Kobo eBook app now available for Samsung Windows Phone 7 devices

Mobiputing: "Kobo has released an eBook app for Windows Phone 7, but it appears that at the moment it’s only available for phones from Samsung."

HP TouchPad and Other Tablets vs. the Advantaged iPad

Michael Hickins, WSJ: "Hewlett-Packard announced its entry into the mobile device space today, but is entering a market already crowded with strong contenders. The market, currently dominated by Apple’s iPad (which hogged approximately 87 percent of the worldwide market in 2010, according to research firm IDC), already includes Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, and will count the likes of Motorola Mobility Holdings, Research in Motion and Dell, all of whom intend to ship by the end of this year. But it’s that very timing that gives Apple such a huge advantage, according to Susan Kevorkian, who follows the mobile device market for IDC. ... "

Kobo Announces An Aggressive Partnership Strategy for 2011

Given the situation with their partner Borders, they damned well better have an aggressive partnership strategy for 2011. PW: "Kobo ... plans to vastly expand its footprint in the e-book space. Kobo has made partnerships with companies like Samsung and RIM to place Kobo e-reading software on their respective tablet devices, the Galaxy Tab and the upcoming Blackberry playbook. At CES, which begins today, Kobo is also focusing on OEM partners who will sell devices with Kobo software built in. Freescale, a leading chip maker for e-readers and tablets, has included Kobo software in its new tablet reference design (which OEM partners use to conceive of what devices with Freescale chips might do), the i.MX53 SABRE, which the company is showing off at CES."

Samsung Rolls Out Tab at Home in Korea, Price Unknown

Digits - WSJ: "Galaxy Tab features a seven-inch screen and is built on Google Inc.’s Android operating system. It’s already on sale in Italy and will be available in the U.S. later this month. In the U.S., Samsung is offering the Galaxy Tab through one phone distributor for $400 with a two-year, $30-a-month contract and another for about $600 with a prepaid data plan that requires no contract. Since Samsung’s cellphone division developed the product, it has focused on distribution with its partners in the cellphone industry. There’s no immediate plan for a version with Wi-Fi connections that Samsung could sell through other retailers or directly to consumers itself."

Details: Samsung's Android Galaxy Tab

The Clarion-Ledger: "It took some digging and a look across the ocean to Berlin, Germany, for information on the Galaxy Tab, which will be Samsung's first tablet device that'll run Android operating system 2.2, also known as Froyo. It was announced Sept. 2 at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin. The market is about to be flooded with e-readers and tablet PCs from various manufacturers, but this device has the potential to attract a lot of attention and capitalize on the growing popularity of the Android platform. ... "

IFA: Kobo and the Readers Hub for the Samsung Galaxy Tab

Good E-Reader Blog: "The CEO of Samsung used the opening of the conference to show off the new Samsung Galaxy Tab Tablet PC! More to follow on the semantics of the Galaxy Tab in another Post, what breaking news we have, is that Kobo is deeply embeded into this new device. The New software Kobo has pioneered for this device is called the “Readers Hub”. This new application was designed specifically for the Android 2.2 driven Galaxy Tab from the ground up. Kobo and Samsung both worked in conjunction on this application amidst great secrecy to give owners of the Galaxy Tab a viable store to use their device as an E-Reader."

Samsung E60 eBook Reader Goes on Sale at W.H. Smith Later This Week

But it doesn't stand a chance. Which? News: "According to Samsung the E60 is compatible with major ebook formats including ePub, PDF and TXT. The Samsung E60 can also playback MP3 music and audiobooks, and has a text-to-speech feature that can read out ebooks. ... The Samsung E60 doesn't have a 3G connection but instead connects via wi-fi for users to download ebooks from the WHSmith ebook store. Samsung's new eReader will cost £200 when launched - £90 more than the wi-fi-only version of its high-profile rival, the Amazon Kindle."

Samsung Galaxy S 7-Inch Android Tablet Coming Soon?

msnbc.com: "Samsung may launch a 7-inch Android tablet based on its new Galaxy S line of phones, early next month at a consumer electronics show in Berlin in early September. The tablet, which may be called the P1000 Galaxy Tab, is reported to have a front-facing camera for video calls, something lacking in Apple's iPad, but available on the iPhone 4. It's not yet clear whether the Samsung tablet will go on sale first in Europe, when it will be available in the United States, and what its cost will be. ..."

RUMOR Passed On By Mac Observer: 5.6- and 7-inch "eBook-Oriented" iPads In The Works?

From The Mac Observer:

Apple plans to launch a second generation iPad with 5.6-inch (14 cm) and 7-inch (18 cm) screens, according to DigiTimes on Tuesday. The iPads would be more focused on eBooks and less on multimedia.

“The sources noted that Apple has recently placed new iPad orders to Taiwan-based component makers for the fourth quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of 2011 with 9.7-inch, 5.6-inch and 7-inch models all included,” DigiTimes reported. The 9.7-inch model is said to have only minor changes and no camera was mentioned.

This move, if it proves correct, would be very similar to how Apple undercut competition with the original iPod by shipping smaller, less expensive iPods like the nano and shuffle. These appealed to a wider market due to the lower price and served to increase Apple’s market share.

The report also noted comments by their senior analyst that Samsung, a major supplier of OLED panels, can’t even supply their own needs, so it remains unlikely that Apple would be able to switch to OLED panels in smaller iPads sold by the millions.

DigiTimes has not always been on the mark with its insider information, so, as usual, take this rumor with a grain of salt.

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.