Kobo announced that it is now offering newspapers and magazines for the Kobo Wireless eReader and its iPhone and iPad apps. The selection includes "dozens of top U.S. and Canadian publications". As an added bonus, the company is offering a two-week free trial period. 

Amazon has announced that more new generation Kindles were ordered in the first four weeks of availability than in the same timeframe for any other Kindle launch.

Additionally, in those four weeks, customers ordered more Kindles on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk combined than any other product. That makes Kindle the bestselling product across all products on Amazon for two straight years.

Intel announced that 12 new netbooks based on its new mobile dual-core Atom processors have hit store shelves today. These include machines from Acer, ASUS, Fujitsu, Lenovo, LG, Samsung, MSI, and Toshiba.

IMS Research has shared some findings indicating that the number of Internet-connected devices is expected to pass the 5 billion milestone this month. Furthermore, the organization forecasts 22 billion by 2020.

IBM has partnered with the Industrial Design Centre at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay on mobile web research. The initiative will focus on development of new designs of mobile device interfaces that can be used by people who are semiliterate or illiterate, as well as individuals who have limited or no access to information technology.

The NPD Group has released a new smartphone report, finding that Motorola and HTC have driven Android to the lead in the U.S. Android is installed on one in three smartphones sold, according to the group.

Meanwhile, for the first time since 2007, RIM has slid to the number 2 position, as Android took the lead.

While Android accounted for 33% of all smartphones purchased in Q2, RIM accounted for 28%. Apple came in third at 22% with the launch of the iPhone 4.

Today, Research in Motion (RIM) and AT&T launched the BlackBerry Torch, the first smartphone to feature the new BlackBerry 6, which was also unleashed today.

Update: The new Kindles are already sold out (temporarily obviously). On the product page, the company says, "Due to strong customer demand, Kindle is temporarily sold out. Order now to reserve your place in line. Orders are prioritized on a first come, first served basis.

Comex has launched a site called Jailbreakme.com, that when visited from an iOS device, allows you to jailbreak it. This is the first jailbreak for iOS 4, and can be accessed via the mobile version of Safari. The point is to make jailbreaking easier for the average joe, I presume.

Everybody’s scrambling to get their iPad competitors out. Most recently, we heard what Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had to say about his comany’s plans. Research in Motion (RIM) will apparently have its iPad competitor out in a few short months.

Logitech has started a contest to promote Google TV, the upcoming service for which Logitech is a launch partner. The contest is called "Host with the Most", and asks if "you have what it takes to be a ‘host with the most’ for Logitech Revue with Google TV?"

Logitech Revue is the company’s set-top box that will help the Google TV service launch (alongside TVs and Blu-ray players from Sony).

It’s no secret that Android usage is on the rise, but Guardian points to research from GfK Retail and Technology indicating that in the UK, Android’s share of the mobile market has grown from 3% in the first quarter to 13.2% in the second.

On top of that, contract market sales grew by less than 1%, while sales of Android phones increased by 350%, the firm says.

Apple announced today that the iPhone 4 will be available in 17 more countries this Friday (July 30). Countries include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

The device will be available through Apple’s retail and online stores and through authorized resellers. It’s currently available in France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US.

You may have heard that a few people have been dissatisfied with their recent iPhone 4 purchases. Apple has gone out of its way to make it up to them (whether or not they’ve done enough is debatable), but that hasn’t stopped people from complaining.

As you are probably aware, Apple announced last week that iPhone 4 buyers would be entitled to a free case (or bumper) to correct the highly-publicized receptions issues with the device. Those who already purchased a case/bumper would be entitled to a refund.

InformationWeek is reporting that Baidu may be looking at developing a mobile operating system, citing Chinese media reports. The project would be led by former Google employees. Meanwhile, TechCrunch says Android is poised to dominate in China.

Apple announced today that the iPad will be available in nine new countries this Friday. These include: Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore.

All models of the iPad will be available through Apple retail stores and through authorized resellers. Currently, the iPad is available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

Amazon has introduced a new version of the Kindle DX with a lower price of $379 (down from $489) and 50% better display contrast.

AdMob released its Mobile Metrics report for May, which focuses on changes in the mobile market over the course of two years. Unsurprisingly, a lot has changed. While AdMob’s network traffic itself has grown a lot in that time, the company says there continues to be strong regional differences with devices used to access the mobile web.

A job listing for an "Android Video Playback Expert" under Partner Product Development has been spotted on the Netflix job listing page (via BGR > Nerdcast).

Barnes and Noble today introduced its Nook Wi-Fi device priced at $149. In addition, the 3G version of the Nook has been lowered to $199.

The company notes that the new Nook 3G price marks the first under $200 dedicated full-feature eBook reader that offers both free 3G wireless and Wi-Fi connectivity. It also now has a new software update that is supposed to make it easier to connect in more places via Wi-Fi.

Right now, it’s looking like the iPad’s strength is more about what it represents to the industry, more than the device itself. It’s about what mainstream computing may be turning into.

Is the iPad the future of computing? Share your thoughts.