Many were finding it hard to digest the recent disclosure by Home Shopping Network about a new software update for the Nook Color. The lack of any official announcement from Barnes & Noble also added to the confusion though all of that can now be put to rest. For B&N has confirmed that there indeed is a major update coming for the Nook Color that will be ready for release this spring. However, there isn’t any mention of Home Shopping Network getting the updated Nook Colors before anyone else.
However, the software update is not the only thing to be excited about the Nook Color since there are a lot more that Barnes & Noble has put on offer. This includes the addition of more color content to make the best use of Nook Color’s vibrant display. The Nook Color will now also have on offer magazines such as The Economist, Travel + Leisure, ESPN The Magazine, Food & Wine plus a lot more.
Then there is something for the young reader as well as Barnes & Noble has also entered into a partnership with Nickelodeon – perhaps the kid community’s (including also their parent’s) most preferred entertainment brand. So what this boils down to is that some of the most sought after Nickelodeon favorites such as the SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer will now be available in their digital formats only for those who are the proud owners of the Barnes & Noble Nook Color e-reading tablet.
Right now, there are as many as 12 NOOK Kids Nickelodeon titles for the taking though there will soon be around 20 on offer by next month. Still to come is the Barnes & Noble’s exclusive Read to Me™ that will support professional narration so that kids will also have the option of having someone else read aloud the book for them if they so wish. In fact, kids sometimes love to ‘hear’ stories rather then read them on their own.
“Barnes & Noble is proud to deliver the largest, richest digital collection for kids and families. Our technology enables families to read whatever, wherever and however they want. We are thrilled to partner with Nickelodeon to bring their much-loved characters and books to our NOOK Kids platform, enhancing what we firmly believe is the most enjoyable and imaginative digital reading offering for kids,” stated the Director of Product Management at Barnes & Noble, Wendy Bronfin. “Children of all ages love the NOOK Kids experience, and we are so pleased to collaborate with a leading children’s entertainment brand to welcome stories featuring SpongeBob, Dora and Diego to our best-in-class digital children’s reading experience.”
“Through this partnership, we’re able to provide our young fans with a revolutionary new way to experience and enjoy reading Nickelodeon books,” said Paula Allen who is the Senior Vice President, Global Publishing, Nickelodeon Consumer Products. “The NOOK Kids platform delivers an interactive way for kids to engage with their favorite Nickelodeon characters like SpongeBob and Dora by using this exciting technology.”
Variety is the key here as kids will have a lot to choose from to suit their tastes. Like for those who prefer simple comical stories, they have titles such as Camp SpongeBob, Happy Birthday SpongeBob! to choose from. Or those who are of the adventurous types will surely love titles such as Dora Loves Boots, Crystal Kingdom Adventures, Dora Helps Diego, Dora’s Sleepover.
As for the update, Barnes & Noble have stated they will now include in the Nook Color features that consumers have long been asking for. These includes the ability to access e-mails on the Nook Color with many new exciting apps. Some of the apps that will now be accessible via the Nook Color are Angry Birds, Drawing Pad, Lonely Planet Phrasebooks, Tikatok, and Wine PhD and so on. However, its not known if the popular B&N tablet will now be able to access the Android Market.
As Jamie Iannone, President of Digital Products, Barnes & Noble puts it: “We created NOOK Color for people who love to read everything – books, magazines, children’s books and more – in rich, beautiful color, and are continually adding terrific new content our customers have asked for – from ESPN The Magazine and The Economist to children’s stories featuring favorite Nickelodeon and Disney characters,” before also adding, “With more than two million digital titles to browse, download and enjoy in seconds, NOOK Color customers repeatedly tell us how much they appreciate the ability to virtually turn the page on their favorite monthly, dive into a bestseller, and bring story time to life for their children – all using one device. And as always, Barnes & Noble will keep making NOOK Color better with new titles and featured enhancements for the best-in-class reading.”
Meanwhile, B&N has announced what it will have on offer during its April More In Store™. From essays, short stories to a lot more content, all B&N customers will be able to download exclsive content on their Nook Colors or Nook e-reader via the in-store Wi-Fi absolutely free.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
