New 13.3" Onyx Boox. Rumours, prototype specs, first pictures

[jlark]

Originally Posted by desk7

Thanks for the answer. I will try this way as soon as possible but I need some information: how can I enter recovery mode on the onyx?

desk7, that part of the instructions was for re-detecting the device in order to sideload (i.e. installing an update with adb sideload while in recovery mode), which you're not interested in, you only want it detected during normal operation. (right?)

But anyway, one boots into recovery by holding down the back button and the power button. (and I don't think sideloading would work: on my linux the Max can't be detected in recovery (it errors with "can't read configurations, error -22", "unable to enumerate USB device") -- either mine is broken or there's no software support)

[desk7]

Originally Posted by jlark

FYI, ContentBrowser (the home launcher) phones home a lot. It:

1. sends this raw data

{"last":null,"oauth_key":"LYCAODjoVdRJjXYCwrxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx","installation_id":"23cd4e14-3916-4095-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx","v":"a1.3.1"}

to port 8253, to IPs such as 54.85.229.50 and 54.85.232.127 (which is rather interesting because whois says they belong to facebook).

There seems to be no reply from the server, it just listens on that port very much passively.

2. tries to connect over https to IPs such as 52.71.214.56 / 52.72.210.46 / 54.84.40.56 / 54.88.251.91 / 54.152.122.98 etc., which are all amazon ec2 instances, with a twist: their only open ports are 443 and 8253.

I didn't manage to intercept that traffic, but I'm sure it's connecting to `api.parse.com`, as it's the only DNS request that stands out and the ip range seems to match.

3. POSTs binary data to `http://alog.umeng.com/app_logs`, with the headers:

X-Umeng-UTC:     1464282824227                                                             
X-Umeng-Sdk:     Android/5.5.3 ContentBrowser/+(10555+-+980869c)+Max/4.0.4+B3581136xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This seems to be an apache thrift binary message, but I didn't bother to set up a server and decode it. Incidentally, umeng is listed in this popular hosts file.


[xxxs are my attempt at anonymisation]

I'm not able to understand all your information.
Do you think that our privacy is in danger? The Google Account, for example?
Could we block it with a virtual VPN on the Onyx Boox?

[desk7]

Originally Posted by jlark

desk7, that part of the instructions was for re-detecting the device in order to sideload (i.e. installing an update with adb sideload while in recovery mode), which you're not interested in, you only want it detected during normal operation. (right?)

But anyway, one boots into recovery by holding down the back button and the power button. (and I don't think sideloading would work: on my linux the Max can't be detected in recovery (it errors with "can't read configurations, error -22", "unable to enumerate USB device") -- either mine is broken or there's no software support)

Thanks for the reply!
You're right, I'm not interested in adb sideload, I only want to install adb driver in order to make a USB Monitor app work (this app works fine with my samsung note 2)

[joblack]

Originally Posted by jlark

FYI, ContentBrowser (the home launcher) phones home a lot. It:

1. sends this raw data

{"last":null,"oauth_key":"LYCAODjoVdRJjXYCwrxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx","installation_id":"23cd4e14-3916-4095-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx","v":"a1.3.1"}

to port 8253, to IPs such as 54.85.229.50 and 54.85.232.127 (which is rather interesting because whois says they belong to facebook).

There seems to be no reply from the server, it just listens on that port very much passively.

2. tries to connect over https to IPs such as 52.71.214.56 / 52.72.210.46 / 54.84.40.56 / 54.88.251.91 / 54.152.122.98 etc., which are all amazon ec2 instances, with a twist: their only open ports are 443 and 8253.

I didn't manage to intercept that traffic, but I'm sure it's connecting to `api.parse.com`, as it's the only DNS request that stands out and the ip range seems to match.

3. POSTs binary data to `http://alog.umeng.com/app_logs`, with the headers:

X-Umeng-UTC:     1464282824227                                                             
X-Umeng-Sdk:     Android/5.5.3 ContentBrowser/+(10555+-+980869c)+Max/4.0.4+B3581136xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This seems to be an apache thrift binary message, but I didn't bother to set up a server and decode it. Incidentally, umeng is listed in this popular hosts file.


[xxxs are my attempt at anonymisation]

WTF?!

Booxtor can you confirm that? I don't want a device which sends involuntarily data to a suspected IP? Can I disable it?

[jlark]

Originally Posted by desk7

I'm not able to understand all your information.
Do you think that our privacy is in danger? The Google Account, for example?

There's probably no need to panic, since ContentBrowser's permissions basically only allow it to uniquely identify you, get the list of running apps and read sdcard contents.

However I'm not sure if the message sent to alog.umeng.com really does originate from ContentBrowser or from another app - though there seems to be no Onyx application with blanket permissions. Until someone manages to decompile that message it's anyone's guess what it's sending.

Originally Posted by desk7

Could we block it with a virtual VPN on the Onyx Boox?

You can root it and install AFWall+. That's how I discovered its shenanigans.

[joblack]

Originally Posted by jlark

There's probably no need to panic, since ContentBrowser's permissions basically only allow it to uniquely identify you, get the list of running apps and read sdcard contents.

LOL. Don't you think that's more than enough? It's nobody else's business what apps I have installed.

And it can read sdcard contents ... so it can do (almost) everything?

[joblack]

Is it this one?

February 27, 2015 4:27:44 PM
Type:
Adware
Risk Impact:
High
Systems Affected:
Android

Behavior
Android.Umeng is an advertisement library that is bundled with certain Android applications.

https://www.symantec.com/security_re...040307-5749-99

[desk7]

Originally Posted by jlark

There's probably no need to panic, since ContentBrowser's permissions basically only allow it to uniquely identify you, get the list of running apps and read sdcard contents.

However I'm not sure if the message sent to alog.umeng.com really does originate from ContentBrowser or from another app - though there seems to be no Onyx application with blanket permissions. Until someone manages to decompile that message it's anyone's guess what it's sending.



You can root it and install AFWall+. That's how I discovered its shenanigans.

How did you root your device? With Kingo Root (http://www.kingoapp.com/)?
What do you think about something like this https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...rcode.netguard? Is it safe?

[jlark]

Originally Posted by joblack

LOL. Don't you think that's more than enough? It's nobody else's business what apps I have installed.

It's the list of running apps, not all apps. Not trying to downplay its nastiness here, but it's probably inherited from whatever code they used at its core. Since it's a launcher, one would expect it to have access to the list of backgrounded apps / switch between them / manage them etc.

Originally Posted by joblack

And it can read sdcard contents ... so it can do (almost) everything?

No, it just has access to the common storage. It can't read other apps' settings or whatnot.

But all this is moot, we don't know what it reports anyway, until someone intercepts the https data and decompiles / decrypts the umeng message, or until we read the code. And/or until we have an official statement from Onyx (which I for one haven't contacted about the issue).

Originally Posted by joblack

Is it this one?

[...]

Android.Umeng is an advertisement library that is bundled with certain Android applications.

I don't know if it's exactly that one, but it definitely sends data to Umeng servers, and Umeng is a company in the umm... analytics business.

Originally Posted by desk7

How did you root your device? With Kingo Root (http://www.kingoapp.com/)?

I figured out any method working for the Boox M96 would work. I used TowelRoot v1, which was a bit cludgy, and my second choice after Cydia Impactor (which didn't work for me on linux because.. well.. strangeness, but should probably work for you on windows). I trust these two more than the other options.

Originally Posted by desk7

What do you think about something like this https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...rcode.netguard? Is it safe?

Can't make a suggestion, I only ever tried AFWall+ and its predecessor, and don't know enough about the Android internals to imagine how this works without root. Test it out and see how it fares?

[iacchi]

I received an email from booxtor's store and my Max is on its way! Yay! Then I'll have to wait to go home next month to put my hands on it.

[xtech]

I have a question to all those, who live in the USA and who purchased the Max in the German online store. Could you share with us how much were your custom duties that you have to pay on top of the price of the e-ereader? Need to know that to choose the better way to buy the product.

[Willy Tärk]

Originally Posted by Drew22

Hi dear e-reader fans,

several weeks ago I received one Onyx Boox Max e-reader from the first batch. Now the time has come to write a review for you. Till now I was the happy owner of an Onyx Boox M96 9.7 inch e-reader, against whom I would compare the 13.3 inch Max. Both have been purchased from Booxtor.

The first contact with such a big screen left me speechless. The 13.3“ Max is simply another world of reading, a class of its own. Since I had it on the table, I couldn’t stand anymore to read from the tiny 9.7 incher such is the difference. My readings consist mostly of .pdfs with wildly different quality, writing, page organization, letter size and clarity. With the M96 one went often through the torture of adapting every single document to make it readable: cropping the white margins, zooming, cutting the image in half, changing from landscape mode to portrait and viceversa, etc. With the Max , that tedious and unnerving work is history. You might still customize the view as before, but mostly this is not necessary.

One who has other Onyx devices like M92 or M96 will soon realise the software is basically the same, with only minor changes dictated by the size.

In order to structure my review I will answer those of your questions to which I have something to say:

1. @beachwanderer and tarlcab – The default Scribble app is perfect for note taking. Responsiveness is not an issue anymore. At the university I was able to take notes without having a notebook. If it is practical as a long term notebook replacement, I cannot yet determine. A few more functions would have been welcome.
2. Annotation is easy on .pdf documents, but .docx formats are being opened by another app, i.e. OReader (instead of Onyx Neo Reader for the former), which does not support handwriting. Introducing separate handwritten bookmarks in .pdfs is not yet possible, but will be soon – Booxtor assured me. You can though write separately to bookmarked places with the virtual keyboard, which I find cumbersome. However you can write on the white text edges and underline important ideas in the text with the help of your stylus.
3. Additional apps – I did not try recently to install additional apps because the built-in ones are pretty good, reflecting the years of experience gaining, upgrading and adaptation by the Onyx engineers. The few reading and writing apps I did try one year ago on the M96 were often slower and lagging. If some of you guys would be nice to test them and share with us comparisons with Onyx Neo Reader, OReader and Onyx Scribble, it would be great.
4. Memory card: Officially MAX supports max 32 GB, but as others pointed out here, it’s not true. I used a 64 GB Sandisk Ultra microSDHC, class 10. It works just fine, AFTER you reformat it as FAT32 (They come preformatted as exFAT, which MAX does not recognise.). Nevertheless the FAT32 format does not read documents over 4 GB. Who would read such a big document anyway…
5. Flipping the page takes 1 to 3 seconds. That’s fine with me. To be sincere, one needs a second or two to turn a real page made of paper too.
6. @ oranges Yes, the 13.3 inch screen is really good for all textbooks. The up to 2 seconds turning page is not an issue, at least to me. However, when making lots of written annotations and wishing to exit the document, the e-reader tends to freeze more than a few seconds, and that is unnerving. Booxtor should look into the matter.
7. The device is not looking oversized at all (one gets used very quickly, in a day or two), but holding it in your hands can prove to be tiring. There are methods to avoid that, e.g. read on your desk, put a book or a book-support behind for a better angle.
8. Can one avoid using the pen? Not entirely. You can extensively use the buttons most of the time. However for some commands one still needs the pen.
9. It would be nice for someone to test the Moon+ et co.. For me the provided software from Onyx is very good.
10. @deb2016 there is the Onyx Scribble app for handwriting and note taking, and in a few months we’ll have the ability to add handwritten notes to our bookmarks.
11. As far as I can determine, Scribble doesn’t recognize “levels of pressure” or the pen inclination. One can only change the thickness of the writing. Therefore the device is not suitable for drawings. Maybe Booxtor has another answer. Just write him on his webpage.
12. No, it’s not annoying to do everything with the pen. One just has to get used to it. Some might not like it no matter what, but it shouldn’t be a big thing for the majority of the readers.
13. @ Question Mark – it is always easy to replace a lost stylus because it is exactly the same as the one from M96. You just order one for M96 and that’s it.
14. The capacitive Netronix/GoodEreader device could have been an interesting alternative, if several key specs were not so terrible. It’s hard to imagine how an e-reader can cope with demanding .pdf documents, while only endowed with 512 MB of RAM. Besides, it lacks dedicated software, which is also a drawback. I didn’t like that Michael Kozlowski simply deleted my posts expressing these two issues. He might not have a team of software engineers at this stage to solve the latter, but the RAM problem must urgently be addressed, otherwise there will be a backlash as soon as his first batch hits the market.
15. @ desk7 The side button on the stylus is a quick start function for the handwriting, without going the extra mile of opening the menu and the built-in Scribble. The cap button is for erasing your own markings.
16. @ iacchi It’s a matter of weeks until Onyx will release the 4.4 Android version.
17. @ xtech Ipads/tablets and e-readers are two different worlds. It’s like comparing apples with oranges. If you’ve got eye straining issues, then a 13.3 inch e-reader is highly recommendable. Be aware though, most entertainment apps and games will not be available, even with Android 4.4. Max is for reading, writing, comics – not more, not less.
18. @ desk7 Yes, the annotations are not saved into the .PDF when transferring it to PC. I find it annoying. Booxtor, are you there? Can you or anybody else explain to us how it works?
19. @ Willy Tank Regarding your fourth question, a 9.7” e-reader is far less practical for .pdf reading than a 13.3”. This is my experience after one year with Onyx Boox M96 and extensive readings. The default mode is portrait for both screens.
20. 5. Question – Yes, the changed settings will be saved for every single .pdf separately. There is such a variety of .pdfs that you don’t really need a one setting for all of them.

The good thing is that in the end, everyone has the opportunity to buy the preferred e-reader with the preferred size: there are 5”, 6”, 6.8”, 8”, 9.7”, and now 13.3” e-readers. Isn’t that beautiful? Clearly not everyone would enjoy a 13.3 inch screen, but those who wish for one, should definitely go for Max.

My next post will be about my expectations regarding the next generation of 13.3 inch e-readers.

Wow, such a helpful and great post! It should have get much more Attention!
I hope/think it's okay if i push it a little bit to a newer page!
It would be also very interessting what your expectations are, regarding the next generation of 13.3 inch e-readers... Maybe you could also extend your thoughts between the difference of 9.7 Inch and 13.3 Inch e-reader a little bit, if you dont't mind and if you have anything more to say about this.

[xtech]

It is interesting to see how much funds people are going to invest just to get easier access to the "second monitor option" and for a stand.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/p...monitor-13-3#/

If I am not mistaken, Onyx can work as a second monitor only when rooted. It would be good if it can work as a second monitor out of the box. And also good, if Onyx would suggest some stand (in the accessories section) for the Onyx. Then there will be no need to spend time doing the rooting, getting possible problems, etc. By the way, currently, the second monitor option is the additional factor, why I prefer Onyx, and not Sony, despite the latter's light weight, and perhaps better build quality.

[Kumabjorn]

Wouldn't the Onyx be able to run Twomon Air/USB under its Android license?

Twitter is to communications as haiku is to literature.

[jra166]

Originally Posted by xtech

And also good, if Onyx would suggest some stand (in the accessories section) for the Onyx. Then there will be no need to spend time doing the rooting, getting possible problems, etc. By the way, currently, the second monitor option is the additional factor, why I prefer Onyx, and not Sony, despite the latter's light weight, and perhaps better build quality.

The stand I am using for my n96 and Microsoft Surface is the 3M LX550. It was designed for Laptops, but is perfect for larger tablet devices. If and when I get a MAX, I have no doubt that I would use this stand for it as well.