Want to buy an e-reader from Plastic Logic? You will have to wait until “sometime this summer.” Want to buy the whole company? That’s a different story.

That’s the message U.K. investor Hermann Hauser is delivering via the Financial Times (via Engadget). Hauser, who owns a chunk of Plastic Logic via his Amadeus Capital Partners, doesn’t come out and say the company is for sale. But he spends a chunk of the story explaining why someone would be smart to take the investment off his hands.

Why would that be? Plastic Logic, after all, has been in the e-reader business for years, but has yet to actually start selling one. It finally showed off its Que Reader in January and promised delivery in April. But last month, the company told customers the Que would be delayed until summer–practically daring them to buy a competing product from Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Sony (SNE) or Barnes and Noble (BKS).

Hauser’s pitch: Plastic Logic is a technology company whose real value is the plastic chips that power the Que.

“Plastic Logic is using the simplest invention in plastic electronics, a single transistor that switches a particular pixel on or off,” says Mr Hauser. The real potential, he explains, is in creating plastic integrated circuits capable of complex functions, a feat that Plastic Logic co-founder Henning Sirringhaus has just achieved. Mr Hauser says: “Plastic electronics will spawn dozens of companies taking advantage of different aspects of integrated circuits in the same way that silicon has.”

How much is that worth? The FT helpfully suggests a buyer should pony up a multiple of the $200 million Hauser and others have bet on the company. But if that’s above your spending limit, you should be able to get a Que for less than $800 in a couple months.

In an e-mail to customers who pre-ordered the product, Plastic Logic’s CEO Richard Archuleta said that delay was due to an effort to “fine-tune the features and enhance the overall product experience,” he wrote. He added: “I can imagine that you want to get your QUE proReader as soon as possible. We are sorry for the delay. For your inconvenience, the shipping charges will be on us.”

Betty Taylor, a spokeswoman for the company, said in an e-mail that that Plastic Logic has seen “overwhelmingly positive response” to its device since CES.

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That was way back in October, though, and since then, production delays have slowed the Nook’s entry into the market. The devices were hard to buy online for the 2009 holiday season. And they haven’t been available at all in stores–you could talk to a store rep about one, and if you were lucky, you got to fondle one, but that was it.

Now Barnes & Noble (BKS) says that starting Wednesday, the $259 device will be available in the “majority” of its 775 U.S. stores.

Better late than never. But not a lot better.

Barnes & Noble’s problem, of course, is that in the last couple weeks, the e-reader market has been completely redefined, at least among the chattering classes: It’s now Amazon’s (AMZN) Kindle vs. Apple’s (AAPL) iPad.

It’s still theoretically possible for Barnes & Noble–and Sony (SNE), for that matter, as well as Plastic Logic and the other would-be competitors–to elbow their way in, since the e-book market itself is still pretty young.

But they had better move very, very fast. Even if they offer devices that are as good or better than Apple’s or Amazon’s, they’ll be hard-pressed to combat the other huge advantages those two have over the rest of the pack–established e-commerce relationships with a huge customer base.

So what does that mean?

At this point, Plastic Logic, which has raised more than $200 million from investors, is well behind Amazon (AMZN), Sony (SNE) and even Barnes & Noble (BKS). So the company is trying to distinguish the Que by positioning it as a “business” device. Which also means expensive: Plastic Logic is asking consumers to pay up to $800 for the initial versions.

The big idea: Not only can you read your books and newspapers on the device, which features a touchscreen and e-ink display, but you can work on Microsoft (MSFT) Word, Excel, etc., documents. Plastic Logic also promises “interoperability” with Research In Motion’s (RIM) BlackBerry, though it is a little vague about how this will work.

That is, the company is positioning the Que as something akin to a netbook that happens not to have a keyboard (this sounds familiar).

In CEO Richard Archuleta’s words: “The e-readers that you see today are great reading devices. They’re great for reading ebooks. They’re great for casual reading. But what about folks who need to read”–that is, grownups who need to get some work done?

The device is neither thinner nor lighter than competing e-readers, which for Plastic Logic was a conscious choice. It is, however, much more expensive: A four-gigabyte version will go for $649 and an 8GB version will cost $799.

Amazon’s Kindle goes for $259, as does Barnes & Noble’s Nook; Amazon’s larger DX device costs $489. Sony’s “Daily Edition” reader sells for $399.

As previously announced, the Que will connect to an electronic bookstore run by Barnes and Noble. The more expensive version will feature a wireless connection provided by AT&T (T). Plastic Logic says the devices will ship in mid-April.

Notably absent from a long list of publications that have agreed to provide versions for the reader: The New York Times (NYT). Also missing, at least right now: Condé Nast and Time Warner’s (TWX) Time Inc. News Corp.’s (NWS) Dow Jones unit is offering both Barron’s and The Wall Street Journal (Dow Jones owns this Web site).

More on Plastic Logic here. Press release here and below:

Introducing the QUE™ proReader
More than an eReader, QUE is uniquely designed as an essential tool to lighten the workload of mobile professionals.

Sleek industrial design, intuitive user interface, powerful applications and QUE Store define a premium business reading experience. | 7 January 2010
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 7, 2010 – Plastic Logic today unveiled QUE™ (pronounced “Q”), the world’s first proReader. More than an eReader, QUE is designed specifically to provide a premium reading experience and access to content anywhere anytime, while simplifying the multi-faceted lifestyle of business professionals–and to literally lighten their workload.

With its sleek 8.5 x 11 inch form factor, crisp large touchscreen display, intuitive user interface and powerful tools, QUE stands out in the crowd. QUE is currently on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (Central Hall of Las Vegas Convention Center at Booth 11840 anchoring the e-Book Techzone).

“Today we are introducing two major advancements: the birth of a new market category, the proReader, and a milestone in the evolution of plastic electronics,” said Richard Archuleta, CEO of Plastic Logic. “The QUE proReader was built from the ground up for people who need to read. Starting today, mobile professionals can look forward to a paperless briefcase, a lighter load, and a better way to work.”

Like paper, only better?: The inspiration for QUE was an age-old but perfect business tool: a simple sheet of paper. QUE was designed to have the benefits of paper, but without the weight and clutter. Just like paper, QUE is easy to hold and feels good in your hands. But it’s easier to search and find exactly what you’re looking for.

The size of a pad of paper, about 1/3 inch thick, and weighing less than many periodicals (about a pound), QUE features a 10.7-inch shatterproof plastic display–the largest display in the market.

Exclusive plastic display technology: ?The patented plastic display technology in QUE has been 10 years in development, since Plastic Logic’s founding by researchers from the renowned University of Cambridge (UK) Cavendish Labs. The unique plastic displays are produced in Plastic Logic’s world-first commercial scale plastic electronics manufacturing facility in Dresden, Germany. Combined with E Ink Vizplex® technology, they produce an outstanding reading experience that looks and reads just like paper even in direct sunlight.

QUE Design: A celebration of black and white print. ?Designed through a unique collaboration between Plastic Logic and IDEO, the QUE design was inspired by black and white print—a communications standard that is both classic and timeless. In addition to being the easiest to read, black and white is often the most visually striking combination.

“We wanted to highlight the optical qualities of plastic,” said IDEO’s Caroline Fagiello, who serves as Plastic Logic’s acting creative director. “Think of pools of black ink captured in a glass ink well against a crisp sheet of white linen paper.”

Plastic Logic created QUE to feel as natural in your hand as a pad of paper, while conveying the level of premium quality craftsmanship of a fine pen. Its proprietary user interface is as intuitive and easy as paper and ink.

The simple, but powerful QUE user interface is uniquely designed for functionality in the day-to-day world of the business professional. Its signature home view provides your appointments for the day and all of the information you need, including a customized view of your content–your daily newspaper, magazines, and other essential materials–as well as immediate access to the QUE Store to get what you need whenever you need it.

All your content, all the time?Designed for more than good looks, QUE provides instant access to the content busy professionals need at their fingertips all day long–all their content anywhere any time: Read a newspaper over morning coffee. Review your appointments imported from Outlook. Have every document you need when you need it. And at the end of the day, relax with a good book.

In addition to highly valued business and professional newspapers, periodicals and eBooks, QUE supports reading and annotating document formats business users need (including PDF, Microsoft Office, ePub documents and more). With the QUE software, it’s easy to quickly convert and transfer content from your PC, Mac™ computer, or BlackBerry® smartphone to your QUE.

The standard 4GB QUE model can hold up to 35,000 documents or the equivalent of up to 35 filing cabinets worth of documents. If your paper-laden briefcase and file cabinets are bulging at the seams, the 8GB model holds up to 75,000 documents or the equivalent of the contents of up to 75 filing cabinets¹.

Powerful tools for interacting with your content?. Storage means nothing if you can’t easily access your documents. Thanks to its proprietary touchscreen interface, QUE makes it simple to find reports, spreadsheets and presentations with just a few taps of a finger. And QUE is always on when you need it: its battery can last days, instead of hours.

QUE has integrated reviewing tools and features that maximize efficiency. Add a note and use the virtual keyboard to include your comments, highlight text, scribble free form, and even add a stamp to emphasize a point. No stylus needed. And if that massive spreadsheet with the tiny font is too small, just zoom in for a close-up view. With QUE, it’s easy to instantly go back and forth between documents.

Wireless access to leading publications, professional content on the QUE Store?The QUE Store offers a rich collection of reading material especially geared to the business professional. QUE users will be able to connect to fresh content on-the-go, on the QUE Store: to search, purchase and download wirelessly via Wi-Fi and AT&T’s 3G network².

Powered by Barnes & Noble, the QUE Store offers instant access to the world’s largest eBookstore, in addition to many business and professional newspapers, books, and periodicals. Additionally, Plastic Logic is partnering with Olive Software and premier publishers to give QUE users a richer content and reading experience that is optimized for QUE.

Today, Plastic Logic is announcing new partnerships with some of the leading business publishers and publications, including the Down Jones company and the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and All Things Digital, as well as Forbes and Fast Company. Rounding out new partnerships are the Sporting News and major regional newspapers, including the Sacramento Bee, Miami Herald, and San Jose Mercury News.

These publications join previously announced strategic partnerships with Financial Times, USA Today, the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News, MIT Technology Review, Popular Science, and IDG publication titles including CIO, Network World, and Computerworld. A full list of content partners can be found at PlasticLogic.com.

Publications on the QUE Store are available ranging from one-time use to ongoing subscriptions.

EXCLUSIVE: QUE truVue–Setting the standard for eNewspapers?The QUE proReader enables newspapers, magazines, and other types of content to have a richer reading experience that is symbolic of their print editions, complete with photos and formatting. The QUE truVue standard, enabled by the Adobe Reader Mobile SDK, provides the familiar look and feel of print publications, and makes eReading easier and more enjoyable.

“Since our inception 27 years ago, USA TODAY has offered a reading experience that millions of people rely on and enjoy, so it’s really exciting that there is an eReader platform that delivers our content the way it’s supposed to look and feel,” said Dave Hunke, president and publisher of USA TODAY.

“Forbes has always been at the forefront of embracing and adopting new media and new platforms; eReaders represent that next generation platform to deliver our content,” said Nina La France, Vice President Consumer Marketing for Forbes. “The QUE proReader caters to our audience: people who are busy, active, mobile, time-starved, and consume content at a great clip. The proReader gives them the full content experience and new capabilities to stay ahead.”

The QUE starts here?Beginning today, preorders for the QUE proReader may be placed at the QUE Store. Beginning in mid-April 2010, QUE will be available for shipping. Later in 2010, QUE will be available through the Barnes & Noble stores nationwide and online at Barnes & Noble.com QUE.com.

The price for QUE will range from $649.00 for the 4GB QUE model with WiFi that holds up to 35,000 documents, to $799.00 for the 8GB QUE model with WiFi and 3G that holds up to 75,000 documents.

To complement its iconic look and profile, Plastic Logic has also designed an entire line of QUE premium accessories, including three carrying cases to match any busy lifestyle. In addition to their classic elegance, the cases protect your QUE from dust, scratches and everyday wear and tear. QUE accessories are available on the QUE store at QUE.com.

Additional information, including high resolution images, are available at PlasticLogic.com.

Sound good? Then take a gander at the XO-3, a tablet that the people from One Laptop Per Child think they’d like to have available in 2012.

Since it’s pretty much purely conceptual at this stage, the details don’t really matter all that much. But for what it’s worth, according to Forbes, OLPC says the thing will be thinner than the iPhone, may use components from the likes of Plastic Logic and Pixel Qi and will sell for $75.

The gadget, like OLPC’s other projects, is aimed at kids in the developing world. But if the tablet ends up looking–and performing–anything like the concept stuff, then it’s not a stretch to imagine that ordinary consumers would want to get their hands on it too, just as they did with OLPC’s first computer.

Or not. Gizmodo politely suggests that the OLPC guys are about as likely to produce the thing as I am. But then again, the OLPC guys don’t necessarily think they’re going to produce it either; they think that if they make the tablet an open-source project, they can spur someone else into actually producing it.

If you like your slideshows to move without your help, you can check out a full gallery here. If you want to pick your own pix, try this one.

Meanwhile, an update on the tablet everyone is most eager to see: The Wall Street Journal, following up on Apple’s (AAPL) plan to get into the TV subscription business, says that “people briefed by” the company expect its legendary tablet to show up  “by the end of March.”

Before I get to the supposed details on this one, though, some big chunks of salt you should consume while reading: It’s hard to take Spring all that seriously at this point given that it doesn’t appear to have any track record creating mass market consumer electronics. Or much of a record at all, really.

Spring’s press release says the company was founded in 2006 and that it “delivers innovative e-reader solutions and products to the e-book market,” but aside from that release and a bare-bones Web site, Spring Design has next to no footprint, at least on the Internet.

LinkedIn says CEO Priscilla Lu started running the company in July; it also says she is still running something called ViDeOnline, Inc., “a digital media network company.” (LinkedIn also says Eric Kmiec is doing double duty, as VP of marketing at both firms). That’s about it.

Which isn’t to say that “Alex,” the gadget Spring Design says it will release “later this year” for “selected strategic partners,” doesn’t look interesting. It’s just that the e-reader/tablet wars won’t just be about specs and features but about distribution and marketing, which are partly what have given Amazon (AMZN) a huge head start and what give heavyweights like Sony (SNE) and Barnes & Noble (BKS) a fighting chance. And, of course, Apple (AAPL), if it really does enter the fray.

So. For what it’s worth: Alex is actually two gadgets in one–a conventional-looking black-and-white “reader” screen that sits atop a smaller full-color screen that runs a Web browser powered by Google’s (GOOG) mobile operating system. That looks cool, as does the notion that the two screens are connected such that a hyperlink in the “reader” screen would synch up with information supplied by the Web browser.

Also for what it’s worth: Alex looks similar, but not identical, to mock-ups we saw on Gizmodo last week. The gadget blog says it got its images and information via “a source within” Barnes & Noble, and that the book chain will show off the device to the public tomorrow.

Oh, and its coming e-reader has a name–the Que. Here are some glimpses of what it looks like in profile and dim lighting:

And here are some general descriptions of the Que, from a press release the company put out today:

With QUE, Plastic Logic is expanding the eReader category, which to date has focused on leisure reading devices and casual users. QUE is designed to simplify the multi-faceted lifestyle of the modern businessperson, and to quite literally lighten their workload. In addition to connecting its users with their business and professional newspapers, books and periodicals, QUE supports the document formats business users need (including PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents) and features powerful tools for interacting with and managing the content.

“The QUE brand stands for a premium reading experience,” said Richard Archuleta, CEO of Plastic Logic. “QUE enhances business performance and gives you a competitive edge. More than an eReader, QUE means business.”

Extra thin, lightweight and wireless-enabled, QUE is the size of an 8.5 x 11 inch pad of paper, less than a 1/3 inch thick, and weighs less than many periodicals. The innovative QUE proReader features the largest screen in the industry, an intuitive touch screen user interface, and provides access to a file cabinet’s worth of documents, plus your favorite–and most necessary–publications.

Want other details? You’ll have to wait until Jan. 7, when Plastic Logic says it plans to offer “full product specifications, availability and pricing” information at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Which means Plastic Logic will miss out entirely on the upcoming holiday season, during which consumers will be presented with a slew of e-reader choices: There’s Amazon’s (AMZN) Kindle, of course, and Sony’s (SNE) Reader line, an entry from iRex, and perhaps Barnes & Noble’s (BKS) device as well.

The bookseller, which will support both Plastic Logic’s device and the one from iRex, is set to show off its branded reader on Tuesday.

I’m assuming that Plastic Logic will shrug that off, given that it’s presenting the Que as a business device (you caught that in the press release, right?). But it sure would be nice to have it available sooner than later, right? Then again, Apple’s (AAPL) purported tablet device isn’t supposed to show up until next year either.

Here’s a video of an extensive demo of the then-unnamed Que Plastic Logic CEO Richard Archuleta provided for Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at the seventh D: All Things Digital conference last May.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20091018/plastic-logic-shows-off-a-quick-look-at-its-kindle-killer-meet-the-que/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20091009/barnes-noble-plans-own-brand-of-e-reader/ http://allthingsd.com/20091009/barnes-noble-plans-own-brand-of-e-reader/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:01:03 +0000 Geoffrey A. Fowler http://voices.allthingsd.com/?p=16422 Barnes & Noble Inc. (B) plans to announce its own brand of e-book reader and could begin selling the device as soon as next month, according to people briefed on the matter. The device is expected to feature a six-inch screen from digital-paper maker E-Ink Corp. with touch input and a virtual keyboard, like the one used on Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPhone. The Barnes & Noble device is expected to also use a wireless connection to download books from the online e-book store that the books retailer unveiled in July, those people said. It’s unclear how much Barnes & Noble would charge for the device. Products with similar features sold by Sony Corp. (SNE) and Irex Technologies BV retail for $399.

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]]> http://allthingsd.com/20091009/barnes-noble-plans-own-brand-of-e-reader/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20091006/amazon-gives-the-kindle-a-price-cut-takes-it-overseas/ http://allthingsd.com/20091006/amazon-gives-the-kindle-a-price-cut-takes-it-overseas/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:33:20 +0000 Peter Kafka http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/?p=11790 Had to see this one coming: Amazon is chopping the price on its plain-vanilla Kindle e-book reader and is introducing a new version that will allow users to download books when they’re outside the U.S.

Amazon’s (AMZN) basic Kindle will now sell for $259, down from $299–and down from $359 earlier in the year. And the new version, which will allow users to download books in 100 countries besides the U.S., will sell for $279. It will be powered by a wireless connection provided by AT&T (T); the U.S.-only Kindle will continue to use Sprint (S) for a wireless connection.

Is there a catch? Maybe. Anti-Amazon gadfly Tom [Redacted!] (Tom, what do you do when you’re not emailing us this stuff?) points out a bit of fine print on Amazon’s order page: If you take your new Kindle outside the U.S. and try to actually buy something–or simply redownload something you’ve already bought–Amazon will charge you two bucks.

Here’s the fine print, which didn’t seem to make it into the press release–or (cough) the embargoed stories: “When traveling abroad, you can download books wirelessly from the Kindle Store or your Archived Items for a fee of $1.99.”

Still, it’s hard to see how Sony (SNE), whose comparable e-reader only offers a U.S. wireless connection (also from AT&T) and is scheduled to go on sale in December for $399, will be able to stay at that price point. And dark-horse Kindle competitors like iRex and Plastic Logic are going to have match or beat Amazon just to get into the race.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20091006/amazon-gives-the-kindle-a-price-cut-takes-it-overseas/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20090910/time-inc-pines-for-a-kindle-killer-if-someone-else-builds-it/ http://allthingsd.com/20090910/time-inc-pines-for-a-kindle-killer-if-someone-else-builds-it/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:35:56 +0000 Peter Kafka http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/?p=10843 Is Time Inc. building a Kindle Killer? Nope.

My pal Owen Thomas, late of Valleywag, has published a piece for NBC’s Bay Area local site that suggests that Time Inc. wants to get into the hardware business and produce its own e-reader.

That’s something other publishers, like Hearst and News Corp. (NWS), are actually doing or have at least mulled. But multiple sources familiar with the Time Warner (TWX) unit’s thinking say that’s not the case here.

But the publisher certainly is thinking about ways to create specialized content for e-reader devices and about the best way to distribute that content.

Time Warner executives have talked about this openly for many months–see Time Inc. digital guru John Squires’s comments in June–and Thomas appears to have gotten his hands on an internal document that addresses the same topic.

Most intriguing, according to Thomas’s read of the documents: A Hulu-like spinoff that would do…something:

The presentation concludes that Time Inc. and other partners should form a new, jointly owned company. Time Inc. might spin out its Maghound service, a service which lets consumers bundle multiple magazines together into a single monthly subscription, to form the base of the joint venture. The company is also considering acquiring other businesses to jumpstart the venture.

No comment from Time Inc.

But I do know that Time Inc.’s executives have met with other publishers about collaborating on e-reader standards, etc. And I do know that Time Inc. executives  think a special version of their print products, designed specifically for e-readers, is a good idea. Most everyone I talk to in magazine publishing, in fact, believes this.

And I understand why they do. In their minds, the e-reader versions of their products function just about the same way magazines do: People pay to read them and advertisers pay to distribute their messages through them. And–this part is crucially important, from their perspective–publishers retain control of distribution and the billing relationship with their customers.

That relationship gets obliterated in Amazon’s (AMZN) Kindle model: Publishers wholesale the stuff to Jeff Bezos, who deals with consumers directly. This is also one of the music industry’s big regrets about the digital age. Even though labels are selling their stuff on the Web, via Apple’s (AAPL) iTunes and others, they still don’t have direct relationships with its customers.

Which is why publishers are desperately hoping that they’ll be able to push their stuff through someone other than Jeff Bezos. On the surface, at least, it looks as though their wishes are being met: A bevy of Kindle competitors–Sony (SNE), Plastic Logic, iRex, etc.–is surfacing. Surely one or more of those will figure out how to offer publishers the terms they want.

But even if one or more of the Kindle clones succeeds, print publishers still have a core problem: They need to convince consumers that content–in any form, on any device–is worth paying for. That will work in some cases, but for many it’s going be a very hard slog.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20090910/time-inc-pines-for-a-kindle-killer-if-someone-else-builds-it/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20090829/weekend-update-82909-the-skank-issue/ http://allthingsd.com/20090829/weekend-update-82909-the-skank-issue/#comments Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:02:44 +0000 Beth Callaghan http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/?p=23940 As of this week, pretty much anyone can tell you–“Skank” blogging just doesn’t pay. Unless your $15 million privacy lawsuit against Google ends up going your way, that is. Rosemary Port, the person who used Blogger to anonymously insult former model Liskula Cohen, was unmasked last week after months of speculation, and promptly sued Google (GOOG) for turning over her information. Hilarity ensued, complete with dueling morning TV appearances. More details on MediaMemo, though Peter doesn’t usually follow that kind of stuff. Looks like Amazon’s Kindle has a couple of new competitors. Sony’s (SNE) “Reader Daily Edition” and Barnes & Noble’s (BKS) and Irex’s as-yet-unnamed Kindle-like device will join the as-yet-unnamed Kindle-like device from Barnes & Noble and Plastic Logic on the playing field. Apple (AAPL) approved at least one app this week–the one for Spotify, which is rumored to be “the best streaming music service in the world.” But as MediaMemo points out, it’s worthless without any deals with big music companies.

The Open Book Alliance formally launched the manifesto this past week with which it’s challenging Google’s settlement with authors and publishers. The organization now has a Web site and quite an array of allies–which include, of course, Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo (YHOO) and Amazon (AMZN). And as if Google doesn’t have enough on its plate, turns out that all along, Microsoft has been holding regular “Screw Google” meetings, the bastards. Uh, I thought that’s what people pay good money to learn in Business School. On a happier note, Howard Stern fans everywhere were happy to learn that Sirius XM (SIRI) has debuted a device that can turn an iPhone or iPod touch into a full-fledged satellite radio.

Over in Personal Technology, Walt reviewed Snow Leopard and found it to be an improvement on its predecessor, but with a lot of the upgrades under the hood invisible to most users. Not the typical object of desire we’re trained to expect out of Apple. In Mossberg’s Mailbox, Walt answers reader email about choosing a vendor to buy a computer online and setting parental controls in Firefox. In The Mossberg Solution, Katie Boehret explores the trials and tribulations of BlackBerry and iPhone users switching one for the other.

More next week.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20090829/weekend-update-82909-the-skank-issue/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20090829/weekend-update-82909-the-skank-issue-2/ http://allthingsd.com/20090829/weekend-update-82909-the-skank-issue-2/#comments Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:02:44 +0000 Beth Callaghan http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/?p=23940 As of this week, pretty much anyone can tell you–“Skank” blogging just doesn’t pay. Unless your $15 million privacy lawsuit against Google ends up going your way, that is. Rosemary Port, the person who used Blogger to anonymously insult former model Liskula Cohen, was unmasked last week after months of speculation, and promptly sued Google (GOOG) for turning over her information. Hilarity ensued, complete with dueling morning TV appearances. More details on MediaMemo, though Peter doesn’t usually follow that kind of stuff. Looks like Amazon’s Kindle has a couple of new competitors. Sony’s (SNE) “Reader Daily Edition” and Barnes & Noble’s (BKS) and Irex’s as-yet-unnamed Kindle-like device will join the as-yet-unnamed Kindle-like device from Barnes & Noble and Plastic Logic on the playing field. Apple (AAPL) approved at least one app this week–the one for Spotify, which is rumored to be “the best streaming music service in the world.” But as MediaMemo points out, it’s worthless without any deals with big music companies.

The Open Book Alliance formally launched the manifesto this past week with which it’s challenging Google’s settlement with authors and publishers. The organization now has a Web site and quite an array of allies–which include, of course, Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo (YHOO) and Amazon (AMZN). And as if Google doesn’t have enough on its plate, turns out that all along, Microsoft has been holding regular “Screw Google” meetings, the bastards. Uh, I thought that’s what people pay good money to learn in Business School. On a happier note, Howard Stern fans everywhere were happy to learn that Sirius XM (SIRI) has debuted a device that can turn an iPhone or iPod touch into a full-fledged satellite radio.

Over in Personal Technology, Walt reviewed Snow Leopard and found it to be an improvement on its predecessor, but with a lot of the upgrades under the hood invisible to most users. Not the typical object of desire we’re trained to expect out of Apple. In Mossberg’s Mailbox, Walt answers reader email about choosing a vendor to buy a computer online and setting parental controls in Firefox. In The Mossberg Solution, Katie Boehret explores the trials and tribulations of BlackBerry and iPhone users switching one for the other.

More next week.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20090829/weekend-update-82909-the-skank-issue-2/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20090824/barnes-noble-lands-irex-another-would-be-kindle-killer/ http://allthingsd.com/20090824/barnes-noble-lands-irex-another-would-be-kindle-killer/#comments Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:00:11 +0000 Peter Kafka http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/?p=10196 Here’s another company choosing a side in the coming e-book war: Irex Technologies, a Dutch company that plans on selling a Kindle-like reader in the U.S. this fall, has allied itself with Barnes & Noble’s online bookstore.

Irex is the second e-book reader company to join up with Barnes & Noble (BKS); earlier this summer Plastic Logic made a similar announcement. Neither company has a product that’s actually on the U.S. market.

Plastic Logic says its device, which it showed off at the D7 conference in late May, will go on sale next year; Irex sells machines in Europe, but hasn’t demoed its newest gadget in the U.S. yet. Its says its newest reader will feature an 8.1-inch touchscreen and a 3G wireless connection.

Irex doesn’t spell it out, but suggests that the relationship with the bookseller won’t be exclusive. Canned quote from Kevin Hamilton, North American CEO of Irex Technologies: “We will change the dynamics of the consumer market–users want to easily purchase content from a variety of sources and we allow them to read it on an IREX eReader as well as other devices.”

The announcement is one of a series we’ve seen this summer as would-be rivals to Amazon’s Kindle try to gear up for a big push against the market leader. The jostling for position includes competing boasts about whose bookstore is bigger and whose is more open.

Part of me thinks this is all for naught since Amazon has moved so far ahead of the pack already. And part of me thinks the e-book industry remains wide open since it’s still so very small and undefined. And it’s entirely possible that the e-book market won’t be dominated by single-use products like the Kindle, but will end up being driven by smartphones like Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone.

Sony (SNE), meanwhile, has already introduced a new line of readers this month and has another product announcement set for Tuesday morning in New York. I’ll drop by that one and report back….

[Image credit: sapphireblue]

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20090824/barnes-noble-lands-irex-another-would-be-kindle-killer/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20090813/kindle-nation-could-be-10-million-strong-but-what-happened-to-amazons-save-the-newspaper-business-plan/ http://allthingsd.com/20090813/kindle-nation-could-be-10-million-strong-but-what-happened-to-amazons-save-the-newspaper-business-plan/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:04:12 +0000 Peter Kafka http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/?p=9868 Have you bought  a Kindle? Do you plan on buying a Kindle? If you answered yes to either question, you’re part of a not-that-small group: JP Morgan estimates that some 10 million Americans either own one of Amazon’s e-book readers or plan to get one soon.

That projection comes from a survey of Web users that Internet analyst Imran Khan commissioned last month. Khan’s survey found that 37 percent of respondents were familiar with the Kindle. And of that group, five percent said they already owned one of the devices, and another 15 percent said they expect to buy one within the next year. Extrapolating those results for the U.S. population, Khan figures that Kindle ownership will hit 10 million in the next 12 months. (Click chart to enlarge)

OK. But what if Amazon (AMZN) dropped its proprietary ebook format, a supposed weakness that competitors Sony (SNE) and Plastic Logic are trying to take advantage of by agreeing to use an open, common standard? Won’t matter that much, say Khan’s respondents: Only 15 percent of people who say they don’t plan to buy a Kindle cite format issues as a concern. I’m surprised the number is that high.

On a related note: Whatever happened to Amazon’s plan to work with the New York Times (NYT) and the Washington Post (WPO) to bundle newspaper subscriptions with its jumbo-sized Kindle DX reader?

When Amazon unveiled the DX in May, it briefly mentioned plans to sell the $489 machine at a discount to people who bought subscriptions to the Times, Post or Boston Globe, but didn’t say much more than that. Details were supposed to be released “this summer.”

Now we’re midway through August and we haven’t heard a peep about the program. What gives? I asked Amazon, the Times and the Post, and none of them had anything to say–save for a comment from a Post rep who said that the subscription-plus-discount offer would be “a small experiment.”

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20090813/kindle-nation-could-be-10-million-strong-but-what-happened-to-amazons-save-the-newspaper-business-plan/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20090721/att-adds-another-gadget-would-be-kindle-killer-plastic-logic-signs-on/ http://allthingsd.com/20090721/att-adds-another-gadget-would-be-kindle-killer-plastic-logic-signs-on/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:49:22 +0000 Peter Kafka http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/?p=9550 Here’s another set of customers for AT&T: People who buy e-book readers from Plastic Logic, the would-be Kindle killer due out next year.

Privately held Plastic Logic says it will rely on AT&T (T) to supply its gadgets with a wireless connection, in the same way that Sprint (S) is the network provider for Amazon’s Kindle.

It’s the second big partnership Plastic Logic has unveiled this week; yesterday, it linked up with Barnes & Noble (BKS), which will be its virtual bookstore. I’m guessing it’s not a coincidence that Amazon (AMZN) announces its earnings Thursday afternoon.

Even if Plastic Logic’s reader becomes as successful as the Kindle, it’s unlikely this will be hugely significant for AT&T, the wireless company iPhone users love to complain about.

Each Apple (AAPL) phone on AT&T’s network represents $30 in monthly data charges alone, plus fees for a voice plan. But while Sprint and Amazon haven’t disclosed their terms, it’s estimated that Amazon pays Sprint something like $2 per Kindle user, per month.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20090721/att-adds-another-gadget-would-be-kindle-killer-plastic-logic-signs-on/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20090721/barnes-noble-to-amazon-mine-is-bigger-than-yours/ http://allthingsd.com/20090721/barnes-noble-to-amazon-mine-is-bigger-than-yours/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:00:36 +0000 John Paczkowski http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/?p=21771 Six years after shuttering its first e-book effort, Barnes & Noble has embarked on a new one. Monday afternoon, the bookseller announced what it describes as “the world’s largest eBookstore,” an online storefront that boasts 700,000 titles.

That’s substantially more than the 300,000 available for download on Amazon’s Kindle service, though half-a-million of them are public-domain books provided by Google (GOOG). They’ll be compatible with Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone and iPod touch, BlackBerry smartphones, and, when it finally arrives at market, the Plastic Logic eReader, a Kindle DX-size e-book reader for which the Barnes & Noble eBookstore will be the exclusive storefront.

“Today marks the first phase of our digital strategy, which is rooted in the belief that readers should have access to the books in their digital library from any device, from anywhere, at any time,” said BN.com president William J. Lynch.

With a few noteworthy exceptions, of course. E-books sold by Barnes & Noble (BKS) won’t be compatible with Sony’s (SNE) Sony Reader Digital Book or Amazon’s (AMZN) Kindle, which they are clearly intended to undermine.

To what degree they’ll manage that is anyone’s guess. One thing is sure: We’ll almost certainly be seeing an e-book price war in the near future. And when Apple finally gets around to uncrating that tablet/e-reader device it’s been working on, all bets are off.

Below, video of the Plastic Logic Reader demo from our D7 conference in late May.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20090721/barnes-noble-to-amazon-mine-is-bigger-than-yours/feed/ 6 http://allthingsd.com/20090721/barnes-noble-to-amazon-mine-is-bigger-than-yours-2/ http://allthingsd.com/20090721/barnes-noble-to-amazon-mine-is-bigger-than-yours-2/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:00:36 +0000 John Paczkowski http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/?p=21771 Six years after shuttering its first e-book effort, Barnes & Noble has embarked on a new one. Monday afternoon, the bookseller announced what it describes as “the world’s largest eBookstore,” an online storefront that boasts 700,000 titles.

That’s substantially more than the 300,000 available for download on Amazon’s Kindle service, though half-a-million of them are public-domain books provided by Google (GOOG). They’ll be compatible with Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone and iPod touch, BlackBerry smartphones, and, when it finally arrives at market, the Plastic Logic eReader, a Kindle DX-size e-book reader for which the Barnes & Noble eBookstore will be the exclusive storefront.

“Today marks the first phase of our digital strategy, which is rooted in the belief that readers should have access to the books in their digital library from any device, from anywhere, at any time,” said BN.com president William J. Lynch.

With a few noteworthy exceptions, of course. E-books sold by Barnes & Noble (BKS) won’t be compatible with Sony’s (SNE) Sony Reader Digital Book or Amazon’s (AMZN) Kindle, which they are clearly intended to undermine.

To what degree they’ll manage that is anyone’s guess. One thing is sure: We’ll almost certainly be seeing an e-book price war in the near future. And when Apple finally gets around to uncrating that tablet/e-reader device it’s been working on, all bets are off.

Below, video of the Plastic Logic Reader demo from our D7 conference in late May.

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20090721/barnes-noble-to-amazon-mine-is-bigger-than-yours-2/feed/ 0 http://allthingsd.com/20090623/plastic-logic-the-full-d7-demo-2/ http://allthingsd.com/20090623/plastic-logic-the-full-d7-demo-2/#comments Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:11:32 +0000 Kara Swisher http://kara.allthingsd.com/?p=14837

Reading books and newspapers on a handheld device has gotten to be a hot arena in the consumer electronics business, especially after the introduction of the Kindle from Amazon (AMZN).

Plastic Logic will come on the market next year with its e-reader offering. So, the Silicon Valley-based company gave a sneak preview of the device, including a first look at the gadget’s innovative touchscreen user interface at the seventh D: All Things Digital conference.

Look ma, no keyboard!

In all seriousness, the controversies around how content is going to be paid for and delivered have been growing over the last year, as media companies struggle to reinvent troubled business models.

Here’s the full D7 demo to Walt Mossberg and me:

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20090623/plastic-logic-the-full-d7-demo-2/feed/ 1 http://allthingsd.com/20090623/plastic-logic-the-full-d7-demo/ http://allthingsd.com/20090623/plastic-logic-the-full-d7-demo/#comments Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:30:11 +0000 Beth Callaghan http://d7.allthingsd.com/?p=2242

Reading books and newspapers on a handheld device has gotten to be a hot arena in the consumer electronics business, especially after the introduction of the Kindle from Amazon (AMZN).

Plastic Logic will come on the market next year with its e-reader offering. So, the Silicon Valley-based company gave a sneak preview of the device, including a first look at the gadget’s innovative touchscreen user interface at the seventh D: All Things Digital conference.

Look ma, no keyboard!

In all seriousness, the controversies around how content is going to be paid for and delivered have been growing over the last year, as media companies struggle to reinvent troubled business models.

Here’s the full D7 demo to Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher:

]]> http://allthingsd.com/20090623/plastic-logic-the-full-d7-demo/feed/ 0