Linkalanche

• New patent-pending WideLipTM grip that does not block the screen on the KindleTM, Sony® Reader and other eBook readers.
• Double pivoting arms allows for easy positioning and adjustment for tailored screen illumination.
• WideLipTM grip also works perfectly on books without blocking text on the page.
• Powered by two lifetime X2 LEDs optimized to distribute uniform light without creating glare or eyestrain.
• Works perfectly as a stable, free-standing night light.

Product Description
The Kandle features a new patent pending design that attaches to eBooks and printed books without blocking the screen or page. The perfect accessory for any eBook, the Kandle is designed for the Amazon KindleTM 1, 2, and DX, Sony® Reader Digital Books, and other eBook Readers. The Kandle boasts double pivoting arms that allow for easy positioning and adjustment to tailor the screen illumination. The Main Pivoting Arm rotates 90 degrees from its closed position, and… More >>

Kandle LED Book Light with new WideLip grip designed for the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader and other eBook readers

The NPD Group provided a reminder this week that market growth is not guaranteed. The gaming industry in the US ended the year (2007) with record retail sales of nearly $18 billion.

This week The NPD Group the industry-research firm released US retail sales data for the January 2008 period. While software sales for the month were up 11 percent to nearly $611 million, hardware sales fell by a quarter to around $378 million. Combine that with a modest decline in accessory sales, the industry overall was down 6 percent for the month, posting $1.18 billion compared to January 2007’s $1.25 billion take.

Despite this, the month contained indications that the industry actually grew. That was because the January 2007 reporting period was five weeks long as opposed to this January’s four-week span. Analyst Anita Frazier said that the numbers are much rosier when this adjustment was taken into account.

The big winner in the gaming market was console software which was nearly 50 percent up when compared to last year.

Hardware sales were down and a lot of this was to do with poor supply that assertion was backed up by a statement from Microsoft saying the Xbox 360 was suffering from temporary shortages.

Nintendo’s longtime lead on its competitors was also slimmed. The Wii once again took the console sales crown, by a narrower margin than in previous months. In a month that saw significant advances for the PlayStation 3’s chosen Blu-ray disc format, Sony’s system ran nearly neck-and-neck with the Wii, selling 269,000 systems compared to the Nintendo’s 275,000. 3rd placed Nintendo DS racked up 251,000 sales, while the Xbox 360 and PlayStation Portable brought up the rear, selling 230,000 units each.

Familiar faces dominated the software list, with Modern Warfare and Call of Duty 4 for the Xbox 360 once again beating all challengers, notching up 331,000 in sales. Another favourite Guitar Hero on the Wii and Xbox 360 took third and fifth respectively, Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii was sixth and the DS edition of Mario Party in ninth.

THIS IS THE NPD GROUP’s DATA FOR US GAME INDUSTRY SALES FOR JANUARY 2008

Category Total Change

Video Games: $1.18 billion -6%

Video Game Accessories: $191 million -4%

Video Games Software: $550 million +11%

Video Games Hardware: $378 million -25%

Total Sales Per Week: $295 million +18%

Hardware Sales (units sold)

Wii: 274,000

PlayStation 3: 269,000

Nintendo DS: 251,000

PlayStation Portable: 230,000

Xbox 360: 230,000

Game Software Top 10 (units sold)

1) Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat (360, Activision) – 331,000

2) Wii Play with Wii Remote (Wii, Nintendo) – 298,000

3) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii, Activision) – 240,000

4) Rock Band (Xbox 360, MTV Games) – 184,000

5) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, Activision) – 183,000

6) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, Nintendo) – 172,000

7) Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360, EA) – 144,000

Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat (PS3, Activision) – 140,000

9) Mario Party DS (DS, Nintendo) – 139,000

10) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS, Sega) – 133,000

A statement from Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello is confident the company’s revenue will jump to around $6 billion by the fiscal year 2011, with at least $900 million from digital revenue streams like downloadable content, in-game advertising and subscription fees. That would represent a growth of 71 percent over its 2008 fiscal year revenue forcast, which it expected to hit roughly $3.5 billion.

Other new announcements made by EA yesterday included a release date of September 7 for Spore (and possible PS3 and Xbox 360 versions).

The Amazon Kindle 2 and the Sony Reader PRS-700 are two of the hottest ebook readers to hit the market in the past 12 months, bringing reading pleasure to an entirely new level. For those who are new to ebook reading devices and are interested in getting one, here’s a comparison of the Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Sony Reader and how they match up against each other.

Price
The price of any gadget is a big factor for many individuals especially for first-time buyers. The Amazon Kindle 2 is currently priced at $359, while the Sony Reader is currently pegged at $399, making the Kindle 2 cheaper by $40.

Size and Weight
The size and weight of these gadgets don’t really give one distinct advantage over the other. The Sony Reader PRS-700 weighs around 10 oz., the Kindle 2 just slightly over that. The Sony Reader is a bit wider and thicker, while the Kindle is a couple inches longer. In any case, both are very convenient to carry around.

Display
The two reading devices both use e-ink technology which creates a display that is very similar to text on paper, eliminating eye strain, and providing an easy read with crisp, clear text and images. The Amazon Kindle 2009 however, is now enhanced with 16 shades of gray, while the Sony Reader has an 8-level gray scale.

Wireless Capabilities
Here is a category where the Sony Reader is clearly bested by the Kindle. The Amazon Kindle 2nd generation makes use of the Whispernet technology, providing free wireless coverage in the US via Sprint’s 3G high-speed network. Kindle users can gain access to over 240,000 book titles, magazines, newspapers, and even blogs. By just choosing the reading content of choice and paying for it, the book or magazine will be downloaded to the Kindle anytime, anywhere within minutes! The Sony Reader PRS-700 on the other hand, still lacks this wireless capability, and with only less than 100,000 books to choose from, it does not even come close to the breadth of content that the Kindle offers.

Formats Supported
Both electronic book readers support most commonly used formats such as TXT, MP3, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP, plus some formats unique to each device. The Sony Reader however, supports PDF while the Kindle 2 does not – not directly, anyway. PDFs still need to be emailed to Kindle’s support desk to be converted for viewing on the Kindle and Amazon has gives an advance notice that “some complex PDF files may not format correctly” on the Kindle.

Storage Capacity
In this feature, the Sony Reader gains the clear upper hand. True, the Amazon Kindle 2 has 2G of internal memory of which 1.4g is available for content and can hold up to 1,500 books, but it no longer supports external memory cards. While the Sony Reader’s 256mb internal memory may seem like peanuts compared to the Kindle, the main advantage actually lies in the Sony’s ability to support up to 16G of external memory. Now that’s a great benefit not only when it comes to holding thousands of content should one need it, but also for managing files into different memory cards.

Battery Life and Charge Time
The two ebook readers have the same capacity when it comes to battery life. On a fully charged Kindle 2 or Sony Reader, one can read straight for two weeks without needing a recharge. The only difference is that if the Kindle 2 is used with the wireless turned on, the battery capacity is reduced to just four days. Charging time for both readers is four hours via USB, or two hours using an AC wall charger.

The Bottom Line 2009 Comparison of the Amazon Kindle 2 vs Sony eBook Reader:

Although it’s not a total knock out for the Kindle over the Sony Reader, it’s close! The Amazon Kindle 2 remains the better ebook reader hands-down. The price, breadth of content, wireless capabilities, and overall design improvements of the Amazon Kindle 2nd generation makes it a clear winner over the Sony Reader 700.

Get the full Amazon Kindle 2 review here and take the video tour to see just how cool this handheld ebook reader is!

Watch the full video comparison of the Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Sony Reader here.

Image taken on 2007-11-29 10:43:23 by jblyberg.