The end is here for the Dark Sky app for Android. There’s a new version of Microsoft’s PowerToys app for Windows. Google is already working on the Pixel 5a, even though the Pixel 4a hasn’t officially been announced yet. Microsoft may be in talks to buy TikTok. And Netflix is finally building functionality into its […]
Rakuten
Rakuten Mini is a 3.6 inch smartphone (for Japan)
Smartphone screens have gotten so big in recent years that we’ve stopped using the awful word “phablet” to describe handsets with nearly tablet-sized screens. Now they’re just called phones. But there may still be a small market (get it?) for phones with smaller screens. Last year TCL launched the Palm Phone with a 3.3 inch […]
Kobo Libra H20 eReader now available for $170
The Kobo Libra H20 is an eBook reader with a 7 inch, illuminated E Ink display with adjustable color temperature and 300 pixels per inch. As the name suggests, it’s wateproof, making it safe to use on the beach or in the kitchen or bathroom. And it has physical page turn buttons. In other words, […]
Daily Deals (8-06-2019)
Rakuten is running another of its nearly constant 15-percent off sales, which means you can save that much when you purchase nearly anything the site sells by applying the coupon SAVE15 at checkout. Savings top out at $60, but that’s still enough of a discount to score an Apple iPad mini for $340, a set […]
Daily Deals (4-30-2019)
Rakuten is running another sitewide sale that lets you save 15 percent off any purchase when you use the coupon code SAVE15 at checkout. Savings top out at $60, but you can still score some pretty good deals on select computers, speakers, headphones, or other items. Here are some of the day’s best deals. Rakuten […]
Lilbits 350: TCL’s folding smartphone plans revealed (maybe)
If Chinese electronics company TCL may be better known in the US for its TVs than its smartphones, that’s because the company doesn’t use its own name on phones sold in the US. But if you buy a recent BlackBerry smartphone anywhere other than India, you’re probably using a device manufactured by TCL. The company […]
Daily Deals (10-02-2018)
Online retailer Rakuten is running a 1-day sale on… almost everything. Use the coupon code SAVE15 at checkout and you can save 15 percent on nearly everything available from Rakuten.com. Savings max out at $60 and the coupon isn’t eligible on Kobo devices. But you can save money on laptops, tablets, speakers, headphones, WiFi routers, […]
Kobo Clara HD eReader coming soon
After hitting the FCC in April, it looks like the Kobo Clara HD eBook reader is set to hit the streets in the coming weeks. Kobo still hasn’t made any official announcements yet, but Notebook Italia spotted one of several listings for the new device at online retail sites, giving us a pretty good idea […]
Walmart partners with Kobo to sell eBooks, audiobooks, and eReaders
Walmart is getting into the digital book business, but rather than building its own platform from the ground up, the company is partnering with Kobo, the eBook company which was acquired by Japanese retailer Rakuten in 2011. Kobo may not be as well known in the US and Amazon’s Kindle brand or even Barnes & […]
Rakuten acquires library eBook, audiobook provider OverDrive
The company that bought retail portal Buy.com in 2010 and eBook company Kobo in 2011Â is expanding again. Rakuten has announced plans to buy OverDrive for $410 million. OverDrive is an eBook and audiobook distributor that makes digital media available to library patrons, school students, and others. You can use the OverDrive system to borrow or […]