Qualcomm has come out strong with the new e-paper technology in their Mirasol Ereader.
The display offers color, video capability and, best of all, a battery life of up to 3 full weeks, which monochrome ereaders should already be accustomed to. With a 5.7-inch (1024 x 768) display, the Mirasol ereader uses front-light LED technology that both makes ereader useable in darkness, and at the same time makes it easier to use in direct sunlight. It is far superior to backlit devices when reading at the beach, for example. The refresh rate is another improvement in this model, and shouldn’t leave anyone frustrated.
Kyobo is Korea’s largest bookseller, and started the Mirasol-based Kyobo ereaders off at around $300 retail.
The Kyobo eReader delivers three weeks of battery life by assuming use of 30 min of use each day, WiFi Off, standby power the rest of the time. In addition, 25% front light brightness is used.
This doesn’t mean that the screen is darker at all. The new display technology works by reflecting ambient light, and in darker environments uses an integrated reading light. By taking advantage of existing light, and supplementing as necessary, the battery demands for light are greatly reduced.
Mirasol is hitting the Korean and Chinese markets first, but it shouldn’t be too long before we see these products Stateside.
Converting ebook formats is a question that comes soon after your first ereader is bought. It sure would be great if everybody could play nice and make files readable across all platforms, but that’s not gonna happen soon. To be fair, it’s not all about companies trying to protect their turf, the varying formats also are caused by advancing technologies that vary with each ereader.So you’ve chosen an ereader, and whether it’s a Nook, a cranny or a Kindle, you may have already noticed that not all your ebook files can be read on your shiny new hardware. Or maybe you’ve found some great books free that aren’t available in the format your ereader uses. Do not despair!Files can be coverted to different formats in most cases, unless they are infected with the dreaded DRM (digital rights management) code that’s there to protect publishers and to shaft you. (Sorry if that’s harsh, but that’s the way I feel about it.)