Amazon's Kindle 2 takes shape, due on Feb 9?

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Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader, despite its low specs, has proved a hit with consumers, particularly after Oprah Winfrey featured it on her show in November. Since then, it’s been consistently sold out, and Amazon’s product page, for a long time, has shown a wait of 11-13 weeks for the device.

Well, last night that was changed to show 4-6 weeks, and Amazon has invited journalists to an event in New York on February 9th with the Founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, present. Leaked photos suggest that the old angular look is gone, and the new Kindle will be more rounded. It’ll also feature a much-updated e-ink display with a faster screen refresh time. If it replicates the success of the original, then we might even see it this side of the Atlantic. We can only hope.

Kindle Product Page (via NY Times, image via BGR)

Related posts: Amazon with more Kindles in the pipeline – definitely smaller, hopefully cheaper | Amazon Kindle spotted in the wild, being read by The Onion editor of all people!

The lazy man's birdwatching kit – stick a camera in a birdhouse

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If you’re dead keen on nature, but you’re also dead keen on your sofa and not going out into the cold and rain, then you might be interested in this product from Cornish specialists HandyKam. It’s a Cedar birdhouse with an intergrated feeder, but also an integrated colour digital camera.

The birdhouse comes fully assembled – all you’ve got to do it put it up a tree, add the camera into the fake ceiling of the construct, and then wire it up with the 20m component cable provided. If that’s not quite long enough, then they’ll happily sell you 10m, 20m or even 50m more. Power is also supplied via this cable.

Opinion: freesat confusion and secrecy is hurting the brand and stifling competition

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freesat, the free-to-air satellite service due to launch in a matter of weeks, is a great idea and one that many people are looking forward to, but the organisation is behaving as if the pre-launch phase is a covert military operation, and that’s hurting the brand.

Last week we wrote about the launch of Hauppauge’s USB2 tuner that should be able to receive the freesat signal via a compatible satellite connection. That’s not how freesat sees it

Sony Europe introduces "Product, Process and Planet" environmental commitment

sony_product_process_planet_initiative.gifSony Europe has just recommitted itself to lessening its environmental impact, with the introduction of the “Product, Process and Planet” initiative.

The “Product” part of the initiative relates to Sony’s efforts to make its consumer electronics goods more environmentally friendly.

TV products currently account for around 76% of Sony’s overall CO2 emissions, but the company has reduced the power consumption of its LCD TVs, and in recognition of this was awarded the Sustainable Energy Europe Award by the European Commission and the EISA Green TV Award last year.

Tech Digest solves your Christmas woes: top five laptops

Christmas is fast approaching, and every day until the Big Overeating Day, we’re going to feature a top five list of products you may be thinking of buying those you’re obligated to provide for. Ahh, it’s a wonderful thing, this Christmas malarky.

Today…laptops! Specifically, the best laptops money can buy in time for the 25th of December.

1.) HP Pavilion dv2600 Special Entertainment notebook – it may be a mouthful by name, but by…