As Barnes & Noble tackles the emerging electronic book market, one of its major disadvantages has been that it doesn't have a dedicated reading device, a là Amazon's Kindle or the Sony readers. Barnes & Noble has tried to rectify that by teaming up with Plastic Logic, a Silicon Valley startup that is launching a much-anticipated e-reader in 2010. Now the bookseller is extending its reach further, linking up with a new electronic reader from Dutch company Irex Technologies.

Irex, a spinoff from Royal Philips Electronics, plans to sell its new consumer eReader in the U.S. starting later this year, though it hasn't announced the price yet. The device reportedly has a 8.1 inch touch-screen and wireless connectivity. Irex hasn't revealed its wireless partner, though companies like AT&T and Verizon Wireless have expressed interest in powering wireless downloads for devices (Kindle uses Sprint Nextel).

Will Barnes & Noble's latest device hookup help it compete with Amazon and its Kindle? If these other electronic readers manage to grab market share from Kindle, B&N's multi-device strategy could pay off down the road.

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