This week we got a better look at the Alex, which, depending on the final price point, could provide some decent competition for the Kindle and Nook come Black Friday the holiday selling season. We also saw more of the Entourage. I know I sniped at it last week, but the functionality of an Android netbook hybrid could make for an interesting device. All in one devices are certain to gain in popularity, but will the OLPC really happen?
It’s not really an ereader device at all, but the tech in the new Intel Reader is neat-o and something that could have cool applications for etext down the road, as well for its intended healthcare market. And, in the tradition of stupid names for ereaders: presenting the PocketBook(s). Finally, I’m not sure what I think about the Sungale Cyberus.
This review is going to be a little different, as I read this book using the Enhanced Editions iPhone appbook version of the book. The first half will review the book, and the second will be an installment of iPhone Readers.
Nick Cave’s musical background is immediately evident when you begin reading this book. I haven’t read his debut And the Ass Saw the Angel, but I’ve since heard the writing is similar. Cave utilizes strong rhythms and cadences to his syntax. And while he doesn’t turn the crispest phrases, there is a hypnotic and musical feel to his writing, even if it is a bit manic and cacophonous at times. … Continue reading »
So after taking last Wednesday off for haiku, we’re back with two weeks’ worth of scuttlebutt:
Creative (maker of the iPod’s poor, homely, and ignored cousin) threw their hat into the ring with the Zii Mediabook. I’d like to go on the record as saying this is an even dumber name than Nook or Alex. Speaking of, the makers of the Alex have sued Barnes & Noble over the Nook’s dual screen design. Also with dual screens, I can’t decide if the Entourage Edge looks cool or crappy, but I’m leaning toward crappy.
The inexpensive Jetbook Lite is available now (thanks to reader Ben for the heads up). And on the horizon, ASUS wants in the ereader game after all their netbook success. And so does Bridgestone, after all their tire success? It’s bendy, which is cool. Apparently there are some snazzy new E-Ink processor chips in the pipeline, so hopefully we’ll seem even more creative new tech soon. Lots of ereader hype this selling season, might we finally be at the verge of the Great eReader Adoption?
Outside of ebooks, a new Beatles b-side has been discovered, as has the creepiest thing I’ve seen–except for maybe Wii Baby and Me–in a long while: a ventriloquist choir singing “Yesterday.”
and finally, I’m mesmerized by this Carl Sagan auto-tune video:
Wednesday again. As usual, let’s start off with ereaders and go from there.
The Barnes & Noble ereader (maybe named Athena or Nook) is looking pretty snazzy. It’s rumored to be priced competitively at $259; it’s got dual screens and runs on Android. Not to be outdone, so does the mysterious Spring Design’s Alex. Plastic Logic also released some details on their upcoming device, the QUE, which looks pretty sleek and will be available in just a few months.
Google has decided to launch an ebook store called Google Editions., which got the Frankfurt Book Fair atwitter. Walmart wants in too, so they will begin selling ebooks on Walmart.com. For the most part I find Walmart to be just about the most evil corporation on the planet, but it will be interesting to see what effect this has on ebook prices, beyond the current scuffle with Amazon–and what formats they make available.
German parliament bought a buttload of ereaders for some reason. And, might we see ebooks in bookstores soon? Aussies will. Corey Doctorow put an interesting piece for Publisher’s Weekly about ebooks and why he thinks they can be free. Read this interesting response to a savage review of Jonathan Lethem’s new book. Find a great “captain” Ahab or Poe tee shirt over at Novel-T.
For fun this week: Ugliest Tattoos is funny stuff. Until 10/25 you can get the awesome World of Goo (Mac/PC/Linux) legally and name your own price. This Brit video is pretty funny/clever.
And, finally, if you are the Russian spammers overloading our comments, please stop. It’s really annoying. (We’ve been scrambling to get the spam cleaned up, so we apologize to any commenters if your post gets deleted by mistake. Feel free to email us if this happens to you and we’ll get your post reactivated.)
There have been a bunch of images and rumors floating around over the weekend about the soon-to-be released Barnes & Noble ereader device, and they’re some pretty slick images and rumors.
If all is to be believed, the machine–maybe named the Athena–is designed by former Apple designers (who also worked on the original Kindle?) and will feature two screens on a single plane. The main screen is black and white, utilizing E-Ink, and the second, smaller, navigation/data entry screen features full color multitouch LCD.
Pretty awesome and innovative. Such a combination could possibly obviate a lot of the discussions on the disparities between the various ereaders’ screens in the current generation. The machine supposedly runs on Google’s Android OS, meaning it could stand well above the rest in the firmware department as well.
Barnes & Noble has been selling ebooks at competitive prices in eReader format for some months now. They are clearly aiming to take a big bite out of the Kindle’s (not entirely deserved) pie. No word yet on whether they will take a similar propritary format approach as their competetion, but it would definitely be interesting if the device remians open to other formats (particulary if it can handle library books).
There will be a press conference on Tuesday–most likely a full, official reveal with specs. We’ll know more then. Check back later in the week for the skinny.
Disney’s got an ebook service up and running, so you can read all the Pooh Bear and Hanna Montana ebooks you want for $90 a year. Penguin and Eggmont have signed a deal with EA to bring children’s books to Nintendo’s DS handheld. Wynken de Worde has a nice piece up about the building wave of ebooks. This book’s cover art is hilarious, as is the existence of this toy.
After a week off, let’s get right to business. First: ereaders. Best Buy and Verizon are teaming up on one of the competitively priced iRex models. Read more here. The Hexaglot supposedly will have handwriting recognition, which would be awesome, if a little unnecessary, if it worked. Despite appearances, the Biblio is not primarily a phone, and the Cybook Opus finally ships. How much will you bet the AUO will be a POS with broken firmware and cheap plastic?
Two of my favorite authors in a blender! Check out Nabokov’s notes on Kafka’s work. Also Kafka-related from Boing Boing, reading his work improves learning? UPDATE: Hilary Mantel has been named the winner of the 2009 Man Booker Prize.
Sorry for the lapse last week. Got a little catch-up to do this week now.
A bunch of ereader announcements in the news lately. Asus announced an upcoming clamshelling tablet PC type thing (though they’re calling it a full color ereader, it clearly won’t utilize E-Ink if they plan to hit their $164 goal). “Kindle-killer” is once again being bandied about by a mysterious device, this time it’s the iriver. Slate offered up a few suggestions for Kindle-killing of their own. Apple won’t be tossing their hat in the ring anytime soon, but Time Inc. might be. From a little while back, ad firm Dentsu released a cool magazine app for the iPhone called magastore. Hopefully something similar gets popularized stateside, we know Hearst is keen.
So after hearing all the hype, I bit the bullet and payed $9.99 to download Eucalyptus. And after reading through a book on it, I have to admit it’s worth the relatively steep price. If only you could import books, rather than be limited to Project Gutenberg’s (admittedly vast) library, it’d be the best reader app available for the iPhone.
The presentation is top notch. Texts are far more readable in Eucalyptus than in the other reader apps I’ve tried. On top of this everything is well organized, intuitive and easy to navigate. They’ve included plenty of animations and graphical touches that give the package a decidedly professional flair. This does wonders negating the fears of buyer’s remorse I had when I first agreed to spend $10. … Continue reading »
Iceberg Reader isn’t a standalone reader app, such as Stanza or eReader, but rather a licensed architecture, such as TouchBooks, that provides the framework for single book downloads from the app store. I’m the type that likes to manage my own library, so this isn’t quite in my wheelhouse, but for those who want to download a book, read it, and be done with it (and reclaim the homescreen space and memory it occupies) appbooks with Iceberg may be the best option for you. … Continue reading »
Author: Nick Cave
So after hearing all the hype, I bit the bullet and payed $9.99 to download Eucalyptus. And after reading through a book on it, I have to admit it’s worth the relatively steep price. If only you could import books, rather than be limited to Project Gutenberg’s (admittedly vast) library, it’d be the best reader app available for the iPhone.
Iceberg Reader isn’t a standalone reader app, such as 
