Barnes & Nobles’ Nook: A Game Changer in the eBook Reader Market?

By woozy | October 21st, 2009 at 10:41am

This is more of a follow up to my last post on eReaders.  I just saw BarnesandNoble.com President William Lynch talk on CNBC following the announcement of their new eBook reader, Nook.  The name “Nook” was chosen after consumer testing which Lynch explained rhymes with “book” and leverages a word that people are familiar with through reading Dr. Seuss.  They were also able to secure Nook.com which for now, just points to BarnesandNoble.com’s Nook page.

A previously reported, the Nook comes with color touch screen navigation.  This is just for the navigation and not the reading display itself.  I suspect cost was a factor in making it full touch screen in addition to reducing potential problems with durability and repairs but also perhaps to avoid worsening the user experience with finger prints all over your reading surface.

It too has wireless 3G (through AT&T vs. Kindle’s Sprint) but also has WiFi which can be very handy for the traveler going outside the local or US coverage.  With it you can walk into a Barnes & Nobles store, connect for free and receive special deals.

The battery life not only is reported to last 40% longer then the Kindle (14 days vs. 10 days) but the battery itself is replaceable – Great for those concerned about running out of battery while traveling or having your device become mobiley useless after a certain amount of charges (like my iPod mini)!

But the biggest differentiator, however, is Nook’s LendMe technology which allows users to lend their ebooks to friends for up to 14 days. During this time you’ve lent your ebook you won’t be able to access it (just like a paper book).  This I believe makes the Nook a game changer.  If you are like me and lag behind in reading New Releases and Best Sellers and just borrow them from your many friends who have read them and have it laying around their house, this is huge.  And same for if you’re like my friend Michelle who reads over a 100 books a year and often visits the public library to check out books.  I can see her ditching her Kindle as the Nook potentially becomes a much more useful eReader to her.  It will be interesting to see how libraries and book clubs play into the new eBook eco-system.

As for me, I may become a eReader owner sooner than I thought.  Stay tuned…

For a full comparison visit BarnesandNobles.com: Nook vs. Kindle

Nook is available for pre-order and priced at $259 (same as the Kindle US only version)

eReaders and The Ensuing War (that might make you and me a buyer)

By woozy | October 15th, 2009 at 3:43pm

When Amazon.com first introduced the Kindle, I thought cool gadget but sadly it will become another undersold gadget and obsolete as the Apple Newton.  Not only did I feel it was an expensive one trick pony but that you had to be a big reader of books to come close to justifying the cost.  I questioned how could my experience be that much better (or better at all) over buying and reading a genuine paperback.  I figured if I ever wanted to read an ebook, eventually I’d be able to on a mobile device I already own that like a netbook, ipod or smartphone. (Sure enough Barnes & Noble released an eReader app to download ebooks to your iPhone/iTouch, BlackBerry, PC and Mac, and Andoid according to the latest rumor).

I’ve since had the chance to experience the Kindle 2.  It is no doubt a slick device.  It’s paper-like screen quality is as easy on your eyes as they say. You have to see it to believe it.  No mobile phone or netbook can match it – yet.  It’s features and capabilities are greater than I originally thought and it’s easy enough for my mom to use.  The portability and mobility of the Kindle provides no greater benefits than to the traveler.  Amazon boasts the Kindle’s ability to carry your “entire library” and not having to pick and choose what you put in your carry-on.   Great for someone who reads a lot, right? I decided to ask my friend Michelle who travels 2/3rds of the year and is the biggest bookworm I know (reading 100+ books/year!) what was important to her.

Before the Kindle she would often travel with stacks of books and often come back with a new ones.  Surprisingly, the ability to carry more while lightening her load isn’t the real benefit for her.   As a seasoned traveler, she’s an efficient packer. Like packing clothes, deciding which books to bring is never an issue.  If she wanted to, she could bring all the books she could possibly read in most cases.  And if it ever becomes a hassle, as she finishes books, she either gives them away (how many books to you read more than once?) or ships them home on the cheap (media rate) with work stuff (expense account!). The real benefit to her is the instant wireless delivery of books and content. Prior to the Kindle, if she wanted something new to read and couldn’t get to a bookstore before her flight,  she was out of luck.   The benefit Michelle derives from it can be summed up in a brief conversation she had recently with a literary professor and skeptic in adopting the idea of an eReader.  The professor protested with her traditionalist view saying “I like books.” To which Michelle responded, “I like to read!” In essence, the Kindle helps her maximize her reading.

For me, the issue is not how many books to bring, but as someone who travels schlepping all sorts of gear, the question is if I bring one at all.  It’s something I can do without if it comes down to space and weight.  I’d rather pack food and other necessities, if not gadgets and gear!  It’s no wonder why its taken me so long to finish that Ludlum book!  Kindle’s footprint in my carry-on is minimalist enough to always tote.  Dare I say I would actually read more and finish more books if I had a Kindle?  I could certainly spare laptop battery not to mention the cost of inflight wifi reading download tech blogs among other things.

As far as costs, in this day in age where companies are cutting their own expenses on paper and ink and sending us our statements, marketing materials, etc. electronically, you’d think ebooks would be a cheaper option to buying a paperback.  After all, you already have to shell out for an expensive medium just to read the ebooks.  But buying a Kindle book offers only a slight price advantage over a paperback. (As of this post the savings is only $0.29 for a typical book like Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons) The biggest savings is with Best Sellers and New Releases that are normally out on shelves in hardcover. You’ll save $7 but you’re still paying $9.99 for the ebook. Doing the math, for a volume reader like Michelle, the cost of a Kindle can be recouped in 6 months if the preference was only to read the latest on hardbacks, but 12 years reading only paperbacks! True, some ebooks and content are free, but so is checking out books at the Public Library (where Michelle sources a lot of her books). To that respect, clearly you do not improve your economics in owning a Kindle. Let’s face it, it’s a luxury item for even the most avid reader. If you’re contemplating buying one, stop trying to justify the cost!  No matter how you spin it, you can’t. Get one because of its cool, convenient, and efficient.

It’s important to note that Michelle still goes to the library when she’s home in SF and buys paperbacks if they’re cheaper to acquire (as surprisingly they are on occasion).  So, she’s not a complete convert to ebooks.  The other week I went with her to the local Book Fair and between us we must have picked up 30 used books costing us all but $1 each and among them – a copy of Angels & Demons!  While I was forced under duress to go, admittedly, I had a fun browsing experience as I’m sure everyone else.  Somehow I don’t think people are willing to give things like that up.

While I’m a gadget lover, I may have to wait it out until there’s a major price drop in both e-readers and e-books unless there’s some major gamer changing technology or feature that makes it a must have.   I’m sure many other consumers will wait it out as well, however a few recent events I’m keeping an eye on just might be the tipping point for at least a few people…

The first is Amazon’s expected October 19th release of it’s new Kindle capable of International (outside the US) wireless downloads. This has been the a big knock on the Kindle and one of the main reasons why International travellers and obviously those living outside the US have been choosing the Sony instead. (Consumers will still pay a $1.99 fee per International download)

You wonder if Amazon rushed to announce and launch their newest Kindle knowing that Barnes & Noble would to be announcing it’s own eReader device as soon as next week.  Already being billed as the “Kindle Killer” , the BN eReader is apparently built on Google Android OS with a touch screen and QWERTY keyboard.  With their own eBook distribution, partnership with Google, and lower price point than the Kindle, Amazon had better stay on top of their game.   Gizmodo seems to have the scoop on this with some “exclusive” photos.

Barnes & Mobile? The BN eReader (courtesy of Gizmodo.com)

Finally, it looks like Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com will have some company in the eBook space with Google getting in on the action with it’s bookstore “Google Editions” set to launch in 2010.  They expect to release about 500,000 titles and be eReader agnostic. This is good for Sony, Asus, and other companies cropping up with their own eReaders that don’t have their own eBook distribution.

Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition

All this competition is good news for the consumer.  More innovation, better functionality, more options, and better pricing.

Let the eReader wars begin!

JMT – SPOT On!

By woozy | September 1st, 2009 at 8:54am

We hit the John Muir Trail tomorrow starting from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley.  For our 211 mile thru-hike, we have procured a SPOT satellite personal tracker which we can use to alert authorities should we get into any sort of trouble (just like Survivorman!).  While we said we’re using it as a safety measure and for our families and significant other’s peace of mind, we’re also using it for gadgety fun!  With the SPOTcasting feature, over the 8 days we’re on trail you should be able to track our progress live on a Google Map through our unique page on their site.  This is a new system so we’ll see how it goes (actually let me know how is goes as we won’t be able to see it!).  Click here to go to our SPOT page.

John Muir Trail Gear: Jetboil Personal Cooking System

By woozy | August 4th, 2009 at 11:50am

In prepping for the John Muir Trail there has been a bit of a debate amongst our group on whether or not to bring a stove. After all, if we’re going to make the thru-hike in only 8 days we need to shed as much weight as possible. Maybe I’m not hardcore enough, but personally I don’t know if I could do it without hot meals. Hot meals not only warm the body but boost the moral after what will undoubtedly be tough days. A few of us are in the same boat on this. Realizing one of the advantages of backpacking as a group is we can share things – the weight of a stove, cookware, and fuel can be split amongst the people in our group. In our case, we will have 6 people and we have finally decided to bring two stoves. The stove? Both Jetboils (Personal Cooking System). As the hot meals we plan to cook are simply freeze dried packaged foods, our primary need for the stove is to boil water. The Jetboil is more than a good choice.

While not the obvious choice for ultralight backpackers at 15.25 oz/432 gm for the cooking system (without fuel canister), the Jetboil has some clear advantages over lighter minimalist systems. The particular system we’re using is with the 1 liter anodized aluminum pot. More like a large travel mug, the pot securely snaps to the stove for cooking. The mug pot is wrapped with a neoprene cozy that is designed to stay on during cooking providing safe insulated handling. It also has a lid that is designed for direct drinking. The stove itself features a surefire Piezo igniter and a burner housed in a windscreen that focuses the heat for efficient cooking (boils 0.5 L of water in under 3 minutes). The stove and 110g fuel canister (sold separately) packs into the mug pot for compact travel/storage. Considering that proper nutrition is critical to the success of any multiday adventure, it is important for us to have a faultless system but also save time and energy in cooking. I think the weight is justifiable for this reason alone especially when depending on getting a majority of your calories from packaged meals.

Alternatively we could use a common ultralight Beer Can Stove system at about 5 oz/141 gm with fuel tablets. The thought did cross our minds. The fuel tablets may be failsafe(?) but the fragile aluminum beer can receptical may not be (for the clutz or stumbling backpacker in us). It would also be frustrating to potentially wait more than twice as long to boil water, and further with even a jumbo beer can (24.5 liquid oz capacity) we’d have to do more boils than the JetBoil cup. I suppose we each could carry a beer can system but then most if not all the weight savings are gone, not to mention pack room. If anything, it would defeat the point in sharing gear and our idea of working as a team and bonding as one.

The other great thing about the JetBoil is that it can be used for more all-purpose camping and backpacking with other integrated products. So if for economical reasons only, this could be the only stove you’ll need to own. It’s already won awards from some reputable industry publications so you know we can’t be going wrong.

It retails for $99 and depending on where you’re loyalties are, you can buy it at
Moosejaw or REI.

Check back in mid September for a full review on how it worked on the JMT…

15% off Regular Priced Merchandise at Moosejaw.com with code CJ15 (Exclusions Apply)

Haggling for a Gorrillapod in Rome

By woozy | May 30th, 2009 at 4:00pm

During an off day from work, me and a few mates had a look around Rome as they set up for the final stage of the Giro d’Italia. We spotted a few street vendors and Adrian decided he needed a tripod for his camera. At first he wanted the compact tripod that looked exactly like the one I have which I believe I bought in Chinatown for $1 US. The vendor wanted 5 euros. We advised him on the more robust and versatile Gorillapod, a gadget worthy of any traveling photographer. 8 euros was the ask. The smaller one retails for about $22 US so we knew it was still a good deal. Nonetheless in the spirit of negotiating with a street vendor we talked him down. Here’s the video…

It remains to be seen if Adrian got a lesser quality knock-off but if you’re in the market and near the Colosseum in Rome, you can pick one up for half the price! Or if you want to make sure you get an original made by Joby, you can pick one up at Amazon.com or thru the GadgetTraveler Store.

Keeping your Kindle happy, safe, and warm

By woozy | May 24th, 2009 at 12:33pm

Kindle Swaddler

How much do you love your Kindle? Check out the Kindle Swaddler, a custom knitted sleeve made by a San Francisco designer to swaddle and keep your baby safe and happy when not in use. And when you’re ready to hold it, it won’t be so freezing cold as so many things get sitting on a coffee table in a poorly insulated San Francisco apartment!

Watch movies from your iPod/iPhone on your inflight screen

By woozy | May 20th, 2009 at 7:16am

It’s cool to be able to watch videos on your iPod or iPhone when you’re on the go.  This is great for air travel, especially when the inflight movies suck or when you rather not use your laptop (or decide not to travel with one).  Over longer duration, obviously battery life is a concern.  Well on some airlines, it’s actually possible to not only charge your device, but actually play the video on your personal video screen.  United and a few other airlines announced the implementation Continue reading this post »

Is the Nokia N97 NAM here, already?

By woozy | May 19th, 2009 at 11:18pm

It seemed so long ago that Nokia previewed the N97 at CES.  In reality just four months have passed – but it seems like eternity when you’re awaiting a major product release.  We were told the N97 was being rolled to to Europe first in Q1 but they were nebulous about North America (they had me thinking Q3). Well surprise! Looks like the wait is almost over for North Americans, even ahead of the European release? While a UK version is slated to release June 29th (according to Expansys.ie), rumors are that Nokia will be releasing the North American version of the much anticipated N97 on June 2nd.  Evidence that a release date nearing is on Amazon.com‘s site where you can now buy one! Instead of saying it’s on pre-order like Nokia and other online retailers, they actually list it as being “Temporary Out of Stock.” Maybe there was an intitial stock that sold out and I just missed it? Either way, transact your order and they’ll ship it as soon as its available.  Better yet: List Price is $699 but right now on Amazon you can buy it at a discount…

Also available in Black

With more memory, better resolution, touch screen, and full QWERTY keyboard, it is not only a major upgrade over its predecessors, the N95 and N96 (great phones already), but it could just leave their new owners with little to be jealous about in not owning a Blackberry or iPhone.

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