Kobo has announced it is releasing a remote control for its e-readers, which seems like a handy if rather obvious idea. The Kobo Remote is going on sale next month and will offer a wireless means of flipping the page without, as the company says, lifting a finger.
With winter just around the corner and digits buried under blankets, the option to turn the page without having to physically touch the reader is very appealing to me. Now you can keep those hands nice and toasty and operate the Bluetooth-connected page turner underneath the covers without disrupting your comfort. It might be especially awesome if you use a stand and don’t have to hold the ebook reader at all.
“In a Canadian winter, we know that sometimes maximum reading comfort means burrowing down in the blankets, tucking yourself in and not emerging until spring,” said Michael Tamblyn, CEO of Rakuten Kobo. “The Kobo Remote is the perfect accessory for peak immersive reading; it’s an invitation to lounge deeper, multitask smarter and simply enjoy reading without limits, no matter whether your environment is beach or blankets.”
This particular remote is only compatible with the Kobo ebook readers with Bluetooth connectivity, like the Libra 2 and Clara Colour. You won’t be able to hook it up to your Kindle for instance. Remote controlled page turners for ebook readers aren’t new, but the currently available models usually work through RF.
The Kobo Remote is going on sale on November 4 in the United States for $29.99. It will be available in several other territories, including Europe. The UK price and release date is yet to be revealed, but it is coming. Might be a nice little stocking filler.
