Android-based device will let users lend e-books to their friends.
UK retailer Barnes & Noble has unveiled its own e-reader device, the Nook. It's got 3G and Wi-Fi, runs on Google's Android operating system, and has innovative sharing features.
The device will cost $259 and will be available in late November, although Barnes & Noble is taking pre-orders now on its website.
The retailer has partnered with AT&T to provide the 3G network to download e-books, newspapers and magazines to the device. Nook users will also get free Wi-Fi access when in a real-world Barnes & Noble store.
Meanwhile, the device ties in with Barnes & Noble's own e-store, which has a catalogue of more than one million publications.
Nook combines a main E Ink display with a separate colour touchscreen, with the latter being used to browse through books' cover art. The device can store up to 1,500 e-books on its internal memory, and up to 17,500 on a 16GB MicroSD card.
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Its most innovative feature, though, is called LendMe. It lets Nook owners lend e-books to friends for up to 14 days at a time. They don't even need a Nook of their own, as the titles can be shared with anyone who has Barnes & Noble's new eReader app for iPhone, BlackBerry, PC or Mac.
Nook is the latest high-profile entrant into the US e-reader market, going toe-to-toe with Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Daily Edition. All boast 3G connectivity.
