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Mustek MER-6T is another Twilight-loving touchscreen e-reader
Mustek isn't in the business of making out-there products, but maybe it's changing its tune by slapping the Twilight cover on its MER-6T e-reader. Just another 6-inch, e-ink reader sans a content ecosystem or wireless connectivity, we can only imagine that they want you to stab the MER-6T right in the SD card slot in a fit of vampire e-reader-hating rage. Ah, but then when the blood is slowly dripping off its .4-inch thick body and into its 3.5mm headphone jack, you to realize that it's got a touchscreen, built-in music player, and that it comes with a luring wrist strap all which make you want to ravish the device forever into the night. You sick bastards, Mustek. There's no pricing on the MER-6T, but the experience seems pretty priceless.
Nook becomes Colorware's latest victim
Look, we know we give Colorware a hard time -- mostly because it regularly spits out miscast creations like the abominable Kindle or the unlovable DSi -- but in the case of the Nook we're a lot more ambivalent. Sure, on the one hand you can concoct clashing color schemes like the one above that only someone from Portugal can truly appreciate, but if you slide past the break you'll find tasteful color combos are possible as well. Perhaps it's the Nook's simple logo on the back and straight-line color separation, but this is one instance where we might actually be willing to shell out the $125 asking price for a fresh paintjob. Hit the source link to try your hand at designing a prettier Nook yourself. [Thanks, Kent]
Acer to launch e-reader, app store, and Chrome OS netbook this year; wants to 'change the Microsoft-Intel environment'
Man, Acer's on the warpath. The world's second-largest PC manufacturer seems hell-bent on radically changing the status quo, telling Bloomberg today that it's "aggressively pursuing" Chrome OS "so there's a change to the Microsoft-Intel environment," with plans to be among the first to ship in Q3. That's somewhat ahead of Google's own schedule for reaching v1.0, so yeah, it's definitely aggressive -- and it also sounds like a strong hint towards an ARM-based Chrome OS machine in our future, but Acer wouldn't confirm anything. Still, those are basically fightin' words, especially since Acer's framing the future as a choice between "either" Windows or "Google's defined OS space." Acer also promised to fully detail a 6-inch monochrome e-reader by June with an initial focus on European markets, and we're also informed of a forthcoming free / cheap application store that will be compatible with Android, Windows Mobile, and, obviously, Chrome OS. And lest you thought Acer was ignoring the Apple tablet madness that permeates our world, we're told that an Acer tablet is in the works, accompanied by the candid admission that the Taiwanese giant is waiting to see what Apple has in store before finalizing its own plans. Yep -- things are getting a little nuts.
OPPO Enjoy looks like just another Android e-reader
Another day, another Android e-reader. We apologize for not sounding overly enthusiastic about this one, but going off of the picture of the OPPO Enjoy we don't anticipate the 6-inch e-ink reader to be the next Kindle or Nook killer. The rest of the specs are unknown, though it looks like the main controls are the trackball on the right edge and touch navigation keys on the left. You know what, maybe we're being too pessimistic. Perhaps the Enjoy really runs the next version of Android, is Tegra 2 powered and actually has a color display. Alright, that's all very unlikely, but a reader can dream.
Bookeen debuts Orizon touchscreen e-book reader
Bookeen may have a bit of a tough time getting its new Orizon e-book reader to stand out from the pack of other e-readers here at CES, but it does at least boast quite a few improvements over the company's previous Cybook Opus. That includes a 6-inch touchscreen display, built-in WiFi, Bluetooth, ePub support, and an accelerometer for portrait or landscape reading. No indication of a release date just yet, but this one should run about $250, and Bookeen still isn't quite done with the Opus -- it'll soon be available a whole range of colors.
Copia intros ereader devices and platform (video)
And just like that, the already rather crowded competition for a prevalent ebook platform grows by one. Copia, a subsidiary of DMC Worldwide, has introduced a number of ereader devices and its eponymous online store in a quest to conquer a share of the market. Focused on social networking, it integrates Facebook and Twitter accounts and allows you to share your library with friends, with cute little Venn diagrams representing how far your reading habits overlap. We've got video of the interface being demoed and shots of the own-brand devices, but Copia tells us it intends to support other companies' hardware too with its ePUB distribution service. %Gallery-82056%
Plastic Logic debuts QUE proReader, shows off truVue publications
We're at Plastic Logic's CES press event, where they're at last showing off the finalized, market-ready QUE e-reader. The idea is to create a whole "new" device type for business professionals. There's a fullscreen touchscreen interface, with no touchscreen, and the device can work with email, calendar (including Outlook support) and other information outside of documents. "We're not just developing an e-reader, we're developing a complete solution space." The device design was based on the look of black and white print, and wanted to avoid metal in materials to drive home the "plastic" element. It's supposed to look like a glass container with ink. The only physical button on the frame the home button on the top right corner. The device controls with taps but also gestures. You can "swipe" through calendar days, for instance, and screen refreshes look very fast. The device can view and annotate Powerpoint, Word, Excel and PDF documents. You can create your own pre-defined searches for sorting devices, and the interface looks closer to an AJAXY website than an e-reader. With a finger you can draw directly on the screen for annotations, but while there's a touchscreen keyboard for annotations, it looks slow as sin. As previously announced, the device uses the Barnes & Noble web and device-based e-book store for a business-target selection of titles (and regular books as well), and B&N claims the QUE is a complementary and differentiated product from its own Nook -- and it's hard to disagree. One surprise of the presser is the new truVue format for publications that Plastic Logic supports. The standard was developed in conjunction with Adobe, and it preserves some of the style and layout (though certainly not all) of a print publication, with publishers such as Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Huffington Post, Thompson Reuters and more on board.. To get documents onto the device you can print to a "QUE it" printer, as well as drag and drop documents to a "QUE it" droplet on the desktop for automagical document transfers. There's also a QUE application for the BlackBerry, which can bump any email or attachment from the BlackBerry to the QUE over Bluetooth. QUE has partnered with Good for "QUE Mail" and "QUE Calendar," with support for Exchange, Gmail, Windows Live and other email accounts. The device has Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G under the hood, with AT&T providing the wireless data. The proReader ships in mid-April, with pre-orders starting today. The 4GB model without 3G goes for $649, while the 8GB model retails with the AT&T onboard is $799. Wowsa. Naturally, this is just the start for Plastic Logic, and we should be seeing plenty more devices from the company, and PL also promises to extend the functionality of the proReader on an ongoing basis. There's full PR after the break. %Gallery-81988%
Hanvon debuts new line of WISEreader e-book readers
Hanvon (also known as Hanwang) hasn't exactly been churning out one product after the other as of late, but it has made a fairly respectable showing for itself at CES, where it's just introduced five new models in its WISEreader line. Those include the N500, N618 (pictured above), N628, N638, and N800, which all sport Vizplex e-ink displays that range in size form five to eight inches and, in all but one case (the N638), use an electromagnetic panel and pen for note-taking complete with handwriting recognition. Even more surprising, Hanvon says that the whole lot will be available in the US sometime this year -- although they could well show up under a number of different brands, as Hanvon also works as an OEM. Hit up the gallery below for a look at the rest, and head on past the break to peruse the complete specs in convenient press release form. %Gallery-81900%
Samsung announces E6 and E10 e-book readers at CES
We're here in the middle of Samsung's CES press conference, and the company's just revealed its first e-book reader. We don't have many details yet -- we know there will be a 10- and 6-inch model, both with touchscreens, that Google is the content partner, and that it's got a soft QWERTY keyboard and wireless but no 3G (a bit of a downer). The two readers -- dubbed the E6 and E101 -- will feature on-screen handwriting capabilities, Bluetooth 2.0, and 802.11b/g WiFi. The 6-incher will clock in at $399, while the bigger version will sell for $699, and both will be available in "early 2010." Update: We just nabbed a quick hands-on. It's pretty thin, and it's hiding a secret: it's a slider with hidden controls! The touch sensitivity seemed pretty okay, but we'll have to spend some non-rushed time with it to get a true feel for things. Check out more in the gallery, and see the full press release after the break. %Gallery-81782%
Liquavista shows off low-power, color e-paper display
This one's still a ways away from landing in an actual e-reader (although that prototype above does made an admirable attempt at redefining the bezel), but Liquavista's latest stab at a color e-paper display is at least ready enough for a demo video, and it doesn't exactly disappoint. Unfortunately, Liquavista isn't offering much in the way of firm details, but the display is supposedly "ultra-low power," sunlight-readable and, as you can see for yourself after the break, it seems to be fairly speedy when it comes to browsing and scrolling. Nothing in the way of announcements of e-readers just yet, but Liquavista says it expects to see product implementation "throughout 2010 / 2011."
Spring Design Alex hands-on (Update: video!)
Spring Design was poised to take the official wraps off of its dual-screen, Android-based ereader this Thursday, but we were able to catch an up close and personal glance at the device today here at CES Unveiled. Highlighted over at the Marvell booth (understandable given the choice of processor), the reader was intensely thin and remarkably snappy. We had some gripes with the speed of the Nook, but every action we took on the Alex was relatively lag free. We even downloaded a book and watched it open up immediately, and the touchscreen response was also satisfactory. Spring Design also opted to expose the microSD card slot on the rear; you simple mash your card into the slot and listen for the click, and mash it once more to eject it. You better hope nothing pushes it by mistake, but hey, at least you're not stuck removing some rear cover just to swap cards. We've gotta say -- we're digging this thing based on our brief time with it, and we'd invite you to have a peek at the gallery below till our demo video is prepped. Update: Video is after the break! %Gallery-81573%
Interead expands COOL-ER e-reader line-up, announces additional content
Interead already let out some early word about its COOL-ER 3G e-book reader with a little help from AT&T, but it's now made things doubly official, and also take the opportunity to announce a new WiFi-equipped COOL-ER Connect model. While details on it are still a bit light, the reader will apparently boast a touchscreen of some sort, weigh just 5.8 ounces, and be available sometime this Spring (the COOL-ER 3G will follow in "mid-2010"). What's more, Interead has also now announced a new range of content offerings for its e-book readers, including the Coolermatic application, which will give users access to more than 1,400 newspapers, along with "select websites," and even Twitter feeds (no posting though, it seems). Still nothing in the way of pricing, but we're hoping Interead will have more to say about that once CES fully gets underway.
MSI planning to a show dual-screen e-reader, 3D laptop at CES
We don't have too many details here, but we sure are itching to get to Vegas to see if MSI really does have a dual-screen, Tegra-powered e-reader up its sleeve. Let's have it MSI: are you stealing another page from your Taiwanese arch-nemesis ASUS and its dual-screen Eee Reader? Regardless, Digitimes reports that not only will it show a dual-screen gadget of sorts, but also one with a slate form factor. More believable is the 3D laptop that the Taiwanese company is said to be prepping. Let's just hope they have gone with NVIDIA's 3D Vision technology there. It's only a matter of hours now until we find out about it all.
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]
Nook fails to communicate, download purchased ebooks
You didn't think the whole Nook saga was over, did you? After just succeeding in delivering devices to expectant pre-orderers in time for Christmas, Barnes and Noble is today cleaning up yet another mess courtesy of its ill-prepared content servers. Judging by customer feedback on its support forums, it appears a glut of download requests over gift-giving day jammed the B&N net pipes and left a great many disappointed Nook users. All attempts at downloading an ebook yesterday -- even by those who got their Nook a little earlier in the month -- were greeted with a "Queued: Will complete shortly" message, which apparently remained that way until early this morning when downloading finally resumed functioning. The biggest perceived failure here, though, is the book retailer's silence on the issue, which illustrates the importance of communicating with your customers -- most people seemed tolerant of the setback once they realised they didn't have faulty hardware. [Thanks to all who sent this in]
Aluratek Libre eBook Reader PRO sports monochrome reflective LCD, $179 pricetag
The stranglehold E-Ink has had on the e-book market is slipping. We've seen the tantalizing promises of Pixel Qi, mixing a color LCD with a low-power reflective display, but in the here and now we've got a new LCD-based e-reader from Aluratek. Extensively dubbed the "Libre eBook Reader PRO," the unit uses an unnamed 5-inch monochrome reflective LCD panel, with 24 hours of continuous use off a battery charge. Not as great as E-Ink, but it should be plenty for most people, and the resultant $179 price is hard to knock. The Libre is ePUB and PDF compatible, and comes with a 2GB SD card -- just the right sort of barebones-yet-functional we appreciate. We'll have to see how well that LCD performs in person before we pull the trigger, but for people looking for an alternative to the premium devices out there (or something with a faster page refresh rate), it might just fit the bill.
First Nooks begin shipping as demo (and retail?) units hit stores
You've waited and waited and now it's happening: the first Nooks are shipping. Those of you who pre-ordered early will receive your Nook in the "next day or two," while anyone with a December 7th confirmation date will now receive theirs on the 16th -- delayed, sure, but at least it'll be home before the chubby man and his elves arrive with the in-laws. Select Barnes & Noble stores are also receiving the first demo units. A quick search with the handy Nook locator tool reveals broad availability of demo units across the US. Interestingly enough, we found a single store (Lincoln Triangle, Manhattan) showing an in stock "pick me up" option for what appears to be the ability to reserve a Nook for purchase, as unlikely as that sounds given the limited supplies. Still, if you're in NYC and like to gamble, and you just can't wait for the first firmware update to tweak the performance and interface issues we found, then you might want to arrive at 9am when the store opens. Update: We gave the Lincoln Triangle store a call this morning, and they definitely don't have any Nooks in stock! [Thanks, Kris]
Caption contest: Ellen DeGeneres and her ʞoou giveaway
Look, sometimes show hosts can get a bit too excited, especially when it comes to Christmas giveaway segments behind a massive pile of gadgets -- most of which they've probably never heard of until ten minutes before the show. If you were Ellen DeGeneres here with the upside-down Nook e-reader, what could possibly be going through your head? Video after the break. Ross: ".ɹıɐɥɔ ǝɥʇ uı ʞɔɐq puɐ dn ǝɯ d1ǝɥ ǝsɐǝ1d 'ʞoou sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı" Chris: "Everyone gets a (deafening applause, people fainting)." Joanna: "Oh cute, Ellen pulling a Michael Jackson. Where is the closest balcony?" Vlad: "And with your purchase of the androgynous android, you get an added value ebook reader -- absolutely free!" Don: "The good news? B&N has settled its dispute with Spring Design. The bad news? You have to hold it this way." Richard Lawler: "Read this way, Twilight has an entirely different double meaning." Paul: "I'm holding it upside down because it's a non-working dummy unit and it doesn't matter." Nilay: "God I wish this was a car." Richard Lai: "Look!! It's got the same smile as me! It's just like a magical mirror." Ross Rubin: "Maybe one day, the Nook will be like me and finally come out."
Marvell's Armada chip bringing 'HD-quality video, 3D graphics support' to Entourage Edge
We already knew that a potent Marvell chip was under the hood of Spring Design's Alex, but at long last the mystery surrounding the powerhouse within Entourage's Edge is no more. The Armada PXA168 processor will be responsible for steering the world's first "Dualbook" through the stormy seas that'll be created once crazed consumers get ahold of this thing, and while we've no idea if the software will actually support this laundry list of capabilities, the chip should have no issue with "full-featured web browsing, multi-format video and image processing." More specifically, we're informed that "HD-quality video and 3D graphics" will be supported, which could obviously lead to some pretty interesting applications (you know, like actual web surfing on an e-reader). Hop on past the break for a brief look at an early generation model as well as a functioning version of what should hopefully hit shelves in early 2010.
iriver Story reviewed, incites rebellion over price
If you didn't feel you got the whole Story yesterday, here's a pleasing helping of seconds, this time in the form of a full-on review. The PC Pro team rates iriver's Kindle emulator as a "serious contender," and places its readability on par with Sony's touch-less Readers. While congratulations are also meted out for a decent integrated MP3 player, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the wide variety of supported formats, two issues stood out for the reviewers. One was that the support for Word, Excel and Powerpoint files was somewhat hit-and-miss, with zooming sometimes not working and rendering some files unreadable. But the major gripe related to the asking price of £230 including taxes (around $380), which the Story was not considered capable of justifying. Hit the link below for more -- even if your interest is purely academic.
