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Sony Reader app finally available for Android, only works with 2.2 and higher
Well, it's about time! We knew Sony was prepping some Reader apps to go along with its physical Pocket, Daily, and Touch Edition e-readers, and while it may have missed that December release date, the Android version of the app is now available in the Market. The free app is pretty much what you'd expect -- you can log in with your username and it automatically syncs previously purchased books, and like the e-readers, it also supports ePub and PDF formats. In addition, you can easily highlight text and adjust font and brightness settings right from the page you're reading. We downloaded the app and found it to be pretty decent, however, the Store shortcut launches within the browser rather than in the app. Ready for the twisted part? Sony has confirmed for us that the app will only work with handsets that run Android 2.2 and higher, which is incredibly ironic considering most Sony Ericsson handsets are, you know, still stuck with 2.1. Of course, it looks like that PlayStation Phone will work just fine when it's finally released, but that's neither here nor there -- hit the gallery for a pile of screenshots of the app. %Gallery-114845% Updated: Sony just let us know that the iOS version is still pending Apple's approval, but it should be available soon.
Google eBooks is live: just in case Amazon, B&N, and Apple aren't enough
You hear about this whole e-books thing? We hear it's gonna be a pretty big deal. Google, always with its finger on the pulse of our ever-evolving digital lifestyles, has decided to take a wild stab at this nascent market, and is launching Google eBooks today. Formerly known as Google Editions, the Google eBooks ecosystem is actually a pretty grand gesture, and seems to combine most of the positives of the primary e-book contenders (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple, naturally), while skimping on the UI flourishes, in traditional Google fashion. Books you buy are stored in the cloud, with your progress synced Whispersync-style, and can be read on your choice of native Android, iPhone, or iPad apps; from your browser; or on any device that supports the Adobe Digital Editions DRM for PDF and ePub files, which includes the B&N Nook and the Sony Reader (and plenty of other devices). Google is also trading on its vast repository of public domain books, with 3 million free eBooks on offer at its Google eBookstore, in addition to traditional paid fare. It's certainly a crowded market, full of sharp elbows, but it seems Google is having no trouble adjusting.
Sony aims for half of Japan's e-reader market by 2012
Given the dominance of Sony's Walkman over in the Land of the Rising Sun, it's a little surprising to think that Sony has been all but silent regarding the Japanese e-reader market. We heard back in May that the mega-corp was planning an e-reader launch in Japan by the year's end, aiming to build out an elaborate e-book distribution platform with local telecom operator KDDI. Fast forward a few months, and it seems as if thing's are finally falling into place. New reports are suggesting that the 5- and 6-inch Sony Reader devices will be on sale in Japan on December 10th, with pricing set for ¥20,000 ($237) / ¥25,000 ($297), respectively. Additionally, it's planning to crack the seal on an online e-bookstore with around 20,000 titles, and that one should be ready to roll prior to the "year-end shopping rush." Perhaps more stunning, however, is Sony's intentions to "sell 300,000 Readers in the first year and win half the domestic market by 2012" -- that's according to Sony Marketing Japan president Nobuki Kurita. Bold words, Sony, but we love the ambition.
Sony Reader app hitting iPhone and Android devices in December
Playing catchup, are we? Sony's hot on the trail of Amazon and Barnes and Noble, who already have e-reading apps for the Android and iOS platforms, with its own freshly announced Reader offering set for release next month. The functionality in this upcoming slice of software will be familiar: you get to access books already purchased at the Reader Store or pony up cash for new ones, while making bookmarks, notes and highlights on your mobile device. Throw in adjustable fonts and you've got your boilerplate beginning to a decent mobile e-reader. Now you just need to pick your fave ebook purveyor.
Sony Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-350SC) review
There's no question about it: Sony had its work cut out when it came time to improve the next generation of its e-readers. Amazon's Kindle isn't only the best selling electronic reading device out there, but its new $139 WiFi version is the fastest-selling yet. And then there's the Barnes & Noble's Nook, which is an equally capable competitor, especially with recent firmware updates. Oh, and don't forget about the $140 Kobo. Yep, Sony had some serious work to do and its cheapest option – the $179.99 Pocket Edition -- does differentiate in some striking ways. The aluminum reader has been upgraded with a new 5-inch E Ink Pearl display and now has an extremely responsive touchscreen for navigating through books / menus. The updates certainly have put Sony back into the final four, but there's a few lacking features that just keep it from going all the way. You'll want to hit the break to find out just what we're talking about in our full review of this little guy. %Gallery-104651%
Sony demoes flexible electronic paper display, tickles our fancy
Say, did the air just get a little richer in vapor? Sony has titillated its home nation with a demonstration of a new flexible e-paper display, which looks set to compete with LG's, HP's, Toshiba's, and hell even Sony's own, flexi-display ventures. Employing a plastic substrate, the above prototype is apparently capable of being rolled up like a regular old newspaper -- presumably fly-swatting is not a problem either -- but we have our usual reservations about yet another flexible display teaser. Oh, they're all gorgeous and revolutionary, it's just that we're not seeing too many of them in our local Walmarts, you know?
Sony slims down, speeds up, and adds touch to its entire Reader family
With Amazon and Barnes & Noble both unleashing new e-readers under $150 it pretty much goes without saying that Sony's got to step it up, and its refreshed Reader family is what we've been expecting. Just like we'd heard and heard again, Sony's tweaked its entire Reader line up -- the Pocket, Touch, and Daily editions -- by adding improved optical touchscreens, speeding up page turns with E Ink Pearl displays and slimming down the brushed aluminum hardware. Beyond that, it's also updated its Daily Edition with WiFi -- there's still no connectivity options for the other two. We got to see all three a few days ago, so hit the break for our hands-on impressions and details on pricing and availability. %Gallery-100817%
Sony's new e-readers pictured, last one-third longer on a charge?
We'd heard Sony was wrangling up a bunch of new Readers, and it looks like here they are -- a pair of familiar-looking e-readers with a distinctly different UI. If these legit-looking images are the real deal, you'll be getting a good bit more for your buck -- especially with the Reader Pocket Edition, which apparently finally managed to ditch the directional pad for a lovely E Ink touchscreen. We won't list all the improvements here, as you can obviously read them for yourself in the image immediately above, but our tipster confirms the new Pocket Edition will have a 5-inch display and the Touch Edition a six-incher, though he reportedly hasn't heard a word about 3G connectivity for either model. 2,500 extra page turns and a thinner, faster screen ain't nothing to sneeze at, but when Sony said it would compete on quality, we have to admit we began hoping for a wee bit more. Spot another picture after the break.
Engadget's back to school guide: E-readers
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we have e-readers in our sights -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Yes, it's the next round of buying advice for those of you condemned to start hitting the books at the end of the summer. But, with one of these e-readers, you might just have fewer books to hit -- or at least lighter ones. Sadly most schools are still dependent on texts of the pulpy variety, but that doesn't mean an e-reader can't make your life a lot easier at school, and possibly even save you some money if you're reading the classics.
Sony refuses to get caught up in a price war with Kindle, intends to compete on quality
Boy, Sony sure loves to drag its heels when it comes to obvious industry trends. First netbooks were "a race to the bottom," now the company's saying it "won't sacrifice the quality and design" of its e-readers in order to lay claim to being the cheapest. This comes as a reaction to the Kindle's aggressive new $139 entry price point and continues Sony's reluctance to fiddle with what it sees as a successful formula. We're not going to second-guess the reasoning (too much), but it's not like there's that much room to differentiate yourself when you're using the same E Ink tech as the competition, is there? Guess if all else fails, Sony can always innovate the hell out of those leatherette cases and bundle them with the Reader.
Borders' Kobo-powered eBook Store now live with 1.5 million titles, Android and BlackBerry apps (update)
Exactly how many eBook stores do we need? Depends. If you own a dedicated e-reader then one is all you get. Own a tablet or smartphone and the world of eBook stores is pretty much yours for the taking through competing apps. Borders looks to be taking a hybrid approach by offering up the $150 Kobo, $120 Aluratek Libre (available July 20th), $170 Sony Touch, and $150 Sony Pocket eReaders and today's launch of a self-branded eBook store powered by Kobo's catalog of more than 1.5 million titles -- "thousands" of which are free and available in a variety of formats including ePub (primarily) and PDF. Borders also has desktop PC and Mac apps ready for download in addition to a few apps listed as "coming soon" for both Android and BlackBerry devices -- these join the apps already released for Apple's iOS. It just went live so why not hit the source and have a browse. P.S. Funny enough, there's not a single mention of Spring Design's Alex on Borders' new site. Funny sad, not ha ha. Update: The Android and BlackBerry apps are now live.
Sony cuts e-reader prices: Pocket Edition now $149
Not much of a surprise here, but it looks like you can officially include Sony in the e-book reader price wars. It's now dropped the prices on its three current models: the Pocket Edition is down from $169 to $149, the Touch Edition drops from $199 to $169, and the 3G-equipped Daily Edition is now $299 (down a full $50 from $349). As The Digital Reader blog notes, however, that still leaves Sony a bit out of step with the competition -- the Pocket Edition lacks the WiFi of the similarly-priced Nook, for instance, and the Daily Edition remains a tough sell even at $299.
Sony predicts digital content will overtake print 'within five years'
We can't say if there's an actual rule or not, but we're pretty sure that anyone in the e-reader business has to, at one point, make a prediction about when e-books will overtake actual books, and it looks like Sony has now come through with a big one of its own. That comes courtesy of Sony's Steve Haber, the man responsible for the company's digital reading business division, who says that: "within five years there will be more digital content sold than physical content." Note that he says "digital content," not books, so we can presume that also includes magazines and newspapers, but it's still a fairly ambitious statement nonetheless. What's more, Habar also insists that there is a place for standalone e-readers alongside multi-function devices like the iPad, saying that, "it's just like digital imaging, where you can take pictures with a cellphone - and many people take pictures with cellphones - but if they want the best possible picture they'll use a point-and-shoot camera or a digital SLR."
E Ink shows off next-gen displays: high contrast, fast refresh, and rugged (video)
It took so long for electronic ink screens to finally hit the market we feel a bit silly getting impatient for the next-generation, but the Kindle has been on the market for a year and a half now, Sony Reader models for twice that long, and still we're dealing with the same crummy 7:1 contrast ratio, 16 shade grayscale, and .74 second refresh rate. E Ink's Sriram Peruvemba, however, is finally showing off next-generation models of the sort parent company PVI told us were coming, the first an improvement on existing screens that offers a 12:1 contrast ratio and a refresh rate fast enough for simple animations. Also shown is a larger, (slightly) flexible model rugged enough to take a meaty fist square in the face without blinking a single pixel. This version Peruvemba sees playing a major role in digital textbooks in the future. Unfortunately we still have a bit of time to wait for either, with the boosted contrast ratio model entering production later this year and the flexible one sometime in early 2011. Add another six months or so for devices using the things to make it to retail and hopes for a brighter, next-gen Kindle shipping by the holidays start to look a bit dim.
E-reader statisfaction study shows 93 percent of users are happy, just not you
The wind sure changes very quickly, eh? Just a week ago the University of Georgia revealed that many of its study participants -- Athens residents who were given a Kindle to play with -- weren't happy with their e-reader experience, but yesterday a new study reported something fairly contrasting. Rather than doling out touchscreen-less e-readers to a group of people, the NPD Group surveyed more than 1,000 e-reader owners in late November last year, and found out that 93 percent of them were "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" with their devices, while only 2 percent "expressed any level of dissatisfaction." The report also reveals that wireless access is the favorite feature for 60 percent of the users, while only 23 percent chose the touchscreen. Compared to last week's report, this probably shows that consumers who actually buy e-readers don't really care about the touch feature, whereas those on the outer circle are mainly waiting for more -- and no doubt cheaper -- touchscreen e-readers. Seriously though, only 34 percent wanted color screens? Those guys sure are easy to please.
Sony says the Reader is selling 'very well,' thank you very much, isn't planning color versions
With all this talk of iPads and Kindles shaking up the print world, few people are sparing a thought for Sony's noble Reader series, so the company would like to take this opportunity to remind you that it is "selling very well." Fujio Noguchi, Deputy President of Sony's e-book division, indicated that the gadget is its most popular item in the Sony Style store, with the Touch Edition selling the most units. He says that his focus is on "readability" and that the company will continue to use e-paper, good news for those with sensitive eyes, but that Sony has no plans for a color Reader until color e-ink screens are of sufficient quality. So, for now, you'll just have to buy yourself the one on the left above if you're looking to tickle your cones.
E-reader privacy policies compared: Big Kindle is watching you
It's definitely shaping up to be the year of e-book readers: the Amazon Kindle is flying off (virtual) shelves, and we'd expect the Barnes & Noble Nook to start moving at a decent clip once the kinks get worked out. But any device with an always-on 3G connection to a central server raises some privacy questions, especially when it can broadcast granular, specific data about what you're reading -- data that's subject to a wide spectrum of privacy laws and regulations when it comes to real books and libraries, but much less so in the digital realm. We'd say it's going to take a while for all the privacy implications of e-books to be dealt with by formal policy, but in the meantime the best solution is to be informed -- which is where this handy chart from our friends at the Electronic Frontier Foundation comes in. As you'd expect, the more reading you do online, the more you can be tracked -- and Google Books, the Kindle, and the Nook all log a ton of data that can be shared with law enforcement and various other third parties if required. Of course, we doubt the cops are too interested in your Twilight reading habits, but honestly, we'd rather users weren't tracked at all. Check the full chart and more at the read link. [Thanks, Tom]
Sony Reader Daily Edition starts shipping, gets more newspapers
Sony hedged its bets a bit in committing to ship date for its Reader Daily Edition when it first announced it, but it looks like it's managed to get the first ones out the door on the early end of its December 18th to January 8th estimate, with the initial batch of pre-orders shipping today. Unfortunately, anyone that didn't pre-order the e-reader is out of luck for the time being, as it's now back-ordered with a new estimated ship date of January 15th. In related news, Sony has also announced that it's signed up an additional 16 publications that will be offering wirelessly-delivered subscriptions on the Daily Edition, including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Baltimore Sun, and The Denver Post. None of those are exclusive to Sony, however, unlike the News Corp-owned publications that were announced last week.
Sony staying conservative with Reader device, aware of current tablet mania
Sony's Sir Howard Stringer played the tease at today's Reader content partnership presser, stating that while Sony could make the device into a multimedia tablet, it would rather wait and see if consumers warm up to current devices. Stringer's watching if people find the form factor "comfortable and helpful" before Sony starts "plowing on a thousand apps" or building a "Vaio Reader." We don't really know how much e-reader acceptance points to the demand for color multimedia tablets, but in regards to the (non-existant, ever-present) Apple Tablet, Stringer says "we're all working on variations of the same thing." Hopefully we'll figure out what exactly he means by that before we grow old and start reading books or something horrible like that.
Sony e-readers get exclusive Dow Jones, New York Post content
Hoping to read the New York Post on an e-reader anytime soon? Then your choices just got quite a bit more limited, as the newspaper has signed a deal that will see Sony offer the only version of the paper for digital reading devices. Joining it are various exclusive offerings from Dow Jones & Company, including The Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch, which won't be completely exclusive to Sony readers, but will be available in special editions only available on Sony readers -- that includes The Wall Street Journal PLUS, a digital edition of the morning paper that also features an update of the day's events after the close of the markets. Owners of the Sony Reader Daily Edition will also naturally be able to get the day's papers wirelessly delivered to their readers, with subscriptions running between $9.99 and $19.99 a month.
