Kno is a combination tablet, e-reader aiming to take the place of college textbooks.

With the rising popularity of the iPad and the already established e-readers, tech entrepreneurs everywhere have been scrambling , to come up with the next big hit, if not, to break into the market. In that context, a new entrant made its public debut last week with a demo. Called Kno, it is from Chegg the college textbook rental start-up. Trying to build a niche in the college market, the Kno sets itself apart from the rest of e-readers and tablets out there with its two built digital screens that allow students to view textbooks in the same way they would with analog versions. Its two 14-inch screens are big enough to display two facing textbook pages without the need to scroll. It comes with a stylus to take notes with and a Web browser with Flash support.

The company behind the Kno plans to release a test version in the fall and target the end of the year for its commercial debut with the goal to keep the price under $1,000.

For more, see NYTimes.com

Google plans to sell E-Books.

According to the New York Times, following discussions last month with publishers, Google is leaning towards introducing its own e-book program that would enable publishers to sell digital versions of their latest books directly to consumers through Google.
As opposed to Amazon's, Google e-book program is planing to let publishers set their own prices.
Another difference from Amazon's e-book program, will be the option offered to consumers to read books on the device of their choice, as long it has Internet access.
The new program is set to start by the end of this year.

A competition for Kindle e-reader is coming soon.

Plastic Logic, a 10 years old little known company founded by two Cambridge professors, just revealed the prototype of a new e-reader the size of the jumbo Kindle DX. It is extremely thin, has no keyboard, but does have a touch screen that displays a tool-bar along one edge and tabs for recently read books and documents. The device is WI-FI ready and will come with 3G cellular connectivity and users can turn the pages with the flick of a finger. The company said the device is designed mainly for business users and an e-commerce site which will allow owners to buy books, magazines and newspapers, is in its testing phase.
The device is set for release early next year and the company has not settled on a sale price yet.