Apr 08

Barnes & Noble working on an e-book reader of its own?

Posted in: att, barnes and noble, barnes noble, BarnesAndNoble, ctia, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, Sprint, Today's Chili, verizon

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]

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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.

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Apr 03

Rupert Murdoch wants in on the e-book action

Posted in: e reader, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, kindle, Today's Chili
Rupert Murdoch wants in on the e-book action

Apparently News Corp. chairman and multi-billionaire Rupert Murdoch likes the Kindle. He likes it so much that while he’s not trying to buy the company, he is instead trying to buy any competition that could undermine it and perhaps ultimately send it into financial ruin. Okay, so he’s probably not trying to take down Amazon, but he does want in on the e-reader action, looking to invest in someone, anyone, who might be the next e-book contender. It makes perfect sense, what with print newspapers failing left and right and magazines not faring any better, but just which company might be the lucky recipient of Murdoch’s favor and finances? We’re guessing he has no shortage of willing recipients.

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Rupert Murdoch wants in on the e-book action originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 02

AT&T, Verizon looking to join e-book reader market?

Posted in: att, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, kindle, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

As far as business relationships go, Amazon and Sprint’s Kindle lovechild has proven to be a fruitful endeavor. So it’s with little surprise that other manufacturers have been seeking out that same feeling of carrier companionship. According to Verizon Wireless VP of open development Tony Lewis, there are five e-book readers in the works from various companies that are looking to be certified for use on the network, possibly in the same way Kindle uses its connectivity to download books on the fly. While he wouldn’t provide any names, he did hint they were looking at segments of the market Kindle isn’t currently catering to, such as college textbooks. We’ve also got word that AT&T’s looking to hop on the bandwagon, with head of emerging devices Glenn Lurie chiming in that they want to be a part of that market. If that Whispernet connectivity is the feature that’s been tempting you to go Kindle, looks like you’ll have a few more options on the horizon, if you’re patient.

Read – Verizon
Read – AT&T

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AT&T, Verizon looking to join e-book reader market? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 30

Foxit’s eSlick e-reader ships out, gets photographed

Posted in: e reader, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, hands-on, pics, pictures, Today's Chili

It didn’t quite make it out in January, but Foxit’s eSlick is still about the cheapest way to get an e-reader in front of your retinas. Granted, only the earliest of pre-orderers are seeing their units ship, and if you try to jump in now, you’ll be greeted with a note to not expect it for another fortnight or so. In fact, all three hues (black, grey and white) are currently sold out, with new batches expected to be ready by April 10th or so. Thankfully, the kind folks over at GearDiary have hosted up a few photos and have promised impressions in the not too distant future, so head on over if you’re anxious to see just how far this thing is from being a Kindle.

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Foxit’s eSlick e-reader ships out, gets photographed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 27

How would you change Amazon’s Kindle 2?

Posted in: amazon, e reader, e-book reader, E-bookReader, Features, HowWouldYouChange, HWYC, kindle, Today's Chili

Right around 13 months ago, we were asking you fine readers how you’d change Amazon’s original Kindle. Now that it has had some time to think about things and deliver a refined version of its hit e-reader, we’re giving early adopters the chance to fire off yet another round of criticism. Did Bezos & Co. address all of your gripes with the first iteration? Are you still bummed by anything? Is the screen sharp enough for your tastes? Battery life up to snuff? Do you still want more freedom when it comes to using that built-in EV-DO connection? What could Amazon do to make you even more stoked about being a Kindle 2 owner? You never know what the next firmware update could bring, so choose your words wisely.

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How would you change Amazon’s Kindle 2? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 12

Brother’s SV-100B Bluetooth “Document Viewer” looks like an e-book reader to us

Posted in: e ink, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, Today's Chili
Brother's SV-100B Bluetooth

It’s finally coming true; all those e-ink readers we expected would flood the market after the Kindle’s initial release were apparently just waiting for its successor before jumping into the fray. Joining recent announcements from iriver, Neolux, and Plastic Logic is Brother, with the SV-100B. The company is calling it a “Document Viewer,” featuring a 9.7-inch, 1200 x 825 display — larger and stocking twice the pixels of the Kindle 2. However, it’s not meant to be a Kindle-killer, instead aimed at business users who will pair this over Bluetooth with PCs or mobile devices to keep its microSD card filled with content, content that must be run through a converter app prior to display. No MSRP was announced, but given its focus on the corporate clientele it will surely be priced accordingly when it ships early this June.

Update: Will commented to let us know this will apparently retail for ¥140,000, or just shy of $1,500. So, yeah, not really aiming for the consumer market here.

Gallery: Brother SV-100B e-book reader

[Via Engadget Japanese]

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Brother’s SV-100B Bluetooth “Document Viewer” looks like an e-book reader to us originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 27

Neolux’s NUUT2 trumps the Kindle 2 with PDF support, loses in most other regards

Posted in: e ink, e-book, e-book reader, E-bookReader, reader, Today's Chili
Neolux's NUUT2 trumps the Kindle 2 with PDF support, loses in most other regards

Back in 2007 the NUUT beat the Kindle to retail by a few months, but its plain styling and lack of features meant it couldn’t compete — especially for the same $300 price point. Now the successors must battle for supremacy and this time it’s Neolux running a bit late, just now announcing the NUUT2. It’s a complete redesign that, oddly enough, makes it look more like the original Kindle, complete with an odd little auxiliary strip display. The NUUT2 has a 6-inch, 600 x 800 display offering eight shades of gray (twice that of the original but half that of the Kindle 2), 1GB of storage, SD card expansion, and WiFi as well. The biggest news is native support for PDF along with a bevy of other file types, but given this isn’t likely to appear outside of South Korea it, like its predecessor, probably won’t make much of a splash.

[Via MobileRead, thanks Emil]

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Neolux’s NUUT2 trumps the Kindle 2 with PDF support, loses in most other regards originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 09

WSJ: Kindle 2 launching today with Stephen King exclusive

Posted in: amazon, e-book reader, E-bookReader, kindle, rumor, Today's Chili

The Wall Street Journal just weighed in on today’s Amazon press event with two nuggets of information. First, they state as fact that Amazon.com will announce a new version of its Kindle e-book reader. Additionally, Amazon is expected to announce an exclusive new work available only on the Kindle from best-selling author and be-spectacled weirdo, Stephen King. According to the WSJ, “a Kindle-like device” could play a role in the story. Oh Stephen, don’t you know that they’re all going to laugh at you? Find out all the details later today with our live Kindle launch coverage.

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WSJ: Kindle 2 launching today with Stephen King exclusive originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 01

iRex Digital Reader 1000S gets the hands on treatment

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

iRex’s Digital Reader 1000S didn’t exactly do a whole lot to distinguish itself when it debuted alongside its two other 1000 series counterparts a few months back but, judging from Engadget Chinese’s hands-on of the unit, it seems to at least hold its own against your average e-book reader, even if it may not be able to justify its premium price tag ($749). On the upside the 10.2-inch, 160 dpi display appears to deliver as expected, with it provided a fairly comfortable reading experience, although some small text may have you reaching for the zoom function. Unfortunately, the device as a whole seems to be a tad on the sluggish side, and there is that small matter of the price, which puts the iRex well above the likes of the Kindle and some other upstart e-book readers. Still undecided? Hit up the link below for a closer look.

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iRex Digital Reader 1000S gets the hands on treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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