Back in January, Amazon took a page out of Apple's playbook, and invited outside software developers to create applications for its Kindle electronic book reader. At the time, there was talk of Kindle apps like calculators, stock tickers, games and interactive books. Since then, Amazon has been quiet on the topic of apps. But now the company has released two word games for Kindle, Every Word and Shuffled Row. Is this the first sign of a Kindle app store?

The Every Word game is about finding as many words as possible in scrambled letters. Shuffled Row is about finding words in 60 lettered tiles. Both are simple games, in black-and-white. Amazon calls them "active content," its term for apps. Both are free and available for immediate download.

What other apps are coming? That's not clear. Amazon continues to describe the Kindle — which currently lacks color, touch screen and animation — as "purpose-built" for reading.

Update: An Amazon spokeswoman, Stephanie Mantello, writes via e-mail that the two Kindle games were developed using the Kindle Development Kit. Regarding a Kindle App Store, she said, "we have nothing to announce at this time."

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