Sep 10

Watch out iPad, Kindle is here to stay.

Here’s a Bloomberg BusinessWeek post that goes into some detail to show that the reports of Kindle’s death by iPad were greatly exaggerated.

It seems that the nay-saying tech-pundits were wrong. The marketplace can bear a dedicated eBook reading machine and a multi-function device for eBooks, movies, music and web surfing.

I just don’t understand why people start banging the drum for an either/or doomsday scenario. They keep trying to find the next betamax/videotape showdown, but it remains out of reach.

Sep 09

Kobo Reader Desktop Application Now Available!

A post at TFTS announces the long-awaited release of the Kobo Reader App for desktop (PC or Mac). This is the perfect fit for the affordable $150 ($129 at Borders), USB-tethered E Ink Kobo eReader. The App will jump the USB gap and make the Kobo eBook Store shopping experience easier and more practical for a first-version device without wireless connectivity. Read the specifics on the free App here. It’s a no-brainer, and about time.

Get your FREE Kobo Desktop Application here.

Sep 08

William Gibson and the future of the book…

Thanks to our friend Jorgen for this Wall Street Journal – Speakeasy snippet from an interview with Cyberpunk-founding-father William Gibson (author of Neuromancer) in which he gives his take on the eBook and the future of traditional paper book publishing.

I think we’re all on the same page.

Sep 07

iPad Competition Continues to Grow

In keeping with yesterday’s post that drew attention to the competition between E Ink eBook Readers, here’s a link to a CNN story called “iPad competitors are lining up.”

It goes on to list specifics for five contenders anxious to sink their teeth into the tablet market.

The rumored “Blackpad” from Research In Motion certainly sounds intriguing.

Sep 06

Helium compares the top eBook Readers

Helium has a great holiday weekend offering.  They compare Kindle, the Nook, the Sony eBook Reader and the iPad at the link.

Well worth a visit.

Sep 05

Galaxy Tab from Samsung Joins Growing iPad Crowd

CNN Tech posted about the IFA electronics show debut of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. The machine runs on Android and looks poised to give the Apple iPad a run for the money.

W.P. Wong of Samsung Mobile, unsurprising said there was no area that the Galaxy Tab was weaker than the market leader iPad.

Get the whole story, video and tons of specifics at the link.

Sep 04

Kindle 3 is not just a bowl of Cherries…

A special thanks to Jorgen for this link to a post at FutureBook.com where writer Sam Missingham gives us a smart look at the Kindle 3 with the usual hardware asides but with a shift in focus to the Kindle’s more interactive and less virtual qualities.

…and always it comes down to price, yah?

Sep 04

Another Tablet to Challenge iPad!

eWeek.com has a post about Toshiba Europe introducing a multimedia tablet, the Folio 100. This new kid to the iPad block has a 10.1-inch touch screen, runs on Android 2.2 and sells for $500.

It’s rumored to be available in the fourth quarter of 2010 so keep your eyes peeled for it.

Sep 02

Groundbreaking Technology Around the Corner!

Are you ready for your multi-sensory experience?

Thank Jorgen for a link to an Alive! eBook Networks press release at Newswire that you can consider your first word on it.

Alive! eBook Networks announced a ‘groundbreaking’ new format that “transforms reading into a stimulating experience unlike any eBook on the market today.”

Big talk, but it surrounds a new Multimedia eBook format that will offer the ‘multi-sensory’ experience with text, video and audio. The technology was developed by Yeh.

The tech doesn’t sound so new to me, but I’ll withhold judgment on it until writers, artists and content creators have had a chance to play. Read the full press release here.

Sep 01

Borders Drops Price of Kobo eReader!

PCMag says Borders is dropping the price of its Kobo eReader from $150 to $129 in response to the ongoing price war in the eBook Revolution.

They’ve also re-priced the smaller $119 Aluratek Libre eBook Reader Pro to $99. Borders said the changes make having a second eReader in the home an affordable option. 

Then it’s all about selling the books, right?