Too much of a rookie to post in dev thread, but maybe this is a better spot. I tried the ParanoidAndroid rom to see if it solved my biggest issue with CM9 - I want the Kindle app to look like it did in CM7. I had no luck there, but the first page or two of that thread got me thinking - it talked about eliminating the need for a hacked version of apps like the Kindle app to get tablet/phone GUI according to the users preference. That app is the only one I have an issue with, so can anyone point me to where I might find a "modded" version of the Kindle app for Android? Basically I want smaller margins than are currently available on ICS/CM9 on my Nook Color (same problem on my Acer Iconia A100 running ICS)
Thanks for any pointers.
Two things. First, the latest version of the Kindle app gives you margin control in tablet mode. Second, you can use ParanoidAndroid and under PA app settings you can tell PA to set Kindle with the phone GUI and 240dpi. Kindle then thinks it is on a phone and gives you the same margin controls you had on CM7.
leapinlar,
Thanks very much for the reply. I tried the latest version - it gives control, but I still can't shrink the margins enough. Thanks for the PA pointers - I tried it a couple of times - one time it was very sluggish and I couldn't even get to the point of changing PA settings (on a microSD card - it was probably a very slow one and not too suitable for booting from). The second time, I changed a bunch of settings, but with no method to my madness. Now that I know what should work - I'll try again and use a better card.
Thanks and I'll report back.
In PA, experiment with the dpi setting for Kindle. As you reduce the dpi, the fonts get smaller and margins narrower. Then you need to raise the font size in Kindle to compensate to get right margins/font size.
If you cannot get the margins set the way you like them, there are two sites where you can get old versions of Kindle that do not have the tablet GUI built in. Look for a pre 3.x version.
http://www.iapktop.com
http://www.freewarelovers.com
leapinlar said:
In PA, experiment with the dpi setting for Kindle. As you reduce the dpi, the fonts get smaller and margins narrower. Then you need to raise the font size in Kindle to compensate to get right margins/font size.
If you cannot get the margins set the way you like them, there are two sites where you can get old versions of Kindle that do not have the tablet GUI built in. Look for a pre 3.x version.
http://www.iapktop.com
http://www.freewarelovers.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I played with this some this weekend. My install of PA seemed to reach steady-state and was working pretty well. When I lower the DPI settings, the margins shrink, but ever since I installed PA I can't get to the menu selections from within the Kindle App - so I can't change the fonts. (I loaded button savior and nothing happens when I hit the menu button from there) I loaded several different versions. I also installed a 2.x version from freewarelovers.com and although it said the correct version it behaved just like the latest as far as margins go. (I know I've used 2.x in the past to get rid of the huge margins and it worked) I cleared the cache, but I didn't remove the directory with some of my side-loaded books - can the kindle app "cache" the way it last displayed a book even after I clear the app cache from setting/app/cache?
Thanks for your pointers and I'm encouraged that I've gotten the margins to shrink.
Related
Is there anything I should know about how a rooted Nook Color acts compared to something that's meant to be a tablet (e.g. the Galaxy Tab) that could influence whether I want one? For example,
This thread has workarounds for a bunch of quirks and problems with the NC. Is it common to need to workaround these and other B&N ROM issues?
I've seem mention of 'porting' apps to the Nook Color. Does this mean I have to do more work to get apps from the market than just hitting 'install'? Do some apps not work on the Nook Color?
It looks like B&N pushes over-the-air software updates to the NC that return it to a stock ROM. Is this easy to prevent? When they push their Q1 update, will it (probably) be easy to apply the update and then get all of my data/settings back, or are updates a pain that I have to put off applying until I have time to reconfigure everything?
Is there anything else I should know?
Well I am not hijacking this forum I just ordered a Nook Color I would cetrainly love to see these questions answered but could I also add a few of my own ?
I am in Europe what kind of usability can I expect from the device, will I be able to register it and what about books.
Also I 've heard there are some touch issues, whats up with that ..? is it true .. any solutions..?
I am following the BT thread and all looks great but what about the USB would we be able at some point to connect ext HDDrives or Webcams ..
Lastly I understand it will only play .mp4 movies anyway around that .......?
I will try to give you a couple answers based on my own experiences, though im no expert when it comes to rooting.
Yes there are some quirks with the NC that you wouldn't have to deal with on a regular android tablet. The biggest one is the lack of hardware buttons. There are several software solutions for this, the most effective and stable of which has been "button savior" which you can get in the market.
Some apps font render correctly because of the screen resolution/dpi of the NC. Some of that can be fixed by using an LCD density changing app or altering the setting manually.
You shouldn't have to port apps to run on the NC, but don't be surprised if some apps don't show up in the market. Most stuff works fine though.
As far as i can tell you wont get BN ota updates unless you're on a BN store wifi network. I've been rooted for weeks and i've never seen the 1.01 update pop up. I figure im waiting for the bigger update before i bother reverting to stock and restoring all my apps.
Ill post more stuff as it comes to mind!
posted from my nook color using the official xda app
There are certainly quirks, such as the hardware buttons issue mentioned above. And some apps don't work now, but I imagine other tablets would have similar issues. as android tablets grow in popularity we can expect more compatible apps
spiffytech said:
Is there anything I should know about how a rooted Nook Color acts compared to something that's meant to be a tablet (e.g. the Galaxy Tab) that could influence whether I want one? For example,
This thread has workarounds for a bunch of quirks and problems with the NC. Is it common to need to workaround these and other B&N ROM issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The B&N ROM does not contain some things that were completely not needed for the device as it was designed, so yes there are workarounds in that thread and on the wiki here: http://nookdevs.com/NookColor_Issues
spiffytech said:
I've seem mention of 'porting' apps to the Nook Color. Does this mean I have to do more work to get apps from the market than just hitting 'install'? Do some apps not work on the Nook Color?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never heard anything of "porting" apps, only reason would be screen resolution of tablets vs phones. Some apps don't behave nicely on the higher res, either they are in the center of the screen, stretched out and ugly, or simply draw really badly. Most fall into the first two categories.
spiffytech said:
It looks like B&N pushes over-the-air software updates to the NC that return it to a stock ROM. Is this easy to prevent? When they push their Q1 update, will it (probably) be easy to apply the update and then get all of my data/settings back, or are updates a pain that I have to put off applying until I have time to reconfigure everything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, your device will query for OTAs and so far nobody has figured out how to safely disable them. Update to 1.0.1 first, then noot it. And when a 1.0.2 or 1.1.0 comes out, expect to do it again. Until someone comes out with a real way to disable the OTAs or a full custom ROM is made.
pavlos46 said:
Also I 've heard there are some touch issues, whats up with that ..? is it true .. any solutions..?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It generally happens only when plugged in, and almost always unplugging it and turning off the screen and turning it back on the problem goes away. Some folks say it happens more if the screen is dirty, although in my experience with capacitive screens this is not the case.
pavlos46 said:
I am following the BT thread and all looks great but what about the USB would we be able at some point to connect ext HDDrives or Webcams ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Highly unlikely, but there are ways to do USB Host drivers on Android phones, so it's possible in the future.
pavlos46 said:
Lastly I understand it will only play .mp4 movies anyway around that .......?
[/LIST]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, use something like RockPlayer.
Other things to note...
Games run fairly well on Nook Color. I've been using Dungeon Defenders (framerate not the best), Antigen, Angry Birds, Fuzzies and Nesoid. They all work pretty well except for poor framerates with Dungeon Defenders.
You'll definately need Button Savior. The LCDDensity app is also good to have and tinker with. You'll want to get NookColor Tools on there as well to change keyboards. Root Explorer also.
It runs pretty much any app that I can run on my Droid.
Dolphin-Mini works great on the Nook Color.
There are some issues with buttons at the screen edges, like the Android Marketplace search icon or tab switching in Dolphin. Adjusting LCD Density with the LCDDensity app will cure that problem. Otherwise you will have to figure out how to tap on the edges for it to register. Mine only does this at the top edge and not on the sides or bottom.
Overall, a great device. Clockwork is well on it's way to being finished. And there are now a few folks jumping on the bandwagon to create custom roms.
Rockplayer will play other video types, but wont use hw acceleration and will be choppy. Best to convert to mp4 instead.
In the end i think this tablet is for those who actually enjoy tinkering and tweaking.
Sent from my Nookcolor
Seems like I say this constantly, but in my opinion you do not need Button Savior, Softkeys included in the Auto Nooter script for 1.0.0 or 1.0.1 works great.
markiejones said:
In the end i think this tablet is for those who actually enjoy tinkering and tweaking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. I've enjoyed "fixing" the Nook. But this process could be annoying to many people. Those people would be much happier with an ipad.
khaytsus said:
Seems like I say this constantly, but in my opinion you do not need Button Savior, Softkeys included in the Auto Nooter script for 1.0.0 or 1.0.1 works great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. When you set softkeys "just so", it's a near-ideal key replacement. The default setup is what throws people off, with the little arrow-guy getting in the way and some confusion regarding the "n" key.
Mine is invisible except when I single tap the "n" key -a double tap gets me "home". That's perfect, and not at all in the way.
For these old timers on BN1.3 rooted, what are the advantages/changes of 1.4.1 over 1.3 for NC (rooted of course)? Is browsing faster?
The advantages I see are more magazines and Netflix. Any biggies?
Thanks.
fpga_guy said:
For these old timers on BN1.3 rooted, what are the advantages/changes of 1.4.1 over 1.3 for NC (rooted of course)? Is browsing faster?
The advantages I see are more magazines and Netflix. Any biggies?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only ran 1.3 stock for about 24 hours before I zapped it with CM, so I don't claim a lot of experience using it. However, I've since gone to B&N 1.4.1 rooted since December, and quite like it. Here's what I'm aware of:
Some enhanced magazines (e.g. Conde Nast pubs like Wired Magazine, New Yorker) require B&N 1.4.x. They won't run on older versions, nor older B&N versions. If you want one of these, this might be important.
The reader has been tweaked (or broken, depending on your view). Landscape mode works now, as does 2 column landscape. There are more font and style options, though still limited compared to other readers. I like it, though. Some folks are having problems with article pages being cut off and other complaints.
The 'n' key is now used to access the B&N shortcuts menu rather than the on-screen button at the bottom. This is reviled by a number of users, but I prefer it. The use of the hardware frees up some screen space I'd rather use for content. While the button will no doubt wear out someday, I don't expect to be using this device forever.
Whether or not these are biggies will depend on what's important for you. Overall, I much preferred 1.4.1 to older versions. I wouldn't bother if I couldn't root it, though.
bobstro said:
I only ran 1.3 stock for about 24 hours before I zapped it with CM, so I don't claim a lot of experience using it. However, I've since gone to B&N 1.4.1 rooted since December, and quite like it. Here's what I'm aware of:
Some enhanced magazines (e.g. Conde Nast pubs like Wired Magazine, New Yorker) require B&N 1.4.x. They won't run on older versions, nor older B&N versions. If you want one of these, this might be important.
The reader has been tweaked (or broken, depending on your view). Landscape mode works now, as does 2 column landscape. There are more font and style options, though still limited compared to other readers. I like it, though. Some folks are having problems with article pages being cut off and other complaints.
The 'n' key is now used to access the B&N shortcuts menu rather than the on-screen button at the bottom. This is reviled by a number of users, but I prefer it. The use of the hardware frees up some screen space I'd rather use for content. While the button will no doubt wear out someday, I don't expect to be using this device forever.
Whether or not these are biggies will depend on what's important for you. Overall, I much preferred 1.4.1 to older versions. I wouldn't bother if I couldn't root it, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. Is there a work-around available for the 'n' key function/behavior introduced with 1.4.1? Thanks.
gsutton said:
Thanks for the info. Is there a work-around available for the 'n' key function/behavior introduced with 1.4.1? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use HomeCatcher to try to remap it to your preferred launcher. Or use Button Savior or similar, and map its home button to your launcher. Or use Folder Organizer to put a link to the app drawer in your notifications. Lots of things you can try. I've gone with that last option, since I rather like the B&N shortcut mapping for the hardware button.
Here's my two cents. 1.4.1 is a minor improvement over 1.3 as noted in the previous posts. There are two other improvement:
1. market seems to have better visibility - more apps than before
2. flash update looping is fixed.
I did do the upgrade and will stay with BN 1.4.1 The upgrade was rather painless thanks to GMPOWER.
The 1.4.1 stock ereader can read Nook Comics ~ that allows pinch to zoom and panning on comic/manga pages and supports comics paging left to right while manga page in their native right to left. The B&N Android app does not yet support Nook Comics (though they are putting a new version into beta testing, so perhaps that will change).
Except for comics available with GuidedView, convenient zooming is important for reading on a 7" screen (though I wish the zoom could lock on page turns).
After you root 1.4, update the kernel, then you can overclock it. I tried that the other day and it worked pretty well. In the end, I went back to my CM9 ROM. The only think I miss about the Nook stock software is the reader itself.
I would like to know if CM is needed to do the following or if there is another way.
(Ive only had the Nook for a couple weeks, not sure whats out there)
1) Use a USB thumb drive for MP3 storage/playback. (found this)
2) Hooking the Nook HD to my TVs HDMI port.
3) Possibly use a blue-tooth keyboard
Currently i use:
- Google play for programs.
- Download ebooks and pdfs from alternative sources but do use the Kindle app from time to time (but have that installed on a PC along with Calibre),
- Dont think i have used the B&N app for anything yet, so if that is lost, it will not be that big of a deal (would be nice to have it though).
Alittle background:
I am not new to "flashing" a device, but is there is no need to then i dont.
Ive had an ipod for years running RockBox (and love it)
Been running a ubuntu based server and desktop for a few years.
Any suggestions or guidence would be great.
- thanks...
_
In case it helps others...
I installed CM 10.1.3
1) the USB storage worked great as per-link above.
2) have not tried
3) tried a Logitech MX5000 ("desktop") keyboard just to see what happens, they made the hand-shake but nothing after that... i did not try too hard.
Found a B&N Nook (the green N) app (.apk from an alternative site) and it seams work fine.
Dont know if you can get the USB working with-out CM, but it works great with it.
_
A key issue with stock Nook rom is performance. The library sync is a resource hog and randomly results in stutter for apps. Movies, games etc. it also results in battery drain.
For this reason alone, stock is best served a quick death. CM 10.1 and Nova is a good combo and then in performance settings: Turn on 16bit transparencies and set ram to "purge assets".
Added: Any other performance settings appear to actually downgrade performance.
rushless said:
A key issue with stock Nook rom is performance. The library sync is a resource hog and randomly results in stutter for apps. Movies, games etc. it also results in battery drain.
For this reason alone, stock is best served a quick death. CM 10.1 and Nova is a good combo and then in performance settings: Turn on 16bit transparencies and set ram to "purge assets".
Added: Any other performance settings appear to actually downgrade performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where are these performance settings located?
You go into About device and tape the rom version several times. I think that is it to unlock it, but a quick search will get the right steps if wrong. Need a non stock rom to get the options.
rushless said:
You go into About device and tape the rom version several times. I think that is it to unlock it, but a quick search will get the right steps if wrong. Need a non stock rom to get the options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Found them,, thanks
rushless said:
A key issue with stock Nook rom is performance. The library sync is a resource hog and randomly results in stutter for apps. Movies, games etc. it also results in battery drain.
For this reason alone, stock is best served a quick death. CM 10.1 and Nova is a good combo and then in performance settings: Turn on 16bit transparencies and set ram to "purge assets".
Added: Any other performance settings appear to actually downgrade performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tips, just tweaked them now, will see how it works tomarrow.
As for a launcher, ive been use the GO one but do have Nova installed.
_
I'm running CM 10.1.3 RC2 on my Nook HD+ (as is; no other tweaks) and was disappointed to see my reading experience fall apart with the latest update (which brings "HD" comics to the app). The main page opened very slowly, downloads wouldn't complete and the app froze whenever I tried to open a book.
So I deleted and reinstalled the app, which meant redownloading all of my comics (the app defaulted to grabbing the "HD" versions). The app at least opens and books download now, but the performance definitely took a hit. This is odd because the Nook HD+ seems like it should be more than capable of handling it. While the new interface is really cool, there's now a bit of lag in some of the page transitions and scrolling quickly takes a few swipes to "catch" a page and results in a second or two of blurriness before the page is fully rendered. Not the end of the world, but it's a drag after the buttery smooth experience of the previous version. To be honest, I didn't really see a different in the HD comics (Comixology already looked awesome on the Nook HD+ screen under the old app). I'll try redownloading the non-HD versions and see if there's a difference.
Curious to know if anyone else experienced this and/or if there are suggestions to otherwise improve the performance. I bought this thing specifically for comics and am really bummed out about this.
Large downloads now not working...
As an update, I wiped the tablet with a fresh install of 10.1.3 (stable) and the app seemed to be running much better. Still going with the non-HD downloads as I really don't see a need for it.
Still having a problem with the Nook choking on larger downloads - trade collections are getting stuck at 8% while single issues seem to need a minute or so to start the download (but the single issues come through just fine). I've tried clearing the cache, force-closing the app, rebooting the tablet, etc., but no luck with the larger books. Comixology support suggested that I hit Restore Purchases under Settings, but that didn't seem to make any difference. Feeling frustrated as I really want to read these particular books.
Another note is that I can't read any titles when the app is stuck trying to download something - the books are listed, but I get a blank screen whenever trying to open one. What else can I try to get the large downloads working?
Hi. I have been running 4.2 on my Touchpad for a long while, but I noticed jcsullins has a 4.4 now, so today I flashed it (cm-11-20140409-SNAPSHOT-jcsullins-tenderloin). I wasn't able to resize the data partition, but a few lines of lvm commands and a visit to the doctor got me in a state where I was able to make it work. So far, I haven't noticed any problems, except the launcher. It's not really a problem, but I do notice the style and layout is WAY different than it was on 4.2 or lower. I like to change my DPI to 120, to increase the amount of real estate I get, and that makes the App Drawer nightmarish on 4.4. Is there a way to somehow sideload an older version of Trebuchet? Or can I change it with some kind of mod (discovered Xposed recently, will that help)?
Thanks, and thank to everyone here that has made my $99 Touchpad into the oldest and most consistently useful gadget I own.