Related
I'm guessing there's a utility, or utilities, running on the Nook that does things like auto updating the firmware, seeing what books are in your library, what page you're reading, other usage stats, etc.. Has there been any work to disable these spies?
Although I mainly wanted the Nook as a tablet, I'd like to buy a few books, and use it to view a few (Legally owned) PDF files. But if B&N is going to mess with my rooting, or decide something isn't legal, or otherwise decide to remove things off my Nook (Remember the Kindle and 1984?), or spam me based on what I'm reading, I'd rather wipe all B&N software from the device, and just have an Android tablet.
BTW, if the above sounds like a complaint, it's aimed at B&N, not the developers here, for which I am most thankful for all their awesome work!
Since there hasn't been an update yet, nobody is sure if the methods used by other devices will work or not. I believe there are a few threads in the development forum that talk about possible ways of preventing it from auto updating, but they haven't been tested yet to see if they work.
Do some looking in the dev forum or do a search and I"m sure you'll find what I'm talking about. It's a standard method of preventing Android from updating, but no telling if it will work.
Edit:
Here is the thread I was referring to:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=860480&highlight=update
Thanks for the response. I checked the link, and was surprised Android has the auto-update functionality built in. Do you know anything about possible spy applications? Has anyone checked it's internet activity? Any strange processes?
What do you mean it hasn't updated. The day you first powered it on and connected to the internet you got an update, at least mine did.
I imagine you could use wireshark and then turn on your radio and see where the nook goes first. It could have a schedule so maybe completely restore the device and then see the first addresses or urls it goes too on it's own. Once you get that then it's just a matter of entering those urls in the host file with an unresolvable address.
I probably will use Wireshark, when I get my nook (Christmas present). I just didn't want to reinvent the wheel, and be all prepared when I finally get it. I'm surprised there isn't more interest in privacy with the nook.
Mine didn't update when I got it. It's version 1.0.0, and until you set up wifi there is no way for it to get an update. Also, there isn't a way to check for updates. The original Nook had an option to check for updates, not with the NC.
Looks like 1.1 is confirmed for January and will allow you to sideload apps on the NC in development mode. Not certain when Froyo 2.2 will be available, probably when they launch the store front in Q1, maybe it's in 1.1?
connect.nookdeveloper.com/t5/General-Discussion/Nook-Color-Rooting/td-p/901
Also mention of sideloading apps.
connect.nookdeveloper.com/t5/General-Discussion/Can-you-test-your-apps-on-a-real-hardware-now/m-p/47#M18
Good news!
Josh
I guess I'm the grinch who steals the joy from this news...we can already sideload (heck we have a working Market), and based on the original post I seriously doubt Froyo is coming for the ride with the 1.1 update. I think Froyo is much bigger news, and will get it's own announcement.
Not sure what development mode adds, since rooted users already have the goodies. Tell me I missed something...
-Matt
If that is all they added in the update ill be disappointed. Sounds like all they are gonna do is enable adb. Which is easy enough to enable anyways.
Send from my NookColor
Of course it's not big news here!!! You have to consider that it is for those who haven't rooted their unit. You knew it was coming, so why all the negativity?
Cheers,
kev
No negativity here. I probably should have added a few smiles and winks to make it clear that I was (mostly) teasing (i.e,. the grinch comment). I'm a pretty happy owner, and will gobble up whatever news I can find. I think recent developments with Bluetooth and Nookie Froyo are definitely things to celebrate. Maybe 1.1 has something special that we don't see yet.
-Matt
Yeah, apart from froyo, most of the news from B&N will likely not be as exciting as anything from the developers here.
I am curious what this 1.1 update means for the integrity of my currently nootered NC. Should I be concerned when B&N pushes this update my way?
Kev
It's good news to see sideloading for those that do not wish to root..
-CC
Question regarding upcoming Froyo update (packed with v1.1, or otherwise):
If B&N officially updates to 2.2, they open up development mode for app sideloading, and they also allow for the unrestricted use of normal Froyo home screens (and launchers?), will there be any reason remaining to actually "root" the device at that point?
Or, is B&N talking about a severely restricted "development mode" when they say they're going to open it up?
I'm confused...
(I'm new to Android rooting, so please forgive me if this is a dumb question...)
I haven't rooted... yet. Holding out to see what happens w/ 1.1. I'd prefer not to root and just get some basic apps on the device and not lose access to the B&N store. If I can side load a few key apps w/ 1.1, that will hold me off until the B&N Market place is launched Q1. Otherwise I will most likely root.
Am I missing something? I didn't see them say January anywhere in those threads. All I saw was them saying Q1 of 2011.
And this quote makes it sound like the update won't be useful to the average user.
"Within NOOKcolor 1.1 update, we have added "Developer Mode". This enabled approved 3rd party developers to use the Android SDK to test and develop applications on their NOOKcolor devices."
Approved 3rd Party Develepors. Sounds like the only people side loading apps may be those that are approved by B&N.
supersoulfly said:
"Within NOOKcolor 1.1 update, we have added "Developer Mode". This enabled approved 3rd party developers to use the Android SDK to test and develop applications on their NOOKcolor devices."
Approved 3rd Party Develepors. Sounds like the only people side loading apps may be those that are approved by B&N.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And us.
12345678
I must have missed it but where in that thread is there any mention or confirmation that 1.1 is this month?
I see nothing of the sort.
In regards to January, it looks like Ted_Patrick went back and edited his original response.
Re: Nook Color Rooting[ Edited ] 01-05-2011 10:24 AM - last edited on 01-05-2011 07:12 PM
It originally read:
"Within NOOKcolor 1.1. update(January), we have added...."
Now other responses on the subject of 1.1 by him have an "official" response of
"We cannot comment on OS update features or framework support at this time. When we have information to share, we will be very clear and set expectations clearly."
Looks like he may of spilled the beans a bit or been more forth coming w/ info than B&N liked.
jwigginton said:
I haven't rooted... yet. Holding out to see what happens w/ 1.1. I'd prefer not to root and just get some basic apps on the device and not lose access to the B&N store. If I can side load a few key apps w/ 1.1, that will hold me off until the B&N Market place is launched Q1. Otherwise I will most likely root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know who's been scaring you with witchcraft and vodoo, but here are a few facts:
(1) Rooting is very easy. If you're the kind of person who is OK with opening a command prompt and doing things like "listing directories" and "renaming/moving files" it's quick and painless. It also takes less than 5 minutes (probably about 2) to take your device back to stock.
(2) Rooting does very little to the device. The key is that it allows the user to change system files, something that B&N would prefer we didn't do. Several users root their NookColor (NC) and then scratch their heads because they see no obvious change.
(3) Package mods like autonooter only make a few system changes (aside from the several nice system apps they add), in particular, they allow you to sideload apps. Once you do that, you can reorganize the way your NC looks and performs, so that it handles like a vanilla Android device.
(4) Most importantly, ROOTING DOES VIRTUALLY NOTHING TO CHANGE THE B&N INTERFACE. All--I repeat--ALL the things your NC does out of the box, it still does after rooting. Same eReader. Same storefront. Same file browser. Same everything. And I'm all but certain the NC doesn't phone home and complain that it's been rooted. And if it did--since the bootloader isn't locked--I seriously doubt B&N would try to deny you a service. (The more likely scenario is that an OTA update would try to remove root.)
EDIT: several rooted users have lost access to 1-hour free reading in-store (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=860830). So it's not true that nothing is lost. Sorry for overgeneralizing.
I can all but guarantee you that you'll be disappointed by the B&N store. I predict it will have very few developers, and very few "good" free apps. A better way of saying it is this: within 1 or 2 weeks of the B&N app store launching, most users will look at the Android Market, and say "Forget it, I want apps from the Market, not B&N."
-Matt
gadgetrants said:
I don't know who's been scaring you with witchcraft and vodoo, but here are a few facts:
(1) Rooting is very easy. If you're the kind of person who is OK with opening a command prompt and doing things like "listing directories" and "renaming/moving files" it's quick and painless. It also takes less than 5 minutes (probably about 2) to take your device back to stock.
(2) Rooting does very little to the device. The key is that it allows the user to change system files, something that B&N would prefer we didn't do. Several users root their NookColor (NC) and then scratch their heads because they see no obvious change.
(3) Package mods like autonooter only make a few system changes (aside from the several nice system apps they add), in particular, they allow you to sideload apps. Once you do that, you can reorganize the way your NC looks and performs, so that it handles like a vanilla Android device.
(4) Most importantly, ROOTING DOES VIRTUALLY NOTHING TO CHANGE THE B&N INTERFACE. All--I repeat--ALL the things your NC does out of the box, it still does after rooting. Same eReader. Same storefront. Same file browser. Same everything. And I'm all but certain the NC doesn't phone home and complain that it's been rooted. And if it did--since the bootloader isn't locked--I seriously doubt B&N would try to deny you a service. (The more likely scenario
is that an OTA update would try to remove root.)
I can all but guarantee you that you'll be disappointed by the B&N store. I predict it will have very few developers, and very few "good" free apps. A better way of saying it is this: within 1 or 2 weeks of the B&N app store launching, most users will look at the Android Market, and say "Forget it, I want apps from the Market, not B&N."
-Matt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still, if you aren't comfortable then don't root. Things can still go wrong. Things can be fixed but you have to have the patience and not freak out when your device goes into a bootloop or just freezes, which I'm not saying it will but there is always that chance.
lopezpm said:
Still, if you aren't comfortable then don't root. Things can still go wrong. Things can be fixed but you have to have the patience and not freak out when your device goes into a bootloop or just freezes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know, I'm sorry for taking a bull-in-the-china-shop approach. Clearly I would never make it at a technical help desk. You're absolutely right and I should have noted that there's a minimum comfort level...the subtle comment about "OK with command-line editing" probably didn't get the point across.
-Matt
Not everything it does out of the box works after rooting...
gadgetrants said:
I don't know who's been scaring you with witchcraft and vodoo, but here are a few facts:
(1) Rooting is very easy. If you're the kind of person who is OK with opening a command prompt and doing things like "listing directories" and "renaming/moving files" it's quick and painless. It also takes less than 5 minutes (probably about 2) to take your device back to stock.
(2) Rooting does very little to the device. The key is that it allows the user to change system files, something that B&N would prefer we didn't do. Several users root their NookColor (NC) and then scratch their heads because they see no obvious change.
(3) Package mods like autonooter only make a few system changes (aside from the several nice system apps they add), in particular, they allow you to sideload apps. Once you do that, you can reorganize the way your NC looks and performs, so that it handles like a vanilla Android device.
(4) Most importantly, ROOTING DOES VIRTUALLY NOTHING TO CHANGE THE B&N INTERFACE. All--I repeat--ALL the things your NC does out of the box, it still does after rooting. Same eReader. Same storefront. Same file browser. Same everything. And I'm all but certain the NC doesn't phone home and complain that it's been rooted. And if it did--since the bootloader isn't locked--I seriously doubt B&N would try to deny you a service. (The more likely scenario
is that an OTA update would try to remove root.)
I can all but guarantee you that you'll be disappointed by the B&N store. I predict it will have very few developers, and very few "good" free apps. A better way of saying it is this: within 1 or 2 weeks of the B&N app store launching, most users will look at the Android Market, and say "Forget it, I want apps from the Market, not B&N."
-Matt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The entire reason I have waited to root at this point is the loss of the 1 hour free reading in store, and the instore promotions. None of these are available after you root.
It also seems as if only a couple of people are actively trying to address this, so I continue to wait to root.
rlkelley said:
The entire reason I have waited to root at this point is the loss of the 1 hour free reading in store, and the instore promotions. None of these are available after you root.
It also seems as if only a couple of people are actively trying to address this, so I continue to wait to root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the pointer. Didn't know that (will revise my post). My wife may kill me.
I read the first 4 pages of the thread (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=860830), then skipped to the last. My naive impression is it affecting about 6 out of 10 owners. There are definitely several who are rooted, and not having a problem. I can totally understand not wanting to take the risk.
-Matt
notinterested said:
I must have missed it but where in that thread is there any mention or confirmation that 1.1 is this month?
I see nothing of the sort.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He tweeted about January as well (@__ted__):
"A serious bug in WiFi, a memory leak in browser, and overall tune-ups. 1.1 is coming up later in Jan! "
It was my understanding that you could not buy from the B&N store via your B&N account post-rooting. I'm not sure if I would be authorized to read the books I've purchased due to DRM on them. I've purchased some expensive reference books and don't want to lose access to them, or access to buy more.
I'm also uncertain these things work post-root:
Sharing, Quotes, etc
Lending books.
I'm may root at some point, very comfortable technically. No fear of rooting, just my preference at this point. If I had a microsd and reader, I'd probably done it by now just to experiment.
From reading through the threads, in regards to loading all the "extra stuff" it seems like a lot of... this works, but you need to go an change this or that, change the pixel density to display properly, youtube working, not working, gmail contacts syncing not syncing, this works, but.... you need to use this and then edit this, etc... maybe not everyone's user experience, but defintely some.
So to me, the device is working fine and not having to fiddle with anything to get it working properly. I know myself and if I root, I'll be loading launchers, applications, troubleshooting why this or that doesn't work properly and sounds a bit time consuming and hacking around a bit. I'm not looking for a new "hobby" of figuring out how to get things to run properly and smoothly as I expect from a finished product. I'm using a e-reader and would like some extra social, productivity, and games to pass the time.
Rooting, not rooting... not wrong, just different.
Has anyone been able to run the Nook Android Application on a rooted Nook Color?
When I try to run it, it just exists immediately.
Why would you want to run the android app, when you already have the nook.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Nookie Froyo can and from what I've been told works fine, therefore the app works on the screen and such, but for some reason no it doesn't work properly in the B&N ROM.
I have the same experience, that is, immediate exit.
Why run it on the NookColor??
Because the Market app is just better.
Page turning is more like a page turn, the interface is better......
Tried killing native processes and it still won’t work..
No, ideas. I guess I’ll wait for Froyo.
moemoney12 said:
Why would you want to run the android app, when you already have the nook.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I knew someone was going to ask that.
Easy - once you add about 2700 books, the library app on the nookColor shows 0 books. You can still search, but you can no longer browse. (That's using up 2.5GB of space - so just about half).
I have 0 faith that B&N will fix this, so I was thinking perhaps that the android app would not have this limitation.
Whoa....have you reported this bug?
If that's the case i have no doubt it WILL be fixed. Has anyone duplicated this issue with that many books?
cabbieBot said:
Whoa....have you reported this bug?
If that's the case i have no doubt it WILL be fixed. Has anyone duplicated this issue with that many books?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really hope you are right, but I wonder where you get your optimism.
E-mail technical support @ Barnes and Noble is non-existent. So far, the suggestions have ranged form hard resetting the device, to telling me how I can unarchive my books. So I gave up on that.
I called in a few times, and managed to get to the next level up of support, but can't seem to get them to file a bug report in their system. Previous companies I worked for, we would gladly file a bug report and give the customer the #. Not here.
As you can imagine, 2700 books might be considered an edge case - but not for long - especially given that the Nook reads PDFs, etc. 2700 is not all that much.
There's a post here: http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com...ks-in-Library/m-p/770718/highlight/true#M3277 which shows another user concurring. I have seen others with the same issue as well...
Two things.
First, another valid reason to utilize the android app is the ability to use multiple accounts. I personally use three accounts on B&N, and it is super annoying that I have to wipe my account just to read my other books.
Second, if this is a real bug present in the stock Barnes and Noble library, they will fix it. The original NOOK has had five updates to fix bugs and add features, and Barnes and Noble will continue this with the NOOKcolor. The main reason they chose the android OS as opposed to creating their own ( a la kindle or sony) was the easiness of OTA updates.
Two things.
First, another valid reason to utilize the android app is the ability to use multiple accounts. I personally use three accounts on B&N, and it is super annoying that I have to wipe my account just to read my other books.
Second, if this is a real bug present in the stock Barnes and Noble library, they will fix it. The original NOOK has had five updates to fix bugs and add features, and Barnes and Noble will continue this with the NOOKcolor. The main reason they chose the android OS as opposed to creating their own ( a la kindle or sony) was the easiness of OTA updates.
Also, the reason I am looking for it, is the ability to read holding the nook landscape, it is more confortable to me that way.
I prefer the Phone version of the UI in the Nook App and would like my CM7 NC to look the same as some of the button in the tablet version are hard to hit for some reason (especially 'go to shop', 'settings', etc).
I installed the APK that my phone downloaded but the app knows it's a tablet and converts to that. Anyone know how to make it look more like the phone version?
Greetings,
This is my first post here, so forgive me for posting in the general forum and not in the dev forums (I have to accumulate 10 posts to use the dev forums). I have a very important and worthwhile project that I'm hoping will interest a few devs here.
I am attempting to build a proof-of-concept for a very large educational institution that is considering implementation of ebook readers. Obviously, stock ebook readers are not up to what we need, and more robust tablets like the Galaxy Tab are cost prohibitive given the goal of distribution of these devices to tens of thousands of K-12 students. I don't want to be stuck with a single book distribution method, so I am looking for some standard Android flavor rather than a Nook-like interface.
So, here's my challenge to you. I would like to use the Nook Color (the $250 price point is perfect) to build a proof-of-concept low-end, semi-restricted Android tablet. I am looking for:
- Android 2.2
- Flash Support
- Ability to run:
- Dolphin Browser
- Regular Nook Android App
- Kindle App
- Google Book Reader App
- Adobe Reader App
- Some (undefined) Calculator App
- Stock Android Calendar App
- Stock Android Mail App
- Google Maps App
- Google Earth App
- Stock Android Gallery App or Equivalent
- Some (undefined) File Manager App
- Some (undefined) Note Taking App
I would also like the ability to load APK files (that we write) without the use of the Android Market. And . . . I need the final installation to *NOT* have root capability.
Anyone have a ROM to start this?
Also, while I'm somewhat familiar with rooting other Android devices, I'm not a developer and not a linux expert. I employ developers that have written a few Android apps, so they can handle the installation if necessary.
Any takers?
You can contact me off-list if you like at Dwayne at leeschools.net.
Thanks,
Dwayne
Wouldn't a $200 netbook be a far more usable tool to a student?
good thing you didn't post this in development.
once nook is updated to 2.2 this will basically all be possible with just root.
supposed to be released soon....
if you want a custom rom those will be around soon as well.
--edit--
i see you want this all without root. i don't believe that is possible. good luck though
There are specific reasons we are not considering netbooks for this project, beyond the scope of this discussion. For the purpose of this POC, we are only looking at touch-based slates.
I can't think of a way to fully disable root without someone being able to add it back. With that said would you be able to just delete the marketplace to make it "locked down" after installing everything? Possible disable super-level access as well?
I've not seen any confirmation that they are going to update to 2.2. I've only seen rumors to that effect. Do you have evidence to the contrary, because that would be great.
Additionally, the reason I'd like to involve the devs is because it is highly unlikely that B&N will release it with anything close to a stock 2.2 install. It will likely still require quite a bit of work to function normally. Hopefully I'm wrong on that account, but based on B&N's business model, I anticipate that they will do their best to prevent it from being used as a full tablet. They want to sell books. I don't think they want to sell devices without books. Not enough margin in the devices.
Perhaps I'm wrong related to their business model. I have approached B&N and requested an NDA to work with the Nook product team to see if they are interested in working together with us on a customized version. My feeling is that if they make very little on the device (with the goal of making the majority of their profit from content), they'll decline this offer.
MattJ951 said:
I can't think of a way to fully disable root without someone being able to add it back. With that said would you be able to just delete the marketplace to make it "locked down" after installing everything? Possible disable super-level access as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We could remove super user, but I'd also like to prevent users from killing services. I anticipate that we'll need some additional security apps that need to run full-time. One of our big challenges is that, by law, whenever we provide an Internet-capable device for students to take home, we are required to filter Internet. That's a huge task. On a PC, we an lock it down and force traffic through our filters from outside. From an Android device, we don't know how to handle that yet. We have a few approaches. I'm in discussion with M86 regarding an Android equivalent to their mobile client.
But . . . we have a lot more experience locking down a Windows or Mac PC than a phone OS. Most phone OSes are built from the perspective of a consumer, where the user is free to add/remove apps. We need a way to deal with that. Haven't gotten that far yet. The first order of business was to see if we can build our base functionality in a $250 device.
DwayneA said:
I've not seen any confirmation that they are going to update to 2.2. I've only seen rumors to that effect. Do you have evidence to the contrary, because that would be great.
Additionally, the reason I'd like to involve the devs is because it is highly unlikely that B&N will release it with anything close to a stock 2.2 install. It will likely still require quite a bit of work to function normally. Hopefully I'm wrong on that account, but based on B&N's business model, I anticipate that they will do their best to prevent it from being used as a full tablet. They want to sell books. I don't think they want to sell devices without books. Not enough margin in the devices.
Perhaps I'm wrong related to their business model. I have approached B&N and requested an NDA to work with the Nook product team to see if they are interested in working together with us on a customized version. My feeling is that if they make very little on the device (with the goal of making the majority of their profit from content), they'll decline this offer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, all of those hings are capable. Have you done any reading in this forum. Just get a nookie froyo 2.2 card set one up the way you want. uninstall super user and market. make lotsa copies of card and stick it in nook. If you really want you can also trash the firmware on the internal memory so it will not even book the stock nook firmware.
enjoy!
Consideration should be taken that rooting technically voids the manufacturer's warranty. Other than that, using the NookColor as a tablet is still a gamble in terms of getting a rock-solid and reliable device. Supporting the devices may be problematic.
Fortunately, the devs here are doing great work and I fully expect (hope) that it will be a rock-solid reliable device very soon.
You will probably also want to avoid booting from the microsd because they are easy to remove.
Filtering could be done with a VPN.
to avoid removal of micro sd, just put a little sugra on the break where the nook opens for the micro sd, sort of lieka warrenty sticker
If you need help. Let me know.
The Nook Color already has a Froyo image that can be installed. DSP currently doesn't work. That is responsible for video decoding not only for local files, but for Flash video as well.
Other than that, Flash will still run, but not on all occasions, and the rest of your requirements have already been accomplished (ie. apks can be installed and already exist on the Market or from the Internet).
You can install the Froyo image (it consists of a boot image and a system image) to your Nook easily, and afterward install all of the "G" apps with a quick copying of a folder.
Check here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=864
- Do a little reading
- Possibly try installing Froyo on your memory card first.
- PM me if you need any guidance. I'm feeling pretty PRO at this after using adb all weekend to work with my Nook.
FYI: You can completely hose your internal installation and still be good (As long as you don't actually corrupt your memory physically). The Nook can always be booted off of a microSD card and restored to a fresh installation.
Edit: I just read some of your other posts. Just a thought: You could uninstall or disable the browser by default, thus not having to worry about Internet filtering. Later, users could still install apks from the sdcard (All that you have to do is tick a box in "Settings"). You can also do all of this without touching the stock rom. Of course you'd want to disable that from booting ever, so... after you were booted into your microSD card OS you could use adb to delete the content of the mmcblk0p1 (boot) partition. But I think that still might go against BN's warranty rules.
I understand the reasoning of wanting to lock it back down but if your students are capable of finding XDA (I'd imagine 1 or 2 of them is, at least) then that person would probably root the systems for anyone who was so inclined. I mean, B&N wasn't able to stop it, it's not likely that you would (without some sort of remote supervision app that could monitor and detect rooting).
gallahad2000 said:
I understand the reasoning of wanting to lock it back down but if your students are capable of finding XDA (I'd imagine 1 or 2 of them is, at least) then that person would probably root the systems for anyone who was so inclined. I mean, B&N wasn't able to stop it, it's not likely that you would (without some sort of remote supervision app that could monitor and detect rooting).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that was going to be my 2cts. A student would just have to pop in an sd card. And it would be a little unfair not giving student that right? And even then, they could always push something over via adb.
Have you looked at other options like the Archos line of Android tablets?
Otherwise, the SD Card install of Froyo works well - just superglue the opening
Why would any school district buy tablets with no warranty? Doesn't seem that feasible to me.
blackderbyhat said:
Why would any school district buy tablets with no warranty? Doesn't seem that feasible to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He's only looking for a proof of concept right now, and is trying to work with Barnes and Noble directly.
I forsee many broken nooks in our future.
When the HD comes out, could somebody rip the Amazon Instant Video app apk and post it on xda?
The reason: Old app only works on Gingerbread. The new one should work on ICS and JB because the new Kindle Fire's OS is based on ICS.
Was just about to post a thread over here, we has one going on the old KF forums. ES File Explorer is on the Amazon market and should be able to read the /system/app directory without root. Really hoping this apk works on other ICS/JB devices.
An update bin file was posted and I grabbed the apk file from that. So far no luck, it FCs on my Touchpad with CM9. I tried installing as a regular app making sure Voodoo had me unrooted. I also tried as a system apk and rebooted, still FCs. It refuses to install on GB so I imagine its using API Level 15.
Hopefully it just needs another apk installed, Ill play around with it and see if I can get it working.
EDIT: I installed aLogcat to see if I could narrow down what is causing the FC. Its looking for the class "amazon.unifiedsettings.UnifiedSettingsHelper" which doesn't exist. Later in the log the FC is caused by a fatal exception with the class "amazon/unifiedsettings/UnidifedSettingsHelper" not being found. Is this a lib file or a system apk it wants?
EDIT2: I gave up on it for now. I tried some lib files, tried installing as many apks as I could (didn't try replacing system apks). It still FCs with the same error log and I can't find any files that reference unified settings. I also downloaded the Kindle Fire 2 update file (the updated original fire) and its using the same APK. LCD Density for the HD is 240 and 160 for the regular Fire 2. I use 160 on my Touchpad so that shouldn't be the issue.
How does one get apks out of Amazon's .bins?
com.amazon.dcp.apk
MyAccount-unsigned.apk
AccountAndSyncSettings.apk
These are the three extra apks (in addition to video apk itself) I needed to get it running on my Nook Tablet back in the day. I noticed back then that it seemed to work a little different for everyone. Some folks didn't need any of those while others of us experienced all manner of crashing without some of them. Sadly, one also forced my NT to appear as a KF in the Amazon app store, which made some of my purchased apps incompatible. Caveat emptor.
Would love to see those posted though if someone gets around to it. Would also love to see Amazon get their rear in gear and release a prime streaming app for android that didn't require all the fuss.
The bin files open for me in WinRAR, I think they are just zip files. AccountAndSyncSettings.apk is gone from the new Kindle Fires, the other two files are still there. I remember using those 3 files before allowed you to add an Amazon account and then open the app and you would already be logged in. With the new 2 files, it FCs in settings when I try to add an Amazon account. I didn't try using the old GB apks, it may be worth a try as they allowed an Amazon account to be added even on ICS.
I'll upload them, there is only 2 now, because you may have a different outcome than me on a different device.
No luck on a simple side load to an Acer A700 or an Acer A100 both stock and unrooted running ICS. I am reluctant to try the other apk's because I also had my a100 appear as a kindle fire and had to restore it to get use of my apps that were not kindle compatible.
I was messing around on my Touchpad with CWM so I always have the option to restore a nandroid if I were to screw something up. But I played around with it a lot this morning and didn't do any damage, everything was FCing.
No luck on Nexus 7. Tried after installing all three apk.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
I too am looking to stream amazon on my cm9_tp but did not see anyone mention the fact it works perfectly on WebOs.
rfauconn said:
I too am looking to stream amazon on my cm9_tp but did not see anyone mention the fact it works perfectly on WebOs.
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I will work through a flash capable browser with a desktop user agent in Android as well, but its not optimized very well for mobile devices. The app is much nicer when it works. At this point we may be better off trying to get the GB version working in ICS since it will at least open and let you browse.
In addition to a better UI in the app, I've also experienced intermittent, albeit minor, audio sync issues with mobile flash that I never had in the app. I hate that.
can someone with a kindle fire hd open up the app and then post the log? Wouldn't we be able to see where the unifiedsettingshelper file was with the log of it opening successfully?
Any update on this?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
We need a Fire HD user or somebody with more knowledge of how things work to figure out where we can get "amazon.unifiedsettings.UnifiedSettingsHelper" from. This is the missing service it crashes on. I can't find any lib files or apks from the ROM that fix this issue. Also even if we get past this crash error another one may appear. At this point I'm thinking we may be better off trying to get the old GB app working since it seems to have fewer issues. It allows you to open and browse to videos on ICS, also allows you to add your Amazon account to the device, but crashes when you go to play a video. Its having a database issue according to the crash log posted over in the GB thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31633773&postcount=193
spunker88 said:
We need a Fire HD user or somebody with more knowledge of how things work to figure out where we can get "amazon.unifiedsettings.UnifiedSettingsHelper" from. This is the missing service it crashes on. I can't find any lib files or apks from the ROM that fix this issue. Also even if we get past this crash error another one may appear. At this point I'm thinking we may be better off trying to get the old GB app working since it seems to have fewer issues. It allows you to open and browse to videos on ICS, also allows you to add your Amazon account to the device, but crashes when you go to play a video. Its having a database issue according to the crash log posted over in the GB thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31633773&postcount=193
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could amazon.unifiedsettings.UnifiedSettingsHelper be part of one of the odex files in system/app ?
It will be fantastic once this can be resolved. I hate that they are allowing this on iOS but not on other android devices.
Yes, it is absurd that iPad has access and general android devices are SOL. We purchased our content...and can't watch it reliably (app access). I would encourage everyone to let amazon know this is unacceptable - and I'm hopeful the good people here find a fix for us in the mean time.
Gonzorito said:
Yes, it is absurd that iPad has access and general android devices are SOL. We purchased our content...and can't watch it reliably (app access). I would encourage everyone to let amazon know this is unacceptable - and I'm hopeful the good people here find a fix for us in the mean time.
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I tried giving Amazon some feedback on supporting other Android devices - they didn't seem to care much. I guess they want to sell more Fires, but if they're selling them at a loss wouldn't they make more profit by supporting their app on other devices?
Our how about, I purchased my kindle to read, purchased a tablet before the fire was a gleam in their eye.
I purchase video content and have limited access to it, so i won't purchase future content with amazon as a result.
No I won't buy a fire and I am encouraged to buy my future content through Google play on top of that!
Loss, loss, and more loss for Amazon. Doesn't make sense.
Sorry for side tracking the thread, I will end the QQ
Gonzorito said:
I would encourage everyone to let amazon know this is unacceptable - and I'm hopeful the good people here find a fix for us in the mean time.
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Yup. Of course they aren't going to listen to any one complaint, but Amazon is a pretty responsive company on the whole. Squeak enough and they'll grease the wheels. There's no indication they want to make this fire-only, given how many other devices its on, it's just a question of priority. You can bet the apple people whined more than the android people, so if you want them to get it in gear get on their contact page and make the request. I've done it repeatedly, but we need more people to get noticed.