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    HomeGadgetsMedia GadgetsBarnes & Noble unveils NOOKcolor e-reader

    Barnes & Noble unveils NOOKcolor e-reader

    Barnes & Noble has announced their new color Nookcolor eReader, complete with 16 million colors that is. The new NOOKcolor ereader sits somewhere between the familiar e-ink offerings and a full-blown tablet with its 7-inch, 1024 x 600 color touchscreen, Wi-Fi connectivity (but not 3G), a slimline design which measures 0.48-inches thick and weighs at under a pound and a price point which will challenge competitors on both sides of the fence at $249.

    The Android-based NOOKcolor has 8GB of space (expandable to 32GB via a microSD slot), a microUSB port, an audio player which supports MP3 and AAC files, MP4 video playback and Microsoft Office files can be viewed and edited. Sound output is through a standard headphone jack or a built-in (mono) speaker and battery life is at 8 hours without using Wi-Fi.

    The clear advantage of a color e-reader isn’t about book reading.  It’s the ability to read magazines and surf the web in color, which brings us to the all-important screen. Barnes & Noble says its backlit 7-inch VividView Color Touchscreen delivers “reduced glare and optimum brightness for reading indoors or outside.” The 1024 x 600 resolution is delivered at 169 pixels per inch (PPI) and the viewing angle is a wide 178-degrees. The device also caters for six text sizes, works in portrait and landscape modes and background colors and line and margin spacing can be customized.

    The NOOKcolor also gets social with a “LendMe” App, which allows you to view friends digital libraries and request to borrow a title through Facebook and email. Being Android based, Barnes & Noble is also encouraging developers to get involved through its NOOKdeveloper program.  The Nook now has a key differentiating factor from the biggest player on the market, Kindle. You can pre-order the NOOKcolor for $249.  Shipping will begin around November 19.

    David Novak
    David Novakhttps://www.gadgetgram.com
    For the last 20 years, David Novak has appeared in newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV around the world, reviewing the latest in consumer technology. His byline has appeared in Popular Science, PC Magazine, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Electronic House Magazine, GQ, Men’s Journal, National Geographic, Newsweek, Popular Mechanics, Forbes Technology, Readers Digest, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Glamour Magazine, T3 Technology Magazine, Stuff Magazine, Maxim Magazine, Wired Magazine, Laptop Magazine, Indianapolis Monthly, Indiana Business Journal, Better Homes and Garden, CNET, Engadget, InfoWorld, Information Week, Yahoo Technology and Mobile Magazine. He has also made radio appearances on the The Mark Levin Radio Show, The Laura Ingraham Talk Show, Bob & Tom Show, and the Paul Harvey RadioShow. He’s also made TV appearances on The Today Show and The CBS Morning Show. His nationally syndicated newspaper column called the GadgetGUY, appears in over 100 newspapers around the world each week, where Novak enjoys over 3 million in readership. David is also a contributing writer fro Men’s Journal, GQ, Popular Mechanics, T3 Magazine and Electronic House here in the U.S.

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