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Barnes & Noble ends its Nook partnership with Microsoft
For a long while, it looked as if Microsoft and Barnes & Noble would become more than just firm friends. The pair had been entangled in a similar partnership that the software giant had with Nokia, throwing $300 million to support the ailing bookseller. Back then, the idea was that B&N would create reading apps for Microsoft's devices while, presumably, Microsoft gained an ally that could stand up to Amazon in the e-book market. Since B&N is now planning to spin-off Nook Media, which uses Samsung hardware for its e-readers, there's little need for Microsoft's further involvement.
Barnes and Noble axes Nook PC, Mac apps, directs you to Nook for Web instead
Barnes and Noble has been quietly erasing all mentions of its Nook for PC and Mac, but now we have the first official confirmation that both are no more. An official statement, reported by The Digital Reader, says that the company is no longer supporting software for Windows 2000/XP/Vista or Mac OS X, and is directing users to switch to Nook for Web in its place. That, or you could always help prop up the company's brick-and-mortar operations by purchasing some of these.
TechCrunch: Microsoft offering $1 billion to buy Nook Media
Microsoft has put forward an offer to buy complete control of Nook Media LLC, according to internal documents seen by TechCrunch. Redmond's joint venture with Barnes & Noble was set up last year to handle the Nook e-reader, tablet and college bookstore business. If the documents are accurate, Microsoft will dump the academic retail chain while retaining the digital arm of the partnership for $1 billion. The evidence also suggests that Nook Media will axe its Android tablets by the end of the 2014 financial year, concentrating instead on pushing the Nook store onto third-party devices including Windows 8 and/or Surface hardware. Simple Touch owners shouldn't be too worried, however, as the leaked documents state that Nook Media's e-reader division won't be killed off, as the technology is facing its own "natural decline." We've reached out to Barnes & Noble for something more official, and we're waiting to hear back.
Barnes & Noble founder pondering bid to buy back retail business, hive off Nook Media
Just 12 hours after (already denied) rumors circulated that Barnes & Noble may ditch its Nook business, the company has had to make an announcement concerning its retail division. Thanks to SEC regulations, the company has had to 'fess up that majority shareholder and "founder*" Leonard Riggio is pondering buying the brick-and-mortar retail business -- presumably hiving off the Nook brand as a separate entity. Of course, this could easily just be the rattling of sabers by a disgruntled founder (and not for the first time of late), or we might see the bookseller cleft in two parts in the near future. Either way, we'll be watching with great interest. * He founded the book chain that would buy the Barnes & Noble name.
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.
See the full Star Trek Online Federation player ship list
The final list of player-flyable Federation ships has been revealed on the official Star Trek Online website and it's quite lengthy. Several of the new ships are based on one seen in the movies or TV series, including their names. For instance, the Sovereign class -- best known as the Enterprise-E or "That ship in the later Star Trek movies" to everyone else -- is only available to Admirals and has two kingly-named variants known as the Noble and Majestic.With the entire list of flyable Federation ships known, it's safe to say we'll start hearing more about Klingon ships sometime soon. And with a substantially smaller list of established Klingon ships to pull from the movies and series, we're looking forward to see what Cryptic has up their sleeves.
WoW Patch 3.1 PTR: New Noble Garden Achievements
More patch 3.1 information, this time the Noble Garden achievement revamp. Noble Garden is an Easter like celebration, complete with eggs and all other sorts of festivities. The event has been rather mundane in the past, especially compared to some other events like the fire festival or Halloween, but that appears to no longer be the case.You might be wondering why the Playboy Bunny is displayed as this article's image.Well, one of the achievements for the Noble Garden is to "Use Spring Flowers to place rabbit ears upon females of at least 18th level." And that to me just screams getting the title "Hefner," and I mean, Kendra was 18. So it's all good.The list of Noble Garden achievements after the break.
Noble Pink releases, retailers rejoice
No, they are not rejoicing because they enjoy having crazy-long lines of consumers standing about in their store, waiting with quiet desire to get their hands on the newest edition of the DS Lite. They rejoice because those puppies sell out with the quickness and the latest release, the Noble Pink DS Lite, was no exception.The link over to Famitsu's coverage of the release in Japan show consumers of all ages toughing it out in line, no doubt their feet hating them for the long bout of standing. The ends justify the means, however, as several of those with a vendetta against their ten-toed appendages posed for the camera with pink DS in hand, showing the unbridled joy that usually comes on the morning of December 25th, for some of us.
