The Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight is a unique concept and allows you to read in the dark. It features the light emitting from the side of the unit rather than from a film on the screen. This allows you to really take advantage of the e-ink experience and you won’t suffer from eye strain like you would from an LCD tablet. Is this technology the future in e-readers?
Amazon was rumored to have been developing a similar technology to go into the next generation of Kindles, but it has yet to be released. The company had even purchased a company, Oy Modilis, that prides itself as a world leader in light-guide technology. The acquisition was completed in the latter half of 2011. Barnes and Noble will beat them to the market with their version of the Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight.
One of the drawbacks of e-readers right now is that you need heavy environmental light or to read outside. E-Ink currently does not let you read the screen in the dark unless you purchase an aftermarket book light. Is technology like Flex Lighting the future of e-readers and can we expect more devices to utilize this?
Sony is expected to release a new e-reader in October and Amazon will be releasing new models this summer. I would hope that the next generation of e-reader recognizes the fact that tablets are dominating the landscape and need a new gimmick in order to continue doing brisk business.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
