As its name implies, the new e-reader has a touchscreen and uses the same Neonode infrared technology that’s found in Sony’s touchscreen e-readers. It also has E Ink’s latest generation Pearl E Ink screen.

Here’s a look at the key specs:

• Touchscreen with Neonode “responsive” zForce infrared touch technology (Kobo is calling it “Real Touch”)

• 6-inch Pearl E Ink screen (same screen as Kindle’s E Ink screen)

• Wi-Fi wireless connectivity (802.11 b/g/n)

• 1 GB onboard storage

• Freescale i.MX508

• MicroSD card expansion slot (add up to 32GB card)

• Battery charge lasts up to two weeks

• Supports ePub, PDF and Adobe DRM

• Dimensions: 165 x 114 x 10 mm

• Weight: 200g

• Comes in black (with black back) and white (with lilac, blue or white back)

• Multiple languages available (English, French, Spanish, German, Italian and Dutch)

• Price: US$129.99 (Australian pricing is yet to be announced)

We got a chance to play around with a prototype for the new device and found it to be very similar to Sony’s PRS-650 Touch Edition e-reader, with a nice responsive touchscreen. However, when we suggested that we expected a little more (speed-wise) from the new Freescale i.MX508 processor that powers this e-reader, we were told by Kobo reps that they were still optimising the device.

That said, the Kobo Touch Edition has a compact, elegant design, with only a couple of buttons (since this is a touchscreen e-reader, there’s a built-in virtual keyboard). We didn’t see a web browser and, like other Kobo e-readers, the device seems very reading-centric. It’s also geared towards the international market, with Kobo making a push into several countries, most notably Germany, which has the fastest growing ebook market outside of the US.

(Credit: Kobo Inc)

Via CNET

Here we go again with rumours that the iPhone 5 - or whatever Apple chooses to call its fifth-generation iPhone - will have a larger screen. This one comes out of China, where iDealsChina has posted what it claims is a photo of the front bezel or digitiser panel for the iPhone 5.

Here's the long caption that was posted along with the image, which was first noticed by 9to5Mac:

Previous rumours have the iPhone 5 sporting a 4-inch "edge-to-edge" screen, which some are interpreting to mean that it will have a smaller bezel or border. With so many of the new Android smartphones having more generous screens than the iPhone, some consumers are hoping that the next iPhone will have a larger screen.

It's also worth pointing out that a recent rumour suggested the next iPhone and iPad will ditch the home button for on-screen gesture commands. But as you can see from this photo, there's a spot for the home button.

If you're looking for a track record on iDealsChina's rumours, it's hit and miss. In 2008, this Chinese reseller of Apple parts claimed on its website that an iPhone Nano was in the making (ironically, those same rumours of a smaller iPhone are making the rounds now). But it did better with posting images of some moulds for iPhone 3G cases prior to that model's launch.

iDealsChina says that more photos of parts for the iPhone 5 "may be available soon" and that the part it would really like to see is the back of iPhone 5 to "verify if the rumoured tapered back is true".

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Amazon's page-numbering scheme will now include a corresponding "real" element to it. (Credit: Amazon)

In a blog post previewing the update, Amazon writes:

Our customers have told us they want real page numbers that match the page numbers in print books so they can easily reference and cite passages, and read alongside others in a book club or class. Rather than add page numbers that don't correspond to print books, which is how page numbers have been added to ebooks in the past, we're adding real page numbers that correspond directly to a book's print edition. We've already added real page numbers to tens of thousands of Kindle books, including the top 100 bestselling books in the Kindle Store that have matching print editions and thousands more of the most popular books. Page numbers will also be available on our free "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" Kindle apps in the coming months.

As part of the Kindle update, Amazon will be adding a few other new features to the latest-generation Kindle 3 (owners of older Kindles or the Kindle DX don't seem to be eligible to get the update, but we are still confirming that):

• Public Note: this feature lets Kindle users choose to make their book notes and highlights available for others to see. Any Kindle user can "opt-in to share their thoughts on book passages and ideas with friends, family members, colleagues and the greater Kindle community".
• Before You Go: when you reach the end of the book, you'll now be given the option to immediately rate the book, share a message about the book with your social network, get personalised recommendations for what to read next, and see more books by the same author.
• New newspaper and magazine layout: Amazon is introducing a "new and improved" layout for newspapers and magazines. According to Amazon, this new layout "gives you a quick snapshot of the news and helps you decide what you want to read first".

If you own the latest-generation Kindle and want to try an early preview of these new features, you can manually download the software update from this page. Amazon says that all latest-generation Kindle customers will receive this software update automatically via Wi-Fi once it becomes available.

Via CNET US

• Amazon Kindle 3
• Amazon Kindle
• Free Kindle app comes to Android at last
• Ebooks and e-readers: FAQ

At last year's Consumer Electronics Show, we saw something beautiful: Mirasol by Qualcomm, a colour E Ink display that even can work fast enough to display basic video.

We ooh-ed. We aah-ed. We waited. And this year, Mirasol was once again on display. It didn't have its own booth, but a small showcase was set up in Qualcomm's booth, and the technology - intriguing as ever - was definitely getting a lot of attention. The prototypes Qualcomm was showing seem improved from earlier models the company had been teasing at previous events, and PR reps were careful to note that the video loop on the prototype's screen was indeed running at a smooth 30fps.

What was a little surprising, however, was that the company hadn't made more progress in a year. Also, the only screen size it was showing was 5.7 inches (the Kindle has a 6-inch screen, measured diagonally) and a PR rep said that the company would not be developing any larger screen sizes this year.

Mirasol, the rep said, was focused on the 5.7-inch size for e-readers and was also making a big push with smaller screens for smartphones. That's obviously a much bigger market than e-readers and Qualcomm is in the process of building a $975 million factory in Taiwan to make these screens in mass quantities. Apparently, a different factory in Taiwan will make screens until the new factory goes online early next year.

Alas, Mirasol had no product to announce, only that it was working with vendors such as PocketBook, which sells primarily into Europe, to bring out an e-reader later this year. How much that e-reader will cost and when it will hit the market are very much up in the air.

Hanvon, on the other hand, managed to attract a lot of attention with its WISEreader E920. With a larger, more magazine-friendly 9.7-inch screen, the reader also boasts a colour display based on Mirasol's rival, Triton. The first colour E Ink reader to hit the market, the E920 has some big anticipations to fulfil; unfortunately, hands-on reports bemoan its muted colours and slow refresh rates.

And further disappointing (although unsurprising) news for Australians: although Hanvon is making plans to release the E920 in China and the US from May 2011 onwards, there was no mention at all of whether we can expect to see it down under.

Whether we will see an e-reader application soon or no, the tech behind the Mirasol display - based, according to Qualcomm, on butterfly wings - is pretty interesting. Watch the video below, or read more about it on the Mirasol website.

• Laser EB101 E-Book Reader
• HTC Touch HD
• Canon Pixma MX870
• Motorola Backflip

• Lightweight and comfortable design
• Sealed earcups isolate wearer from ambient noise
• Headphones fold flat
• Detachable cord
• Detailed sound with well-defined bass.

• Sound can be a tad brash

In the headphone realm, Bose is probably best known for its noise-canceling (NC) line of QuietComfort models. But it's long made some non-NC models, including an around-the-ear design as well as an on-ear design. Bose has shortened those names to AE and OE, respectively, and now the AE model reviewed here is up to version 2.

Design

Formerly known as the TriPort, the AE2 still uses the same basic design, but Bose has implemented some significant design improvements. For starters, these headphones, like the noise-canceling models, now fold flat. Also, Bose has moved from a double- (running to each earcup) to a single-cord design - and the headphone cord detaches - which means you can wear these simply to cover your ears and muffle sound.

Features

As noted, the Bose AE2s don't offer active noise-cancellation, but they do offer a tight seal and filter out a lot of noise from the outside world. When you put them on, the first thing you notice is that these are very comfortable headphones that have Bose's trademark plush, black leather earpads. They also feel lighter than your average full-size, closed earcup models from the likes of Sennheiser, Koss and AKG. The headband is fairly thin and covered in a springy neoprene, which also helps increase the comfort level. A simple cloth carrying bag is included for storing the headphones. It's OK, but it offers only minimal protection.

It's worth mentioning that Bose offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try before you buy. Also, if your headphones break for any reason, Bose tends to be pretty good about replacing them.

Performance

Compared to our memory of the old TriPorts (the "AE1," if you will), Bose has improved the sound on these new models. Overall, the headphones are very accurate and offer good, well-defined bass. We threw a bunch of tracks at them, including some Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, the Kings of Leon, some classical tracks and a Brooklyn Band called The National. The only small gripe we had was that - because these headphones are as detailed as they are - they tend to come off sounding a tad brash, overemphasising instruments such as cymbals (it's a matter of taste whether you like that "extra sizzle" or not). They also make poorly recorded music sound worse because they accentuate the flaws in the recordings (the flip side is they make good recordings sound very good).

Conclusion

That small knock aside, we thought they were very good. Are they the best-sounding headphones we've heard for AU$199.95? Probably not. But the combination of their high-quality sound and excellent comfort level make them easy to recommend, especially to those who don't want to spend AU$450 for the QuietComfort 15s. Yes, the 15s do a better job at blocking out more aeroplane engine noise, but the AE2s are arguably more comfortable and cost half the price.

Via CNET.com

• Bose QuietComfort 15
• Bose Mobile In-Ear Headset
• Bowers & Wilkins P5
• Bose 3-2-1 Series III

Yes, the iPod Nano is minuscule enough to be turned into a watch, you just need a custom band to encase your sixth-gen Nano to wear it on your wrist and be the coolest dude - or dudette - around.

The Hex isn't the first Nano watch band we've seen, but it is the slickest and it comes in nine different colours for US$24.99. As the company's cartoon infographic says, you just pop it in the case, and presto, it's a watch! What also nice is that it provides some protection for your Nano and has some integrated control buttons. Naturally, that US$24.99 doesn't include the iPod, and unfortunately, this watch has to be charged quite a bit more frequently than your standard timepiece.

You can purchase the Hex online at Shophex.com.

(Credit: Hex)

• Apple iPod Nano (6th generation)
• Apple iPod Nano (5th generation)
• Cowon D2+
• Fake iPod Nano (4th generation)

• Slimmer, more compact design than previous Kindle
• Improved screen with higher contrast and faster page turns
• Native PDF support
• Large library of hundreds of thousands of ebooks, newspapers, magazines and blogs via Amazon's familiar online store
• Built-in free 3G wireless "Whispernet" data network, plus Wi-Fi
• Built-in keyboard for notes
• With 4GB (3.3 usable) of internal memory, it's capable of storing 3500 electronic books
• Eight fonts available, including two new extra-large sizes
• Excellent battery life
• Displays image files and plays MP3 and AAC audio

• No expansion slot for adding more memory
• No support for ePub book files
• No Nook-like lending feature
• No protective carrying case included
• Battery is sealed into the device and isn't removable

Editor's note: the RRP listed is in US dollars and is subject to fluctuations in the current exchange rate between the US and Australian dollar. The price is also listed minus postage.

Just as Apple's iPod wasn't the first MP3 player, Amazon wasn't the first company on the block to release an ebook reader, but it's hard to argue that the online retailer's Kindle isn't the iPod of the ebook reader market. The Kindle has helped usher the ebook reader from gadget curiosity to a burgeoning mass market device, all in less than three short years. And now after finally being available in Australia for almost one year and amid a much more competitive market, Amazon is debuting the third-generation Kindle.

The first thing you should know about the "Kindle 3" is that it's more evolutionary than revolutionary. Most importantly, Amazon has made its 6-inch e-reader smaller and lighter, and it has improved the screen.

In fact, this Kindle comes in a couple of versions, one with both Wi-Fi and 3G wireless for US$189, and a Wi-Fi-only version that costs US$139. Each version is available in graphite or white and - on top of the more compact design - some other key additions include more memory (4GB instead of 2GB) and double the battery life (four weeks instead of two weeks with the wireless turned off).

Here's a rundown of the key specs:

• 6-inch E Ink display
• 21 per cent smaller than previous Kindle
• 15 per cent lighter (247 grams)
• like the new Kindle DX, screen offers better contrast
• faster page turns (we confirmed they are slightly faster; Amazon says 20 per cent)
• 4GB built-in memory (stores around 3500 ebooks)
• improved battery life (up to a month with the wireless turned off)
• smaller page-turn buttons that are also quieter (clicking noise is nearly silent)
• up to four weeks of battery life from sealed-in battery (wireless turned off)
• new "experimental" WebKit-based browser works better than previous browser, especially using Wi-Fi
• expanded text-speech options. New text-to-speech-enabled menus allow you to navigate the Kindle without having to read menu options. You can not only listen to books aloud (certain ones, anyway), but also content listings on the home screen, item descriptions and all menu options
• new built-in PDF reader, with new dictionary look-up, notes and highlights, and support for password-protected PDFs
• no cover is included, but Amazon sells two covers.

Clearly, one of Amazon's primary goals was to make the device smaller and more pocket- and purse-friendly so that users would be more apt to see the Kindle as an everyday gadget they can carry around with them at all times. We can say that Amazon has certainly achieved that, and the device, at least when held without a cover, feels lighter and more comfortable in your hand and easier to hold for longer periods.

The new Kindle is 21 per cent smaller and 15 per cent lighter than its predecessor. (Credit: CBS Interactive)

Though the Kindle offers some additional functionality beyond reading, Amazon has been careful to market it as a "purpose-built reading device" in order to contrast it with the multifaceted Apple iPad, which features a backlit touchscreen LCD instead of an E Ink screen.

That E Ink screen is both the Kindle's strength and weakness. On the upside, the latest Kindle's display looks really good. When compared side by side with the older Kindle, the letters appear slightly darker and pop a little more (Amazon has also optimised the fonts so letters appear sharper). It's not a huge difference, but it's noticeable. Turning "pages" is also considerably faster. (There's still that somewhat jarring photo negative look when doing so, however).

The other upside to E Ink displays is that they aren't backlit, which not only is supposed to reduce eye strain but it also allows you to see the screen - better, in fact - in brightly lit environments, including direct sunlight. By contrast, the iPad is hard to read outside because its LCD gets washed out in direct sunlight and the glass covering the screen is reflective and creates glare issues.

The Kindle's screen can be toggled from portrait to landscape mode - particularly useful for certain PDFs and websites - but the process requires manually accessing the menu. By contrast, it's an automatic feature on the Kindle DX or iPad, thanks to their built-in accelerometers.

At night, however, you have to have a light source to use the Kindle, which is part of the reason why Amazon has designed an optional protective cover (none ships with the unit) that includes a retracting LED light that's brilliantly designed. The slim light draws power from the Kindle and tucks away into the case (at first glance, you don't even know it's there). The only downside is it's expensive at US$59.99, but we have to say, we really liked it.

Amazon also sells a US$34.95 protective case and plenty of third-party companies make nice covers and lights for the Kindle. But just factor the price of a cover into your purchase because it's not a great idea to carry your Kindle around naked. Like the iPhone, the Kindle is prone to serious injury when dropped from moderate heights to a hard surface (eg, a concrete footpath).

In shrinking the Kindle, Amazon has made some noteworthy changes to the button design. Most are good; for instance, the new page-turn buttons on each side of the device are smaller and make only a muffled clicking sound when you depress them (that's important if you're reading while someone is trying to sleep in bed next to you).

Amazon has also modified the joystick-like main navigation button and moved it lower and integrated it into the more tightly spaced keyboard where the Enter key on a computer keyboard would typically be. This makes a lot of the sense, and the new four-way navigation button is fine, but we did find that the back button and menu buttons are a little too close to the up/down portions of navigation button. As a result, we sometimes ended up accidentally hitting the back or menu button, and we expect that users with larger fingers will have to take extra care when using the navigation button. We also have a feeling some folks will miss the older nub-style button.

Aside from those button adjustments, very little has changed in terms of the overall experience of using the Kindle. Yes, there's now Wi-Fi on board, and it also offers a faster connection for browsing the Kindle Store and browsing the web using the new "experimental" WebKit browser.

The combination of Wi-Fi and the new browser makes for better surfing, but it still remains a somewhat sluggish, less than fluid affair. The browser's more usable overall, and more web pages will display properly formatted. But using the navigation button to jump from link to link on a web page can become a little tedious. And we didn't have much luck logging into our Yahoo or Gmail webmail accounts. (In fact, the Gmail attempt locked up the browser, and forced us to do a soft reset.) But the browser does work well enough for those times you need to log-in to a password-protected Wi-Fi access point or click on a splash screen in order to jump online.

As we said, the E Ink screen is both the Kindle's strength and a weakness. Though Amazon has improved the page-turn speeds and made the device feel slightly zippier, E Ink still exhibits some latency and using a four-way button to navigate menus can seem weird after playing around with your touchscreen smartphone all day. Perhaps that's why using a Kindle gives you the odd sensation of using a futuristic device that also feels somewhat archaic at the same time. The same cannot be said for the iPad (which, admittedly, is far more expensive).

For version 3.0 of its Kindle firmware, Amazon has enhanced the text-to-speech capabilities of the device, extending it to the menu system (some publishers allow the text-to-speech feature to be enabled in their books, some don't). The device also appears to have a built-in microphone near the USB connecting port at the bottom, where you'll also find volume buttons; yes, the Kindle has two small speakers on the back and you can play MP3 audio as you read. However, the microphone is currently disabled, though that hasn't stopped some blogs from speculating that Amazon may someday add voice note-taking, Skype calling capabilities or even voice-recognition features.

Another recent addition to the Kindle world is games. There are only a handful so far, but it could be a precursor to a wider app store that may someday be available on the Kindle.

The device is not particularly good for viewing PDF files (the iPad is much better for that), nor does it support the industry standard ePub format. Having the latter format would be useful because some libraries have begun lending ebooks in the ePub format, and there is a wealth of free public domain books available from sources such as Google Books. That said, Amazon offers more than 4000 free public domain books for the Kindle including many of the most desirable classics, so the lack of ePub compatibility shouldn't be a stumbling block for most users.

In addition to its lack of ePub compatibility, there are a few other Kindle shortfalls. The Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader is not yet available in Australia, but it illustrates quite a few features coming out on next gen e-readers that the Kindle doesn't offer. For instance, Nook has a lending feature that allows Nook owners to "loan" an ebook (on those titles for which the publisher OKs it) to fellow Nook owners. Each title can only be lent once, and the loan period is only two weeks - but, at present, there's no comparable feature on the Kindle.

The Nook's other advantages over the Kindle are its user-replaceable battery and expandable memory. Again, however, the latter issue really isn't a big factor for two reasons: the Kindle's 4GB of memory will hold around 3500 books, and - even if you need to make room for other files, such as music or PDFs - you can always re-download ebooks you've previously purchased from Amazon for free in less a minute.

Some people also like the Nook's colour touchscreen for viewing book covers and navigation, but its inclusion does affect battery life and we should note that the Kindle's four weeks of rated battery life with the wireless turned off is currently tops for e-readers.

The Kindle can access books on other devices, however. Buy a book on the Kindle, and you can also access it on the Kindle app on iPad, iPhone/iPod Touch, Android phones, BlackBerry phones, Windows PCs and Macs. So, should you ever trade up to an iPad - or nearly any other popular OS - you should still have no trouble accessing the books you've purchased previously. (By contrast, ebooks purchased in Apple's iBookstore are currently only available on iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.)

All in all, we really didn't have any serious gripes with the new Kindle. There are those out there who would like to see Amazon ditch the built-in keyboard and trim the device down even further and some folks are still waiting to see the Kindle drop to US$99 or less before they buy one. (Barring a major price war, it's probably not going to happen in 2010, but with e-reader prices falling the way they have, a US$99 Kindle in 2011 seems quite possible.)

If you're trying to determine whether you need a 3G connection or not, we can see how it would come in handy for frequent travellers who like the idea of being able to access an ebook store at a moment's notice. Though free Wi-Fi hot spots are becoming more widely available, they certainly aren't ubiquitous yet.

But if you're the type of person who doesn't need instant access to the store at all times (or wherever you can get a data connection), you'll probably be fine with just a Wi-Fi connection. For instance, you could buy five or six books at a Wi-Fi-enabled airport lounge before departing on a long vacation.

In the end, much as Apple tends to do with its mobile devices, Amazon has simply taken an e-reader that was already good and improved it. Those improvements aren't so great that it will make owners of the second-generation Kindle feel bad about what they've already bought. But if you're already a Kindle fan, you'll most likely be tempted to pawn off your older model on a friend or family member and purchase this model.

And, if you're new to the whole e-reader game, US$139 or US$189 may not be dirt cheap, but it's a whole lot more reasonable than the US$399 that the Kindle cost when it first came out in late 2007. At these prices, we can actually say the latest Kindle is a solid value for readers looking to make the jump to ebooks.

Via CNET

• Amazon Kindle
• Apple iPad vs. Amazon Kindle chart
• Laser EB101 E-Book Reader
• Round-up: e-readers in Australia

Everybody's seen a T-shirt with a digital image printed on it, but Three60 Gear, a company based in St Charles, Missouri, is taking the whole photo-on-garment thing to a new level with its line of baseball player-themed jerseys that it calls "high-definition shirts".

Three60 Gear is somewhat secretive about its printing process, but it says each product has been "created by hand using high-quality photo images infused onto fabric through a unique dye-sublimation process". The 100 per cent polyester shirts are moisture wicking (quick dry), antimicrobial and retain their imagery through washing, though it's recommended you use cold water and tumble dry on a low setting. The player appears on both the front and back of the shirt in different action poses.

The shirts officially launch 15 September and will be available online at MLB.com and EastBay.com, as well as such stores as Champs, Sports Avenue, Modell's and at Yankee Stadium. At launch, only players from eight teams are available, but Three60 Gear will be expanding its line-up in the future. No word on exact pricing, but shirts are expected to cost around US$40.

Whether wearing your favourite player on your shirt will become the latest obnoxious fan craze, we don't know. But these high-resolution shots certainly make a statement - the loud and gaudy kind.

What do you think Australia? Can you see yourself walking down the street encased in your favourite cricketer or footy star?

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