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NOOK for Android gets a tablet-friendly update

Anthony Domanico — Fri, 13 May 2011 16:24:11 +0000

The official Barnes and Noble NOOK application has received an update today, with full support for 7+ inch tablets. NOOK for Android now features an optimized library grid view as well as enhancements to margins and spacings to provide a more-enjoyable reading experience for large, higher-resolution devices.

In addition to full-color magazine articles, the updated application for tablets also features ArticleView, which features text-only versions of stories when you don’t want to get distracted by the different pictures and the like. ArticleView allows you to select different ways to view text articles for a customized reading experience.

With this release, Barnes and Noble has expanded the availability of their application to more than just the Android market. You can now download NOOK for Android from the following outlets:

Android Market (duh)
VCast App Store
Samsung Apps
GetJar
AppsLib

So if you love to read, head on over to any of these app venues and download the new tablet-friendly NOOK for Android application. The free application is available on all Android 2.1+ devices.

Hit the source link below (or check out the press release) for more info.

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NOOK for Android by B&N Barnes and Noble MARKET QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Show Press Release

Barnes & Noble Updates NOOK™ for Android™ App, Gives Tablet Users Access to Largest Digital Periodical Offering on Android

More than 140 NOOK Newsstand™ Titles Including Interactive Magazines

with Exclusive ArticleView™ Now Available to Android Tablet Customers

Optimized Reading Experience for Most 7-Inch and Larger Tablets

Including Honeycomb

Free App Now Available in Android Market, V CAST Apps,

Samsung Apps, GetJar, and AppsLib

New York, New York – May 12, 2011 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, today announced an updated version of its popular, free NOOK for Android eReading application that brings the most comprehensive selection of digital periodicals to customers with Android™ tablets including more than 140 top magazine and newspaper brands from ESPN The Magazine and The Economistto Food & Wine and Us Weekly. To take advantage of large and extra large, high-resolution Android tablet screens, NOOK for Android now offers customers an optimized library grid view and reading experience with enhanced book margins and line spacing, as well as an improved shopping experience and more. The new app features are available for popular 7-inch and larger tablets using Android OS 2.1 and higher (Honeycomb).

Today’s announcement marks the largest digital newsstand offering for Android tablet customers to date, with more than 140 of the best daily, weekly and monthly periodicals, all optimized for high-resolution displays in rich color. Barnes & Noble’s interactive NOOK Magazine™ experience, previously available only to NOOK Color™ Reader’s Tablet™ customers, is now available to the Android tablet community, featuring more than 120 popular titles such as Esquire, Maxim, Men’s Health, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Popular Science, PC Magazine, Elle, O, The Oprah Magazine, Travel + Leisure and many more. NOOK for Android customers with large tablets can also enjoy favorite NOOK Newspapers™ including USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and The Chicago Tribune. All can be enjoyed with a 14-day free trial, via subscription or purchased in single issue form.

With NOOK for Android on larger tablets, magazine reading is easy and engaging with full-color pages in landscape and portrait mode, and Barnes & Noble’s exclusive ArticleView technology (formerly available only on NOOK Color) which features only the article’s text, customized to the reader’s favorite style, on a central panel on the display. NOOK Magazines also feature a universal, easy-to-use reading experience with a slider to jump to the desired page, pinch and zoom to enlarge images and more.

“With our free, updated NOOK for Android application, we’re delivering customers with Android tablets a great optimized reading experience and access to the largest ever collection of interactive magazines, as well as top newspapers, all optimized for high-resolution displays,” said Jamie Iannone, President of Digital Products at Barnes & Noble. “Using their Android tablets, customers can enjoy our collection of more than two million digital books, as well as their morning paper and latest magazines, delivered right to their device through their NOOK for Android app, for an amazing periodical experience which includes our innovative ArticleView feature.”

NOOK Newsstand and the optimized book reading experience on NOOK for Android will be available for customers using 7-inch and larger Android OS 2.1 and higher (Honeycomb) tablets with 800 x 480 (160 DPI or less) or higher screen resolution, and include Samsung Galaxy Tab™, Motorola XOOM™, LG G-Slate™ and ARCHOS internet tablets, among others. NOOK for Android customers on smartphones will also enjoy minor performance enhancements.

NOOK for Android gives customers with Android smartphones and tablets access to Barnes & Noble’s expansive NOOK Bookstore™, one of the world’s largest digital content catalogs, with the most NOOK Books™ priced at $9.99 or less. As part of Barnes & Noble’s promise to “Read What You Love, Anywhere You Like™,” customers can enjoy NOOK Books from their Barnes & Noble digital library on their NOOK Color, NOOK eReader devices and mobile and computing devices using free NOOK eReading software or apps.

Expanded App Availability

To make it easy for Android smartphone and tablet customers to find and download the free NOOK for Android app, Barnes & Noble has expanded availability for the free app to include Android Market, V CAST Apps from Verizon Wireless, Samsung Apps, GetJar, and AppsLib, with more to come. NOOK for Android will also be pre-loaded or made available in future firmware upgrades for some of the current leading and highly anticipated Android tablets coming to market. Customers can learn more about NOOK for Android v2.6.1 at www.bn.com/nookforandroid.

About NOOK^™ from Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble’s NOOK brand of eReading products makes it easy to read what you love, anywhere you like with a fun, easy-to-use and immersive digital reading experience. With NOOK, customers gain access to Barnes & Noble’s expansive NOOK Bookstore^™ of more than two million digital titles, and the ability to enjoy content across a wide array of popular devices. NOOK products are the most full-featured, dedicated eReading devices on the market. The award-winning NOOK Color Reader’s Tablet, the best-value on the tablet market ($249), features a stunning 7-inch VividView^™Color Touchscreen to read all of the content you love, shop popular apps, connect via email, browse the Web and more. For book lovers, NOOK 3G ($199) and NOOK Wi-Fi^® ($149) offer a paper-like reading experience with a color touch screen for navigation. In Barnes & Noble stores, NOOK owners can access free Wi-Fi connectivity, enjoy the Read In Store^™ feature to read NOOK Books™ for free, and the More In Store^™ program, which offers free, exclusive content and special promotions. Barnes & Noble was the first company to offer digital lending for a wide selection of books through its LendMe^™ technology, available through NOOK eReading products. Find NOOK devices in Barnes & Noble stores and online at www.BN.com, as well as at Best Buy, Walmart, Staples and Books-A-Million.

In addition to NOOK devices, Barnes & Noble makes it easy for customers to enjoy any book, anytime, anywhere with its free line of NOOK software, available at www.bn.com/nookapps. Customers can use Barnes & Noble’s free eReading software to access and read books from their personal Barnes & Noble digital library on devices including iPad^™, iPhone^®, iPod touch^®, Android^™, BlackBerry^® and other smartphones, PC and Mac^®. Lifetime Library™ helps ensure that Barnes & Noble customers will always be able to access their digital libraries on NOOK products and software-enabled devices and BN.com. Barnes & Noble also offers NOOK Study^™ (www.nookstudy.com), an innovative study platform and software solution for higher education, NOOK Kids™ (www.nookkids.com), a collection of digital picture and chapter books for children, and NOOK Books en español^™ (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ebooksenespanol), the first-ever Spanish language digital bookstore in the United States.

For more information on NOOK devices and eReading software, updates, new NOOK Book releases, Free Friday™ NOOK Books and more, follow us on www.twitter.com/ebooksbn and www.facebook.com/nookbn.

ABOUT BARNES & NOBLE, INC.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the world’s largest bookseller and a Fortune 500 company, operates 705 bookstores in 50 states. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, also operates 636 college bookstores serving nearly 4 million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States. Barnes & Noble conducts its online business through Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com), one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, which also features more than two million titles in its NOOK Bookstore^™ (www.bn.com/ebooks). Through Barnes & Noble’s NOOK^™ eReading product offering, customers can buy and read eBooks on the widest range of platforms, including NOOK eBook Readers, devices from partner companies, and hundreds of the most popular mobile and computing devices using free NOOK software.

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the Internet by visiting the company’s corporate website:www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

NOOK^™, NOOK Color^™, Reader’s Tablet^™, NOOK Books^™, NOOK Bookstore^™, NOOK Newsstand^™, LendMe^™, ArticleView^™, Read In Store^™, More In Store™, Free Friday^™, Lifetime Library^™ and Read What You Love. Anywhere You Like^™ are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc. Other trademarks referenced in this release are the property of their respective owners.

Follow Barnes & Noble on Twitter (www.bn.com/twitter), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/barnesandnoble) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/bnstudio).

Google is hitting the eBooks with Google Editions

Sean Riley — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 07:52:12 +0000

It’s been about half a year since we last heard about Google’s foray into the eBook market and at the time they were hoping to launch the service by late Summer (obviously that never came to pass), but according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal they have almost closed out the necessary deals to launch in the U.S. by the end of the month and internationally in Q1 2011.

The eBook market is projected by Forrester Research to reach nearly a billion dollars this year, so this isn’t small game that Google is hunting and their trepidation in entering the fray before they have all the details worked out is understandable.

The last we heard of Google Editions the speculation was that they would be launching with over 4 million titles in their library, which eclipses what is currently available on other eBook platforms. The new report doesn’t specifically confirm that count, but they do reference similar figures with hundreds of thousands of paid titles available at launch with millions of others available for free.

Google is taking a different tact from the other eBook sellers by giving users the freedom to read their content anywhere that they have a browser. Purchases will be made through Google or through online retailers, such as independent bookstores, and all of the purchases will aggregate under the users Google account. This isn’t to say that there won’t be apps created to view your Editions content, but locking users into apps is not the focus. Their primary intent with Editions is going to be to make eBooks available from any location on the web that discusses books.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the pricing for the books should be comparable to that found through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc…. Booksellers that utilize the service will receive a percentage of the sale. Obviously the large booksellers are unlikely to sign on for this, but the independent sellers could definitely flock to this as their only potential chance for a piece of the eBook market.

Now as I said previously the Google Editions platform is OS agnostic so this isn’t an Android only piece of news, but I do see a couple ways in which Editions could help evangelize for Android. First, while it is great that you will be able to read these eBooks on any device the reality is that a device designed for the purpose is going to be the more popular option so it will likely fuel additional Android tablet sales as they will be the least expensive fully featured tablet experience in 2011. Second, people becoming accustomed to buying digital content through the Google ecosystem can only help the sale of Android apps.

Do you see Google Editions as helpful for Android?

Barnes and Noble to release an Android eReader application “very soon”

Anthony Domanico — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:11:05 +0000

Well, well…what have we here?

I’ve just received an email from Barnes and Noble asking me to (for a limited time only) start my eReader collection for free by downloading several books from their classic collection. This, of course, is not news in and of itself, but upon scrolling down to the bottom of the email, I had confirmed what I had been suspecting for a few weeks now: Barnes and Noble will soon be releasing an eReader app for the Android platform.

Looks like I was right when I said summer 2010 would be known as the year of the eReader application. The Barnes and Noble eReader application will be joining the recently released Amazon Kindle, Borders, and Kobo eReader applications that have all been released in the last several weeks.

I for one am very excited about the prospect of having every type of eBook I could possibly want right on my Android device. Where I think this will really benefit Android users in the future is when the 10″ Android tablets start to hit the market en masse. I know this is enough to get me to hold out for a tablet rather than spring for a Nook or a Kindle.

So readers, are you as excited as I am about the plethora of choices now available for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Android eReader updates: Alex, eDGE, Nook

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:37:01 +0000

Are you in the market for an Android-powered eReader? The Nook has been available since last year and two new devices are about to be launched. I gave into the hype and actually pre-ordered a Nook, which I have been very happy with (see unboxing and initial thoughts). We also got to play with the upcoming Alex and eDGe at during CES and I chose the Alex as the Best eReader of CES.

A few notes about upcoming Android eReaders:

Spring Design’s Alex pushed to first week of March: The Alex was supposed to launch February 22nd, but it got pushed back to March. Pricing has been lowered from $399 to $359, but you cannot order the device yet. For those who missed it, the Alex will include an e-bookstore powered by Borders.
Entourage eDGe early preorders shipping now; everyone else can wait until March: A new report from Entourage says that anyone who pre-ordered the eDGe before January 12th will have their unit shipped this week. The eDGe offers a unique dual-book design, but it sells for $499 (which puts it in the range of the iPad).
B&N: Nook “Single Best-Selling Product”: No surprise here. Barnes & Noble was overwhelmed with the demand for the Nook and was unable to keep up with orders during the holiday season. Production has finally ramped up and the Nook is in stock again. At only $259, the Nook is the most affordable Android-powered eReader. Barnes & Noble is also working on a native Android application.

None of these devices have support for the official Android Market, but the Alex and eDGE can run standard Android applications. The Nook can also load Android apps, but it requires a little bit of hacking.

If you are buying a device solely to read books I would suggest the Nook, but keep an eye on the Alex when it is finally released next month.

Nook to receive its first software update

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:45:02 +0000

As some of you guys know, we got a Nook and I think it is one of the coolest gadgets I’ve ever owned. I’m a huge Android nut and I’ve never used a Kindle (so my opinion is biased), but the Nook has exceeded all my expectations.

When I look at my Nook, I see huge potential because it is powered by Android. Either Barnes & Noble will open up the device and allow devs to release applications for it or hackers will root the device and create their own black market for apps. I can already picture using a web browser, RSS reader, and Gmail from my Nook.

According to nookDevs, it sounds like the first software update (of many) is on its way. They have several reports that claim Barnes & Noble could be pushing out the first update this weekend. We expect the update to be minor and focus on bug fixes since the device just came out this week.

Stay tuned for our full review of the first, Android-powered electronic reader. I wanted to spend a couple more days with the device before posting my final judgment. Leave a comment if you have any questions and I will try to address them.

Nook pre-orders get delayed

Taylor Wimberly — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:35:36 +0000

We already knew Nook pre-orders had exceeded all expectations, but it appears Barnes & Noble has encountered some other issues with their supply chain (maybe). I read early this week that the Nook’s in store date had slipped to January 11th and just today I received word that my pre-order had been delayed.

Barnes & Noble had sent me several emails informing me to expect my Nook “on or around November 30th”. Unfortunately, they missed their target date and I received a new email which says to expect the Nook by December 9, 2009. In order to compensate customers for the delay, Barnes & Noble has upgraded early pre-orders to overnight shipping and began handing out $10 gift cards.

Some sites are speculating that B&N’s legal troubles with Spring Design (remember the Alex?) could be the source of the most recent delay. Spring Design had been trying to get an official injunction (claiming their design was stolen) to halt the sale of the Nook, but it was denied. The court recognized there was a “genuine dispute” between the two parties so B&N is not out of the woods yet.

Anyone who wants a Nook for the holidays is pretty much out of luck if they did not pre-order. I have seen Nooks on eBay going has high as $500-600 and I expect the price to keep climbing as we approach Christmas.

Amazon appears to be the big winner in this story. They now offer their Kindle for $259.99 and have reported sales are going through the roof.

E-mail from B&N.

Nook pre-orders exceed all expectations

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:50:59 +0000

Update (11/20): Engadget is reporting the Nook has sold out for the holidays. Can you say Ebay?

It appears I’m not the only one excited about Barnes & Noble’s new Android-powered eReader. Pre-orders have exceeded demand and anyone now ordering a Nook (starting today) will have to wait till December 7th to receive it. Hurry up and order your device from Barnes & Noble, before this year’s hottest holiday gadget sells out.

Dear nook Customer:

Congratulations on being among the first to order nook!

Demand for nook has exceeded all expectations and we’re really excited about the enthusiastic response. The good news is that you should expect your device to ship on or around November 30th, as previously communicated. Starting today, October 30th (12:01am ET), anyone pre-ordering a nook should expect their device to ship on or around December 7th, still well in time for the holidays.

We expect the demand to continue to be heavy through the holiday season, and we are operating strictly on a first-come, first-serve basis.

We’re committed to updating our customers on expected nook availability and will do so through our stores, online at nook.com, and by email.

Thank you for being one of the first to order!

In case you missed it, check out our list of 5 reasons the Nook will top Kindle.

Attack of Android eReaders

Clark Wimberly — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:15:31 +0000

Its been a big week for Android powered eReaders. First we had the Barnes & Noble Nook, followed by the Spring Alex, now enTourage ups the ante with the eDGe. The enTourage eDGe is the world’s first dualbook (trademark, by the way), which means its an eReader and a netbook at the same time.

On the left we’ve got a 9.7in e-paper display capable of displaying 16 shades of gray. On the right is a 10.1in screen with a 1024 x 600 resolution running Android (yes, they are two slightly different sizes). The official site doesn’t have any word on processor or ram so I wouldn’t hold your breath for anything too snappy but the book styling and dual screens make it an interesting choice for casual use. Another sour note is the price, coming it at a hefty $490 (the B&N Nook is $259, by comparison) but if you are really feeling the dualbook vibe then you might be able to justify it. Here is the complete list of specs:

Dimensions: 8.25" x 10.75" by 1.0" (closed)
Weight: 2.5 lbs.
Internal Memory: 4 GB (3 GB for user) up to 3000 books
E-reader File Formats: ePub, PDF
LCD Touchscreen Display Size: 1024 x 600 (10.1")
E-paper Display Size: 9.7" e-Ink®(1200 x 825), 16 shades of gray
E-paper Input: Wacom® Penabled®
Operating System: Linux with Google® Android®
Connectivity: 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth capability
Battery Life: Up to 6 hours
Battery Type: Lithium-ion polymer
Mobile Modem (optional): EVDO or HSDPA
External Memory: SD card slot, 2 USB ports
Audio and Microphone Jack: 3.5 mm each. Includes internal microphone and speakers.
Audio playback: MP3
Video playback: MP4, 3GP
Input: Stylus input on e-paper and touchscreen. Virtual keyboard. Bluetooth keyboard (optional)

Choose a color (for $40 upcharge)

Spring Design announces Android powered eReader

Taylor Wimberly — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:57:23 +0000

Barnes & Noble is set to announce their eReader tomorrow, but it looks like another company is trying to beat them to the punch. This morning, Spring Design announced Alex, another e-book reader powered by Android. The device features two displays and looks oddly similar to the leaked pics of the B&N eReader. (This is not the B&N device!)

Engadget points out this press release might be part of a looming patent dispute. Spring Design has a domain registered by Albert Teng, who has numerous patents pending for “electronic devices having complementary dual-displays.”

Check out the official Spring Design site for the full press release.

This is not the Barnes & Noble e-reader.

Barnes & Noble eReader gets pictured

Taylor Wimberly — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:47:42 +0000

The Barnes & Noble eReader is scheduled to be unveiled next week, but Gizmodo has leaked some pictures and details of the device early. I never thought I’d be in the market for an eReader, but this thing looks sweet. The device features a 6 inch e-ink display for reading books and a separate color LCD at the bottom for accessing the store. Our favorite feature is that the device is said to be powered by Android (which means you could one day read our blog on the device).

Highlights of the device include:

6-inch e-ink display with an 800×600 pixel resolution
480×144 multitouch color LCD
Access to Barnes & Noble library and the Google Books project
Runs Android

The device features two displays.