Graham Smith Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) All, it's pretty easy to install the SDK Just the other day, I was telling a client of mine how easy it is to create a Custom Function for the query they were writing. All they had to do was create a new DLL using one of several tools and include the correct insert and exit points along with the equation and then all they had to do was register that with their application. Unfortunately they had no idea what I was talking about. I know what an SDK is but I have no idea which SDK you are talking about. Further, I'm not interest in writing android apps so I'm really not interested in installing an entire Software Developer Kit. Surely this is not the only way to transfer files between a PC and a rooted Nook. P.S. I've been using computers and writing software of one kind or another since 1972 and have learned that simple is never simple? But simple should never be hard! Maybe I'm just getting too old for this kind of thing. I just don't have any patience anymore. <sigh> Edited May 15, 2012 by Graham Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too_Slow Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 In the rooter that I linked to in my above post automatically installs ES File explorer so I use that. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgnoyes Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 You gotta have the market running eventually. Android Practiscore will come out of beta SOMETIME and (I'm guessing here!) be available as a free app in the market the way it is in the apple app store? (That's a guess!) Perhaps, but Marks instructions specifically state, "I also by-passed the google g-mail and youtube connection syncs since my NST’s will only be used for Practiscore and market apps will not be used." Plus, doesn't there need to be some way of uploading and downloading registration and scores? Well, the documented way of transferring stuff back and forth (look up ip addresses on the nook, open cmd windows on the PC, type arcane ADB commands to hard ip addresses, WHAT?!?!) is the kind of propeller-head stuff we need to avoid if we want nooks to be widely accepted as a platform for practiscore. I don't want to key in console commands; I definitely don't want to install ADB-anything on my PC. That's MUCH more complicated than simply hooking up a usb cable and copying the file. On mine, I activated the market and installed AndExplorer for a file manager and dropbox for file transfers. (The only files I've transferred are the occasional practiscore .apk distribution files.) I download the latest one from practiscore and stick it out in a dropbox folder that I've shared with a email address dedicated to the nook. I get on the nook, open dropbox and "export" (sounds backwards; you would think it would be "Import" but its not) the .apk file to the sd card. Then open up AndExplorer and navigate over to the SD card and install the practiscore app from there. Very straightforward drag and drop, hunt and press process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgnoyes Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 All, it's pretty easy to install the SDK Just the other day, I was telling a client of mine how easy it is to create a Custom Function for the query they were writing. All they had to do was create a new DLL using one of several tools and include the correct insert and exit points along with the equation and then all they had to do was register that with their application. Unfortunately they had no idea what I was talking about. I know what an SDK is but I have no idea which SDK you are talking about. Further, I'm not interest in writing android apps so I'm really not interested in installing an entire Software Developer Kit. Surely this is not the only way to transfer files between a PC and a rooted Nook. P.S. I've been using computers and writing software of one kind or another since 1972 and have learned that simple is never simple? But simple should never be hard! Maybe I'm just getting too old for this kind of thing. I just don't have any patience anymore. <sigh> You are exactly right! I've been in data processing since 1977; I'm an IBM MVS systems programmer by profession and I can still key in an IDCAMS DEFINE CLUSTER command that'll absolutely cross your eyes. But even I just want it simple now. That's why I finally tossed out windows and went to Apple. Steve Jobs was right; "It just works", and that's what appeals to me now. The rooting process for one of these will never be that simple; it will never "just work", but we need to make it as clean and straightforward a process as absolutely possible, both to root and to use on a regular basis. I like the dropbox method as was shown to me and documented above; it's more like the normal file management we do on our computers now, with drag and drop on the pc, and navigate to and press-to-open on the nook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 (edited) OK, here is something weird... I've rooted a second Nook so I can test some things and the background is different as is the behavior of the home button on the side bar. On the first one, the background is kind of a bullseye looking thing while the second one is an inverted U (the Nook logo). I've been going through the settings but everything else compares and there is nothing I am aware of that was changed. This kind of thing drives me nuts! Edited May 17, 2012 by Graham Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgnoyes Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 I thought the 'n' background was pretty ugly, so I changed it to one of the built-in light-toned wallpapers that apparently comes with android. There are other things I did too, like changing the function of the 'n' button to take me back to the main screen, similar to the Apple home button taking me back to the iOS main screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 (edited) I thought the 'n' background was pretty ugly, so I changed it to one of the built-in light-toned wallpapers that apparently comes with android. There are other things I did too, like changing the function of the 'n' button to take me back to the main screen, similar to the Apple home button taking me back to the iOS main screen. Could you elaborate? The only wallpaper I see is the ugly ADW launcher. Upside down U = n = Nook <sound of hand slapping forehead> My brain stops working when I'm frustrated. Edited May 17, 2012 by Graham Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cellguy030 Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 ive been trying to get ours changed to the clubs logo but i cant for the life of me figure out where to put the file so the nook will recognize it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Burwell Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 I thought the 'n' background was pretty ugly, so I changed it to one of the built-in light-toned wallpapers that apparently comes with android. There are other things I did too, like changing the function of the 'n' button to take me back to the main screen, similar to the Apple home button taking me back to the iOS main screen. I changed the "long press" of the "n" button to launch practiscore. That way if anyone gets lost it is very easy to get back to where they shouldn't have left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 I changed the "long press" of the "n" button to launch practiscore. That way if anyone gets lost it is very easy to get back to where they shouldn't have left. <sarcastic mode on> Hey, here's a great idea. When people come up with neat ideas like this, wouldn't it be nice to actually tell people how to do it??? <sarcastic mode off> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgnoyes Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Only done this once, and I think I have it written down somewhere, so I'll come up with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austex Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 (edited) Here's how I put custom background images on our Nooks: Wallpaper: Create a .png file of your image. Name it "wallpaper" (with no file extension). Put that file on the Nook in the "\data\data\com.android.settings\files" directory. Screensaver: Create a .png file of your image. Name it whatever you want, with a ".png" extension. Put that file on the Nook in the "\system\media\screensaver\authors" directory. Edited May 18, 2012 by austex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Burwell Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 I changed the "long press" of the "n" button to launch practiscore. That way if anyone gets lost it is very easy to get back to where they shouldn't have left. <sarcastic mode on> Hey, here's a great idea. When people come up with neat ideas like this, wouldn't it be nice to actually tell people how to do it??? <sarcastic mode off> Sorry Graham, I am by no means any kind of super user of these things so I had to wait until I had one in front of me to figure out how I had done it... From the andriod screen click the "four square" button (Bottom center)then find the program "nook touch tools" (in mine I had to swipe to one side to find it) launch the program and grant it permission. Then you'll see a button on the bottom of the screen "B&N buttons" you will see a list of the buttons and what they are programed to do. To program one to launch practiscore click the desired button (I choose "long press 'n' button) then click "launch application" you will now see a list of applications. Click on Practiscore and you will be in buisness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark R Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 I like the idea Dan Burwell has on setting a long press on the "n" button to start/restart/bring forward Practiscore. Here are a couple more tips I use... Adjust contrast and hiding of side button bar Press the 4 square middle button on the bottom of the screen. Swipe left or right until you find “Button Savior”, then press on it. In the General Settings group, click on “Auto Hide”, then select 3 seconds or whatever time you like. I use 3 seconds. Swipe up to get to “Look and Feel” group, the press on “Theme”, then select “Contrast for E-Ink”, then return arrow on top of screen. Now the right button bar is set to higher contrast and will disappear after the time you set above. To set the background to something interesting Press on the icon on the top right of the screen (circle with 3 horizontal lines in it) Press on “More” Select ”ADW Settings” Select “Theme Preferences” Select “Your Theme” Select “Minamalist_Black” Select “Apply theme” Your new home page should be displayed. I put the Practiscore icon in the middle of the circle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dejadoo Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 A quick question regarding the rooting - is it possible to have a searchable pdf version of the rules on the Nook Simple after it is rooted following the guidelines in this thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark R Posted May 24, 2012 Author Share Posted May 24, 2012 Not sure, but I assume you are talking about the USPSA rule book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cellguy030 Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 as long as you have a file explorer and the rulebook file on the device you should be able to open it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark R Posted May 24, 2012 Author Share Posted May 24, 2012 Download and install this on the nook... PDF Reader for Android Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Actually, there is a way without the reader. You can "sideload" stuff onto the Nook. Plug the USB cable into the Nook and your PC and the Nook will appear in Explorer. You will see a folder where you can put files (books, documents, etc). Drag the PDF into that. Now, power off the Nook. Then power it back up. You will see that a new document has been added to your library. This has an extension of QXD. If you open this file, then any time you click on the book icon in the upper left corner of the android home screen, it will open the rules. Now I just need to find a simple way to swap back and forth between PS and the rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgnoyes Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I can tell you right now; you're not going to enjoy trying to read the rulebook on that little e-ink screen, or even on an iPhone or iPod Touch; just too damn small to be useful. (An iPad, on the other hand, is quite a different story!) The PDF rulebook is okay, but we really need a true epub rulebook that will adjust itself to screen size according to the dimensions of your device. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I can tell you right now; you're not going to enjoy trying to read the rulebook on that little e-ink screen, or even on an iPhone or iPod Touch; just too damn small to be useful. (An iPad, on the other hand, is quite a different story!) Actually, the method that I suggested results in something that uses the built in fonts. It's pretty slick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Burwell Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I can tell you right now; you're not going to enjoy trying to read the rulebook on that little e-ink screen, or even on an iPhone or iPod Touch; just too damn small to be useful. (An iPad, on the other hand, is quite a different story!) Actually, the method that I suggested results in something that uses the built in fonts. It's pretty slick. it does use the fonts in the nook and you can read it however the rule numbers do not line up with the rule paragraphs so it is pretty hard to use. I thought this would be pretty slick as well, however after a little more thought not sure I like it. I'd rather the squad not stop shooting/scoring to look something up in the rule book. If they are using the nook book they cannot be scoring the next guy. I am going to leave the rule book in there for now, but I doubt it gets used much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumtoc Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) Scored our (small) local monthly match using PractiScore on a mix of Android and iOS devices, synched back to an iPad, done. Announced results after teardown was completed, cool. Went home, uploaded to EZWS, done. I hate manually entering scores into EZWS...... Not completely happy with the handheld devices we used so bought a NST on sale at Best Buy. Followed the instructions here to root it, done. Upgraded to the latest release from the B&N site before rooting, it worked fine. Now stuck on the ADB connect step, can't seem to sort out the ADK download to the PC, fails with partial completion and other various hiccups. I don't need to do a bunch of these, just want to finish this one so I can load PractiScore on the NST for testing. I need to confirm our final list of HW with $$ estimate for our club board to review/approve. Tell me again why I need ADB so I can manually enter DOS-like level commands instead of moving the app to the NST by USB or uSD card? Can anyone provide details for one of those options? Tired of struggling with the wireless option. I am not an MVS guy like Bill but am in I/T and this shouldn't be this hard.... Also, what case are you guys using for the NST? I can't see spending $40 or more on an $80 device. Is there something workable in the $25 or less range? And thanks for all the great info shared, I would never have attempted any of this without it.... Lindy Bailey Dothan, AL Edited May 30, 2012 by Sumtoc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Tell me again why I need ADB so I can manually enter DOS-like level commands instead of moving the app to the NST by USB or uSD card? Can anyone provide details for one of those options? Tired of struggling with the wireless option. I am not an MVS guy like Bill but am in I/T and this shouldn't be this hard.... FWIW, I am an IT guy and I find it hard. There are too many undocumented cases of needing to do something hard in order to make something easier. I have yet to find a way to install PS without going the ADB method. That said, the download that I found (and posted somewhere) has all the files necessary to run ADB on a PC without having to install a thing - it really is quite simple. On the other hand, I can do a lot stuff in a DOS box that will leave most of newer Windows experts saying "how did you do that so fast?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cellguy030 Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 once you have the device running on rooted android.. i just went to the PS website and downloaded the APK direct from there... installed and away we go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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