IRL: Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight and the PowerPlant portable battery pack

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we’re using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

IRL TK

Does our own self-professed book collector Dan Cooper need an e-reader? No, but he might get one anyway. And do you need a portable charger with 3.6 times the capacity of an iPhone 5? Yes, or at least that’s what Darren tells us.

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Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight gets another $20 price drop, undercuts competition

Looking for a new e-reader? Barnes & Noble is trying to get your attention. The bookseller has knocked a solid $20 off the price of its Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight reader, underselling its competitors by the same amount. This is actually the device’s second major price reduction– the first drop, late last year, matched its price to Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite. Although price cuts often lead up to a device refresh, earlier this year Barnes & Noble was rumored to be stepping back from new hardware launches. Either way, we won’t scoff at a cheaper Nook, considering how versatile it can be with a little encouragement.

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Engadget’s back to school guide 2013: e-readers

Welcome to Engadget’s back to school guide! Today, we’re taking a look at your best e-reader options. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as we add them throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we’ll be giving away a ton of gear, including some of the picks in our guides.

Engadget's back to school guide 2013 ereaders

Schoolbooks? What is this, the late 20th century? Granted, we still have a ways to go before all the world’s textbooks go digital, but e-readers should be able to stand in for most of those paperbacks, at least. So lose a little backpack weight, save a couple of trees and take notes without ruining your copy. We have got your e-reader needs covered, no matter what your back to school budget.

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Judge denies Apple’s request to suspend e-book antitrust ruling

Judge denies Apple's request to suspend e-book antitrust ruling

Apple, in its ongoing battle over an e-book price fixing scandal, has been dealt yet another setback. Last month, Judge Denise Cote ruled that Apple had violated antitrust laws in conspiring with publishers to raise e-book prices. Cupertino asked for a temporary suspension of her ruling while it sought to appeal the penalties leveled against it, but today Judge Cote refused that request. The company maintains its innocence, and its co-defendants have jumped to its defense in the wake of a strong restrictions handed down by the Justice Department. But, increasingly, it appears that Apple is fighting a losing battle. We’re sure that there are still tricks in its legal arsenal, but there is little indication that Cupertino will be able to avoid terminating its existing agreements with publishers and will be barred from engaging in agency pricing before the end of the DoJ’s five-year ban.

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Source: Associated Press

DOJ defends Apple e-book price fixing injunction, says publishers had it easy

E-book on an iPad

The US Department of Justice isn’t buying publishers’ arguments that proposed injunctions against Apple for alleged e-book price fixing are excessive and contradictory. DOJ attorney Lawrence Buterman claims in a response letter that the penalties against Apple are necessarily harsher, since it didn’t settle the accusations like its reported co-conspirators. The group objection even justifies Apple’s punishment, Buterman claims; it suggests that publishers are just waiting until the end of a two-year ban on agency pricing to raise prices once again. The five-year restriction imposed on Apple could keep prices down for longer, the lawyer says.

Apple, meanwhile, isn’t done with its objections. In addition to an earlier request for a stay on proceedings pending an appeal, it now contends that the court excluded or ignored testimony while giving Amazon and Google witnesses too much credibility. The company will present more of its opinion at a conference today with both the DOJ and the presiding judge, but we’re not expecting a quick resolution — neither side is budging at this stage.

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Via: CNET, GigaOM

Source: Letters to the court (1), (2), (3), (4)

Kurt Vonnegut’s work joins Kindle Worlds, Kilgore Trouts rejoice

Kurt Vonnegut's work joins Kindle Worlds fan fic program, Kilgore Trouts rejoice

Kindle Worlds has become unstuck in time. Amazon announced this morning that it has wrangled a license for Kurt Vonnegut’s work, bringing Cat’s Cradle, Breakfast of Champions and the like to the world of paid fan fiction. One rep from the author’s trust called the deal a “natural extension of his legacy and a testament to the enduring popularity of his characters and stories.” At the very least, it marks a turn toward more classic literature (and, arguably, legitimacy) for a program that thus far includes the likes of Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries. And certainly Vonnegut’s vast catalog offers plenty of fodder for the prospective novelist, * and all.

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Amazon brings long-form interviews to Kindle Singles

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Amazon’s harnessing the power of the Kindle Single to bring the art of long-form interviews to its e-reader. The new Kindle Singles Interview series offers up conversations with world leaders and other key figures for $0.99 a pop, kicking things off with Shimon Peres. The Israeli President and Nobel Peace Prize winner discusses the country’s upcoming peace talks with New Yorker writer David Samuels. The conversation, titled simply “The Optimist,” also touches on topics like Mark Zuckerberg’s “revolution with a billion people.” You can check that out in the source link below.

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Source: Amazon

EU regulator accepts Penguin offer to end dodgy e-book deals with Apple

EU regulator accepts Penguin offer to end dodgy ebook deals with Apple

After the European Commission accepted offers from Apple and four publishers to free up e-book pricing restrictions in December 2012, it’s now accepted Penguin’s commitment to do the same. Much like Penguin’s vow to the US DOJ, it will end its agency agreements with Apple and other retailers, and “most-favored nation” clauses will be absent from any new deals struck over the next five years. Most importantly, e-book retailers will now be able to control prices and discounts of Penguin’s catalog for two years. This legally binding pledge essentially brings an end to EC’s “competitive concerns,” as all involved in the original price-fixing investigation have now settled up.

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Via: Reuters

Source: European Commission

Kobo’s newest e-reader leaks, photos show Aura-inspired design

DNP Kobo's newest ereader leaked, photos show Aurainspired design

Leaked photos of the next e-reader to join the Kobo family have appeared online today, and from the looks of it, the company isn’t out to reinvent the wheel. We rummaged around in the FCC filings to confirm that it’ll come with a 6-inch screen and a 1,500mAh battery, which bests the 1,000mAh one in the Kobo Glo. The design is reminiscent of the Aura HD, with a contoured back so that it rests comfortably in hand. Along the bottom, you’ll find a microSD slot and a micro-USB port, while a red power button sits at the top. This new model is rocking some asymmetry, with the Kobo logo set on the left side of the bezel and non-parallel lines marking the back ridges with an off-center, vertical logo. We’re still waiting on a formal announcement, so stay tuned for more info.

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Source: The eBook Reader, FCC

The Daily Roundup for 07.10.2013

DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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