Nook might be focusing its efforts on the Nook Color at the moment, but that doesn't mean that owners of the original black and white first generation Nook are getting left out in the colour.

Barnes and Noble has just released NOOK eReader Firmware Update v1.5 that brings a plethora of new features to the Nook 3G and Nook Wi-Fi firmwares.

New Features include:

- Sync current reading position across devices. Sync across all NOOK eReaders and devices enabled with NOOK software and apps, including iPad, iPhone/iPod touch, Android smartphones and PC. 

- Customize folders and group content for My B&N Library. The My Shelves feature enables users to organize B&N Libraries by a particular subject or theme, on easy-to-organize, easily-accessible Shelves. 

- Password protection option for purchases made on a NOOK device. Customers can require their Barnes & Noble account password be entered before NOOK authorizes any content download (purchases, samples and free books). This is a helpful feature customers requested for NOOKs that are shared among family members, students in a class and company employees).

- Pass code security for the NOOK. Customers can configure NOOK to lock the screen after a certain number of minutes and then require a pass code to unlock it. The pass code security feature will activate each time the NOOK does powers on, awakens form Sleep Mode.  

-  Faster page turns.  Customers can enjoy a 50% faster turn rate than the previous version.

- Improved search functionality that includes My Documents (side-loaded content) in the results.

- Additional battery and other performance enhancements

Furthermore, Barnes and Noble has released an update to the Android app. NOOK for Android v2.4.

According to Barnes and Noble “NOOK for Android v2.4 adds makes it even easier for customers to quickly browse and download new great reads from the NOOKbook Store with in-app shopping.”

Users will be able to browse more than 2 million digital NOOKbooks and more from the NOOK for Android app, and with a couple of taps, your title or sample is downloaded and ready to read on your Android smartphone or across the complete line of NOOK devices and software.

You’ll also now be able to highlight text. 

- Barnes and Noble Nook hands on