TechFodder

Just when you thought Amazon was getting fat and happy over the Kindle, Discovery has slapped a suit on them to bring them back to reality.

Reuters says that Discovery Communications, owners of the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, claims to have a patent on e-book technology. It has something to do with encryption, and a patent that Discovery founder John Hendricks received in November 2007.

Of course, that just happens to be the same month that Amazon introduced its first Kindle. So, why did they wait over a year to file suit? Did they think the e-Book thing was going to blow over?

Discovery wants damages as well as a future piece of the pie. There's no word on whether they will start sniffing around Sony next. -- Rachel Cericola

If you've got a few extra bucks burning a hole in your pocket and a hankering for a Rambo marathon, swing by Amazon.com. The site has launched a massive Blu-ray sale.

We say massive, because there's supposedly 379 titles up for grabs. Count if you must, but no matter how many titles they have, most of them are going for $15 to $20. It's cheap-ish, but those purchases can add up pretty quickly. Still, there are a few impulse buys (did we mention Rambo?) available for $9.99. Here are other favorites, at sample prices...

• The Departed: $17.49
• Iron Man: $16.99
• Lost - The Complete Fourth Season: $43.99
• Mad Men - Season One: $24.49
• Ratatouille: $19.49
• Sleeping Beauty: $22.49
• Transformers: $19.49
• Tropic Thunder: $16.99
• Wall-E: $19.49

High-Def Digest says that the sale ends March 22, so you'd better get shopping. -- Rachel Cericola

You have the Kindle. Haven't you given enough money to Amazon? Barnes & Noble thinks so. That's why they are planning to launch their own e-bookstore later this year.

As part of the plan, the retailer has purchased Fictionwise, an online e-bookseller. The New York Times says that B&N paid a boatload -- $15.7 million. Fictionwise could also earn additional cash, depending on how things go.

Of course, the service would be in direct competition with Amazon. Maybe that's why B&N wants to keep Fictionwise as a separate business unit.

So does the world need another e-bookseller? That all depends on how they plan to price the titles. Currently, Fictionwise's prices are slightly lower than the ones in Amazon's e-Bookstore, with Fictionwise Buywise Club members getting even lower prices in exchange for a fee. Those costs start at $29.95 for one year; super readers can sign up for a 5-year membership for $124.95.

Fictionwise offers titles in a variety of formats, including Microsoft Reader, Adobe Acrobat, MultiFormat (which works on Kindle), and eReader, among others. -- Rachel Cericola

Embarrassed to trade in that copy of Shaq Fu? Now you don't need to leave the house to get rid of your old video games.

Amazon just announced a new video game trade-in program. The goal is to go head-to-head with GameStop, who saw a stock drop shortly after the announcement.

GameStop is predicting (via CNET) that the program will fail miserably. Maybe so, Danny Boy (that's GameStop CEO Dan DeMatteo to you and me). Still, it doesn't seem like it will cause much of a dent in the almighty Amazon.

If you're interested, all you need is 10 bucks' worth of games that are in good shape. Register them on Amazon, and print your mailing label and packing slip. The shipping is free. Once they get the games, you'll get some sweet Amazon store credit.

For the first two weeks, if you make a trade, the e-tailer will also offer 10 percent off any future game purchase. -- Rachel Cericola

In case you were dreading adding another device into your bag, Amazon has just announced Kindle features for the iPhone.

Starting today, you can download Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch at Apple's App Store -- and it's a freebie. The New York Times says that the move could show that the e-tailer is more interested in pushing e-books versus electronics.

Apparently, Steve Jobs had once dismissed the Kindle, stating that "people don't read anymore." That's sort of a sad statement. I guess "if it's free, it's for me" must apply for Steve. Also, with 240,000 titles available, someone must be reading something.

Tools of Change for Publishing has a nice little roundup of various reactions to the app. - Rachel Cericola

According to the front of Amazon's website: Kindle 2 Has Arrived. However, before you go sinking another $350 into Amazon's portable reader, you might want to know that the Kindle rumor mill is cranking again. Apparently, there could be another Kindle coming -- possibly before you even get the chance to pay off the one that you are waiting to arrive.

Electronista says that the company may release a model with a larger, touch-enabled screen. If all goes well, it could be available in time for your holiday wishlist.

The Kindle 2 weighs in at 10.2 ounces, with a 6-inch diagonal E-Ink electronic paper display, a 600 x 800-pixel resolution at 167 ppi, and a 16-level gray scale. It also has 2GB of internal memory.

It's all a rumor, but those Kindle 2 rumblings kind of worked out, right? -- Rachel Cericola