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Reports have surfaced that Microsoft is allegedly offering $1 billion to buy the digital assets of Nook Media, Barnes & Noble's venture into e-book publishing. Under the terms of the deal, Microsoft would redeem preferred units in Nook Media, which would give control of the operation to Microsoft.
Barnes & Noble has dropped the price of its Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets as part of a Mother's Day promotion. For the next week, the retailer will be selling the 7-inch Nook HD from $149 for the 8GB and $179 for the 16GB models, while the 9-inch Nook HD+ is priced at $179 for 16GB of storage and $209 for 32GB. The discounts, varying between $50 and $90 depending on model, will apply until May 12th.
Subscribers to the tablet editions of Hearst Magazines publications have finally broken past the 1 million mark, says company head David Carey. The executive at one point said the company would have 1 million subscribers by the end of 2012, but ended up with a figure closer to 900,000. "I’m glad we got there," Carey remarks. "We were just 90 days late."
Barnes & Noble is boosting the number of apps available for its Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets, by adding the Google Play store. The software update will add Play alongside the company's own app store, boosting the number of apps available to its users by over 700,000, along with the millions of songs found on Google Play Music, and other Google-supplied content.
Barnes and Noble e-publishing subsidiary Nook Media today announced the launch of Nook Press, a new self-publishing platform offering authors a fast and free way to write, edit, collaborate, and offer eBooks to avid readers. The new platform replaces the previous PubIt! platform after two and a half years of service.
Book retailer Barnes & Noble will be allowing Nook HD and Nook HD+ users to make in-app purchases in the future, according to a company announcement. Working with mobile payment provider Fortumo, developers of apps available through the Nook store will have the option of adding the one-click checkout payments system to their products.
Book seller Barnes and Noble announced today that it will be offering a free Simple Touch e-book reader to purchasers of the Nook HD+ tablet starting next week. The Simple Touch was reduced to $79 after a winter of poor sales, and the move may be an attempt to clear the sales channel of the nearly year-old device. The deal is not yet active on the Barnes and Noble website, which currently boasts a $50 credit with the purchase of the Nook HD+ device.
The iPad maintained an overwhelming control of US and Canadian tablet web usage during the holiday season, according to new tracking data from online ad network Chitika. The iPad started at nearly 90 percent in early December, but only slid to roughly 81 percent by the end of January, in spite of increased competition from Android tablets. The biggest shift is said to have happened around Christmas, when Apple briefly dipped to 79 percent while other tablets gained ground.
Although the iPad remains the best-selling tablet, Apple's share of the tablet market dropped 8.1 points year-over-year during the last quarter -- albeit based on shipments rather than actual sales to end users, according to new iDC numbers. Shipments rose from 15.1 million to 22.9 million, but the company's marketshare dipped from 51.7 percent to 43.6 percent. Much of the lost ground was claimed by Samsung, which saw share rise from 7.3 percent to 15.1 percent, and shipments rise from 2.2 million to 7.9 million. ASUS also made large strides, advancing from a two percent share and just 600,000 shipments to a 5.8 percent share and 3.1 million tablets shipped.
Barnes & Noble released today a report on its sales results for the nine-week holiday period ending December 29, 2012, revealing disappointing sales trends for its Nook tablet and e-reader devices. The retailer saw revenues of $1.2 billion for the period, down 10.9 percent over the prior year, due in large part to an 8.2 percent decline in store sales, as well as lower online sales and a number of store closures. The Nook segment, the centerpiece of Barnes & Noble's digital content sales strategy, saw a 12.6 percent drop in revenue compared to a year ago.
British publisher Pearson has committed to an $89.5 million investment in Barnes & Noble's Nook Media subsidiary. The stock acquisition represents a five-percent stake in the Nook division, which will continue to be controlled by Barnes & Noble's 78.2-percent ownership.
Literary retail chain Barnes & Noble has opened its Nook Video movie and TV store in the United Kingdom. The video service is also the first digital retailer in the UK to offer UltraViolet titles for sale, allowing customers to buy films through the system as well as registering codes from purchased DVDs and Blu-Ray discs bought in stores.
Barnes and Noble is reducing the prices of some of its e-reader devices again. The price for the Nook Color will drop on November 4 to $139, the 8GB Nook Tablet will be $159, and the 16GB Nook Tablet will fall to $179. The cut arrives nearly in parallel with the shipment of the Nook HD and HD+, both available on November 8.
Texas Instruments has indicated that it will refocus its business efforts around the embedded application processor market including the automotive market. To do this, it will shift from its current emphasis on developing its OMAP processors for smartphones and tablets, reports Reuters. According to TI, the embeded processor market offers the prospect of greater financial stability moving forward, despite its OMAP SOCs appearing in the high-profile, but low cost, Kindle Fire HD and Barnes & Noble Nook HD tablets.
Barnes & Noble has launched the latest salvo in it ongoing e-reader and tablet war with Amazon by releasing its new Nook HD+ and Nook HD tablets. The Nook HD+ is aimed at tackling the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD with a 9-inch display. The new Nook HD shares the same 7-inch screen dimensions as Amazon’s 7-inch Kindle Fire HD. Both sets of devices from the two companies also share the same dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 processor.
Bookseller chain Barnes & Noble will be creating its own downloadable video store in the fall, the company announced. Nook Video will allow users to buy movies and TV shows, and watch them on TVs and smartphones, as well as other handhelds such as the Nook Tablet. The move brings it in line with competitor Amazon's own Instant Video offering, complete with soon-to-launch free Nook Video apps.
Apple has scored highest in a new JD Power customer satisfaction survey of tablet owners. The iPad has earned Apple a score of 848 -- above an industry average of 832 -- as well as five stars in JD Power's Power Circle ratings. Close behind with a 4/5 rating and a score of 841 is Amazon, which has so far only had one tablet computer, the 2011 model of the Kindle Fire. New Fires were recently announced.
Barnes & Noble is planning to launch its Nook e-reader line and digital bookstore in the United Kingdom later this year. Online sales through a UK-specific website are to be supported by retail sales from mid-October onwards, in time for the Christmas holiday period. It will face stiff competition from the long-established Amazon Kindle line and WH Smith-supported Kobo e-reader.
Barnes & Noble has slashed the prices of its Nook e-reader and tablet devices ahead of mounting speculation that Amazon is soon to introduce an all-new Kindle Fire, reports Reuters. A Nook tablet with 16GB of storage has been cut from $249 to $199, while the 8GB model gets trimmed $20 down to $179. The Nook Color has also had a price cut, taking it from $169 to $149.
A hack has allowed Macintosh OS to be installed on the Nook Simple Touch. Blogger Mike Cane last year wrote about an "impossible dream" to make a Nook Touch run an early Mac OS build. The vision eventually became a reality, following a report in February that someone had successfully installed Macintosh emulator Mini vMac on the device.
Retail chain Target has confirmed that it will stop carrying Amazon Kindle e-book readers online and at its stores, along with getting rid of all Amazon-branded accessories and gear. The news comes from a leaked internal memo obtained by The Verge and a further confirmation from the retailer. There are no specific official reasons given as to why the move is happening, citing only a "conflict of interest."
In an interview with Fortune, Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch revealed that the company's Nook e-book reader will get an NFC radio sometime in the future. It would be used to read the codes embedded into physical books that will contain editorial reviews also found on BN.com. Store displays and ads could also contain such information, letting potential customers read the synopsis or learn more about the author before purchase.
Barnes & Noble and Microsoft on Monday settled an Android patent dispute through a union. An e-reading partnership, Newco, will see Microsoft take a $300 million, or 17.6 percent, stake in a project that should merge Barnes & Noble's Nook business and its college division. In return for the funding, Barnes & Noble will make a Nook app for Windows 8 to help foster textbooks on future Microsoft-powered tablets.
Barnes & Noble is already shipping its Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, or weeks ahead of the originally-promised schedule. Those who have pre-ordered the device will get it this week, with shipments continuing through to the end of the month. Store stock won't arrive until early in May, however, and it will be limited, B&N warned.
Barnes & Noble's rumored expansion into audio products appears to be reality, as an image of an as yet unannounced product has surfaced on the company's home page. The image shows a set of sleek, gray, Nook-branded headphones.
Apple after silence through the past two days responded Thursday to the Department of Justice lawsuit over alleged e-book pricing collusion. Spokesman Tom Neumayr flatly rejected the accusations when asked for comment by AllThingsD, recapping the company's objections to the European Union that the iBookstore was beneficial as it was created. The iPad-focused store kept Amazon from having excessive control and improved e-books themselves, Neumayr said, pointing out that the move beyond the Kindle format also upgraded books themselves.
Barnes & Noble leapt quickly on rumors by unveiling the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight. The reader is the first to merge e-paper with edge lighting that evenly illuminates the screen in the dark without needing an add-on or an outside light. The trick is meant for couples that don't want to interrupt a sleeping partner, but it also has an advantage for anyone that doesn't want to buy a clip-on reading light.
The Australia Competition and Consumer Commission is considering taking the same path that the US Department of Justice did in confronting Apple and publishers over e-book pricing. Regulators have been asking Australian retailers whether they thought publishers were rigging pricing in the country. There were "competition concerns" whenever a company wanted to curb the ability to put a product on sale, the agency said.
Samsung late Wednesday detailed the US launch plans for a trio of its main Android tablet devices for the year. The Galaxy Tab 2 line will come to the US in both 7.0- and 10.1-inch forms with their dual-core 1GHz processors, Android 4.0, three-megapixel rear camera and VGA front cameras intact. The two are considered lower-cost versions of original Galaxy Tab ancestors but do have unique support for infrared remote control using Peel's Smart Remote app.
Barnes & Noble looks likely to preempt Amazon's front-lit Kindle with an e-reader of its own. A leaked instance of in-store signage at The Digital Reader shows the Nook Simple Touch getting "GlowLight," a nickname for a system that evenly illuminates the display despite coming from the edges. Although not mentioned in the ad, the effect is easier on the eyes than an LCD backlight.
Google gave notice Thursday that it was ending its e-book reseller program. The effort, which let physical retailers and other third parties resell from Google Play Books, had "not gained the traction" Google wanted. A current set of 16 partners would be phasing out as the service wound down by the end of January.
Barnes & Noble is readying a mystery product that could lead to an expansion into audio. A product page for a Nook Audio has shown up on Barnes & Noble's own online store with an OE250 model name. AS the name isn't connected to existing Nooks and hasn't cleared the FCC, it may be a speaker dock, wireless speakers, or headphones for the Nook Color or Nook Tablet.
Barnes & Noble has just released an updated version of its Nook for iOS app (free, App Store). It has been optimized for the new iPad and its Retina display with sharper graphics, words, and images. Otherwise, 3.1.3 brings with it more reading options, letting users have single- or dual-column views when in landscape orientation on the tablet, like in an actual book. The highlight feature is also now much easier.
Apple may be ready to make important concessions to settle a possible Department of Justice lawsuit over e-book pricing, a pair of sources claimed Friday. Although not concrete, a deal could come "in the next few weeks," the Reuters insiders said. The core of the deal would revolve around Apple dropping its "most favored nation" clause, which bars publishers from offering a lower price at other stores.
Barnes & Noble may soon bring its Nook Tablet to Germany, as it recently incorporated a new company in the country. Called Barnes & Noble Digital Media GmbH, the company was created on March 15, which also nearly coincided with a visit to London to interest developers in creating apps for the seven-inch tablet.
Amazon's rumored Kindle Fire lineup expansion might get larger still based on an unusually specific rumor late Wednesday. There would be "at least two" new Kindle Fire models in 2012, Digitimes insisted, with as many as four depending on Amazon's ambitions. A 10.1-inch model was supposedly on track for July shipments and would aim at the $249 to $299 price range, with HannsTouch supposedly joining TPK and Wintek in making touch panels.
New rumors have surfaced claiming that Amazon will have a much wider strategy for its next-generation Kindle Fire tablets than thought. Taiwan Economic News claimed that the 8.9-inch version would be joined by two seven-inch models. One would have the 1024x600 display of the original, while a high-end version would get a 1280x800 display; the 8.9-inch version would supposedly have a 1920x1200 screen and thus compete even with the new iPad for pixel density.
JK Rowling's own Pottermore store became the first to carry Harry Potter e-books on Tuesday. The shop has all seven novels in ePub format. The files are unprotected and will work with iPads and other iOS devices along with Android hardware and anything else that takes standard ePub files; Kindle users get their own file format for support.
Continuing some of the more in-depth examinations of the new iPad, a detailed screen comparison at DisplayMate has shown a major improvement in Apple's tablet display quality, albeit at a cost. While the 2048x1536 resolution is an obvious advantage, the display analysis team saw that the new screen saw big improvements in other areas, most of all color accuracy. While the iPad 2's display got just 61 percent of the standard color range, the new iPad's screen was near-flawless, with 99 percent accuracy on top of "perfect" contrast and gamma levels.
Conde Nast took an important step towards giving tablet magazines a foothold by outlining regular readership data for its rapidly growing tablet apps. Advertisers and others who need it will now get both the usual subscription and one-time sales as well as metrics that can't be tracked with paper. The stats will show how often a reader opened an issue and how much total time they spent with it, showing the real engagement and whether an issue was effective.
Barnes & Noble exported its Nook Comics experience to other devices through an update to its Nook for Android app (Google Play Store) on Tuesday. The 3.1 update lets any Android tablet using Android 2.2 or newer get access to the bookstore's collection of comics and graphic novels, ranging from Dark Horse to IDW and Marvel. Comics get added treatment within the app, including thumbnails for the table of contents.
IDC on Tuesday gave its own breakdown of world tablet share from this fall and painted an optimistic look at Android's position in the market. Going higher than others' estimates, the research team believed that Amazon shipped 4.7 million Kindle Fires, or enough to stake out 16.8 percent of tablets worldwide. Along with a slight gain from Samsung to 5.8 percent, the prediction would have knocked Apple down from 61.5 percent last summer to 54.7 percent in the last few months of 2011.
Barnes & Noble has released a maintenance update for its Simple Touch e-book reader. The company's website suggests v1.1.2 brings "minor system enhancements," though representatives have confirmed that it attempts to address a Wi-Fi reliability issue that has affected some users.
In January 2011, Amazon launched its digital Kindle Singles library. The collection features works that are longer in length than articles, but shorter than books. MocoNews reports that, in the 15 months since the store opened its doors, more than two million of the works have been purchased and downloaded.
Both Barnes & Noble and Kobo have started to offer Dark Horse Comics' graphic novels for the Nook Tablet, Nook Color, and Kobo Vox. Over 100 of the company's titles will be available for purchase and downloading through the Nook Comics and Kobo stores. Previously, they had been available for iOS devices.
Amazon is making a rare effort to branch out in its e-book publishing beyond the Kindle through a new deal with author James Atlas that was outlined on Friday. A new 12-book biography line, Amazon Lives, will be edited by Atlas and published in e-book form in other stores, the New York Times was understood. Which stores would get it weren't mentioned, although it's unlikely to involve the Nook store given active bans on Amazon material over Barnes & Noble's objection to digital exclusives on the Kindle.
The International Trade Commission finished the week by denying Barnes & Noble its attempt to renew antitrust claims against Microsoft. A judge had taken belated evidence from the Nook designer into account but still decided that the original decision, that there wasn't enough evidence to suggest Microsoft was abusing patents, would stand. The verdict didn't necessarily side with Microsoft, but left Barnes & Noble withe option only of challenging Microsoft's claims that it violates patents.
Apple's long rumored smaller iPad was given a tentative production timeline in a rumor late Wednesday. Sample units were supposed by Digitimes' part supplier sources to be going out for testing, but production was still some distance away. It wouldn't start production until summer "at the earliest," according to the tip.
Barnes & Noble will be giving Nook Tablet owners more flexibility in how they can use the device's internal memory. Starting March 12, owners of the 16GB version will be able to repartition their memory so that 12GB of the 13GB usable memory that had been pre-allocated to Nook Store content can be used for other personal content. The 8GB model, which was launched just yesterday, reserves 1GB for store content and offers 4GB for personal content.
Barnes & Noble fired its return shot against the Kindle Fire on Tuesday by introducing an 8GB version of the Nook Tablet. Its edition cuts the storage in half, and lowers the RAM to 512MB, but is otherwise functionally identical to the 16GB original. The two choices trim $50 off the price to hit $199, or as much as the Nook Tablet's Amazon counterpart.
