Hasta La Gadget!

Amazon’s decision to open the Kindle up to developers is a good, if late, idea. Clearly another response to the upcoming Apple tablet, the Kindle SDK could turn the mostly single-use device into a multifaceted source of entertainment.

Or not.

One of the reasons I love the Kindle is that it doesn’t try to do too much. I rarely use any of the experimental features Amazon built for it because, frankly, they stink. Web browsing on the Kindle is a painful experience. The browser can barely handle simple HTML and the screen refresh simply isn’t designed to handle the interactivity found on Web sites.

So what will developers do with the Kindle SDK? Already a couple, such as Handmark and Zagat, are building apps and games for the Kindle. Electronics Art’s mobile division is promising big things, too. Still, it’s a limited platform. It has a slow-to-update black-and-white E Ink screen, a zippy 3G Whispernet, speakers, a keyboard, and firm control buttons. Is there any hardware inside that Amazon hasn’t turned on? I hope so.

In any event, I asked my Twitter followers what apps they’d like to see developed for the Kindle. Perhaps because the Kindle hardware is so limited, I got just a few suggestions. I’ve added some ideas I heard around the office, as well as a few of my own.

Now that Apple’s officially announced an event to show off its “latest creation” on the 27th, the rumors and gossip are about to get even more out of hand — eventually we expect them to take flight and start raiding small towns for soda water and appetizers. In the meantime, however, we’ve got the latest batch of somewhat-sober whispers to tide us over, so let’s run through ’em, shall we?

The rumor: The iPhone Blog points us to a China Times piece setting the tablet’s screen size at 9.7 inches. (We covered the 22-inch touchscreen iMac rumor separately.)
Our take: At this point we’ve heard pretty much every screen size from eight inches to 11, so we’re not making a call either way on this one. We will say that the only other product with a 9.7-inch screen we can think of off-hand is the Kindle DX — a relatively simple device that’s still so large and heavy we generally hold it with two hands. Just something to think about.

The rumor: Ars Technica talks to the director of the OLED Association, who rules out a 10.1-inch AMOLED screen by saying “there’s no real production of 10.1-inch panels.” Oh, and the only place to buy those would be Samsung, really, and Sammy doesn’t have the capacity.
Our take: We never thought a 10.1 OLED screen was likely: not only are prices insane, but OLED still has terrible daylight viewing issues. The Ars piece is well worth a read, though — it’s a nice look at the state of OLED.

Continue reading Apple rumor roundup: future of media edition

Apple rumor roundup: future of media edition originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve never heard of Astri before, but it sure seems to be one ambitious company. We figure it’s got to take real ambition to create a pocketable dualscreen device with not just one non-working touchscreen, but two! In theory, the Marvel-powered MID or My Interactive Device (not to be confused with Mobile Internet Devices) runs Android on its 4.8-inch LCD touchscreen, while its neighboring 5-inch e-ink Wacom-enabled touchscreen is meant for reading and taking notes. The concept is similar to the much-more-polished Entourage Edge, or even Spring Design’s Alex, though we have no idea if Astri intends the two displays to communicate with one another. We’ll be siding with those alternatives until Astri can work out its many issues, though we do like the idea of the more portable e-reading device. Oh, and please don’t miss one of the most abusive hands-on videos ever after the break.

Continue reading Astri’s dualscreen Android e-ink MID looks and acts like a knockoff

Astri’s dualscreen Android e-ink MID looks and acts like a knockoff originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We swung by the Audiovox / RCA booth in search of the new Lexi e-reader but sadly were met with a non-working version that was effectively useless. We’ve heard about the specs but were lacking in the image department, so it was good to at least see what the thing will look like when it hits the increasingly crowded e-reader space. The design is basic, and from the signage in the booth, so is the UI on the handheld itself. There’s not much else to say here, and the PR reps weren’t the most helpful, but we managed to snag a bunch of shots anyway so check them out below.

Lexi e-book reader probably won’t ever be called sexy (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LAS VEGAS — The Amazon Kindle’s E Ink screen is easy on the eyes for reading, but the software’s really laggy. The iPhone’s touchscreen is slick and fast, but you’ll wear your eyes out reading off it for several hours. What if you combined the benefits of both these products into one?

That’s the idea behind SpringDesign’s Alex e-book reader, which features a 6-inch E Ink display on top and a 3.5-inch touchscreen at the bottom. Most interestingly, the device is running Google’s Android OS, specially modified for e-book reading. Using the touchscreen you can select tools for creating annotations and highlights for a book, and you can also switch between books from your library. Two large physical arrow buttons on the sides of the device allow you to “flip” pages.

Tim White, chief systems architect of SpringDesign, said it was important for an e-book reader to run on an open platform such as Android.

“We’re trying to be an open reader,” White told Wired.com. “The world is an open place, and early manufacturers [such as Amazon] are controlling the environment. That’s not the way we’re used to reading and sharing information, especially in the age of the internet.”

Running the Google OS doesn’t mean Alex owners will be able to freely swap books. SpringDesign formed a partnership with Borders for e-book content, and of course, its e-books are DRM-protected — tied to one device each. Alex owners will, however, be able to exchange annotations and highlights, a feature designed for university students.

Also, only smartphones can be certified Android OS devices with access to Google’s Android Market app store. So, while the Alex has the core functions of Android — such as video playback, an e-mail app and access to a digital photo album — it won’t have the full powers (i.e. third-party apps) of an Android smartphone. However, SpringDesign is inviting Android developers to code apps and content for the Alex, which will be called the Alex Marketplace.

The design of the Alex is downright funky and not ideal, but I do like the idea. I had some hands-on time with the device, and I especially enjoyed being able to quickly access the Alex’s e-book library using the touchscreen. With dedicated e-book devices such as the Amazon Kindle, the process of switching between books has always been a major drag thanks to the sluggish refresh rate of E Ink screens; it was a lot easier selecting titles on the Alex.

However, the Alex’s Android OS was pretty rough around the edges. Some of the UI was hardly intuitive. The icons for making notes for annotations and highlights were signified by vague graphics of boxes, for example. It’ll take a bit of time to memorize what every button does in the Alex — a far cry from the iPhone experience.

SpringDesign does not disclose the processor used for the touchscreen, and it didn’t seem very fast. A video played on the device looked laggy compared to videos I’ve seen on other smartphones.

In short, my first impressions are the Alex has a lot of potential with its innovative design and independent app store, but it’ll face some challenges in the fiercely competitive reader market. Its price tag won’t help — $360, which costs $100 more than the Barnes & Noble Nook, which is also an Android-based device with a 3.5-inch touchscreen display. SpringDesign better hope it wins its lawsuit against Barnes.

See Also:

• ‘Alex’, An Android-Powered, Dual Screen E-Book Reader
• Ode to Books, or Why E-Book Readers Will Never Replace Them …
• Amazon Set to Rekindle Its E-Book Reader
• Barnes & Noble Unveils Kindle-Killing, Dual-Screen ‘Nook’ E-Reader …

Product Page [SpringDesign]

Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com