plastic logic

Buzz Out Loud 1289: Facebook's momentary lapse of evil (podcast)

The social network stands up to Googlezon's net neutrality proposal, and meanwhile plots Foursquare's demise. Also Farmville pulling up stakes at MSN, and your car's tire pressure sensors can be hacked by drive-bys. Everybody panic!

Plastic Logic cancels Que e-reader

In a move that will probably surprise few, Plastic Logic announced Tuesday that it's canceling plans for its pricey Que e-reader.

Plastic Logic had already delayed the Que several times after showing early versions of the product for years. Starting at $649, the Que was priced well above the iPad and many notebook computers, not to mention all other e-readers on the market. And that was before a recent spate of price cuts that has pushed the price of the Kindle, Nook, and many other devices below $200.

"We recognize the market has dramatically changed, and with the … Read more

Plastic Logic cancels Que e-reader preorders?

A word of caution to those waiting for the Plastic Logic Que to arrive: it may never come.

The company has apparently canceled its customer's preorders for the large touch-screen e-ink e-book reader that starts at a whopping $650 and goes up to $800 for a model with both Wi-Fi and 3G wireless connectivity.

According to Wired's Gadget Lab blog, the company hasn't officially canceled the Que, but is calling the latest setback a "delay." However, most people who cover the e-book reader space expect this to signal doom for the device, which has already … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1257: Don't hold it that way (that's what Steve said) (podcast)

Turns out the iPhone grip of death is simply a "fact of life" with all wireless phones. If holding your phone makes your iPhone 4 signal drop dramatically, Apple would like you to know you should either hold it a different way or buy a case. From them. That sounds logical, right? Right. No, thanks. Also, introducing Rafe's new side project, oneleggedgoat.xxx. Enjoy.

Plastic Logic investor denies company for sale

An investor in Plastic Logic said he was misquoted in a recent report and the e-book reader company is not for sale.

The Financial Times suggests that Plastic Logic backer Hermann Hauser was interested in a buyer for the maker of the yet-to-hit-the-market Que ProReader, quoting Hauser as saying the company was "in very interesting negotiations." However, Hauser said Tuesday that his comments were misconstrued.

"My comments were taken out of context," Hauser said in a statement provided on Tuesday by Plastic Logic. "I was talking about partnerships we are working on, the value of … Read more

Plastic Logic Que e-reader delayed till summer

Orson Welles famously used to say in his commercials for Paul Masson that the winemaker would "sell no wine before its time." Apparently, Plastic Logic has adopted a similar philosophy, as its once highly anticipated Plastic Logic Que proReader has encountered another snag and won't be released this spring after all.

Alas, the company continues to "fine-tune the features and enhance the overall product experience," which means that those who preordered the rather expensive e-reader aimed at mobile professionals will have to wait till summer to get their units.

Richard Archuleta, CEO of Plastic Logic, … Read more

Roundup: new 2010 e-book readers

While Amazon's Kindle, Sony's Readers, and the Barnes & Noble Nook remain the most popular e-readers in the U.S. market, literally dozens of companies are putting out new e-readers this year--and they're all on display at CES.

They range in price from less than $200 to more than $750 and one even includes dual screens. Which ones truly have a chance of breaking through with consumers is debatable, especially if Apple should go ahead and announce a slate device later this month. But here they all are.

As always, feel free to comment, and let us … Read more

Plastic Logic unveils its pricey Que e-reader

LAS VEGAS--Plastic Logic on Thursday showed the final version of its Que e-reader, though the price tag is not as slim as the device.

The device, as expected, is a full-screen e-reader with a touchscreen and interface designed to move quickly through a document or book. What's new is its sleeker frame, which is noticeably free of buttons. Instead, the device operates entirely by touch interface, using gestures such as swipes to move from one page to another.

Plastic Logic will sell a 4GB model with Wi-Fi and an 11.6-inch display for $649, while a version with double … Read more

Plastic Logic still vague, plans for color e-reader

Plastic Logic, the maker of the much anticipated, vaguely understood Que e-reader, will finally announce availability, pricing, and design at CES 2010.

Although its business division is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., Plastic Logic's technologies were born in Cambridge, England. The research team spent 10 years finding ways to use plastic transistors for the e-reader screen instead of silicon.

Professors at the Cavendish Labs in Cambridge eventually came up with a flexible e-reader, one that can't shatter, unlike the Kindle's and Nook's glass screens.

Manufacturing is commissioned to a company in Dresden, Germany, and for all … Read more

BOL 1093: E-book Mania

MySpace and Facebook are hooking up? In a way. Maybe. But the real meat of the news today is all the e-book hype. Barnes and Noble will sell the Que, Bridgestone has a color one coming out, and Barnes and Noble may not always have its own Nook eReader. But does anyone want them?

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MySpace and Facebook? http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10383501-36.html

Google Voice makes steps to work with your phone number http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-10383573-248.html

Microsoft pulls out … Read more