Barnes & Noble slashes Nook Simple Touch price to $79

If you're still in holiday shopping mode, Barnes & Noble has announced a price cut on its digital reading device called the Nook Simple Touch. The digital reader previously cost $99 and Barnes & Noble has now cut the price to $79. The new price went into effect on December 9 and the new price appears to be permanent.

Barnes & Noble says that the Nook Simple Touch is available for the new price in Barnes & Noble retail stores, online, and through other retailers including Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. This reader has 6-inch touchscreen that uses E ink technology. The screen offers 16-levels of grey and is designed to be easy to read in bright sunlight.

The screen resolution of 800x600 and the device promises over two months of battery life per charge based on reading for half an hour each day. The tablet is 6.5-inches tall, 5.0-inches wide, and 0.47-inches deep and weighs 7.48 ounces.

The device has integrated Wi-Fi and is able to connect for free Wi-Fi networks and Barnes & Noble stores and 24,000 AT&T hotspots nationwide. The Simple Touch has 2 GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot for supporting up to 32 GB.