Barnes & Noble on Tuesday announced that its new Nook Simple Touch eBook reader will begin shipping ahead of schedule over the next week. The bookseller unveiled its new Nook eReader earlier this month, and the response has been positive thus far. BGR reviewed the original Nook Simple Touch and found it to be a terrific device, though Amazon’s Kindle ecosystem posed the eReader’s biggest hurdle. The new Simple Touch model is very similar to the earlier version, however it includes a new “GlowLight” display that allows users to read in the dark without sacrificing the clarity and look of the E Ink display. Strong demand for the new Nook will result in a limited supply, but Barnes & Noble said that pre-orders placed on its website will ship in time for Mother’s Day. Amazon is reportedly preparing to launch its own front-lit eReader in the coming months, as well as a new model with a color E Ink display. Barnes & Noble’s full press release follows below.

Barnes & Noble Now Shipping
NOOK Simple Touch^™ with GlowLight^™ Ahead of Schedule

Pre-Orders Shipping Over the Next Week Due to Strong Demand, Limited Quantities will be Available through Mother’s Day Customers Encouraged to Pre-Order Hot-Selling New NOOK at www.nook.com and in Stores to Ensure Delivery for Mother’s Day

New York, New York – April 24, 2012 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, announced today that it began shipping the highly anticipated NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight ahead of schedule to customers who pre-ordered the device. NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight is the world’s first E Ink^® Reader with patent-pending lighting technology that eliminates the number-one problem couples have in bed – having their sleep interrupted, or being prevented from falling asleep, when their partner reads with the light on. Due to very strong pre-order demand, the company recommends that customers who wish to gift the device for Mother’s Day pre-order now, as orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“Our new, patent-pending GlowLight technology coupled with the most advanced E Ink display available make this product the most versatile, high-utility Reader ever and the only device of its kind,” said William Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble. “It’s like having two Readers in one, with our breakthrough GlowLight technology making the device as exceptional for reading in the darkest bedroom as on the brightest beach, and all at the amazing value of just $139.”

Said Lynch, “We thank our millions of NOOK customers and are pleased to deliver NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight earlier than committed to those who pre-ordered our newest NOOK. For those who would like to give NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight as a gift for Mother’s Day, we strongly recommend pre-ordering the device now in stores or online as we will have very limited quantities based on the larger-than-expected order volume we’ve received so far.”

NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight, introduced by Barnes & Noble less than two weeks ago, is the first and only Reader designed to let E Ink customers read in the dark and at the beach. With a soft, adjustable glow, GlowLight gives bedtime readers just the right amount of light for reading, without disturbing a sleepy spouse. The first and only Reader designed to let E Ink customers read in the dark is equally amazing at the beach, with a paper-like reading experience, even in the bright sun.

Like having two Readers in one, this revolutionary device is the first to combine the most advanced and fastest E Ink display with a precise infrared touchscreen, built-in anti-glare screen for reading in any lit environment, and an evenly distributed and adjustable light for reading in the dark. It is also the lightest NOOK ever, with a long-lasting battery for over one month of reading on a single charge, with the light on.

Beginning this week, customers visiting any of Barnes & Noble’s nearly 700 stores will be able to try NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight demonstration units. Barnes & Noble NOOKsellers™ will be on hand to demonstrate and answer questions about the newest member of the award-winning NOOK^® portfolio, as well as set up devices and take pre-orders. Pre-orders will ship throughout the month and limited quantities of the device are expected to be available for sale in stores in early May.

Customers should visit www.NOOK.com or visit the NOOK Digital Shops^™ and displays in one of Barnes & Noble’s nearly 700 bookstores for more information, or to order NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight.

Barnes & Noble may be looking to beat Amazon to the market with an eReader that includes a front-lit E Ink display. The Digital Reader on Wednesday posted an image of a purported advertisement for an unannounced Nook Simple Touch that features screen technology Barnes & Noble highlighted as “GlowLight.” The new Nook is said to have a lighting mechanism embedded over its E Ink screen that will evenly distribute light across the display surface. Further details regarding price or a release date are unavailable, however The Digital Reader suggest a Thursday, April 12th launch is possible. The full Nook Simple Touch advertisement seen below.

Read

Amazon is reportedly preparing to launch a new 6-inch color E Ink eReader as soon as next month, followed by a 10-inch Kindle Fire tablet some time in the second quarter this year. E Ink Holdings has received initial orders for Amazon’s a 6-inch color eReader according to DigiTimes, a device that would be Amazon’s first eBook reader to feature a color E Ink display. The retail giant is reportedly looking to have more than 3 million color eReaders built each month, and shipments are scheduled to begin in March. In a separate report, DigiTimes reaffirms recent rumors that a 10-inch Kindle Fire will begin shipping in the second quarter this year. The report states that Foxconn has been awarded the manufacturing contract for Amazon’s 10-inch Fire while Wintron will begin ODM production of a Nook Tablet for Barnes & Noble around the same time. It is unclear if the Barnes & Noble tablet mentioned in the report is a new model or the current tablet.

Read [color eReader] Read [10-inch Kindle Fire]

E Ink, the popular company that provides paper-look gray-scale displays for eReaders, reported consolidated revenues of $48.02 million in January, down 63.6% from the same month last year and 11% sequentially. The growing popularity of media tablets with full-color displays likely played a big role in the decline — sales of Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet are thought to be eating into the companies’ respective dedicated eReader businesses to an extent. Even though E Ink’s revenue took a nose dive in January, the company said that it expects to post revenues of $1.35 billion this year, up 5% from 2011.

Read

Strong demand for Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablet and the continued popularity of Kindle eReaders lead to the retail giant’s best-ever Black Friday for the Kindle family of products. Amazon on Monday announced that sales of Kindle devices on Black Friday quadrupled last year’s sales, setting a new record. The company neglected to report sales figures, however it did say it sold millions of new Kindle eReaders and Kindle Fire tablets combined before the Black Friday shopping weekend began. ”Even before the busy holiday shopping weekend, we’d already sold millions of the new Kindle family and Kindle Fire was the bestselling product across all of Amazon.com,” said Amazon VP Dave Limp in a statement. “Black Friday was the best ever for the Kindle family – customers purchased 4X as many Kindle devices as they did last Black Friday – and last year was a great year. In addition, we’re seeing a lot of customers buying multiple Kindles – one for themselves and others as gifts – we expect this trend to continue on Cyber Monday and through the holiday shopping season.” Amazon also noted that the Kindle Fire tablet, which BGR reviewed earlier this month, has now been Amazon’s best-selling product for eight weeks running. The company’s full press release follows below.

Best Black Friday Ever for Kindle Family: Kindle Sales Increase 4X Over Last Year

Holiday shoppers made Kindle Fire the bestselling product across all of Amazon.com on Black Friday

Kindle Fire now the bestselling product across Amazon for 8 weeks running – ever since its introduction on September 28

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–(NASDAQ: AMZN) Amazon.com, Inc. today announced that this Black Friday was the best ever for the Kindle family and the popular Kindle Fire remained the bestselling product across all of Amazon since its introduction 8 weeks ago. The bestselling Kindle family – the $79 Kindle, $99 Kindle Touch, $149 Kindle Touch 3G and the $199 Kindle Fire – are available now at www.amazon.com/kindle and at over 16,000 retail locations throughout the United States.

“This was a great Black Friday for Target and for Kindle Fire, which was the bestselling tablet in our stores on Black Friday,” said Nik Nayar, vice president merchandising, Target. “We’re excited so many guests chose Target as their destination for the new family of Kindle devices and we’re sure Kindle Fire will continue to be at the top of wish lists this holiday season.”“Even before the busy holiday shopping weekend, we’d already sold millions of the new Kindle family and Kindle Fire was the bestselling product across all of Amazon.com. Black Friday was the best ever for the Kindle family – customers purchased 4X as many Kindle devices as they did last Black Friday – and last year was a great year,” said Dave Limp, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “In addition, we’re seeing a lot of customers buying multiple Kindles – one for themselves and others as gifts – we expect this trend to continue on Cyber Monday and through the holiday shopping season.”

“We knew Kindle Fire and the new E Ink Kindles would be highly desirable gifts this holiday season,” said Wendy Fritz, senior vice president of Computing, Tablets and e-Readers at Best Buy. “If this Black Friday was any indication, they are only getting hotter as we get into the shopping season.”

Kindle Fire is the bestselling item on Amazon.com and offers more than 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, magazines, apps and games – such as Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and Angry Birds – as well as free storage of Amazon digital content in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync for books and movies, a 14.6 ounce design that’s easy to hold with one hand, a vibrant, color touch screen, a powerful dual-core processor and Amazon Silk – Amazon’s new revolutionary web browser that accelerates the power of the mobile device by using the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services cloud – all for only $199.

The $79 latest generation Kindle is for readers around the world who want the lightest, most compact Kindle at an incredible price. Kindle is now small and light enough – at less than 6 ounces – to fit easily in your pocket and carry with you everywhere, yet it still features the same 6-inch, most advanced electronic ink display that reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight.

Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G feature an easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop, and take notes – still with all the benefits of the most advanced electronic ink display. Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G are also lighter, smaller, offer audio capabilities, such as text-to-speech and deep integration for audiobooks, extra-long battery life and hold thousands of books. Kindle Touch 3G offers the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G. Kindle’s free 3G connection means you never have to hunt for or pay for a Wi-Fi hotspot – you simply download and read books anytime, anywhere in over 100 countries around the world. Amazon pays for the 3G connection so there’s no monthly fee or annual contract. Both Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G include X-ray – a new feature invented by Amazon that lets customers explore the “bones of the book.”

With an Amazon Prime membership, all of the new Kindles offer access to the new Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Kindle owners can now choose from thousands of books to borrow for free – including over 100 current and former New York Times Bestsellers – as frequently as a book a month, with no due dates. No other e-reader or e-bookstore offers such a service.

Customers can order the new Kindle family today: the $79 Kindle at www.amazon.com/kindle, Kindle Touch for $99 at www.amazon.com/kindletouch, Kindle Touch 3G for $149 atwww.amazon.com/kindletouch3G and Kindle Fire for $199 at www.amazon.com/kindlefire.

The successor to the Barnes & Noble Nook Color will launch this month, DigiTimes reported on Friday. There is no mention if the Nook Color 2 will run Android, as the original did, although we hope Barnes & Noble considers using the more tablet-friendly Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) operating system this time around instead of a the Froyo build, which was designed for use on smartphones. Inventec and Pegatron will assemble the eReaders and supply as many as 2-3 million devices by the end of this year, the report says. TPK Holding will provide the 7-inch color touchscreen panels. DigiTimes also said that the Nook Color 2 E Ink will supply “e-paper backplanes,” which suggests there will be a new E Ink component to the Nook Color 2, although it is unclear what its role will be at this point. Barnes & Noble most recently released its “All New Nook,” a gray-scale device that we favored among all other eReaders. The Nook Color 2 could face stiff competition from Amazon’s new Android-powered tablet, which is also expected to launch this fall.

Read

Barnes & Noble took the wraps off of its latest eReader, the “All-New NOOK,” just last month. Its grayscale screen strays from the NOOK Color, and while the device still runs Android, it looks and feels much more like a traditional eReader. However, the new NOOK has a brand new E Ink Pearl display that not only works as a touchscreen, but refreshes less often than other eReaders and transitions faster. I’ve been using the new NOOK for the past week extensively, staying up late at night reading and pulling the NOOK out on the subway for quick page turns between stops. At $139, the NOOK is competitively priced with the Wi-Fi Kindle, but is it good enough to be your next (or first) eReader? My full review is after the break.

Hardware

Remember going to the library and picking up a thinner book and thinking to yourself at least this won’t be a pain to lug around? That’s the exact feeling I had the first time I picked up the new NOOK, and it’s the same feeling I get every time I pick it up. The NOOK Simple Touch eReader is 6% thinner than the original and 35% lighter. It measures 6.5in x 5.0in x 0.47in, which is about the size of a small paperback. Of course, the best part is that the NOOK can pack up to 1,000 books and magazines, and there’s even a microSD card slot for adding more storage. At 7.48oz, the NOOK is light, too, so it’s never noticeable inside a bag. In fact, during one dinner I pulled the NOOK out of my pocket and a friend remarked “Whoa, you can fit that in your jeans?” Yep.

The entire body around the device’s 6-inch display, which has a 50% greater contrast than the first edition NOOK, is a soft touch rubbery material. The NOOK feels very sturdy and I doubt you’d have much of an issue with cracking if it fell off of a coffee table. There’s a microUSB charging port on the top of the eReader, and there’s also a hatch on the right side for adding a microSD card.

There are four physical buttons surrounding the display that can be used to quickly navigate forwards or backwards through a book. I was a little confused by which button performed each function at first: when you turn the page on a book it doesn’t always reflect the actual print book page, so it can sometimes be difficult to tell if you’ve stepped forwards or backwards in the story. These buttons worked well and I adjusted to them after about five minutes of reading. You can also customize which button does what.

User Interface

The All-New NOOK’s user interface is exactly what I want out of an eReader. The main home screen shows a thumbnail your of latest book, magazine, or newspaper and how far into it you are; you can tap it to quickly resume reading the book where you left off. However, there’s also a list of new available reads to the right of that icon, and below both there’s a large area with suggestions on what to read next. These suggestions — large icons of the book covers themselves — are pulled in from what your Facebook, Twitter or Google friends are reading. If you have your Facebook, Google, or Twitter account setup on the NOOK, you can also quickly share the title you’re reading with your friends.

There’s an on-screen keyboard that pops up from the bottom of the screen whenever necessary. The keys are on the smaller side given the device’s compact design, but the keypad is actually pretty easy to use. You’re not going to be sending long emails from the NOOK, and it’s definitely sufficient for quick searches as is intended. At any time you can press the home button below the screen to navigate to the settings, back to the home screen, or change between seven text sizes or six font styles.

The all new NOOK is equipped with support for Wi-Fi networks, which means you’ll only be able to download books when there’s a Wi-Fi connection available. The 3G Kindle, by contrast, allows you to download books from anywhere. This was never an issue for me, since I am usually only reading a few books at a time, but it could become an issue if you forgot to buy the newspaper before hopping on the train. Wi-Fi was a breeze to setup, thankfully, and books downloaded in just a few seconds.

Reading Experience

I absolutely loved using the NOOK Simple Touch Reader for… reading. I stayed up more than a few nights reading a Jay McInerney novel I’d been meaning to read, and appreciated being able to quickly read an article in the latest edition of Foreign Affairs magazine on the subway.

The only reason I haven’t purchased an eReader for personal use yet is because I absolutely despise the refresh flicker that E Ink technology typically exhibits when you advance to the next page. The all new NOOK eliminates that almost entirely. Pages only refresh after the sixth page turn, so text appears to just quickly morph each time you want to advance further in a book. I’m in love with it.

The one issue with the refresh technology is that sometimes a page won’t fully refresh, and so there’s a little ghosting from the previous screen on the new one. This only happens when navigating around menus and the main home screen, however, so it didn’t interfere with my reading experience. It’s also easily resolved by moving to another menu option.

Unlike the Amazon Kindle, the new NOOK doesn’t offer a full-blown web browser. You can secretly access one by searching for a web address in the search box, but most sites don’t load properly. Perhaps this is a feature that Barnes & Noble will activate in a future update, but I wouldn’t rely on it.

Battery

I’m not sure that a battery life section is necessary here, because the NOOK’s battery life is insane. Barnes & Noble says it will last for two months with the Wi-Fi off, but I haven’t had the unit long enough to confirm it. The point is: you don’t need to worry about charging the all new NOOK. It uses a microUSB charger, too, so you can simply carry your cell phone’s charger around (unless you use an iPhone… or a Veer, or something) and use that whenever needed.

Conclusion

The choice between going with a Barnes & Noble eReader and an Amazon reader is a tough one. Amazon offers the new “Kindle with Special Offers” for $114, which is surely an attractive offer to some (in fact, it’s currently the best selling Kindle). The NOOK and Kindle also have different book stores, of course, so if you’re upgrading from a Kindle you won’t be able to take your old books with you — at least, not without a few workarounds.

But for me, it comes down to the overall reading experience, and Barnes & Noble has pushed the current eReader technology boundaries with the new NOOK. Its Pearl E Ink touchscreen display meant I didn’t have the extra bulk of a physical keyboard, and also that the pages refreshed less often — an annoyance that has delayed my personal entry into the eReader market. Most of my previous eBook purchases have been through my Amazon Kindle account — I read books on my phone, computer, and tablets pretty regularly — but the All-New NOOK has convinced me it’s time to make the switch.

On Wednesday Barnes & Noble announced that it is now shipping its brand new NOOK eReader to customers who pre-ordered the device, and that new customers will still get their devices by Father’s Day. The updated NOOK offers a 6-inch touchscreen display with new E Ink Pearl technology, access to 2 million books, and a single hardware button that should provide for a much more intuitive experience. We found the new E Ink display to be “leaps and bounds” better than the original during our hands-on with the eReader, so we’re definitely excited to see it make its debut this weekend. The NOOK will be in-stock at Barnes & Noble locations for $139.99. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Barnes & Noble Now Shipping The All-New NOOKTM,
The Simple Touch ReaderTM

Pre-Ordered Devices Arriving to Customers Ahead of Schedule, 
New Orders at www.nook.com Will Ship Immediately, in Time for Father’s Day
Experience the Easy-to-Use Touchscreen eReader for Everyone in Barnes & Noble Stores Beginning Tomorrow; In-stock This Weekend

New York, New York – June 1, 2011 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, announced that it began shipping its All-New NOOK yesterday, getting pre-ordered devices to customers well ahead of schedule. New online orders for The Simple Touch Reader are now shipping immediately for delivery in time for Father’s Day and summer reading. Customers visiting one of Barnes & Noble’s more than 700 stores will be able to try live NOOK demonstration units beginning Thursday, and will find product in-stock in stores beginning this weekend.
The All-New NOOK, introduced by Barnes & Noble just last week, is the easiest-to-use, most intuitive eReader available, with best-in-class battery performance of up to 2 months on a single charge. The device is ultra-light and portable and features a 6-inch full touchscreen with the most advanced E Ink Pearl display for crisp, clear reading even in bright sunlight. NOOK customers can access the world’s largest bookstore of more than 2 million books, magazines and newspapers, available via Wi-Fi®. The All-New NOOK is $139 in Barnes & Noble stores and online at www.nook.com.
“We’re excited with pre-order demand for the All-New NOOK to date and are very pleased to deliver this easy-to-use device to our customers earlier than committed,” said William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “We welcome customers to visit their neighborhood Barnes & Noble store to learn more about NOOK and experience our new light, portable, touch eReader.”

We just spent some time with Barnes & Noble’s just-announced eReader, the all-new NOOK, and we have to say… we’re impressed. From the size, to the design, to the gorgeous new E Ink Pearl display, this device is leaps and bounds better than the previous-generation NOOK. What’s more, we think it will definitely push Barnes & Noble even further in the growing eReader space, and it should have the team over at Amazon working overtime on its next Kindle design. The exterior of all-new NOOK is composed entirely of soft-touch rubber that feels amazing compared to the hard plastic found on other readers. The new E Ink display is fantastic, and we definitely appreciated the work Barnes & Noble put into improving the seizure-inducing page transitions that plague all eReaders. They’re still there, but they’re much improved compared to older readers. The addition of a 6-inch touchscreen makes interacting with the device much more enjoyable than non-touch eBook readers, and it also helps make the size of the device perfect for carrying in a small bag or even a coat pocket. Barnes & Noble’s is taking pre-orders for its all-new NOOK starting now, and the device will begin shipping on or around June 10th for $139. In the meantime, definitely check out our hands-on gallery below!

Barnes & Noble on Tuesday unveiled its all new NOOK eBook reader, and to say it’s an improvement over the previous-generation model is an understatement. This new version replaces the older greyscale model, not the still-young NOOK color, and it features a major improvement we probably all saw coming… a touchscreen. The eReader sports an on-screen keyboard and it also allows readers to look up words or take notes with simple taps on the beautiful E Ink display. The new NOOK features just one button compared to the Kindle’s 38, which obviously simplifies the user experience significantly. More importantly, the new NOOK can last up to two months on a single charge — double the battery life of Amazon’s Kindle. Other nifty features include a new proprietary dissolve transition that takes readers from one page to the next, and social media integration that allows users to share recommendations via Twitter, Facebook and more. Of course the new eReader also features Wi-Fi connectivity and owners can enjoy free hotspot access at all Barnes & Noble stores as well as every AT&T hotspot across the country. The new NOOK will retail for $139.99 when it becomes available on June 10th from Barnes & Noble, Best Buy and more. Pre-orders are available immediately.

While Microsoft is busy showing off the latest and greatest its Windows Phone platform has to offer, Barnes & Noble is across town getting ready to take the wraps off its brand new NOOK eReader. Tablets like the Apple iPad 2 and BlackBerry PlayBook are taking center stage right now, but these jacks of all trades have a long way to go before they can even come close to matching the reading experience afforded by dedicated eReaders. Avid readers and casual readers alike can appreciate the remarkable battery life and unique features that only a dedicated eBook reader can afford, and good luck trying to soak up the sun while reading a book on your iPad — right now, only an E Ink display can remain perfectly visible and glare-free while combating the sun’s rays. So what new features does Barnes and Noble have in store for its latest NOOK eReader? Hit the break for our live coverage of the unveiling, which will begin just before 10:00 a.m. EST, and don’t forget to refresh the page often for all the latest updates!

9:43AM:All right — everything looks like it'll kick off on schedule at 10:00 a.m. We're inside and sitting while the rest of press/bloggers start funneling in.

9:51AM:In case you're still not convinced that a new NOOK will be unveiled today, I think the t-shirts might be a pretty good sign that the rumors were right.

9:57AM:The room is getting pretty full now, as is the Wi-Fi, so we should be getting things started any minute now.

9:59AM:Switched over to our Verizon 4G LTE MiFi. The rest of these suckers can have fun on Wi-Fi.

10:00AM:Ok, they just announced that we're about to get this party started.

10:02AM:Two minute warning has been issued.

10:04AM:Barnes and Noble CEO William Lynch just took the stage.

10:05AM:B&N now owns over 25% in the eBook market — and it's still the leader in the physical book market with 17%

10:06AM:B&N is the leader in the Android tablet market here in the U.S., Lynch claims.

10:08AM:Lynch is talking about B&N's successes with NOOK apps. The company has millions of users and its app platform has seen great success thus far.

10:09AM:Lynch is also stressing B&N's stellar customer service, which is definitely a huge advantage over the competition.

10:10AM:B&N is the clear leader on the product side as well, Lynch claims. The NOOK was the first eReader to support lending, for example, and B&N is the only company that lets users read full books for free while in a book store.

10:11AM:NOOK Newsstand features 160 top publications, and the company has surpassed 1.5 million single copies sold — more than Apple or any other digital newsstand.

10:12AM:NOOK Color has been a home run, but there are still customers looking for a pure reading experience. I think we all know where this is going...

10:14AM:The all-new NOOK!

10:14AM:They're playing a video now — man, this little guy is sleek.

10:15AM:The all-new NOOK is the easiest eReader on the market to use. If features a 6-inch touchscreen display and it weighs just 7.5 ounces.

10:15AM:Battery life? How about up to 2 months on a single charge. Damn!

10:16AM:The display is an E Ink pearl display that eliminates the weird eReader page turns and replaces it with a proprietary transition.

10:17AM:The new NOOK will cost just $139 when it launches later this summer.

10:17AM:It sports just one button — 37 fewer than the Kindle, Lynch joked.

10:17AM:He's stressing the simplicity of the interface, and it definitely looks easy to use.

10:19AM:This thing makes the Kindle looks like a beast — and it has the same-sized screen.

10:21AM:B&N's President of Digital Products is on stage now to go over the NOOK's features.

10:21AM:The new NOOK has 80% less flashing during page turns than the Kindle. That might sound insignificant, but any eReader user will tell you how annoying the seizure-inducing page turn flashing can be.

10:22AM:The NOOK can hold 1,000 books with 2GB of internal storage, but is also supports SD cards for another 32GB of storage.

10:24AM:The touchscreen really enhances the experience. It makes looking up words in the integrated dictionary or making notes a breeze.

10:26AM:Of course the NOOK aslo features built-in Wi-Fi and B&N's great digital book store for buying new books right on the device. Wi-Fi is free in Barnes and Noble locations and any AT&T hotspot.

10:26AM:The new NOOK features "NOOK Friends," a book recommendation-based social network. Users can also share recommendations via Facebook or Twitter right from the device.

10:27AM:mynook.com will launch next month, as well, giving users another way to browse and buy books.

10:27AM:The new NOOK is "the simplest eReader ever created."

10:28AM:William Lynch is coming back on stage now to wrap things up.

10:29AM:"It's the best dedicated eReader on the market," Lynch said. The new NOOK is available for pre-order immediately for $139, and it will begin shipping on or around June 10th.

10:29AM:That's it folks! Time for some hand-on with the new NOOK.

Kobo on Monday took the wraps off its latest eBook reader, which touts one feature in particular that should be of interest to future eReader buyers: touch. The unveiling comes just one day ahead of Barnes & Nobles’s press event in New York City — which we’ll be covering live — where the company is expected to introduce its new black and white NOOK. The Kobo eReader Touch Edition, also a black and white reader, features a 6-inch “Real Touch” E Ink touchscreen display with 16 shades of grey, Wi-Fi connectivity and a library of over 2.3 million books, newspapers and magazines, including over a million free titles. Kobo’s new eReader can store up to 1,000 books locally and another 30,000 on a removable SD card, and it weighs in at a feather-light 200 grams. The Kobo eReader Touch Edition is available for pre-order immediately from Best Buy, Walmart, Borders and Indigo for $129.99, and it will begin shipping in July. Kobo’s previous-generation reader has dropped to $99.99 as of Monday. Hit the break for Kobo’s full press release and a video.

KOBO LAUNCHES THE ALL-NEW KOBO eREADER™ TOUCH EDITION,

MAKES eREADING EASIER THAN EVER
Introduces an Amazing New Real Touch™ Experience
Beautiful New Design That Travels Easily Anywhere
The Ultimate in Reading Comfort
Access to Millions of Titles with Wi Fi
Plus, Reading Life Social Experience
First International eReader – Available in 6 Languages
Available for Pre-Order Today, In Stores for Father’s Day, Summer Vacation Reading

BOOK EXPO AMERICA, NEW YORK – May 23, 2011 – Kobo, a global leader in eReading with more than 3.6 million users in over 100 countries worldwide, today announced the launch of the all-new Kobo eReader Touch Edition.  With a revolutionary new touch screen experience, Kobo makes eReading easier than ever and makes it even more accessible to people around the world.  Created for readers by readers, the beautiful new design provides the ultimate in reading comfort and is the most portable eReader – thin and light, it travels easily anywhere.  The new device also includes Reading Life, Kobo’s social experience, that lets users earn awards just for reading.

Starting today, the new Kobo eReader Touch Edition will be available for pre-order at leading retailers across North America including Indigo (www.indigo.ca), Best Buy (www.bestbuy.ca), Walmart (www.walmart.ca) and Borders (www.borders.com) for an MSRP of $129.99 USD and $139 CAD.  The new eReader will ship in early June, in time for Father’s Day and graduation gifting, and includes a $10 Gift Card*.  The new Kobo eReader Touch comes in an array of new colors and debuts with a line of stylish new accessories, making it the perfect gift.

As of today, the first generation Kobo Wi Fi goes to a new everyday low price of $99.99 USD and $109 CAD. Kobo pioneered the affordable eReader in May 2010, and now after record sales, the company is introducing its newest edition to deliver an experience that is easy and enjoyable for everyone, everywhere, now more portable and comfortable, and available in 6 languages – it’s truly the first International eReader.

Kobo’s Real Touch™ experience uses Neonode’s new zForce™ infrared touch technology to make reading on Kobo just like that of reading a real book.  With the latest Pearl E Ink™ technology, reading on the new Kobo eReader is just like reading print on paper – it’s easy on the eyes, even in bright sunlight.  The new eReader is powered by the new Freescale™ i.MX508 processor, a high-performance engine designed to enable fast page turning for electronic paper displays.   A reading lover’s dream, the new device boasts storage of up to 30,000 books with expandable memory.

“The new Kobo eReader is a major advance for readers.  We started with a simple, yet powerful idea – to bring eReading to more people in more places, and inspire people around the world to spend more time reading.  At a time when technology is disrupting all media, Kobo’s focus on the importance of reading has resulted in a revolutionary new experience for readers,” said Michael Serbinis, CEO, Kobo Inc.  “This is the first eReader you can put in your pocket, take with you anywhere and read for hours just like a real book, with ultimate comfort and no distraction.  The new Kobo eReader is designed for people who love to read.”

Named one of the powerhouses in eReading by Time.com¹ in 2011, Kobo has experienced explosive growth since its founding in December 2009, with a catalog of more than 2.3 million books, newspapers and magazines.  Purely focused on eReading, Kobo has driven many industry firsts such as support for Android, eBook gifting and its social experience – Reading Life. Kobo has customers in over 100 countries, local stores in English speaking countries and recently announced local stores in Germany, Spain, Italy, France and the Netherlands which will launch beginning this month.  Kobo has become the partner of choice for leading tablet OEM’s such as Samsung and RIM, and powers book retailers in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and the UK.

Visit the Kobo booth (#2102) at BookExpo America (May 24–26) in the Digital Zone, to learn about the new Kobo eReader Touch Edition.  Plus, visit Borders-Manhattan (Columbus Circle) on Tuesday, May 24 from 12 noon – 2pm to see a demonstration of the Kobo eReader Touch Edition. Customers who pre-order the Kobo eReader Touch will receive free priority shipping on their order. Readers can also purchase the Kobo Wireless eReader for the low price of $79.99 and receive a $10 Borders gift card with their purchase.  In addition, one customer will win a Kobo Wireless eReader during the demonstration event.

* While quantities last.

¹  Harry McCracken, ‘Your Best eReader May Be No eReader,’ Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011, Technologizer -Time.com

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Kobo eReader Touch Edition: Features Overview

AMAZING NEW REAL TOUCH™ EXPERIENCE – Now with new Infrared Touch Technology, eReading just got easier!  You can swipe to turn pages, just like a real book!  With our intuitive new Real Touch™ interface, you can highlight a phrase, lookup a word, zoom into an image, increase the font size, or quickly navigate through a book as well as your entire library.  Finding your next read is also quick and easy with a virtual keyboard.  We’ve taken the buttons out, so you can focus on reading.

·         New zForce™ Infrared touch technology – Uses Neonode’s patented touch-screen technology, zForce™, to deliver market-leading finger navigation including gestures, multi-touch, sweeps and much more

·         New Pearl 6”  E Ink Screen – Equipped with the newest E Ink Screen featuring 16 level grey scale, the Kobo eReader Touch is a highly responsive and intuitive experience designed to help you forget about the device and focus on reading

·         High Performance Engine – Powered by Freescale™ i.MX508 for ultra fast page turning and low power consumption

·         Tap or Swipe to Turn Pages – Easily read and turn pages by swiping or tapping the screen – it’s just like reading a real book

·         Beautiful Home Screen – A beautiful, geometric mosaic of your most recently opened and newly added reads lets you easily find and open what you’re looking for with just one touch

·         Long Press for Highlights and Look Up – Long press on a word to bring up the highlighting tool – save favorite passages or look up a word using the built-in Merriam-Webster Dictionary

·         New Search and Virtual Keyboard – The Kobo eReader Touch Edition virtual keyboard makes it easy to find the book you’re looking for. Plus, the new predictive search feature automatically offers suggestions that match your query – before you’re even done typing

·         New Browse Experience – Navigating the new Kobo eReader Touch Edition is an intuitive experience – use the book browser to easily navigate through an entire chapter in a book; use simple page controls to move quickly through your library of books

·         Customizable Fonts – 2 font styles and 12 font sizes allows you to enjoy a read that is suited to your preferences and easy on your eyes

·         Bookmark Where You Last Left Off – or book mark several places. Plus, read across devices and pick up from the last page read with Kobo’s synched bookmark technology

·         PDF Zoom and Landscape – Zoom in 200% on image-intensive PDFs with a simple double tap. Drag to pan around images or touch Rotate to change from portrait to landscape and back

BEAUTIFUL NEW DESIGN – With design partner IDEO, Kobo spent months listening to users to build a truly advanced reader that delivers a ‘true to life’ experience.  With the Kobo-signature soft quilted back and travel friendly size, the new Kobo eReader Touch offers the ultimate reading experience.

·         Iconic, Striking New Design – Now with latest 6” Pearl E Ink screen, Kobo’s latest edition introduces a contemporary design that puts the focus on reading

·         Single Home Button -With our new touch experience, we’ve eliminated the clutter so you can focus on reading.  The Kobo eReader Touch Edition has just one button, making navigation easy.  Books don’t have keyboards – neither should your eReader

·         The Ultimate in Reading Comfort – With our signature quilted soft-touch back, you can read for hours, plus the Kobo eReader Touch Edition is lightweight and thinner than most paperbacks

·         The Perfect Size for Readers – Fits in your pocket easily, so you can take it with you everywhere

·         Read in Style – Comes in an assortment of stylish new colors for any occasion. Choose from Lilac, Blue, Silver and Black

ACCESS MILLIONS of TITLES: Easily connect via Wi Fi or USB to access more than 2.3 million books, newspapers and magazines from the Kobo Store.  Also borrow and read books from your local library.

·         Get Free Book Previews – Comes pre-loaded with 15 hand-picked FREE previews of the hottest new books – browse and preview millions of other titles in the Kobo store

·         One of the Largest Stores Worldwide – More than 2.3 million eBooks, with titles ranging from the New York Times’ bestseller list, the hottest new releases, thrillers, romance, Oprah’s Picks and more – there is an eBook for everyone

·         Popular Newspapers and Magazines – Enjoy free 2-week trials of the most popular newspapers and magazines

·         Over 1 Million FREE Titles – Kobo offers over 1 million free and engaging classics from Anna Karenina, to Pride and Prejudice, to Dracula!

·         Visit Your Local Library – With the new Kobo eReader Touch you can easily borrow and read eBooks from your local public library

·         Supports the Most Content – In addition to reading eBooks from the Kobo bookstore, you can also read eBooks from other eBook stores that use the ePub format – plus read PDF documents, and books

·         Buy and Download in Minutes – With just a few quick taps, you can browse, buy and download eBooks to your Kobo eReader Touch over Wi Fi

·         Shop and Read on Any Device With Kobo: Visit kobo.com, use the Kobo Desktop or use an AndroidÔ phone, iPhoneÒ, iPadÒ, Blackberry® Smartphone or Blackberry® PlayBook to browse and shop the Kobo store.  Your library will always be kept up to date with Kobo Sync

EARN AWARDS JUST FOR READING:  Kobo extends Reading Life to the new Kobo eReader Touch Edition – Reading Life is the most comprehensive social eReading experience and an industry-first social platform.

·         Discover Your Reading Style – Gain insight into your unique eReading fingerprint with Reading Life Stats – you can track the minutes per reading session of your current read, the number of pages you’ve turned, plus see an overview of books completed in your library

·         Celebrate Reading with Awards – Earn fun and exciting awards!  Connect and share your Reading Life with friends on Facebook.  The Twain: read daily for 2 weeks; The Juggernaut: read over 10,000 pages; Kill the Commute:  read during your morning commute.  Coming soon – users can earn awards and rewards just for spending time reading!

·         Available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android in addition to the Kobo eReader Touch

Love Reading Life? You can sync with your Android-enabled phone, iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and experience your Reading Life across devices

THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL EREADER: To bring eReading to people around the world in their own language, the Kobo eReader Touch Edition will be available in multiple languages:  English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.  Readers will enjoy a localized user experience, local content, recommendations and a local store.

AVAILABILITY:

·         Available for pre-order starting today at leading retailers across North America including Indigo (www.indigo.ca), Best Buy (bestbuy.ca), Walmart (www.walmart.ca), and Borders (www.borders.com) for MSRP of $129.99 USD and $139 CAD

·         Available for in-store purchase beginning early June

·         As of today, the first generation Kobo Wi Fi goes to a new everyday low price of $99.99 USD and $109 CAD while quantities last

·         The Kobo eReader Touch Edition will ship to retailers worldwide in July

For more information, visit www.kobo.com/ereaders.

Sprint was nice enough to shoot us over its brand new Sprint Novatel 3G/4G MiFi, and while we saw it at CES, there’s just nothing like getting one in your hands (or paws) and taking it for a spin. We’re huge fans of Novatel Wireless, and we definitely prefer its MiFi products to USB data sticks or tethering our phones when we need mobile internet — so we’re extremely glad the company introduced a 4G WiMAX version of its popular MiFi device. Our quick impressions: it’s a tad thicker than the original MiFi, though it makes up for that by not only offering 4G speeds, but also by running a stripped down version of Linux that includes a splashy dashboard to monitor signal strength, GPS status, and network connectivity status in real-time. Additionally, we’re absolutely loving the eReader-like display on the MiFi that shows signal, GPS, and connectivity status. It’s extremely valuable and something we’re not sure how we lived without before. As for performance, we’re getting pretty decent speeds at 5Mbps down and 950Kbps up in and around New York City. We haven’t been able to judge battery life in our usage just yet, but it seems to be at least as good as the original MiFI workhouse we use all the time. Make sure to check out the rest of our photos in our gallery!

Even though most schools are now shut down for summer, that doesn’t mean that companies have given up trying to selling products to students. Amazon today announced that it has refreshed its Kindle DX. Now featuring an even better 9.7″ E Ink display that boasts a 50% increase in contrast ratio, the next-gen Kindle DX also received a price drop and now stands at an attractive $379. The only other major difference is that the Kindle DX is now graphite as opposed to white. The Kindle DX is available now for pre-order and is set to ship on July 7th.

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Barnes & Nobile probably felt confident that its knocking $50 off the price of the Nook and introducing a Wi-Fi only model at $149.99 was really going to really stick it to the Kindle for at least a few days, but then BAM! Amazon responds in kind by slashing the price of the Kindle 2 by $70. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. Capitalism at its finest.

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