Tag Archive for eReaders

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On Liliputing: Hands-On: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook [Video]

Galaxy Tab NookI don’t think many people expected to see Samsung hardware and the same Nook version of Android used on older tablets like the B&N NOOK HD (which is sad, really, because it was a slick interface). But I had hoped that the experience would be different from what you get when you install the Nook app on any Android. And in some respects, it is. Just not so much that you mistake this tablet for anything other than a Samsung product. It is running TouchWiz, after all.

If that doesn’t scare you away completely, read on for my first impressions.

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On Digital Trends: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2013) review

Kindle PaperwhiteOn the outside it looks much the same as last year’s model. On the inside it sports a faster processor, improved E-Ink display, and brighter, more even reading light. All this plus several new software features, many aimed at younger kids, make the new Paperwhite a very desirable e-reader. Is it improved enough to get you upgrading for the 2012 model? Read our full review and tell us if you’re tempted.

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On Digital Trends: Barnes & Noble Nook GlowLight review

Nook GlowLightIt’s slimmer and lighter than before, the display is sharper and more pixel dense, and the reader now lacks physical page turn buttons and a MicroSD card slot. This distilled approach makes the Nook look more like the competition, namely the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kobo Aura, thus making it feel like a “me too” device instead of an innovative one.

Should you stick with your Nook Simple Touch or spring for the new hotness?

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On Digital Trends: 5 reasons to liberate your ebooks from their DRM prison

eBook DRMThis week, ebook lovers got yet another reminder of why DRM (Digital Rights Management) is terrible for ebooks. While attending a library conference in Singapore, Jim O’Donnell lost access to the titles in his Google Play Books app. Apparently, the app detected that he was in a country where Google Books aren’t available and subsequently denied him access to his books. Stories like this crop up every now and then, each time highlighting some crazy ebook restriction or policy that most people aren’t even aware of. The way things are set up, you kind of need to protect the digital books you buy from the companies that sell them. There are a growing number of ways and reasons why Amazon, Google, or a book publisher might strip you of your digital library.

The best way to protect yourself is to break the DRM on your ebooks for the purpose of keeping a local, personal backup.

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On Digital Trends: Paper rules: Why borrowing an e-book from your library is so difficult

eBook LibrariesFour years in, borrowing an e-book from your local library is still a difficult and confusing process that varies wildly depending on what kind of e-reader or device you own. And once you finally figure out how to borrow a book, there are other frustrations. …

So why is it so hard to borrow an e-book? It’s because none of the companies involved are working together. The e-reader makers, library lending software developers, and the publishers are all working at odds and it’s us who suffer. E-book library lending is broken.