Barnes & Noble have announced a new firmware version for their dual-screen nook ebook reader. nook firmware v1.3 adds a new (beta) web browser, which uses the E Ink display for content and the touchscreen color LCD for navigation, together with faster page-turns, speedier ebook opening and some new games. Meanwhile the Read In Store feature – which allows nook owners to preview entire ebooks while connected to B&N store WiFi – has now been activated.
Readers will be able to spend up to an hour reading an ebook, or – in a future addition – up to 20 minutes reading a newspaper or magazine on their nook. As for the firmware, B&N reckon navigation overall is improved, with an updated homescreen with quicker access to settings (including audio and WiFi) along with the new games – chess and sudoku – and the browser.
nook units connected via WiFi will get the new firmware update automatically sometime over the coming week, but you can kick start the process by visiting nook.com/update and manually downloading it. We’ve got a nook unit incoming so we can judge the changes, but until then check out our original B&N nook review.