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    E Ink Kindle prototype reportedly spotted with glowing front-lit screen

    E Ink Kindle prototype reportedly spotted with glowing front-lit screen

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    Amazon may be prepping a new version of its Kindle E Ink readers with a glowing, front-lit screen.

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    Kindle Touch
    Kindle Touch

    E Ink is often touted as a preferable display technology for e-readers because, among other things, it's easier on the eyes then traditional backlit LCD panels. The flipside is that devices like the E Ink Kindle line require exterior illumination to be read — but Amazon may be planning to solve that problem. TechCrunch reports that it got a look at a new Kindle prototype that used a front-lit display, providing an adjustable 'soft glow' that made text much more readable in low-light environments. The technology is said to come from a company called Oy Modilis, which was reportedly acquired by Amazon back in 2010, and consists of a layer of material laminated atop the E Ink screen that diffuses light evenly across its surface. The prototype is said to have been housed in a simple cardboard enclosure, with industrial design decisions still being hammered out. That said, TechCrunch reports that the front-lit Kindle should be launched later this year.