Librarybox - Share books over open wifi.

Adoby · 09-30-2014, 11:45 AM

Fun tech for ebook lover that wants to share their books on the go.

My Librarybox is a small battery powered wifi router, TP-Link TL-MR3040. It is the size of a 2.5" HD. It has a 32GB USB memory. And it runs on the internal battery for 4-5 hours. Or from a powered USB-port or charger.

The TL-MR3040 costs about $35. A SanDisk Cruzer Fit 32 GB USB memory costs around $17.

And it has been reprogrammed to become a small open access point with a built in web-server that any mobile device can connect to over wifi. It runs a version of Linux, OpenWRT. And if you know Linux you can do a lot of fun things with the device, as long as you keep the extreme limitations regarding memory and processing power in mind.

LibraryBox is still rather primitive, but with some work it is possible to share a static calibre library. And everything is opensource, so it is possible to change things if you have the skills... There are reports that it is possible to share a calibre library using a LibraryBox using COPS.

It is based on PirateBox, but uploads are disabled in LibraryBox, so the owner of the LibraryBox has full control over what is shared, and can make sure that there are no problems with copyright infringement.

One possible use is for an author or book publisher to offer free books or samples on a convention. Anyone passing nearby can connect to the device and download a book. Another use is in education. Teachers can share a library over wifi with a class. It is also possible to share media files and photos. So a band that has a live performance can share free music files and other media. By the entrance to a public event digital versions of the program can be shared to any that pass near the entrance. A restaurant can share the meny in PDF-format for patrons to download. And on and on...

LibraryBox is at version 2.0. Working fine. But not very elegant...

Development is under way. Update via "mesh" is possible. You can carry a "master" LibraryBox near a "slave" LibraryBox and the slave is automatically updated from the "master". So you can update several LibraryBoxes simply by strolling past them. How cool is that!

And some tech-skills are helpful. It is perfectly possible to make mistakes and brick the wireless router.

I am experimenting with a "WikiBox". Instead of a fixed webpage as interface, I would like to use a simple wiki as the interface. It would make it possible for anyone to personalize the looks of the 'Box and adapt it for different purposes. Also it would be possible to use it for collaborative writing. Or to share the protocols of a meeting during the meeting. Or make the previous protocols and other documents available for the whole meeting. Or publish photos from the party during the party...

gabby98 · 09-30-2014, 12:32 PM

this actually sounds pretty cool

HarryT · 09-30-2014, 12:37 PM

An awful lot easier just to carry an external hard disk around with you.

Adoby · 09-30-2014, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

An awful lot easier just to carry an external hard disk around with you.

The nice thing about the LibraryBox is that it allows several simultaneous connections. And no danger of someone dropping it or pocketing it. You can have it in your own pocket or a bag, and people nearby can connect. No need for any cable.

A public library might have a stationary LibraryBox near a reading place. And allow anyone nearby to download free books.

You can share the slides and notes of a presentation with the audience, during the presentation. Anyone with a smartphone can download a PDF from the LibraryBox and take home with them. Or even download a video of the presentation.

Jessica Lares · 09-30-2014, 02:08 PM

I have one of these things, except a SD card version. I really like it so far. I will have to see if I can stick my Calibre library on mine.

jocampo · 10-01-2014, 12:45 PM

Sorry, don't see the advantage over a USB external drive, like Harry said, which may be faster and more secure.

USB is plug and play, so unless you use a different Os, it can be seen by any device, especially if formatted with FAT32.

eschwartz · 10-01-2014, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jocampo

Sorry, don't see the advantage over a USB external drive, like Harry said, which may be faster and more secure.

No, he said it was easier. Nothing about speed or security.

Cables are slower than wireless, simply because it takes longer to physically connect the cable than to download the file. Both downloading and copying over USB are fast enough for speed to be relatively meaningless.
At least for single-file transfers, or even just a few.

Security... anything can be physically lifted from you. And I don't really think anyone is legitimately worried about their library being hacked.
Set a password on the server, seriously...

Quote:

USB is plug and play, so unless you use a different Os, it can be seen by any device, especially if formatted with FAT32.

Can it also be seen by my Kindle Touch? What about the PW, Kobo(s, all), or in other words, any e-ink ereader?

....

Adoby · 10-01-2014, 06:29 PM

No cable, no need to hand over a valuable physical item to strangers and several people can browse and download files at the same time.

It is a form of local wifi broadcast that anyone nearby can access. At a meeting, party or in a waiting room or in a bus or train.

Kirtai · 10-01-2014, 06:59 PM

Another advantage is that a server is less vulnerable to malware than a drive that gets plugged into random machines is.

I'd treat such a drive with extreme wariness.

gabby98 · 10-01-2014, 07:20 PM

Plus in a group seeing most people are not gonna wait in line to plug in a usb to one device...they'd much rather leave and go about their business. If the item being distributed is promotional, you just lost networking possibilities.

Jessica Lares · 10-01-2014, 09:03 PM

You DON'T plug it in. It's a portable hotspot with a drive.

You change your Wifi network on your device, open your browser, and BAM, there you go.

You guys get it now? It's like when you go to a hotel/Starbucks/McDonalds/whatever and there's free wifi and you have to select the network. It takes you to a gateway page and says that you have to agree to it before you can use it. Well, that's how this works, except it takes you to a page where you can download whatever content is on the hotspot.

It's a neato idea if you're at a convention and have a booth or something. Just put up a sign with the info and YES, people will do it. If you're smart, you would make it into a ZIP so people can just grab that and not have to dig through everything.

gabby98 · 10-01-2014, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gabby98

Plus in a group seeing most people are not gonna wait in line to plug in a usb to one device...they'd much rather leave and go about their business. If the item being distributed is promotional, you just lost networking possibilities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jessica Lares

You DON'T plug it in. It's a portable hotspot with a drive.

You change your Wifi network on your device, open your browser, and BAM, there you go.

You guys get it now? It's like when you go to a hotel/Starbucks/McDonalds/whatever and there's free wifi and you have to select the network. It takes you to a gateway page and says that you have to agree to it before you can use it. Well, that's how this works, except it takes you to a page where you can download whatever content is on the hotspot.

It's a neato idea if you're at a convention and have a booth or something. Just put up a sign with the info and YES, people will do it. If you're smart, you would make it into a ZIP so people can just grab that and not have to dig through everything.

I was agreeing and offering a counter to those referencing a USB as a better option

Kirtai · 10-02-2014, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gabby98

I was agreeing and offering a counter to those referencing a USB as a better option

Ditto

gabby98 · 10-03-2014, 11:31 AM

Hey...this is a slightly OT FYI:

Quote:

For a limited time, and while supplies last, BuyDig has the Escort MediaFlair mobile Wi-Fi hub for $24.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code DIGIT at checkout. List price: $99.95.(Found on CNET's Cheapskate Blog)

IMO, this seems to be a smaller scale/more personal version of the item listed above. If looking at the device at reg price compared to what's being talked about here, I think Librarybox may be better, for the sale price, this could work as a good substitution.

Adoby · 10-03-2014, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gabby98

Hey...this is a slightly OT FYI:
IMO, this seems to be a smaller scale/more personal version of the item listed above. If looking at the device at reg price compared to what's being talked about here, I think Librarybox may be better, for the sale price, this could work as a good substitution.

It seems you have to install some special app to use that device.

The LibraryBox is a standard hotspot and web-server. So you access it using a normal web-browser. Only have to connect to the SSID and start the browser. And any URL is redirected to the LibraryBox web-server.

09-30-2014, 11:45 AM	#1
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,736 Karma: 26785668 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Thinkpad E595, Ubuntu Mate, Huawei Mediapad 5, Bouye Likebook Plus	Librarybox - Share books over open wifi. Fun tech for ebook lover that wants to share their books on the go. My Librarybox is a small battery powered wifi router, TP-Link TL-MR3040. It is the size of a 2.5" HD. It has a 32GB USB memory. And it runs on the internal battery for 4-5 hours. Or from a powered USB-port or charger. The TL-MR3040 costs about $35. A SanDisk Cruzer Fit 32 GB USB memory costs around $17. And it has been reprogrammed to become a small open access point with a built in web-server that any mobile device can connect to over wifi. It runs a version of Linux, OpenWRT. And if you know Linux you can do a lot of fun things with the device, as long as you keep the extreme limitations regarding memory and processing power in mind. LibraryBox is still rather primitive, but with some work it is possible to share a static calibre library. And everything is opensource, so it is possible to change things if you have the skills... There are reports that it is possible to share a calibre library using a LibraryBox using COPS. It is based on PirateBox, but uploads are disabled in LibraryBox, so the owner of the LibraryBox has full control over what is shared, and can make sure that there are no problems with copyright infringement. One possible use is for an author or book publisher to offer free books or samples on a convention. Anyone passing nearby can connect to the device and download a book. Another use is in education. Teachers can share a library over wifi with a class. It is also possible to share media files and photos. So a band that has a live performance can share free music files and other media. By the entrance to a public event digital versions of the program can be shared to any that pass near the entrance. A restaurant can share the meny in PDF-format for patrons to download. And on and on... LibraryBox is at version 2.0. Working fine. But not very elegant... Development is under way. Update via "mesh" is possible. You can carry a "master" LibraryBox near a "slave" LibraryBox and the slave is automatically updated from the "master". So you can update several LibraryBoxes simply by strolling past them. How cool is that! And some tech-skills are helpful. It is perfectly possible to make mistakes and brick the wireless router. I am experimenting with a "WikiBox". Instead of a fixed webpage as interface, I would like to use a simple wiki as the interface. It would make it possible for anyone to personalize the looks of the 'Box and adapt it for different purposes. Also it would be possible to use it for collaborative writing. Or to share the protocols of a meeting during the meeting. Or make the previous protocols and other documents available for the whole meeting. Or publish photos from the party during the party... Last edited by Adoby; 10-02-2014 at 05:17 PM.

10-01-2014, 06:29 PM	#8
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,736 Karma: 26785668 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Thinkpad E595, Ubuntu Mate, Huawei Mediapad 5, Bouye Likebook Plus	No cable, no need to hand over a valuable physical item to strangers and several people can browse and download files at the same time. It is a form of local wifi broadcast that anyone nearby can access. At a meeting, party or in a waiting room or in a bus or train. Last edited by Adoby; 10-01-2014 at 06:32 PM.

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09-30-2014, 12:32 PM	#2
gabby98 Wizard Posts: 1,751 Karma: 2667650 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Android, Nook Simple Touch, Nook Color, ..., Glo	this actually sounds pretty cool

09-30-2014, 12:37 PM	#3
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	An awful lot easier just to carry an external hard disk around with you.

09-30-2014, 02:08 PM	#5
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	I have one of these things, except a SD card version. I really like it so far. I will have to see if I can stick my Calibre library on mine.

10-01-2014, 12:45 PM	#6
jocampo Layback feline Posts: 3,034 Karma: 6980745 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: USA Device: Oasis 2nd gen, Sony DPTS1, iPad Pro 10.5"	Sorry, don't see the advantage over a USB external drive, like Harry said, which may be faster and more secure. USB is plug and play, so unless you use a different Os, it can be seen by any device, especially if formatted with FAT32.

10-01-2014, 06:59 PM	#9
Kirtai Addict Posts: 304 Karma: 2454436 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: PRS-505, PRS-650, iPad, Samsung Galaxy SII (JB), Google Nexus 7 (2013)	Another advantage is that a server is less vulnerable to malware than a drive that gets plugged into random machines is. I'd treat such a drive with extreme wariness.

10-01-2014, 07:20 PM	#10
gabby98 Wizard Posts: 1,751 Karma: 2667650 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Android, Nook Simple Touch, Nook Color, ..., Glo	Plus in a group seeing most people are not gonna wait in line to plug in a usb to one device...they'd much rather leave and go about their business. If the item being distributed is promotional, you just lost networking possibilities.

10-01-2014, 09:03 PM	#11
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	You DON'T plug it in. It's a portable hotspot with a drive. You change your Wifi network on your device, open your browser, and BAM, there you go. You guys get it now? It's like when you go to a hotel/Starbucks/McDonalds/whatever and there's free wifi and you have to select the network. It takes you to a gateway page and says that you have to agree to it before you can use it. Well, that's how this works, except it takes you to a page where you can download whatever content is on the hotspot. It's a neato idea if you're at a convention and have a booth or something. Just put up a sign with the info and YES, people will do it. If you're smart, you would make it into a ZIP so people can just grab that and not have to dig through everything.

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