There’s an exciting new product at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that will have ebook fans drooling: An eReader that has a color e-ink display. Before you get too excited, there are a few details you should know.

The eReader is called the Ectaco Jetbook Color eReader. Ectacto is a Russian company, and the device is already available for sale in Russia (no word on it will be available in the US).

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Yes, we all know the iPad is still the king of all tablet computers. And like I said in this earlier post about Russian eReaders, it’s easy to forget there are other tablets out there.

I’ve become interested in what other tablets are on the market. Don’t worry, I’m not giving up my iPad anytime soon (I’m saving my pennies for the iPad 3). But it’s fun to see how the technology has evolved over the last few years. While the iPad is king, it’s being surrounded by more and more tablets.

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There’s a new Kindle case on the market that offers a unique twist on your run-of-the-mill boring eReader cases. This one is also a charger. The front cover has a solar panel that always keeps your Kindle charged. As an added bonus, it comes with a built-in reading light.

The cover is called that SolarKindle Cover. It retails for $79.99, which is not a bad price for something that has an unlimited power supply.

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Barnes & Noble is sweetening the pot on their Nook Tablet by offering it for $99…with strings attached, of course. To get that juicy price you need purchase a 1-year subscription to the New York Times Nook Edition.

Or, if you don’t want the tablet, you can get a Nook Simple Touch for free. A subscription to the New York Times will set you back $19.99/month for one year.

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Sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are other eReaders on the market than just the Kindle, Nook and even the iPad (even though it’s way more than just an eReader). There are other options out there for consumers looking for something different.

Earlier today I was thinking about Russia. Don’t ask why. I decided to see what Russians are using to read ebooks. With no large chain bookstores in Russia, ebooks are perfect for a country with such a rich literary history.

A quick Google search gave me my answer.

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In non-ebook news, Barnes & Noble is joining the fight to end bullying. You’ve probably seen the tragic news stories of young children taking their own lives because they were bullied to the breaking point. I’m happy to see B&N stepping up to the plate on this issue.

I received this press release from Barnes & Noble and thought I’d share it with you:

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I was pleased to see that my dad took the plunge and got my mom a Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch for Christmas. It’s a cool eReader: A crisp display and very responsive to your finger gestures.

The big disappointment, however, came when we realized that an outlet charger was an extra accessory that had to be purchased separately. The only way to charge the Nook is by plugging it into a computer.

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I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year as we ring in 2012. I’m not one to make New Years Resolutions because I don’t really think they work. However, I do view the New Year as a fresh start, kind of like a blank slate.

Brad’s Reader will keep going strong in 2012. I plan on introducing an email newsletter, and maybe even a few more goodies.

Thank you all for making this little blog such a success! Have a safe and Happy New Year!

I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone (who celebrates it) a very Merry Christmas! Hopefully all of you will be finding shiny new eReaders waiting under the Christmas tree this morning. That said, Amazon’s and Barnes & Noble’s websites might be running a little slow from everyone downloading their first ebooks.

Regardless of what is waiting for you under the tree, please enjoy this holiday. For me it’s a much needed break and I’ll be able to spend some quality time with my family. That said, you probably won’t hear from me until the New Year.

Thanks for all your support in 2011. My blog wouldn’t be where it is without all of you.

Merry Christmas!

Brad

Publishers Weekly is reporting ebook sales figures for the month of October, and as usual, it looks really good.

I’ll let the PW article speak for itself:

E-book sales rose 81.2% in October, to $72.8 million, at the 20 publishers who supply e-book figures to the Association of American Publishers monthly sales report. The 81% increase was the first time this year that e-book sales did not double over the same month in 2010. For the first 10 months of the year, e-book sales were up 131.1%, to $807.7 million.

With eReader prices falling and more consumers jumping onto the ebook bandwagon, it seems we’ll see this trend continue into the foreseeable future.