Archive for the ‘Kindle International’ Category
Lots of Press Releases Today, Timed to Steal Thunder from Amazon’s Launch of Kindle International no comments
Today there were several press releases, some of which did not contain a lot of new information and seemed timed more to distract from Amazon’s launch of the International version of the Kindle rather than to provide us with much new material.
Plastic Logic announced that its upcoming ereader will be named the Que and will debut at the CES this coming January 7th in Las Vegas. They released more photos, but nothing really new: only side views, no views of the actual display. In fact we see more of the hand model in the photo than we do of the Que.
The Que will have a screen size of 8.5 x 11 inches and will be mainly aimed at business users. It will have an e-ink based touchscreen that will be shatterproof. Supported formats include PDF, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. AT&T will provide 3G connectivity, and Barnes and Noble will provide books for Plastic Logic’s upcoming ereader. Wi-Fi is also indicated.
Irex also put out another press release about their upcoming DR800SG, which was supposed to become available at Best Buy Stores later this month. The press release now says “later this fall”, so not sure if it will still be this month or not.
The DR800SG will also have a larger 8” screen and will be priced at $399. AT&T will also provide the 3G connection for this ereader, and Barnes and Noble is providing the ebookstore.
A new ereader from Spring Design named Alex was also introduced today. 
This ebook reader also sports a smaller LCD screen below the e-ink display similar to that shown in leaked photos of Barnes and Noble’s Athena which is expected to be unveiled at B & N’s press conference tomorrow. There is some speculation in fact that this is B & N’s new ereader, although the pictures look different.
Spring Design’s new ereader will feature a 6” e-ink screen and a 3.5” color LCD display. Not exactly pocket-sized. There is an SD card slot for added storage. Spring Design says that the Alex will release to “selected strategic partners” by the end of this year.
The Alex is based on Google’s Android and will have full browser capabilities, so this ereader should work well with Google Editions. It is more of a multimedia device though than current ereaders like the Kindle or Sony. I can imagine it being very easy to get distracted from reading with this device.
“This is the start of a whole new experience of reading content on e-books, potentially igniting a whole new industry in multimedia e-book publishing for secondary authors to create supplementary content that is hyper linked to the text. We are bringing life to books with audio, video, and annotations,” said Dr. Priscilla Lu, CEO of Spring Design. “This gives readers the ability to fully leverage the resources on the Web, and the tools available in search engines to augment the reading experience.”
Meanwhile, back at the launching of the Amazon Kindle with US and International Wireless, it seems like more of a tempest in a teapot with little enough thunder to go around. Looking at Amazon’s websites outside of the US it would be hard to know that something “groundbreaking” was taking place. The Kindle is not displayed on Amazon UK’s homepage, nor can it be found on the electronics or books category main pages. It was also MIA at other Amazon international sites I looked at until I finally found it in Japan. I guess if you are big in Japan……
It is increasingly looking as though the launch of Kindle International is aimed primarily at Americans travelling abroad. It also seems as though the international release was a rushed job because of the competition from all of the recently announced new ereaders which will be coming to market soon.
Possibly Related Posts:
Kindle Covers and Skins; A Short Guide for the Well-Dressed eBook Reader no comments
Note: This article is about Kindle 2 covers. If you are looking for Kindle 3 covers and skins please see my more recent posts.
* *
If your ereader is mainly read in your favorite easy chair or in bed and spends the rest of its time relaxing on a side table or tucked away safely in a drawer, then it is perfectly acceptable for your Kindle ebook reader to lounge around the house au naturel.
If however, your faithful ereader tags along on your jaunts around town, or accompanies you on your daily migrations to that house of pain where they keep you locked away every 9 to 5 — then, ladies and gentlemen, you need to cover that thing up!
Let’s face it: Having to explain to yourself or your significant other why you need to pay $180 to replace a broken Kindle screen because you were too cheap to spend $30 for a cover just will not do. And while I’m not like Monk, not exactly; trying to figure out how that new scratch on my Kindle’s housing came about is good for at least 5 minutes of distraction every time I try to read something on it.
Okay, so you agree with me that it’s about time that you get some clothes for your Kindle before you let it out of the house, but what are the best dressed Kindles wearing about town these days?
Kindle Covers
For Kindle owners probably the most obvious and first encountered cover will be the “official” Amazon Kindle Leather Cover
Probably the best alternatives for most Kindles and their readers are the M-Edge Kindle covers
If you are taking your Kindle for a day at the beach or will be spending time together poolside, you might want to consider the TrendyDigital WaterGuard Waterproof Case for Kindle
If your Kindle is more adventurous and likes to style in something a bit more unique, then there are at least a couple of boutique shops to visit:
Handmade, beautiful design, high quality, 
very reasonable price: Sold Out. That pretty much sums it up. All of StrangeDog’s Kindle covers are handmade by StrangeDog himself. If your Kindle wants one of these beauties you will need to put your name on the waiting list and you will be emailed when a batch of Kindle covers in your favorite design is ready. StrangeDog may also do custom orders if you ask him nicely.
Borsa Bella makes fabric carrying bags for Kindle 1, Kindle 2 and Kindle DX ereaders. These are
nice looking machine washable designer bags and of high quality. To protect your ereader’s screen you should use together with a quality Kindle cover. Borsa Bella will take custom orders but charges an additional 10 % for this service.
Kindle Skins
Kindle skins are form fitting and sexy; like leotards for your Kindle. They protect the housing of your ereader from scratches, but will not protect the
screen. This is a great way to personalize your Kindle and make it feel unique and special. Many chic Kindle ereaders wear a skin under their cover in a color and pattern carefully chosen to complement said cover. Decal Girl has hundreds of high quality vinyl skins for Kindle 1, Kindle2 and the Kindle DX, and many other devices as well. Decal Girl’s skins are designed to be removable should your Kindle wish to re-accessorize. Decal Girl is kind of like Victoria’s Secret for the Kindle family.
Possibly Related Posts:
Kindle International Country Details no comments
I’ve reformatted the country specific details for the International Kindle
There is also some more news regarding the Kindle International ereader.
The Globe and Mail is reporting that Amazon is currently in negotiations with Canadian telecoms and it sounds as though there is a good chance that the Kindle ereader will be available in Canada in time for the holidays.
There may also be a Kiwi version of the Kindle International pretty soon as well. New Zealand PCWorld is reporting that Amazon is in “deep discussions” with Vodafone to bring the Kindle to New Zealand.
Possibly Related Posts:
A Few More Notes on Kindle International 2 comments
Just a few more quick notes on Amazon’s new Kindle International. First of all, if you want to find details of the Kindle International’s release in a particular country there is a drop down country list on the Kindle International
page. While over 100 countries will have Kindles with 3G wireless joy, there are some notable exceptions. Just doing a quick scan I found that Amazon still will not ship Kindles to Canada or Thailand or Israel among other countries. New Zealand is also left out so far, although the Kindle International is available in Australia (but doesn’t come with a power adapter). Some other countries will get Kindles but no wireless connection.
While the US Kindle store now has 350,000 titles, the Kindle stores in some other countries have less than 200,000. This is still much better than Sony’s ebook store.
There is an interesting article about the Kindle International on Wired.com. It includes portions of a telephone interview with Jeff Bezos. Some interesting points:
- The International Kindle will use AT&T instead of Sprint, which the Kindle 2 uses.
- The Lonely Planet series will be added to the Kindle store
- Customers who purchased Kindle 2 within the last 30 days may exchange it for Kindle International
- Mr. Bezos also revealed that of books currently available at Amazon in both paper and Kindle formats, 48% of sales are in Kindle version
Possibly Related Posts:
Kindle 2 Price Reduction and Amazon Launches Overseas no comments
The Kindle 2 is now selling for $259 in the US. A new Kindle with global wireless will be released on October 19th. The international model will sell for $279, and will provide 3G coverage in over 100 countries.
A statement on Amazon’s site states “With this new Kindle, you can get your books, newspapers, and magazines delivered wirelessly while at home or abroad in over 100 countries. Whether you’re in Paris, Mumbai, or Sao Paulo, you can think of a book and be reading it in less than 60 seconds.
Actually, it appears that the “2″ has been dropped; now there is a Kindle with US wireless coverage
