05:17 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Listen up, Treo 700w users! You don't need to get jealous of Crackberries anymore for their capability to push e-mails onto their devices, thanks to the latest firmware update 1.10, now you can do the same on your Palm handset. The update includes Microsoft's Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) which integrates directly with Exchange Server 2003 SP to enable Direct Push Technology for email, calendar, contacts, and tasks synchronization. Other improvements include updated memory management, pictures and videos enhancements, and a new Wireless Manager.

The update is available for free download from Palm's web site. Make sure to read the instruction or you might end up losing all your contacts.

Edit: A user at HowardForums posted some interesting details regarding the update.

[via Palm Addicts]

12:59 PM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Lounge

Here is an encouraging piece of news from The Register, reporting a rise in the number of users who surf the Web by mobile means.

Its latest Face of the Web report, an annual snapshot of the latest internet trends, found that 28 per cent of mobile phone owners around the world access the net on a wireless handset, up a bit from the 25 per cent reported at the end 2004.

The article argues that the three per cent increase is due to mobile web access becoming more mainstream. What's more important though, in my opinion, is that new mobile Web browsers such as Opera Mini render Web sites designed for PCs in "smart ways", improving the way some complex pages render on the handset's small screen. This relatively new technology makes mobile browsing certainly a much better experience.

08:14 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

For the past decade, Philips Research has developed electrowetting technology, a way of creating full-color, highly reflective displays for mobile applications such as PDAs, mobile phones and video cameras without the need for a backlight. Today the company announced its latest spin-off venture, Liquavista, which aims at industrializing and commercializing electrowetting technology by 2007. Unlike other upcoming paper-like display technologies such as E Ink, electrowetting displays consist of standard technologies of which nearly all are used in existing LCD display manufacturing facilities. Furthermore, electrowetting liquids can move fast enough to display video content in full color.

"Liquavista will bring a revolution to the mobile display marketplace." commented Mark Gostick, CEO, Liquavista, "Our HEOS technology offers bright vivid colors, video speed, exceptional viewability, even in bright sunlight, and substantial power savings compared with other technologies. We are set to play a key role in the portable and mobile applications markets by enabling new advances such as TV on mobile."

Attached you find a table comparing properties of various e-papers including E Ink, ChLCD Fujitsu and Electrowetting Liquavista. For more background information, visit Liquavista's download section or read this Nature article (PDF).

[via press release (PDF)]

06:18 AM by Henrycat in E-Book General | News

iRex will be presenting the iLiad e-book reader at Artec (27 April only), an annual conference held by the students of Technologies and Graphical Arts from the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar (which happens to be my former school btw).

I have been in contact with the people from iRex for the last two years (when they were still only Phillips personnel), and I have just received the final confirmation from Mr. Alex Henzen of iRex that he'll come to this year's Artec to present the reader device, including the IDS service, etc.

So I hope to be able to buy a unit directly from the source. If anyone has specific questions let me know and I will try to get the answers - and do some videos perhaps!

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

We call this FAQ regarding Sony's upcoming CONNECT e-book store strictly unofficial because the answers are still subject to change. The following information was digged out through some incredibly smart guessing by yours truly. Thanks to TaKir who gave me the initial hint!

• Q: How do I make my books available for your eBooks service?
  A: As Sony continues to build out its eBook Reader device and content service for the upcoming launch, we continue to look for great content to add to the store. The eBook store will offer a wide variety of genres and content selection from romance to business to science-fiction to Manga and we are always looking for more great content. If you are interested in selling your eBooks, please contact us at publisher_sign-up@sonyconnect.com and include the following information: Publisher Name, Contact Name and Information, Number of titles in digital format, Type of digital format (i.e. OeB; .PDF; .LIT), A URL link to your catalog or a list of titles you wish to include. Someone from our team will get back to you shortly to discuss how we can move forward to getting your titles ready for sale in the store.

• Q: Will you offer explicit content in your store for sale?
  A: We will present a wide variety of genres and content selection from romance to business to technology to manga. Some of the eBooks we will make available will have explicit language and content, just as any bookstore does. As a retailer we will not make any judgment on the nature of the content, and simply focus on offering the widest selection and best user experience for our customers.

• Q: Will the eBook store deliver content to other Sony devices, for example the PSP and Sony Ericsson phone?
  A: We are always evaluating other Sony devices that may be well-suited to portable reading of text content. At this time, we are focusing on the launch of the Sony Reader.

• Q: Do you use Digital Rights Management (DRM) and, if so, what kind is it?
  A: We use the Marlin DRM, which is a standards-based rights management technology developed by a broad and inclusive group of leading CE manufacturers (such as Phillips, Samsung, Matsushita, and Sony) and major content companies (such as 20th Century Fox) called the Coral Consortium.

• Q: What are your Digital Rights Management (DRM) Business Rules?
  A: We will offer titles on a pay-to-own basis - similar to the way a user expects to purchase and own other digital media today. The user will have the option to purchase this content and read it on up to 6 different activated devices (PCs or Readers).

• Q: What is BBeB format?
  A: BBeB (Broad Band eBook) format is Sony's eBook format which realizes smooth production, distribution, and playback of electronic publishing content with its intermediate format defined in XML (eXtensive Marked-up Language).

• Q: What format does the Sony Reader handle?
  A: Books: BBeB / PDF / Text / (Microsoft Word - PC Application does the conversion for the hardware from Word to Text), Pictures: JPEG, Audio: MP3

• Q: Can I get news or blogs?
  A: The store will integrate the ability to select any news or blog feed in the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) format and quickly and easily convert them into Sony's BBeB format for quick and easy transfer.

• Q: How many titles does the eBook store feature and what kind of content is it?
  A: The store features over 10,000 titles from major and independent publishers. Our goal is to eventually offer every eBook available and will include a great breadth and depth of fiction and non-fiction books similar to what one would find in a great bookstore. We will include a great selection of Manga and comics as well.

• Q: Can I purchase Audio Books from the eBooks store?
  A: During our initial launch this feature will not be available. Please check back regularly as we are always expanding our service.

• Q: Can you purchase music content from CONNECT Store with CONNECT Reader (desktop application to browse and manage purchased e-books)
  A: No, CONNECT Player (Sony's media manager for music) is needed to purchase music.

• Q: When I log-in to the eBooks service with my CONNECT Music credentials, will I see my billing and credit card information?
  A: No, your credit card information will have to be re-entered, but your login and password will be the same as the Connect Music Store.

• Q: Can I log-in to the eBooks service with my CONNECT Music user name and password?
  A: Yes, your user name and password are the same for both services.

• Q: Which OS is supported?
  A: Windows XP Professional / Home

• Q: How do I authorize my Sony Reader device to begin reading my eBooks?
  A: 1. Register your personal account with the CONNECT Store. (your PC will automatically be registered as an authorized reading device). 2. Connect your Sony Reader to your computer using the supplied USB cable, then turn on the Reader. 3. Click "CONNECT Store" if you are not already in the CONNECT Store. The Home Page appears within the PC Software window. 4. Your Sony Reader device will automatically be registered as an authorized reading device.

• Q: How do I register for the CONNECT eBooks service?
  A: 1. Click "CONNECT Store" in the software left-hand navigation view. The Home Page appears within the PC Software window. 2. Click "Register" on the top navigation menu. You will got through an easy four step process before you can log-in and begin to search, browse and download from the store.

Related: E-books from Sony Connect vs. Amazon

06:37 PM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Lounge

One of the questions our readers regularly ask us is if there was a way to filter out specific content from our main RSS feed. The answer is yes; we offer feeds for individual categories of our site, including one feed that only tracks what's going on our frontpage. You can find all current RSS options over here: https://www.mobileread.com/rss.php

06:14 PM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

It looks as if Fujitsu wants to take e-paper technology to the next level. During the "Media Day" sessions at their Silicon Valley campus, the company confirmed this week their ongoing R&D efforts in the field of electronic paper. Fujitsu's e-paper (which consists of three cholesteric LCD layers) is not only ultra-thin, flexible and low weight, but - unlike the current state of E Ink technology - it can also display images in vivid colors. Best of all, Fujitsu anticipates the technology will be on the market within the next 15 months.

Check out this cute slideshow on the Fujitsu Lab site explaining how e-paper technology could make our world a better place.

Related: Video displaying Fujitsu's bendable electronic paper

02:42 PM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Publishing giant HarperCollins may feel the heat over Google's plans to digitize a large body of literature for future online access. As a consequence, the publisher announced last week that it anticipates completing the digitization of more than 10,000 book titles by the end of June 2006. To succeed in this mammoth project, they picked NewsStand as their exclusive vendor and developer of a global "digital warehouse." NewsStand is also known as a distributor of digital daily newspapers and magazine in more than 120 countries.

"NewsStand's existing platform for digitization, hosting and distribution of leading newspapers and magazines around the world makes them a natural partner to get this project up and running quickly," said Jane Friedman, President and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide. "We look forward to working with them to digitize our books and build our digital warehouse."

"We are excited to partner with HarperCollins Publishers to help transform how knowledge is stored, distributed and consumed in the future. Digital warehousing on this scale-- with this flexibility-- is a significant leap forward in the information industry," commented Kit Webster, NewsStand's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our company's experience in managing digital information including content rights control, electronic publication enabled websites and Internet distribution has made this large project possible, both in terms of processing and timelines. The NewsStand team is dedicated to enabling HarperCollins to become a first mover in digital technology applications."

Clearly this enterprise cannot be in the interest of Sony. HarperCollins has previously agreed to sell digital e-books via Sony's Connect online store, and it remains to be seen how that fits into the publisher's latest plans to pick NewsStand as the exclusive distributor of forthcoming e-book content. One thing's for sure, though: The market for e-books is heating up!

Related: CEO of a top 10 book publisher writes about e-books