Kobo Partners with La Central Bookstores to Bring Localized eReading Experience to Readers in Spain

-- Kobo's award-winning eReaders and tablets with world-class digital library hits La Central stores this November

TORONTO, Oct. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Kobo, a global leader in eReading, and La Central, today announced a partnership that will bring Kobo's world-class eReading ecosystem to La Central's Readers this November. Complementing La Central's focus on delivering a rich and diverse selection of local Spanish and international titles including those in French, Italian, German and Portuguese, Kobo's eBookstore will expand on the content offering available to Spain's most passionate Readers. La Central is Kobo's first bookselling partner in Spain to carry the Kobo Touch™, Kobo Glo, Kobo Aura, Kobo Aura HD, and Kobo Arc 7HD tablet, as well as Kobo's international catalogue and top-ranking eReading apps. Readers will have access to Kobo's eBooks and devices in La Central stores and online at www.lacentral.com on November 12.

"Partnering with La Central is an exciting proposition for Kobo," said Michael Serbinis, CEO, Kobo. "Their commitment to building a superior catalogue of titles across a number of areas like philosophy, history, fiction, and culture is a key differentiator among booksellers and one that appeals to those Readers most passionate about the written word. Together, with Kobo's ecosystem, we will be able to extend the La Central experience to more Readers across Spain, helping them to read any time, any place, and on any device."

"With Kobo we have found the best eReading platform for our customers," said Antonio Ramirez, Director, La Central. "This partnership will let La Central focus on what we love – recommending great books whether they are to be read on paper or electronically."

Kobo's Spanish eBookstore, already available at www.kobobooks.es, has an international catalogue of nearly 4-million titles. From bestselling authors like Dan Brown, Richard Ford, John Le Carre, Julia Navarro, Antonia J. Corrales, and Khaled Hosseini, to independent authors published through the company's self-publishing platform, Kobo Writing Life, Kobo is focused on meeting the unique needs of its customers around the world. Kobo has titles across 68 languages including Spanish, Catalan, Basque and Galician. The company recently introduced a dedicated kids store with safe search and allowance setting features, as well as a new magazine experience, both of which will be available in Spain this Autumn.

Along with Kobo's top-ranked apps for iOS, Android, Microsoft, and BlackBerry platforms, Kobo devices are designed to meet the unique needs of the most passionate Readers.  This November, Kobo devices will be available in La Central stores and online at www.lacentral.com.

KOBO TOUCH – THE MOST NATURAL READING EXPERIENCE (€ 99.00)
The award-winning Kobo Touch eReader is equipped with an anti-glare 6" Pearl E Ink touchscreen that offers the closest experience to reading print on paper and is easy on the eyes – even in bright sunlight. The thin and lightweight Kobo Touch is highly portable and offers many ways to personalize the reading experience, get book recommendations, and discover new content.  Available in a range of colours, the Kobo Touch has a battery life of up to one month and has 2 GB of internal memory for the storage of up to 1,000 books, with the option to expand to 32 GB with a microSD card.

KOBO GLO – READ COMFORTABLY DAY OR NIGHT (€ 129.00)
The front-lit Kobo Glo eReader offers the most even and adjustable ComfortLight technology to enable people to read anytime – day or night. Its durable screen and customizable fonts and page-turning features make it the perfect eReader for the most passionate booklovers. The Kobo Glo uses E Ink technology, and its no-glare XGA high-resolution 6" E Ink screen provides an experience that is just like reading print on paper. The device easily connects to Wi Fi allowing consumers to explore and discover recommendations in the Kobo eBookstore. Available in a selection of stylish back colours, the Kobo Glo has a battery life of up to one month and has 2 GB of internal memory for the storage of up to 1,000 books, with the option to expand to 32 GB with a microSD card.

KOBO AURA - UNITING BEAUTIFUL DESIGN AND IMMERSIVE READING (€ 149.00)
The 6" Kobo Aura eReader is a beautifully designed, front-lit E Ink eReader.  Available in black and pink, the Kobo Aura features a high-resolution, edge-to-edge display and the most even front-lit ComfortLight technology, wrapped in a contemporary aesthetic to keep people passionate about reading books – day or night. The sophisticated design of the eReader delivers the closest experience to print-on-paper with a 212 dpi and Pearl E Ink screen. Readers will never be at a loss for compelling reads with access to nearly 4-million titles and curated Collections from Kobo. With 4GB of storage (up to 3,000 books), expandable up to 32GB with a microSD card, Kobo Aura has a battery life of up to two months, making it perfect for passionate Readers.

KOBO AURA HD – DESIGNED FOR PASSIONATE READERS (€ 169.00)
Kobo Aura HD offers the highest-resolution screen available in an eReader today. At 265 dpi, the spacious 6.8" Pearl E Ink touchscreen offers 30 percent more reading surface and the closest experience to print-on-paper – showcasing text and high-resolution images beautifully. The device's 1GHz processor makes page turns fly and is the fastest eReader on the market – 25 percent faster. Kobo Aura HD has 4GB of storage (expandable up to 32GB) to easily store thousands of eBooks, and has a battery life of up to two months, making it the perfect eReader for people with a passion for the written word. 

KOBO ARC 7HD – TABLET FOR READING AND ENTERTAINMENT ON THE GO (€ 199.00)
The Kobo Arc 7HD tablet is powered by the NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 1.7GHz quad-core processor and 1920x1200 display with up to 1080p video playback delivering a crisp, seamless viewing experience. The HD tablet has a 1GB of RAM, a front-facing 1.3 MP HD camera, and a battery that lasts up to 8 hours so readers are never at a loss for words. Available in black, the Kobo Arc 7HD offers Readers a compact, multimedia tablet for reading and entertainment on the go.

About Kobo Inc.

Kobo Inc. is one of the world's fastest-growing eReading services offering 4 million eBooks, magazines and newspapers to millions of customers in 190 countries.  Believing that consumers should have the freedom to read any book on any device, Kobo provides consumers with a choice when reading. Kobo offers an eReader for everyone with a wide variety of E Ink eReaders and Google-Certified Android tablets to suit any Reader's style including the award-winning Kobo Touch™, Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo, Kobo Aura, Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Arc, Kobo Arc 7, Kobo Arc 7HD, and Kobo Arc 10HD. Along with the company's free top-ranking eReading apps for Apple®, BlackBerry®, Android®, and Windows®, Kobo ensures the next great read is just a page-turn away. Headquartered in Toronto and owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten, Kobo eReaders can be found in major retail chains around the world. For more information, visit www.kobo.com.

About La Central

La Central was founded in Barcelona in 1995 with the aim of carrying out a project bookcase unique, homogeneous and to make incision in cultural mediation. That is why the raw Central bookstore selection, providing a rich and diverse background specialized in the field of Humanities (Anthropology, Architecture and Design, Art, Film and Photography, Classical Studies, Philology, Philosophy, History, Fiction, Poetry, Theatre and Performing Arts, Social Sciences and Cultural Studies). Also, La Central pays special attention to the international edition, so that the bookstore is an effective transmission belt mainstream intellectuals of the time, as well as an effective information service to readers. Currently, 40% of La Central bookstore collection consists of international books, among which include major new publications in French, Italian, German and Portuguese.

Moreover, La Central seeks cater for all types of orders, even books in irregular or difficult to obtain.

Over the years, La Central has strengthened its cultural mediation work, programming their different locations Humanities related activities, such as book presentations, lectures, reading groups, debates, exhibitions, workshops and courses related to the world of books.

La Central currently consists of seven bookstores: La Central, La Central del Raval, La Central del MACBA, La Central del MUHBA (in Barcelona), La Central de Callao, La Central del Museo Reina Sofía and La Central de la Fundación Mapfre (in Madrid), and a website (www.lacentral.com).

Media Contact:

Virginie Beraldo
Communications Manager
virginie@lacentral.com
+93-550-4614

Cerys Goodall
Sr. Director, Public Relations
cgoodall@Kobo.com
+1.647.282-1181