Oct 27

Ebooks making libraries popular again, can do nothing about your 80s scrunchie

Posted in: Books, e-book, e-books, ebooks, Today's Chili

A few forward-thinking libraries in the UK have started offering ebook downloads as an alternative to borrowing physical copies of books, and the local public’s reaction has been one of overwhelming enthusiasm. Seemingly attracted by the idea of being able to collect and return books without having to actually attend the library, Brits have been eagerly joining up to the new scheme. Free downloads that last for 14 days before self-deleting can be had either in the library or at home, and transitioned onto your Sony Reader, iRex iLiad, or that new hotness, B&N’s nook. Naturally, the proprietary-format Kindle isn’t invited to this party. We’ve already seen a similar initiative in the USA, and can only hope this kind of convenience becomes mainstream before too long.

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Ebooks making libraries popular again, can do nothing about your 80s scrunchie originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 27

MSI working on Tegra-based e-book reader for 2010

Posted in: e reader, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, msi, NVIDIA, tegra, Today's Chili

Oh Tegra, is there anything you can’t do? Not only are you at the heart of the Zune HD, you’re also the rumored silicon foundation underpinning next generation smartbooks, media pads, MIDs, and even the Nintendo DS. Now we’ve got MSI chairman, Joseph Hsu, peddling promises of an NVIDIA Tegra-based e-book reader that will be fully revealed in the first half of 2010 — exactly as rumored. While no details have been provided, one could assume that a device with that kind of power will be doing more than just refreshing electronic ink on a single display slab, particularly with dual-display e-book readers now the norm.

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MSI working on Tegra-based e-book reader for 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 27

Nook Will Be Sold (Almost) Only Online

Posted in: e-book, kindle, Media Players, nook, Today's Chili

kindle-vs-nook

UPDATE:

Mary Ellen Keating, Barnes & Noble spokesperson, emailed to tell us that Barnes & Noble is planning “to have Nook eBook readers in stock in the majority of its stores by the peak holiday season and plans to have Nook devices in stock in all of its stores by early next year.”

It looks like the online-only policy is simply a way to manage supply issues at the beginning of the Nook’s life.

In a curious case of inverting expectations, Amazon and Barnes & Noble are switching roles. Last week Amazon announced that it would begin same-day shipping in some large cities, in an effort to further marginalize brick and mortar stores. Now Barnes & Noble is squandering a major advantage over Amazon — its retail outlets — by only offering the new Nook e-reader online.

If you walk into all but the biggest of B&N’s emporia, you will be able to play with a demo unit but not actually buy one to take home. According to Staci D. Kramer of Paid Content, “the booksellers will order a device for in-store customers from the BN.com website to be shipped to their home.”

Given that the only reason to actually buy from a store is to get the goods right now, this seems rather foolish, especially as one of the Nook’s big features is that you can read e-books for free whilst in a B&N store.

We’re assuming that this isn’t policy but pragmatism: It’s likely that the Nook will only be available in limited numbers at launch, and spreading them thinly across retail outlets is probably worse than just shipping them. What’s funny, though, is that this shows up the inefficiency of the bricks and mortar model compared to Amazon’s rather slick online-only operation. There’s an irony in there somewhere.


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Oct 24

Amazon spokesperson affirms that Kindle app for Mac is being ‘worked on’

Posted in: apple tv, e reader, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, Mac, os x, OsX, Today's Chili

Don’t pretend you didn’t see this one coming — just days after Amazon confirmed that a Kindle application was indeed coming soonish for the PC, a company spokesperson has now stated that a Mac version is also in the works. With the explosion of e-reader competition, it’s no shock to see Amazon branching out in an effort to spread the Kindle name (and business model) to more areas. To quote the aforesaid spokesperson: “Yes, we are working on a Kindle app for Mac.” Unfortunately, no further details were provided, but you can bet that Bezos wants this one out as soon as humanly possible.

[Via TUAW]

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Amazon spokesperson affirms that Kindle app for Mac is being ‘worked on’ originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 23

IREX 8.1-inch DR 800SG e-reader now listed at Best Buy for $449

Posted in: BestBuy, e ink, e reader, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, on sale, OnSale, reader, Today's Chili

You know what happens when you realize your $399 price point can’t compete with the International Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook at $259? You jack it up by $50 and hope people view it as an ultra-premium product, that’s what. IREX’s DR 800SG e-book reader, which admittedly comes with a salacious set of specs and features, has just landed on Best Buy’s site as promised. The problem? It’s $449, and not the $399 that we’ve been hearing for a little while now. ‘Course, Best Buy has been known to inaccurately post MSRPs before the product actually hits the shelves (it’s backordered for “one to two weeks” at the moment), so we suppose anything could happen. So, anyone snapping this up? Wait, who let the crickets out?

[Thanks, Tom]

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IREX 8.1-inch DR 800SG e-reader now listed at Best Buy for $449 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 22

Amazon Kindle for PC available ‘soonish’

Posted in: amazon, app, e reader, e-book, kindle, PC, Today's Chili
No, Amazon wasn’t kidding when it said it would be moving the Kindle onto devices besides, well, the Kindle. Sure, the iPhone was a no-brainer (never mind the eye strain) but guess who’s next? That’s right — your ever lovin’ PC will be getting its own free reader app. How soon? You’ll have to hit the read link and sign up as a beta tester to find out. Are you prepared to sync your digital e-book purchases to yet another device? View notes and highlights marked on your Kindle and Kindle DX? Zoom and pinch text and turn pages with the swipe of your finger (granted you are a Windows 7 touchscreen user)? Sure you are. Are you ready to skip the Kindle altogether and simply buy books on your lappie? Well, we’re guessing that Amazon isn’t too worried about that eventuality. That reminds us, we’ve been meaning to pick up a copy of Knife Music. We’ll tell you if it lives up to the hype.

[Via CNET]

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Amazon Kindle for PC available ‘soonish’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 20

Watch Spring Design Alex push the web to e-reader format (video)

Posted in: Android, e reader, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, GoogleAndroid, Today's Chili

This is frankly a pretty cool little feature of Spring Design’s I-swear-I’m-not-Nook-but-oh-the-timing e-reader / Android hybrid, Alex. Browse to whatever web article / Google book / Wikipedia entry you want to enjoy, press the center button, and watch as Alex “prints” the page to the e-reader screen up top for a more comfortable reading experience. We’ll admit we’re a bit surprised to see a working model already — hopefully this is a sign of good things to come sooner rather than later. Video after the break.

Continue reading Watch Spring Design Alex push the web to e-reader format (video)

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Watch Spring Design Alex push the web to e-reader format (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 20

Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader leaks a bit early: $259, pre-orders are live (video)

Posted in: att, barnes and noble, BarnesAndNoble, breaking news, BreakingNews, e ink, e reader, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, nook, pre-order, Today's Chili, wifi

Looks like all those whispers were true — the “Android-based” nook is alive and well, and it’s calling itself the planet’s “most advanced e-book reader.” Measuring 7.7- x 4.9- x 0.5-inches and weighing 11.2 ounces, the device includes a top e-ink display from Vizplex and a color touchscreen (3.5-inches) below, which supports one-touch control and swipe-to-browse books with full-color covers. The rechargeable battery takes 3.5 hours to go from zero to full if using a wall outlet, and B&N claims that it’ll last for up to ten days if you flick the wireless to “off.” Speaking of which, inbuilt WiFi (802.11b/g) and AT&T 3G is included, not to mention 2GB of internal storage, a microSD expansion slot, MP3 player, built-in mono speaker, 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, a micro USB port and support for EPUB, PDF and MP3. The nook also supports bookmarking, making notes, and highlighting passages, and the ‘LendMe’ feature allows users to lend books for up to a fortnight at a time to other e-readers, cellphones or computers.

B&N also tells us that you can pick up where you left off (with markings and highlights in tact) on your iPhone or BlackBerry using its free eReader software, which just so happens to be the same app that allows sharing to iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry, PC or Mac. As expected, the company will also let you sample ebooks before you buy, and you’ll enjoy free WiFi each and every time you sashay into a Barnes & Noble retail location. It’s available to pre-order as we speak for $259, with initial shipments expected to happen at the end of November. Introductory video is after the break, along with a few highlights about accessories and features.

Update: Aw snap, B&N just yanked everything related to nook from its website. Thankfully for you, everything you’d ever need to know is right here.

Update 2: Looks like it’s back! Though, the landing page itself still seems down. Hurray for backdoors!

Update 3: Be sure to check out our live reveal coverage and our hands-on images / video!

Gallery: Barnes & Noble Nook in-depth

Gallery: Barnes & Noble nook’s first close-up

Gallery: Barnes & Noble officially launches nook e-reader: $259, pre-orders are live (video)

Continue reading Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader leaks a bit early: $259, pre-orders are live (video)

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Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader leaks a bit early: $259, pre-orders are live (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 19

Barnes & Noble ‘Nook’ e-reader with color touchscreen out Tuesday for $259, says WSJ (update: Best Buy connection?)

Posted in: barnes and noble, barnes noble, BarnesAndNoble, breaking news, BreakingNews, e reader, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, leak, leaks, nook, rumor, rumors, Today's Chili

Looks like the cat’s out of the bag. The Wall Street Journal’s had a glimpse at what it says is an upcoming ad for Barnes & Noble’s impending announcement, which just so happens to be a e-book reader with color touch screen (sound familiar?) dubbed the Nook. According to the article, it’ll be out Tuesday, retail for $259, and will let users “lend e-books to friends.” Very interesting, indeed — so who’s excited for tomorrow?

Update: We can’t say with 100 percent assurance, but a reliable source of ours claims that Barnes & Noble will be partnering with Best Buy for sales of the device, and units will actually be available this Thursday. That last bit sounds daring at best, as it’s Windows 7 launch day, but you never know what folks will get up to these days. Stay tuned!

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Barnes & Noble ‘Nook’ e-reader with color touchscreen out Tuesday for $259, says WSJ (update: Best Buy connection?) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 19

Entourage eDGe is the red-headed stepchild of two oversaturated markets

Posted in: e reader, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, netbook, Today's Chili

The once-nonexistent intersection of netbooks and e-readers seems to be populating quite hastily these days, first with this morning’s questionable Spring Design Alex and now with the entourage eDGe. On the left side of this dual-screen, dual-function hybrid, where ePub and PDF files are said to open by default, we’ve got a 9.7-inch e-paper display with 16 shades of gray. On the right, a 10.1-inch, 1024 x 600 resolution screen with Android. Both sides are stylus-centric touchscreen — scribbling and note-taking is encouraged here — and other amenities include 3GB memory, 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth, SD slot, two USB ports, 3.5mm headphone jack, a Li-ion battery for up to six hours, and support for EVDO / HSDPA via external modem. No word on what processor’s actually under the hood, but we won’t get our hopes up for anything more than very casual browsing. The site just launched with pre-orders being accepted to the tune of $490, or $530 if you’re wanting any color other than midnight blue, and will ship out February 2010. We also happened to stumble upon a PDF presentation from the company dated back to August 2009, if you feel so inclined to take a trip down memory lane.

Read – Entourage eDGe product page
Read – Aug. 2009 presentation [Warning: PDF file]

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Entourage eDGe is the red-headed stepchild of two oversaturated markets originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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