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Bankrupt iRex can't buy a vowel, gets new lease on life as IRX Innovations
Things were looking bad for iRex Technologies a few months back. Its DR 800 e-reader didn't get to retail in time for the holiday season and, at $450, it wasn't exactly price competitive anyhow. As the company filed bankruptcy, CEO Hans Brons remained optimistic, saying "expectations are still positive," and now we can see why: the company is being reborn as IRX Innovations. This time it will skip the pesky retail market altogether, hoping to find businesses willing to pay the roughly 100% premium over a comparable 3G Kindle or Nook or what have you. It's unclear whether IRX will be offering the same products or will start showing off new, more business-minded ones, but with the WiFi Kindle now shipping for a mere $140 we're hoping the new company has some lesser expensive offerings.
iRex Technologies files for bankruptcy, partly due to US problems
It isn't throwing in the towel just yet, but things don't seem to be looking good for Netherlands-based iRex Technologies -- CEO Hans Brons has just announced that the company has been forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid a string of problems that's led to "financial difficulties." While details are otherwise still pretty light, at least some of those problems seem to be related to the company's operations in the United States and, in particular, a delay in its DR 800 e-reader receiving FCC approval that caused iRex to miss out the holiday shopping season and fully take advantage of its deal with Best Buy. As bleak as things might be, however, Brons still seems to be keeping his chin up, saying that the "expectations are still positive."
iREX DR 800SG e-reader now shipping via BestBuy.com
Despite being listed on Best Buy's interweb pages for well over three and a half months, it seems only just now has iREX taken the chance to officially ship its DR 800SG e-reader out to the hungry e-tailer masses. Price is back to being listed at the proper $399.99 tag and given the recent proliferation of e-readers in the market, we can't blame you if you're not immediately reaching for your wallet. Press release after the break.
Tokyo robosuit could make you the sack lifting champion
In Japan, the ultimate merit of a robotic suit is measured in sacks of rice. We've seen it before with the HAL-5. The latest suit created by students at Tokyo's University of Science provides enough assistance to the wearer's back to lift an additional 15 to 20 kilograms (that's 33 to 44 pounds) -- in other words, another two bags of rice for five in total. The university's previous robosuit was heavier and more bulky by comparison, in that it provided assistance to both the wearers back and arms (though clearly some support is provided based on the image above). The suit will ultimately benefit factory workers or those with physical limitations when it goes into production sometime in 2010. Outstanding. Surprisingly, nobody from the university seems willing to talk about that kid with sawblade arms in the corner.
IREX 8.1-inch DR 800SG e-reader now listed at Best Buy for $449
You know what happens when you realize your $399 price point can't compete with the International Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook at $259? You jack it up by $50 and hope people view it as an ultra-premium product, that's what. IREX's DR 800SG e-book reader, which admittedly comes with a salacious set of specs and features, has just landed on Best Buy's site as promised. The problem? It's $449, and not the $399 that we've been hearing for a little while now. 'Course, Best Buy has been known to inaccurately post MSRPs before the product actually hits the shelves (it's backordered for "one to two weeks" at the moment), so we suppose anything could happen. So, anyone snapping this up? Wait, who let the crickets out? [Thanks, Tom]
IREX unveils DR 800SG wireless ebook reader (updated with hands-on!)
IREX is currently, right this very second, taking the wraps off its big new splash in the ebook space, the new DR 800SG. The 8.1-inch unit has wireless connectivity courtesy of Verizon in the US and Qualcomm's Gobi multi-mode 3G for switching it up in the rest of the world. There's also 2GB of built-in storage, memory card expansion and stylus input ("true finger touch" is coming in Q2 2010 to a future product, right now you can only use the stylus, and a color reader is in the works as well for 2011), and IREX claims to have the fastest page refreshes in the biz. Perhaps most notable is that the reader is Barnes & Noble's first big play in the space, with support for the B&N eBookstore -- though the whole thing is an "open platform" with support from content from Newspaper Direct and LibreDigital stores as well, and format support of PDF, EPUB, Newspaper Direct, Fictionwise, eReader and TXT. Quite the mouthful, and IREX promises to follow wherever the market leads when it comes to DRM. The $399 device includes a leather cover and stylus in the box, and will be available this October in "select" Best Buy stores and will hit Europe in the first half of 2010. No wireless contract is required. %Gallery-73806% %Gallery-73809% We got to play with the new reader briefly, and weren't quite sure how to feel. On one hand, it's another sexy, slim reader, with a pretty great and fast e-ink screen. On the other hand, the interface is totally minimal and a little nonsensical without the stylus. A bar on the left side gives you a "tactile" method of pushing right or left to turn the page, but it feels pretty janky. Notetaking isn't enabled currently, so you can't draw on the screen, making the stylus feel a bit of a burden, not a boon -- the closest you get to text input is tapping away at an onscreen keyboard. We're glad IREX avoided the visibility-hampering pitfalls of Sony's touchscreen ebook technology, but perhaps some more thought should've been put into the alternative. We didn't do any heavy downloading, but the reader takes a very long time to create a connection -- a good 20-30 seconds -- which might've been due to the concrete bunker we're hanging out in, or just a sign of a slow processor, we're not sure which. We love the "openness," and it's great to see so many format alternatives right out of the gate, but we're gonna need more time with the DR 800SG before we're sure it's worth the plunge. %Gallery-73812%
iRex DR800SG e-reader brings global 3G downloads -- Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, and Verizon partnerships
Get ready to add another big time e-reader partnership to the list: iRex is set to announce later today a deal that will bring its latest DR800SG E-Ink slab to Best Buy with unlimited Verizon 3G data on board. The $399 e-reader with 8.1-inch touchscreen arrives as rumored with the ability to wirelessly download digital books from Barnes & Noble's e-bookstore in addition to over 1,100 newspapers from Newspapers Direct -- it'll also handle any books downloadable in the ePub format. The 3G goodness comes via a Gobi radio from Qualcomm -- right, that means HSDPA data too, allowing owners to download data while traveling abroad. Take that Kindle. The DR800SG is expected to arrive in US Best Buy stores next month. We'll be going hands-on with it later today where we'll have plenty of pics and the full suite of specs. Update: iRex has dropped a picture onto its home page. Is that stylus to scale?[Thanks, Tom]
iRex readying wireless e-reader while Plastic Logic's own snags $299 price point
Who says the world stopped reading decades ago? With CES 2010 looming ever closer, it looks as if 2010 may end up being the year of the e-book reader. Amazon's got a few Kindles out, Sony's now vying to compete on price, Hearst is doing whatever it's doing, Plastic Logic is jumping in early next year and even iRex is purportedly hoping to issue a consumer-centric alternative. Speaking of those last two, we're hearing that Plastic Logic's long-awaited entrant into the e-book reading world will "be launched in the US at the beginning of next year at a similar price to the Kindle, which starts at $299," while a UK launch is expected in late 2010 or early 2011. As for iRex, the mockup you see above portrays a wireless device with an expansive 8.1-inch display, inbuitl 3G, a full touchscreen and a fall 2009 release date. 'Course, we're also hearing that this one will hover well above the $300 mark, so it's certainly not aimed at the budget-minded bookworms. So many syllables, so little time...[Thanks, Tom]Read - iRex readerRead - Plastic Logic pricing
iRex to release color e-reader in 2011?
Remember when iRex single-handedly revolutionized the e-reader industry last fall? Remember "Seeing Is Believing?" We didn't either, until the company reminded us of its continued existence with the announcement that it's developing a new color e-book reader that uses subtractive color mixing to display text and images three times the brightness of existing displays. While this won't be the first color e-ink tech we've laid our eyes on, the promise of print-quality color e-books is certainly tantalizing. Your move, Sony.[Via SlashGear]
iRex Digital Reader 1000S gets the hands on treatment
iRex's Digital Reader 1000S didn't exactly do a whole lot to distinguish itself when it debuted alongside its two other 1000 series counterparts a few months back but, judging from Engadget Chinese's hands-on of the unit, it seems to at least hold its own against your average e-book reader, even if it may not be able to justify its premium price tag ($749). On the upside the 10.2-inch, 160 dpi display appears to deliver as expected, with it provided a fairly comfortable reading experience, although some small text may have you reaching for the zoom function. Unfortunately, the device as a whole seems to be a tad on the sluggish side, and there is that small matter of the price, which puts the iRex well above the likes of the Kindle and some other upstart e-book readers. Still undecided? Hit up the link below for a closer look.
iRex's 1000SW e-reader won't have 3G -- no matter how much we say otherwise
If you've been following the new iRex reader, the 1000 series, you'll be disappointed to know -- as we were -- that the high-end 1000SW will not come equipped with 3G connectivity as we previously reported. Apparently jkOnTheRun got in touch with iRex rep Loeki van der Lee after unsuccessfully searching for hard evidence on the feature, and he confirmed that the device will sport WiFi and Bluetooth, but nothing more. Honestly, based on his short responses and the information we snagged from Forbes the day before the announcement, it sounds as if plans might have changed at the last minute. Still, it won't alter the fact that the $849 device won't provide the same functionality as a $359 Kindle... though it does have that snazzy Wacom stylus.
iRex intros the 1000, 1000S, and 1000SW e-readers to a symphony of yawns
Oh, fabulous day! The new iRex Digital Reader is pretty much what we expected: a 10.2-inch, Lithium Ion battery-powered, black and white e-ink device that still leaves us hungry for that snazzy reader that Plastic Logic has coming down the pipe. Geared towards business users, prices start at a hefty $649 for the Digital Reader 1000, and if you want a stylus thrown in -- you know, something else to lose -- be prepared to spend $749 on the 1000S. Still, the big daddy 1000SW -- with WiFi, Bluetooth and that 3G data connectivity -- adds some new functionality that will be welcome, though it's hard to say who's breaking off $849 for those aforementioned features.[Thanks, Matthew]
Forbes: iRex to introduce 10.2-inch E-Ink Reader 1000 on Monday
If you don't like spoilers then look away, now -- seems Forbes has all the details related to iRex's 22 September announcement. The Netherlands-based group is set to release an evolved iLiad e-reader called the iRex Reader 1000. Like Plastic Logic, iRex is targeting business users with its new 10.2-inch E-Ink e-reader able to display "any file format" including PDF, Word, and HTML-rendered documents -- sorry, no video, no color. The Reader 1000 brings a stylus with touch-screen for making notes and markups for up to 80 hours on a single charge. The base Reader 1000 is boldly expected to start at $650 (compared to the $359, 6-inch Kindle). It then ramps to $750 for the writable screen version before topping out at $850 to add WiFi, Bluetooth, and 3G data connection. Now get to it CIOs, we suspect you'll need some time to argue the case why some personnel require a laptop, smartphone, and e-reader to get through the day.[Via mobileread, Thanks Spencer H.]
iRex: something awesome this way comes
All we have right now is an ominous, glowing shape that might represent an e-reader of some sort and the promise (threat?) that "Seeing Is Believing." Following on the heels of Sony's vague e-book announcement, it seems that the folks at iRex also have something big planned. Sony will be keeping quiet until October 2, but over at iRex the bomb drops Monday.[Via Electronista; Thanks, Laura]
iRex launches new iLiad Book Edition e-book reader
iRex has a new consumer e-book reader out today, which incorporates some of the company's higher end specs and makes them available in something a little more palatable for end users. Although it doesn't have the Kindle's pervasive connection, it can still sync RSS feeds, as well as take notes with its touchscreen. Check out the specs: 8.1-inch XGA display, 16 grayscale 400MHZ XScale CPU, 64MB RAM Wacom-based touch input 256MB flash memory, USB, MMC, and CF slots Reads PDF, HTML, TXT, Mobipocket, JPG, BMP, and PNG 3.5mm audio out Travel-hub add-on with... Ethernet! Oookay. 8.5 x 6.1 x 0.63-inches, 15.3 ounces It launches May 9th in Europe, and will sell for a very hefty sum of €499 ($770 US). But hey, it does come bundled with 50 public domain classics, so, um, that's something. Some more shots after the break.[Via MobileRead, thanks Adam]
iRex iLiad e-book reader gets reviewed
iRex's iLiad e-book reader has been available to order for some time now, but just in case you haven't yet made up your mind about dropping all those Euros, the folks at Ars Technica have now delivered an expectedly thorough review of the device. As you might have guessed, however, they found the iLiad to be a bit of a mixed bag, with the device's annotation capabilities the real stand-out feature, although most likely won't find that alone enough to justify the $876 or $950 price tag (depending on the configuration). Still, you will apparently get an "excellent" screen for all that cash, and plenty of connectivity options -- even including a few unofficial ones.
iLiad e-book reader hacked for use with HSDPA modem
iRex's iLiad e-book reader already boasts some built-in WiFi capabilities, but if that's not enough to whet your wireless appetite you may want to take after MobileRead forum member "drazvan," who managed to get the device to play nice with a Vodafone USB HSDPA modem. The whole process appears to be relatively straightforward, simply requiring you to run a few scripts on the iLiad, which drazvan has kindly provided. While he's only tested it with the Vodafone modem, he seems confident that it'll also work with other modems providing you make the necessary adjustments, which you'll unfortunately have to figure out how to do yourself.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Hands on with ARINC's iLiad-based eFlyBook
We had a chance to spend some quality time this week with ARINC's eFlyBook, essentially an iRex iLiad all gussied up in aviation trim. True, we know the subject matter may not interest the lion's share of our readers, but finding appropriate vertical markets may prove crucial to the short-term success of the iLiad and products like it -- besides, the eFlyBook is a dead ringer for its unbranded sibling, so if you're in the eBook market, do read on.
eFlyBook loads iRex's iLiad with aviation docs
If you've had your eye on the iLiad eBook reader from Philips spin-off iRex -- and also have a need for a lot of boring aviation-related documents -- then you may be interested in a new product called the eFlyBook from ARINC that combines both of your passions. Little more than an iLiad pre-loaded with such exciting fare as the US Terminal Procedures Publication, US IFR High & Low Enroute Charts, and an Airport Facility Directory, among others, the eFlyBook is one of the only ways Americans can curently get their hands on iRex's debut product, pilot or no pilot. You'll recall that the iLiad is a 400MHz device with an 8-inch, 1,024 x 768 screen that sports both a CF and SD slot for user-supplied content, so besides all the flight documentation, flyboys can also load up the eBook with their own novels and magazines to read while letting auto-pilot do all the hard work. Available to order immediately, this rebadged version of the iLiad will set you back a cool $900, plus whatever it costs to update the aviation docs once the included six-month Charts & Data subscription expires. Not the cheapest way to get your eBook on, but until Sony rolls out its own proprietary reader, your options here are still few and far between.
iRex's iLiad e-reader goes on sale online
The alpha to Sony's e-ink omega, iRex's iLiad e-reader, hasn't only looked like a viable alternative to Sony's device, it's threatened to come in first (and cheaper). Well, cheaper may no longer be the case, but it looks like the iRex is set to ship this month in Europe for a princely €649 ($820 US). That's a pretty spicy meatball, we know, but we ain't never said early adoption was for the destitute or faint of heart.[Thanks, PanMan and Oliver]
