Hasta La Gadget!

Greetings from Berlin! We’re kicking this year’s IFA off right with a liveblog of Sony’s press event. If last year’s event is any indication, we can expect to see a little bit of everything this morning: phones, tablets, TVs and HD eye goggle thingies, amongst others. The announcements are sure to be fast and furious today, so grab a comfortable seat and stay tuned!

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Handhelds, Peripherals, Tablets

Live from Sony’s 2012 IFA press conference! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More developments on Barnes & Noble’s plans to launch its Nook devices in the UK, the first market outside of the U.S. to see the e-readers and tablets: today the company has announced that it will sell the devices via John Lewis, a retail heaven for the UK’s middle class, but not a bookstore.

The 37-store chain, which markets itself with the tagline “never knowingly undersold,” will be selling devices starting with the Nook e-readers, the NOOK Simple Touch and NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight, beginning in October, as well as online. B&N says that more retail locations will follow in the autumn. B&N first announced its plans to finally launch in the UK earlier this month. It will also sell the devices directly through its own retail site.

Commercial terms of the partnership have not been disclosed.

B&N is ramping up its game in the UK as Amazon also prepares to launch the Kindle Fire in the UK. Amazon earlier this year inked a deal with Waterstones, a leading UK bookseller, to co-market the devices in its retail locations as well as online. Some saw this move as directly levelled against B&N, which had been widely expected to sign a similar deal with Waterstones.

The deal with John Lewis is a crucial one for B&N, which does not have any retail locations of its own in the UK: without a retail plan it would have been virtually impossible for B&N to replicate the model it has used to good effect in the U.S., using its physical bookstores to promote the Nook devices.

Still, it is but a small advance in terms of the kind of ubiquity that B&N has in the U.S., where it operates some 1,300 retail locations.

What’s interesting is that putting the devices at John Lewis pitches the Nook into much more of a consumer electronics — and less of a reading — marketing strategy. John Lewis is known for home goods, clothing and electronics — but not really books.

“John Lewis is where knowledgeable customers turn for trusted advice on the best products to purchase, and they are a perfect partner to help launch NOOK in the UK,” said Jamie Iannone, president of digital products at Barnes & Noble, in a statement. “We look forward to bringing more choice and convenience to discerning UK customers with our critically acclaimed line of reading devices and expansive selection of content.”

We hope your heart wasn’t set on snagging a Kindle Touch before heading off to school this fall. Both the WiFi and 3G versions of the reader are no longer available as new devices from Amazon’s US pages — if you want one at all in the country, you’ll have to swing past a retail store or scour the virtual bargain bins for used models. Suffice it to say that the timing of this vanishing act is extremely convenient in light of Amazon’s special event next week, although just what it means is very much an unknown. Is there a light-up sequel on its way? A winnowing of the e-reader line to fewer models? Or just a quick inventory check? We’ll have a better answer on September 6th, but the out-of-stock notice is a not-so-friendly reminder that patience is a virtue.

Amazon Kindle Touch goes out of stock, sparks conspiracy theories originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 11:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We can’t say we didn’t see this coming, but we’re certainly excited at the potential that Amazon’s upcoming press event holds. The online mega-retailer is doing an press conference on Thursday September 6th, and while there’s not a lot in the way of info for the California-based event, we’re guessing the word “Kindle” might come up once or twice… What can we expect? A Fire sequel? Some illuminated e-ink readers? Time will tell — but no matter what it is, you can bet we’ll be there to cover it.

Filed under: Tablet PCs

Amazon throwing press conference September 6th originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 14:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Religion, bathroom routines and politics are three things you should never, ever discuss at the dinner table. However, if you’re curious about your neighbors’ political reading habits, then you should check out Amazon’s Election Heat Map. The bookseller rated the top 250 books with a “clear political bias,” with each state’s graphic turning red or blue depending on which tomes are selling the most. The company is clear to say that the results are more for the curious than a reflection on the result of the election, so if you fancy checking it out, head down to the source link.

Continue reading Amazon’s political reading map shows which way your neighbors are leaning

Amazon’s political reading map shows which way your neighbors are leaning originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 05:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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