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Sony's 3G-enabled Reader Daily Edition up for pre-order, content deals coming next month
Amazon and Barnes & Noble may be swiping the limelight, but Sony's clearly playing for keeps with its $399 Reader Daily Edition. The 7-inch e-book reader has just been listed for pre-order over at SonyStyle, and with it will come wireless access (via AT&T) to the company's own eBookstore. We're told that the company will "announce newspaper and magazine content providers within the next month," and of course, no monthly fees will be tacked on from browsing and buying books. If plans stay on track, we should see the first shipments leave next month -- so, is Santa treating you with one, or what? Update: Looks like not everyone will snatch one of these before that fateful day in December, so we'd suggest either settling on a Kindle / Nook or preparing your wallet to deal with 'Tickle Me Elmo' levels of eBay insanity.
Sony Reader follows Kindle to the Great White North, conquers entire high school (video)
Why, it was just yesterday that Amazon finally acknowledged the existence of our friendly neighbors to the north, saying "Why not?" before shipping a few Kindles northward. Now Sony is announcing its Reader is also set to take off, but in a very different way. The Reader has always been available in Canada (no pesky wireless contracts to negotiate), but ownership will now be compulsory for students at Toronto's Blyth Academy, who will each be provided with a Touch Edition and who must surely be a little nervous after what happened at Princeton. All textbooks will be replaced by digital equivalents, meaning smaller book bags, fewer strained backs, and no more quality time with parents making covers out of brown paper bags. Slightly uncomfortable promotional video is included below.
Sony's CEATEC concept party includes Walkman bracelet and 0.2mm thin OLED (video)
We've yet to see a trade show where Sony left its Rhode Island-sized booth at home, and CEATEC is no exception. Aside from pushing its 1080p 3D installations with an epic amount of force, the company also had a smattering of swank new concepts on display that caught our eyes. A 0.2 millimeter-thin flexible OLED display was alive and displaying content, while an ultrathin Reader mock-up looked more like a MID and less like a Kindle. Without question, the two items that took our breath away were the all-panel laptop (which tossed the traditional keyboard in favor of a single, swooping display) and the Walkman bracelet, which did little more than talk dirty to us and get our imaginations working overtime. Unfortunately, all the good stuff was behind bulletproof glass with practically zero information to digest, but you can indulge your senses anyway in the gallery below and video after the break. %Gallery-74747%
Switched On: Sony plays both ends against the Kindle
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Last week, Sony introduced Reader Daily Edition, the latest and most advanced Reader in its 2009 lineup, and attempted to recapture the excitement around the category that it had at the launch of the original Reader but then gave up to Amazon. By adding 3G connectivity to the Daily Edition, Sony's answered the biggest perceived feature gap between its products and Amazon's e-reader. However, far from playing me-too, the Daily Edition tells quite a different distribution story than the Kindle, from purchasing devices to the content. The $400 Daily Edition (a term that warmly evokes printed books and newspapers without being corny) will join the $300 Touch Edition and the $200 Pocket Edition. Of these, the Pocket Edition has the most near-term potential for success due to its greater portability and low price, particularly in these grim economic times. Speaking of which, Sony seems to have picked up more positive buzz about its library integration for free book lending than it has for adding wireless to the line. For all the struggles of subscription services, consumers don't have any problems with renting content as long as it's free.
Video: Sony Reader Touch Edition gets touched, desktop software upped to 3.0
Sony's Daily Edition may be taking a front row seat in everyone's hearts and minds right now, but let's not forget just three weeks prior the company revamped its other two, decidedly network connectivity-free e-book reader models. MobileTechReview got its hands on the PRS-600 "Touch Edition," which scores points for an easy-to-use dictionary and enhanced note-taking abilities that are purported to sync to the desktop, at least eventually. Turns out the screen isn't as sharp as the PRS-505 and there's a bit of glare, but there's certainly more contrast with the new device. Last we heard both readers were due for check out by the end of this month, although as of this writing only Pocket Edition seems to be available on Sony Style -- and if you're already enjoying a Sony reader, you'll be happy to know that 3.0 desktop software is now making the rounds for PC and Mac. Video after the break. [Thanks, Tom] Read - PRS-600 review Read - SonyStyle store Read - eBook Library Software 3.0
Google makes over a million public domain books available in EPUB format
The deal may have first been announced somewhat quietly last month, but now that Sony's come out with what's arguably its most attractive e-reader to date, the availability of over a million public domain books in the Sony-friendly EPUB format is sure to garner a fair bit more attention. As Google announced on its Inside Google Books blog, those books are now all available for download starting today and are, of course, completely free and able to be used on the EPUB-supporting device of your choice. The move also takes on a particular prominence in light of Google's recent fight with Microsoft, Yahoo, Amazon and the Open Book Alliance, who have taken issue with Google's settlement with book publishers and authors that would give it the right to digitize orphan works and make the now out-of-print (but non-public domain) books widely available.
Sony's Readers cozy up for a family portrait
It's too bad Sony doesn't have a working prototype to show of its new Daily Edition Reader (pictured on the right), but we got to look at all three of the Readers up next to each other, and it paints quite the picture of familial unity. We asked to see the Daily Edition without its cover, but apparently it's built into the device -- though you can change it out for an alternative, and the battery is replaceable. Check out the close-ups below.
Sony's 'Daily Edition' Reader launch event
We're huddled up in an obscure corner of the New York Public Library, waiting for Sony to drop its new Reader news on us. There are numerous publishing people here, and for our money we'd say a wireless-equipped, "daily" news sort of device is about to descend upon us, but we'll find out for sure when Sony gets on the makeshift stage and tells all. 10:30AM: The President and CEO of the New York Public Library is up front, and he says the digital content of the NYPL will be available to Sony Readers for free. 10:34AM: Steve Haber, president of Sony's Digital Reading Business Division is up now, and he likens the transition from books to digital books to vinyl to CD and film to digital photo. 10:38AM: Launching 3.0 eBook Library software. Mac and PC compatible, notes made on the touch edition can be printed. 10:40AM: Library Finder. You can register for a library card, and then check out ebooks from the "library" over the internet. Content expires in the number of days specified by the library. No late fees! 10:43AM: Sony Reader Daily Edition! 3G, 7-inch touchscreen, $399. Picture is up top. 10:53AM: Check out some "hands-on" photos below. He didn't let us touch it, and apparently this isn't even a working prototype. Still, from our angle, it's looking pretty slick!
Sony takes Reader openness one step further, will offer EPUB titles only
Slowly but surely, the mega-corp who has historically clung tight to its own formats while the world opts for others is finally seeing the light. Just over a year after Sony pushed out an update that enabled its Reader to use purchased books in the open EPUB format, the outfit is now promising to sell digital books only in that format by the year's end. Moreover, Sony is aiming to nix its "proprietary anti-copying software in favor of technology from the software maker Adobe that restricts how often e-books can be shared or copied." Once the switchover takes place, books purchased in Sony's online store will be readable on any device that supports EPUB, one of which will be Plastic Logic's forthcoming e-reader. And to think -- if only this change of heart would've happened prior to the introduction of ATRAC...
Sony Reader Pocket and Touch editions lower cost of entry, online e-book store follows suit
As it turns out, those Sony Reader leaks from earlier this week were spot on. The company just went official with the PRS-300 and 600, which will more affectionately be known as the Pocket and Touch editions, respectively. The latter (pictured left, not to scale) is the 6-inch resistive touchscreen model replacing the PRS-700, with Memory Stick / Duo and SD card slots. The backlighting layer from its predecessor has been dropped to improve touch responsiveness and to alleviate concerns of glare. It also comes packing a stylus and a digitized copy of the Oxford American English Dictionary and will be available in red, black, and silver. The Pocket Edition, on the other hand, is your standard fare with no touchscreen or expandable disk port, and palettes including blue, silver, and rose. Both models have USB 2.0, 512MB internal memory, and no WiFi whatsoever -- Sony assures us a WiFi version is coming and there'll be news on those coming soon, but this isn't it. There's also Mac compatibility, a first for the series, that's trickling down to older models via a firmware update. Touch and Pocket will be available by the end of August and will retail for $299 and $199, a substantially more competitive price point than its previous generation. Speaking of which, as of tomorrow, the Sony's e-book store is dropping the prices of its bestsellers from $11.99 to $9.99. A win all around, but will it be enough to make a dent in Kindle's stronghold? Things are certainly getting more interesting.
Full specs leak on Sony Reader PRS-300 and PRS-600
Still doubting that Sony has a new duo of e-book readers on the horizon? Have a look at this. Sony Insider is reporting that retailer J&R posted up product listings for both the PRS-300 and PRS-600, but both were quickly pulled in order to avoid a stern wrist slap from the suits at Sony. 'Course, neither were pulled quickly enough, and what we're left with is a list of full specifications and MSRPs for the both of 'em. If said sheets are to be believed, the 5-inch (800 x 600 resolution) Sony PRS300-RC Reader Pocket Edition will ship with 512MB of onboard memory, PC and Mac support, a battery good for 7,500 page turns and USB 2.0 connectivity. The 6-inch (800 x 600 resolution) PRS600-SC Reader Touch Edition checks in at 0.4-inches thin and boasts a virtual keyboard, doodle capability, 512MB of storage, a built-in English e-dictionary, PC and Mac support and the same battery as on the smaller sibling. We're looking at price tags of $199 and $299, respectively, but with no apparent WiFi or WWAN built in, it'll still be a hard sell over Amazon's connected Kindle here in America.
New Sony Reader PRS-300 and PRS-600 details leaked
You know the drill -- service manuals get posted for new / unannounced products, the kids in the forums pounce, and then Sony makes 'em disappear (the documents, that is -- Sony doesn't rub people out, at least not yet). In this case, user 'berboris' over at The Electronic Book found details for two Sony Readers as yet unheard of: The PRS-300 features a 5-inch display, roughly 440MB storage after system files are accounted for, and that's about it -- no touchscreen, no audio output, no card slots. The PRS-600, however, sports a 6-inch touchscreen, audio output (presumably for MP3 audiobooks and the like), SD/MS slots, and 380MB storage when all's said and done. The manuals don't mention any sort of lighting for the units or any kind of wireless connection, although both models will apparently be available in silver, red, and black -- which you can peep, conveniently enough, after the break.[Via Mobile Read]Read - Forum postRead - More info and PDFs at Sony Insider
PVI's color e-ink delayed until 2010, big-screen Sony Reader coming?
Color e-ink displays are starting to become less of a curiosity and more of a reality, but if the rumor from DigiTimes proves true it's going to be another year or so before we start seeing them en masse. PVI, makers of displays for the Kindle and Sony Reader, has apparently indicated that its attempts at creating a color display have been more or less unsatisfactory and it's going to take until 2010 at least to get its hues sorted out. That's the bad news. There is some good news, though, indicating that Sony's working on its own 8.5 x 11-inch reader utilizing the same screen as the Kindle DX. Since the last rumors about that display was pretty-much on the mark, we wouldn't be surprised if this one proved true as well -- and we can't wait to see what Sony charges for it.[Via SlashGear]
Sony Reader: Danielle Steel edition available now for suburban escapists
It's been a wild day so far for all you Kindle fans, but Sony doesn't want you to forget that it has a little e-reader of its own. And since the company knows how you can't resist a good romance, it's now bundling the Reader with (count 'em!) three books by Danielle Steel. That's right, Danielle Steel: the one woman single-handedly responsible for bringing the glamor, the fame, the triumphs, and the heartbreaks of the imaginary jet-set to your seat on the bus as it takes you to your lousy retail gig every morning at 6:30 AM. Not only is her name embossed on the e-reader's elegant red cover, but the whole shebang comes with a personalized form letter from the bestselling author herself. This bad boy is available to the Lifetime Network-set as we speak for a cool $279.99, so grab your plastic and hit that read link.[Via Electronista]
Pixelar e-Reader reviewed -- not too shabby, also "not a Kindle"
Slash Gear starts its hands-on review of Pixelar's e-book reader by stating the obvious: "this is no Amazon Kindle 2." And while there may be no integrated WiFi, no hardware keyboard, no Tom, and no Oprah, this device is not without its charms. It supports a generous helping of file types (including PDF, DOC, MP3, HTML, TXT, CHM, and at least a dozen others), comes with 512MB internal memory, supports USB and SD cards, and the reviewer found build quality to be "reasonable." The e-ink display shows some intermediate flicker, however, and the page turn speed "is just a little too long" for the reviewer's tastes. Probably the most off-putting thing about the device is its cost: in the UK (where the Kindle isn't available) it's going for a base price of £229.99 ($324), while Sony's Reader, for instance, is currently priced at £224 ($317). Intrigued? We bet you are -- check out the video after the break for even more e-book excitement.
Sony's new Reader close to greatness, but a bit too dim
Sony's lithe new PRS-700 conquers many of the most annoying faults of Amazon's chunky little fire-starter, but falls just short of greatness according to MobileTechReview. First with the good: the touchscreen enables page turning with the flick of a finger (or stylus), note taking via virtual keyboard, responds quite well, and doesn't even smudge! It supports PDF and Word files, can be used landscaped, and even has LEDs built into the screen's border for reading in the dark. Sadly, though, that display can't even match the contrast of its predecessors, which are plenty murky to begin with, and with no wireless of any sort you're stuck filling this one via USB, SD, or MS Duo. In other words there's still no perfect choice in the world of the e-ink reader -- but it is awfully hard to ignore the Reader's sleek exterior when compared to the Kindle's distinctively sci-fi doorstop look.
Sony announces PRS-700 Reader with touchscreen
Sony's plan to launch an updated Reader today wasn't exactly a secret, but there are still some surprises to the new PRS-700 -- particularly the new six-inch touchscreen E-Ink display. Page turning is now accomplished by a swipe motion with faster refreshes, and there's a stylus and on-screen keyboard for searching and note-taking -- plus an LED reading light (not a backlight) for reading in the dark. Apart from that, it's basically the same deal as the PRS-505 -- internal storage for about 350 ebooks with SD and MS-Duo expansion and a 7500 page-turn battery life round out the package, as well as an updated online store. Of course, there's no Kindle-killing integrated wireless for the $400 price tag, but it'll be interesting to see how they stack up when the PRS-700 hits shelves next month.
Sony reveals limited edition 007 VAIO TT, USB Micro Vault and Reader Digital Book
In a move to pump up the impending theater debut of Quantum of Solace, Sony is simultaneously opening up a new promotional game and introducing a few new pieces of limited edition gear. Obviously, we're a touch more concerned with the kit than the game, so we'll skip over those details and head right to the meat of it. The outfit will be offering up 100 limited run VAIO TT laptops that are emblazoned with a 007 logo on the palm rest and a matching leather protection case. Additionally, a Special Edition Bond bundle for the Reader Digital Book will feature an embossed cover with a 007 logo and coupon codes for free downloads of Ian Fleming's novels Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Lastly, we've got the 007 USB Micro Vault in 8GB and 16GB flavors, both of which come pre-loaded with the Quantum of Solace trailer and other miscellaneous "bonus content." Wild guesses as to price / release dates are being accepted now.
Sony launching Reader refresh next month?
Sony isn't exactly going for subtle in the invitation to its upcoming event on October 2nd. In addition to that picture up above -- which is decidedly bookish, if you ask us -- the press event is being held in "Bookmarks Lounge" at the "Library Hotel" in NY. If that's still too obscure for you, perhaps the "join Sony Electronics as we open a new chapter on digital reading" will tip you off. Yes, Sony did recently improve the Reader's software to work with more booksellers, but the hardware of the PRS-505 itself is nearly a year old, and Sony has found itself decidedly out-Kindled. Our money's on a new Reader, or barring that, some subtle, Sony-esque potshots at Amazon for having the nerve to show up late to the e-book party and swipe all the glory. Those jerks.
Amazon's Kindle gets display transplant, Sony Reader acts as donor
Oh sure, we've seen a limited number of hacks surface for the hotly selling (but still unsightly) Amazon Kindle, but we've yet to see a hardware mod of this magnitude. We've always heard that desperate times call for desperate measures, and evidently said mantra is very true. After having the display in his Kindle smashed around 8 months ago (thanks, kid sister...), blakebevin set out to perform an unprecedented surgery. With an unwanted Sony Reader LCD in hand and a badly broken Kindle on the operating table, he attempted to give the latter unit new life with a few pixels from a cross-town rival. We'll warn you -- this one's not for the rookies in attendance, and even Mr. Bevin (it is Mr. Bevin, right?) had some "nagging button issues" once the thing was sewn back up. Give the read link a look if you ever find yourself in this admittedly peculiar situation.
