11:01 AM by Bob Russell in E-Book General | News

Google officially released the alpha version of their open source OCR software yesterday. ArsTechnica has more of the technical details and a hands on review.

"Google's involvement in the project is motivated by the company's interest in digitizing printed documents. Open-source OCR technology could be valuable in many other contexts as well. Government agencies that want to digitize paper records, for instance, could one day benefit from OCRopus. Although OCRopus is weak in many areas, it has some real potential."

In terms of current quality, "OCRopus was able to provide readable output in about half of our tests." You can see more details in the ArsTechnica article, but it sounds like they have some work to do. Not sure if the beta expected in 2008Q1 addresses accuracy or not, but this is probably just the beginning.

Some if the tech tidbits shared:
* Built on HP's open-source Tesseract OCR engine
* Released under Apache License 2.0
* OpenFST library is used for language modeling
* Designed to be modular - to allow future support for non-Latin languages
* Developed in Lua

06:03 PM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book Readers | Sony Reader

The good folks over at EcoGeek gave the latest Sony Reader a spin. They like best: itsimproved screen. They can live with: the additional memory. They don't like: the high price.

Read the full review here.

Thanks to Yvan for the news!

06:33 PM by aapezzuto in Miscellaneous | Feedback

Ive been working with some of the staff to try and restructure the MobileRead Wiki to make it more usable. One of the things that I need to know to make a good set of recommendations is what people use MobileRead for. I'm looking for all reasonable use cases for a person who has interacted with this site for less than 30 days. It is understood that people will create new content, and find tools that can meet their needs (or even alter tools to meet their unmet needs) given enough time, but that expands "reasonable" to much... and I just don't want "Time Travel" to be a reasonable use case!

What I have come up with so far:

• I'm into books and reading
  • I'm into electronic books
    • I'm looking for resources to download books
    • I'm looking for ebook software
    • I want to learn about ebook related stuff
    • I want information to help make a buying descision (reader or software)
    • I want information to make a format descition(software, purchase, archival)

• I want to talk to other people
• I want to share something
• I want to help out
• I want to know what mobile read is
  • I dont know, I followed a link here

Missing anything?

10:40 AM by Bob Russell in E-Book Readers | Alternative Devices

Kevin Tofel at JkOnTheRun is reporting that eReader Pro for Windows Mobile is not only updated, but now is free, and even comes with a few free e-books ("Jungles of Tarzan", "Swiss Family Robinson" and "A Tale of Two Cities").

Also of interest, Kevin notes that it "... looks like you can browse the store, get basic book info, purchase and then download your content right over the air". As always, you need a data plan and you may be charged for air time and data transmissions by your wireless carrier, but it's interesting to see eReader doing an update like this. If you have a PalmOS smart phone, not to worry. You can still purchase e-books over the air the old fashioned way, by browsing at the eReader web site and downloading the book after you buy it.

01:03 PM by Wizard-mag in E-Book General | News

While once again dreaming about A4 flexible e-ink display promised by the Plastic Logic to be delivered in 2008, I have noticed that on 3 September they put out two new press releases concerning their future manufacturing operation in Dresden:
Plastic Logic Appoints Director of Quality
Plastic Logic Appoints Vice President, Manufacturing for Dresden Operations

While most of the releases is about the new appointees, whose appointments themselves might be significant signs of progress in preparations for the beginning of manufacturing, the first also says, "Following the topping-out ceremony last month, Plastic Logic is well on schedule to begin with production in the middle of next year." And furthermore, according to the second, "the construction of the production facilities is well on the way to completion in December of this year."

This looks like they are well on track and gives us a more precise information when to expect their products to be rolled out. I think it might reinforce hopes of all those dreaming of an A4 e-ink device, even though I know I am on the more optimistic end of the spectrum.

11:44 AM by Bob Russell in More E-Book Readers | Bookeen

The Bookeen blog has posted a picture of what the packaging will look like for their third generation reading device, the Cybook Gen3. I know the box shouldn't matter all that much, but somehow just seeing a decent box can get you all excited about a product. (Click through to the full article page, and then click on the thumbnail to see the full sized picture.)

Watch MobileRead or the Bookeen blog for upcoming news. Or subscribe directly to the Bookeen newsletter here.

First spotted by MobileRead member tompe.

09:34 PM by adinb in E-Book General | News

Looking through Newlaunches.com I just noticed some pictures of Bridgestone's new A3 4096-color e-paper display. Only 80 DPI though.

Bridgestone Japan has developed an A3 sized color electronic paper it was showcased at the FPD International 2007 exhibition held at Yokohama. The A3 sized electronic paper has a display area of 435 x 326mm and can display 4096 colors at 80dpi resolution. The display makes use of QR - LPD (Quick-Response Liquid Powder Display) which the company has been developed over the years. The charged particles repel each other delivering a response time of just 0.2 mini seconds. Apart from being the biggest the electronic paper is also the thinnest in the world at just 0.29-millimeters.

More pictures at the original article here.

02:30 PM by Bob Russell in E-Book Readers | Sony Reader

It's an exciting time for e-books with the explosion of new e-ink devices, and the emergence of a new generation of e-ink panel improvements. In the midst of all the excitement, Sony and iRex have certainly grabbed most of the interest with Sony's hardware reputation, a solid customer-friendly device and the Connect e-book store. iRex iLiad also continues to get much interest as the only company offering an impressive 8.1" e-ink screen.

But the big news so far this month was from Sony. MobileRead broke the official story on Oct 2, 2007 when the Sony Reader PRS-505 was released. We provided exclusive coverage of our conference call with Sony, and that information has been supplemented by many comments in the MobileRead forums from new owners. Well, now it's time to add my own thoughts on the 505 after about a week of reading with a review device.

As I have no intent of rehashing all the basic information on the device that has been covered previously, let me begin right off the bat with my observations on the device, all colored by my experience with the PRS-500.

Positives

* The screen is fantastic. One would think that a 20% improvement in contrast would not make that much difference, but it does. For inside lighting, one no longer feels a direct bright reading light is needed. The slight dullness has disappeared. It makes the reading experience much closer to the look of a paper book, and it brightens up the look of the device altogether. In addition, the flickering and ghost images are greatly improved. It's not like night and day, but it's a pretty dramatic difference.

* All the features of the previous model are brought forward or improved in the new model. Controls are rearranged so that the menu list lines up with the selection buttons. For the general public, this is a huge improvement in usability. In addition, those who have a lot of books will like the improved menu system for book lists.

* USB mass storage. This allows for the internal memory of the device to be accessed just like any mass storage device. It's a big hit with many users. For non-DRM'd books, it allows Mac users to have access that was only possible with external storage cards before.

* Direct page access is now possible when you push a number button. The numbers cycle around the three digits shown on the screen, so if you hit the wrong button just keep pushing your three digit page number. I haven't tried a book with more than 1000 pages, so I'm not sure whether you get four digits with bigger books. Tip: If you initiate the direct page access accidentally, just push the menu button and it will back you out.

* You can now turn the device completely off using the menus. This is a great feature if you don't plan to use the Reader for a period of time, and don't want to have to recharge it. (Even in sleep mode, the battery life is only about three weeks because of that background drain. But if you turn it off, you can hold the charge much longer.)

* A much updated style. If you look at the 505 and 500 side by side (I'm reviewing the silver model, by the way), you will immediately notice that the 505 looks so much more modern and up to date. It's much more of an attractive consumer item, even if the screen wasn't so much better. Take it out of the case, and it's almost hard to believe what Sony has been able to fit into such a tiny form factor.

Mixed Results

* Thinner and flatter form factor. This is something that's nice, but doesn't really do anything for me. The weight distribution is different so I don't really notice that it's lighter. Actually, the form factor makes the screen look smaller. It's so much of an optical illusion that I had to hold them together to convince myself that there was not a difference in screen size.

* More internal storage. Don't get me wrong, I like this. But in order to keep it easy for me to find a book I want to read on the device, I like to keep my Reader book selection small anyway. Keeping around 50 books on it is plenty for me. Those with larger files or manga fans might be much more excited.

* USB charging. You can buy the A/C as an accessory, but it doesn't come standard anymore. Charge time is not long, so it's really not a big deal. In fact, for a new user, it's probably simpler to charge with the USB cable and not worry about A/C. You just can't do that when you are traveling (unless you have a computer with you or some tech gizmo to charge via USB). More important is that you can now recharge the device with USB even if the battery goes completely dead.

* No dock accessory. This is not a big deal for most people and the dock was pretty expensive anyway. Because of the cost, if I was going to buy a 505, I probably wouldn't buy the dock. Still, the 500 dock was very pleasant and convenient for me to use on my desk.

* Indented location of the right hand page turn buttons. I like these buttons and their location a lot. But I don't have big fingers. Some people have complained that it's not easy to press them. I can't really comment on that very much because I haven't had any problem. In fact, I really like the design.

* Sample books are almost all excerpts. This makes sense because Sony wants to sell books at the Connect store. Excerpts are a good way to get people interested. Of course, we all know that the e-book collection at MobileRead is a great source of free Sony Reader books, as well as ManyBooks and others. Not every book is available in e-book form, but finding free or purchased books for the Reader is definitely not a problem.

* The expected future support for Adobe Digital Editions (ePub). While this is a positive, it's hard to list this as a positive when it's only a statement of desire by Sony. Too many things are yet to be determined, such as how long it takes for all the software to be ready and whether the 505 will be the optimal platform to release it on. We'll leave it as a mixed results item until the future becomes clearer.

The Bad

* The round page turn button on the lower left side. This is the only real and legitimate complaint I have about the PRS-505. New users, especially less technical users, probably won't notice. But you have to push pretty hard on the button to change the page, and it doesn't give that gratifying click that device buttons are supposed to give as feedback. Even worse, you can't tell sometimes whether or not you pushed the button, because there is also no screen confirmation until the page finally starts its flicker/turn process. It's probably more of a personal preference, but if you are picky about these things, you might want to try it out at a retail store before you purchase.

* The PRS-500 covers and dock don't work with the new 505. Not a big deal for the average buyer, but I really like my dock, and I really like my fancy cover. I even have a custom made wooden case from Yvan that I treasure. Not being able to use them with the 505 is a big deal for me. Fortunately, most people will either not have a 500, or they will not have such an attachment to their accessories.

* Hacks are not yet available on the PRS-505. If you have enjoyed the ability to customize your Reader by adding a clock display, changing the button functions (e.g. to change pages with the joystick), or by installing any of the other available hacks, then you will not be able to use those hacks on the 505. Not until and unless someone can figure out how to make them work on the 505. In a remarkable show of community support, MobileRead members have contributed to quickly donate a 505 Reader for Igorski to see if he can provide hack functionality, but nothing has yet been determined.

* Full page PDF books are still not easily read on the 505. The screen is just too small and the rendering is not optimized. Tools available at MobileRead can help optimize the rendering, but a larger screen is really needed to comfortably read a standard PDF e-book.

* The price. $300 is a great price for what you get, given the current technology. But it's a lot of money for people that are used to reading a few paperbacks a year, at less than $10 each. On the other hand, you can do things that you just can't do with a paperback. I like not having to smell the paper because it can give me a headache. It's cleaner than a used book - who wants to carry it into their bed to read, when it's dusty or could be infested with microscopic bugs? It's easier to handle than a paper book, and page turns are easier. How many times have you read a paper book in one hand only to fumble it and lose your page? Your eyes will love the ability to adjust the font size. It can carry a full library, you can buy books instantly, and let's be honest... for many of us, it's more fun all around to read e-books.

Overall Impressions

The pure and simple conclusion is that the PRS-505 is great!

This device is a huge improvement for the average person on the street. The improved contrast is significant in room lighting, the buttons are arranged much better, and there is no longer that scary circle case connector on the back.

As much as I like my PRS-500, it already looks like it's a 5 year old dinosaur next to the nicely updated look of the new model. Even though there is not actually a lot of difference in the specs between the two, the changes in the buttons and screen are striking and effective, and are a surprisingly strong motivation to upgrade.

On the negative side, while I made the long list above, there is really only one item of any significance - the feel of the round page turn button, which is unlikely to matter to any first time mass market buyer.

One has to conclude that this is a great device and worthy of any reader with $300 to spare. It might even turn into a favorite gift item once it catches on. There are sure to be competitors coming around the corner, but you can't go wrong with this very nice PRS-505 Reader.

Related Stories...
Sony Reader PRS-505 - MobileRead's Conference Call with Sony
Sony Reader PRS-505 - Specifications
Sony Reader PRS-505 - Press Release
Poll - What color do you prefer?
Sony plans UK e-reader launch at London BookFair 2008