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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.
Interead COOL-ER 3G e-reader announced, adds wireless to the mix
We are already fans of the COOL-ER e-reader: if anything, its playful look and decent price point has brought a smile to our embittered faces. But still, the lack of WiFi and a Whispernet equivalent is something of a buzzkill -- who wants to rely on a USB cable or SD card in this day and age? Good news, digital book fans: Interead has big changes in store for next year, including the aforementioned WiFi and deals with AT&T for bandwidth and NewspaperDirect for access to over 1,300 newspapers and magazines. Not bad, eh? If all goes according to plan, we can expect to see the COOL-ER 3G sometime in mid-2010. Hopefully, they can set the MSRP low enough to keep consumers' interest. PR after the break.
Interead's COOL-ER claims to be the 'iPod moment' for e-readers
Upstart company Interead is looking to jump into the ever-expanding library of e-book readers with its debut, the COOL-ER. Company founder Neil Jones describes it as the "iPod moment that e-readers have been waiting for," calling the device the first of its kind to be designed specifically for the non-technologically inclined reader in mind. Indeed, the aesthetics seems to borrow liberally from the iPod nano, and features eight different color options. It weighs in at 6.3 ounces, or a little less than half of the Kindle 2, with the same 6-inch e-ink screen, and is small enough to fit comfortably in your jacket pocket, he says. It's got 1GB internal memory and a SD card slot, as well as a 2.5mm headphone jack with a 3.5mm converter bundled with every device. The feature set is pretty barebones, with no keyboard, text-to-speech, WiFi, or Whispernet equivalent -- all files have to be loaded via USB or SD card -- but in its place is a more attractive $250 MSRP, and Jones assures us at that price the company'll be making a profit on each unit sold. Format support includes EPUB, TXT, JPEG, any kind of PDF, MP3 for audio, and eight languages including Russian and traditional / simplified Chinese. The company's also launching an e-book store and offering an extra discount for customers who register their COOL-ER. It'll go on sale May 29th for US and Europe via its website, with retail distribution partner expected to be announced closer to the launch date. We're gonna wait until we get a few chapters into Alice in Wonderland before giving a final verdict, but in the meantime, check out our initial hands-on in the gallery below. Read - Product page Read - Online store
