Pinterest is now available in Barnes & Noble’s Nook app store. The app will come preloaded on Nook devices along with Twitter and Facebook apps. Existing owners can download the Pinterest app for free from the Nook Store.

“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, VP of Nook Apps at Nook Media, in a statement. “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.”

Nook has been expanding its app offerings over the past month. Last month, Barnes & Noble announced that developers will be able to add in-app purchase features to apps sold in the Nook app store beginning this month.

Nook Media, Barnes & Noble’s digital arm, is running a promotion on its Nook HD+, the company’s 9-inch high-def tablet. Today through Monday, March 11, customers who purchase a Nook HD+ will get a $50 credit in their Nook account to purchase digital content. The promotion is good for sales online and in stores.
Here is more from the press release: “The $50 credit will load to a customer’s NOOK account within 3-10 days of registering that account to the new NOOK HD+. The free $50 credit must be used within 30 days of posting to a customer’s NOOK account.” The Nook HD+ costs $269 for the 16GB version and $299 for the 32GB version.

Yesterday, Barnes & Noble founder Leonard Riggio revealed that he would like to buy Barnes & Noble’s retail business. This would not include Nook Media, which the company established as its own entity back in October.

Publishing company Pearson has agreed to invest $89.5 million in cash in Barnes & Noble’s digital content company Nook Media. Nook Media is currently valued at about $1.789 billion, which gives Pearson a 5 percent equity stake in the business. Pearson brings expertise in online learning and digital content to the table.

Here is more from a Barnes & Noble press release: “Following the closing of the transaction, Barnes & Noble will now own approximately 78.2% of the Nook Media subsidiary and Microsoft, which also holds preferred membership interests, will own approximately 16.8%. Subject to certain conditions, Pearson will earn the option to purchase up to an additional five percent ownership in Nook Media.”

“We formed Nook Media to be a leader in the exploding market for digital content,” explained William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble, in a statement.  ”Pearson is a forward thinking company similarly focused on reading and learning, with powerful assets and a terrific management team.  We welcome their partnership in Nook Media, and look forward to working with them and Microsoft to deliver great digital experiences for our shared customers.”

Barnes & Noble wants you to buy eBooks this year, so much so that the retailer is offering a pretty sweet deal on select eBooks this weekend.

If you buy an eBook for yourself, you’ll get a free digital copy of the title to gift to your friend. The deal is in-store only.

Check it out: “Customers can purchase one qualifying NOOK Book from a list of 20 bestselling titles – ranging from The Hobbit toThe Life of Pi – and then select a title from that list to instantly gift to a recipient of their choice at no cost.” The deal is good through December 24th.

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Barnes & Noble has dropped the price on its Nook Tablet and Nook Color devices. An 8GB Nook Tablet is now $179, $20 cheaper than the device’s previous price of $199. The price drop undercuts Amazon, a 6GB Kindle Fire tablet is $199. In addition, the 16GGB version of the Nook Tablet is now $199.

The Nook Color has also gotten a price drop to $149.

To help encourage back-to-school sales, Barnes & Noble has also been pushing its Nook Tablet devices by giving away kids eBooks with the purchase of the device as part of the Nook Kids Summer Reading Program. Currently, Barnes & Noble is giving away a collection of Disney eBooks to customers who purchase a Nook Tablet through September 2^nd.

The Nook is gaining in popularity, according to a new study from social media monitoring firm Crimson Hexagon. The company has been studying Twitter conversations surrounding eReaders, specifically looking at consumer satisfaction and in their most recent study, the company found Nook owners on Twitter to be quite satisfied.

The study looked at user responses to the Kindle, the iPad, the Nook and the Nook Color in the mix. According to the study, all of the devices had predominantly positive conversations surrounding it, except the iPad.

The Crimson Hexagon blog has more: “Since our previous study, the iPad has continued to receive less favorable sentiment as an e-reader due to its glossy LCD display (less optimal for reading) and large size, though it is differentiated by its versatility as a tablet computer.  Perception of the Kindle has remained relatively steady as well, with a slight increase in conversation about affordability from 11% to 14%, possibly due to price reductions implemented over the summer in response to competition from the Nook.”

The study found that the Nook Color is gaining in popularity as well. “The NookTwitter conversation also reveals that the Nook Color, while still very new, is already establishing a unique place for itself in the e-reader market,” said the Crimson Hexagon blog. “Twitter users clearly appreciate these advantages, showing 15% positive perception of the Nook Color’s display, compared to 10% for the standard Nook and just 8% for the Kindle.”

But the color screen is not without its criticism. The blog explains: “As with the iPad, the Nook Color’s LCD screen is less optimal for heavy reading or outdoor use, a shortcoming which is reflected by 13% negative sentiment regarding its display.”

Barnes & Noble announced the November line-up for its “More in Store” and it includes exclusive content from authors Pat Conroy, Cecily von Ziegesar and Frances Mayes.

The program, which gives Nook users access to content that is not published anywhere else for one month, is released throughout the month. On November 7th, this includes The Tiger by Pat Conroy, an essay about writing The Prince of Tides. It also includes There’s a Reason It’s Not Called Thankstaking by Ellen Rogers, an essay about Thanksgiving and motherhood.

On November 14th, the content includes What It Took by Gossip Girl creator Cecily von Ziegesar, about how her college experiences got her to where she is today, along with the Top Five Foodie Destinations in Italy by Frances Mayes author of Under the Tuscan Sun.

On November 21, comes How Not to Look Like a Frump, Tart or Freak by Clinton Kelly and Read Pink! by Eloisa James.

On  November 28, the content includes Being Grateful for the Little Things by Lesley M. M. Blume and The Top Five Questions Parents Ask by John Medina.

Just as Apple is expanding iPads into Walmarts and Amazon is dropping Kindles in Staples stores, Barnes & Noble announced plans today to start selling its Nook eReaders in Walmart stores.

The Nook will be available in 2,500 Walmart stores nationwide on October 24th. According to the B&N press release: “The NOOK eBook Readers will be prominently featured as the premier eBook Reader in the consumer electronics area. Many Walmart stores will feature a NOOK-branded eReading area where shoppers can see and touch a demonstration device.”

This could be a great way to move merchandise, as there are rumors that a new Nook will be announced at next Tuesday’s press conference.

Barnes & Noble is updating the Nook software to 1.5. This is the biggest update since the Nook launched last year.

B&N’s Paul Hochman blogged: “The 1.5 update includes improved search on the device, customized B&N Library organization and password protection. It also includes the ability to sync across all NOOK and all devices enabled with our free NOOK apps, by syncing your last page read.”

The update is expected to be available “late next month” and can be updated on the device through a Wi-Fi connection or manually at www.NOOK.com/support.

Nook for Android will also be getting an update, likely later this week. Nook’s Android version 2.3 includes the ability to highlight passages, delete books from the library, a tool to “Go To” a specific page number and the ability to search within a book.

Libraries are getting more on board with eReaders these days. OverDrive’s Digital Bookmobile has been demonstrating how to download digital books from public libraries at various locations across the nation. Sony is launching a new eBook tutorial program in libraries. And this week, a library in Fall River, MA, is hosting a tutorial on how to use Barnes & Noble’s Nook eReader.

The Herald News reports: “On Tuesday, Oct. 5, at 6:30 p.m., Tiverton Essex Library, 238 Highland Road, will host staff members of Barnes & Noble to demonstrate, answer questions and provide an opportunity to experience the Nook eBook reader.”

Does your local library have eBooks yet?