ebooks

In what seems like an eternity ago, Crave posted an item about a dual-LCD concept that was designed as a digital newspaper of sorts, folding at the center like a broadsheet. Now, finally, some universities are reportedly working on a prototype based on similar principles for e-books.

Researchers from Berkeley and Maryland are developing a dual-screen reader with digital pages that can be turned by way of a built-in trackball, according to Engadget. And for flexibility the two displays can be separated and viewed horizontally if needed.

There have been other double-display portable computers on the market, though none made … Read more

As a longtime fan of e-books (I used to read them on my PDA; now I read 'em on my smartphone), I've been waiting for a good deal so I could spread the word. Fictionwise answered the call: The Web-based e-bookstore is offering three complete Stephen King novels for free. Yes, there's a catch, but it's not hard to swallow.

Here's how it works: First, you create a Micropay account, which is basically a debit account into which you deposit funds from your credit card or PayPal. Next, you buy Carrie, Night Shift, and/or The … Read more

Earlier this week, I noted that book publishers and authors had, so far, been largely protected from the mass copying that has helped to undermine the music recording industry's profits. The reason is simple. You can't copy dead-tree books for minimal effort and cost the way you can CDs or MP3s. But, with e-books finally seemingly establishing a bona fide foothold with Amazon's Kindle, that's going to start changing.

New York Times Op-Ed columnist Paul Krugman notes this trend in "Bits, Bands and Books" together with a corollary that Esther Dyson predicted in 1994:… Read more

This story was updated at 9:30 a.m. PDT Wednesday to correct the estimated number of Kindles to be sold by 2010.

Q: Is $360 versus $400 that big of a deal?

A: On a slow news day, apparently, yes.

We're not talking an iPhone-level price cut here. Still, blogs here, here, here, here, and here are really excited about the 10 percent discount Amazon.com is offering on the Kindle.

It's not at all clear that a $40 discount is the shove fence-sitters considering buying a $400 device for reading electronic books are going to need. … Read more

With so many e-book readers coming on the market, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to build the technology into another type of media device. And what better way to complement a good book than music?

Iriver's new P10 portable media player does just that, though it's headed only for the Korean market so far. It has 33GB of built-in memory, handwriting recognition, and a 4.3-inch LCD with a 800 x 480 resolution.

If that's a tad small for reading the classics, you can still use it to watch the Simpsons because … Read more

Calling it the iPod of the book business, CitiGroup analyst Mark Mahaney says the Kindle e-book reader will generate three-quarters of a billion dollars for Amazon.com in less than two years.

That should account for up to 3 percent of Amazon's business. See his chart and reasoning here.

His calculations assume that unit sales will grow from 189,000 by the end of this year to 2.2 million units in just two years. By then he assumes the price of the device will be just below $300. Mahaney also points out that Amazon does have the largest … Read more

Another day, another e-book reader. There must be something in the air, because in the last week alone we've seen new releases of Endless Ideas' "Bebook," the Irex "Book Edition," and now Astak's "Mentor."

The latest runs on Windows CE 5.0 and has a 6-inch screen that's similar to the displays on the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader, as well as the Bebook. Unlike the competing readers seen in the last few days, however, Astak's offering includes Wi-Fi connectivity, uses e-ink technology, and has a lower price than all … Read more

Companies that make e-book readers must be gearing up for lazy summer novels. At the same time Irex is shipping its new "Book Edition," Netherlands-based Endless Ideas is releasing a version of its own.

The "Bebook" appears to have many of the features included in its competing models, including an MP3 player, USB port, battery life for an estimated 7,000 page turns, and 512MB of storage that can be expanded with an SD card, according to SlashGear, though it lacks a wireless receiver. Its 6-inch, 600 x 800 screen is smaller than Irex's, but … Read more

While the hype over e-readers has focused on Amazon's "Kindle" and other e-book devices--or lack thereof--some of the digerati in France are turning the page to a different print medium.

The "Read&Go," being developed by French telecom Orange, is aimed specifically at newspapers with hourly wireless updates by 3G and Wi-Fi connections, according to Electronista. The 1GB device, which will also come with 30 preloaded books, is already undergoing two-month public testing periods. We hope someone works on a dual-screen version so we can scan all the comics at once.