New e-reader unveiled by Sharp

The market for ebooks and e-readers is one which has great potential. The amount of people preferring to ditch the old paper books and pick up their electronic readers is seeing the sales of both books and readers increase daily, so it is no surprise to see those crafty electronic giants Sharp muscle their way into the market with their own model.

Sharp tell us that the readers will have a new format, known as the next-generation XMDF, which will enable “easy viewing of digital contents including video and audio, and allows automatic adjustment of the layout to match and meet publishers’ needs.” Sounds promising, does it not?

Of course, as with any new product the key is in the timing. Sharp will hope to have chosen their moment wisely, having held off long enough to take advantage of the latest technology but not long enough to have lost any chance of grabbing a share of the growing e-reader market.  Keep your virtual eyes peeled for a review on this site asap.

Following the news shares in Sharp went up 1.5 percent to a high of  958 yen and a tie up deal with US company Verizon is expected (hey, we’re nothing if not thorough).

ELONEX 511EB eReader Review

There’s nothing quite like snuggling down in the evening with a good book and a glass of something. Now that reading has joined the growing list of “things which are even better if you do them electronically” we can use the ELONEX 511EB eReader to read our favourite books, although unfortunately eDrinks haven’t yet been invented to go with it.

Design

The idea of the eReader is something comfortable and easy to carry around with you or to read propped up in bed. It certainly meets those criteria, being just the right size and shape to make the carrying and holding of it a pleasure rather than a chore.

Features

The fact that you can change the font size and the ultra high resolution on the screen should help you avoid hurting your eyes when you get caught up in reading something. Possibly the most clever innovation on the ELONEX 511RB eReader is the fact that it only uses energy to turn pages. This means that even slow readers can get 8000 pages out of one charge.

You can also listen to music, while the built in microphone lets you record memos. An important point is that this eReader supports Windows 7, Windows Vista (32 or 64 bit) and Windows XP (just 32 bit on this one).

A few people have advised of problems with embedded images but if you look at the Waterstone’s site you will see the possible solutions.

Summary

Book lovers who are also gadget lovers will be in heaven with this offering. If you pick up the Waterstone’s offer where they give you a free memory card with the eReader you can store a huge number of eBooks on it and have constant access to them. The free card also comes with 100 books loaded on it. This isn’t the first eReader on the market but the ELONEX 511EB eReader is the best value one around at the moment and doesn’t sacrifice quality or features to achieve this.

Buy it now from PC world

New eBook store to be promoted by Toshiba

With the market for eBooks and eReaders growing at a rapid rate, it appears a good move by Toshiba to set up their own eBook site. New Toshiba machines will come with it preloaded along with a selection of free books. The site is at www.Toshibabookplace.com, and while it is not yet fully functional avid eBook readers may like to have a sniff around to get an idea of what is going to be on offer.

The services include; translation, font size adjustment, voice playback and full view or text only reading. This will surely not be the last eBook site launch and as sales of these books continue to pick up we will need to see whether the addition of the Toshiba service on it’s new computer gives it the edge needed to get the best market share or whether some other giant steps out of the shadows with their own site.

Brits pay over the odds for iPad

New figures show that Apple’s new iPad is costing customers in the UK far more than their international contemporaries.

European prices for the iPad are much higher than in other regions of the globe and the UK is being hit even harder with high prices for the must-have gadget of the day. More on iPad Uk Prices

Kindle eReader coming to Android smartphones

Amazon has said that it will be opening up its eBook catalogue to Android-based smartphone owners in a bid to expand into new markets and a new Kindle app will be ported to the platform.

Amazon already sells stand-alone Kindle devices which are intended to excel as eBook reading gadgets, but it has already created an app for the iPhone which enables Kindle content to be accessed by mobile users.

The Android version of the Kindle app will be more impressive than its iPhone counterpart, largely because it will allow users to purchase eBooks directly from their phones, rather than requiring them to buy them on their Kindle or PC and then transfer them over.

With over half a million books available in the Kindle library and with new publications being added continuously, Android users will be able to access an almost limitless number of titles from the past and present. The Kindle app allows you to transfer books you have already purchased using the service over to your smartphone, so there is no need to make repeat purchases.

The Kindle Store is an ideal hub for fans of literature, as it lets them peruse the latest releases, download classic books that are out of copyright free of charge and even check out reader reviews and submit their own musings on a book that they have enjoyed – or not!

The Android version of the Kindle app has been optimised for the platform, complete with intuitive touchscreen controls and accelerometer sensitivity to automatically switch between landscape and portrait orientation.

UK iPad launch date confirmed

Apple has finally committed to an official release date for the iPad for international customers, meaning that UK fans will be able to get their hands on a localised device in just a few weeks.

The iPad will be landing in the UK and many other international destinations on May 28th. It is possible to head to Apple’s online store and pre-order the two versions of the iPad from today (May 10th), so keen fans can get their name on the waiting list of what is sure to be one of the most in-demand gadgets of 2010.

Sales of the iPad in the US have vastly exceeded the predictions of many observers, with over a million sold. The booming app market is also getting another boost and there are well over a thousand apps that have been crafted exclusively for the iPad.

The international release date of May 28th will not see the iPad arriving everywhere, as folks in places such as the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand will have to wait until an unspecified point in July before they get Apple’s slate computer.

What makes the iPad special is its Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity, depending on the model, coupled with its intuitive interface, vast software library and ability to operate as an eBook reader. Detractors have criticised it for its lack of Flash player support and its shunning of USB peripheral connectivity, which makes it a little less versatile than netbooks in this respect.

One million iPads sold in month one

Apple has proved sceptics wrong and has managed to create yet another best selling gadget in the iPad, with one million of the devices flying from the shelves in its first month on sale.

The iPad was seen by many as a fairly odd device, offering what looked to be a much larger alternative to the iPhone, but consumers have clearly fallen for Apple’s uniquely beautiful aesthetic touches and user-friendly interface once again.

The iPad could well be the device that finally brings the concept of eBooks to a mainstream audience, as Apple claims that 1.5 million eBooks have already been downloaded by iPad users.

Unsurprisingly the application craze that started on the iPhone has shown no signs of slowing on the iPad, with 12 million apps downloading in the last 30 days alone.

When the iPhone launched in 2007 it took over two months for it to sell a million units, but the iPad has hit this magic number in less than half that time. The result is that Apple cannot supply enough iPads to meet demand.

The iPad has caused something of a renaissance in the tablet computer market. Every tech firm in the world seems to be planning a slim, slate-like PC and there are plenty of knock-off copies of the iPad doing the rounds if you know where to look.

Google’s Android is the operating system of choice for those who are looking to take on Apple at their own game and with native Flash support and far lower price tags, these tablet alternatives could entice some away from the iPad.

iPad Rival Revealed

The Gemini tablet PC from ICD is not going to arrive for a while yet, but on paper it has a specification that could see it wipe the floor with Apple’s new iPad.

The most obvious area of superiority is the display, which will be 11.2 inches across and capable of displaying full HD video, which is impressive considering its small size. This also suggests that the Tegra 2 processor that the Gemini houses is a capable powerhouse.

3G connectivity will be included as standard, which will allow for voice calls and data transfer. The Gemini will also have a forward facing 2 megapixel camera which can be used to chat via video link and there is an even more impressive 5 megapixel camera on the back for higher quality still shots.

Connectivity is rounded off with a GPS receiver, Wireless N capabilities and the latest Bluetooth. USB peripherals can be plugged in, which is a bonus. The basic onboard storage can be augmented with extra memory via an SD card.

The Gemini’s screen will use capacitive touch technology on the most expensive models, but a cheaper resistive version will be available, which will mean that multi-touch will only be accessible to some users.

Google’s Android OS is on board, which means that the Gemini will not only be competing with the iPad, but also with tablet PCs powered by Windows 7. The inclusion of Flash compatibility will be welcomed by many who have been put off the iPad by the lack of native support for this essential piece of software.

iPad sales soar

Apple’s iPad has only been on sale for a few days in the USA, but already the oversized iPhone has been flying off the shelves.

Apple has reported that more than 300,000 iPads were sold in the first 24 hours and since then many thousands more have been picked up.

There had been fears that the iPad would not be as big a seller as the iPhone, but the initial pre-orders and launch day sales from Apple’s premiere retail outlets have shown that there is still plenty of love out there amongst gadget-lovers and consumers for Steve Jobs and company.

Apple has also said that there have been over one million iPad apps downloaded since the weekend, which shows that the hunger for touch-friendly software is all but insatiable.

In the weeks running up to the iPad’s launch, some critics had claimed that the high cost of iPad apps compared to their iPhone equivalents would put off potential customers. Virtually identical apps were being given a 100 per cent price hike on the iPad, but it seems that this has not deterred the early adopters.

Initial sales from the iBooks store have also been strong and a quarter of a million eBooks have been downloaded since the iPad went on sale. This suggests that the iPad could easily edge out rival standalone eBook readers, such as Amazon’s Kindle, which has recently enjoyed a technical upgrade.

In the eyes of many, Apple can do no wrong and the initial response to the iPad has been generally positive. But there are a wide range of alternative tablet PCs in development offering consumers a broader choice in the longer term.

iPad ships in US

Apple’s latest uber-gadget has emerged in the USA and over in the UK every tech site and gadget-loving celebrity has been getting their hands on some import models.

When the iPad launched on Saturday, new owners were not just handed their device and shoved out the door. At Apple’s retail outlets they were helped to customise their iPad experience by staff. Particularly keen consumers could even take a seminar as to how to unlock the iPad’s potential.

There had been doubts that Apple could sell the iPad in the same numbers as the iPhone, but now the Wall Street Journal is reporting that up to five million could be sold worldwide in 2010. Apple is expecting to move every one of the first batch in any case.

Apple has worked hard to make sure that the iPad is not bereft of software from day one and there are now over 1000 exclusive apps that are compatible with the slender tablet PC.

The usual smattering of apps from various international agencies have been joined by Twitter apps and many others. There are also many games available and many more in development, with the latest predictions suggesting 40 per cent of iPad apps that are currently in development are going to be games.

In the US, the ABC network has announced that it will be launching a free iPad app that will allow streaming of its TV shows. This is certainly something that the BBC will need to look into, as iPlayer on an iPad would be the perfect marriage.

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