On Friday Amazon announced on their Kindle forums that “later this year” they will borrow Nook’s “Lend Me” feature and make ebooks available for limited lending, using the same basic rule set: “Each book can be lent once for a loan period of 14-days and the lender cannot read the book during the loan period. Additionally, not all e-books will be lendable – this is solely up to the publisher or rights holder, who determines which titles are enabled for lending.” Everyone’s having lots of fun citing Jeff Bezos’s remarks on Nook’s Lend Me feature to Deborah Solomon in the […]
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Nook Accidentally Reveals Accessory for Color Reader; Launches Nook Kids with Features that Would Work Great On a Color Touchscreen
Now for equal time for Nook. Expectations that the company will introduce a touchscreen color model of Nook rose with CNet’s discovery over the weekend of a rogue product page on Barnes & Noble’s web site of a “Nook Color Screen Film Kit” accessory. (The page was subsequently taken down.) Nook did launch a NookKids.com where they preview ebook versions of picture books that have a read-aloud feature built in–just the kind of material that would make sense on a color ereader (as well as via apps, of course). The WSJ says they will have about 100 picture books available […]
Tip Says NookColor to Debut Next Week, As Delaware Court Lets BN Shareholder Lawsuit Go Forward
The rumor on Barnes & Noble’s press event for next Tuesday is that the company will launch a color touchscreen ereader priced at $249. CNET cites an anonymous “tipster” who “has proven reliable in the past.” Separately, SlashGear points out that Barnes & Noble registered the URL NookColor.com in March (and updated their registration record earlier this month).CNET In other Barnes & Noble news, Delaware chancellor Leo Strine Jr. agreed with shareholders who have sued the company over the purchase of Barnes & Noble college last year, saying the acquisition process “gives off a very fishy smell.” Strine therefore declined […]
More Digital: Kobo, Territory Troubles, Yes iPad Owners Read Books, and News Corp.’s Pullback
Yesterday Kobo announced that they too will have their wireless eReaders on sale in 2,500 US Wal-Mart stores starting next week. The Bookseller what many people already knew: Kindle’s territorial controls on downloads are very easily subverted. In the magazine’s case, they repeatedly purchased cheap US versions of ebooks by supplying a US mailing address–even though the address associated with their credit card was in the UK. This issue will only get bigger (though the problem is primarily for non-US publishers trying to compete with the availability and pricing on US editions).Bookseller Nielsen released highlights of the first in a […]
Blog Gets Dorchester to Respond on Publishing eBooks Even After Reverting Rights
Yesterday the Smart Bitches blog reported on two former Dorchester authors, Jana DeLeon and Leslie Langrty–both represented by agent Kristin Nelson–who said that the publisher had reverted rights to their books but continued to sell ebook versions. Both authors and agent Nelson said they have contacted the house multiple times asking for the ebooks to be removed from sale with no effect, and they recently sent DMCA takedown notices to etailers including Amazon and BN.com, so far with no effect. (In Langtry’s case, not only does she say Dorchester was selling her ebook without rights, but they also offered it […]
Nook Goes to Wal-Mart
Barnes & Noble announced that Wal-Mart will carry the Nook reader in 2,500 stores starting as early as October 24 and online as well. Perhaps as important, the announcement notes that Nook “will be prominently featured as the premier eBook Reader in the consumer electronics area. Many Wal-mart stores will feature a Nook-branded eReading area where shoppers can see and touch a demonstration device.” The next coup–not indicated at all in the announcement of course–is when or if Nook partners with Wal-mart to sell ebooks on their web site, too. Wal-Mart is carrying iPads now as well.Announcement