Remember Blio? Yes, our memories of this colorful ebook-reading software are starting to fade too, but now T-Mobile's about ready to yank it from the shadows of obscurity with a newly announced partnership. Content provider Baker & Taylor will be responsible for installing the Blio Android app on "select future products from T-Mobile USA" and populating it with compelling content. The Blio store has grown to now encompass a healthy three million titles, both free and paid, and should you have the Windows version of its software, you'll get the sweet automation of having it sync with your mobile device as well. To get your reading started nice and early, jump past the break for the full press release.
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Blio - the Revolutionary E-Reading Software Application - to be Pre-Loaded on Future T-Mobile Products
- Baker & Taylor providing T-Mobile customers with rich digital media content from thousands of today's top publishers as well as robust storefront and interactive and enhanced e-reading experience via Blio, developed by K-NFB Reading Technology -
ORLANDO, Fla., March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Baker & Taylor, Inc., the world's largest distributor of digital and physical books and entertainment products, together with K-NFB Reading Technology, developer of the Blio e-reading software application, announced today at the International CTIA Wireless show plans for Blio to be pre-loaded on select future products from T-Mobile USA, Inc.
"We are delighted to partner with T-Mobile, which is known for delivering premium bonus applications to its customers," said Bob Nelson, President of Baker & Taylor's Digital Group. "Blio brings e-books to life, in vivid color and with a variety of enhanced features, including audio read along, Web browsing from inside the book and its patented Read Logic technology."
Planned for availability on future Android-based devices, Blio will provide T-Mobile customers with access to a new set of enhanced titles, including feature rich full-color e-books, perfect for children and families. And as part of T-Mobile's bonus apps program, T-Mobile customers will have the exclusive opportunity to download featured titles from some of today's top publishers and brands.
Ray Kurzweil, founder of K-NFB Reading Technology, said, "Blio offers an unparalleled e-reading experience that will delight book lovers and create a whole new audience of readers with feature rich content that consumers can access wherever they are, whenever they want. T-Mobile customers, who have come to expect exciting bonus apps and premium content, will simply love Blio."
T-Mobile customers will have access to the Blio storefront, powered by Baker & Taylor and which is currently stocked with more than 3 million paid and free titles – from best-sellers to children's and lifestyle books. Readers will also have the ability to automatically synch and view content purchased on their T-Mobile products to their Windows-based netbooks, laptops or desktops by downloading Blio for Windows, available for free at www.blio.com. This cross-platform portability allows users to buy titles once and read from multiple devices.
About Baker & Taylor
Baker & Taylor Inc. (www.baker-taylor.com) is the world's largest distributor of books, digital content and entertainment products. The company leverages its unsurpassed worldwide distribution network to deliver rich content in multiple formats, anytime and anywhere. Baker & Taylor offers cutting-edge digital media services and innovative technology platforms to thousands of publishers, libraries and retailers worldwide. Baker & Taylor also offers industry-leading customized library services and retail merchandising solutions. Baker & Taylor is proud to power Blio (blioreader.com), the world's most flexible, engaging and revolutionary e-reading application. Charlotte, N.C.-based Baker & Taylor is majority owned by Castle Harlan Partners IV, L.P., an institutional private equity fund managed by Castle Harlan, Inc., a leading private equity investment firm.
About K-NFB Reading Technology Inc.
A joint venture between Kurzweil Technologies and the National Federation of the Blind, the principals of K-NFB Reading Technology Inc. (www.knfbreader.com) have propelled reading technology forward for the last 35 years through the invention of omnifont OCR, the flatbed scanner, text-to-speech synthesis, and the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind. K-NFB once again is redefining the boundaries of the printed word with Blio, which promises to set the standard for digital reading. This free application works across platforms and presents books as they were intended -- in full color and as laid out by the publisher. K-NFB is headed by CEO Ray Kurzweil, a 30-year innovator and pioneer in assistive technologies. The National Federation of the Blind is the largest, most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States.
Baker & Taylor and the Baker & Taylor logo are trademarks of Baker & Taylor Inc. Blio is a trademark of K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc. Other company and product names mentioned for identification purposes may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Follow Blio and Baker & Taylor on Twitter at @Blioreader and @BakerandTaylor.
