Kobo eBook app now available for Samsung Windows Phone 7 devices

Mobiputing: "Kobo has released an eBook app for Windows Phone 7, but it appears that at the moment it’s only available for phones from Samsung."

Kobo Raises A New Round Of Funding

paidContent: " ... the Borders-backed e-books seller, has raised a new round of funding led by what the company says is a “major institutional investor.” Kobo doesn’t say who the investor is but does say that Canadian books retailer Indigo Books and Music, which spun off the company 15 months ago, participated in this funding round and remains its biggest shareholder. Borders, which put money in the company in December 2009 but filed for bankruptcy last month, isn’t listed as a participant in this funding round. ... "

Kobo Reassures Its E-Book Customers After Borders Declares Bankruptcy

NYTimes: "Kobo readers join Borders customers today in asking, 'What's next?' And Kobo has responded with a blog post, reassuring users that its service - and their digital purchases - will remain intact. What does Borders' bankruptcy mean for Kobo customers? 'Nothing,' says Kobo, stating its independence from Borders and its financial security. ... "

Kobo Announces An Aggressive Partnership Strategy for 2011

Given the situation with their partner Borders, they damned well better have an aggressive partnership strategy for 2011. PW: "Kobo ... plans to vastly expand its footprint in the e-book space. Kobo has made partnerships with companies like Samsung and RIM to place Kobo e-reading software on their respective tablet devices, the Galaxy Tab and the upcoming Blackberry playbook. At CES, which begins today, Kobo is also focusing on OEM partners who will sell devices with Kobo software built in. Freescale, a leading chip maker for e-readers and tablets, has included Kobo software in its new tablet reference design (which OEM partners use to conceive of what devices with Freescale chips might do), the i.MX53 SABRE, which the company is showing off at CES."

Kobo Suffers Server Woes Over Holiday Weekend

Kobo seems to have taken a page out of B&N's playbook. Record-breaking demand only counts if you can service it. Winnipeg Free Press: "TORONTO - Kobo says it had record-setting ebook sales this holiday weekend, which explains why many readers were left disappointed after unwrapping their gift and finding it wouldn't download any content. Complaints about Kobo's 'server too busy' errors started appearing on Twitter on Christmas Day but customers were left in the dark for hours as Kobo didn't post anything about the problem on its blog or Twitter page. ... "

Amazon Announces Direct eBook Gifting (or, "In Your Face, Kobo")

VentureBeat: "I’m not sure what took so long, but Amazon today finally announced the ability to gift Kindle ebooks to anyone — just as you would any other product or service from Amazon’s online store. The company says that the Kindle is 'the most gifted item in the history of Amazon.com' but is still mum on specific sales numbers. While this announcement may help Amazon sell even more Kindles, the company stresses that no Kindle is required to enjoy its ebooks. If anything, the feature is a reminder to consumers that they can read Kindle Books on a variety of platforms — including the iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry phones, as well as on Macs and Windows PCs. To gift a Kindle Book, you simply need to choose the 'Give as a Gift' option for any book in the Kindle Store, and then send the gift to anyone with an email address."

In other words, Kobo held on to this advantage for all of 12 hours or so.

Borders’ Kobo 2 to Hit Australia before Christmas

Delimiter: "Local book retailer REDGroup Retail today confirmed plans to offer the next generation of its Kobo eBook reader devices in Australia before Christmas, as well as an expansion in its eBook line-up that will see several major publishers add their titles to its library. The company first launched the Kobo eReader device in Australia in May this year, primarily through its Borders chain, but also in Angus & Robertson, which it also owns. At the time, there was a paucity of options for Australians interested in the emerging eBook scene, although both Amazon and Apple have since that time expanded their offerings."

(Incredibly Awful) Kobo Wireless eReader Launching in Walmart US

If you must do your eReader shopping at Walmart, then do yourself a favor and shop for a Nook. Kobo Blog: "Building on our relationship with Walmart Canada, Kobo’s Wireless eReader will be available in 2500 US Walmart stores across the country starting next week."

Kobo to Small Publishers: Go Away!

Tomorrowsbook.com: "If you're running a small publishing outfit and want to reach the Kobo/Borders community, forget it: if you publish fewer than 10 titles, they'll turn away your business. Unlike Amazon and Barnes & Noble, who have made it a breeze for small publishers to sell titles in their online stores, Kobo requires that you work with a digital aggregator -- good news for middlemen who are an endangered species, but bad news for publishers who don't want to deal with life-sucking middlemen. ..."

Indie Review of Borders' Absolutely Awful (aka, Suicidal) e-Commerce Interface

Mike Cane @ The Digital Reader: "Having had a very good experience with Kobo’s Desktop software, I decided to download the Kobo Borders Desktop app and see if it would provide an alternative to buying ePub eBooks from Sony (the ePub DRM is “classic” Adobe DRM and compatible with the Sony Reader). The installation went smoothly. While it lacks the stylistic panache of Kobo’s store, the interface is basically the same. While basic (I’d really like to see a Date Published or Date Added To Store sort option!), it’s easy to zip through book listings and categories. It seemed all WIN. Until I hit the brutal Brick Wall of FAIL. ..."

Head-to-Head with Kindle: Borders Releases Competitively-Priced Kobo Wi-Fi

InformationWeek: "Kobo, an e-reader maker closely aligned with bookseller Borders, has released a Wi-Fi version of its namesake device that's the same price as Amazon's cheapest Kindle. The Kobo e-reader, which had sold for $130 without Wi-Fi, was available as of Wednesday for pre-order for $140 on Borders' website and for $139 on Kobo's site. The new e-reader is scheduled to start shipping next month. ..."

Interesting Interview with Kobo CEO Michael Serbinis

CBC News: "When we started this as a pilot project at Indigo, we talked about numbers like two to three per cent [market share of all books] in five years. I think everyone is astonished at where we're at today, let alone five years from now. At the end of the first quarter this year, some of the top-tier publishers talked about being around nine per cent, so what does that mean at the end of the fourth quarter? Fifteen, 13, 12, who knows? It's happening faster than anyone expected."

Helping Haiti: Kobo Partners with Artists for Peace and Justice

Business Wire: "Stars Paul Haggis, Olivia Wilde, AnnaLynne McCord and More Share Their Favourite eBooks with Kobo; All Sales from Celebrity Reading List Go to APJ Fundraising Efforts in Haiti. ... Kobo is proud to announce that until the end of September 2010, it will donate sales from the celebrity book lists to APJ, a charitable organization founded by Canadian writer/producer/director Paul Haggis that is committed to improving the conditions for the children of Haiti."

New: Kobo Desktop App for Windows & Mac OS

TFTS – Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities: "Interestingly enough, the release of the Desktop Application will also make it easier for readers to purchase something from the Kobo eBook Store and use it on another device such as the Sony Reader. After all, the Desktop Application allows you to purchase and download to your computer, which from there will require a simple sync with your other ebook reader. ... And as for those other devices, they include apps for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as Android smartphones, Android tablets, the BlackBerry and even the webOS smartphones. Though, that last one is noted as still being in beta."

IFA: Kobo and the Readers Hub for the Samsung Galaxy Tab

Good E-Reader Blog: "The CEO of Samsung used the opening of the conference to show off the new Samsung Galaxy Tab Tablet PC! More to follow on the semantics of the Galaxy Tab in another Post, what breaking news we have, is that Kobo is deeply embeded into this new device. The New software Kobo has pioneered for this device is called the “Readers Hub”. This new application was designed specifically for the Android 2.2 driven Galaxy Tab from the ground up. Kobo and Samsung both worked in conjunction on this application amidst great secrecy to give owners of the Galaxy Tab a viable store to use their device as an E-Reader."

Borders Lowers Prices on Kobo and Aluratek Libre e-Readers/Target to Begin Selling Kindle

TheStreet: "After a brief cessation of hostilities, Borders(BGP) is again reigniting the e-reader price wars, lowering the cost on two of its devices. Borders announced Tuesday that it will lower the price on its Kobo e-reader to $129.99 from $149.99, while its Aluratek Libre reader will now be sold for $99.99 from $119.99. ... Elsewhere in the e-reader world, Staples (SPLS) announced today that it will begin selling Amazon's Kindle in stores this fall. Currently, Target (TGT) also carries the device."

Kobo Opens New York Office

Kobo Press Release: "With Kobo and US publishers, it’s been a long-distance relationship. Lots of planes, a river of email, plenty of phone and Skype. And like all long-distance relationships, it starts to get a little tired. Another meal at the airport. You wonder if they’re seeing someone else. You want more. Someone has to move. We asked the publishers if they could all move to Toronto. They said something about the lease on their Manhattan apartment and how they were focused on their career right now. It looks like it’s up to us. So I am happy to announce that Kobo has opened an office in New York, focused on publisher relations and content acquisition for the US market, and even happier to introduce the first two members of our New York team. ... "

Kobo iPad/iPhone App Review - Slow Page Turns, Slow Chapter to Chapter Movement

Macworld: "I don’t know that the world needs yet another e-book competitor, but that’s not my call. If Kindle, iBooks, Nook, and the rest haven’t yet sated your unique e-reading hunger, Kobo’s certainly worth a shot; generally speaking, it works fine. But unless the developer can address the app’s occasional slowness—when changing chapters and when turning pages—Kobo will remain my last e-reading choice on the iPad and iPhone."

Here's the Official Press Release on the Doomed Literati eReader - Get it at Bed, Bath & Beyond!

MarketWatch: "After an extensive two-year design and development process, the Literati (www.LiteratiReader.com) will ship nationwide in early October to more than 7,000 retail stores -- including Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, JC Penney, Kohl's, Macy's and more -- creating the broadest retail footprint of any eReader currently available. Holiday shoppers are expected to benefit from the current eReader price competition and find the Literati priced for $159 or less through rebates, special offers and promos." BIG PICTURE: Kindle Wifi is just $139. The platform, btw, is Kobo.

MerchSource Literati - Color Comes to an E-Reader

$20 more than Wifi Kindle with no web site access & no games? Just for color display in a dedicated eReader? I don't think so. Gadgetwise Blog - NYTimes.com: "MerchSource thinks it has a shot at grabbing some e-reader market share. The company announced today its full-color e-Reader, the Literati: a low-cost dedicated e-reader with a full-color screen. The Literati by The Sharper Image sells for about $159 including a case, $20 more than Amazon’s 6-inch Kindle Wi-Fi model. It’s designed to display books and other printed materials, and nothing more. No Web site access and no games."