Amazon to unveil Kindle eBook reader?

Amazon is best-known today for its electronics and its new video download store, the Internet retailer earned its early reputation as an online bookstore. This emphasis on literature is likely the inspiration behind the company's first branded portable device, known as the Kindle in its current prototype form. An eBook reader, the Kindle would compete directly with the Sony Portable Reader but gain an added level of independence, according to an FCC filing. It shares the same 6-inch, 800x600 screen as the Sony reader, but adds a full keyboard and 256MB of internal memory. An SD card slot provides extra storage. Interestingly, the Kindle also includes an EVDO modem for mobile broadband, raising the possibility that it will download new eBooks independently of a host computer. The presence of an FCC filing indicates a release within the next few months that will likely be priced above Sony's more modest device.