Hasta La Gadget!

Remember that new e-reader from Kobo we told you about, not all that many minutes ago? Say hello to the Aura. The successor to the Glo owes more than just its name to the recently introduced Aura HD — the device has also brought over the high-end specs and a bit of the device language from that Cadillac of e-readers. When the company handed off the reader, the first thing we noticed was that best in class front lighting. Kobo mastered that back with the Glo and has naturally trotted it out on subsequent devices.

Also immediately apparent is the size of the thing. The Aura appears smaller than other six-inch readers. Hold it up against the Paperwhite and it’s clear that there’s considerably less bezel. Also, the bezel lays flush with the display — Kobo’s dumped the old infrared touch for a capacitive screen, so there’s no need for a gap. The device is impressively thin and light compared to past Kobo readers — and the rest of the market, for that matter. This really is an impressive piece of hardware, though even with that in mind, the $150 price tag may be tough for all but the most hardcore readers to swallow. Around the back, you’ll notice that Kobo brought a bit of the crooked design from the HD, though it’s a lot more subtle than on that reader. As an homage to past Kobo readers, the criss cross diamond design is back, though it’s also far more subtle and smaller this time out.

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Kobo’s not quite done with the news tonight. In addition to an e-reader, three tablets and Pocket integration, the Canadian-turned-Japanese company has also got some announcements on the content side of things. First up is the addition of magazines to its store, bringing titles from Conde Nast, Hearst and a number of other publishers to its proprietary tablets and iOS / Android apps. Also on the docket is a brand new kids store that features safe-searching and nearly 100,000 offerings, including the likes of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Hunger Games titles. Magazines are coming to Kobo’s mobile app in September and will be available for its new tablets when they launch the following month.

Filed under: Tablets, Software

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The US Justice Department was insistent that its proposed injunction against Apple for alleged e-book price fixing was the proper remedy earlier this month, but it’s now willing to budge on that somewhat. As Reuters reports, the DOJ has offered to cut the length of the injunction from ten to five years, and ease the restrictions on Apple striking new deals with book publishers — it now suggests Apple hold staggered negotiations with publishers starting in two years. The DOJ continues to insist on the need for an external monitor to keep an eye on the company, however, which remains a non-starter for Apple.

The company also drew some particularly harsh criticism from the DOJ, which stated in a filing that “Apple wants to continue business as usual, regardless of the antitrust laws,” and that “this court should have no confidence that Apple on its own effectively can ensure that its illegal conduct will not be repeated.” For its part, Apple isn’t commenting on the DOJ’s latest proposal.

Filed under: Apple

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Source: Reuters

Barnes & Noble can’t stem the losses from its digital books and device division, as the Nook department saw revenues drop 20.2 percent year over year according to the company’s just-released quarterly earnings report. Nook earned $153 million, and that’s up sequentially from $108 million despite the yearly decline.

Nook hardware fared the worst, dropping 23.1 percent year over year while sales of digital content for Nook apps and devices dropped 15.8 percent. B&N partly blames the decrease in content sales on poor Nook tablet and reader sales, but also on outside factors. Specifically, B&N calls out the fact that this year there wasn’t either a Hunger Games or a 50 Shades of Grey trilogy to drive consumer content purchases. Retail was down 9.9 percent year over year, with revenues of $1 billion total, covering business from physical and online stores.

Overall, the company seemed keen to express continued support of its Nook offerings via the earnings release. Board Chairman Leonard Riggio suspended an offer he had planned to make on the company’s retail business, saying that instead B&N needs to focus on building its 10 million Nook owning customers, and to increase sales of Nook devices both in stores and online. That means Nook will continue to operate in tandem with the retail business, rather than the two divisions being split up into separate companies.

Nook Media CEO Michael P. Huseby also said in a statement that the Nook line will continue to be offered “at the best values in the marketplace,” and that “at least one” new Nook product will be coming for the holiday season, with others in development for beyond that. No mention was made of the plan revealed last time around to open up Nook development to outside OEMs, but the conference call is at 10 AM ET this morning, so we’ll update if any new information comes to light at that time.

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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