reader

Google is going after Flipboard with its own digital newsstand application optimized for smartphones and tablets.

The company unveiled Google Currents, touting it as a central location for news content, video and photo feeds, RSS subscriptions and Google+ streams.

U.S. customers can download Currents application from the Android Marketplace and Apple's App Store and select which publications to subscribe to, as well what streams and feeds to follow. The application also includes a trending tab to find other popular items of interest.

Google said it has partnerships with 150 publishing partners, including AllThingsD, Forbes, and the Huffington Post (… Read more

Soda PDF, the popular Adobe Acrobat alternative, jumped to version 2012 today.

All three editions--Standard, Professional, and Pro + OCR--have been outfitted with a redesigned user interface and improved PDF editing features. Now, users can split PDF documents or extract specific pages in just one click. Also, simple operations like selecting text and rearranging elements should be a bit easier.

But the biggest addition to the product is Soda's new 3D View. This patent-pending technology presents PDF files like a book, allowing you to grab and manipulate a page just as you might in the physical world. While it's … Read more

Yesterday Adobe released a security bulletin that discusses a new attack which is targeting a flaw in its Acrobat and Reader programs.

The flaw affects both version 9.4.6 and 10.1.1 of its Reader and Acrobat programs, on all supported platforms, which include both Windows and Macintosh PCs.

Described only as a "U3D memory corruption" vulnerability, if the attacker takes advantage of it by releasing a compromised PDF document that when opened causes the target system to crash, it allows the attacker to take control of the system. Adobe does not go into any additional … Read more

Hackers are exploiting a previously unknown flaw in Reader to attack computers running Windows, Adobe said today.

A patch for the critical vulnerability in Reader and Acrobat is expected by next week, the company said in a blog post.

The vulnerability, which is being exploited in "limited, targeted attacks in the wild against Adobe Reader 9.x on Windows," could allow an attacker to take control of the system, Adobe said.

Adobe is finalizing a fix and expects to release an update for Reader and Acrobat 9.x for Windows no later than the week of December 12, … Read more

The amount of content that your RSS feed displays can vary from a brief summary to almost the entire article. If you prefer viewing the full content of your feeds, there's a way to display them in Google Reader using a Chrome extension.

1. To get started, install the Super Full Feeds for Google Reader Chrome extension. It will integrate into Google Reader and allow three modes of display--readable, link, and feed.

2. After installing the extension, a new button called, "Super settings" will appear in Google Reader. A display mode tab will appear in each feed … Read more

Tablets and e-readers are all the rage this holiday season. So which device is right for the loved ones on your Christmas list?

Tablet or e-reader?

Dear Maggie, I am thinking about getting my wife an e-reader or a tablet for Christmas. And I wanted to hear your thoughts. Basically, I'm just looking for something she can read books and magazines on. An Internet browser would also be good if it's available, but it's not necessary. In our home, we already have two lap tops, two iPhones and a BlackBerry, so we're pretty connected as it … Read more

A quick search for the Nook app in the Kindle Fire's Appstore results in absolutely nothing.

The Nook app is available for Android (which is the Fire's OS), but Amazon chose to exclude its competitor's e-reader app from its store.

We don't blame it, but those who are making the switch from Nook to Kindle (or use both) would benefit from access to their old purchases.

After all, it's not like you can sell your old Nook purchases to a used bookstore, right?

Follow the steps to reclaim your Barnes & Noble Nook books and … Read more

Strong Nook sales weren't quite enough to stem a net loss and slightly lower revenue that hit Barnes & Noble in its second quarter.

The bookseller was helped by higher sales of its Nook e-readers as well as the liquidation of the remaining stores of former rival Borders. Revenue from the company's BN.com Web site grew 17 percent over the prior year's quarter, reaching $206 million from $177 million. B&N attributed the gain to sales of Nook devices and digital content. Comparable sales across the entire Nook business jumped 85 percent in the second … Read more

I'm going to make this quick because A) It's Saturday, and B) I'm concerned this is going to sell out while I'm typing these very words.

Barnes & Noble via eBay has the refurbished Nook Color 7-inch tablet for $119 shipped (plus sales tax in some states).

If you've somehow managed to resist the Nook as its price dropped from $199 to $179 to $159 to $139, your patience has paid off. Might we see it dip below $100 at some point? I suppose it's possible, but I have to think B&N … Read more