Where's the Kobo Wifi Upgrade

[KrowNB]

When I bought my wife her Kobo November there was all sorts of talk on this forum about an upgrade for the Kobo Wifi which would (hopefully) add a few features that are now glaringly lacking, ie GOTO function. At that time a FW upgrade seemed to be eminent. Now, over three months later there's still nothing. Does anyone know how much longer we'll have to wait?

[taming]

The Kobo WiFi 1.9 is being beta tested even as we type.

[mootmaina]

NEW FEATURES:
Kobo Wi Fi

* New Wi Fi signal icon
* Ability to add hidden wireless networks (SSID is not being broadcast)
* Regional timezone settings
* Update Library link on main Menu from I’m Reading
* Remove items from I’m Reading via the main Menu on I’m Reading screen (“Close” the book)
* Close the book from the main Menu during the reading experience (Removes item from I’m Reading)
* Go to Page / Go to Chapter in the reading experience via the main Menu

Kobo Desktop

* Added a “Scrubber” in the reading experience, which is a draggable item on the bottom of the screen, allowing the user to easily skip chapters or skip pages within the current chapter

KNOWN ISSUES:

These are issues that might happen to some customers. Solutions or workarounds are provided where available.
Kobo Wireless:

* 1.7.4 users upgrading to 1.9 will not have DST set on their timezone settings – no workaround
* 1.7.4 users upgrading to 1.9 will see Newspaper and Magazine issues that were in I’m Reading are not in I’m Reading anymore after upgrade – no workaround
* Device won’t connect to dual-band routers when both frequencies have the same SSID – change one of the SSIDs
* Forced power off (long press on power off button) sometimes will not display the Powered Off screen correctly – power on and then power off again
* User Guide status changes from Unread to Open when library is updated – no workaround
* Web store fails to connect periodically – try again
* When all items removed from I’m Reading, it will say “Items 1-0 of 0” – no workaround
* Go to Page / Go to Chapter has wrong terminology in the article area of Newspapers – no workaround
* No warning given if downloading a book which is already downloaded – no workaround

Desktop:

* If an eReader is full and synced to the desktop, it will crash the desktop – delete an eBook or document from the eReader before syncing
* Images can get cut off while reading – close and reopen the eBook
* Text can get cut off while reading – close and reopen the eBook
* Image aspect ratios can be stretched out when resizing the window of some titles – no workaround

[taming]

1.9 (both desktop and WiFi update) are live today. It is being rolled out slowly with about 5% of users getting it today.

[caheaton]

Thank you! Goto & ability to close books were the features I felt were needed most. They're much appreciated. Biggest problem I see is the SSID issue for dual routers. Many users may not have the ability to change the SSID if they are at a location where the hardware is not theirs (which is most likely how it gets used). Still, not a huge issue. If I needed a book that urgently I could always go online, purchase and then sync using a laptop (or copy book to an SD card).

Hopefully the update will come my way before the weekend...I have a business trip coming up and am looking forward to brining the Kobo along to read on the plane and in the hotel. (I'm also using the Kobo as a handy way to carry PDF backups of my air ticket, subway maps, etc).
Craig

[taming]

Well, fortunately you can use the reader even if you don't get the update before you leave . Happy journey!

[MorganM]

How does one get the update? Will it just happen one day when I plug my Kobo in to charge?

[taming]

It will happen when you connect wirelessly or when you sync/update the library using the desktop application--not just when you plug in to charge. It hasn't been released in Oz yet--Kobo staff told us "This is just for Kobo branded versions. Borders etc coming soon."

[siraks]

question.

what is this go to everyone is referring to? i guess i could just look it up on google and the whole closing the book thing i don't get either.

i've had my kobo for 4 days now so i'm still really new.

if i'm reading a book and go to the home page isn't that technically closing a book?

thanks for the info on the update, can't wait to get home and see if i get it.

[taming]

Go to lets you choose a specific page within the book to, urmmm, go to. For example, if you are on page 6 and want to go to page 27.

Close the book lets you remove a book from your I'm Reading list without finishing it. Up until this point, you had to page through the book to do this, which was a huge pain in the poop if you had a book with a very, very long last chapter, or no chapters at all.

[siraks]

Originally Posted by taming

Go to lets you choose a specific page within the book to, urmmm, go to. For example, if you are on page 6 and want to go to page 27.

Close the book lets you remove a book from your I'm Reading list without finishing it. Up until this point, you had to page through the book to do this, which was a huge pain in the poop if you had a book with a very, very long last chapter, or no chapters at all.

ahhhhh, sweet.
guess i haven't come across that yet,
although i was fooling around with the kobo yesterday and couldn't load books so i had to factory reset and put my books back on and get to the chapter i was reading in my current book so i guess i can understand the update. coolios.

kobo is in good order now.

will the update reset any settings??

[taming]

Because the way it does time zones has changed, you may have to reset yours. I know I did, but I am not sure that this is true for the actual official update.

[taming]

There are a few smaller changes, for example, when a chapter is loading you will get a message on the bottom of the screen notifying you that the chapter (by name) is loading.

Look at your menus after you get the update, the differences between them, when opened from different places (for example, when you are reading a book, or in I'm Reading" or in "Books" are subtly different.

[siraks]

Originally Posted by taming

There are a few smaller changes, for example, when a chapter is loading you will get a message on the bottom of the screen notifying you that the chapter (by name) is loading.

any info on whether or not the update can now show pages per chapter for side loaded books or does it just show the total page count as before?

[taming]

LOL--siraks, usually people complain about the other issue, not having the total pages in the book.

Kepub books continue to have pages per chapter--the extra pages one had to get through that were pretty much useless are no longer there. Sideloaded books, whether ADOBE DRM or non-DRM show total pages.

My sense is that the reading experience of kepub books has been very much enhanced. I haven't compared the same book viewed in 1.8.4 and 1.9 to be sure, but it looks like the space between lines (leading) has been changed and is not nearly as overly large as I found it in the past (but that might be my personal bug-a-boo). Actually, the experience with kepub books has changed enough so that I may read in that format now. I will keep ePUB backups in Calibre, but again, that's me. I do like being able to sync between the mobile app, the desktop app, and my reader--and that is a kepub kinda thing.

You can once again put the sideloaded books into sleep mode, rather than a press turning the reader off. That is not actually an update, but rather something that was missed when the reader updated from 1.8.1.