e-book reader

E-book readers that use e-ink are getting a splash of color, courtesy of a new e-paper technology.

Display maker E Ink announced today the release of its new color e-paper, called E Ink Triton, which will offer e-book makers a way to add color to their e-ink devices. The new technology will make its debut with a color e-book reader set to be released in China next March by Chinese e-reader vendor Hanvon, an E Ink representative told CNET.

"E Ink Triton marks a major milestone in the e-book revolution," Hanvon's Chairman Liu Yingjian said in a statement. "E Ink has the right technology, manufacturing capability, and know-how to transition Hanvon's product vision into reality. With E Ink Triton technology, Hanvon is enabled to release the world's first [e-ink-reliant] color e-book reader today."

The new e-paper is being geared to show off a variety of applications and content, including charts, graphs, maps, photos, comics and, of course, advertisements. Screens using the new Triton e-ink can display thousands of colors, as well as 16 levels of gray scale, according to E Ink. The text and color graphics are also designed to be fully viewable in direct sunlight and are maintained on the screen, even when the device power is turned off.

E Ink is touting the speed of its new electronic paper, claiming that displays made with Triton can perform up to 20 percent faster than ones made with older e-ink technology.… Read more

Although e-book buying is still a niche market, those people who like their books electronic are spending lots of money.

This year, U.S. consumers will have spent $966 million on e-books, according to a report released yesterday by Forrester. By 2015, e-books will be close to a $3 billion market, projects the research firm.

Most of the 4,000 people questioned by Forrester for a recent survey still get their books the old-fashioned way, either borrowing them from a friend or taking them out from the library. Only 7 percent of the people polled read e-books, according to a … Read more

U.S. consumers crave their gadgets, but the cell phone rules them all, according to a new Pew Internet study.

Among the 3,000 adults surveyed, 85 percent own cell phones. Mobile phones are especially in demand among younger adults, with 96 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds owning one. But even among those 65 and older, 58 percent have a cell phone.

The second hottest device--a computer--is owned by 76 percent of those surveyed. Breaking down that category, the laptop has grown in popularity and is now owned by 52 percent versus 30 percent in early 2006. Meanwhile, desktop ownership … Read more

So here's how the e-book reader landscape is looking these days. For $139 you can buy a Kindle with Wi-Fi. For $149 you can get a Nook, also with Wi-Fi. And for $129.99 you can scoop up a Kobo without Wi-Fi (which would be idiotic given that a new wireless version is coming November 1 for $139.99).

Then there's Sony, which steadfastly refuses to add Wi-Fi to its Reader series of, er, readers. If that's OK with you--meaning you don't mind installing Sony's archaic desktop software and using it every time you want … Read more

Even though the Kindle doesn't officially allow you to borrow or lend e-books, CNET editor Sharon Vaknin shows you how you can share with your trusted friends.

The Kindle will soon join Barnes & Noble's Nook and Sony's Reader on the shelves of your local Best Buy store.

The consumer electronics chain announced Thursday that it will expand its lineup of e-book readers by selling the Amazon Kindle in the coming weeks. Best Buy will display the Kindle and its rival readers at prime locations at the end of store aisles, giving shoppers the opportunity to check out each model side-by-side.

The new Kindle 3G and the smaller, lighter Wi-Fi-only Kindle 3 will both appear in Best Buy stores this fall, while the larger Kindle DX … Read more

Borders is cutting the prices of its two compatible e-book readers.

Effective September 1, the Kobo eReader will retail for $129 (a $20 reduction), and the Aluratek Libre will cost $99.99 (down from $119). Both devices can be used to read books from Borders e-book store (which, in turn, is powered by Kobo).

The Borders price cuts come less than a week after Amazon's third-generation Kindle began shipping to consumers. At $139, the most affordable Kindle costs slightly more than Borders' offering, but it offers direct access to Amazon's e-book store via Wi-Fi. (The $149 Barnes & Noble Nook … Read more

And, lo, the era of the sub-$100 e-book reader is finally upon us! Sears (Sears?) has the Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300BC for $99.99 (plus $7 for shipping and sales tax in some states). It's new, not refurbished.

For years I've been saying (to anyone who'll listen--a surprisingly small group) that $99 is the magic price point for e-book readers like this and the Kindle. (Apparently $139 is fairly magical as well, as evidenced by the immediate sellout of Amazon's new Kindle Wi-Fi.)

Sony's product doesn't get nearly as much ink (no … Read more

Otterbox is known for its ultraprotective iPhone cases. Now, M-Edge, which specializes in Kindle cases, is doing the same for the Kindle, with an announcement that its first waterproof Kindle is now shipping.

The company says the Guardian is made of molded plastic and protects your Kindle in all water environments up to 1 meter deep, whether you're in the pool, ocean, or just soaking in the tub. Your e-reader is totally sealed in the case, but you can still access all the buttons through "flexible sealed button cutouts." Even better, the case turns your Kindle into … Read more