Kindle rival Kobo sells for $315M to Japanese e-commerce giant

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Kobo, the 2-year-old Canadian maker of electronic reading devices, has been sold for $315 million in cash to Japan’s Rakuten. Toronto-based Kobo — a spin-out of Indigo — raised $50 million in April. In addition to Indigo, Kobo was backed by Cheung Kong Holdings. “Kobo provides one of the world’s most communal eBook reading experiences… Read More…

Amazon knocks $25 off Kindle 3G for those who want ‘special offers’

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Amazon.com is reducing the price of its high-end Kindle 3G by $25 for those who sign up for the company’s “special offers” program, essentially advertisements which appear on the bottom of the home screen and the screensaver of the device. The Kindle 3G regularly costs $189, but with “special offers” it is available for $164…. Read More…

Barnes & Noble unveils the new Nook, with touchscreen display

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Barnes & Noble today introduced the latest version of the Nook. And like yesterday’s announcement by rival Kobo, Barnes & Noble’s new electronic reader features a 6-inch eInk touchscreen. But Barnes & Noble is promising even more, saying that the new gadget will be able to sustain battery life of two months on a single… Read More…

Kobo opens a new chapter, introduces ‘touch’ to e-reader

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Kobo faces tough competition from the likes of Amazon.com’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook. But the 2-year-old Canadian upstart, which just last month landed $50 million in financing, is hoping that it can turn a new page on electronic reading devices. Today, the company is announcing the Kobo eReader Touch Edition, which like the name suggests… Read More…

Kobo inks $50 million round for electronic reading gadgets, digital bookstore

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Amazon.com’s Kindle may have a leadership position right now in electronic reading devices and digital books. But the market continues to heat up. Today, Toronto-based Kobo is turning a new page in its history, announcing a whopping $50 million investment from Fidelity and existing investors. The company also announced that the Kobo eReader application has… Read More…