If you are an e-book fan in North America, Kindles or NOOKs probably are the among the first devices that come to mind. If the Berlin-based txtr has its way, however, you soon may find yourself reading e-books on the company's new beagle e-book reader. The txtr beagle, with its 5" screen, 1/4" profile and 4.5oz weight, is billed as the smallest and lightest e-book reader on the market. txtr says the beagle will run for a year on AAA batteries and does not require cables or chargers. It is the first companion reader to receive e-books sent from a smartphone, says the device developer. The Android-based txtr beagle is part of the overall Adobe-certified txtr eReading platform, but does not count as an extra device. txtr believes that these characteristics, as well as a price point for telecom providers potentially as low as $13.00, are the raw materials for a truly global, mass-market e-book reader.
