Amazon's Kindle 2 Spotted in the Wild?
by Chris Ziegler, posted Oct 6th 2008 at 10:51AM
Posts with tag EBook
Plastic Logic Launching 'Flexible' e-Newspaper Reader
Better yet, the device is said to use "flexible, lightweight plastic" rather than glass resulting in a reader about one-third the thickness of the Kindle at about the same weight -- the reader itself (pictured left) looks rigid compared to that flexible display Plastic Logic has demonstrated in the past. Expected to go on sale during the first half of 2009 with more details, including which news organizations will feed information to the reader, promised for CES in January. [From: NYTimes]
Amazon Denies Kindle 2.0 Rumors
Well, so much for those rumors of a thinner, cheaper, less 80s-hot Kindle coming soon -- Amazon spokesman Craig Berman told the New York Times today that there's nothing in store for this year, and that a new version won't happen before "sometime next year at the earliest." So much for that, unless there's some huge surprise in store -- looks like all you college kids are going to end up killing some trees this year after all.New Esquire Magazine Cover Features E Ink
The E Ink technology used will be exclusively available to Esquire until 2009, and the blinking "The 21st Century Begins Now" text will sadly fade after the battery runs dry in 90 days. Still, there's at least some chance the issue will wind up in the Smithsonian, and an even bigger chance magazine racks everywhere will require Kanye-approved sunglasses to even look at in just a few years. [Source: New York Times]
'High Fidelity' Author Nick Hornby Sounds Off On Kindle and eBooks
Since its release last year, Amazon's Kindle has surprised many by taking the market a bit by storm. The electronic reading device sold out quickly, and racked up some ridiculous highs on eBay (we were smitten after spending a little time with one.) Eight months later, we still love reading on the thing, but author Nick Hornby isn't quite so thrilled with the concept, and he has posted a lengthy diatribe over at the Penguin Blog about why he thinks eBooks still aren't destined for huge success.Hornby, author of 'High Fidelity' and 'About a Boy,' lists a number of reasons as to why he doesn't think eBooks will be successful, including the belief that book readers are not early adopters (we think those outrageous eBay prices say otherwise). He also mentions that eBook market and experience can't simply be compared to the iPod: you can't rip your existing library of books like you can with music. But, he makes an interesting point on why eBooks aren't a particularly hot business model: People on average only buy seven books per year, and 34-percent of adults don't even read books.
Of course, eBook readers also display newspapers, magazines, and blogs, so we don't think he's entirely hit the mark, but it's safe to say that it's going to be a long, long time before e-reading devices like the Kindle even start showing the same sales figures as Microsoft's Zune, which means they've got a looonnnng way to go. [Source: The Penguin Blog via Shiny Shiny]
Watch Out, Kindle -- Dual-Display E-Book Mimicks Reading
It's no surprise that more displays is always better, but when it comes to mimicking the act of reading a book, dual displays is a clear step forward. Researchers at Maryland and Berkeley Universities developed a prototype dual-face, modular e-book reader that allows readers to fan pages to advance in a book or via trackball.
If you're doing some serious research, the displays separate from one another, allowing one to display in landscape mode while the other runs in portrait. To complete the book meme, the device can be folded over to run in a more compact manner, and a simple flip changes the page. Possibilities for future e-book readers are endless here, so we applaud Maryland and Berkeley for using those research dollars. [Source: New Scientist]
Amazon Buys Audio-Book E-tailer Audible
For the few of you out there lucky (crazy) enough to have gotten your hands on the Amazon Kindle e-book reader, one feature may have perplexed you -- the headphone jack. Headphones would be pretty useless on a device that can't play back audio. But we expect an update soon to unlock that feature as Amazon has just snatched up the web's biggest audio-book retailer, Audible.
Amazon sells everything else under the sun, so getting in on the audio-book market only makes sense. It's unclear how the Amazon purchase will affect Apple's deal with Audible for content access, or even who would pay $399 for an e-book reader only to listen to audio-books on it. That's what your iPod is for.
If you don't know what a Kindle is, see the gallery below.
Gallery: Amazon Kindle, Up Close
From BetaNews
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Amazon Kindle eBook Reader Sold Out Through Christmas
If you planned to get your hands on one of Amazon's hot little eBook readers before Christmas, we're hoping you've already ordered. Amazon's Kindle reader dropped a few weeks ago and has already taken the world by storm -- despite being little more advanced than Sony's Reader. The Kindle is now so popular that Amazon can't keep up with demand, indicating that any new orders won't be delivered before Christmas.Amazon's product page now warns: "Because we ship Kindles on a first-come, first-served basis, please ORDER NOW to reserve your place in line. Your Kindle will not arrive by December 25th."
We all know what that means: it's time for eBay Kindle craziness. A quick search this morning showed auctions for new Kindles closing for well over $800, twice what Amazon is asking.
From The Raw Feed
Gallery: Amazon Kindle, Up Close
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Amazon's New Kindle Displays eBooks and Newspapers
The book is the last bastion of non-digital media. Music and videos have long since gone digital, magazine and newspaper subscriptions are suffering as more readers turn to blogs and news sites to get their info, and it's hard to even compare the size of the video game industry to the board game industry. Yet the book has held on through a number of attempts at replacement, with various digital eBook readers coming and ultimately going over the years, most hindered by minimal selection. Now Amazon thinks the time is right for another. Today, the book giant launches its Kindle eBook Reader. The Kindle is a small device with a six-inch E-ink display. E-ink is a type of LCD that requires very little power to operate, enabling the Kindle to get 30 hours of battery life despite sporting battery-sapping support for Wi-Fi and Sprint's high-speed mobile broadband EV-DO network. This means you can purchase and download books from almost wherever, even sitting at an airport terminal waiting for your flight, and you can also subscribe to blogs and even newspapers like 'The New York Times' and have them delivered straight to the device. With Amazon selling new releases at $9.99, the prices aren't too bad, especially compared to the $20 - $30 you might pay for your typical hardcover.
The Kindle is most comparable to Sony's Reader, another small E Ink-based eBook reader that sports much the same functionality but without the wireless, so you have to sync to your computer to get books. (The Reader also doesn't offer periodicals or newspapers.) We think the Reader looks a bit nicer with its understated design and silver or blue color when compared to the Kindle's angular design, making it look like a prop from an early 1980's sci-fi movie. The Reader is $100 cheaper, too, selling at $299 vs. $399 for the kindle. But, compare book prices, and you'll see Sony's charging $15.99 for new releases, which could add up if you're a frequent reader.
Amazon's definitely pulling out the stops to launch the Kindle today, letting the thing dominate their front page, setting up a massive product page, and even getting respectable authors like Toni Morrison to shill for the thing in a series of videos.
Will the Kindle finally bring the book into the digital age, or are we as a civilization destined to still be cutting down trees for our light reading hundreds of years for now? We just know this thing won't start any revolutions until it drops under $200.
From Newsweek.com
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