04:46 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Yesterday we heard that color e-paper based on E Ink wouldn't be ready for prime time this year (perhaps next year, but who knows?). It was stated by the chairman of PVI that there were still "barriers to achieving satisfying results." What kind of barriers? Coincidentally, the Technology Review runs an article on their website today with the following relevant information:

• Color displays normally require four subpixels--red, green, blue, and white--to create each full-color pixel. "That costs you in terms of resolution," says Pieter van Lieshout, head of product research and development for Polymer Vision [creator of the Readius].
• The other consequence of using a color filter is that it reduces the brightness of a display, says Sri Peruvemba, vice president of marketing at E-Ink.

So, with existing technologies, take away resolution and brightness - two of the main selling points of e-paper technology - and you get color. Not a very satisfying equation.

The article mentions Philips Research, who is working on a better solution, referred to as in-plane electrophoretics (IP-EPD), where the display is changed by electrically controlling the in-plane distribution of the pigment particles on the foundation.

By carefully controlling the voltages at electrodes positioned on the edges of the pixels, it is possible to spread the colored particles across the pixel or remove them from view altogether by hiding them behind the electrodes, says Lenssen. This means that different shades of color can be achieved by controlling how many of each group of colored particles are visible. To create white, all of the particles are simply shifted to the side to reveal the white substrate beneath the two microcapsules.

Unfortunately, both Mr. van Lieshout from Polymer Vision and Peruvemba from E Ink believe that this technology is still too early to be used for first generation E Ink color displays. They also argue that color filters (with all their disadvantages, see above) are easier and cheaper to produce.

This all means that it will be very interesting to see how well the first commercial color e-paper will perform compared to their grey ancestors.

02:58 PM by Nate the great in E-Book General | News

Foxit announced a new firmware for the eSlick on Monday. Several bugs have been fixed, including:

* Cannot save the last viewing settings on a document when the power is turned off.
* The slow speed when rendering txt files.
* Some of the MP3 files are displayed twice in category "Music."
* Cannot refresh the list of the "Music" category when inserting the SD card again.
* The error message "File corrupted" shows up randomly after it shows up for the real error file for the first time.
* Power leak after full charging and the USB cable is still connected.

The update and instructions on how to install it can be found here. Has anyone tried it yet?

P.S. The next firmware is expected in June. According to posts on Foxit's forum it should add support for DRMed eReader format.

12:42 PM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Remember PVI, the company that produces most of the E Ink displays we've seen so far, including the latest display of the Kindle DX? Luckily for us, PVI chairman Scott Liu got a very talkative nature. A reporter from Digitimes heard him saying that PVI,

"will push back the launch of color electrophoretic displays (EPDs) to 2010, as there are still barriers to achieving satisfying results,"

and that

"Sony is also expected to introduce larger e-book readers later this year to compete for market share."

(emphasis mine)

We have heard stories of color E Ink so many times before that we're not surprised if there'll be further delays before market introduction. On the other hand, the news about Sony should kindle a light in the heart of every Sony fan (and of everyone else who is unable or unwilling to buy a Kindle DX).

11:17 AM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Announcements

It's been a challenging week for me and I like to tell you why. As many of you know, about a month ago we added a new forum, the Conservatory, which was meant as a place to discuss off-topic subjects with a certain seriousness, which some have found lacking in our generally well-perceived Lounge. Proponents of the Conservatory argued that it was important to have a place where discussions were kept relevant to the original topic. They also argued that discussions in the lounge were often being hijacked. As a result, the Conservatory was created.

So good in theory. Unfortunately, the Conservatory (and lack of moderation of thereof) went out of hand. I received plenty of honest messages from concerned members who feared that the atmosphere at MobileRead was going to profoundly change with the kind of threads introduced in the new section. Indeed, many of the "serious" discussions started there just seemed to initiate uncomfortable arguments. In effect, even some of our long-standing members began to express their worry about how they should react to the ongoing debates and apparent change in atmosphere.

I take the full blame for not having considered the potential danger in subdividing off-topic discussions into different forum sections. Fact is, MobileRead is a popular online community where e-book fans unite to share their experience with e-books and related technologies. Here lies our focus and it should be treated as such. As for the bulk of the recent "heavy" off-topic discussions - I believe they should be left to the millions of other forums on the Net.

Today I closed the Conservatory. All existing discussions were moved to the Lounge. In addition, a new optional thread prefix has been added depicting when a thread owner wishes to keep a discussion relevant.

Fans of the Conservatory are invited to start a new social group where they can chat in a more private environment about those topics dearest to them.

Lastly, I would like to apologize to everyone who felt personally alienated by the previous change in atmosphere. I promise: I will try my best to listen to all of you and to guarantee that MobileRead stays as friendly and social as it is best known for.

Cheers,
Alex

04:08 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

We can't deny that we wish it was our hands wrapped tightly around the Kindle DX purportedly pictured here. Until we have our chance, we can only hope that other companies will follow up with their own version of a 9.7-inch E Ink e-book reader. One advantage of the bigger screen is the ability to read full-page sized letter-sized Adobe PDF documents without cumbersome resizing or reformatting. To integrate PDF support, Amazon has licensed the Adobe Reader Mobile 9 SDK. And here is the interesting part: Amazon is by no means the only company who has done so recently. The SDK has been licensed by various device makers, including Bookeen, iRex, Plastic Logic, Lexcycle, Sony and others. Most recently, Neolux Corporation (Nuutbook), Netronix and Tianjin Jinke Electronics joined the fray.

Note that the Adobe Reader Mobile SDK not only adds support for (reflowable) PDF, but also ePub and Adobe Content Server 4 (for DRM-protected content). While the latter two are not yet supported by the Kindle DX, I find the recent development and the increasing number of licensees encouraging in Adobe's attempt to deliver an open file format and interoperability for e-book devices.

03:42 PM by jharker in E-Book General | News

Hey, all! I thought it would be good to have a thread where we can post links to good pics and video of the Kindle.

As I live in New York now and am currently under-employed, I was able to swing by the press conference this morning where Amazon unveiled the new Kindle DX. Here are some pics and video I took. I'll write up my personal impressions a little later.

Video:

Extended clip: Demo of the Kindle DX.

Short clip: Note taking/highlighting in a non-pdf textbook.

Short clip: Menu selection scrolling, screen response time.

Short clip: Zoom mode for images in a newspaper.

I apologize for the crummy camera work in the above. I'm not a very good cameraman, and this was my first try doing something like this.

Okay, pics!

Enjoy!

01:07 PM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Just the heads-up for those who are still scratching their heads why they didn't know about the Kindle DX earlier... Amazon does not offer an upgrade program for the Kindle DX. Alright. But if you bought a Kindle 2 in the last 30 days, you can return it to Amazon for a refund and order a Kindle DX instead.

Of course if you are happy with the portability and cuteness of your K2, there is no need to follow this advice.

Related: Amazon Kindle DX priced at $489

10:38 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Kindle DX Product link (should be ready any time - try again if it's not up yet) - It's up!

It's going to be called Kindle DX.

It's going to have a 9.7" screen.

It's going to have wireless.

It's going to cost $489.00

More to follow...

Press Release

Kindle DX Quick Start Guide (PDF)

Kindle DX User Guide (PDF)

Hands-on pics and video

From the description:

• Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines
• Carry Your Library: Holds up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and documents
• Beautiful Large Display: 9.7" diagonal e-ink screen reads like real paper; boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and sharp images
• Auto-Rotating Screen: Display auto-rotates from portrait to landscape as you turn the device so you can view full-width maps, graphs, tables, and Web pages
• Built-In PDF Reader: Native PDF support allows you to carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go
• Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle DX, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, no annual contracts, and no hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots
• Books In Under 60 Seconds: You get free wireless delivery of books in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
• Long Battery Life: Read for days without recharging
• Read-to-Me: With the text-to-speech feature, Kindle DX can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud to you, unless the book's rights holder made the feature unavailable
• Big Selection, Low Prices: Over 275,000 books; New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases are only $9.99, unless marked otherwise
• More Than Books: U.S. and international newspapers including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, magazines including The New Yorker and Time, plus popular blogs, all auto-delivered wirelessly