Anyone else having charset issues with CM7?

Is anyone else having charset issues with CM7? I noticed the issues when using the dictionary function in every reader app I've installed, then noticed it in the web browser as well. I'm using the standard fonts available through CM7.

The issue is that many special characters such as diacritical marks and punctuation marks are not properly rendered. This makes the pronunciation entry in a dictionary totally useless. It is really annoying and I cannot find a setting anywheres to check the charset for CM7. So far it has not affected the text of any books that I've read, but I cannot stand seeing garbage displayed for dictionary entries.

[=X=]

I don't have any character set issue on any of the programs i use.

what app are you having problems with.

Originally Posted by =X=

I don't have any character set issue on any of the programs i use.

what app are you having problems with.

Coolreader, Aldiko, Moon+ Reader, FBreader, etc. The problem is only occuring during dictionary lookup and only with the pronunciation line where the word is shown with pronunciation symbols. Those symbols are not rendering correctly. I think most of these apps use Fora and ColorDict, both of which are installed. The actual book text displays correctly. Also, the dictionary features in Kindle seem to display correctly, but it uses the Oxford English Dictionary.

Another problem I have consistently across Coolreader, Aldiko, Moon+ Reader, and FBreader is the inability to highlight selected text. This is frustrating as I need this feature. Highlighting works okay in Kindle.

The Nook for Android app seems really flaky when running so I quit testing it. It has a lot better functionality than the NC stock reader, so hopefully I can get it working well. I cannot get the nook library browser to function correctly. None of the menus or buttons can be activated on the top bar, the menus only expand and cannot be selected, etc.

BTW, I've moved all my reading apps to the SD card as they seemed to be a bit flaky when installed to internal memory. They seem to work better that way. I installed Kobo last night and am about to uninstall that POS right now. It messed up the Coolreader library and it is pretty much junk anyway, so I'm getting rid of it.

I'm also noting horrible battery life since flashing CM7 to internal memory. Even with Wifi turned off and in Airplane mode it drains really fast. It drains 50% in about 2 to 2.5 hours of reading with low backlight. Even when in sleep and Airplane mode, it will lose 2% or more of the charge in just a few minutes.

So far I have to say I'm not impressed by Android on the NC. I hate to state the obvious, but things simply work correctly on my iPad. With Android you have to constantly pop open the hood, pull out your toolset, and spend the day making repairs and tweaks. I did that with a car back in the 70s because the car was old and worn out, but I really find it annoying with an OS though.

[=X=]

LOL, I swear JS you have the darkest clouds I've ever seen on anyone. It seem like everything that could possibly go wrong on you does.

I don't get the character issues, but then again i don't have the pronunciations on the dictionary of my choice. The only dictionary that does have the pronunciations is the kindle appand that like fine.

Yes i agree Moon's text selection is not as good as the kindle. In fact it's not as good as some of the other tools like repligo and ezPDF, but it's one of the few ePUB readers that had this option. The developer is also very active and does respond to user feedback.

I don't know why your battery life is so bad. It seems like you are only getting 4-5hrs on a full charge. I usually get about 6hrs with WiFi and bright screen on. One difference is that I do run with an overclocked kernel, which does improve the performance and supposedly battery life. Very easy to install, but with your history I'm not sure I'd recommend it. the screen is what kills the juice the most turn it down as much as you can.

Personally I feel you're expectation is to high, if you want a finished product feel, buy a finished product. Look into the tab, flyer, or streak.

The nook is far from perfect, it was never destined as a tablet, and the screen response had some issues. But for me the price is great and the few unpolished features do not bother me especially because it delivers the important features I'm looking for in a tablet.

Anyhow if the issues you are having are so much, toy might want to toss out you're nook and come back later this great when the choices for android tablets will be much better.

Yep, I'm like a bull in a china shop I guess! At least I'm trying to get it to work.

The Fora dictionary and/or ColorDict dictionary are available for at least two of the reader apps I listed, and both use pronunciation text. No big deal, but it would be nice not to see rectangle boxes and forward slashes in place of letters.

As far as the highlighting goes, that is definitely an app issue and not Android related. The nookcolor stock reader had highlighting, and most of the iPad reader apps do, so I got spoiled by having it. I read a LOT of academic level stuff and highlighting makes it easier to remember important points.

Well, with the dictionary and highlighting issues app related, I guess they would still be issues even on an expensive Android tablet.

Hopefully I can discover what is causing my CM7 7.0.3 stable to eat the battery charge. I know it shows that 15-20% of battery drain is due to the non-existent cell radio, but it seems that has been discounted by the experts. I suspect that too many things are running in the background.

Okay I guess I'm persona non grata around this forum, so only =X= seems to care to answer. But here is my guess as to the charset issue I encountered. I think, but this is just a somewhat educated guess, that the issue is due to the dictionaries being used. The Kindle for Android app uses the Oxford English Dictionary and it works wonderfully and no charset issues are evident. The Nook for Android app uses the Merriam-Webster online dictionary and no charset issues are evident with it either. Several reader apps use the Fora Dictionary and/or the ColorDict dictionary, and both of these dictionaries have charset issues.

[jasoraso]

Glad you identified what the problem's are with the charset issues.

There are some new builds coming out of CM7 that improve battery life - when the NC is sleeping, but that doesn't appear to be your issue, although there are kinks to still be worked out.

2 items you might consider for battery life:
- when the NC is "flashed" with a new rom, that new rom calibrates the battery status, based on the assumption that the battery is full. Because most people don't flash a rom when the battery is full, there is a procedure to reset the battery stats. Download the "battery callibration" app and follow the directions.

- in the "settings" menu for the general android system, there is a CyanogenMod Settings option. Under this option, there is a "performance" tab. Then, you can select the "cpu settings".

You may or may not want to adjust the max fequency higher (although I recommend you try 975, if you want to go even higher, you will need to install an "overclock kernel"). That won't help much with battery life.

BUT you can also select the "governor". I've found the conservative helps with my battery life. When I am concerned about battery life, I make sure and select conservative, as well as keep wifi off and the screen dimmer rather than brighter (which is what I prefer when reading).

For day-to-day use when I don't need to squeeze maximum life from my battery, I prefer the On-demand or Smartass governors, with a maximum clock speed of 1200.

Hope the tricks help. And yes, I understand what you are saying about "tuning" a car. I actually enjoy it!

[=X=]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Okay I guess I'm persona non grata around this forum, so only =X= seems to care to answer.

Rats, you made me look up persona non grata, for that you deserve the following

Don't be JS, chance are you just asked a question many folks don't know how to answer. If that is not enough, here is a shoulder... go ahead let it out

Originally Posted by jswinden

....Several reader apps use the Fora Dictionary and/or the ColorDict dictionary, and both of these dictionaries have charset issues.

Yep that is the same conclusion I came to. Also I've installed those packages on my phone Samsung Vibrant and sure enough those issues are showing up. It's not a nook/OS issue it's an app issue.

Most app developers are responsive I'm thinking if folks start informing Fora or ColorDict about the character issues they might fix the issue.

=X=