The newest e-reader from Barnes and Noble goes back to basics.   I’m Fred Fishkin with technology BootCamp, a report on gadgets and gear.    While Barnes and Noble has been expanding the tablet capabilities of the 250 dollar Nook Color, the newest Nook is designed solely for reading.   The Simple Touch Reader has eliminated most buttons by using a touch screen,  is monochrome only using e-ink, has less flashing when turning pages and  is smaller and lighter.   About the only thing bigger is battery life…which BN says is as long as two months…if you’re reading no more than 30 minutes a day, a claim which has generated some controversy.   Barnes and Noble Digital Products President Jamie Iannone…

“One of our goals with this product was to make the technology virtually disappear, so it could be just all about reading.  So it’s great to shop for books, it’s great for reading books.  It’s great for reading newspapers and magazines as well.”

At 139 dollars, the Nook Simple Touch Reader is aimed squarely at the Amazon’s latest generation Kindle.   You can find us at BootCamp.com.  I’m Fred Fishkin.