The Sol e-book reader is a new and innovative e-book reader that you wear on your face, just like a pair of sunglasses.
If the humble Kindle isn’t just isn’t good enough anymore and you’re looking for the next big thing in the e-book reader space, you may want to check out the Sol e-book reader, an intriguing device shaped like a pair of sunglasses. Somewhat similar to a VR headset, the Sol is a much more simplistic gadget designed solely as a hands-free e-reader. Weighing only around 100 grams and shaped like a pair of black sunglasses, the Sol was created for a more comfortable reading experience, like reading a book while lying down. But, before you ask, no, you will not be able to flip pages with your eyes or the power of your mind…
The Sol Reader features a pair of 1.3-inch side-lit E Ink displays, each capable of displaying 65,536 pixels. The device also has a diopter adjustment built in, so people who wear glasses or contact can use it without wearing additional vision correction. One of the main advantages of the Sol is that it allegedly blocks out all outside visual distractions, allowing the reader to focus on the e-book.
The pages of the e-book are projected against a dark background and the reading experience is described by the manufacturer as similar to looking at the pages of an actual book. To flip through the pages, users push buttons on a remote-like controller, so reading on this thing isn’t technically completely hands-free.
The Sol Reader has a built-in battery that should provide about 30 hours of reading time on a single charge, which doesn’t seem like a lot compared to conventional e-book readers. The storage capacity is limited to 64 MB, but the headset wirelessly connects to a mobile iOS or Android app that allows DRM-free EPUB files to be copied over, so you don’t have to store all your e-books on it.
The Sol wearable e-book reader is currently in the pre-order phase, with the price currently sitting at $350.
