reader
Latest
Spring Design announces partnership with Borders, lowers price on Alex reader
What do you do when one major book retailer (allegedly) steals your design and makes their own version of it? Why, you go and make a partnership with that major book retailer's major retail competitor, stick out your tongue, and hope for the best! That's what Spring Design seems to have done, signing up with Borders to sell the luscious Alex e-reader that we finally got to play with the other day. Borders will provide retail space for the reader and will create a branded digital book store as well as some "mobile eBook applications" of indeterminate nature. The most interesting part of the announcement? A new price for the device of $359, which makes it exactly 40 dollars more attractive than it was this morning. Full release after the break.
Entourage Edge gets super official at CES, set to ship next month for $490
It's nothing different than what we heard back in December, but for those paranoid about delays -- take it easy. Entourage Systems has today officially launched the planet's first "Dualbook," the Edge. Easily one of the most bizarre looking e-readers to hit the market, the dual-screen, WiFi-enabled device utilizes a 9.7-inch e-ink display and a 10.1-inch LCD screen. You'll also get a virtual keyboard, software that allows both screens to work together and access to over 200,000 trade books including e-textbooks from McGraw Hill, John Wiley & Sons and content frequently adopted by professors for course use from Oxford University Press. It'll be ready for hard hitters and book worms next month for $490, and you can dig into the full details just past the break. %Gallery-81510%
Intel Reader hands-on
Making our all so stealthy escape from the Intel booth today, we came across the Reader -- the big chipmaker's text scanning device which reads aloud and provides a high contrast, large-sized reading facility for people with visual or mental impairments. We tried it out on a real quick and dirty scan from a newspaper, and while it picked up plenty of text bits from articles outside the one we cared to read, it was a pretty robust little setup in our opinion. The readouts were pretty robotic, but this isn't really intended as an ebook reader with vocal chords, so we'll give it a pass for that. We still cringe at the $1,500 price tag, though on the whole it looked like a well thought-out device with a very specific use. Check out the pictures below and a video awaits after the break. %Gallery-81997%
Skiff e-reader hands-on: watch out Amazon
Ready for your Kindle alternative? Skiff might be it. Might. We had a chance to sit down with the team to go hands-on with the 11.5-inch e-Reader. As a device, the near final prototype was big pushing an impressive 1,600 x 1,200 resolution -- enough to stuff an entire page of the New York Times up front including advertisements and still maintain readability. Mind you, it's not an exact reproduction, content has been modified to account for advertisements which, for better or worse, are part of the Skiff publishing model. Fortunately, we found it impossible to differentiate between the locally served ads and those you're already accustomed to seeing inside your favorite newspaper. But as far as competition goes, Skiff isn't hedging its bets on a single device -- this is a publishing platform. As such, Skiff showed us a total of four different devices accessing its content: a color e-reader prototype as well as Skiff apps running on a Palm Pre, Viliv MID, and of course the Linux-based black and white e-reader launching sometime this year. They even promised an iPhone app as you'd expect with synchronization across all your devices (at least as many as the DRM will allow). Skiff tells us that an Android device is also in the works. Unfortunately, as a Kindle competitor, Skiff was not willing to discuss the extent of their content partners nor the number of publications (blogs, magazines, newspapers, and book categories are listed on the store) that will be available at launch. Nevertheless, the Skiff Store, we've been assured, will be full with plenty of subscription content and even a few apps like Sudoku and crossword puzzles. A la carte access to content will be available as well. Multimedia is also a differentiator with content augmented by full motion video available in the Skiff apps (seen running on the Viliv). In fact, the app immediately reminded us of those iSlab content demos seen floating around the intertubes. Even the black and white e-reader was capable of playing back audio embedded in an issue of Esquire. Skiff was not willing to discuss their plans for text to speech with us today, however, we did learn that you can print documents to the Skiff over the network as a quick and easy way to move content to the device. The navigation buttons on the Skiff e-reader are not yet final and Skiff is still tweaking the touchpanel. Nevertheless, a small round dimple flanked by a pair of buttons and side-mounted "big wheel" coupled with the touchscreen interface were up to the task. The UI looked reasonable for skimming through large publications such as the Sunday edition of the New York Times and offers a search mechanism that works device wide or within the content you're viewing. Finger swipes applied to the resistive touchscreen worked as expected: swiping a finger left or right results in page turns while swipes up or down will increase or reduce font size, respectively. The launch will be US only at this point although international content will be available. Unfortunately, Skiff wouldn't allow any pictures or videos, we'll get those when we can.
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%
Amazon Kindle DX with global wireless: ships January 19th for $489
Well, what do you know? Seems that Amazon's Kindle DX will indeed be offered in a Global Wireless flavor, and it'll soon be shipping to over 100 nations for the tidy sum of $489. Bezos and Company confirmed an earlier slip tonight by trumpeting the impending release of its 9.7-inch e-reader around the world, where we presume it'll work exactly like the recently released International Kindle. 'Course, you overseas folks will probably need to budget for a power converter and import duties, but you can get your pre-orders in right this moment.
Skiff Reader is largest yet, will be hitting a Sprint Store near you
Amazon's Kindle DX may be big, but it's not the biggest any more. The Skiff Reader is here to take that crown -- despite being a mere quarter inch thick. It packs a 1600 x 1200 11.5-inch touchscreen (finger and stylus) that, as you can see from the above screenshot, should do much better justice to magazine and newspaper layouts than we've yet seen from an e-ink-based reader. That's exactly the sort of advance Hearst was promising when it first mentioned the device last month. Skiff includes 4GB of on-board storage (just over 3GB is available for content) with SD card expansion, and there's a 3.5mm headphone jack for tunes and, hopefully, text-to-speech. Content can be side-loaded over a mini USB jack or delivered via WiFi but, more importantly, 3G is also on offer thanks to Sprint, who will also dedicate some space in its retail stores to sell the thing when it launches sometime this year. Price? That we don't know. %Gallery-81396%
Paradigm Shift intros 5- and 7-inch readers with color (LCD) displays
It looks as if we're still waiting patiently for color e-ink to become a reality (at least in a mass produced shipping product), but if you're kosher with low-energy consumption LCDs, Paradigm Shift has the ticket. Similar to Sungale's Cyberus ID700WTA, the outfit's 5-inch EER-051 and 7-inch EER-071WF are both e-readers with color, but neither boast e-ink displays. The former includes 1GB of built-in memory, an SD expansion slot, an integrated MP3 player and support for just about any kind of ebook file (non-encrypted EPUB included). The latter steps up to 2GB of memory, and thanks to the Windows CE operating system, it'll also handle Office files and the like when it's not flipping text. Both devices are expected to ship in February through Delstar here in the States, with the 5-incher available in a rainbow's worth of hues for $149.95 and the big boy in black or white for $50 more. The full release is after the break. %Gallery-81074%
Dulin's Books brings Onxy's 6-inch Boox 60 e-reader to US shores for $349
It has taken longer than anticipated, but the Boox e-reader that we toyed with at CeBIT earlier this year is finally available for order here in the US of A, with shipments expected to begin in a fortnight. Onyx International's 6-inch reader -- which features WiFi, a Vizplex e-ink display, a 532MHz processor, 512MB of memory, a 1,600mAh battery and an SD / SDHC expansion slot -- is bring slung across the seas courtesy of Dulin's Books, and while it won't ship with integrated 3G support, it's still coming here with a lofty $349 price tag affixed to it. Sure, that WebKit browser may impress some, and the bundled white leather cover is a pleasant touch, but we can only wish it luck as it tries to rival the (less expensive and more capable) Nook and Kindle. [Thanks, Jorge]
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]
Aigo jumps on the e-reader bandwagon with EB6301
It's official: everyone's making an e-reader. While we're still a little unsure of where all this is heading (hey, call us Luddites, but we actually like turning pages!), we're always glad to see an ever-expanding offering of literacy-encouraging gadgets. Chinese company Aigo has just announced its own model, the daringly named EB6301. This one boasts a 6-inch E Ink display, a host of buttons running down its left side in addition to the navigation panel, and has 2GB of built-in storage. There's no WiFi on this unit which is a disappointment, and it's going to run 2,499 yuan -- about $366. There's no word on availability outside of China at this time.
Sony staying conservative with Reader device, aware of current tablet mania
Sony's Sir Howard Stringer played the tease at today's Reader content partnership presser, stating that while Sony could make the device into a multimedia tablet, it would rather wait and see if consumers warm up to current devices. Stringer's watching if people find the form factor "comfortable and helpful" before Sony starts "plowing on a thousand apps" or building a "Vaio Reader." We don't really know how much e-reader acceptance points to the demand for color multimedia tablets, but in regards to the (non-existant, ever-present) Apple Tablet, Stringer says "we're all working on variations of the same thing." Hopefully we'll figure out what exactly he means by that before we grow old and start reading books or something horrible like that.
Sony e-readers get exclusive Dow Jones, New York Post content
Hoping to read the New York Post on an e-reader anytime soon? Then your choices just got quite a bit more limited, as the newspaper has signed a deal that will see Sony offer the only version of the paper for digital reading devices. Joining it are various exclusive offerings from Dow Jones & Company, including The Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch, which won't be completely exclusive to Sony readers, but will be available in special editions only available on Sony readers -- that includes The Wall Street Journal PLUS, a digital edition of the morning paper that also features an update of the day's events after the close of the markets. Owners of the Sony Reader Daily Edition will also naturally be able to get the day's papers wirelessly delivered to their readers, with subscriptions running between $9.99 and $19.99 a month.
Addonics intros two eSATA-enabled multicard readers for the brave and gullible
There's no denying that the two newest multicard readers from Addonics can connect to one's PC via eSATA as well as the conventional USB 2.0 method, but frankly, we've our doubts about the honest-to-goodness speed benefits of linking through the former. The outfit claims that when its (external) Pocket eSATA / USB DigiDrive is hooked up with an eSATA cable, any flash media you insert can be used as a bootable device with read / write speeds of up to 150MB/sec, but of course you'll want to slap the quickest SDHC or CompactFlash card you can find in there to fully take advantage of the extra bandwidth. There's also an internal version for those tired of looking at the gaping hole where your floppy drive used to be, and considering that both retail for $59.99, you'll probably spend the next four or five hours just choosing which you really need.
Kindle for iPhone takes over the world, hits over 60 new countries
We all now know that Kindle is more than an e-book for Amazon -- it's an entire digital content platform with aims on world domination, which explains why the company has felt more than comfortable releasing software-based readers for other platforms. To that end, they've announced that Kindle for iPhone is now ready for download in over 60 additional countries, which probably overlaps as a pretty beefy subset of the list of countries to which the actual Kindle is shipping. And, unlike the real thing, you'll actually be able to browse the full web with your iPhone -- not to say that HTML on an E Ink display was ever a very satisfying experience to start.
HarperCollins now also thumbing nose at e-book industry with digital delay
Joining Simon & Schuster and Hachette Book Group (Stephanie Meyer, James Patterson) in delaying e-books months after their hardcover releases? HarperCollins, home to Neil Gaiman and the Lemony Snicket series. Beginning in 2010, five to ten books released each month will be given a physical head start lasting anywhere from four weeks to six months. Similar justification as before, the prevailing worry is that the cheaper digital copies so early in a title's release will make for "fewer literary choices for customers" because publishers won't be as willing to take a risk on new writers. It's not necessarily the most sound of arguments, but still we can imagine some short term harm to the e-book industry. Question is, how long can these arbitrary delays last? [Thanks, Joe]
Sony Reader Store goes 100% EPUB on Friday
Listen up Sony Reader owners: you've got three days to change your ways. On December 11th, the eBook Store from Sony will be renamed the Reader Store with a new URL to prove it. In addition to a new store layout, the change also extends the open EPUB format to Sony's entire inventory of eBooks. In fact, any new electronic books will only be available in EPUB which helps explain the motivation for Sony's PRS-500 trade-in program. As such, we can say goodbye to Sony's proprietary BBeB ("BroadBand eBook") format which goes the way of ATRAC (outside of Japan, anyway). Sony's also making its Reader Library 3.1 software for Mac and PC available on the same day with support for the imminent Reader Daily Edition launch and compatibility with Windows 7 and OS X Snow Leopard -- how timely. [Thanks, Ben]
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.
iriver Story unsheathed, still looks remarkably like a Kindle
If you're pro-ebook readers but anti-Amazon censorship, here's a decent alternative for your cashola. The Story reader from iriver has been undressed for our entertainment and rightfully praised for its trendy eco-friendly packaging. It's not an altogether unique device, but with an 800 x 600 E Ink display, support for ePUB, PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and even Ogg / WMA file formats, it's at least versatile enough. Hit the read link to try and spot the other differences between this and Amazon's record-breaking piece of authoritarian hardware. Go on -- it's a real rush, we promise.
Nook ship date slips to January 11th, supply chain managers weep
Hardware construction is a funny thing. Sometimes, regardless of the money you throw at something, you just can't get products to come together any quicker. Evidently that's the case with Barnes & Noble's Nook, which has seen its estimated ship date slip from today to sometime after the holidays, and now to January 11th. There's still a sliver of hope that you'll be able to snag one from a high-traffic retail location on December 7th, but unless you're planning on abandoning ship and helping the Kindle have its new best month ever, the realistic choices are pretty clear: a) pay Tickle Me Elmo-like prices on eBay or b) drop an IOU in a nicely wrapped box, preferably with a cute puppy. We suggest the latter. [Thanks, Dave and Wes] P.S. - We're also hearing that pre-orders (even those placed moments after it was announced) are also being pushed back, though hopefully they'll still be received before December 25th.
