It was only a matter of time.
Google is coming out with their own phone.
But Amazon has beat the Big "G" to the punch with their own electronic device.
It's called Amazon Kindle, and it appears to be a contender for the coolest device of the 2007 holiday shopping season.
Imagine being able to access thousands of books wirelessly and read them on a crystal clear display anywhere you go.
Here is list of features from Amazon's site...
Revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper. Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing. Wireless connectivity enables you to shop the Kindle Store directly from your Kindle--whether you're in the back of a taxi, at the airport, or in bed. Buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute. More than 88,000 books available, including 100 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers. New York Times® Best Sellers and all New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise. Free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy. Top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbes--all auto-delivered wirelessly. Top international newspapers from France, Germany, and Ireland; Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and The Irish Times--all auto-delivered wirelessly. More than 250 top blogs from the worlds of business, technology, sports, entertainment, and politics, including BoingBoing, Slashdot, TechCrunch, ESPN's Bill Simmons, The Onion, Michelle Malkin, and The Huffington Post--all updated wirelessly throughout the day. Lighter and thinner than a typical paperback; weighs only 10.3 ounces. Holds over 200 titles. Long battery life. Leave wireless on and recharge approximately every other day. Turn wireless off and read for a week or more before recharging. Fully recharges in 2 hours. Unlike WiFi, Kindle utilizes the same high-speed data network (EVDO) as advanced cell phones--so you never have to locate a hotspot. No monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments--we take care of the wireless delivery so you can simply click, buy, and read. Includes free wireless access to the planet's most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopedia--Wikipedia.org. Email your Word documents and pictures (.JPG, .GIF, .BMP, .PNG) to Kindle for easy on-the-go viewing.
Pretty impressive, huh?
It looks like Kindle has already sold out at the time of this blog entry, but rest assured they will be making more. I will wait to see what people have to say after they actually have one of these puppies in their hands.
But you know me. I'm a gadget freak.
So what next? An eBay auction anywhere handheld device? Hmmm.. it could happen.
I'm happy to see that Amazon took charge of this with the release of Kindle. I'm sure the future will bring even more cool advances with other e-readers as well as with future versions of Amazon's Kindle.
Joseph