Shown at a trade show in Taiwan recently, this e-reader from display manufacturer AUO turned a few heads. Like the Amazon Kindle 2, it has a 6-inch black-and-white screen with 600 x 800-pixel resolution and is capable of rendering 16 shades of gray. But it's also a touchscreen, a feature it shares with the most recent Sony Reader.

One important difference from those readers: AUO uses an e-paper technology from a company it acquired called SiPix, not E Ink, which is what the Sony Reader and Kindle use. From the description, the tech seems functionally identical to E Ink, so it probably won't make that much of a difference. Still, we're eager to try out this new kid on the e-reader block, but we won't be able to until the fall, when its due to launch — most likely only in Asia. AUO promises larger, Kindle DX-size readers soon after that. No pricing yet.

Tech-On! via Gadget Reviews