Posts Tagged ‘ebook reader’
E-reader privacy policies compared: Big Kindle is watching you
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 27th, 2009
[Thanks, Tom]
E-reader privacy policies compared: Big Kindle is watching you originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
EFF | Email this | Comments Nook fails to communicate, download purchased ebooks
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 26th, 2009
[Thanks to all who sent this in]
Nook fails to communicate, download purchased ebooks originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 08:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |B&N book clubs | Email this | Comments Aluratek Libre Budget Ebook Review [Review]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 25th, 2009
Ereaders are still at the point where the price is slightly too high and the functionality is slightly too low to purchase on a whim. Aluratek’s LCD-based reader, however, offers a damn low price but sacrifices functionality in return.
The Price:
$180
The Verdict:
Relatively cheap, compared to the major ereader brands, but it’s probably the worst ebook reader we’ve tested.
Instead of going for an e-ink screen like the Kindle or the Nook, Aluratek went with a monochrome LCD screen. This is fine, in theory, because it keeps costs low and actually improves refresh rates, it also sacrifices battery life. For example, I could only make it through 80% of the 7th Harry Potter book before it demanded to be charged. You’re looking at a day or two’s worth of reading at best, and by that I mean reading on and off and not for 24 hours straight.
Performance is pretty horrible as well. Aluratek seems to have only put in a processor strong enough to turn the pages at a decent speed, because startup times, navigation and book loading times were atrociously bad. Granted, this won’t be an issue when you’re actually reading books, which is most of the time.
The worst thing about the reader is probably the button placement. There are three ways you can turn a page: using the page turn buttons on the bottom left, the arrow keys on the bottom right or the page toggle on the left edge of the screen. They’re all pretty clumsy. The bottom left and bottom right methods are too far down the reader for you to hold your hand in that position while you’re reading, so you’ll have to move it down every time you want to advance. As for the left hand slider toggle, those traction edges that they placed in there to make it easier to grip and scroll is actually too rough for my delicate hands, so I avoided using it when possible. Basically, they’ve got an ebook reader that’s difficult to turn the pages with.
Even if you go beyond the lousy controls, the sub-par performance and the LCD screen that’s not all that readable, you’ve still got yourself a fairly cheap ereader, and it’s somewhat compact as well. If you’re someone who actually doesn’t mind reading books on their computers, this is one—albeit tiny—step higher. [Aluratek]
Screen refreshes faster than e-ink readers
It’s cheap (relatively)
Slow
Awkward button placement
Lousy battery life
Hands-on with the Entourage Edge [Entourage]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News, Technology on December 16th, 2009
With all the buzz over the tiny LCD screen on the bottom of the Nook, I was excited to get some time with the Entourage Edge, a device that pairs a large E Ink screen with a 10-inch LCD touchscreen.
I got that chance on Monday, when the company stopped by CNET with a prototype of the product, which is set to ship in February for $490.
The goal of the Edge, the company says, is to offer a device that can replace the textbooks and notebooks carried around by typical high school students.
“We just thought here was a way to take technology and apply it to what they carry around,” said Entourage Systems Vice President Doug Atkinson. “The initial goal was to put a 30-pound backpack in a device. I think we’ve achieved that.”
There are a lot of features to like about the three-pound device, although, it definitely has the look and feel of a first-generation product.
The Edge’s main selling point is, of course, the fact that it has two screens to do true work on. Unlike the Nook, which uses its color screen only for navigating the eBook and as an on-screen keyboard, the Edge’s LCD can be used to run a variety of Android applications or to browse the Web.
The electronic ink side, meanwhile, can be used not only for reading books, but also for taking notes, using a stylus.
One of the Edge’s many neat tricks is letting you go back and forth between the two screens. In particular, one can draw a line over a diagram in an electronic-book and—assuming the graphics are actually stored in color—see the same image in full color on the LCD screen.
The Edge also lets users highlight or annotate text and then navigate between highlights by touching on the color screen, using automatically created bookmarks. The device works with both EPUB and PDF files and has USB ports and SD cards for moving data back and forth, as well as a built-in Wi-Fi connection. It’s also one of the first devices to sport a new chip from Marvell.
In addition to its book display abilities, the Edge also has two microphones for recording a lecture and blocking out background sounds with noise-cancellation (It doesn’t have is the ability to synchronize one’s class notes with the audio, a la Livescribe, but Atkinson said that is something that might be considered for future versions).
For all its cool features, there were a considerable amount of bugs yet to be worked out on the units I saw. Entourage still has a couple months to iron out the kinks, though.
Also, at three pounds and almost $500, the Edge is floating up into Netbook territory on both price and bulk. That, for me, raises my expectations on what the device should be able to do on the browsing and productivity front. I like the idea of a dual-screen e-book, but at that weight and price, it would have to really replace a laptop to earn its way into my already-packed carry-on.
Nonetheless, I look forward to checking out a production unit to see how much progress the company has made.
This story originally appeared on CNET
Aluratek’s $179 LCD-Based Libre eBook Reader Goes Cheap [Ebooks]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on December 9th, 2009
The Libre eBook Reader PRO has a 2GB SD card with a monochrome reflective light LCD instead of an e-Ink display, which puts into a different bucket than the other eBook readers shipping recently. Plus, it's only $179.
The reader has 24 hours of continuous use (not too shabby for an LCD, even if it is monochrome), and supports MP3 and photos. It's 5 inches big, reads ePub and PDF as well as TXT, Mobi, PRC and RTF formats. Those of you who like downloading books from "non-official" sources know that they usually come in one of those formats. But the Libre comes with 100 "free" books, which are most likely public domain books you could get for free.
We'll see how it stacks up to e-ink type readers when we test it, but on paper, this seems like a pretty decent (cheap) alternative. Especially because it promises a faster page-turn refresh rate than e-ink. It comes in black and white. [Aluratek]
Aluratek, Inc., a leading creator of sophisticated yet user-friendly computer peripherals and consumer electronic devices, announces Libre – the new eBook Reader with exclusive LCD technology. Libre provides the most affordable product in the category, featuring superior battery life with up to 24 hours of continuous use, auto-off and page advance features, MP3 and photo support.
Utilizing the latest monochrome reflective light LCD display technology, the Libre eBook Reader PRO provides a crisp black and white 5-inch screen with the same appearance and readability of printed paper. There is no backlighting, so reading on the Libre is as soft on the eyes as reading a book, while also preserving battery power.
The Libre supports Adobe's Digital Edition software allowing Digital Rights Management (DRM) support for ePUB and PDF formats. This allows users to purchase new book releases from a variety of eBook content providers including eBooks.com, one of Aluratek's content partners.
With an MSRP of $179, the Libre is a cost-effective solution for anyone looking to experience the next generation of digital technology related to books. The Libre connects to any Mac or PC with an Internet connection for easy access to the newest book releases as well as timeless classics. It also comes loaded with 100 free eBooks on the included 2GB SD card.
"Unlike e-Ink displays which require multiple flashes for each page advance, I believe the reflective LCD technology the Libre offers will be a welcome change compared to other eBooks currently on the market" said John Wolikow, VP Sales and Marketing for Aluratek. "The ability to store thousands of your favorite books in the Libre is not only convenient but it's also good for the environment by saving trees."
Libre comes with a 2GB SD card, and supports SD and SDHC cards up to 32GB. The audio player feature lets users also listen to their favorite MP3s, and the picture viewer supports BMP, JPG, GIF and animated GIF. Versatile for any user, Libre offers five font size options and also supports Adobe DRM, ePUB, PDF, FB2, TXT, Mobi, PRC and RTF formats.
Other key features of the Libre include: table of contents, bookmark list and page, content search, jump to page, zoom, auto page turn, background music, multiple language formats, auto power off and a help menu.
The Libre eBook Reader PRO is available in either black or white with an MSRP of $179. For more information about the Libre eBook Reader PRO, or any of Aluratek's other innovative products, please visit www.aluratek.com.
Aluratek Libre eBook Reader PRO sports monochrome reflective LCD, $179 pricetag
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on December 9th, 2009
Aluratek Libre eBook Reader PRO sports monochrome reflective LCD, $179 pricetag originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |Business Wire | Email this | Comments First Nooks begin shipping as demo (and retail?) units hit stores
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on December 8th, 2009
[Thanks, Kris]
First Nooks begin shipping as demo (and retail?) units hit stores originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |Barnes & Noble, Barnes & Noble (Nook locator) | Email this | Comments Caption contest: Ellen DeGeneres and her ʞoou giveaway
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on December 4th, 2009
Ross: ".ɹıɐɥɔ ǝɥʇ uı ʞɔɐq puɐ dn ǝɯ d1ǝɥ ǝsɐǝ1d 'ʞoou sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı"
Chris: "Everyone gets a (deafening applause, people fainting)."
Joanna: "Oh cute, Ellen pulling a Michael Jackson. Where is the closest balcony?"
Vlad: "And with your purchase of the androgynous android, you get an added value ebook reader -- absolutely free!"
Don: "The good news? B&N has settled its dispute with Spring Design. The bad news? You have to hold it this way."
Richard Lawler: "Read this way, Twilight has an entirely different double meaning."
Paul: "I'm holding it upside down because it's a non-working dummy unit and it doesn't matter."
Nilay: "God I wish this was a car."
Richard Lai: "Look!! It's got the same smile as me! It's just like a magical mirror."
Continue reading Caption contest: Ellen DeGeneres and her ʞoou giveaway
Caption contest: Ellen DeGeneres and her ʞoou giveaway originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsiRiver Story Reviewed: Nice, But No Kindle…or Reader [IRiver]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on December 2nd, 2009
PC Pro reviewed the iRiver Story. And to no one's surprise, it's not a bad eBook/PDF reader, but it's too expensive compared to more established competitors.
While PC Pro praises the use of ePub format (it's not tied so closely to one store like the Kindle), they put its build and display quality below the Kindle. They say it's a lot like the Sony Reader PRS-505...but far more expensive for no justifiable reason. (The Story costs the equivalent of $380.) [PC Pro via Engadget]
iriver Story reviewed, incites rebellion over price
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on December 2nd, 2009
iriver Story reviewed, incites rebellion over price originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |PC Pro | Email this | Comments 
