Kobo is doing very brisk business thanks to the global pandemic. Chapters Indigo, the largest bookselling chain in Canada closed 210 of their retail locations a couple of months ago. Barnes and Noble shuttered 500 in the US, and this has been a boon for Kobo."The initial surge of sales we saw in the early weeks of pandemic have continued and even accelerated," said Michael … [Read more...] about Kobo sales have increased 35% in the past few months
Kobo e-reader news
Kobo is letting staff work remotely for the rest of the year
Kobo CEO Michael Tamblyn has confirmed with Good e-Reader that his company will let all staff in their Toronto, Dublin, Darmstadt & Taipei offices work remotely until the end of the year. Kobo is also trying to create some office space in the near future for their staff who want some non-home space to work in.Tamblyn said "We are fortunate that we can give our staff … [Read more...] about Kobo is letting staff work remotely for the rest of the year
Kobo issues new firmware update that fixes Overdrive Holds
Kobo has just released the 4.21 firmware update for every touchscreen e-reader. One of the big changes is introducing support for the new Overdrive Holds system, which went live in March. This allows library patrons who borrow books, ebooks and audiobooks who are on a waiting list to cancel their hold or reschedule their hold for a later time.Here is the changelog of the … [Read more...] about Kobo issues new firmware update that fixes Overdrive Holds
Over 2 million new users have registered with Kobo during the Pandemic
Rakuten Kobo is reaching profitability, sales are up and during the past three months the company has signed up 2 million new users. It is readily apparent that the global pandemic and the closure of most bookstores across the world are driving up ebook adoption.Partnerships have always been one of the key successes of Kobo. In late March they announced a strategic … [Read more...] about Over 2 million new users have registered with Kobo during the Pandemic
Kobo is beginning to charge 0% VAT in the UK for ebooks
The UK government announced last week that they have reduced the VAT on ebooks from 20% to 0% seven months early. This was done because of the whole virus pandemic and people are self-isolating at home and reading more. Amazon quickly announced that they were in the process of discounting all of their ebooks and digital magazines, so people would be paying less. Today, Kobo … [Read more...] about Kobo is beginning to charge 0% VAT in the UK for ebooks
Kobo Forma and Kobo Clara HD are on sale
Kobo has reduced the price on their premium e-reader, the Kobo Forma and their entry level model, the Clara HD. These deals are showcased on the main Kobo website and many of the bookstores they do business with on a global basis.In the United States, the Kobo FormaKobo Forma 8GB model is $199 and the normal retail price is $249 the 32GB is out of stock and not available. … [Read more...] about Kobo Forma and Kobo Clara HD are on sale
The Kobo Nia e-reader is out soon
Good e-Reader has exclusively learned that the Kobo Nia is a new device that is going to be coming out soon. I believe the Nia is going to either replace the Kobo Aura or Kobo Clara HD. This e-reader should be available in the next month or two.Netronix has filed an FCC application on behalf of Kobo. Netronix does all of the hardware manufacturing for Kobo and Kobo … [Read more...] about The Kobo Nia e-reader is out soon
Kobo is selling the Kobo Aura One again on their website
Kobo discontinued the Kobo Aura One, around one year ago. This was their first large screen e-reader that featured a 7.8 inch screen. The company must have found a stockpile somewhere because it is now being sold again exclusively on their website. There are no discounts being offered and it is retailing for $249 Canadian or $229 USD. What is interesting is that on the US … [Read more...] about Kobo is selling the Kobo Aura One again on their website
Australian bookseller Booktopia partners with Kobo for ebooks
Kobo has announced they have signed an exclusive partnership with the Australian bookseller Booktopia. Booktopia and Kobo have released co-branded e-reading apps for Android and iOS and existing customers will be able to login to any Kobo readers, using their existing Booktopia user credentials.In this partnership, Rakuten Kobo and Booktopia will serve readers through a … [Read more...] about Australian bookseller Booktopia partners with Kobo for ebooks
How to access the secret Kobo developer options
Kobo has a secret developer options that anyone can access on most of their e-readers. It brings back a slew of games and a note taking app. It also has more advanced features such as Large Print Mode, system wide dark mode and a ton of adjustments to edit the LED lights for the color temperature system. You can even adjust the orientation if your device does not have a … [Read more...] about How to access the secret Kobo developer options
The Kobo Forma and Clara HD e-readers are on sale
Kobo is running a sale for Canadian and US customers on their website for the Kobo Forma and the Kobo Clara HD. The Canadian based company hardly ever provides discounts on any of their e-readers directly and normally sales are done through their retail distribution partners and what surprised me about this sale, is that the Forma can be picked up a huge savings, this device is … [Read more...] about The Kobo Forma and Clara HD e-readers are on sale
New Kobo update changes dictionaries and introduces Series View
Kobo has just issued a huge firmware update for the vast majority of their e-readers. The dictionary popup system has been changed and you can also view ebooks in your library that are apart of a series, which helps condense the number of titles that show up. Kobo also introduced new developer features such as games and notes.New Features found in the new 4.20.14601 … [Read more...] about New Kobo update changes dictionaries and introduces Series View
Kobo is now selling refurbished e-readers
Kobo is now selling refurbished e-readers on their website in Canada and the United States. They currently have two different models available, the recently discontinued Kobo Aura Edition 2 and the Kobo Clara HD. You will save around $29 if you decide to buy them used vs. getting them new.Kobo used to only sell refurb devices on Amazon and eBay and they still do to a … [Read more...] about Kobo is now selling refurbished e-readers
