While not everyone affords the latest $359 Kindle electronic book reader from Amazon, the company introduced a new application for iPhone and iPod Touch users that allows them to access much of the same content on their Apple device.

In an attempt to increase its slice of the e-book market, the e-commerce giant rolled out a free program Wednesday that brings several of the Kindle's functions to the iPod and iPhone's smaller screen.

Including most of the Kindle features, the Kindle software for the iPhone and iPod, which Amazon.com Chief Executive Jeff Bezos first hinted at during the release of the Kindle 2 last month, allows users to buy and read any of Amazon 230,000 e-books on any of the three devices and seamlessly move them among the gadgets.

Those who already have a Kindle can download their current book to their iPhone and read it even when they do not have their dedicated e-book reader with them. Readers can also bookmark pages or make notations on one device that will carry over to the other.

"Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch is a great way for customers to catch up on their current book wherever they are, like in line at the grocery store or between meetings," said Ian Freed, vice president, Amazon Kindle.

However, the application does not allow direct purchase of books from Amazon, one must use a web browser to go to Amazon to buy Kindle titles. The application allows users to sync the titles between the their Apple gadgets and the Kindle.

The application is available for free from Apple iTunes Store.