E-Books

Uncovered: ASUS E-Readers, The DR-950 and DR-570

January 18

All of a sudden ASUS has 2 e-readers which look like they can pack some serious punches. Starting off with the DR-950, it includes a 9-inch 1024 x 768 pixel touchscreen with 16 levels of gray, text-to-speech in 26 languages, a web browser that can switch between landscape and portrait modes, built-in RSS reader, and an expandable built-in dictionary with real-time translation. The 222 x 161 x 9-mm / 370-gram e-reader also packs in Wi-FI and HSPA (WiMAx is optional), 3.5 mm headphone jack, 4GB of internal memory and SD card expansion. Supported formats include: PDF, TXT, Audible, MP3, and unprotected ePub.

As for the 6-inch OLED DR-570, it has that amazing 122 hours of battery life, Wi-Fi, 0.03 second page turns (making it 23 times faster than the Kindle’s), 124 x 170 x 8.8-mm / 200-g size, 4GB onboard storage with SDHC card expansion, 512MB of SDRAM, and 1,530mAh battery. Text-to-speech and built-in web browser, RSS reader, support for ePub, PDF, txt, MP3, MP4, and AVI content formats, audio/video/Flash player, as well as a possibility for online video streaming from Amazon. As for the 6-inch screen, there is some doubt that it could actually be a smaller 5.7 inches, but that’s not confirmed yet.

Not too shabby ASUS, not too shabby. Now, where’s the content partners for these things?

ASUS DR-570 E-reader Boasts OLED Screen, 122 Hours of Life

January 17

An impressive entry from ASUS into the e-reader market, the DR-570 boasts a 6-inch OLED screen and a claimed 122 hours of juice. No extra details except it’s coming out at the “end of the year”. From the looks of it though, it won’t be cheap, contrary to ASUS’s usual pricing schemes. [Via Times Online, Engadget]

Plastic Logic’s QUE proReader Debuts

January 7

Today Plastic Logic’s QUE proReader has finally gotten into the marketplace. Pre-ordering starts today (it ships in April) for the $649 4GB model (which does not have AT&T 3G), and the 8GB model goes for $799 with AT&T 3G service included. Ouch. The QUE is essentially designed for business professionals, because it isn’t only an e-reader, but is more like a black and white tablet. Main features include: fulscreen touchscreen interface, can work with email (with Outlook support), calendar, Powerpoint, Word, Excel, truVue, and PDF compatibility, and you can draw directly on the screen for notes, or use the on-screen keyboard. The Barnes & Noble E-Bookstore provides the book service, AT&T provides the 3GB service, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi come along for the ride.

To get your documents onto the QUE you can print to a “QUE it” printer, or drag-and-drop to a “QUE it” droplet on your desktop for document transfers. Futhermore, there’s a QUE app for Blackberry owners that allows you to send any document via Bluetooth. QUE has partnered with Good for “QUE Mail” and “QUE Calendar,” with support for Exchange, Gmail, Windows Live and other email services. Press release after the break. Whew! [Buy QUE]

Samsung’s New Sliding e-Readers: The E6 & E10

January 6

Samsung’s first e-readers have a one-of-a-kind feature. A “precision stylus pen” that recognizes handwriting and allows you to take notes, just like you would with a normal book. Furthermore, there’s no backlit display, meaning that just like a book, you’d have to be in a brighter area to read your “book”. The above shot is for the E6, and the E10 is merely a 10-inch version of the 6-inch version E6. Google will be providing you books via the Google Books service, but the only main disappointments is not having 3G, meaning that you will be at the mercy of a 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connection (a real disappointment). Otherwise you have a soft QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth 2.0, and a price tag of $399 for the E6 and $699 for the E10 (ouch). The release date isn’t solid, but according to Samsung it’s “early 2010″, whatever that means. Press release after the break.

E-reader privacy policies: Kindle is watching your every move

December 27

In the day of digital reading, you might expect that with the convenience of having all of your books wherever you go, there would be a side-effect. Well, there is one, and it’s not pretty. Above is a chart comparing all e-book sellers in terms of privacy. The Amazon Kindle for example, can track your every e-reading move; from buying the e-book to reading it. Sony and Google Books are on the “I Can See Everything You’re Doing” list, too. And with that, there goes another piece of your privacy: now companies can know what you read, when you read it. But I wonder: doesn’t this breach any privacy acts? Hmm. More info and a bigger chart at the “via” link.

[Via EFF]

Barnes & Noble: $100 gift if you don’t get your Nook on the 24th

December 20

If you are an unlucky Nook buyer, the kind that is getting the Nook in time for Christmas, you should be unspeakably mad when you hear this. Lucky buyers who ordered the Nook and aren’t getting it on the 24th get a free $100 B&N giftcard. Afterwards your delayed Nook would show up next year. Sounds nice if you ask me, but in the meantime feel sorry for the poor fellow that actually got their Nook for Christmas, then get yourself a cup of hot chocolate and laugh at him at the same time.

[Via Consumerist]

Nooks begin shipping to retail stores, you can go use one now

December 8

nookereader

Hold it right there partner! I did say that the Nook is finally shipping due to numerous delays, and that you can go to a local B&N to try one out for yourself, but I didn’t say all of them have it. And that’s where Barnes & Noble comes in. Using their Nook Locator, you can find out where the nearest Nook is to take a Look (no pun intended). As for those of you who were smart and pre-ordered early, your Nook should arrive in 1 to 2 days, and the second shipment will come in on December 16th, so things are finally moving around in the Nook world.

[Barnes & Noble Nook Locator]

Barnes & Noble’s Nook shipments pushed back to Jan. 15th

December 4

nookpreorderjan15dec09

Once again the Nook is delayed. This time the shipping date for the nook is (supposedly) January 15th, and according to an anonymous tipster at Engadget, Nooks will not be available at Barnes & Noble stores till after Christmas.

[Via Engadget]