Start loading up that Kindle you got for Christmas with books and Amazon’s Deal of the Day has you covered! For only $.99, score New York Times Bestselling author Barry Eisler’s “The Detachment: A John Rain Thriller” Kindle book. With a digital list price of $9.99 (or print list price of $14.95), you’ll save 93% or $13.96, when you take advantage of Amazon’s Deal of the Day offer.

The thriller is said to be “the most charismatic assassin since James Bond” by the San Francisco Chronicle and follows John Rain, who is up against his most formidable enemy yet: nexus of political, military, media, and corporate factions known only as the Oligarchy. Rain can’t resist an offer by legendary black ops veteran Colonel Scott “Hort” Horton” when in Tokyo, taking in a multi-million dollar payday for the “natural causes” demise of three ultra-high-profile targets who are dangerously close to launching a coup in America.

But pulling it off isn’t going to be easy for Rain to do alone, which causes Rain to seek a detachment of other deniable irregulars: his partner, the former Marine sniper, Dox. Ben Treven, a covert operator with ambivalent motives and conflicted loyalties. And Larison, a man with a hair trigger and a secret he’ll kill to protect.

The four lone wolf killers will have to survive presidential hit teams, secret CIA prisons, and a national security state as obsessed with guarding its own secrets as it is with invading the privacy of the populace…but first they’ll have to survive each other! Set against a variety of locations from the shadowy backstreets of Tokyo and Vienna, to the deceptive glitz and glamour of Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and finally to a Washington, D.C., get ready for a non-stop roller coaster thriller ride of epic proportions with this page-turning Kindle book.

The makers of the somewhat eccentric but inarguably gorgeous DODOcase for the iPad have just launched a similar case for the Kindle 3.

DODOcases are produced in the US, out of leather and handmade by artisans working in San Francisco. The trick here is to make the case look like a traditionally bound book, adding back a lot of the aesthetic pleasure of reading into the Kindle experience, while the interior is constructed out of bamboo for protective reasons.

The Kindle is kept secured by an elastic strap, just like with the Moleskine.
If you buy one, you’ll be waiting between two and three weeks, and the red model will run you $50, while other colors cost $55.

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Sharp’s announcement of two e-readers for the Japanese market comes packaged with clever wordage about going from a focus on one-time sales of hardware, to a more customer oriented device that evolves through continuously updating software.

It will need to make all that and more come true if it wants to compete with Amazon’s Kindle and the Nook from Barnes and Noble. And it seems to be in the plan, with Sharp wanting to eventually take full advantage of the Android platform driving both e-readers, and showing the intention to deliver full multimedia content – music, video/film and games. This would also pit the devices against the iPad.

So is it a tablet, is it an e-reader? Called ‘Galapagos’, supposedly to reference the island that inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution, it could evolve to be a bit of both. The smaller version of the Galapagos will have a 5.5 inch screen and a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels with single-handed navigation through the use of a trackball. The larger kind comes in at 10.8 inches with a 1366 x 800 pixel display, capable of showing a magazine spread type two page format.

Both models will have 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connectivity with “Automatic Scheduled Delivery Service” for getting your newspapers and magazines automatically once you’ve subscribed to them. XMDF support will allow the integration of multimedia elements into pages.

A Japanese e-book store will initially contain 30.000 titles, and Verizon and Sharp are in talks about a Verizon Wireless U.S launch of the devices.

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It’s $99.97 + $6.95 S&H = $107.92!

Pandigital has announced their Novel e-reader, which is a novel offering from a company mainly focused on digital picture frames. (What a pun!) The 7-inch Android powered e-reader features a 800×600 resolution full color display, WiFi, 1GB internal memory, an SD/MMC card slot, and support for the ePub, PDF, and HTML formats. One of its biggest features is Barnes & Noble Store support, giving users access to its library of thousands upon thousands of books for sale. Finally, the Novel gets an estimated six hours of battery life.

The Novel will be available in June for $199.99.

Pandigital Novel eReader Premieres; First Model Sports 7-inch Color Multimedia Display

Integrated Barnes & Noble eBookstore gives customers access to shop and enjoy eBooks, magazines and newspapers conveniently and instantly;

Touch-screen design, built-in Wi-Fi provide on-the-go enjoyment

Dublin, Calif., May 24, 2010 – Pandigital, the U.S. leader in digital photo frames, today enters the eReader market with its first offering: the Pandigital Novel, a 7-inch eReader with integrated Barnes & Noble eBookstore, full color touch-screen display, Wi-Fi connectivity, and multimedia capabilities that make it the ideal travel companion.

Pandigital has partnered with Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, to power the eBookstore on the Pandigital Novel eReader. Pandigital Novel customers will have easy access to Barnes & Noble’s expansive eBookstore catalog of more than one million eBooks, newspapers and magazines, a wide variety of free eBooks and more than half a million free classics. Seamlessly integrated into the Pandigital Novel interface, users will find that it is incredibly convenient and simple to browse, sample, buy, download in seconds and access digital content from the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, as well as from their personal Barnes & Noble digital library. Pandigital Novel customers will also be able to take advantage of advanced features including Barnes & Noble’s breakthrough LendMe™ technology which allows users to share many eBooks with friends and family for 14 days.

The Pandigital Novel 7-inch Color Multimedia eReader has a vibrant full color TFT LCD display that lets reading enthusiasts enjoy books and periodicals displayed in personalized bookshelves with full-color book covers and original color photos. The full-color 800 x 600 resolution and edge-to-edge glass screen also lets Pandigital customers thoroughly enjoy their digital photos in a virtual album as well as watch video on the go. The responsive touch-screen paired with an intuitive user interface is easy to navigate and control, so moving through applications, finding great digital content in the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, and browsing the web are all incredibly straightforward.

“First and foremost, the Pandigital Novel eReader was designed to deliver a world-class e-reading experience,” said Dean Finnegan, CEO and founder, Pandigital. “By focusing on delivering superior content from Barnes & Noble, an easy-to-use design and an excellent customer experience, Pandigital is delivering a value proposition not currently available in the eReader category. With its many additional features, Pandigital Novel customers will be able to read what they want and do more of what they want on the go with an affordable product that is simple and fun to use.”

“We’re proud to offer Pandigital Novel customers simple and integrated access to our vast Barnes & Noble eBookstore to help them discover and enjoy a wide array of eBooks and periodicals,” said Chris Peifer, Vice President of Business Development, Barnes & Noble.com. “Pandigital Novel users can easily access their existing Barnes & Noble digital content and enjoy sharing a wide variety of eBooks with friends through innovative LendMe technology – whether or not those friends have a dedicated eBook reader.”

Reading – Just More Fun

Designed with convenience features that help reading enthusiasts get the most out of their eBooks and periodicals, the Pandigital Novel lets customers, with a simple touch of the screen, search for word meanings using the built-in dictionary, review past references with word searches, and make notes with the virtual keyboard. In addition, customers can highlight important text, create multiple bookmarks, and change the font size for optimum viewing.

The Pandigital Novel 7-inch Color Multimedia eReader was designed to be enjoyed on the go; it features a compact, sleek design that measures 5.5″ (w) x 7.5″ (h) x 0.5″ (d) and weighs only 16 ounces. Saving, storing, and transferring unlimited eBooks (as well as music, video, or image files) is easy with the full 1GB of memory that can house hundreds of books, as well as expandable storage provided by its SD/MMC memory card slot (supporting up to 32GB cards). Also, the Pandigital Novel provides a long battery life of up to six hours in reading mode thanks to its rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

Other usability features make it more convenient for reading in a range of environments. For example, the orientation sensor automatically adjusts between portrait and landscape mode when the device is tilted, while night-read mode inverts the text and background colors for more discrete viewing. Plus, the Pandigital Novel looks great in the home and on the go; it has a white chassis with a white stand for secure placement on a desk or table.

The new Pandigital Novel eReader supports a number of eBook formats including PDF, EPUB, and HTML, so customers that already have their own personal collection can still enjoy them. The built-in mini-USB port provides another option for easy transfer of files between the device and a computer (Mac and PC compatible).

Incredibly Useful All-in-One Device for Fun & Connectivity

The Pandigital Novel 7-inch Color Multimedia eReader lets consumers enjoy their favorite music, photos, and video wherever they go. When connected to the Internet utilizing the built-in Wi-Fi module and any home or public Wi-Fi hotspot, the Pandigital Novel also lets customers run a variety of connected applications. Using the powerful and flexible combination of the Android operating system and an ARM 11 Mobile processor, this Pandigital Novel has a built-in, full web browser so users can quickly go online to update social media sites and check out recent news, events and weather. The built-in email application lets customers conveniently stay in touch. Photo and video files are rich in color and detail, while the built-in audio player lets consumers enjoy their music from virtually anywhere. The Pandigital Novel 7-inch Color Multimedia eReader also has additional convenience features including a built-in appointment calendar and alarm clock.

Availability, Price and Warranty

The Pandigital Novel 7-inch Color Multimedia eReader (model number PRD07T10WWH7) is affordably priced at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $199.99 and is backed by a one year limited warranty. It will be available at several national retailers beginning in June.

Don’t forget the coupon: UWH1900 (expires: 5/8)

The Kindle e-reader from Amazon is very practical when it comes to reading books.  It’s battery is magnificent and the screen, which uses the e-ink technology is easy on the eyes.  One problem, though: it can’t be used in the dark, unless of course you’ve got an external light source.  While there are probably a wide number of solutions on the market already today, Belkin has joined the ranks with the Belkin Clip-On Reading Light.   It securely snaps on to the top of the Kindle and uses three super LEDs – Belkin says are the equivalent of 6 normal LEDs in terms of illumination – and has two brightness settings.

You can grab one today from Amazon for $25 (add a dollar more to your cart to score that free shipping).

Sure, the iPad is awesome for reading books, but it’s also 500 dollars (and even more for the 3G version). If you don’t have that sort of cash lying around, Paradigm Shift’s EER-051D e-reader might be more to your liking. The 5-inch color screen reader supports most e-book formats, as well as MP3s, FM radio, and photos, all running on 2GB internal memory with an SD card slot for expansion. Interested? Well, the price is only one sentence away!

The EER-051D is available in May for $130.

Paradigm Shift Sourcing and Manufacturing Co. Ltd, Bows the World’s Most Affordable DRM compatible E-Book Reader Series

Hong Kong Electronics Fair, April 14th, 2010: Hong Kong SAR, China: Paradigm Shift expands its cutting edge e-reader with FULL COLOR LCD e-Book Readers able to read all major eBook formats, including Adobe DRM encrypted eBooks.

EER-051D: Unlike most e-readers on the market, the 5″ EER-051D features full color TFT high resolution display with enhanced contrast panel designed for ease of reading and long battery life. It also features a full gamut e-book format compatibility, including: ANSI , UNICODE TXT ,DOC,PDF,HTML,FB2 ,PDB, EPUB (including DRM encrypted books). In addition the EER-051D is an Mp3 audio and Mp4 video player, has a built in FM radio and photo viewer and has 2GB built in memory plus an SD card memory expansion slot. Proposed MSRP: $129.95

5″ Units will be available in mass production for OEM clients and importers in white, pastel blue, pastel periwinkle, pastel pink, black and silver case colors and will be the end of May, 2010.

Units will be available in the USA through US distributor, Delstar Wholesale Electronics at major retailers everywhere.

Paradigm Shift is seeking OEM brand/ distributors worldwide

About Paradigm Shift, SZ: Paradigm Shift Sourcing, Procurement, Consulting and Marketing Group, Inc. (PS) was founded on the principles of providing the latest in technology and a wide product assortment to a global marketplace while providing the utmost in customer service.

Paradigm Shift (PS) is a progressive company founded by a group of seasoned industry experts in product design, development and marketing. Amongst our staff are some of the most experienced in the flat panel display industry, including the creators of the Luce, Helios, Epoq brands, sold in the high-end and CEDIA market. This is combined with proven expertise in the areas of product development, sales and marketing, distribution channel development, advertising, promotion, and logistics.

Our clients include some of the most exciting and fast-paced growth companies in the world from a broad array of industries; from Internet E-tailers to established leaders in the brick and mortar mass-consumer retail marketplace. Other channels include: Governments, educational institutions, hotels, airports, shopping malls and more.

PS revolutionizes the purchase and sales process by providing an all-in-one solution enabling businesses to optimize their transactions on demand, such as private label and OEM purchases without large start-up costs.

Key factors of our organization are: our people, our process, and our partners. These all combine to deliver targeted value to our clients across a global network of:

- Assigned Account Representatives for sales and purchasing in all global markets
- Experienced Project Managers
- Service Level Agreements
- B2B, B2C, and Auction and eCommerce Portals

PS’s primary points of differentiation are its superior trading relationships the world over and over 20 years sales and marketing experience representing suppliers and purchasers in domestic and overseas markets.

PS’s corporate offices are located in Boca Raton, FL the gateway to N., Central, and S. America and Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, electronics capitol of the world!
PS’s greatest strength is the ability to design and deliver an exceptional product at a very rapid pace. PS’s products are designed to let consumers enjoy all the benefits of a digital home and a connected lifestyle today!

A few days later than expected, but there it is, the Apple iPad will ship April 3rd with preorders starting on March 12th.  Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK will see the iPad launch later that month, though a specific date has yet to be specified.

Now, keep in mind that the April 3rd launch date is for the WiFi only version. The WiFi+3G iPad will launch in “late April”, but you can still preorder a 3G version on March 12th.

When the iPad does arrive in stores so will Apple e-reader app, otherwise known as iBooks.  They’ve signed on major and independent publishers, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster and will feature books from from the New York Times Best Seller list.

Pricing breaks down like this:

• WiFi 16GB – $500
• WiFi 32GB – $600
• WiFi 64GB – $700
• WiFi+3G 16GB – $629
• WiFi+3G 32GB – $729
• WiFi+3G 64GB – $829

iPad Available in US on April 3
Pre-Order on March 12

CUPERTINO, California-March 5, 2010-Apple® today announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3, for Wi-Fi models and in late April for Wi-Fi + 3G models. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.

Beginning a week from today, on March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple’s online store (www.apple.com) or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store.

“iPad is something completely new,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

Starting at just $499, iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds-thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook-and delivers battery life of up to 10 hours.*

iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface makes surfing the web an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. You can read and send email on iPad’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard or import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad’s elegant slideshows. iPad makes it easy to watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD, or flip through the pages of an ebook you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.

The App Store on iPad lets you wirelessly browse, buy and download new apps from the world’s largest app store. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for iPad and will run almost all of the more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. Developers are already creating exciting new apps designed for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.

The new iBooks app for iPad includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile product. The iBookstore will feature books from the New York Times Best Seller list from both major and independent publishers, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster.

The iTunes® Store gives iPad users access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 12 million songs, over 55,000 TV episodes and over 8,500 films including over 2,500 in stunning high definition. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

Pricing & Availability
iPad will be available in Wi-Fi models on April 3 in the US for a suggested retail price of $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

iPad will be available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. International pricing will be announced in April. iPad will ship in additional countries later this year.

The iBooks app for iPad including Apple’s iBookstore will be available as a free download from the App Store in the US on April 3, with additional countries added later this year.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

J&R, via Amazon has the lowest price ever for the Sony PRS-600 Digital Reader Touch Edition.  It’s $279 + free shipping = $279 shipped! This reader has a 6-inch display that is visible in direct sunlight and easy on the eyes.  It can hold up to 350 book and is highly portable thanks to its slim and slender design.

NOTE: You might have to look to the right for “more buying choices” to get this deal

If you’ve got any kind of interest in e-readers, then you know they can be a bit pricey.  But the jetBook-Lite from ECTACO is looking to change all that by selling for $149.95.

The jetBook-Lite is officially, as of this writing, the cheapest e-reader device on the market.

Now, when you get a low-cost device like this, naturally you give up a few things.  Tops on the list is 3G wireless connectivity and color secondary screens.

However, what you DO get is support for pretty much any ebook format on the face of the earth, including eReader DRM from Barnes and Noble.  Plus, you also get support for multiple languages and a built-in dictionary, a rotating screen that can handle portrait or landscape mode, and last but not least, and incredible twenty three hours of run time on the strength of four AA batteries.

It’s a pretty good value for a cheap e-reader.

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Barnes and Noble came clean about their e-reader device today, and yes, it’s called the Nook.  And like the leak said the device sports a 6″ e-ink screen for actually reading the books (or magazines) as well as a 3.5″ color touchscreen for perusing Barnes’ ebook store.  If you’re game, you can preorder the device today for $259 (the same price as Amazon’s 6″ offering) and it should ship as early as 11/30, which is a bit late for the whole bum rush of holiday sales.

As for wireless delivery of books you can jack into any available WiFi connection, or suck them down over AT&T’s 3G connection.  Built-in storage caps out at 2GB, which is good for about 1,500 books, but you can expand that to a whopping 16GB via microSD card slot.  Taking a cue from Apple, it looks like the battery is non-removable and will achieve up to 10 days of page turning action before you need a recharge, which takes about 3.5 hours.

Size wise were looking at a .5″ thin, 4.9″ wide and 7.7″ long, which makes it a bit fatter than any of Amazon’s Kindles and a bit shorter and narrower than their 6″ versions.

For all you Android fans out there you’ll be glad to here the Nook has joined the ranks, the first e-reader to sport the OS.  To get another leg over Amazon they’re letting users lend e-books for up to 14 days to other Nook users and their store currently boast over 1 million titles that start at $9.99.

While my vote is still out on the Nook until I get a hands on, the color touchscreen is a huge draw, but might prove more gimmick than anything else.  Kindle does have a physical QWERTY keyboard, but since I’ve never tested one I can’t speak to its actually usability.

Video walk through after the ‘leap’

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The WSJ is reporting that Barnes and Noble will officially announce their e-reader device as early as tomorrow.  Word is that the e-book reader will be called the “Nook”, let users share books with friends and cost $259.  The news comes by way of a leaked full page ad, which one has to assume isn’t going to be placed in the Wall Street Journal, at least not any more without a significant discount.

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Pictured above is supposedly Barnes and Noble’s e-reader.  While specs and a wireless carrier have yet to be announced, or leaked in this case, rumor has it that it has an e-ink display on the top 3/4 of the device for reading magazines and books, while the lower quarter is a color LCD screen that will not only be good for perusing book covers but will double as a touchscreen keyboard or mutlitouch surface. 

Perhaps a 3G carrier isn’t in the works and that’s why they now offer free WiFi at all their locations.

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LG is coming out with an amazing new gadget that’ll quite possibly change the way you think about summer: the solar-powered e-reader.

This is actually a whole lot of amazing in one sentence, so I’ll try and break it down into more manageable chunklets for you.  One, an e-reader that runs entirely on solar power is an exciting development.  Reading a book outside in the spring–or in some cases, summer–sun has long been a popular activity, but now you can take a library outside with you and have your choice when you finally settle in under that tree and set out to read.

Two, this is one of the first e-readers to be powered by the sun, thus every other e-reader is now going to have a significant bit of competition on its hands.  None of the other e-readers are powered by free sunlight, you know.  And buying batteries over and over, or paying the power company to recharge batteries, will always lose out to free recharge.  Every time.

Three, a solar panel capable of powering a gadget by itself, and still be portable?  This might be the start of something new and different in the whole solar panel industry.  It might take an entire roof’s worth of solar panels to make a five thousand watt generator, but one panel running an e-reader?  That’s interesting.

The LG solar e-reader represents several significant strides forward, and hopefully, we can get our hands on them fairly soon.

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Seems the competition for a piece of Amazon’s coveted Kindle market has already started to boil up out of the woodwork.  iRiver’s Story is one of the first off the block.

Formerly a major player in the Flash-based MP3 market, iRiver’s been having a lot of troubles in its home market of  Korea.  Thus, they’re looking to join in on the e-reader market and snag a little market share away from Amazon.

The iRiver Story has a six-inch LCD display, two gig of internal memory and comes in white only.  It’ll also play back MP3s, which is handy for those books on tape.  It’s not a bad little design, from the look of things, even if it really DOES look a lot like the Kindle.  So hopefully, it’ll manage to pull off a comeback.

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