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Barnes & Noble launches the $179 Galaxy Tab 4 Nook
Barnes & Noble has officially kicked off a new era -- one in which it doesn't manufacture its own tablets. The struggling book outlet announced last summer that it would work with other manufacturers going forward and Samsung is first in line. The Galaxy Tab 4 Nook is the fruit of this partnership. It's a tablet built for reading first, as opposed to gaming or web browsing. While the device is undeniably Samsung, the software still retains some of that Barnes & Noble flair. Anyone who's used the previous Nook tablets will immediately recognize some of the features baked in here. The default homescreen has a widget showing recommended and recently read titles. Naturally, too, Barnes & Noble's Nook store is the primary content source, rather than the Play Store or Samsung Hub. But it's obvious that Sammy is in the driver's seat. Key features like multi-window mode are even included for some multi-tasking (say, if you want to tweet a quote from your favorite novel). B&N is pitching it as "the first full-featured Android tablet designed for reading." Then again, the company has said the same about every other Nook tablet.
Barnes & Noble launches its Nook GlowLight e-reader in the UK for £89
Barnes & Noble isn't exactly a household name in the UK, but in the States it's a book-selling behemoth, with hundreds of stores complimenting a vast library of e-books, as well as a line of readers to consume them on. In autumn 2012, B&N expanded its reach to the UK (if only in website form), challenging the likes of Amazon and Kobo with its Nook range of tablets and e-readers, including the first with a front-lit display. We've seen minimal activity from the company since, but after almost two years without fresh hardware, the new Nook GlowLight launches in the UK today. The second-generation GlowLight e-reader, with significantly improved 6-inch display, is now available for £89 at various retailers including Argos, Currys/PC World, John Lewis, Sainsburys, ASDA and bookshop chain Foyles.
Barnes & Noble teams up with Samsung for its newest Nook tablet
It's no secret that Barnes & Noble has been trying to save money by offloading its tablet development to someone else, but more than a few people expected that "someone" to be Microsoft. Mmm, not quite. The bookseller revealed today that its (first) tablet partner is none other than Samsung, and that the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 4 Nook they've been working on will launch in August.
Tablet and e-reader deals of the week: 3.21.14
It's now officially spring -- that wonderful time of the year that leaves you feeling guilty for not going outside. Why not take a small, portable computing device with you? A selection of modestly discounted Android, iOS and Windows 8 slabs await your frugal whims after the break. Abhor reading LCDs in the great outdoors? No worries, we tossed in a more traditional e-reader for good measure. If you still can't find the sale of your dreams, you could always join us and add your favorite products to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut in the future, you'll get an email alert!
Barnes & Noble to drop its Nook app for Windows in revised Microsoft deal
We hope you weren't too attached to the Nook app for Windows, because it's going away -- well, sort of. Barnes & Noble's Nook Media subsidiary and Microsoft have amended their partnership with terms that let Nook Media stop distributing its Windows e-book software. The company won't leave bookworms completely stranded, though. Instead, it will steer them toward "Microsoft Consumer Reader;" ZDNet believes this is a previously rumored e-reading app that will support both Nook content as well as generic text. The updated pact also lets Nook Media scrap progress on a Windows Phone app, although that's not as big a loss when the client hasn't reached the public. We don't yet know how the revised deal will affect Windows-bound Nook fans, but let's hope that Microsoft does a good job of picking up any slack.
Barnes & Noble will revive its Nook tablet line with a new model this year
You'd be forgiven for thinking that Barnes & Noble's tablet range was on ice; while the firm did promise to work with third parties on new models, it went through all of 2013 without fresh devices. The bookseller will soon reward patient fans, however. It just revealed that there will be a new "Nook color device" early into the company's fiscal 2015, which roughly translates to this summer. However, we don't know what the new Nook slate will offer, or even who's making it. Barnes & Noble says it's still talking to multiple "world-class hardware partners" about development and distribution, so it could be a long while before we know what to expect. The company does have some breathing room to implement its Nook strategy, though. It swung to a $63.2 million net profit for its fiscal third quarter versus a $3.7 million loss a year ago, and it now has more than twice as much cash in the bank. Even though the company is making half as much revenue from its Nook business as it did at this point in 2013, it's not facing a dire financial crisis.
Engadget's tablet buyer's guide: winter 2014 edition
The tablet landscape is changing rapidly. It's now relatively trivial to find a cheap, full-featured Windows slate, and we've seen a number of smaller models that still manage to pack plenty of power. In light of those shifts, our tablet buyer's guide looks very different this winter. Dell and Nokia are on the list for the first time, and Windows tablets sit shoulder-to-shoulder with their mobile OS rivals. We've even brought back an older Nook that's received a new lease on life thanks to updated software and a significant price cut. Whether you're looking for a productivity machine or just something to watch movies on, we've got a tablet that should fit the bill.
Vellum: Taking the pain out of e-book publishing
As someone who has gone through the fun of self-publishing e-books for use on everything from the Amazon Kindle to Apple's iBooks, I know what a pain in the neck it can be to get everything formatted and set up properly for publishing. Even Apple's iBooks Author has limitations once you've actually created your book, since you need to have a developer account and know how to use iTunes Connect to get everything uploaded. Vellum (free) is a new Mac app released today from 180g that turns book publishing into a pleasure instead of a chore. The company was founded by a pair of Brads -- Brad Andalman and Brad West -- last year. Before they made the leap to app development and electronic publishing, they worked at Pixar Animation Studios, both on the feature films and the animation software used to create those blockbuster movies. The idea with Vellum is to let people download the app for free, import their manuscript, play with styling and then view a preview that shows how their book will look when loaded onto certain e-readers. Once authors are happy with the e-book's appearance, they can send the preview to "beta readers" for feedback and last-chance editing. When the e-book is ready to go, the authors make an in-app purchase -- US$49.99 for one book, $99.99 for three books or $149.99 for five books -- to generate a file that's ready to be uploaded to the appropriate e-book store. That makes life a lot easier for author/publishers. Both Amazon and Apple have eliminated the requirement and expense to purchase an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) for each title, at least for domestic publishing. You'll still need to get an account for the publishing portals -- iTunes Connect for iBooks and Amazon Author Central for Kindle books -- and know how to submit the e-books. Let's take a quick look at Vellum and how it works. To begin with, authors can write their manuscripts and save them in a Microsoft .docx format. Vellum opens the document, analyzes it to find where it thinks chapters are and then converts it to Vellum's native format. You can edit the documents in Vellum, so typos that have made it past previous editing can be corrected without the need to re-import the document. If you're starting from scratch, it's possible to create an entire book in Vellum without resorting to using another product. Before you go further, you might want to add front- and end-matter to the book, which is a cinch -- you just add an element, whether that's a copyright, dedication, foreword or any other standard publishing item. Once the contents are set, you get to select the style of the book. At this time, Vellum includes eight "themes" plus a number of choices for heading, first paragraph, block quotation, ornamental break and paragraph after break. They're all very nice and professional-looking styles, and it's possible to preview what the book is going to look like at any time just by clicking the preview button. If you don't like what you see in the preview (for iPhone, iPad, Kindle Paperwhite and Nook Simple Touch), it's easy to change what you're doing. There's a tool for adding a cover image by dragging and dropping it onto a specific spot, and your entire book can be previewed for white, black or sepia pages if the e-reader supports those. You can also see how the layout will appear if the reader changes the font or font size. When you're ready to test the book in e-reader software or on a specific device, you click the Generate button. Kindle publishing requires the free download of the "kindlegen" plugin, which Vellum thoughtfully provides an in-app link to. I generated the sample book for both Amazon (.mobi) and iBooks (.epub) formats, and was able to open both of the formatted files immediately in the native Mac apps. All in all, I found Vellum to be an amazingly robust app for a 1.0 version, and I look forward to giving it a workout in real life. If you're interested in trying it out, I recommend downloading the free app and giving it a try.
Daily Roundup: Nexus 5 and Nook GlowLight reviews, Peripheral Vision with John Krohn and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Barnes & Noble Nook GlowLight review: much improved, but the competition is still winning
There's a lot to be said for being first. Barnes & Noble beat the competition to the punch with the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight -- an e-reader with built-in front lighting. And though we busted the company's chops with regards to its claims of keeping marriages together, the feature really did feel like the next big step forward for e-readers. Naturally, then, Amazon and Kobo released similar offerings soon after, with front lighting that frankly blew the Nook out of the water. As those companies further iterated their lines, Barnes & Noble maintained radio silence, something many chalked up to troubles with its hardware division. A year and a half after the release of its last reader, the GlowLight has finally returned with an abbreviated name and an improved feature set. The new Nook GlowLight ($119) features a revised design, weighs noticeably less than its predecessor and, most notably, brings an improved front light. But while it ushers in some welcome tweaks, the loss of the Simple Touch name also marks the abandonment of some beloved features that helped set the line apart in the first place.
Barnes & Noble's Nook GlowLight is lighter, brighter, whiter, with less Simple Touch for $119
As a ketchup bottle once famously said: Good things take time (we're paraphrasing here, of course). Roughly a year and a half ago, Barnes & Noble made its top-notch Nook Simple Touch even better with the addition of GlowLight. Before the end of the year, however, the company had been outdone by both Kobo and Amazon in that department; the two e-reader competitors launched devices with more uniform and brighter front-lighting technologies. Since then, those companies have both offered up refreshes, Amazon with a new Paperwhite and Kobo with the slick Aura, leaving us wondering why Barnes & Noble had been quiet for so long. Surely issues with its hardware division couldn't be helping matters. Today, however, things are looking, um, brighter for the company. The latest Nook is available now through Barnes & Noble's site, bringing with it a slew of upgrades and a shortened name. Say "goodbye" to Simple Touch. This time out, it's just Nook GlowLight, a new name for a new look. Gone is the matte black color scheme of its predecessor (not to mention most of the rest of the industry). That's been traded in for a white design that evokes the Nook HD tablet. It's also easier on the eyes, according to the company, with less of a contrast between the bezel and display. It's still a sizable bezel, of course. B&N didn't shave things down like Kobo. There's also a rubber bumper running around the perimeter. The company won't actually call it "rugged," but we suspect that'll help it take a tumble a bit more gracefully.
Offensive e-book controversy highlights issues with self-publishing
Just as e-books mean anyone with an internet connection has the world's biggest library to hand, they also mean anyone with a word processor can be an author. Some of the big e-book outlets have self-publishing programs that circumvent the traditional channels, so you can simply share your story and let readers judge you, instead of banking on a publishing house giving you a shot. A great idea in theory, but as some e-book retailers are discovering, not without its faults. As the BBC reports, e-book vendors including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and others are scrambling to remove certain kinds of erotica (twisted stuff featuring abuse, rape, etc.) from their stores. Several recent articles by The Kernel highlighted the availability of such material, and questioned the ethics of retailers profiting from it. Another issue brought to public attention is how the content had been indexed -- it was easily discoverable using seemingly harmless search criteria. While Amazon and B&N are said to be removing titles deemed inappropriate from their sites, Kobo has temporarily closed its e-book store while it scours the virtual shelves and attempts to "protect the reputation of self-publishing." As you'd expect, all the merchants mentioned have guidelines prohibiting the publication of offensive texts (call it public interest censorship), and yet have launched reactionary measures following recent reports. With self-publishing programs in their infancy, it appears approval systems aren't yet developed enough to automatically flag content that breaches those policies. Despite this rather major hiccup, we're sure many would agree that self-publishing is a sound concept -- there are just a few kinks in the execution department that need ironing out. In light of this controversy, perhaps it's time for e-book stores to start acting a bit more like real publishers.
Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight gets UK price cut, drops below £50
Bookworms in the UK tired of smuggling flashlights to bed might want to take another look at the Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight. After all, you can get one for £49 now that Barnes & Noble has slashed £20 off its retail price -- that's far, far lower than the amount people had to pay at launch. According to the book retailer, you can only snag the device at that price point until current stocks last, so the promo can expire anytime. If you're not particularly fond of e-readers, though, feel free to cast your eyes upon the discounted Nook HD and HD+ tablets instead. You can also nab one of those right now, or, you know, throw hints at your personal Santa that you want one for Christmas.
Barnes & Noble warns iOS 7 users of potential Nook incompatibilities
Barnes & Noble has sent an email to users of the Nook iOS app warning them that they could experience incompatibility issues between the current app and iOS 7, reports AppAdvice. The company cites two issues to watch out for: If you rotate the screen while reading, it may cause the page to render incorrectly or may cause the app to crash. To prevent this, we suggest locking the rotation while reading. If you sign out of your app and then sign in again, the app may crash or you may have trouble accessing your Library. The company says that not all users will experience these issues, and that it's working to release a fix as soon as possible. If you're a Nook fan, this is pretty depressing news as the company has had months to work out any bugs with its iOS app and iOS 7. Meanwhile, its main competitor Amazon has already released a fully iOS 7-ready Kindle app.
Barnes & Noble slashes Nook tablet prices in the UK
Bargain hunting? Good, because Barnes & Noble has just hacked down the price of its Nook HD range in the UK. The 7-inch Nook HD will now set you back just £79 for the 8GB edition and £99 for the 16GB version, while the 9-inch HD+ is now available for £129 (16GB) or £149 (32GB). We're not sure if this is a Touchpad-style fire sale or if the bookseller is prepping for its traditional autumn refresh (albeit with a third-party tablet this time 'round) -- but either way, the Nook is a great piece of hardware for under a ton.
Nook Newstand now offering access to college papers
While Jeff Bezos is busy investing in a new 'golden era' for the Washington Post, Barnes & Noble's Nook division is beefing up digital access to the newspaper industry's farm league: the college paper. Through a licensing deal with UWIRE announced today, Nook users (yes, that includes the free app) will now be able to peruse, sample and subscribe to digital editions of the hundreds of college and university papers included (e.g., Harvard Crimson, The Columbia Spectator, etc.). Depending on the school paper, issues will either be served up as standalone purchases, monthly subscriptions or both, with most subscriptions hitting a $0.99 price point. There's also a 14-day trial period, so you can test out the collegiate goods before you go whole hog on that subscription for your alma mater.
Barnes & Noble founder abandons plan to buy back retail business
Barnes & Noble's "founder"* Leonard Riggio has conceded that his plans to rescue the firm have been iced. Thanks to those same SEC regulations that tipped us to his intentions, the company's majority shareholder has admitted that he won't attempt his ambitious rescue of the ailing retailer. In a statement, Riggio urges B&N to push the Nook tablet, serve its 10 million-strong customer base and build out the company's struggling retail business. At the same time, Barnes & Noble let slip that at least one new Nook device will arrive before the holiday season, presumably the first that'll be produced by a third party -- but let's be honest, it's not looking good. *He founded the book chain that would buy the Barnes & Noble name, pedantry fans.
Daily Update for August 19, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
IRL: Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight and the PowerPlant portable battery pack
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. Does our own self-professed book collector Dan Cooper need an e-reader? No, but he might get one anyway. And do you need a portable charger with 3.6 times the capacity of an iPhone 5? Yes, or at least that's what Darren tells us.
Barnes & Noble posts Nook Video apps for Android, iOS and Roku
Now that Barnes & Noble is backing away from producing its own Nook tablets, it has less incentive to keep Nook Video as an exclusive. Accordingly, it's opening things up by launching Nook Video apps for ordinary Android devices, iOS and Roku boxes. Like on Barnes & Noble's own hardware, the new apps let US viewers buy or rent movies for streaming; users can also watch any content stored in their UltraViolet collections. The releases may not get customers leaving one of the many existing alternative services, but those who already have an investment in Nook Video can grab an appropriate app at one of the source links.