Hasta La Gadget!

We’re expecting to see plenty of new features crop up for folks that have rooted their new Nook WiFi, but it looks like those not willing to go that far can still expand their options a little bit. As it happens, the new Nook has an experimental web browser of its own, which you can access simply by typing a URL into the search bar. Of course, Barnes & Noble has likely kept this feature under wraps for a reason, as actually browsing the web using it seems to be somewhat hit and miss — see for yourself in the video after the break courtesy of The eBook Reader.

Continue reading Web browser found hiding in latest Nook, no root required (video)

Web browser found hiding in latest Nook, no root required (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does that bulky black plastic surround look familiar? It’s becoming standard uniform for Android tablets at the $250 price point like the Nook Color and now ViewSonic’s latest offering, the ViewBook 730. Basic specs also look pretty similar — the ViewBook has a 7-inch screen (albeit with a 800×480 resolution, lower than the Nook’s), 8GB of internal storage and an SD card slot. But the 730 does have some significant advantages over its older rival: notably a front-facing VGA camera and a faster 1Ghz Cortex-A8 processor (versus 800Mhz on the Nook Color) that claims to handle 1080p video and output it via an HDMI port. Plus there’s full Android 2.2 instead of the Nook Color’s walled-off ecosphere. Interestingly, the ViewBook also tries to distinguish itself with stylus support for note-taking — akin to the HTC Flyer. Goes to show you can’t judge a multi-function e-reader by its bezel. Hit the PR after the break to see if this budget tablet will tick your boxes when it arrives at the end of June.

Continue reading ViewSonic announces $250 ViewBook 730 tablet, steps on Nook Color’s turf

ViewSonic announces $250 ViewBook 730 tablet, steps on Nook Color’s turf originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 09:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember that Mirasol e-reader display Qualcomm was hoping to release this year? Yeah, it’s not happening. Speaking at a press briefing in San Diego yesterday, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs confirmed that the 5.7-inch panel has been abandoned after failing to meet expectations. Instead, the company will devote its attention to the “next version” of the technology, which has Jacobs feeling optimistic:

“We have a really interesting roadmap — we’re starting out on e-readers because we figured having E Ink as a competing technology was a good way to get started. But if you think about the power consumption of the screens that are out now [on tablets], they’re very bright OLED screens that use up a lot of the power of the battery. We don’t today have as vibrant color as an OLED display – but we have a roadmap that gets us to a much brighter color.”

Presumably, this roadmap would include that low-power “converged e-reader” we heard about a few weeks ago, slated for release by the end of the year. Jacobs also mentioned that Qualcomm is planning to invest a billion dollars in its Taiwan Mirasol plant, which might help produce the kind of volume that, say, Amazon would demand for its Kindle displays. It’s all speculation, of course, but Qualcomm certainly seems to have some big plans in store for the rest of the year.

Qualcomm CEO confirms death of Mirasol e-reader display, looks forward to ‘next version’ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Many who follow the e-reader market keep coming back to the same question: how long does it realistically have left? The explosion of tablets and reader apps for smartphones have left their respective impacts on the space, while the market for devoted readers continues to be dominated by Amazon’s Kindle. Undaunted, both Kobo and Barnes & Noble launched new black and white e-readers based around the same touch and display technologies last week. After all, despite increased competition from outside the space, the reader market continues to be a vibrant one — and after the Nook Color proved it was an undercover tablet all along, Barnes and Noble has hit back with this latest Nook as proof of its focus on one thing: reading.

Continue reading Barnes & Noble Nook WiFi review

Barnes & Noble Nook WiFi review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Nook WiFi and Kobo eReader Touch Edition assault the Amazon Kindle fortress: a chart

Nook WiFi and Kobo eReader Touch Edition assault the Amazon Kindle fortress: a chart originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 May 2011 17:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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