Bookeen's been touting its Cybook Orizon e-reader since CES in January, but it looks like it's now finally, actually nearing a release. According to the company, the device will be available in "mid-October," and it'll boast a 6-inch multitouch screen with "reading quality close to that of paper." That screen is apparently based on SiPix's so-called "Caress touch ePaper" technology, and packs a 167 dpi resolution and 16 levels of gray. Otherwise, you'll get built-in WiFi and Bluetooth (no 3G option), plus 2GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot for expansion, 150 pre-loaded books (presumably public domain), and a web browser that promises "unrestricted" access to the sites of your choice. Still no word on a release over here, unfortunately, but folks in Europe will be able to pre-order the device starting September 25th for €229.99 (or roughly $300).

We're certainly not wanting for e-readers this week, although we are definitely wanting for one that's compelling enough to shell out good money for -- which is fine, because company's all over God's green Earth seem to be working overtime to give us one. Take Jinke -- the company's switched from E Ink to SiPix panels for the A6 and A9 readers, both of which are planned to sport multitouch, 16 levels of grayscale, WiFi a/b/g, and optional 3G -- as well as the usual compliment of formats (FB2, EPUB, PDF, most image formats, and MP3). The former is a 6-inch (600 x 800) device with 2GB of storage, an SD slot, and an accelerometer. The Jinke A9 features a 9-inch (1024 x 768) panel, and up to 4GB storage. Both the A6 ($275) and the A9 ($330) should be available in March.