Spring Design has unveiled a Google Android-based e-reader. The device – known as Alex – features dual screens, a removable SD card and Wi-Fi3G capabilities.
“Alex is the start of a whole new experience of reading content on e-books, potentially igniting a whole new industry in multimedia e-book publishing for secondary authors to create supplementary content that is hyper linked to the text,” said Spring Design CEO Dr. Priscilla Lu.
According to Lu, Alex’s dual-screen display design allows users to easily read text on a monochrome 6″ EPD screen, while simultaneously browsing dynamic hyperlinked multimedia information on a secondary 3.5″ color LCD display.
Lu added that the Android OS was “optimized” to support integration between the two displays.
“Users can capture and cache web content from their online experience on the LCD screen, and toggle to view it on the EPD screen without taxing the battery life,” explained Lu. “Browser features such as bookmarking, history, and security settings are built in, and the device with full Android browsing capability, is mobile enabled with smart phones capabilities.”
Spring Design, which is currently in discussion with various content providers, is expected to begin shipping the Alex device to selected strategic partners by the end of 2009.
