Kobo held a press event today entitled “Beyond the Book.”  in which it announced three new variations of its popular Kobo Arc tablet and a new version of its eInk Kobo Aura.  I hadn’t been expecting a refresh at this point as both their eInk readers (the Aura) and their tablet offerings (the Arc) were refreshed earlier this year.

For me, the Kobo Aura seems very interesting.  It retains the HD pixel density of the 6.7 inch Kobo Aura HD released earlier this year but reverts to the traditional 6 inch screen.  It is priced at $150 as opposed to the original’s $169.  I have placed my order – it took a while as the devices are newly up for preorder.  The Aura will be delivered on the 11th of September.

In addition to SD and HD 7 inch Kobo Arcs, the company is now offering a 10 inch tablet.  The specs are higher on the new version.  Check out http://goodereader.com/blog/ for full details.  Personally, I won’t check out the tablet – I adore my Kindle Fire HD and see no need for another.

Additionally, the company is also launching value added content with Beyond the Book, which will include links in the books to further material of interest.  I’m not certain how I feel about that.  When I’m reading, I like to get immersed in the story and I would find such links distracting.  On the other hand, it could be very interesting.

The company announced also that it is adding magazines and a special children’s bookstore to its service.

I will of course keep you updated with reviews.