10/14, 9:40pm
Borders web visitors redericted to Barnes & Noble
Those who attempt to visit Borders.com on Friday will be redirected to a special Barnes & Noble's web page. The Borders Twitter and Facebook accounts were also seemingly taken over. Visitors are greeted by a message from B&N CEO William Lynch, asking that they give B&N a chance to be their bookstore. The Facebook page apologizes for Borders' closing and invites visitors to join the B&N Facebook page.
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08/24, 11:45am
Kobo eReader Touch now at Best Buy for $130
Kobo's eReader Touch Edition is now available at Best Buy stores, with Kobo specialists in place at stores to demonstrate the devices to would-be buyers. The $130 device will also show up in other retail stores before year's end.
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07/18, 11:10pm
Kobo reassures in wake of Borders' death
Kobo reached out to assuage readers in the wake of Borders' eventual death with promises that devices like the eReader Touch Edition and book purchases would carry over. The e-book firm had already been moving customers over from the Borders-specific accounts over to Kobo's own. Readers should have access to all the same books but also stay more current on apps and features.
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07/18, 4:50pm
Borders liquidating and closing all stores
Borders on Monday night said it would effectively shut down as it planned to liquidate its business. Following unsuccessful tries at selling itself following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company planned to sell all 399 of its stores and their assets to two liquidation companies, Gordon Brothers and Hilco. The clearout would start as soon as Friday with the entire process wrapped up by September.
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05/05, 1:00pm
Kobo Wireless eReader now at Best Buy for $100
Kobo and Best Buy on Thursday partnered to sell the Kobo Wireless eReader in Best Buy stores and on the retailers web sites for the first time. Also, to mark Mother's Day, the device will be on sale for $100 before returning to its regular $130 price tag on May 14. The device was only available through Borders stores before this announcement.
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04/15, 6:40pm
E-book sales triple in US, overtake paper
The Association of American Publishers said late Thursday that e-books had surged and established a foothold as the most popular format for reading in the US. Results from February saw e-book sales triple from just a year ago to $90.3 million. The jump made it the most popular format for books in the US, outpacing paper in every category the AAP covers.
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02/23, 12:55pm
Barnes & Noble claims quarter of US e-book market
Barnes & Noble in posting results for its most recent quarter late Tuesday claimed to have gained market share for e-books in the US. The company claimed to have moved from its usual fifth of the market to 25 percent. It tied the success to that of the Nook and noted that it was selling twice as many e-books as any paper books online.
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02/16, 11:45am
Borders files for Chapter 11 protection, more
Last week's unofficial report of the Borders Group's near bankruptcy status is now official, as the company detailed its plans. The company has filed a petition for reorganization relief under Chapter 11 after the authorization of its board of directors. The deal will secure commitment for $505 million in debtor-in-possession financing from GE Capital, Restructuring Finance.
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02/11, 5:50pm
Borders near Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Borders' financial troubles in the e-book era could come to a head early next week after a leak has revealed it's close to bankruptcy. The bookseller is now believed to be filing a non-permanent Chapter 11 bankruptcy as soon as Monday or Tuesday. Its plan would see it get debtor-in-possession financial backing during the bankruptcy of as much as $450 million from Bank of America or GE, but it would also close 200 of its existing 674 stores, the WSJ sources behind the leak said.
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12/31, 11:30am
Borders delays book payments in financial deals
Borders has been delaying payments to book publishers in signs that it may be one of the first major victims of e-books. Early reports from Publishers Marketplace on Friday said it was putting off the payments to help refinance its debt but also wasn't certain that the plan would be effective. It might have to break its existing credit deals early into 2011 after facing a "liquidity shortfall," it said.
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12/29, 6:55pm
Barnes & Noble goes for Nook2, Nook Kids at USPTO
Barnes & Noble has made a pair of filings at the US Patent and Trademark Office discovered today that hint it has long-term plans for Nook sequels. One, for a "Nook2," was filed on June 8 and clearly attached to a device for "downloadable electronic publications." A "Nook Kids" trademark surfaced at the same time and had the same description, PocketNow found in its own check.
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12/16, 4:45pm
Nextbook 8.4-inch Android tablet ships this week
E Fun just announced the addition of a new tablet under its Nextbook brand, the Next3. It uses an 8.4-inch touchscreen and runs on Android 2.1. The tablet can access YouTube, browse the web and the Borders eBook store through Wi-Fi.
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12/06, 12:50pm
Borders SEC filing hints at Barnes and Noble talks
Borders might buy out Barnes & Noble in what could be a major shakeup in the e-reader space, according to an SEC filing. Borders has said it might buy its rival bookseller for $16 per share or else a mixture of cash and stock. There is "no assurance" that a deal will be finished, Borders cautioned.
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11/14, 5:50pm
Kobo Wireless eReader gets our review
In just the space of half a year, competition in the e-reader market has grown intense: where anything below $200 was once basic, readers now expect Internet access on anything over $100. Kobo has had to ride this wave whether it liked it or not: its new mainstream model has actually dropped to $140 while getting Wi-Fi. But is that enough? We'll discover the answer in our Kobo Wireless eReader review.
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10/25, 5:00pm
Borders drops Kobo to 99, Velocity Reader to 170
Borders said it would start up multiple deals, beginning October 31, in what's already considered a bid to recover sagging sales. The company dropped the price of its core readers, the Kobo eReader and the Aluratek Libre, down to $100; the Libre deal lasts until November 15. It should also be giving away five free books with each Kobo Wireless eReader at its usual $140 price, and Sony Readers will get a free cover and light combo.
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08/31, 9:40am
Aluratek Libre and Kobo eReader fall in price
Borders this morning fought back against the third-generation Kindle by dropping prices on both the Aluratek Libre and the Kobo eReader. Although not yet reflected on the site, the Kobo device is dropping down to $130 while Aluratek's device is falling to $100, making it one of the first current e-readers to crack the price mark.
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08/21, 12:15pm
Velocity Micro Cruz Reader preorders go live
Velocity Micro committed itself to the world of tablets late on Friday by opening preorders for the Cruz Reader. The seven-inch Android 2.1 slate is now due to ship both online and to electronics stores in early September for $200. The wider-aspect Cruz Tablet ($300) and child oriented StoryPad ($150) are due to ship later the same month.
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07/07, 9:10am
Borders takes web store live following mobile apps
Borders today formally launched its eBooks store. The launch follows the early release of the iPad and iPhone apps (free, App Store) and will give Borders one of the largest online catalogs with 1.5 million titles, an unknown amount of which are public domain. The company also formally posted Android and BlackBerry versions of its mobile app.
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06/22, 1:45pm
Borders launches Apple app, adds $20 GC to Kobo
Borders on Tuesday said it would bundle its Kobo eReader with a $20 gift card and double Borders Bucks. At the same time, the company has released a free app for both the Apple iPhone and iPad that will let users browse, search, buy and read its e-books. The Apple app is Kobo's second for mobile devices, with an Android app unveiled on Friday and a BlackBerry app promised to arrive soon as well.
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06/18, 4:45pm
Kobo releases Android app
Borders has released a Kobo app for Android-powered smartphones, letting them read all of Borders' electronic books. The app is considered a mobile complement to the Kobo eReader. As with the iPhone app and other ports, a login lets the software bookmark where readers left off, even if they switch the device used to read the e-book.
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05/07, 10:10am
Kobo e-reader due June 17 with Borders apps
Borders on Friday started taking pre-orders for its version of the Kobo eReader. The American version of the reader will go on sale June 17th and, like the Canadian version, will have 100 public domain books already loaded. Price will still be its key selling point as the reader should cost $150.
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03/24, 3:05pm
Kobo eReader to carry low price, avoid Apple
Previously known for its cross-platform e-book store, Kobo today delved into hardware of its own with the Kobo eReader. The 6-inch device consciously avoids the sheer level of features found in other readers but compensates with a very low $149 price and a simple design. While it has no 3G or Wi-Fi, the eReader will have just a directional pad and four buttons for control and a unique quilted back to ease the grip.
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02/24, 9:20am
Spring Design announces Alex delayed until March
The small Alex e-book reader introduced at CES has missed its February 22nd launch and its maker, Spring Design, has announced it will be available for pre-order in the first week of March. The dual-screen device has a larger, 6-inch e-paper screen up top and a 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD and allows for reading e-books while browsing the web at the same time. The Alex has a built-in EVDO/HSPA 3G modem as well as Wi-Fi.
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01/08, 3:25am
Spring Design's reader gets major content boost
Spring Design christened the launch of its Alex at CES with both a major content deal and a release window. The newcomer says its dual-screen e-book reader will get access to Borders' Kobo-based e-book store and will have access to as many as 2 million titles. It not only gives the device a potential edge against the Kindle and Nook.
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12/24, 2:40pm
Borders to sell e-books for third-party e-readers
Book retailer Borders Group will not build and sell its own e-book reader, the company's chief executive said recently. Instead, it will partner with Kobo on an e-book service and make its wares compatible with as many existing e-book readers as possible. The service is due to launch in the spring of 2010. Borders owns 20 percent of Kobo, which is a spin-off of Canadian book chain Indigo Books & Music.
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12/15, 11:30pm
Company teams with star-up Kobo
The bookstore chain Borders has confirmed plans to enter the realm of digital distribution, with an e-book store expected to debut in the second quarter of 2010. The upcoming portal will integrate with the company's current website, Borders.com, and offer content for a wide range of devices such as standalone readers or smartphones.
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08/06, 1:35pm
Coffee shops ban laptops
The economic downturn is causing some coffee shops, including Naidre's in Brooklyn, NY, to restrict when users can browse the Internet on their notebooks, says a Thursday WSJ report. The local neighborhood shop offers free Wi-Fi but a sign put up since the spring of 2008 warns that laptops are not allowed at certain mid-day hours unless the customer is eating as well as surfing or otherwise using their notebooks. Shop owners argue they find it hard to cater to a client who takes up the space and uses electricity for hours on end while ordering little to nothing else.
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07/01, 4:10pm
Elonex outs e-book reader
UK-based Elonex International has partnered with the UK division of Borders to release its first 6-inch eBook Reader. Users can download ebooks via Borders' eBook Download Store. The reader is just over a third of an inch thick and weighs 6.5oz, with a battery life that is claimed to last 8,000 page turns. The e-Ink screen is said to be two and a half times sharper than a conventional display and can be red in direct sunlight. Users will have the ability to choose from one of eight font sizes and turn the reader horizontally for a wider viewing area.
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