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Facebook Will Launch In-Browser Video Chat Next Week In Partnership With Skype

Earlier this week while visiting Seattle, Facebook CEOMark Zuckerberg tipped off Seattle press that the company would be launching an “awesome” new product next week that has been built by Facebook’s Seattle team. The press invitations to that event went out today, saying nothing more than “Please join us for an event at Facebook” on July 6.

So what is the new product? MG Siegler speculates here that it might have a desktop component given all the desktop software hiring going on in Seattle.

And he’s right. This isn’t the main project that team is working on, but next week, says a source with knowledge of the partnership, Facebook will launch a new video chat product, powered by Skype, that works in browser. Suddenly those chat icons in the invitation have a lot more meaning.

The product has been built on Skype and will include a desktop component. It’s not clear to me whether that means it will just work if a user has Skype already installed on the computer, or if additional software will need to be downloaded even if the user already uses Skype. But it’s clear that there’s very deep integration between the products, and from the user’s perspective, the product will be an in browser experience.

Facebook and Skype have already been working together, including integration of various Facebook features into the Skype service.

But this is something else entirely. The partnership could substantially increase Skype usage. Facebook has more than 750 million active users. Currently Skype has just 170 million. And it will certainly help Facebook become even stickier for users as they start to have voice and video chat as an option to communicate.

And this also brings Facebook even closer to Microsoft, which is a Facebook shareholder and has a pending acquisition of Skype. The guys in Redmond must be smiling today, something that happens far too infrequently at Microsoft HQ.

MICROSOFT WINDOWS PHONE 7 APPLICATION | LATEST UPDATION OF MICROSOFT FOR WINDOWS PHONE

Microsoft Pushes 25,000 Windows Phone 7 Apps

51% of the apps are free, while $1.48 is the average price paid per app

The Windows Phone Marketplace has just reached the 25,000 application mark. This figure comes from Windows Phone Applist, which has been tracking these many apps in the US marketplace. However, this announcement is obviously unofficial, as Microsoft hasn't acknowledged or issued any release to that effect. Another marketplace tracker WP7applist has some interesting figures. According to the tracker, $1.48 is the average price WP users pay per application, while 51% of the apps are free. This feat come less than a year after the launch of the platform.

While the number of apps may pale in comparison to that of the Apple App Store, Microsoft has been strict with its Marketplace approval policy to ensure quality over quantity. Apple has been criticised in the past for allowing so called 'bulk apps', which is the appstore equivalent of 9999-in-1 videogame cartridges - multitude of similar apps from the same developer. It's no wonder that the iPad recently breached the 100,000 app mark. The deal with Nokia may also spur more user interest in the WP platform. A positive attitude towards the homebrew community and jailbreakinghelps too.

NEW HARD DRIVES: 3 TB SIZE | LATEST WD

Fast backup with SuperSpeed USB 3.0.

Very fast speeds; Nice design; backward compatible

Expensive; No backup button; No USB 3.0 card included

INTRODUCTION: FEATURES

MRP: Rs 10,999
Street Price: Rs 10,500 (approx.)

While portable hard drives have become larger in capacity, it cannot be denied that backup drives belong to a completely different breed. The only limiting factor with backup drives has been the bottlenecked data transfer speed of the USB 2.0 interface. Things have changed for the better with the introduction of USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface, guaranteeing speeds rivalling those of SATA hard drives. WD has provided us with a review sample of the 3 TB version of their new My Book Essential backup drive. We have tested this with USB 3.0, as well as USB 2.0 interface.

The first thing that we noticed on opening the box is that drive comes securely packaged in a box with plastic damping material to protect it from mechanical shock damage while in transit. The accessories are neatly packed, thus reducing the chances of them getting lost.

Bundle
* WD My Book Essential 3 TB
* USB 3.0 Micro-B cable
* Power adapter with cable
* Quick Install Guide

As is usual, WD has provided all the necessary cables required to be used with this drive. No disk was provided with this product, because the software is on the drive. Unlike the My Book 3.0, this drive didn t come with a USB 3.0 card, because it is a value product. A USB 3.0 adapter card is useful for using the drive with older computers with PCI Express slot, which can be instantly upgraded to the newer and faster interface without having to buy a new expensive motherboard.

Design And Features

The My Book Essential is shaped like a small reference book - the reason for its moniker. It has a sturdy black polymer casing with a smooth glossy finish on the larger sides, while there is a shiny WD logo at the front bottom. The spine of the drive has ventilation grills on three sides to facilitate cooling of the WD30EZRS 3 TB 3.5-inch SATA hard drive inside.

There are two rubber feet on the underside of the drive to prevent it from moving around while in use. A power LED present on the front, glows white and blinks during drive activity.

The USB 3.0 port is present at the back of the drive. The new interface is a combination of two interfaces, of which, one is the micro-USB. This can be used to plug in an older USB 2.0 cable if you happen to lose your USB 3.0 cable. Needless to say, the data transfer speeds using the USB 2.0 cable will be similar to what is expected of the older interface. The USB 3.0 cable is thicker than a normal USB cable and seems to be more durable. There is also a socket to connect the power adapter plug, a power button and a Kensington lock at the lower back.

The drive boasts of 3 TB capacity, which is enough for most purposes.

If you connect the My Book to a USB 2.0 port, or if you connect it using a USB 2.0 cable, then you get a pop-up message that suggests you to connect it to a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port.






SOFTWARE AND PERFORMANCE:


Software

The drive comes with SmartWare backup and restore software, which is an improvement over the one provided with previous drives. Unlike previous My Book drives, this software is not actually present on the drive itself, but is integrated in the controller circuitry, thus making it impossible to accidentally delete it. When the drive is plugged in, it shows up as a virtual optical drive with the WD SmartWare and a 3 TB removable hard drive.

WD SmartWare

WD SmartWare is very easy to use - all you need to do is simply plug in the drive, and SmartWare runs automatically. The Backup software automatically makes backup of your photos, videos, movies and other important files.

This software provides Visual Backup, which allows you to actually see the files present on your computer (on the left) and the files you have backed up to the My Book Essential (on the right) with proper categorization in a graphical format. Continuous incremental backup means the files are continuously backed up as soon as you make any change to the file in your computer. You can choose to save up to 25 versions of a file.

Security is taken care of by 256-bit hardware-based encryption by password protection, thus preventing unauthorized access to your data. Restoring a file is also easy as you can selectively retrieve a particular file or restore the complete backup set.

WD SmartWare available for Mac as well, though we could not test them.

Performance

We used the SiSoftware Sandra Professional synthetic benchmark to gauge the drive's performance and also performed real world file transfer tests. We tested the hard drive by connecting it to USB 3.0 as well as USB 2.0 ports, to get an idea of the performance benefits of USB 3.0 port, and to find out how well it works with the older interface.

SiSoftware Sandra Professional: We created a fresh NTFS partition on the test hard drive and ran the File System benchmark module on the freshly-formatted partition.

The drive index was found to be 101.42 MB/s for USB 3.0, and 28.48 MB/s for USB 2.0, which are good scores.

The File Copy Test: We copied 4 GB of assorted and sequential data to and from the drive, and obtained the following results.

The end results of all these tests indicate that the USB 3.0 interface does speed up things to a great advantage. The drive exhibits satisfactory performance with USB 2.0 as well. To give you some idea, you can transfer 4 GB in just under two and a half minutes.

Power Consumption

We have started taking into account the power consumption of USB hard drives too. The WD My Book Essential consumes 4 W in idle state, while the power consumption increases to 8 W in the ready state. 9 W is the maximum power that it consumes while data transfer is being done internally.

Verdict

The WD My Book Essential 3 TB proves that USB 3.0 is the best thing that has happened to external backup drives in a very long time. Along with the transfer speeds as good as an internal SATA hard drive or an eSATA hard drive, there is the convenience and hot-plug feature of USB. This means that you will no longer have to wait for too long to transfer huge files, such as HD movies, to the hard drive and back. The same applies for backing up entire computers.

Unlike the general impression that a backup drive is supposed to be boring, this one exudes elegance due to its casing with a premium finish and it is built ruggedly as well. It even works with a USB 2.0 cable, just in case you happen to lose the USB 3.0 cable that comes along with it.

If we were to mention some cons, then it would be that this drive does not have a backup button, which would have made life a lot simpler. The WD My Book Essential 3 TB is available at an MRP Rs. 10,990, with a two-year warranty, which makes it a lot more expensive than the 1 TB version available for Rs 4,999 or even the 2 TB for Rs 7,499.

Performance: 4.5
Design and Build Quality: 4
Features: 4
Value: 3.5
Mojo: 4
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

SONY LATEST HANDYCAM | LATEST SONY PRODUCT | LATEST SONY PRODUCT IN MARKET | LATEST HANDYCAM IN MARKET

The HDR-PJ50 can project images on a 60" screen......

We knew that a camcorder could shoot movies, but this one has surprised us because it can even project them! Sonyhas launched its Handycam HDR-PJ50, which can not only record Full HD (1920x1080) movies, but can also project them on a screen as large as 60" (diagonally) at a distance of 3 metres in a dark environment.


The beauty of this high-contrast projector is that you are spared the additional expenses of a separate projector, as well as the messy wiring involved. It also features Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and clear phase stereo speakers that claim to produce "true-to-life" sound.

The HDR-PJ50 sports a 12x optical zoom, which can be extended to 17x, allowing you to shoot close-ups from afar, while the zoom microphone can record amplified audio at the same time. Sony's patented SteadyShot optical image stabilization reduces the chance of blurry shoots, compensating for camera shake with its moving lens elements. It also works as a digital still camera, capable of capturing at 7.1 MP. It comes equipped with a 220 GB hard drive inside, so you will never run out of space in the middle of a shoot.

Setting a new standard for convergent devices, the Sony Handycam HDR-PJ50 comes at an MRP of Rs 59,990, and is available across all Sony Centers, dealers, national retailers, and key photo channel partners.

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Facebook Credits For India To Launch Today

Will enable Indian users to spend virtual currency on the website

Facebook just can't stay away from the limelight these days. After successfully launching in several countries, the social networking giant is going to launch the payment system known as Facebook Credits for Indian users today. Using this system, users will be able to spend the virtual currency on the website on games and applications.

Deb Liu, Facebook's Platform Marketing Manager had stated on the company's official blog in January, "Starting July 1, we will require all social game developers on the Facebook canvas platform to process payments through Facebook Credits. Facebook Credits is currently used in more than 350 applications from 150 developers, representing more than 70% of virtual goods transactions volume on Facebook".

Brands using Facebook as a medium to sell goods will find this very useful. Facebook Credit has already been adopted for in-game virtual transactions by major developers including Zynga, Playfish, CrowdStar, Digital Chocolate, PopCap, and Arkadium; hence there is no doubt that we will hear a lot about it in the near future.

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Google Chrome Reaches 20.7% Browser Market Share Worldwide, Just Behind Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox has struggled for years to overcome Microsoft’s Internet Explorer on the web browser’s market, but it seems like Google will eventually manage to achieve this goal although it was launched less than three years ago. According to the latest report, the Google Chrome browser now has a market share of 20.7% worldwide.

Two years ago the Google Chrome web browser had a very small market share circling around 3%, but its simplicity, clean user interface, speed, and the addition offeatures in a constant manner has propelled the browser on the third spot behind Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

As of June 2011 Chrome’s share stands at 20.7%, Firefox’ share is 28%, while Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is still the leader of the pack with a combined share of 44%. IE has taken a huge drop from 59 percent to 44 percent, whereas Firefox’ drop has been smaller to 28 percent from 30 percent.

If things follow the course of the nature, then by the end of 2011 Google Chrome will become the second most popular browser in the world ahead of Firefox, and within a year it will become number one. There are lots of countries across the globe where Google Chrome is ahead of Mozilla Firefox and the bad thing about its competitors, is that the browser’s growth doesn’t appear to stop, it’s actually accelerating.

Please note that these are not official numbers from Google, they come from StatCounter, probably the most popular internet-related statistics company and one of the most reliable sources when it comes to web stats.

Google Chrome has been my default web browser both at work and at home on Linux and Windows computers since it became available. Once you use Chrome you can’t go back to using other web browsers. One of the main hindrances to Chrome’s growth was the lack of add-ons, but Google launched Extensions a while back and their complaints are now gone.

SAMSUNG GALAXY Z | LATEST SAMSUNG PRODUCT | SAMSUNG GALAXY Z IN SWEDEN

The highly popular Samsung Galaxy series has got one more addition to its line-up. The latest entrant is the Galaxy Z, which is said to be a pocket-friendly sibling of the Galaxy S II. This is much like what Galaxy LCD has been to the original Galaxy. To our surprise, the announcement has come from the Swedish operator 3, but a formal announcement from the Korean giant may soon follow.

The device looks similar to the Galaxy S II, with slight changes in keys and possibly a brushed metal finish at the back. The phone is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 chip. The 5 megapixel camera is reportedly capable of 720p video recording. According to the listing, the phone has 8 GB onboard storage, as well as 32 GB memory card support. However, the device will sport a 4.2 Super Clear LCD instead of the premium SuperAMOLED Plus seen on the Galaxy S II. On the software front, the phone boasts the latest version of Android, which is 2.3 (Gingerbread). 

The swedish operator has priced the Samsung Galaxy Z at 3995 kronor (approx Rs 28,350). We currently have no information on the device s availability in India, but looking at the response met by previous iterations of the Galaxy, we are pretty confident that Samsung won't keep us waiting for a long time.

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Facebook Engineers Build Google+ Inspired Facebook Hack

With many asserting that Google+ is heavily Facebook influenced, Facebook engineers Vladimir Kolesnikov, Peng Fan, Zahan Malkani, Brian Rosenthal have flipped the switch and taken inspiration from the novel Google Circles design with Circlehack, a much simpler tool to build Facebook Friend lists.

Right now the only way you can create lists on Facebook is by going to the Friends page, clicking on the Account drop down menu, then clicking on “Edit Friends” and then again on “Create a List” and a bunch of other cumbersome stuff.

It’s a mess, but crucial if you want to achieve the same granular sharing features as Google+ on Facebook (which you can do by going to “Privacy Settings,” clicking “Customize,” then under “Make this open to” click oh hell just Google it).

While Circlehack doesn’t have all the design features of Google+ e.g. the circles your friends are members of don’t glow upon hover and you can’t automatically set Groups or privacy settings within the app, it’s a start, at least for Facebook.

Well played guys, well played.

LATEST MICROMAX PRODUCT | MICROMAX VAN GOGH X450 | LATEST MICROMAX LAUNCH

Sports a built-in Bluetooth headset.

India's largest domestic handset maker, Micromax today showcased its latest offering in the mobile phone segment. The newly launched device is called the Van Gogh X450. Looking at the uninspiring design, I wonder what possible connection it could have to the the legendary Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh.

According to the company, the stylish phone integrates a Bluetooth hands-free headset in its design. Which means that you can place the hands-free in the docking port on the back of the phone. The device features a 2.6 TFT screen, 2 megapixel camera, 8 GB card support, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. You also get a swappable back panel to change the look of your device. Additionally, it comes pre-installed with the Opera Mini web browser and instant messaging support for Facebook, Yahoo!, and MSN through eBuddy. The battery is said to be 1000 mAh. 

Priced at an affordable Rs 3499, the Van Gogh X450 is likely to heat up the low-end mobile segment. Micromax has said that the phone will be available across India in a few days.

LATEST TOSHIBA PRODUCT | LATEST LED TV | LATEST TOSHIBA LED | Toshiba 47-inch TL515 Series 3D LED TV

Toshiba 47-inch TL515 Series 3D LED TV

Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a Toshiba 47-inch TL515 Series 3D LED TVwith natural, passive 3D display, choose TriVector 2D to 3D Conversion, 3D Resolution+, 3D Cross Talk Cancellers and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and Toshiba’s first Natural 3D LED TV as it creates stunning 3D images using affordable polarized glasses. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and Wi-Fi and Net TV with Yahoo! Widgets.

Choose life.

Find out how to win below.

Comment once below and only once. Include your or some contant information in the Disqus fields provided. Don’t put your email in the comment. I will pick one winner on Tuesday at Noon Eastern and if that winner doesn’t respond by close of business I will pick another winner.

Thanks to Toshiba for the gear and thanks to you for reading. Choose life.

LATEST UPDATE TO FACEBOOK | FACEBOOK FOR IPHONE | LATEST UPDATE TO USING FACEBOOK BY MOBILE | FULL LANDSCAPE VIEW OF FACEBOOK BY IPHONE | Download Facebook For iPhone 3.4.3 To Get Full Landscape Mode Support And Others

Download Facebook For iPhone 3.4.3 To Get Full Landscape Mode Support And Others

Facebook for iPhone is one of the most popular application ever for the iOS platform and the social-networking app has reached version 3.4.3. Facebook for iPhone 3.4.3 comes packed with a couple of bug fixes along with security fixes, and some new features that will definitely improve the user experience on the platform.

The application now supports full landscape mode which means that you can check out the Facebook navigation menu on your iPhone in landscape mode. Facebook received a lot of feedback from multiple users asking for the addition of navigation in landscape mode therefore the social-networking company has provided the service.

In previous versions many features and menus of the program worked in landscape mode therefore the users couldn’t understand why this option is not supported by the main menu.

Facebook for iPhone remains the best mobile applicationfor the social network and the company rightfully focuses on this app than on other platforms as there are more than 45.2 million daily active users, while the monthly active users amount has reached 80.7 million.

The application gathered more than 2.7 million daily users, and more than 4.3 million monthly active users over the last month when other developers don’t even dream of reaching this amount.

Each and every client deserves the same treatment, but Facebook has always had a good relationship with Apple and Facebook for iPhone was the most popular free iPhone app in 2010.

Facebook will release a HTML5 application for iPhone in order to add multimedia content on your beloved iOS device. As Apple (and many others as well) isn’t supporting Adobe Flash Player, HTML5 is the present and future of iOS apps.

You can download Facebook for iPhone 3.4.3 free at this link here directly on your smartphone. The package is sized at 6.3MB so it won’t be a burden on your monthly data plan.

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At WWDC 2011 everyone was expecting to get the first peek atthe brand new iPhone 5 smartphone. Well, it seems that Steve Jobs thought that we can wait a little longer, but they unveiled the new iOS 5, a new storage service for the iDevice owners, dubbed iCloud, and a new operating system for their line of computers, Mac OS X Lion.

We were able to get a look at the new iOS 5 in the beta version and the Dev Team even managed to jailbreak the beta 2 version, we  weren’t curious to see how iCloud works have seen storage services on mobile devices, so iCloud can’t bring anything spectacular, and also some beta versions of Mac OS X Lion.

We all know that we won’t see the final version of iOS 5 until iPhone 5 is officially unveiled, but how about Mac OS X Lion?

A lot of Apple enthusiasts are expecting the launch of the new Mac OS X Lion, and according to a rumor it seems that the new product will be available in Apple’s online stores starting Wednesday. The information comes from sources close to Apple company, claiming that after the Independence Day, Apple will finally launch the new Mac OS X Lion.

It’s very likely that the new MacBook Air to come along withthe new version of Mac OS X. As you probably remember it was speculated that MacBook Air will come in July with the new OS in June.

It was rumored yesterday that Apple will launch a new MacBook Air and Mac OS X Lion on July 19th, but since that’s the day when the financial results for Q3 2011 are announced, it’s hard to believe that 2 new highly expected products will be launched then.

Anyway, we are not wondering anymore if Apple is launching a new version of Mac Book Air, but just when it would hit the stores’ shelves.

Samsung Galaxy Z, A Galaxy S II Lite, With SC-LCD Display And 1GHz CPU

Even though Samsung is fighting hard to respond to Apple’s attacks, it seems that the Korean company is still taking some time to launch new models.

A few days ago we told you that Samsung might be preparing some kind of successor for Samsung Galaxy S II, a smartphone that will come with a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, and will be sold under the name of Samsung Galaxy S II Plus.

We were almost right, but instead of receiving an upgraded version, SGS2 has received some kind of downgraded version. It was named Samsung Galaxy Z, and the model was seen in world premiere at the Swedish carrier Three.

Samsung Galaxy Z is like a hybrid between Galaxy SL (I9003) and Galaxy S II. The device comes with a 4.2-inch SC-LCD, replacing the Super AMOLED Plus from SGS2, and with a 5MP camera instead of an 8MP one like its bigger brother features. Samsung Galaxy Z can only record videos at 720p resolution and not Full HD, like the direct successor of Samsung Galaxy S does.

More than this, the processor of Galaxy Z is a dual core Tegra 2 of 1GHz and not the 1.2GHz Exynos on Galaxy SII. Not to talk about a 1.4GHz dual core, as early rumors reported.

There are also aesthetic differences, as the new Samsung device is 9.5mm thick (1mm thicker than SGS2) and weighs in 135g. Samsung Galaxy Z will feature 8GB of internal memory, but you can extend it with a microSD card.

The price tag of Galaxy Z is of about $630, making it pretty accessible and dangerously attractive when compared to similar HTC Rivals. As about the North American release date, we’re expecting it, too.

LCD INTO 3D | WANT TO CHANGE YOUR LCD INTO 3D | WAYS TO CHANGE LCD INTO 3D

Global Wave has a solution.

Have you just bought a cutting-edge mobile phone, only to find out that the LG Optimus 3D and HTC EVO 3D are about to hit the market? Worry not, the ever innovative Japanese have now made a plastic film called Pic3D that can turn your ordinary LCD screen into 3D. Seriously, Japs never run out ideas, you have to give them that.

The manufacturer Global Wave claims that its product offers a light transmission level of 90%, and a field of view up to 120 degrees. Moreover, it is based on the lenticular lens system, and doesn t even require 3D glasses. The installation process is simple and very similar to that of a scratch guard. However, I m quite sure that it will additionally require software to calibrate the screen.

The company is planning to retail Pic3D in multiple sizes to take care of smartphones, tablets, notebooks, and desktops. The max available size is said to be 23 . The expected price of Pic3D for mobiles is 2,000 yen (approx Rs 1125), while the full size sheet will set you back by 15,000 yen (Rs 8325). If everything goes according to plan, it will be available by the month of August. Till then, let your jaw drop while watching this video posted by our Jap friends atDiginfonews.

B&N Now Offering 30 Free Books For Upgrading To Nook

Got an “old” ereader you want to “upgrade?” Get yourself aNook and B&N will throw in $315 worth of free books, 30 titles in all, including “Glory in the Fall: The Greatest Moments in World Series History, 21st Century Crossword Puzzle Dictionary, My Boyfriend Wrote a Book About Me” along with some public domain titles. There are some cook books in there and a few other interesting titles but it’s not like you’re going to score a complete Stephen King library or anything.

Beginning Friday, while supplies last, customers will receive a free, 2GB microSD card loaded with 30 NOOK Books – from cooking and lifestyle to classics and reference –when they show a bookseller their old device and purchase the NOOK reader that best suits them.

You can also just grab the 2GB card, erase it, and put your own books bought on your previous reader on there, which is what I suspect they’re really trying to offer here.

Barnes & Noble Invites Customers to See for Themselves Why
Critics Call NOOK™ Devices the Best Reading Devices on the Market

Customers Who Bring Their Old eReader to a Barnes & Noble Store to
Compare and Upgrade to NOOK Receive 30 Free NOOK Books™ Worth $315

New York, New York – June 30, 2011 –Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, is inviting customers to experience what the critics and millions of customers are raving about: the company’s award-winning, bestselling line of NOOK reading devices. Beginning July 1, bring any eReader into a Barnes & Noble bookstore to compare and upgrade to a NOOK device and receive an instant NOOK Book collection — 30 free digital titles valued at $315. The limited-time NOOK upgrade program is offered with purchase of any popular NOOK device including the All-New NOOK and NOOK Color Reader’s Tablet™.

Beginning Friday, while supplies last, customers will receive a free, 2GB microSD card loaded with 30 NOOK Books – from cooking and lifestyle to classics and reference –when they show a bookseller their old device and purchase the NOOK reader that best suits them.

Book lovers of all ages will love the All-New NOOK, the Simple Touch Reader™, which dozens of leading reviewers have praised as the best dedicated reading device on the market. The easy-to-use, ultra-light, portable 6-inch eReader features a simple, immersive experience with a full-touchscreen and the most-advanced E Ink® Pearl display, the longest battery life in the industry with an incredible two months on a single charge and the most social reading experience ever with NOOK Friends™ — all for just $139.

For customers who love to read everything in color with the added convenience of key tablet features, NOOK Color Reader’s Tablet offers what critics have proclaimed the best value on the tablet market at just $249. The award-winning device is sleek and portable, and features a stunning 7-inch color touchscreen ideal for reading a wide variety of content including books (some enhanced with in-page video), immersive children’s picture books with the exclusive AliveTouch™ technology, an expansive collection of full-color, interactive magazines plus newspapers, and more. NOOK Color now delivers customers’ most-requested tablet features with a wide selection of high-quality NOOK Apps™ to play, learn, organize and explore, built-in email to stay connected, and an enhanced Web experience. Both NOOK devices connect via Wi-Fi® to Barnes & Noble’s expansive collection of more than two million digital books, periodicals and more, and offer customers access to even more free and exclusive content while visiting any of Barnes & Noble’s more than 700 bookstores.

“Both the All-New NOOK and NOOK Color Reader’s Tablet are best-in-class according to the industry’s leading reviewers and millions of devoted NOOK customers. We are confident that side-by-side comparisons with other eReaders will show NOOK products to be the superior choice,” said Jamie Iannone, President of Digital Products, Barnes & Noble. “We invite reading lovers to visit their neighborhood Barnes & Noble bookstore to see, hold and touch our innovative NOOK products and encourage them to upgrade their reading experience while kicking off their collection with a limited-time bonus of 30 free NOOK Books.”

The 30 digital books represent a variety of genres including Cooking, Kids, Classics, Humor, Lifestyle, Fiction, Sports, History, True Crime and Reference. Some of the free titles include: The Good Housekeeping Cookbook, Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love, Creating Your Best Life, Glory in the Fall: The Greatest Moments in World Series History, 21st Century Crossword Puzzle Dictionary, My Boyfriend Wrote a Book About Me and timeless favorites including Secret Garden and Robinson Crusoe. Learn more about this program at www.nook.com/thebest.