Google have just announced the opening of their US digital book store. Originally thought to be called Google Editions, the search giants have instead opted for Google eBooks as its name.

The platform will go head to head with the likes of Amazon by offering DRM-free books, not restricted by device licenses. The long-planned move follows Google's ongoing desire to digitise every book ever published.

"With Google eBooks, readers can discover and buy books from the Google eBookstore or get them from one of our independent bookseller partners," said Google Books product manager Abraham Murray."Whether you buy a Google eBook from Google or from an online bookseller, they are all stored in your online library."

What will set Google eBooks apart however is that they are device-agnostic. Stored on the web, you'll be able to read any books you buy from Google online through a reader and browser, on a smartphone, or on a dedicated eReader device or tablet.

"With Google eBooks, you can read books on devices from laptops to netbooks to tablets to smartphones to e-readers. Using the new Google eBooks Web Reader, you can buy, store and read Google eBooks in the cloud. That means you can access your ebooks like you would messages in Gmail -- using a free, password-protected Google account with unlimited ebooks storage. Being able to access your books from anywhere means that it doesn't matter what device you're using."

No word yet on when the service will launch in the UK, but Q1 2011 probably wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Google's long awaited Google Editions could launch as soon as this month.

There has been talk of Google entering the e-book business since 2009, but has continually been delayed, until now. Editions will allow customers to purchase books that they find through not only Google's Book Search but throughout the internet. In other words customers will be able to purchase books directly from Google in addition to several online retailers including a number of independent stores. From there, users will be able to store their books in an online library that is linked to your google account.

What will give Editions it competitive advantage over more established retailers like Amazon, is the fact that users will be able to access their books through phones, tablets, and web browsers. As Kindle owners will know you are only allowed to download e-books from Amazon.com. Editions will allow anyone to read anything on the device of their choosing. So despite being a late comer to the e-book industry, Editions has a huge advantage, as their technology is not dependant on specific devices.

Google has also been hard at work signing deals with a number of major publishers, meaning that Editions is going to be able to offer hundreds of thousands of e-books to users and likely millions more for free. This should position Editions as the largest e-book store right from day one.

Editions hopes to cater to independent publishers as well. One way the plan on doing this is when you come across a book recommendation on a blog or website, it will point readers to Google Editions to purchase it, and share revenue with Google. Another program they hope will interest independent publishers is allowing booksellers to sell Google Editions e-books from their websites and share revenue with Google. In other words, Google wants to turn every place where books are talked about online, a place where consumers can potentially purchase that book.

With pricing expected to be similar to books found on Amazon and other competitors, it will be interesting to see what impact Editions will have on the e-book industry.

Bookeen have just launched a brand new e-reader device with which to get your Dickens-to-Descartes fix with called the Cybook Orizon. But what (apart from it's mad sci-fi sounding name) sets it apart from the competition?

Well for starters, it's packing in a multi-touch capable screen, equipped with a non-glare finish to make it easy on the eye during long reading sessions. Though we've yet to seen it in action, we're told that the Wi-Fi equipped Cybook Orizon also has a full web-browser built in, which, when combined with the multi-touch screen controls, could give it an edge.

Pinch to zoom and page turn controls also benefit from the touch screen, with an intuitive font resizing function included. Formt support includes Adobe ePUB/PDF (with or without DRM), TXT and HTML files as well as grayscale JPEG, GIF and PNG images.

Size wise it's nifty too, weighing just 245 grams and just 7.6mm at its thickest point, which Booken claim makes it the thinnest e-reader in the world.

Available in black or white, you can pick one up now for £189.99. Click here for more details.

Amazon have announced that they will be bringing their Kindle e-book reading smarts to RIM's just announced BlackBerry Playbook tablet.

"Amazon.com today announced that it will launch a Kindle app for the new BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer", the company said in a statement.

"We're very excited to add the new BlackBerry PlayBook to that list. As with our other Kindle apps, the BlackBerry PlayBook app will be free and will incorporate our WhisperSync technology so you can seamlessly switch between devices. Our vision is 'Buy Once, Read Everywhere'", said Dorothy Nicholls, Director, Amazon Kindle.

The Kindle's "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" slogan means that once a customer bought a book using the Amazon platform, they can read it and sync bookmarks across any compatible device of their choosing, be that an iPad, Kindle reader, smartphone or now RIM's tablet.

The app will be available from launch with the new tablet.

It's also looking as though the BlackBerry PlayBook will be getting video calling too. A 3MP front facing camera is a perfect fit for such a feature, while a press-shot showing a picture-in-picture image of a father and his son on the device seems to confirm that RIM are planning some sort of FaceTime-like service.

If that were the case, RIM would be able to tap into some 35 million users of their BlackBerry Messenger service, a number that significantly overshadows users of Apple's FaceTime app.

Tech Digest today met up with Omar Gurhan, category manager for Sony's range of Reader devices. He talks us through their 2010 line-up in the above video, giving all the details on the latest improvements to their Touch and Pocket Readers.

With improved anti-glare e-ink screens, touchscreen controls added to the Pocket devices and improved dictionary support, the new line of Readers are looking none too shabby.

Click here for our initial hands-on impressions of the e-readers.

Sony have today been showing off their updated range of ereader devices. Both the Pocket and Touch Reader devices have been given a once-over, with revamped touchscreens on both models, as well as smaller and lighter builds. Tech Digest went hands-on with both devices this morning. Read on for our initial impressions, and scroll down for some photos of the gear.

Apart from the sizing differences (the Touch features a 6 inch display whilst the Pocket sports a 5 incher) there's not too much to separate the two Readers. Both use e-ink optical touch screens at 800x600 resolutions, making it far easier to navigate your library than the button-heavy Kindle. Finger swipes are all that's needed to turn pages and flick through settings, though a stylus is included with both the Touch and Pocket. Glare whilst reading in direct sunlight has also been reduced across both units, whilst contrast performance has also been improved, with sixteen levels of greyscale available.

Top of the list of new features is a rather nifty dictionary function. Double-tap any word on the devices and you'll be brought straight to its Oxford English Dictionary definition, as well as translation dictionaries for 5 major European languages.

There's also a new sketchbook application to go along with the note and highlighting functions. Though both the Touch and Reader are running on the same chip, we found the Touch to be a little bit more responsive when taking notes and sketching. Our input seemed instantaneous on the Touch, whilst there was a little lag when using the Pocket edition.

2GB of storage is on-board for each, enough for around 1,200 books, and the Touch edition also features memory expansion through Memory Card and SD, useful if you're thinking of making heavy use of the MP3 and AAC playback features. PDF support has been improved with intelligent scaling now added. A single battery charge should last for around 3 weeks, or 10,000 page turns.

Sony have also smartly teamed up with Google to offer a link through the Reader website with which to download any number of the 500,000 Reader-compatible books that the search giants have digitised, giving every owner instant access to a vast personal library without having to spend a penny. Likewise, digital books can be downloaded from your local library through their websites, which will automatically return themselves once your loan period is up.

Lightweight, comfortable, and most importantly, very readable, the Readers are looking pretty good. Though the Kindle's screen may still be a little less reflective, the touchscreen controls look set to put Sony's gear at the top of the e-reader pile.

Due in shops on September 17th, pricing has yet to be confirmed, though you're looking at around £100 for the Pocket and £150 roughly for the Touch. We'll have a full review soon, but for now, feast your eyes on the hands-on pics below.

21 years in the making, and with at least another decade's left of work for the team of 80 odd lexicographers working on it, compiling the next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary is a pretty mammoth undertaking, to say the least.

However, readers hoping to pick up the stalwart reference manual upon its eventual release in a traditional paper copy had best brace themselves for disappointment. By the looks of things, the Oxford English Dictionary is going all digital.

"The print dictionary market is just disappearing, it is falling away by tens of per cent a year," Nigel Portwood, the chief executive of OUP, said. When asked if he thought the third edition would get a physical, bound version, he added: "I don't think so."

On the one hand, I'm all for the OED going digital-only. It's always been a hefty old tome, with the last edition available across 20 volumes. There's definitely a forest somewhere breathing a huge sigh of relief, and being able to carry it around weightlessly in a digital, type-to-search format will make it all the more convenient.

However, nothing really screams "I'm ridiculously, impressively intelligent" than a three-foot thick stack of reference books, and the thought that we may never get to flick through a dog-eared, musty old copy in the local library ever again actually brings a tear to my eye.

Via: The Telegraph

Apple's iPad may have an app for everything, but in a straight up fight with the Amazon Kindle in the eBook stakes, it just cant cut it.

That was the finding of new research by One News Page, who asked 1,000 UK and US readers which device they would prefer flicking through their digital novels on.

Almost two-thirds (64%) of those surveyed said they'd rather read on the Kindle than the iPad, even though the majority of those questioned said that they found the iPad "more compelling" thanks to its multi-functionality.

"The e-book has come of age.  The Kindle has built a strong position as a specialist e-reader. Its new version is considerably cheaper and lighter than the iPad, which may explain why two thirds of our users preferred it to the iPad as an e-reader," said Dr Marc Pinter-Krainer, CEO of One News Page.
 
"That said, it's clear the iPad as an e-book platform is already giving Amazon a stiff challenge and there's everything to play for as Apple only launched the iPad in March this year."

If digital eBooks aren't your thing, don't worry, you're not alone. 730 of the 1000 people questioned said that they still see a place for physical books on their shelves at home.

While eReader's sit in a somewhat precarious position now that the tablet onslaught is in full swing, that hasn't stopped Elonex from marching ahead with their latest colour eBook reader, the 500EB.

Darren Smith from Elonex talks us through the device in the video above.

As well as extensive book file format support, the , the 500EB also featured MP3 playback whilst reading, as well as 720p video capabilities.

Robust and affordable at £99, our main concern lies with the 500EB's screen. It was pretty reflective for an eReader, and though it packs in TFT colour smarts, they appeared a little washed out during our brief time with the device.

Click here for more IFA 2010 related news

Plastic Logic have announced that their Que ProReader device will no longer be making it's way out of the development stages, after previously having wowed the crowds at this year's CES 2010 conference.

An unusually large e-reader at 10.7 inches in size, it had been developed with newspapers in mind, as well as business-orientated features such as PDF and Office document editing.

"We recognize the market has dramatically changed, and with the product delays we have experienced, it no longer make sense for us to move forward with our first generation electronic reading product. This was a hard decision, but is the best one for our company, our investors and our customers," said Plastic Logic CEO Richard Archuleta.

He continued: "We plan to take the necessary time needed to re-enter the market as we refocus, redesign and retool for our next generation ProReader product. We continue to perfect our core plastic electronic technology and manufacturing processes that are central to our product's unique value proposition.

"We remain the industry's leader in the development of plastic electronics technology for commercial purposes and are continuing to actively advance this technology in our labs and in our manufacturing facility."

It seems then that the runaway success of the iPad has claimed its first victim in the e-reader market. At a pencilled-in price of $799, the Que ProReader never really stood a chance against the iPad with its multiple possible apps and uses.

The Que ProReader did have a few neat ideas though which will be sorely missed. The strong focus on newspaper subscriptions may cause a few tears to be shed in publishing houses, while the Que ProReader's many work-orientated features gave it the unique position of being the only enterprise-focussed e-reader set to hit the market.

Is this the first instance of what could be a slow, painful death for the e-reader? Amazon certainly seem to be hedging their bets, with news this morning that the Kindle developers may also be looking into developing multimedia devices tied directly to their online store.

Much like dedicated music devices such as MP3 players versus multi functioning mobile phones, e-readers have a difficult fight ahead of them if they are to keep afloat against the incoming wave of tablet devices. It makes you wonder whether or not Plastic Logic should just scrap the whole notion of developing a second-gen Que ProReader altogether.

Buoyed by the massive success that has been their Kindle e-reader device, Amazon are now thought to be spreading their wings further in the hardware market, potentially looking at media playback devices.

New job postings at the company's Lab 126 research and development centre (the team responsible for developing the Kindle itself) have popped up, showing Amazon are on the look out for a new Hardware Engineer and RF Systems Engineer. According to The New York Times there is "a good chance these engineers will be recruited to build other gadgets that Amazon is prototyping in its secret labs," with an anonymous Amazon source cited as saying that Lab 126 are "looking into building other gadgets that it could sell to consumers."

Another source states that Jeff Bezos, Amazon's CEO, has been looking into Amazon branded "music players and other electronics," since the opening of Lab 126.

Media playback devices, if web connected, make perfect sense for Amazon. As well known these days as much for sales of films and music as they are books, tying a tasty portable media device exclusively into their own online store could generate massive sales, in much the same way that Apple's iTunes store has done with the iPod, iPad and iPhone.

Via: NYT

Sharp Corporation, perhaps best known for their HD TVs and pioneering AQUOS quad-pixel LCD tech, have announced that they are to begin work on e-reader hardware and a distribution platform for ebooks.

Though still very much in the early development stages, Sharp promise that their e-reader will have audio and video capabilities.

Sharp already claim to have the backing of various Japanese and overseas publishers in regards to the content distribution platform they have planned, an important step if they are to take on the market leading Amazon Kindle and iPad.

However, in the wake of the popularity of the iPad, many see the position of a dedicated e-reader as somewhat untenable at the moment. Much of the hardware, such as the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook still have a high price tag attached, but offer little of the advanced functionality that Apple's tablet includes for just a little extra cash.

Sharp will have to do something quite special to stand out from the crowd. An e-reader with web connection and a browser on a colour screen perhaps?

Via: Reuters

Last week we brought you news that the iRiver ebook reader was adding a Wi-Fi connection to its already nifty spec sheet, but we were still a little bit put off by its price tag, especially with the incoming wave of multi functional tablet devices for not too much more cash on top.

It seems like someone was listening though, as we've just been informed that the iRiver WiFi Story EB03 is having over £50 slashed off its price tag, down from £250 to £199.

In terms of specs, as well as the aforementioned Wi-Fi, you're looking at a solid 6 inch e-reader with a 600x800 resolution and 16 degrees of greyness. The Linux based software on board lets you view EPub, PDF, TXT, FBU and DJVU ebook files, as well as basic management of Microsoft Office files and a few standard picture formats. You also get audio playback of MP3, OGG and WMP. The full QWERTY keyboard just under the screen allows you to keep notes on the reader, so you can get tapping away at your own digital novel. iRiver also recently announced a tie-in with booksellers W H Smiths, who will provide ebooks through an updated online store, helping you fill the ereader's 2GB of storage space.

So, a good week then for those looking to grab an iRiver. A Wi-Fi connection plus a massive discount may push the cheque books out from any fence sitters.

The iRiver ebook reader was already a pretty solid ereader when it was released last year, but there was one rather glaring omission; it lacked a Wi-Fi connection. Well, it's now been thrown into the mix in a re-vamped edition of the hardware, making it a viable alternative to an Amazon Kindle.

Apart from the Wi-Fi connection, the rest of the spec-sheet remains the same. The iRiver WiFi Story EB03 is still a 6-inch model, still has a 600x800 resolution, and still has 16 degrees of greyness to suit your reading preference.

The Linux based software on board can view EPub, PDF, TXT, FBU and DJVU ebook files, and also can manage Microsoft Office files and a few standard picture formats. You also get audio playback of MP3, OGG and WMP, while a full QWERTY keyboard allows you to keep notes on the reader.

The iRiver now team now also have a deal with WH Smiths, allowing the book retailer to sell digital copies through the device, which should go some way towards filling its 2GB of storage space.

Problem is, it's all still a little bit expensive. The iRiver is £250, whereas the Kindle has just had its price slashed in the US to $189 or £125 when converted to UK currency. The Wi-Fi add-on may be a step in the right direction but, sadly, the price is not.

Amazon are launching a brand new version of its Kindle DX e-reader. Decked out in black and featuring a sharper screen and lower price, they hope it will turn the tide in their favour in the ongoing war against the iPad and tablet PCs.

The 9.7 inch display now comes in a graphite enclosure, with improvements to the display leading to a 50% jump in contrast levels for easy-on-the-eye text and images. Despite being a considerable improvement on the previous model, it will cost $110 less than older versions at a price of $389.

"With 50 percent better contrast and darker fonts, you'll find it easier than ever to read wherever you happen to be, whether it's outside in bright sunlight or under the low light of your living room", said Steve Kessel, senior vice president, Amazon Kindle.
"We're excited to offer the new Kindle DX with free 3G wireless at the lower price of $379".

Despite the move, its still an uncertain future for the Kindle, and, to be fair, the whole e-reader market as a whole. For a little more cash you can pick up a low spec iPad, which has far superior functionality, not to mention a Kindle app which trounces the e-reader by including embedded audio and video.

There's still a spot for a dedicated e-reader device, but an even steeper drop in price and colour screen technology will be needed to really level the playing field.

The new model Kindle DX will be released on July 7th. Click here to pre-order one direct from Amazon.

Mirasol, the company behind the impressive MEM-based reflective colour displays, have revealed at a San Diego demo event that they plan to have their screens in e-readers by 2010 and even tablet devices by 2013.

Mirasol can now build the screen to fit any specification, using only 1mW of power compared to the 100-700mW of an AMOLED, which is great news for battery life.

"Activity will come from the e-reader sector first," said Cheryl Goodman, director of marketing, Qualcomm MEMS Technologies. "We are working towards the end of the year, beginning of next, and with multiple vendors."

Goodman wouldn't commit to saying which companies are to adopt the Mirasol tech, but did tease that "multiple deals are in the queue."

The Mirasol displays we've seen were very easy on the eye. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to imagine them in a Nook or Kindle, and if they are to continue to compete with the wave of tablets hitting the market, colour screens and video content are a must have.

Via: Pocket Lint

The Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook e-readers have had their prices slashed in the US, in an attempt to win back customers now ogling Apple's iPad.

The Nook 3G has been reduced from $259 (£175) to $199 (£135), while the 3G Kindle now sits at $189 (£128) after previously having been marked up at $259.

Apple's more powerful machine means that, for bit more cash, you're getting an ebook reader, games console and basic computing abilities all in one device. Apple's iBooks store is now a major threat to Amazon and Barnes and Noble's digital ebook dominance as a result.

With both companies seeing their shares drop in the wake of the iPad's arrival, it'll be interesting to see if these cuts will turn the tide back in their favour. It'll be even more interesting if we see some of these reductions make the jump across the ocean to the UK too!

Via: Reuters

The Japanese tech-giant suggested the paperback will be a thing of the past within five years after analysing the rise of digital film and music.

Steve Haber, president of Sony's digital reading division, told the Telegraph: "Within five years there will be more digital content sold than physical content."

"I originally thought it would take ten years for the market to reach this point, but I've revised my expectations."

While Simon Juden, chief executive of the Publishers Association, told Fresh Business Thinking: "Digital sales in the past year have increased markedly, by around 20%, and look set to grow in future.

"Currently sales of e-books still take up a small percentage of the entire book market, at around 4-5% of combined physical and digital sales."

Author and academic Alice White however believes that Sony and Juden are missing something intrinsic about the book that the e-book can't replicate.

"The one thing that has never changed about the book, since its birth, is the notion of it as a status symbol. As a token or vestige of learning."

"There is something innately comforting about being surrounded by books. It's something a digital copy will never be able to compete with. The same can be said, about CDs and vinyl I know, but I suspect the greater cultural capital books have might see them stave off this digital stampede." White told Tech Digest.

I love e-books but I'm inclined to agree with Alice, how are people going to know how clever I am unless my house is covered in books? I'm hardly going to print off the e-book receipts and have them framed, that'd be conceited.

Acer have today announced the launch of their LumiRead e-reader. Who cares about e-readers these days when you have some mighty fine tablets flying around, I hear you say? Well Acer hope to whet your appetite by throwing in some unique features to the LumiRead.

First up though, some pretty standard features. It's a 6 inch e-reader with an eInk display and full QWERTY keyboard. It's only a few millimetres thick and has 2GB of memory that can be expanded using microSD cards.

Things get a bit more interesting though with the addition of DLNA compatibility, allowing you to stream books, and more crucially, large file sized audio-books, across your home network. There's an ISBN scanner that will let you search for digital copies of books you might find in a library or shop, and there is built-in Wi-Fi and optional 3G, with a web browser that can save pages for offline viewing.

No word yet on whether it will hit UK stores, but a deal with Barnes and Nobles in the US at least suggests that a Western release is on the cards. Does it do enough to pull your attention away from the slew of tablet s on the way though?

Mull it over while you check out the gallery below.

Amazon have announced that they plan to release a Kindle app for Android phones, which is set to get some cool new features not currently available on the iPhone and iPad versions.

Unlike the Kindle app for Apple's hardware, the Android version will allow its users to buy books directly from the application itself. Apple versions currently require the user to fire up Safari to grab titles. In-app purchasing is also available on the BlackBerry version, so it seems Apple's own iBooks store is halting proceedings for the mobile version here.

All the other features of Kindle apps we've come to love remain intact, including bookmarks synced across devices, note adding and landscape viewing.

Kindle for Android will work on any handset running version 1.6 and above of Google's OS. With stiff competition from the iPad and with Google's own book service on the way, Amazon are making the all the right moves it would seem to protect their market-leading position.