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E-Book Manufacturers Slowly Making the Move to Color

The race for color e-book readers is on, but U.S. consumers hoping to get their hands a technicolor tech-tome may still have to wait. Fujitsu only offers its color Flepia e-book in Japan and, according to Wired, everyone else is (at least) six months away.

Color display prototypes have been hindered by a grab-bag of technical problems, like slow refresh rates, inadequate screen size, poor clarity, and problems with brightness, to name a few. Wired quoted Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who said that the Kindle, Amazon's popular e-reader, is "multiple years away" from a color screen.

Asad Hussain, vice president of Kent Displays, which developed Flepia's display, told Wired that he sees the slow move to color screens as a product of manufacturers not wanting to upset the status quo. Hussain claims that the momentum of black-and-white displays are keeping companies from making the shift to color. Of course, there is one company rumored to be working on an e-reader that doesn't abide to market trends. Surprise! It's Apple.

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New Kindle DX to Be Given to College Students for Textbooks


Amazon is hosting a press event in New York City on Wednesday, which means there's a new Kindle on the way. Our colleagues over at Engadget dug up some spy photos and basic specs of the new device, which is being called the Kindle DX. Improvements over the current Kindle 2 include a larger, 9.7-inch display, a built-in PDF reader, and the ability to add annotations (as well as notes, as before). Word has it that the New York Times subscriptions will be $9.95 a month, compared to the current $13.99, and the Wall St. Journal is reporting that the new device will be distributed to students at Case Western Reserve in Ohio next fall -- for textbooks (let's hope that e-textbooks are a lot cheaper on the Amazon Kindle store than they are in real life at most college bookstores). [From: Engadget and Wall St. Journal]

Amazon to Reveal Big-Screen Kindle Wednesday?

Amazon to Reveal Big Screen Kindle Wednesday?

Amazon made us wait for over a year between the Kindle and the updated Kindle 2.0. But a scant three months after the unveiling of the newer e-reader, online rumors are already saying that we may see a bigger-screen Kindle as soon as this week.

Amazon has begun to send out invitations to a press event, scheduled for this Wednesday, May 6th, where many expect that a larger-screened device, targeted at readers of newspapers and magazines, will be announced. The Kindle and Kindle 2.0 have had some success as formats for reading books, but their six-inch screens, which cannot display video or color images, have not hooked the readers of online news sites. Web visitors to the New York Times, for instance, can get those perks without paying the $14 monthly subscription fee that Kindle requires for access to the paper's site. There are also dedicated free readers for the New York Times and other newspapers on mobile devices such as the iPhone and the BlackBerry.

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JK Rowling and Other Big Name Authors Holding Out on E-Book Format

Big Name Authors Holding Out on E-Book FormatWe've give the e-book trend plenty of coverage, and, as we've stated before, there are still major hurdles in front of the emerging format. One of the highest is the absence of many notable books and authors from the e-book market, according to USA Today.

There are many reasons why some books haven't yet made their ways to the Sony Reader or Kindle e-book devices -- contract negotiations, low royalty rates and simple skepticism of the format among them. But if publishers and those selling the electronic texts don't get some of these bigger names on board soon, the e-book may end up as little more than a niche product.

What notables are missing? Well, the entire 'Harry Potter' series, Joseph Heller's 'Catch 22,' J.D. Salinger's 'Catcher in the Rye,' Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' S.E. Hinton's 'The Outsiders,' and Ray Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451,' just to name a few.

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Web, Social Networking

BookArmy: Social Networking for Avid Readers

BookArmy: Social Networking for Book Lovers

In order for e-books to really take off it's going to take more than just the Kindle. To reach a breaking point, it's going to take social networking (and probably file sharing) for people to accept reading literature in electronic form. While we've seen a few services aimed at connecting book lovers, such as Shelfari and Goodreads, we haven't yet seen a book site that has so fully embraced a Last.FM-style of recommendation, sharing, and list-making as has the new London-based start-up BookArmy.

BookArmy starts simply enough by asking you to list, rate, and review books you've read, and then makes suggestions based on the preferences of other people who have read the same or similar books. Its tag line, "never read a bad book again," does strike us as a little presumptuous (especially considering that we entered a list of nothing but politically-themed, non-fiction books and it keeps insisting we'll really love the 'Da Vinci Code'). But, as more people sign up and rate books, the quality of the recommendations will only improve, we're sure.

Will BookArmy or GoodReads become the next media-sharing, social-networking service du jour? Only time will tell, but it rests squarely on two things: people's acceptance of reading books in digital format, and the availability of platform-agnostic content (an e-book equivalent of the DRM-free MP3). That said, with mega-publisher HarperCollins taking stake in BookArmy, the future of e-books is looking slightly brighter. [From: BoingBoing]

Computers

Amazon Suspends Kindle Account After Too Many Product Returns


The Kindle should be a pretty straight forward proposition, but this just goes to show you how sometimes folks can stir up controversy even with something as innocuous as an e-book reader. First there was the hassle with the Writers Guild over text-to-speech, and then Amazon threatened MobileRead with legal action for merely linking to software they didn't take kindly too. And now we're hearing alarming tales of Kindle owners who have had their accounts turned off when inadvertently running afoul of company policy. Case in point, a user on the MobileRead forums reports being locked out of his account for what was termed an "extraordinary" rate of returns (that is, he returned electronics that arrived damaged or defective). Because of this, our man was unable to purchase new books for his device, or even check out magazine / newspaper / blog subscriptions he had already paid for. Luckily, this gentleman was able to plead his case and get his account reactivated -- but other users haven't been quite so fortunate. We'll be keeping an eye on you, Amazon -- so let's try and play nice for now on.

[Via Channel Web]

Computers

Kindle 2 Users Complain of Eye Strain


You know how it is: Amazon refreshes the Kindle, makes some upgrades, and everybody's happy. Almost. It seems that a small but vocal minority is really, really not into the way that fonts are rendered on the new device. For real. Y'see, the newest iteration of the e-reader sports font smoothing algorithms and sixteen levels of gray (as opposed to four levels on the original). For sure, these enhancements make for prettier pictures, but on the downside it causes text to blur significantly when displaying fonts in the smallest three sizes. If you're one of the disgruntled Kindle 2 owners looking for some relief for your tired eyes, there are a couple options available to you. You might want to try the Unicode Fonts Hack, which will allow you to replace the system font for something more to your liking. Or you could hop on over to Amazon's Kindle forum, where you can commiserate with your fellow angry customers (OK, not really a solution -- but possibly therapeutic). You could wait for the rumored Kindle with a larger screen to arrive (no telling when or if that's gonna happen), or even downgrade to a first gen device, as some folks already have. Or you can read a book. One thing you can't do? You can't stop progress.

[Via Wired]

Read - Amazon: Please make the text darker on Kindle 2
Read - Unicode Fonts Hack

Computers, iPod, iPhone

Amazon Kindle Discriminates Against the Blind, Says NFB, in Protest

Kindle Becomes a Flash Point for Protests

Who knew that that the Amazon Kindle would prove to be such a flash point for controversy? The device's text-to-speech capabilities rankled the Authors Guild, which then pushed Amazon to disable the feature, or at least allow publishers to opt out of it. This has, in turn, gotten the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) up in arms.

Today, the NFB is taking to the streets outside the Authors Guild's headquarters in New York, asking the guild to retract its demands that Amazon disable the feature. According to the NFB, the Authors Guild's stance discriminates against the blind, dyslexic, and others who have disabilities that make reading printed material difficult or impossible. When first asked by the NFB to reconsider their demands, the guild responded by proposing a Kindle registration process, by which a disabled person would be required to prove her disability in order to unlock (or pay for) the text-to-speech feature.

The NFB balked at the idea -- not surprisingly, since many Kindle owners already think that Kindle e-books are overpriced. A loosely organized group of 250 customers has been labeling books in the Kindle Store with the tag "9 99 Boycott" due to its belief that the e-books should cost no more than $10. It's a reasonable argument when you consider that most paperback books cost about $10 and are much more versatile than their e-book counterparts.

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Cell Phones, iPhone

Apple Sued for Promoting iPhone as eBook


If you've ever thought that the iPhone might be a lawsuit magnet, we now have even more proof for you. It looks like a company called MONEC Holding Ltd., based in Berne, is suing Apple for patent infringement, unfair trade practices, monopolization, and tortious interference (whatever that means). MONEC's January, 2002 patent (No. 6,335,678 -- titled "Electronic device, preferably an electronic book") describes a light-weight, touchscreen electronic device that has the "dimensions such that [...] approximately one page of a book can be illustrated at normal size, this display being integrated in a flat, frame-like housing." Doesn't sound like every handheld device out there, does it? We'll keep you posted.

Computers

'Mein Kampf' a Best Seller on Kindle?

'Mein Kampf' a Best Seller on Kindle?

Adolf Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' is, for both noble and despicable reasons, one of the most read books in history. Since its original publication after Hitler's release from jail in 1924, it has been available in several editions. When he was at the height of his power as Führer, there was a "people's edition," a "wedding edition" (given as a gift to all newlyweds), and the "Tornister-Ausgabe," which was a compact version intended for soldiers on the front line. It has been translated to dozens of languages, bound in leather, handed out for free in some countries, and outlawed in others. So it was only a matter of time before 'Mein Kampf' made its way into electronic form.

There's not one, but two versions of 'Mein Kampf' available in Amazon's Kindle store. Both are dirt cheap (though not free), but one version undercut the other by two cents and recently climbed its way to the top of the legal thriller best-seller list for the price of $1.58.

The Führer's reign at the top didn't last very long, however. Only minutes after CNET grabbed the screen shot above, it was gone. [From: CNET]

Related Links:

iPhone

Amazon Brings Books to the iPhone

Sure, Amazon could pit the Kindle squarely against phone- and PDA-based e-book apps, but why not play both sides? The company had previously mentioned its desire to embrace non-Kindle devices in its digital delivery ecosystem, and the first fruits of that labor have now hit the iPhone App Store. The uncreatively-named Kindle for iPhone allows you access to all of your Kindle content right from the comfort of your iPhone or iPod touch, and if you have the good fortune of owning an honest-to-goodness Kindle, Whispersync will kick in to keep your location synchronized between readers. It's a huge win for owners of both devices, considering that the Kindle's still just a little bit big to be carrying everywhere you go, but your phone -- well, if you don't have that everywhere you go, you're just plain weird. [Warning: iTunes link] [Via The iPhone Blog]

Computers

Hearst to Launch Wireless e-Reader


Hot on the heels of Amazon's highly anticipated Kindle 2 launch comes this: news that Hearst Corporation -- which publishes iconic magazines including Cosmopolitan and Esquire along with the San Francisco Chronicle -- will be launching its own wireless e-reader. While many may be quick to label this forthcoming device as a Kindle competitor, the concept behind this is far more elaborate than simply knocking Amazon from its perch. In an effort to "preserve the business model that has sustained newspapers and magazines" while moving forward with technology, Hearst is planning to ship a larger-than-usual reader (around the size of a standard sheet of paper), giving publishers (and advertisers, by extension) about the same amount of space as they're used to when pushing out e-articles.

Reports suggest that the device -- which will do the monochrome thing until a color version debuts later -- could land as early as this year, with Hearst & Friends planning to sell them to publishers and "take a cut of the revenue derived from selling magazines and newspapers on these devices." No exaggeration here -- this may be the biggest news we've heard for print media in years, not to mention the promise of an all-new e-reader for gadget nerds to swoon over.

Computers

A $41,916 E-book?


Either Amazon's $41,916 list price is a mistake or Malcolm Barnes is finally about to buy that BMW. At $137 a page, we'd recommend you read and re-read the sample for Practical Variable Speed Drives and Power Electronics a few times before pulling the trigger, Sparky.

Computers, Celebrities

Jeff Bezos Chats Up the Kindle 2 with Jon Stewart


Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos showed up at Jon Stewart's pad the other day to discuss the Kindle 2, and Jon seemed fairly unimpressed. They were just finally getting into a groove when Bezos dropped the price bomb, and then their fleeting segment was over. It's embedded after the break. Amazon VP Ian Freed has also been chatting up the device, but in a more technical nature. On designing the Kindle he reiterates the "invisibility" design ethic surrounding the device, about making it "disappear" for the user. They also improved the cellular modem for improved reception, and also fended off features like a color screen that would shorten battery life, up the price and cause the device to generate more heat and make its presence known. As far as text to speech goes, he thinks it's good for short stretches of reading, and notes that it covers the vast majority of titles that aren't available in an audio format, but didn't speak specifically to the possible infringement of author rights.

Read - Jeff Bezos on The Daily Show
Read - Designing the Kindle 2

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Audio/Video

Kindle 2 Reads Books Aloud, Perturbs Authors Guild



The newest generation of the Kindle, Amazon's digital reading device, can now read text aloud, and authors are not happy about it, USA Today reports.

While the original Kindle was able to display the texts of whatever book a user downloaded, the Kindle 2 is additionally capable of reading those downloaded books to the user, albeit it in a robotic monotone. This capability, and the potential to use more listenable reading voices, worries the Authors Guild. In a message sent to Guild members yesterday, a spokesperson identified the Kindle 2 as being a significant threat to the sale of audio books. The Guild requested members think about asking Amazon.com to remove the reading feature from the device.

While Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener has stated that the company is well within their rights to use the "Read to Me" feature, debate is swirling. Discussing the legal ramifications of the feature (with himself), Engadget's Nilay Patel identified the crux of the debate as the question of whether or not a book and an audio recording of that book are two distinct products. "What the Authors Guild seems to be saying," Patel explains, "is that while Amazon has the rights to sell the book, it doesn't have the rights to sell you the recording."

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Weirdest Techie Heists and Scams

    Elderly Amish Man Caught on Film With Prostitute, Blackmailed
    When a 75-year-old Amish widower slept with a prostitute, he -- we feel certain -- felt pretty bad about it the next morning. As if that guilt weren't enough for the old man, the prostitute and her boyfriend demanded $67,000 from him, claiming that they had filmed the scene with wall-mounted cameras and would upload the recording to the Internet. The pair was later arrested and, we can only imagine, the Amish man abhorred technology more than ever.

     

    Bank Robber Gets Away With the Help of Craiglist
    In October, a bank robber -- wearing a safety vest, blue shirt, face mask and goggles -- eluded police with the help of Craiglist. Just outside the bank, while the robbery was in progress, stood a group of men who were responding to a Craiglist day labor opportunity. As the advertisement required, they were all wearing safety vests, blue shirts, face masks and goggles.

     

    Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message
    Late in 2007, a Wellington, New Zealand man received a racy text message from two anonymous "ladies," giving him only an address and a request that he show up naked. Well, he indeed showed up naked... at the home of one appalled, unsuspecting New Zealander. Both the nude Romeo and the sadistic texter were arrested, though neither were prosecuted.

     

    Fake Craiglist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
    Last Spring, a post appeared on an Oregon Craigslist board stating that the owner of a specific house was leaving all of his worldly possessions (still in said house) to whoever wanted them. When homeowner Robert Salisbury rushed home -- on a tip from a woman suspicious about the offer of a free horse -- he found his house being ransacked by 30 strangers. We suggest he take that horse and collect some vengeance Clint Eastwood-style.

     

    17-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Virtual 'Furniture'
    When a 17-year-old Dutch boy hacked into several accounts on the Second Life-style site 'Habbo' in 2007, the the law got involved. The boy was discovered to have stolen $5,800 worth of virtual furniture and knick-knacks. Apparently, crime -- whether actual or virtual -- does not pay.

     

    Phishers Going After Your Phones in New 'Vishing' Trend
    Over the past year, sneaky spammers have begun to forsake the worn-out territory of e-mail in favor of cell phones' fertile frontier. The result? "Vishing." Get it? Voice mail phishing. It might be more ominous if it didn't sound like a James Bond villain saying, "Wishing."

     

    Burglars Break Into Restaurant, Steal HDTV, Leave Money / Food Behind
    Around Halloween of last year, a truckload of thieves drove into -- that's right, into -- a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant, where they -- apparently uninterested in the cash register -- stole a mid-grade 47-inch HDTV and fled the scene. We've all heard about how this generation is lacking in ambition, but this generation's thieves, too?

     

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