E-Reader Going Green: Biblio Leaf
Posted in Energy Inventions | Photovoltaic Cells | Solar Power
Glad tidings for book lovers with green ethics! Maybe the e-reader does not consume much power. But if you love to read online and think you should do your bit towards using renewable energy, you have Toshiba and KDDI joining the ranks of LG to provide solar-powered e-readers. Biblio Leaf is the new kid in the e-reader block to match LG’s Solar eReader.
Features
Biblio Leaf has a six-inch e-ink display and 2 GB memory that can be enhanced with a microSD card. With 3G & Wi-Fi connectivity, touch pad and buttons to turn pages etc, there is a battery onboard which can be recharged by a solar panel. Once charged fully, some 7500 pages can be read non-stop.
Look
It matches Kindle’s size – 8.5 by 5 inches and has 800 x 600 pixel resolution. It has a 6-inch display size. Its solar panel is mounted on the front side and is rather small in size unlike LG’s which panels are bigger and are on the top that can be turned over.
Cost & other details
Biblio Leaf is to be released only in Japan presently as an add-on with the 3G wireless two-year contract at a $20 monthly cost. The smaller sized solar panel of Biblio Leaf may need more time for recharging as against the 4 hours needed by LG! The reader has to be careful not to cover the solar panel while holding the Biblio Leaf and reading from it.
Taking baby steps
Solar energy powered E-reader market is still taking just baby steps with LG’s Solar eReader being the first to arrive and now followed now by Biblio Leaf by Toshiba. These e-readers are yet to be available in the stores, but are comparing fairly favorably with each other in looks, display, energy, performance and availability with maybe LG having an edge. No doubt future technology will bring better and still better e-readers more efficiently powered by renewable energy!
