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Engadget's back to school guide 2013: e-readers
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today, we're taking a look at your best e-reader options. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as we add them throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear, including some of the picks in our guides. Schoolbooks? What is this, the late 20th century? Granted, we still have a ways to go before all the world's textbooks go digital, but e-readers should be able to stand in for most of those paperbacks, at least. So lose a little backpack weight, save a couple of trees and take notes without ruining your copy. We have got your e-reader needs covered, no matter what your back to school budget.
Switched On: Nook tablet, an epilogue
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The recent announcement by Barnes & Noble that it would discontinue its Nook tablets marked the exit of what once promised to be a strong rival to Amazon, at least among bibliophiles. Barnes & Noble's entry into the tablet market took place amidst an annual game of leapfrog with its internet-based rival. Surviving for three iterations, the color Nook devices were products that had a particular focus on media consumption -- especially reading -- and eschewed open access to apps.
The Daily Roundup for 07.08.2013
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 CEO William Lynch steps down; Michael Huseby appointed CEO of Nook Media
Following reports earlier this year that Barnes & Noble may be sliding away from producing its own Nook hardware, the outfit's CEO has just stepped away from his corner office. Announced in a series of shuffles, William Lynch has resigned as chief executive officer and director of the company effective immediately, while Michael P. Huseby has been appointed CEO of the Nook Media division (as well as president of B&N as a whole). The firm also announced that vice president Allen Lindstrom was being subsequently promoted to CFO, reporting to Huseby. Moreover, Kanuj Malhotra -- VP of corporate development, has been promoted to CFO of Nook Media. Chairman Leonard Riggio thanked Lynch for his leadership during an era where B&N emerged as a real rival to Amazon in the reader / tablet market, while the man himself said that he "appreciated the opportunity to serve as CEO over the last three years." As for his immediate plans? Kicking back on the shores of Ocracoke and reading a book... on a Nook, of course.
Nook's Android app now supports HD magazines on tablets
Next time you fire up the Nook app on your Android tablet, you'll be able to browse HD magazines -- assuming your device has a 1280 x 720 screen. Introduced three months ago on Retina iPads, the feature now jumps to the latest version of the Android app, along with a number of other updates. New magazine titles aside, version 3.4 lets you enlarge book illustrations and adds support for the system's assistive technology for blind and low-vision users. So, you can go wild with screen magnification on Android 4.2 or higher, or listen to the app speak via TalkBack on 4.1. Meanwhile, the Nook app for iOS comes equipped with bug fixes and a better way to organize books in a series. Sure, these updates don't bring a bunch of new major features, but they show that Barnes & Noble isn't likely to axe its mobile apps in the near future like it did the ones for Macs and PCs.
Barnes and Noble posts $119 million loss in Q4 2013, will partner with third party on future Nook tablets
Barnes and Noble has not had an easy go of it. The brick-and-mortar stalwart has seen its revenues and profits steeply decline as we've entered the age of the e-book. In fact, profits haven't just shrunk; they've disappeared. During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2013, the company suffered a net loss of $118.6 million, down significantly from the already poor showing it posted in 2012 when it lost $56.9 million in Q4. For the year, that put Barnes and Noble's losses at $154.8 million -- more than double what it lost in 2012. Revenues have dropped both at retail outlets and its Nook digital business by $105 million and $56 million, respectively year-over-year. For its e-reader and ebook arm, that represents a 34 percent drop from Q4 2012. The bad news there is that device sales have declined dramatically and, while content sales were up for the year, in the fourth quarter they fell by 8.9 percent. Barnes and Noble attributes the year-over-year fall in sales to be attributed to the lack of blockbuster titles. In Q4 2012 revenues were boosted by juggernauts like Fifty Shades of Grey and The Hunger Games. Going forward Barnes and Noble wants to significantly cut its losses on the struggling Nook business. To do that the company will be partnering with an as yet unnamed third party to manufacture and co-brand its tablet line. The Nook line of e-readers will continue to be designed and built in-house, but the retailer will be looking beyond its Manhattan office walls for help with the flailing Nook HD line. Existing products will be supported for the foreseeable future, however, so don't go tossing your Robert Brunner-designed slate in the trash just yet. If you'd like more detail, check out the PR after the break.
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.
Barnes & Noble Nook Snaps offer fresh literature in $2 bites
Barnes & Noble's Nook Store has offered short-form works much like those we've seen from Amazon's Kindle Shorts section, but they haven't really been a highlight. The company's new Nook Snaps program may give those quick reads their time to shine, however. The effort will see Barnes & Noble publish three to five original shorts every other month at $2 a piece. While the bookseller is leaning on existing titles to fill out the initial catalog, it hopes that the steady supply of original material will keep us coming back.
Nook Simple Touch reportedly getting web browser, email client on June 1st
Remember that web browser that was found hiding in the Nook's search function? It's time could be nigh. According to a leaked memo acquired by TechCrunch, Barnes & Noble will be updating the Nook Simple Touch and Simple Touch with Glowlight with an email app, web browser and an updated store next month. The update will reportedly be sent over the air starting on June 1st and rolling out to all devices in the following weeks. The idea isn't too far fetched -- the Simple Touch is running a skinned version of Android. Nook owners not willing to wait for the official patch can always root the device of course, which comes with some peripheral advantages. Check out TechCrunch for a look the full memo.
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.
B&N cuts Nook HD, HD+ prices this week, hopes you'll gift mom poetry and prose May 12
As if bringing the Nook HD and HD+ access to Google Play this week wasn't already a sweet deal, Barnes & Noble is temporarily slashing the prices for its two reading-focused tablets. The reductions will last until the end of Mother's Day, putting the 7-inch Nook HD 8GB at $149 and the 16GB at $179 (a $50 discount), with the 9-inch HD+ set at $179 for 16GB and $209 for 32GB (with $90 off). Compared to other options like the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 tablets, the deal may be enough to make up for lack of cameras and UI shortcomings on the Nooks. If your interest is piqued, you check out our reviews of both the HD and HD+, and hit up the source link if you'd like to snag one. Update: We'd also like to remind our UK readers that a similar limited-time offer was put in place a few days ago, dropping the price of the Nook HD from £159 to £129 and the Nook HD+ from £229 to £179.
The Daily Roundup for 05.03.2013
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.
Google Play comes to Barnes & Noble's Nook HD and HD+, we go hands-on (video)
Barnes & Noble's refusal to open its ecosystem has long been one of our primary complaints about the company's tablet offerings. The Nook HD and HD+ are extremely nice pieces of hardware that have been held back by their own walled software offerings -- having a fast device with a nice screen only gets you so far without the proper apps. The company line up to now has been that walling off content allows for a sort of quality control, assuring that apps are developed specifically for the unique form factor of its devices. And while there's perhaps something to be said for that sentiment in the sometimes-fragmented world of Android devices, it was hard to ignore the fact that offering up exclusive access to content through your own marketplace assures better cash flow. It also, unfortunately, means that without extensive developer outreach, there are sure to be plenty of popular apps that just never make it over to your side of the fence. With its announcement tonight, B&N acknowledges that, in this case, open is better. The company has responded directly to user feedback and will be issuing a software update to its Nook HD and Nook HD+ devices (sorry Nook Tablet and Color owners) that brings Google Play directly to the desktop. The software will come pre-loaded on new devices and will be available as an over-the-air update. If you can't wait that long, you'll also be able to download it directly from the bookseller's site. The update also brings a few other tweaks to the system, but this is far and away the biggest news. The first question we asked upon getting a quick demo: will you be able to buy content like books, magazines and movies through Play? Yep, that's coming too.%Gallery-187392%
Barnes & Noble intros buy-one-get-one Nook book offer, only valid in stores
Well, this process seems a bit counterintuitive, eh? This morning, Barnes & Noble introduced a new scheme for getting Nook customers to visit the company's retail stores. The promotion nets you one free e-book when you purchase another, but -- and this is where the offer tripped us up a bit -- you can only make your electronic purchase with a cashier in a physical store. The deal will be up for grabs every weekend, and titles are set to change. There are currently 20 books on offer (available this Saturday and Sunday only), including hits like Along Came a Spider by James Patterson and Bossypants by Tina Fey. Once you make your selections, you'll receive an email with access codes (assuming the rep managed to input your data correctly), at which point you'll need to visit a dedicated Barnes & Noble site to receive your books. Easy peasy.
Pinterest now available for Barnes & Noble's Nook lineup
If you can't even contemplate e-reading without a healthy side of inspirational photos, you'll be happy to know that Pinterest is now available on Barnes & Noble's Nook devices. Amazon already offers the popular app for its Kindle lineup, and now its chief rival in the e-reader market is bringing the app to all of its Nooks. Starting today, new devices will ship pre-loaded with Pinterest, along with new apps for Facebook and Twitter. Those who already own a Nook can download the virtual bulletin board from the Nook Store; click the source link to do so.
Barnes & Noble relabels PubIt! as Nook Press, adds web-based publishing tool
Barnes & Noble's PubIt! self-publishing conduit has been active for well over two years, but you'd be forgiven for overlooking it with that somewhat forgettable (if very emphatic) name. The company might just know what you're thinking, as it's giving the service a considerably more memorable title, Nook Press, while upgrading features at the same time. Although the royalty structure remains the same, Nook Press now incorporates a web-based authoring tool: would-be Hemingways can write and preview their work through one online hub, sharing their drafts with others in a secure space. Those who commit should also get more exposure through an upcoming Nook Press channel on Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets. There's no guarantee that the rebranding will lure potential bestselling authors away from Amazon, but they may have a better sense of their options.
Microsoft allows Windows 8 to run on smaller displays: is a reader-sized Surface on its way?
Until now, Windows 8's official hardware requirements have been understandably ruthless: devices with anything less than 1,366 x 768 pixels need not apply. That policy was changed in a recent newsletter, however, to permit the creation of Windows 8 devices with a resolution of 1,024 x 768 -- likely representing a very different size and shape. Microsoft says the policy switch isn't meant to "encourage partners to regularly use a lower screen resolution", and it warns that such dimensions will be incompatible with Windows 8's split-screen feature, known as "snap". Which raises the question -- why mess with the rules? Ed Bott over at ZDNet has an interesting theory. 1,024 x 768 matches the size and aspect ratio of many popular reader-sized tablets, like the iPad Mini, which are meant to be used in both portrait and landscape orientations. There's no official confirmation either way, of course, but Bott believes Microsoft's move could be deliberately aimed at allowing the development of 7- or 8-inch Windows 8 (or RT) tablets, possibly with the close help of Nook-maker Barnes & Noble. Indeed, Mary Jo Foley spotted that Redmond and B&N have registered a new joint venture, "NewCo", that explicitly mentions the creation of a "Microsoft reader". Considering all these clues, can a Wook (WiNook?) really be that far off?
Nook for iOS adds support for high-res iPad magazines, Nook Comics
Barnes & Noble may have saved most of the limelight today for in-app purchasing on Nook hardware, but it's not leaving other platforms by the wayside. Its Nook 3.4 update for iOS focuses heavily on visuals, with new support for both Nook Comics as well as "HD" magazines on Retina display-equipped iPads. Likewise, there's some spring cleaning afoot: the app offers better organization for periodicals, the option to expand book illustrations and newly animated page turns. Swing by the App Store if you've got enough of a toehold in Barnes & Noble's ecosystem to use its software.
Nook getting in-app purchasing 'soon,' B&N promises 'thousands' of top apps
Sure Barnes & Noble's already promising you the ability to download the "most popular and bestselling top 100 app titles for tablets available anywhere," but what happens when you want to buy something in those apps? Fear not, the bookstore-turned-hardware-maker will be bringing in-app purchases to its line of slates "soon," thanks to a partnership with Nook developer Fortumo. That company's bring single click payment to the Nook ecosystem and offering dashboards and analytics on consumer buying habits for developers. Thanks to the offering, B&N feels certain that, "thousands of the most-requested games and apps featuring in-app purchasing will be available for customers to experience on NOOK's award-winning line of tablets" in the months to come.
Barnes and Noble giving away Nook Simple Touch with every Nook HD+ purchase in limited promo
Americans love a good bargain -- especially, when it's a twofer. Barnes and Noble, arguably the only real competitor to Amazon's Kindle juggernaut, has just announced a promotion to get as many of its Nook readers into consumers' hands as possible. Starting March 24th and running until the end of the month, consumers that purchase the Nook HD+ online, in-store or at select big box retailers will also be given a free Nook Simple Touch. The limited promotion comes hot on the heels of rumors that B&N would start to de-emphasize hardware production for the Nook line in favor of its content services; a rumor the company publicly shot down. Still, there's no denying e-reader market share's been an uphill battle for B&N, even if the segment is seeing marginal year-over-year increases. Numbers aside, if you've been holding out on joining the digital reading fray because of cost, now's the time to make the switch.