Kindle Paperwhite: Upgraded Amazon E-Reader Available September 30

As e-readers and tablets compete for popularity, Amazon is bringing some new tech advancements to the party. The online-shopping company introduced its new Kindle Paperwhite Tuesday, and with it a slew of new features and improvements from its previous models. Its new features include better contrast, integration with reading websites such as GoodReads and a chance to interract with e-books the same way a reader could with a hard copy with the option to make vocabulary lists and make footnotes. The new reader also includes features for kids and new readers such as the ability to unlock achievements for meeting reading goals. Though the e-reader market has hit a snag for many companies as many consumers ditched the single-purpose device for tablets, Amazon continues to move forward as it also makes revenue from the books purchased for the device, with a huge selection of e-books available for instant download on the website.

"We think there is a long long long future ahead for dedicated e-reading devices," Russ Grandinetti, Amazon's vice president of Kindle Content said of the viability of single-purpose reading devices. "The analogy that we've always used is running shoes. People play casual sports... and might have a regular sneaker that works well for them. But if you're going to put five miles a day on the road, you actually want a pair of shoes that's built for that purpose. And there are millions of people who read so frequently that having a dedicated e-reader device is really valuable to them." Interactivity is the main focus of the e-reader's upgrade, with another option to allow readers to skim later pages without losing their place.

In addition to its sleek, new reader, which costs only $119 -- the same as its original version -- with an additional $70 tacked on for 3G capability, Amazon introduced a new feature called MatchBook. It would allow any user who has ever purchased a hard copy of a book from Amazon to download the e-version to their device for $2.99 or less. The feature will be introduced to the masses in October. A selection of Amazon's own book collection and from publisher Harper Collins will be available for download at launch time, which is approximately 10,000 titles. "If you logged onto your CompuServe account during the Clinton administration and bought a book like Men Are from Mars, Women are from Venus from Amazon, Kindle MatchBook now makes it possible for that purchase-18 years later-to be added to your Kindle library at a very low cost," Grandinetti said.

The 7.3-ounce tablet offers SmartLookup, which allows readers to look up definitions quickly. Its X-Ray function provides users with the option to dig deeper into the book they are reading, but allowing them to explore the history of characters and the significance of ideas in the book. Not only is the reader more technologically advanced than its predecessors, its has an improved screen that makes reading easier on the eyes. The reader is currently available for pre-order and is expected to be shipped out Sept. 30.