Jointech has announced their new JE100 ebook reader, a 7-inch device that uses an LCD touchscreen instead of an e-ink display. Based on Windows CE 5.0, the Jointech JE100 will not only boast Mobipocket Reader, MSReader and eReader support, but also likely play back video and audio files together with viewing and editing Microsoft Office documents.

Inside it features a 400MHz CPU, 128MB of flash memory and 64MB of RAM. Transflash cards up to 4GB in capacity can be used to boost storage, and it rocks two USB ports: one a host, for plugging in external peripherals and the other a slave, for hooking up the JE100 to a computer where it presumably mounts as an external drive.

E-reader maker iRex promises to deliver a high-tech color, writable ebook reader by 2011. They claim that this device would have a brightness level three times that of the existing additive color electrophoretic displays, thanks to a system of subtractive color mixing.

Subtractive e-ink technology is compared to physical printing whereby colors act as filters to absorb portions of white light striking them and reflect back the desired hue. The additive system mixes together backlit or illuminated colors to create hues, often requiring filters that can reduce overall quality.

Here’s an e-book reader that does things that the Kindle 2 won’t. Like fit in your pocket and have built in PDF support. The reader weighs in at just 5.3 ounces and packs a nice resolution of 200 DPI. Some other features include a 6″ display, 1GB of flash memory that can accommodate ePub, PDF, HTML and text formats. You’ll also have access to a catalog of 150,000 books.

Software features would let users pick one of 12 font sizes for readability as well as let owners organize e-books by folders. Battery life will give you about 8,000 page flips, which is quite a few novels(Or one Robert Jordan Wheel Of Time novel.) No 3G wireless feature, but you’ll get 21 days at standby.

Here’s yet another E-Book contender. Much Cool-er than the Kindle if it’s name and fancy color is any indication. The Cool-er is by Neil Jones, an avid reader and entrepreneur. It boasts a larger selection of titles and will target an early June release date.

How many titles? It comes complete with 260,000 paid-for titles at launch from all the major publishers. 60,000 of those will be available in the UK and Europe initially. You also get a choice of eight different colors and languages for the Coo-ler.

One of the Kindle’s drawbacks is that it has no color screen. That may soon change if Bridgestone has anything to say about it. This is the best attempt yet at a color e-paper screen. It’s still experimental, but this 13-inch color e-paper screen even accepts pen input. Better then that, the screen refresh rate is quick. Only 0.8 seconds.

Those are some nice advancements. But it isn’t ready for prime time just yet. Right now the panel is noticeably dim, with little contrast and we’re assuming that battery life leaves something to be desired. But color e-paper screens are getting closer to being enjoyed in our everyday lives.

Peer pressure. It affects companies too. And since everyone else is getting in on the e-book reader craze, why not Barnes & Noble too? That’s the rumor anyway. Why wouldn’t they want a slice of that action? Some “insiders” have supposedly been talking about the possibility.

Just like the Kindle, it would supposedly be connected to a cellular carrier for some connectivity. According to one mysterious someone, Barnes & Noble had been in talks with Verizon, but that didn’t pan out. Now it would seem that Sprint is a possibility. Some aren’t ruling out AT&T.

Fujitsu has finally released its color e-book. The device features an 8-inch XGA screen capable of displaying 260,000 colors, along with Bluetooth, WiFi and up to 4GB of storage via SD card. It measures less than half an inch thick.

Color isn’t the only thing. Fujitsu is promising 40 hours of continuous use. The unit can be operated by its touchscreen or the function buttons. The Japanese version of the device even includes Windows CE 5.0. FLEPia ships on April 20th in Japan for about $1,010.

Sony has apparently made enough sales with its ebook Reader to justify creating a second generation version. The new Sony Reader PRS-505, priced at around $300, should be available this month.

Sony says the PRS-505 has a “svelte” body design and is available in silver or dark blue body colors. The controls have been reportedly re-styled to better copy page turns. Also apparently new to this model is a new electronic paper display for faster viewing time and better gray scale for enhanced viewing. It can mimic as well a USB mass storage device and offers space to store up to 160 typical ebooks.

Bookeen is set to drop on the world a new e-book reader which uses new e-paper technology from E Ink. The Cybook Gen3 will debut in the United States this September in several different packs starting at $350.

The Cybook Gen3 offers up a rich and clear 6-inch screen in a body form factor which Bookeen describes is the size of a paperback, the thickness of a magazine and a weight of around 6.1 ounces. The e-book reader has USB connectivity and a battery life which offers around 8,000 page flips.

Adobe Digital Editions, a new Rich Internet Application for digital publishing, was recently introduced by Adobe in a public beta. Adobe Digital Editions delivers an innovative way to acquire, read, and manage your favorite eBooks, digital magazines, digital newspapers and other digital publications. Digital Editions is designed to support a wide range of business models including public domain texts, ad-supported content, library lending and other subscription models, and the purchase of eBooks.

Digital Editions supports PDF as well as an XHTML-based publication format which renders dynamic content that can be easily adapted to different sized displays. Digital Editions also works offline, allowing you to purchase your digital media and take it with you on the road.

Publisher’s rights will be protected through a new hosted content authorization service. This new Adobe Digital Editions Protection Service will allow publishers to choose from …

Sony has announced the release of its new eBook – the Sony Reader. Boasting a revolutionary screen that reads like paper, the Sony Reader comes in a very compact and lightweight design that you can take anywhere.

The screen is daylight-readable, high contrast, high resolution, and a boasts a near 180º viewing angle. In addition, the text can be magnified for sight-impaired readers.

The Reader measures 6.9″ x 4.9″ x .5″, making it smaller than many paperbacks. Weighing in at about 9 ounces, its light enough to travel with you everywhere you go. The rechargeable battery powers you through up to 7,500 page turns, so you’re ready for that exciting page-turner, and can be recharged in 4 hours with the AC adapter.

You will be able to fit plenty of reading material with the 64MB of internal memory. There is a slot for optional removable …

The iLiad is an electronic reader product from iRex Technologies. The iLiad allows you to read digital content with easy navigation based upon your personal reading behavior. In addition to reading, the iLiad allows you to write comments, mark or underline sections and comment within articles.

Weighing in at just under a pound (390 grams), the iLiad is a very lightweight and mobile device. The footprint of the iLiad is the size of an A5 document (folded letter sized document) with a screen large enough to accommodate most content. The iLiad has been designed for outdoor use including outdoor reading in full sunlight.

The iLiad operates on very low power requirements. You can read for approximately three hours a day for more than one week without recharging the battery.

Content can be delivered to the iLiad through many interfaces including:

USB type A connector for USB memory stick.
CF …

Playaway has come out with the newest version of books on tape. These are actually little, digital books! They are about half the size of a deck of cards, have the cover of the book on one side, and the 8 button player control on the other. It runs off of one AA battery that comes with the device, and if you keep a charged battery in it you can listen to the book as many times as you would like. The Playaway “books” also come with a set of headphones and a lanyard to hang it around your neck if you would like.
These little digital books are available from Playaway’s online store, and they are also at a few nationwide retailers, including Borders, OfficeMax and of course Barnes & Noble. Most books price from …