Two-fingers light control on older models - done - Page 7

TechniSol · 03-05-2014, 04:40 PM

PeterT,

I understand what you're saying, but providing features like Night mode (Inverse) and the multi-touch input is do-able on the platform and wouldn't hurt Kobo's rep one tiny bit -it need not be mandatory that anyone use them.

Like most things, as long as one is given a choice, it remains only an option to the user. No one is forced to use a feature if it is an option. I'm big on options, put them in the firmware, set the device up to enable only those desired at base level, and those who don't care need never discover them unless they go looking. Simple.

As far as people not wanting whatever, that is what choice is about. Kobo would decide what they feel would be good options and include them with on-off switches, if they like, and let user's customize as they wish. I'm just proposing a way for Kobo and their customers to benefit from the work of hackers that want to provide something they enjoyed doing and maybe get credit for it. I suspect for very little outlay, Kobo could "take advantage" of people who like their platform and benefit from some really bright people and at the same time make the user experience better for everyone.

Cecell3000 · 03-05-2014, 04:58 PM

Can use the multitouch 3.2.0 in firmware 3.1.1 ?
some risk?

I renamed the folder MX50-ntx for ntx508 and installed.
is working very well.

but was wondering if there is some risk.

Thanks.

sorry english (google translator)

PeterT · 03-05-2014, 07:07 PM

@Technisol: Remember one thing. Developers are instructed by Product Managers as to what features to include / exclude.

Also, if features added into new devices (ie two tap control of brightness) were routinely added to old devices, why would one buy the newer device?

The majority of the hacks are fairly intrusive and don't even come down to a simple YES / NO choice; rather they are a wholescale replacement of entities like CSS entries that control margin sizes. How on earth do you propose a simple means acceptable to both Aunt Minnie AND Technisol AND tshering?

TechniSol · 03-05-2014, 08:11 PM

I propose a simple menu based system. CSS entries that can be configured through certain hacks now and integrated into the firmware as the most obtusely implemented form of simple switches ever proposed could simply be menu based and allow for change at any point. C'mon, already. This isn't worth discussing. It's like saying you should only control the compiling and linking process with command line options rather than providing menus... why make it harder than it has to be?

I worked infrequently with a fellow once upon a time that made 10% off the top of every product a company I then worked for manufactured. He wrote the firmware and it was miserable to get him to make any changes as he was not there dealing with day to day issues and thought he should be the final arbiter of what the firmware, and ultimately the product and company could do. Long story short, I had enough and redesigned the hardware, moved to a PC platform, designed the new GUI and wrote the multi-threaded/multi-tasking C based custom configurable software myself and ended up with half the company... still arguing?

His approach was to custom set switches and compile only what was necessary for the particular unit making himself indispensable, or so he thought, mine was to look at all the possible ways the equipment could be configured, write intelligent code that allowed for simple configuration by our personnel to fit the varying equipment setups possible. Basically, my code allowed us to configure the software to fit the situation by determining what modules would run based on the hardware installed and the software options selected, where his code was switched in/out at the pre-compile level. His executable was arguably lighter weight, however codespace was not at a premium in my design and a trained monkey could be taught to configure a $25-50k control system's software with little training once the problem was approached in the correct manner. I made the programming programmable. Need I say more?

I am so tired of people who should know better telling me how things cannot be done when I've spent over half a lifetime doing them. Anyone with more than the ability to perform boolean arithmetic that applies themselves can usually see how providing options more often than not is a superior method. If you're worried about Aunt Dingbat or Drunken Uncle screwing up the configuration then you provide a reset, or a series of basic templates that cover the situations involved, possibly while preventing the user from selecting a combination, or combinations that are not acceptable. This ain't rocket surgery... Sometimes, you do need to step out of the box and turn the problem on it's head, or side, or stand on your head. ;-)

I think half the problems concerning what can and cannot be done today stem from people using other code that they don't understand or didn't write themselves, or don't have source for... Ultimately, comes a point where they can't do something, but not where something can't be done. The two aren't the same. I'll give you that I've never worked as a regular code monkey, but I have done concurrent hardware and software design, coding, etc. and implementation, and in both disciplines the first thing you learn is to be extremely careful about understanding the complexities of any device or software you're building upon lest it be the downfall of your whole design. If you can't go back and replace it, or fix it, you're at the mercy of third parties. If you're me, you learned to be able to work at every level from top to bottom, but not how to pack more than 24 hours into a day... engineering is truly the art of compromise, but does not teach you how to multiply your own resources very well.

Apologies to Giorgio for the thread hi-jacking...

RobertJSawyer · 03-05-2014, 09:57 PM

Working on my Kobo Aura HD and Kobo Aura, both with 3.2.0 (after deinstalling the previous two-finger-light-control patch on my HD prior to upgrading, per the instruction here). Thank you so much!

RobertJSawyer · 03-06-2014, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

But.... Many many of the hacks are highly personal in nature. Not all people want the same changes.

Exactly -- and that's the point. Customizability could be one of Kobo's selling points. You HAVE to have good answers when someone asks, "Why buy your product, which trails hugely in market share, when I can go with the clear-cut market leader, the Kindle?"

Since Kobo has clearly chosen not to (or can't) compete on hardware price, then the only answer that works is: Because with our product you can do THIS and THIS and THIS and THIS -- you don't HAVE to, but you can if you want -- and with their product you CAN'T.

On the night-mode hack, this could be a major selling point. The ad is simple: a couple lying in bed. Two pictures.

In the first picture, one person is reading on his/her PaperWhite, its light illuminating the room, and the other person is sitting up, arms crossed, looking furious, and saying, "For Pete's sake, when are you going to sleep?"

In the second picture, one person is reading on his/her Kobo Aura, with the screen inverted into night-mode, and the other person is happily snoozing away.

And the caption: "Sometimes paper dark is better than PaperWhite."

RobertJSawyer · 03-06-2014, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Also, if features added into new devices (ie two tap control of brightness) were routinely added to old devices, why would one buy the newer device?

As to why people upgrade their device: because of HARDWARE improvements. Holding back SOFTWARE improvements to force new hardware purchases is petty and counterproductive -- since, given that the competition DOESN'T do that, the next hardware purchase might be one of THEIRS, not yours. (And it's particularly mean-spirited if you advertise a device as having updateable firmware -- and then you only use those updates to force new ads or other ways to sell thing onto the device.)

Why upgrade from an original Kobo to a Kobo Wi-Fi? Wi-Fi connectivity.

Why upgrade from a Wi-Fi to a Touch? Touch screen.

Why upgrade from a Touch to a Glo? Front-lit screen.

Why upgrade from a Glo to an Aura? Flat bezel, smaller unit.

Why upgrade from an Aura to an Aura HD? Larger screen, higher resolution, more memory.

Kobo is doing fine at offering hardware incentives to upgrade; they don't need to do it by holding back software features that the existing hardware is clearly capable of.

(Yes, I know the Kobo Aura HD predates the Kobo Aura, but still ...)

TechniSol · 03-06-2014, 04:52 PM

Well Said, Robert!

Paper Dark still has me chuckling...

Prestidigitweeze · 03-27-2014, 01:41 PM

I'd love to try this hack but would like to know if there's a way to create a flashable image of my Aura HD's internal memory beforehand.

PeterT · 03-27-2014, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

I'd love to try this hack but would like to know if there's a way to create a flashable image of my Aura HD's internal memory beforehand.

Challenge is while people HAVE dumped the internal memory there is no means to restore it if the device is non bootable.

giorgio130 · 03-29-2014, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

Challenge is while people HAVE dumped the internal memory there is no means to restore it if the device is non bootable.

Actually, this is quite misleading. A working image is all you need to restore a bricked kobo, it is enough to open it up, take the internal sd and restore the working image using a pc.

davidfor · 03-29-2014, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by giorgio130

Actually, this is quite misleading. A working image is all you need to restore a bricked kobo, it is enough to open it up, take the internal sd and restore the working image using a pc.

Except for the N905 Touch and the Aura. Neither have an internal SD card. The memory is fixed.

PeterT · 03-29-2014, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by giorgio130

Actually, this is quite misleading. A working image is all you need to restore a bricked kobo, it is enough to open it up, take the internal sd and restore the working image using a pc.

I had misread the model.... I thought it was an Aura not Aura HD

RobertJSawyer · 03-29-2014, 03:21 PM

To bring us back on topic

I've now installed this patch on a Kobo Aura HD and two Kobo Glo units, all with firmware 3.2.0, and it works terrifically with all three devices. THANK YOU!

emreka · 04-14-2014, 03:40 PM

Thanks for this very useful patch. I was just wondering if it is possible for you to update it so it'll work on release instead of command. What I mean is that it would be much more pleasant if it applied the zoom level after we draw our fingers off the screen. It updates the zoom immediately which makes it hard to adjust it to my preference.

03-05-2014, 08:11 PM	#94
TechniSol GranPohbah-Fezzes r cool! Posts: 1,056 Karma: 3151024 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Nook STRs, Kobo Touch, Kobo Glo	I propose a simple menu based system. CSS entries that can be configured through certain hacks now and integrated into the firmware as the most obtusely implemented form of simple switches ever proposed could simply be menu based and allow for change at any point. C'mon, already. This isn't worth discussing. It's like saying you should only control the compiling and linking process with command line options rather than providing menus... why make it harder than it has to be? I worked infrequently with a fellow once upon a time that made 10% off the top of every product a company I then worked for manufactured. He wrote the firmware and it was miserable to get him to make any changes as he was not there dealing with day to day issues and thought he should be the final arbiter of what the firmware, and ultimately the product and company could do. Long story short, I had enough and redesigned the hardware, moved to a PC platform, designed the new GUI and wrote the multi-threaded/multi-tasking C based custom configurable software myself and ended up with half the company... still arguing? His approach was to custom set switches and compile only what was necessary for the particular unit making himself indispensable, or so he thought, mine was to look at all the possible ways the equipment could be configured, write intelligent code that allowed for simple configuration by our personnel to fit the varying equipment setups possible. Basically, my code allowed us to configure the software to fit the situation by determining what modules would run based on the hardware installed and the software options selected, where his code was switched in/out at the pre-compile level. His executable was arguably lighter weight, however codespace was not at a premium in my design and a trained monkey could be taught to configure a $25-50k control system's software with little training once the problem was approached in the correct manner. I made the programming programmable. Need I say more? I am so tired of people who should know better telling me how things cannot be done when I've spent over half a lifetime doing them. Anyone with more than the ability to perform boolean arithmetic that applies themselves can usually see how providing options more often than not is a superior method. If you're worried about Aunt Dingbat or Drunken Uncle screwing up the configuration then you provide a reset, or a series of basic templates that cover the situations involved, possibly while preventing the user from selecting a combination, or combinations that are not acceptable. This ain't rocket surgery... Sometimes, you do need to step out of the box and turn the problem on it's head, or side, or stand on your head. ;-) I think half the problems concerning what can and cannot be done today stem from people using other code that they don't understand or didn't write themselves, or don't have source for... Ultimately, comes a point where they can't do something, but not where something can't be done. The two aren't the same. I'll give you that I've never worked as a regular code monkey, but I have done concurrent hardware and software design, coding, etc. and implementation, and in both disciplines the first thing you learn is to be extremely careful about understanding the complexities of any device or software you're building upon lest it be the downfall of your whole design. If you can't go back and replace it, or fix it, you're at the mercy of third parties. If you're me, you learned to be able to work at every level from top to bottom, but not how to pack more than 24 hours into a day... engineering is truly the art of compromise, but does not teach you how to multiply your own resources very well. Apologies to Giorgio for the thread hi-jacking... Last edited by TechniSol; 03-05-2014 at 10:14 PM. Reason: cuz!

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03-05-2014, 04:40 PM	#91
TechniSol GranPohbah-Fezzes r cool! Posts: 1,056 Karma: 3151024 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Nook STRs, Kobo Touch, Kobo Glo	PeterT, I understand what you're saying, but providing features like Night mode (Inverse) and the multi-touch input is do-able on the platform and wouldn't hurt Kobo's rep one tiny bit -it need not be mandatory that anyone use them. Like most things, as long as one is given a choice, it remains only an option to the user. No one is forced to use a feature if it is an option. I'm big on options, put them in the firmware, set the device up to enable only those desired at base level, and those who don't care need never discover them unless they go looking. Simple. As far as people not wanting whatever, that is what choice is about. Kobo would decide what they feel would be good options and include them with on-off switches, if they like, and let user's customize as they wish. I'm just proposing a way for Kobo and their customers to benefit from the work of hackers that want to provide something they enjoyed doing and maybe get credit for it. I suspect for very little outlay, Kobo could "take advantage" of people who like their platform and benefit from some really bright people and at the same time make the user experience better for everyone.

03-05-2014, 04:58 PM	#92
Cecell3000 Enthusiast Posts: 46 Karma: 303048 Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Brazil Device: Kindle Paperwhite 3	Can use the multitouch 3.2.0 in firmware 3.1.1 ? some risk? I renamed the folder MX50-ntx for ntx508 and installed. is working very well. but was wondering if there is some risk. Thanks. sorry english (google translator)

03-05-2014, 07:07 PM	#93
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,283 Karma: 74007256 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS	@Technisol: Remember one thing. Developers are instructed by Product Managers as to what features to include / exclude. Also, if features added into new devices (ie two tap control of brightness) were routinely added to old devices, why would one buy the newer device? The majority of the hacks are fairly intrusive and don't even come down to a simple YES / NO choice; rather they are a wholescale replacement of entities like CSS entries that control margin sizes. How on earth do you propose a simple means acceptable to both Aunt Minnie AND Technisol AND tshering?

03-05-2014, 09:57 PM	#95
RobertJSawyer Guru Posts: 730 Karma: 3871570 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Libra 2, Clara 2E, and Clara HD; Kindle PaperWhite	Working on my Kobo Aura HD and Kobo Aura, both with 3.2.0 (after deinstalling the previous two-finger-light-control patch on my HD prior to upgrading, per the instruction here). Thank you so much!

03-06-2014, 04:52 PM	#98
TechniSol GranPohbah-Fezzes r cool! Posts: 1,056 Karma: 3151024 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Nook STRs, Kobo Touch, Kobo Glo	Well Said, Robert! Paper Dark still has me chuckling...

03-27-2014, 01:41 PM	#99
Prestidigitweeze Fledgling Demagogue Posts: 2,384 Karma: 31132263 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: White Plains Device: Clara HD; Oasis 2; Aura HD; iPad Air; PRS-350; Galaxy S7.	I'd love to try this hack but would like to know if there's a way to create a flashable image of my Aura HD's internal memory beforehand.

03-29-2014, 03:21 PM	#104
RobertJSawyer Guru Posts: 730 Karma: 3871570 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Libra 2, Clara 2E, and Clara HD; Kindle PaperWhite	To bring us back on topic I've now installed this patch on a Kobo Aura HD and two Kobo Glo units, all with firmware 3.2.0, and it works terrifically with all three devices. THANK YOU!

04-14-2014, 03:40 PM	#105
emreka Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Dec 2013 Device: Kobo Glo	Thanks for this very useful patch. I was just wondering if it is possible for you to update it so it'll work on release instead of command. What I mean is that it would be much more pleasant if it applied the zoom level after we draw our fingers off the screen. It updates the zoom immediately which makes it hard to adjust it to my preference.

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