Database Users

[Q] Local retailer (US) that stocks Lenovo Thinkpad tablet?

I am considering buying one of these but would like to try it out in a store before I buy it. Does anyone know of a US retailer that stocks them?
I am mostly curious about the following things:
1) How good is it for taking notes in college/university classes? Can you rest your palm on the screen while using the stylus?
2) Is there a way to view the notes taken on pdf on a computer?
3) Is it pretty solid feel wise? Or does it feel like it will fall apart after a couple years?
4) How much bloatware comes on it and is it hard to remove via rooting?
5) Does the screen go dark enough for comfortable reading in dimly lit rooms?
Thanks for the info.

the notes are great, I use Quill, as it works nearly perfect, in the app i have turned on pen input only and jot tons and tons of notes all day long.
You can export the notes to various files, while im not sure about PDF there is certainly a format that can be read on your desktop
Like all lenovo products i've had its built to last like an enterprise system should be. as long as you take care of it it will last a long time past EOL
Bloatware isnt too bad, theres still some stuff lenovo managed to get into the system pretty deep (like the status bar wheel widget thing.) but its never bothered me that much as it only comes up at the home screen.
screen brightness works great in dim rooms, i tend to read books by a small lamp in bed most of the time with minimal strain.
I purchased mine from lenovo direct so I dont know about any local retailers.

Thanks for the info. However when I asked about notes on PDFs I should have clarified a bit. I was asking about their PDF viewer that lets you take notes on the PDF document and weather that can be exported to something useful.
Also I thought of one more thing: If I have my notes backed up with something like spideroak, can the notes be converted on a computer? I ask because I am worried about taking a semesters worth of notes on it then having it die and there being no way to read them without getting a new tablet.

FearTheCron said:
Thanks for the info. However when I asked about notes on PDFs I should have clarified a bit. I was asking about their PDF viewer that lets you take notes on the PDF document and weather that can be exported to something useful.
Also I thought of one more thing: If I have my notes backed up with something like spideroak, can the notes be converted on a computer? I ask because I am worried about taking a semesters worth of notes on it then having it die and there being no way to read them without getting a new tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ezPDF allows you to fill out pdf forms, underline, strikeout, and add freehand drawings as well as circles/squares/etc. It should do what you're looking for.
https://market.android.com/details?id=udk.android.reader&feature=search_result
and if you have the file saved as a pdf on your sd card you should be able to open it with any pdf reader (pc or otherwise).
The quill note taking app he mentioned allows you to export your notes to sdcard pdfs

Thanks for the info.
One last thing: has anyone used connect bot or another ssh client on this? I am curious if the keys on the keyboard folio such as escape quotes tild and whatnot all send the proper characters. I had a bluetooth keyboard for my N1 a while back that sent some weird unicode characters for the quotes making terminal usage very difficult.

https://market.android.com/details?id=berserker.android.apps.sshdroid&hl=en
I have used SSH droid with WINSCP worked like a charm, I'm by no means an experienced user with SSH, i just used it to dig around the file system.

SSH droid is a server for the android device, I am asking about using a client on the android device.

My bad, I left my brain at home today... I will test it for you this evening and let you know if the client works with the keymapping

Cool thanks, I look forward to hearing your results.

Update: I just ordered one, so if its too much of a bother don't worry about testing the connect bot thing. My shiny object syndrome overwhelmed my frugal side. Can't wait to get my hands on it.

It works like a charm tested with Moba SSH home 1.22 and connect bot, all the keys from the folio map properly and I haven't seen anything odd at this point, also SSH'd into a couple of Access points over my VPN at work with the TPT to test as well.
Congrats on the TPT! you're gonna love it!

Unfortunately the keys do not map properly, escape is still connected to "back" in the android os and ctrl is connected to "menu". Does anyone know if there is some way to map these to their proper functions?
Thanks
S

wow...Nook Touch on xda...? i'm confused

hi...
am confused to see nook touch on xda....i mean what improvement would rooting/installing custom rom on nook do?
i though nook touch is only used for reading and it does that already...what more improvement can be made...

jamaljan said:
hi...
am confused to see nook touch on xda....i mean what improvement would rooting/installing custom rom on nook do?
i though nook touch is only used for reading and it does that already...what more improvement can be made...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Spam post?
Anyway.. if you do it right you will get a full Adroid 2.1 e-ink tablet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP2CVXzpK5s
Don't create useless threads, read the forum etc.
"more improvement" = fast display mode, every PDF/chm/doc/epub... reader that runs on Android, google play, games , web browsing, email clients, video playback, audio playback using external USB audio card, image viewers, making notes using external USB keyboard, RSS/ATOM, VNC, additional dictionaries and fonts,
drawing apk's, flashcard apk's (ANKI)
the list goes on.

osowiecki said:
Spam post?
Anyway.. if you do it right you will get a full Adroid 2.1 e-ink tablet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP2CVXzpK5s
Don't create useless threads, read the forum etc.
"more improvement" = fast display mode, every PDF/chm/doc/epub... reader that runs on Android, google play, games , web browsing, email clients, video playback, audio playback using external USB audio card, image viewers, making notes using external USB keyboard, RSS/ATOM, VNC, additional dictionaries and fonts,
drawing apk's, flashcard apk's (ANKI)
the list goes on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks a lot. my intention was not to spam. i was just surprised.
will definitely check out the forum :good:
EDIT: I don't think we can make it an e-ink reader, you are joking, rite?

jamaljan said:
thanks a lot. my intention was not to spam. i was just surprised.
will definitely check out the forum :good:
EDIT: I don't think we can make it an e-ink reader, you are joking, rite?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
buy NST and it will show u that u have e-ink reader and we will convert it to a tablet.
i think u just spam .... and next post u will do and seemed it spam ..... unfortunately report moderators
PS: i have rooted NST and already convert it to tablet

speedman2202 said:
buy NST and it will show u that u have e-ink reader and we will convert it to a tablet.
i think u just spam .... and next post u will do and seemed it spam ..... unfortunately report moderators
PS: i have rooted NST and already convert it to tablet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I already have Nook Simple Touch and yea its eink reader. I thought it was being referred that we can make it a colour ink reader... maybe i read it wrongly.

jamaljan said:
I already have Nook Simple Touch and yea its eink reader. I thought it was being referred that we can make it a colour ink reader... maybe i read it wrongly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of coarse we cant.
Just watch video, what is this thread about?

jamaljan said:
[...] am confused to see nook touch on xda....i mean what improvement would rooting/installing custom rom on nook do?
i though nook touch is only used for reading and it does that already...what more improvement can be made...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've confused yourself by thinking all improvements have to be made to reading. Even in reading, though, there is room for improvement. The stock NOOK reader and library have a lot of limitations and problems:
Limited font selection.
Poor and fragile organizational capabilities with large collections
Mixed support for metadata in sideloaded, non-B&N content (e.g. covers, book summaries)
No support for synchronizing reading positions on non-B&N content.
Removed page numbering from table of contents.
Dropped support for Discover and Popular Science magazines.
I also got tired of B&N deciding that, because I hadn't purchased anything from them lately, I must be interested in novels with shirtless dudes and plastering them on my home screen. The first thing I did after rooting was replace the B&N library and reader with Mantano Reader Premium, which together with their cloud subscription service, keeps my reading synchronized across 5 devices, regardless of where I bought the book. Mantano can also read the newest Discover and PopSci formats with no problem. Mantano also supports additional dictionaries. I find the reading experience on my "Mantano Simple Touch" vastly superior.
Of course, there's the usual litany of performance and battery improvements:
Improved control of wifi usage and automated daily sync using Tasker. Wifi only turns on for the few apps I use that need it. No more leaving wifi on overnight by accident and finding battery down.
Improved control of wifi access using WiFi Manager. Much easier to search for wifi options.
Ability to log into captive web portals (e.g. hotels, airports) and automate login process using Wi-Fi Web Login. Unit can wake up at night and sync without manual intervention to access wifi.
Overclock, multitouch and fast screen modes (I don't use these much personally, but they work well with no perceptible battery impact.)
Automatic sync to local timezone using Clocksync (useful when traveling).
Improved keyboard with Smart Keyboard Pro.
And the usual litany of app selection:
Improved browser (Opera Mobile).
Corporate and private email (Touchdown, Maildroid)
Automated Dropbox folder sync (e.g. nightly news subscriptions using Calibre) using Dropsync.
Offline web reading using Instapaper with Instafetch client.
Travel info (Flight Track, TripIt)
RSS news feeds (NewsRob, My6Sense)
Google Voice (voicemail transcriptions as text).
And a few time-wasting games that work well on the eink screen:
Shredder Chess
Yukon Gold (there's an eink-optimized version here on XDA).
Crosswords
My question to you is, owning a device and having such capabilities, why would you NOT root it? A better start might have been to simply ask what people are doing with rooted devices rather than questioning the need to do so because you don't understand why. I can literally sit at the beach in direct sunlight and do these things (depending on wifi, of course). Why would I carry another device to do these basic tasks when the NST I already have does them just fine, anywhere, indoors or out? Do you find it more sensible for a corporation to define how you should use the device you paid for?

Thanks bobstro for the detailed answer. I'll definitely root my device as soon as I get some time. :good:

[Q] Nook Simple Touch disable screensaver & full screen browser

Hi,
First of all, thanks for great set of resources! I was rooted an up and running with market in no time.
I am planning to use the Nook as a home automation controller, where the interface is presented through a webpage. For that, I am going to have it mounted and constantly powered-up.
So, my question is - how can I disable screensaver to have the Nook show the browser 24/7?
Also, is there any simple way to show contexts of the browser window without the navigation buttons? (If not, no worries - I can put something together quickly in PhoneGap or similar).
Thanks!

Bumping for interest - has OP/anyone found a solution to this? I'm going to have a tinker with the sys files in the next few days to see if I can manipulate those, will post any positive results.
I'm looking for always-on functionality as part of a live bus timetable / weather station project I'm 75% through.
For those interested, I'm running a simple PHP server pulling data from London's TFL API and the UK MetOffice's Datapoint API and displaying the page in Dolphin.

julianfox said:
Bumping for interest - has OP/anyone found a solution to this? I'm going to have a tinker with the sys files in the next few days to see if I can manipulate those, will post any positive results.
I'm looking for always-on functionality as part of a live bus timetable / weather station project I'm 75% through.
For those interested, I'm running a simple PHP server pulling data from London's TFL API and the UK MetOffice's Datapoint API and displaying the page in Dolphin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=29113425 (found by googling "nook screensaver disable sqlite3").

julianfox said:
Bumping for interest - has OP/anyone found a solution to this? I'm going to have a tinker with the sys files in the next few days to see if I can manipulate those, will post any positive results.
I'm looking for always-on functionality as part of a live bus timetable / weather station project I'm 75% through.
For those interested, I'm running a simple PHP server pulling data from London's TFL API and the UK MetOffice's Datapoint API and displaying the page in Dolphin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I am quite interested in your project and was wondering how you got on with this.
Basically I am looking to have a calendar + weather page up constantly on in my rooted Nook Simple Touch. I have managed to get rid of the screensaver but it still goes into sleep mode after a while. Also would like to get some direction on how I could do my own PHP based page because most of the calendar apps out there dont seem to report weather

Jayyzee said:
Hi, I am quite interested in your project and was wondering how you got on with this.
Basically I am looking to have a calendar + weather page up constantly on in my rooted Nook Simple Touch. I have managed to get rid of the screensaver but it still goes into sleep mode after a while. Also would like to get some direction on how I could do my own PHP based page because most of the calendar apps out there dont seem to report weather
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I implemented the server side part of this weather app
http://www.mpetroff.net/archives/2012/09/14/kindle-weather-display/
also made the following changes
http://www.shatteredhaven.com/2012/11/1347365-kindle-weather-display.html
Getting the image on the nook is a different story. I tried using crond to wget or curl the image from the server to the screensaver folder so I could have other info graphics rotated throughout the day. I was unable to get the image via wget and unable to get cron working. Any suggestions... (besides having a browser open 247)
here is another example
http://origami.phys.rpi.edu/~jimenc/public/pjs/weather_kindle/server2/weather.php

Refresh?
larryflynt said:
Getting the image on the nook is a different story. I tried using crond to wget or curl the image from the server to the screensaver folder so I could have other info graphics rotated throughout the day. I was unable to get the image via wget and unable to get cron working. Any suggestions... (besides having a browser open 247)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, kudos for the progress so far.
I take it you couldn't just use another device to FTP the file to the nook every so often?
I was hoping to do a very similar thing with my spare NST but unfortunately my coding skills are not up to that level. You mention that you were trying to populate the screensaver folder with the image to be displayed, would there be any way to automatically make the NST wake up every few hours to refresh this image (assuming you can get the image there in the first place)?

I think that the better way to do this all is to write an app.
The app could use either an ImageView or a WebView.
You could easily make this work directly without a proxy or a server.
You wouldn't have to play around with screen timeout/wakeup,
This is going to be hard wired powered?

Renate NST said:
I think that the better way to do this all is to write an app.
The app could use either an ImageView or a WebView.
You could easily make this work directly without a proxy or a server.
You wouldn't have to play around with screen timeout/wakeup,
This is going to be hard wired powered?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The more I think about this, the nook simple touch might have to be charging.

I've done something very similar with my nook showing a custom weather listing in a fullscreen Dolphin browser. Though I have a problem with it not running for more than a day or so before the browser stops refreshing anymore. Have you experienced this? I'm currently looking into some way to kill/restart the browser on schedule perhaps.
Also, how did you get the browser in landscape mode? I can't find that anywhere.

neonpolaris said:
Also, how did you get the browser in landscape mode? I can't find that anywhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use this to set the orientation: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mah.screenrotationlock
OB
Sent from my HTCEVOV4G using Tapatalk 2

Another way to set orientation is if you have an application that only does landscape.
Switch to the landscape app, home out of that, go to the application that does both.
It should stay in landscape mode.
I have an assortment of apps, some portrait only, some landscape only, some both orientations.
By jumping briefly to a landscape only or portrait only app you can set the orientation for subsequent apps.

Thanks for the help guys!
I've got a web server running on my NAS serving a custom page for me. The browser launches fullscreen on boot up via some auto start app. After 5 min, the page redirects to an all black page for a second, then an all white page for a second (to clean up the display), then back to the original page with any new information on it.
This works well except for two issues.
1. On boot up, there's no way to avoid the first lock screen. After unlocked, it doesn't come back, but it's always there on startup. This wouldn't really be an issue except...
2. The browser stops loading the page after a while. I can hit refresh and it goes through the motions, but the page isn't updated. It can take a couple of days for this to happen. Restarting the nook solves this. I confirmed that the page is still served normally to other devices (not a web server problem). I would just have the device auto restart at 3am or something, but then the lock screen would always be there.
Do you guys have any ideas about how to correct this or at least work around it?
I can't even try other browsers because this is the only one I've found that displays full screen.

Any updates on this?
I wonder if there's a way to have a cron job kill and relaunch the browser every once in a while to get past the freezing issue you'd mentioned. Or just have the cron job kill the browser every once in a while and relaunch it, pointed at a new information display page.
Even better would be if there was way to bypass the need for a web browser and interact directly with the e-ink screen buffer as can be done on rooted kindle devices. (I can't post a link, but google search "Tools Eink Framebuffer Update Trigger" to find the kindle framebuffer commands)

Yeah, I worked directly with the screen output on my kobo, which worked well, but it was more of a pain to make changes. That might be because I'm more familiar with php and css than python and screen blit-ing. Having android to work with makes it much easier to expand functionality by just downloading an app and using my fingers, instead compiling software and ssh-ing in for everything.
Speaking of which, it looks like my problem is solved. I installed tasker and set it to kill the browser at 3am and start the browser at 3:01am. Thanks all.

What about google play apps for weather? Most of the apps I have used so far have had contrast issues since they are designed for color screens. Does anybody know of good apps that display the current weather info and forcast data in an eink friendly color scheme?
As far as the going to sleep issue, the apk listed in the second comment here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/nook-touch/general/fridge-calendar-t3057759
worked without issue for me, so that problem has mostly been solved.

Try this: electricsign app
Apologies for the resurrection, but for those looking for a digital low power / e-ink info display this might just do it.
This app will do the trick if a static jpg of a web page updated at an interval will do (set to output a jpeg in the custom screensaver folder on rooted nook)
Electricsign android app: (search electricsign on the play store - I can't post a URL here yet).
Leave the WiFi on and set the screensaver timeout.
The source code is on github also (google.it ).
I can never find the app because I always think it's called electricsheep.
Hope this helps someone...or me in the future.
Hi future me, the app is called electricsign, not electricsheep. You'll thank me next time you forget. From your past self bored at a ceildh BC your gf doesn't want to dance.

electricsign looks like the ticket!

Can Glowlight 3 ROM be modified to work on original NST?

I've been thinking about how all these new apps are out now that would work great on my old NST if only it ran a more recent version of Android. I saw on the old l337 thread that the NST is confirmed to be able to run more adavanced versions, but that we'd have to pull the files from a phone or other, much more powerful device, rendering the resulting ROM pretty much unusable.
Until, that is, the Nook Glowlight Plus and 3 came along. The NG+ and NG3 run Android 4.4.2. 4.4 Android could mean being able to run apps like Overdrive and Libby, without workarounds. And that would be pretty sweet.
Now these are two different devices. I'm having a hard time finding data on the difference between the guts beyond the fact that the newer models have a higher DPI screen. I'd guess they have similar amount of processing speed to preserve battery life, though maybe more RAM.
I did a little googling, and I found this CM11 Mod but it looks like it it fizzled out after getting pretty close.
Do we think this can be done?

Was wondering about this the other day. There are an awful lot of NSTs floating around ebay for US$15 now. It would be fun to be able to breathe a little life into them, if only to use them for displays of calendars, to-do lists, or anything else you can do with more modern android apps

jptiger said:
There are an awful lot of NSTs floating around ebay for US$15 now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The NST, NSTG and the first Glowlight used TI OMAP3621 processors.
The Glow2, 3, 4 use Freescale (now NXP) iMX6SL processors.
That's quite a difference.
I don't think that anything would be compatible.

jptiger said:
Was wondering about this the other day. There are an awful lot of NSTs floating around ebay for US$15 now. It would be fun to be able to breathe a little life into them, if only to use them for displays of calendars, to-do lists, or anything else you can do with more modern android apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, I'm going to promise not to look at ebay!!! Three devices are enough, even at that price. But it's very tempting. Too bad the NSTGs are rare as hens teeth and always high priced. Then there is a screen artifact issue. The one I finally got has three, but it's not too bad, I guess.
Other than watching movies or live TV (both of which, admittedly, are actually possible with the NST if you can stand it), it seems to me these devices are still wonderfully versatile. With a minimal installation of GApps you can have all the calendar displays you want, to-do-lists, etc. For some of these applications, there are still apps that work fine. For other uses (you dream it up) it's amazing what can be done with Tasker to create an app that looks like "the real thing". And while the learning curve for Tasker is a little steep, baby steps and lots of online help and examples are available.
The one clear drawback is almost anything that requires a login. The fact that Overdrive has not yet been hacked to address this issue is probably due to a lack of interest from a person with the proper expertise (not me). But really, selecting a library book on Opera Mobile from your local library? I'd sooner slit my wrists. Books can still be downloaded to a PC and then transferred to the NST via Adobe's software (or you can get around the whole DRM issue if you wish). And, you can get mobi format books from most libraries now and they will still magically appear in your Kindle app
That said, having flashed a Nook Tablet with CM 11 (KitKat), I can attest that there are still issues with that less-old Android version. For example, you can't view XDA properly in any browser. You have to go back to an earlier skin which has tiny print and is most annoying. In fact you can't get to some sites at all with any browser. And the OS returns SSL errors for some operations with other apps. So KitKat is no panacea. Even so, I like my Nook Tablet running CM 11. It's an 8 GB version and so has limited RAM and storage. Therefore I have scaled down my usual apps to some essentials and things it is really good at. In fact, it has fewer apps on it than my NST!
Every one of those NSTs on ebay is a treasure. But I'm not going to look!!!!

Renate NST said:
I don't think that anything would be compatible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant as fas as kernel, various hardware libraries.

nmyshkin said:
Other than watching movies or live TV (both of which, admittedly, are actually possible with the NST if you can stand it), it seems to me these devices are still wonderfully versatile. With a minimal installation of GApps you can have all the calendar displays you want, to-do-lists, etc. For some of these applications, there are still apps that work fine. For other uses (you dream it up) it's amazing what can be done with Tasker to create an app that looks like "the real thing". And while the learning curve for Tasker is a little steep, baby steps and lots of online help and examples are available.
The one clear drawback is almost anything that requires a login. The fact that Overdrive has not yet been hacked to address this issue is probably due to a lack of interest from a person with the proper expertise (not me).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the thorough response! I didn't realize you could do so much! I was envisioning having three mounted on walls in various places in my apartment, one with an interactive Google calendar, one with my to-do list from Any.do, and one with a local transit app that shows if there are delays on specific trains etc. (though I guess that one might wait until we're all using public transit again...) I've never used Tasker before, do you have any suggestions of resources or guides on getting it to replicate any functionality like this on an NST?
nmyshkin said:
Every one of those NSTs on ebay is a treasure. But I'm not going to look!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck! Save your money and vicariously help me do stuff with them?

jptiger said:
Thanks for the thorough response! I didn't realize you could do so much! I was envisioning having three mounted on walls in various places in my apartment, one with an interactive Google calendar, one with my to-do list from Any.do, and one with a local transit app that shows if there are delays on specific trains etc. (though I guess that one might wait until we're all using public transit again...) I've never used Tasker before, do you have any suggestions of resources or guides on getting it to replicate any functionality like this on an NST?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is only one version of Tasker that will run on the NST/G (check your PM). It is designed to run in the background and execute tasks from shortcuts on the home screen or automatically start a series of tasks based on some trigger (time of day, opening a specific app, connection to WiFi, etc.). I originally used it to automatically start WiFi for apps that needed it. This is definitely a "baby step" idea. I don't use Tasker as a background service any longer. There is a companion app called AppFactory which takes your Tasker routines and converts them into stand-alone apps that anyone can run (with the caveat that either GApps must be installed or else two small Maps library files would need to be copied onto the device--actually this is a dependency for Tasker itself also). You can see many examples of "apps" I have created in this fashion in the last section of this forum. You design your own GUI to fit the NST/G screen. Tasks can vary from a simple activity call to website data scraping and massaging (definitely advanced) and more.
AppFactory will not run on the NST/G. It requires Android 2.2. I have a KitKat device which will run both the ancient version of Tasker and also AppFactory, so after I finish designing and testing the routines on the NST I move all the files over to the KitKat device and compile with AppFactory. The resulting app can be installed on the NST and behaves just like any other app (and does not require the presence of Tasker to run).
A lot of patience is required to get things right, especially if you want a full-screen GUI since Tasker seems to hate screen edges and when you edit a screen containing a near-full-screen image it tends to resize it a little smaller, throwing off other elements. Fixing this requires hand-editing the coordinates in the xml files which describe the scene elements. Also, because the file structure on the NST is not the same as on a KitKat device, references to images have to be edited by hand before (or after) moving files to the second device to compile. For example, "/media/" might need to be changed to "/storage/external_SD/Pictures/" or similar. Also, the touch screen on the NST is not always as responsive as we might like.
Finally, there is one one last fly in the ointment, so to speak. Tasker will not install on FW 1.2.2 for some reason unless it is resigned. When it is resigned, it ceases to interact properly with plugin apps (things like RotationLocker, or Minimalistic Text, as examples). The compiled apps will work properly, but testing on the NST is problematic if you are referencing plugins. On FW 1.2.1 everything works properly. Since I have three devices (gulp) I kept one on FW 1.2.1 to help me with this issue.
There is a Tasker Wiki with many examples, but just Googling will yield all kinds of things. There is a guy (Hollywood Frodo) who created all kinds of videos from the basic to the exotic and I found some of those very helpful. Finally, there is a Tasker Google group where--to judge by my personal experience--no question is too stupid!

Opera Mobile and TLS 1.2

It's time to show a little more love for arguably the best browser for the NST/G
I've been reading up on the whole TLS 1.2 thing and bemoaning the gradual eroding of the NST/G internet capabilities as various apps wink out of usefulness due to the recent change. I felt the same way about Opera Mobile 12.10, especially when I had finally figured out an app for Google News, only to find that many of the external links could not be opened, presumably due to this new security protocol.
Imagine my surprise today when I revisited the configuration screen for Opera Mobile and saw that even on this nearly prehistoric app there is an option for TLS 1.2!! Once I had selected that I could suddenly navigate to all kinds of sites that were previously snubbing me! Woo-hoo!
The procedure, in pictures, below. Love live Opera Mobile (at least until TLS 1.3).
Edit: I should mention that this has nothing to do with the recent NST/G update to 1.2.2. B&N only added TLS 1.2 handshaking for their own purchasing system, not anything else. I have one device running 1.2.1 and one updated to 1.2.2. They are identical in their need for and response to this change in settings for Opera Mobile.
Edit, Edit: I've been looking at this issue again recently and found sites that actually test the browser and recommend changes in settings. It turns out that ONLY the TLS 1.2 should be enabled, not older protocols. One site also recommended disabling the SSL v.3, but my tests with two devices trying to access the same sites indicated that was a bad idea.
My most unexpected discovery was a post on an Opera board somewhere that suggested simply clearing cache (from the Menu: Settings>Privacy>Clear Cache) will often allow access to sites that initially give a security connection error. This actually seems to work in many cases. I have no idea why, but it prompted me to try unticking ALL cache settings except for "Empty on Exit" (last screenshot below). Don't forget to "Save" at the end of that section before exiting.

This is great, thank you!
Has anyone gotten this tweak to allow you to sign into Overdrive (online library) websites? New York Public Library's Overdrive page, nypl.overdrive.com still won't let me sign in, even with both TLS 1.1 and 1.2. For the record I think I'm still actually on firmware 1.1.0

jptiger said:
This is great, thank you!
Has anyone gotten this tweak to allow you to sign into Overdrive (online library) websites? New York Public Library's Overdrive page, nypl.overdrive.com still won't let me sign in, even with both TLS 1.1 and 1.2. For the record I think I'm still actually on firmware 1.1.0
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That was the second thing I tried. No joy. Unfortunately there is zero information in a logcat of my unsuccessful session, almost as though the system was ignoring the browser activity entirely, so nothing to work with there.
Out on a limb here, but it could be a case of no contact with systems older than the oldest one to still support an Overdrive app (2.3, I think?). When I encounter a site that still won't connect with Opera Mobile, despite the addition of TLS 1.2, I think that's similar. Such an old browser (and OS) is seen as a security issue. Now exactly how the determination is made, that I don't know. It seems unlikely that it's something as simple as the User Agent string, as I have two NSTs, one running 1.2.2 and the older one with 1.2.1. I'm pretty sure I have not done anything with the UA string on the 1.2.2 device (it's a beast to type in) but I know I altered the other one to match the original stock browser on the device. I'll have to run down both values to see if there's something about the OS in there.
If the sites have a way of querying the system to recognize whether it is "safe" or not, then there's not much to be done. There was that one older version of UC Mini Browser which was able to negotiate a login at one time, but even if you could get into the library's Overdrive section, the closest you would come to a book is downloading the acsm file and then what? AFAIK there is no way to deal with it on the device itself. It would have to be processed on a PC and then transferred to the NST.
Login would allow you to checkout Kindle books and even confirm the download at the Amazon site (painful as that is), but I don't see how to make the epub thing work solely on the device any longer short of a new OS. That's way beyond my pay grade. I'm curious about it but recognize that it's not something I'm going to pick up at this stage of my life. Too bad the few projects directed at that weren't more modest in their goals. A change to just Gingerbread would have made a huge difference, although even with that, the handwriting is surely on the wall.

but even if you could get into the library's Overdrive section, the closest you would come to a book is downloading the acsm file and then what?
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Open the file with Aldiko! I actually used to do this all the time, it was the main way I used to interact with Overdrive for years. Worked great... until I wasn't able to log into Overdrive sites and access my holds any more.
You might need a specific old version of Aldiko, I'd bet I found it on these forums somewhere. I'm writing this on my phone on a subway, otherwise I'd link here. Moot point atm anyway.

jptiger said:
Open the file with Aldiko! I actually used to do this all the time, it was the main way I used to interact with Overdrive for years. Worked great... until I wasn't able to log into Overdrive sites and access my holds any more.
You might need a specific old version of Aldiko, I'd bet I found it on these forums somewhere. I'm writing this on my phone on a subway, otherwise I'd link here. Moot point atm anyway.
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There may yet be a magic version of Aldiko that can do this, but I think the operative word in your response might be "used" to interact with Overdrive.
I don't know why but I decided to look at this issue again and stumbled on @straygecko's post re: Overdrive and Aldiko here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=35917607&postcount=2
I scrounged around for a "2.0" version of Aldiko and came up with 2.00.081 (maybe close enough?). Anyway, it does install and the first few steps of the procedure @straygecko outlines actually work great, even the sign in with Adobe--which I found shocking. I was able to painfully add my local library's Overdrive URL to the "My Catalogs" section and actually "browse" to the URL, if you can call it that. If we think Opera Mobile is antique, think more along the lines of the stock NST browser. Mostly floating text appears here and there, lots of broken images, and Search does not seem to work. Oh, and scrolling up the page? LOL! If you can get lower on the page to something like "available now", the screen will not update. It may not be absolutely necessary but while I was chortling and grimacing I also tried the "sign in" option. In little tiny letters across the top of the screen comes the "oops! something went wrong" message, all too familiar.
I hope, I really do hope that there is another version of Aldiko 2.0 that would work. But the post by @straygecko was from 2012 and while at my age that seems not so long ago, in the world of Android, it might as well be 500 BCE.
For your entertainment, I attach the version of Aldiko I was able to scare up. YMMV.

Odd. I think you might be trying to make Aldiko do a different part than I was referring to. Here was my usual workflow after installing Aldiko and logging into my Adobe ID on it:
1 open opera mobile
2 navigate to my library's overdrive page
3 sign in (not currently working)
4 browse and check out an epub ebook
5 download the ascm file
6 when prompted about what to do with it open it aldiko
7 Aldiko then downloads the epub using your Adobe ID and shows it in your library until it expires
If those are the steps you're following, where do you hit the unreadable text? After the book downloads?

jptiger said:
Odd. I think you might be trying to make Aldiko do a different part than I was referring to. Here was my usual workflow after installing Aldiko and logging into my Adobe ID on it:
1 open opera mobile
2 navigate to my library's overdrive page
3 sign in (not currently working)
4 browse and check out an epub ebook
5 download the ascm file
6 when prompted about what to do with it open it aldiko
7 Aldiko then downloads the epub using your Adobe ID and shows it in your library until it expires
If those are the steps you're following, where do you hit the unreadable text? After the book downloads?
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Click to collapse
You're right, those were not my steps. On my local library Overdrive site it is not possible to check out an eBook without eventually signing in. Catch-22.

nmyshkin said:
It's time to show a little more love for arguably the best browser for the NST/G
I've been reading up on the whole TLS 1.2 thing and bemoaning the gradual eroding of the NST/G internet capabilities as various apps wink out of usefulness due to the recent change. I felt the same way about Opera Mobile 12.10, especially when I had finally figured out an app for Google News, only to find that many of the external links could not be opened, presumably due to this new security protocol.
Imagine my surprise today when I revisited the configuration screen for Opera Mobile and saw that even on this nearly prehistoric app there is an option for TLS 1.2!! Once I had selected that I could suddenly navigate to all kinds of sites that were previously snubbing me! Woo-hoo!
The procedure, in pictures, below. Love live Opera Mobile (at least until TLS 1.3).
Edit: I should mention that this has nothing to do with the recent NST/G update to 1.2.2. B&N only added TLS 1.2 handshaking for their own purchasing system, not anything else. I have one device running 1.2.1 and one updated to 1.2.2. They are identical in their need for and response to this change in settings for Opera Mobile.
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Wow. I have tried every other browser. This is definitely the only one that works. Thanks so much for the info.

lz199366 said:
Could you share your Opera Mobile.apk? I can't get opera 12.1.0 install on my NST(firmware1.1.2).
Besides, which app did you use to take screenshot in Black&White color ? I tried screenshot ER before. It is good but producing shots in colors only.
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Click to collapse
Opera Mobile: https://ftp.opera.com/pub/opera/android/mobile/1210/
For screenshots, I made two apps. The original produces slightly gray b&w images. The second gives better quality color images. Here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/nook-touch/themes-apps/app-screenshot-t3648855. When I post images I always convert to greyscale anyway since that's what will be seen on the device.
That older firmware may be a problem. B&N did actually have reasons to update firmware now and then. If the Opera Mobile will not run you might try Opera Classic. Some people said it worked for them.

Some additional discoveries
Just a bump to bring this post back up again. I've done some additional tests with different settings lately and have improved the connection success rate quite a bit. Changes reflected now in the original post.

Since you're bumping the thread maybe you can help me with a problem? I think I've tried this APK on my last three Nooks (Glowlight Plus, NG3, and now Glowlight Plus 7.8) and every time I launch Opera Classic from my launcher I get a short splash screen that says "Opera Mobile" and then it immediately dies. Nothing shows in my "running process" screen either (so it's not just hidden in the background).
Any idea where to start looking as far as logs, etc. go? I've never really had much use for a browser on a Nook before, but with the 7.8" display my interest is somewhat piqued again...

spedinfargo said:
Since you're bumping the thread maybe you can help me with a problem? I think I've tried this APK on my last three Nooks (Glowlight Plus, NG3, and now Glowlight Plus 7.8) and every time I launch Opera Classic from my launcher I get a short splash screen that says "Opera Mobile" and then it immediately dies. Nothing shows in my "running process" screen either (so it's not just hidden in the background).
Any idea where to start looking as far as logs, etc. go? I've never really had much use for a browser on a Nook before, but with the 7.8" display my interest is somewhat piqued again...
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Click to collapse
Mmm.....first, this is Opera Mobile 12.1, not Opera Classic, although I don't think that is the issue. Not sure about the Glowlight Plus, but I think the others run at least KitKat? My first suspicion was that Opera Mobile (or Opera Classic) might be too old for those devices, but I just tried installing it on my SIM-less KitKat "phone" and it did just fine.
So maybe screen density? It's hard to know. Like @Renate NST says, a logcat might reveal the cause of the crash--or not. Meanwhile I should think that with a KitKat device there must be a number of more modern browsers that would work OK. I recommend Via Browser. Slick and simple, small footprint. Requires Android 2.3 and up (too bad the NST just missed it...). I run it on my Oreo 8.1 tablet and love it.

nmyshkin said:
Mmm.....first, this is Opera Mobile 12.1, not Opera Classic, although I don't think that is the issue. Not sure about the Glowlight Plus, but I think the others run at least KitKat? My first suspicion was that Opera Mobile (or Opera Classic) might be too old for those devices, but I just tried installing it on my SIM-less KitKat "phone" and it did just fine.
So maybe screen density? It's hard to know. Like @Renate NST says, a logcat might reveal the cause of the crash--or not. Meanwhile I should think that with a KitKat device there must be a number of more modern browsers that would work OK. I recommend Via Browser. Slick and simple, small footprint. Requires Android 2.3 and up (too bad the NST just missed it...). I run it on my Oreo 8.1 tablet and love it.
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Ah yes, I forgot that the original NGP was where the jump to KitKat occurred which opened up more options for apps. I'm going to give Via a try - thanks for the quick response!

First problem:
Our (at least my) /system/lib/libgui.so does not have
status_t GraphicBuffer::lock(GGLSurface* sur, uint32_t usage)
The Opera libOS15.so requires it
Eclair had this function, I don't think KitKat has it.
I think this Opera "Opera_Mobile_12_1_Generic_Opera_Armv5v7.apk" was designed for Eclair and uses stuff no longer in KitKat.
You need to find a different APK.

@myshkin Once again, you've answered one of my questions before I asked it! I am going to use an NST to interact with my online scheduler for a sweet e-ink, easy on the eyes, scheduling unit.

First I want to thank for well written guide how to set things up to make any browser (in this case obviously Opera) working on NST. I read several threads about browsers and wondered how those could be solved. It seems to me that some of those problems could be solved using web grabber or offline browser or some of those plugins that redirects to cached version of the web page on Wayback machine (Brave browser is gone incorporate that option so I have been told). Naturally that might work for reading cached content on NST inside your browser if it supports page rendering and so. Still for pages that need user/reader interaction that won't solve anything. Would application like Gapps browser resolve at least some of the issues you experience? It should run on Eclair but I am not sure will it run on NST. That need to be tested.

SJT75 said:
First I want to thank for well written guide how to set things up to make any browser (in this case obviously Opera) working on NST. I read several threads about browsers and wondered how those could be solved. It seems to me that some of those problems could be solved using web grabber or offline browser or some of those plugins that redirects to cached version of the web page on Wayback machine (Brave browser is gone incorporate that option so I have been told). Naturally that might work for reading cached content on NST inside your browser if it supports page rendering and so. Still for pages that need user/reader interaction that won't solve anything. Would application like Gapps browser resolve at least some of the issues you experience? It should run on Eclair but I am not sure will it run on NST. That need to be tested.
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Click to collapse
I had never heard of Gapps browser but I can tell you now that it does not work properly on the NST. It never gets past a partial, immobile screen of Google News. None of the other options do anything at all.
While I still prefer Opera Mobile for general browsing and value its ability to open local HTML files (something I have exploited in a number of my news apps), Opera Mini 7.6.4 also functions on the NST and can skirt around some of the SSL issues because the pages are initially picked up by Opera's up-to-date servers, rendered, and then passed on to the user. However, sites with complex constructions and modern WebView requirements will not display properly, if at all. Opera Mini also has a "picker" that will allow you to open media files (like videos) in an external player. This is something Opera Mobile will not do. It just refuses to deal with them at all.
On the whole, the browser issue is the proverbial straw for the camel's back when it comes to older Android OS. I have seen this working with KitKat ROMs where already many sites cannot be accessed because of the outdated WebView. Lollipop, which is the first OS version with a WebView that can be updated, is a little better. But custom ROMs (or ROMs like on the NST) that are not properly updated for SSL are never going to be able to hold on forever in this regard.

Thanks for thorough reply. I fear that it is not only updates of the software that is hampering factor but very nature of e-ink devices that hold us back. Even Kindles from Amazon have the issues in that regard and it is certainly not from lack of funding that firm can provide to solve the problem. That is why I mentioned web grabber approach. As last resort someone might try to print some web page as PDF for later reading but that would not solve problems like logging in some web services etc. I even considered text based browsers as alternative. My friend who is proficient in programming, web administration and computer related stuff said me the same thing as you did that Opera is by far best browser for mobile device.