by Matthew on October 29, 2009
Samsung have created a new colour e-paper display that measures 10.1 inches. Right now it’s just a prototype and it has a contrast ratio of just 10:1 making it not too clear at all. The screen also only has the ability to reproduce 7% of the NTSC colours. Yes, it could be a while before it goes in to production but it is a great step in the right direction.
Samsung aim to have the colour e-paper available in about 2 years time which will be about a year after PVI create colour displays for both Kindles and Sony Readers. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on October 20, 2009
According to WSJ, they spotted an ad showing the Barnes & Noble color eBook reader saying it will be called Nook and will be going on sale Tuesday (today) priced at $259.
The price tag matches that of the Amazon Kindle but rather than being stuck with just greyscale you’ll get color on the Nook.
An interesting feature of the Nook allows you to share eBooks with friends. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on October 7, 2009
If you visit the Amazon.com home page today you;ll be presented with news that the Kindle is going global. First off the note explains that the Kindle will drop $40 in price for the normal US version which cost $299 and is now $259. This version of the Kindle will only be capable of downloading e-books while in the US. However, a second version of the 6″ e-book reader is also due out that will allow you to use the Kindle in other countries for downloading books. It will cost $20 more than the standard 6″ model at $279, but will be capable of downloading books in over 100 countries around the world.
It’s a good move forwards for Amazon and will be welcomed by users I suspect. By allowing users to download where ever they are will allow those away from the US to still be able to get new content when they want it. However, there is a downside… [click to continue…]
by Matthew on October 1, 2009
amazon-kindle-2
An authoritative source informed
thebookseller that the Amazon Kindle is heading to the UK and it could be as early as next week.
A few months ago it was also rumoured that an October release date for the device in the UK was happening, so as we are in October now then maybe it will happen.
“The key things they needed to tie up have been tied up. The rumours I’ve heard are all saying next week.” The source confirmed that publishers had signed non disclosure agreements so would not be able to comment on the record. But added: “I’ve heard it from multiple reliable sources. I think they want to avoid the general kerfuffle of Frankfurt.”
[click to continue…]
by Matthew on September 24, 2009
IREX are introducing the DR800SG e-reader to North America. The e-reader is similar to a Kindle and uses black and white e-Ink to display text on the screen. The screen is also touchscreen measuring 8.1 inches.
Controls for the IREX include a stylus and touchscreen combination as well as a bar on the right side that acts as a joystick so to speak. When reading news papers the paper is zoomed out to fill the screen in proportion and then the e-reader lets you zoom in to the parts you want to read. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on September 3, 2009
Jesse Vincent has managed to hack the Amazon Kindle 2. His Kindle 2 now runs Ubuntu 9.04 ported to ARM running in a chrooted environment.
To achieve this the Kindle was hacked in to using a USB networking debug mode that Amazon left open on older Kindle 2’s. Full details are below… [click to continue…]
by Matthew on August 25, 2009
iRex have created an eBook reader that has an 8.1 inch touchscreen and uses stylus-based navigation. For connectivity the eBook will use 3G to allow you to download books wherever you are. iRex, based in the Netherlands, have partnered up with Barnes & Noble to integrate their online ebook store with the reader.
It was just a a few months ago that Barnes & Noble announced a partnership with the Plastic Logic eBook reader. By also signing up for the iRex, the book store hopes to get even more client reach for their store. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on July 29, 2009
The Samsung SNE-50K is a new eBook Reader that enters the already competitive eBook Reader market. To be successful it will need to go up against the Amazon Kindle that is backed by a huge brand as well as the Plastic Logic eBook Reader that has Barnes & Noble providing eBooks for it.
The SNE-50K has a 5 inch screen that has a resolution of 600×800 pixels. It weighs 6.5 ounces and has half a gig of memory. The device also has handwriting recognition built in and can read text files, PDF’s and MS office documents. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on July 21, 2009
Barnes & Noble have announced that they will be the exclusive eBookstore for the eReader built by Plastic Logic. The Plastic Logic eBookreader is an ultra thin reader that measures 8.5″ x 11″ and uses eInk for a very clear and crisp display. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on July 20, 2009
Amazon have decided to make a complete u-turn on the original decision not to replace cracked Amazon Kindle 2’s. Amazon have now confirmed that replacement’s will happen.
The original stance by Amazon was that they were going to charge $200 to fix the damage as their warranty did not cover cracks. However, after a class-action lawsuit was started (many had this problem) which appears to have convinced Amazon to replace broken items. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on June 17, 2009
Phosphor have created a nice looking watch that doesn’t use the traditional LED or LCD screen that we find in most digital watches. Instead they have used E-Ink to display the time on the face of the watch. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on June 12, 2009
The Kindle DX is an ebook reader built and sold by Amazon. It has a 9.7 inch screen making it larger then the recently released Kindle 2. Other features include auto rotation and a 3G wireless connection which allows you to download eBooks from the Amazon store while on the move. With it having a larger screen it’s easier to read then the original although it is obviously a little larger.
The Kindle DX started shipping just a few days ago over at Amazon and someone has already taken one apart to show the innards to the world. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on May 6, 2009
Amazon have just released details of a new ebook reader named the Kindle DX. The Kindle DX comes soon after the launch of the Kindle 2 just a few months ago. The DX features a larger screen measuring 9.7″ which has 16 shades of gray providing very clear and sharp images.
The Kindle DX measures just over 1/3 of an inch in thickness and has storage enough to carry 3500 books, periodicals and documents around with you at all times.
The screen on the DX is auto-rotating like found in many phones. Should you want to read a book in landscape mode you simply rotate it and the screen changes orientation. This makes it handy for viewing maps, graphs and other data more suited to a wider display.
A PDF reader can be found inside allowing you to easily view PDF documents that you download to it from your computer. With wireless 3G built in you can access books from almost anywhere and 3G provides quick access allowing books to be downloaded in under 60 seconds. [click to continue…]
by Matthew on May 5, 2009
If you recently purchased a Kindle 2 and went to read it at night you will have quickly found out that you cannot see it. This is the problem with e-paper in that there is no backlight usually. For those of you who want to read at night these LED reading glasses might work for you. Of course they are compatible with e-books and regular books and what they do is provide light on the edges of the glasses so that you can read in the dark.
The reading glasses have super bright LED’s in each corner of the lenses and 4 batteries are held within the frames. The batteries are good for up to 30 hours of night time reading. The LED’s work with a switch built in to the hinges of the glasses and when the arms are opened the lights switch on.
The advantage of having LED’s built in to your specks is that you don’t have to faff around with a book light every time you turn the page.
In my book, the LED Reading Glasses are a winner! But there is one drawback: the glasses are only available with refractive lenses. In other words, you have to be presbyotic — nearsighted. They are available in 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 diopter. From Hammacher Schlemmer with a lifetime guarantee.
Available from Hammacher Schlemmer costing $39.95.
by Matthew on February 23, 2009
The Amazon Kindle 2 has now been launched and is available over at Amazon. This new eBook reader is a step up from the original Kindle which already was a fantastic device. More details after the jump. [click to continue…]
