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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%
B&N accepting Nook Color app submissions, because you can never have too many app stores
The upcoming firmware update for the Nook Color is shaping up to be a hefty one for the e-reader-turned-Android tablet. Barnes & Noble has now announced that it's officially opening up the device to developers, and will be taking app submissions through its developer site effective immediately. The Nook has long been one of the best bangs for your buck in the ever-expanding world of Android tablets, and all that's left now is Honeycomb -- and no, the hacked port doesn't count.
Nook matches Kindle by bundling free web access to NYTimes.com with digital edition sub
Adhering to strict alphabetical order, where Amazon leads, Barnes & Noble follows. The Kindle was last week announced to include access beyond the New York Times' freshly erected online paywall as part of its device subscription to the NYT and now, lo and behold, the Nook family (including the Nook Color) is following suit in identical fashion. If you're happy to obtain your sub to New York's finest paper from the Nook Newsstand -- which costs $20 per month, same as Amazon's levy -- you'll get the bonus, complimentary, free-of-charge privilege of being able to access NYTimes.com without any constraints as well. So what if the online edition used to be free for the past eleventy years? The new Times dictates some fealty be paid and we're happy to see these e-reader purveyors helping to alleviate (mask?) that cost for some of us. Full PR after the break.
HSN details Nook Color update for 'mid-April': Android 2.2, Flash, apps and push email
Spent some quality time watching the Home Shopping Network this morning to hear just how the Nook Color will be improved? That's what we thought... but we bit the bullet and tuned in ourselves to get the details for you. Simply put, HSN says Barnes and Noble will start rolling out an over-the-air software package in "mid-April" that will update the Nook Color to Android 2.2, bringing Adobe Flash Player, Angry Birds, and push email of some sort. It'll also apparently include "lots of Nook apps," though the channel's pitchmen only had one to show on TV -- a kid-friendly sketchpad, with a variety of drawing utensils and colored paper. HSN hosts also claim that customers who purchase the Nook Color on the show are "guaranteed to be the very first people updated," though we're not sure we'll take them at their word, considering some of the other fabulous exaggerations we just heard on the air. %Gallery-119775%
Nook Color getting Flash and apps in April update, according to Home Shopping Network (update: official)
The little e-reader that could is about to do even more -- according to a listing on the Home Shopping Network, the Nook Color will get an update next month that brings Flash support and additional apps to the platform. That suggests that we'll finally be seeing Android 2.2 and perhaps an app store of some sort, though HSN isn't spilling the beans right now -- the cable station wants you to tune in at 12AM, 5AM or 9AM (or 12PM, 5PM or 9PM) ET this Saturday to get an exclusive sneak peek at the goods. Yours for just four easy payments of $74.97... which must seem like a tremendous deal compared to HSN's "retail value" of $504. Update: Barnes & Noble has now made this completely official itself, and confirmed that the update will include email support among other "exciting new applications." Press release is after the break.
Same song, second verse: Microsoft sues Barnes & Noble for Android's patent infringement
We should've known this was coming when Microsoft went after Motorola for Moto's supposedly patent-infringing Android devices, and now Ballmer & Co. have their sights set on Barnes & Noble, Foxconn, and Inventec for making and selling the Nook Color. Once again, Microsoft has filed in both the ITC and the Western District of Washington Federal Court claiming that the Android OS infringes its patents, though the patents at issue have dwindled in number from nine to five this time around. Allegedly, the Nook Color is riddled with infringing bits from its tab-using web browser and web-document viewing capability to its text selection and book annotation features. Microsoft has resorted to litigation as a new means to get paid for its patents after year-long licensing negotiations with B&N bore little fruit (unlike those with HTC, who got with the licensing program). So count this as another clear message to manufacturers -- Android's open-source, but it ain't free.
TetherGPS brings GPS navigation to Nook Color, in a manner of speaking
The smart folks over at ComptonSoft are looking to provide a GPS receiver to your mobile device in a rather unconventional way. TetherGPS links up your Android phone's GPS to the Nook Color by means of WiFi -- either on the same network or via a WiFi tether -- because the Nook Color is lacking in the standard usable Bluetooth department. After connecting the two devices, it makes a second link by running a TGPS server on the phone and a TGPS client on the Nook. The two devices are then intertwined in a blissful, all-you-can-GPS buffet of routes and roads. For the most part, the Nook's location-aware Android applications, such as Google Maps, will draw from this connection for location data and use it as if there were a GPS receiver on board. TetherGPS is up for grabs for $2.99 on the Android Market, and there's also a free "Lite" version for those who only need GPS for five minutes at a time -- we'll assume you know who you are. [Thanks, Red]
Barnes & Noble updates Nook Android app, promises a Honeycomb version this spring
On the heels of the announcement that it's grabbed 25 percent of the US e-reader market, Barnes & Noble has decided to give the world a heap of details on its Android developments. First up, we've got an updated Android app, and while it's not exactly a drastic upgrade, version 2.5 has been refreshed with a new library grid view (apparently optimized for 7-inch tablets), a book download progress bar, and a wish list feature. We told you they were rather minor updates, but our guess is that the Nook Honeycomb app that's being promised for some time this spring will be far more exciting. Yep, it's a lot of B&N Android, but while we're on the topic, we've got to admit we're wondering about the whereabouts of that Nook Color app store, which was announced back in October. Look not everyone has taken to rooting, okay? Alright, we've totally digressed -- hit the gallery below for some screens of the new app or the source link to try it out on your own. %Gallery-117556%
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.
How would you change Barnes & Noble's Nook Color?
Now that you've had ample time to get through a few novellas, we're keenly interested in finding out how you'd change Barnes & Noble's Nook Color if given the opportunity. For an e-reader, it's deliciously hackable, giving you a way to blow off steam after a hard day's night... of soaking up information, that is. We found it to be amongst the top of its class when we reviewed it back in November, but this space is all about you. Would you overhaul the user interface? Ship it with a fancier build of Android? Boost the battery life? Go on and get opinionated in comments below -- we promise we won't judge.
Honeycomb for Nook Color released for download (update: video)
Android Honeycomb on a humble e-reading tablet? Why yes, it's not only possible, it's downloadable. Deeper-blue, the chap who's been spending the past few days porting the Honeycomb SDK over to the Nook Color, has today decided to release his latest work out to eager users and fellow coders. He's enabled the accelerometer, touchscreen, buttons, graphics acceleration, and wireless connectivity, but other things like sound remain on the to-do list. Hit the source link for all the code and info you require to be among the first to run Android 3.0 on their tablet. Update: Video walkthrough after the break! Update 2: Sound has now been enabled! We've updated our source link to point to the latest build. Thanks, Ibrahim! [Thanks, Forrest]
Android Honeycomb port for Nook Color gets graphics acceleration, first demo video
Can't wait until February 2nd to see more of Android 3.0 in action? That's not a problem, as today we've got a whole 129 seconds of video showing Google's latest mobile software doing its thing on the Nook Color. The OS was ported to B&N's tablet on Friday, when we were promised further work would be taking place over the weekend to enable hardware acceleration of the GUI, and what do you know, that goal has been achieved with plenty of Sunday to spare! Most core functionality is still not available, but the delicious Honeycomb interface is very much in effect. Jump past the break for the eye candy feast. [Thanks, Jules]
Nook Color earns its very early, very unofficial Android 3.0 Honeycomb wings
One of the first things that happens after a new platform emulator breaks loose is that a bunch of hackers far smarter than ourselves get hold of it, tear it apart, and port it to whatever's convenient. In the case of this week's Android 3.0 Honeycomb preview, "whatever's convenient" would be the Nook Color, which reigns as perhaps the cheapest decent-quality Android tablet money can currently buy. Naturally, xda-developers has a thread going on the subject as we speak; the current port is said to be really slow and mostly broken -- but then again, that kind of describes the current state of the emulator itself. Good news is that the developer says he plans on working on graphics acceleration to improve performance over the weekend, so with any luck, the Xoom might have some unofficial competition before too long. Follow the break for another shot. [Thanks, s30zgt]
Barnes & Noble brings pinch-to-zoom browsing, improved WiFi connectivity in Nook Color update
Got yourself a Nook Color, did you? If you're not the type to wait for OTA updates to hit you upside the head, Barnes & Noble has just let loose a software update that's free to download. Version 1.1.0 promises to improve the Nook Color's WiFi connectivity, improve Home and Shop performance and to "enhance the reading experience for magazines and children's books." Frankly, the latter is quite a curious promise, but we suppose we'd rather have it than not. In other news, the update is adding pinch-to-zoom capabilities in the browser, and B&N also swears that other miscellaneous bugs were squashed in the making of v1.1.0. Hit the source link to get those bytes a-streaming, or just wait for it to be delivered over-the-air in the coming days. On second thought, just download it. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Nook Color gets overclocked, further blurs the line between tablet and e-reader
First, they ported Ubuntu to the Nook Color, and now the intrepid hackers at the XDA Developers Forum have overclocked its stock 800MHz processor to run at speeds up to 1GHz. The mod allows users to have their cake and eat it too, as the custom kernel ups the speed of the CPU while running it at a lower voltage, which means longer battery life -- though we don't know exactly how much longer. Apparently, the developer who wrote the code found that the system became unstable at the 1GHz level, but there were no such problems at 950MHz and below. Hit the source link to download the kernel and see for yourself what a supercharged Nook Color can do.
Nook Color meet Ubuntu, Ubuntu meet Nook Color
Although you won't hear this through official channels, Barnes and Noble's Nook has been plenty of fun for hacksters. And what spells fun better than U-b-u-n-t-u? Certainly nothing that we can mention in mixed company, that's for sure! If you pop over to the always lively XDA Developers Forum, you'll see a crazy little post wherein the author took inspiration from a Nexus One hack and decided to port Ubuntu to the Nook Color. And by jove, it looks like it's worked... even if it is by accounts "a little laggy" and not without errors. Please feel free to hit the source link if you'd like to take in the details on what made this work... and to keep abreast of further developments, to boot.
Barnes and Noble launches Nook kids iPad app
Barnes and Noble has just released its Nook kids app for the iPad. The app -- which is already available on B&N's Nook Color -- is essentially an e-reader with kid-friendly features, and enhanced storybook reading options, making full use of the Nook Color's (and now the iPad's) color LCD. Other features of the app include the two free books that come with download, and, of course, the fact that the Nook app will actually read to your kids for you, so that you can spend your time doing other, more important things. Like flirting with girls on Twitter. The Nook kids app is available for free in the app store right now. Full press release is after the break.
Nook Color Bluetooth chip shows signs of life -- if you've already hacked it, of course
You Nook owners just aren't ever satisfied, are you? First, reading wasn't enough so you went ahead and rooted to get your Angry Birds on. That was all fine and well, until that Froyo hack came along and (maybe?) nuked your device. If your confidence hasn't yet been shattered, strap on your seatbelt for the latest chapter in the life of the Nook Color after e-reading. Apparently user occip over at the always-hacking xda-developers found a way to enable the currently dormant Bluetooth radio tucked away in some undisclosed cranny of B&N's colorful Nook. This one's not for the faint of heart just yet -- you have to be on Froyo already, and that's a feat in and of itself. Still, it paves the way for things like Bluetooth GPS dongles as well as headsets for apps like Skype. We'll see what happens when B&N releases 2.2 officially, which should be pretty much any day now...
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.
Josh talks holiday gadgets on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (video)
Couldn't stay up till 12:37AM? We'll forgive you... in time. Thankfully, the wonders of the internet are enabling you to travel back to catch our own Josh Topolsky's holiday jam party with Late Night's Jimmy Fallon. The duo ran through a gauntlet of gadgets, including B&N's Nook Color, Samsung's Galaxy Tab, D-Link's Boxee Box, Apple's MacBook Air, Dell's Venue Pro and the Gingerbread-equipped Nexus S. Also appearing: teenage jokes, visions of a lunar eclipse, legally / illegally downloaded content and the Nexus X. Yeah, the X. See what we mean in the pair of videos just past the break.
