Kindle 3

E-readers were a hot item this holiday season. If you were lucky enough to get one as a gift (or if you already own one), it's time to protect it. Targus unveiled several new cases at CES for some of the most popular e-readers - the Kindle 3, Sony's Daily Edition Reader and the Nook from Barnes & Noble.

Truss Case/Stand for Kindle 3
This case does double-duty - it's both a carrying case and hands-free viewing stand. The Truss Case/Stand easily converts into multiple positions for handheld, in-case and standalone viewing. Features include a tough, top-grain leather exterior, a soft, scratch-resistant inner lining and a secure wrap-around closure to keep your Kindle safe from bumps and scratches. Available in black (THZ031US) and brown (THZ03103US) at an MSRP of $39.99.Read more

Speck has two new folio-style cases for two of the holiday's hottest gifts – the iPad and Kindle 3. First made popular on the Kindle 2, Speck's DustJacket design lets Kindle 3 and iPad owners travel around town without the worry of dropping or scratching their device.

DustJacket for iPad: The protective cover opens like a book and folds back flat for a comfortable grip. You can also unfold and position the DustJacket to multiple preset angles for viewing or working. The custom cradle holds your iPad securely within the micro-fleece lined interior, and the padded leatherette exterior adds extra comfort and protection from bumps and drops. The DustJacket is available in Red and Black Leatherette for $49.95. Read more

Head on over to Amazon.com and what do you see? Information that the latest Kindle from Amazon, the new Kindle DX, will be shipping on June 10th. The MSRP is $489.

The Kindle DX features a 9.7-inch screen, giving you more screen real estate as opposed to the prior model with a 6-inch screen. Other features of the DX include an Auto-Rotating Screen, Built-In PDF Reader, a Long Battery Life, and the ability to store up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and documents.

Secure your Kindle DX by pre-ordering it now. Is the $489 price tag a bit steep? You can still get the previous Kindle for $359.

The noticeable change in this new device is the screen size. Because with screens – size does matter. 9.7-inch electronic paper display will ensure the reader can see what they are reading. The pre-orders are now open, and the MSRP from Amazon.com is $489. The shipping for the Kindle DX starts this summer.

Textbook publishers are going to offer their textbooks in the Kindle Store as well – which is good news for students. You can store up to 3,500 books on the Kindle DX, and there are more then 275,000 books available in the Kindle Store.

"Personal and professional documents look so good on the big Kindle DX display that you'll find yourself changing ink-toner cartridges less often," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. "Cookbooks, computer books, and textbooks – anything highly formatted – also shine on the Kindle DX. Carry all your documents and your whole library in one slender package."Read more

Well, well, well...it seems that Amazon just may be working on a new Kindle to be announced as early as this week, per a report in the New York Times today . If you remember, we told you about this possibility just last month. The new Kindle is said to have a larger screen, making it easier to read newspapers and magazines on the device.

Amazon wouldn't comment, but The New York Times (who also wouldn't comment) is expected to be involved in the introduction of the new Kindle. And, interestingly enough, Amazon issued press invitations to an event later this week. Guess we'll just have to wait and see (but not long)...

There is no information on pricing or availability of the new device (as nothing has been officially announced), but be sure to check back...we'll keep you updated.

Rumor has it that Amazon is already working on a third generation Kindle e-reader device. According to the Wall Street Journal, the new Kindle is going to have a larger screen, designed to make it easier to view newspapers, advertisements etc. It is also thought that the new Kindle will have touchscreen features.

Although Amazon won't comment, speculation has it that the new Kindle will be available in time for the holiday shopping season. This doesn't surprise me given the decline in print advertising and the increase in popularity of digital reading. With a larger screen, newspapers and magazines may have more of an opportunity to get much needed ad dollars. And of course, Amazon would benefit from the increase in sales around the holiday season.

What do you think? Is Amazon working on this too fast, given that the Kindle 2 has only been around a couple of months?