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e-Reader News
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Good e-Reader has been your definitive source for e-reader news since 2008. Find out the latest information about the Amazon Kindle, Rakuten Kobo, Remarkable, Onyx Boox, Pocketbook and many other brands.
The Fictionary provides spoiler free X-Ray experience
Fictionary currently works on e-ink Kindle devices,Kindle iOS apps (iPad/iPhone), and any software that can use the StarDict format such as the FBReader and Moon+ Reader Android Apps (requires ColorDict). Other e-reader such as the Nook do not allow easy switching to custom dictionaries either and store the dictionaries in a database format instead of an easier to create ebook format. I like the fact that unlike X-Ray, this system works across many different platforms.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 4 is sold out
Amazon has sold out of the 8GB and 32GB Kindle Paperwhite 4 e-reader in the United States. This has occured because the company discounted both models recently and it looks like enough people purchased one that the stock has utterly diplited. Both models will be replenished on December 25th, which means if you are looking for a last minute gift, it will not arrive in time for Christmas.
How long do you wait to upgrade an e-reader?
How long do you wait to upgrade an e-reader? Technology in E Ink devices tends to move at a glacial pace and some companies try to sell you on bigger screens, waterproofing, audio and a color temperature screen. These features are important and ditto with Android e-readers embracing quad-core and octa-core processors and more hardware specs than you can shake a stick at.
The best Android e-readers of 2018
Android e-readers have been around for the past four years and they initially had outdated version of the OS, which severely limited the number of apps that can be installed. Early models did not have an app store or Google Play and instead forced users to sideload in their own content, which was a tall order for newer users.
2018 has been the best year ever for Android e-readers. Energy Sistem is no longer making e-readers and Icarus went bankrupt. New contenders have risen to the top of the field and are pumping out a myriad of devices that have a higher version of Android, but also deadly hardware. Android Lite apps are paving the way for a great app experience. Visit goodereader for the full list.
Kobo e-readers now get Kobo Forma functionality
Kobo has just issued a new firmware update for their complete lineup of e-readers, and most of the functionality came from the new Kobo Forma. The Kobo firmware 4.12.12111 is compatible with the Kobo Touch, Kobo Glo, Kobo Glo HD, Kobo Touch 2.0, Kobo Aura, Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2, Kobo Aura ONE, Kobo Aura ONE Limited Edition, Kobo Aura Edition 2, Kobo Clara HD, and the Kobo Forma. It has not been released to the Kobo Mini The firmware will be pushed out to all e-readers in the next couple of days via WIFI.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 4 5.10.1.3 firmware out soon
Amazon is going to be releasing a new firmware update for the 10th generation Kindle, which is the Kindle Paperwhite 4. Within the next few days the 5.10.1.3 package will be pushed out via WIFI and it brings a slew of new features. Recommendations and tips will finally go live, this is a feature that Amazon was hyping when they first announced the e-reader. You will also be able to save your personalization and settings right from the main menu, instead of having to have an ebook open. Kindle Unlimited books can also be returned by long pressing on the title. The battery percentage will also be displayed as a numerical figure, to provide an indication on how much juice is remaining.
Onyx Boox Euclid 9.7 inch e-reader is now available
ONYX BOOX Euclid is Android 6.0 device with the 9.7 E Ink Carta having the MOON Light system, SNOW Field function and touch controlling. The given model can be the perfect choice for those who often have to read academic or technical literature. Its large and comfortable for the eyes display with lighting, a powerful quad-core 1.6GHz processor with 1GB of RAM are optimal tools for reading PDF and DjVu files. A built-in Wi-Fi module allows one to use the device for full Internet browsing and pre-installed Google Play greatly expands its functionality-it gives access to hundreds of thousands of third-party Android programs, including free ones. Low power consumption of E Ink displays and battery capacity of 3000 mAh provides up to a month of autonomous work. The BOOX allows the user to read documents in different world languages. Amongst them there are such languages as Russian, English, German, French, Spanish, Arabic, Swedish, Chinese, Japanese and many others.
Onyx Boox Poke Pro unboxing and review
The Poke PRO features 6 inch E-Ink Carta HD display with a resolution of 1072×1448 with 300 PPI. The screen is not flush with the bezel and has a small dip. This device has a front-lit display and color temperature system, to give a candlelight effect.
Underneath the hood is a quad-core 1.6GHz processor with 16GB of storage space and 2GB of RAM. The other big difference with the Pro model is that it is using Android 6.0, while the regular Poke has Android 4.4. It is powered by a 2500 mAh battery and also has USB-C and WIFI. This device has Bluetooth, which makes it compatible with audiobooks and music via wireless headphones or a stereo speaker.
There are no manual page turn buttons or an SD card to enhance the internal storage. This is a basic six inch e-reader that has really good specs, but the market is flooded with these type of devices.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 4 on sale for $99
Amazon has discounted the latest generation Paperwhite 4 in the United States. The regular price is $129.99 and it on sale for $99, which is a savings of $30. The 32GB version is also available for $119.99. This is the first time that Amazon has offered a great deal on the Kindle, since it was released in October.
Icarus is no longer making e-readers and the company has disappeared
Icarus is based in the Netherlands and has been developing e-readers since 2010. The Icarus brand belongs to Distriread, who first got their start by developing the iRex series of e-readers. It looks like the company has quietly gone out of business. Their website has been down for the past couple of weeks and they deleted their Facebook and Twitter page.
Over the course of the past 12 months many of the executives have all fled, including Roberto Damen who was the managing director of the company and organized all of their Indiegogo campaigns. Jeroen Breuer was tapped to replace Roberto, but he left the company a few months later. There are 13 people who have left the company lately and there are no current employees listed on Linkedin.
Is Bookeen in trouble?
Bookeen has been making e-readers since 2003 and has a long and storied history of developing unique products. In the past few months the company seems to be in trouble. Audrey Keszek has been responsible for Bookeens social media accounts since 2010 and recently left the company in August. A successor was hired, but so far he does not done any work. All of the products on the Bookeen online store are unavailable and the company has stated that they were victims of their own success and everything is out of stock. They recommend everyone buy things from other online companies such as Le Clerc.
Amazon Kindle for Android allows you to store ebooks on the SD card
The Amazon Kindle app for Android now allows users to store content on the SD card. This is useful if you have an extensive collection of large files, such as PDF files, cookbooks, comics or magazines. Once you have the new version of the app, simply go the settings menu and grant Kindle permission to write to your SD card and Kindle will prompt you to move all of the digital content over.
Remarkable unveils new accessories
Remarkable has just released a series of new carrying cases for their writing tablet. The first is a durable wool felt sleeve available in Rose Burgundy and Petrol Blue and retails for $99 If you feel like you need to dress up your device with a timeless and fashionable look that ages beautifully, you might be interested in the premium leather case that is available in Maple Brown and Graphite Black for $129. They also have polymer weave covers in Charcoal Grey and Coral Red and they are retailing for $79.99.
Good e-Reader is now an authorized dealer for Pocketbook
Pocketbook e-readers are now available from the Good e-Reader Store. People who live in Canada, United States or customers from all over the world can now purchase a myriad of e-readers. The models the store currently has stocked is the Pocketbook Aqua 2, Pocketbook Touch HD 2, Pocketbook Touch Lux 4, Pocketbook Basic Lux 2 and the InkPad 3.
Pocketbook has been developing e-readers since 2009 and their primarily market was Europe and Asia. They had no retail presence in North America, but this has all changed due to Good e-Reader becoming the sole distributor for these two markets. New orders will shipped out within 48 hours and tracking numbers will be provided.
Project Fiona – The Tale of the very first Kindle e-Reader
The Amazon Kindle is ubiquitous with the e-reader and enjoys tremendous brand name recognition. It has sold the most units worldwide over the past ten years than any other company and continues to dominate digital books in Canada, UK and the US. Initially the first Kindle was called project Fiona and it borrowed its design sensibilities from the Blackberry, which was mandated by CEO Jeff Bezos. This is the tale of how the very first Kindle got developed and what made it into the juggernaut that is today.
November 19 2007 was the day Jeff Bezos walked on stage at the W Hotel in Manhattan and unveiled the Kindle. There were around 100 journalists in attendance, a far cry from the media circuses that surrounded Apple products. Bezos stated that Amazon’s new device was the successor to the five-hundred-and-fifty-year-old invention of blacksmith Johannes Gutenberg, the movable-type printing press. “Why are books the last bastion of analog?” Bezos asked that day. “The question is, can you improve upon something as highly evolved and as well suited to its task as the book, and if so, how?”
“Instead of shopping on your PC, you shop on the device. The content is delivered seamlessly to the device. Normally you would do Wi-Fi. but you have to find a hotspot. We did not like this technology. decided to use EVDO. As soon as I tell you we are using EVDO that should cause a second set of concerns, because everybody knows there has to be a data plan and a monthly bill. We didn’t like that either. So we built Amazon WhisperNet. it is built on top of Sprint’s EVDO network, but we insulate you from all of those things. there is no data plan, no multi-year contract, no monthly bill. We take care of all that in the background, so you can just read.”
The Tale of Rocketbook – The very first e-reader
Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning created the very first e-reader in 1997, the Rocketbook. They were lifelong voracious readers and saw a future where everyone was reading digital books. A prototype was quickly developed and pitched to Jeff Bezos at Amazon, but they took a pass because the device needed to be plugged into a computer to download books. A few days later they took a meeting with Barnes and Noble and a deal was closed within a week, the bookseller owned 50% of the company. In the first year, 20,000 Rocketbook e-readers were sold. A few years later the e-reader was discontinued, this is the story of the first e-reader.
In 1997 the tech world was a very different place. The Palm Pilot reigned supreme and Blackberry hadn’t even released a phone yet. People had been reading PDF files and various other kinds of ebooks on their computers for years, but there was no handheld ebook reader on the market. This prompted Eberhard and Tarpenning to form a new company called NuvoMedia and try and get some investment capital to make something happen. Since even E-Ink wasn’t around yet, they had to use transflective LCD screen. The device weighed a little over a pound, heavy by today’s standards, but it could be held with one hand, like a paperback book, and its battery lasted twenty hours with the backlight on, which compares favorably to today’s mobile devices.
In the book by Brad Stone, the Everything Store, he talks about the following “In late 1997, the NuvoMedia founders and their lawyer took a Rocketbook prototype to Seattle and spent three weeks in negotiations with Bezos and his top executives. Bezos “was really intrigued by our device,” Eberhard says. “He understood that the display technology was finally good enough.”