E-bookReader
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iriver reportedly working up Android-based K2 media player
Take it for nothing more than it is (a lovely, delicious and completely unsubstantiated rumor), but word on the Australian streets is that iriver may have an Android-based portable media player on the horizon. According to local distributor C.R. Kennedy's iriver product manager, Danny Bejanoff, the outfit is looking to take on Apple's iPod touch directly, with a 3.5-inch touchscreen, WiFi, built-in web browser, accelerometer, Bluetooth, a digital TV tuner and Google's Android OS running the show. Sadly, it seems as if this pipe dream has yet to receive the proper final approvals, but we're here to beg the brilliant designers at iriver to invest whatever it takes to make this so-called K2 a reality. Oh, and just in case that wasn't enough for you, Mr. Bejanoff also noted that the firm was working up a new e-reader and internet tablet, both of which should be out for testing in short order.
Student sues Amazon after Kindle eats his homework
It seems we have yet another reason to volley complaints in Amazon's directions. 17-year old high school student Justin Gawronski had apparently been taking electronic notes and annotations on his Kindle for a summer assignment on George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Yeah, you can probably guess where this is going -- after the retailer remotely pulled the plug on that particular version of the book, Gawronski's notes were lost in the ethers, rendered useless. The suit, which is seeking class action status, asks that Amazon be legally blocked from improperly accessing users' Kindles in the future and punitive damages for those affected by the deletion -- and if he asks nice, we're pretty sure Jeff would write his teacher a note. [Warning: read link is a PDF] [Via Trading Markets]
Samsung jumps into e-book reader game with the SNE-50K
Samsung's announced it's jumping into the best game in town -- the paperless book trade -- with its SNE-50K e-book reader. With 512MB of onboard storage, a five-inch touchscreen and stylus, and a complete lack of wireless or internet capabilities, it's not the most advanced reader we've ever seen, but it's slim and light, at nine millimeters thick and weighing about 6.5 ounces. In South Korea, where the reader will be launched first, Samsung has partnered with Kyobo Bookstore, one of the largest booksellers in the country. There's no word on launches outside of South Korea at this time, but Samsung does plan on showing a prototypes for other countries at a trade show in January (most likely CES).
Jeff Bezos issues humble apology over pulled Kindle title
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wants you to know he's really, really sorry for pulling Nineteen Eighty-Four off of our Kindles. In fact, the guilt expressed in this public apology is comparable to a modern day Dimmesdale -- he may have even seared a mark into his flesh for all we know. The short message calls the company's "solution" to what happened "stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles," adding that he and the company "deserve the criticism we've received." Look Jeff, we're still gonna be appalled by these beyond the pale actions even if you say it won't happen again... but if you really need a hug, we'll be here.[Via New York Times]
Entelligence: Two strikes for Kindle is enough for me
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide. I like books. No: I actually love books. In virtually every room in my home there are bookcases that are filled to overflowing. I like to purchase them, hold them as I read words written to inform, delight, and transport the reader into different times, new experiences, and enlighten them in ways they could not have imagined. Like the worst hot dog I've eaten and the worst beer I've drunk, the worst book I've read was wonderful... but books do have a downside. They're bulky to store, hard to travel with (paper is really, really heavy), and paperbacks in particular tend to not hold up well over time. So, in addition to books, I've been a fan of e-Books. My former venture capital firm did one of the first investments in Peanut Press (long sold and re-sold many times and now owned by Barnes and Noble) and more than a decade ago I struggled with reading fiction by Dan Brown on a Palm V device with low resolution and on backlight. It was a struggle -- but it was better than schlepping paper.
Plastic Logic e-book reader will use AT&T for its 3G needs
Things seem to really in motion for Plastic Logic, first with news of a partnership with Barnes & Noble and now this. AT&T is announcing that it'll be providing 3G data for the company's upcoming e-reader, the capabilities of which we found out during a noteworthy showing at D7. Still lots of questions up in the air, though, such as if AT&T will charge monthly for the use or provide service gratis like Sprint does with the Kindle. We're also wondering if it'll have access to AT&T's numerous public Wi-Fi hot spots. One bright note is that, unlike Sprint and its CDMA towers, AT&T's GSM network is compatible with carriers worldwide, which makes an international transition theoretically much smoother. Early 2010 can't come soon enough.[Thanks, Tom]
Polymer Vision yields to bankruptcy, we bid Readius adieu
Ugh. Another one bites the gently gnashed rock particles, as they say. Polymer Vision, which was already having some pretty significant cash flow issues back in April, has reportedly caved under pressure and sought shelter under Chapter 11. According to the Hampshire Chronicle, the company famous for developing a bendable e-paper display has fittingly folded, leaving its 50 employees searching for new lines of work and millions of fans grasping for answers. The report continues to say that the promising (but oft delayed) Readius display isn't likely to ship in its current form, and now it seems that the future is quite murky for the company and its flagship product. Call us crazy, but if you're looking for an easy way into the e-paper market, you might be able to pick up whatever's left here for a song. Just sayin'.[Thanks, Charlie]
Amazon remotely deletes Orwell e-books from Kindles, unpersons reportedly unhappy (update)
If you're into keeping tabs on irony, check this out. Amazon apparently sent out its robotic droogs last night, deleting copies of the George Orwell novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four from Kindles without explanation, then refunding the purchase price. As you can imagine, a lot of people caught in the thick of Winston and Julia's love story aren't very happy -- and rightfully so -- the idea that we "own" the things we buy is pretty fundamental to... ownership. We're not sure exactly what happened, but it seems that the publisher of said novels, MobileReference, has changed its mind about selling content on the Kindle, and poof! Amazon remotely deleted all previously purchased copies. It's all a bit Orwellian, is it not? Good thing we "permanently borrowed" hard copies of both from our middle school library, huh? Let Hate Week commence.Update: According to commenters on Amazon, this message was sent out from the company's customer service department:The Kindle edition books Animal Farm by George Orwell. Published by MobileReference (mobi) & Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) by George Orwell. Published by MobileReference (mobi) were removed from the Kindle store and are no longer available for purchase. When this occurred, your purchases were automatically refunded. You can still locate the books in the Kindle store, but each has a status of not yet available. Although a rarity, publishers can decide to pull their content from the Kindle store.While that publisher's version of the book may have been removed, it appears other versions of the novels are still available.Update 2: Drew Herdener, Amazon.com's Director of Communications, pinged us directly with the following comment, and now things are starting to make a lot more sense. Seems as if the books were added initially by an outfit that didn't have the rights to the material.These books were added to our catalog using our self-service platform by a third-party who did not have the rights to the books. When we were notified of this by the rights holder, we removed the illegal copies from our systems and from customers' devices, and refunded customers. We are changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers' devices in these circumstances.Still, what's upsetting is the idea that something you've purchased can be quietly taken back by Amazon with no explanation and no advance notice. It's a rotten policy, regardless of the motivations behind this particular move.
Amazon reportedly close to deal for UK Kindle
This one isn't a done deal just yet, but Mobile Today is reporting that Amazon is "close to finalizing a launch date" for the Kindle in the UK, and that it's now in "advanced negotiations with a mobile operator for an MVNO." From the sound of it, however, Amazon is taking a somewhat hands-off approach this time around, with it not only tapping Qualcomm to manufacture the device, but to secure connectivity for it with a carrier as well. What's more, it seems that the UK Kindle will include both 3G and WiFi connectivity which, as SlashGear notes, would seem to suggest that either T-Mobile or O2 would be likely partners, considering that each already has some sizable WiFi networks of their own in place.[Via SlashGear]
Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXII: Looks like "WeFound" a total Kindle ripoff
Kindle doppelganger? The gang at Tech-On stumbled upon this little number at this week's Tokyo's Digital Publishing Fair, and unless our eyes deceive us, this snowflake's the spitting image of Amazon's e-book reader. It comes from Founder International, Inc., the Japanese unit of Chinese Peking University Founder Group Corp., and aesthetics aside, the screen comes from the same manufacturer (E Ink Corporation) and even lets you insert a SIM card and download directly to the device. And yet, despite the evidence, the company claims its gadget was "independently developed" and has nothing to do with the Kindle. Sure, whatever you say, wink wink, nod nod. The so-labeled WeFound is heading to China at the end of 2009 for around $209, with a possible release in Japan sometime after.[Thanks, Alex]
Amazon's Kindle 2 gets a $60 price cut, now at $299
Nearly five months to the day after Amazon introduced its Kindle 2 e-reader, the company has decided to hack a full $60 off of the price tag in order to offer it to US consumers for $299. Sneaking under that magical $300 mark could allow the outfit to move an awful lot more of these buggers, and with the competition finally heating up, we'd say it's probably a solid defensive move as well. So, are you interested in pulling the trigger now that the Kindle 2 is under three bills? Or is that e-book app on your smartphone doing just fine?[Thanks, Michael]
Video: Bookeen Cybook Opus ebook reader gets handled and adored
The guys and gals at MobileRead have scored hands-on time with the Cybook Opus and early impressions are good. They were smitten with the ergonomics of the device and its "gorgeous" 5-inch e-ink display, but oddly neglected to point out any weaknesses. Equipped with an accelerometer, 1GB of storage, microSD expansion slot, and a user-replaceable battery, the Opus is able to read PDF and ePUB files -- with or without DRM -- and organize them into folders. There are rumors of a €250 ($349) asking price, but the exact details of when and where it will be available remain unknown. Click through for a video of the reader doing its thing or hit the read links for more extensive coverage.[Via Slashgear]Read - MobileRead exclusive : sneak preview of the Bookeen OpusRead - Cybook Opus: Discovering the reader, video
Bridgestone set to make major push into e-paper business
Bridgestone's already showed off some fairly impressive e-paper displays, and gone into mass production with displays for inventory tags and whatnot, but it now looks like the company is now set to make its biggest push into the market yet. According to Tech-On, Bridgestone will be announcing details of its plans in July or August, but it appears that the announcement will concern e-paper displays for e-book readers, at least one of which will be A4 in size. That particular screen was making the rounds of exhibitions back in April, and makes use of the company's proprietary "electron powder and granular material" which, among other things, lets the screen rewrite in just 0.8 seconds. Of course, there's no word on any actual devices using the e-paper just yet, but we're hoping that'll be among the details announced in the next month or so.
Elonex launches £189 6-inch eBook reader through Borders UK
Elonex has been dabbling in small screen wares for quite some time now, so it's not a huge surprise to finally see it join the likes of BeBook, Sony and Amazon by introducing its very own eBook reader. Design wise, the 6-inch reader looks an awful lot like that played-out OEM model that everyone seems to start with, but hey, you won't find us kvetching about competition. The device is launching exclusively at Borders UK, and with that comes the new Borders eBook Download Store. With a 4GB expansion card, there's room for some 8,000 ebooks, and the 9 millimeter-thin frame ensures that this one won't bog you down too much. Interested consumers over in the UK can snap this one up right now for £189 ($311), and that price nets you 100 free ebooks, a charger, data cable and a great sense of pride.[Thanks, Sam]
Kindle's German launch stalled by T-Mobile and Vodafone?
A news item is circulating the internet reportedly from German business weekly Wirtschaftswoche claiming Amazon is facing a major hurdle in trying to bring its Kindle to Deutschland. The problem at hand? The two big wireless providers in the country, Vodafone and T-Mobile, are both saying "nein" to providing Whispernet service, and apparently the issue has to do with how much money Amazon was willing to give -- unsurprising, if true. Another, very likely reason for T-Mobile's unwillingness is that parent company Deutsche Telekom is rumored to be working on its own e-book reader, and we gotta believe those company picnics would be mighty awkward if a large subsidiary was given the competition a major boost. We can't imagine this stopping Amazon for long, and we'd be very surprised if the Kindle didn't find some way to sneak itself into the region sooner or later.
Bezos suggests Kindle books will appear on more devices, compete with Kindle readers
Amazon already sent a pretty clear signal that it has grander plans for Kindle than just its own devices when it launched its iPhone app earlier this year, but Jeff Bezos has now made those intentions clearer than ever, and dropped a few hints of things to come. Speaking at a Wired-sponsored conference yesterday, Bezos all but confirmed that Amazon sees Kindle books and Kindle readers as two separate businesses, and he even went so far as to say that "we are going to give the device team competition" by making Kindle books available on "mobile devices and other computing devices, although he obviously didn't specify other e-book readers. Interestingly, Bezos also confirmed that Amazon had considered selling the Kindle with a monthly subscription plan to lower the cost, or require a minimum number of books purchased, but said that he preferred the simplicity of providing one flat up-front cost, which he says has helped account for the Kindle's success.
Kindle DX sold out, but not for long
Well, it didn't happen quite as fast as the original Kindle, but it looks like the Kindle DX has now officially sold out, a full two days after it first became available. As you might expect, however, folks eager to get their hands on the large and in charge device don't have to wait too long to get their fix, with Amazon promising that the next batch of Kindle DXs will be in stock on June 17th. Of course, as ComputerWorld notes, the fast sellout has once again prompted speculation from analysts that Amazon is intentionally keeping supply low to create more of a buzz around the device, but Amazon itself is naturally staying mum on the matter for now.
IAC Prodigy e-reader does EV-DO, HSPA, WiMAX and WiFi
While you might say Amazon's Kindle is lucky to have a single CDMA / EV-DO radio built-in, IAC would likely venture to disagree. Over at Computex, said firm was showcasing its Prodigy e-reader, which just so happens to pack every major wireless radio we can think of. EV-DO Rev. A? Check. WCDMA / HSPA? Check. WiMAX? Oh, definitely. 802.11b/g WiFi? For sure, dudes. And the fun doesn't stop there -- it's packing a 6-inch 800 x 600 e-paper touchscreen, 256MB of NAND Flash memory, 128MB of DDR memory, 2GB of NAND storage and a Marvell PXA310 processor. If all goes well, this little bugger will ship in Q4 over in Taiwan, but it'll be a cold day in Hades before it arrives on US soil. Video's after the break.
Plastic Logic e-book reader: now with 3G
You're probably wondering what's been happening with that super thin, super sexy Plastic Logic e-book reader that we've seen floating around various tradeshows. Well, the device has landed at D7, and it's got a few new features cooked up -- most notably, built-in 3G data. There's no specifics on what carriers or bands, but besides that WiFi connectivity, you'll be able to go totally nuts out in the real world. Additionally, it looks like the company has seriously tweaked the UI, now providing a simple and clear interface for getting around your documents, and a page-turning gesture (don't mind the green tint in the pic above, the screen is still very much grayscale). The slate is definitely lust-worthy, but we noted a fairly slow screen refresh (way slower than the Kindle), which is kind of a downer -- along with that fairly distant 2010 launch date. Plastic Logic also made an appearance on Fox Business News today, and the video is embedded after the break.
Wintek pegged as panel supplier for rumored Apple tablet
We've always heard that most things come in packs of three, so just as soon as some other dodgy source affirms that Hulk Hogan will actually be replacing Steve Jobs in August, we'll be set. Shortly after seeing a 32GB iPhone placeholder over at T-Mobile Austria, we're now staring at a comically brief report from Digitimes that pegs Wintek as the "panel module supplier for Apple's upcoming e-book form factor netbook product." If you'll recall, Wintek was already independently confirmed as said panel supplier for said product back in March, but obviously Apple has remained tight-lipped on the whole netbook / tablet / e-reader thing. That said, we do find it interesting that this report clarifies that whatever's purportedly cooking in some dark, highly guarded lab in Cupertino looks more like a tablet with a netbook-sized display rather than a conventional netbook. Whatever the case, we wouldn't expect it at WWDC, but any Tuesday morning after that is fair game.
