Technologies
Best Gifts for Readers in 2023: Kindle, iPad Mini, Kobo and More
Save a tree, read an ebook! And remember: The Amazon Kindle isn’t the only electronic ink game in town.
It could be confusing to choose the best gifts for readers in your life. If you’re looking for a gift for readers, you may be surprised to hear that what you’re looking for isn’t a single book. Why buy someone just one book for the holidays when you could get them a whole digital library instead?
When you give a friend or loved one a book-reading device, they have access to a trove of titles. I especially appreciate how E Ink readers have remained largely single-function devices, focusing on reading (and occasionally note-taking), rather than branching out into games, video chats or work apps.
The most well-known digital book reader is Amazon’s Kindle line, which uses E Ink displays and supports Amazon’s ebook storefront. Current models offer self-illuminated touchscreens, eliminating the need for an external book light. But beyond Kindle’s hardware, the Kindle app works on smartphones, iPads and other devices.
If you don’t want to buy through Amazon, other alternatives exist. For instance, Rakuten’s Kobo ebook readers work with most third-party vendors using the ePub book standard. And both Kobo and Kindle let you freely read loaner books from your local library.
We’ve also rounded up even more ebook readers here, and tested several big-screen multifunction E Ink devices that are more tabletlike and add stylus support.
My biggest overall shopping tip is that most Kindle devices are frequently on sale and sometimes offer stacking trade-in deals on top of that, so you can often expect to pay less than the official retail price.
Amazon
Amazon has released a baseline Kindle E Ink e-reader for $100 that no longer seems so entry-level. While its 6-inch screen makes it a smaller and lighter e-reader than the step-up Kindle Paperwhite ($140), its display has the same 300-ppi resolution as the Paperwhite. However, the Paperwhite model adds waterproofing and incorporates a more sophisticated front lighting scheme, with 17 LEDs compared with the basic Kindle 2022’s four LEDs.
In the past, we’ve recommended stepping up to the Paperwhite if you could afford it, mainly because it had a higher resolution display than the entry-level Kindle, which allowed text to appear more crisp. But with both models now featuring similar displays (at least as far as resolution goes), we may have to revise that recommendation.
The Kindle (2022) is available in black or denim blue.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Yes, Amazon’s top-end Kindle is too expensive for what it is, but when I upgraded from a Kindle Paperwhite to the Oasis a few years ago, I was knocked out by how much better the Oasis is in terms of book readability and responsiveness.
It’s got a bigger screen, and I find the physical page-turn buttons are so much better than swiping. The latest version can adjust the color temperature of the (monochromatic) screen, for better nighttime reading.
Amazon runs a lot of deals on this, and also watch out for trade-in bonuses on older Kindles to get it for a reasonable price.
David Carnoy/CNET
The Paperwhite is Amazon’s middle-of-the-road Kindle, between the base model and the Oasis. Last year, it received a big upgrade in the form of a larger 6.8-inch screen and better battery life, which makes it my go-to choice, as it’s almost as good as the fancier Oasis now.
While the Paperwhite is waterproof and can adjust its display color temperature, it lacks the Oasis’ physical page-turn buttons.
There’s also an upgraded model, the Signature Edition ($190), with 32GB of storage (versus 8GB) and an auto-adjusting front light. More importantly, it also works with the same wireless charging Qi pads as your phone. Again, hold out for a sale or a good trade-in deal on these.
Scott Stein/CNET
The iPad Mini received a great makeover last year, with a bigger, better screen (now 8.3 inches), new processor, optional 5G and a thinner, lighter design. It’s the perfect size for ebooks, and the color screen makes it a great choice for reading digital comics (ahem, graphic novels). At $500, it’s more expensive than the fanciest Kindle reader, but you get a full-fledged iPadOS device that can serve as a streaming video player or game machine as well.
David Carnoy/CNET
Amazon has long (until this year) ignored the need for bigger e-ink screens, leaving the doors open for brands like Kobo. This 10.3-inch display has stylus support for note-taking and includes 32GB of storage, a resolution of 227 dpi and a front light for nighttime reading.
No, it doesn’t officially support Amazon’s Kindle book format, but it does read key formats like PDF, ePub, MOBI and CBR, and it works with OverDrive, which is the ebook lending service most libraries use.
We’ve also rounded up a few more big-screen E Ink readers here.
Amazon/CNET
Amazon’s latest E Ink reader isn’t on sale yet, but it’s preorderable for an expected Nov. 30 launch. I’m very interested in the Scribe because it’s the first big-screen Kindle since the discontinued Kindle DX. It also adds stylus support and has a 10.2-inch display at 300 dpi (which is the same dpi as on the other Kindles).
It’s a hefty $329 to start, or up to $419 with an upgraded premium stylus and larger storage options. That’s a lot for a product we haven’t tested or reviewed yet, but it’s also — on paper — the bigger-screen Kindle I’ve been hoping for for years.
Read more about the Kindle Scribe.
And once you have an ebook reader, why not fill it up with some books written by CNET authors? Here’s a few to get started:
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 5, #500
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 5, No. 500.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. As an old-school Minnesota Twins fan, I was excited to see the last name of our most legendary player on the grid. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: QB is another one.
Green group hint: Hit it out of the park.
Blue group hint: Great gridiron signal-callers.
Purple group hint: Half of a thousand.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Football positions, abbreviated.
Green group: Members of the 500-HR club.
Blue group: First names of QBs to throw 500 career TDs.
Purple group: ____500.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is football positions, abbreviated. The four answers are CB, OT, S and TE.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is members of the 500-HR club. The four answers are Banks, Bonds, Foxx and Killebrew.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is first names of QBs to throw 500 career TDs. The four answers are Aaron, Drew, Peyton and Tom.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is ____500. The four answers are ATP, Daytona, Indy and WTA.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, Feb. 5
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 5
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? The Across clues were kind of tricky today, but the Down clues helped me fill in the grid. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Battery warning from a smoke detector
Answer: CHIRP
6A clue: Word that can precede «book» or «tour»
Answer: AUDIO
7A clue: Extreme edge
Answer: BRINK
8A clue: Like a wobbly screw
Answer: LOOSE
9A clue: Type in
Answer: ENTER
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Alternative to streaming
Answer: CABLE
2D clue: One of the Great Lakes
Answer: HURON
3D clue: Dummy
Answer: IDIOT
4D clue: Wash under a tap
Answer: RINSE
5D clue: Game in which Paul Newman successfully cons a crime boss in «The Sting»
Answer: POKER
Technologies
Fitbit Launches Luffu, AI-Powered Health Tracking for the Whole Family
Soon, you may be able to access every family member’s health data in one place.
If you’ve ever wanted a way to keep all of your family’s health records in place, Fitbit may have come up with a solution. Fitbit, well-known for its fitness wearables, announced the launch of its own health care system on Wednesday.
Luffu, which translates to the Old English word for «love,» uses AI to create what it calls an «intelligent family care system.» The platform allows family members to share all their health information through an app.
It’s unclear when Luffu will be officially available, but you can sign up for the waitlist to get access to the limited public beta. Pricing or other details have not been announced.
Luffu will allow families to keep track of everyone’s doctor’s appointments, test results, vaccine records, medications, symptoms, diet and more. The platform uses AI to learn your family’s health history and patterns, and to alert you to any changes that should be addressed, such as missed medications or abnormal vitals. The AI function organizes the data submitted into the system. The app will also connect to third-party apps and wearables, such as the Fitbit.
Luffu is meant to lighten the mental load of family care by organizing all this health data in one place, its co-founder said.
«I was caring for my parents from across the country, trying to piece together my mom’s health care across various portals and providers, with a language barrier that made it hard to get a complete, timely context from her about doctor visits,» said Luffu co-founder James Park.
Luffu will include alerts and a space to log health and medication information via voice, text, photos, and other health portals and devices. The key medical information can be shared across the platform with spouses, caregivers and parents.
A representative for Fitbit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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