For that target audience of avid readers, Kobo insists that E Ink remains the way forward for usability. The Aura HD’s panel sees a step up in specifications, however, with a 1440 x 1080 resolution, 6.8-inch Pearl panel, running at 256ppi; it also has front-lighting, as we’ve seen on other recent ereaders from Amazon and B&N, though Kobo claims its system offers the most even illumination. It’s certainly bright and looked consistent across the panel. Inside, there’s WiFi b/g/n though no cellular connectivity, Kobo telling us it still doesn’t believe the hassle of getting 3G/4G hardware certified and the costs of data involved make it worthwhile for its audience.

Kobo is pretty keen to highlight its angular back-panel, though, modeled after a creased sheet of paper. The raised edges give your fingers somewhere to rest, so the theory goes; in practice, it’s certainly not the thinnest way to read an ebook – the iPad mini and Nexus 7 have replaced a standalone ereader for many – but the Aura HD is easy to grip and feels like it could survive a fall from your nightstand. Physical controls are limited to a power button (finished in a contrasting color) and a key for the “ComfortLight” illumination.

Everything else is operated with the touchscreen, which seems reasonably responsive. The Kobo homescreen pulls together your recently read titles – complete with both a percentage of how much is read, and a useful indication of roughly how long it might take you to read the rest, handy if you’re trying to plan ahead for a journey – with recommendations for new books and authors. A tally keeps track of how many books you’ve finished and how long you spent reading them, and you’re prompted to rate completed titles. The Aura HD also supports basic gaming, like chess, with widgets to access your most recent game.

In use, what impresses the most is the clarity of the ereader’s screen. Even at small font levels, there’s no graininess or jagged edges to the text, something Kobo said it achieved not only by virtue of the higher-density display resolution but by going back to first-principles with the fonts and redesigning them pixel-by-pixel to suit the E Ink panel. The screen is also 30-percent larger than other ereaders of a similar scale, and together with the improved readability at small sizes, that means more text on a single page and fewer turns. Fewer turns also adds up to longer battery life, as e-paper displays like the Aura HD’s only use power when they’re changing the content of the display, not maintaining it.

Otherwise, it’s pretty much par for the course for the Aura HD. The onboard 4GB of storage can be expanded by up to 32GB with a microSD card, and there’s a new Freescale i.MX527 processor that, at 1GHz, is apparently 25-percent faster than any rival model out there. We can’t say we noticed a significant uptick in speed, though we also didn’t encounter responsiveness issues.

Kobo has high hopes for the Aura HD, and says there’s still a strong market for ebook-centric devices rather than tablets. In fact, its own ereader sales tripled year-over-year, something the $169.99/€169.99 Aura HD is expected to contribute to. It’s already up for preorder in the US and Europe, and will arrive in US and UK stores come April 25.

The Kobo Aura HD features a 6.8-inch Pearl E Ink 265dpi touchscreen display, a 1GHz processor, which Kobo says “makes it the fastest eReader on the market,” 4GB of storage (with a microSD card slot for expandable storage of up to 32GB), two months of usage on a single charge, and many software features. There are 10 fonts included in the Aura HD with 24 adjustable font sizes, “displaying each letter with perfection”.

Just last September, Kobo launched a new line-up of eReader devices, which included the Kobo Glo, Kobo Mini, and Kobo Arc. The Kobo Glo went on sale for $129.99 and featured a 6-inch E Ink screen with a backlight to improve reading in the dark. The Kobo Mini was a small, 5-inch E Ink display that retailed for $79.99, and was dubbed the world’s smallest and lightest eReader, and finally, the Kobo Arc was not exactly a eReader, but a $199.99 – $249.99 Android device, which operates on a dual-core 1.5GHz processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

If you want to pre-order the Kobo Aura HD, you can do it through Kobo itself, or through its various resellers. Kobo designed the Aura HD to thank its 13-million user base. Back in January, Kobo announced that its eReader sales had doubled, and that it gained over 4 million customers since last summer. Michael Serbinins, CEO of Kobo, stated,

“Kobo Aura HD is designed for the most passionate booklovers – those who devour hundreds of stories each year – who asked us to create the ultimate ereading experience. Kobo Aura HD is our way of celebrating these customers.”

Kobo says that the update should be offered to owners of the tablet when they next connect to Wi-Fi network. Kobo is mostly known for creating digital readers, but the Arc is more than a digital reader alone thanks to the Android operating system allowing access to books, video, and the web. The Android update that’s available now will bring the operating system to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Kobo says that the benefits of upgrading to the new version of the operating system include the addition of Google Now, which personalizes information available to the user based on their location, time of day, history, and calendar events. The upgrade brings richer notifications allowing users to receive action notifications directly within the notifications area.

The new notifications can also be expanded or collapsed to provide more or less detail. The search functionality of the Arc tablet is improved allowing the user to perform text or voice searches. The update also allows Google Search to be opened directly from the lock screen by swiping up with a finger. The update also brings optimized voice recognition and improved predictive typing. The Arc also gets a special Face Unlock tool that calibrates in different conditions and requires a blink to verify that a real person is unlocking device.

[via Kobo]

Last year marked some big milestones for Kobo, including the launch of three devices: the Kobo Glo, Arc, and Mini. The company expanded its service into Japan, Spain, South Africa, Italy, Portugal, Brazil, and the Netherlands, and reports that customers purchased more ebooks on average than they did in 2011.

According to the press release, Kobo’s users read in excess of 22 million pages on Christmas, with Canadians topping the list at an average of 200 pages read per customers. Users in the United States were second, averaging 160 pages read per customer, and British users were third at an average of 93 pages each. The most popular genre was Romance, which was particularly favored in Canada, while the Hunger Games was the most widely-read ebook series.

Kobo’s CEO Michael Serbinis offered this statement. “In December we celebrated Kobo’s third anniversary as well as the biggest month for the company yet. Millions of new users registered with Kobo in December alone, annual device sales soared with millions of Kobo eReaders bought, and eBook sales nearly doubled from the previous year. 2012 was truly outstanding for our company and our network of booksellers and retailers around the world.”

[via PR Newswire]

The little Kobo Mini digital reader is on sell for $30 off for Black Friday and Cyber Monday specials. The special discount on the little the reader will run from now until November 26 and people who purchase the device will get a free copy of the book Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro. The $30 discount brings the price of the Kobo Mini to $49.99.

The special price will be available in stores today and online Monday. The device is one of the smaller digital readers on the market with a five-inch touchscreen an integrated Wi-Fi. The special price for the device is available at Best Buy and other retail locations around the country. The five-inch screen uses E-ink technology making it easy to read in direct sunlight with no glare.

The little digital reader also has seven different font styles and 24 font sizes along with weight and sharpness settings for fonts to make it easier to read for all users. The reader is available in black or white and has three interchangeable SnapBack back color options are available including red, purple, and teal.

The Arc tablet will be available at Indigo-Chapters, Best Buy, and Future Shop stores in Canada, while the UK will have the tablet in stock at WHSmith, and at Fnac Booksellers in France. Pricing will start at $199.99 for the 16GB model, while $249.99 will get you a 32GB version and $299.99 for the 64GB variant.

The Kobo Arc is Google-certified, and features a 7-inch 1280×800 HD display (215ppi), with a 1.5GHz OMAP 4470 dual-core processor running the show. It comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but surprisingly, Kobo says that they’re already working to roll out an upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

With access to Google Play, as well as the company’s own content, Kobo Arc users have access to a wide range of Android apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, and of course, books (and lots of them). While the Kobo Arc looks to be a real competitor in the 7-inch tablet market, the bigger companies currently have a hold on it, especially Google, who recently launched an updated Nexus 7 tablet, as well as their new Nexus 10.

[via Android Community]

The Kobo Glo is slated for shipment on November 15. It’s priced at ¥7,980, and features an adjustable embedded light, as well as an SD card expansion slot, and a 6-inch no-glare e-ink display with an XGA resolution. There’s wifi, giving users access to Kobo’s eBookstore, and the battery life is rated at one month.

The Kobo Mini is slated for release some time in December, and is priced at ¥6,980. According to the press release, the Mini is the world’s smallest and lightest “full-featured” e-ink reader. The device has a 5-inch no-glare display, and is available in black and white. No backlight, sadly. It can hold up to 1,000 ebooks.

The Kobo Touch’s price has been dropped to ¥6,980 from it’s original price of ¥7,980. Said Kobo’s CEO Michael Serbinis, “The Japanese eReading market is taking off with new and exciting products coming from Kobo this gift-giving season… We’re working closely with retail partners to successfully integrate the Kobo Reader, digital content, and the Kobo eBookstore into the ecosystem – to deliver an experience that is tailored to the Japanese market and consumer.”

The new line includes the Kobo Glo, Kobo Mini, and the Kobo Arc. The Glo is a little e-reader designed for comfortable use during the day and at night. One of the downsides of E Ink displays on e-readers is that they have no backlight so you need an external light source to read in the dark. The Glo has a six-inch E ink screen and ComfortLight backlighting for reading in the dark. The reader will be available in pink, blue, silver, and black colors for $129.99.

The Kobo Mini has a small five-inch E Ink display. The e-reader is billed as the world’s smallest and lightest full-featured device weighing only 134 g. The device has enough storage space for 1000 digital books, and its E Ink display is touch sensitive and offers customizable font options. The device has three different color SnapBacks offered in teal, red, and purple. The device will sell for $79.99.

The final product is the Kobo Arc designed with the ability to discover the user’s preferences, tastes, and passion for different content. The device uses an interface called Tapestries that finds videos, movies, digital books, and web pages that the user would enjoy. Users are able to “Pin” their favorite content to the device, and it uses those pins to find things the user would like. The reader has a seven-inch LCD able display 16 million colors. It features a 1.5 GHz dual core processor and runs Android 4.0. It will be offered in an 8 GB unit for $199.99 and a 16 GB unit for $249.99.

The Kobo Vox is Kobo’s flagship full-color touchscreen device, and it has just added the ability to connect to the Google Play store. However, it’s likely this will only further add to the device’s identity crisis. Kobo is following the Kindle Fire’s strategy in offering a “curated” app store, meaning instead of the 500,000+ Android apps that are available on full featured Android tablets, the Vox only gives users access to around 15,000.

This is partially because Kobo wants to ensure its users only have access to apps that are optimized for the Vox, and also because the Vox is missing some key features that would make a lot of Android apps just completely irrelevant. For example, it doesn’t have a built-in camera. Basically, the addition of Google Play is just a way for the Vox to get back in the news, but not much more than that.

[via VentureBeat]

Kobo competes with Amazon’s Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook in the e-reader space and now with the might of Rakuten it should see a major boost in sales and international growth. Rakuten, considered by some as the Amazon of Japan, is one of the world’s top three internet service and e-commerce companies by revenue.

Kobo also didn’t do too badly by itself this past holiday season, touting a 10-fold increase in new customers with December 25 being the best day ever for Kobo in eBook downloads. More than 1 million new Kobo users were added in December and now with Rakuten, Kobo has direct access to more than 50 million potential customers from around the world.

What you’ve got before you is a decision between the two really, and when it comes down to it it’s all about form and coverage. Your humble narrator of course prefers the feel of the newest generation Nook as its all round and the size of an adult palm, essentially, while the Kobo is slightly more square around the edges, but I can’t speak on the libraries either one offer up. Of course there’s always an ad-supported Kindle in the mix, but the price on the Nook just cannot be beat (not as of yet, that is.) But wait a minute – what’s the reason for purchasing one of these readers over their full color alternates?

The loveliness of e-ink, of course, pages that wont bust up your eyes and still can be read in the dark or right in the direct sunlight. With devices like the Nook Tablet you get a much more versatile system, but the color display is IPS and does stand the chance of giving you a headache, as most color displays do, if you’re reading it through a full novel. Head over to your local Best Buy or Target to see all of these readers as both stores have them all on display for you to tap around on now – best way to choose!

Offers are otherwise known as ads. The ads on the Kobo Touch with Offers are on screen savers when the reader is off or in sleep mode. The ads also pop up on the bottom of the home page. The good news is that there are no ads on the eBooks you purchase. This is identical to how the Kindle with Special Offers works.

That Kobo Touch us an eReader with a 6-inch screen using infrared touch technology. It packs 2GB of storage inside and has a microSD card slot for when you run out of space. It has WiFi only and can surf the web. The Kobo Touch supports most common eBook formats. The device is offered only in the US.

[via The-ebook-reader]

Kobo’s founding company, Canadian-based Indigo Books & Music, which owns 58 percent, will receive $140 to $150 million from the deal, while Rakuten will receive 100 percent of all issued and outstanding shares of Kobo. This will bring Rakuten a line of e-readers, tablets, software, and a 5.6 million user base spread over more than 100 countries.

Rakuten claims to be one of the world’s top three e-commerce companies by revenue and will be adding 50 million potential Kobo customers from around the world. Kobo will become a wholly owned subsidiary that will continue to operate as a standalone company under CEO Michael Serbinis in Toronto.

Kobo recently introduced the new 7-inch Kobo Vox Android-based e-reader that competes with Amazon’s Kindle Fire with a $199.99 price tag, but allows for full access to the installed Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

[via VentureBeat]

There’s also a microSD card slot, microUSB port and 3.5mm headphone, together with an integrated speaker and WiFi b/g/n. Users will also get full access to Android underneath, so if they tire of reading ePub ebooks and viewing photos, music and video they can side-load apps too. The display is a 400 nit multitouch panel, while the whole thing measures 192.4 x 128.4 x 13.4mm and weighs 402.5g.

Battery life is tipped at up to 7hrs with WiFi turned on, and of course there’s access to Kobo’s ebook store directly from the Vox itself. The Kobo Vox will go on sale in the US and Canada today, priced at $199.99. Broader international availability has been promised but not dated.

According to the product description – which may well not be final, according to some reports – the Vox will also include Android Market access. That would imply it was running Honeycomb (since it would not qualify for the Market if it ran a smartphone version of Android but lacked a cellular radio among other specs) though the dedicated buttons for back, menu and home would seem to contradict that.

Otherwise there’s 8GB of internal storage plus a microSD card slot, a speaker and headphone jack, USB connectivity – presumably for charging and sideloading content – and support for ebooks using Adobe DRM, in ePub,  PDF and Kobo’s own formats. Whether Kobo can bring the price down to a Kindle Fire rivaling sub-$200 level by the time the Vox is actually ready for primetime remains to be seen.

[via The Digital Reader]

For those of you not in the know, you can download or load Kobo’s Reading Life app by heading over to http://www.kobobooks.com/readinglife and checking in for iPad, iPhone, Android, and the Kobo eReader itself. This app was social eReading at its finest well before they found out that Facebook would be giving them a boost, and the platform is only going to be made better with the teamwork they’ll be jamming out next.

As Kobo’s chief technology officer Dan Leibu notes:

“Our extremely popular Kobo Reading Life app was the first social platform to deliver interaction to eReading. Kobo is committed to staying on the cutting-edge of social eReading to realize our mission of inspiring more people to read by allowing them to share thoughts, insights and experiences.”

If there’s one thing that holds the major majority of the world back from reading books, it’s certainly the inability to share their thoughts with people across the internet, right? That said, you will be able to share your favorite books and passages, notes, and thoughts with followers. In addition to the mobile platforms listed above, Kobo works on desktop computers of all kinds as well, making this platform hooked up with Facebook a certain force to be reckoned with.

Kobo’s HTML5 web app will work on both the iPhone and iPad browser. Customers will be able to browse and purchase new e-books that will then be automatically synced with their user accounts. The web app also offers many features similar to what’s available in Kobo’s iOS app, including the ability to browse user libraries and read books directly from the web app. This way Kobo can circumvent Apple’s demand for a 30 percent cut.

Apple’s new in-app policy first sparked controversy back in February when it blocked Sony’s e-reader app. The logic behind the new rules is that Apple develops and supports the platform on which these publishers push free apps that then redirect customers to an external store. Apple wants a cut of those sales, 30 percent to be exact. Hence, publishers have the option of continuing in-app purchases and pay the cut, or eliminate the option altogether. Most have chosen the latter.

[via MobileBurn]

The Wall Street Journal has confirmedthat its iPad app “will soon remove all purchasing options in the app in response to Apple’s new rules.” Whereas before, would-be subscribers could hit a button in the app and be taken to a sign-up page in the iPad’s Safari browser, now they will have to call customer service or manually visit the newspaper’s site.

Similarly, the Kindle for iOS app has been updated, with Amazon saying that v2.8 “removes the Kindle Store button.” Spotify too has an amended version, the changelist of which only includes “compliance with new rules for subscription-based apps.” Ereader apps from Kobo and Barnes & Noble have also been changed so that they no longer link to web-based ebook stores.

“We remain concerned that Apple’s own subscription [rules] would create a poor experience for our readers, who would not be able to directly manage their WSJ account or to easily access our content across multiple platforms” a News Corp spokesperson said of the changes, referring to Apple’s preference for its own in-app purchasing system. While that allows for recurring subscriptions to be bought without leaving the software itself, it also takes a 30-percent cut for Apple’s pocket and limits what access content providers have to subscriber information.

Meanwhile, Google Books is now no longer present in the App Store, with the search giant seemingly choosing to yank its software rather than comply with Apple’s rules.

There’s also 1GB of internal storage – plenty for ebooks – along with a microSD card slot. Freescale is responsible for the chipset, with the new 503 taking pride of place in the Kindle rival.

Pricing is $129.99 when the Kobo Touch goes on pre-sale through Borders in the US, among other retailers, later today. It’s expected to begin shipping in June. Meanwhile, the existing non-touch model will remain on sale with a price-cut to $99.

[via The Digital Reader]

HTC, meanwhile, will only say that it is constantly recruiting “marketers, developers, technical writers and many others” and declined to confirm or deny the leak. Meanwhile there’s talk that HTC’s deal with Kobo – which sees the company’s ebook content accessible through HTC Android smartphones – is more complex than initially believed, and will see the company more closely involved with the expanding HTCSense.com service.

[via Android Community]

The Velocity Micro Cruz Reader with WiFi is on sale now for $169.99, which is a $30 discount. The Cruz Reader has a 7-inch screen and multimedia capability. The Kobo is also on sale for $99.99 right now and the Aluratek Libre is at $99.99 as well. All Sony products that Borders offers are on sale at a 20% discount.

If your tastes are more towards the Kobo Wireless eReader, borders is offering five free books to those who pre-order the new reader at $139.99. The Kobo Wireless has a 6-inch e-Ink screen, 4-button navigation, and more. The downside is that the four free books are ones that Borders has picked and won’t be to the tastes of every one. The books are “Slow Death by Rubber Duck” by Bruce Lourie and Rick Smith; “Soccernomics” by Stefan Szymanski; “Phantom of Pemberley” by Regina Jeffers; “Eye of the Raven: A Mystery of Colonial America” by Eliot Pattison; and “Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America” by John Avlon.

While the announcement of the tablet device from Research In Motion, known as the PlayBook, is still hot in some people’s minds, it looks like company’s tied to the release of the tablet are starting to show their support. After Amazon announced that they would be making the Kindle software available for the PlayBook after its launch, Kobo is making their own announcement. But this time around, this eReader service will be made available right out of the gate, from the device.

Kobo announced today that they would have their global eReader service available on the BlackBerry PlayBook from day one, as it will be pre-loaded at launch. This will give users access to upwards of 2.2 million books available in the Kobo digital library. Kobo also announced their plans to offer an “industry-first” social eReading application that will use BlackBerry Messenger, and the new BlackBerry Messenger social platform.

You’ll be able to search for books right from the PlayBook, and won’t have to connect it to a computer to download them. You can also find books you may be interested thanks to categories, and recommendations built based on your reading habits. And there will be plenty of customizable reading options for you to sort through, so you get the perfect experience as you read on that 7-inch display. You’ll also get a virtual bookshelf to show off all your books. Check out the full press release below for all the details.

Press Release

Kobo to be Pre-loaded on New BlackBerry PlayBook

SAN FRANCISCO—September 29, 2010 — Kobo, a global eReading service, today announced plans for its application to be preloaded on the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, giving users easy access to the Kobo experience including Kobo’s store of more than 2.2 million books.

Earlier this week, Kobo also announced plans for an industry-first social eReading application that will leverage the new BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger) Social Platform.

“We are thrilled to be extending our extensive relationship with RIM into the tablet space,” said Michael Serbinis, CEO of Kobo. “Readers will love the elegant design, crisp display and portable size and weight of the BlackBerry PlayBook, which is perfectly suited for long reading sessions. I am also excited by the possibilities of the BlackBerry Tablet OS, which will allow us to bring today’s bestsellers and classics, as well as other rich content, to BlackBerry PlayBook users.”

The 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook is an ideal size for eBooks, allowing both comfort and convenience for readers. The new BlackBerry Tablet OS also features a WebKit browser engine, preferred by Kobo and used across its applications to deliver feature-rich and high-performance eReading applications.

“The new BlackBerry PlayBook is a multitasking powerhouse for apps and content services and, together with Kobo’s eBooks app and service, it will provide users with an exceptional eReading experience,” said Jim Tobin, Senior Vice President, Value-Added Services, Research In Motion. “Kobo is an excellent partner for RIM given the global nature of both our businesses and because Kobo provides a great customer experience, including regionalized apps, content and pricing.”

Key features of the Kobo eBook app on the BlackBerry PlayBook are:
· Integrated shopping. The Kobo store offers more than 2.2 million titles and the catalogue includes bestsellers, new releases and over 1 million free books. International stores feature region-specific content and pricing.

· Find books easily. Extensive categories and recommended reading lists help readers find their next great read.

· Choose library view. See your collection of books in a list, or on Kobo’s beautiful virtual bookshelf.

· Customizable reading options. Personalize text size, font and style. Switch between day and night reading mode or customize a specific brightness setting.

· Easy navigation. Tap to turn pages, scroll quickly through a book, or use the Table of Contents to jump between sections.

· Switch views. Kobo will automatically switch from landscape to portrait view as the BlackBerry PlayBook is turned.

· Read anywhere. Kobo also offers free reading applications for BlackBerry® smartphones, computers and other devices, which all sync together across a users account. Kobo members can pick up and read on any device without ever losing their place.

· Open platform. Kobo supports open standards, including EPUB, PDF, allowing customers to buy once and read anywhere, or read free choosing from over 1 million free titles from Kobo or visiting public eBook libraries.

· Social shopping and shared eReading will be introduced upon availability of the BBM Social Platform. Watch a video of what Kobo is planning at www.blog.kobobooks.com/BBM.

There’s also a new casing design, measuring 4.7 x 7.2 x 0.4 inches and weighing under 8oz, and it’s finished in a choice of black, silver or lavender with a textured, soft-touch back panel.  The display is still a 6-inch E Ink panel, and Borders reckon you’ll see around 8,000 page turns from a full charge of the battery.

Up to 4GB SD cards can be used to boost storage, and the Kobo Wireless eReader supports ePub and PDF ebooks and is preloaded with 100 classics.  It’ll begin shipping on November 1st, and is priced at $139.99.

Press Release:

Borders® Advances eReading Offerings with Kobo Wireless eReader

Borders Rewards members can now earn Borders Bucks twice as fast on the purchase of the Kobo Wireless eReader and Kobo™ eReader

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Borders® today announced the addition of the new Kobo Wireless eReader to its digital assortment that now includes an industry leading selection of seven eReading devices. The addition of the new Kobo device advances Borders as a preferred destination for eReaders for virtually every household. Counting among its successes the recent launch of the Borders eBook store, powered by Kobo, and mobile applications — and its rapidly growing selection of eReading devices — Borders is poised for significant growth in the eReading market.

Borders’ new Kobo Wireless eReader comes with a built-in wireless connection, upgraded hardware in three new colors and a new processor that drives faster page turns. Just .4 inches thick and 7.8 grams, the lightweight eReader is available in three sleek color combinations: onyx, porcelain with a metallic silver back and porcelain with a pearlized lilac back.

The new Kobo Wireless eReader allows consumers to browse more than 1.5 million books in the Borders eBook store and update their digital library wirelessly, directly from the eReader device, a smartphone or the Borders Desktop Application. With the intuitive control pad and a built-in library-management system, customers can easily navigate and organize their library by title, date last read and author. In addition, customers can add documents using an SD card, Adobe Digital Editions, or drag-and-drop. The eReader also supports EPUB and PDF documents, so customers can enjoy the option of borrowing and reading free eBooks from their local library.

Designed by book lovers for book lovers, the new Kobo Wireless eReader reads like print on paper with its specialized E Ink® screen for a true book-like reading experience. With 16 grey scale levels to choose from, the device offers sharp graphics and crisp text that are easy on the eyes. The device also comes pre-loaded with 100 free classics so customers can immediately begin reading.

Priced at $139.99, the device can be pre-ordered beginning today at www.borders.com/kobowifi and will be available for purchase in Borders stores by the end of October.

Borders’ Industry-Leading eReader Selection

In addition to the new Kobo device, Borders also offers the Aluratek “Libre” eBook Pro, Velocity Micro’s Android-based Cruz Reader™ R101, Cruz Tablet™ T103 and the original Kobo™ eReader. The Sony®Touch and Sony®Pocket round out Borders’ “good-better-best” selection of devices, which are aggressively priced from $99 to $299. Customers can now test-drive and purchase eReaders as well as choose from more than 1.5 million titles from the Borders eBook store within the company’s newly unveiled Area-e digital shops. Trained Area-e staff are available to assist customers through the eReader discovery experience, providing demonstrations and answering questions.

“We are committed to offering our customers the best of the physical book and eReading worlds,” said Mike Edwards, CEO of Borders, Inc. “For decades readers have known Borders as a trusted destination for exploring and discovering traditional paper books — and now as the only major book chain with a comprehensive selection of eReaders and digital content, we are meeting our customers’ reading needs on all fronts. Nowhere else can you browse a selection of more than 82,000 paper books, walk over to Area-e, our new digital hub, where you test drive a variety of e-Reading devices, and then search for your next favorite book in our e-Bookstore.

“We’ve long believed that even as more readers transition to eReading they will continue to buy traditional books and a recent Harris Interactive poll bears this out,” continued Edwards. “The poll found that readers with e-book devices are reading more – and they are also more likely than others to purchase physical books. It’s exciting to be in a position to help spur what could very well prove to be a reading Renaissance in this country.”

Customer Support on Facebook

Borders has created a dedicated eReading tab on its newly revamped Facebook page. The tab includes an eReading “tip of the week” as well as an eReader/eBooks “deal of the week.” Understanding that eReaders are still a new concept to many customers, Borders has created an application to help readers decide which device is right for them. The application includes a series of lifestyle questions, such as “How price conscious are you?”; “How much do you read?”; and “How tech savvy are you?” After the customer completes questionnaire, the system recommends five devices and ranks them according to the customer’s preferences.

Borders’ Editorial Voice

For decades Borders has maintained a strong editorial voice, guiding millions of customers to enriching and entertaining books. Now Borders is applying that same authoritative voice to eBooks. When customers visit Borders.com, they immediately see eBooks grouped according to various themes for easy purchasing. For example, they may see featured memoirs, famous series, best in eBooks under $3 and Oprah’s Book Club picks. The company is also redesigning its title detail pages so customers can quickly find a book and purchase it in traditional print format, eBook, audio book or in other available formats.

Special eReading Offers for Borders Rewards Members

Borders Rewards members can now earn Borders Bucks twice as fast on the purchase of the Kobo Wireless eReader and Kobo™ eReader in store and online. In addition, Rewards members can enter for chance to win a Velocity Micro’s Android-based Cruz Tablet™ T103 plus a full year of eBooks in Borders’ Cruz Tablet giveaway sweepstakes going on now through Oct. 19th on Borders.com. Announced earlier this month, the Cruz touch-screen device also plays video and music, and provides a full color web browsing experience. The Cruz Tablet gives consumers Wi-Fi access to the Borders’ eBook store and access to the Cruz Market with downloadable apps.

Earlier this month, Borders unveiled its new Rewards loyalty program, bringing customers more choices, richer benefits and better savings. For complete information on Rewards or to sign up to become a Rewards member, visit www.Borders.com/Rewards

About “Powered by Kobo”: Kobo, Inc.

“Powered by Kobo” is an eBook partner program from Kobo, a global eBook service backed by Indigo Books & Music, Borders Group, REDgroup Retail, and Cheung Kong Holdings. The “Powered by Kobo” program provides a flexible solution for hardware manufacturers and retailers worldwide to launch an eReader or eBook store. “Powered by Kobo” partners have access to Kobo’s catalogue of more than two million titles and applications for smartphones, netbooks, laptops, tablets and dedicated eReaders. Kobo’s vision is to deliver any book on any device and is a strong voice in the eBook industry supporting open standards for eBooks and eReaders. For more information, visit www.kobobooks.com.

About Borders Group, Inc.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., through its subsidiaries, Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) is a leading specialty retailer of books as well as other educational and entertainment items. The company employs approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders® and Waldenbooks® stores. Online shopping is offered through borders.com. Find author interviews and vibrant discussions of the products we and our customers are passionate about online at facebook.com/borders, twitter.com/borders and youtube.com/bordersmedia. For more information about the company, visit borders.com/media.

According to earlier reports, the Netronix ereader is headed to Cool-ER as the Connect and will likely show up as Kobo’s next model.  The existing Kobo – which has Bluetooth but no WiFi – is on sale in Borders.

No word on availability, of course, and nor pricing, but we’re guessing Netronix and their partners will be looking to get these models on shelves as soon as possible.

[via The Digital Reader]

But apparently that’s all over and done with, because the two eReaders have finally received the price cut they so aptly deserve, courtesy of Borders. While the new prices aren’t quite reflected on their website (as of the time of this writing), reports suggest that the eReaders have been dropped to $130 (for Kobo’s eReader), and $100 (for Aluratek’s Libre). That means the Libre is the first “mainstream” eReader to make it that low in the price bracket.

The Kobo eReader and Aluratek Libre are good enough eReaders, and have been generally well praised, even as they stand amidst the competition from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The price drop is coming well after the price wars, but that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t make them relevant. Especially if you’re in the market for a new eReader, but you don’t want to spend over a certain amount.

[via Electronista]

The device has plenty of similar characteristics as, say, Amazon’s Kindle (everyone knows what that is, right?). For example, it has as 7-inch display, and that full QWERTY keyboard below that display. And much like Amazon’s $139 WiFi-only model, the Literati also features integrated WiFi. However, don’t expect 3G connectivity, because it’s not there. As for downloading books? You’ll be able to get your hands on the digital copies through Kobo’s online bookstore.

As for that display, as you can plainly tell it is indeed a color LCD. It has a resolution of 800×480, and it is not a touchscreen. Instead, much like the Kindle, you’ll use that keyboard and side buttons to turn pages. As the title suggests, the Literati will cost you only $159 when it comes to the market in October. You’ll be able to find it in Best Buy. Or, if you find yourself aching to get your hand on an eReader while shopping through JCPenney, you’ll be able to pick it up there, too. And Kohl’s, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and even Macy’s.

[via Electronista]

Kobo, which manufactures the Kobo eReader, has declared that they are working with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts to bring their digital reader to President’s Club guests. So, it’s not meant for everyone. And, at the time of the announcement, it looks like only 10 branches are getting the ability to hand out the eReader at this time, but we’re sure that will change in due time.

Random House has also agreed to take part in the deal, making it so that a few thousand of their titles are made available to guests, out of the two million books the publisher has at the ready. Those books are free to download, too, so that should help the pocketbook at least a little bit. But, if you need a book and want to buy it, you can also opt to set up a Kobo account and start downloading books that way, for a price. Check below for the full list of the branches handing out the eReader.

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
Fairmont Pacific Rim
The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac
The Fairmont Royal York
Fairmont Turnberry Isle
The Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston
The Plaza, a Fairmont Managed Hotel
Fairmont Château Laurie

[via Macworld]

The Best of R3 Media

Kobo eReader & Store Launch on Android: We’ll admit it: we’re still waiting for the Android app from Amazon, so we can get some Kindle goodness on another one of our phones. Until then, though, we’re perfectly happy accepting the Kobo eReader application, and the digital store for that matter, into the Android Marketplace for our downloading pleasure. You get access to upwards of 2 million titles, and some of them are even free. It’s available in the Market right now if you’re interested. [via Android Community]

Only 500 Microsoft KIN Devices Sold: If you’re like us, you tend to notice phones while out and about. The iPhone here, a BlackBerry there, a Droid somewhere else. However, one handset you might not have noticed is either variation of the Microsoft KIN. A new report came out today that suggests, unfortunately, that Microsoft have indeed only sold 500 units. The report, though, doesn’t say where they’re getting this information, nor does it say whether or not it’s rounding up (or down), or if it’s counting both KIN models, or just one. While sites all over the ‘net tried to find KIN owners, we’re not sure anyone found any. [via SlashGear]

Motorola Mobility to Lose the Debt, Get a Check: Up until, well, the Motorola DROID, the company that built the RAZR wasn’t doing too hot. In fact, there had been plenty of rumors and conjecture out there suggesting that Motorola was on the way out. But then, as Fate would have it, they had a pretty good success with the Android-powered DROID, so here we are, talking about the future. As it stands, Motorola is ready to split the company into some specific sections. Motorola Mobility, for example, is going to get a chance to get clear of all of Motorola’s debt, and then rumors suggest that it will be getting a check for upwards of $4 billion to start making new, and exciting handsets. We’ll have to just hope that this works out. We wouldn’t want to see Motorola go anywhere. [via SlashPhone]

The Dredge ‘Net

Hyperion 4-Legged Robot Seats One: Ever wanted to have a robot you could ride on to get places? How about one that looks like a dysfunctional, headless animal? Well then, you’re in luck, because scientists over at the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan have made the Hyperion. A four-legged robot that, if you sit on it, can take you places. No idea what they’re intended for, but suggestions point out that it could be used for transport. We’re not sure what they’d transport, as the man in the video in the link doesn’t look all that comfortable, but we imagine if you got some nifty seats to put on that thing, it might not be too bad. [via Ubergizmo]

DIY Player from Shao Wen Makes Us Happy: We’re all about trying to get as many cool things into a single device as possible. As much as we love our phones, MP3 players, and whatever else we can think of, we’d love to just be able to get it into one cool form factor, and make it work. Up until now, it’s been tried, but not successfully. If one designer by the name of Shao Wen has his way, we may just be on the brink of something fantastic. His DIY Player is based around a central screen that is flanked by two ports, one on bottom and one on top. From there, you can plug into the port whatever accessory, or “part,” you need, for whatever it is you want. Need a phone’s dialing pad? You got it. Need a keyboard? Sure, why not! How about controls for your MP3 player? Yep, those are included, too. Sure, there’s some problem with multitasking in there, but we’re sure you could get it figured out. Or, you could just keep your phone, MP3 player, and mobile gaming unit in separate pockets. Your call. [via DVICE]

Nao Robots Dance: We’re not sure if this is going to be a regular part of The Daily Slash yet, but we’re going to try it out here, right now. Below, you’ll find the Slash’s first video. Why? Because there’s not much text to put here. These are the Nao mini-robots, and they can dance. That’s right, mini-robots that dance. See? Not a lot to write up. So, we wanted to bring you the footage, and hopefully you enjoy it as much as we did. [via Engadget]