EB710 eBook reader looks very cool ‎

NSEC has released details of a new color eBook reader, the NSEC EB710. It looks like the NSEC EB710 will feature a seven inch TFT color display with a resolution of 800 x 480.

Other specifications include the ability to play MP3 and other music files as well as display photos in various formats, it also looks like it will support the majority of document formats.

Microsoft axes Courier tablet project

Microsoft has halted development of a dual-screen tablet device that was touted as a potential rival to the iPad.

The Microsoft Courier had a folding book design, with two 7" touchscreens that could accept both multitouch finger inputs or text written with the supplied stylus.

The device was reportedly at the "late concept" stage, and the company had even produced demonstration videos showing how the device's interface might work.

However, according to gadget site Gizmodo, Microsoft executives have pulled the plug on the product's development. In a statement sent to the site, Microsoft said: "At any given time, we're looking at new ideas, investigating, testing, incubating them. It's in our DNA to develop new form factors and natural user interfaces to foster productivity and creativity. The Courier project is an example of this type of effort. It will be evaluated for use in future offerings, but we have no plans to build such a device at this time."

Huge Indy Publisher Signs Ebook Deal For iPad

A major independent publisher, Perseus Books Group, has signed a deal with Apple to provide ebooks for the iPad. According to the NYT, the deal is similar to that which Apple has made with other major publishers:

Perseus will set consumer prices and Apple will serve as an agent, taking a 30 percent commission on each sale. E-book versions of most newly released adult general fiction and nonfiction will cost $US12.99 to $US14.99. All publishers whose books are distributed by Perseus will be allowed to opt in to the deal.

Amazon launches iPhone-optimized Kindle eBook store

Following on the release of Amazon’s Kindle for iPhone application, Amazon has launched an iPhone-optimized Kindle eBook webstore. The new Kindle website is now more iPhone friendly, offering users a slick interface and more than 280,000 eBook titles to flick through.

The new Kindle store site has a search box and several default ways to filter ebook content, including books by category, NY Times best sellers, Kindle top sellers, new & noteworthy, and recommendations for you. You can also access and change your 1-click settings and manage your account.

Stanza iPhone ebook reader updated to version 1.8

Popular Apple iPhone ebook reader, Stanza has just been given an update according to justanotheriphoneblog. Stanza version 1.8 now gets a sexy new icon along with several other changes and upgrades:

• Ability to adjust brightness by swiping the screen up and down


• Page bookmarking - simply tap the corner to doggy-ear the page.


• Themes support - no longer you need to read text on the white background.


• Word definitions

Apple hit with lawsuit over iPhone as e-book reader

Apple appears to be getting hit with a suit over the exploding e-book market. Multiple sources are reporting that a Swiss communications firm, Monec Holding, has filed suit in a Virginia district court. Monec accuses the iPhone maker of "patent infringement, unfair trade practices, monopolization, and tortious interference for allegedly treading on its January 2002 patent No. 6,335,678 titled 'Electronic device, preferably an electronic book.'"

Apparently, last year Monec also sued HP for patent infringement.

Apple Insider says Monec's beef centers on "Apple's move to distribute digital book reading applications through the App Store, which it subsequently sees as an endorsement by the Cupertino-based company that its touch-screen handset can serve as a capable eBook reader."

Amazon Unveils Kindle 2

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos displayed the Kindle 2 at a recent New York press conference. The device has a 6-inch, 600 x 800 pixel display that provides 16 shades of gray, an upgrade from its predecessor that only displayed four. The company claims that pages refresh 20 percent faster in the new version of the device, and the Kindle 2 is available for preorder and costs about $360.

The power charger is also smaller. What's more, you can charge the device using a micro USB cable. As before, you can shop for books directly from the wireless Kindle Store, using Amazon's Whispernet. With 2 gigabytes of internal memory, you can store more than 1,500 books. The original had 256 megabytes of internal storage (about 200 books). But the original also had an SD memory card slot. There's no such slot on Kindle 2.

Kindle 2 also can read out loud, even the voice is robotic and nowhere near the quality of a book recorded.