e-book reader

Amazon.com announced late Tuesday that it is expanding its Kindle e-book reader family with the addition of a "global wireless" Kindle DX.

The larger Kindle DX, which features a 9.7-inch electronic ink display, will allow wireless downloads of books in more than 100 countries. The retailer is taking pre-orders for the $489 e-reader and plans to ship them to customers beginning January 19.

Amazon, which introduced a smaller 6-inch version of the wireless Kindle last October, said the new e-reader has a PDF reader, auto-rotate capability, and 3.3GB of memory for storage of up to … 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 it will sell the first waterproof Kindle case this spring.

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 … Read more

If you were interested in buying the Barnes & Noble Nook as a holiday gift, strike it off your list. The e-reader is now officially sold out through 2009, according to the B&N Web site.

"The hottest holiday gift is out of stock," a message at the top of the page reads. "Order the Nook today to be first in line for the new year."

If this sounds familiar, it's because last year Amazon had a similar message on its site when it stock ran out of the Kindle. However, in the case … Read more

Kindle book buyers can now read their books right from their PCs without having to buy a Kindle reader.

Amazon onTuesday made available its new Kindle for PC, free software that lets Kindle customers read their e-books on tablet PCs, Netbooks, notebooks, and other personal computers.

The software can be downloaded from the Kindle for PC page. The quick installation sets up the reader application, prompting you to log in and register with your Amazon account or create a new one. After logging in, you can download books that you've already purchased at the Kindle store or click on … Read more

Plastic Logic and Barnes & Noble announced on Tuesday that Plastic Logic's Que proReader will be sold through Barnes & Noble's retail stores and on B&N's Web site in 2010. The Que is Plastic Logic's long-awaited e-reader that is not set to be officially unveiled until January 7 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, but both companies continue to promote the device vigorously as Barnes & Noble gets set to launch its Nook e-book reader in November.

While Plastic Logic has yet to show a full profile image of the Que, it … Read more

You may not have heard of Astak, but it's one of several non-name-brand companies that are jumping into the e-book reader space with a range of new models, including the 5-inch EZ Reader Pocket Pro.

While this model is smaller than the Amazon Kindle, which has a 6-inch screen, we actually like the size of the Pocket Pro and other 5-inch nontouch-screen e-readers, such as the Sony Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-300). This model, like the Sony, has a list price of $199, so it makes sense to compare the two units, especially since both models have Adobe Digital Editions … Read more

Ever since word got out that Barnes & Noble was set to announce its own e-book reader next week, the rumors have been flying, with lots of whispers that the gadget might just have a color display. Well, it appears those rumors are valid, with one big caveat: the upcoming eBook (as it appears to be called) apparently has a standard, 800x600 6-inch monochrome e-ink display along with a multitouch 480x144-pixel color LCD that's designed for browsing book covers and perhaps other content, according to Gizmodo. That second display also would transform into a virtual keyboard.

Those waiting for … Read more

With the introduction of a solar-powered e-book from LG Display, owners will soon be able to read for hours on end, so long as they're outside and the sun is up.

This is because the new offering boasts both an e-book and a thin-film, 10cm solar cell. Surprise!

Four to five hours of sun exposure yields an additional day's worth of reading time. You can read inside too, of course, thanks to the battery, but if you do that how will you show off the fact that you're on the cutting edge and hip with your e-book? … Read more

One big knock against the original Amazon Kindle models was that its built-in free cellular data access only worked in the U.S. (via Sprint's 3G network). Amazon has addressed that issue with a new world-friendly model that uses the GSM standard instead. When in the U.S., it'll access Amazon's online store (for wireless delivery of books, blogs, newspapers, and magazines) via AT&T; outside the U.S., it uses a variety of international providers. As of October 22, 2009, the internationalized Kindle replaces the U.S.-only model. It sells for $259.

Those planning … Read more