Aluratek's $179 LCD-Based Libre eBook Reader Goes Cheap [Ebooks]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/3R-YKP40HQk/alurateks-179-lcd+based-libre-ebook-reader-goes-cheap

The Libre eBook Reader PRO has a 2GB SD card with a monochrome reflective light LCD instead of an e-Ink display, which puts into a different bucket than the other eBook readers shipping recently. Plus, it's only $179.

The reader has 24 hours of continuous use (not too shabby for an LCD, even if it is monochrome), and supports MP3 and photos. It's 5 inches big, reads ePub and PDF as well as TXT, Mobi, PRC and RTF formats. Those of you who like downloading books from "non-official" sources know that they usually come in one of those formats. But the Libre comes with 100 "free" books, which are most likely public domain books you could get for free.

We'll see how it stacks up to e-ink type readers when we test it, but on paper, this seems like a pretty decent (cheap) alternative. Especially because it promises a faster page-turn refresh rate than e-ink. It comes in black and white. [Aluratek]

Aluratek, Inc., a leading creator of sophisticated yet user-friendly computer peripherals and consumer electronic devices, announces Libre – the new eBook Reader with exclusive LCD technology. Libre provides the most affordable product in the category, featuring superior battery life with up to 24 hours of continuous use, auto-off and page advance features, MP3 and photo support.

Utilizing the latest monochrome reflective light LCD display technology, the Libre eBook Reader PRO provides a crisp black and white 5-inch screen with the same appearance and readability of printed paper. There is no backlighting, so reading on the Libre is as soft on the eyes as reading a book, while also preserving battery power.

The Libre supports A! dobe's D igital Edition software allowing Digital Rights Management (DRM) support for ePUB and PDF formats. This allows users to purchase new book releases from a variety of eBook content providers including eBooks.com, one of Aluratek's content partners.

With an MSRP of $179, the Libre is a cost-effective solution for anyone looking to experience the next generation of digital technology related to books. The Libre connects to any Mac or PC with an Internet connection for easy access to the newest book releases as well as timeless classics. It also comes loaded with 100 free eBooks on the included 2GB SD card.

"Unlike e-Ink displays which require multiple flashes for each page advance, I believe the reflective LCD technology the Libre offers will be a welcome change compared to other eBooks currently on the market" said John Wolikow, VP Sales and Marketing for Aluratek. "The ability to store thousands of your favorite books in the Libre is not only convenient but it's also good for the environment by saving trees."

Libre comes with a 2GB SD card, and supports SD and SDHC cards up to 32GB. The audio player feature lets users also listen to their favorite MP3s, and the picture viewer supports BMP, JPG, GIF and animated GIF. Versatile for any user, Libre offers five font size options and also supports Adobe DRM, ePUB, PDF, FB2, TXT, Mobi, PRC and RTF formats.

Other key features of the Libre include: table of contents, bookmark list and page, content search, jump to page, zoom, auto page turn, background music, multiple language formats, auto power off and a help menu.

The Libre eBook Reader PRO is available in either black or white with an MSRP of $179. For more information about the Libre eBook Reader PRO, or any of Aluratek's other innovative products, please visit www.aluratek.com.

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Lumino Project: Next-Generation Lego Crossed With Microsoft Surface [Surface]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/FO7TPaqiZHk/lumino-project-next+generation-lego-crossed-with-microsoft-surface

Lumino may look like generic building blocks, but it actually marks a new phase in the life of Microsoft Surface: The recognition of the third dimension. The UI implications are pretty staggering.

We've seen the Surface identify and react to physical objects before (you might remember the 2008 election coverage's Obama and McCain bobbleheads), but this is the first time we've seen it recognize an object's third dimension. These Lumino blocks can be stacked, and the Surface will behave differently to two stacked blocks.

Aside from the obvious checkers implications (KING ME!), it's very simply the next step in the evolution of Surface and other touch interfaces to recognize the third dimension. It could enable all kinds of different gestures we haven't even thought of yet. Lumino itself is kind of a tech demo at the moment, but definitely a promising one. [DesignBoom and New Scientist]

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Iron Samurai Watch for the Budget Conscious and Style Averse [Watches]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/i0IvwVVAJI8/iron-samurai-watch-for-the-budget-conscious-and-style-averse

The Iron Samurai watch, a spectacularly ugly bracelet-style watch made from "Samurai sword carbonized steel folded 1000x over," is available from Chinavision for a questionable $15. It also comes with one of the weirdest/funniest product descriptions I've ever seen.

The watch, a form of which we've previously seen as a concept, hides red LEDs inside the pattern of the bracelet, which is kind of cool in theory but dorktacular in practice. Some highlights from the bizarre product description:

[It has] blood red numerals encased in stark samurai sword steel like the final battle between all the forces of good and evil in the multiverse

Yes, The Iron Samurai has been known to increase its wearers' strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma by as much as 20 points each! Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal are said to be Iron Samurai owners, as is David Bowie and Brian Eno. In reality, this watch is perfect for Presidential dinner crashers, Facebook celebs with over 1000 fans, Youtube directors with over 2,000,000 views, anyone who can play the entirety of Neil Zaza's I'm Alright on electric guitar, iPhone 3Gs owners, or anybody who is a somebody.

Yes, it's garish as all hell, but how many products can claim to be owned by both Steven Seagal and Brian Eno? [OhGizmo]

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Five Possible Futures of Computer Memory [Memory]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/0R9896evW8M/five-possible-futures-of-computer-memory

New Scientist has a feature on five conceptual successors to flash memory. These are all technologies currently under development that could fit terabytes of information on a single tiny chip—and some of them aren't too far off.

The five here considered are MRAM (using two thin layers of magnetic material), FeRAM (which creates polarization through ferroelectrics), PCRAM (using lasers, sort of like with CDs and DVDs), RRAM (a variation on PCRAM that uses electrochemical reactions instead of heat-induced changes), and Racetrack (which, frankly, I understand even less than the other four, hard as that is to believe). If you're not a sciencey type, descriptions of these technologies may sound like adults in Charlie Brown's world, but they could be the next revolution in data storage—so read up. [New Scientist]

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Nokia ships E72 and 5800 Navigation Edition to the US of A

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/nokia-ships-e72-and-5800-navigation-edition-to-the-us-of-a/

We know it's the N900 you're jonesing for, but if you're looking to let those "other guys" put Maemo 5 through the ringer while you continue to use an OS that's been around the block, Nokia's got two more for you to choose from starting today. Both the QWERTY-packin' E72 ($407) and eager-to-route 5800 Navigation Edition have started to ship to America (according to the company, anyway), with the former listed as "coming soon" on Nokia's webstore and as "in stock on December 10th" over at Amazon. The latter is available to order now for $299 sans contract, so good luck holding off for Google Maps Navigation to make this thing look dated.

Update: Seems this is the second time Nokia has stated that its E72 was available in the US, so we'd probably wait for at least another notification or two before pulling the trigger. Can't ever be too careful!

Gallery: Nokia ships E72 and 5800 Navigation Edition to the US of A

Nokia ships E72 and 5800 Navigation Edition to the US of A originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Chrome hits beta for Mac and Linux, extensions available for extra-smug Windows and Linux users

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/google-chrome-hits-beta-for-mac-and-linux-extensions-available/

At long last Mac and Linux users don't have to feel like second class citizens in Chrome land: they've got official beta versions of Google's browser to call their own. Of course, people have been running the open source Chromium version on both sides of the fence for ages, but beta brings with it a new level of stability and officialness. Google is also finally launching extensions for Chrome, which is available for the Windows and Linux versions of the browser, and with Mac compatibility on the way. There are already 300 extensions available, not a bad start, and hopefully a good indication of the sorts of added functionality we'll be able to stuff into Chrome OS with the help of a seemingly-excited developer community.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Google Chrome hits beta for Mac and Linux, extensions available for extra-smug Windows and Linux users originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android-based Archos 5 Internet Tablet surfaces in 8GB form for $250

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/android-based-archos-5-internet-tablet-surfaces-in-8gb-form-for/

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet hasn't had the smoothest ride into the commercial realm, but thanks to a few firmware updates, the Android-based player seems to finally be humming along just fine. That said, not everyone's interested in shelling out big bucks for a capacious version, which makes the latest edition perfect for those simply curious to see how Google's mobile OS fares on a portable media player. The 8GB model has surfaced over at Radio Shack, bringing with it all the goods on the larger siblings but with far less internal space. The best part? That $249.99 price tag (and that little "In Stock" icon beside it).

Android-based Archos 5 Internet Tablet surfaces in 8GB form for $250 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZyXEL to debut 'world's first' LTE router at CES 2010

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/zyxel-to-debut-worlds-first-lte-router-at-ces-2010/

If we're able to avert this looming "spectrum apocalypse" we've heard so much about, it looks like 2010 will be the year that many of you get to partake in LTE. What better way to indulge your lust for airborne data than ZyXEL's newest, the ZLR-2070S LTE CPE/SOHO router? Apparently "the world's first," this guy features two VoIP ports, a four port 802.11n wireless switch, a USB port for storage or printer sharing, and data rates up to 50Mbps. Not bad, eh? We expect to hear more about this one in short order -- it will make its society debut at next year's CES. In the meantime, peep the PR for more info -- it's after the break.

Continue reading ZyXEL to debut 'world's first' LTE router at CES 2010

ZyXEL to debut 'world's first' LTE router at CES 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell Vostro V13 hands-on impressions: 'yes'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/dell-vostro-v13-hands-on-impressions-yes/

What if you took an original Adamo, shaved a couple pounds off the weight and a grand off the price? You'd end up with something pretty close to the new Dell Vostro V13. We just got a quick look at the machine, and while some of the cheaper materials Dell is using here certainly came through, the total package is still quite impressive -- and the price unimpeachable. The anodized aluminum exterior is smooth to the touch and gives the frame of the entire laptop a great amount of stiffness; none of that bendy nonsense that can be found in some of the $500ish thin-and-light competition. We were also pleasantly surprised to find a antigloss (not quite matte) display under the hood. Unfortunately, the compromises begin with the keyboard, which is a bit bendy and "clacky" (the bad version of "clicky"), and the 6 volt battery gets 4.75 hours as quoted, so probably around three in real life. We're also a little disappointed that the $450 base price rips out the SD card and ExpressCard slots, and that you can't get a Windows 7 version for under $600 -- even though the Ubuntu default is mighty tempting. So, there are compromises, just like in life, but for the most part this is one of the least timid computers we've seen from Dell in a while: not afraid to step on the toes of its brandmates and make a name for itself. Check out a quick video hands-on after the break, and stand by for our review that should hopefully arrive later this month.

Update: We got some bad info, and it turns out that the ExpressCard and SD card slots do come standard with the laptop -- the mockup we saw didn't have them, but all shipping models will. Phew!

Gallery: Dell Vostro V13 hands-on

Continue reading Dell Vostro V13 hands-on impressions: 'yes'

Dell Vostro V13 hands-on impressions: 'yes' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Modder creates dual-screen Courier from Dell Mini 9, calls it Harlequin, Joker unavailable for comment

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/09/modder-creates-dual-screen-courier-from-dell-mini-9-calls-it-ha/

Microsoft's Courier, the dual-touchscreen wunderbooklet, had plenty of gadget lovers in a tizzy in late September -- even though the company itself doesn't seem to know what to do with it. An eventual release of the thing seems unlikely, so user pakkei over at the My Dell Mini forums created his own. It's a Dell Mini 9, or was a Dell Mini 9 anyway, bisected and keyboard replaced by another nine-inch display. This pic and another were posted back around Halloween, showing the two halves loosely coupled together, but pakkei has indicated a laser-cut custom case is in the works to bring it all together in a much tidier package. We do love lasers.

Modder creates dual-screen Courier from Dell Mini 9, calls it Harlequin, Joker unavailable for comment originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhones rejoice as Ustream Live Broadcaster hits App Store, other smartphones wonder what all the ruckus is

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/09/iphones-rejoice-as-ustream-live-broadcaster-hits-app-store-othe/

When it comes to streaming live video from a smartphone, there's an app for that and there has been for a long, long time -- unless you're an iPhoner. With Qik for the iPhone a delayed broadcast was possible, but it took months for the thing to break out of its WiFi-only shackles. Now you, like Bill O'Reilly, can do it live courtesy of the Ustream's Live Broadcaster, newly available in the App Store. It's not the first to stream live video from Apple's handset, an app called Knocking gets that distinction after getting the nod last week, but it is the first to allow live broadcasting, it works over 3G, and it's available for free right now for iPhone 3G and 3GS models running OS 3.1 and above. So go ahead, start those cameras rolling and tell all your friends how great it is -- just don't be heartbroken if they're not all that impressed.

P.S. It's worth noting that Ustream also works in local record mode thus turning the iPhone 3G into a video camera like its newer 3GS sibling. Videos (stuck at 320 x 240 pixels) can then be easily viewed in the Broadcaster app or uploaded to Ustream, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter.

iPhones rejoice as Ustream Live Broadcaster hits App Store, other smartphones wonder what all the ruckus is originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stanford wants to roll its own paper batteries

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/09/stanford-wants-you-to-roll-its-own-paper-batteries/

It was only a couple of months ago that MIT was wooing us with the energy-preserving properties of carbon nanotubes, and in a classic act of oneupmanship Stanford has now come out and demonstrated paper batteries, which work thanks to a carbon nanotube and silver nanowire "ink." We've seen this idea before, but the ability to just douse a sheet of paper in the proper magical goo and make a battery out of it is as new as it is mindblowing. Battery weight can, as a result, be reduced by 20 percent, and the fast energy discharge of this technology lends itself to utilization in electric vehicles. The video after the break should enlighten and thrill you in equal measures.

Continue reading Stanford wants to roll its own paper batteries

Stanford wants to roll its own paper batteries originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA shows its 3D Blu-ray readiness in run-up to CES, Acer demos 120Hz LCD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/09/nvidia-shows-its-3d-blu-ray-readiness-in-run-up-to-ces-acer-dem/

We recently got a chance to check out NVIDIA's 3D Blu-ray ecosystem, and while we're sure we'll be all 3D Blu-ray'd out by the time CES is over, it was our first chance to see the new tech in action, and it seems pretty raring to go. Specifically we got to check out a movie film (we can't say which for legal reasons) on a fancy new upcoming Acer LCD (the 24-inch G245, pictured above) that does 120Hz and can be synced with NVIDIA's 3D shutter-based glasses. The 3D looked just fine, on par with other movies we've seen from NVIDIA in the past, and close to what we've seen in theaters, with the exception being that this is being delivered on a backwards-compatible, consumer-friendly Blu-ray disc. 3D Blu-ray is encoded in a new MVC-AVC format, which passes through a regular 1080p video for incompatible hardware, but provides a 3D image for the software and decode hardware capable of sussing it out. Right now NVIDIA's 3D Blu-ray capable on existing GeForce GT 220 and GT 240 GPUs, along with its upcoming Fermi cards due next year. Software is even more plentiful, with Arcsoft, Core, Cyberlink and Sonic all promising to by ready for 3D Blu-ray titles when they start shipping next year. Once the 3D Blu-ray spec is formally announced we're sure the floodgate will open even wider, but for now it seems NVIDIA has a nice jump on the tech, and we're sure they wouldn't mind pocketing a few of your gaming dollars in the meantime.

NVIDIA shows its 3D Blu-ray readiness in run-up to CES, Acer demos 120Hz LCD originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RT @bmorrissey - Pharma: Socializing in a Straightjacket - http://bit.ly/5S2GzG

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Are your brand terms the only keywords driving traffic to your site? - http://bit.ly/5MjLj3

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