Borders Adds Kobo WiFi
September 29, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Borders will start carrying late in October a new Kobo WiFi eReader, marking Kobo’s move into the wireless eReader space.
The Kobo Wireless eReader at 139.99 is just 99 cents more than the Kindle WiFi sold on Amazon. And it will sell for only about $10 more than the original non-connected Kobo at $129.
It uses a 6-inch E Ink screen and lets users browse and download wirelessly more than 1.5 million books in the Borders eBookstore. It has an SD card slot to view documents, which may also be added via Adobe Digital Editions or drag and drop.
The new Kobo claims faster page turns than the original Kobo eReader. It weighs less than 8 ounces, has 1GB of storage and a 2 week battery life.
With the new eReader, Borders extends its selection to 7 eReaders.
Source: Borders
Analysts Divided on iPad’s Impact
September 20, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Yes, the iPad is usurping sales from the notebook and no it is not, depending on which analyst tickles your fancy.
PC sales, especially notebooks, have been weaker in the past few months, but this is due mainly to the backslide in Windows 7-based PC sales after an initial surge, said NPD VP industry analysis Ross Rubin.
“There is very little hard evidence that the iPad is killing notebooks sales and to say so represents the height of hysteria and speculation,” he concludes.
Mac/PC analyst Tim Bajarian in PC Magazine sees it differently. “Our research shows that interest in tablets has dampened the demand for netbooks…Netbook sales slowed down in the US last spring—though they seem to have done relatively well during the summer and in the early back-to-school season. However, PC vendors tell me that they expect demand for netbooks during the holiday to be down. The demand for notebooks may be affected as well.”
Bajarian adds, “The fact is that people are stopping and looking seriously at the potential role of a tablet in their lives. This is not yet a major trend, but it is one that the PC industry needs to look at closely…. The bigger question is whether this tablet trend will knock out netbooks altogether. It’s too early to tell, but I suspect that demand for netbooks will shift to emerging markets and education, while mainstream consumption decreases over time…”
NPD sees it this way: Yes, notebook sales are dropping particularly in the price range where the iPad competes–$500-$1000. Notebook sales in this sector fell by 11 percent over 2009. However, this sector was already in a steep decline prior to the iPad’s launch and the rate of decline has actually slowed since the iPad was introduced (there was a 26 percent drop in mid-priced notebooks in 2009 over 2008).
Ross says, “None of this should be construed to make a case that NPD does not believe the iPad is a great product or doing extraordinarily well in the market. The tablet/pad market will likely be strong in 2011 and impact different segments of PC sales at that time…however, unless you have actual data making the claim that the iPad is destroying the PC market based on hearsay and innuendo is the worst case of rumor mongering.”
Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn also unwittingly weighed in on the debate last week.
Source: The NPD Group, PC Magazine
New iPods, TV from Apple
September 1, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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As rumored, Apple overhauled its iPod lineup and launched a revised Apple TV which could finally make Apple a player in the fast growing Internet TV market.
In a press conference hosted by Apple CEO Steve Jobs himself, Apple introduced new iPods including a nano that now looks like a mini iPod Touch and a very slim iPod Touch that finally gets a camera–two actually–and some new gaming capability.
Apple said about 275 million iPods have sold to date and the iPod Touch is its best performing model. The iPod Touch outsells Nintendo and Sony portables combined. It’s won over 50 percent market share for portable gaming worldwide and over 1.5 billion games and entertainment apps have been downloaded to the device alone.
The new Touch gets some of the iPhone 4’s features when it becomes available next week (pre-orders start today). It gets a Retina display, a front-facing camera for FaceTime video chat and rear facing camera with HD video. It can access a new game center and has a 3-axis gyro. Plus, it uses an A4 chip—the same one in the iPhone. The new Touch starts at $229 for 8GB, $299 for 32 GB and $399 for 64 GB.
The new nano loses the click wheel and sports a multi-touch screen. It gets a clip like the shuffle so you can wear it. It’s 46 percent smaller and 42 percent lighter than the current nano with a 24 hour battery life at $149 for 8GB and $179 for 16 GB. Also the shuffle has been redesigned: the buttons are back. It now offers playlists and Genius playlists and can speak its playlists. It’s available in 5 colors with 2GB of memory and 15 hours of playback at $49.
Stating that Apple TV is no longer the “hobby” Jobs once called it, the company showed off the new downsized WiFi-n Apple TV that ships in a month at $99. There’s no storing of movies or TV shows. You rent them from iTunes or stream Netflix, or content from you PC. You can watch YouTube and access photo sites like Flickr. TV show rentals are irresistibly priced at 99 cents, but the only catch is that initially only ABC and Fox are participating. Jobs noted, “We think the rest of the studios will see the light.”
Apple TV offers HDMI, USB, optical audio and Ethernet plus a remote. The user interface gives you previews of movies plus movie reviews from Rotten Tomato.
iTunes 10 now includes Ping—a social network for music or ‘Facebook and Twitter meets iTunes.’ You can follow friends if they approve and then see the top 10 songs of your followees. You can see what concerts they are going to and preview the songs that they like and then buy them. Also concerts are listed in your area. It works for the iPod touch and iPhone, not just the computer.
Thankfully a new iOS 4.1 will also become available next week for the iPhone and iPod touch, which gets rid of some of the bugs in iOS4. It will be available as a free download in iTunes. So will a new iOS4.2 in November for the iPad and other devices. It will let you start watching a movie you rented on the iPad and switch to your Apple TV so you can see it on a widescreen, as part of a new AirPlay feature and it will include a new gaming center.
Shortly following Apple’s announcement research firm iSuppli said the new Apple TV gives the tech company an entry in one of the highest growth consumer electronics segments of Internet-enabled living room devices. Shipments of these products including game consoles and set-top boxes are could 430 million units in 2014, up from 99.3 million in 2009.
Source: Apple via Engadget
Kobo Outperforms at Borders
September 1, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Borders, which is stepping up efforts to market eReaders, said sales of the Kobo eReader as well as pre-orders for Aluratek and Velocity Micro eReaders have exceeded expectations.
Sales of the Kobo eReader, particularly, were described as “well ahead of expectations,” during a Borders conference call with analysts Wednesday.
These results should be heartening to 2nd and 3rd tier vendors who have seen their opportunities in eReaders dwindle, as the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook moved to lower price points.
Borders plans on stocking additional eReader brands, which it will announce in “coming weeks.” And it will start rolling out is Area-e in-store digital shops in early October. The shops will stock eReaders and accessories. They will be included in all stores, but will be scaled to different sizes. Full Area-e shops will be in 150 Borders stores. Salesmen have undergone training and will continue to receive instruction in selling eReaders, the company told analysts.
The bookseller currently carries 6 eReader models including 2 Sony devices, the Kobo eReader, the Aluratek Libre Pro, and Velocity Micro Cruz Reader and Cruz Tablets. Most of its eReader sales occur in the stores rather than on line at this point, Borders said.
Tuesday, Borders announced it dropped the prices on basic eReaders: the Aluratek Libre and Kobo eReader to $99.99 and $129.99 (from $129 and $149).
Source: Borders
New Apple iPod Touch Expected on Sept. 1
August 26, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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At its September 1 press event Apple is widely expected to show an iPod touch with front- and rear-facing cameras so the device can offer video chat, or the FaceTime feature now on the iPhone 4.
The new iPod touch is also widely expected to get the same bright Retina Display on the new iPhone 4 and a similar square form factor.
The speculation gets a little hazy after that, but some products that may or may not make an appearance on Wednesday at 10 am AM PDT at the San Francisco event include a new nano, an improved Apple TV and a new MacBook Air. A new social-oriented and web-based version of iTunes is possible. The launch of an iTunes TV rental store at 99 cents per episode is said to be under development but not quite ready for release next week.
We may see a nano that loses the click wheel, reports iPodnn.
A Gleacher & Co. analyst, Brian Marshall, expects only minor announcements about iTunes and Apple TV. “It’ll be about the iPod. Apple TV, that’s still chugging along. They will likely introduce [an Apple TV] in a sleeker case with more storage, but that’s not going to be a big deal,” quoted Computerworld.
This will mark the 5th consecutive year that Apple has introduced new iPods in September.
Source: ipodnn and Computerworld via Reuters
Photo: The current iPod touch may get an an update September 1.
, Yahoo!News
Kindle 3 Ships Today; Outsells Past Models
August 25, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Amazon said its new Kindle 3 models are the fastest selling Kindles to date.
In the four weeks since the new generation of Kindles were introduced, they have been ordered more heavily than in any prior Kindle launch, said Amazon. They include the $139 Kindle (known as Kindle 3) and $189 Kindle 3G.
The eReaders are also the most heavily ordered product than any other sold on Amazon.com.
The new Kindles were originally introduced in last July, but Amazon sold out quickly. Today they began shipping again–two days earlier than previously announced.
“Kindle is the best-selling product on Amazon.com for two years running and our new generation Kindles are continuing that momentum,” said Steven Kessel, Kindle senior VP.
Source: Amazon
Chip Shortages Continue to Delay Smartphones
August 22, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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The smartphone is not recession-proof, it turns out and its not because there’s any drop in the insatiable demand for the devices. It is because a chip shortage has left smartphone makers high and dry, causing delays in phones like the HTC EVO 4G and the Motorola Droid X.
Motorola told the AP that random shortages in memory chips, camera sensors and touchscreen controllers were contributing the two week backorder in the Droid X through Verizon.
The chip shortages are not across the board, but it only takes one chip out of the 20 or 30 used that make up a product to halt production.
Chip makers saw a slowdown in early 2009 and scaled back production. Now they are having trouble ramping back up. And, like other suppliers, chip makers are still reluctant to scale up because demand may fall in again in an uncertain economy.
The shortages may lead to higher prices in phones and computers but since phones are subsidized, consumers may not see the change.
Chip shortages are also impacting the phone networks. AT&T says it can’t expand its network as fast as it would like to keep up with new traffic from the iPhone because of shortages in network equipment. Two large AT&T suppliers, Alcatel-Lucent and LM Ericsson AB are both in tight supply. Cisco, is also battling short supply.
Apple, however, said the current shortages on the iPad and iPhone 4 are due to high demand and not chip shortages.
Source: The AP
Photo: Droid X
Black Friday Tablet Rumored from HTC; Toshiba Tablet for September
August 18, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Toshiba and HTC are rumored to be readying tablets with HTC preparing a Chrome OS model that will hit stores on Black Friday, November 26.
And HTC may launch the tablet in conjunction with Verizon. The blog Download Squad got the tip from a single unnamed source so the HTC tablet is still very much in the rumor stage, although it’s not surprising that HTC, which produces Google’s Android-based phones, would venture out with a Google-based tablet.
Part of the big news here is that the Chrome OS was selected over Android. The Chrome OS was announced by Google last month as a lightweight, open-source Linux-based OS designed for speed, quick start-up and very heavy web usage.
For its part, Toshiba may offer a tablet as early as September or October for the global market, says Digitimes. The device will bear a 10-inch screen and use Nvidia’s Tegra 2 processor running Android. By the end of the year, Toshiba may ship 40,000-50,000 units.
Source: Download Squad via PCWorld, Digitimes
Photo: Rendering of Chrome OS tablet by Download Squad
Is New BlackBerry Torch in Trouble?
August 18, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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It was supposed to be the phone that put Research in Motion (RIM) back on the map with a touch screen + slider smartphone using a brand new BlackBerry OS. But the new Torch, may not be selling to plan. PCWorld is already declaring, “BlackBerry Torch Fizzles: What’s Next For RIM?” in a headline yesterday, as Amazon began selling the Torch at $100 or half price.
The Torch has been on sale only a week, with an estimated 150,000 units sold in the first weekend, a meager showing compared to the iPhone 4 which blasted through 1.7 million units in its first 3 days. “The plodding start isn’t great news for RIM,” said the Wall Street Journal. But some analysts say it’s too early to judge. The BlackBerry is sold mainly through AT&T stores with no brick and mortar outlets at present. It is also aimed at businesses which work on longer procurement cycles, points out TheStreet.
The Torch is selling just fine, says analyst firm Gleacher & Company. Many AT&T stores are selling through about half their initial shipments, which is similar sell through to last year’s Bold2 launch, said Gleacher analyst Mark McKechnie in a research note cited by TheStreet. “We had not expected a consumer phenomenon à la the iPhone 4 or Motorola’s Droid X as we view the Torch as largely an upgrade for loyal Blackberry road warriors,” he said.
Still Amazon’s dramatic discounting and the level of sales is cause for concern to some industry watchers. PCWorld noted that while the BlackBerry platform is the main standard for business smartphones, “RIM is offering very little reason to continue investing in the BlackBerry culture. As the iPhone and Android platforms become more business savvy, the BlackBerry platform is less and less appealing.” Guess we’ll wait and see.
Source: PCWorld, TheStreet, The Wall Street Journal
Photo: BlackBerry Torch via Reuters
Sony Said to Ready New eReaders
August 15, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Sony is expected to offer this fall two new eReaders with touch screens including a WiFi model called the PRS-650, which may or may not offer 3G as well.
A trusted source told Sony Insider that the new PRS-650 will be joined by a basic PRS-350 and both will offer new super-thin designs and E Ink screens. They are also expected to offer faster page turns than earlier models.
Pricing is said to be attractive but hasn’t been specified.
The PRS-650 will have a 6-inch screen while the PRS-350 has a 5-inch version. The 650 gets 2GB of storage, up from the previous 512MB.
Source: Sony Insider

New BlackBerry Torch via AT&T Due August 12
August 3, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Updated! Research in Motion launched an all new BlackBerry smartphone—its first slider + touch screen smartphone and its first phone to use a new BlackBerry 6 operating system. The new Torch 9800 is seen as BlackBerry’s latest answer to the iPhone.
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 will be available on AT&T starting August 12 and sold through Best Buy, Walmart, RadioShack and AT&T stores at $200 with contract.
The device has a capacitive touch screen, slideout QWERTY keyboard and a new web browser.
It’s the first BlackBerry smartphone with a new BlackBerry App World pre-installed. The app store now supports app billing through AT&T so it’s easier to purchase apps. Your purchases show up on your AT&T bill.
Another standout feature is universal search that combs through all the data on your phone, plus in App World plus on the web. A search for “weather” may include the weather related apps in App World.
Other key features include multi-tasking, sync to desktop via WiFi, a music sync via WiFi, unified social feeds, and RSS feed reader.
The Torch 9800 has a trackpad on the front face of the device. It also has a 3.2-inch screen, 5MP camera with flash and auto focus, built in GPS and WiFi, 4GB of on-board memory, microSD,SDHC card slot and its supports GSM/GPRS/EDGE and HSPDA/UMTS.
Source: Research in Motion and engadget
Photo via Reuters
New BlackBerry Aimed at iPhone Could See Daylight Next Week
July 28, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Research in Motion (RIM) is expected to announce a new touch screen BlackBerry that will be its latest salvo against the iPhone. At least Wall Street seems to think so as shares of device maker rose Wednesday in anticipation, Reuters reported.
RIM should announce a new BlackBerry 9800 next Tuesday along with AT&T which is expected to sell the device exclusively.
The BlackBerry 9800 is expected to offer a new OS, new browser and full slide out keyboard in a much needed refreshment of the BlackBerry line. Reuters points out RIMs stock has fallen by a third in the past year as iPhone and Android devices took off. The new 9800 may be in stores by mid August.
Source: Reuters
Photo of BlackBerry 9800 via The Cellular Guru
Motorola “iPad” Rumored for Fall
July 27, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Motorola is having so much fun gaining share in smartphones since it adopted the Android OS that it is planning to do the same thing in tablet PCs around November, according to Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar.
Motorola is planning a 10-inch tablet that should run on the upcoming Android 3.0 (Gingerbread) operating system, which is expected to be more visually snappy than the new Android 2.2.
There are few details offered on the device, but SlashGear sees Verizon as a likely service provider.
Sources: Tom’s Hardware, TheStreet, SlashGear
Augen $89 eReader at Kmart
July 23, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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One of the many low priced eReaders we can expect to see for Christmas is already at Kmart from Augen. The company is offering a 7-inch color eReader with WiFi for $89 (although the product is offered on other sites for pre-order at $129, says the The eBook Reader).
Imaginatively called “The Book,” the device forgoes an E Ink screen (optimized for eReading and low power) in favor of a color LCD. It has a hard keyboard on the bottom and 2GB of memory for storing up to 1,400 books. It’s licensed for Adobe DRM so you can buy eBooks from many leading ebook sites.
Other features include text-to-speech to read aloud books and a built in MP3 player. It uses a 400MHz processor, 64MB of RAM, and the display is 800 by 480.
Although The eBook Reader blog was able to buy one at Kmart and review it, the unit is now listed as temporarily out of stock on Kmart.com.
It comes in a case as shown here.
Source: Augen, The eBook Reader
Photo via Kmart
Talk of iPhone 4 Recall that Could Cost Apple $1.5 Billion
July 14, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Cries for a recall of the iPhone 4 on popular websites is the latest headache for Apple as the blogosphere lit up Tuesday demanding a more proactive response from Apple to the antenna problems in its latest phone.
Some industry blogs such as CNET suggested Apple recall the iPhone 4, which quickly resounded through Wall Street, sending Apple’s stock down 4 percent Tuesday and causing about a half dozen research analysts to rush out notes to their clients.
CNET editor Molly Wood appeared on CNN this morning explaining her suggestion for a recall, which would cost Apple about $1.5 or 3.5 percent of its total cash on hand, said CNET quoting a Bernstein analyst. Wood explained the iPhone 4 is suffering from both a software and hardware reception problem. First, it doesn’t show the correct number of bars indicating the proper signal strength and Apple has promised to fix this. Secondly, its antenna loses reception when the phone is gripped a certain way and Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs told users to simply hold the phone differently or purchase a case (which many phone owners purchase anyway). Part of the uproar in the media is a result of what many consider Jobs’ arrogant response to the issue, Wood said.
While a recall may be overkill, she said Apple should be proactive in protecting its reputation for quality products. Short of a full recall, which analysts called unlikely, Apple “should announce some sort of repair program.”
The first whisper of a recall sent Wall Street analysts scrambling to respond. Reuters quoted several analysts who said a recall would be overkill, but it could impact demand for the iPhone 4.
“They need to provide an actual fix — not a bumper fix — so that the product performs as it should,” Ashok Kumar of Rodman & Renshaw told the news agency. “Apple should have taken a higher road when addressing the design flaw, instead of taking the hard-line stance that they did.” (A “bumper” refers to an iPhone case).
JP Morgan warned that reports of antenna problems may eventually affect demand. Analyst Mark Moskowitz said in a client note, “Concerns around iPhone 4 reception do not appear to be impacting demand, but we think there are risks when a well-respected product rating agency such as Consumer Reports issues an unfavorable report.”
Apple has been sued by iPhone customers in at least three complaints related to antenna problems.
All this followed a Consumer Reports blog Monday stating the organization could no longer recommend the iPhone 4 because of its reception problems. It should be noted that the article said without the antenna problem, the iPhone 4 would outscore its competitors.
Our take: Apple should send out free cases (bumpers) to iPhone 4 owners and give them away with the phone. And of course, they should quickly fix the hardware issue.
Windows 7 Tablets Due
July 13, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Microsoft Tuesday confirmed that Windows 7 Phones are on the way by Christmas and said a broad selection of tablet PCs using Windows 7 are in the works.
Asus, Dell, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony and about a dozen others are developing tablets using Windows 7, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told developers according to Reuters and the BBC.
Ballmer said tablets are “terribly important” to Microsoft, but did not offer more product specifics. “This year, one of the most important things that we will do in the smart device category is really push forward with Windows 7-based slates,” Ballmer said, noting the devices will come in many formats: some dockable and some with keyboards.
Analysts, however, say that Windows 7 is not well suited to tablets. The BBC quoted PC Pro magazine editor Tim Danton as stating, “They are fundamentally built for a mouse and keyboard…Windows 7 has some touch functionality, but it is still not a core part of the operating system. Microsoft would be better looking at its Windows 7 phone operating system and using that.” Analysts have expressed similar views to CEoutlook in the past.
Source: BBC and PC Magazine via Yahoo!
See also Reuters
Photo: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
Kindle DX Gets Lower Price
July 1, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Amazon is aggressively tweaking its posture in the post-iPad world, while ratcheting up the competition for other eReader suppliers.
Today, the company updated its large-screen Kindle DX and dropped the price by $110 to $379.
The Kindle DX screen remains at 9.7-inches but the E Ink display now has 50 percent better contrast for clearer text and sharper images. Also the DX comes in a graphite color, said Amazon.
Pre-orders begin Thursday at amazon.com and the unit will ship July 7.
Amazon has updated a Kindle feature each day this week. Wednesday, Amazon improved its ability to let users sample the eBooks in its Kindle store. Tuesday it launched an Android eReader app, and on Monday it added audio and video capability to Kindle apps.
The new price drop makes the Kindle DX more competitive with Sony Digital Edition at $300. The Sony Reader has a 7-inch Touch E Ink screen compared to the Kindle’s 9.7-inch non-touch screen. Both models offer 3G over-the-air downloads.
Source: Amazon
Photo: Original Kindle DX in white
Apple Sells 1.7M iPhone 4′s
June 28, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Apple said it sold more than 1.7 million iPhone 4′s through Saturday, June 26, (over a three-day period), making it the most successful product launch in Apple’s history.
CEO Steve Jobs also apologized to customers who “were turned away because we did not have enough supply.”
Apple typically sells 1 million iPhones during the first week of launch, says Business Insider.
Separately, iSuppli said the iPhone 4 costs $187.51 to produce in terms of its component costs. The most expensive component is the new 3.5-inch screen at $28.50.
“Over the years, the iPhone has generally tended to hover in the $170 to $180 cost range because Apple seems to be trying to hit some kind of budget,” Kevin Keller of iSuppli.
The estimate doesn’t include costs labor, shipping, advertising, software development or patent licensing.
The iPhone 4 sells for $199 and $299.
Source: Apple, iSuppli
Bargain Tablet PCs due from Nextar, Aluratek
June 22, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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Pandigital will get some company in the “poor man’s iPad” category from Nextar and Aluratek.
Nextar is planning an Android-based tablet with a 10-inch screen at a target price of $399 called the Next 3. Expected to ship in 75 days, Next 3’s chief distribution will be through warehouse clubs. The device should offer much of the functionality of the iPad, Nextar told us.
Aluratek will offer an Android-based tablet PC in the next couple of months. Further details aren’t available although we can assume the device will fall in the low or mid-end of the pricing spectrum.
Both of the above companies are also preparing new eReaders. Auratek told us it will offer in about two months, two new Libre models: one with WiFi and one non-connected device with a color LCD touch screen. The eReaders were each targeted at $149 (although we can only wonder if that will change now that a Nook Wi-Fi has been announced at that price).
Nextar is also planning its first eReaders for later this year. Called the Next 1 and Next 2 the devices will include a model with a 7-inch color LCD that could be priced at $99 for Black Friday (or $129 everyday).
Further details on Aluratek’s new Libre models are as follows: the WiFi Libre Air will have a 5-inch screen optimized for eReading (but not E Ink) and a 24-hour battery life. A second model offers a 7-inch color LCD touch screen with a 15-hour battery life. The Libre Air basically just adds WiFi to the current Aluratek Libre Pro, which has the distinction of going on sale at Borders July 20 at one of the lowest prices in the industry–$120. The Pro has 256 MB of built-in memory with 32 GB of expandable memory, an MP3 player and it supports adjustable type sizes.
For its part, Pandigital, a maker of photo frames, is shipping “in the next couple of weeks” a quasi-tablet/eReader called the Novel. The company informed us the product should be at Kohl’s, Bed, Bath & Beyond and other stores. It’s a 7-inch “multimedia” eReader at $199 that will support Android apps. You can watch movies on it, view photos and listen to music with it. It has a color, touch screen LCD and WiFi and it links to the Barnes & Noble eBookstore.
Other rumored tablets are also expected from Samsung and Research in Motion in addition to the announced Dell Streak due in July at $500 and the long awaited HP Slate. According to the Wall Street Journal, RIM’s version of a tablet would tether to a BlackBerry and may be available by the end of the year.
Sources: CEoutlook with additional references to Wired and Techlicous.
Photo: Nook Wi-Fi
PVI Changes Name to E Ink
June 21, 2010 by Amy Gilroy
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EReader screen maker Prime View International changed its name to E Ink Holdings last week, confirming its commitment to ePaper, said the company.
PVI will offer its LCD products under the brand “Hydis” and its eReader screens under “E Ink.” “The E Ink name is synonymous with the ePaper industry that we pioneered and in which we enjoy a leadership position. We are now a globally recognized brand name and aim to have our displays on every smart surface,” said E Ink chairman and CEO Scott Liu.
E Ink says it has 20 million E Ink displays in the field used in applications from eReaders to mobile phones to watches. E Ink’s Hydis LCDs are suited for TVs, mobile phones, gaming devices, tablet PCs, and navigation systems, it said.
Source: E Ink via engadget







