Nook Tablet To Debut On November 16?

Nook Tablet by Barnes & Noble

Amazon’s Kindle Fire turned its fair share of heads this past September, but rival Barnes and Noble wasn’t just sitting around twiddling their thumbs with the Fire grabbed headlines. Barnes and Noble has already tested the tablet/reader concept with the Nook Color, and now Engadget reports that the company is ready for round 2 with the new Nook Tablet.
At first glance, the Nook Tablet looks just about identical to the original Nook Color — hopefully the resemblance is close enough that older model accessories will be able to see continued use. The screen still comes in at 7 inches, but the BN swapped the original display for an improved VividView IPS touch panel.
Under the hood lies a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and a WiFi radio. Oh, and it supports enough file formats to make you go cross-eyed. It’s undoubtedly a solid package, and it’s coming down the pipeline fast: it’s slated debut on November 16, with a $249 price tag.
The Nook Tablet pits 1GB against the Kindle Fire’s 512. What’s more, the Nook Tablet takes microSD cards, so media hoarders will be able to lug entire seasons of Doctor Who around on a whim. B&N also appears to have quite the media environment built up for their new tablet: a closer look at the leaked imaged confirms support for Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Pandora right out of the gate.

Source: Engadget

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Alex eReader/Review

Price: $349
Official Site: SpringDesign.com
Specs: Main screen: 6”; Color touchscreen: 3.5”; Android 1.6 OS; Wi-Fi 802.11b/g; 256MB DRAM
Company: Spring Design, Inc.

It is hard to throw a rock these days in the tech world without hitting a new eBook reader. In the wake of CES 2010, digital eReaders are being announced at a furious pace. As is the case when most trending gadgets start to flood the marketplace, you will get your fair share of healthy competition and a dose of rush-job garbage.

From everything we have seen thus far out of the innovative Alex eReader from Spring Design, this particular entry seems to have some legs. While the early life of the Alex eReader has been filled with behind-the-scenes controversy, the $349 eBook reader has found a retail partner in Borders, and has the tech potential and support to be worth your attention.

If the Alex eReader looks a little familiar to you, that is because, according to Spring Design, Barnes & Noble ripped off the design concept and used it for its own eBook reader, the nook. Legal allegations aside, the Alex has found a home with Borders, which has pledged to dedicate store space and heavy support to the dual-screen format gadget.

The upper third of the device fits right in line with products like the Amazon Kindle, using a 6-inch electronic ink display screen. It is the bottom part of the Alex where things start to get very interesting thanks to a 3.5-inch color touchscreen that runs Google’s Android 1.6 operating system. The two screens work in perfect harmony with each other, as you can surf the web on the bottom touchscreen, and then shoot an article or blog you are reading up to the large display for reading that is easy on the eyes.

The key with any of these numerous eBook readers is the content library and supporting partners. In that regard, the Alex has joined up with a couple of heavyweights, as it uses Google Books and Borders for its exclusive material. The Alex is Wi-Fi enabled, and with the color touchscreen, is one of the savvier internet browsing eBook’s found anywhere.

The internal memory on the Alex eReader is 256MB, but that can be expanded through the use of microSD cards to 2GB. The one main feature missing from this first-generation Alex eReader is 3G support, which devices like the Kindle use through their Whispernet to allow you to download content from nearly anywhere in the world. While a 3G capable version of the Alex is already planned for future release, the current $349 price tag may feel a little steep for an eBook reader that doesn’t offer the absolute best.

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Special Gadgets/Kindle Fire

The tablet market is about to get really interesting. And a lot more affordable. The Kindle Fire ($200) is Amazon's answer to the iPad, featuring a one-handable 14.6 ounce design and a 7-inch color touchscreen that's chemically-strengthened (20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic). It's based around a cloud-accelerated Silk web browser, and features free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, and a dual-core processor. The Fire has access to over 100,000 movies and TV shows from Amazon Instant Video, over 17,000,000 songs from Amazon MP3, over 1,000,000 Kindle books, and offers compatibility with popular Android apps and games. It ships on November 15.

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Special Gadgets/Nook Simple Touch Reader

Pretty much everyone was expecting the next Nook to be a do-it-all, high-powered Android tablet. Boy were they wrong. The Nook Simple Touch Reader ($140) is aimed at the low-end crowd — not necessarily a bad thing — with a six-inch touchscreen e-Ink Pearl display, built-in Wi-Fi, internal storage for up to 1,000 books with a micro SD port for expansion, battery life of up to two months, and a svelte design with a soft touch back. Just think of it as an anti-iPad.

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Sony's new Reader Wi-Fi is the world's lightest 6-inch e-reader with multitouch screen

Sony's just been showing off its Reader Store for the Android-powered Tablet S and Tablet P, but it hasn't forgotten its more eye-friendly options. Announced at IFA just now, the self-explanatory Reader Wi-Fi (PRS-T1) claims to be the world's lightest 6-inch e-reader with an "enhanced" touchscreen -- the "enhanced" bit referring to its "Clear Touch Infrared" technology that supports multitouch for pinch-to-zoom, though it's also bundled with a stylus. At 168 grams (5.93 ounces) light and 8.9mm thin, this device packs a 600 x 800, 16-level gray scale E Ink Pearl display, along with 1.3 GB of usable internal storage plus microSD expansion of up to 32GB.

The built-in 802.11b/g/n WiFi connectivity also lets users wirelessly borrow eBooks from public libraries -- a first for e-readers, apparently -- in the UK, US, and Canada. As for battery life, a single battery charge will keep digital bookworms busy for up to three weeks with WiFi enabled, or up to a month without WiFi (based on a half-hour reading time per day). Expect this ePub-compatible Reader Wi-Fi to hit the US and Europe in October for around $149, and it'll come in a color choice of either red, white or black. Press release after the break.

· Hold effortlessly in one hand: just 168 grams and 8.9mm thin

· Browse and download a huge range of eBooks via Wi-Fi

· Turn pages smoothly, zoom in and out, look up in dictionary or make notes, all on advanced, high-contrast

  touchscreen

· Borrow eBooks directly and wirelessly from your public library

· Over one month of battery life* lets you read without recharging on holidays or trips away

· Available in three fashionable colours: red, white and black

Treat yourself to the most natural and immersive reading experience with the new Reader™ Wi-Fi® (model PRS-T1) from Sony – the world's lightest1 15.2cm (6") eReader that also features an enhanced touchscreen.

Now with Wi-Fi, Reader gives you the additional freedom to buy, borrow or get eBooks for free wherever there's a wireless connection available.

From the latest releases to popular titles and classics, it's easy to browse and download titles in seconds from a huge range of compatible bookstores and other web sites. You will also be able to purchase and download eBooks and periodicals via Wi-Fi from the rapidly-expanding catalogue available at the Reader™ Store2. What's more, Reader Wi-Fi is the worlds' first3 eReader that will allow you to borrow eBooks wirelessly from public libraries thanks to simple, seamless access on the device4 via an on-screen 'Public Library' icon.

Slipping effortlessly into a bag or pocket, Reader Wi-Fi is no bigger than a paperback book. 8.9mm thin and weighing just 168 grams it's supremely comfortable to hold, with a gently curving profile that fits naturally in your hand.

Enjoying your favourite book is even more of a pleasure with the advanced Dual Touch screen. E Ink® Pearl electronic paper displays a clear, glare-free, high contrast image that's easy to read for hours, even in direct sunlight.

Touch the screen to choose a book. Swipe a finger to turn the page, or zoom in and out by pinching your fingers together or apart. Tap on a word and hold to find its meaning from two built-in English language dictionaries. Words can also be translated to and from English using ten built-in translation dictionaries. You can even write notes on the page or highlight text with a finger or the supplied stylus – just like a real book.

Finding your way around the longest title is refreshingly quick and intuitive. Bookmark pages and return to them instantly, or search for particular passages and jump straight to the text you're looking for.

While you're reading, get extra information easily on a word or phrase with in-text access to Google™ and Wikipedia® look-ups. A simple browser also lets you download other compatible5 documents from the web via Wi-Fi for easy reading while you're on the move.

Reader Wi-Fi handles a wide range of digital formats, including the popular EPUB eBook standard plus PDF and TXT documents. View your collection of digital photos on screen, or plug in a pair of headphones and listen to stored music tracks while you're reading. The front cover image of your current title or a favourite photo can be displayed as a screensaver when Reader is in standby.

Fine-tune your reading experience with eight adjustable font sizes plus a choice of six font styles. Screen contrast and brightness are easily adjusted for comfortable viewing in any lighting conditions.

Its long battery life lets you read for over one month without needing a recharge (3 weeks with wireless on). Reader Wi-Fi can be used while the battery charges via USB on a connected PC, so there's no need to interrupt your favourite book.

With a capacity of 2GB – enough to hold around 1,200 eBooks – internal memory space is easily expanded with an optional microSD card to hold tens of thousands more.

Style-matched optional accessories for your Reader include a form-fitting cover with built-in lighting arm that angles for reading at night or in dimly lit places.

Sony's first offer in its collaboration with J.K. Rowling's eagerly anticipated Pottermore website  is a specially-created limited edition of Reader Wi-Fi (PRS-T1) which includes a voucher that enables Harry Potter fans to download the first Harry Potter eBook title, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, from Pottermore. Pottermore, a unique website which builds an exciting and immersive online experience around the Harry Potter books and is the exclusive retailer of the Harry Potter digital eBooks, is partnered by Sony.

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