Here Comes the New Kindle (Probably)

Tech bloggers reading their tea leaves say e-book fans can expect the new version of the Kindle on Feb. 9. Though maker Amazon has made no announcement, the company has scheduled a major press conference that day with chief Jeff Bezos. And, notes Brad Stone of the New York Times, the Kindle details page on Amazon.com now notes that the electronic reader will ship in four to six weeks.

Apparently, the new version will look essentially the same, but it will have improved bells and whistles along the lines of zooming in or looking up words, and page refresh times will improve. It also will be harder to accidentally click on the page back or page forward functions, a major complaint of the original version, notes Alex Pham of the Los Angeles Times. (More Amazon.com stories.)