via the Kobo website

Kobo, the four-year-old Ontairo, Canada e-reader company, has raised the bar for the electronic device by releasing the $169 Aura HD. Since this reader is more expensive than the competition (the Wi-Fi Kindle Paperwhite and the Nook Simple Touch with Glow Light are $119, for example), Kobo is focusing on customers that want the ultimate e-reading experience.

The Aura has a 6.8 inch screen compared to the six-inch screen found on most e-readers. The battery life can last up to two months with the device on or off and Kobo says the device has the highest resolution screen on the market. Kobo’s marketing materials call the new Aura, “the Porsche of e-readers.”

Michael Tamblyn, the company’s EVP of content, sales and merchandising says, this device is “only for those people who really, really care about reading in their lives.” From their research they have found that 90 percent of its e-reader users plan to purchase a new e-reader in the next year and “want to see what the next generation of e-ink looks like.” While 36 percent of those users also own a tablet, an e-reader is still their primary reading device.

I don’t know if I am an outlier, but I have had the same Kindle version I purchased three years ago. The screen has locked up a few times, but after calling Amazon I’ve gotten a replacement twice. I don’t think an e-reader is meant to be fancy. It’s just simply for reading, and you’re not more or less of an avid reader based on the type of device you hold. If I were going to step into the $169 price point I may as well get a tablet and e-reader in one with the 7-inch $199 Kindle Fire.

The Aura HD is available for pre-order in North America at Kobo.com today, and in stores in Canada and the U.K. on April 25th. It should be in U.S. stores in May or June, and Kobo says it will announce international availability soon.

E-readers are all the rage now from the iPad to the Kindle and everything in between.  In fact, Harris Interactive did a recent survey that found that 1 in 6 Americans now owns an e-reader. It’s not surprising since you can now download the newest novel delivered to you without leaving your couch. The downside is that if you are a voracious reader, like I am, purchasing all those e-books can get quite expensive. When I purchased my first e-reader, I racked up over $200 in e-books in less than 6 months. However, once I did my research, I realized that ebooks are often cheaper than physical books. Here are some tips to get your read on without breaking your pockets.

Read the rest of this entry »

Another week, another new development in the tech arena; but I make sure you keep up with the pace. For those who’ve been busy, the latest digital buzz is all about the unveiling of Amazon’s new Tablet. As BlackBerry seems to be packing it in on the Tablet game, Amazon is ramping up interest; and this could prove to be an interesting move for consumers overall. Kindle Fire is a price-sensitive, slimmed down model that just may be some people’s answer to the iPad.

Now, while basically none of the media – including myself – have been able to get a hold of these babies to actually demo them yet; I do have info for you to add to your mental database as you start to ponder purchase possibilities.

Here we go…

First, it’s priced at $199, a whopping $300 less than the iPad for those who might find their pockets a bit light during the economic rollercoaster these days.

But, of course, no one is giving anything away for free. Case in point, the screen size on the Kindle Fire is 7 inches versus the iPad which is 9.7. That having been said, it’s way easier to hold in one’s hand than the iPad; and in that regard it’s similar to the Samsung tablet. But there is no camera and no mic and has only 8GB of memory. So for those looking to capture every moment of their lives and upload, this may not be the product for you. If you don’t need that, you could be good to go; just know that this is another WiFi only product so plan accordingly.

Did you say, “But what’s the app situation like, Lauren?” Well, I’ll tell ya.

Users will have access to more than 250,000 apps in the online Android Market, thanks to this device utilizing a modified version of Android. However, the iPad offers more than 425,000 apps in the Apple Store. But Amazon says it has optimized the Fire for its own content, like streaming movies, e-books and music. Bonus: Kindle Fire also will come with a 30-day free look at Amazon Prime, the company’s premier service that offers free two-day shipping of products from Amazon.com and free streaming from a library of more than 11,000 movies and TV shows.

However, I also decided to ask a few colleagues about their level of interest in the product just to get a better read.

Mark Nyon, a technorati said, ” I am excited about the Kindle Fire because to the Sync browser and the price. It up-ends the whole tablet market for the consumer’s benefit.”

Digital enthusiast Andreas Jackson counters, “Not really excited about this product.. It’s much more of a consumption device than iPad. They are going for a certain market which is good for them.”

Self-proclaimed digital “style goddess, Stacy Gardner adds, “I heard a little about the Kindle Fire coming out, but it hasn’t moved mountains for me.  When the iPad came out that was exciting since it appeared to be the first of its kind as far a tablet.  Now that there are several versions of it out and other companies creating it, I am less phased but will research different types before I make a decision.”

The big question is, will Apple issue a competitive response with a less expensive option in order to compete with this product or not? Industry chatter is debating this now. If it happens, it could be mega for consumers, but only time will tell. In the meantime, tell me what you think about Kindle Fire, and if you may be checking for this product once it hits shelves on November 15, 2011.

Lauren DeLisa Coleman is a writer, speaker and thought-leader specializing in the diverse segment of the Gen X,Y demo, tech and its convergence with socio-economic concerns. Follow her @mediaempress

(TG Daily) –As heated pressure continues to build in the e-reader war, Amazon has cut the price of its standard Kindle 2 model to $189, a reduction of nearly 50% since it was launched just one year ago. The Kindle 2 was $349 when it was first released in February, but by the end of the year Amazon had already cut it down to $259. Now it’s gone even lower, pricing the device at $189

(TG Daily) –As heated pressure continues to build in the e-reader war, Amazon has cut the price of its standard Kindle 2 model to $189, a reduction of nearly 50% since it was launched just one year ago. The Kindle 2 was $349 when it was first released in February, but by the end of the year Amazon had already cut it down to $259. Now it’s gone even lower, pricing the device at $189

(Smart Money) — In a move that was described as a potential market-changer, Amazon.com (AMZN: 121.45, -0.86, -0.70%) and Barnes & Noble (BKS: 16.43, +0.26, +1.60%) earlier this week dropped the retail prices of their e-readers — the Kindle and Nook, respectively. The globally-wireless Kindle now sells for $189, while the 3G-enabled Nook is available for $199; both had previously sold for $259. Barnes & Noble also introduced a sister e-reader, the Wi-Fi-only Nook, for $149. Of course, price may not be the only motivator at the cash register — or at least that’s what Apple (AAPL: 270.97, -2.88, -1.05%) seemed to underscore when it announced Tuesday that it sold three million iPads ($499) in just 80 days. (Apple and Amazon didn’t return calls for comment.)

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(Smart Money) — In a move that was described as a potential market-changer, Amazon.com (AMZN: 121.45, -0.86, -0.70%) and Barnes & Noble (BKS: 16.43, +0.26, +1.60%) earlier this week dropped the retail prices of their e-readers — the Kindle and Nook, respectively. The globally-wireless Kindle now sells for $189, while the 3G-enabled Nook is available for $199; both had previously sold for $259. Barnes & Noble also introduced a sister e-reader, the Wi-Fi-only Nook, for $149. Of course, price may not be the only motivator at the cash register — or at least that’s what Apple (AAPL: 270.97, -2.88, -1.05%) seemed to underscore when it announced Tuesday that it sold three million iPads ($499) in just 80 days. (Apple and Amazon didn’t return calls for comment.)

Read More…

(CNN Money) —  Take that, Kobo. As e-reader competition heats up, Barnes & Noble responded Monday by cutting the price of its flagship Nook to $199 and introducing a low-cost, Wi-Fi-only version for $149. Just hours later, Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500) hit back. It slashed the price of its popular Kindle to $189 — a deep discount from the original $259.

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