10:26 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Some of us have already wondered what "Carta e-paper technology" is all about when Amazon unveiled the Paperwhite V2 yesterday. Well, here we have the answer, folks! Carta is the latest imaging film employed by E Ink for their e-paper screens. According to their website, Carta offers enhanced readability ("a dramatic 50% increase in contrast over earlier generations") and smoother page turns (supporting "the new Regal technology").

E Ink Carta specifications in detail:

• Imaging Component: E Ink Carta ePaper Display Film
• Contrast Ratio: 15:1 (min)
• White State: 74 (min)
• Dark State: 19 (max)
• Color Resolution (# Bits): 1-Bit (B&W);4-Bit (16 Gray Levels)
• % Reflectance: 44%
• Viewing Angle: Near 180°
• Image Update Time: 120 msec (1-Bit)
• Update Modes: Full & Partial Page Update, Pipelined
• Available Display Sizes: 1.44 to 13.3 in
• Display Modules: E Ink Mobius Flexible Display, as well as Glass TFT

Source: spec sheet (PDF)

Related: All-New Kindle Paperwhite V2 (accidentally) unveiled. So what's all new?

10:04 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Yet another patent application from Mountain View today. While the first one was related to adding sound triggers to e-books, which may not appeal to everyone, this application serves a more practical purpose: the synchronization of reading and listening locations between e-books and audiobooks.

While not granted (yet), the USPTO filing outlines an "e-book system" that would synchronize reading locations not only between e-books stored on different devices (perhaps even in different e-book formats), but also locations between audio/audio-video content and text content. For that purpose, the audio content is first transcoded into text and then compared to the original text version.

Oftentimes, e-books are available for consumption in a variety of different modes. For example, an e-book may be available in a traditional text-based version for consumption by reading, and also available in an audio book version for consumption by listening. The audio book version may be narrated by a human actor or other voiceover professional that reads the text with added nuance such as tone or inflection that enhances the enjoyment of the listener.

A user may desire to occasionally switch among the various consumption modes for an e-book. The user may read the text version of the e-book when relaxing at home, but desire to listen to the audio version of the e-book at other times, such as when the user is driving. However, switching among the consumption modes is difficult because the different versions of the e-book are independent. There is no easy way for the user to maintain the same reading/listening position between the text and audio versions of an e-book. Thus, the user must manually locate the correct position when switching consumption modes. This extra effort is time-consuming and detracts from the user's overall enjoyment of the e-book. [...]

The above-described and other issues are addressed by a computer-implemented method, computer-readable medium, and computer system for switching between synchronized consumption modes of an e-book.

Source: USPTO

08:54 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Next time you read Homer's Odyssey, don't be embarrassed if your e-reader suddenly outputs seductive songs, in particular when you're somewhere in the middle of the book where Odysseus approaches the island of the lovely Sirens. Google has applied to patent a system that plays sounds that are associated with a user's reading location within an e-book.

The above and other issues are addressed by a computer-implemented method, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer system for triggering sounds in an eBook. An embodiment of the method includes receiving trigger point information from a client. An eBook is analyzed to determine trigger point information for the eBook. The trigger point information includes information identifying a location of a trigger point in the eBook. The trigger point information also includes sound information indicating a sound to play at the trigger point. The determined trigger point information is transmitted to the client in response to the request for trigger point information. The client is configured to track a user's reading location in the eBook and play the sound indicated by the sound information responsive to the user reading the eBook at the location of the trigger point.

In one variety of the implementation it's the responsibility of a remote "sound server" with a "sound database", which is connected via WiFi or 3G to the reading device, providing sounds in response to specific trigger points. In another implementation, trigger points don't need to be specified individually in every book; rather, a book would receive a unique identifier and a client could access a remote trigger point database to fetch the related sound information.

The concept is simple enough that we wouldn't be surprised to find it in future reading apps.

06:46 AM by Katsunami in E-Book General | General Discussions

The one thing I always see with regard to new e-readers is that people want the software to do specific things. One e-reader can have 20 custom fonts, the other has 20 settings for margins, while a third has 15 settings for line height. That sort of stuff. No reader has everything.

I've read that there are some nice reading applications for tablets, and that some people prefer a tablet for readin because of the choice of apps and their customizability.

Let's say, a manufacturer would do something like this:

• Create a line of e-readers: 5 inch, 6 inch, 7 inch, and 9.7 inch.
• Capacitive touch screen
• Front light, 30 settings, from completely off to as bright as a tablet.
• The reader has back/forward-buttons, but with a twist. You get 2 faceplates: one completely out of plastic, hiding the buttons, and a face plate that allows you to press them. (Rubber at the button positions, a clicking mechanism, whatever.)
• NO internal memory. Nothing, zilch. BUT, it will accept SDXC cards up to 2TB.

But most important:

It will run a completely stripped down version of Android, but you won't ever see the operating system. The reader itself would only provide the utter minimal stuff: WIFI connection, handling the front-light, setting page flash (between 0-10); basically, make the hardware usable. (Isn't that what an OS is supposed to do?) Everything, and I mean *EVERYTHING* related to reading would be left to the applications, from choosing reading fonts up to Facebook/GoodReads integration.

The manufacturer of the reader will have a marketplace, but with only one type of applications: reading apps. Anything else is not allowed. Comics, books, PDF's, an internet browser, etc... whatever. People who have a reading app in the Android store could probably port it quite quickly to the e-reader.

Not all reading applications may be free, and some could cost up to $10. The manufacturer itself will have a free reading application in the market, comparable to what a Kindle Paperwhite has to offer now; it won't be installed by default.

If you have only one reading application installed, it will start by default when booting the reader; if you have more than one installed, you can choose which one to start by default, or start none and present you with a choice when starting the device. This way, you could be reading a book in one application, and read a PDF in another.

Of course, this would be a high-end device, with a high-end price: the price will be between $150 and $300 depending on the size.

Would you buy this "Uber E-Reader"?

(People might say: But this is just an e-ink tablet, stripped of everything except a market to install reading applications? Yeah, you'd basically be right. That's why it's an Uber E-Reader, and not a generic tablet.)

06:39 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Time magazine editor Harry McCracken had a chance to give the new Kindle Paperwhite V2 a spin. His verdict: that it's an "ultra-refined version of what was already the most refined product in its category."

On the hardware side, McCracken experienced that the built-in light works indeed better than in the previous Paperwhite, without the unevenness of the light along the bottom edge of the screen. He cites Amazon saying that the flashing effect while flipping pages is reduced to "as rarely as once per chapter". Unfortunately he doesn't say whether he can confirm this statement in his hands-on test. He does confirm though that the touch screen is more responsive when opening books, turning pages, and performing other touch tasks.

Software-wise, he mentions what we've already learned, the Smart Lookup via X-Ray feature allowing you to learn more about the books that you are reading, the Vocabulary Builder that lets you review previously looked-up words, and the new Kindle Page Flip, easing the process of skimming through the book:

A neat new navigational option lets you scrub backwards and forwards in a book to see other pages without leaving the one you’re on. That’s the closest thing I’ve seen yet to a digital equivalent of one of the most pleasing things about paper publications: how easily they let you flip back and forth between two places. Footnotes also pop up in place now on the page they reference rather than forcing you to bop around.

What's not yet available in the current firmware is the Kindle FreeTime feature, allowing extra restricted profiles for your kids, and the GoodReads integration. Both features McCracken said are aimed to become available in a firmware upgrade by Thanksgiving.

Owners of the first Paperwhite can rejoice, as at least some of the new software features may come to your device as well:

And current Paperwhite owners who do covet the new model’s goodies may eventually get some of them: Amazon says that it hopes to release a software update for the original model, giving it new features that aren’t contingent on the latest model’s upgraded hardware and faster processor.

Related: All-New Kindle Paperwhite V2 (accidentally) unveiled. So what's all new?

05:46 AM by Mort1997 in E-Book Readers | Barnes & Noble NOOK

The HD is selling for £79 for the 8GB and £99 for the 16GB

The HD+ is selling for £129 for the 16GB and £149. I have both and they are lovely to use.

http://uk.nook.com/

03:17 PM by tubemonkey in E-Book General | News

No Key Lime Pie?

The tech giant, which is known for nick-naming its Android mobile operating systems for smartphones and tablets after desserts, has for the first time chosen a brand-name candy for version 4.4 that’s expected to launch this fall: Kit Kat, the chocolate candy bar with the well-known “Gimme a Break” jingle. Kit Kat packaging will show Android’s green robot mascot breaking a Kit Kat bar.

Link: Google names new Android operating system after chocolate bar (The Washington Post)

03:12 PM by avantman42 in E-Book General | News

Amazon have announced Kindle MatchBook, which will launch in October. If you've bought a paper book from Amazon at any time, and the Kindle book is enrolled in the Matchbook program, you'll be able to get the Kindle version $2.99, $1.99, $0.99, or free (price is set by the publisher).

I believe this is something that has been frequently requested by MobileRead users.

Press release

Kindle MatchBook website