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nook

Could Microsoft-B&N deal foretell Windows 8-powered Nook?

Microsoft and Barnes & Noble have settled their patent dispute and are forming a new venture to focus on e-reading and the education market.

The pair today announced the formation of NewCo, which will include Barnes & Noble's digital and college businesses. NewCo will create a Nook e-reading application for Windows 8, as well.

Barnes and Noble will own 82.4 percent of the new subsidiary, and Microsoft will make a $300 million investment in the still-to-be-named NewCo and hold a 17.6 stake in the company. (None of Microsoft's employees will be moving to the new subsidiary, … Read more

Best tech: Ivy Bridge rigs, slim iPad keyboard case

Sometimes, CNET goes weeks without bestowing an Editors' Choice award. We give the badges only to tech that we love so much, we'd personally buy these devices. There must be some magic in the air (or our drinks) this week, because we doled out not one, but three CNET Editors' Choice awards.

But before I walk you through our award winners (a surprising and diverse group in their own right), I'd like to point out two non-winners that deserve your attention. These two four-star computers, the Origin Genesis and the Origin EON17-S are a desktop and a laptop … Read more

Three-deal Thursday: A Canon EOS Rebel, Nook Simple Touch, and free video converter

It's a Thursday three-fer!

Deal No. 1: Convenient though it may be to snap photos on your phone, there are times when you want a real camera -- one with interchangeable lenses, a big image sensor, lots of shooting modes and manual settings, and so on. In other words, a dSLR.

Today only, 1SaleADay has the Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.3-megapixel digital camera for $399.99, plus $4.99 for shipping. That's about $100 less than the prices elsewhere.

This isn't just the camera body; the T3 comes with Canon's 18-55mm autofocus lens. Plus, it'… Read more

CISPA debate heats up

Every weekday afternoon, CNET Update delivers the top tech stories of the day, exploring why it matters and how it impacts your life. The show keeps a close eye on emerging trends, hot devices and new apps.

And it's all in less than three minutes. Watch today's show:

Stories from Wednesday's CNET Update:

CISPA up for vote Apple's strong iPhone sales in Q1 2012 Apple's WWDC event sells out Sprint: Unlimited data for next iPhone Glowing Nook starts shipping Today's App to Watch: Hollaback!

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Barnes & Noble shipping GlowLight Nook ahead of schedule (full review)

With previous product launches, Barnes & Noble has made a habit of underpromising and overdelivering, so it's no surprise that it's shipping its new e-reader, the $139 Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, a couple of weeks earlier than it previously said it would.

The company says that, "Beginning this week, ahead of schedule, Barnes & Noble will begin shipping units to customers who preordered the device" and that preorders will "ship throughout the month."

We have no way to know what Barnes & Noble's expectations for preorders were, but the company says it'… Read more

Of e-book pricing, Justice Dept. charges, DRM, and Pottermore

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice took on Apple and publishers over charges of e-book price fixing. Depending on what you read, those parties are either guilty as charged or are the only thing holding back the greater evil of Amazon.com. I don't know who's right. I do know, however, that the e-book model itself feels pretty broken.

Over the past few years, I've gone from paying $7 for paperback novels that I could read anywhere, lend to others, or even resell, to paying $10 for the novels in e-book format with none of … Read more

Barnes & Noble beats Amazon to the punch with lighted e-ink Nook (hands-on)

What's the No. 1 requested feature people want in an e-ink e-reader?

According to Barnes & Noble, it's an integrated light, which is why the company spent the last two years developing the new $139 Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, available today for preorder and shipping in early May.

I had a chance to play around with the new Nook at a launch event in New York and, as you can see from the pictures, except for the gray border around the edge, it looks identical to the standard $99 Nook Simple Touch, which remains on the market. … Read more

The 404 1,031: Where it's cheaper if you get our e-book (podcast)

CNET laptop editor Scott Stein returns to The 404 guest seat, and the room is apparently full of onions today as we discuss this short film about a 9-year-old's homebrew cardboard arcade. If you look closely at Jeff's face during this segment, you may even catch a rare glimpse of his upturned frown.

We'll also introduce you to a highly funded Kickstarter campaign for an iPhone and Android-compatible smart watch that goes the opposite direction of traditional e-watches and uses a digital ink display (similar to the original Amazon Kindle) that lets users check messages, play music, and more without the threat of sun glare or unreadable reflections.… Read more

Get a Nook Simple Touch Reader for $69

This is an update of a deal from a couple months ago.

I love e-books. Always have, always will. My first "e-reader" was a PalmPilot. These days, I read on whatever device is handy: Nook Color, Kindle Fire, and iPhone.

What I find truly incredible is how affordable dedicated e-readers have become. Remember when the original Kindle was $359 -- and Amazon couldn't keep up with the orders?

Anyway, while supplies last, RedTag has the refurbished Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch Reader for $69, plus $1.95 for shipping. That's an insanely good deal.

Update: … Read more

People who love e-reading simply love reading

Things might be starting to look up for booksellers, authors, and publishers. A report released today by the Pew Research Center shows that one-fifth of U.S. adults have read an e-book in the last year and that e-reader owners not only prefer to buy rather than borrow books, but they also read more books.

"Those who have taken the plunge into reading e-books stand out in almost every way from other kinds of readers," the report's authors write. "Foremost, they are relatively avid readers of books in all formats: 88 percent of those who read … Read more