Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he’ll explore where our industry is and where it’s going — on both micro and macro levels — with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.
There was a raging debate going on last week at Engadget HQ over the role of dedicated ebook readers that spilled over on to the Engadget Show. You can watch the show here, but essentially big boss Joshua Topolsky and Paul Miller feel that the new Barnes and Noble Nook is going to be a hit — the one machine that gets suburban moms to buy. On the other hand, Nilay Patel, rationally (as he agrees with me) says it’s not going to happen and there’s no mass market for dedicated ebook readers. I’m going to weigh in and say Nilay is probably right.
Now don’t get me wrong, this is not entirely an integration vs. convergence story. I believe there’s a market for dedicated devices: cameras have not been displaced by music phones, media players have not been displaced by music phones and ebook readers could serve bibliophiles, especially those who travel a lot. However, mobile reader apps like those from Amazon and Barnes & Noble can easily tap into more casual markets, allowing users to leverage the investment in screens they already own instead of buying a dedicated device. That’s one reason why I think it has been important for Amazon and B&N to get their ebook platform onto as many devices with screens as possible, and why Sony’s making a mistake by ignoring the opportunity.
Continue reading Entelligence: Of ebooks and suburban moms
Filed under: Handhelds
Entelligence: Of ebooks and suburban moms originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Needed some more evidence that future BlackBerrys may be getting a much needed improvement in the browser department? You got it. Following up on the news that Research In Motion has acquired Torch Mobile (developers of the WebKit-based Iris browser), the Candian phonemaker is now looking to fill the position of “WebKit Developer,” according to a job listing. The posting calls for a number of skills which would come in handy whilst creating a next-gen browser for the BlackBerry OS, clearly calling for someone with hands-on experience coding… WebKit style. Look, if you love Canada and hate the BlackBerry browser, here’s your chance to make the world a better place. What are you waiting for?
[Thanks, Daniel M]
Filed under: Cellphones
RIM posts job listing for ‘WebKit Developer,’ gets one step closer to a real browser originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Somebody apparently managed to get a camera up during Creative’s presentation of its upcoming Zii Mediabook e-reader, but unfortunately the UI mockup that was demonstrated on screen is hardly standard (no hints of Android, for instance), and it’s hard to separate proposed UI elements from flashy video transitions. If there’s anything to take away, it seems that the device has an edge to edge screen, and is heavily touch and gesture based on a very custom-seeming GUI. One thing that happens repeatedly in the video is that a bit of text is highlighted, and then when it’s “flicked” up it shoots out as a web page or a video or what have you — seems like an odd way to go about things, but it at least demonstrates that Creative isn’t just working on any old e-book reader here. Hit up the read link for the vid.
Filed under: Handhelds
Zii MediaBook UI video explains very little originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If there’s one thing we like more than a flesh and blood slate tablet PC, it’s one with zero launch specifics or imagery, and hopefully a dearth of specs. Cowon’s delivering the former in spades, with the leak of the Atom-powered W2 MID on a Bluetooth.org certification page. Of course, calling it an internet tablet might be reading in a bit much, but it seems a good fit for Cowon’s sensibilities and background up against that Atom processor under the hood. We suppose we’ll just have to wait around to learn more, but this could be the start of a beautiful rumoring relationship.
[Via DAP Review]
Filed under: Tablet PCs
Atom-powered Cowon W2 leaked, could be crowding in on imaginary tablet territory originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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PS3 still bringing it Home.
