Archive for the ‘color ebook readers’ tag
An electrowetting-based ereader in 2013? no comments
We may see a color ereader based on electrowetting display technology next year, according to Johan Feenstra, CEO of Samsung LCD Netherlands R & D Center (SNRC), who spoke at an event in the Netherlands yesterday. According to Feenstra, the display is ready for mass production. Samsung acquired the technology when it bought Liquavista at the beginning of 2011.
Personally, I preferred the appearance of the electrowetting display demos over the Mirasol displays I saw at CES. The colors were somewhat muted and not as vibrant, but the electrowetting displays looked better suited to ereading to me. Of course, a successful ereader is not just a shiny piece of hardware — it must be supported by a plentiful and competitively priced source of ebooks. If the display is used in an ereader that is connected to the Nook Store or in a color Kindle it could be successful in the North American market.
Or could it? Most users who want color seem to be happy with LCD displays which, with their more vibrant colors, are better suited for use with video and photos, gaming and other uses where color is important. Color is less important to long-form readers. I think this might be a tough sell now, at least in the US. If Liquavista could have launched this display in a pre-iPad (not to mention pre-Nook Color and Kindle Fire) world I think it probably would have had a much better chance of success.
(source: ereaders.nl)
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Amazon Android App Store and Tablet Rumors 1 comment
There has been speculation lately that Amazon is preparing to launch an Android app store. This was first reported at TechCrunch, but there have since been a number of reported sightings of developer agreements and confirming statements from app developers.
That Amazon would open its own Android app store makes sense. The Android Market is relatively ungoverned and uncontrolled, which may be fine for early adaptors, but now that Android has gone mainstream the Market perhaps needs curation. Consumers know and trust Amazon, and there are many who would probably prefer to buy their apps there.
Recently there has also been a resurgence of rumors that Amazon was working on an Android tablet. This speculation has in part been based on the job openings listed for Lab 126.
My guess is that yes, Amazon is indeed working on an Android-based tablet, but it is not an LCD-based tablet. I don’t think that it would make any sense at all for Amazon to enter the increasingly crowded Android LCD tablet market. Not only because of the competition, but because it might not bode well for the Kindle for iOS app.
Amazon and Apple are competitors, and do trade shots at each other. The recent Kindle add that disses the iPad (if you have not seen it yet, it is below) is a good example. At the same time, Amazon sells lots of ebooks on the Kindle for iPad and iPhone apps. Amazon even sells the iPad (through 3rd party sellers for now). I imagine that the ability to read ebooks from any of the major ebookstores (except Sony, who says that they are working on device apps, but who really cares?) on the iPad figured into more than a few people’s decision to buy one, and has thus helped to drive iPad sales.
Apple has been known to cut off other companies that come into direct competition with it’s core business. The latest example of this is probably when Apple severed its ties with Surfaceink, an engineering design firm that has been working with Apple for about 10 years, after the company began showing its own prototype tablet design. Apple can also remove apps from companies that compete with its core business.
If Amazon were to release a me-too LCD multifunction tablet, Apple might be forced to consider it direct competition to their iPad and take action — possibly by removing the Kindle app from its own devices. This would be an extreme worst-case scenario, and I seriously doubt that things would escalate that far — it would not be good for Amazon, consumers or for Apple itself. Both companies make money from the other’s products as long as the status quo is maintained.
I think that the tablet Amazon is working on is in fact its first color ereader. A color ereader that will be 
Android-based, but with some form of reflective color display rather than a regular LCD. Perhaps Mirasol, perhaps a color e-ink product from E Ink Holdings, or possibly even a Pixel Qi display, although the latter seems less likely to my mind.
I imagine such a tablet will have multifunctionality, but will be optimized for reading. Such a device would fit more perfectly into Amazon’s business model — it would also fit in nicely with an Amazon Android app store as well as its video download business.
It is not yet the traditional time to be making predictions for next year, but I’ll go ahead and make one: I think it is highly likely that Amazon will release an Android-based multifunctional tablet that is optimized for reading, probably in the first half of next year, and possibly even in the first quarter. Of course, in addition to the right display such a device will also depend on the availability of a flavor of Android that is optimized for tablets.
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Sharp Announces Galapagos eReaders no comments
Back in July Sharp showed prototypes of a couple of new ereaders it said would be releasing later in the year. Today the company officially announced two ereaders designed for the Japanese market that it is calling Galapagos. A new ebookstore is planned for December, 2010 to provide content for the new ereaders.
Two sizes of Galapagos ereaders will be released, both with color LCD displays. The larger model sports a 10.8-inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 800 pixels, while the second ereader will have a 5.5-inch screen with 1024 x 600 pixels. The larger ereader will be capable of displaying magazines formatted with a two-page spread.
The smaller Galapagos ereader will come in either red or silver, while the larger model will only come in black. Both will have Wi-Fi and will have a web browser. The 5.5-incher has a trackball controller for navigation. Pricing and other specs will be announced closer to launch.
Sharp’s new ebookstore will offer periodicals as well as ebooks and will launch with around 30,000 titles. The format used
will be ever-eXtending Mobile Document Format (XMDF), which Sharp developed and which is optimized for use with the Japanese written language. XMDF is also multimedia friendly, allowing easy integration of audio and video content. This format has also been designed to allow the changing of font sizes without disturbing the publisher’s format.
There will be a PC application to go along with the ereaders, and it has been dubbed Galapagos Station. With it users will not only be able to organize their downloaded content, but can use the application to convert their own documents to XMDF.
If you are scratching your head over the name “Galapagos,” Sharp gives the following explanation:
“GALAPAGOS” was chosen as the name for Sharp’s cloud-based media service business, as a symbol of the “evolution” of services and terminal devices that constantly bring fresh, new experiences to the user. The name comes from the famous Galapagos Islands, which were visited by Charles Darwin (1809-1882), a British geologist and biologist. The observations he made while on the islands played a key role in the formulation of his “theory of evolution”.
The video below from Network World suggests that Sharp is negotiating with Verizon and that the Galapagos ereaders may come to the US next year. It also says that Sharp may add ePub support.
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Pixel Qi 7-inch Screen in the Works 1 comment
Writing in the Pixel Qi blog, Mary Lou Jepsen informs us that a 7-inch Pixel Qi screen is in the works:
We are developing a 7” screen for tablets and ereaders that is planned for mass production in H1 2011. Samples will be available earlier, perhaps by late Q4 2010. Contact us to be an early access partner: send email to admin@pixelqi.com
This would make for a great tablet/ereader; one that could be used in the sunshine and one that would offer a reflective color screen that would not cause eyestrain.
The post goes on to blame the delay in Pixel Qi display production on completely booked up production facilities and tight supply chains as well as the disruptive effect of the iPad. The situation seems to be improving, so hopefully we will see a PQ display in an ereader soon.
By one means or another, it looks as though 2011 will be the year of the color ereader.
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Velocity Cruz Reader Unboxing & First Impressions 68 comments
My new Velocity Cruz Reader came Friday night, so I’ve had about a day to work with it before writing this review.
The Cruz Reader looks very similar to the Pandigital Novel, and appears to be based on the same hardware. 
The similarity ends once you power the Cruz up though, as it quickly leaves the Novel in the dust.
In the box with the Cruz Reader comes an AC adaptor, USB cable, a heavy plastic stand, user guide and a rather unsubstantial slipcover. The battery of the Cruz came charged and ready for use — a nice touch.
The Cruz Reader seems a little heavy for its size — about 13 1/2 ounces. Velocity Micro has added a rubberized coating on the back, which feels better in your hands than the smooth metal would otherwise.
First up, get connected. The Cruz Reader did this easily, finding and connecting to my Wi-Fi network quickly. Unfortunately I had to reconnect in a few minutes. So far I’ve only had to reconnect this one time. When waking the Cruz takes a few seconds to reconnect, but it has managed to do so successfully by itself to this point.
On my patio, which is downstairs from my router and outdoors, I was still able to stay connected and download some books from Borders.
Next I headed over to Velocity Micro’s Cruz Market to see what apps they are offering. No, sadly the Cruz Reader does not access the Android Market. There are currently 14 apps available at the Cruz Market. These include shopping apps for Best Buy and Newegg, Wattpad and FBReader reading apps, Facebook and more.
There is an app for the AndAppStore that will give you access to more Android apps, but the selection is still rather sparse.
The Cruz Reader connects to the Borders ebook store (powered by Kobo) for purchasing ebooks. The Wattpad and FBReader ereading apps are also available and good for finding indie books and free titles. 
The Borders reading app, which is a rebranded Kobo app, has options for changing font sizes (there are five) and a night mode. Three different font styles are offered: Serif, sans serif and monospace. Page turning in the Borders app is accomplished by either a swipe or a tap on the edge of the screen, though taps seem to work better.
There is supposed to be an integrated dictionary, but all I have been able to find are trial versions of paid dictionary apps. Update: The “Dr Eye” app on the home screen is the dictionary — thanks to Josh from VM!
Web browsing works quite well. Of course panning and zooming around a web page is always easier with a multi-touch screen, but that would no doubt have made the Cruz Reader more expensive.
Entering information and logging in on websites has so far been painless. I was able to log into my Gmail and Hotmail accounts, but Yahoo would not let me sign in on the Cruz. Typical of Yahoo.
I was having trouble getting YouTube videos to play, but the Velocity Micro support site has a new YouTube app that needs to replace the one shipped on the first Cruz Readers. After I installed this YouTube is working fine.
Update: Velocity Micro has a new Support Hub that has all of the firmware updates and downloads for the Cruz reader and Cruz Tablet.
The Cruz Reader is faster and the touchscreen, which appears to be resistive, more responsive than other lower-priced Android tablets (such as the Novel) that we have seen to date. The viewing angle is also much better than I would have expected on a display priced at this level.
As is the case with LCD displays, the Cruz Reader is useless in the sun, but I could read on it in the shade outdoors, though the experience was not ideal. The screen is quite glossy, so there are reflections under bright lights. The display also gets covered in smudges, but these can be easily wiped off with a microfiber cloth.
It is not unheard of for lower priced devices to lag when changing screen orientation, and the Cruz does suffer occasionally from this problem, although it is not too bad and does not always happen.
I think the most disappointing thing 
for me about the Cruz Reader is the fact that there is no access to the Android Market. This would allow the installation of the Kindle and Barnes & Noble apps for Android and significantly broaden the content selection.
Battery life is supposed to be up to 10 hours (shorter when viewing videos). I had to charge after about 4-5 hours use, but the battery may not have been completely charged out of the box. The 10 hour estimate may not have taken leaving the Wi-Fi on into consideration either. In any case, this battery is still new, and sometimes that can result in some fluctuations in the time between charges.
My Take on the Cruz Reader
The Cruz Reader seems to fall somewhere between being an ereader and a tablet. It does not have all of the features of a full-blown tablet and yet has more multifunctionality than a dedicated ereader.
If you want an LCD-based ereader then I have no problem recommending the Cruz Reader — at least based on the amount of time I have spent with it. The Cruz is no iPad or Galaxy Tab, but seems a solid product for the price and is more functional than the other lower-priced Android LCD ereaders we have been seeing, such as the Pandigital Novel or Augen The Book. At $199 it is also more expensive, though the price will no doubt be discounted.
I have noted before that I much prefer reading on e-ink vs LCD because I do get eyestrain from reading on an LCD for any length of time. If you read for longer periods e-ink will be easier on your eyes. If you read for shorter periods LCD may be suitable for you. Both types of displays have their pros and cons. Obviously the color screen will be better for reading things like comics and magazines.
If you are primarily looking for an ereader to read normal ebooks with little graphical content, then I would recommend an e-ink device rather than an LCD ebook reader. The Kindle 3, Sony Pocket PRS-350 (new model) and the Barnes & Noble NOOK are all less expensive and are better suited for long-form reading of text. With the Kindle 3 you will have access to a much larger selection of contemporary ebooks as well.
Currently Newegg,Amazon and Borders
have the Cruz Reader in stock for $199.99.
Cruz Reader Covers
You might want to get a more substantial cover to protect the Cruz Reader — the slipcover that comes in the box doesn’t provide a lot of protection. There are several choices at the moment. These cases will also fit the Pandigital Novel ereader.
First there is the Ex Point Universal Leather Case. This one is black pebble grained leather with a zipper closure and felt lining for $35.00.
Body Glove also makes a universal style case that will fit. The E-Reader Travel Hard Shell Case costs $29.99. This one has a pull out stand and pockets for accessories.
The BookArmor High Impact Travel Case for the Pandigital Novel will work as well. The Cruz Reader and the Novel are almost exactly the same size. The BookArmor case has a zipper closure and costs $32.95.
The picture below shows the above three covers in order of mention, left to right.
There is also the Velocity Leather Portfolio, which is the official cover from Velocity Micro priced at $49.99.
If you want something more colorful, check out the Cruz reader covers from CaseCrown
DecalGirlnow has device skins for the Cruz Reader. I would recommend the matte finish; it costs a little more but looks and feels nicer. You can get a 10 percent discount at DecalGirl with promo code DECAL10.
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Hands-On Video of Velocity Micro Cruz Reader no comments
Gadgetnutz has posted a hands-on video of the Velocity Micro Cruz Reader made at Velocity Micro’s headquarters.
The Cruz reader, at least from what we can see in the videos released so far, seems much more responsive and faster than the other color LCD tablets in this price range.
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Augen The Book eReader no comments
This is another color LCD ereader with a low
price of $100 to $130. The Augen website is pretty primitive and has almost no information, but at JR there are some specs listed:
- 7-inch color LCD color screen; resolution 800 x 480 (by comparison the Pandigital Novel is 800 x 600, which is wider)
- 2GB internal memory; SD slot
- Wi-Fi; web browser
- DRM content provider partner ebooksmedia.com
- Video
- Leather carrying case
- Note taking/text editing feature
- Device dimensions: 8.9 x 5.1 x .5 inches; weighs 10 ounces
- Text to Speech support
- Operating system: Linux 2.6.24
The Book is still a pre-order at JR and B&H Photo for $130. Kmart did have it listed at $100, but the page has been disappeared from Kmart’s website.
Augen’s content partner is ebooksmedia.com, which is not very impressive. Their prices on at least some titles are really high. 61 Hours by Lee Child is $28 compared to $9.99 at the Kindle Store and B&N. A few other titles I checked were similarly high-priced. Since they use Adobe Digital Editions ebooks from Koboshould also work on The Book.
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Velocity Micro Cruz Readers and Tablet 2 comments
Velocity Micro has announced that it will be releasing three new color LCD ereader/tablet devices: The Cruz Reader has a 7-inch screen and will sell for $199; the Cruz Tablet, also with a 7-inch screen and priced at $299; and an ereader for kids dubbed the Cruz StoryPad and priced at $149. These are all Android-based. Some of the features:
Cruz Reader: 
- 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi; Web browser
- High res video and High quality audio playback
- Built-in dictionary, notepad, calendar, alarm clock, contacts, games and other apps
- Accelerometer
- USB
- SD card slot; 2GB SD card included
- User replaceable battery; 6 – 10 hours battery life, 24 hours standby
- Resistive touchscreen
- Docking station (Reader only)
Cruz Tablet adds:
- 802.11n Wi-Fi
- Microphone
- 4 GB internal storage; package includes 8GB SD card
- Capacitive touchscreen with multitouch
Cruz StoryPad:
- Kid friendly, drop resistant
- Simplistic and intuitive navigation
- Available in pink, blue or green
- SD card slot
Supported ebook formats are: ePub, PDF, TXT and HTML. DRM content from Borders.
The Cruz Reader and the Cruz StoryPad will be available in August, while the Cruz Tablet is scheduled for September 1, 2010. I haven’t found a picture of the StoryPad yet. UPDATE: Velocity Micro has sent me a photo of the StoryPad, which I have posted here.
The video below is a promo from Velocity Micro. The device seems reasonably fast and the touchscreen looks quite responsive.
Velocity Micro is an online custom PC shop, but also sells preconfigured systems through Amazon,
Velocity Micro has been around since the early ‘90s, but unless you are a PC gamer or order your desktops through a custom builder, you may not have heard of them. Building custom PCs is a very competitive space with very low margins, so unless you are doing something right you don’t last for almost 20 years.
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Newsmy Color LCD eReader no comments
Newman has brought out several Newsmy ereaders for the
Chinese market already, and there is word of a new device. The C66 ereader is advertised as being faster than previous models and has a sharper display. The new model also supports 1080P HD video playback.
The design invites comparison to the Pandigital Novel. The ports of the C66 are all on the bottom, which is a much better design than having them scattered on all sides as the Novel has. At just over eight ounces the Newsmy is also about half as heavy as the Novel.
(via Eee PC)
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Liquavista Looking Good in the Sunlight no comments
Armdevices has a video of Liquavista displays outdoors in the sunlight. The displays are looking quite good, but Kurt Petersdorff of Liquavista says in the video that it will probably be the second half of 2011 before they are in production.
(via engadget)
