Just got my Nook Tablet rooted and put Go Launcher on it. This is my first time using an android device and Go Launcher and it's all a little over whelming with all the mods I can make to my device. Just not sure where to begin when it comes to themes, apps, and icons. You guys are a great community and just looking for a little help.
awillhide said:
Just got my Nook Tablet rooted and put Go Launcher on it. This is my first time using an android device and Go Launcher and it's all a little over whelming with all the mods I can make to my device. Just not sure where to begin when it comes to themes, apps, and icons. You guys are a great community and just looking for a little help.
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Click to collapse
I would say just start experimenting with what you already have on the device. Explore the different themes and widgets before adding on more and more packages and overwhelming yourself.
Personalizing your devices is a fun process so enjoy it and try not to turn it into a quest for the perfect device.
APKTOP.com and freewarelovers.com are two good places to look for apps. You can install apps directly from the Android Markrt (if rooted) and from the Amazon app store. I use my PC to seach for, and download apps. If you do that, you will want a simple WiFI transfer utility. FTPserver works well for me. I've had my Nook for two weeks. I have over 100 apps insralled and I am not rooted.
Check out the Themes & Apps subforum for ideas - there is an essential app thread that is a good place to start.
Related
Hey guys, I am about to follow the root instructions found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1354487
But before I do it I want to know what features could/will be lost in doing this. Obviously the auto-update (which makes complete sense). But in general I like the interface for now. It has its drawbacks, but I like the built-in mail client and the browser is fine for the most part. In the future I might also want to try ICS on it, but for now I am happy to use the built-in interface.
I really just want to root so that I can side load apps so that I don't have to pay B&N for apps that are otherwise free on the Android Market. That and I have never been a fan of auto-updates. But I want to keep the mail client and I especially want to keep the ability to read their entire digital catalog for free while I am in a B&N store.
Hell I would like to take that a step further and get it to work outside the store if possible. But I would settle for just keeping the original feature. I tried it earlier today and I love that feature.
So I would like to know if I would lose any of those features when I root this device. Does anyone know?
Thanks,
Patrick
When you Root you can still use the stock Nook "Home" launcher. You can install a second launcher and switch between the 2 on the fly so that you have "Nook Mode" and Tablet Mode".
2 warnings:
1) when I rooted and added Gapps, something broke the stock email client and I was not able to find a quick way to fix it.
2) I have not found a way to get Android Market or side loaded apps to show up int he stock Nook "library" so they can only be accessed via the "search" function or my using an Android Launcher with a normal app drawer.
I use the Nook Color App Manager to add sideloaded apps to the stock Nook home screen and/or library. It works great.
There is a detailed artile at liliputing....Do a Google search for: "How to add sideloaded apps to your NOOK Tablet home screen, app library" As a new member I can not post a direct link. Sorry.
William
Hey guys it looks like the read in store ability works just fine still. I got this device rooted last night. Now iwant to see if this ability can be retained somehow while upgrading to ICS. It would also rock to be able to access the in store readable items from any wiring connection.
Thanks for the help!
Sent from my BNTV250 using xda premium
ncguy68 said:
I use the Nook Color App Manager to add sideloaded apps to the stock Nook home screen and/or library. It works great.
There is a detailed artile at liliputing....Do a Google search for: "How to add sideloaded apps to your NOOK Tablet home screen, app library" As a new member I can not post a direct link. Sorry.
William
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is the link
Thanks!
Here's the story, I have a CM7 Nook Color and love the hell out of it. Its my main ereader, I use it 4-5 hours a day and you couldn't pry it out of my hands.
I bought my wife a Nook Tablet for Christmas because her old eBookWise reader was starting to die. All I want for her on her NT is the following:
1) Facebook (I can't believe this isn't even in the BN store. I didn't even consider this possible when I bought the NT)
2) Amazon Kindle (I have it side-loaded now but its got the white menu problem which is annoying. Lots of Kindle Content in our library.)
3) A decent browser, Dolphin or Opera Mobile. The BN Browser is an affront against webpages.
Is there any way to reasonably simply do this? I don't want to add complexity or instability. She doesn't have the patience to have the thing crashing or needing attention all the time. I don't mind that I have to reboot CM7 on my NC once in a while but that'll just peeve her off. She doesn't need the app store or to run the latest droid games, just those few things and she'll love her NT rather than grudgingly use it as a mildly annoying e-reader.
Is there a relatively easy way to get these things sideloaded? Trying to weed through the forums here seems to be mostly about full on hacking and CM type modification.
Thanks folks!
Adamoutler posted some links to basic apps that are needed for sideloading:
nook1.adamoutler.com
nook2.adamoutler.com
nook3.adamoutler.com
Other than that, search in the apps and themes section of the forum for other goodies (like a facebook apk), and I believe the general forum has some how-to guides. Good luck!
Edit: nooktabletapks.com is another good resource, the type i believe you are looking for. It doesn't have much that isn't already on xda, but it's still a pretty good reference.
Sent from my TARDIS.
I'm not sure exactly where or how to ask this but I need to figure out how to take an Android tablet and limit the interface & options.
End result:
Someone picks up the tablet, turns it on, and they see four apps to choose from. No other usable icons or options. I've already pre-configured all four of the apps to do whatever those apps are made to do. (I'll just get the apps from the Play store)
That's it. The guy that picks it up to use it has no other options what-so-ever...he just has whatever I've told it to have.
Would this be called a Custom UI, or is there just an app out there that I need to download? I haven't been able to find anything on Google.
meganame said:
I'm not sure exactly where or how to ask this but I need to figure out how to take an Android tablet and limit the interface & options.
End result:
Someone picks up the tablet, turns it on, and they see four apps to choose from. No other usable icons or options. I've already pre-configured all four of the apps to do whatever those apps are made to do. (I'll just get the apps from the Play store)
That's it. The guy that picks it up to use it has no other options what-so-ever...he just has whatever I've told it to have.
Would this be called a Custom UI, or is there just an app out there that I need to download? I haven't been able to find anything on Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as the user doesn't have access to the play store, this should be pretty easy. It will take a custom Rom though. If you are still willing to go about it with a custom Rom let me know, I started something like this for the nexus 7 I bought for my daughter. I should share some insight.
lithid-cm said:
As long as the user doesn't have access to the play store, this should be pretty easy. It will take a custom Rom though. If you are still willing to go about it with a custom Rom let me know, I started something like this for the nexus 7 I bought for my daughter. I should share some insight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, man, that would be great! Thanks, buddy! I was wanting to do it with the 7, too.
First thing first if i helped you in any way shape or form please thank this thread.
This is all of the apps that I think are a "must have" for anyone with a Galaxy Tab 2 (7 or 10.1)
1. Rom toolbox: *REQUIRES ROOT* This is the best app for any one who likes to mod or customize the look/ feel of their tablet. It has all the features you could want wrapped up into one app.
Features: Install roms and themes like Cyanogen Mod. App and data backup. Root file browser (best file browser in my opinion).Boot logo changer.Build prop editor, app manager which allows you to delete bloatware (stock apps) and much much more!
There is a paid version which is 5 dollars and is well worth it believe me.
Lite version: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jrummy.liberty.toolbox&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5qcnVtbXkubGliZXJ0eS50b29sYm94Il0.
2. XDA Premium HD: This is an app that allows you to browse and surf XDA developers without having to use a browser. Also this app is specifically designed for tablets!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.quoord.xdapad.activity&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5xdW9vcmQueGRhcGFkLmFjdGl2aXR5Il0.
3. Android Tweaker :*REQUIRES ROOT* This is a must if you really wanna get the most out of your tablet. This app will do everything from increase battery life to make your tab much faster. This app is will also make mods to custom roms too!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.igio90.androidtweaker.free
4. Google Currents: Wanna follow all your favorite news/sports/car articles? This is the app for it. This allows you to follow and read articles for whatever your interests are. So for me I follow things like android central, cnet, motor trend, and many more. Also this app allows you to read articles offline this is very useful. For example your about to leave the house and you have a long car ride. You can go into currents and sync all the latest articles so you can read them offline or without internet connection later. This app is free too!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.currents
5. Nova Launcher: One of the best things about android is the ability to customize your device to the way it suites you. This is a app that replaces the home screen launcher and replaces it with a better more with more customization options. There is a free and paid version.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher
6. Spotify: This is an app that allows to stream music to your mobile device. (There is also a pc version which is awesome) THIS APP IS 10 TIMES BETTER THAN PANDORA! You do have a limited amount of skips, but you can create millions of stations and each station has 6 skips. So for example my favorite band is Avenged Sevenfold. I could create a station and it will play me songs similar to what type of music Avenged Sevenfold plays. This has helped me discover many new bands. Also its free and doesnt require root.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spotify.mobile.android.ui
7. Google Drive: If your a student like me this is definitely a must have app. This apps allows you to create documents and spreadsheets. Also it syncs with what you made on the computer. For example say tomorrow I have to read a speech in front of my class as an assignment. I can type the document on the computer and when it comes time to do my speech I read from my tablet instead of from boring old paper. And its even better because your potentially helping the environment.:good:
You can also use this app for cloud storage!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.docs
8.HD widgets: Widgets are really cool but the stock ones are really boring. This app allows you to change the color and theme of the widgets to what you like. There are tons of widgets to choose from too.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cloudtv.hdwidgets
9. Swift Key Tablet Keyboard. The stock keyboard is very boring and hard to use at times. This app replaces the stock keyboard and allows you to change the look and feel of the keyboard to the way you like.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.touchtype.swiftkey.tablet.full
Lastly what do you guys think? If you have other apps that you like tell us what they are and why.
GestureControl:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goodmooddroid.gesturecontrol&hl=de
Thanks just got my tab and rooted im sure these will come in handy :good:
thanks mate for the android tweaker
Is there a way to build Themer themes (or even Zooper widgets) on a PC or Mac and export them back out, transfer them to the device and import them into Themer?
I have been trying to build a theme but I keep getting frustrated with how cumbersome it is to use these tools on a touchscreen device. I would be able to create a theme a lot more quickly and efficiently if I could drag elements around with a mouse, type on a physical keyboard and make use of a larger screen with more real estate than my phone. I also think it would be much more precise.
A tool like this would be fairly easy to build. It'd just have to have a few basic options for the device like resolution and dpi and could also have presets so that a designer could select the device he or she is exporting to. This would also be helpful for people who are modifying themes to work with other devices or if users are running their phones with custom DPI settings (I do).
Would anyone else find this useful?
Please forgive me if this has been asked and answered already. I did a bunch of searching and couldn't come up with anything.
Thanks,
Cass
cbarnes913 said:
Is there a way to build Themer themes (or even Zooper widgets) on a PC or Mac and export them back out, transfer them to the device and import them into Themer?
I have been trying to build a theme but I keep getting frustrated with how cumbersome it is to use these tools on a touchscreen device. I would be able to create a theme a lot more quickly and efficiently if I could drag elements around with a mouse, type on a physical keyboard and make use of a larger screen with more real estate than my phone. I also think it would be much more precise.
A tool like this would be fairly easy to build. It'd just have to have a few basic options for the device like resolution and dpi and could also have presets so that a designer could select the device he or she is exporting to. This would also be helpful for people who are modifying themes to work with other devices or if users are running their phones with custom DPI settings (I do).
Would anyone else find this useful?
Please forgive me if this has been asked and answered already. I did a bunch of searching and couldn't come up with anything.
Thanks,
Cass
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. I second your idea. i did search for theme builder. nothing of that sort. on a different note , i did find an ancient theme builder for ancient symbian phones. i donot know whether to laugh or to cry. LOL
cbarnes913 said:
Is there a way to build Themer themes (or even Zooper widgets) on a PC or Mac and export them back out, transfer them to the device and import them into Themer?
I have been trying to build a theme but I keep getting frustrated with how cumbersome it is to use these tools on a touchscreen device. I would be able to create a theme a lot more quickly and efficiently if I could drag elements around with a mouse, type on a physical keyboard and make use of a larger screen with more real estate than my phone. I also think it would be much more precise.
A tool like this would be fairly easy to build. It'd just have to have a few basic options for the device like resolution and dpi and could also have presets so that a designer could select the device he or she is exporting to. This would also be helpful for people who are modifying themes to work with other devices or if users are running their phones with custom DPI settings (I do).
Would anyone else find this useful?
Please forgive me if this has been asked and answered already. I did a bunch of searching and couldn't come up with anything.
Thanks,
Cass
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, if you are asking if there is an App to build themes on a PC? If yes then the answer is sadly no.
However there is another option. You can use an Android VM such as GenyMotion. It no longer has Play Store access, so you will need to sideload Themer on it, but it does work well. http://www.genymotion.com/features/
the link doesn't work comes back as nothing found,fortunately this one does work https://cloud.genymotion.com/page/launchpad/download/
you wiull need to register and log in before download
ThemerSupport said:
However there is another option. You can use an Android VM such as GenyMotion. It no longer has Play Store access, so you will need to sideload Themer on it, but it does work well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I started to do this but as the performance is fairly bad in emulation, I threw in the towel. If there is enough support, is this something that you guys would be willing to build? It's probably even something that could be built in a web app, meaning you could build it once and be done
The benefit here is that having a tool like this would open the door for a lot more designers. The more great themes you have in Themer the bigger your install base.
Thanks so much for responding so quickly
Edit: I misunderstood. I have tried the emulator provided with the SDK, but I'll give GenyMotion a shot also. Thanks for the suggestion.
cbarnes913 said:
Yeah, I started to do this but as the performance is fairly bad in emulation, I threw in the towel. If there is enough support, is this something that you guys would be willing to build? It's probably even something that could be built in a web app, meaning you could build it once and be done
The benefit here is that having a tool like this would open the door for a lot more designers. The more great themes you have in Themer the bigger your install base.
Thanks so much for responding so quickly
Edit: I misunderstood. I have tried the emulator provided with the SDK, but I'll give GenyMotion a shot also. Thanks for the suggestion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We might have a look at an online version in the future, but that will only be once Themer is a lot more stable and we have more resources to work with. Thanks for the suggestion though!
it could be awesome for pc users
I installed Genymotion. Getting it configured with Themer took some doing, but once it was setup I had everything I needed. Thanks so much for this suggestion.
For those who want to do the same thing, there are some things you need to know. First, you need either a Google account or a Facebook account to log into Themer. That means that after you install GenyMotion, you need to do one of two things: either you need to 1) flash a Google apps package over the GenyMotion VM (a 4.3 apps package that works with Cyanogen mod works best), then log into Google, then update everything with the Play Store, and then install Themer; OR (and I didn't do this, so it might be more complex than this) sideload Facebook and sideload Themer, log into Facebook, then setup Themer.
The reason you need to do this is because in order to use Themer, you need to log in using either a Google account or a Facebook account, and Themer uses a list of accounts already on your phone (or in this case, the VM) to populate the dialog box that asks you to log in. That said, you want to have either a Facebook account or a Google account set up on the device (or VM) prior to launching Themer. Since I'd rather not ever use Facebook to do anything, that limits my option to Google.
It might be the case that if you exported themes from Themer and wanted to import it, that you might not have to go through any of these steps. However, if you want to be able to download existing themes from Themer and work with them as a starting point for building your theme, or even just pick them apart to figure out how they work in order to learn, you need to log in.
Someone correct me if I made this way more complicated than it needed to be.
As for developing a web client for theming, maybe this could be a community-led effort? I don't have the skill or time to do any of it, but if this is a popular request, perhaps we could organize a project and try to contribute to it. Is anyone interested?