Txtr upgrades their Android App to version 4.0

New txtr eReading app Android 4.0: innovative and easy to use

 Berlin, 19 July 2011 – txtr, a global eReading technology company, today released its latest and innovative  version of its eReading app for Android, version  4.0. Consumers can shop for books, and download and read books from their online library on their Android phones and tablets (from version Android 1.6 onwards). Txtr’s Android app – the most popular eReading app in German language in Europe on Android Market – already offered a comprehensive set of standard features to shop, manage and read eBooks.  In the new further improved 4.0 version, the company has added several major new features in the library and the shop, in addition to many minor upgrades and improvements in stability.

Shop

The in-app eBook shop has received a major upgrade in version 4.0. Besides searching for books and browsing by genre, users can now discover books through channels, such as Featured Books or Authors, New Releases, Bestsellers or topical channels like Vampire Books, Thrillers, or Easter Reads. Channels are defined and managed by txtr’s B2B customers, or by txtr itself, and are visually presented through banner graphics and rotating carousels of book covers.

Other major new shop features in txtr’s Android app v4.0 are the opportunity for users to preview books before they buy and to sort book lists such as search results, categories and channels by author, title and so on.

 Personal library

Txtr’s Android app enables users to access their online personal library and download books from the online library to the Android device’s library for reading on-the-go. The user’s online library contains not only all books bought in the txtr eBook shop but also any other books or documents the user has uploaded to the library on the web via txtr’s unique upload feature.

Version 4.0 adds the Bookshelf view, which offers consumers the opportunity to organise their library in a virtual, visual, bookshelf on their Android phone or tablet. It also adds the option to sort books by title, author, or recently read – useful for larger libraries. As in previous versions, users can view information about books in their library and search for books. An SD card can be used to store content.

Read

Txtr’s Android app supports EPUB, PDF, TXT and HTML formats in all major Western and European languages – including support for EPUB and PDF books protected with the industry standard Adobe DRM technology. Consumers can easily adjust font size or switch between day and night mode while reading.

Books are automatically opened at the last read page, and the user can annotate the book with bookmarks and notes. Reading progress is synced automatically between txtr android and the online library and from there with other devices. In version 4.0 also the bookmarks and notes are synced.

Catalogue

txtr currently has the largest catalogue of eBooks, more than 400,000, in Western languages, which are directly accessible through the in-app store of the app. In Germany, the company has a larger selection of German eBooks (over 50,000) than any other eReading company.

In some markets txtr sees conversion rates on downloaded apps of close to 50%. This means that almost every other person downloading the app, uses it and buys at least one eBook.

Summary of major new features:

• Graphical bookshelf
• Channels with banner graphics
• Previews
• Sort book lists in shop and library
• Set and sync bookmarks and notes
• Further expanded, large catalogue

The application is available also for rebranding and preloading to Android device makers, mobile operators, media companies, retailers and other business customers, and as a free download worldwide in the Android Market.

About txtr

txtr is a Berlin-based technology-led B2B company which provides a global but locally relevant eReading solution to device makers, mobile operators content or media companies and retailers. The txtr solution offers an end-to-end eBook discovery, purchase, read and share consumer experience, built on a back-end platform with store, personal library storage and an extensive international eBook catalogue.

Recent achievements of txtr include the realization of the mobile reading apps for iPhone and Android for a range of leading eBook retailers and wholesalers. The txtr technology solutions are also used by, among others, Acer and 3M. 3M is also an investor in the company.

The company was founded in 2008, is based in Berlin, and currently employs some 60 staff. txtr’s customers include device makers, operators, and retailers in a number of countries in Europe, Asia Pacific and South America.