Kindle App For Android Coming? no comments
Engadget has posted some leaked internal Dell flyers showing the Android-based Dell Mini 5 and listing some of its features:
- Kindle “book reader” applications
- Amazon MP3
- Amazon Video Streams
- Amazon Store
This could mean that Kindle for Android is coming soon. Amazon has not announced anything, but with the number of Android-based devices coming to market it seems obvious that Amazon will want to make an Android reading app to go along with Kindle for PC, Kindle for Blackberry and the soon to come Kindle for Mac.
There is a Kindle blurb on the Dell flyer that claims over 300,000 books available in the Kindle store. That would have been correct about 4-5 months ago if memory serves; now there are over 420,000 books. So I’m guessing that the leaked docs are probably from about that time?
(Via jkOnTheRun)
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Read an E-Book Week 1 comment
This is Read an E-Book Week and there are a number of sales and free books to help you celebrate. Smashwords has a special section for the event and you can also visit the Official Read an E-Book Week page for a listing of other participating ebook stores and authors offering specials.
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Samsung eReader to Connect with Barnes & Noble eBookstore no comments
In a press release today Samsung announced the “ imminent availability” of its first ereader for the US market. Samsung has partnered with Barnes & Noble which will provide the ebook storefront.
This would be Samsung’s E6 ereader. Some of the features include a 6-inch 
e-ink screen with a Wacom digitizer with note taking and annotating abilities. Productivity tools include a voice recorder as well as a journal and a calendar that can sync with Outlook.
Connectivity includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. EmoLink technology allows users of Samsung ereaders to share content. The E6 is also compatible with B&N’s LendMe feature, so sharing should work between this ereader and devices using B&N’s eReader software as well as the nook ereader.
The E6 ereader comes with 2GB of internal memory and has a Micro SD card slot.
One feature that will not be much of a crowd pleaser is the previously announced price tag of $399, although it is always possible that the price will be lower once the E6 hits the streets. I saw Samsung’s ereaders at CES and there was not much that would make me want to jump up and run out to buy one at $399. Update: The price on the E6 has reportedly dropped to $299.
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New York Times to Offer Stand-Alone Book Review Section for eReaders no comments
The New York Times currently will cost you $13.99 per month to subscribe on your Kindle, Sony or Barnes & Noble compatible ereader. The NYT apparently plans to break out its Book Review section and make it available as a separate product at an undisclosed price.
PoynterOnline reports that Times director of marketing James Dunn referred to the plan during an interview at the Digital Publishing Alliance. The Sony Reader Store will get the Book Section first in a few weeks, followed by the Kindle store and Barnes & Noble.
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Kindle to Get a New Browser? no comments
The Web browsing experience on the few e-ink based ereaders that have that ability is generally slow and clunky. It works if you do not have a more capable device on hand, but there is definitely much room for improvement.
Fast Company has noticed a job opening at Lab126, which is Amazon’s Kindle design department, for an engineer to be part of a team charged with being “responsible to provide an innovative Embedded Web Browser” and to “design and implement new features on the Browser.” Said engineer must have a "familiarity with current Web standards" and “a proven ability to deliver high quality work on tight schedules.”
Obviously Amazon is being pressured by the myriad new devices coming to market soon, and by the iPad in particular. New ereaders such as Spring Design’s Alex will also provide a much better Web browsing experience than the Kindle currently does.
Internet browsing on the Kindle ereader is free. If Amazon were to make the browsing experience on the next Kindle comparable to that of a tablet or other MID would users have to start paying for the connection? A better browser would mean more use and therefore more bandwidth used.
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DIY Pixel Qi Kits no comments
On her Pixel Qi blog Mary Lou Jepsen writes that do-it-yourself Pixel Qi kits will be available around the end of the second quarter of this year. If you are so inclined you could use one of these kits to mod your laptop or netbook and give it a reflective screen better suited for ereading. This should also give you a screen viewable in sunlight. No pricing is given as of yet.
It’s only slightly more difficult than changing a lightbuld: it’s basically 6 screws, pulling off a bezel, unconnecting the old screen and plugging this one in. That’s it. It’s a 5 minute operation.
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Ereader Sales & Free eBooks 3/7/2010 no comments
Read an eBook Week starts today. The Huffington Post has an article about and a brief interview with Rita Toews, who is the person behind Read an eBook Week.
Read an Ebook Week brings together ebook retailers, publishers, authors, device-makers and untold thousands of readers who join in this international literary event of ebook discovery, and yes, gluttony.
For the one week only, publishers and authors offer thousands of original ebooks for free and at deep discounts to encourage book lovers around the globe to give ebooks a try.
Hmmm… yes indeed. We can see how publishers everywhere are trying to encourage us all to switch to ebooks.
Newegg.com has the Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro on sale for $209.99 plus $1.99 shipping. This ereader is available in multiple colors.
Free eBooks
For the Kindle ereader at Amazon:
The Someday List (Jubilant Soul Series #1) by Stacy Hawkins Adams (4 1/2 stars/20 reviews) Contemporary fiction.
Moonstone by Marilee Brothers (4 stars/16) Young adult fantasy.
Sushi for One? by Camy Tang (4 1/2 stars/53 reviews) Christian fiction.
In ePub format at Kobo:
Fear of Fighting by Stacey May Fowles (No rating) Contemporary fiction.
The Art of Clubbing by Mike Banton (5 stars/6 ratings)
Popular Science Magazine Archive
Popular Science Magazine, in a partnership with Google, has scanned its
complete 137-year archive and made it available online for free. At the moment you cannot browse by issue, but once you enter the archive via keyword search you are able to browse at will. At the moment mobile support is limited to the iPhone.
For more free ebooks see my Free and Cheap Kindle Books page.
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Asus DR-900 Ereader; KeyReader no comments
Here are a couple more new ereaders that have been announced recently.
Asus DR-900
The Asus DR-900 ereader has been on display at CeBit 2010 this week in Germany. This one has a 9-inch touchscreen SiPix display and comes with Wi-Fi and optional 3G. Battery life is said to be 10,000 page turns. Text-to-Speech is planned, though its availability will depend on the publishers allowing its use. The DR-900 will come with 2GB to 4GB internal storage and an SD card. So far details on availability are somewhat sketchy.
Charbax has a video of the DR-900 from CeBit.
KeyReader
The KeyReader is being marketed by iCell, which is a wireless network provider
in Singapore. This appears to be a rebranded Onyx Boox (like the Bebook Neo), and has the same features. One nice twist is that the KeyReader will be able to access over 900,000 free ebooks from the National Library Board. The price is said to be between $399 – $499 (Singapore dollars).
(Via Straits Times)
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Amazon Makes it Easier to Find Free Content no comments
I noticed this morning that Amazon had put their free music downloads all in one easy to browse place, apparently they are doing the same with other free digital content.
Free public domain ebooks
There is a page of free video on demand. Mostly these are television episodes and extra content from a few movies. Not a lot here at the moment.
Free music downloads. Currently this page has about 1600 tracks that are free.
This definitely makes it easier for shoppers to find the free stuff and is a welcome addition to the Amazon shopping experience.
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Free Music at Amazon no comments
Amazon usually has a few free tracks they announce every Tuesday. Well, I don’t know what the occasion is but today there is really a lot of free music
