ereader - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Apr

Engadget Goes Hands-On With The NOOK Simple Touch With GlowLight - Shipping In May, Pre-Order Now

Posted by David Ruddock in Barnes & Noble, News, Nook, Videos

eReaders have long been plagued with the problem of being damn near useless in low-light scenarios, but thanks to the recently announced NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight, those days are finally past us. Using a front-lit (as opposed to backlit, which doesn't really work with eInk) display, the new Simple Touch eReader allows you to enjoy the pleasure of eInk reading without having to worry about adequate ambient lighting.

This should be especially good news for those who enjoy reading in bed or during long flights. Check out the images and video of the new NOOK in action, and don't forget to hit up Engadget for the hands-on.

Jan

Barnes & Noble Poised To Announce A Fifth Nook Device This Spring

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Barnes & Noble, Nook

Leave it to the New York Times to stuff a zinger like this in a three-page piece on the future of the publishing industry; it looks like Barnes & Noble is set to announce a new Nook device come this Spring. This will be B&N's fifth Nook device, following the Nook Tablet.

From the New York Times:

Barnes & Noble is trying to strike at Amazon with another device. At its labs in Silicon Valley last week, engineers were putting final touches on their fifth e-reading device, a product that executives said would be released sometime this spring. (A Barnes & Noble spokeswoman declined to elaborate.)

The million dollar question is what, exactly, Barnes & Noble is cooking up.

Dec

[Deal Alert] Barnes & Noble Offering Refurbished NOOK Color For Just $129 On eBay

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Deals, NOOKcolor (Encore)

If you're looking to get a NOOK Color this holiday season, and have an appreciation for hot discounts (who doesn't?), today's your lucky day. Barnes & Noble is now selling manufacturer refurbished units on eBay for just $129.99 with free shipping.

For those not familiar, the NOOK Color features a 7" VividView IPS display, an 800MHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and of course, access to over 2.5 million titles in "the world's largest bookstore."

While the NOOK Color may have recently been overshadowed by B&N's NOOK Tablet, it's still being supported, and is a great solution for the money. To take advantage of the deal, just head over to B&N's eBay listing here.

Nov

Is Amazon Deliberately Hiding Non-Kindle eReader Apps From Kindle Fire Owners?

Posted by David Ruddock in Amazon, Kindle Fire, News

It sure seems that way, according to Android Guys. They claim competing eBook apps such as Kobo and Aldiko don't appear in search results when using the Amazon Appstore on a Kindle Fire tablet. Additionally, eBook reader developer BlueFire claims that while his app is listed as Kindle Fire-compatible on the Amazon Appstore, it too fails to show up in search results on the device.

We've not heard of many apps mysteriously not showing up in the Fire's app list (presumably Amazon had lots of time to work on ensuring most apps on its store would be compatible) for a lack of compatibility, so if this does turn out to be true, we can probably assume that Amazon made a conscious decision to keep competitors' apps out of the hands of users.

Oct

Barnes & Noble Having A Breakfast NOOK Event On November 7th, But How Will All Those Journalists Fit In One Room?

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Barnes & Noble, News

It seems earlier suspicions that Barnes & Noble would be unveiling a replacement for the NOOK Color on November 7th have been all but confirmed by an e-mail invitation the company has sent out to major tech outlets:

There has been no reliable information about the next NOOK Color leaked at this point, though with a week to go, we won't be surprised if the device gets an unauthorized blurrycameo before its official unveiling.

What do you think, can B&N out-Kindle Amazon with the next NOOK Color? Amazon's extremely narrow (read: negative) profit margin on each Kindle Fire will make them hard to undercut, or even match, with any kind of comparable hardware.

Oct

Rumor: Barnes And Noble Getting Ready For The Next NOOK On November 7th

Posted by David Ruddock in Barnes & Noble

According to The Digital Reader (confirmed by The Wall Street Journal), Barnes and Noble stores are expanding their NOOK areas in retail stores for the holidays, and likely in time for the next generation of NOOK.

Digital Reader claims that on November 7, B&N will make an announcement regarding the NOOK line of products, and that the expansion of the NOOK Boutique in retail locations is being undertaken to prepare for the arrival of the new Android-powered color eReader.

Many have speculated that B&N would unveil a new NOOK before the holiday season here in the U.S., as the NOOK Color has reached a practical end of life when compared to the hardware of its primary competitor, Amazon's Kindle Fire.

May

Barnes And Noble Unveils The Next Nook: 2 Months Of Battery Life, Android, E-Ink, And More For $140

Posted by David Ruddock in Barnes & Noble, News, Nook

It seems Barnes and Noble gave everyone a bit of a surprise today. It was expected that the bookseller would be launching a 3G version of its wildly popular NOOK e-reader (or maybe even a 3G NOOKcolor), but instead, B&N went straight for the competition's throat, launching the 6-inch e-ink display sporting, Android-powered (albeit Android 2.1) NOOK Simple Touch Reader. And all for the low, low cost of $140 - a price suspiciously reminiscent of a certain other e-book reader.

Look mom, no buttons!

Anyway, as I said, the screen is e-ink - so you're only getting black and white. But you're also getting absolutely ridiculous battery life: B&N claims 2 months on a single charge with Wi-Fi turned off.

Apr

New Version Of Kindle App For Android Plays Nicer With Your Tablet

Posted by Brad Ganley in Applications, Apps/Games

We just got word from Amazon that there is a new version of the Kindle app for Android available that brings numerous optimizations for tablets running Honeycomb, effectively making a Kindle out of your non-Kindle tablet. Here's the full press release:

SEATTLE, April 21, 2011 – (NASDAQ: AMZN) – Today Amazon announced an update to Kindle for Android that brings new features and adds support for tablet computers running Android’s Honeycomb, including the Motorola Xoom. The latest version of Kindle for Android includes an integrated immersive shopping experience tailored for tablets, a new layout for newspapers and magazines designed for the unique interface of Honeycomb, and dozens of other new enhancements that take advantage of the larger screens. Like all Kindle apps, Kindle for Android includes Amazon's Whispersync technology, which saves and synchronizes a customer's books and bookmarks across their Kindle, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Android-based phones and tablets. Customers can learn more about Kindle for Android at www.amazon.com/kindleforandroid and download the app from the Amazon Appstore for Android or Android Market.

Jan

Velocity Micro Announces 3 New Cruz Tablets Running On Android

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Cruz Tablet, News, Velocity Micro

There really are a lot of tablets being announced at CES 2011, and Velocity Micro just launched their new lineup of Android tablets as well: the 7" Cruz Tablet L37, the 8" Cruz Tablet P38, and the 10.1" Cruz Tablet L510.

The 7" L37 has a 1024x600 capacitive touch screen, while the 8" P38 has a 1024x768 screen, and both come with 802.11n WiFi and 4GB of internal memory. The 10.1" P38 has a 1366x768 capacitive touch screen and runs on the NVIDIA Tegra 250 Chipset with a 1GHz dual-core CPU.

The tablets all feature front and rear facing cameras, 3G data options, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS and eCompass functionality, HDMI out and, sticking to its eReader roots, Velocity Micro will be pre-installing the Amazon Kindle app on the tablets.

Dec

[Review] Google Books for Android: Reading Just Got Better

Posted by David Ruddock in App Reviews, Applications, News, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

What is Google eBooks?

Google unveiled its long-awaited eBook store this morning. What makes it different from, say, the Amazon eBook store? Well, sheer selection of titles for one: Google's eBooks has debuted with over 3 million pieces of literature to choose from - including a vast library of free and public domain materials, many of which you won't find anywhere else (trust me). It would appear Google's massive digitalization efforts have paid off.

Perhaps more exciting is that Google has simultaneously made available its Books application on a range of devices - Android included, of course. But, if you're stuck with a piece of iOS hardware, there's no need to fret, the Books app can be found in the Apple App Store.