the file ok with Arabic letters in my pc without any problem. However, when I transferred it to my PW, it shows the book with Arabic letters ok (connected letters and readable words as supposed to be), but it is from LTR instead of RTL, as seen in the attachment.

it reads
الرحيم الرحمن الله بسم
instead of
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Any solution to this?

thanks

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by kim1406

I tried KP to convert an Arabic epub file, it worked fine and it shows the file ok with Arabic letters in my pc without any problem. However, when I transferred it to my PW, it shows the book with Arabic letters ok (connected letters and readable words as supposed to be), but it is from LTR instead of RTL, as seen in the attachment.

It looks like you either created a non-KF8 .mobi file or the non-KF8 part of a master .mobi file is displayed by the PW because of a firmware bug.

Try opening my 2 .mobi test files with your PW. If none of them displays the Arabic text correctly, the PW firmware doesn't support Arabic.

If AR_KF8.mobi displays correctly but AR_Mobi7&KF8.mobi doesn't, there's a bug in the firmware.

If both display correctly, there's a problem with your ePub source files.

[kim1406]

I tried them both, and non of them displays the Arabic correctly. I got same result as my file. It seems that PW firmware doesn't support Arabic. What can I do now, is it possible to have a solution after jailbreaking the device?

thanks

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by kim1406

I tried them both, and non of them displays the Arabic correctly.

I'm sorry to hear this. It looks like there's a problem with the PW firmware.

Originally Posted by kim1406

What can I do now, is it possible to have a solution after jailbreaking the device?

Not really. Even on the K3, only two alternative reading apps supported Arabic:

1. Duokan Lite [Not Duokan 2012] (RTL support was sketchy, for example it wouldn't open your Kalila wa Dimna epub.)

2. fbKindle with Matan's patch (slightly better RTL support, but no support for embedded fonts.)

(CoolReader doesn't support RTL text at all and won't support RTL text in the future according to the developers.)

If RTL support is important to you, you may want to return the PW and either get an older Kindle or better an iPad (or another reader that doesn't use the ADE engine).

You could also mention this issue in the Kindle Developer's forum, but hardly anybody there seems to be interested in localization issues.

[NiLuJe]

@Doitsu: No issues with (both) your test files .