Tech Stream

A little light reading

23 April 2009

Listen and download: MP3

Photo from Flickr by Phillip Torrone.

It took us a while, but finally we have our filthy mits on Amazon’s new e-Book reader the Kindle 2. The reason for the delay is that it is actually not for sale anywhere but the USA. That’s right, in spite of all the tech-hype around the gadget, Americans are the only people able to buy it and use it to its full potential.

Luckily our intrepid tech-head and newly converted bookworm Danny Gorog has connections in the land of stars and stripes, and he managed to slip a contraband Kindle 2 into our Radio Australia studios for a quick review. As you’ll hear he’s quite impressed, even though some of the more exciting features (like the ability to download books and newspapers over a mobile wireless network) don’t work outside the US. You can listen to our chat via the MP3 link at the top of this story.

The Kindle 2 isn’t the only eBook reader on the market of course, and you can even use some smartphones to run eBook applications like Stanza, which allow you to access free books (like Dracula, which I’m reading) as well as purchase newer eBooks. Sony have a new reader too, the PRS-505; there’s also the iRex Iliad; the BeBook and you can even make your own with an eBook reader project kit from the makers of the e-Ink technology… although the kits cost US$3000!  For some free books you can try Project Gutenberg which has a vast collection of royalty free electronic books in numerous languages.