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Bookeen Cybook Odyssey HD FrontLight joins the lit e-reader fray

Offering a front-lit e-reader isn't reserved just for the heaviest hitters. Bookeen is leaping into that still-exclusive club with the Cybook Odyssey HD FrontLight. Its lengthily-named upgrade to the original Odyssey focuses on the read-anywhere light, and a lightweight body, as its standout aspects -- at just under 6.4 ounces, it's more featherlike than Amazon and Barnes & Noble counterparts with similarly legible screens. Claims of display superiority are a bit suspicious when Bookeen touts the same 62 percent jump in resolution that we saw in the Kindle Paperwhite, but we'll appreciate the extra crispness alongside a tweaked interface and a new PDF reflow option. Readers who balk at going with the dominant device makers can pick up the Cybook HD FrontLight in November, when we'll also learn whether or not Bookeen can offer a challenge on price.

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Bookeen is about to launch the new Cybook Odyssey HD FrontLight: The world's lightest e-reader solution!

PARIS, 9th October 2012

Bookeen is announcing today the launch of the new Cybook Odyssey HD FrontLight, the 6th generation and most advanced Cybook with an inbuilt FrontLight solution and with the most advanced E Ink® HD display. Since 1998, Bookeen has been the European champion in digital reading years before Amazon entered the market.

The new Cybook Odyssey HD FrontLight which will be launched first in Europe starting from November 2012 marks a revolution in the e-reader market. It is embedded with an HD display, innovative and low power consumption FrontLight technology and an enhanced user interface. It is also ergonomically designed, made with Bookeen's HSIS technology (High Speed Ink System) as well as smart connectivity technology. Bookeen disrupts digital reading with this high quality e-reader incorporating brand new technology.

Michael Dahan, Bookeen CEO: "In 2007 with the launch of the first reader with E Ink® display technology, we participated in making digital reading a success. We did this by offering a new comfort and demonstrating how the competition between e-readers and paper books is changing our lives. Now with the new Cybook Odyssey HD FrontLight we are making a huge step forward, demonstrating that we are the only independent solution to partner with booksellers against Amazon or Kobo".

Most Advanced E-Reader Display

Cybook Odyssey HD display is the most advanced e-reader display. Featuring a 213 DPI display, the Cybook Odyssey HD display has 62% more pixels than current e-readers. This means that all fonts and images will be defined more precisely and will benefit from a 758 x 1024 resolution screen.

This new capacitive touch display (with anti-glare treatment) offers the best digital reading experience in a very slim device.

Adopt the FrontLight revolution

As a pioneer in e-reader technology, Bookeen has worked on bringing a solution in low light conditions which is easy for the reader's eyes. The Cybook Odyssey HD FrontLight offers a choice of twenty levels of FrontLighting by sliding the regulator on the touch screen and adjusting the light power according to the environment.

If you want to have a whiter screen, simply activate the FrontLight with the menu button; the reader can use the FrontLight in any environment.

A new version of Bookeen's user interface

With the newest HD screen, Bookeen invested a lot of energy in optimising this new display and resolution to all content on the Cybook interface. The result is spectacular in terms of pixel management.

With this version, Bookeen introduces PDF reflow option to the Cybook Odyssey. For PDF users this new software feature makes reading as easy as possible. This is a key element in order to read the content in a better layout without having to manipulate the display.

This Cybook offers an inbuilt High Speed Ink System to operate any action at a fast pace.

A perfect design for reading at home or when on the go

The Cybook Odyssey is an international success with sales in more than 40 countries; this new version is even more appealing.

The Cybook Odyssey HD FrontLight now weighs only 180 g/6.35 oz positioning this device as one of the world's lightest and thinnest readers (thinner than a magazine or a paper book (9.4mm)).The Cybook Odyssey is one of the few readers to offer a perfect touch screen management AND mechanical buttons. These backward and forward page buttons can also be reversed on the settings to fit the use or preferences of customers (left or right handed).

A full range of covers is available in six different colours from Old Pink, Black and Red Vermillion.

Low power consumption technology

If the reader is used in daylight or in a dark environment, battery management must be optimal. This is why Bookeen's engineers optimized the power management of the laminated light guide film used in the FrontLight technology.

Thanks to this efficient battery management and with a use of 1/2 hours of reading per day with the FrontLight, the Cybook will last for weeks of reading on just a single charge.

Wi-Fi connection

Thanks to its built-in Wi-Fi connection, the Cybook Odyssey HD FrontLight will let readers download new content when at home or on the go.

The Cybook HD FrontLight is coming soon in November

Price, technical specs and key leading retail partners will be announced soon

On top of this launch, in November Bookeen will introduce a new version of its best seller with the Cybook Odyssey 2013 Edition

This new reader will be lighter than the previous Cybook Odyssey (180g vs. 195g) and will offer new software features such as the PDF reflow, ability to reverse the page buttons function. This new version is equipped with an E Ink Pearl display, capacitive touch and built-in Wi-Fi to download books wherever you want in seconds. This Cybook offers an inbuilt High Speed Ink System to process any action at a fast pace.

About Bookeen

Based in Paris, France, the Bookeen team - experts in e-books since 1998 – have developed numerous e-reading solutions over the past 13 years (hardware and software). Bookeen is proud to be bringing innovation to the market through this new FrontLight technology and HSIS, a technology featured for the first time in its Cybook Odyssey device.

Bookeen also offers its very own bookstore solution, featured on the Cybook Orizon & Odyssey devices and accessible online at BookeenStore.com