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Samsung leaving the e-paper business, citing cost issues
Samsung Electronics announced Monday that its halting production of e-paper due to cost issues. While Samsung has yet to out an actual device boasting e-paper, but did show off a prototype late last year which boasted a color display. The official word from Samsung itself is that it will not actually exit the e-reader market, rather that it will produce a device with an LCD, with plans to launch said reader next year. We wait expectantly.
iriver Story Touch edition reader shows up on fan site
It's been a while since we've heard anything from iriver on the e-reader front, so this one isn't a huge surprise. It looks like the Story is getting a nice, compact Touch edition, and while we don't have full specs yet, we do have plenty of photos, and we also know it's going to boast a 6-inch, touchscreen display (which appears to be some type of e-ink), 2GB of internal storage, with SDHC expansion up to 32GB. This one's going to be for the Korean market only, so we don't expect to get our hands on one anytime soon, but we can always dream. Another photo is below, hit the source link for more.
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.
Gemei outs GM2000 color screen-boasting e-reader
Gemei's just rolled out a pretty attractive looking e-reader in China, the GM2000. This attractive looking device has a choice of 7-inch, color LCD with 800 x 400 resolution, or a 6-inch, e Ink display. They can also output 1080p video, and they support a wide variety of file formats. They both boast 4GB of memory onboard, and the GM2000 has an SD card slot for up to 32GB more. Full press release below.
TUAW's Daily App: Articles
We've talked about Articles here on the site before. Out of all of the apps that won Apple Design Awards this year, I would say it's probably the most underrated and most useful. It's a Wikipedia reader, which doesn't sound like much since the mobile version of Wikipedia is pretty good already. Having a dedicated app for the open source encyclopedia makes a surprising difference, though, and it allows you to consume all of that content in a really focused way. There are integrated maps and photos and lots of different ways to browse information, including shaking the iPhone to see a random page. The new update doesn't hurt either; version 1.3 adds a language picker, a new Table of Contents sheet, and an orientation lock that even works on the iPhone (a previous update already made the app all ready for iOS 4.0 and the Retina Display). Articles is US$2.99, which might seem pricey to browse content that you can already read for free. However, if you've participated in a few marathon Wikipedia sessions just by following a few random reference links, it's well worth the purchase.
Velocity Micro shows off $199 Cruz Reader
We haven't heard much about Velocity Micro's Android-based Cruz Reader since it sort of came out of nowhere back in April, but it's now finally nearing a release (sometime in August), and the company is starting to show it off a bit more. As expected, the Cruz Reader is just one of a series of tablets from the company and, despite the "reader" moniker, is actually more of a full-fledged Android tablet, complete with support for apps, games, web browsing, and other tablet-like activities. Velocity Micro is playing up the reader angle though, and has announced a partnership with Borders and Kobo to deliver ebooks to the device. Somewhat confusingly, however, it will be joined later in August by the $299 Cruz Tablet, which opts for a 16:9 capacitive display, adds 4GB of internal storage and an 8GB SD card, and Flash support, which the Reader apparently doesn't have (we're not quite sure what that means OS-wise). Rounding out the initial group is the kid-friendly Cruz StoryPad, which boasts a spill-resistant case and will run $149. Head on past the break for a look at the Cruz Reader on video, and the complete press release.
Kindle and Nook e-readers get massive price cuts
We can't say for sure if the Apple iPad is the cause, but it's a pretty good bet the iPad and the iBook app are part of the problem for Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Both booksellers today dramatically cut the price of their competing e-book readers. Nook started the ball rolling downhill this morning when the original Nook, priced at US$259, was cut to $199, and a new Wi-Fi only model was introduced at $149. Now Amazon has just responded, cutting the $259 Kindle to $189. Whew! It's getting competitive out there. Many people still prefer a dedicated book reader, but the iPad has come on strong. I've read several books on my Kindle, and the screen is detailed, but I actually prefer reading on the iPad where I don't have to worry about finding an external light source. I also prefer the color illustrations on the iPad for the books that feature them. It will be interesting to see how this all winds up. Of course you can read Kindle books and purchases from the Nook store on your iPad or iPhone (and on your Mac), so readers have plenty of choices. Sadly, you have to juggle a lot of different e-reader apps on each device, but we all benefit as consumers when the competition gets up and running.
Square delays reader distribution, says it's examining transaction limits
Two weeks back at WWDC, Square told us that the company was "catching up with demand" of its little plastic credit card reader for the iPhone, and that it would "be there really soon." But it looks like things won't quite "be there" as soon as they thought. They've decided to delay the mass roll-out of the devices, with Jack Dorsey telling users that the company "released parts of Square before they were fully baked." That coincides with what our readers were saying in the comments on the original interview -- that the reader devices were taking a long time to be shipped out to users. Dorsey also agreed with the other issue our commenters brought up (that the service's transaction limits, which Square originally put in place to counteract fraud, are too low), and said that those limits would be addressed soon. Dorsey doesn't say how "soon" that may be -- there's still no ETA on when the readers will go out, and Square is still working on how exactly it will change or update those transaction limits. Basically, there is no fix in sight for those frustrated by the company so far. So it looks like Square isn't quite where it wants to be yet. But then again, think about the problems it's having: it can't keep up with demand for free readers, and people want to transfer even more money through the service. Those are pretty good problems to have. Square is definitely taking its time while working out the kinks, but the fact that it just can't keep up with demand is far from a condemnation of their business model.
Kobo launches e-reader app for Android
Kobo -- perhaps best known for its e-reader tie-up with Borders -- is bringing its platform and bookstore to Android, beating bigger players like Amazon to the game. If you've already got a Kobo account, you can just log in and get instant access to your already-purchased books, but if you're new, you can buy stuff right from your phone; it supports ePub and counts more than two million titles to its library (some of which are free). Strangely, Kobo is circulating a picture of what appears to be a Nokia 5800 with its Android announcement -- but if you can get past that, the app should be available in the Market right now. Follow the break for the full press release.
WWDC 2010: Square's first steps
Square has already made a big splash with its launch -- the company, founded by Jim McKelvey, Jack Dorsey (formerly of Twitter), and Tristan O'Tierney, has created a system for accepting credit card payments through the iPhone. After a lot of secrecy and hype, the app launched on the iPad a while back. While the Square Reader (a little doohickey you can plug in the headphone port of an iOS device to swipe credit cards in) is still hard to find, we got one directly from O'Tierney himself at WWDC last week. It wasn't free -- he charged us a buck for it (and for the privilege of seeing a demo), taken by swiping my card through the reader, having me sign on the touchscreen, and emailing me a receipt in a process that was quick and painless. Well, mostly painless -- you have to hand it to a company whose demo is dependent on you giving them a buck. But I guess O'Tierney paid me back with his time -- you'll find an interview after the link below in which he tells me the weirdest use of the reader he's seen, what their biggest fraud issue has been so far, and what the company plans to do next.
Adobe promises fix for Flash vulnerability by tomorrow, Reader and Acrobat fix on June 29th
Well, it looks like Adobe isn't wasting much time in fixing that "critical" Flash vulnerability that could allow remote hijacking of a user's computer, but it's a slightly different story when it comes to patching Adobe Acrobat and Reader. According to Adobe, the Flash fix will be rolled out by tomorrow at the latest, but it says the fix for Reader and Acrobat won't be available until June 29th. Somewhat curiously, Adobe says it had considered rushing out a "one-off 0-day" fix for Reader and Acrobat as soon as possible, but says that would have caused too much "churn and patch management overhead on our users" considering there's already a regular quarterly update scheduled for July 13th. So, instead, Adobe has decided to push that update up to June 29th and simply include the fix for the vulnerability with it. In the meantime? Stay frosty, we guess.
Fast PDF brings iBooks functionality to PDF files
One bit of news from WWDC is that the new version of the OS formerly known as iPhone OS, iOS 4, will be released on June 21st. Along with it will come an iBooks app that will support PDF files. But you don't have to wait until then to get PDF support both on the iPhone/iPod touch and the iPad with an app that looks very much like iBooks. Fast PDF (US $0.99) does the job for PDF reading; it's a Unversal app (meaning that it looks great on both the iPhone and the iPad). This is really nothing revolutionary, since apps like Stanza (also a Universal app) have been doing this for quite a long time, but the virtue of Fast PDF is that it looks remarkably like iBooks and it is very simple to use. Just like Stanza, you can download PDF files from either the Internet (this was a bit confusing), from your computer using a built-in server, or via iTunes' file transfer feature. Unlike Stanza, there is no file conversion. Often PDF files imported into Stanza look horribly formatted, and saving the file as an ePub or other file type doesn't make it any better. Fast PDF (which only deals with PDF files) brings everything in, perfectly formatted. After transferring, the resulting file looks exactly like the source. %Gallery-94785%
The Reader feature in Safari 5 can change your whole web experience
I'm surprised Apple didn't hype the Reader feature in Safari 5 a bit more. It's almost a stealth function, and you might not even notice it is there. My colleague Dave Caolo touched on it in his Safari 5 overview, and I want to make sure everyone tries it. (If you're a fan of the Readability bookmarklet, you're probably going to like it -- in fact, it's built on the same code base.) Here's how it works. Click on an article or post on your favorite website. Take a look at the Smart Address Field. If the word 'Reader' appears, you're good to go. Click on the word 'Reader' and you'll get a clean view of the page. If it is a multi-page article, they will all be there as you scroll down. Even better, you can print the page cleanly, or send it via e-mail. When you are done, navigate to the bottom of the displayed page and click the 'x' and you'll be back to the regular web. Check the screen shots for before and after renderings to see how it works. I found reading this way to be a terrific experience. Reader simplifies the web, getting rid of a lot of the annoying sidebars and extraneous content. It won't work on a front page with lots of links to articles, but once you are in the article, it should re-render your page if you ask it to. Apple support boards are seeing a bit of traffic about Safari 5 compatibility, but the reader functions seems to be very solid. Give it a try and see if it doesn't change your web experience. Reader works on both the Windows and Mac version of Safari. I'd love to get it on the iPad and the iPhone -- but you can get a taste of it now on those devices by using the Instapaper Mobilizer to create Reader-esque pages from your favorite sites. Note that not everyone is pleased with Reader, as it can impact advertising revenues for some sites (although it does load the complete page before it lets you go to Reader view, so it should not hinder pageview counts). It's a lot like the tension between television networks and the time-shifting/ad-skipping technologies that began with the VCR and continue today with DVRs. Ad-blocking and Reader views will probably be a flashpoint between content creators/advertising networks and the audiences they serve. %Gallery-94724%
BeBook Neo e-reader deemed solid, well designed, expensive
Hey kids: Sick of e-readers yet? If not, the kids at trusted reviews just got their hands on what they consider one of the nicest thus far. This 6-inch display-sportin' bad boy has some heft to it -- the reviewers felt that at .66 pounds it might be too much e-reader for some people. Still, it seems well-built and designed for holding for long periods of time. All in all, it's not earth-shattering, as much as "a well thought out refinement" of devices the reviewer has seen before. On the other hand, there is no finger input, MP3 playback is still not supported (an issue to be dealt with on a future firmware release, apparently), the much-ballyhooed Wacom pen notations, while nice, are only available on certain docs, and the UI (which relies on a jogwheel) is counter-intuitive, at first. So, it's pretty damn nice... but is it £238.29 (about $350) nice? Hit the source link to decide for yourself.
Plastic Logic plans 2012 launch for color e-paper display
E-readers as a whole best be watching their backs (or planning a wave of new functions, one), but it's safe to say that having color displays would give 'em a leg-up on the retina-killing, battery-draining LCD-based alternatives. Plastic Logic is still working to get its first e-reader (the decidedly not color QUE, for those curious) into the paws of consumers, but already the outfit is planning for the next big thing. Achim Neu, Director SCM, recently spoke at the International Electronics Forum, reportedly stating that his company is aiming to "have a manufacturable color display by the end of 2011 and move it into volume production in 2012." Details beyond that were scarce, but still, 2012 seems a long ways out -- if Qualcomm can get its color Mirasol panel into shipping products, there's a better than average chance that none of this will matter.
Alex e-reader rooted, five users overwhelmed with joy
Well, it was only a matter of time before the Alex e-reader got it's Android sportin' self hacked, right? According to e-reader enthusiast (and oddly named pirate) Bluebrain, this is exactly what he did over the weekend! You're psyched, right? Want to see pics? Get instructions? Try it out for yourself? What else are you going to do on a Monday morning -- work? Hit that source link to get started. Update: Bluebrain sent us a brand-new direct download for the zip file, with 100 percent less irksome advertising. Check it out!
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.
Barnes & Noble Nook seen lying in wait at Best Buy
We've already had a pretty clear indication that the Barnes & Noble Nook would be going on sale at Best Buy soon, and we now have our firmest evidence yet courtesy of a tipster who has found Nooks aplenty lurking behind the scenes at the retailer. What's more, as you can see in the shot of an inventory screen after the break, it seems all but certain that the launch date is indeed April 18th, although there's still no confirmation of a price -- we wouldn't be counting on any discounts over Barnes & Noble itself, though.
LookTel's 'artificial vision' makes Windows Mobile useful to blind people (video)
There's a surprising abundance of tech geared toward helping out people with visual impairments, but you won't find too many smartphones populating that sphere of electronics. Aiming to reverse this trend, LookTel is in the Beta stage of developing so-called artificial vision software that combines a Windows Mobile handset with a PC BaseStation to provide object and text recognition, voice labeling, easy accessibility and remote assistance. It can be used, much like the Intel Reader, to scan text and read it back to you using OCR, and its camera allows it to identify objects based on pre-tagged images you've uploaded to your PC. Finally, it allows someone to assist you by providing them with a remote feed of your phone's camera -- a feature that can be useful to most people in need of directions. Skip past the break to see it demoed on video. [Thanks, Eyal]
Spring Design Alex review
We realize that the e-reader market is about as crowded (not to mention overwhelming) as a Walmart on Black Friday, but ever since the dual-screen Spring Design Alex surfaced and we mistook it as the Barnes & Noble Nook, we've been incredibly intrigued by it. Though its 6-inch E-Ink display and 3.5-inch Android LCD form factor may seem like a riff on the Nook, the Alex has quite a few more tricks up its sleeve, including a full Android browser and the ability to extend what appears on the LCD to the E-Ink screen. And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the unorthodox extras baked into the $399 Alex. Still, games and gimmicks only get you so far, and you're probably wondering if it has what it takes to pull up next to the majors like the Kindle or Nook and knock them from the top. We've got that answer and lots more details on what it's like to use two screens rather than one just after the break in our full review. Join us, won't you? %Gallery-88668%
