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Barnes & Noble's Q2 earnings reveal Nook to be a $220 million business, Nook Tablet said to be fastest-selling yet
Barnes & Noble's second quarter earnings weren't all good news for the company -- it reported a net loss of $6.6 million and an ever-so-slight dip in total sales from $1.90 billion to $1.89 billion -- but it did have a fair bit to boast about on the technology side of things. Sales on its B&N.com website increased 17 percent year-over-year, totaling $206 million for the quarter, and the value of the company's Nook business (including devices and content) now stands at $220 million, up a full 85 percent. The company also revealed that its new Nook Tablet has been the fastest-selling Nook device to date, although it's not providing any specific sales numbers, noting only that it expects to sell "millions of devices" during its third quarter. Additional figures can be found at the source link below.
Nook Newsstand getting Condé Nast publications (except Vogue)
After all of our tablet stories, the first question people ask is "But will it run Vogue?" Fortunately for all of you who are desperate to strike a pose and let your bodies move to the music, it won't be long now. Condé Nast is bringing 17 of 18 titles to Nook Tablet, the only omission being Vogue; which is coming in early 2012. Until then, you'll be able to enjoy the rest of the publisher's stable including Glamour, GQ, Teen Vogue and The New Yorker from the end of November. You can purchase individual issues or an annual subscription, print subscribers will get the digital edition free of charge and anyone who does pay will get a fortnight's trial. The only downside to the trial is that it's significantly shorter than the three months offered by the same publisher on the Kindle Fire. There's plenty more details after the break, where we've got a press release all waiting for a closeup.
Nook Tablet comes off the shelves one day early for one lucky customer
Now, we can't promise you'll have the same luck as our fortunate tipster if you wander out to your local Barnes & Noble, but it does seem that at least one location is handing over Nook Tablets a little bit early. Not to be outdone by its bitter rival, the Kindle Fire, the slate with the brick-and-mortar bookstore roots also started moving 24-hours ahead of its scheduled November 16th release -- though, in slightly less official fashion than Amazon's device. If the image of the unboxed slab above isn't enough to convince you, check out the bonus receipt pic after the break.
Barnes and Noble tosses gloves aside, speaks its mind on Microsoft's Android licensing initiative
It looks like Barnes & Noble is mad as hell and just isn't gonna take it anymore. In a strongly worded letter to the Department of Justice, it's called Microsoft out as a "Patent Troll" and "Bully." When Redmond rolled up with its usual ultimatum: license our Android patents or we'll sue you, B&N demanded to know which patents the Nook was meant to infringe -- many of them trivial. The software giant demanded that as well as licensing fees, it would have veto power on design features and hardware requirements for future devices, which prompted the bookseller to contact the DoJ. Whilst you should take everything with a pinch of salt (and realize that both companies could be rattling the sabers), it's worth remembering that companies won't start calling in government agencies until no other viable options exist, which means this saga could be running for months, if not centuries. Head on down to our source link for all the gory details, replete with copies of the filings made.
IRL: The stuff Engadget editors are using... in real life
Hi, guys! Welcome to IRL, a brand new feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life. One of the reasons we started this column is that we don't necessarily stop evaluating products once we slap on a numbered rating and publish some 3,000 words worth of impressions. This is a dilemma all gadget reviewers wrestle with, really. It's one thing to test a product for a week and report back on benchmark results and battery life, but it's another thing entirely to live with it. Sometimes, there are things we didn't get to test. And if you play with something long enough, the Honeymoon always comes to an end. No exceptions. We still see reviews as a snapshot in time -- our job, after all, is to size up the products folks might be thinking of buying today, and it's not fair to stay mum while we wait for companies to tweak products they had no business shipping half-baked in the first place. But we don't think the conversation should end with the review. You guys already get to sound off on the things you own in the "How would you change?" column. Consider this our turn.
Time Inc. aims to please advertisers and your eyes, making all mags tablet-friendly by year's end
Do you love reading Time magazine on your tablet, but wish you had the same luxury with all of its related offerings? Oh boy, do we have fantastic news for you. As it stands, select Time Inc. publications are supported on the iPad, Android Marketplace, TouchPad, and Next Issue Media's store, but now the company has announced plans to make all 21 of its mags available on tablets by the year's end. Furthermore, support for the Nook Color will be added by the end of August with digital versions of Time, Sports Illustrated, People, and Fortune. Current subscribers to the print editions won't be left out either when it all rolls out, as they'll be able to opt-in for free upgrades with digital access. The decision is apparently tied to increasing "digital reach" for advertisers, but hey, ad-support isn't totally lame. Right? Full PR just past the break.
PSA: Got a Nook Color? Then you can get dual-booting Nook2Android
Here comes a public service announcement: Eat slower and you'll feel fuller. Oh sorry, wrong one. We meant: Nook Color owners, you can now dual-boot your slate using the specially-created Nook2Android SD card. The card makes installing Android 2.3 a snap and it's now shipping with a dual-boot file courtesy of XDA developers, which means you can choose to boot into the original Nook OS without having to remove the card. You're looking at $35 for an 8GB card, rising to $90 for 32GB. Alternatively, if you're happy to get a bit of oil on your hands, you can try the manual approach. Mmmm, Gingerbread, chew every mouthful.
Web browser found hiding in latest Nook, no root required (video)
We're expecting to see plenty of new features crop up for folks that have rooted their new Nook WiFi, but it looks like those not willing to go that far can still expand their options a little bit. As it happens, the new Nook has an experimental web browser of its own, which you can access simply by typing a URL into the search bar. Of course, Barnes & Noble has likely kept this feature under wraps for a reason, as actually browsing the web using it seems to be somewhat hit and miss -- see for yourself in the video after the break courtesy of The eBook Reader.
Barnes & Noble clarifies battery life on new Nook, calls out Kindle
Wondering which electronic reader reigns supreme when it comes to extreme battery life? If you ask Amazon, it's the Kindle, but Barnes & Noble begs to differ -- and it has some numbers to back that up. Earlier today we received a statement from the company explaining just how thrifty the new Nook is when it comes to sipping from cells. With WiFi disabled on both devices, B&N says it managed 150 hours on the new Nook when turning a page every minute. The current-gen Kindle, meanwhile, petered out after 56. That's almost three times as long and maybe, just maybe, enough to finally get you through Anna Karenina on one charge -- or at least through the Cliffs Notes version. More details on the testing overview below, which we promise can be rather more rapidly ingested.
Barnes & Noble announces new touch-enabled Nook for $139 (video)
Not to be outdone by Kobo, which just unleashed its latest E Ink reader yesterday, the folks at Barnes & Noble are back with the latest update to their line of Nook devices. The "all new" Nook has the same Zeforce infrared touch layer as the aforementioned Kobo, and lasts up to two months on a single charge. The Pearl E Ink screen boasts "80-percent less flashing" during page turns, something that many fans of the devices have resigned themselves to having their eyes assaulted by. B&N is also quite proud of its streamlined interface which it brags has 37 less buttons than the Kindle 3. Around the back is a soft-touch rubber surface that should feel great in the hand while reading, though, we'll have to wait to manhandle one ourselves to be sure. The new Nook has a redesigned home screen with your current reading list and suggested titles. It also adds a few new features like FastPage Zoom forward, which lets you jump to any page in a title, and (finally) displays the number of pages left to go. Inside is Android 2.1, 2GB of storage, which can be expanded using the microSD slot, and a WiFi radio -- but sadly no 3G. You'll also be able to share quotes, lend books, and update your status on social networks using Nook Friends, which debuted last year with the Nook Color. You can pre-order online and in stores now and the updated Nook should start shipping to customers June 10th. You'll also be able to pick one up at BestBuy, Walmart, Books-A-Million, and Staples for $139 at the same time. Update: We just got a brief hands-on with B&N's svelte new Nook, and it's a sexy piece of hardware. It's incredibly light and thin (quite a bit thinner than its predecessor) and the rubbery back feels pleasant in the hand. We were only able to poke around the software for a short while, but it's certainly more responsive than the original Nook (as you'll see in the video below). While there is less screen flashing during refreshes there is still some, and it actually might be more jarring now that you're not seeing it every page turn. %Gallery-124306% %Gallery-124313%
Stream Hulu on your Nook Color, ditch Fitzgerald for Family Guy
In case you need still more distraction from using your Nook Color to, you know, read, now you can have Hulu's extensive video library at your fingertips, thanks to a simple 19-step process. Replacing the standard Adobe Flash Player with a modified version seems to work for the Nook and some other devices; users at Android Central have reported success on the Epic 4G, Thunderbolt, and Droid Incredible. When you're ready to trade One Hundred Years of Solitude for 1000 Ways To Die or 16 and Pregnant, hit the source link for detailed instructions, and see the tutorial video after the break. [Thanks, Alex]
Barnes & Noble says Microsoft trying to make Android 'unusable and unattractive,' has a point
At last, Barnes and Noble is defending itself against the Microsoft lawsuit filed back in March claiming that B&N's Android-based "e-reader and tablet devices" are infringing upon Microsoft's IP. A portfolio strengthened significantly thanks to that little Nokia partnership. We're not going to pick apart B&N's response in detail. However, we'd like to focus on this little nugget of FUD asserted by Barnes and Noble's legal team: On information and belief, Microsoft intends to take and has taken definite steps towards making competing operating systems such as the Android Operating System unusable and unattractive to both consumers and device manufacturers through exorbitant license fees and absurd licensing restrictions that bear no relation to the scope and subject matter of its own patents. Grrrowel. But B&N does make a good point about Redmond's intentions. Microsoft has been repeating the mantra that Android is not free for awhile now. In fact, Steve Ballmer told CNN just last year that, "there's nothing free about android... there's an intellectual property royalty due on that whether [Google] happens to charge for that software or not." A tack Microsoft (and Apple) has been keen to pursue through litigation with Motorola and a licensing deal with HTC. And this is only the beginning. Android: free like a puppy. Relive Steve's immortal words in the video after the break.
B&N Nook Color update released, brings Froyo, apps, and Flash, we go hands-on (video)
We've been waiting for this day: our little reader would finally become a big boy tablet -- without having to resort to any sort of hackery. We knew it was coming and, as of now, owners of the Barnes & Noble Nook Color should be receiving notices that their devices are ready to drop those training wheels and run some proper apps. Flash web browsing, downloads, games, e-mail, it's all here. Click on through for our impressions and a video of the update in action. %Gallery-122195%
Barnes & Noble licenses Alex e-reader patents from Spring Design, settles dispute
You can now tack on one more footnote to the end of the Alex e-reader story -- Spring Design has finally settled its longstanding dispute with Barnes & Noble, and granted the company a "non-exclusive, paid-up royalty free license for the entire portfolio of Spring Design patents and patent applications." Terms of the settlement are otherwise confidential, with Barnes & Noble only saying that it is "pleased to add Spring Design's patents and patent applications as a complementary addition to our rapidly growing digital portfolio." Head on past the break for the short and sweet official press release.
Barnes & Noble says Nook owns one quarter of US e-book market, we don't doubt it
There are many players in the e-reader world, but few have managed to gain any sort of traction. Though it hasn't achieved Kindle levels of success Barnes & Noble is taking pride in saying that its Nook series of readers has conquered 25 percent of the US e-book market. The company doesn't cite any specific sales figures to back up that number, but we'll go with it. Sadly, though, there's another 25 percent number that is detailed and isn't nearly so positive: that's how much the company's profits dropped from this period last year. That was said to be due to heavy investments in the Nook but, despite that, B&N managed to post a $60.6 million profit -- certainly better than some of the competition.
Nook lineup sells millions, Barnes & Noble's best-selling product of all-time
You didn't think Barnes & Noble was just going to let Amazon rest on its "vague sales milestones" laurels, did you? The veteran bookseller just announced that the Nook lineup -- 3G, WiFi, and the new Nook Color combined -- has become "the company's biggest bestseller ever in its nearly 40-year history." That's bigger than Barnes & Noble's sales (note: not global sales) of DaVinci Code or any of the Harry Potter novels. Unfortunately, we can't say exactly just how many that is, as the press release only announces "millions" being sold. A B&N rep we spoke with told us they likely wouldn't specify any further, nor would there likely be a breakdown of sales by individual model. Other notable factoids include Nook Color's reign as the company's "number one selling gift of the holiday season" and nearly one million "Nook books" downloaded on Christmas Day. In fact, the company now sells more digital books than it does physical books over BN.com (i.e. not including books sold in brick-and-mortar stores). Wish we had some hard figures, but hey, if any company is going to mince words in a sales announcement, it might as well be a book company, right? Press release after the break.
Nook Color getting Android 2.2 and Market in January, current hacks could make it blow up? (update)
You had to know the hacking community was going to have a field day with the Nook Color -- a $249 Android Tablet hiding behind with a thin e-reader coating. Indeed it didn't take long to get rooted nor for Android 2.2 to get installed on there, but that particular hack comes with an interesting potential side-effect: small-scale thermonuclear explosions. Enabling FroYo requires disabling the device's battery monitoring process, the very one that would be responsible for shutting down the device before the cells start overheating and, ultimately, going critical. Yeah it's unlikely, but it could happen. Meanwhile, another hack has enabled the Android Market, but those instructions begin with a very daunting warning: "Very smart people have failed at this. If the following instructions confuse you, you might want to wait until an easier method has been developed." And, thankfully, there might be a much easier way coming, with Barnes & Noble reportedly telling Smartphone Mag that Android 2.2 will be officially coming to the Nook Color in January. Yes, Android 2.3 is what's happening, but this is still an exciting upgrade as it will finally also allow access to a traditional Android home screen and even enable the Android Market. Update: Okay, cancel that order for an asbestos carrying case. One of the developers of the Nook Color root wrote in to let us know that there is a secondary temperature monitor which should keep things below the ignition point. Hack away -- or just wait a month. Update 2: Barnes & Noble PR just got back to us to reiterate that Nook Color's own shop will begin adding apps in early 2011 and that there are currently no plans to enable Android Market. Move along, nothing to see here, folks. [Thanks, Ryan]
Nook Color gets an SDK, documentation aplenty
Barnes & Noble may still be calling it an e-reader first and foremost, but the Nook Color has now taken one more step into full-fledged tablet territory with the release of an official SDK add-on for the Android SDK. That comes complete with an Android Virtual Device emulator, Android Debug Bridge (or ADB) configuration settings, sample code and, of course, plenty of documentation to get you started. Of particular note, that finally includes a complete specifications list, which confirms once more that the device runs on an 800MHz TI OMAP 3621 processor, and is backed up by a POWERVR SGX530 GPU. Hit up the source link below for all the details. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Nook Color processor revealed: ARM Cortex A8-based TI OMAP3621
Barnes & Noble provided most of the specs for the Nook Color when it launched the device on Tuesday, but notably absent was any word on the processor that powers the e-reader. Thankfully, Texas Instruments has now come out confirmed that the Nook Color uses its ARM Cortex A8-based, 45nm OMAP3621 processor (still no word on the speed). What's more, the processor is actually part of TI's eBook Development Platform, which the Nook Color also relies on. That's particularly interesting considering that the processor and platform support a few features that the Nook Color does not, not the least of which is 3G connectivity. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean we'll see a future Nook Color that takes advantage of those features, but at least we know it's not too much of a stretch for Barnes & Noble to add them. Update: Texas Instruments pinged us to say the chip within the Nook Color hums along at 800MHz.
Live from Barnes & Noble's 'Very Special Event'
To think, it's been just over a year since Barnes and Noble's Nook was officially unveiled, a 6-inch e-reader with a secondary, Android-powered colored display for navigation. And here we are now, in attendance at a "very special event" from the bookseller's Union Square store in New York -- for what, we can only guess. Stay tuned, things could get very colorful.
