New "Mars" device from Likebook?

[donbrubaker]

Quick question and I apologize if it's already been answered. I was wondering if you can reverse the contrast so that instead of black text on a white background, you can have white text on a black background. Also, what's the easiest way to move books from Calibre to the reader? Thanks... I'm very interested in purchasing this!

[Sonofrobot]

Originally Posted by donbrubaker

Quick question and I apologize if it's already been answered. I was wondering if you can reverse the contrast so that instead of black text on a white background, you can have white text on a black background. Also, what's the easiest way to move books from Calibre to the reader? Thanks... I'm very interested in purchasing this!

This can't be done at the OS level but it can be done with a lot of different apps. Moon Reader for one allows you to do this.

It might not be the easiest way but this is how I have mine set up:
Calibre library is in my Dropbox. I have Dropsync automatically sync my books folder to my device and then point Moon Reader to that folder. That way I don't ever have to manually add books, any time I add a book it automatically gets downloaded to my device when Dropsync autosyncs.

[Libretom]

Hello! I want to know if there are accented letters (Ő, Í, Ú, Ű) on the Mars keyboard? Thanks for the reply!I want to buy!?

[notimp]

Some additional useful apps/app combinations for the mars:

Gesture Control:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...esture.control

Allows you to "create" an invisible (layout > hide bar) bar on the bottom end of the ereader, that does different actions if you move it. Moves to the left and right are the most reliable. I have it set up to trigger "home" when moved left (and left while holding), and to trigger the notification tray when moved right (only works in the default launcher (in most full screen apps it pulls the notification tray "in the background" (so while the notification bar, and tray are still hidden) so that gesture only has specific uses - more on that later).

This enables you to exit all apps - back to the launcher, without having to fiddle your way into pulling down the notification bar and hitting home. So its more reliable and quicker. It doesnt conflict with the use of Comixology or Perfect Viewer either - so its actually a decent solution.

Notification Launcher
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...pyware.quickli
To pin a few app shortcuts onto your notification tray. I use this, because I actually like the default launcher so I won't replace it - but then you also benefit from having some app shortcuts always available.

This is also the reason I have Gesture control set to pull the notification tray, its easier access to the way I launch most apps.

Force Rotation:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...force.rotation

I've found to be a reliable way to have the screen rotated based on which app gets launched. It works in the background and doesnt need you to take any action, once you've set it.


All those apps have to be allowed to run in the background and to be launched on boot. (User Settings/Power Management/Application startup manager).

[romevi]

Originally Posted by Libretom

Hello! I want to know if there are accented letters (Ő, Í, Ú, Ű) on the Mars keyboard? Thanks for the reply!I want to buy!?

It has most accented keys. It's just the AOSP keyboard and you can switch it out.

[Libretom]

Thank you, Romevi!!

[nick2011]

Likebook Mars is great as Android device but reading the often low-contrast pages and light fonts used by websites and apps is a problem. As mentionned by someone here, the "application contrast enhancement" feature doesn't seem to improve anything. So, any tips welcome :-)
Or maybe we simply have to wait for a clever firmware upgrade.
As for asking developpers of apps and browsers to provide options to darken fonts or increase contrast for ereaders users, I'm not sure they will bother.

[bfuk]

Love this ereader but have a problem that if I'm reading at night (which is when I use it mostly, having upgraded from a Kobo Aura), the device wont sleep but works with other apps. Guess there is no way around this?

[eReader fan]

One month since the last time I gave atenttion to this thread, and I hoped most of the firmware problems where solved, but thats not that way. Somethings seems fixed, like the GooglePlay installing (not important for me), and others things are half fixed, like having apps running in the background or to let start some apps on the boot, but thats not enough and the freedom of a real android is not yet achieved.

The Onyx Nova is there so... In a few weeks it will be my time to make a decision.

I found the Rockchip of the mars is the same used on some androidTV and exists alternative android 6.0 ROMS and also ways to install linux on this chip far developed. In a couple of ours i will post all the info I have on the Android Developing subforum just because maybe someone one wants/knows how to adapt it for the Mars. Maybe this is our best options.

[notimp]

We are now entering the "people dont know how stuff works - but still try to make sense of it" phase. You can identify it by different people throwing stuff out and seeing what sticks.

Here is a rundown to give you a little indication of how stuff works.

Android on the Mars is plain Android - you can "do all things Android" with this device, there is nothing holding you back (despite root currently not being available).

Here are the limitations and why they are implemented.

Task killer, on all apps per default. Thats a chinese manufactuers darling - whenever they "think" that they need better batterylife, they put in a task killer set to aggressive. Its mostly idiotic - it doesnt hurt "much" though - so let them do it. At least they allow you to whitelist apps that you dont want to be killed in the background thats commendable, because most do not.

If the SOC doest have any major flaws while entering hibernation, its mostly a useless thing to do - but hey, for some reason its on the top 3 list of modifications to android chinese brands like to implement.

Best rational for it I could come up with - there are some notorious applications that like to prevent your android device from hibernating, such as facebook. When chinese manufacturer puts in taskkiller those get shut down. Joe Smoe sees better batterylife (sees not - not realtime notifications, because that stuff usually messes with GCM), posts better testimonial on social, chinese manufacturer makes more sales.

Now, you can whitelist apps you want not be be killed regularly, those then work fine and as expected.

With the little tweak menitoned by another user (auto turn Wifi off in standby), this device not only performs like a normal Android device, it also has about the standby time of a norma Android device (around 5 days with with an infrequent (mostly stand by) usage pattern).

Nothing exciting yet. Nothing too problematic either.

The usage detriments come from the eInk side of the occasion. And they are understandable. In most apps they dont fully refresh the screen that much (general pattern seems to be about one full refresh every 2 minutes), so in most apps you have washed out lines eventually. Not heavily washed out, and by no means unreadable, but noticeably worse - than the optimum.

This is also all very understandable. If you know, or have written the app in use, you can optimize full screen refreshes (f.e. native reading app), and everythings hunky dory, if you dont - you go with a middle of the road setting, that also optimizes a little on responsiveness - as you want android apps to be usable. You make a compromise readability suffers.

To their defense, they at least tried to give you controls to alter picture contrast - and in some (few) apps they actually work (comixology), on most though they dont. Or they work for the first refresh upon app launch - and then revert to default

Thats not too bad in general, because you can compensate by using image viewers like Perfect Viewer, that can alter image contrast on their own, or you can use reading apps that alter font contrast, or you can use certain fonts with a kerning "optimized for eInk". And in the case of comixology - at least I lucked out and the "custom greyscale settings" the Mars allows you to set "took".

In general - deactivate "animations" on pageturn, to get more contrast out of the same settings (I have animations turned on both on Perfect Viewer and in Comixology - because I could use other means to make the image more "contrasty").

The ONLY way out of this dilemma would be, that the manufacturer of the eInk device looks at different apps individually, and optiizes screen refresh behavior depending on what they are doing. Thats probably cost prohibitive, so thats also not something you could reasonably expect. Also it would produce 5000 "could you do for my favourite app?" requests in a week (because people usually demand stuff, without knowing if it is feasible), so even if you are doing that with certain apps, better tell no one.

Web browsing as a daily usage scenario is out anyhow - because eink is still too slow to make that a pleasent experience (A2 mode (only use half refresh time) is a nice trick (and actually more than a marketing gag) - but even then - meh).

If you'd want to judge this as an Android device, its till incredibly slow and unresponsive - THA EIGHT COR PROCESSOR, hasnt solve that. But then people get so excited, when they hear PR talk...

That this thing "comes" with the google play store also one of those "dumb user" concessions. Not because its not much more convenient (it is), but the reason, why it doest do so "by default" without "changing that odd "setting"" are license agreements, that woudl make the device more expensive for the manufacturer to sell. Then everyone and their mom complains, that google play services and the play store cant be installed - then the manufacturer tries to go with a legal loophole solution, that probably wouldnt hold up, If google even recognized them as a vendor and noticed. If you are selling your device with the google services framework active, you are entering in a licensing deal with google. Not to ship with that active by default is no "oversight", its what their lawyers suggested.

Questions?

"But not the freedom of real adroid--" > No, its real android. Fully featured, fully functionable.

"But maybe that other manufacturer will make better Android eInk tablet!" > I doubt it. Most issues are structural.

"But what tip, so I can browse web more better" > None, because thrid party apps and perfect screen refreshes on multimedia content, that could be text, a video, or a gif - on one screen - isnt feasable

"They made the mistake to not go with Play Store in the beginning" > No, thats actually them trying not having to adher to googles licensing terms. And then they buckled, because the average consumer demanded it and fabricated, a probably still illegal workaround.

"But standby battery usage is so worse and I had to intall abttery saferrr" > You just stuck in the "believes everything - didnt test anything, goes whats advertised" phase. Its normal, that after every firmware update of any smartphone manufacturer, you get 10% my battery life so much worse, reactions, that are purely confirmation bias. In case you havent noticed, most people cant set up standardized test scenarios. They rather read horoscopes and play the lottery.

"But fastest, and octacore, and A2 mode!" > Just forget it. Its usable. As a multimedia or webbrowsing device its still a crudge though. eink being the limeting factor.

"I wonder what "brand" will release in response to Likebook Mars" > Nothing, because the eink based android device - isnt even a category. Its what some manufacturers do, because they can use android for free, and by now have specifications for a few chips that can run it. Up to 6.0 also with eink support (afaik thats thanks too google as well). Having an Android eink device, is an interesting middle ground. With its own pros and cons.

No sane "big brand" manufacturer would go with an Android OS and a corresponding SOC at this point. SOCs too expensive, 1 month batterylife marketing keypoint not reachable, licensing quarrels with google, not being able to brand this as your own store frontend, ...

"They use a taskkiller! Its not normal android!" > You can define exceptions, they work, thats the important part. Get over it. Yes I agree it is silly. But they are angling for positive word of mouth by people that are impressed, that their facebook doesnt always have to be running in the background. People that have reached the next level of evolution and wont even install it - get no discernible benefit. But also hardly any detriments. (Havent checked if GCM real time notifications work, could be broken. But its an eReader not your phone... Chances are you'll get over it. Apart from that its fully fledged android.)

[azw409]

So to summarise notimp :-

It's a decent Android device but it has an eInk screen and that brings compromises that you have to live with.



Personally, I love it as an eReader - I can read the Kindle App, Google Play Books on one device. I can use newspaper apps natively like The Guardian and The Telegraph, and it's the best browsing experience I've ever experienced on an eInk device. The built-in launcher and reader are a bit ropey but it's Android and so you don't have to use them ! I also have no complaints with battery life, I can easily get 2+ weeks just using it as a reader with Kindle app and no wifi. Auto-killing the Facebook mass surveillance app is clearly desirable on any platform

[romevi]

notimp, that took me two fast scrolls to get through. o_O

[feelmaroon]

Decided to pick one up (Likebook Mars). Initial comments:

-Really big fan of the drag and drop fonts. Got about 30 now just sitting there (I recommend CourierPolski1941. Really feels like an old typewriter from the 40s. got it free off dafont.com...

-Nice on the free case.

-This really feels like a Paperwhite clone in 8" form factor which is great. Build quality. Impressed.

-Screenshots (I found that screenshot timer thing but does anyone know how to screenshot on this sucker?) Being there is no physical volume rocker, I can't do the usual Android screenshot method. What i've been doing is finding my favorite covers on the Kindle (jailbroken with screensaver feature), screenshotting them, dragging the file to the Likebook and they translate perfectly for the ones with white space, I just cropped that out). Not that big of a deal but would be cool to cut out the middle man and just screenshot on the Likebook and drag that into the Wallpaper so i can show the cover of the current book i'm reading).

-Really like two column reading in moonreader+ (been wanting this feature for years on e-ink and now I finally got it).
-Also really like the animated page turns. The octocore runs just fast enough to make this feature usable for me. Gimmicky, sure, but feels better on e-ink than ipad screens.

-Font weight (Boldness)and picture weight toggles. The former is awesome (further control than a Kindle 5 setting) and the latter, I imagine would be a big plus with people who read PDFs (which i don't).

-Inversion (using Moonreader): mixed bag. With heavy tinkering i can make it look pretty good but then I just prefer to reset the settings and it ends up better.

-The autopage turn in the native reader is really solid but it took me some time to actually time what the right speed is to have it autoturn (as a comparison, the autoscroll feature on moonreader works well using the "by pixel" setting. pretty streamline with no flashing

-One major flaw i've found while using moonreader is i can't seem to toggle between one column reading and two. it shuts down. then when i try to load that book up again it just kills the app.

-Bluetooth keyboard and gmail. Surprised how well I like it using the a2 feature. For you novelists who have always wanted to write longform on e-ink, you got your reader.
-Bluetooth mouse. Useless to use as a mouse (guessing you could possibly mess with the settings to make it work) but perfect if you want a clicker to change pages for you like having it by your hand in bed with the ereader on a stand above you (you can get a theme here of my laziness)

-battery life-had a few problems when it would just keep the microsd searching with me coming back to it and the battery being dead. remember have to treat it as android not a Kindle. with that in mind, it's pretty solid. ejected it while still keeping it in the machine worked well. the only reason why i wanted to put a microsd card was to have all of wikipedia offline (or the kiwix version at least) which leads to:

-Wikipedia offline. Put 35 gigs no pictures and it's pretty great because I have a long subway ride in nyc and sometimes just want to read random information instead of a novel or nonfiction book.I literally tried to stump it by typing in random crap and it always loaded.

-Pocket-works well but not as well as Kobo

-Black and white cbz comics. Very nice and just enough real estate for a comic.

If you put the Aura One (own one) in one of my hands and The Likebook Mars in the other and made me choose, I'd take the Mars 10 of 10 times. The bluetooth keyboard writing option is a game changer for me. Gives this reader a trick none of my other readers have.

[JS_F]

Are annotations saved in the original PDF document or you need to export them in a new PDF file like Onyx?

[FastFingers]

For those wanting it on sale, Ali has a sale where you have to add it to a cart by the tenth and buy on the eleventh. I'm going to get mine for 212 with cover.

Mostly looking forward to Libby, orange light for easier reading and immersion, a good size screen, and finally being free of having to transfer between a microsd and app data space (because it's a 500mb partition and Google services takes up 300) with my c67ml carta 2. Got a 128gb microsd in anticipation.

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