| Reading the morning paper just got a 21st | | | | reader, about the size of a tablet PC. The |
| century upgrade. The New York Times is now | | | | iLiad has more features like wi-fi and the |
| among the first newspapers to release an | | | | ability to take on more types of memory along |
| E-Paper format to subscribers. Soon | | | | side its own built in storage. |
| subscribers will be synchronizing the latest | | | | |
| copy of the NY Times and many other major | | | | Sony's intention with the E-Reader goes |
| papers from around the world to e-reader | | | | further than simply a handheld device using |
| devices that are hitting the market this | | | | an innovative display technology. Taking a |
| year. | | | | page from Apple's playbook Sony has created |
| | | | The Connect an online book service that will |
| The iLiad E-reader and Sony's Reader are | | | | sell thousands of eBooks in E-Reader format. |
| making a bid to be the iPod of the literary | | | | The iTunes of the literary world will include |
| world. Electronic readers may seem like | | | | a desktop client that will allow you to |
| nothing new, we've been reading text on PDA | | | | synchronize your Reader device with the |
| devices since the first iterations of the | | | | online service and receive your subscriptions |
| Palm Pilot and it's never taken off. James | | | | to ordered books and periodicals like the NY |
| Joyce looses something on a tiny handheld | | | | Times. |
| while turning pages with a stylus. While a | | | | |
| market for a new kind of electronic reading | | | | E-Readers are only the begging for E-Ink |
| display remains to be seen, the new E-Reader | | | | Corporation's new display. E-Ink has already |
| devices promise to be different thanks to a | | | | been developed in full color that can |
| unique approach in display technology. | | | | reproduce moving images. While it's not |
| | | | designed to be a quick refreshing display |
| Instead of paper and ink e-reader products | | | | that would be used for a television, E-Ink |
| use E-Ink a new display technology developed | | | | displays are already being integrated into |
| by E-Ink Corporation. The display uses | | | | places where space and power are a premium. |
| electrically charged microcapsules of ink. | | | | The device can be attached to almost anything |
| Each microcapsule is about the diameter of a | | | | including flexible substrates for displays |
| human hair and can be negatively or | | | | that can literally wrap around flexible, |
| positively charged to present the viewable | | | | foldable material. |
| surface of the display with either black or | | | | |
| white. Each individual microcapsule can even | | | | A disposable variation of the E-Ink display |
| be divided to display both black and white | | | | could theoretically be added to packaging |
| parts for higher resolution when needed. The | | | | when a low cost threshold is reached. |
| display is so unique because it doesn't rely | | | | Microsoft tried this on a limited release of |
| on its own light source so it's easier for | | | | one of its Xbox games putting a full color |
| your eyes to keep it in focus for long | | | | animated E-Ink display on the cover. |
| periods of time. In fact a lot of people | | | | Hopefully this won't become a common |
| think the display looks just as soft to view | | | | practice. The breakfast cereal aisle of the |
| as real ink on paper. Besides being easier to | | | | grocery store is headache enough with its |
| view for extended periods it's 90% more | | | | boldly colored cartoon characters. Tony the |
| energy efficient than an LCD display a key | | | | Tiger and the Rice Crispy guys waving at you |
| advantage for battery powered mobile devices. | | | | as you try not to look is something out of an |
| | | | Orwellian nightmare. |
| Two devices that use E-Ink displays for | | | | |
| reading include Sony's Reader and the iLiad | | | | Whether or not E-Readers take off and become |
| by iRex Technologies. The Sony Reader is | | | | the new PDA still remains to be seen. But |
| about the size of a wafer thin paperback | | | | E-Ink has a clever display technology on its |
| novel and uses Sony's own memory stick or SD | | | | hands and will definitely show up in |
| memory for storage. The iLiad is a larger | | | | unexpected places in coming years. |