• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, April 28, 2011

B&N Unveils Color Nook To Rival iPad

Faced with a rapidly evolving tablet computer and e-reader marketplace, Barnes & Noble is adding new functionality to its Nook Color device, hoping to put it on a competitive footing with Apple's popular iPad along with other devices like the Motorola Xoom.

The new capabilities for B&N's proprietary device (which are available for download) include more online interactivity, email, Adobe Flash compatibility and an expanded array of digital products for sale. A number of magazine publishers are already making products available on the Nook, such as Conde Nast's Epicurious digital food content brand, Travel + Leisure, The Economist, National Geographic Kids, ESPN The Magazine, Outside and Food & Wine.

This is not the first time that competition from Apple has forced rival device makers to step up their offerings. In March, Samsung executives expressed concern that their new 10.1-inch Galaxy tablet looked "inadequate" next to Apple's new iPad 2, in the words of Mobile Division Vice President Lee Don-Joo, whose interview with Yonhap News Agency was translated by Mashable. This admission prompted speculation that Samsung would lower the price for the new device, in addition to sending engineers back to the R&D lab for future devices.

In August 2010, Plastic Logic announced it was canceling the Que e-reader, which was scheduled to debut that summer. Instead, it said it will develop a new and more up-to-date device, the ProReader, which is able to compete with the iPad.

Glamour QR Codes Let Readers "Like" Brands on Facebook

The ever-changing, always-converging world of digital media is now bringing together social media, mobile and print in an unexpected new way: Two-dimensional barcodes in Glamour's September issue will allow readers to take a picture of a print article to "like" it on Facebook, through a mobile tie-in with the popular social network. According to Ad Age, the technology behind this innovative mobile-social-print mashup was provided by SpyderLynk, which has created a product called Social SnapTag.

Schumann to Publisher, Southern Living

Greg Schumann has been named publisher of Southern Living by owner Time Inc. He will be responsible for sales, marketing and strategic development for the brand. Previously, Schumann served as vice president and group publisher of The Parenting Group, owned by the Bonnier Corp., with responsibility for strategic business initiatives and sales and marketing efforts for Parenting, Babytalk and Conceive.

Women's Health Names Azria-Palombo to Fashion Director

Women's Health, published by Rodale, has named Jacqueline Azria-Palombo as its new fashion director, an important new category for the magazine, which has broadened its editorial coverage and ad relevance in the hopes of winning new advertisers in the fashion category. Azria-Palombo most recently served as an independent stylist and art director who consulted for magazines brands, including Women's Health, Seventeen and Redbook.