Kobo future firmware feature request thread

[John Hopper]

The one thing I really, really want is predictive text on the virtual keyboard. I make a fair number of notes on non-fiction and this would really speed things up. It's the one thing I miss most from Kindles.

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk

[Wallace Lee]

I would like to have the option of saving some [light's tone+light's power] settings, and giving different names to them:

BED - 30% of light, mild red tone.

WORK - 0% of light

LIVING ROOM - 22% light, mild blue tone

Imagine have the options pre-saved by you tather than tuning the device by hand every single time...

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by gtriever

For the Kobo website: I'd like to see an Author Watchlist feature. I have numerous book series that I follow, and it'd be nice to be notified when a new book is released.

There is such a feature on Fantastic Fiction.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Barruel

Hi.

I would like to get battery charging level control, so the battery stops charging at 80% and doesn't start charging again until it is under 40%.

Is that possible with firmware?

It's not possible to do what you want. You would have to do it manually.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It's not possible to do what you want. You would have to do it manually.

That's the point. It is a feature request. The stop charging at 80% was a popular feature in laptops as a way of extending battery life. I have no idea if it is still done.

The don't charge until it hits 40% is also something that could be done in the charging circuit. All my older laptops did something like this as if you plugged in when the battery was 95% or higher, they did not charge the battery.

I doubt that implementing either of those would be that hard. The issue would be whether the battery charging was purely hardware, or there was some software involved. But, I've expressed my opinion of this method of extending the battery life a few times, so I have no desire to see it implemented.

[Barruel]

Originally Posted by davidfor

That's the point. It is a feature request. The stop charging at 80% was a popular feature in laptops as a way of extending battery life. I have no idea if it is still done.

The don't charge until it hits 40% is also something that could be done in the charging circuit. All my older laptops did something like this as if you plugged in when the battery was 95% or higher, they did not charge the battery.

I doubt that implementing either of those would be that hard. The issue would be whether the battery charging was purely hardware, or there was some software involved. But, I've expressed my opinion of this method of extending the battery life a few times, so I have no desire to see it implemented.

I use battery charging control on my Android phone to avoid deep charge and discharge cycles. It is a feature included in several roms as default and there are several apps doing it. All of them depend on a daemon. Beign Linux based devices, I thought that maybe it would be easily implementable in our Kobos.

[emreka]

Originally Posted by Barruel

I use battery charging control on my Android phone to avoid deep charge and discharge cycles. It is a feature included in several roms as default and there are several apps doing it. All of them depend on a daemon. Beign Linux based devices, I thought that maybe it would be easily implementable in our Kobos.

Can you recommend any of those Android apps? When I looked it up I couldn't find any. There was one that let alerted you when it reached a set percentage but that was it.

[Barruel]

Originally Posted by emreka

Can you recommend any of those Android apps? When I looked it up I couldn't find any. There was one that let alerted you when it reached a set percentage but that was it.

https://github.com/MatteCarra/AccA

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Barruel

I use battery charging control on my Android phone to avoid deep charge and discharge cycles. It is a feature included in several roms as default and there are several apps doing it. All of them depend on a daemon. Beign Linux based devices, I thought that maybe it would be easily implementable in our Kobos.

Sorry, but, I just find that funny. Basically, you are saying, "I want to seriously decrease the runtime of the battery by reducing the allowed battery usage, and I'll do that by actually using the battery more!"

The methods laptops used was in the BIOS and controlled by apps or the BIOS. As I understood it, it changed the charging parameters that were being used rather than run something extra.

Of course, I also think the whole thing is pointless. Again, you are basically saying, "I want my battery to last longer so I won't actually use it but I will plug it in twice as often."

[Barruel]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Sorry, but, I just find that funny. Basically, you are saying, "I want to seriously decrease the runtime of the battery by reducing the allowed battery usage, and I'll do that by actually using the battery more!"

The methods laptops used was in the BIOS and controlled by apps or the BIOS. As I understood it, it changed the charging parameters that were being used rather than run something extra.

Of course, I also think the whole thing is pointless. Again, you are basically saying, "I want my battery to last longer so I won't actually use it but I will plug it in twice as often."

I'd agree with you if batteries in the phones were easily replaceable, as it was the case with old Nokias. Nowadays it is impossible to replace batteries in the phones. My pattern of phone usage is very light. I use it for making and receiving calls and to check WhatsApp 3 or 4 times a day. I intend it to last 5+ years, and, as every single phone I've had has died because the battery didn't last what it used to last, I nurse the battery because I want the phone to last.

I agree that battery usage in the Kobos is way lighter than in phones, though.

[compurandom]

Originally Posted by davidfor

All my older laptops did something like this as if you plugged in when the battery was 95% or higher, they did not charge the battery.

That is a required feature of the lithium charge control chip.

When the battery is already at or above 95% it is difficult to determine exactly how close to 100% the batteries is, so to avoid overcharching, it won't restart charging until it goes below 95%.

It's almost certain the kobo already does that. It prevents explosions.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by davidfor

That's the point. It is a feature request.

But the question was asked if it can be done in firmware and I answered that it's not possible.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But the question was asked if it can be done in firmware and I answered that it's not possible.

Will, it can be done in the Kobo firmware in the way that @Barruel suggested. And it is likely that the hardware can be access and the parameters set in a similar way to what laptops do. Do you know something different? And are you sure of it?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Will, it can be done in the Kobo firmware in the way that @Barruel suggested. And it is likely that the hardware can be access and the parameters set in a similar way to what laptops do. Do you know something different? And are you sure of it?

I'm sure it cannot be done without patching/hacking.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'm sure it cannot be done without patching/hacking.

But this is not the thread asking for a patch but for a feature in the firmware. It's not the same at all.