Nook WiFi and Kobo eReader Touch Edition assault the Amazon Kindle fortress: a chart

The e-reader market just got a lot more crowded this week with the launch of the touch-enabled Nook and Kobo eReader Touch Edition. Will either device be able to take down the Amazon's industry defining Kindle? We've broken down the specs on the two new readers, the Kindle, and Sony's comparable Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-350SC) to find out which device will come out on top. There's a lot of overlap features between the different readers, like infrared touchscreens and Pearl E Ink displays. All of those important details and more in the chart after the break. Check it out, because you obviously like reading things.

	Barnes & Noble Nook WiFi	Kobo eReader Touch Edition	Amazon Kindle (2010)	Sony Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-350SC)
Price	$139	$129	$139/$189*	$179
Release Date	Pre-order now, ships June 10	Pre-order now, in-store early June	August 2010	September 2010
Storage	2GB	1GB	4GB	2GB
Card Slot	microSD	microSD	N/A	N/A
Processor	800MHz TI OMAP 3	800MHz Freescale i.MX508	532MHz Freescale i.MX353	Sony has not disclosed
Weight	7.48 oz	7.05 oz	8.5 oz / 8.7 oz	5.64 oz
Dimensions	6.5 x 5 x 0.47 inches	6.5 x 4.5 x 0.4 inches	7.5 x 4.8 x 0.3 inches	5.7 x 4.1 x 0.33 inches
Screen	6-inch Pearl E Ink with zForce infrared touch	6-inch Pearl E Ink with zForce infrared touch	6-inch Pearl E Ink	5-inch, Pearl E Ink, Neonode infrared technology
Advertised Battery Life	Two months	Two weeks	Two months	Two weeks
WiFi/3G	WiFi	WiFi	WiFi/3G	N/A
Keyboard	On-screen	On-screen	Physical	On-screen
Button(s)	1	1	38	5
Formats	EPUB, PDF	EPUB, PDF	AZW, AZW1, TXT, MOBI, PRC, AA, AAX, PDF	EPUB, PDF, RTF, TXT, BBeB DRM
*Amazon recently announced a $164 ad-supported version, as well.

Touch Enabled Nook Hands-On

Kobo eReader Touch Edition Hands-on

Amazon Kindle review

Sony Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-350SC) review

Barnes & Noble clarifies battery life on new Nook, calls out Kindle

Wondering which electronic reader reigns supreme when it comes to extreme battery life? If you ask Amazon, it's the Kindle, but Barnes & Noble begs to differ -- and it has some numbers to back that up. Earlier today we received a statement from the company explaining just how thrifty the new Nook is when it comes to sipping from cells. With WiFi disabled on both devices, B&N says it managed 150 hours on the new Nook when turning a page every minute. The current-gen Kindle, meanwhile, petered out after 56. That's almost three times as long and maybe, just maybe, enough to finally get you through Anna Karenina on one charge -- or at least through the Cliffs Notes version. More details on the testing overview below, which we promise can be rather more rapidly ingested.

With up to two months on a single charge, the All-New NOOK has the longest-battery life in the industry and superior battery performance to Kindle 3. In our side-by-side tests, under the exact same conditions, continuous use of the device resulted in more than two times Kindle's battery life. While reading at one page a minute, the All-New NOOK battery lasts for 150 hours where the Kindle battery, using the same page-turn rate, lasts for only 56 hours (both with Wi-Fi off). We've also done a continuous page turn test and at one page turn per second, the All-New NOOK offers more than 25,000 continuous page turns on a single charge.

Barnes & Noble announces new touch-enabled Nook for $139

Not to be outdone by Kobo which just unleashed it's latest E Ink reader yesterday the folks at Barnes & Noble are back with the latest update to their line of Nook devices. The "all new" Nook is touch enabled and lasts up to two months on a single charge. The Pearl E Ink screen boasts "80-percent less flashing" during page turns, something that many fans of the devices have resigned themselves to having their eyes assaulted by. And B&N is quite proud of its streamlined interface which it brags has 37 less buttons than the Kindle 3. Around the back is a soft-touch rubber surface that should feel great in the hand while reading, though, we'll have to wait to manhandle one ourselves to be sure.

The new Nook has a redesigned home screen with your current reading list and suggested titles and adds a few features like FastPage Zoom forward, which lets you jump to any page in a title, and (finally) displays the number of pages left to go. Inside is a microSD slot and a WiFi radio, but sadly no 3G. You'll also be able to share quotes, lend books, and update your status on social networks using Nook Friends, which debuted last year with the Nook Color.

You can pre-order online and in stores now and the updated Nook should start shipping to customers June 10. You'll also be able to pick one up at BestBuy, Walmart, Books-A-Million, and Staples for $139 at the same time.

Barnes and Noble BEA Event 2011

Barnes & Noble selling Nooks for $99 on eBay

What do you do just before you decide to upgrade your old device with some new hotness? You sell the old stuff on eBay, right? Well, B&N doesn't seem to have any better ideas than you as it's started offering its classic Nook e-reader for $99 on the online auction site, undercutting its own price by $50. This is the WiFi-only dual-screen unit, as you might surmise, not the Color tablet that's been treading dangerously close to being a fully fledged Android slate. If you're an E Ink loyalist on a budget, this might just be the opportunity you've been waiting for, though don't blame us if Barnes & Noble comes up with a fancier, more lustworthy model in the time it takes for that free delivery to reach your door.

eBay

3M announces Cloud Library e-book lending service for '21st century' libraries

Both Amazon and Sony have already hopped aboard the e-book library lending train and now, it looks like they'll have to make room for 3M, as well. Yesterday, the company announced a new Cloud Library e-book lending service that will allow users to browse and borrow digital books directly from their iPads, Nooks and Android-based tablets. Under the program, 3M will outfit local libraries with its own software, hardware and e-book collection, which bibliophiles will be able to access via special apps. The company is also planning to install so-called Discovery Terminal download stations in libraries, allowing visitors to leaf through the collection from a touch-based interface. Thus far, both Random House and IPG have signed on to the initiative, though licensing details remain murky. There's also no word on when or where the service will launch, but 3M's Discovery Terminal and iPad app will be on display next month in New Orleans, at the American Library Association's Annual Conference. Full presser after the break.

Stream Hulu on your Nook Color, ditch Fitzgerald for Family Guy

In case you need still more distraction from using your Nook Color to, you know, read, now you can have Hulu's extensive video library at your fingertips, thanks to a simple 19-step process. Replacing the standard Adobe Flash Player with a modified version seems to work for the Nook and some other devices; users at Android Central have reported success on the Epic 4G, Thunderbolt, and Droid Incredible. When you're ready to trade One Hundred Years of Solitude for 1000 Ways To Die or 16 and Pregnant, hit the source link for detailed instructions, and see the tutorial video after the break.

Android Central