Well, it seemed like Amazon had finally moved on from its large-format Kindle DX e-reader last fall, but it turns out that was only a brief hiatus. As spotted by The Digital Reader late last month, the circa-2010 device is now available to order once again for $299. Amazon itself isn't offering much indication as to how long it will remain available this time, though, saying only in a statement that "our website lists the most up to date availability for all products," and adding that "we're excited to offer customers this option."

Filed under: Amazon

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Via: The Verge, The Digital Reader

Source: Amazon

Sure, tablets and cameras discounted on the regular in our twice weekly roundup, but today an A/V system sees the big price drop. A Denon AVR-1613 receiver and Harmon Kardon HKTS 16 speaker bundle is reduced by over 50% with the aid of a simple discount code. All of the particulars, and the rest of the list, await on the other side of the break.

Filed under: Cameras, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video, Tablets

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Source: Slickdeals

Hardbound books, apparently, are soooo 20th century -- at least for the upcoming BiblioTech library in San Antonio, Texas' south side. When the shiny, new public library opens its doors to bookworms this fall, visitors will notice something important missing: actual books. Instead, the facility will be serving up ebooks -- about 10,000 digital titles or so -- in an attempt to supplement the area's traditional library system with some new-school cool. To help users partake in its content, BiblioTech will also carry actual e-readers for users to check out. Footage of the media event shows what appears to be a Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch as the facility's e-reader of choice. Checked-out ebooks are also programmed to be accessible by the borrower for a two-week period. Going the digital route has certainly been a growing trend -- 3M recently launched a Cloud Library lending service while one Austrian town kicked off its own unique e-book repository based on stickers equipped with QR codes and NFC chips. As ongoing issues involving Penguin show, however, digital lending sadly still has some hurdles to overcome.

UPDATE: A spokesperson for Bexar County says that the Nook featured in the event was just a prop and not the e-reader of choice for the project. A request for proposals is now before the Commissioners Court and is awaiting approval on Jan. 15. The project will be going through a public bidding process to procure its e-readers.

Filed under: Misc, Alt

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Via: Gizmodo

Source: San Antonio Express-News

Still have an old Kindle Touch sitting around? You have some new features to play with. Despite replacing it with a brighter son, Amazon is still updating its original touch sensitive e-reader -- outfitting it with a new UI, enhanced parental controls and Whispersync for Voice, which shares bookmarks between audio and text versions of the same digital tome. Amazon's improved the Kindle Touch shopping experience too, adding recommended content offers to users and remembering where they left off in a sample after they purchase the full text. Finally, the company injected the Kindle Touch with better comic and graphic novel navigation -- allowing readers to view their funnybooks panel by panel, rather than by the full page alone. The update will be delivered wirelessly, though users that fancy their USB cable can install the new features the old fashioned way. Check out Amazon's "what's new with Kindle Touch" page for a run down of the update's features.

Filed under: Amazon

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Via: Verge

Source: Amazon

Though lacking the social import of gay marriage or marijuana legalization, the issue of mobile device use on airplanes is heating up again. Now government agencies appear to be bickering about it. The FCC sent the FAA a letter telling it to get off the lavatory and revise the rules. What most people don't realize is the FAA doesn't make the rules, and it was the FCC that banned cell phone use in particular.

In the meantime, both casual and frequent flyers are frothing over whether passengers should be permitted to use their devices during takeoff and landing. Arguments on both sides range from sensible to preposterous. The science is murky and the research takes too long. And while the FAA is profoundly irresolute about whether or not there is any real danger in using personal devices on a plane, the agency is probably not sufficiently motivated to create change.

Filed under: Misc, Tablets, Transportation, Wireless, Apple

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Barnes & Noble recently took the wraps of two new tablets, updating its range (along with everyone else it seems) in preparation for next year. That doesn't mean it's washed its hands of the OG Nook tablet and Nook Color -- in fact, both just got another price cut. Starting tomorrow, you'll be able to pick up the original 8GB tablet for $159, the 16GB version for $179 and the Nook Color for $139. With two price cuts in three months, anyone would think it was trying to get rid of stock. This still puts last year's lower capacity model shoulder-to-shoulder with Amazon's 2012 Kindle Fire (with ad subsidies), but with Christmas just around the corner, we're not complaining about more choice for less dollars.

Filed under: Tablets

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iDevice owners in New Zealand and 17 Latin American countries are no longer restricted to a diet composed of free content when it comes to their respective iBookstores. A quick search of the storefronts will reveal virtual shelves stocked with paid-content that haven't yet found their way to the shops' homepages. Reside in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru or Venezuela? Head on over to the appropriate store and books with price tags will be available for purchase. If this is any sign of what Apple has up its sleeve for tomorrow, we suspect that "a little more" will involve a bit of reading.

Filed under: Tablets

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Via: TUAW

Source: MacRumors, Blog do iPhone

Individual Kindle users already have Whispernet, and Amazon has now announced another free service designed to make Kindles easier to manage for large organizations. Dubbed Whispercast, the service will let schools, businesses and other groups both distribute and manage the Kindles themselves and also distribute content to the devices. That includes the ability to control internet access on the devices (blocking the Twitter and Facebook integration, for instance), and the ability to distribute Kindle books and other documents to specific groups or classes. Amazon also says that it will "soon" include the ability to distribute apps to Kindle Fire tablets, as well an option for folks to bring their own device and add it to the network. Those interested can sign up for the service immediately at the source link below.

Filed under: Tablets

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Source: Amazon Whispercast

Amazon makes a pretty good case for its Kindle Fire HD and Paperwhite with prices as low as $199 and $119 respectively, but it turns out there's more at work than just special offers to keep them affordable. In an interview with the BBC, the company's head honcho Jeff Bezos revealed that they can keep the price tags reasonable since they don't turn a profit on the devices. "Basically, we sell the hardware at our cost, so it is break even on the hardware," Bezos said. "We're not trying to make money on the hardware." Instead, Amazon banks on making a buck when owners of the slates and e-readers purchase books, movies, games and other content through their digital storefront. This doesn't exactly come as a surprise, but we're glad that Jeff's confirmed our suspicions.

Filed under: Tablets, Amazon

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Source: BBC

We've seen some cheap e-readers in our day. Heck, even the big boys are practically giving the things away. But, we've never seen anything quite like the Txtr Beagle. The latest creation from German company Txtr is expected to sell for under €10 or about $13 when it hits the market, hopefully sometime before the holiday season. Obviously, for such a low price, you're not getting a lot of bells and whistles here. There's no touchscreen, no backlight, no 3G -- not even WiFi is baked into the impossibly thin 5mm body. The screen is only five inches but, if the promotional video (after the break) is to be believed, it offers a more enjoyable experience than reading an iPad or talking to your significant other. What is inside this barebones device is 4GB of storage and a Bluetooth radio which, when paired with your phone, can transfer ebooks from your mobile to the Beagle using the free Txtr app (available for Android 4.0 with an iOS version is in the works). Instead of an expensive rechargable cell, power is provided by a trio of AAA batteries, which the company claims will last you up to a year of regular reading. Almost as interesting as the device itself, is the model being used to keep the costs down. Txtr is positioning it not as a standalone e-reader, but as a smartphone accessory it hopes that carriers will offer with a small subsidy. The company's chief commercial officer Thomas Leliveld has said that work is underway to get AT&T and Sprint on board, but that talks are still ongoing with providers. Complete PR awaits you after the break.

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Via: Mobile Geeks

Source: Digital Reader, Txtr

Now that you've been fully acquainted with Amazon's new Kindle Paperwhite, perhaps it's time to get to know it on a deeper level -- and what better than a tear-down to do just that? The folks over at Powerbook Medic took their own unit apart piece by piece on video, highlighting what appears to be a simple process, mostly done by dealing with screws. The trickiest part seems to be pulling off the bezel, as it's held in place with glue. Unfortunately, the repair shop doesn't analyze the e-reader's internal components in the iFixit fashion, but it has gone full-circle and provided a second video on how to put it all back together. Curious to see this Kindle's e-ink-filled guts? You'll find both videos after the break.

Filed under: Amazon

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If you're an avid tinkerer who managed to secure a Kindle Paperwhite before they sold out, then we have some news that may well brighten up your day. A jailbreak based off of the hack for the Kindle Touch has been developed for Amazon's new e-reader and is now available for fearless Paperwhite owners. If you're up to the task, your bravery will award you some elite features which include: using your device as a weather station display and serial terminal access with Raspberry Pi systems. If all of this sounds like a fun weekend project waiting to happen, head on over to source link for step by step instructions.

Filed under: Amazon

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Via: SlashGear

Source: MobileRead forums

The Nook's $20 price drop is more than the whim of a few major retailers -- it's Barnes & Noble's new MSRP. Following Walmart and Target's recent discounts, the company's own website is now listing the glowing e-reader at its new $119 price. The reduction is almost assuredly in preparation for Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite, as B&N's announcement makes a point of bragging about the Simple Touch with Glowlight's included AC adapter and aversion to built-in ads. See the punchy press release for yourself after the break.

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Source: Barnes & Noble

If you had your heart set on a Kindle Fire, Fire HD 7 or Reader, you can now plunk down your plastic and receive one as fast as your shipper can wheel it over. The 1,280 x 800 Fire HD 7-inch model, which we recently put through the wringer, is available in a 16GB version for $199, and Amazon says the 32GB version will arrive October 25th. As we noted, it carries a new dual-band WiFi system for greater surfing speed, dual speakers, a front HD camera and a TI-made dual-core ARM Cortex A-9 processor. The updated Kindle Fire can be had as well for $159, with double the RAM of the last version, a new processor and a bigger battery. Finally, the new Kindle Reader is also up for grabs at an ad-supported cost of $69, while the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD should be along in November at $299 ($499 for a 4G version). So, if you're already looking ahead to a certain holiday, check the sources to see how to get one.

Filed under: Tablets

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Source: Amazon (1), (2), (3)

It's a big day in the world of e-books, and not just for the crew at Amazon. Today, Judge Denise Cote approved settlement terms for three of the publishers accused by the Justice Department of price fixing. Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins each agreed to settle with the government, rather than face trial -- as Apple, Macmillian and Penguin Group will do in June of 2013. As part of the settlement agreement, each of the publishers will be required to terminate their contracts with Apple within one week. Similarly, they will be required to end contracts with other e-book retailers where clauses exist that would hinder the seller's ability to set pricing. Further, the settling companies won't be able to form contracts for the next two years with e-book retailers that would hinder the seller's discretion to set pricing.

During the settlement approval period, individuals and companies alike were given 60 days to weigh in on the matter, which included objections from the American Booksellers Association, the Authors Guild and Barnes & Noble. Ultimately, Judge Cote determined that arguments against the settlement were "insufficient" to block the approval.

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Source: The New York Times

Barnes & Noble has continued its quest to stock the shelves of United Kingdom bookstores with Nooks, by adding Argos, Blackwell's and Foyles to the list of where you can get one. Those retailers will join John Lewis in carrying the Nook Simple Touch and its Glow Light-toting cousin, giving UK'ers nearly a thousand bricks and mortar sites to get one -- including bookstores at 55 colleges and universities. Those locations will join Barnes & Nobles recently launched online website in selling the e-readers -- but if you like to Touch before buying, the PR is after the break.

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Been holding out on that Kindle Fire purchase because you just can't wean yourself off the eye-friendly e-ink? Well, this patent application from the folk at Amazon suggests this is something they're not unaware of. The patent outlines a device incorporating two or more displays, one being static in nature (a-la e-ink) and the other more suitable for video (that'd be LCD or OLED etc). If you're thinking this sounds like a fast route to flat-battery town, the patent argues to the contrary. The static display would save power by offloading the workload from the LCD, when its slow moving nature was more suitable to the content. Will we see something like this popping up next week? One can but dream.

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Source: USPTO

Amazon's Appstore has been doing brisk business stateside, and is now ready to sell its wares to Europeans in Germany, France, Italy, the UK and Spain. If you sign up, you'll be able to create reviews and make one-click payments, and will have access to a huge library of apps from top-tier brands, as well as localized content. The company said purchases can be used "across a customer's Android devices," which will let you buy an app once, and use it on any of your tablets or smartphones that support the OS. If you'd like to check it out, or get one of Amazon's Free Apps of the Day, check the PR for all the details.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets

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Amazon Publishing is continuing to broaden its distribution channels, as the New York-based imprint has formed a partnership with Ingram Content Group that will make the company's e-books available to competitors such as Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. As you may be aware, there's some uneasy tension between the rivals, as Barnes & Noble has previously removed Amazon's print editions from its retail shelves in response to the company's former e-book exclusivity in the Kindle Store. It remains unknown whether any of the competitors will indeed choose to sell Amazon's content in electronic form. It's also worth pointing out that because deal applies only to Amazon Publishing's New York-based imprint, the company's west coast division is excluded from the distribution deal. Regardless of how things shake out, it's encouraging to see Amazon extend the olive branch -- now let's hope the competition reciprocates.

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Source: PaidContent

In the market for a new e-reader? One could certainly do worse than Sony's Reader line. The company's been packing features onto its devices, and the already leaked latest entry is no different, with upgrades over its predecessor, packed into a newly redesigned body with bigger, better looking buttons. Sony's promised more intuitive touch with the Reader PRS-T2, smoother zooming and improved page turning, this time out. On the sharing side of things, Evernote functionality joins the fray here, letting users save their favorite passages to the service. Users can also post passages from books, along with corresponding covers and other identifying information to Facebook, if you're the sort who loves to share such literary info. On the store side of things, Sony's offering up browser-based account access now, so when users buy books on their desktop, they'll get pushed to the reader.

The PRS-T2 offers up 2GB of storage, two English and four translation dictionaries (though, contrary to its name, doesn't do so in an Austrian accent), two months of battery life (WiFi off) and the customary six-inch Pearl E-Ink display for $129. Oh, and Sony's also throwing in a free copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, for good measure. The PRS-T2 starts shipping today. More information on the subject can be found after the break.

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When internet mega retailer Amazon kicked off its fiscal year this past spring with $13.8 billion in net sales, the prognosis for the quarter ahead was dour, to say the least. At the time, the company projected its Q2 2012 performance would see an operating loss of $40 million to $260 million versus Q2 2011, as well as a slight down tick in revenue at $11.9 billion to $13.3 billion quarter to quarter. Well, the numbers are in and it looks like the forecast was right on the money. The Seattle-based outfit posted $7 million in net income for the quarter, a year over year loss amounting to a whopping 96 percent decrease. As for net sales, that picture's a bit rosier given the 29 percent increase over Q2 2011 that saw the Bezos-backed co. pull in $12.83 billion -- a figure that would have risen to 32 percent were it not for a $272 million hit due to "changes in foreign exchange rates[.]" Operating cash flow for Q2 2012 was down by nearly half at $107MM compared to the same segment last year.

Unsurprisingly, the company's budget Kindle Fire tab -- which has enjoyed relatively weak competition up to now -- is still the number one item across Amazon's site, with titles in its Lending Library growing to over 170,000. Bezos also made note of Prime's growth, pegging that subscription offering's catalog of items at 15 million and highlighting the addition of 18,000 movies and TV shows to its streaming service.

As for the future, the company expects Q3 net sales to grow by at least 19 percent year-over-year, landing somewhere between $12.9 billion and $14.3 billion, with a projected operating loss of $50 million to $350 million. Hit up the PR after the break for the full load of financial highs and lows.

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Sad news for global freeloaders travellers looking to keep up with Gmail and Twitter on their Amazon e-reader. The online book seller has started closing in on excessive free web browsing, policing a 50MB data limit on its keyboard Kindle iterations. According to users on MobileRead, you'll still be able to browse Amazon's Kindle store and Wikipedia, but anything beyond that gets locked down. After some further investigation, it looks like Amazon added a provision outlining the data limits on its site, dated around July 1st. It stipulating that users "may be limited to 50MB of browsing over 3G per month." The data cap only applies to older Kindle versions, including the Kindle Keyboard and Kindle DX. If you've got Amazon's latest e-reader hardware, then you're not missing anything -- the free web browsing option was sidestepped on the likes of the Kindle Touch.

Filed under: Internet

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eBook enthusiasts love some good quadricopter action as much as anyone, and now those with a Nook Tablet can get in on flying the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 that launched this May. Today Barnes & Noble announced that the AR.FreeFlight 2.0 app is available for a free download in its Nook Store. The program lets owners of the RC copter control the device over WiFi. Users can capture photos and videos with the Drone 2.0's embedded cameras and share them via the app or YouTube and Picassa, and double-tapping the button of the right side of the Nook makes the Drone 2.0 perform flips. The $299 AR.Drone 2.0 is available through B&N's site -- get more info in the PR below.

Filed under: Misc, Software

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It's been quite some time since we've heard from Improv Electronics, maker of writing tablets such as the Boogie Board Rip. The company was on hand at CEA today to tease its latest device, the Boogie Board Jot, which like the Rip sports a reflex LCD display that doesn't require power to record your scribbles. In fact, the device only uses energy when you hit the eraser button, which means the battery should get you through some 50,000 erases.

Unlike the Rip, this model has no on-board storage, which explains the cheaper $40 price. Another new feature is the redesigned stylus, which acts as a stand for the device when docked in the onboard slot. Improv Electronics will launch the Jot in September, but you can catch some of those back-to-school vibes in our hands-on video below the break.

Gallery: BoogieBoard Jot LCD eWriter

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The Justice Department meant business when it accused Apple and five other publishers of price-rigging e-books, and are officially taking Cupertino and two publishers to court. In a hearing on Friday, Judge Denise Cote set a bench trial for June 3, 2013, putting Apple, Macmillan and Penguin Group on the defense. The government's allegations focus largely on agency pricing, which sees booksellers taking a 30 percent cut of each sale in lieu of buying the books at wholesale and setting their own prices. Apple and Macmillan have already denied the Justice Department's claims, of course -- but that wasn't on the stand, was it?

Filed under: Tablets

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Source: Reuters