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E Ink acquires SiPix, may dominate e-paper universe
If challenging E Ink's supremacy in the e-paper market was hard before, it just became Sisyphean. The company is acquiring e-paper module maker SiPix through a share buyout worth about NT$1.5 billion ($50.1 million) if all goes smoothly. What goals E Ink has with the merger aren't as apparent, although the company wants to go beyond just supplying the parts for another Kindle Touch or Nook Simple Touch -- the aim is to "diversify into newer applications" even as the company corners those markets it already leads. The deal should close in the fall if regulators sign off on the deal, although we wouldn't be too quick to assume clearance is a sure thing. As NPD DisplaySearch warns, the deal would give E Ink complete control of the electrophoretic display technology that dictates the e-paper field. That doesn't allow for a lot of variety in the space when alternatives like Qualcomm's Mirasol are being scaled back.
Sagem reveals Binder white label e-reader, SFR's version comes with free 3G
Heard of the FnacBook, Telecom Italia eBook or Thalia Oyo? It's looking like they're all one and the same -- a Sagem product called the Binder with a six-inch SiPix capacitive e-paper touchscreen. It's also got the standard accelerometer, 2GB of internal flash, a microSD card slot and support for ePub and PDF, but there's one feature that sets it apart from the pack: a cellular modem that'll give FnacBook buyers free 3G service a la the Amazon Kindle's Whispernet. French carrier SFR is subsidizing that little venture, so it's not part and parcel of buying into Sagem's device, but if you find yourself holding onto a different rebrand we suppose you'll still have 802.11 b/g WiFi for your Steig Larsson downloads. Fnac's already taking preorders at €199 (about $277); devices ship November 10th. PR after the break.
Bookeen's multitouch-equipped Cybook Orizon e-reader to launch next month
Bookeen's been touting its Cybook Orizon e-reader since CES in January, but it looks like it's now finally, actually nearing a release. According to the company, the device will be available in "mid-October," and it'll boast a 6-inch multitouch screen with "reading quality close to that of paper." That screen is apparently based on SiPix's so-called "Caress touch ePaper" technology, and packs a 167 dpi resolution and 16 levels of gray. Otherwise, you'll get built-in WiFi and Bluetooth (no 3G option), plus 2GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot for expansion, 150 pre-loaded books (presumably public domain), and a web browser that promises "unrestricted" access to the sites of your choice. Still no word on a release over here, unfortunately, but folks in Europe will be able to pre-order the device starting September 25th for €229.99 (or roughly $300).
ASUS makes DR-900 e-reader official
We've spent all our time hearing about a DR-950, but today at CeBIT ASUS has trotted out a DR-900 as its first 9-inch ebook reader. It doesn't appear manifestly different from what we've heard and seen already, with WiFi connectivity augmented with a 3G option, and a battery life rated to last a pretty radical 10,000 pages on a single charge. The interface on show clearly invites touch interaction, and we can fill in a few gaps with what we know of the DR-950, namely a 1024 x 768 resolution on a Sipix panel, 4GB of integrated storage, 3.5mm headphone jack, and support for PDF, TXT, MP3 and ePUB files. We'll be tracking down an official price and release date shortly, as well as smudging a few fingerprints on these before the day is through.
Bookeen Orizon to ship this May with multitouch Sipix display
We're still patiently waiting for Sipix's color e-paper to hit the commercial realm, but 'til then, we suppose we'll pretend to be content with the monochrome variety. Bookeen, which obviously has a hard row to hoe in the slam-packed e-reader market, recently announced what appeared to be a relatively ho hum reader in the Orizon. Today, however, we've learned that it'll ship with a multitouch 6-inch Sipix display (800 x 600 resolution), and it'll be available for purchase this May in the United States and UK. For those who've forgotten, it will arrive with WiFi, 2GB of internal memory, Bluetooth, an accelerometer and support for PDF / ePUB formats. Still, if the rumored $250 price point sticks, we sort of doubt those to-be Kindle customers will turn their back on an always-on connection, but hey -- if the hackers step it up, this whole multitouch thing could really be enticing.
ASUS DR-950 touchscreen e-reader spotted in the 'wilds' of ASUS UK's office
Sure, we'd love to be hanging out with this device in person, but we suppose this is second best. ASUS UK has some shots of the upcoming DR-950 e-reader, sporting 9-inches of grayscale SiPix e-paper. It admittedly looks pretty great under these idealized lighting conditions, and the homescreen interface looks simple and oh-so-touchable. Hopefully we get to put the device through its text-to-speech, 3G and ePub paces soon enough. %Gallery-83697%
ASUS DR-950 9-inch touchscreen e-reader brings text-to-speech and internet browser
ASUS is suddenly all chatty with its plans to enter the e-reader market in 2010. Just yesterday we got word of a 6-inch color (claimed to be OLED by InGear) e-reader from ASUS by the name of DR-570 headed to retail before the year is through. Now we've got details of a second ASUS e-reader, dubbed the DR-950 that should arrive sooner. This time we're looking at a 9-inch Sipix panel with 1,024 x 768 pixel resolution pushing 16-levels of gray just like the Jinke reader unveiled at CES. The touchscreen DR-950 features text-to-speech (based on Svox engine supporting 26 languages), a web browser that works in portrait or landscape modes, a virtual keyboard and handwriting input, a RSS reader, and dictionary (with expandable database) with real-time translation. Spec-wise, the 222 x 161 x 9-mm / 370-gram reader packs WiFi and HSPA (WiMax is optional) data radios, 3.5-mm headphone jack and stereo speakers, with 4GB of internal memory and SD Card expansion. Supported formats include PDF, TXT, Audible, MP3, and unprotected ePub. Not bad ASUS, not bad. Now let's see some content partners, eh? See it pictured browsing the web after the break.
Jinke announces 6 and 9-inch SiPix panel e-readers
We're certainly not wanting for e-readers this week, although we are definitely wanting for one that's compelling enough to shell out good money for -- which is fine, because company's all over God's green Earth seem to be working overtime to give us one. Take Jinke -- the company's switched from E Ink to SiPix panels for the A6 and A9 readers, both of which are planned to sport multitouch, 16 levels of grayscale, WiFi a/b/g, and optional 3G -- as well as the usual compliment of formats (FB2, EPUB, PDF, most image formats, and MP3). The former is a 6-inch (600 x 800) device with 2GB of storage, an SD slot, and an accelerometer. The Jinke A9 features a 9-inch (1024 x 768) panel, and up to 4GB storage. Both the A6 ($275) and the A9 ($330) should be available in March.
SiPix to debut color e-paper next year?
SiPix (a division of our old friend AU Optronics) has announced that it will bring "a small number" of color e-ink displays to market by the end of 2010. Apparently, a breakthrough in thin-film-transistor panels has put the company on the fast-track to making this technology commercially viable. If so, it could beat rivals like PrimeView (the manufacturer of both the Kindle and Sony's Reader) to the punch by a year or two. "Making colored electronic paper displays is our top priority," said SiPix president Andrew Tseng. "We are in talks with customers to supply colored displays ... as [color] would encourage advertisers to place ads on [electronic] publications, which then would be able to provide more content [to readers] for free." While PrimeView is currently scrambling to buy up US-based E Ink, AU Optronics is scheduled to ship its first e-paper display modules to customers this quarter. The ball's in your court, Fujitsu. [Via TG Daily]
