Kobo Firmware 3.11.0

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

What font do you use ?

JSWolf's Charis SIL Modified

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by booklover6

JSWolf's Charis SIL Modified

Me too.

I've updated both my H20 and my Aura

[booklover6]

I definitely do want the patch for the side loaded fonts controls. Other than that, 3.11 is great!

[Ripplinger]

I actually got a small box on the homescreen with what's new, and they mentioned those changes (I can't remember seeing that before, but on the other hand, I never updated often, just to 3.8.0 on the spare reader). Beyond the Book is going to be more suggestions for reading similar books.

It seems like opening books is extremely slow for me after the update, much slower than before. But once open, there doesn't seem to be any delays or slowness at all.

[PeterT]

While I like the idea of the one handed turn zone I feel they have it the wrong way around.

When I hold my Glo one handed its natural to use either a finger or thumb to tap the top of the screen to move forward. Unfortunately this is the location to turn back!

And yes, I did raise this issue a few times during the beta with zero response from Kobo.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Me too.

I've updated both my H20 and my Aura

I am usually slow to update (if at all) but I like this release! I've done both my Glos, my HD, and my Aura.

[davidfor]

As people have noticed, Kobo have released firmware version 3.11.0. It is going to the Glo, Aura HD, Aura, and Aura H20. Kobo said that the Touch should get it later but it will not be released to the Mini. During the beta, it has been tested on all these devices, including the Mini.

"What's New" has:

• Reading settings
  A new page turning option, optimized for one-handed reading
• Keyboard
  Longpress on a letter to quickly access accented versions of that letter
• Beyond the book
  Now includes suggested books, relate to the one you're reading

The version details on the Device information page of the settings are: 3.11.0 (4d8eac1207, 10/16/14). The jump in the version number is to match the desktop application version number.

There is no change in function for calibre. The supported firmware version has been updated in calibre v2.6.0. Calibre v1.48 can safely be used with this firmware if the "Attempt to support newer firmware" option is selected.

The lists of changes below are based on the notes I took during the beta. It's probably not complete as I tend to concentrate on the parts of the firmware that I use. I use a Glo and a Touch N905 for the testing.

The new features and changes in function are:

• Light remains on a few seconds after sleep or power off screen is displayed.
• Page number display options in reading settings
  • Display per book or chapter. Per chapter only works for kepubs.
  • Display as page number, percent read or time remaining (kepubs only) in footer.
  • Affects slider in navigation bar for kepubs. If per chapter, slider is for the chapter. If per book, slider is for the complete book and chapter title is not displayed.
• "You've finished" page
  • Displayed at end of kepub.
  • If reading stats are turned on, they are shown for the book.
  • Can page back into book.
  • Shows "Related books" if it is a purchased kepub.
  • Share on Facebook option.
• Option for "Underline key terms" moved to Reading settings.
• New page turning option. Top for back, bottom for forward and the middle to display the menus.
• Dictionary
  • In 3.8.0 the default lookup behaviour was changed so that if the device language setting and book language differed, the corresponding translation dictionary is shown by default
  • If you change the dictionary, that setting is remembered per-book
• Keyboard enhancements
  • Longpress a character to view related accented characters
  • .com key is replaced with Return key for multi-line input in Notes field
• Book details page changed. Bottom section has tabs rather than a menu.
• After changing chapter from the ToC, the bottom bar has "Previous location" to return to where you where. Changes back to "Books" after paging to a new chapter.
• After ejecting the device from the PC, it starts up without disconnecting the cable.

Bug fixes that I know about:

• Annotations
  • Sorting by location fixed. Except in the circumstance described below.
  • Annotations put under correct chapter heading in epubs.
  • Order no longer changes when deleting an annotation.
  • Have NOT fixed problem with reopening epub on the main memory messing up the percent read and the chapter the book is in. Sorting by location is still correct until you add a new annotation.
• Removing dog-ear bookmark no longer crashes device.
• Links to short chapters in HTML Table of Contents were being treated as Footnotes.
• In some cases, if you zoomed in on an image and turned the page, that page would be cut off.
• Browser no longer prompting multiple times when download more than one book in a session.
• Hyphenation dictionaries are back.
• Light turns on if level is set to 1%.
• Sorting Pocket list by "Newest" and "Oldest" seems to be working. This might have been fixed in 3.8.0.

Bugs that have not been fixed:

• Annotations - Have not fixed the problem with reopening epub on the main memory messing up the percent read and the chapter the book is in.
• Fonts - Kobo Nickel, Ryumin, Gothic and Avenir Next still have the same problems.
• "Date added" sorting in a collection is still wrong.
• SD card in Touch is not recognized after a restart.
• Caching of covers is unchanged.
• CBZ reading order doesn't take into account the directories.

New but hidden options:

• Twitter - Add "Twitter=true" to "FeatureSettings" section of config file. This adds Twitter section to the Account settings page. I don't use Twitter, so I don't know what else it does.
• Review - Add "Reviews=true" to "FeatureSettings" section of config file.
  • When you finish a purchased kepub, a tile to rate the book is added to the home page. Pressing a star on the tile sets the rating.
  • At the bottom of this tile, is an extra button for "Review". Pressing this flashes the screen.
  • An extra tab for "Reviews" is added to the detials page. At the moment, it only has a message about being the first person to review the book and a button. The button does nothing.
  I assume the review buttons will eventually display something to enter a review and save it to the server somewhere.
• Search Annotations - Add "SearchAnnotations=true" to "FeatureSettings" section of config file.
  • When searching the library, annotation text is displayed in the results.G
  • Shows same details as in the annotations list. It doesn't show which book.
  • Tapping or a long press doesn't do anything.
  • Interesting, but definitely a work in progress.

[robko]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Most of the changes I've noticed are in the Reading Settings.

1. An underline keywords items -- connected to Beyond the Book???

Yes. This is now where you turn BTB on/off. It used to be in the bottom menu BTB option.

[mr_nihilism]

My sideloaded with Calibre epub worked fine with the new progress settings. Not sure why it didn't work for you, DNSB.

[JSWolf]

With 3.11, can the page be turned with a swipe (in the correct direction) anyplace on the screen?

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by davidfor

• Reading settings
  A new page turning option, optimized for one-handed reading

I think it is not so "handy" to move up or down the reader, with only one hand.
I like the reading with the reader in one hand when I am on my side in bed.
So holding the reader with one hand and do a page turn with that one hand.
I now do that with my thumb and swipe.
It is almost impossible when holding the reader in the middle ( I have Glo and Aura HD) to move your finger to the top or bottom to change the pages.
And where u hold it,in the middle, and you make a swipe movement,you access the settings.
It is not natural to use it,when holding with one hand,in this way so I think it adds nothing.
The front page,the menu,of the reader still is ugly with the tiles, there is still no option to just enter a page number to go to a page,you need to use the slider.
They added only options lately to do things,that are already possible in menu's like the "light movement" with your finger... optic tricks.. but a lot of the known bugs are still are and need patching...
I got a bit the idea that they are "polishing" the reader, but leave the main page the same with all those ugly "book tiles" in all different sizes... with that the Sony was a lot better, A row with new added books, the one you are current reading, all the same sizes and you can change the way it is displayed.
Leave the light on for some while when you go into sleep.. I think you will look several times to see if the light is ready off,like the fridge...

I hope all this new settings can be put off,either in the settings,or with a patch because the things that are really fixed, are very little.
First fix the bugs,then start polishing.
I can't really imagine with a Aura HD size reader, holding it with one hand,that you can comfortably switch pages on the new way,without accidently access the options because you tap in the middle.
I do quote u,but I don't point this comment to you,it is in general.. is this the release we are waiting for ??
Are the new options so hard needed that known bugs are left alone ?
I wait for the patches.. but I do hope that the light modus can be put off..I wasn't waiting for all these new things and for sure they won't help me reading my Glo and Aura HD with one hand with this new option.
How can u get this kind of things so high on Kobo's list that they implement them,but forget so much more important things ?

[NoOneHere]

Sideloaded kepub (converted from epub in Calibre so it shows page numbers by chapter not whole book):

- Can switch between whole book and chapter page numbers
- Whole book: next page increments page number (as expected)
- Chapter: next pages does not increment page number. Have to go 2 or 3 pages to increment. Seems like it is using the Adobe page numbering, though I have that option unchecked.

[murg]

I've updated the Direct Links to Kobo Firmware first post.

This is The Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Release.

[NoOneHere]

Some strange behaviour with sideloaded kepub, played around with various settings and now for the same book page numbers are increment correctly for the chapters setting but not for whole book. Don't know if this is a bug in the new firmware, or something wonky in the epub->kepub conversion.

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by murg

I've updated the Direct Links to Kobo Firmware first post.

This is The Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Release.

I would have call it "are u afraid of the dark" nice with early "The Charge of the Light Brigade release" firmware,referring to that new option to leave the light on a little... ( what was wrong with the option just to lay it beside the bed and let the device on until the device go to sleep by itself, turning the light of automatically )