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