Barnes & Noble on Tuesday unveiled a revamped version of its mobile e-reading app, now re-branded under the Nook moniker.
Nook for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and PC is now available for download at www.bn.com/NookApps. It includes updated customization features, a book share function, syncing between devices, and more, the company said.
The iPad app also includes a rating feature.
Barnes & Noble introduced its eReader software for the iPhone and PC in July 2009, several months before the debut of its Nook e-reading device. The company has now ditched the eReader name so everything is included in the "Nook" line of products.
Nook for Android was introduced in late July, and the company also released a "Nook Study" app earlier this month.
The iPad app includes a "rate" feature, which will let readers select and share favorite books. A row of five stars will appear beneath a particular book in a reader's library, and they can tap the stars to provide feedback about the book.
All Nook apps include the LendMe technology, which will let customers share eligible books with other Nook software users. If you like a book, share it with a friend, and they will have free access to it for up to 14 days. If you share a book, it will show up in your friend's application with a message from you and an image of the shared book.
The update also includes synching technology. Nook for iPhone and iPod touch users can sync the last page they read with the iPad, Android phones running 1.6 or higher, and Windows-based PCs and netbooks. The iPhone app also syncs library, notes, highlights, and bookmarks.
The update also includes access to the Barnes & Noble e-book store, a revamped library with a cover or list view, as well as the option to sort by recently read, title, or author. An in-app dictionary will also look up a word when you touch it and hold.
The iPhone app will include e-books formatted in ePub.
"We are committed to offering an easy-to-use, comfortable, and fun Nook e-reading experience across multiple platforms," Douglas Gottlieb, vice president of digital products for BN.com, said in a statement. "Nook for iPhone users can shop Barnes & Noble's vast catalog of e-books, while enjoying new, customization features and sharing their favorite e-books with friends for free."
The apps also include various options for customizing fonts, line spacing, one-touch highlighting and note taking, backgrounds, links, and screen brightness. Cover art and text on the iPhone app has been optimized to make use of the new iPhone 4's retina display, Barnes & Noble said.
Barnes & Noble has e-reading apps for BlackBerry and Mac, but the BlackBerry version does not yet support LendMe technology, e-newspapers, or e-magazines. Verizon 1.1 of Nook for Mac now includes LendMe and ePub file support.