Posted 11/03/09 at 01:30:00 PM by Gordon Mah Ung

There’s good news and bad news for eBook fans. First up: new eBook readers using Marvell’s ARMADA 166E chip could see triple the frame rate of first generation devices. The bad news: the faster frame rate of 3 fps won’t exactly have you playing Doom just yet but low frame rate animation will possible.

Marvell doesn’t mind though. The company’s new chip isn’t meant to just increase performance, it’ll also offer a cost reduction and power reduction by shrinking what is now a multi-chip board controller board down to a single chip. Marvell showed off several OEM designs including Spring Design’s upcoming dual-screen Alex.

This dual-screen eBook puts Kindle's web-browsing features to shame.

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Posted 10/22/09 at 01:22:46 PM by Paul Lilly

With a lot of help from the University of Michigan, Hewlett Packard on Wednesday unveiled its beta BookPrep project, which seeks to make more than half a million rare books available through a print-on-demand system.

Using imaging and printing technology from HP Labs, HP is able to automatically scan rare books and then clean up, brighten, and align the text. As of this writing, there are exactly 472,509 books available for purchase, most of which were published before 1923.

"HP BookPrep technology allows publishers to extend the life cycle of their books, removes the cost and waste burdens of maintaining inventory, and uses a full spectrum of technologies to deliver convenient access to consumers," said Andrew Bolwell, HP's director of New Business Initiatives.

In addition to rare books, HP said it is also extending its BookPrep project to publishers and content owners who want to offer their full catalogs of titles online, The Inquirer reports.

BookPrep Link

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Posted 10/19/09 at 09:05:38 AM by Paul Lilly

As competition starts to heat up, we don't know who -- if anyone -- will emerge as the dominant ebook player, but if judging on looks alone, Plastic Logic's new "Que" might just take the crown.

Named after the English alphabet letter and not the Spanish equivalent for "what," the sleek-looking Que has received a glossy black finish that wasn't present in previous prototypes. And while this isn't always the case in real life, the Que has more going for it than just good looks.

The Que's letter-sized 8.5 x 11 inch screen boasts a "shatterproof" design and also includes a capacitive touch layer that won't interfere with the e-ink display. Users will be able to sketch and manipulate documents with it, and on the connectivity front, the Que features AT&T 3G and WiFi.

Despite all the Que has going for it, Plastic Logic insists it isn't going after the Kindle market, and will instead focus on providing a comprehensive platform for mobile professionals.

More details here, including a video demo.

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Posted 10/15/09 at 09:12:31 PM by Ryan Whitwam

Google has released more information about its upcoming ebook service, called Google Editions. Unlike the Amazon store, which is tied to the Kindle, Google ebooks will be usable on any device. Then new service will feature a selection of in-print books provided by Google’s publishing partners. Google Edition should launch in the first half of 2010 and offer 400,000 to 600,000 books.

Google clarified that the service would not be entirely cloud-based. After obtaining a book the customer could have a cached version for use when no not online. This caching may be done via Google Gears.

Google Editions will utilize three business models. The first will allow consumers to purchase directly from Google Books. This model would give Google a 37% share of the sale, with the rest going to the publisher. The second model would consist of purchases made from partner retailers, with Google getting 55% of the sale. The last model Google is looking at will have customers going directly to a publisher’s website to make purchases. No decisions have been made on the split for this option.

No word yet on any device manufacturers Google plans to partner with. Maybe you should hold off on that Kindle purchase.

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Posted 10/13/09 at 03:09:37 PM by Bart Salisbury

Digitimes Research is reporting that color eBook readers will account for nearly 5% of global eBook shipments in the second half of 2010, and will become mainstream by 2011.

Digitimes claims that as the electrophoresis technology used to produce eBook reader screens matures the demand for color will pick up. Fujitsu already has a color eBook reader, the Flepia, on the market, but only available in Japan. Prime View International is expected soon to launch its own color electrophoretic display based on E-Ink’s color filter solution. And AU Optronics is developing a color e-paper without the use of color filters that is expected to start production by the end of 2010.

While Amazon’s Kindle and the Sony Reader, with their gray-scale screens, have proven popular, color may be what’s needed for eBooks to become mainstream. Geoffery A. Fowler, of the Wall Street Journal’s Digits blog, sees color as opening the door to new content providers, such as magazines, which in turn could stimulate new demand for the devices.

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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.

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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?

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Posted 09/07/09 at 12:27:54 PM by Paul Lilly

More details have started to emerge regarding Asus' rumored e-book reader, and what we're finding out could spell bad news for Amazon and Sony. According to the Times Online UK, Asus' version is coming soon and will be the world's cheapest digital reader, undercutting the competition without skimping on features.

Citing a spokesperson for Asus in the UK, the upcoming e-book reader will sport a hinged spine so that it more closely emulates the experience of reading a book. Users will be able to see text on one screen while surfing willy nilly on the web over on the other. It's also possible that one of the screens may end up with a virtual keyboard. Perhaps best of all, Asus has decided to ditch a monochrome display in favor of full-color.

According to the report, Asus said it is considering a budget and premium version, the differences of which have yet to be determined. Either way, look for at least one Asus-branded e-book reader to surface later this year for around $150.

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