Hasta La Gadget!

Amazon’s Kindle e-reader is listed as “temporarily out of stock” on the company’s website, in what could be a sign that a new Kindle model may be on its way.

The latest shortage of the device lines up nicely with earlier rumors that Amazon plans to introduce a new Kindle model in August. An e-reader with a color screen is not likely, but the new Kindle could sport a better black-and-white display, updated hardware, improved user interface and new apps.

“Order now and we’ll deliver (the Kindle) when available. We’ll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information,” says Amazon on its page listing the Kindle, which is currently on its second generation. (When introduced, the current model was called the Kindle 2, but Amazon dropped the numeral after discontinuing the first-generation model, like a son dropping the “Jr.” after his father passes away.)

The shortage may be because of a surge in demand for Kindle — but it’s more likely that Amazon is preparing to introduce an improved version of the device. So far, Amazon hasn’t commented on the reasons for the Kindle shortage.

In June, Amazon cut the price on the Kindle from $260 to $190. A few days later it launched a new Kindle DX, featuring an updated version of the E Ink screen known as Pearl. The black-and-white Pearl display offers a contrast ratio 50 per cent better than the earlier model of the DX screen, Amazon claims.

One of the hottest consumer electronics products of last year, the e-reader market is in turmoil this year. Smaller e-reader makers such as Audiovox, iRex, Plastic Logic and Cool-er have found themselves squeezed out by the competition, especially Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Despite the launch of the Apple iPad, which comes with its own iBooks bookstore, Amazon has continued to see strong demand for the lower-priced, reading-optimized Kindle. Since it lowered the price of the Kindle to $190, sales of the Kindle have tripled, says Amazon. However, Amazon hasn’t disclosed exactly how many Kindles it has sold.

See Also:

• Upstart E-readers Fade to Black as Tablets Gain Momentum
• 5 Things That Will Make E-Readers Better in 2010
• E-Readers Will Survive the Onslaught of Tablets
• Gallery: E-Readers Push Boundaries of Books
• Apple iPad Raises the Stakes for E-Readers

Photo: (kairin/Flickr)

Someone should really tell T-Mobile USA it’s got a rather large hole that needs plugged. Hot on the heels of the (presumably) T-Mob-bound G1 Blaze leak comes this duo, which includes a purported leak of the myTouch HD (or 3G HD) as well as a web portal that quite clearly prepares us for the launch of the carrier’s first HSPA+ smartphone. Of course, there’s no official confirmation that the handset you’re peering at above is anything more than a fan render, but it certainly has a look of authenticity to it; sadly, there aren’t any rumored specifications to tag alongside the JPG, but it’s a pretty safe bet that this one will run some flavor of Android and rely heavily on screen presses for letter input. As for the promo page? Scrutineers have drawn a link between it and the Vanguard that we peeked a few weeks back, so feel free to let your imagination run a bit wild there. Looks like it’s gearing up to be quite the second half for America’s number two GSM operator.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Purported myTouch HD leaks out alongside promise of T-Mobile’s first HSPA+ smartphone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Think giant active-shutter glasses are a roadblock to 3D adoption? Wait until you get a load of this, the N-3D from Aircord Labs, a glass pyramid with semi-reflective sides that allows you to peer through while reflecting the image of a screen above. In this case the screen is provided by an iPad which, as you can see in the video below, separately renders three sides of an object. Each slab of glass reflects a different rendering and, hey presto, changeable perspective as you move from side to side, reducing the usable screen real-estate on the iPad by at least a third and producing an effect slightly less compelling, but slightly more portable, than that Time Traveler arcade game that used to take four whole quarters to play. No word on whether there will ever be a take-home version, but get yourself a sheet of plexiglass and you could probably make your own.

Continue reading Aircord Lab’s N-3D concept turns an iPad into world’s second least practical 3D display (video)

Aircord Lab’s N-3D concept turns an iPad into world’s second least practical 3D display (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung has put a Wi-Fi radio inside its latest digicam, the ST80. The camera is pedestrian in almost every regard, from its ho-hum zoom range (35-114mm equivalent), through its 3-inch screen with just 230,000 dots to the too-big 14.2-megapixel sensor. But the saving factor is that Wi-Fi, which means that you can share your pictures without a computer.

In addition to email, you can upload images to Facebook, Picasa, YouTube and Photo Bucket. The touch-screen also lets you carry out basic editing first: you can crop, for example. The ST80 will also shoot 720p video at 30fps in H.264, and comes with an Boingo account to access Wi-Fi hotspots on the go.

This is the direction that more and more cameras will take. As smart-phones get better and better cameras, their connectivity becomes much more useful. With the iPhone, you can shoot video and stills, edit them and send them out to the world. Dumb cameras don’t even come close. Samsung has bets on both sides, with digicams and phones in its lineup, but we’re certain that those lines will blur more and more.

The ST80 will be available in September for $250.

Company press page [Samsung]

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The gadget gurus at Griffin Technology have just announced new versions of the iTrip Auto and Window Seat. Each has been updated to work with a wider array of devices and support hands-free use.

The iTrip Auto, an FM transmitter, now includes a microphone so drivers can talk on their mobiles without taking their eyes off the road.

The iTrip, now called the iTrip Auto HandsFree ($59.99) gets power from the 12-volt accessory socket and includes a USB port for charging a second device.

The WindowSeat, now the WindowSeat HandsFree ($39.99), is meant for holding mobile devices at eye level so you can read maps and directions. It now also comes with a hands-free microphone for calls and audio recordings. You can also get the WindowSeat without a mic, called the WindowSeat AUX ($29.99).