Nook Simple Touch GlowLight launched for budget £49

Nook Simple Touch GlowLight eReader

Barnes & Noble has launched the Nook Simple Touch GlowLight as the first eReader with a backlight retailing for under £50.

Available today for £49, the Nook Simple Touch GlowLight is a bargain £49, complete with backlight and two month battery life.

“No other eReader in the UK anywhere near this price has an integrated light, sits comfortably and lightly in the hand and has a battery that will last up to two months,” said Jim Hilt, Managing Director of Barns & Noble. “It’s an unbeatable value for one of our best-loved and most highly acclaimed products, making now the perfect time to choose an eReader for yourself or for your favourite reader as an early Christmas present.”

Nook Simple Touch GlowLight Features

Aiming to compete with the likes of the Kobo Aura and Amazon Paperwhite eReaders, the Nook Simple Touch GlowLight has a 6-inch e-ink screen.

Designed with a soft-touch back and contour on the rear to make it easier to hold, the Nook Simple Touch Glowlight weighs less than 200g, making it lighter than the average paperback book.

Offering a substantial battery life, you’ll get a month’s battery life with the backlight on or over two months without the GlowLight.

The Nook Simple Touch GlowLight also allows users to look up words in the dictionary, highlight specific passages, adjust the font for easier reading and additional features.

With built-in Wi-Fi, the new eReader offers access to the Barnes & Noble Nook store that contains more than 2.5 million titles, 1 million of which are free.

Available now, the Nook Simple Touch GlowLight is available from major UK retailers like Argos, Asda, John Lewis, Sainsbury’s and Very.



Next, read our pick of the best tablets of 2013.

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Amazon Kindle Fire HDX tablet range launched

Amazon has launched the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX, a range of tablets that comes in two sizes and features significant hardware and software improvements.

Both the 7-inch and 8.9-inch HDX models represent considerable upgrades over last year's Kindle Fire HD range.

For a start, both devices have been made slimmer and lighter than the previous iterations - up to 34 percent, in the case of the 8.9-inch model. Amazon has shifted the power and volume buttons around to the backs of the devices in order to help cut down on heft.

More strikingly, but HDX tablets have been given all-new high resolution displays. The 7-inch model now has a 1920 x 1200 display, which is the same resolution as the Google Nexus 7 2.

Meanwhile the 8.9-inch HDX features a 2560 x 1600 resolution display. The end result: 323 ppi for the 7-inch model and 339 ppi for the 8.9-inch model, which is about as sharp as it gets for tablets right now.

These displays aren't just sharp though - they're also smart. Amazon has incorporated technology that adjusts the tone and colour of the pixels according to ambient lighting, so having an enjoyable tablet experience in the garden on a sunny day should no longer be out of the question.

Matters have been improved internally, too, with both devices running on quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPUs clocked at 2.2GHz. These are backed by an ample 2GB of RAM.

The 8.9-inch model comes with an 8-megapixel camera, but more importantly for a tablet you have option of 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. They're also set to come in Wi-Fi and 4G configurations.

The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX range also gets the new Fire OS 3.0 a.k.a. Mojito. Early examples of Amazon's forked-Android UI had their issues, but there have been a number of meaningful changes this time around (including a core bump-up to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean).

Amazon has introduced the ability to view your apps in a more traditional grid view rather than the default carousel. Admittedly this is just reintroducing a feature many would argue should never have been removed from the core OS, but it's a welcome addition nonetheless.

More interesting is the addition of Mayday. Press this virtual button at any time and within 15 seconds you'll find yourself talking to an Amazon assistant, via video chat, who can then guide you with any hardware or software difficulties you might be having.

But it goes further - the assistant will be able to take remote control of your tablet, and will also be able to highlight which buttons you need to press on your own screen.

The final but perhaps most significant feature of these HDX tablets is the pricing. The 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fire HDX will start shipping the US on October 18 from just $229, which equates to around £143. The 8.9-inch model will launch on November 7 from $379 (£237).

There are no UK details as yet, but we'll keep you updated.



Next, read our Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire HD comparison.

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HTC One could be set for an octa-core update

The HTC One is on course to received an octa-core update, according to a recent internet report.

HTC's current flagship phone has been impressing with its sharp all-metal design and speedy quad-core performance, but it seems the latter is not enough for the Taiwanese manufacturer.

According to Greek website TechCommunity.gr, a new octa-core variant of the HTC One is in the works. Their proof is a screenshot (see below) seemingly taken from the new device, outlining its specs.

As well as mention of an "Octa-core" processor, the screen reveals an increased 3GB of RAM. That's up from 2GB on the current HTC One.

The website also claims that the new HTC One update will feature "Clear Audio," which will apparently serve to improved sound quality in both calls and music.

Of course, such screenshots are relatively simple to fake, so we're not betting anything on the appearance of such a copiously cored HTC smartphone just yet. However, it's worth noting that it's not unusual for HTC to release an incremental hardware update for its leading handset.

Last year, just six months after the launch of the HTC One X, the company unveiled the HTC One X+ . This barely altered device featured a higher-clocked processor, a slightly bigger battery, more storage and an improved front camera.

It's also worth noting that some Samsung Galaxy S4 models feature an octa-core CPU, although these feature four fast cores and four low-power cores for greater battery efficiency. Still, it's an attractive tick on the spec sheet, and we know that Android manufacturers love those.

HTC might just have been tempted to secure bragging rights with a quick mid-term spec bump. We'll let you know as and when we learn more.



Next, read our Samung Galaxy S4 vs HTC One comparison feature.

Via: GSMArena

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Has Google finally found a way to clean up YouTube comments?

YouTube clean-up underway

Google has announced a string of measures that could help to eradicate the notoriously unpleasant stream of comments that tend to sit beneath a large quantity of videos on the site.

From this week, instead of seeing the so-called 'Top Comments' or just the last remark made in the 'All Comments' section, no matter how unpleasant, users will begin seeing more relevant content.

As the company points out in a blog post on Tuesday "recent does not necessarily mean relevant" and thus comments will soon become "conversations that matter to you" if Google's plan comes to fruition

Using Google Plus integration, comments from people users know will rise up to the top of the list.

In a post on the official YouTube blog, the company wrote: "Quick taste test. Let’s say you’re watching a video from Justin Timberlake. What type of video comment would be awesome to see: one from JT himself, one from people you care about who love the video...or one from just the last random person to stop by?"

The post continued: "Comments you care about move to the top: You’ll see posts at the top of the list from the video’s creator, popular personalities, engaged discussions about the video, and people in your Google Circles.

"Join the conversation publicly or privately: You can choose to start a conversation so that it is seen by everyone on YouTube and Google , only people in your Circles or just your bestie. Like Gmail, replies are threaded so you can easily follow conversations."

There'll also be a host of new tools available to video creators to moderate the conversations "for welcome and unwelcome voices" the company says.

"You have new tools to review comments before they’re posted, block certain words or save time by auto-approving comments from certain fans. These can help you spend less time moderating, and more time sharing videos and connecting with your fans," the blog post added.

Could these measures really end the hate? Or are there too few of your friends on Google Plus to really ensure worthwhile and relevant comments rise to the top? Let us know your thoughts in the comments sections below.

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Apple to offer refunds following Breaking Bad season pass row

Apple has announced that fans who bought an iTunes "season pass" for both halves of Breaking Bad season 5 will be getting a refund.

The final series of the phenomenally popular drama was split into two by US network AMC, effectively creating two 8-episode series spread out over the course of a year.

However, Apple had been charging fans for a "season pass" for Season 5 when, in fact, they'd only have access to 8 episodes It offered another pass for the final 8 episodes.

Fans of the show issued a legal challenge claiming a season pass should give them access to all 16 episodes of the final series and Apple, it seems, has listened.

The company has now emailed the affected iTunes users and furnished them with an iTunes vouched covering the cost of the extra cash they forked out, which comes to around £15.

Following the row, those who buy a season pass for the show will now get all 16 episodes, including this weekend's forthcoming finale.

In more Breaking Bad-related tech news, Netflix has today launched a helpful tool that could allow Brits to enjoy the final episode without the threat of spoilers.

The new Spoiler Foiler website will block out any mentions of the show on social network Twitter, meaning users should be able to browse their feed without some inconsiderate so-and-so wrecking one of the most anticipated TV episodes in history.

The streaming site said: ""As we get ready for the biggest climax in entertainment history and the final episode of Breaking Bad ever (big sigh), Netflix today launches The Spoiler Foiler is a website for fans to remove any posts on Twitter including any 'spoilers' relating to the show.

"Yes, that means that all those danger words will be blocked out on your Twitter feed with black spaces so they can't be seen!"

The final episode of Breaking Bad will air on Netflix UK from Monday.

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Xbox One indie titles not expected until early 2014

Microsoft doesn’t expect to see any independent titles launch on the Xbox One until early 2014, giving developers’ time to complete their games.

According to Phil Harrison, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President, the company has received “hundreds” if not “thousands” of applications for its Independent Developers @ Xbox program, but doesn’t expect to see the game materialise until early next year.

“We’ve had an avalanche of interest from all corners of the globe. It’s what we expected but it’s great to see. Now we’re working through applications and creating that dialogue with developers,” said Harrison to Games Industry International.

“I don’t think we’re going to see things at launch. I don’t think it’s realistic to see a developer get the programme and build a game and get it into the market on November 22. It’s reasonable to expect in early 2014 we’ll start seeing the first games come through.”

Harrison was also quick to protect the reputation of Microsoft over the flurry of overturns surrounding Xbox One policies in the months since the official unveiling.

“Our long term vision hasn’t changed at all. We haven’t diluted our long term vision, which is all of the benefits of a connected ecosystem and what that means for all of the stakeholders – us, developer, publisher and crucially, the player. None of that has changed.”

Since officially launching the Xbox One, Microsoft has changed policies on DRM, daily online check-ins, always-on Kinect requirements and other smaller details.

“We had to adapt some of our policies and it was best that we did those before we launched, which we’ve done. All of that can be handled in the vacuum of the pre-launch activity. And it allows the players to have a choice.”

November 2013 will see both the Xbox One and PS4 launch within weeks of each other with consumers having to decide which next-generation console they want to own.

“We feel very happy about the launch line-up we have and the launch window of games we’ll be bringing to market,” added Harrison. “That line-up is very, very strong. And Titanfall is turning into the huge megahit that we expected it to be.”



Next, read our Xbox One vs PS4 comparison.

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GTA Online will feature real money microtransactions

Rockstar Games will seemingly be introducing real world currency microtransactions for GTA Online, the GTA 5 multiplayer experience.

Gamers will be able to spend real money in GTA Online by purchasing so-called “cash cards”, which offer additional in-game currency for a price.

According to one Reddit user who has discovered an XML file within one of the in-game GTA 5 websites that details of the four cash cards that will be available to purchase to boost your bank account in GTA Online.

“Cash is king in this town. Solve your money problems and help get what you want across Los Santos and Blaine County with the purchase of cash packs for Grand Theft Auto Online”, reads the information attached to each card. “All purchased cash is automatically deposited into your character’s bank account. Spend wisely, cash therapy is fleeting.”

Some users have found that it is fairly difficult to actually earn cash in GTA 5, despite the option to play the stock market and invest in properties across Los Santos.

However, it seems Rockstar is making it possible for gamers to buy their way to success in GTA Online, which may irk the majority who won’t want to spend any more money on GTA 5, having already spent around £40 for the game itself.

GTA Online will launch as an additional free download for GTA 5 gamers. A type of MMO, GTA Online brings the GTA 5 experience to an online world for up to 16 players at any one time.

Available from October 1, GTA Online will let gamers completely personalise their multiplayer character and participate in nearly all the activities available to do in the main GTA 5 game.

“Grand Theft Auto Online brings the freedom of the Grand Theft Auto experience to multiple players in a dynamic shared world,” said Rockstar Games when releasing the GTA Online trailer. “The game combines a persistent and continually expanding world full of personalities. With a wide array of redesigned mechanics, and a huge range of structured and unstructured activities for you to do.”

Next, read our pick of the best games of 2013.

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