By MARK PRIGG
A German firm is hoping to radically change the electronic book market with an ebook that costs just £10 to buy.
'The txtr beagle is designed to do best what eReaders are intended for: reading digital books,' the firm says on its website.
To save costs, the gadget has no connectors, and books are sent to it from a mobile phone app using bluetooth.
'The txtr beagle is the smallest eReader in the world. It is mostly just 5mm thick, and t weighs just 128 grams, making it the world's lightest 5" or 6" E Ink eReader available.
'Unlike other eReaders, there is no need for chargers or cables.
'The location of the batteries not only creates an elegant silhouette but also becomes an ergonomic feature as it rests easily in the palm of a hand.'
The gadget does away with many of the capabilities of Amazon's Kindle, which sells for £69 in the UK.
It boasts its own wifi capabilities, and extras like web browsing and the ability to buy books directly.
Owners of the txtr beagle will need to send books to the device via bluetooth from their mobile phones.
The front of the device is dominated by a 5in E-Ink display with an 800x600 resolution, along with buttons to control the page turning and the selected book.
According to txtr, the combination of low-power display type and lack of extra networking capabilities mean a long battery life - around 12 to 15 full books per battery change.
The move will pit the firm against Amazon.
Earlier this month Amazon boss Jeff Bezos showed off a 'paperwhite' e-reader with a much sharper screen and longer battery life.
Already available in the US, it is expected to come to the UK later this year, along with the firm's Kindle Fire tablets that will compete with Apple's iPad.
Apple is also expect to soon announce the iPad mini, a smaller iPad which could also double as an ebook reader.
Amazon's Kindle software is already available for mobile phones, allowing books bought from Amazon to be read, and Apple also operates its own books store.
source: dailymail
