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Anyone looking to pick up an Amazon Kindle for the holidays seems to be out of luck as Amazon has once again sold out of the Kindle.  Current expected shipping times for a new Kindle are being listed as “11 to 13 weeks” and given that, some may start looking for alternate ways to make a purchase.

Amazon is offering, when available, refurbished models that are selling for $329.  Not much of a discount, but with such a popular item I guess that is a fair price.  Of course, as of this posting even those are sold out as well.  However, there are some alternative methods, but as you can expect, they are not going to be cheap.  The Amazon marketplace currently has some “used - like new” models that are available, which are priced anywhere from $500 even up to $1,500.

Finally, for those that are really desperate, there is always eBay.  Heck, with prices like this, I am almost tempted to part with mine.

Via [I4U]  Via [The Kindle]

• Nokia’s unlocked N85 now available with Amazon
• Amazon offers RPG bargain buys in honor of Cyber Monday 2008
• Amazon’s Thanksgiving weekend, Cyber Monday 2008 game deals

This is where we call out the tech moves that seem odd, out of touch or just plain straight up smokin’ crack.  This week sees posturing, positioning and flat out insanity. 

Here’s what caught my eye this week:

• Zune Phone inbound?
• Kindle 2 sucking life out of holiday sales?
• 7-11’s new video section
• HDTVs for pennies?

Follow me into the madness.

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This certainly is not the first we are hearing about the Kindle 2, however it looks like anyone who was holding out is going to have to wait a little longer.  Initially, the Kindle 2 was expected to hit the market this past October, which would have given it a good launch to pick up some holiday sales.  According to the reports, the delay was caused by Jeff Bezos in order to make some last minute changes to the software. 

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One of the main complaints you see with the Kindle, or just about any eBook reader is the lack of an available backlight.  That means it becomes the task of third party accessory makers to fill in that gap.  The latest accessory comes in the form of a Lighted Folio from Periscope.

The Lighted Folio includes a twin LED light that is said to offer 40 hours of light from three AA batteries.  Additionally the folio offers space for a 5 x 8-inch notepad along with a pen holder.  If interested, the Lighted Folio is retailing for $49.95.  It is currently available as a pre-order item with delivery promised for December. 

Interested in a Kindle?  Click here for Gadgetell’s Kindle review.

Product [PeriscopeLight]

• Amazon Kindle 2 now rumored to be launching early-2009
• Amazon Kindle sold-out, refurbs available in limited quantities
• Who’s On Crack in tech: Black Friday ‘08 edition

Gadgetell Quick Review:

Amazon Kindle

What is it?

The Amazon Kindle is Amazon’s electronic reading device. It uses E Ink technology and is available for $359.

Pros:

Easy to use, lightweight, lots of storage and free wireless service.

Cons:

The included cover needs improvement.

Keep reading for an in-depth, hands-on review. 

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Sony’s latest model in their Reader family, the PRS-700 gives consumers the opportunity to choose how they would like to experience reading electronically.  It is much closer to an actual “book” experience, but with all the cool e-reader add-ons.

The PRS-700 features an interactive touch display, that allows readers to actually flip pages simply with the slide of a finger.  You can also look for terms in a book or a document, take notes on the virtual keyboard, or even use the stylus pen to highlight text you find especially important or interesting.  This PRS-700 has plenty more features, check them out after the break.

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Sections: Computers, Software / Applications, Gadgets / Other, Household, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Imaging, Accessories, Peripherals, Displays, Web, Web Apps

The Sony Reader seems to have found a nice way to get an edge over the Amazon Kindle, while they may both be good devices its hard to really think that they are really hitting the mainstream market. However it seems that Sony may soon be changing that fact with the introduction of the Sony Reader into Target stores. As of now the Sony Reader PRS-505 is available at Target at both retail locations and online. The Reader is retailing for $299.99 and for a limited time will come with a coupon for a copy of “The Other Queen” by Philippa Gregory.

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Lately we have been seeing quite a few rumors about upcoming models of the Amazon Kindle. Just within the past few weeks we have seen some rumored information about a Kindle 2.0 that was expected to be thinner, a little more stylish and best of all, a little cheaper. In addition to the Kindle 2.0 we have also seen recent stories about a second version of the Kindle that is aimed at student market, this was was even “confirmed” by a recent story in the Seattle PI.

However it seems that everything that has been written recently may not be entirely true. Overall the cheaper Kindle 2.0 sounds nice, and the student edition sounds great, especially compared to a bunch of heavy textbooks, but it is a little strange to see a lower priced model coming, especially considering the success that Amazon is having with the current model and current pricing.

The latest news, which basically kills these rumors comes from Amazon spokesman Craig Berman who recently spoke with the New York Times and told them to not “believe everything you read.” He also went on to state that “there will be no new version of the Kindle this year. A new version is possible sometime next year at the earliest.”

So you can read into that statement however you want, as with any successful product its only likely that we will see a follow or second edition come. So there likely still is a student edition coming, just not in 2008, of course Craig Berman would not offer any comment as to whether they were developing a Kindle for a specific group.

Read [New York Times Bits]

• Amazon Kindle sold-out, refurbs available in limited quantities
• Nokia’s unlocked N85 now available with Amazon
• Sprint’s Cyber Monday deals: free Centro and 5 others

It wouldn’t be so hard to notice that the new FTEC eBook G10 is just a rebranded and redesigned ECS G10IL. The mere presence of “G10” in their name spills it all. Specs and features-wise, the FTEC eBook G10 does not have anything different from the ECS G10IL. But one thing is clear, this version of the ECS G10IL certainly looks cooler than its original version, especially with a fire emblem accentuating the keyboard and touchpad area.

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Some further information about the rumored upcoming Amazon Kindle student edition is now claiming that Amazon has confirmed the device is in the works. According to a recent report from the Seattle PI, Amazon has confirmed that “they are planning to target colleges and universities with a new version of the Kindle.“

Based on the information available to date, the student edition Kindle will offer a larger screen, which I think makes sense when reading textbooks. Of course, we can only hope that text book pricing will be relatively inexpensive for the digital versions, because this could essentially kill, or seriously slow the used book market, which means no more quick cash at the end of the semester.

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