Possible pictures of the second generation of Amazon's electronic-paper based ebook reader, the Kindle, appeared on the Boy Genius Report yesterday. There are no confirmations that this is actually the Amazon Kindle 2 and no official announcements from Amazon yet, but BGR has a convincing photogallery to support the claim. Reported improvements over the original Amazon Kindle include charging via a USB-mini cable rather than by a proprietary cable, better button placement to prevent accidental pageturns, a less-awkward overall shape for better handling, and an included new leather pouch case. According to BGR, the Amazon Kindle 2 no longer has an SD-card expansion slot, but it would appear to have more internal storage, as the device in the pictures displays 1403MBs free. If these pictures are genuine, the Kindle 2 will also come with a new metal back.

[Via Boy Genius Report; Image courtesy of Boy Genius Report]