Though Microsoft is no stranger to patent battles of its own, the company isn’t shy of reaching a win-win settlement with other corporations. It looks like Redmond just killed two birds with one stone when it decided to jump into the e-book market by investing in Barnes & Noble’s Nook reader, while settling its patent lawsuit against the e-reader company.

Announced yesterday, the deal between Microsoft and Barnes & Noble Inc. sees Microsoft getting 17.6% share of the newly established e-book and college book business unit, in exchange for $300 million, which will leave B&N as the majority shareholder with $1.4 billion. Over the next five years, Microsoft plans to inject an additional $305 million.

Barnes & Noble has toyed with the idea of spinning off its Nook and e-book business, which has been the saving grace for the company’s brick-and-mortar bookstore chain, at a time when less people choose to purchase physical books and opt for digital ones instead. Though it wasn’t first to release an e-book reader to the market, Barnes & Noble’s Nook digital reader was still able to capture a 27% market share, against Amazon’s Kindle 60% share and Apple’s 10%.

With the backing of Microsoft, Barnes & Noble will have more financial resources to support the R&D effort of its e-book reader, which has proven to be quite expensive and dragged down its profit in the past. According to William Lynch, the company’s chief executive officer, the partnership will allow Nook to branch out to the international market and to develop new reading software that will run on Windows platform.

Microsoft, on the other hand, will get a strong footing right off the bat in the increasingly lucrative digital book market, one that even Apple has been pushing aggressively with the introduction of iTunes U, a dedicated college textbook service. With six months to go before Microsoft is expected to launch its touch-friendly Windows 8 operating system, this guarantees the inclusion of a Nook app on the upcoming tablets. Let’s not discount the possibility of future Nook tablets and e-readers running Windows 8 OS as well.

An analyst at McAdams Wright Ragen, Sid Parakh, puts it best: “It gets Microsoft in the game for e-readers, and gives them access to a market that has been growing nicely and they’ve basically sat out of. It also makes Windows 8 a more compelling platform from an e-readers perspective,” he said.

Considering the amount of money that Microsoft has, the planned $305 million can be considered as a very small investment, but it’s one that can pay off nicely for both sides.

NEXT: Barnes & Noble Could Bring the End of Microsoft’s Extortion Tactics

Barnes & Noble NOOK e-reader released for Android The ‘Nook’ electronic book from Barnes & Noble runs Android

Even though Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet has been clearly overshadowed by Amazon’s Kindle Fire, the basic Nook e-readers are still on top of  the shopping and wish lists of many users. However, the e-ink gadget was clearly in need of a refresh, as the Nook Simple Touch, the second generation of e-book readers from Barnes & Noble, was released almost a year ago. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait much more for a new and improved Nook Simple Touch, as the latest model has just gone up for pre-order, with shipments set to start on May 1.

The new Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight is pretty much the same as the old Simple Touch, with one very important upgrade. As you can suspect from its name, the latest e-reader will come with a “revolutionary” GlowLight technology, allowing users to read in the dark, as well as pretty much any lighting conditions.

The device’s display is illuminated by eight strong LEDs embedded into the upper inside bezel, which will allow you to take advantage of a bright screen even in pitch dark conditions. In addition to that, the new Nook Simple Touch comes with a built-in anti-glare screen protector, delivering a “just-like-paper” experience, ideal for when you want to read on the beach or in the park.

The GlowLight function is adjustable and will turn on instantly when the device detects bad lighting conditions. However, if you are in any way bugged by it, you can easily turn it off with the switch of a button.

Aside from this important upgrade, this is the same old Nook Simple Touch, with a 6-inch display with 800 x 600 pixels resolution and 16-level grayscale, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity, and “extra-long battery life”. However, as far as I can tell from the first official photos and the information available on Barnes & Noble’s website, this is also the lightest and slimmest Nook ever, weighing in at just 6.95 ounces and measuring a mere 0.47 inches thick.

The new Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight can be pre-ordered as of today and will start shipping on May 1 for $139. That’s about 40 bucks more than what last year’s Simple Touch goes for, but then again, the new gadget does come with a serious upgrade, which should make quite a difference for many users passionate about reading.

So, how about it, folks? Are you ready to get in line for this new and improved Nook Simple Touch, or will you be holding on to your old e-book reader? Also, do you think that this latest B&N device has what it takes to become more popular than Amazon’s current Kindles? Hit us back with a comment and let us know your opinion!

NEXT: Multi-touch hack for Nook Simple Touch lets you play Angry Birds on your e-reader

Barnes & Noble Officially Unveils New Android E-Ink Nook The ‘Nook’ electronic book from Barnes & Noble runs Android

A recent report from the prestigious DigiTimes Research claims that global shipment volumes of e-book readers will drop during the first quarter of 2012 to an estimate of 2 million units. During the fourth quarter of 2011, global e-book shipments reached the impressive figure of 9 million units. Simple math tells us that’s a 77% quarter over quarter decrease in shipments. Is the e-book reader industry dead and gone? Not by far!

During 2011, almost 23 million ebooks were shipped, 9 million of which in the last quarter alone, so it’s safe to assume that the end-of-the-year holiday season heavily contributed to the increase in sales & shipments during Q4 of 2011. But there’s more to the low Q1 2012 figures than just a simple return to normality.

According to the same Digitimes Research report quoted earlier, the introduction of Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet (released November 15, 2011) caused sales of the Kindle e-book reader to drop, so Amazon has now reduced the number of Kindle e-books they’ve ordered from their hardware suppliers. This makes a lot of sense, since the Kindle Fire is not exactly a tablet by the true meaning of the word. Running on a heavily-modified version of Android (with no Android Market, just the Amazon Appstore), the Kindle Fire is still an e-book reader in the customers’ opinion, but with a color touchscreen instead of the E-Ink display, and added overall functionality thanks to the aforementioned Amazon Appstore. The same train of thought applies to the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet and Nook Color when compared to the original Barnes & Noble Nook e-book reader. They are still e-book readers, not genuine tablets, although the distinction is increasingly harder to make, as time passes and technologies converge.

Even so, it is expected that annual global shipments of e-book readers will increase to north of 60 million units by the end of 2015.

NEXT: Amazon Launches Free Book Lending Service

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The 16 GB Nook Tablet has received a fairly positive reception from the tech crowd when it was launched late last year. Many reviewers, including our own Lucian Armasu, noted that B&N’s slate is in many ways superior to its direct competitor, the Kindle Fire. Sales, too, have been brisk for the Nook Tablet, with an iSuppli report showing that Barnes & Noble sold a respectable 1.9 million units in the fourth quarter of 2012 (including the Nook Color).

However, the Nook Tablet would fare much better if it weren’t for the price tag. B&N’s 16 GB slate is available at $250, while its rival, the Kindle Fire comes at $199.99. In the low cost tablet market,  that $50 difference is big.

In addition, the apparent similarity between the Nook and the Fire only complicates things for B&N. Consumers simply don’t care that the Nook Tablet has more RAM than the Kindle Fire, or that the Nook boasts double storage space. For the average buyer, the two competing products are almost the same. Except for that $50. Of course, B&N plans to do something about it.

Nook Tablet to Get a Price Cut

According to The Verge, on Wednesday at 12:01AM (yes, they are that precise) Walmart will start selling a new version of the Nook Tablet, one that sports just 8GB of storage space (just like the Fire). Here’s the source:

While there is no information about pricing, The Verge speculates, and we agree, that the new 8GB Nook Tablet will match the cost of Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Depending on how much is B&N willing to let go, we may even see a smaller price, perhaps $189. That would definitely do the trick for the folks at B&N, in desperate need to position their product as a worthy alternative to the increasingly popular Fire.

The race to feed the public’s appetite for cheap tablets is heating up. So far, the e-readers turned tablets from Amazon and B&N have led the way, but  Samsung, Acer and others are coming strong from behind. And even Apple appears to be on to something.

But for now, the next move belongs to Barnes & Noble and their Nook Tablet. Stay tuned for more coverage.

NEXT: NOOK Color 2 “Confirmed” for Release Ahead of Kindle Fire

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Who can forget the very successful NOOK Color? With Android ported into this e-reader, it became a hit not just to people who love books but to Android fanatics, as well. It’s been more than a year now, and it seems like Barnes and Noble (B&N) is about to release a new and better model of the NOOK Color, reportedly this November 7.

There are strong rumors though that B&N is going to release the new device on the said date–a NOOK Color 2, codenamed the Acclaim.  The date, notably, is just about a week ahead of the Amazon Kindle Fire release date on November 15.  The Kindle Fire is Amazon’s latest and upcoming tablet and a chief competitor to B&N’s products.

There are very few details about NOOK Color 2 product launch, not even a hint of how the new device would look like. There has been no official word from Barnes and Noble yet.

Information about the new product release comes from The Digital Reader, an online blog, which got insider information saying a new NOOK department is being set up in B&N.

Digital Reader informants also said that the current NOOK Color will most likely keep its price of US$250, while the upcoming NOOK Color 2 (Acclaim) might come with a US$350 price tag.

Moreover, the company has also confirmed to The Wallstreet Journal its plans to expand B&N NOOK boutiques in 40 B&N stores all over the country, reportedly in time for the upswell in holiday sales.  The Wallstreet report mentions that the boutiques’ sizes will be doubled.

NOOK boutiques are sections in B&N stores where the company’s e-readers such as the original NOOK Color and related accessories are available for public demo.  Potential customers can try the devices hands-on and make purchases instantly in NOOK boutiques.

Putting these pieces together, it’s enticing to say that Barnes and Noble will definitely be launching the latest NOOK Color on November 7, but it could also be something else. The company has not been showing any signs of what’s been going on, which might also be a good thing since it can surely build up the hype.

With the way things are going right now, we’ll just have to wait and see. November 7 is not that far away anyways.

NEXT: Nook Color 2 Launching in September. Ditches LCD?

Top 4 Reasons Why the NOOK Color Is Still Worth Having Nook Color Video Hands on with Latest Cynanogen: Games & Apps Tested!

But wait, seen below isn’t the new Nook (it’s Mr. Lynch at a previous Barnes & Noble event), as photos of it are a bit scarce. Read on for the full reveal.

The official unveiling drew an obligatory amount of oohs and aahs from a rapt audience who were teased the new Nook’s virtues. Running on Android 2.1, the Nook is slated for a June 10th release and features a bevy of improvements to warm the hearts of devout fans. Most notable is the E-Ink display with decreased page flashing and 50% less contrast than Nook part 1.

Dubbed The Simple Touch Reader, the lightweight device being hailed as the newest sibling of the “best selling Android tablet in the U.S.” marks a considerable improvement over its predecessor. There’s also a social networking-like aspect to the Nook thanks to recommendation app Nook Friends where avid readers can share their favorite texts with like-minded fellows.

There’s so much cool stuff about the Nook Simple Touch, it’s best to have a block quote form the official press release:

“At only 7.48 ounces (212 grams), the artfully designed All-New NOOK is lightweight and thin – 35 percent lighter and 15 percent thinner than NOOK Wi-Fi 1st Edition™. Lighter than a paperback, NOOK’s sleek but durable, compact design (6.5 inches high by 5 inches wide by 0.47 inches deep) makes it easy to fit in a jacket, pocket, purse or backpack, holding up to 1,000 digital books and more personal content using the expandable memory slot. Its ergonomic, contoured design with a soft-touch back makes it easy and comfortable to read, even with just one hand, and for extended periods of time. And thanks to best-in-class battery life, read for up to 2 months on a single charge with Wi-Fi off – that’s twice as long as the other leading eReader available.”

The last important bit is the new Nook will cost a decent $139.

Source: Phandroid

NEXT: The ‘Nook’ electronic book from Barnes & Noble runs Android

Barnes & Noble NOOK e-reader released for Android Spring Design files Lawsuit against Barnes & Noble’s Nook

NOOK for Android updated

NOOK for Android is a pretty popular application, especially among Barnes & Noble customers. This hot application has now received an update and those users who are running Android 2.1 will enjoy new features including four professionally designed themes for page and text color including: Day, Night, Sepia and Butter. You can also adjust the screen settings, controlling the brightness and margin. Other benefits include,

• Ability to read rights-free ePub files from a personal collection in the app simply by side-loading them into the My Documents folder
• Flexibility to store the app on board or an SD card (for devices using Android 2.2 OS)
• A new search function in Library
• Other performance enhancements

The NOOK offers over one million digital titles, which includes 198 of the 205 current New York Times Best Sellers and  also supports free eBook lending. Grab the App from the Android market or check it out here.

NEXT: Barnes & Noble NOOK e-reader released for Android

The ‘Nook’ electronic book from Barnes & Noble runs Android Video: Nook gets reviewed

The NOOK app works on Android 1.6 devices or higher and is available now for free on the Android Market.

NEXT: The ‘Nook’ electronic book from Barnes & Noble runs Android

Spring Design files Lawsuit against Barnes & Noble’s Nook Barnes & Noble to ship 60,000 Nooks in 2009 and 500,000 by March 2010

Nook

The Barnes & Noble Nook has been far more popular than Barnes & Noble ever anticipated. The book retailer has struggled to fill orders with shipping delays plaguing those who pre-ordered the Android-powered e-reader when it launched on October 20th. Pre-orders were expected to ship on November 30th but that date was pushed back until December 7th. Even with the delays, Barnes & Noble was expected to fulfill most pre-orders in time for Christmas. For those who didn’t receive their Nook in time for the holidays, Barnes & Noble was sending affected customers a $100 online gift certificate. Estimates from Asian sources suggest that Barnes & Noble will ship 60,000 Nooks in 2009 alone with another 500,000 units projected to sell during the first three months of 2010. If those sales estimates pan out, the Kindle may finally have some serious competition.

[via TechCrunch]

NEXT: The ‘Nook’ electronic book from Barnes & Noble runs Android

Spring Design files Lawsuit against Barnes & Noble’s Nook Video: Nook gets reviewed

Nook

The guys over at Slash Gear have had enough hands-on time with Barnes & Noble’s Nook to piece together a fully fledged review. Most of the Android based news and indeed most devices that run Android are based around a Smartphone concept. The Nook is different because it is an eBook reader, similar to Amazon’s Kindle, and yet still runs Google’s Android OS. But this isn’t any old eReader. With two displays, including a full color 3.5’’ capacitive touchscreen for navigation, this thing might even have something to offer those that never thought they’d get sucked in by all the eReader malarkey.

As we mentioned back when we first got the Nook’s specification sheet, it offers WiFi and 3G connectivity. The user is able to user either of these to grab new book off Barnes & Noble’s virtual shelves. Furthermore, when you are in the store physically, you can use free WiFi with your Nook to grab books electronically. This way you can flip through the book physically before buying it electronically. To top this, Barnes & Noble are offering free browsing for up to an hours of any eBook while in store. Finishing on a slight downer, the Nook suffers from a few software issues which Barnes and Noble are looking to address with an OTA software update in the near future. Please visit Slash Gear for the full review, or catch the video after the jump.

NEXT: The ‘Nook’ electronic book from Barnes & Noble runs Android

Spring Design files Lawsuit against Barnes & Noble’s Nook Unofficial Verizon phone listing