New "Mars" device from Likebook?

[micha123]

Got mine today from Al...s warehouse Spain without any problems. I had to pay 204 USD (10 USD new customer voucher)/ 182,19 €.

I installed the Play Store thorough the Boyue Store App. After some small quarrels as mentioned in other post here before Play Store is running fine.

Or not? If i open the Moon+ Reader Pro page I can't install it. I should pay 4,99€ for it again?! Is there a limit for the app to be installed in parallel? I have it installed on three other devices. Because on the other hand I can install FBReader Premium without any new purchases. So it looks like a Moon+ Reader Pro restriction.

Not so very important. Is it possible to open notifications bar for a longer time. If I push it down it closes at once.

Tomorrow I will install Ivona. So fare I have a good feeling about this device. I was worried because of it's size, but I think I can chum up with it. Play Store is running, Alreader installed, SD card inserted, just need to finish reading my old school paperback book bought to bypass the weeks without E-ink...

[tupenny]

Originally Posted by 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.

Great Thank for all, and Thks Notimb

I have a problem, in on one of my app I need a menu bar, specialy parameter buton " ... "
Gesture controle don't propose this "special" button.
Have you an idea.

Thank you

[notimp]

Thats the menu aka "settings overflow" button, thats left android from 3.0 onward.

see: https://android-developers.googleblo...nu-button.html

You could use an app like this one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ast.menubutton , and in general, if you find an app that has this command built in as an "activity", you can chain gesture control to execute that action. I havent checked if thats possible with this app, but cycle through a few of them, one eventually has to give you that option.

[tupenny]

Originally Posted by notimp

Thats the menu aka "settings overflow" button, thats left android from 3.0 onward.

see: https://android-developers.googleblo...nu-button.html

You could use an app like this one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ast.menubutton , and in general, if you find an app that has this command built in as an "activity", you can chain gesture control to execute that action. I havent checked if thats possible with this app, but cycle through a few of them, one eventually has to give you that option.

Thanks a lot Notimp,
I just tried this app, and unfortunatly don't work on this tablet (in Accessibility menu, the service : "Menu Bar" don't want turn ON )

The app i want to start is this one : https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...=com.bfv&hl=fr

Thank you for your help.

[notimp]

Bad news. Gesture control does have the option to trigger a menu press, but it is under "root required" options.

Gesture control also has the option to implement Tasker Tasks, so I installed tasker, made a simple "press menu button" task, ran it - and wile running it, the action failed. Tasker first tried to run the keyevent as root, then ran a few javascript actions - but ultimately failed to "press menu".

The issue with the accessibility service not turning on, should be solvable by FIRST allowing User Settings/Power Management/Application Startup Management - the app to run in the background, but then I couldnt get jettoast.menubutton to display the overlay (might be a conflict with Gesture Control, or not).

So summery: Two more prominent apps agree, that you'd need root to input a home button press, and the only app on the play store that seemed to disagree, which I could find - doesnt work on the device.

If you'd like to play around with tasker - tasker on its own should be able to setup a task where, whenever you open your app of choice, it would wait for 5 seconds, then trigger a home button press. So your usecase should be solvable with tasker alone. But then tasker home button press fails.

[notimp]

Just solved it for you.

Writeup following in a few minutes.

Edit: Sorry - same hangup. :/ Had the menu key working in tasker, but not in third party apps.

input keyevent 82

gets executed by tasker in tasker, but not while a third party app is running. Google sources reconfirm, that you need root for that.. :/

edit: Tapping multiple times onto the version number under device info will enable developer options in settings, in developer options you can enable usb debugging. Then you can adb into the device. Then you can run:

adb shell 'am start -n com.bfv/com.bfv.BlueFlyVario --user 0 && sleep 2 && input keyevent 82'

Which will bring up the menu in the app you requested. Sad thing is, if you run the command locally - it will not. At this point _everything_ points towards you needing root for this action. (Or an app that somehow manages this using accessibility settings permissions)

[notimp]

For those who dont know, the KOReader app (installable from the Likebook Appstore (different from the Play Store)) has pdf reflow in it. If a pdf file has roughly the same boring layout throughout the book/document, this is a very viable way to read it.

And even if it doesnt, this is the best way to read f.e. scientific papers on the device. The only thing that changes if there is an abrupt layout change is, that you will have different font size text segments within one page. Thats not great for reading, but it still beats all other forms of handling a pdf file thats too big for the screen.

Interestingly enough, the chinese version of boyues pdf reading app also has this option available to it, the english version has not..

How to enable pdf reflow in KOReader:



Reflow working well:



Reflow encountering complex layout on a page:



Also - funnily enough the Likebook Mars renders its pages internally in color:


Because who cares about overhead in 2018.
--

Looked around for a chinese product sheet to find out what specific options were doing, but boyue doesnt even support manuals in chinese. Quality company targeting its quality consumers I guess.

But what I found were official figures for the battery runtime:

180 hours (=7,5 days) standby, local reading for 60 hours (=2,5 days - wifi off, screen brightness set to 0), read online for 50 hours (=2 days - wifi on, screen brightness set to 0) - they dont sound exaggerated, so I guess its nice to have them. Source is boyue.com (a website so misconfigured, it sends Chrome desktop to the wep portal, but allows Chrome on a mobile device to view the desktop version, with an additional click .. )

[notimp]

For the unlikely instance that anyone would like an applescript program to pull screenshots from the Likebook Mars (or indeed any android device) via adb (developer options have to be enabled on the Likebook, as well as USB debugging, adb has to be installed on the computer thats connecting via adb (and USB), the on screen security prompt on the ereader for a device connecting via adb has to be granted - then its plain sailing.. (screenshots will show up in a boyue folder on the desktop) ) -- here you go :

tell application "Terminal"
	do script "echo i can haz screencaps"
end tell
tell application "System Events"
	tell application process "Terminal"
		set frontmost to true
		keystroke "h" using command down
	end tell
end tell
do shell script "/bin/sleep 1.7"
do shell script "adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screencap.png"
do shell script "mkdir -p ~/Desktop/boyue"
do shell script "adb pull /sdcard/screencap.png ~/Desktop/boyue/screencap.png"
set theFolder to alias "Macintosh HD:Users:notimp:Desktop:boyue:"
tell application "Finder"
	set k to 0
	repeat with thisFile in (get document files of theFolder that name contains "screencap" and name extension is "png")
		set k to k + 1
		get name extension of thisFile
		if name of thisFile contains "screencap" then
			set name of thisFile to "screencap " & k & "." & result
		end if
	end repeat
end tell
do shell script "adb shell rm /sdcard/screencap.png"
do shell script "killall Terminal"

Dont forget to replace notimp with your MacOS Username.

[notimp]

Also this works (have a bluetooth speaker ready):





(come to think of it, I would buy a Likebook LCD based android tablet for 170 USD, same size, no questions asked.. )

Also here are two very handy app shortcuts for

- the battery usage screen:
https://apkpure.com/battery-usage-sh...yusageshortcut

and

- the bluetooth settings screen
https://apkpure.com/bluetooth-settin...edia.bluetooth

Combine them with 'Quickly' or 'Gesture Control', or place them as permanet apps on the homescreen, however you see fit.

Btw - still of the opinion, that this thread was so much better, when people used it for "But does it work with my favorite app - 50 or more recipies for mashed potatoes - HD?" service requests?

[notimp]

Comparison shots 'Perfect Viewer' before and after the settings tweaks:

Before / After:


What actually happens (after image not converted to greyscale), and recommended settings:

(No app long press settings enabled, A2 of course is disabled, screen transitions in Perfect Viewer are still enabled. edit: As you can also see, I enabled sharpening in Perfect Viewer as well - but that depends on content and taste - add as you see fit.)
--

Reuploaded the short smartphone video of Ivona TTS (english) to vimeo (turn up volume ).



For those of you who havent set it up already, here is the tutorial:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...&postcount=238

I encourage you to do it.

[tupenny]

Originally Posted by notimp

edit: Tapping multiple times onto the version number under device info will enable developer options in settings, in developer options you can enable usb debugging. Then you can adb into the device. Then you can run:

adb shell 'am start -n com.bfv/com.bfv.BlueFlyVario --user 0 && sleep 2 && input keyevent 82'

Which will bring up the menu in the app you requested. Sad thing is, if you run the command locally - it will not. At this point _everything_ points towards you needing root for this action. (Or an app that somehow manages this using accessibility settings permissions)

NOTIMP, great thks to tried to solved this "fu--ing" no present menu bar.
But yes, infortunatly i will can't connect the Likebook Mars on a PC before fly in paraglide.

Thank you for tried find a way.

[tupenny]

Is anybody has a solution for obtain GPS position via an other device ? And run a navigation app

I tried GPS tether, but it's an echec for me., if you have a way...

Best regards

[notimp]

Originally Posted by tupenny

NOTIMP, great thks to yried to solved this "fu--ing" no present menu bar.
But yes, infortunatly i will can connect the Likebook Mars on a PC before fly in paraglide.

Thank you for yried find a way.

I expected as much. Once a rooting method becomes available, you are golden and have many different options open to you. So theres that to look forward to..

Also silly me talking about a 170 USD LCD tablet with that form factor I would buy. Today (singles day invented by alibaba (just another sales event)) the Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 8" (60 grams more than the Likebook) is 160 USD on aliexpress. (With a risk of being stuck in customs. ) So I take that back..

Tablets at this point really have become impulse purchases.

The Mi Pad 4 - also without GPS or compass btw.

[romevi]

How do you all take screenshots?

[notimp]

In between those replies I have one where I posted a little applescript (its a simplified programming language for apple pcs (macs) thats mostly oriented around general grammar, so its quite easy to understand and pick up - you can just post those lines into a "program" called AppleScript Editor that comes with every mac, and out of it comes a program ) that I use to do it.

But you can use any app in the app store that comes with its own screenshot "engine" - I think "Screenshot touch" was one available in the Play Store I tried for a short time, and that worked.

For me its just easier to use the applescript app currently (it automatically takes the screenshots and then pulls them from the android device to the mac into a specific folder, and renames them with consecutive numbers at the end of the filenames, whenever I run the program (using f.e. spotlight - an apple launcher thing = three button presses) ). The Likebook has to be connected via usb.

The program uses shell scripting (basically terminal navigation (think of it like DOS in the olden days) and not much more), and a command line program called adb, that google provides (and that has to be installed seperatly) to communicate with Android devices over the command line (thats the thing you enable usb debugging on the android device for), as well as a few lines of applescript native code to rename the files once they are on the mac.

The idea to use little highly specific programs like adb and chain them together (use the output of one as the input of another) - is basically what linux is all about (besides the gui), its a very powerful concept - because you can layer in complexity as needed, and basically design your own actions and workflows. Everyone who did grow up on a PC operating system that wasnt Windows - does it..

There are also plattforms out there where people basically solve peoples coding issues for fun, so once you understand a little of the grammar, you can put together your own scripts - entirely out of other peoples code - just fit together... - simply by googling what you want to do. Applescript is nice for that - because its so similar to every day grammar - but apart from that, its not widely used or highly regarded.

I've found no "native" way to take screenshots on the Likebook Mars without an additional app, or adb. (Because the likebook lacks hardware volume buttons.)