Nook

Tablet owners weigh in with their biggest beefs

Planning to buy a 7-inch tablet? A new report from the folks at FixYa reveals some of the top issues with today's crop of small-size tablets.

Apple's iPad Mini New to the 7-inch tablet arena, the iPad Mini didn't trigger much in the way of specific problems reported by its users. Rather, people were more unhappy about what the device doesn't offer.

The Mini's 4:3 aspect ratio was cited by users as less than ideal for watching movies, which are typically better served by a screen with a 16:9 ratio. The small tablet … Read more

Turn your Nook HD+ into an Android 4.1 tablet

It was just a few weeks ago that I wrote about N2A Cards' new Android 4.1 upgrade options for the Barnes & Noble Nook Color and Nook Tablet.

Now the company offers a similar option for the Nook HD+ (by all accounts a fantastic tablet). Whether you're not a fan of Barnes & Noble's heavily modified (and, some would say, limited) version of Android or you just want the option of a more traditional Android tablet experience, there's now a plug-and-play solution.

Starting today, you can download one of N2A Cards' specialized image files, copy it … Read more

Nook HD tablets now available at Walmart

Consumers looking for a Nook tablet can now pick one up at Walmart.

The retail outlet is selling the Barnes & Noble tablets at their usual prices. So the Nook HD tablet will run you $199 for the 8GB version and $229 for the 16GB model. The Nook HD+ will cost you $269 for the 16GB edition and $299 for the 32GB model.

All four versions and their related accessories are available through Walmart's online store as well as its brick-and-mortal outlets.… Read more

Amazon, Barnes & Noble go tit for tat in tablet wars

Competition is good for consumers, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the tablet arena -- at least among key players Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

While Apple doesn't do discounts and Google recently added more memory to its entry-level $200 Nexus 7, taking it from 8GB to 16GB, where we're seeing the most deal action is on Kindles and Nooks, with some new "specials" cropping up every few days.

Here's a look at some of the past deals and announcements designed to bring attention to the new tablets: … Read more

Does it still make sense to buy an e-reader?

I've been an e-book fan for as long as I can remember. Ever since I found myself stuck on a slow-moving mountain train with nothing but my PalmPilot and an e-book, I've been hooked on digital reading.

Flash-forward some 15 years and e-books are everywhere, thanks in no small part to the Amazon Kindle -- a dedicated e-reader with a special "e-ink" screen that I still consider a marvel of modern technology. (Know why Kindles and other e-ink devices have such phenomenal battery life? Because every pixel on the screen is either "on" or &… Read more

Barnes & Noble inks Nook licensing deal with HBO, NBC

Barnes & Noble today announced the launch of its Nook Video service in the U.K.

Nook Video is available to U.K. customers who own a Nook HD or Nook HD+. The offering features both films and television shows from a wide variety of providers, including BBC Worldwide, HBO, NBC Universal, and Sony Pictures. STARZ and Warner Bros. Entertainment have also inked deals with Barnes & Noble.

Upon booting up Nook Video, customers will find both new releases and older films and television shows. The videos are available for streaming or download. Nook Video is a partner of Ultraviolet, … Read more

Tablets at CES 2013: Packing in those pixels

This year was most assuredly the most successful and interesting year for tablets yet. But, as exciting as it was, 2013 has the potential to be even better.

In the consumer technology space, CES is still the very best harbinger of what's to come, and January's show will be no different. Though there are plenty of juicy rumors flying around, I don't yet know which tablets will debut at 2013's CES, and even if I did, I'd probably feel obligated to kill you if I told you. However, looking closely at recent trends and reports, it's not too difficult to piece together a solid picture of the possibilities.… Read more

Nook Simple Touch e-reader drops to $79

Barnes & Noble is dropping the price of its Nook Simple Touch e-reader by about $20 starting tomorrow, with a new price tag of $79, the company said today.

Not a full-blown tablet, the Simple Touch relies on a touch screen for flipping e-ink pages, navigating menus, and so on. CNET Reviews gave it four out of five stars and called it a "major advancement" over its predecessor.… Read more

Get a Nook Simple Touch e-reader for $49.99

A quick note to my fellow Michiganders: The Cheapskate will be appearing tomorrow, Dec. 5, at the Ypsilanti Public Library, at 7 p.m. I'll be there to share the secrets of saving money on all things tech, naturally. Hope you can make it!

So, hey, remember Black Friday, when one of the big doorbuster deals at Target was a Nook Simple Touch e-reader for 50 bucks? Well, it's back, and you don't have to go anywhere near a door -- or a store, for that matter.

While supplies last, Walmart has the refurbished Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch e-reader for $49.99 shipped, … Read more

Election, iPhone 5 top Yahoo's list of 2012's popular searches

The iPhone 5 couldn't quite edge out the election to be No. 1 on Yahoo's list of most-searched terms for 2012. But it came pretty close.

Yahoo today released its data for the most-searched terms in 2012. The lists include information on "obsessions" (viral sensations), memes, gadgets, Olympians, sports teams, songs/music lyrics, TV comedies, "what is" searches, how-to searches, recipes, and several others.

At the top of the list of terms most searched overall, unsurprisingly, was "election," followed by iPhone 5. Rounding out the top five were Kim Kardashian, Kate Upton, … Read more