Jun 19

AUO Sipix e-paper staggers through video at 6 fps, could go as high as 16

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




We haven’t heard from the folks at IRX Innovations in a while, but if this video is any indication, they haven’t given up on their e-reader dreams just yet. A wily internet video shows the outfit squeezing a modest 6 fps out of an AUO Sipix e-paper panel. Playback is noticeably choppy, but IRX engineers say they can eek an additional 10 fps from the unit by running content through a memory buffer. It’s a far cry from Mirasol’s crazy-smooth 1080p color displays, or even Bookeen’s anti-chromatic offering — but we won’t complain if they can keep it cheap. Besides, Chariots of Fire was born to be seen in slow motion.

AUO Sipix e-paper staggers through video at 6 fps, could go as high as 16 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 01:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 19

Switched On: E-readers drive to digital distraction

Posted in: column, e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, switched on, SwitchedOn, tablet, Today's Chili

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Spring proved cruel for the sparse population of products that combine e-paper and LCD displays. Startup Entourage announced that it was discontinuing its Edge dual-screen e-reader / tablet combo. And then Barnes & Noble closed the book on the original Nook to introduce a successor that had only one screen and one button. In doing so, it leaped over (or is that under?) even the Kindle’s minimalism.

E-readers have followed an unusual demographic adoption curve for a consumer electronics product. The first buyers were, like those of many other tech products, more affluent, but the majority of them were also older and female in keeping with the book-buying habits of physical books. They were attracted to the crisp display and high contrast of e-paper displays. And many were (and continue to be) attracted by a focused product that allowed them to concentrate on the text without distraction of other media type, the Web or thousands of apps.

Continue reading Switched On: E-readers drive to digital distraction

Switched On: E-readers drive to digital distraction originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Jun 2011 18:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 18

Kobo eReader Touch Edition goes on sale in the US and Canada

Posted in: e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, Today's Chili
At the moment, there are two very similar-looking e-readers with black-and-white Pearl E Ink touchscreens on the market, and now, the smaller and less expensive of the pair is up for grabs. The Kobo eReader Touch Edition went on sale today in the US and Canada for $129.99 (or $139.99 Canadian) at Best Buy, Borders, Walmart, and the Canadian bookseller Indigo. If you’ll recall, the 6-inch Kobo is thinner, lighter, and more compact than the Nook Touch, even though its screen is the same size. It also undercuts it by $10 but it lacks the convenience of any physical buttons. Could these trade-offs be worth the trimmer design? We’ll leave that to you and your wallet (and the guy who may or may not receive this as a last-minute Father’s Day gift).

Continue reading Kobo eReader Touch Edition goes on sale in the US and Canada

Kobo eReader Touch Edition goes on sale in the US and Canada originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 07:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 14

Kobo eReader Touch does more than words, handles Sudoku and web browsing on the side (video)

Posted in: e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, gaming, Today's Chili, video, web browser, WebBrowser
The Nook WiFi may have been rooted to play Angry Birds, but Kobo’s competing eReader Touch Edition can apparently show off its gaming capabilities with factory settings. It turns out that aside from the Nook-like embedded web browser we uncovered in our review, the e-reader also comes pre-loaded with Sudoku — perfect for some pattern deducing fun between reads. YouTube user codystheory has posted a video showing the quick sequence of taps needed to access the game, and we can definitely say it looks much easier than installing a custom ROM. We’ve placed the short clip after the break if you’d like to see for yourself.

[Thanks, Nate]

Continue reading Kobo eReader Touch does more than words, handles Sudoku and web browsing on the side (video)

Kobo eReader Touch does more than words, handles Sudoku and web browsing on the side (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 13

Kobo eReader Touch Edition review

Posted in: e ink, e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, review, Today's Chili, video

When it first announced the launch of its eReader Touch Edition late last month, Kobo referred to itself again and again as the “David” in a reader market full of “Goliaths.” It’s not difficult to see why — the company’s chief competition in the space is Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Sony, all giants in their respective fields. In spite of overwhelming odds, however, Kobo has managed to stay afloat, and even competitive. True to form, however, Barnes & Noble launched its own device a mere day after Kobo, which for most intents and purposes, looks an awful lot like the eReader Touch Edition. In fact, the devices were seemingly so alike that we created a head to head, in order to see for ourselves precisely what set them apart.

The new Nook also managed to beat Kobo’s device to market, offering a more than worthy competitor to Amazon’s latest. The question with the launch of the Kobo then, is not only whether the David can compete in a market so dominated by the Kindle, but if the eReader Touch Edition has enough to set it apart from the superficially identical Nook.

Gallery: Kobo eReader Touch Edition review

Kobo eReader Touch Edition review

Continue reading Kobo eReader Touch Edition review

Kobo eReader Touch Edition review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 13

Sony, Panasonic, others to launch cross-platform e-book service, later this year

Posted in: business, download, e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, Japan, market, money, Panasonic, partnership, sony, Today's Chili
Don’t look now, but there’s some major synergy going on in Japan’s e-book market, now that Sony, Panasonic, Rakuten and Kinokuniya have all joined forces on a new digital quest. Today, the quartet of companies announced they’re working on a system that would allow users to purchase and read content across their respective e-readers, injecting the e-cosmos with a heavy dose of free love and good vibes. Under the new service, customers would be able to manage their downloads and browse bestsellers within a centralized web-based marketplace, regardless of the device they go to bed with every night. Because within this new universe, there would be no “mine,” “yours,” or “theirs” — all will be one and one will be all. The chieftains have already held powows with a handful of digital publishers, though they expect to have more friends around the campfire by the time the project launches later this year.

Sony, Panasonic, others to launch cross-platform e-book service, later this year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 09

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

Posted in: barnes noble, e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, nook, Today's Chili, video, web browser, WebBrowser

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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Jun 08

Rooted Nook WiFi loaded with Angry Birds, soars then stalls (video)

Posted in: Android, barnes and noble, BarnesAndNoble, e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, ebooks, nook, Today's Chili, video
That was fast. The Nook WiFi just hit the streets and already it’s been rooted for less reading and more gaming — with Angry Birds, no less. YouTuber JFreke has posted the results of loading a custom ROM on the Android 2.1 e-book reader, and it isn’t exactly glamorous (read: playable) as-is. The refresh rate on the device may be quick for page turns, but the mid-sling freezing doesn’t quite make a case for after school utility. Still, it probably won’t stop some users from wanting to join in on this Android exploiting pastime; if you dare, J says the code will be released shortly, but for now you’ll find the footage by breezing past the break.

[Thanks, Linus]

Continue reading Rooted Nook WiFi loaded with Angry Birds, soars then stalls (video)

Rooted Nook WiFi loaded with Angry Birds, soars then stalls (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 05:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 07

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

Posted in: 7-inch, android tablet, AndroidTablet, e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, froyo, Today's Chili, viewsonic

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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Jun 05

Kno brings textbooks to iPad, millions of children now dread getting Apple tablet for Christmas

Posted in: Apple, apple ipad, AppleIpad, e reader, education, intel, ipad, ipad 2, Ipad2, tablet, Today's Chili

You know the old saying, right? If you can’t beat them, license your designs to third-party manufacturers and develop an app for your competitor’s hardware. Kno’s dual-screen tablet had a pretty tough road since its debut last summer. The educational device was plagued by shipping delays and low pre-order numbers, and by February of this year, the company effectively threw in the hardware towel. A few months later, Intel plunked down a bunch of money, so that Kno’s dreams might live on in the designs of other manufacturers. The company’s software plans are becoming a reality now, as well, with the release of Textbooks, which brings some 70,000 discounted educational titles to the iPad. The free app lets students read and organize texts, affix annotations, and communicate with study partners, offering creative new ways to pass notes in class. Press release after the break.

Continue reading Kno brings textbooks to iPad, millions of children now dread getting Apple tablet for Christmas

Kno brings textbooks to iPad, millions of children now dread getting Apple tablet for Christmas originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 20:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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