Hasta La Gadget!

In no uncertain terms, a Barnes & Noble representative at what looks like the CTIA show says that a color (color!) Plastic Logic e-book reader will launch in Spring 2010. Now, we’re not sure if Daniel Joresson is authorized to make announcements about its Plastic Logic partner but he did so nonetheless. The Plastic Logic e-reader will feature a color screen about the size of a paperback and runs the “Barnes & Noble e-book reader application.” It’s not clear, but it sounds like the B&N application will also be available for cellphones including the iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android devices. Right, similar to the Kindle app. So how does this jibe with rumors about a 6-inch Barnes & Noble e-reader from Plastic Logic launching as early as next month? Easy, the first version will be grayscale while a new model featuring a color display will launch in Spring. In fact, Plastic Logic’s own web site says that its color reader is “around the corner” and expects to be “first to market with a large, flexible color display” — take that Sony and Amazon with your PVI built E Ink-based displays. Watch the flirtatious B&N reveal after the break.

[Thanks, Tom]

Read — Plastic Logic FAQ (color reader)
Read — Video

Continue reading Barnes and Noble ‘confirms’ color Plastic Logic e-book reader for Spring 2010 (video)

Filed under: Handhelds

Barnes and Noble ‘confirms’ color Plastic Logic e-book reader for Spring 2010 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

IREX is currently, right this very second, taking the wraps off its big new splash in the ebook space, the new DR 800SG. The 8.1-inch unit has wireless connectivity courtesy of Verizon in the US and Qualcomm’s Gobi multi-mode 3G for switching it up in the rest of the world. There’s also 2GB of built-in storage, memory card expansion and stylus input (“true finger touch” is coming in Q2 2010 to a future product, right now you can only use the stylus, and a color reader is in the works as well for 2011), and IREX claims to have the fastest page refreshes in the biz. Perhaps most notable is that the reader is Barnes & Noble’s first big play in the space, with support for the B&N eBookstore — though the whole thing is an “open platform” with support from content from Newspaper Direct and LibreDigital stores as well, and format support of PDF, EPUB, Newspaper Direct, Fictionwise, eReader and TXT. Quite the mouthful, and IREX promises to follow wherever the market leads when it comes to DRM. The $399 device includes a leather cover and stylus in the box, and will be available this October in “select” Best Buy stores and will hit Europe in the first half of 2010. No wireless contract is required.

We got to play with the new reader briefly, and weren’t quite sure how to feel. On one hand, it’s another sexy, slim reader, with a pretty great and fast e-ink screen. On the other hand, the interface is totally minimal and a little nonsensical without the stylus. A bar on the left side gives you a “tactile” method of pushing right or left to turn the page, but it feels pretty janky. Notetaking isn’t enabled currently, so you can’t draw on the screen, making the stylus feel a bit of a burden, not a boon — the closest you get to text input is tapping away at an onscreen keyboard. We’re glad IREX avoided the visibility-hampering pitfalls of Sony’s touchscreen ebook technology, but perhaps some more thought should’ve been put into the alternative. We didn’t do any heavy downloading, but the reader takes a very long time to create a connection — a good 20-30 seconds — which might’ve been due to the concrete bunker we’re hanging out in, or just a sign of a slow processor, we’re not sure which. We love the “openness,” and it’s great to see so many format alternatives right out of the gate, but we’re gonna need more time with the DR 800SG before we’re sure it’s worth the plunge.

Filed under: Handhelds

IREX unveils DR 800SG wireless ebook reader (updated with hands-on!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Barnes and Noble, the United State’s largest book seller has filed with the FCC its own e-book reader, as it’s insinuated in the attached Agent Authorization Letter. The dipping of the toes into the digital text industry isn’t as peculiar as, say Discovery Communications, since Barnes and Noble already has some known precedence in the e-book reader market, partnering with Plastic Logic as their “exclusive eBookstore provider” — this may very well be the Plastic Logic reader, but there’s no indication one way or another. Chances are it’ll be some time before we know, as all external and internal photos are under a confidentiality extension for 180 days as of September 3rd, or about six months from now. See you in Spring 2010!

Filed under: Handhelds

Barnes and Noble e-book reader hits the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

This week in the App store, things got a little deep: We discovered haunting new sounds, created fine art, psychoanalyzed our friends, read great literature, experimented with prescription drugs, and even reconnected with an estranged child. Your turn!

Layers: Layers is a Sketches-style drawing app, except with, well, layers. That might seem a little excessive for a fingerpainting app, but for serious iPhone art—which is a thing, by the way—five layers and the ability to export in PSD format is invaluable. Five dollars.

Barnes and Noble eReader: Barnes and Noble‘s eBook+eReader megannouncement mentioned that their fancy new eBook store would be supported on the iPhone, and this is what they were talking about. The app is a readily customizable e-reader with integration for B&N’s store, which seems large and cheap enough, though I haven’t had much time to dive into it. The app worked fine for me, but quite a few folks are reporting glitches in this early build—some quite serious. Free, until you want some decent books.

iConcertCal: Another ultra-obvious iPhone 3.0 app that we just weren’t allowed to have until now, iConcertCal scans your music library to produce a list of concert dates for all your favorite artists. The $3 price would be excessive if the app weren’t as good as it is, but the inbuilt ticket purchasing, venue mapping and iTunes integration are thoughtful and, well, they work.

PhonyPhone: Babies love iPhones, for a lot of the same silly reasons adults do. So if you’re prepared to take on the risk of handing over a fragile, multi-hundred-dollar gadget to a being that hasn’t even figured out how to stop soiling itself yet, you may as well go for it. For a buck, PhonyPhone will give babies a colorful fake phone interface to play around with, which will speak numbers at them, play a song, and most importantly, keep your precious, dial-happy bundle from spitting up, long-distance, in your boss’s ear. I feel like there could be a little more functionality packed in here—more noises, more songs, more to play with, basically—but then again, I’m not a baby.

Rorschach: I’m a sucker for games like Rorschach, which drive you to become a moralistic, bloodthirsty vigilante bring a pass-around-the-phone element into their gameplay. (Human interaction is pretty OK! Who knew!) The concept is simple enough—you and your friends guess each others answers to simple questions about various ink blots—and it has a familial, board-game-like draw to it. Great road trip fodder, to be sure. Two dollars.

Ghostly Discovery: There are two reasons to download this app, both pretty convincing. First is the music selection, drawing from the Ghostly label’s eclectic stable of artists (if you like them, you’ll have heard the name). Broadly, though, it’s a cool take on music recommendation, which take into account parameter like how “organic” or “digital” music is, or what color “mood” you’re in (don’t worry, there’s a guide). Actually, there are three reasons: It’s freeee.

Medscape: Are you a doctor? Probably not. But if you are a doctor, or a med student, or an industry journalist, or a pharma-follower, or you’re just deep, deep into multiple pill addictions, WebMD has an app for you! Medscape keeps you from mixing your barbiturates with your muscles relaxants, and provides all kinds of pharmaceutical information, keeps you apprised of the latest medical news, offers free mini-lessons to keep doctors sharp (CMEs they’re called, for Continuing Medical Education), and most usefully to nonprofessionals, provides access to a massive directory of hospitals, physicians and pharmacies. And like pretty much nothing in healthcare, the app is free of charge.

This Week’s App News On Giz:

• Google Latitude for iPhone Is a Lame Web App Because Apple Thinks We’re Easily Confused

• Kensington Nightstand Dock Converts iPhone Into Retro Alarm Clock

• Half-Amazing, Half-Terrifying Concept App Combines Facial Recognition with Augmented Reality

• The App Store Is Just Like the Civil Rights Movement, and Other Lessons We Can Learn From iFart

• Navigon MobileNavigator for North America Hits the App Store, $70 For Now

• Don’t Expect a Huge Increase in Complexity Of iPhone Apps Any Time Soon

• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit App Is as Close As You’ll Get to an Official iPhone Porn App

• David Bowie Space Oddity iPhone App Lets You Remix the Thin White Duke Anywhere

• Public Radio iPhone App Adds On-Demand Content, Accidentally Kills FM Radio

• Augmented Reality iPhone App Helps You Find Your Mommy

• iPhone Icon Paperclips Appify Your Office Supplies

• Universal Hopes You’ll Actually Watch Blu-ray Special Features If They’re iPhone Apps

• Need Medicinal Cannabis? There’s an App For That

This list is in no way definitive. If you’ve spotted a great app that hit the store this week, give us a heads up or, better yet, your firsthand impressions in the comments. And for even more apps: see our previous weekly roundups here, and check out our Favorite iPhone Apps Directory and our original iPhone App Review Marathon. Have a good weekend everybody.

Everyone else is doing it, so why not Barnes & Noble too? That’s the talk following last week’s CTIA at least, where mysterious “insiders” were reportedly abuzz about the possibility of a B&N e-book reader that, like the Kindle, would supposedly be tied to a cellular carrier for some Whispernet-like connectivity. According to one of those insiders, Barnes & Noble had apparently first been in talks with Verizon about a partnership, but those seem to have fallen apart for one reason or another, and it now looks like Sprint (Amazon’s partner, coincidentally) is the top contender. Some “observers” apparently still aren’t ruling out AT&T as a possibility, however, especially in light of its recent expression of interest about getting into the e-book reader game. No word about the actual device itself just yet, but there’s no shortage of ready-made options out there (like Plastic Logic’s e-reader above) should B&N decide to go that route.

[Thanks, Tim]

Filed under: Handhelds

Barnes & Noble working on an e-book reader of its own? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments