KINGSTON WI-DRIVE NOW SUPPORTS KINDLE FIRE AND IS AT AMAZON STORE – FREE WI-DRIVE APP FOR KFIRE IS NOW DOWNLOADABLE
Now we can add a 16 to 32 gig pocket-sized drive to the Kindle Fire — and soon, Kingston Digital says, a 64GB drive (price not known yet). The drive can be carried in your pocket.
Android Mag’s Pallavi had one of the several announcements of the availability of Kingston’s WiDrive a few days ago, but the Kindle Fire app was not available in the Amazon AppStore. It is now. I just downloaded it.
Pallavi writes:
‘ It utilizes “Flash-based technology to store data from USB-compatible PCs.” The content can be retrieved via Wi-Drive’s built-in wireless signal; and you do not require cables or an internet connection to do so. What’s more, three users can work on different file types simultaneously from a single Wi-Drive. ‘
THAT SHARING FEATURE
That would mean each could be accessing different movies, music or other data at the same time, without wires.
The product description for the Wi-Drive with Kindle Fire Support mentions that you can run other apps while using WiDrive features and that there are “enhanced photo features.”
Also mentioned: “Additional Network Setting – select WiFi channel“
Update – The first, very helpful customer review there, by Steeler Nation “Peter”, written from use with iDevices, explains that the unit provides its own WiFi network. His caveats are that with two or more people using it at a time, constantly streaming, it runs for only 3 hours and then must be re-charged again and you cannot recharge this with the miniUSB adapter while using it. He doesn’t say how long it lasts with one person using it. [End of Update]
Mobile Magazine has some very good photos.
The Wi-Drive can be shared by 3 users concurrently, as we’ve seen, and is already available from Amazon in 16GB ($60) and 32GB ($90) versions, and the 64GB version is coming, mid-year.
Wi-Drives are the shape and approximate size of Apple’s iPhone 4s.
The unit comes with a one-year warranty and free technical support.
Amazon customer reviews of the basic unit (which had been only for Apple devices previously) — 34 reviews at 4.5 stars average. No ’1′ or ’2′ ratings.
There’s one customer review at the Amazon product page, for the Kindle Fire version, from someone who already had the drive for his Apple devices.
‘ By Wayne2626 [January 12, 2012]
Amazon Verified Purchase
This review is from: Kingston Wi-Drive 16 GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive WID/16GBZ (Personal Computers)I have a Iphone 4 and I was give[n] a gift certificate which I used to get a 16g wi-drive and it worked great with the iPhone. I also got a kindle fire for christmas. I found that amazon was going to come out with the wi-drive program which I just downloaded and it was no problem getting it to work with the fire giving me 24g of usable memory with the fire for shows, movies, and pictures.
Also one person can watch a movie stored on the wi-drive and another person can watch the same movie or a different movie stored on the same wi-drive at the same time, sharing media on the same wi-drive at the same time with two different devices… ‘
DOWNLOADING THE WI-DRIVE APP
Here’s the downloadable Wi-Drive app for KindleFire, which you can order this way and it’ll be ready for your Kindle Fire. Or, after checking this app page, you can just get on the Kindle Fire, go to “Apps” and then click on “Store” at upper-right and search for it and download it there.
But it’s simpler to just click on the product page’s download box and get the app ready for your Kindle Fire to install (and the record of $0.00 ‘purchase’ is on your server records already that way).
WI-DRIVE FOR KINDLE FIRE USER MANUAL
Kingston offers a downloadable Wi-Drive for Kindle Fire User Manual in PDF format
HOW YOU USE IT – A VIDEO
Kingston’s press release of Jan. 10 recommends their (high definition) YouTube VIDEO about the Wi-Drive.
REMINDER ABOUT VIDEO FORMATS – A CONVERTER
Any video you play on the Kindle Fire, whether from a DVD or from your personal videos, must be converted to MP4 first. I was exploring Miro, which is free but will wait until their support for Kindle Fire is ready.
UPDATE — Video Converter tools
- I’ve asked the knowledgeable Amazon Kindle Forum members what good, free or low-cost utilities they know of for converting videos to mp4 and have already received very good information from L. Leverton, Pineapple, and Tink-erbell in that forum thread.
So far, DVD Catalyst 4, full $9.95 version (vs free versio)n, stands out. L. says:
‘ It now has new Fire upgrades that do some amazing things. It can eliminate the gray bar and make it a full screen video among other things. I tried it again yesterday on the Liam Neeson Unknown movie. I stuck the dvd in the drive and selected kindle fire as the device and selected go. It was done in a matter of minutes and was great. ‘
L. also mentions seeing a new Movie Gallery app that was $2.00 … so there’s another possibility.
Visit that thread for any additional input from the members there. [End of Update]
This Wi-Drive info should be good news for many 
Apple users who don’t already know about this unit might benefit from it also.
Kindle Touch 3G Kindle Touch WiFi Kindle Basic (UK: KBasic) Kindle Fire
Kindle Keybd 3G (UK: Kindle Keybd 3G) K3 Special Offers K3-3G Special Offers DX
Check often: Temporarily-free recently published ones
Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources. Top 100 free bestsellers. Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
Also, UK customers should see the UK store’s Top 100 free bestsellers.
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