We’ve been waiting for more info about Barnes and Noble’s new color e-book reader and it looks like we have some. According to the Wall Street Journal, they’ve seen an upcoming ad for Barnes & Noble’s e-book reader.

It’s called the Nook. And according to the article, you can expect it to be out on Tuesday, when it will retail for $259. Interestingly, the device will let users “lend e-books to friends.” That last bit is intriguing. More tomorrow.

IREX is introducing its DR800SG e-reader. It may look like the Kindle, but it isn’t. The screen measures 8.1 inches diagonal and the controls are a stylus/touchscreen combo along with a control bar on the side that works sort of like a joystick. Also, the IREX renders newspapers with page layout intact, allowing readers to zoom in on articles.

The device has an always-on 3G connection via Verizon (Don’t worry. No subscription fees). The company has also partnered with Barnes & Noble for their e-book store, selling most new books at $9.99. No PC is required, but the syncing software is Windows only. The DR800SG should be available at Best Buy stores in October for $399.

It hasn’t really been a secret that Google wants into the ebook market. Now it’s happening. Tom Turvey (Google’s director of strategic partnerships) says that the program will be ready by the end of 2009. Details are still a bit scarce, but according to The New York Times, the plan involves selling the books at prices set by the publisher.

This is a departure to the rather strict Amazon pricing guidelines that sees most Kindle titles selling for $9.99 (Many publishers don’t like that). Also, the company will be selling readers online access to the titles. This means that access to your books won’t be limited just to a specific device, but it will require Internet access and some sort of off-line caching.