<div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Daily Republic" title_caption="Barnes &amp; Noble CEO William Lynch." class="zoomin" href="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51867355ecad04ed77000016-960/barnes-and-noble-ceo-nook-tablet.jpeg"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51867355ecad04ed77000016-909-681/barnes-and-noble-ceo-nook-tablet.jpeg?maxX=400" border="0" alt="barnes and noble ceo nook tablet " width="400" /></a></div><a href="http://www.dailyrepublic.com/media-post/barnes-and-noble-new-nook/attachment/new-barnes-noble-nook-hd-and-hd/">Daily Republic</a><keyword id="147327" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Barnes-Noble">Barnes &amp; Noble</keyword> CEO William Lynch.</div>Barnes &amp; Noble got a lot of buzz a few days ago when it released a big new software update for its <keyword id="1394852" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nook-HD">Nook HD</keyword> tablet.
The software update adds the Google Play store, which is the online shop for Android phones where Google sells apps, music, movies, magazines, etc. That makes the Nook update a great deal for Nook owners. They now have access to much more content than they did through Barnes &amp; Noble's own limited app and content store. The update also incorporates a lot of other excellent Google services like Gmail, Chrome, and Google Maps.
But it's also a bad sign for Barnes &amp; Noble, which is still working through the uneasy transition from physical bookstore to hardware manufacturer and seller of online goods and services. 
With its Nook tablets, Barnes &amp; Nobles took a page right out of Amazon's playbook for the Kindle Fire tablets. Like Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble took Google's Android operating system and stripped it of all things Google. Instead of using Google's services and apps, Barnes &amp; Noble tried to create its own Nook-branded ecosystem.
It didn't really work. The first Nook tablet didn't have an online store for buying music, movies, TV shows, etc. You could load content from other sources using a SD card or plugging the Nook into your computer, but that was hardly as convenient as directly downloading stuff like you could with the Kindle Fire. The Nook HD, which launched last fall, was Barnes &amp; Noble's first device to finally include a way to directly download some of that content, but the selection wasn't nearly as good as Amazon's. 
Then there were apps on the Nook. Again, like Amazon did with the Kindle Fire, Barnes &amp; Noble attempted to create its own store for Android apps to run on the Nook. But Barnes &amp; Noble had a tough time getting developers on board and the selection was pretty weak compared to what you could find on the Kindle Fire, iPad, or other Android tablets. Meanwhile, Barnes &amp; Noble's Nook division continued to collapse, with digital content and device sales down 26%, <a href="http://paidcontent.org/2013/02/28/as-nook-revenues-plunge-bn-says-its-calibrating-its-strategy-but-remains-committed-to-devices/">according to the company's last earnings report</a>.
Like Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble's strategy was to sell its devices for super cheap –– the Nook HD now <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-hd-barnes-noble/1110060426">starts at $149</a> –– and lock users into an app and content ecosystem. The new Nook update essentially turns the Nook into just another bargain Android tablet packed with Google's services and content, and that's really bad news for Barnes &amp; Noble if it wants to continue selling its own digital content on its own hardware. 
Barnes &amp; Noble won't make a penny off stuff people buy through Google Play; all that revenue goes through Google instead. And since the Nook HD is so cheap, Barnes &amp; Noble is likely either selling the device at a loss or at a negligible margin. Meanwhile, the Google Play store is much more robust than what the Nook store can offer in everything except books. (Even then, you can still download the Nook reader app from Google Play and get all your books there.) There's almost no incentive for a Nook HD owner to buy their digital goodies from Barnes &amp; Noble.
It's a major Catch 22 for the Nook business. Either offer the best stuff through Google Play and miss out on revenue from digital content, or risk losing customers to Amazon because the Kindle Fire offers more content and apps for about the same price.

Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet Looks Like It's In More Trouble Than Ever

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="Samsung/Barnes &amp; Noble" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53e3e4b6ecad04df6110adc6-960/samsungbnninvite.png"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53e3e4b6ecad04df6110adc6-700-980/samsungbnninvite.png?maxX=800" border="0" alt="SamsungBNNInvite" width="800" /></a>Samsung/Barnes &amp; Noble</div></div>Samsung is holding a press event with Barnes &amp; Noble later this month, presumably to show off their first co-created tablet.
The companies haven't revealed any details about what the event will entail, other then that it takes place on August 20 at Barnes &amp; Nobles' Union Square location in New York.
In early June, Samsung and Barnes &amp; Noble announced that they would be teaming up to create the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook, so that's probably what we're going to see.
Samsung is creating the actual hardware for the tablet, while Barnes &amp; Noble is supplying its own Nook proprietary software.
This announcement came months after the book retailer said it would no longer manufacture its own Nook tablets in February 2014.
Barnes &amp; Noble hasn't unveiled a new tablet since the Nook HD and Nook HD+ were unveiled in September 2012.
August is shaping up to be a big month for Samsung too. The company is rumored to unveil a handful of new products in the August through September time frame, such as the much-hyped <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-note-4-specs-and-rumors-2014-8">Galaxy Note 4</a>, Galaxy Alpha smartphone, and new wearables.

It Looks Like Samsung Is Going To Make The New Barnes & Noble Nook

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KR2N2GF/ref=as_li_tl?imprToken=qUkV2k3TzoJjmPjYeI2Vqg&amp;slotNum=2&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;tag=biipg_033117_best_ereaders-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=w61&amp;creativeASIN=B07KR2N2GF&amp;linkId=ed9e0f1e0ad9cf2a82a6f3b870ce26da" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e7905d10c2a62464144b765-1422/dsc00681.jpg" alt="Amazon Kindle Oasis" /></a>Guillermo Garzon/Business InsiderI have been reading ebooks on the Kindle Oasis (pictured above) for four years.<ul class="summary-list"><li>I love reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?i=digital-text&amp;k=&amp;ref=nb_sb_noss&amp;url=search-alias=digital-text&amp;linkCode=ll2&amp;tag=biip_032320_ebooks-are-good-20&amp;linkId=6642e37d8800cc623ced56b56c048790&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">ebooks</a> because I can download them in a matter of minutes, they're more portable than physical books, and I don't have to go to the store to buy them or wait for them to be delivered.</li><li>Ebooks are also often available <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=35871X943606&amp;isjs=1&amp;jv=14.0.0-alpha.1-stackpath&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fhow-to-use-kindle-tips%23how-to-get-ebooks-on-your-kindle-2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fshareasale.com%2Fr.cfm%3Fb%3D1086870%26u%3D1088116%26m%3D75276%26urllink%3Dwww%252Ebookbub%252Ecom%252Fwelcome%26afftrack%3D1584994857746a9xkcha5y%7Cxid%3Afr1584994862618bhe&amp;xguid=01DZ4WP5WS62HAXE8YNST0NHNJ&amp;xs=1&amp;xtz=240&amp;xuuid=d0a015c7b73c085cb68881df4b06d329" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">on sale for as little as $1 to $4</a>, and I can even access many of them for <a href="https://www.overdrive.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free through my local library</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?&amp;imprToken=Y1j8jSsUKQB-79UhD6FHRg&amp;slotNum=15&amp;node=2245146011&amp;page=1&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&amp;pf_rd_r=1PMTVKXACBB7GK5B74J1&amp;pf_rd_t=101&amp;pf_rd_p=7bbad4f2-d68f-4686-b4d9-ae9fd8ff88fe&amp;pf_rd_i=2245146011&amp;linkCode=ll2&amp;tag=biip_032320_ebooks-are-good-20&amp;linkId=ad63a91481c6f1ad6f9ce82846d837c0&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">other avenues</a>.</li><li>I didn't always love ebooks - I used to think that they were terrible, in fact, but when I started reviewing e-readers as a tech reporter about six years ago, I discovered that I actually love books.</li><li>Now, I almost exclusively read ebooks on the Amazon Kindle Oasis and all the other e-readers I review and test.</li><li>If you're curious to learn more about all the e-readers I've tested, check out our guide to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-ebook-readers-kindles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best e-readers</a>, my guide on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-kindle-tips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how to use a Kindle</a>, and my review of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kindle-paperwhite-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kindle Paperwhite</a>.</li></ul>I have always been a book worm. When I was eight, I even won an award for "being an avid, spontaneous reader" (my reward was a book - a beautifully illustrated version of "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Garden-100th-Anniversary-Tasha/dp/0397321651/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=biip_032320_ebooks-are-good-20&amp;linkId=f2156b462f1ae0981f17bafeda3cbecf&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">The Secret Garden</a>" by Frances Hodgson Burnett).Growing up, my room was full of shelves upon shelves of paperbacks and hardcovers. I kept a journal to remember all the books I had read. I scorned people who bent the corners of pages instead of using a bookmark, I couldn't imagine marking up a book with a pen or highlighter, I hated when book spines cracked or covers bent.When ebooks came on the scene, I thought they were ridiculous. Why would I want to read on a digital device when I could hold a lovely physical book, when I could smell the pages and have the satisfaction of turning real pages? I was, in short, a book fanatic.<h4>I tell you all this because I'm never not surprised that I am now an ebook evangelist.</h4>It all started when I (accidentally) became a tech reporter and I started to review e-readers. At first, I disliked having to test them and eagerly awaited going back to my paperbacks, but then I started traveling a lot for work and something clicked: Ebooks are good!<h2>Ebooks vs. books: Why are ebooks better?</h2><ol><li>They are much more portable than physical books, so you can carry dozens if not hundreds or thousands of them around with you on a device that weighs less than half a pound.</li><li>You can download them in a matter of minutes so you don't have to wait for them to be delivered if you ordered them online.</li><li>You don't have to go to the store to buy them.</li><li>They are never out of stock because they are digital files.</li><li>You can get many ebooks for free from <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Project Gutenberg</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?&amp;imprToken=Y1j8jSsUKQB-79UhD6FHRg&amp;slotNum=15&amp;node=2245146011&amp;page=1&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&amp;pf_rd_r=1PMTVKXACBB7GK5B74J1&amp;pf_rd_t=101&amp;pf_rd_p=7bbad4f2-d68f-4686-b4d9-ae9fd8ff88fe&amp;pf_rd_i=2245146011&amp;linkCode=ll2&amp;tag=biip_032320_ebooks-are-good-20&amp;linkId=ad63a91481c6f1ad6f9ce82846d837c0&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a>, and your <a href="https://www.overdrive.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">local library</a>.</li><li>Ebooks often go on sale, so you can get bestsellers for $1 to $5. You can follow <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=35871X943606&amp;isjs=1&amp;jv=14.0.0-alpha.1-stackpath&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fhow-to-use-kindle-tips%23how-to-get-ebooks-on-your-kindle-2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fshareasale.com%2Fr.cfm%3Fb%3D1086870%26u%3D1088116%26m%3D75276%26urllink%3Dwww%252Ebookbub%252Ecom%252Fwelcome%26afftrack%3D1584994857746a9xkcha5y%7Cxid%3Afr1584994862618bhe&amp;xguid=01DZ4WP5WS62HAXE8YNST0NHNJ&amp;xs=1&amp;xtz=240&amp;xuuid=d0a015c7b73c085cb68881df4b06d329" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">BookBub</a> for deal alerts.</li><li>They come with fun features like sharing highlighted quotations on social media, looking up words in the dictionary as you read, digital bookmarks, and much more.</li></ol>Convinced yet? You should be! Now that I've got you, here's some more information on where to buy ebooks, where to get free ebooks, and which e-readers are the best ones.<a href="https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_li_ss_tl?node=6669702011&amp;ref=ODS_v2_FS_KINDLE_category&amp;linkCode=ll2&amp;tag=biip_032320_ebooks-are-good-20&amp;linkId=da0057fba973045cd84f094c65108509&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow noopener"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e79180cba85ee1eb173c762-1422/kindle-e-reader.jpg" alt="kindle e reader" /></a>Guillermo Garzon/Business InsiderYou can get ebooks from a lot of sources, including Amazon, Kobo, the Nook store, and more<h2>Where to buy ebooks</h2>You can read ebooks with or without an e-reader - all you need is a smartphone or tablet. Here is a list of places where you can buy ebooks:<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?i=digital-text&amp;k=&amp;ref=nb_sb_noss&amp;url=search-alias=digital-text&amp;linkCode=ll2&amp;tag=biip_032320_ebooks-are-good-20&amp;linkId=6642e37d8800cc623ced56b56c048790&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> is the obvious choice. The Kindle Store has millions of ebooks, including bestsellers, exclusives, and classics. </li><li><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=37217&amp;u1=biip_032320_ebooks-are-good&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobo.com%2Fus%2Fen%2Febooks" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kobo</a> is the other main alternative to Amazon's Kindle Store. It also has millions of ebooks, including all the best sellers you could want.</li><li><a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/6415797/type/dlg/sid/biip_032320_ebooks-are-good/https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/nook-books/_/N-8qa" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Barnes &amp; Noble's Nook Store</a> has a large selection of ebooks, too. You can read them in the Nook app for iOS or Android.</li><li><a href="https://apple.sjv.io/c/196318/435031/7613?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fapple-books%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Apple's Books Store</a> is another great option for anyone who wants to read on their iPad or iPhone and doesn't think they'll ever get an e-reader.</li><li>The <a href="https://play.google.com/books" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Google Play Book Store</a> is great for Android users who aren't interested in buying an e-reader, either.</li></ul>You can also check out ebook subscription apps like <a href="https://www.scbtracker.com/rd/r.php?sid=5&amp;pub=470060" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Scribd</a> and <a href="https://aax-us-east.amazon-adsystem.com/x/c/QjLoS7kwPfbxtD6Jb-P7a3wAAAFxCTs9vgEAAAFKAVHUN_4/https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/hz/signup?imprToken=.0In5pV--KlZR9IelxKUrg&amp;slotNum=7&amp;ref_=assoc_tag_ph_1454291293420&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=pf4&amp;tag=how-to-use-kindle-20&amp;linkId=9625bee6be66090c08d7d8bf52368d0a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kindle Unlimited</a>, both of which I've tried personally and love. Essentially, for a flat rate of about $10 a month, you can read as many ebooks as you want. <a href="https://www.scbtracker.com/rd/r.php?sid=5&amp;pub=470060" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Scribd</a> also offers magazines and audiobooks.<a href="https://www.overdrive.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c1bf6652a5b7434177c4b59-1004/image from ios 8.jpg" alt="OverDrive Libby" /></a>OverDriveOverdrive's Libby app gives you access to all the ebooks available at your local library - for free.<h2>Where to download free ebooks</h2>It's easy to find free ebooks from a variety of sources. My favorite avenue is the Libby app from Overdrive, which gives me access to all the ebooks I can borrow from my local library. Although I sometimes have to wait for a title to be available, it's a wonderful resource.When it comes to classics, you can get many of them free from Amazon or Project Gutenberg. I've used both often.<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?i=digital-text&amp;k=&amp;ref=nb_sb_noss&amp;url=search-alias=digital-text&amp;linkCode=ll2&amp;tag=biip_032320_ebooks-are-good-20&amp;linkId=6642e37d8800cc623ced56b56c048790&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> offers thousands of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?&amp;imprToken=Y1j8jSsUKQB-79UhD6FHRg&amp;slotNum=15&amp;node=2245146011&amp;page=1&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&amp;pf_rd_r=1PMTVKXACBB7GK5B74J1&amp;pf_rd_t=101&amp;pf_rd_p=7bbad4f2-d68f-4686-b4d9-ae9fd8ff88fe&amp;pf_rd_i=2245146011&amp;linkCode=ll2&amp;tag=biip_032320_ebooks-are-good-20&amp;linkId=ad63a91481c6f1ad6f9ce82846d837c0&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">classic ebooks</a> (like "Pride and Prejudice") for free.</li><li>For Prime subscribers, <a href="https://aax-us-east.amazon-adsystem.com/x/c/QquaD_j1UuamqGlVhomINe0AAAFxCQ5b6wEAAAFKAf7aLEU/https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/hz/bookshelf/prime?linkCode=w61&amp;imprToken=Y1j8jSsUKQB-79UhD6FHRg&amp;slotNum=12&amp;tag=biipg_123118_how-to-use-kindle-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon's Prime Reading Library</a> is another great resource for free ebooks.</li><li>You can also borrow ebooks from the <a href="https://aax-us-east.amazon-adsystem.com/x/c/QquaD_j1UuamqGlVhomINe0AAAFxCQ5b6wEAAAFKAf7aLEU/https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?creativeASIN=1000739811&amp;linkCode=w61&amp;imprToken=Y1j8jSsUKQB-79UhD6FHRg&amp;slotNum=11&amp;docId=1000739811&amp;tag=biipg_123118_how-to-use-kindle-20&amp;ascsubtag=3732935%252C11%252C40%252Cmobile_web%252C1%252C0" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kindle Lending Library</a> if you own a Kindle e-reader.</li><li><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Project Gutenberg</a> has around 57,000 free ebooks, including classics like "Pride and Prejudice," "The Odyssey," "Moby Dick," and more.</li><li><a href="https://www.overdrive.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Overdrive</a> and its app Libby (<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/libby-by-overdrive/id1076402606?mt=8&amp;at=1001loVS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.overdrive.mobile.android.libby" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Android</a>) give you access to free ebooks that you can borrow from your local library.</li></ul><h2><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KR2N2GF/ref=as_li_tl?imprToken=qUkV2k3TzoJjmPjYeI2Vqg&amp;slotNum=2&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;tag=biipg_033117_best_ereaders-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=w61&amp;creativeASIN=B07KR2N2GF&amp;linkId=ed9e0f1e0ad9cf2a82a6f3b870ce26da" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e790b110c2a6249e65a835e-1422/dsc00678.jpg" alt="Amazon Kindle Oasis" /></a>Guillermo Garzon/Business Insider</h2><h2>What is the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-ebook-readers-kindles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best e-reader</a>?</h2>I have strong opinions about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-ebook-readers-kindles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">e-readers</a>. I personally think the Amazon Kindle Oasis is worth its high cost of $280. However, I fully acknowledge that's not a reasonable price for most people (I just read too much and can't live without page-turning buttons). Most people will be more than happy with the mid-range Amazon Kindle Paperwhite or the basic Amazon Kindle.If you prefer to have an e-reader from a company that's not Amazon, Kobo's e-readers are excellent. I like the budget-friendly Kobo Clara HD, the waterproof Kobo Libra H2O, and the large-screened Kobo Forma.<h2>Now go forth and read ebooks!</h2><a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a> <a href="https://www.parsintl.com/publication/business-insider/">You can purchase syndication rights to this story here.</a> Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shopping">Insider Reviews</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.

7 reasons why ebooks are better than printed books, and where to download new titles to read right now

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/51db31bb69bedd833c000007-909-682/barnes-and-noble-ceo-nook-tablet-1.jpeg?maxX=480" border="0" alt="barnes and noble ceo nook tablet " width="480" /><a href="http://www.dailyrepublic.com/media-post/barnes-and-noble-new-nook/attachment/new-barnes-noble-nook-hd-and-hd/">Daily Republic</a>William Lynch.</div></div><keyword id="147327" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Barnes-Noble">Barnes &amp; Noble</keyword> CEO William Lynch has resigned. His resignation is effective immediately.
Michael Huseby will now be the CEO of NOOK Media and president of Barnes &amp; Noble. Allen Lindstrom has been promoted and will serve as the company's new CFO.
The news isn't a huge surprise. 
Barnes &amp; Noble has largely failed to adapt to the growing tablet and e-reader market. And although its Android-based Nook tablets have received decent reviews, they haven't been selling very well. 
In May, Barnes &amp; Noble made a quiet admission that its Nook tablets weren't selling as well as it had hoped when it <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nook-hd-adds-google-play-2013-5">added Google's Play store for apps and other content</a>. That means users are no longer incetivized to purchase digital content like books and movies from Barnes &amp; Noble. It also means Nook owners were likely frustrated by Barnes &amp; Noble's dim app selection for the tablet.
Here's the press release from Barnes &amp; Noble announcing Lynch's resignation:
The Board of Directors of Barnes &amp; Noble, Inc. (BKS) today announced that William Lynch has resigned as Chief Executive Officer and director of the Company effective immediately. The Company also announced the following organizational changes: Michael P. Huseby has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of NOOK Media LLC and President of Barnes &amp; Noble, Inc. Max J. Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes &amp; Noble College will continue to lead the digital education strategy and report to Mr. Huseby, as will the Executive Management team of NOOK Media. Mr. Huseby and Mitchell Klipper, Chief Executive Officer of the Barnes &amp; Noble Retail Group, will report directly to Leonard Riggio, Executive Chairman of Barnes &amp; Noble, Inc. 
The Company also announced that Allen Lindstrom, Vice President and the Company’s Corporate Controller, has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer of Barnes &amp; Noble, Inc. He will report to Mr. Huseby. Kanuj Malhotra, Vice President of Corporate Development, has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer of NOOK Media LLC.
“We thank William Lynch for helping transform Barnes &amp; Noble into a leading digital content provider and for leading in the development of our award-winning line of NOOK® products including NOOK Simple Touch™, NOOK Simple Touch Glowlight™, and NOOK® HD and NOOK® HD+ ,” said Leonard Riggio, Chairman. “As the bookselling industry continues to undergo significant transformation, we believe that Michael, Mitchell and Max are the right executives to lead us into the future.” Mr. Riggio added that the Company is in the process of reviewing its current strategic plan and will provide an update when appropriate.
 “I appreciate the opportunity to serve as CEO of this terrific Company over the last three years,” said William Lynch. “There is a great executive team and Board in place at Barnes &amp; Noble, and I look forward to the many innovations the Company will be bringing to its millions of physical and digital media customers in the future.” 
 Mr. Huseby joined Barnes &amp; Noble as Chief Financial Officer in March 2012, and has led the Company’s financial organization since that time. Prior to joining Barnes &amp; Noble, he had a distinguished career in the media communications industry having most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cablevision Systems Corporation, a leading telecommunications and media company. Mr. Huseby also served in leadership positions at Charter Communications, Inc., the fourth largest cable operator in the U.S., as well as AT&amp;T Broadband, a provider of cable television services. 
Mr. Lindstrom joined Barnes &amp; Noble in November 2007 as Vice President, Corporate Controller. Prior to joining Barnes &amp; Noble, Mr. Lindstrom was Chief Financial Officer at Liberty Travel, Inc.
 Mr. Malhotra joined NOOK Media in May 2012 and in his role as Vice President of Corporate Development has been responsible for developing strategic priorities for growth and profitability. He was previously Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Affinion International.

Barnes & Noble CEO Resigns

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:350px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/51878a5ceab8ea3e13000000-568-425/nook-hd-1.jpg?maxX=350" border="0" alt="nook hd" width="350" /></div><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-hd-barnes-noble/1110060426">Barnes and Noble </a>The Nook HD just got 30% cheaper</div>Good morning!
<ul style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">
<li>
<a href="http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2013/05/04/importance-proprietary-dealflow/?awesm=bothsid.es_s32&amp;utm_content=awesmwordpressplugin-wordpressbuttonsb&amp;utm_medium=bothsid.es-twitter&amp;utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_campaign=">In a blog post lots of people passed around over the weekend</a>, established Los Angeles-based VC Mark Suster explains where he gets his proprietary deal-flow.
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2013/05/04/importance-proprietary-dealflow/?awesm=bothsid.es_s32&amp;utm_content=awesmwordpressplugin-wordpressbuttonsb&amp;utm_medium=bothsid.es-twitter&amp;utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_campaign=">Samsung came out with a low-end, 4.3 inch smartphone called the Galaxy Core.</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://gigaom.com/2013/05/06/intels-mcafee-buys-finnish-firewall-specialist-stonesoft-for-389m/">Intel subsidiary McAfee bought a Finnish firewall specialist called Stonesoft for $389 million.</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://mashable.com/2013/05/05/youtube-paid-subscriptions-video-channels/">YouTube is launching paid subscription channels.</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/06/hp-redesigns-its-probook-laptops-for-small-businesses-prices-st/">HP has new, MacBook Air-like laptops out, starting at $499.</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/04/30/could-paypal-be-on-horizon-for-bitcoin/?mod=e2tw">EBay might start taking Bitcoin.</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/business/2013/06/kara-swisher-instagram">Kara Swisher wrote a feature for Vanity Fair on the history of Instagram, which sold to Facebook for $1 billion a year ago last month.</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://twitter.com/JonErlichman/status/331234990253821952">52% of Kansas City residents say they would like to switch to Google Fiber.</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://thenextweb.com/us/2013/05/06/barnes-noble-cuts-nook-tablet-prices-in-us-by-30-for-mothers-day-nood-hd-now-179/?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter">Barnes &amp; Noble cut the Nook's price by 30% "for Mother's Day."</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-glass-snl-skit-2013-5">Saturday Night Live mocked Google Glass.</a>
</li>
</ul>

10 Things You Need To Know This Morning

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47720659.cms" />If you’re thinking there is some error in the header then we would like to assure you that you are reading right. This is exactly the space where Micromax is eyeing its buyers now with focus on making sure the losses aren’t incurred on devices anymore. 
 
<img alt="https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif" height="1" src="file:///C:\Users\S5F90~1.AAD\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif" width="1" />Canvas Sliver is their long waited so-called flagship device which caters to the style conscious youth consumers in the country and for Rs 17,999 you’re as per the company getting the lightest and slimmest phone one can find anywhere in the market (strong claims). So their latest Canvas offering has lot to offer for the Fashionista but you can’t bet against others wanting a bit more than this, especially for this pricing. 
 
Canvas Sliver weighs at 97 grams (you heard that right) and with 5.1mm dimensions there is only so much you can fit into a slim-fit product after all. So what have they actually managed to offer? Let’s take a look, Canvas Sliver 5 doesn’t get a 5-inch form size, instead they have gone for a 4.8-inch AMOLED HD display with able support from Android 5.0 Lollipop on the software front. 
 
It gets interesting when you get to know that a quad-core Snapdragon 410 CPU for this price with 2GB RAM and non-expandable 16GB storage space available. Sounds similar to a lot of devices selling in the country right now but surely the Rs 17,999 could have been looked at once (or even twice). 
 
On the imaging front, Micromax must be hoping that people get comfortable with an 8MP snapper (with Sony CMOS sensor), when everyone goes on the megapixel count race. Add to all this and you get a phone loaded with a 2000mAh battery which is never going to please powerhouse users of the modern era when powerbanks are their bigger life support. 
 
So, for Rs 17,999 Micromax is giving you a light deal with lightness epitomized in every nook and corner of the Canvas Sliver 5 4G smartphone.

Micromax
goes for style with Canvas Sliver 5 Smartphone at Rs 17,999

<keyword id="6354485" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="mobile">Mobile</keyword> Insights is a daily newsletter from <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/welcome?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=MI&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">BI Intelligence</a> delivered first thing every morning exclusively to <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/welcome?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=MI&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">BI Intelligence</a> subscribers. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/welcome?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=MI&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Sign up for a free trial of BI Intelligence today</a>. 
<hr />
<a href="http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press_Releases/2013/5/comScore_Reports_March_2013_U.S._Smartphone_Subscriber_Market_Share">March 2013 Numbers Show Apple Gaining Smartphone Manufacturer And Platform Market Share</a> (comScore) comScore reports that 136.7 million customers in the U.S. owned smartphones for 58 percent market penetration as of March 2013. Among manufacturers, <keyword id="6354427" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Apple">Apple</keyword> had 39% market share and Samsung had 21.7%. In terms of <keyword id="1652106" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mobile-platforms">mobile platforms</keyword>, Apple's share was 39% and the share for Google's <keyword id="6355645" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="android">Android</keyword> operating system was 52%. Android slipped a percentage point since the December results, while gained nearly three percentage points. These numbers cap an impressive U.S. run for Apple on the heels of the <keyword id="530942" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="iPhone-5">iPhone 5</keyword>'s release late last year, and <keyword id="30493" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="T-mobile">T-Mobile</keyword>'s release of the iPhone. <a href="http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press_Releases/2013/5/comScore_Reports_March_2013_U.S._Smartphone_Subscriber_Market_Share">Read &gt;</a> 
<a href="http://gigaom.com/2013/05/03/apple-devices-coming-to-regional-carrier-u-s-cellular-this-year/"></a><table class="image-container" width="200"><tr><td><div class="image"><a href="http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press_Releases/2013/5/comScore_Reports_March_2013_U.S._Smartphone_Subscriber_Market_Share"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5187943669bedd7f0600000e-504-280/topoems.png" border="0" alt="TopOems" /></a></div>comScore</td></tr></table>
<a href="http://gigaom.com/2013/05/03/apple-devices-coming-to-regional-carrier-u-s-cellular-this-year/">Apple Devices To Be Featured On U.S. Cellular</a> (GigaOm) Regional wireless carrier U.S. Cellular announced May 3 that it will begin offering Apple devices to its customer base by the end of 2013. The carrier did not specify which Apple devices would be available. U.S. Cellular plans to bring about 87% LTE coverage to its existing customers, though only about 43% of them use smartphones. <a href="http://gigaom.com/2013/05/03/apple-devices-coming-to-regional-carrier-u-s-cellular-this-year/">Read &gt;</a>
<a href="http://www.mondaynote.com/2013/05/05/carriers-still-think-were-idiots/?utm_source=MadMimi&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=Monday+Note+%23275+-+Carriers+Still+Think+We%27re+Idiots+-&amp;utm_campaign=20130505_m115961223_Monday+Note+%23275&amp;utm_term=CARRIERS+STILL+THINK+WE_27RE+IDIOTS">T-Mobile's 'Contract-Free' Pitch Is An Illusionist's Trick</a> (Monday Note) Jean-Louis Gassée punctures a hole in the idea of T-Mobile as the "un-carrier." He says T-Mobile's contract-free plans are really promotions meant to lure in consumers who will either pay full-price for smartphones or be tied down by subsidies and two-year obligations anywhere else. <a href="http://www.mondaynote.com/2013/05/05/carriers-still-think-were-idiots/?utm_source=MadMimi&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=Monday+Note+%23275+-+Carriers+Still+Think+We%27re+Idiots+-&amp;utm_campaign=20130505_m115961223_Monday+Note+%23275&amp;utm_term=CARRIERS+STILL+THINK+WE_27RE+IDIOTS">Read &gt;</a> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/06/technology/apples-rivals-see-an-edge-in-using-wireless-accessories.html?_r=0">Apple's Control Over Mobile Accessories Boosted Bluetooth</a> (The New York Times) The iron grip Apple exercised over compatible accessories and their connectivity with its mobile ecosystem led manufacturers to flock to Bluetooth and other open standards, which work across mobile platforms. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/06/technology/apples-rivals-see-an-edge-in-using-wireless-accessories.html?_r=0">Read &gt;</a> 
<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-02/sonys-first-mover-disadvantage-in-smart-watches">First Venture In SmartWatches Is Struggling</a> (Bloomberg Businessweek) A year after its initial launch, the Sony SmartWatch is struggling to win over consumers. Sony's wearable mobile device hit the market before many similar products, and major players like Apple and Samsung also have digital watches in the development stage. Nonetheless, SmartWatch has been hobbled by various kinks in its functionality. This has inhibited Sony's ability to win over early adopters. Many analysts believe wearables are the next major growth opportunity for mobile companies. Sony's struggles with SmartWatch indicate the importance of execution in this relatively fresh market. <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-02/sonys-first-mover-disadvantage-in-smart-watches">Read &gt;</a>
<a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Tablets-Grab-Nearly-Half-of-Mobile-RTB-Share-Worldwide/1009860">Tablets Have Nearly Equaled Smartphones For Mobile Real-Time Bidding</a> (eMarketer) Mobile real-time bidding (RTB) advertising continues to grow and mobile RTB ad buy growth is getting a lot of help from the fastest-growing computing device. Tablets now account for 46% of mobile RTB ad buys. If this trend sustains, it could be a boon for mobile RTB, as tablet penetration is still expanding at a faster rate than smartphones. <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Tablets-Grab-Nearly-Half-of-Mobile-RTB-Share-Worldwide/1009860">Read &gt;</a> <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/05/05/hearst-tablet-subscribers/">It May Be Possible To Build A Subscription Magazine Business With Tablet Readers</a> (Mashable) The Hearst magazine empire has announced that it reached 1 million tablet subscribers, and is seeing healthy digital subscriptions growth. <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/05/05/hearst-tablet-subscribers/">Read &gt;</a> 
Device News: <a href="http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-announces-galaxy-core-mid-level-handset-dual-sim-option">Samsung Announces Mid-Range Smartphone</a>, <a href="http://thenextweb.com/us/2013/05/06/barnes-noble-cuts-nook-tablet-prices-in-us-by-30-for-mothers-day-nood-hd-now-179/?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter">Nook Prices Drop</a> (<a href="http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-announces-galaxy-core-mid-level-handset-dual-sim-option">Android Central</a> and <a href="http://thenextweb.com/us/2013/05/06/barnes-noble-cuts-nook-tablet-prices-in-us-by-30-for-mothers-day-nood-hd-now-179/?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter">TNW</a>) Barnes &amp; Noble has dropped prices on its 9-inch Nook HD+ to $179, which makes it more competitive with Amazon's Kindle Fire line. This follows on Barnes &amp; Noble's announcement that it would support the Google Play store. Meanwhile, Samsung shows that it will continue to follow a strategy of offering multiple smartphone models for different price-points and consumer needs.

Apple Gains U.S. Smartphone Market Share As Penetration Increases

<div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:450px"><div class="image"><a title_source="BI Intelligence" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5165796169bedd9904000009-960/bii_phablets_northamerica-1.png"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5165796169bedd9904000009-1118-840/bii_phablets_northamerica-1.png?maxX=450&amp;maxY=338" border="0" alt="bii_phablets_northamerica" width="450" height="338" /></a></div><keyword id="1736808" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="BI-Intelligence">BI Intelligence</keyword></div>At the time the iPhone was introduced, its 3.5-inch screen was considered huge. Samsung upped the ante with the 4.5-inch Infuse smartphone in January 2011.
On the tablet side, screens were getting smaller, shrinking the distance between phone and tablet display sizes. There were many 7-inch tablets introduced, including the original Galaxy Tab, and less expensive successors, including the <keyword id="785825" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kindle-Fire">Kindle Fire</keyword>, Nook Color, and <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> Nexus 7.
A new notion was emerging about the convergence of smartphones and tablets. But the term "<keyword id="999344" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="phablet">phablet</keyword>" — something between a phone and a tablet — didn't come to be widely used until Samsung broke the 5-inch barrier with the first Galaxy Note. 
In a <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">recent report</a> from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/mobile-research?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PHA&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">BI Intelligence</a>, we investigate whether <keyword id="1187495" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Phablets">phablets</keyword> are here to stay, dig into how smaller tablets and larger smartphones are changing the way consumers use their devices, analyze phablet sales and projections, detail the potential downside to phablets, and examine other ways to "go big" other than the phablet approach.
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/mobile-research?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PHA&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Access The Full Report By Signing Up For A Free Trial Today &gt;&gt;</a>
Here's a brief overview of what we can expect to see in the near future for phablets:
<ul>
<li>Device shipments will explode: <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Barclays sees phablet shipments climbing from 143 million units shipped this year, to 228 million by 2015</a>. IHS iSuppli <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">is more conservative, projecting 146 million units by 2016</a>. Both sources use the standard definition of phablets as including phones with 5-inch and larger screens.</li>
<li><keyword id="6359891" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="emerging-markets">Emerging markets</keyword> will play a big role in this growth: <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Asian markets will account for a majority of phablet sales before long</a>, as large-screen handsets — mostly running <keyword id="6355645" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="android">Android</keyword> — have proven especially popular in Korea and China. Many emerging market consumers will be mobile-first Internet users, and <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">it makes sense that they will choose large-screen devices adept at media consumption and Web browsing</a>. </li>
<li>Phablet adoption will be a plus for the overall <keyword id="6354485" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="mobile">mobile</keyword> ecosystem: <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">5-inch and larger phone screens, many of which are HD, lead to a greater likelihood of consumer app downloads, Web downloads and video viewing</a>. These activities are more enjoyable on larger screens and drive consumers to devices like the Note and Ascend Mate. Conversely, these gadgets' large, high-resolution displays are <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">a boon for content providers looking to create richer Web sites and denser apps</a>.</li>
</ul>
In full, <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">BI Intelligence's report on Phablets: </a>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Examines what phablets are and how they came to be</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Analyzes existing phablet device sales and future sales projections</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Looks at and details the various phablet holdouts</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Explains how the rise of phablets will impact consumer mobile usage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Details the potential downside to phablets</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Analyzes other ways to "go big" other than the phablet approach</a></li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/mobile-research?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PHA&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">To access BI Intelligence's full report Phablets Aren't Just A Fad, sign up for a free trial subscription here.</a>Disclosure: Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is an investor in Business Insider.

BII REPORT: Why The Rise Of Phablets Matters

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:401px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51263ed16bb3f7be16000001-2343-1755/bii_androidscreenshare-1.png?maxX=401&amp;maxY=300" border="0" alt="bii_androidscreenshare" width="401" height="300" /></div><keyword id="1736808" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="BI-Intelligence">BI Intelligence</keyword></div>At the time the iPhone was introduced, its 3.5-inch screen was considered huge. When Sprint introduced the first 4G phone, the HTC EVO 4G, in mid-2010, many thought the 4.3-inch display would be too large, <a href="http://www.pocketables.com/2011/07/htc-smartphone-sales-beats-estimates-but-htc-evo-3d-has-the-real-thunder.html">but the phone was a hit</a>. Samsung upped the ante with the 4.5-inch Infuse smartphone in January 2011.
On the tablet side, screens were getting smaller, shrinking the distance between phone and tablet display sizes. There were many 7-inch tablets introduced, including the original Galaxy Tab, and less expensive successors, including the <keyword id="785825" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kindle-Fire">Kindle Fire</keyword>, Nook Color, and <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> Nexus 7.
A new notion was emerging about the convergence of smartphones and tablets. But the term "<keyword id="999344" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="phablet">phablet</keyword>" — something between a phone and a tablet — didn't come to be widely used until Samsung broke the 5-inch barrier with the first Galaxy Note. Samsung itself plays on the ambiguity in its current campaign for the Galaxy Note II with the tagline “Phone? Tablet? Best of Both.”
In a <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">new report</a> from <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/welcome?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">BI Intelligence</a>, we investigate whether <keyword id="1187495" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Phablets">phablets</keyword> are here to stay, dig into how smaller tablets and larger smartphones are changing the way consumers use their devices, analyze existing phablet device sales and future sales projections, look at various phablet holdouts, detail the potential downside to phablets, and examine other ways to "go big" other than the phablet approach.
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/welcome?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Access The Full Report By Signing Up For A Free Trial Today &gt;&gt;</a>
Here's a brief overview of what we can expect to see in the near future for phablets:
<ul>
<li>Device shipments will explode: <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Barclays sees phablet shipments climbing from 143 million units shipped this year, to 228 million by 2015</a>. IHS iSuppli <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">is more conservative, projecting 146 million units by 2016</a>. Both sources use the standard definition of phablets as including phones with 5-inch and larger screens.</li>
<li><keyword id="6359891" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="emerging-markets">Emerging markets</keyword> will play a big role in this growth: <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Asian markets will account for a majority of phablet sales before long</a>, as large-screen handsets — mostly running <keyword id="6355645" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="android">Android</keyword> — have proven especially popular in Korea and China. Many emerging market consumers will be mobile-first Internet users, and <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">it makes sense that they will choose large-screen devices adept at media consumption and Web browsing</a>. </li>
<li>Phablet adoption will be a plus for the overall <keyword id="6354485" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="mobile">mobile</keyword> ecosystem: <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">5-inch and larger phone screens, many of which are HD, lead to a greater likelihood of consumer app downloads, Web downloads and video viewing</a>. These activities are more enjoyable on larger screens and drive consumers to devices like the Note and Ascend Mate. Conversely, these gadgets' large, high-resolution displays are <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">a boon for content providers looking to create richer Web sites and denser apps</a>.</li>
</ul>
In full, <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">BI Intelligence's report on Phablets: </a>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Examines what phablets are and how they came to be</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Analyzes existing phablet device sales and future sales projections</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Looks at and details the various phablet holdouts</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Explains how the rise of phablets will impact consumer mobile usage</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Details the potential downside to phablets</a></li>
<li><a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Analyzes other ways to "go big" other than the phablet approach</a></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/phablets-arent-just-a-fad-heres-why-2013-2?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=PH&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">To access BI Intelligence's full report Phablets Aren't Just A Fad, sign up for a free trial subscription here.</a>Disclosure: Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is an investor in Business Insider.

BII REPORT: Why Phablets Aren't Just A Fad

<div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Warner Bros." title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/50af0e7a6bb3f7da51000008-960/the%20dark%20knight%20rises%20dvd.jpg"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/50af0e7a6bb3f7da51000008-1722-1842/the%20dark%20knight%20rises%20dvd.jpg?maxX=400" border="0" alt="The Dark Knight Rises DVD cover" width="400" style="float: right;" /></a></div>Warner Bros.</div>If you've purchased a <keyword id="53469" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="dvd">DVD</keyword> in the past few months, you've probably noticed a small sticker in the lower right hand corner of the film box telling you to try out <keyword id="383654" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ultraviolet">Ultraviolet</keyword> (UV). 
Inside, you'll see a single sheet of purple and yellow paper with a confirmation code pointing you toward an <a href="http://www.uvvu.com/" target="_blank">UltraViolet site</a>. 
Here's what it's all about. 
UltraViolet service allows you to take your film collection with you on the go. It's an authentication system that verifies film purchases and enables you to watch your <keyword id="406" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Movies">movies</keyword> across any mobile device from any location. 
We spoke with the mind behind UltraViolet, Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) president and chief digital strategy officer at Sony Pictures, Mitch Singer, to find out more about the creation of UV and why this is the next frontier for movie viewing. 
"The motion picture industry has basically decided, given the technological advances, that it doesn't make any sense in a digital world to force consumers to buy the same movie over and over again," Singer tells Business Insider.
"We know we're in a cloud environment, so, if we could create an environment where no matter where you are in the world, you just put in your credentials, the device or service you happen to be on looks in the cloud, sees what movies you have in your collection, populates the screen for you, and now you can watch any movie you want." 
<div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Kirsten Acuna, Business Insider" title_caption="Here's what an UltraViolet redemption code sheet looks like, found inside a specially-marked film box." class="zoomin" href="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/512e31a4ecad04773b000001-960/dark%20knight%20trilogy%20uv.jpg"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/512e31a4ecad04773b000001-1675-2117/dark%20knight%20trilogy%20uv.jpg" border="0" alt="dark knight trilogy UV.JPG" width="400" style="float: right;" /></a></div>Kirsten Acuna, Business InsiderHere's what an UltraViolet redemption code sheet looks like, found inside a specially-marked film box.</div>
The service isn't new at all; Ultraviolet's been around since late 2011. However, it's been picking up steam in the past few months. 
As of Super Bowl weekend, the service has reached 10 million registered users. 
UV began rolling out in late 2011 with both Warner Bros. and Flixster, and Sony joined soon afterward. 
In October 2011, "Horrible Bosses" and "Hangover 2" were the first two films available to view across mobile devices through UltraViolet. 
Since then, UV branched out to incorporate every big movie studio except Disney. (Instead, the Mouse House has its own cloud-based service called <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/01/disney-keychest-drm-dece.html" target="_blank">Keychest</a>.) 
Currently 8,700 titles are available to date, to view through the authentication service with the majority of those titles — about 3,500 — from Warner Bros. 
While the catalog mostly contains movies, eventually the service will roll out a slew of television shows as well. Warner Bros. has started to offer a few hit TV shows including "Big Bang Theory." 
After a year and a half, UltraViolet has launched in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K, and will soon be launching in New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland. By the end of 2013, Singer says UV plans to launch in Germany and France. 
Where you watch the movies: 
While movie purchases are registered with the UltraViolet platform, you need an UltraViolet service to view the films. 
Sound confusing? 
Users can't watch their films directly on UltraViolet. UV itself just acts as a program to confirm you have rights to watch a particular film. Instead, you need to download an UltraViolet service to view your purchases. 
On a mobile device, such as a tablet or phone, this is as simple as downloading an app. 
<blockquote class="pullquote float_right">"The motion picture industry has basically decided, given the technological advances, that it doesn't make any sense in a digital world to force consumers to buy the same movie over and over again," — DECE president, Mitch Singe </blockquote>
In the U.S., eight distributors are currently available to play digital collections:
Best Buy's <a href="http://cinemanow.com">CinemaNow</a>, Wal-Mart's <a href="http://www.uvvu.com/partners.php">Vudu</a>, <a href="http://www.flixster.com/ultraviolet/">Flixster</a>, <a href="http://www.mgo.com/">M-GO</a>, <a href="https://ultraviolet.sonypictures.com/info/what_is_ultraviolet">Sony Pictures</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook/379003208?cm_mmc=Redirect-_-nook.com-_-Storefront-_-nook">Barnes &amp; Noble's Nook</a>, <a href="http://www.paramountmovies.com/aboutuv.html">Paramount Movies</a>, and <a href="http://www.universalhidef.com/ultraviolet/whatisultraviolet/">Universal</a>. A ninth, <a href="http://www.cineplex.com/default.aspx">Cineplex</a>, is available in Canada. 
This isn't as overwhelming as it sounds. Users simply pick which distributor they want to use from those available and run that on their tablet, computer, or mobile device. 
Why so many ways to watch? One reason is that every studio wants you to view all of your films on its individual player. 
Another reason is that you can't access all of the players on every type of device. Vudu is available on Xbox while Flixster will be there soon, but you'll use Barnes &amp; Noble's program on its Nook e-reader. 
Singer says it's also to deliver choice. 
"Ultimately, I'm going to migrate to the service that provides me the best service," says Singer. "Competition, I believe, is a really good thing, and there [are] services who just may do a better job on search or services that do a better job at building recommendation services, or knows how to display the content in a way that's easy for me to understand." 
Here's a look at what your movie collection inside Flixster would look like:
<div class="image-container" style="width:600px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/512e3383eab8eac67f00000a-1992-1493/flixster-movie-collection-ultraviolet.png" border="0" alt="flixster movie collection ultraviolet" width="600" /></div>Flixster screencap</div> 
In the past, this was a <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/11/business/la-fi-ct-ultraviolet-20120111">deterrent for UV</a>. The process of signing up for multiple services was confusing and exhausting to some, but after we took a run at it, it's not that difficult to use at all. And the payoff, once you have a good majority of your film collection available as easily as your music on an mP3 player, is well worth it. 
According to Singer, most people with UltraViolet accounts use Vudu or Flixster, the first services to launch through UV. 
For the most part, there's no incentive to using any one service over the other, though Singer says there's potentially one future advantage of having a CinemaNow account. 
"If you have a Best Buy Rewards account, they know every single movie you've ever bought from Best Buy," says Singer. "And, they could, if they wanted to, say 'The moment you link your CinemaNow account with UltraViolet, we're able to go back and look at what you purchased in the past from us and just immediately convert those into UltraViolet.'" 
Singer says no distributor has launched such a model yet, but he expects we'll see one roll out this year. 
How to Buy a film on UltraViolet:
Right now, the ways you can get a UV film include: 
<ul>
<li>Using the UV code provided with a DVD.</li>
<li>Directly buying films online through one of UV's distributors.</li>
<li>You can also convert a DVD / Blu-ray title for $2 by bringing it to Wal-Mart. If you want an HD conversion, that will cost $4. </li>
</ul>
In the end, this may prove more frustrating since the film or show needs to be one of UV's nearly 9,000 registered titles in order to work at the moment. And, if it's not a Warner Bros. title, you may be out of luck. 
Soon, this process will become a bit easier as consumers will be able to convert their own DVDs from the comfort of their homes. 
Much like converting VHS tapes to DVDs with converters and storing songs on mp3 players, CinemaNow, Vudu, and Flixster are testing out a service where users will be able to convert disc to digital without heading to stores. 
Right now, Singer says most people are being introduced to UV through Blu-Ray discs. 
Promotional campaigns are helping draw more users to UV as well. At the end of last December, Vudu offered ten free UV movies when signing up for an account and linking it to UltraViolet. 
<div class="image-container" style="width:600px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/512e34d269bedd362e00000b-1003-372/vudu%20campaign.png" border="0" alt="vudu campaign ultraviolet" width="600" /></div><a href="http://www.vudu.com/">Vudu screencap</a></div> 
The other thing UltraViolet will do is help shape and change the way we watch and share films. 
When signing up for UltraViolet, a user can register up to five people on one account to share their movie collection. 
Users are then able to run up to three streaming sessions simultaneously through one UltraViolet account. 
In theory, one person could be viewing one film on their laptop, while another is viewing a separate film on a tablet, while a third watches on mobile all at the same time. 
Though UV will signal for a giant push of movie storage on the Cloud, Singer shares this will not be the end of DVDs altogether. 
"If we still have CDs, 13 years after MP3, then we're going to have DVDs and Blu-Ray for a long time," says Singer. "UltraViolet allows this natural transition to happen in a way that's very consumer friendly. It allows consumers who want to buy Blu-Ray, but [also] share with family and have access across all their multiple screens."

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