Database Develop

PDF Reader that Allows Making/Saving Highlights and Annotations

This has been mentioned in one or two other places I could find, but I thought rather than bury my thoughts deep in a less specific thread, I'd start a new one. Hope it isn't too redundant.
I really love the way highlighting and annotating works in the NC's native reader, but as of right now you can't export those notes/highlights in any usable format, such as an annotated pdf, or something like that. Furthermore, the two pdf's I have opened with NC Reader, while the reading experience is nice, won't allow me to highlight the same way the eBooks do.
My ideal solution would be to find a reader that handles pdf's (and maybe other formats) for me and also allows me to make and save highlights and annotations (basically something like the flash app at crocodoc.com). I would certainly be willing to pay for this if any dev's want to give it a whirl.
Currently, given the fact I have yet to find such an app, I use this solution:
I start with a given pdf. If it is not already live text (meaning it's just a set of scanned images of text), I take it into Acrobat Pro and use OCR to create a clearScan copy, which contains the live text elements separated from any charts/images. From here I take the pdf and convert it to ePub format. This can be done with a free program like Calibre or even over the cloud at a site like 2epub.com. Once you have the ePub doc, you just put it on your NC (I use Dropbox), and it looks just like any other book in your library. I use the Reader app, and I can add highlights/notes until my heart's content.
Of course I still can't save any of my highlights/annotations off the NC this way, but maybe one day B&N will allow for that functionality. There's also the hope they will get a deal worked out to allow Flash content, which would mean I could go back to using crocodoc from a browser to do collaborative highlighting/annotating.
Anybody found a better solution at this point?

I second this poster. I love having this feature in my Sony Reader, it helps a lot with reading the documentation.

I also second this request. I would pay 20 dollars for a pdf reader that used standards-based pdf annotations. It would also be nice if the app remembered where you left off reading.
Sent from my LogicPD Zoom2 using XDA App

I have been looking for something exactly like this for my Nook Color. I would be willing to pay the premium to get this feature in a native PDF reader.
madyogi, thanks for this method, I will try it now and see how it works. Just in time for my trip tomorrow

I think I broke the eReader app

Hey guys,
So I picked up and rooted my nook this past weekend. I have some ebooks that I have been transferring to the "library" by using Calibre. But the library was kind of annoying as i have boosted the pixeldepth and the buttons and such looked a little strange. So I tried to install the nook app from the market with the hope that it would work. Unfortunately it didn't work and it crashed right away.
Now the "library" won't update when i transfer books with Calibre, it only shows the original user manuals that it came with. The books can still be read by browsing to them under "my files" but I'd really like to be able to use the shelves and other features. It used to work
Can anybody help point me in the right direction?
Thanks
Sent from my Rooted Nook

Reset, start over?
Sent from my Nooted friend...

Thanks for the reply but I may have found a solution.
It appears that I need to start the default "Home" app before I transfer books in. In fact, once I did and I transferred just one book, all my books appeared.
So... for whatever it is worth, it looks like the you have to have the default Home running in order to get the library to update.

I decided to just go with Aldiko. This is the closest app to "Stanza" I've seen and it does a really nice job. You can even connect wirelessly to your calibre library.
Sent from my Rooted Nook

[Q] Problem adding books to the Nc after root.

AutoNootered 1.0.1
havent gotten around to doing the 1.1 upgrade yet. Anyway, when i was unrooted i would add books (.epub) via Calibre (i had to do the mobi convert to get covers to show). So the books would then be added to the Books section in the library.
But since ive rooted, the books dont go into the book section, the go into "my files" in the library, and the covers dont show. And when i do read them this way, they cant be quick launched from the "keep reading" button on the bottom of the screen.
any idea on whats causing this? ive searched, but maybe im not using the right terms. i dont know.
also, now that i am rooted, is there any way to add a shortcut to the book from the home screen?
edit: i would add the books via Calibre with the nook connected via USB and then i would transfer to main memory.
double edit: using Zeam, the "keep reading" button on the bottom doesnt seem to work, i guess that rules that out. but i would still like the books to show in the my books section as the covers dont seem to work in my files. and i would still like to place a shortcut to it on the homescreen.

Anything?
Sent from inside the Gibson using my NOOKcolor.

Anyone have any ideas?

WOOHOO!!! problem solved. i launched the stock launcher and everything synced up correct.
i rebooted just to make sure, and while the "keep reading" button doesnt work, the books do show up on the Library, with the covers.

I am also new to my nook and the first thing I did was root it. I dropped some PDF files in the 'Books' folder but can't find them. I am not sure if our problems are the same but did you have the stock launcher going when you sync or did you just switch to it after you placed the files?

Book works on stock reader but not on Nook for Android in CM7

Recently after my SD card somehow killed itself after installing the ManualNooter thing for the 1.2 update (I really don't think it was their fault, by the way) I decided to just take the plunge and start using CM 7 on a regular basis (in other words, heck with dealing with the B and N updates). Very impressive by the way, it's much more stable for me than it was when I first tried it shortly after it was released.
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had ever had a book that worked fine on the stock Nook Color software not work with the Nook for Android marketplace app? It's the weirdest thing. It downloads fine (as do all my books) but just won't load. All my other books work. If anyone has any ideas, please share them, it's driving me crazy. I've tried everything I can think of (reinstaling app, logging out and back in, deleting the book completely and redownloading...) short of trying another SD card, since I don't have spare at the moment.
It's a complete collection of Sherlock Holmes, by the way. Great stuff.

I found a solution! I'm going to share it here in case anyone else runs into this problem with a book. What I ended up doing was decrypting the book and then copying it to the My Documents folder within the Nook folder, it worked after that (although that begs the question "Why on earth didn't it work in the first place?"). I kind of think we aren't allowed to link to such things so I won't, but I did a quick search and found an absurdly easy to use suite of tools for decrypting eBooks one has purchased from various sellers.

Alright, not to bump my own topic, but this information is somewhat related. I keep seeing people say that Magazine Subscriptions don't work on the Market reader. While this is true in that you can't make them, or download the magazines, I've found that I can use the website to manage/download the magazines (well, that and subscribe to things), and they work perfectly fine if I then copy them into the documents folder within the Nook folder on my SD card. It's less convenient, but there you have it. Why they don't just add full magazine support in I'm not sure.
Just a tip. My next step after 'fixing' the previous book was to see if my magazines worked.

9thSage said:
Alright, not to bump my own topic, but this information is somewhat related. I keep seeing people say that Magazine Subscriptions don't work on the Market reader. While this is true in that you can't make them, or download the magazines, I've found that I can use the website to manage/download the magazines, and they work perfectly fine if I then copy them into the documents folder within the Nook folder on my SD card. It's less convenient, but there you have it. Why they don't just add full magazine support in I'm not sure.
Just a tip. My next step after 'fixing' the previous book was to see if my magazines worked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you saying that B&N Magazine Subscriptions can be used with the Android Nook app under CM7?
Can you link to where you download magazines? What file type does it download as?

Another problem with the B&N Android app is that you don't see the book cover for all the sideloaded books in the MY Documents folder. It shows up just fine on the stock reader.
Anyway, I've given up on the B&N market app. Started using Moon reader and Aldiko.

imjimmy said:
Another problem with the B&N Android app is that you don't see the book cover for all the sideloaded books in the MY Documents folder. It shows up just fine on the stock reader.
Anyway, I've given up on the B&N market app. Started using Moon reader and Aldiko.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aye, same. I've purchased Moon+ for the Text-to-Speech capabilities but still looking for a way to get my GF's magazines working on her NC with minimal hassle.

Paul22000 said:
Are you saying that B&N Magazine Subscriptions can be used with the Android Nook app under CM7?
Can you link to where you download magazines? What file type does it download as?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you sign into your account on the Barnes and Noble website, you can go to the newsstand to subscribe/unsubscribe to magazines and what have you (since you can't on the app itself). If you go to your Library when logged in, you'll see all your books. You have to click on the Magazines heading on that bar on the left there to see them (This link should take you there). You should see a download button for the current issue as well as a recent issues thing you can click on to get past issues you've received.
As for your second question, it's an ePub, though as a sidenote the DRM is different than what's used on the regular books apparently (or at least SOMETHING is different). Still works when read in the Market B&N app though (it HAS to be in the My Documents folder. Won't show up otherwise, in my experience). It is true that you won't see the cover, but to me that's a minor annoyance compared to it not working at all.

9thSage said:
Well, if you sign into your account on the Barnes and Noble website, you can go to the newsstand to subscribe/unsubscribe to magazines and what have you (since you can't on the app itself). If you go to your Library when logged in, you'll see all your books. You have to click on the Magazines heading on that bar on the left there to see them (This link should take you there). You should see a download button for the current issue as well as a recent issues thing you can click on to get past issues you've received.
As for your second question, it's an ePub, though as a sidenote the DRM is different than what's used on the regular books apparently (or at least SOMETHING is different). Still works when read in the Market B&N app though (it HAS to be in the My Documents folder. Won't show up otherwise, in my experience). It is true that you won't see the cover, but to me that's a minor annoyance compared to it not working at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must be missing something. I subscribed to a Nook magazine on the B&N website from my PC, but it won't let me download it to my PC. I don't see any link from the nook app to magazines. What am I doing wrong?

richard98 said:
I must be missing something. I subscribed to a Nook magazine on the B&N website from my PC, but it won't let me download it to my PC. I don't see any link from the nook app to magazines. What am I doing wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not in the magazine section of your Library on the Barnes and Noble website? Also, you won't see a link in the Nook app itself for magazines. After I got it from the website I had to copy it to the appropriate folder on the SD card (as said about "Nook/My Documents"). Also, make sure you refresh on the first screen of the Nook app in order to get it to see them. Sometimes it takes a second.
*edit*
Another way you can do it is to use the PC Nook program to download it (since it supports magazines). After you download the magazines in that case, you'll find them in your Documents folder, in "My Barnes & Noble eBooks\[email protected]"

9thSage said:
It's not in the magazine section of your Library on the Barnes and Noble website? Also, you won't see a link in the Nook app itself for magazines. After I got it from the website I had to copy it to the appropriate folder on the SD card (as said about "Nook/My Documents").
*edit*
Another way you can do it is to use the PC Nook program to download it (since it supports magazines). After you download the books in that case, you'll find them in your Documents folder, in "My Barnes & Noble eBooks\[email protected]"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I download it from the website to my PC? When I click on the download link from my PC from either Firefox or IE, I get "Technical DifficultyWe are sorry. This item is not yet supported on this device.". I also tried using the NOOK app on my PC. No go for me

richard98 said:
How do I download it from the website to my PC? When I click on the download link from my PC from either Firefox or IE, I get "Technical DifficultyWe are sorry. This item is not yet supported on this device.". I also tried using the NOOK app on my PC. No go for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aaaaaah...apparently some subscriptions are Nook Color only, some aren't. I apologize, I only just now realized this. I tried a trial subscription of PC Gamer and it did what you described...on the page for that magazine it says Nook Color under the "Read exclusively on this..." blah blah line on the page. The only subscription I tried ("Asimov's Science Fiction") is available on PC and everything else.
I'd guess that if you downloaded it with the stock Nook software you could copy it off and then read it on the marketplace app, but that doesn't do a fat lot of good I suppose. Sadly it looks like a bunch of them ARE Nook Color exclusive. I guess I just lucked out...sorry to get everyone excited. It's too bad there's probably no way to spoof yourself as a Nook Color.

9thSage said:
Aaaaaah...apparently some subscriptions are Nook Color only, some aren't. I apologize, I only just now realized this. I tried a trial subscription of PC Gamer and it did what you described...on the page for that magazine it says Nook Color under the "Read exclusively on this..." blah blah line on the page. The only subscription I tried ("Asimov's Science Fiction") is available on PC and everything else.
I'd guess that if you downloaded it with the stock Nook software you could copy it off and then read it on the marketplace app, but that doesn't do a fat lot of good I suppose. Sadly it looks like a bunch of them ARE Nook Color exclusive. I guess I just lucked out...sorry to get everyone excited. It's too bad there's probably no way to spoof yourself as a Nook Color.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice try though. Maybe I will try one of the regular b&n magazines

richard98 said:
Nice try though. Maybe I will try one of the regular b&n magazines
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the very least it seems all of the newspapers are enabled for everything (the 4 or 5 I checked anyway).

9thSage said:
At the very least it seems all of the newspapers are enabled for everything (the 4 or 5 I checked anyway).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried the NYT and that one didn't work. I guess there is no way to tell which ones work until after you purchase them?

richard98 said:
I tried the NYT and that one didn't work. I guess there is no way to tell which ones work until after you purchase them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, if you click on the name of the magazine/newspaper it will say part way down the page. When I said "tried" I should have said "looked at on the webpage". You might have to click on it, the thing that says something like "Read Exclusively on these apps and devices:" in the little informational section next to the picture.

This is unfortunate that only some newspapers work and others don't. Chicago Tribune is available on nook for android but my WSJ is not. Gonna have to keep my dual boot BN1.2 stock and CM7/2.3 and flip back and forth. Arghhh!

Ways to access books/pdfs outside of Kindle?

Ok. the topic title was a little confusing even for me. I appoligize. I have a brand new kindle fire hd 8.9. Rooted it yesterday with a few hitches but those were mostly due to my own silly mistakes. Regardless, i got it up and running but have ran into a sort of problem. The way to access books, by how I know it, is though Kindle Home 'app'. Which takes me to the original screen with the carousel and everything. But that seems like a really round about way to access everything. Is there a way/app/etc to choose specific books to simply add to the main screen? (I'm using GO HD, but have been checking both to see which I prefer) It just seems a bit silly to need to go through hoops rather then be able to add 'Books, Docs, etc' as seperate things on the main screen. Or even just add a specific book itself. I was asking simply cause it makes it easier/faster to access textbooks like this.
If its impossible thats fine too, but I'm new to this all and can't seem to find anything of this sort. Hope its not too dumb a question.

There isn't an application in KFHD to go directly to Books, but curiously there is a Documents path. I think it is because the DRM(protection) that almost all Amazon books have. You can convert your own books to Movi with a PC or Linux program called Calibre(whisper: "even unprotect them")) to make them visible in the Book shelf.
But if you want them to be more accessible and better reading, you can go to Cool Reader, an app that lets you configure all aspects of a book presentation, much better than Kindle. Inside Cool Reader there is a directory browser to find the books wherever they are, The worse is that it can't read DRM protected books, but I've whispered you the program to jump that fence(search google "how to remove DRM from Amazon". You have the right to do it if you have paid money for the book....But not all countries allow that.

How to setup books and pdf documents on the Kindle Desktop
unspunreality said:
Ok. the topic title was a little confusing even for me. I appoligize. I have a brand new kindle fire hd 8.9. Rooted it yesterday with a few hitches but those were mostly due to my own silly mistakes. Regardless, i got it up and running but have ran into a sort of problem. The way to access books, by how I know it, is though Kindle Home 'app'. Which takes me to the original screen with the carousel and everything. But that seems like a really round about way to access everything. Is there a way/app/etc to choose specific books to simply add to the main screen? (I'm using GO HD, but have been checking both to see which I prefer) It just seems a bit silly to need to go through hoops rather then be able to add 'Books, Docs, etc' as seperate things on the main screen. Or even just add a specific book itself. I was asking simply cause it makes it easier/faster to access textbooks like this.
If its impossible thats fine too, but I'm new to this all and can't seem to find anything of this sort. Hope its not too dumb a question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unspunreality,
Absolutely, you can view just about any document on the Kindle. If I understand you correctly, you would like to have direct access to books from your main desktop, is that correct? Kind of like a Windows or Linux desktop where you are able to place documents and shortcuts to documents directly on the desktop.
If you are looking for software, the following are what we consider the top 5 document readers for the Kindle Fire HD Series:
1. Google Docs
2. Quickoffice Pro
3. Olive Office Premium
4. Camscanner - PDF Creator
5. Openoffice Document Reader
The original Kindle Carousel stores the history of open documents through the carousel which are stored in the order of last opened.
The after market launchers allow you to place anything on the main desktop by long pressing the document and then moving to the desktop.
You are also able to create what are called 'containers' on the desktop, these are really just folders created on the desktop. You can download and install a File Manager like ES File Explorer or Root Explorer which both allow you to create symbolic links or 'shortcuts' from within the application.
Finally, you can also install the Dropbox or Google Drive application on your Kindle and on your office PC, then create shortcuts to the document folders on each network drive - this option allows seamless integration between your Kindle desktop and your office/home PC desktop.
Does this answer your question or did I misunderstand your question?

My favorite reader is ebookdroid. If you go in an tweak the performance settings to use all your cores and prerender pages it is significantly quicker than any other reader I've tried. Plus It'll scan directories and add them to your shelf.

unspunreality said:
Ok. the topic title was a little confusing even for me. I appoligize. I have a brand new kindle fire hd 8.9. Rooted it yesterday with a few hitches but those were mostly due to my own silly mistakes. Regardless, i got it up and running but have ran into a sort of problem. The way to access books, by how I know it, is though Kindle Home 'app'. Which takes me to the original screen with the carousel and everything. But that seems like a really round about way to access everything. Is there a way/app/etc to choose specific books to simply add to the main screen? (I'm using GO HD, but have been checking both to see which I prefer) It just seems a bit silly to need to go through hoops rather then be able to add 'Books, Docs, etc' as seperate things on the main screen. Or even just add a specific book itself. I was asking simply cause it makes it easier/faster to access textbooks like this.
If its impossible thats fine too, but I'm new to this all and can't seem to find anything of this sort. Hope its not too dumb a question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can shortcut to documents using a FM app like Astro. You can also use this to create shortcuts to books as well if you have root access, i think.

Something ive noticed is that if you open a book in the sdcard/books folder using es explorer and choose the kindle app, the kindle app will open fine. If you do this once when you first boot, suddenly the kindle app opens from the app drawer when you try it. Ive only tested this using Nova Launcher Prime but it should work in other launchers. Now all we need to do is create a script that opens and closes a book during boot, this should then allow the kindle books app to be accessed from any launcher instead of using the current approach of going through the 'Home' Launcher.
Sent from my KFTT using xda app-developers app

Ways to access books/pdfs outside of Kindle? - Kindle Feature Request
Katalystik said:
Something ive noticed is that if you open a book in the sdcard/books folder using es explorer and choose the kindle app, the kindle app will open fine. If you do this once when you first boot, suddenly the kindle app opens from the app drawer when you try it. Ive only tested this using Nova Launcher Prime but it should work in other launchers. Now all we need to do is create a script that opens and closes a book during boot, this should then allow the kindle books app to be accessed from any launcher instead of using the current approach of going through the 'Home' Launcher.
Sent from my KFTT using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Katalystik,
We have been looking around for people who can recommend features and you just gave us a great idea for our software. Are you interested in a Startup Manger? We could integarte this feature into our software Kindle Fire First Aide. What I mean by a Startup Manger is an program that would allow you to setup a scenario that would in turn design a script and insert it to the proper location. So, it would work like this, on Monday Wednesday and Friday open a book named "Upon Awakening" or open the book after 8am if the tablet has been left on. Is this the idea you had in mind? This would be very easy a very easy program to write.
Any other ideas or features you would like to see on the Kindle?

Katalystik:
Your approach returns to the last book open, it not lets you to search from there in the book shelf (the Books application). Even so it is a good trick, but appropriate only for a single owner, not for the Kindle shared with the whole family, each with their own book to read ...
There is not need to open the book from ES Explorer nor resetting the Kindle, only open a book from the Books application and press house. Press the "Amazon Kindle" icon and then you are back.
This happens because if you press the house button the app(any app) then waits silently in the background. On the other side, if you press back it obviously returns to the program you were coming. But programs left open in the background consume memory and resources...
Amazon has provided short cuts for all the free aspects of the Kindle, but not for the book shelf, that is not simply a folder. If you copy a DRM book to the Documents folder it don't work. And there Amazon knows good who are his enemies: epubs.
Correction: If you open a DRM book (prc) or mobi from other folder than Books with ES Explorer, it works fine with Kindle app.

I've learned the proper way to go directly to read a particular book! My launcher is ADW but I think it can serve for others.
It is simple and always has been there: In ES Explorer put your finger on the file you want and keep it until it opens a long list of options. Slide it down and find "short-cut" and press on it.
Then, when you return to the main screen of your launcher you'll notice a new icon. press it and select the application that will open, but do not forget to mark the square to open it always with the same program.
Then you can create a folder to put them all in, but that step is different for each launcher and you have to investigate it.

Thanks for the replies. Havent been around. Got class now but with all these options Im certain Ill find something nice to use. Using the kindle books app felt so.. ugh, wrong and backwards. Im glad to be told that I have a lot more options now though.

Fbreader
Sent from my Amazon Kindle Fire2 using Tapatalk 2

I use Mantano Reader ! It works great for epub and pdf files!:thumbup:
Sent from my 5860E using xda app-developers app

I use Moon+ Reader Pro. Within your bookshelf it will allow you to send a shortcut to the desktop. I actually have my book on my dock. I click it and it opens straight to Moon+ ready to read.

Here i made a guide for this and it works great. Heres the thread. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2146269
Sent Using My Rooted Kindle Fire HD 7"