From the press release: Atria Books releases the first-ever smart book. 1,000 copies of the book will be stickered with a RFID chip allowing for any Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled phone to simply tap and engage with the book's content. The smart book tag can be read by the consumer's phone by tapping the sticker. Any NFC-enabled phone will automatically perform the command embedded in the tag. In this case, the phone will open the phone's mobile web browser on specific book-related content. The smart book tag can be embedded into a book cover or paper bookmark. (Link to see image...

In a related matter to Paul’s last post, I’ve just gotten off the phone again with my three local Kmart stores inquiring after the Augen devices. At the one where I used to work, it seems that they’ve gotten so many calls about it that as soon as I said nothing more than, “Electronics, please,” the customer service rep who first answered my call said, “If this is about that computer thing in the circular, we’re out of stock…” When I spoke to the electronics department anyway, the electronics associate said they had gotten maybe two of them...

The Augen 7” Android tablet that Paul mentioned yesterday is proving to be hard to find. I called all three of the Kmart stores in the Springfield area, and none of them had received either it, or the 7” “smartbook” I mentioned Engadget reviewing yesterday. (The tablet was the only device featured in the sales circular—the smartbook was nowhere to be found, and the electronics associate didn’t know about it.) I was able to get a rain check for the tablet, though that does not necessarily mean the store will actually carry it. I probably won’t buy...

Not only is Kmart selling Augen’s 7” Android 2.1 tablet for $149 (as Paul mentioned earlier), it is also selling a 7” Android 1.6 “smartbook” from the same company for $99. Engadget has a review of the device, which appears to be one of those el-cheapo Chinese netbooks that turn up every so often for sale from disreputable companies and/or on eBay. This particular netbook can now be found at the much more reputable Kmart, but Engadget suggests that it might not be the best value for the price—it boots terribly slowly, they had difficulty getting apps to...