Where to get free e-books for your Kindle

Kindle competitors such as the Sony and Barnes & Noble make a big deal of the fact that their e-book readers are compatible with the ePub file format.

That means, unlike the Kindle, that the Sony Reader and forthcoming B&N Nook (as well as other e-readers) can be used to read tens of thousands of free Google Books. Just choose a title, download the ePub version, and transfer it to the compatible reader of your choice.

Yes, nearly all of the books and essays in question are public domain classics (and not-so-classic) of yesteryear--the works of authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and the like. But free's free, and these are the sort of canonical works of art that bookworms appreciate reading and re-reading ad infinitum.
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Nintendo unveils DSi with larger screens

Nintendo has taken the wraps off a new version of the DSi handheld that sports larger 4.25-inch dual screens. The portable gaming unit will be considerably bigger than current and previous DS and DSi models. It will be dubbed the DSi LL in Japan where it goes on sale on November 21 for 20,000 yen (about US$220).

In Europe, the unit will be known as the DSi XL when it appears on store shelves in the first quarter of 2010. Nintendo did not provide details on a possible launch in Asia outside Japan.


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GlideTV Navigator PC remote controller

With the exception of YouTube, many online video providers aren't natively available on settop boxes or game consoles--Hulu being the most notable example. That's led many online video junkies to go with the most direct workaround: connecting their PCs directly to their big-screen TVs. Generally, it works like a charm--but requires a big keyboard and mouse to sit on the coffee table for navigation duties.

It's that niche--the living room input device--that the new GlideTV Navigator is designed to fill. The wireless pointing device is a disembodied touch pad flanked by a handful of backlit buttons, including volume and playback controls, as well as dedicated Enter, Back, and Escape keys. The US$149 package includes a charging cradle and a USB receiver. While the Navigator is compatible with Windows PCs, Macs, and the PS3, GlideTV's onscreen keyboard application will only be available for Windows.
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Sonos' iPhone-friendly ZonePlayer S5 with built-in speakers

We've long been fans of the Sonos Digital Music System, which lets you stream all manner of digital audio throughout your home. The latest BU250 bundle is an enthusiastic CNET Editors' Choice, in part because it can be controlled either via the included touchscreen controller or with any iPhone or iPod touch (running a free Sonos Controller app). Unfortunately, it costs US$1,000--not bad for a two-room system, but still out of reach for many consumers--and it needs to be connected to external speakers or audio components to hear the music.

The new Sonos ZonePlayer S5 aims to address both of those issues. It boasts an all-in-one design with built-in stereo speakers, so it's plug and play. And it costs US$400--not cheap, but well within the price range of refined iPod speaker systems we've seen from Bose, B&W, and other luxury brands.
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Nintendo cuts price of Wii to US$199

Nintendo has officially announced that the price of the Wii will drop to US$199.99, effective on Sunday. The long-rumored US$50 price cut comes in the wake of recent price drops for the PlayStation 3 (US$299, with built-in Blu-ray player) and Xbox 360 (US$299 for the 120GB version with built-in DVD player), which have boosted sales of the Sony and Microsoft consoles. (To date, the Wii remains the best-selling home game console of the three.)

Other than the price cut, there are no other changes to the current Wii bundle--you're still getting the console, along with the Wiimote and Nunchuk controllers and the bundled Wii Sports game. By contrast, there's at least one rumor that the UK will get a Wii package that adds the MotionPlus peripheral and Wii Sports Resort to the mix. Meanwhile, white remains the only color choice in the US (Japanese consumers can choose black as well).
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