I own a Nook Color. In fact, by the end of this month, it will be two years old and the extended warranty I purchased from Barnes & Noble will expire. The last software update issued by B&N came nearly a year ago (see my post on version 1.4.3 from last June/July).
Not only am I not feeling the Nook Color love from B&N, I’m also noticing the ereader showing its hardware age. I often must power it completely down to ‘correct’ a situation that frequently arises when it can’t seem to locate my home’s wifi. Come June, if B&N hasn’t issued some olive branch of an update that would open up Google Play to my NC, I may just wipe it and finally convert it to an Android tablet.
Now that I have a Samsung Note II, I have invested in several nice apps from the Google Play store, including my favorite audiobook app called the Smart Audiobook Player. I love this app’s ability to flatten all the folders and allow for a smooth listening experience (no need to switch ‘CDs’ (folders), accommodates a continuous stream). The app also automatically pauses when a phone call comes in (and resumes when you hang up) and will automatically backtrack three seconds when an audio alert sounds for emails or texts.
Later this year, I’ll probably invest in an Android tablet, possibly a Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. Not another B&N knockoff. While I’ve enjoyed reading ebooks on my Nook Color and using it for the occasional web surfing, Tweeting or reading e-mail, my experience with my Note II has opened my eyes to the limitless Android possibilities.
I did a happy dance this morning as I read through my morning Flipboard cover stories. This headline caught my eye enough to drill-down and read the entire article:
This came as welcome news to me, especially after last week’s devastating development where Amazon gobbled up GoodReads. Microsoft used to hold the top spot on my boycott list, but thanks to BYOD (bring your own device), I can see the digital writing on the wall for the fall of Microsoft. At least I’ll keep hoping and dreaming of that day.
Dare I compare Microsoft to Ancient Rome? The terrain may be different (virtual instead of reality), but the goals appear similar (world conquest). Instead of taking centuries to rot and collapse, our modern day equivalent is fading into obscurity and irrelevance in a matter of decades. In my lifetime, the hardware has changed dramatically since the mid-70s and the software no less so.
For everyday consumers, I’m not sure Microsoft can salvage their sinking ship. Apple and Android seized the day and their stars are still rising. In the corporate world, Microsoft will remain strong and may succeed in wrestling and cajoling enterprise customers into SaaS (software as a service) licensing agreements. I just don’t see the desktop completely disappearing in some industries (like legal where I’m employed). Document production is still done fastest with a real keyboard, but perhaps voice recognition apps will make even QWERTY disappear soon.
So with Microsoft slipping sliding away, I can return my boycott sites on the next worst case and keep spreading the bad news about Amazon. Buyer Beware! Author Beware!
I read three long articles this week, authored by journalists from the Associated Press. Normally, I scoff at FUD, especially as it pertains to technology, and specifically computers. I’ve spent the lion’s share of my life in communion with bits and bytes. I’m extremely comfortable with my digital BFF.
But these three articles, under the AP Impact brand, presented a disturbing picture. If the facts as presented are to be believed, I don’t really need to worry about my job being outsourced. Instead, it will simply vanish.
According to these three articles, not even doctors, lawyers and IT (the latter two of particular interest to my circumstances) will be immune from this trend.
In modern usage, “Luddite” is a term describing those opposed to industrialisation, automation, computerisation or new technologies in general.
If only I were a decade older. Then I probably wouldn’t feel any stress concerning this developing situation. I would be that much closer to retirement (and/or death). Can I be nimble enough to survive?
The Luddite fallacy addresses the idea that technological advances can have adverse effects on structural unemployment. Most mainstream economists agree that the benefits technology provides to the economy as a whole (i.e. increased aggregate demand due to falling prices) outweigh the costs of the temporary displacement of particular workers, who can find other work as technology fuels economic growth.
Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill? Lord knows I have enough stress in my life to keep me up most nights already. But I can’t help mulling it over.
If we eliminate jobs (is that a Republican’s wet dream?), what’s left to drive our consumer economy? You can’t sell a house or a car to a robot or a computer.
On the other hand, I don’t want to protect or regulate jobs just to keep people employed. The flip side (for the Democrats) being that most if not all people would be employed by the government. How does this different from places like Communist China?
Neither extreme appeals to me. Always before, technology has improved lives and provided replacement jobs in innovative initiatives. It seems now that we’ve reached the zenith and the point of diminishing returns looms ahead (unless it’s already here).
I don’t even have to blame SkyNet for our destruction. We’ve done it to ourselves.
I am composing this quick reference guide (or workflow or flowchart) for persons who shall remain anonymous. I plan to refer them to this page (encouraging them to bookmark it in their browser) the next time I receive yet another request for how to get an ebook transferred to their Nook.
1. Barnes & Noble Nook Books: It is not necessary to click the Download button after you purchase a Nook Book. This is tempting, especially if you are sitting at your computer, browsing through the Barnes & Noble website and not actually shopping via your Nook Color (using a wifi connection).
(a) Press the n button on your Nook Color and select the Library item.
(b) Press the Sync button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen (which looks like two arrows chasing each other in a circular pattern).
(c) Any new books you have purchased will appear after the sync completes.
2. Non-Barnes & Noble eBooks: Anything you purchase from a non-B&N retailer, even if the price is ‘free’, will most likely be ‘protected’ by DRM (digital rights management), which actively prevents you from copying the downloaded ebook file from your computer to your Nook Color. If you are lucky enough to find an ebook without DRM protection, please skip down to the last step below. Otherwise, the only approved method for transferring ebooks you legitimately purchased involves using yet another piece of software called Adobe Digital Editions. This transfer process may vary depending on the vender and assumes you have downloaded, installed and activated both your copy of Adobe Digital Editions and your device (Nook Color) in that software.
(a) Download the ebook from where you bought it and make note of the file name (in case you have trouble remembering where your computer downloads file to – usually the Downloads folder). Windows may automatically associated the downloading file with Adobe Digital Editions, which is a good thing. Let it launch ADE after it downloads the file if need be.
(b) Connect the Nook Color USB cable to your computer, then connect it to your Nook Color.
(c) ADE should now display your Nook Color device as available in the left-hand navigation pane.
(i) To add the ebook you just purchased/downloaded, select Add Library Item (or press Ctrl+O to open) from the Library menu in ADE.
(ii) Navigate to the folder where you downloaded the file (in a Windows 7 environment, you may already have a favorites item called ‘Downloads’ available).
(iii) Select the ebook and click the Open button. ADE should now display the cover of the ebook as a thumbnail in the left-hand area. Or, if your view is currently set to the List option, then new ebook will be listed by Title, Author, etc.
(iv) Click the thumbnail of the new ebook cover and drag it to your Nook Color device (listed in the left-hand navigation pane of ADE).
(d) Close ADE and safely disconnect your Nook Color from your computer.
(e) Back on your Nook Color, there are two ways to find the ebook you just transferred from your computer:
(i) Using the Library application:
(1) Open your Library and switch to the My Stuff area (last tab/button along the top).
(2) Drill down to the Digital Editions folder and click on the ebook file name you just transferred from your computer to the Nook Color.
(ii) Using Search
(1) Type the file name or title of the new ebook.
(2) Select the ebook from the search results.
3. Library eBook Lending: Most libraries also use Adobe Digital Editions to managed the ebooks you borrow. Your library may already provide you with instructions and a tutorial. I know mine did:
(c) You can use the same process described above to find the file on your Nook Color (either through the Library application or by Searching for the file name or title of the ebook).
4. Public Domain eBooks (DRM-Free): Those ebooks downloaded from Project Gutenberg or the public domain section of Feedbooks, should be DRM free and thus will not require the use of Adobe Digital Editions to copy the ebook file to your Nook Color.
(a) Download the ebook and note the file name and folder location.
(b) Connect your Nook Color to your computer.
(c) When prompted (an Autoplay dialog box should pop up), click the ‘Open folder to view files’ option.
(d) Drill down to the My Files folder on your Nook Color and open the Books subfolder.
(e) In a separate Windows Explorer window, find the ebook file and Copy it (Ctrl+C).
(f) Return to the Nook Color window that should be open to the Books subfolder of the My Files folder and Paste (Ctrl+V).
(g) Close all Windows Explorer windows and safely disconnect your Nook Color from your computer.
(h) You can use the same process described above to find the file on your Nook Color (either through the Library application or by Searching for the file name or title of the ebook).
To manage all your DRM-free ebooks, I would suggest using Calibre, an open source software package. I give you fair warning, however, that Calibre is not as easy to use as it could be, but I have hopes that the user interface will improve with each update. I only recommend Calibre to people who are not technology challenged.
About four hours ago, I received notice (several of them actually from various different venues and feeds) of the highly anticipated software update from Barnes & Noble for the Nook Color (specifically update 1.4.1). When the Nook Tablet was announced last month, B&N also mentioned this software update, probably as a carrot to current owners of the Nook Color. Since I’m a geek by nature and can’t stand to let an update languish, I dived right in and manually installed the update.
Manual Update (Download, Side-Load, Wait)
I barely glanced at the instructions. I read just enough to confirm that the process for 1.4.1 seemed essentially identical to the last three software updates. I actually didn’t get a chance to manually install 1.3 as it happened ‘automatically’ overnight while I was sleeping. I did manually download and install 1.2 though, but that was back in May when I first received my Nook Color.
Basically, I downloaded the 208 MB file. I made sure I had at least 20 percent battery life left (I had 65 percent), then I connected my Nook Color to my laptop. I copied the downloaded file to the root of the Nook Color’s internal storage area (not the root of my microSD card). I safely disconnected my Nook Color and left it alone for the next couple of hours (I had other things I needed to attend to). The Nook Color will automatically ‘see’ the file, uncompress it and install the software update.
The NOOK Color Ver 1.4.1 update contains new features and enhancements, including:
Access to popular movies and TV shows streamed through Netflix
NOOK Comics™ including the largest collection of Marvel graphic novels – with vivid colors & rich images, the action nearly jumps off the page. Your issues always in perfect condition to enjoy again & again.
PagePerfect™ NOOK Books™ – a whole new category of NOOK Books carefully crafted to keep the precision and beauty of their stunning print versions. Zoom in on pictures, and fluidly scroll through pages of beautiful cookbooks, art books, and more.
Over 100 enhancements, including reading NOOK Books in portrait and landscape modes, direct look-up of words in the built-in dictionary, increased font size selection, and more.
Observations
Nook Color eReader in Landscape Mode
I tested out as many of the enhancements as I could find over lunch. I read an ebook in portrait and landscape mode (the latter was not previously an option). The ereader reacted faster to my touch gestures as well. I really like the updated ereader interface, including the progress bar that shows me how many pages are left to read in the current chapter and the ability to lookup a highlighted phrase via Google or Wikipedia.
I checked out the new home for Nook Color apps (relocated to the Library section). The Library got a small overhaul, but nothing that jumps out and grabs me. The new non-beta version of Nook Friends lets you import contacts from Facebook in addition to the other sources previously supported. I connected to my NetFlix account and tested video streaming. The music player didn’t lose my music or my playlists or my audiobooks and the Pandora app still streamed music. All my photos and non-B&N ebooks remained intact and readily available.
Nook Color Apps now found in Library
The only app I had any trouble with was the GoodReads one.* I contacted them via their Feedback forum as I’m probably one of the first to update the Nook Color and attempt to use their application. I was able to access GoodReads, however, via the web browser.
My initial thoughts on the update are positive. I like what I see, especially in the updated ereader interface. I also like having my Netflix streaming available literally in the palm of my hand (so if I don’t feel like reading at lunch, I can instead watch old Star Trek episodes). The software update will be pushed via wifi starting next week, but if you don’t mind getting your hands a little tech-dirty, I’d recommend you download the update and enjoy the benefits at your earliest convenience. This update takes some of the sting out of not waiting until Christmas to purchase an ereader. If I’d had the patience back in May to wait just six months, I could have had a dual-core processor version in the Nook Tablet. At least now I can enjoy most of the benefits of the software, without the hardware upgrade.
Tweaks
After nearly a full day of use, I’ve found a couple of strange web browser issues that Barnes & Noble customer service wanted to fix with a sledge hammer (i.e., they wanted me to de-register and re-register my Nook Color). I refused and asked for a different less ‘scorched earth’ resolution. By the time I started chatting with them, I’d already cleared my cache, cookies and history and powered off the device twice. The customer service representative asked me to wait a few minutes while he consulted the next tier of support. He came back and asked the I set the browser to ‘default’ mode. I countered asking if he meant the option under Advanced Settings that resets the browser to ‘factory’ defaults. He wasn’t completely sure so while I waited for him to get confirmation, I reset my Browser Mode setting from ‘Mobile Browser Mode‘ (where I had been for months if not from the beginning) to ‘Desktop Browser Mode‘ and returned to my web page. Now, I was able to navigate to my Yahoo Mail mobile web site and the Google Reader page included all the options (some where missing before switching modes).
I still use mobile sites when I can (and had to edit my bookmarks or re-bookmark the mobile versions of my favorites) because I prefer the streamlined interface on the smaller screen. So I’m back to being happy with my Nook Color and still exploring all the new and enhanced features. If I find any more tweaks or tips this week, I’ll continue to add them to this post.
* Update 12/15/2011: GoodReads fixed the application within 48 hours of my initial post to their Feedback forum and last night I downloaded the updated app (press the ‘Check for Updates’ link in the Apps section of the Library) to my Nook Color. The About page displays version 1.7.3 as the currently installed version. I tested the app and determined all the features I’ve come to know and love were again functioning as expected. A DropBox update presented itself simultaneously with the GoodReads update, so I downloaded it as well. The About section of the Settings show version 1.2.7 installed. The application appears to be functioning normally.
On the ninth day of my ‘Thirty Days of Thankfulness‘ I am grateful for the discovery of radio waves by James Clerk Maxwell and Heinrich Hertz way back in the mid 19th century, which I benefit from abundantly via multiple wireless communications arrays and devices. I personally use on a daily basis a cell phone, a Nook Color and a laptop, all of which connect me to the Internet and ultimately my family and friends all without wires. I subscribe to satellite television and I listen to local radio stations via my car stereo system. I setup my own wireless router with appropriate security and even added a guest wireless network for visiting family and friends. I am a licensed amateur radio operator who can communicate with other operators with the right radio equipment, antennas and atmospheric conditions (for some frequencies). Who you gonna call to get the word out during the next zombie apocalypse? Me and my amateur radio buddies, that’s who!
Amateur Radio
The international symbol for amateur radio.
I followed my dad around as much as I could when I was little. Truth be told, there wasn’t much else to do way out in the country with no neighbors close enough to have any kids to play with. Poor Dad! Stuck with a daughter in tow while he visited friends, or did electrical wiring, or help raise an antenna tower, or change the light bulbs for the local baseball field, or … you get the picture. I earned the nickname ‘go-fer’ fairly early on. It came naturally that I would end up studying to take the test to become a licensed amateur radio operator. If I remember correctly, I earned that license before I got my permanent driver’s license. Back then, you still had to learn Morse code.
Emergency Communications
In the U.S., during an emergency, amateur radio operators can provide essential communication to help preserve the immediate safety of human life and immediate protection of property when normal communication systems are not available and may use any frequency including those of other radio services such as police and fire communications. Similarly, amateurs in the United States may apply to be registered with the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS). Once approved and trained, these amateurs also operate on US government military frequencies to provide contingency communications and morale message traffic support to the military services.
Which brings me to the top news story for today. For the first time ever in the United States the Emergency Alert System will conduct a nation-wide test. The test will occur at two o’clock Eastern time (that’s one o’clock for me and all my neighbors here in the Heart of America). EAS provides a national warning system, as well as local weather emergencies, and allows the President of the United States to speak to citizens within ten minutes in the event of a national emergency.
And in case you’re wondering what the title of this article means, CQD was one of the first adopted distress calls. CQ is familiar to most ham radio operators because it means ‘calling all hams’ but CQD expands on that and means ‘calling all distress.’
For the second day of my ‘Thirty Days of Thankfulness‘ posting series, and in light of the continued high unemployment the United States still suffers under, I thought an appropriate topic for appreciation would be my job. The ‘Great Recession‘ marks my third ‘period of reduced economic activity.’ The last one I remember would have been the dot-com bubble bursting a year or so before 9-11. Prior to that, I believe it was the fallout from the savings and loan crisis in the early 90s.
Except for a one or two month time frame during 1988, I have been employed full-time since 1985. That brief hiatus saw me transition from the insurance industry (as an appraiser – both residential and commercial properties) to the legal industry. I liked the legal vertical so much, I’m still employed by a law firm (the same one for the last fifteen years) and still loving the challenges and the people. I’ve probably spent as much time, if not more, with some of my coworkers, as I have with my immediate family. Especially during those years when the IT department planned and converted hundreds of computers and systems in massive upgrades (usually driven by a change in operating systems or business productivity software handed down by Microsoft).
My only regret stems from sacrificing my career for the stability of a job. As I approach (or skid down to) the latter half of my life, I feel the lack of a satisfying career, a professional pursuit that feeds not only my pocketbook, but my personal life as well. While I thoroughly enjoy my adventures in Information Technology for all things legal, I find myself asking myself, will this matter after I’m gone? What legacy (besides my glorious children) will I leave behind? Will I leave a positive impact on the world? Could I have done more to make a difference, however small (remember the butterfly effect)?
Yet, I am truly grateful to wake up each morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and spend another day overcoming the next technology challenge with my IT buddies.
Quotes on Employment:
Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
~~~ Theodore Roosevelt
The taxpayer – that’s someone who works for the federal government but doesn’t have to take the civil service examination.
~~~ Ronald Reagan
To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth.
~~~ Pearl S. Buck
You’ve got to find what you love and that is as true for work as it is for lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you’ve found it.
~~~ Steve Jobs
A man willing to work, and unable to find work, is perhaps the saddest sight that fortune’s inequality exhibits under this sun.
~~~ Thomas Carlyle, Chartism
Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life become a beautiful success, in spite of poverty.
~~~ Louisa May Alcott
Such is the supreme folly of man that he labours so as to labour no more.
~~~ Leonardo Da Vinci, Thoughts on Art and Life
Barnes & Noble announced a couple of days ago that the latest editions of their ereader tablet, the Nook HD and HD+, would receive a software update that included the addition of the Google Play app store. I was not amused.
For the second day of my ‘