Barnes & Nobile announced that is “best prices ever” Father’s Day promotion has been extended into the summer. During this time, you’ll be able to pick up a Nook HD for $129 (8GB) or $149 (16GB). Likewise, the Nook HD+ is available at $149 (16GB) or $179 (32GB). You’ll see these prices at Barnes & Noble, Nook.com and any retailer that sells the devices.

“With the fantastic success of our Father’s Day promotion, we decided to extend the great prices on Nook HD and Nook HD+ to help our customers gear up for a great summer reading season,” said Jamie Iannone, President of Nook Media. “In our stores and online, customers have embraced these beautifully designed, lightweight devices with stunning displays that offer great reading and entertainment content. We’re thrilled to keep in place our best prices ever and deliver great value to make reading more affordable.”

I’m just spitballing here, but maybe Nook should keep these prices. Amazon has been able to undercut the Nook HD at every corner thanks to its lower price and wide selection of content. Nook now has the chance to pose a legitimate threat to Kindle with the combination of lower prices and access to the massive Google Play Store.

Even then, the biggest threat Nook faces right now is Nook itself. The Barnes & Noble subsidiary is rumored to be ditching its hardware business in favor of pushing its Nook app on Android and iOS devices. It’s not a bad idea, but its hardware could see a renaissance of sorts with a renewed focus on content and a lower price. Nook would be smart to see how this current promotion does for it before making any substantial changes to its business.

Barnes & Noble announced a newly updated Nook app for iOS that allows customers to purchase and read comics on their iOS device. It’s a nice alternative for iOS device owners who may have found Comixology or the dedicated Marvel app lacking in options. The wide selection of graphic novels is also a nice bonus.

Alongside the addition of comics, the new Nook for iOS app adds the “Zoom View” feature that allows readers to “focus in on individual panels in graphic novels and comics.” Anybody who has tried to read a comic on a tablet or smartphone before knows how painful it can be sometimes so the addition of this feature is welcome.

Here are the other new features now available on Nook for iOS:

“With our free, updated Nook for iOS application, we’re delivering to customers with iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch a great optimized reading experience, now with access to Nook Comics, one of the leading collections of digital comics and graphic novels available,” said Jamie Iannone, President of Digital Products at Nook Media LLC. “Using their iOS device, customers can enjoy Nook’s collection of more than 3 million digital books, magazines and newspapers, as well comics and graphic novels with the stunning Zoom View feature.”

To celebrate the comic-centric update, Nook will be giving away a free Superman sampler to all those who upgrade their iOS app. The sampler includes excerpts from Superman: Last Son of Krypton, Superman: For Tomorrow, Superman: Earth One, and Justice League Volume 1: Origin. It’s no Free Comic Book Day, but it’s still a nice gesture.

You can grab the newly updated Nook for iOS app here.

TechCrunch is reporting that Microsoft has offered to buy Nook Media from Barnes & Noble for a cool $1 billion. The information came from internal documents that also revealed the bookstore’s plans to completely renovate the Nook brand next year.

Aside from the Microsoft acquisition, the documents also say that Nook is planning on ditching its Android-based Nook HD and HD+ tablets in 2014. It’s a little strange considering that Nook just pushed the Google Play store onto these tablets, but it would be part of a larger move that would see Nook going mostly digital. In other words, Nook would be another third-party app on other devices with no dedicated hardware for itself.

Speaking of hardware, it seems that Nook may continue making e-readers despite ditching the tablet business. The logic here is that Nook will follow the gradual decline in e-reader sales while milking the business for as long as it can.

While that’s all well and interesting, the big news is here is a Microsoft buyout. It would only make sense, especially with Nook’s intention to go all digital, as Microsoft needs a killer app for its Windows 8 tablets. There’s already a Nook app for Windows 8, but a Microsoft-controlled and curated Nook app would be right up the Redmond-based company’s alley. It would also help the company compete with Amazon, Google and Apple – all of which operate their own e-book stores.

What makes this more interesting is the suggestion that Microsoft will be introducing a smaller Windows 8 tablet later this year alongside Windows Blue. A Microsoft-branded Nook app launching with Windows Blue could work wonders with a marketing campaign focusing on how Windows 8 provides music, movies and books from the Start menu.

Of couse, we can’t forget that a Microsoft buyout would fit well with Barnes & Noble founder Leonard Riggio’s plans to buy the Barnes & Noble retail operation while ditching the Nook business. Both could work together to ensure that Microsoft takes on the digital operation while Riggio can procede with his plans to take Barnes & Noble private.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Barnes & Noble has entered into a partnership with Google to bring the Google Play store to the company’s line of Nook HD and HD+ tablets. The addition of Google Play will bring over 700,000 apps to the Nook platform – a huge upgrade from the 10,000 or so apps currently available in the Nook store.

So, what convinced Nook to start playing nice with Google? Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch says that Nook’s poor holiday sales told him that consumers don’t want an e-reader that’s also a tablet. Instead, consumers want a multi-purpose tablet that can double as an e-reader. Amazon had already adapted to this change in consumer focus when it killed off multiple e-readers last year and focused almost exclusively on its Kindle Fire HD line.

Of course, it’s better late than never, and Nook is in a position where it needs all the help it can get. Barnes & Noble can now advertise that it has the Google Play store and all of its apps – something that Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD does not have. Of course, some consumers prefer the Kindle Fire HD for its curated app store experience so it will be interesting to see if a mostly unregulated app store will be much of a draw.

Current Nook HD and HD+ owners will get Google Play in an OTA update today. The update will also bring all the other Google services that Android tablet owners have come to expect, like Google Chrome, Gmail, YouTube and Google Maps.

Nook announced today that Pinterest is now available on Nook HD, Nook HD+, Nook Tablet and Nook Color devices. The app is available from the Nook store, but it will also come preloaded with any new Nook device sold.

“Pinterest has long been one of our most requested apps and we are thrilled to bring it to Nook, along with the Twitter and Facebook for NOOK apps,” said Claudia Romanini, Vice President of Nook Apps, Nook Media LLC. “Our goal is to bring Nook users the very best in social media and these apps will bring to life the rich sharing experiences that Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter offer.”

Alongside Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter will also come preloaded on all new Nook devices. The Facebook app received an update that overhauls the experience to mimic what users expect out of a Facebook app on other mobile devices. With the new app, users can “see what their friends are up to, share updates, photos and videos, chat and have group conversations, play games and much more.”

The addition of Pinterest is just the latest move from Nook to make its platform more desirable to consumers. It recently launched Nook Press, a new version of Barnes & Noble’s popular PubIt! platform that allows independent authors to self-publish their titles on Nook. If it takes off, we could see Nook devices starting to sell well again as people clamor for exclusive content from up-and-coming authors.

Nook announced today the launch of Nook Press, a new self-publishing portal for authors that want to get on the Nook store. The service is being built upon the foundation laid by PubIt!, Barnes & Noble’s self-publishing business. Authors who are already on PubIt! will be able to transition to Nook Press without any problems.

“We’re thrilled to bring all the new and exciting features of Nook Press to existing PubIt! authors and new writers looking for a quick, effective and free one-stop self-publishing platform that delivers high-quality eBooks to millions of book-loving Nook customers,” said Theresa Horner, Vice President of Digital Content at Nook Media. “Nook Press authors bring variety, new voices and value to Nook’s ecosystem that allows us to continue to offer our customers a great selection of noteworthy eBooks by independent authors at unbeatable prices.”

Authors who choose to go with Nook Press can look forward to the following features:

All of that sounds nice, but what about royalties? Authors publishing on Nook Press can expect compensation royalties of 65 percent for books between $2.99 and $9.99. Authors will receive compensation royalties of 40 percent for books costing less than $2.98 or more than $10. Authors can charge up to $199.99 for their books.

If all the above sounds good to you, you can get started on your self-publishing journey by visiting the official Nook Press site.

Nook announced today that in-app purchasing will soon be a reality on Nook HD and HD+ apps. The Barnes & Noble subsidiary will be working with Fortumo to provide developers with all the tools needed to implement in-app purchasing in apps while also providing developers with real-time insights on revenue.

“We are thrilled to bring in-app purchasing to Nook with Fortumo for our community of developers so they can foster a profitable relationship with their customers, while also providing our Nook customers with a more in-depth app experience and an even wider selection of popular apps,” said Claudia Romanini, VP of Nook Apps, Nook Media, LLC. “We look forward to adding thousands of more apps that feature in-app purchasing over the coming weeks and months to expand Nook’s already wide array of digital content offerings.”

This latest addition to the Nook development environment brings the Nook HD up to par with Amazon’s Kindle Fire and other Android tablets that have offered in-app purchasing for the past year. It’s also an important addition to the Nook development environment as it encourages more developers to bring apps to the platform. As we all know, any hardware is only as good as its apps, and the Nook definitely needs more apps, especially revenue heavy games, to survive in the highly competitive tablet market.

In-app purchasing will be available to developers starting in the first half of April. For more details on how to start offering in-app purchasing in Nook apps, check out the Nook developer portal.

These deals will bring movies from Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount Pictures, Relativity Media, National Geographic, Little Pim, and Film Buff to the Nook HD and the Nook HD+.

“With the addition of these industry-leading studio partners, NOOK Video continues to expand its already robust offering, providing customers with an even wider selection of their favorite movies and TV shows,” said Jonathan Shar, Vice President & General Manager, Emerging Digital Content, NOOK Media LLC. “Combined with NOOK’s seamless UltraViolet™ integration, we are offering customers one of the most dynamic and accessible movie and TV show stores available.”

If you’re wondering what content, exactly, is coming to the Nook Video catalog – it’s some top-notch stuff.

The Hunger Games, the Twilight movies, Tyler Perry’s Madea Gets a Job, Skyfall, Rocky, Fargo, Flight, Paranormal Activity 4, Act of Valor, Safe Haven, House at the End of the Street; independent films from Film Buff’s catalog including Charles Swan and Exit from the Gift Shop; and TV shows like Mad Men, Border Wars, Great Migrations, Amazing Planet; as well as educational content via Little Pim, the leading foreign language learning program for young children, plus many more.

Barnes & Noble’s Nook division took a hit over the holidays and the company posted poor Q3 results. I guess snatching some great content for Nook Video is a start. I mean, it can’t hurt.

Reuters reports that Barnes & Noble posted a net loss for its third quarter, which includes the holiday shopping season. Its retail business posted a 2.2 percent loss. That was nothing compared to its Nook business, however, as it took a massive $190.4 million, or 25.9 percent, loss.

Barnes & Noble founder and Chairman Leonard Riggio wants to buy the retail bookstore business, but he would leave the company’s Nook and textbook business to fend for itself. After splitting off the Nook business from its retail business, it received a few substantial investments from companies like Microsoft. It may need more of that to stay afloat until it can get its groove back.

Analysts are saying that will be difficult though. They call Nook’s ability to compete with Google, Amazon and Apple into question as its tablets lack many of the apps that make tablets from the former more popular. Morningstar analyst Peter Wahlstrom seemingly suggests that the Nook business should be sold, but says that “the window of opportunity” to do so is closing.

Despite all this, Barnes & Nobile CEO William Lynch says the company is still committed to its Nook business. What that means for the future of Nook, especially if Riggio is able to buy back the retail business, remains to be seen.

The most likely scenario to emerge from all this is Nook abandoning or selling off its hardware business, and focusing exclusively on its software/eBook business. Even then, the subsidiary could be bought up by somebody else for its massive selection of eBook titles. My money is on Microsoft as it needs to better equip Windows 8 in the fight against Apple, Google and Amazon. A collection of exclusive eBooks could be just the thing Windows 8 needs.

Leonard Riggio, founder of Barnes & Noble, Chairman of the Board and largest shareholder, announced this morning that he plans to buy the brick and mortar retail business of the book store. There’s nothing set in stone just yet, but it would be the second time in the past few months that an ailing business was bought by its founder. The first, of course, being the acquisition of Dell by its founder Michael Dell for $24.4 billion.

Riggio’s plan is to only buy the company’s retail business. The Nook business was spun off last year so where does this plan leave that? According to a report from The New York Times, the company is looking into winding down its Nook business.

It doesn’t mean that the Nook brand, which was spun off from the retail business last year, will be dead. It only means that Barnes & Noble might stop making its own hardware in favor of licensing its own Nook software to other manufacturers. In essence, we’d see tablets and eReaders from other manufacturers running the Nook software. The company would also presumably focus on its software presence on other platforms like Windows 8, iOS and Android.

If Riggio is successful in his bid to buy the retail operation, it could give Microsoft an opening to purchase the Nook operation. Nook is already closely tied to Windows 8 after Microsoft pumped $300 million into the business last year. Nook is already the best eReader app on Windows 8, and further cultivation at the hands of Microsoft could turn it into a worthy competitor to Apple’s iBooks and Amazon’s Kindle.

All of this is purely speculation for now, and the Barnes & Noble board may not even approve Riggio’s bid to buy the company’s retail operation. Still, it does look like the company will at least be winding down its Nook hardware operations. A focus on its digital business could just be what Nook needs to become profitable again.

[h/t: The Verge]