Posted 11/10/09 at 08:22:27 PM by Jason Barry

Amazon announced today the release of “Kindle for PC,” a free application for Windows computers that allows customers to view more than 360,000 books on their home computer.

Customers do not need to own a Kindle to use the software, now they can purchase and download books on their PC. If you do own a Kindle and have set up Whispersync, you can access your entire Kindle library as well as your notes and marks. The software supports touchscreen gestures on Windows 7 so you can “finger-swipe flip” through pages and “pinch and zoom” content.

They have initially released a Windows only version, but a Mac version is on its way. They hope the new PC and Mac based software will help widen adoption of the Kindle library, in turn getting more publishers onboard.

Read More

Posted 11/03/09 at 02:26:47 PM by Bart Salisbury

The Nook is off to a rough start. Spring Design has sued Barnes & Noble over what it alleges are the misappropriation of trade secrets and the violation of a non-disclosure agreement. Spring Design is claiming that pirated design features from its dual-screen Alex eReader, incorporating them in to Barnes & Noble’s Nook eReader.

The point of contention for Spring Design is something it calls the Duet Navigator. This design feature consists of a gray-scale upper screen for reading text, and a lower color screen for navigation. Interestingly, the Nook possesses the same basic design feature. Spring Design says it started filing patents on the Alex back in 2006. (The patent on the Duet Navigator is still pending.) Barnes & Noble apparently co-opted the ideas while working with Spring Design earlier this year.

Darren Murph, over at Engadget, made the early call on this: “Judging by the hastily prepared web site coincidentally appearing on the eve of the B&N device launch, and the domain’s registrar, Albert Teng, who has numerous patent applications (not patents granted) covering ‘electronic devices having complementary dual-displays,’ we’d say this announcement is quite possibly a desperate attempt to lay claim on intellectual property rights instead of a real product with real manufacturers and real content partners.”

Read More

Posted 10/28/09 at 05:05:41 PM by Bart Salisbury

The more the merrier, at least it seems to be for Barnes & Noble, which has inked a deal to sell Plastic Logic’s QUE eReader along side its own, recently announced, Nook eReader. This move follows an earlier agreement between the two companies to allow QUE users access to book downloads through Barnes & Noble’s online bookstore.

The QUE is, according to Plastic Logic, about the size of an 8.5 x 11-inch pad of paper, and has a shatterproof touch screen display. The QUE is less than one-third of an inch thick and has built-in WiFi and 3G wireless capability (through AT&T). The QUE can handle PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents, and will come with tools that allow interaction with, and management of, content. Actual design features, however, are pretty much a mystery, as Plastic Logic hasn’t been very forthcoming with images showing the QUE’s configuration.

Barnes & Noble hopes the combination of eReaders will mount a credible challenge against Amazon’s Kindle. According to William J. Lynch, president of BN.com, “Carrying [Nook] and QUE allows us to provide consumers a one-stop destination in Barnes & Noble stores to demo and buy two of the best eBook readers on the market.”

Pricing and availability were not included in the announcement. It is expected that Plastic Logic will announce such details at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in January.

Read More

Posted 10/22/09 at 03:43:50 PM by Bart Salisbury

Not interested in buying a Kindle? Understandable. But that’s not going to stop Amazon from promoting its Kindle technology as far and wide as it possible can. Today Amazon has announced the availability of “Kindle for PC,” a free eReader application that allows PC users to “enjoy” Kindle books on their own terms.

Kindle for PC is built with Amazon’s Whispersynch technology, which automatically saves and synchronizes bookmarks and last page read across devices. So where ever you get your Kindle on--with a Kindle or Kindle DX, a PC, or an iPhone/iPod Touch, you’ll never lose track of where you are.

Kindle for PC features include, besides the obvious ability to acquire Kindle books, access to your entire Kindle library, ten different font sizes, and viewing notes/highlights made on a Kindle It will also take advantage of Windows 7’s touch technology, allowing pinch-zooming, with finger swipe page-turning (planned for a future release). Kindle for PC is compatible with XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

Gizmodo has some screenshots of Kindle for PC in action, running on an Acer tablet. Information on getting your copy of Kindle for PC is available at Amazon.

Read More

Posted 10/19/09 at 07:36:05 PM by Ryan Whitwam

All the rumblings were apparently accurate. Barnes and Noble is releasing an eBook reader tomorrow according to the WSJ. The new eReader on the block will be called the Nook, and will be priced at $259. Many felt that Barnes and Noble would try to get the price in under Amazon’s Kindle, but that didn’t happen.

The Nook will have an eInk display, and a color touchscreen below the main display. This may have something to do with the price. The new device will also have an, as yet unspecified, wireless connection for downloading books. Apparently the Nook will allow users to, “lend eBooks to friends”. If true, this could be a killer app. With the Kindle having solid control of 60% of the market, the Nook will need all the differentiation it can get. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to get all the deatils. So... interested?

Read More

Posted 10/19/09 at 05:21:56 PM by Jason Barry

Spring Design unveiled an Android power eReader device dubbed “Alex,” today. The new eReader is powered by Google’s Android OS, features dual screens (!), SD card reader and a Wifi/3G network connection.

There is no question the most unique feature of “Alex” is its multiple screens. It features a 6 inch monochrome display optimized for reading text. However, it also features a color 3.5 inch display allowing the user to simultaneously browse other content. The two screens have been optimized to work together.

"Users can capture and cache web content from their online experience on the LCD screen, and toggle to view it on the EPD screen without taxing the battery life," explained Spring Design CEO Dr. Priscilla Lu. "Browser features such as bookmarking, history, and security settings are built in, and the device with full Android browsing capability, is mobile enabled with smart phones capabilities."

Spring Design is currently shopping for content providers and hopes to be shipping the device before the end of 2009.

Read More

Posted 10/08/09 at 08:37:07 PM by Ryan Whitwam

Fresh from the rumor mill comes word that Barnes and Noble’s upcoming eReader may be running Android. This would certainly be a nice change of pace from the fairly low-power operating environments in other eBook readers.

Android seems like a great fit for eBook readers. It already has built-in support for wireless technology, and being open-source, a custom eReader interface could easily be added on top of Android. There could even be eReader specific apps in the Android Market. Not to mention, the modding possibilities are endless. This could mean a much more open environment than the tightly controlled Kindle model Amazon has gone with. Even if it isn’t so out of the box, it is Android. Someone will come along and hack it.

Barnes and Noble has released apps for both iPhone and Blackberry, but not Android. Perhaps this is why. The mysterious eReader may be announced next month, so we could know the truth soon.

Read More

Posted 10/07/09 at 08:32:07 PM by Ryan Whitwam

You can probably start your Christmas shopping now. It turns out that everyone wants an eBook reader this holiday season. Forrester research has said it expects 3 millions eBook readers to be sold this year.  The research firm further said that fully 30% of them would be sold during the holiday season.

In the last few weeks, competition in the eBook market has heated up. Sony has announced new eReaders at competitive prices. Amazon has also cut the price of the Kindle slightly, while introducing an international version with GSM 3G data. These developments, along with the increased media awareness of eReaders caused Forrester to make their predictions.

Forrester also expects next year to be even better for eReaders. The Barnes & Noble backed iRex 800 will be an additional challenge to Amazon’s dominant Kindle. If Apple’s tablet ever materializes, and is a decent platform for reading books, it may also have an effect. With this rapid growth, you might as well just pack up your paper books now. Who wants to read books made from dead trees anyway?

Read More