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So I received my Kindle Fire for Christmas, and I'm in the UK. My uncle from the US brought it over for me, and I hope this post will clear up any speculation about what will and will not work on your Kindle Fire in the UK.
1. Apps: Apps need a US credit card, or you cannot download from the Kindle Store. This was not really an issue for me, as I rooted my Fire, installed the Market, and can download from there, not to mention sideloading APK file apps, which I was able to do without rooting
2. Silk: Works fine, uses EC2 cloud like it should
3, Book Store: Haven't tried it, but I was able to download books I had purchased previously for my old Kindle
4: Prime: You get a month's free of Amazon Prime, I wasn't able to stream videos from it, and I don't really care, I don't want to pay 70 dollars + a year for it.
Everything else works fine, and I really love it. The only other issue, was during the set up, there is no option to select the UK time zone, so you have to change it manually from the settings later. Oh, and all the temperatures in the weather app are in Fahrenheit. But it works like a charm. Got lots of working apps, Minecraft, Fruit Ninja, Angry Birds, and I'm using Calibre library to convert my PDFs into .MOBI format for reading on the Fire.
So all in all, it works pretty well in the UK actually! Hope this clears everything up for people in the UK thinking of getting it somehow. If I've missed anything please tell me!
Would also like to use the Kindle Fire in the UK but without rooting.
You mentioned being able to sideload apps ... but in order to do so, don't you need to download a file manager from the Amazon store (which a UK person cannot do)? and / or use an Android phone to backup an app?
I tried to download free apps from Amazon but even that is not possible and I don't have an Android phone .... is there any other way to sideload??
regards ....
hightime707 said:
Would also like to use the Kindle Fire in the UK but without rooting.
You mentioned being able to sideload apps ... but in order to do so, don't you need to download a file manager from the Amazon store (which a UK person cannot do)? and / or use an Android phone to backup an app?
I tried to download free apps from Amazon but even that is not possible and I don't have an Android phone .... is there any other way to sideload??
regards ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before rooting I was able to sideload by downloading directly using the Fire, then using the browser, going into the menu, and seeing my downloaded, from that file list you can launch APKs.
I'm using it in the Czech Republic and I can confirm that all the things mentioned by "georgeos" are valid.
If anyone is interested, here are some of my own findings:
- Books - you can purchase books from Amazon as long as you have a valid card number. You're eligible to borrow some of the books in the store with Prime subscription (limited to one book a month).
- Newsstand - same as above - you can check most of the magazines with a 14 day free trial subscription.
As far as the sideloading goes, it's pretty simple even without access to the App Store.
First you need to turn on installation of applications from unknown sources. Then use the browser to look for an .apk file of your preffered file manager (I used ES File Explorer since it was free and came highly recommended). Once the download is completed tap the status bar to show the recent notifications, then tap the downloaded .apk file to start the installation.
Shtroodle said:
As far as the sideloading goes, it's pretty simple even without access to the App Store.
First you need to turn on installation of applications from unknown sources. Then use the browser to look for an .apk file of your preffered file manager (I used ES File Explorer since it was free and came highly recommended). Once the download is completed tap the status bar to show the recent notifications, then tap the downloaded .apk file to start the installation.
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Click to collapse
Ah yeah, sorry, forgot to mention that. But it is best to root the device, and install the Android Market, makes getting apps easier if you don't want to pirate the APKs, or if you're looking for the latest version of a free one, and it's always difficult to find a latest version APK. Also the Market shows ONLY the apps compatible with the device, so you don't have to go through the pain of downloading the APK and then it not working and having to uninstall it and delete it.
Hi - I've been searching around for about half an hour or so but can't find an "idiot's guide" (for that is what I need) on how to make my US Kindle Fire compatible with the UK app store.
I've asked Amazon directly a number of times but they refuse to help. I'm close to selling up and buying a UK one, so would really appreciate if anyone knew if there was a way to do this.
Many thanks in advance.
Purchase kindle fire games with gift card from Asia
please some one help me. yesterday i have purchased a amazon gift card of 10$ and added to my amazon account but when i try to purchase any kindle fire game it says that its only valid for US residents. what should i do any proxy server, vpn connection or could anyone purchase for me if i give you my login id.
Any HELP Please.
I'm not attached to any Google Apps and it seems to me that getting Play (Market) installed on the Nook is a bit of a pain.
Moreover, Google goes out of the way to make it difficult.
The Amazon Appstore gives you a URL to just download their store app.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/get-appstore/android
Isn't Amazon a better place to go for apps? Your opinion?
Afaik, amazon apps only can be downloaded from few countries, such as usa, canada, australia etc. It is not active on my country, so its not an option..
It's just another app store; there's several others. The only differences I've seen are 1) some apps get updated faster on the Play store; and 2) your purchases are not backed up to your google account so when you set up a new device you have to go to the amazon app store and find/download the apps you want individually.
There are a number of apps I use that aren't on Amazon; the Market is the only source.
I'll just add that some of the apps that you get off Amazon, including free ones,
require you to keep the Amazon Appstore on your device to run them.
This may not be an issue for some, but if you use logcat,
continuous 1/2 page burps of complete nonsense out of the Appstore application in the logcat is a distraction.
Please bear with me, as I am new to the Android scene and just recently unlocked my bootloader and rooted my Nexus 7.
I am currently looking for a way to add my own .epub books to the Play Books app, as want to keep my books all in one place and keep it simple on me.
I thought there'd be a directory where it stores its books, but have not been able to locate it or find a successful way to have my books displayed in the Play Books app.
Any ideas or am I missing something?
After a bit of research, it seems the Google Play Books app only looks for books purchase in the Play Store?
There must be a way around it
Yung Lovah said:
After a bit of research, it seems the Google Play Books app only looks for books purchase in the Play Store?
There must be a way around it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting to know.
So, presumably you need to install a different epub reader and run it in parallel. Anyone here can recommend a good free one that works with the N7?
taltamir said:
Interesting to know.
So, presumably you need to install a different epub reader and run it in parallel. Anyone here can recommend a good free one that works with the N7?
Click to expand...
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Try Aldiko, a pretty decent ereader app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aldiko.android&hl=en
There is a free and paid version.
As far as I know there is no way to import your own books to play books. I use the nook app for my epubs, I don't read enough ebooks to give you a better app than that though
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
I started using Moon Reader.
I just wish I could have all my books in one spot.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
+1 moon reader. I made a folder called books, put all my books in there and pointed moon reader to it
+1 for Aldiko
Using Cool Reader right now. Its full featured and free without ads or nag screen. There's also an option to donate to support the developer, but its optional and no featured is taken out in the free version either ( unlike some of the other readers ).
i like the nook app, i can add my own books and i like the animations
Thanks for the suggestions. I am trying both alkido and moon+ reader.
taltamir said:
Thanks for the suggestions. I am trying both alkido and moon+ reader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let us know which one you like better.
I use Caliber to convert files into .mobi , and then run them in the Kindle app.
You just plant them in sdcard/Android/Data/com.amazon.kindle/files and it will pick them up.
So now i'm settled with two library types.
Only downside is you don't get that cool page flip animation. lol
+1 Aldiko
+1 for cool reader. I also like FBReader. I actually use a combination of the two along with the B&N Nook app and the Kindle App... depends on where the book is... At one point I was using Calibre to remove the DRM, but I kind of like the bookshelf display of the the B&N app, etc...
i think this is a huge blunder on Google's part. This device is geared towards content, but yet I can't add ePub books I've purchased from other sites and use it with the included book app. I have to add a third party app that takes up storage and diminishes the Google experience. If I have to use a third party app to read ebooks, why bother purchasing them from the Play Store? Google seems to be severely deficient in their marketing dept.
Google Play books
ynnek63 said:
i think this is a huge blunder on Google's part. This device is geared towards content, but yet I can't add ePub books I've purchased from other sites and use it with the included book app. I have to add a third party app that takes up storage and diminishes the Google experience. If I have to use a third party app to read ebooks, why bother purchasing them from the Play Store? Google seems to be severely deficient in their marketing dept.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought two books from Google Play yesterday, and one of them didn't offer the option of downloading the epub to a computer. This led me to check quite a few other books, especially those on sale, and I found that the majority also didn't allow downloading to a computer. Of course, this means the books can't be read anywhere but through the Google Books app, and it isn't possible to remove DRM to allow for backup of the books on customers' own hard drives or cloud storage choices.
I have only bought a few books from Google in the past, and hadn't encountered this problem before. I'm not sure if their policies have changed, or if I happened to be lucky in my previous choice of books. I won't be buying any more books from Google if I can't make deDRMed backup copies. Even if I didn't want to deDRM the books, this change means that they can no longer be read with Nook or Sony ereaders or tablets unless they allow the addition of the Google Books app. I feel this is unreasonably restrictive, and I am not aware of a way to circumvent their controls (unlike with Amazon's or even iTunes' DRM schemes).
I have not yet contacted Google to ask if the non-downloadable books are a temporary glitch, or if they have done this on purpose.
Has anyone else noticed this? Does it bother you?
TLDR: Anyway, my point is that you should check books you plan to buy from Google Play, if you don't want to have those books be unusable anywhere but in the Google Books app.
redb33s said:
I bought two books from Google Play yesterday, and one of them didn't offer the option of downloading the epub to a computer. This led me to check quite a few other books, especially those on sale, and I found that the majority also didn't allow downloading to a computer. Of course, this means the books can't be read anywhere but through the Google Books app, and it isn't possible to remove DRM to allow for backup of the books on customers' own hard drives or cloud storage choices.
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Click to collapse
DRMed music went the way of the dodo, thankfully. But the moment books are very much DRMed.
The vast majority of books can only be purchased with heavy DRM restrictions, stores that only allow DRM free books simply don't have them. You either pirate them or you are stuck with DRM.
Google play store, amazon kindle, and B&N nook store all allow heavy handed DRM so they all have a full selection of books (those heavy DRM books can be found in all 3).
Cdoan34 said:
i like the nook app, i can add my own books and i like the animations
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The nook app is cool.. If you download the kindle app you can place all your books in SD/kindle and it'll play most file types I think (PDF, epub, mobile, etc.)
+1 for Moon Reader Pro.
I just got a Nook UK in the last sale and it's my first one, so I'm a total noob to the e-book world.
However, I'm an android user and rom flashing addicted for long, so since I got my reader I've only been tweaking it and haven't actually read a word... haha.
So, already updated to 1.2.1, rooted, kernel tweaks and the whole lot. I haven't installed gapps on it to keep it minimal as possible, I'm dowloading the apks on my phone and installing via ADB.
So, on to the question:
by removing all these B&N apps does it mean I won't be able to sync/buy from their store?
I'm already getting to know Calibre and checking other places to buy books, but it looks like that if I remove the apps and one day would like to buy from B&N again the only option would be to re-install the apps in order to get the ebook or am I missing something?
Some of you disable all of the B&N apps, like:
Originally Posted by Mnurlan from the thread
Guide/HowTo/Tips'nTricks - The perfect Nook Simple Touch Setup w/ battery optimizations
AFfileDownloadService.apk (Hint: disables book covers, skip it if you like book covers)
AccountAndSyncSettings.apk
AirRuntime.apk
BnAuthenticationService.apk
BnCloudRequestSvc.apk
Browser.apk
CloudService.apk
DemoMode.apk
DeviceManager.apk
DeviceRegistrator.apk
Gallery.apk
GoogleSearch.apk
Music.apk
NookCommunity.apk
Phone.apk
PicoTts.apk
QuickStartActivity.apk
Shop.apk
Social.apk
TelephonyProvider.apk
TtsService.apk
WaveformDownloader.apk
tl;dr
Want to keep my NST minimal and remove all clutter, but:
how do you guys manage your ebooks and where do you buy them from without the B&N apps and what to do If I ever want to buy from them again?
Probably wouldn't be able to buy on device without having the B&N apps installed/enabled or maybe the standalone Nook Android app. Not sure if with that setup it'd be able to read DRM'd Nook books (probably wouldn't auto load them, but might be able to when sideloaded) but if it can't it's very easy to strip the DRM, and you can buy and download the book from your browser on your computer. Or if it's available DRM free in another store that might also be an option
neoman4426 said:
Probably wouldn't be able to buy on device without having the B&N apps installed/enabled or maybe the standalone Nook Android app. Not sure if with that setup it'd be able to read DRM'd Nook books (probably wouldn't auto load them, but might be able to when sideloaded) but if it can't it's very easy to strip the DRM, and you can buy and download the book from your browser on your computer. Or if it's available DRM free in another store that might also be an option
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Thank you for your answer
I wouldn't mind having to download to my computer and then transfer to the reader, but at least the B&N store doesn't give me the option to download.
Anyways, when I dig more into the reading world I'll find out the best set up soon enough.
I'm not guaranteeing it'll still be able to read the DRM'd books as I haven't tried the guide in question, it's always been either a full root or stock for me. That said, the Nook desktop application allows you to download the encrypted file, and all my purchased books show a download option in many places, such as on the overview page and from the "My Nook" landing. Even if the Nook itself can no longer read them, again not saying it will or won't, stripping of the DRM is trivial, Python script (also a Calibre plugin available that incorporates it and will auto strip any Nook books you import, and you can set it to auto import from a certain directory so you could point that to, say, the place where the Nook desktop app downloads them) that computes the key needed to decrypt (requires you to enter the credit card linked to your B&N account since that's part of the hash used, but the CC# is never written to disk or sent anywhere) and you can use it on any device that will read epubs, including the Nook if it no longer decrypts on device as it'll be treated like any other sideloaded DRM free book.
miguelitu said:
Thank you for your answer
I wouldn't mind having to download to my computer and then transfer to the reader, but at least the B&N store doesn't give me the option to download.
Anyways, when I dig more into the reading world I'll find out the best set up soon enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure you can download your books to your computer. Logon to your B&N Account. Click on My Account at the top of the page. In the Digital Content section click on Manage Your Nook Library to get a list of your books with links to download them.
neoman4426 said:
I'm not guaranteeing it'll still be able to read the DRM'd books as I haven't tried the guide in question, it's always been either a full root or stock for me. That said, the Nook desktop application allows you to download the encrypted file, and all my purchased books show a download option in many places, such as on the overview page and from the "My Nook" landing. Even if the Nook itself can no longer read them, again not saying it will or won't, stripping of the DRM is trivial, Python script (also a Calibre plugin available that incorporates it and will auto strip any Nook books you import, and you can set it to auto import from a certain directory so you could point that to, say, the place where the Nook desktop app downloads them) that computes the key needed to decrypt (requires you to enter the credit card linked to your B&N account since that's part of the hash used, but the CC# is never written to disk or sent anywhere) and you can use it on any device that will read epubs, including the Nook if it no longer decrypts on device as it'll be treated like any other sideloaded DRM free book.
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Great advice again, thank you
straygecko said:
Sure you can download your books to your computer. Logon to your B&N Account. Click on My Account at the top of the page. In the Digital Content section click on Manage Your Nook Library to get a list of your books with links to download them.
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Click to collapse
I got an UK Nook and for some reason it works differently. I got a book I bought from the e-reader, it shows on my account library at nook.com without option to download it and using the same login at the barnesandnobles.com it shows my nook connected to my account but the book does not show at the library...it looks like they made some weird distinctions on how to handle books bought outside US or something like that.
For testing, I added a free book to my library via nook.com, and it shows on my library at the barnesandnoble.com, so it seems that the books purchased in pounds won't behave the same way and don't have a straightforward way of downloading it.
I mean, I already took the file from the device and removed the DRM, but annoying that I'm not just able to download it.
https://play.google.com/books/uploads
Google now allows you to upload up to 1000 epubs to you Google Books account.
Anyone have any thoughts on how that'll work in practice? I don't use Google Books because I never rooted my Touch. I've rooted every other nook and android device I've owned, but left the Touch alone because I didn't want to be tempted to have it do anything other that be an ereader. I actually have a couple hundred epubs, but don't keep very many on the Touch because it's hell trying to browse through the library when you can only see a handful of titles at a time.
The nook simple touch runs 2.1 android and google play requires 2.2 or higher so that wont work. Just transfer thru usb.
Baka no Kami said:
https://play.google.com/books/uploads
Google now allows you to upload up to 1000 epubs to you Google Books account.
Anyone have any thoughts on how that'll work in practice? I don't use Google Books because I never rooted my Touch. I've rooted every other nook and android device I've owned, but left the Touch alone because I didn't want to be tempted to have it do anything other that be an ereader. I actually have a couple hundred epubs, but don't keep very many on the Touch because it's hell trying to browse through the library when you can only see a handful of titles at a time.
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damn, i was really hoping to have an easy and sleek method for getting books on my nook w/o cables. the syncing would've been a huge plus too.
i suppose there's still dropbox...
I just keep the master library on my desktop.
I use adbsync.exe (see signature) to sync my Nook over WiFi (can also do USB).
My latest Library.apk (ditto) will filter the books by an entered word fragment.
I can usually find what I'm looking for with just a few letters.
I use dropbox and the android app dropsync to sync between my pc and my NST, works really well