It's hard to imagine a world in which we abandon man's best friend for an electronic replacement, but it's also hard to imagine a dog ever holding a paper book without turning poor Kafka into a sponge. Luckily, designer Charles Kalpakian is here to provide us with this canine book stand concept that lights up when you pull the tale. While this unit is not for sale, we can only hope that version 2.0 has teeth to convey that pulling a dog's tale is not the best way to treat it. [Yanko Design via Ubergizmo]

Read More »

If I read actual books, this Easy Grip would fit right in with my active lifestyle. Its secure one-handed grip technology keeps the book in place while simultaneously marking the open page. That means I am free to read while jogging, driving or arm wrestling. Thanks crazy Korean manufacturers! Available for 9500 Won or around $11. Additional image after the break.

Read More »

We really like the idea of ebooks, but their low contrast and pokey refresh rate just about ruins the experience when using devices such as the Sony PRS-500 Reader pictured above. Now, Cambridge, Massachusetts, company E Ink, the inventor of this tech, has decided to spruce it up with a higher-performance imaging film it calls Vizplex.

If what the company is saying is true, expect to see ebook displays refreshing twice as quickly, with 20% better contrast, too. The company's also planning to roll out a wider variety of screen sizes other than the single 6-inch size it currently offers, from 1.9 inches aimed at cellphones and MP3 players, up to 9.7 inches for bigger ebooks. We might be seeing the results of this latest technology as early as this summer. – Charlie White

E Ink displays upgraded imaging film technology [EE Times]

Personally, I think the Illupillow looks mildly uncomfortable, but this depends on how squishy it is—if it's overly firm I could envision some back pain after reading on this thing for a couple of hours if I'm sprawled all over it. Google Translate (tenuously) confirms that the light is both adjustable and battery powered. Since it's only a concept model by Oliver Schick at Design Week in Milan for the time being, there's no price tag yet, but I have the feeling it won't be cheap. – Matt Buchanan

Illupillow by Oliver Schick [Elmanco via Crave]