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So when I got my phone 2 days ago the verizon guy INSISTED on downloading and installing backup assistant when I specifically tried to cancel it because I don't need it (your data backs up to google, but he says "well now you will be double backed up" I don't need a double backup!). To avoid an argument i just figured whatever I'll just delete it when I get home, well low and behold you can't uninstall this app now that its installed!
So is there any way to delete this app without rooting the phone? I don't want to root it, it runs fine for my needs as is, and I have other rooted android devices (tablets) for when I want to play and experiment. Any ideas?
Rogue Leader said:
So when I got my phone 2 days ago the verizon guy INSISTED on downloading and installing backup assistant when I specifically tried to cancel it because I don't need it (your data backs up to google, but he says "well now you will be double backed up" I don't need a double backup!). To avoid an argument i just figured whatever I'll just delete it when I get home, well low and behold you can't uninstall this app now that its installed!
So is there any way to delete this app without rooting the phone? I don't want to root it, it runs fine for my needs as is, and I have other rooted android devices (tablets) for when I want to play and experiment. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Umm, every Xplay device at my store has BackUp Assistance already on it including mine. Didn't download it. Pretty much every Android device on VZW (except Devour, Droid 1 and Eris) all had this preinstalled and to get rid of it you need a root.
Also, I realize that he might have insisted in turning on the backup assistance feature on your phone but please understand, we get rated by VZW on how many smartphones we sell and our stores get rated on how many phones we turn Backup Assistance on. It is one of our requirements to do for every phone activation since they made it a free service. Verizon got tired of everyone complaining that there was no easy free way to back up your contacts in case the phones were damaged so it is a program that they have as bloatware on every device and if we dont put it on e100% of devices we get questioned if we forgot or the customer said they didn't want it or a plethora of things. The Backup Assistance does not really hurt anything except use up like 5.8mb of memory and check your contacts nightly for a backup. I mean yes you have an Adnroid device, it back's up to google. What would happen if the next time you got a phone you chose you dont like Android anymore? That BlackBerry looks good, or god forbid the iPhone 6g (lol) This at least gives you a quick contact backup to another device other then android.
Moral of my story is he was doing his job so he can keep his job, don't blame him, blame VZW. ^_^
JasonKnight said:
Umm, every Xplay device at my store has BackUp Assistance already on it including mine. Didn't download it. Pretty much every Android device on VZW (except Devour, Droid 1 and Eris) all had this preinstalled and to get rid of it you need a root.
.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I thought I heard him say that it needed to be downloaded, because when I hit no he went back and did something but I didn't see what.
Moral of my story is he was doing his job so he can keep his job, don't blame him, blame VZW. ^_^
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Click to collapse
I understand that having worked in retail myself before, which is why when he insisted it needed to be installed I just let him do what he had to do figuring I have the ability to change it afterwards anyway.
And yes I blame VZW, but more people for needing their devices to be stupid proof, hence the popularity of the iPhone (wouldn't be caught dead owning one).
Rogue Leader said:
Ok, I thought I heard him say that it needed to be downloaded, because when I hit no he went back and did something but I didn't see what.
I understand that having worked in retail myself before, which is why when he insisted it needed to be installed I just let him do what he had to do figuring I have the ability to change it afterwards anyway.
And yes I blame VZW, but more people for needing their devices to be stupid proof, hence the popularity of the iPhone (wouldn't be caught dead owning one).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't neither lol.
Anyway when ever we first power up a new device after we have it activated in the system we are shown the activation screen on the android devices. In our phones case, the Green Android. After we call in *228 Option 1 and the phone programs itself the very next thing that pops up is Google, then Backup Assistant, then the "Other Account" screen. I mean if you really don't want it running Hard Reset the phone. And start over skipping the activation of backup assistant. I have no idea if this would make it still run in the background or not but it would stop it from uploading and downloading your contact information every day.
JasonKnight said:
I wouldn't neither lol.
Anyway when ever we first power up a new device after we have it activated in the system we are shown the activation screen on the android devices. In our phones case, the Green Android. After we call in *228 Option 1 and the phone programs itself the very next thing that pops up is Google, then Backup Assistant, then the "Other Account" screen. I mean if you really don't want it running Hard Reset the phone. And start over skipping the activation of backup assistant. I have no idea if this would make it still run in the background or not but it would stop it from uploading and downloading your contact information every day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd imagine it will still run in the background and ask me to set it up which would be annoying too. Not worth hard reseting the phone so I'll just live with it unless I decide to root it some day.
JasonKnight said:
I wouldn't neither lol.
Anyway when ever we first power up a new device after we have it activated in the system we are shown the activation screen on the android devices. In our phones case, the Green Android. After we call in *228 Option 1 and the phone programs itself the very next thing that pops up is Google, then Backup Assistant, then the "Other Account" screen. I mean if you really don't want it running Hard Reset the phone. And start over skipping the activation of backup assistant. I have no idea if this would make it still run in the background or not but it would stop it from uploading and downloading your contact information every day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm that even when you do a full hard reset, that it still runs in the background even if you don't want it and even if it is not in the set-up account list. It is set as a system service, and uses about 2.3-6MB of active memory, and around 15MB total memory (I think this includes linked libraries). Also, it is correct in that it can't be removed unless the phone is rooted. Which VZW was kind enough to lock us out of, and make sure that SonyEricsson wouldn't allow us a method to unlock the bootloader (despite SE's general policy).
Oh yes, I completely blame Big Red on this one. They should not have services running in the background that are not absolutely neccessary to the running of the phone. These extraneous services are part of what slow down phones and fill them with junk.
Also, VZW forcing an agreement with GameLoft for them to only allow R800x (the Verizon CDMA version of Xperia Play) to only be obtained directly through the VZWapps store (at an inflated cost, and with zero support) is also directly attributed to Verizon and their heavy handed tactics. Every game in the Play Launcher under "More Games" all link to the VZWapps store and not android market nor the direct creators web store. On top of that, the links are often non-functioning, and the store is often broken or down.
If you can't tell, I'm _VERY_ unhappy with VZW as a company. The local salespeople and techs? I'm happy with them.
ryocoon said:
I can confirm that even when you do a full hard reset, that it still runs in the background even if you don't want it and even if it is not in the set-up account list. It is set as a system service, and uses about 2.3-6MB of active memory, and around 15MB total memory (I think this includes linked libraries). Also, it is correct in that it can't be removed unless the phone is rooted. Which VZW was kind enough to lock us out of, and make sure that SonyEricsson wouldn't allow us a method to unlock the bootloader (despite SE's general policy).
Oh yes, I completely blame Big Red on this one. They should not have services running in the background that are not absolutely neccessary to the running of the phone. These extraneous services are part of what slow down phones and fill them with junk.
Also, VZW forcing an agreement with GameLoft for them to only allow R800x (the Verizon CDMA version of Xperia Play) to only be obtained directly through the VZWapps store (at an inflated cost, and with zero support) is also directly attributed to Verizon and their heavy handed tactics. Every game in the Play Launcher under "More Games" all link to the VZWapps store and not android market nor the direct creators web store. On top of that, the links are often non-functioning, and the store is often broken or down.
If you can't tell, I'm _VERY_ unhappy with VZW as a company. The local salespeople and techs? I'm happy with them.
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Click to collapse
As much as I love the phone Verizon completely ruins the experience that Sony Ericsson tried to have the phone give the consumer. I am ashamed at what they locked us out of and hell I sell their products.
Honestly I am wondering where the hell our PS1 Exclusive titles are that are redone for our phones... One would assume that this could have been plugged into the PS3 and PSN to download the PS1 titles and maybe even then Mini's but that isn't even available for this PlayStation Certified phone.
Part of me regrets the purchase but I still get to play NES, SNES, Atari, Genesis, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, MAME, PS1 (FPse) and alot of other things that are on the market with it, but whats a playstation phone with no PSN and 1 Playstation game... and honestly I hated Crash back when it was new... I wish I could uninstall the POS.
This actually reminds me of a question I had. Should you download these games from the market instead do they
a) still support the control pad
b) still show up in the launcher
And yeah.. where the hell are all the games? Aren't there way more games available in Europe?
PS this by far is not the first time this has happened with them. I bought a Motorola v710 when it came out with VZW and while it advertised all the cool BT things you could do (file transfer, tethering, syncing, etc) verizon locked out everything except support for headsets and speakerphones, to force people to use vcast and other paid for services, but didn't tell anyone. Needless to say after a class action lawsuit that they lost they had to offer to buy back every v710 + accessories etc and give the person a new phone of their choice, or cash, AND let you out of your contract with no penalty. I ended up getting a RAZR which the lovely verizon version omitted the microSD slot.
Rogue Leader said:
This actually reminds me of a question I had. Should you download these games from the market instead do they
a) still support the control pad
b) still show up in the launcher
And yeah.. where the hell are all the games? Aren't there way more games available in Europe?
PS this by far is not the first time this has happened with them. I bought a Motorola v710 when it came out with VZW and while it advertised all the cool BT things you could do (file transfer, tethering, syncing, etc) verizon locked out everything except support for headsets and speakerphones, to force people to use vcast and other paid for services, but didn't tell anyone. Needless to say after a class action lawsuit that they lost they had to offer to buy back every v710 + accessories etc and give the person a new phone of their choice, or cash, AND let you out of your contract with no penalty. I ended up getting a RAZR which the lovely verizon version omitted the microSD slot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The original GSM RAZR's did not have a MicroSD slot in them either.
the V3i RAZR had the MicroSD slot. (the one with the 1.3MP Camera)
Anyway I have quite a few games downloaded from the Android Market.
Lemme make a list...
Illusia - Partial Controller Support
Zenonia 1, 2, & 3 - Partial Controller Support
Baseball Superstars 2010 - Controller Works for me
baseball Superstars 2011 - Controller works for me.
GameDevStory - Nope
Gurk 1 & 2 - Nope
Wordsmith - nope
JasonKnight said:
The original GSM RAZR's did not have a MicroSD slot in them either.
the V3i RAZR had the MicroSD slot. (the one with the 1.3MP Camera)
Anyway I have quite a few games downloaded from the Android Market.
Lemme make a list...
Illusia - Partial Controller Support
Zenonia 1, 2, & 3 - Partial Controller Support
Baseball Superstars 2010 - Controller Works for me
baseball Superstars 2011 - Controller works for me.
GameDevStory - Nope
Gurk 1 & 2 - Nope
Wordsmith - nope
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They don't show up in the game launcher though right?
PS Just realized they have this VZNavigator on here too... Yes because I'm going to pay for nav services when google is on the phone for free.
Rogue Leader said:
They don't show up in the game launcher though right?
PS Just realized they have this VZNavigator on here too... Yes because I'm going to pay for nav services when google is on the phone for free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
only Zenonia 1 and 2 show up in it, the others dont.
JasonKnight said:
only Zenonia 1 and 2 show up in it, the others dont.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool ok.
I tried going to Gameloft's app store website and it seemed to allow me to download a "R800x" version of any game they had. I didn't buy any but it didn't put up any roadblocks. do you know if those games would go into the launcher? Many are not available from the Launcher's list.
Also, why for example does assassins creed show a "subscription" for $2.99 or "first download" for $6.99, whats the subscription?
Either way if I did buy that game id go straight to gameloft as its 2 bucks cheaper there and its buy one get one free this month!
http://www.gameloft.com/android-hd-games/?ms_sid=4&country=223&bogof=true&adid=162175&ms_sid=4
Rogue Leader said:
Cool ok.
I tried going to Gameloft's app store website and it seemed to allow me to download a "R800x" version of any game they had. I didn't buy any but it didn't put up any roadblocks. do you know if those games would go into the launcher? Many are not available from the Launcher's list.
Also, why for example does assassins creed show a "subscription" for $2.99 or "first download" for $6.99, whats the subscription?
Either way if I did buy that game id go straight to gameloft as its 2 bucks cheaper there and its buy one get one free this month!
http://www.gameloft.com/android-hd-games/?ms_sid=4&country=223&bogof=true&adid=162175&ms_sid=4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
subscription gets you the full game but you pay 2.99 a month that you have the subscription, this is best if you wanna try the game out or know you will beat it in a month, but 99 times out of 100 buying it is better.
JasonKnight said:
subscription gets you the full game but you pay 2.99 a month that you have the subscription, this is best if you wanna try the game out or know you will beat it in a month, but 99 times out of 100 buying it is better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree, I mean for $5 through gameloft as opposed to the V-Cast highway robbery store, its a no brainer
i like my play but then again sometimes i dont. it was this or the droid x2. droid x2 looks sooo much better but then again i play alot of games, now the droid bionic is coming and wish i would of waited for that lol that phone looks like a beast
Rogue Leader said:
Yeah I agree, I mean for $5 through gameloft as opposed to the V-Cast highway robbery store, its a no brainer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ohh and I attempted to use Gamelofts store to purchase a game, said my credit card was invalid. umm it isnt, it is what I use for everything. Not to mention their store is a ***** to navigate through. Long story short, cant buy anything on their website for my phone.
JasonKnight said:
Ohh and I attempted to use Gamelofts store to purchase a game, said my credit card was invalid. umm it isnt, it is what I use for everything. Not to mention their store is a ***** to navigate through. Long story short, cant buy anything on their website for my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm... I kinda wanna try it myself just to see.... That would be really crazy if they were able to lock out website purchases.
I love how the games are mysteriously missing from the Android Market....
Gameloft's games are not missing "mysteriously". Gameloft dropped them from the Market.
Logseman said:
Gameloft's games are not missing "mysteriously". Gameloft dropped them from the Market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh I was under the impression that Verizon blocked the apps on the market as I have seen with other apps on other devices in the past, to force you to purchase for $2 more through the Vcast store. Is this just new games or something? I see Apshalt 6, NOVA 2, and Modern Combat 2 in the Market on the web (for the same price Verizon sells at) for example, but Assassins Creed HD is not there.
Good evening All,
So, I recently bought a Nook Simple Touch from a 3rd party retailer so that I could purchase it from Canada. The main selling point for me was that it was rootable.
Well, having used it for a few weeks, I must say, I'm disappointed. It's ridiculous that I can't buy *any* legit books from Barnes and Nobles, *including* free books which are available elsewhere; I understand restrictions on certain items, but Classic, free books, really?
Second, the perks of having a rooted device are limited at the moment. I find the process still somewhat buggy, and many of the Marketplace apps I've downloaded, most notably the Kindle app, either don't work or crash on launch.
Third, if one has problems with the device, the exchange process is significantly more inconvenient than for a US citizen. In my case, I need to go through the 3rd party re-saler and must pay a 20% restocking fee. I'm already having battery issues, and trying to deal with B&N directly has not been pleasant, either--I've called for days now, get told that they're experiencing an unusual number of calls, and instead of being put onto hold, I get hung up on.
For these reasons--that I can't even download legit books, that the rooting process gives me little benefit, and that tech support seems nearly impossible, I recommend against this item. I am going to return it and get either a Kindle or Kobo.
Has anyone else had any experiences with buying an Nook outside of the US? I'd be curious to hear your opinions.
Cheers,
-Feliks
feliksas.laukys said:
[...] ridiculous that I can't buy *any* legit books from Barnes and Nobles, *including* free books which are available elsewhere; I understand restrictions on certain items, but Classic, free books, really?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you feel restricted to B&N to get classics and free books? One of the reasons to root is escape the B&N walled garden. You can freely download content off of other web sites (e.g. Project Gutenberg), either directly to your device, possibly in a 3rd party reader app, or to a computer for sideloading. Fire up Calibre on your desktop and set up subscriptions to push daily news to your NOOK. Buy from (and support) DRM-free publishers that do care about those north of the border. You are FREE, man!
Second, the perks of having a rooted device are limited at the moment. I find the process still somewhat buggy, and many of the Marketplace apps I've downloaded, most notably the Kindle app, either don't work or crash on launch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Kindle app is working well for me. Of course, you have to have reasonable expectations for this device. It is running Android 2.1 Eclair, so a lot of apps simply won't run. Others won't display properly, or are dependent on multitouch. Obviously, it's not a gaming platform, but for text-centric apps, you may be able to find suitable replacements. What specific types of apps are you after?
Third, if one has problems with the device, the exchange process is significantly more inconvenient than for a US citizen. In my case, I need to go through the 3rd party re-saler and must pay a 20% restocking fee.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you knew that going in, right? That's always the risk of doing business like that.
I'm already having battery issues, and trying to deal with B&N directly has not been pleasant, either--I've called for days now, get told that they're experiencing an unusual number of calls, and instead of being put onto hold, I get hung up on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I certainly hope you've asked for help here at XDA. B&N support is notorious for being staffed by poorly trained spider monkeys (no slight to primates intended). Again, you are FREE of B&N.
If you'd care to elaborate, many here might be able to help you pinpoint your battery issues. I've spent a lot of time tuning battery usage and will gladly help if I can. You should expect to see reduced battery life if you use any of the following:
Live wallpapers
Active widgets
Apps that poll in the background
Battery will still be good compared to many devices, but not as good as a stock NST. With a bit of adjustment, I see about 2% drop over a 4-6 hour period when idle with wifi off, 2% per hour when idle with wifi on, and 4-8% when in actively using networked apps.
Reading on the B&N forums, I'm understanding that you can physically buy from Canada, but you must have a credit card with a US address. Of course, having family on either side of the border helps here. We've got family in the TO area. I believe getting someone to buy you a gift card will work as well.
That said, if you just want a reader and another device supports you better in your locale, by all means, go for it!
Why do you feel restricted to B&N to get classics and free books? One of the reasons to root is escape the B&N walled garden. You can freely download content off of other web sites (e.g. Project Gutenberg), either directly to your device, possibly in a 3rd party reader app, or to a computer for sideloading. Fire up Calibre on your desktop and set up subscriptions to push daily news to your NOOK. Buy from (and support) DRM-free publishers that do care about those north of the border. You are FREE, man!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't argue with that--I love Calibre. However, being away from my computer in an airport, I was willing to buy, and could not--and while Kindle would load, I could not buy, from B&N, I obviously could not buy, and the browser along with Opera would either crash or not load at all. In those cases, I would like the ability to buy, or buy/download from somewhere else. I don't want to be with my laptop all the time.
The Kindle app is working well for me. Of course, you have to have reasonable expectations for this device. It is running Android 2.1 Eclair, so a lot of apps simply won't run. Others won't display properly, or are dependent on multitouch. Obviously, it's not a gaming platform, but for text-centric apps, you may be able to find suitable replacements. What specific types of apps are you after?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just reformatted and re-rooted--have to wait for Marketplace to start working and I'll try again. I hope it does work, that would make me think twice about returning.
Well, you knew that going in, right? That's always the risk of doing business like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't argue with this one ;p
I certainly hope you've asked for help here at XDA. B&N support is notorious for being staffed by poorly trained spider monkeys (no slight to primates intended). Again, you are FREE of B&N.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just recently posted about my issue - the battery works well, as far as I can tell, but the battery status does not refresh. Unfortunately, I rooted before I backed up. Having realized this, I reset using the script found here (bypassing the 8 reboots), and then did a wipe and de-authorize, and then created "as vanilla as I can get" backup. However, while I remember that the battery status worked fine when I first got the device, I'm uncertain if it was screwed up right after rooting, or if I did something later on to make it so. All I know now is that, despite restoring, wiping, and restoring from image, my battery status remains incorrect.
Any suggestions?
Cheers!
-Feliks
Ooh, didn't realize you were the "battery gauge" guy. Are you sure they didn't ship you a refurb, or was it just a "rebuying" service? I'll have to start smuggling NOOKs up next time I drive to TO.
Some of the 3rd part reader apps will allow you to directly download free epubs from within the app. I believe Aldiko will. Sorry, but I don't have any handy to check for sure.
Or you could just go overboard like I did and load an SD card up with 500+ odd titles to browse through.
feliksas.laukys said:
Can't argue with that--I love Calibre. However, being away from my computer in an airport, I was willing to buy, and could not--and while Kindle would load, I could not buy, from B&N, I obviously could not buy, and the browser along with Opera would either crash or not load at all. In those cases, I would like the ability to buy, or buy/download from somewhere else. I don't want to be with my laptop all the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's two versions of Opera. There's Opera Mobile, which is the better of the two, but doesn't work for everyone. Then there's Opera Mini, which has the web pages compressed by Opera's servers, which makes it slow, but it will probably work of Mobile doesn't. If you're using Mini but it doesn't work, try Mobile. I don't know why, but the Nook seems to play favorites.
feliksas.laukys said:
So, I recently bought a Nook Simple Touch from a 3rd party retailer so that I could purchase it from Canada. The main selling point for me was that it was rootable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what did it for me as well. I actually bought mine instore in the US, but I brought it home to Canada to use.
Well, having used it for a few weeks, I must say, I'm disappointed. It's ridiculous that I can't buy *any* legit books from Barnes and Nobles, *including* free books which are available elsewhere; I understand restrictions on certain items, but Classic, free books, really?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems like you need to manage your expectations. Did you do any research on here or other sites about the capabilities of the NST outside of the US? I knew going in that buying books on the device would be difficult, so I planned ahead and made sure I had other options (Calibre, as others have mentioned). B&N doesn't do business in my country, and I have to live with their decision, as stupid as they are for making it and leaving our funny-looking money on the table.
Second, the perks of having a rooted device are limited at the moment. I find the process still somewhat buggy, and many of the Marketplace apps I've downloaded, most notably the Kindle app, either don't work or crash on launch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, with the managing of expectations. It's an e-reader, not a tablet. It has significant hardware differences from either a phone or a tablet, and those differences will affect what apps will run and how useful they will be. It also does not have all the software components that Android apps expect, which also affects how apps will run. Having said all of this, there's still a ton of useful, working apps for NST. My intent, when I purchased the NST, was to have an e-reader with an E-ink screen, that could also check email. As it is, NST fulfills that requirement perfectly, beyond my wildest dreams. In addition to that functionality, I discovered several other things it's good at (the best dang SSH client I ever used, a better SimpleNote client than the original, a surprisingly good InstaPaper client, etc.). For me, the perks of rooting have been absolutely massive.
Third, if one has problems with the device, the exchange process is significantly more inconvenient than for a US citizen. In my case, I need to go through the 3rd party re-saler and must pay a 20% restocking fee. I'm already having battery issues, and trying to deal with B&N directly has not been pleasant, either--I've called for days now, get told that they're experiencing an unusual number of calls, and instead of being put onto hold, I get hung up on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This part confuses me. B&N have explicitly chosen not to do business here. What makes you think they would make an exception just for you? Your expectations seem very high.
For these reasons--that I can't even download legit books, that the rooting process gives me little benefit, and that tech support seems nearly impossible, I recommend against this item. I am going to return it and get either a Kindle or Kobo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These devices will likely be a better fit for you...they don't have apps at all, so all of them won't work, rather than just some, and you'll likely have an easier time getting service (although, being unable to root them, you'll likely not have any battery troubles, since battery drain increase after rooting NST is a well known concern).
Not to put too fine a point on it, but it seems that more pre-purchase research and planning (you didn't have time to put a few books on your Nook before you left for the airport?) and some more reasonable expectations would serve you better in the future.
Googie2149 said:
There's two versions of Opera. There's Opera Mobile, which is the better of the two, but doesn't work for everyone. Then there's Opera Mini, which has the web pages compressed by Opera's servers, which makes it slow, but it will probably work of Mobile doesn't. If you're using Mini but it doesn't work, try Mobile. I don't know why, but the Nook seems to play favorites.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This also seems to have something to do with whatever was installed upon root. From what I have read on the forums, some rooting methods install Opera Mobile upon root so the user does not have to go install it manually. It then fails to work.
Tired_ said:
[...] as stupid as they are for making it and leaving our funny-looking money on the table.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh wait, that's MONEY?
Now all the drink machine vendors are hoping people will use Canadian quarters, what with the exchange rate.
When did they start adding ferrous material to your coins? I was surprised when some newer coins jumped up at my magnet.
[...] My intent, when I purchased the NST, was to have an e-reader with an E-ink screen, that could also check email. As it is, NST fulfills that requirement perfectly, beyond my wildest dreams.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm after a mail client that can deal with MS Exchange. MailDroid is working pretty well, but I'm curious what else works well.
[...] you'll likely not have any battery troubles, since battery drain increase after rooting NST is a well known concern).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm being careful with loading up software that drains battery, and I'm quite pleased with battery life on mine, even after rooting. With wifi off, I lose 2% every 4-6 hours on standby. With wifi on, it's 2% per hour. With wifi on and in use, 4-6% per hour.
I never expected to meet B&N's "2 months" hype target. At this rate, 2-4 weeks between charges is more likely, though it seems to be getting better the more I use it. I'm actually very pleased with my rooted NST's battery life, though I can't really say whether I'm seeing "good" or "bad" life. It certainly out-lasts every gizmo I've owned before now!
bobstro said:
I never expected to meet B&N's "2 months" hype target.!
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If you look closely, you'll notice an asterisk stating that you'll only reach that if you read for 30 minute a day, and my guess is that you also would have to turn it off between readings. xD
Cheers for the quick reply! As long as my battery gets sorted out, I'll keep it!
-F...
Just got off the phone with B&N--exchange or any sort of replacement is impossible in Canada. Anything goes wrong, have to go to the states to get it fixed. Too much of a liability for me--I'll take not being able to buy any legitimate books etc, but to not be able to get *any* service? No way.
Thanks for all the help, All,
-F...
Ohh! The Saga continues!
The only supplier in Canada for the Nook will replace it for me, no trouble, no problems. I can happily continue rooting after all, and he'll take care of any warranty and repairs!
Ok, next project then: mods, admins -- can we start a documentation project, get a proper guide up here? I'd be happy to contribute.
Cheers,
-F
feliksas.laukys said:
[...] The only supplier in Canada for the Nook will replace it for me, no trouble, no problems. I can happily continue rooting after all, and he'll take care of any warranty and repairs!
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Ah, good news. Who's the supplier?
This guy:
http://www.shopereaders.com/
I happened to be in Vancouver for a wedding a few weeks ago when I found out about him. Went to his house, picked up a Nook. Super friendly and helpful, and again, as far as I know, only guy in Canada selling the Nook.
-F...
Don`t understand what are most of the complains about. It is officially stated by Barnes&Noble that that the device is supported only in the US.
Have bought my Nook with my credit card, also have no problems with buying nook-books from BN. And I`m from Ukraine which is much closer to "third world" then Canada or elsewhere.
Dagon.Alex said:
[...] Have bought my Nook with my credit card, also have no problems with buying nook-books from BN.
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Is that a US credit card?
Visa Classic issued in Ukraine. Have it connected to PayPal account, maybe this is the reason.
feliksas.laukys said:
Good evening All,
Has anyone else had any experiences with buying an Nook outside of the US? I'd be curious to hear your opinions.
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I have been able to order both free and pay titles from the B&N store for my Nook Simple Touch by registering my Canadian-issued Mastercard. You just need to set the billing address to a valid US address. Their systems don't seem to check the actual billing address on file with the CC company. Or if they do, they just don't care ;-)
feliksas.laukys said:
Good evening All,
So, I recently bought a Nook Simple Touch from a 3rd party retailer so that I could purchase it from Canada. The main selling point for me was that it was rootable.
Well, having used it for a few weeks, I must say, I'm disappointed. It's ridiculous that I can't buy *any* legit books from Barnes and Nobles, *including* free books which are available elsewhere; I understand restrictions on certain items, but Classic, free books, really?
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Not true. The ONLY thing you can't do from canada is buy the nst from the b&n website. You can download all free content without any credit card, and you can buy priced books, even with a canadian card with a canadian billing address.
Second, the perks of having a rooted device are limited at the moment. I find the process still somewhat buggy, and many of the Marketplace apps I've downloaded, most notably the Kindle app, either don't work or crash on launch.
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Expecting applications demanding a COLOR LCD to work 100% on an eink device is inappropriate.
Third, if one has problems with the device, the exchange process is significantly more inconvenient than for a US citizen. In my case, I need to go through the 3rd party re-saler and must pay a 20% restocking fee. I'm already having battery issues, and trying to deal with B&N directly has not been pleasant, either--I've called for days now, get told that they're experiencing an unusual number of calls, and instead of being put onto hold, I get hung up on.
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You bought it under the table and expect normal warranty process? Further, your "battery issue" is due to root. You have processes running in the background preventing it from sleeping, and draining your battery. Go into market and set it to NEVER NOTIFY YOU OF UPDATES. That will take care of MOST of it.
For these reasons--that I can't even download legit books, that the rooting process gives me little benefit, and that tech support seems nearly impossible, I recommend against this item. I am going to return it and get either a Kindle or Kobo.
Has anyone else had any experiences with buying an Nook outside of the US? I'd be curious to hear your opinions.
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As a Canadian with a NST, 4 actually, I can't agree with ANYthing you've stated. You are 100% incorrect on all accounts.
dhkr234 said:
Not true. The ONLY thing you can't do from canada is buy the nst from the b&n website. You can download all free content without any credit card, and you can buy priced books, even with a canadian card with a canadian billing address.
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You need a card punched into the Nook to 'purchase' free books from B&N.
In this video, I go over the camera, video playback, audio books, and a few other fun items.
Before you ask....
Yes, I loaded apk files on here that you would not normally be able to get from Amazon's Appstore. Most worked with no problems.
Nice review... the best that I have seen so far (inc the Verge etc)
Hey just wanted to say thanks for the review. I was on the fence about this and you sold me with the side loading ability. I loved the original Fire, and was looking forward to this. But after reading a few posts about it being locked, and now knowing if it will be rooted I was no longer sure about it. So side loading makes a huge difference.
Gam3r 4 Life said:
Hey just wanted to say thanks for the review. I was on the fence about this and you sold me with the side loading ability. I loved the original Fire, and was looking forward to this. But after reading a few posts about it being locked, and now knowing if it will be rooted I was no longer sure about it. So side loading makes a huge difference. Have you tried side loading the Play Store APK?[/QUOTE
The Play Store requires files to be manually placed into the /system/app folder and the permissions to be changed. That requires root. All of the other apps were either grabbed from my Nexus 7, or found elsewhere. I downloaded ES File Explorer from the Amazon Appstore, and used it to install the apks.
No PAID apps were harmed in the making of this video.
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reverendkjr said:
Gam3r 4 Life said:
Hey just wanted to say thanks for the review. I was on the fence about this and you sold me with the side loading ability. I loved the original Fire, and was looking forward to this. But after reading a few posts about it being locked, and now knowing if it will be rooted I was no longer sure about it. So side loading makes a huge difference. Have you tried side loading the Play Store APK?[/QUOTE
The Play Store requires files to be manually placed into the /system/app folder and the permissions to be changed. That requires root. All of the other apps were either grabbed from my Nexus 7, or found elsewhere. I downloaded ES File Explorer from the Amazon Appstore, and used it to install the apks.
No PAID apps were harmed in the making of this video.
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Ok, thanks for the reply. Im still sold. Ill most likely be picking one up at Best Buy today. Thanks again.
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Can you side load a paid app you got from the play store and still pass the licence check?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Thanks for the great review !
The two apps I'm most interested in getting to work on a Kindle Fire HD are Google Maps and Google Now. I know there's no gps but I assume there is some kind of wifi based location ability ? Or just tell Google Maps where I am.
I figure maps shouldn't be too hard, what do you think ? I guess Google Now might require rooting though, is that the case ?
The device itself is pretty sick. But it's still stuck in Amazon's crappy software. It's like putting rims and ground effects on a Pinto; either way, it's still a Pinto.
Thanks for the review - I would like to see how the ComiXology app works but the fact that sideloading works takes a great load off my mind.
I'm definitely going to save up for the 8.9".
semifast said:
Thanks for the great review !
The two apps I'm most interested in getting to work on a Kindle Fire HD are Google Maps and Google Now. I know there's no gps but I assume there is some kind of wifi based location ability ? Or just tell Google Maps where I am.
I figure maps shouldn't be too hard, what do you think ? I guess Google Now might require rooting though, is that the case ?
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None of the Google Apps are going to work until we get root.
Be patient.
Can you tell me if Apex works if you just install the apk?
How did you get the camera launcher? Thanks
Gam3r 4 Life said:
How did you get the camera launcher? Thanks
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I obtained a camera app from the Play Store on another device, then I took the apk and installed it on my KFHD.
So Ive been looking around I dont see any FAQs in terms of Amazon fire TV add-ons. I seen some videos online where people were using Kodi, what exactly is that? Plus XBMC and they were viewing movies that were ?free? to watch and Tv shows as well? How are they doing that? Plus I seen an Amazon Fire TV on ebay for 225$ that offered free movies, shows etc. Thats over $100 retail price for something Im sure they just downloaded into the Fire TVs... Just looking to get some knowledge on these, thats all.
thanks.
mroneeyedboh said:
So Ive been looking around I dont see any FAQs in terms of Amazon fire TV add-ons. I seen some videos online where people were using Kodi, what exactly is that? Plus XBMC and they were viewing movies that were ?free? to watch and Tv shows as well? How are they doing that? Plus I seen an Amazon Fire TV on ebay for 225$ that offered free movies, shows etc. Thats over $100 retail price for something Im sure they just downloaded into the Fire TVs... Just looking to get some knowledge on these, thats all.
thanks.
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Try using search as there have been a few threads that will answer your question. Not FAQs, but there are posts.
Yes, you can use xbmc & addons to watch free tv & movies. As for the person selling the AFTV for $225, probably not a bad deal as soon you won't find any rootable AFTV's unless someone figures out how to root the current versions. You can still find the older versions of AFTV (and by versions, i mean firmware versions) around for $100 or less.
Thanks. Can you tell me what the firmware is?
mroneeyedboh said:
Thanks. Can you tell me what the firmware is?
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No, because you are senior member here, and to me that means you actually can look the info up yourself. I don't mind helping people out, but you I think are just being lazy.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2793823 6th item will tell you how to install from other sources. Doesn't matter which firemware you have, if you have the one that lets you turn that option from the developers menu, cool. if not, do what it says in the link.
And all this **** is posted on these forums, I suggest you go looking thru them. Though why we don't have some of them stickied makes me wonder...
Honestly I'm at work and wanted to get something going . it's hard to search on my cell, honest truth. I planned on doing more later
mroneeyedboh said:
Honestly I'm at work and wanted to get something going . it's hard to search on my cell, honest truth. I planned on doing more later
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I'm sorry, for whatever reason I have a bad attitude today. I shouldn't be taking it out on others.
I don't think the rootable firmwares have the "install from unknown source" in the developers option. I'm pretty sure that came in the unrootable firmwares, which you'd have to have the custom version installed.
But that link I gave you will show you what you need to do on yours, will need a mouse to use the sqlite app. Takes a few to understand the UI for it, at least took me a few.
And while I tend to use usenet & thepiratebay to download my shows, I found the 990.ro add on for XBMC/Kodi seems to work very well. I watched the latest Supernatural using it.
There is an add on thread for XBMC where other addons are mentioned. I'd look for that.
Thanks brother
mroneeyedboh said:
Thanks brother
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made an error, it's 990.ro not 990.ru
And I think that the mods would be quite happy if you would keep conversations like this on PM level. Filesharing and streaming of illegal content is a big no-no here!
Ultraschorsch said:
And I think that the mods would be quite happy if you would keep conversations like this on PM level. Filesharing and streaming of illegal content is a big no-no here!
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Going to point out that no one is talking filesharing here, and as for the 990.ro site being illegal streaming, no way of knowing. They could be doing something illegal, or maybe they got permission to share all the TV/Movies they got. But either way, it's a plug in you can get from the SuperRepo (spr.nu) repository for XBMC/Kodi. And I'm sure they wouldn't do anything to facilitate piracy.
Yeah I was talking about channels on the fire TV that are free or you can pay for. And getting setups like xbmc that are intuitive etc. Thanks
I just recently purchased an Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro (2021 release) for my son who is almost 8. I sideloaded Google Play on it so I could download the games I pay for each month or have made a one time payment for. Everything seems to be working fine except for the fact that my son has downloaded some games from Google play that have in app ads to watch to help further game play and they will not load. When you try to click the button to watch the ad nothing happens. I've tried searching for a resolution to this but I'm not finding a whole lot. I've tried to download the games that have the in app ads from the Amazon store but sadly most are not available through Amazon. This wouldn't be such a big issue except for the fact that my son has Autism level 3 and doesn't understand why the ads aren't working. Explaining it to him doesn't help because he doesn't have the ability to understand it. It's just resulting in him getting super frustrated and thinking I'm doing something to prevent his game from working. I've seen posts from people asking about this issue but no one seems to have an answer on how to fix it or if it's even fixable. Is there a way to get these in app ads to work on side loaded games? The only reason I even bought this tablet was because it gives my son more freedom to do stuff while keeping him out of the things he shouldn't be in. We had a heck of a time keeping him out of stuff on other tablets as he's able to get out of all kid launchers we've tried and other security measures. Someone please tell me there's a way to fix this!
Did you ever find an answer to this problem? I'm hoping we can get some ads on ours as well.
Sweettongued1 said:
Did you ever find an answer to this problem? I'm hoping we can get some ads on ours as well.
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Sorry for the late reply. No, I still haven't found a resolution to this. The in app ads work on many of the games that are downloaded but some they just won't load on. My son loves the game Sand Balls and both versions of that game we're having this problem on among some others. I have tried searching every where for a resolution to this but have only found very few mentions of it with no fix. One person said that there was no fix for it at the time they were commenting but it was an old post so I was hoping someone figured it out by now but I guess not. Have you had any luck since you replied?
tenessa982 said:
I just recently purchased an Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro (2021 release) for my son who is almost 8. I sideloaded Google Play on it so I could download the games I pay for each month or have made a one time payment for. Everything seems to be working fine except for the fact that my son has downloaded some games from Google play that have in app ads to watch to help further game play and they will not load. When you try to click the button to watch the ad nothing happens. I've tried searching for a resolution to this but I'm not finding a whole lot. I've tried to download the games that have the in app ads from the Amazon store but sadly most are not available through Amazon. This wouldn't be such a big issue except for the fact that my son has Autism level 3 and doesn't understand why the ads aren't working. Explaining it to him doesn't help because he doesn't have the ability to understand it. It's just resulting in him getting super frustrated and thinking I'm doing something to prevent his game from working. I've seen posts from people asking about this issue but no one seems to have an answer on how to fix it or if it's even fixable. Is there a way to get these in app ads to work on side loaded games? The only reason I even bought this tablet was because it gives my son more freedom to do stuff while keeping him out of the things he shouldn't be in. We had a heck of a time keeping him out of stuff on other tablets as he's able to get out of all kid launchers we've tried and other security measures. Someone please tell me there's a way to fix this!
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I had been looking for an answer for this myself as well as a way to make the Fire a bit more "regular" Android-y vs. Amazon's Android. This past weekend I put Fire Toolbox on my (Windows) computer - https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/windows-tool-fire-toolbox-v30-2.3889604/ . Through this I disabled the Amazon Appstore which helped some of my games be able to utilize the extra in-app functionality (as well as open app store page links with Google Play Store instead of opening the Amazon App Store). With that said, I checked a couple old games I used to play and one still said no ads available (though if I clicked again, I still got the reward for it) and another game that still wouldn't let me click them.
I don't know if disabling Amazon App Store would screw things up for you/your son and how you get your apps, but if not, it might be worth a try? Or, if it doesn't work, maybe there's something else that can be disabled via Fire Toolbox that can help? I haven't had much chance to dive into it yet to see if I could get those other in-app ads to work or not yet, but thought I'd pass along what I've found so far in case you're still trying to find a solution.