Mobile Technology

New Nook eReader adds "glowlight" for reading in the dark

New Nook eReader adds "glowlight" for reading in the dark
Nook Simple Touch GlowLight for reading in the dark
Nook Simple Touch GlowLight for reading in the dark
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Nook Simple Touch GlowLight for reading in the dark
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Nook Simple Touch GlowLight for reading in the dark
The built-in reading light allows you to enjoy a good book without annoying everyone around you
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The built-in reading light allows you to enjoy a good book without annoying everyone around you
The touchscreen is illuminated via 8 LEDs embedded in the bezel at the top of the display screen
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The touchscreen is illuminated via 8 LEDs embedded in the bezel at the top of the display screen
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The Nook's Best-Text technology enables seamless page turns, adjustable fonts in 7 sizes and 6 styles for clearer words
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The Nook's Best-Text technology enables seamless page turns, adjustable fonts in 7 sizes and 6 styles for clearer words
The e-reader supports both PDF and ePub formats and JPG, PNG, BMP or GIF graphics
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The e-reader supports both PDF and ePub formats and JPG, PNG, BMP or GIF graphics
Side view of the device, with dimensions of 6.5 x 5 x 0.47 inch (165.4 x 126.6 x 12 mm)
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Side view of the device, with dimensions of 6.5 x 5 x 0.47 inch (165.4 x 126.6 x 12 mm)
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Barnes and Noble's (B&N) new Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight solves one of the biggest downsides of e-ink eReaders - reading in the dark. The device, which will be available in May, features a 6-inch touchscreen, which is illuminated by 8 LEDs embedded in the bezel at the top of the display screen. This creates an even, soft glow which enables the user to continue reading in low-light.

The new Nook eReader features much the same specs as its predecessor, the Nook Simple Touch Reader, including a touch sensitive 6-inch display with 800 x 600 resolution and dimensions of 6.5 x 5 x 0.47 inches (165.4 x 126.6 x 12 mm). Despite the introduction of the GlowLight, however, B&N has made the device even lighter, with it tipping the scales at 6.95 ounces (197 g).

The built-in reading light allows you to enjoy a good book without annoying everyone around you by using additional clip-on lights. “GlowLight lets you stay up late reading in total comfort - while your partner stays asleep in the dark,” says B&N.; The GlowLight turns on with a push of the button below the display, and can be adjusted through an onscreen slide control to customize the brightness. The anti-glare screen also gives the e-ink display the ability to be read in brighter conditions, including outdoors in the direct sunlight

The built-in reading light allows you to enjoy a good book without annoying everyone around you
The built-in reading light allows you to enjoy a good book without annoying everyone around you

The e-Reader supports both PDF and ePub formats and JPG, PNG, BMP or GIF graphics. The company also boasts that the new Nook Simple Touch’s long life battery will allow you to use the device for over 1 month, based on half an hour of reading time per day. If the GlowLight stays turned off, this battery life could be extended to 2 months.

The product is priced at US$139 and is available for pre-order with a release date of May 2012.

Source: Barnes & Noble

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3 comments
3 comments
Bryan Paschke
half hour a day? who reads like that? Seriously? Tell me how many page turns or how many hours of backlighting.....I've been known to read more than 18 hours in a day when I have the chance and good reading material. Sounds like I would be hunting for a plug before the end of the day.
Mr Stiffy
Ohhhhhh wonderful... some genius woke up to the fact that people read in the dark and thought that adding back lighting LED's (inside the unit) was a clever idea.
Finally.
Like putting in rip cords on parachutes, instead of altitude deploying ejectors, that need to be zeroed in from the ground for reasons of accuracy and terrain height differences.
electric38
It would be good if they added an inexpensive solar charger. Some consumers might prefer to have the free energy of natural sunlight put to use. Kids would certainly rather carry this, than a bagful of books. The price seems about twice of what it should cost though. Why are these companies price gouging so much? They are pricing valuable educational tools out of reach of many, which tends to dumb down America in the long run.
Public libraries (and schools) should be purchasing these units instead of books. Let people use their library card to check them out and return the unit after a 6 month or 1 year period. Let the kids download and delete books as needed. Quit wasting peoples time and gas money unnecessarily.