e-readers

Prizefight: Kindle Paperwhite vs. Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight

Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite and the Barnes & Noble Simple Touch with GlowLight duke it out in this Prizefight slobber-knocker.

The Kindle brings its all-new Paperwhite technology to the table and Amazon's massive ecosystem. How will it match up against the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, which was the first true backlit e-reader with touch and physical controls?

These two e-readers continue to innovate and bring the best the e-reader market has to offer. So which e-reader is your Prizefight king of the ring?

Cast your vote!

Amazon curtails sales of Kindle DX

Amazon seems to have pulled the plug on its Kindle DX.

A peek at the product's Web site shows that Amazon is no longer directly selling the DX. Only used versions are up for grabs from third-party resellers, at prices ranging from $230 to $350.

The DX also is missing from the Kindle family lineup. The e-book reader's heave-ho comes about a week after Amazon cut its price to $299 from $379, according to blog site The eBook Reader.

There's no indication from Amazon as to whether new supplies are on their way. But it's unlikely. … Read more

Amazon to users: Hey, the Kindle Paperwhite isn't perfect

How's this for honesty? Amazon took it upon itself to post a note today on its site listing the limitations of its newest e-reader, the Kindle Paperwhite.

The Kindle Paperwhite has a light-up screen that lets you read in the dark, which previous Kindle e-readers lacked. That light, however, isn't perfect. So to get in front of the complaints, Amazon opted to disclose some of its drawbacks -- plus other design changes -- ahead of time.

For instance, Amazon acknowledged that the built-in light will provide uneven illumination under certain lighting conditions. The uneven lighting occurs in the … Read more

Kindle Paperwhite on backorder until November

Although Amazon started shipping pre-ordered Kindle Paperwhite devices this week, customers who order one today will have to wait a month or more for the e-reader to ship.

The backlog for the Kindle Paperwhite e-reader shipments has grown to 4 to 6 weeks, according to the product's listing on Amazon.

Once again, Amazon says the delay is "due to popular demand."

Amazon unveiled the Kindle Paperwhite device earlier this month as one of its trio of new tablets. The device is Amazon's first self-illuminating e-ink reader.

Just last week, the delay was three weeks for new … Read more

Shining light on new Kindle Paperwhite

Monday's CNET Update has a glow about it:

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite e-reader is now shipping, and CNET has given it the Editors Choice award. You can read the full review here. The Nook GlowLight dropped its price to $119 to match the Paperwhite.

Apple has released a Wi-Fi bug fix for the iPhone 5 on Verizon. The bug caused the iPhone 5 to use data even when the device was connected to a Wi-Fi network. Verizon won't charge iPhone 5 customers for any excess data as a result of the bug, but customers should download the fix … Read more

No option to remove ads on Kindle Fires

Friday's tech news roundup is bracing for the mini-tablet price war:

UPDATE: Amazon has had a change of heart over the weekend and reversed its stance on lock-screen ads. Find the follow-up report on Monday's Update.

Amazon's new generation of Kindle Fire tablets will have Special Offers and Sponsored Screensavers on the home lock-screen, and you won't be able to pay extra to take it off. For the e-ink readers, Amazon has offered ways to pay a small fee, about $20, to take the ads off. But these ads are not coming off the new tablets. … Read more

Amazon's new Kindles: Everything you need to know (FAQ)

Q: What's the quick and dirty version of Amazon's announcement today?

A: Amazon has unveiled a pair of new e-ink readers and three new tablets -- but each one is available in several versions. Here's a breakdown, with pricing and availability.

Kindle e-reader: A new bare-bones e-ink reader. Slight upgrade from last year's version (improved display, still no touch screen), and a tad cheaper: $69 (ad-supported), $89 without ads. Available now. Kindle Paperwhite: Amazon's first self-illuminating e-ink reader, and now its only touch-screen model. It's $119 with Wi-Fi, $179 for 3G (both ad-supported; add $… Read more

Amazon lights a new Fire under iPad

Thursday's tech news roundup has a glow about it:

Amazon unveiled several new Kindles on Thursday. Here's the quick breakdown with links to the full first-take reviews:

• The new Kindle Fire HD comes in three flavors. There's a 7-inch model with 16 GB of memory for $199, and it ships Sept. 14. Coming out late November is a larger 8.9-inch model with 16GB of memory, selling for $299. If you want double that memory and the option for 4G LTE wireless, that'll cost $499 -- the same as a new iPad. • That 4G LTE wireless … Read more

Barnes & Noble Q1 loss narrows to $40M as Nook sales decline

Barnes & Noble narrowed its fiscal first-quarter loss, but suffered through a few hiccups with its Nook e-reader business.

The book retailer posted a loss of $40.9 million, or 78 cents a share, compared with a loss of $56.6 million, or 99 cents a share, from a year ago. Revenue rose only slightly to $1.45 billion from $1.42 billion a year ago.

Analysts, on average, estimated that the company would post a loss of 98 cents on revenue of $1.48 billion, according to Thomson Reuters.

The company's Nook unit, which includes the e-reader and … Read more