3G Kindle Leaps the 'Great Firewall of China'

AFP: "HONG KONG — Amazon's Kindle 3G e-reader is being snapped up on China's grey market as it has an extra special advantage for customers -- it automatically leaps the so-called 'Great Firewall' of state web censorship. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter, which are blocked by the Beijing authorities, can be accessed without interference by the Kindle's Internet browsing function, the South China Morning Post reported Monday. ... "

Kindle 3 vs. Kindle 2 Web Surfing Death Match

Led Edgerly, host of the Kindle Chronicles podcast, provides a GREAT side-by-side comparison of Web browsing on the new Kindle 3 vs. the Kindle 2. Guess what. Kindle 3 wins. By a mile.

Tweaking B&N Nook Hardware

From SlashGear:

Barnes & Noble’s nook looks to be going through a further hardware tweaking, with a new version of the 3G/WiFi ereader showing up in the FCC database. The nook BNRZ100-01 – codenamed “CR Nook/Bravo Delta” – looks to be a minor revision of the original model (the BNRZ100), swapping out the 3G modem used for an updated version.

That updated 3G card is the Sierra Wireless MC8201V (again, locked into data-only mode), supporting the 850 and 1900 bands. That means that the triband UMTS/HSPA (which added in 2100MHz support) capabilities of the original nook have been lost; it’s possible this is a cost saving measure on B&N’s part. Of course there’s also WiFi b/g for local networks.

The confidentiality letter B&N submitted to the FCC requests 180 days secrecy on the external and internal photos, together with the user manual for the new nook model, from the date of approval. That’s the maximum period of confidentiality a company can request, and probably doesn’t give us a hint as to when B&N plan to debut the new model.

FCC Approves Acer LumiRead E-Reader

Bottom line, no 3G. From UberGizmo:

The FCC has just approved Acer's upcoming LumiRead e-reader, although the papers did not include pictures as well as a user manual, so there is no way to garner additional information unless you work in the FCC itself and decide to spill the beans (at your career's peril, of course). What has been confirmed though is this will be a WiFi-enabled model, missing out on 3G connectivity at the moment. With the FCC approvals in the bag, it won't be long before you start to hear of promotional materials as well as ads concerning the Acer LumiRead. Hopefully the back-end support system is solid enough to prop up the hardware.

Samsung SNE-60 for UK

From UberGizmo: "Considering that Apple’s iPad is on its way to the UK, Samsung probably didn’t pick a very good time to ship its SNE-60 eBook reader to folks in the UK, but who are we to judge, right? While Apple's iPad is not a dedicated eBook reader, it can still function as that, leaving the SNE-60 to be an alternative eBook reader for you if you're shopping for one currently. Packing a 6-inch 600 x 800 greyscale e-ink display, it measures in at 171 x 120 x 16mm and weighs in at 315g. Wi-Fi is built-in, but sadly there isn’t any 3G. The built-in memory should be good enough to store a good 1,200 eBooks, and if that isn’t enough, there’s always your trusty SD memory card slot. Other features of the SNE-60 include support for ePub, PDF and TXT formats, a built-in dictionary, text-to-speech, and MP3 playback capabilities. There isn’t a firm date as to when this device will be on shelves, but it should be in the next few months. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet, but a price of £187 ($276) was mentioned during CES."

No 3G. Move over Kubo. btw, the crappy Kubo releases in Australia next week.

Daily Tech re: Kobo

A bit from Daily Tech. And a comment from me: I think, despite low price tag, that the lack of 3G connectivity is going to create a very large headwind for the Kobo. So let it be written.

iPad Sales

The iPad has sold 1 million units as of this past Friday, with the new 3G version selling briskly as well. (Amazon keeps private the # of Kindles in circulation.) Same topic here from MacObserver.