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 […]
eNews
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
Typical Starbucks Fanfare Hides Some Real Book News from Libre Digital and Others
Starbucks is one of those companies the media loves to over-cover (consider, say, free wifi at the coffee shops, versus free wifi at McDonald’s) and today they announced yet another complicated promotional entertainment offering. Traditionally these initiatives are great for free media, and then tend to fizzle away after a couple of pops. (The roster includes: their dedicated book picks; CD racks; Oprah book club sales; their music label; Starbucks Entertainment; their film adventures; their audiobook promotion; and so on.)The announcement introduces the Starbucks Digital Network–kind of AOL from the early 90s, reinvented for today in partnership with Yahoo, providing […]
Bookselling Briefs: Nook News x3; Stylish Reading Glasses; and Bicycle Delivery
In Barnes & Noble news, the company launched their promised NookStudy platform (which makes rich textbooks available via computers); promised that a November 1.5 version of their Nook reader operating software will “dramatically increase” page-turning speed, improve syncing of books across devices, add customized library organization and more; and invited tech media to a “very special” October 26 event, raising speculation about a new Nook device on the way. Not to be left out, Borders will add “fashion-forward, stylish” reading glasses from ICU Eyewear to their merchandise mix. (Reading glasses were a topic during the Q&A session at Barnes & […]