The art-deco color electronic paper display will surely appeal to a broad audience.
According to rumors stemming from Amazon’s design headquarters, the third version of the Kindle will be available as early as August of this year. It will reportedly have a touchscreen, backlight, full color display, and a host of new features and functions.
Purportedly among the “experimental” functions of Kindle 3 is Amazon’s new “Guess What Book I’m Thinking Of,” with which users will be able to find books they can’t remember the title of by giving Kindle “clues” such as “author probably Russian” and “think the grandmother dies.”
Reading will be easier and more pleasurable than ever, as Kindle 3 has 1024 shades of color, and will come with special Kindle contact lenses, which will display the text of books even while the user’s eyes are closed.
In a controversial step to further lock users into Amazon’s Kindle Store, if the user attempts to load a non-Kindle-proprietary book onto the device, it will emit a high frequency whine until the offending book is deleted, at which point the user receives a light fingertip shock.
Luckily for Kindle 2 buyers, a steep “loyalty discount” will be available. If you trade in a Kindle or Kindle 2, the new device will cost you only half as much; if you sign a special contract forfeiting your right to purchase non-Amazon books in paper form as well as digital, the Kindle 3 will be free, and you’ll get 10 free ebooks as well.
Frankly, this is exciting news for all fans of ereading. The next-generation functionality of such a device could revolutionize the way people read books, even while the restrictive content options derevolutionize the books they are allowed to read.
Of most concern to traditionalists, however, is the video playback feature, which will automatically connect to film versions of books through Amazon’s Video on Demand store, and allow users to watch video segments of particularly long or boring passages.
On the horizon, according to the leaked emails, is a social networking feature called Kindle Fireside. The goal of Fireside is to allow users to chat about books while reading them, which Amazon hopes will replace book groups and, eventually, school. The system will also keep advanced data on “anonymous” user statistics, including books read, reading speed, sharing trends, etc.
Lastly, Kindle 3 will be able to remotely scan readers’ brainwaves, in order to harvest rich customer data for Amazon’s website. You’ll soon be able to see not only whether readers liked a certain book, but which parts of their brain they use when they read it (this feature will be disabled when the user reads Jodi Picoult or Nicholas Sparks). This is reportedly also intended to help Amazon fine-tune their marketing and content acquisitions programs.
Sadly, public libraries are still not compatible with Kindle 3. It includes a special GPS chip which, if taken into a used bookstore or library, will make the Kindle 3 explode.
[via AF 4-1]
dude seriously?
dude, check the date of the article …
I feel that keeping people “locked in” to one’s own device is a form of corporate bullying for the consumer. People should be able to buy what ever device they want, and be able to use what ever media they want to use. Freedom is good. Like the Blue Ray / HD DVD formats; how many people bought HD DVD players, who have a useless paperweight. Learn from Sony. Beta VCRs, MiniDisc technology. Gone! If Sony had licensed those out for more widespread manufacturing, they would have lasted much longer, and Sony would have made much more money. Cell Phone Carrier exclusivity; I will not switch to another carrier, just to have a certain phone. The manufacturers of these devices are hurting themselves. How many more could they sell if they were available to all carriers?? Hmmm..
So if Amazon wants to limit themselves, the number of books they sell, and the number of buyers, period, go ahead and make amazon books only for kindle. Other manufacturers of such devices will be sure to do the same for you. Consumers who are skeptical of proprietary devices and / or their longevity will not buy. I WON’T buy such a device until it’s “out there”, like Philips, Matsushita, and Sony invented the CD, and EVERY manufacturer out there is making them!! AND books are available in those formats like CDs are. All record labels, ALL book labels!!!
It is my belief that if EVERYONE followed suit, we as consumers, can have more freedom, enjoy more titles how WE want them, and the manufacturers will have less to worry about. FREEDOM FOR ALL!!!
Addendum:
If we as consumers want companies to know how we feel about their corporate bullying, boycott them!!