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Continue reading Interead COOL-ER 3G e-reader announced, adds wireless to the mix

Interead COOL-ER 3G e-reader announced, adds wireless to the mix originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The stranglehold E-Ink has had on the e-book market is slipping. We’ve seen the tantalizing promises of Pixel Qi, mixing a color LCD with a low-power reflective display, but in the here and now we’ve got a new LCD-based e-reader from Aluratek. Extensively dubbed the “Libre eBook Reader PRO,” the unit uses an unnamed 5-inch monochrome reflective LCD panel, with 24 hours of continuous use off a battery charge. Not as great as E-Ink, but it should be plenty for most people, and the resultant $179 price is hard to knock. The Libre is ePUB and PDF compatible, and comes with a 2GB SD card — just the right sort of barebones-yet-functional we appreciate. We’ll have to see how well that LCD performs in person before we pull the trigger, but for people looking for an alternative to the premium devices out there (or something with a faster page refresh rate), it might just fit the bill.

Aluratek Libre eBook Reader PRO sports monochrome reflective LCD, $179 pricetag originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Listen up Sony Reader owners: you’ve got three days to change your ways. On December 11th, the eBook Store from Sony will be renamed the Reader Store with a new URL to prove it. In addition to a new store layout, the change also extends the open EPUB format to Sony’s entire inventory of eBooks. In fact, any new electronic books will only be available in EPUB which helps explain the motivation for Sony’s PRS-500 trade-in program. As such, we can say goodbye to Sony’s proprietary BBeB (“BroadBand eBook”) format which goes the way of ATRAC (outside of Japan, anyway). Sony’s also making its Reader Library 3.1 software for Mac and PC available on the same day with support for the imminent Reader Daily Edition launch and compatibility with Windows 7 and OS X Snow Leopard — how timely.

[Thanks, Ben]

Sony Reader Store goes 100% EPUB on Friday originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While the Amazon Kindle’s text-to-speech functionality might seem like a gimmick for some, it’s anything but for blind, vision-impaired and dyslexic users. Unfortunately, the device’s accessibility so far hasn’t extended to the menus. That’s set to change next year, however, with Amazon promising to release an audible menuing system for navigating the unit look-free. Amazon’s also prepping a new “super size” font, that doubles the current largest font in height and width. It all sounds great, but it also seems like a subtle dig at Barnes & Noble, whose brand new Nook reader is skipping out on text-to-speech (for this generation, anyway). Barnes & Noble claims that it’s due to the sub-par experience on “other devices,” but for now that means the Kindle might just be most accessible dedicated e-reader around — at least once this new software rolls out, supposedly by summer 2010.

Amazon beefing up Kindle’s functionality for vision-impared users as B&N’s Nook stays silent originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When we first caught wind of Barnes & Noble’s Nook — a device clearly positioned to give the Amazon Kindle and Sony’s options a run for their money — we were understandably interested. As voracious readers and lovers of fresh gadgetry, a new contender on the e-reader scene is more than welcome. When we discovered that Barnes & Noble’s offering would not only feature a full color touchscreen component, but would run Google’s Android OS as well… let’s just say we were pretty much in gadget-hog-heaven. We weren’t without our reservations, mind you; the appearance of this device made for some pretty heated conversations amongst the staff over whether or not we were seeing the dawn of a truly commercially viable e-reader. Of course, for us the proof is always in the pudding, and since B&N is about to launch a full assault against the current offerings, it’s our duty to turn over a report. Is the Nook the answer to our e-reader prayers, or just a stepping stone to greener pastures? We’ve taken a long, hard look at the device — so read on for the official Engadget review.

Continue reading Barnes & Noble Nook review

Barnes & Noble Nook review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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