» Tips

Portable Applications

Ellen Hage — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:01:59 +0000

No, this isn’t strictly about e-books, but I feel that it’s worth talking about. By now most people have more than enough thumb drives, especially the lower capacity ones as we constantly upgrade. So if you are wondering what to do with those 256 and 512mb drives consider installing some portable software. Portable applications can be run directly from your flash drive so no matter where you are you can use your own applications. A great place to start is Portable Applications. In addition to Open Office they have applications ranging from games, photo editing, chat, and password managers. My favorite other than Open Office is the pdf creator. These are some of the possibilities listed on their site:

Carry your web browser with all your favorite bookmarks

Carry your calendar with all your appointments

Carry your email client with all your contacts and settings

Carry your whole office suite along with your documents and presentations

Carry your antivirus program and other computer utilities

Portable applications are also convenient too! The most convenient feature is that you can carry utilities that can be used to help your friends that are having PC problems. Another site to check out is Everything USB.

SanDisk’s Cruzer Freedom comes with applications already install on the flash drive. The software allows the user to storage and use copyrighted digital content such as e-books, games, and music. SanDisk offers a variety of books at their digital store. While the Freedom Cruzer is geared towards students, others may find the content offered interesting. You may want to check out the virtual tour. I like that it has a dictionary onboard. Maybe now that the prices are so low we may see mobipocket books on a stick. Just think about having the Harry Potter collection on one and being able to read it on any PC. Just a thought.

Reading e-books on your Nintendo DS lite

Ellen Hage — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 20:27:06 +0000

This weekend I finally got around to getting my DS lite to read e-books. There are a few things you need in order to do this. First, you need something like a Max Media Dock or Datel’s Games and Music cartridge. Both are under $30. There are other cartridges such as a Supercard SD, Gameboy Advance Movie Player, R4 Multimedia card, etc. You will also need either an SD, Micro SD, or Compact Flash card depending on what kind of dock or cartridge you buy. Finally, you will need the e-book reader software from one of the homebrew sites. I’ll list all links at the end of this post. The process was rather easy once I found an how to guide on Pocket Gamer. This guide shows how to install DS Reader, but this guide will work for any NDS software. I found three readers available for the DS: Read More, DS Libris, and DS Reader.

So far DS reader is the most stable one I tried. There was no screen freezing and it is easy to navigate. DS reader recognizes txt files only and uses True Type Fonts. It comes with two included, but you can add your own. You can also choose to have either a white or black background, standard style or anti-aliased. Another thing I like about this software is that you can adjust your font size. Screen view settings include top, bottom, and both. Another choice is whether or not you want smart paragraphs. I would pick yes to avoid lines with only one word on it.

I also tried Read More and DS Libris. Both readers are portrait mode so you would hold the DS lite like a book and it displays two pages. I was impressed by these two programs since I felt like I had a regular book opened. The problem is that they didn’t work that well for me. First, Read More opens to an introduction of the program, but that’s as far as I got. Whenever I tried to get to the menu, the program would freeze. I searched some forums and there were others who shared my experience, but so far no answers. So I can not tell you if this application is customizable. Now for DS Libris. This is a new home brew and the author states that it may have many bugs. The program only lists the first eight files and only recognizes files in xht (XHTML) format. I tried to format some text using Word, but no luck. I may try it using Open Office. The program is also prone to fail on start up. It worked great for awhile and then it started to give error messages. From what I could tell there is no way to change any of the settings. Another problem worth mentioning is that I couldn’t find a way to exit out of any of the three reader programs. All I could do was turn off the DS.

Overall it was a nice experience reading on the DS, which has beautiful bright screens . I wouldn’t use it as my primary reader, but on trips it could be a nice diversion from gaming.

Links

Max Media Player

Where to Get E-books part 1

Ellen Hage — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:13:05 +0000

Books for a Buck: Specializes in affordable novel-length fiction. We do sell many of our books through Fictionwise and Mobipocket, but some of our books (especially our cheapest books) are available only through the publisher website. Also, new books are on sale for only $1 during their first month of availability-before they go on Mobipocket, Fictionwise, or other distributors.

Try searching with Digital Reading Search
It’s a Google Custom Search Engine that searches the free and paid-for ebook sites.
(Baen, PG, ManyBooks etc are on the list)… no warez.

Baen: They have many in their free library. None of their books have DRM, they are reasonably priced and they have many formats. Unfortunately they are somewhat specialized in military related SciFi and they currently do not support the LRF format used by the Sony Reader. However they do have formats that can be used with the Sony, e.g. RTF, and also have Mobipocket, MS .lit, HTML, Palm & Rocket/Ebookwise. They do have a few books by other publishers as well, e.g. Tor.

Penguin GroupI like this site because it has a special interest grouping. So if you are into African American literature, this site has the best selection I’ve seen and I didn’t have to search for it. Other special interest groups include Latino literature, parenting, and short reads. Prices on some of the books are more expensive than other e-book stores. Site sells paper books and not all include an e-book version. Also some selections include an excerpt of the book.

Cyberread

Site contains over 40,000 e-books in a variety of formats. Not all formats available for every title. Good selection of categories that may be of interest to professionals and students in addition to fiction novels.

Diesel E-books

Good selection of children fiction and religious fiction. Formats include MS reader, Palm reader, and Adobe. Diesel also sells bundles and offer free e-books. Free e-books are mostly classics and require you use MS reader.

Digital Book Index

If you are looking for free e-books, this is must go to and bookmark place.

The site links to more than 137,000 titles from 1800 non-commercial and commercial publishers, universities and private sites. If you need some help in find articles for research, this site and really help you find more resources. Great for all types of students and us regular folks too.

Readers ‘R Us

This is mainly a place to get classic books for free. They also offer free MP3 audio too. I found this site when looking for children books. The site is not very user friendly when it comes to navigating through the categories.

What I use my paper address book for

Ellen Hage — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:59:48 +0000

When you own a lot of gadgets, software, and belong to several forums, how do you keep track of need to know information? You could build a spreadsheet with the pertinent information, but what if your computer fails and you haven’t backed it up? I used to keep all my information about my purchases in a journal, but after awhile it became so disorganized. Now I use a paper address book. Now I can enter information alphabetically. The information I keep includes the name of the device, software, website, and serial numbers, tech support phone numbers, user ID, passwords, etc. Basically everything and anything I think I may need. I find this has been not only a quick reference, but also serves as a historical catalog of my purchases. I also keep information associated with extended warranty purchases. I often go back and write notes when I have to call a vendor, or if I decide that the product sucks. It also helps when I reformat my computers and need all my registration information to reinstall applications. Sometimes I keep non tech info too, like my son’s wall locker’s combination, and for my youngest, his lunch PIN.

Need a USB to serial adapter?

Ellen Hage — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 23:31:40 +0000

I just got an email from The Tech Geeks. They have a USB to serial adapter for $10.99 and free shipping. I think that’s a pretty good price. If you are still using your Rocket e-book or any device that connects via a serial port, you may want to consider this. I have bought from this site and so far I have been pleased with my purchases.

Enhancing your DT375

Ellen Hage — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:00:55 +0000

One thing I like is being able to customize my devices. It makes it more unique and personal. I thought is would be nice to talk about a few things that can make using your device more enjoyable.

USB flash drives: You can also use USB thumb drives with the DT375. That is, if you don’t mind it sticking out of the device. I got it to work using a file I got from the Epods Yahoo! user group. If anyone is interested in getting it, let me know.

Virtual Display: I bought this program because I don’t like reading in landscape mode, especially when viewing PDF files. It can be unstable at times, but you can download the trial version to see if you like it. Just make sure that you’ve backed up your files before installing.

Adding E-books: In order for the Palm reader to see your books, they must in be in a specific folder. When you install the software it creates a folder called “Peanut Press” in your m”My Documents” folder. More than likely you will want to keep your e-book files on a memory card. So, on your CF card create a folder called “My Documents”. In that folder create another folder called “Peanut Press”. Now copy your palm books into this folder. When you start the reader it will now list all your books. I also do this for Mobipocket and MS Reader. For my Mobi books I create a folder called “My Ebooks” within the “My Documents” folder and place my e-book files inside. For lit books I place a folder called “My Library” and then copy my lit files inside. I find this keeps everything organized. Also if for some reason you don’t want to go through the activation process, you can use Convert Lit GUI and downvert your lit files and the reader will then be able to access the files. I do this because I have had problems with reactivating the reader on my PC. The Microsoft site says I am over my device limit, but I was just trying to activate the same device. Anyway, I have ended up with two Microsoft passports. So the only way I can read all my books is to downvert them. (More after the break to include pictures).

Start Menu: I installed all my programs to my CF Card. As a result they do not show up in the Start-Programs list. To get them on the list I went to the folders where they are installed. I then selected the exe file and went to File – Send to desktop as a shortcut. On the Desktop, I select the short cut and rename it to remove the words “Shortcut to”. Once done I then moved the short cut to the Windows – Programs folder. Voila!

The Case: My tablet came with a canvas work through protective case. I thought that it was unbecoming, so it had to go. I replaced it with a portable DVD carrying case. I found the one below at Wal-Mart for less than 15 dollars. This case caught my eye because of the shape. It seemed to mirror the shape and of my DT375. I was right. It fits perfectly. The case has an outside pocket that can be used to store accessories. It may be too feminine for some, but the point is that portable DVD cases provide not only a good fit, but also great protection at a reasonable price. You can look around for something that fits your personality and taste.

Remapping Buttons: In the Control panel you can customize your button settings. You can change the 4-way navigation button as well as the bottom keys. The only key that can’t be customized is the keyboard button. I immediately changed the active sync button since the only way to sync is with the cradle and I don’t have one. The benefit of customizing is that navigating e-books is definitely easier.

Tablet Stand: Some people like to prop their device up for hands free reading. I went to my local Hobby Lobby and found this picture/plate stand for only $1.50. It was half off their regular price. The metal is sturdy enough to handle the tablet, but flexible enough for me to securely seat the table with the battery. To avoid scratches I simply place some felt on the frame. This could really come in handy for following cooking and craft instructions or for reading during meals.

Well that’s it for now. I’ll keep you updated if I find anything new.

Avoiding the dreaded N770 WSOD

Ellen Hage — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:39:05 +0000

This past June, I was one of the many people who bought a Nokia N770 Internet Tablet (IT) from Woot. In fact, I bought two, one for my husband and the other for my daughter. I really wanted to buy three, but didn’t want to spend that much at one time. Besides, I figured that one of them probably wouldn’t like the Tablet and it would then revert back to me. Wrong! They fell in love with it. Of course I had the job of getting the tablets setup for them. So far they have been quite pleased with them. There are some buyers that have not had the same experience. There was a rash of White-Screen-of-Death (WOSD) among the Wooters, causing many potential buyers to rethink purchasing the device from other retailers that had similar prices. While I am sure that most of the WSODs are valid I also think you can avoid this tragedy. Before going forward, I need to state a few things. I have no programming skills what-so-ever. I have like negative knowledge of Linux. The little knowledge I have about command lines come from my long ago DOS days. I’m telling you this so that you won’t dismiss this as “Well, she’s a techie, of course it worked for her,” or to take what I say as gospel. The following has worked for me. Hopefully it will work for you too! That said, here is my experience with the Nokia N770.

1. After inserting the battery, I put in the RS-MMC card. I bought the max size (2gb). Now that the battery and card are in, I will never take them back out again.

2. Before installing programs I let the IT charge completely. However, I did go ahead and set it up on my wireless home network.

3. Go to Nokia and download the Nokia Internet Tablet Software Update Wizard. Also click on the manual instructions and the tips and troubleshooting links. Copy and paste these instructions into your word processing application and save for future reference. I noticed today that the device is not listed in the product section. I had to search. Maybe I just missed it, but if it has disappeared, it doesn’t surprise me.

4. While it was charging I read as much as possible about the N770. I did a search on Google and found Internet Tablet Talk. I think that I may have read every post on the forum over next few days. By reading the posts I not only found out what works, but what doesn’t work, and more important, what not to do. While browsing posts, I also came across more links leading to the various application homepages, Blogs, and troubleshooting guides.

5. Before I installed the built in applications I checked for updates in the application manager. It then asked me if I wanted to refresh the package list and I picked “yes”. I did not get carried away at this point, but carefully chose what I wanted to install. All software is installed in the internal memory, not on the RS-MMC.

6. I then went to Maemo to take a look at what software was available. That was when I ran into repositories and deb packages. I also ran into problems installing apps due to missing files. I found that it was better to install the software that had the green install arrow on the site. I also found it easier to go online with the tablet and install directly as opposed to downloading to my PC and transferring the file to the Nokia. By installing these applications first chances were that new repositories are also added to the package list. This saved me from adding the repository and it also added more applications to the “Install new applications” list.

For those applications that I had to go to the application homepage to download, I made sure I read everything. Some of these will come packaged with everything you need, but a lot don’t. For those I had to add new repositories in the Application Manager- Tools- Application Catalog section. I installed what my family wanted over a couple a days and left it at that. After I installed one application I let them play with it to make sure it was stable before adding another. When I could not install directly to the device, I downloaded the install files to my PC and then transferred them to the memory card via USB. To keep it tidy I created a folder called “Install Files”. Then in Application Manager I picked install from File.

7. When adding repositories, everything must be typed correctly. I suggest adding one repository at a time. Once it’s added the tablet will ask if you want to refresh. If it doesn’t refresh, then the repository no longer exists, or more likely you have typed in something wrong. There is also a repository list on the Maemo site.

8. Now that you’ve installed your software. back up your N770. It won’t reinstall the programs, but it will reinstall your repositories and then you can get back to the installable applications section and reinstall your programs.

9. If you do get the dreaded WSOD, don’t panic! You can try re-flashing your device. Now you know why I put in Step 3.

10. You may be tempted to hack your N770 to OS 2007 / 770 hacker edition. You may be also tempted to partition, boot/run from the RS-MMC. Unless you are familiar with Linux, are the high tech sort, like WSOD, I would steer clear. I did install a theme for my daughter, but she decided she didn’t like it. It was a challenge to get rid of it. Finally I changed back to one of the stock themes and then uninstalled. It took a few tries, but I was able to do it.

11. Some people have reported that the N770 is hard to turn back on after a switch off. This happened to me. I simply plugged it into the power and tried again. My husband says he just holds the on button until he sees the start up screen. I just told my daughter not to turn it off, and to use the hard cover to put the device into suspend mode. I am not sure she always does this.

Here are some other sites that I have found helpful:

Found this link on Internet Tablet Talk. I agree with the poster this old ad in EBay is best described as a true tutorial. While it talks about the N800, all N770 folks will find the information invaluable. I have written the seller to see if he has a site. Click here.

Adding repositories here.

Tethering with Cingular or T-Mobile here. (Site says N800, but it worked for the N770)

Download software updater here.

Media Converter

Pythonfor Maemo

Pidgin for Maemo