New Version of Kobo iOS eReading App is All About Connecting With Friends

TORONTO, June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kobo, a global leader in eReading with more than 3.7 million readers worldwide, announced today the launch of new and engaging features for popular social program Reading Life – on the free Kobo eReading app for iOS.   Available for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, the new 4.5 version is all about friends – users can now connect with their friends on Facebook to see what books they are reading, compare number of books read in Reading Life™ stats,  view awards earned and much more.

The latest release includes the full friends feature set, allowing users to:

• See the books friends have read and ask them for recommendations
• See the books in common
• Compare Reading Life awards
• Compare and measure progress with friends through Reading Life stats, including the number of books read, time read and more
• Invite friends to join on Kobo via Facebook or email

Other new features include navigational enhancements – users can now swipe left to right with one finger to easily navigate their library shelves and use a two-fingered swipe to open and close the library edit menu.

The latest release builds on the feature rich functionality of Kobo's previous iOS release that lets users:

• Easily share the Reading Life Mosaic via Facebook with followers
• Share their latest read with Twitter followers
• Share their favorite quotes and passages, notes and thoughts with followers
• Earn awards – just for spending time reading
• View awards friends have earned by tapping on the shared award from the activity feed on iPhone or iPad
• Chat with friends about new and favorite reads
• Purchase or start reading books recommended by friends simply by tapping on the shared book cover from the activity feed
• Organize their library by creating and personalizing shelves of books, newspapers, magazines and documents

Building on Reading Life, the industry's first comprehensive social reading experience, these new features make the highly popular Kobo eReading app even more of a "must have" free download.  Nearly all of Kobo's iPad and iPhone users have started using Reading Life, with millions of awards earned by Kobo readers to date.  The highly rated app redefines the reading experience for millions of users looking for an industry-leading experience that incorporates the latest features and functionality in eReading.

"With Reading Life, we continue to build features to enable more social interaction between Kobo readers and their social networks," said Michael Serbinis, CEO, Kobo.  "Our goal is to engage readers and inspire them to share the fun of reading, and our latest iOS app does just that – bringing additional ways to connect and enjoy reading with friends and family both near and far."

The Kobo store offers a selection of over 2.3 million eBooks, newspapers and magazines with titles ranging from the New York Times' Bestsellers list, the hottest new releases, thrillers, romance and over a million free books. In addition to its global store, Kobo also offers locally merchandised English language stores in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.  Since its launch in 2009, Kobo has been dedicated to an open cloud-based platform, enabling users to read on any device, and with open standards that give users freedom to build their lifetime libraries as they choose.  

The Kobo eReading app for iPhone, iPad and iTouch can be for downloaded for free from www.kobo.com/smartphones or the iTunes App Store.  Customers who currently have Kobo on their iPad or iPhone can download the update directly from their device.

About Kobo, Inc.

Kobo is a global eReading service with more than 2.3 million eBooks, magazines and newspapers – one of the largest eReading catalogues in the world.  Kobo believes consumers should have the freedom to read any book on any device and has attracted millions of readers from over 100 countries across the globe.  Kobo has top ranked eReading applications for iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows and MacOS, and is the eReading application of choice for leading tablet OEMs.  Kobo eReaders are also available at leading retailers including Indigo, Walmart, Best Buy, Borders, WHSmith, Angus & Robertson's and Whitcoull's.  Kobo's innovative Reading Life is an industry-first comprehensive social eReading experience – Kobo users can earn awards simply for time spent reading and encouraging others.  Kobo is backed by majority shareholder Indigo Books & Music Inc, Cheung Kong Holdings, and institutional investors.

SOURCE Kobo