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B&N to embed NFC chips into Nooks

02.05.12 | Bookseller Staff

Barnes & Noble c.e.o. William Lynch has said that the company plans to embed NFC (near field communication) chips into its Nook e-readers.
 
In an interview with Fortune, Lynch said the chips will allow browsers in B&N stores to get extra information on any print book out on display—including a full set of reviews— simply by touching a copy with the e-reader. The reader may then choose to buy the physical or digital copy on the basis of that extra information.
 
"We can work with the publishers so they would ship a copy of each hardcover with an NFC chip embedded with all the editorial reviews they can get on BN.com," Lynch told Fortune. "And if you had your Nook, you can walk up to any of our pictures, any our aisles, any of our bestseller lists, and just touch the book, and get information on that physical book on your Nook and have some frictionless purchase experience. That’s coming, and we could lead in that area."
 
The development comes hard on the heels of news of Microsoft's $300m investment in B&N, intended to "accelerate the transition into e-reading".
 

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