Kobo, a company committed to making its e-readers more sustainable, has taken notable steps in this direction. Firstly, the devices are partly made from recycled plastic, and they are also repairable.
It is now easier to repair the latest generation of Kobo e-readers:
In addition to these guides, you will also find instructions on how to open, disassemble, and reassemble your e-reader to perform these repairs.
These are positive points for Kobo, demonstrating that it is possible to improve in terms of sustainability and the longevity of e-readers.
Since e-readers are generally robust devices, it will logically be possible to keep them even longer.
Furthermore, to my knowledge, other electronic devices like smartphones or tablets are not as easily repairable as these Kobo e-readers. This adds another favorable point for the Kobo brand.
I am unsure if making e-readers easy to repair is a compelling enough selling point to convince readers to choose Kobo. You are welcome to share your thoughts with me, if you know more about that.
In any case, this initiative might encourage other brands to consider this aspect as well and hopefully offer more easily repairable e-readers in the future.
Update: you can now buy Kobo space parts from iFixit, if you want to repair your Kobo e-reader yourself. You'll find new screens, motherboard, etc. here. More info on Kobo.com
It's no longer a secret, but we now have confirmation that the next color e-reader from the French brand Vivlio will be called the Vivlio Light HD Color – and we also know its price.
Indeed, everything comes from the French Cultura website which has released the product page for a new e-reader called Vivlio Light HD Color.
This e-reader is equipped with a 6-inch color electronic ink screen using Kaleido 3 technology and thus offers an alternative to the recent Kobo Clara Colour, which has been the only next-generation color e-reader available in France so far.
<iframe width="1252" height="704" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M0iTM184RlQ" title="Pocketbook Verse Pro Color 4k review" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Here are the technical specifications of the Vivlio Light HD Color e-reader:
Color electronic ink screen
Touchscreen with SmartLight blue light filter and lighting
Supported audio formats: M4A, M4B, OGG, OGG.ZIP, MP3, and MP3.ZIP
Wifi
IPX8 certification (waterproof)
Text-to-speech function
A release date has also been announced, but we will have to wait a little longer since this e-reader will be available on 09/16/2024.
The set price is €179.99. This price is well-positioned for a French product that offers several advantages over the competition:
MP3 audiobook playback (which Kobo does not offer)
Text-to-speech that converts ebooks into audiobooks with integrated software (something no other brand offers in France)
Finally, the Vivlio Light HD Color will only cost €10 more than the Vivlio Light HD, which was already an excellent e-reader.
So, thanks to Vivlio, we won't break the bank when switching to a color e-reader! I'm going to save a bit of money to treat myself to this Vivlio color e-reader and provide you with a thorough review once it's available.
Of course, this e-reader will not be available outside of France.
But rest assured, the Vivlio brand uses Pocketbook e-readers.
Therefore, this e-reader is essentially a Pocketbook Verse Pro Color marketed under the Vivlio brand and adapted for the French market, especially with a new integrated bookstore.
With the release of the color e-ink e-reader Kobo Libra Color, it’s interesting to see how it compares with the older Kobo Libra 2 to determine if you should upgrade your e-reader.
You’re already familiar with the Kobo Libra Colour and its large 7-inch color screen, so you’ll notice some similarities with the new Onyx Boox Go Color 7. In this review, we will explore the Onyx Boox Go Color 7 e-reader in detail.
The special Amazon Prime Day will take place on July 16 and 17, 2024. This day is reserved for Prime subscribers who will be able to enjoy exclusive discounts. Of course, Kindle devices will be on sale, and you can expect significant discounts on e-readers!
How to Take Advantage of Prime Day Deals?
First of all, to benefit from the discounts, you need to be an Amazon Prime subscriber. This subscription is free for the first month and costs €69 per year. It provides access to free shipping, VOD content with Prime Video, free books, and even free video games via the Twitch platform.
If you don’t already have a Prime subscription, you can also try it for 30 days for free: 👉 Try Amazon Prime for Free.
Current Discounts
Kindle e-readers are on sale during Prime Day. Therefore, you can expect significant price drops on the Kindle, Kindle Oasis, Kindle Scribe, and Kindle Paperwhite.
You only have 48 hours to take advantage of these great deals, so you should quickly check if the prices interest you.
Expected Promotions
In addition to e-readers, we can also expect deals on other products sold by Amazon during Prime Day.
Fire Tablets, Alexa, and Other Amazon Devices
The Fire tablet range will likely be discounted as well, with potentially very attractive prices for the 7-inch version, which remains one of the best value-for-money tablets available today. 💪 Check out Amazon Fire Tablets and other Amazon devices.
We should also expect discounts on Alexa devices and other products from Amazon brands.
Smartphones and iPhones 🤳
There will also be significant discounts on smartphones, with major promotions of -30% to -50% on certain models.
In previous years, the following smartphone brands have had discounted models (selected models only):
Have you ever wondered if you should stick with paper books or try an e-reader?
Or maybe you already love e-readers and want to learn more about the latest ones? Well, this channel is perfect for you!
Why Did I Start This Channel?
I love reading and I love tech gadgets. I’ve spent a lot of time checking out e-readers, from opening new ones to finding tricks that make reading even more fun.
I thought, why not share my discoveries and fun experiments with everyone?
What Can You Expect?
World of e-reader is dedicated to e-reader and tech gadget with e ink screen (electronic paper):
Unboxings: Watch me open new e-readers and talk about what I think right away.
Reviews: I’ll look at all the details like screen quality and battery life to help you pick the right one.
Tips and Tricks: Learn cool tips, useful tricks, and hidden features, no matter if you’re new or experienced.
The year 2024 is undoubtedly the year of the color e-reader. While mainstream media largely overlooks this trend, sites like World-of-ereader.com are overwhelmed by the regular releases of new models.
Reading is a pleasure it would be a shame to miss out on. When you know all the benefits of reading, it’s easy to see why we probably never read enough. But did you know that reading on a tablet is dangerous for your eyes?
Many of you have already started reading ebooks on smartphones and tablets.
But we’re going to see here that reading on a tablet (and therefore, by extension, a smartphone) represents a danger to your eyes.
The tablet screen and your eyes: a real danger
There’s a real problem with reading on a tablet: lighting.
Tablets and smartphones use lighting placed behind the screen: this is what makes for vivid colors and uniform illumination.
The problem is easy to understand: the light from the screen comes directly into your eyes.
A solution to this problem is to use reflective screens: this time, the light “bounces” off the screen before reaching your eyes. As a result, the light is less powerful and does not reach your retina directly.
It’s a bit like looking at a light bulb:
If you look directly at it, you’ll hurt your eyes.
If you look at a white sheet of paper illuminated by this bulb, you’ll be able to withstand the light from the bulb more easily.
Unfortunately, reflective screens for tablets are very rare and offer less than optimal color reproduction (see TCL’s NxtPaper). There’s also the alternative of the e-reader (see below), which uses a screen that does very little to tire the eyes.
Yes, reading on a tablet is dangerous for the eyes
Another major problem is the presence of blue light.
Tablet lighting, and other LED ou LCD screens, emits blue light. While the effects of this light on the body are still difficult to determine with any certainty, initial studies show that caution is called for.
The light is created by the illumination, and it’s impossible to switch it off on a tablet. Manufacturers therefore use a system that applies a filter to the colors rendered by the screen.
Clearly, once the system is activated, the screen appears more “orange” or “yellow”, as there is less blue color present.
It’s a good start, but it doesn’t completely solve the problem.
E-ink screens render characters as if they were on paper. Reading comfort for the eyes is therefore total and identical to paper.
E-ink screens emit no light, so even without power, you can still read what’s displayed on them.
For even greater comfort, e-readers also feature lighting. But, unlike the system used on tablets, the illumination on a e-reader is present on the sides of the screen and is therefore not pointed directly at the eyes.
The findings indicate that exposure to blue light increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), a marker of oxidative stress, in cells exposed to both devices. However, the rate of ROS accumulation was two to three times slower with e-paper displays compared to LCD screens. This suggests that e-readers may be a more protective option for retinal health during extended use.
Another advantage of a e-reader over a tablet is that the lighting can be switched off when not needed.
If, however, you still wish to use the light, the mid-range and top-of-the-range e-reader models all feature a blue light filter (color temperature adjustment).
The e-reader is therefore a particularly useful and much safer tool for everything to do with reading ebooks.
According to the official Kobo website, the Kobo Libra 2 e-reader is sold out. Although still available from a number of vendors, all indications are that this e-reader will soon disappear from the catalog, following the release of the new version with color screen: the Kobo Libra Colour.
The Kobo Libra 2 has been available since 2021, and this e-reader was a real “coup de coeur” for me.
It has an excellent display, with a 7-inch black and white e-ink screen (Carta 1200 technology and high definition). The screen is perfectly complemented by its lighting and a blue light filter – the Comfort Light Pro system.
But what I really like about this e-reader is the quality of its construction and its format with buttons on the side.
Today, this e-reader is no longer available on the official Kobo website.
But that doesn't mean the Kobo Libra 2 is no longer recommendable.
In fact, it's still available on a number of sites, and I think you'll find it at a very good price soon (if it isn't today). So it's still a good buy for people who want a really good e-reader and don't need or want a color screen.
On the other hand, if you're looking for a recent e-reader with the latest technological advances in digital reading, you'll need to look out for the Kobo Libra Colour, which replaces the Kobo Libra 2.
This merger will enable Pocketbook to take advantage of Bigme’s Android e-reader expertise to offer high-end e-reader models in the US and Europe.
The first machine is the Pocketbook Inkpad Eo, whose fast release surprised me. It’s a large-format color e-reader with a Bigme-designed Android 11 system, but with software modified by Pocketbook.
When I tested the last Bigme e-reader I received, I noticed problems with software translation. A slight disappointment, since the hardware is really good quality, with a superb color e-ink screen.
Pocketbook will correct this and market some Bigme e-readers under its own brand and with corrections in the months and years to come.
Of course, all this comes solely from the Goodereader website, and Pocketbook doesn’t seem to have communicated much more about Bigme in recent days.
