Nook

B&N reportedly to 'move away' from making Nook hardware

The Nook hasn't worked out as Barnes & Noble had hoped, reportedly leading executives at the bookseller to rethink its hardware strategy.

The bookseller, which acknowledged last month that Nook segment sales for the holidays were much lower than expected, will "move away" from building its own hardware to a strategy that focuses on licensing content to third-party developers, sources tell The New York Times.

"They are not completely getting out of the hardware business, but they are going to lean a lot more on the comprehensive digital catalog of content," said an unidentified person … Read more

RootMyNook vs. N2A Cards: Battle of the Nook-to-Android cards

Right out of the box, the Barnes & Noble Nook HD and Nook HD+ are pretty sweet tablets. CNET commended the Nook HD for its "light, comfortable screen and sharp design," while dubbing the Nook HD+ a "fantastic tablet value."

Beyond the box, however, both tablets can do so much more. Thanks to customized microSD expansion cards from RootMyNookHD and N2A Cards, you can turn your Nook into a full-blown Android tablet.

The advantages in doing so are plain: Not only do you get full access to Google Play and all the apps therein (Barnes & … Read more

Barnes & Noble Nook business to sink deeper this year

The Nook business ain't what it used to be.

Barnes & Noble announced yesterday that it expects a higher loss from its Nook business for fiscal 2013, which ends in April. The company didn't reveal specific numbers, but its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) showed a loss of $262 million for fiscal 2012.

B&N expects overall annual sales from the entire Nook Media business to be less than $3 billion. The Nook business itself includes the tablet, an e-book reader, accessories, and digital content such as books and movies. The Nook Media business … Read more

How to print a page from a magazine app

I'm a magazine junkie. And these days I tend to read a lot of mags on my iPad, especially now that I can get most of my favorite periodicals (Men's Health, Entertainment Weekly, Wired, etc.) in tablet form.

Just one problem: Few, if any, magazine apps let you print. What's the big deal about that? Well, suppose you're perusing the digital pages of Bon Appetit and want a hard copy of one of the recipes? Or you've found a cool project in Family Handyman and need a shopping list to take to the hardware store? … Read more

iPad still top tablet but keeps shedding market share

The iPad remains the king of the tablet world, but Android rivals continue to carve off some of its market share.

Apple shipped a total of 22.9 million iPads worldwide last quarter thanks to demand for the iPad Mini and the availability of the 4th-gen iPad, according to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker. That number was in line with IDC's forecast and showed a 48.1 percent jump in shipments over the same quarter in 2011.

But for the second consecutive quarter, Apple's share of the global tablet market fell. In the fourth quarter of 2012, … Read more

Shocker: B&N to cut a third of stores over next decade -- WSJ

Barnes & Noble plans to close as many as a third of its stores over the next decade as it continues to grapple with consumers' move to digital books, the Wall Street Journal reported today.

The Journal, citing Mitchell Klipper, chief executive of Barnes & Noble's retail group, said the company will have 450 to 500 stores in 10 years, down from 689 as of Jan. 23. It also currently has a separate chain of 674 college stores.

Barnes & Noble has shrunk its retail presence over the past several years as e-book readers and tablets have become more … Read more

Nook Media finalizes $89.5 million Pearson investment

Nook Media, the Barnes & Noble subsidiary that covers the bookseller's Nook line and accessories, has completed its investment deal with Pearson.

Barnes & Noble announced the deal last month. Pearson will invest $89.5 million into Nook Media and will receive a 5 percent stake in return. Pearson will have the option to acquire another 5 percent of Nook Media if certain unidentified conditions are met.

Pearson is now partners with Barnes & Noble and Microsoft. In April, Microsoft and Barnes & Noble announced a joint partnership that would see the software giant invest $300 million in the Nook unit. … Read more

Get a Nook Tablet 16GB for $99.99

Got tablet?

Until tomorrow, and while supplies last, Fry's has the recertified Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet 16GB for $99.99, plus $6.99 for shipping. (Sales tax may also apply in some states.)

Update: Looks like it's now available in-store only. So unless you have a Fry's near you, you're outta luck.

As you may recall, a short while ago I listed a refurbished Kindle Fire for around the same price. But the Nook Tablet has a few points in its favor, not the least of which are twice the storage and a microSD slot … Read more

B&N: Nook device sales shrink over the holidays

There weren't as many Nooks under the Christmas tree this year as Barnes & Noble had been hoping for.

The company this morning didn't mince words about holiday sales for its line of tablets and e-readers.

"Nook device sales got off to a good start over the Black Friday period, but then fell short of expectations for the balance of holiday," William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble, said in the grim statement. "We are examining the root cause of the December shortfall in sales, and will adjust our strategies accordingly going forward."

For … Read more