Sony to link Readers with libraries, allow e-book borrowing
At a press event hosted by the New York Public Library, Sony put their recently announced Reader hardware on display and provided an overview of its recent announcements. But the event was more than simply a recap of past announcements. The library location provided context for a program, run through Sony’s e-book store, which will allow users to identify their local public library borrow books through its site. There is also new hardware: by the holidays, Sony plans on having a 3G-enabled Reader with a tall seven-inch screen.
The upcoming hardware is called the Reader Daily Edition, which implies partnerships with news outlets. However, aside from the price and 3G capabilities, almost nothing was mentioned about the device. The Sony executive that ran his company’s portion of the program (Steve Haber, president of its Digital Reading Business Division) did little more than wave the hardware in front of the audience; it wasn’t even clear if it could actually be turned on. Still, it’s clear that Sony is gearing up for a long-term battle with not only the Kindle, but the upcoming device (devices?) from Plastic Logic.
