I am a huge fan of Calibre. It makes it easy for me to organize my large ebook collection (over 700 books and counting!) and find what I want to read. I love that you can tag books with topical labels as well as their series name and book number. The idea of being able to connect to my Nook over wi-fi, which is readily available as long as I have my phone, was incredibly tempting. So, I set out to make it happen.

Rooting was easy because I have a Nook with a lower serial number, meaning that the hardware hasn’t been updated in such a way that restoring the Nook to the original 1.0.0 firmware will brick the device. All I had to do was pop in a micro SD card (I had a spare 512MB one lying around), restore the Nook to the original firmware, then “upgrade” to the rooted version of the 1.5 firmware. I’m not going to go into the installation details—if you want to root your Nook, the Nook Devs site is really your best bet. They have rooting instructions for all contingencies, including new Nooks that would be bricked using the method that I used.

Once I got the Nook rooted, I went about exploring the user interface of the new Launcher. Things were confusing enough that I accidentally deleted one of the stock icons and couldn’t get it back. Strike one against the root. It took me a few moments to get accustomed to things, and once I did I began to explore some of the third-party rooted apps you can install.

I installed a few apps and got Trook up and running with my Calibre information. That worked pretty well, but it was slow. Another annoyance was that anything I downloaded via Trook went to the /my documentsfolder in a subfolder called Downloads. Despite the fact that all my Calibre-loaded ebooks are in subfolders, Downloads isn’t picked up when you refresh your Nook’s library to bring in new content. I would be forced to use the rooted NookDevs library, which I found to be slow and buggy. Strikes two and three for the root. I tried to be patient with it, but I found myself frustrated so easily that I knew I did not want to make the effort to use it anymore.

I can put up with a lot when I’m hacking my tech. I have my Apple TV hacked within an inch of its life so I could do things like stream Hulu (via XBMC) and Netflix on it. Hulu looks great on my 1st gen Apple TV—when the stream works. Reliable streaming became intermittent at best recently due to changes on the backend of Hulu’s streaming. Netflix can be choppy and at weird resolutions due to using Firefox to watch it on the ATV. When I didn’t really have any better options, this worked just fine because it utilized the tech I already had rather than buying a new shiny just to gain a couple of features. It wasn’t the most elegant solution ever, but it enabled me to watch three seasons of Doctor Who in the comfort of my bedroom instead of wresting control of the TV from my husband. It wasn’t HD, but it was more than watchable. It was worth it to me to be able to watch when and where I liked.

I thought that the hack for the Nook would be similar—not elegant, but extending the features enough that I could put up with any small annoyances. Well, the annoyances were big, the features weren’t what I had hoped for, and it made my Nook feel slow and bloated. That’s not a compromise I am willing to make. So I restored my Nook back to the unrooted firmware and I couldn’t be happier—because it works, just as advertised. That’s enough for me.

I am what you might call an ebook veteran. I have been reading ebooks on some kind of mobile device since eReader first hit the web as Peanut Press. Back then my mobile companion was a Pocket PC: first a color Casiopeia, then an iPAQ 1910, a Dell Axim X30 and finally an i-mate JAQ Pocket PC phone. Of course, my life changed when I drank the last sip of my big glass of Apple kool-aid and dumped the i-mate for the right kind of iDevice—an iPhone.

The Problem

After I started reading ebooks on my shiny new iPhone 3G, I noticed that the backlit screen was giving me horrible headaches after prolonged use. I’m an avid reader and I had gotten used to having a book on me at all times, just in case I got stuck somewhere with nothing to do. I have a fear of boredom and ebooks are the perfect solution. So when it became too painful to read on the backlit screen, I knew I had to make the move to an eInk screen. When I saw the first Sony ebook reader, I remembered being disappointed that eInk wasn’t backlit like an LCD, but suddenly that was the perfect solution.

The Contenders

I thought about getting the Kindle, but the designs of the original Kindle and the Kindle 2 just didn’t appeal to me. Another thing that bothered me about the Kindle platform, and to be honest continues to bother me, is the fact that it’s pretty DRM-heavy. Amazon books are a proprietary format; the rest of the industry seems to be moving as a whole towards ePub as the standard. The fact that I couldn’t borrow books from the new Overdrive service at my library was the real killer, as was the non-expandable memory. I hate DRM and I like having options.

I also considered a Sony, but the feature set just wasn’t where I wanted it to be at the time. I really liked that they support tons of ebook formats, expandable memory and library borrowing. But at the time, it just didn’t do it for me. The newer Sony Readers with the touch screens are looking pretty darn good though.

The Winner

Then the Barnes & Noble Nook was announced, and I was smitten. Expandable memory, check. Support for non-DRM files in multiple formats, check. Library borrowing, check. I loved the sleeker lines and the touchscreen in place of the seemingly useless keyboard at the bottom of the Kindle. It was an added bonus that it was offered by a major bookseller, which would allow family and friends to gift me with Barnes & Noble gift cards for easy ebook purchases. Sold! After some very large, very unsubtle hints (more like directives), my sweet husband pre-ordered me one for my Christmas gift. I squeaked in on that first pre-order day before they sold out and received it at the beginning of December. Shawn valued his safety more than he did making me wait until December 25, so I spent my Christmas break reading ebook after ebook at my in-laws’ beautiful lake house—without a single headache. It was love at first read.

One minor problem I have had with the Nook is its buttons. At the time of this post, I have a replacement Nook waiting for me at the office. My Nook has already been replaced once when I discovered a crack in one of the forward page buttons last year. The issue was handled impeccably by Barnes & Noble customer service; it was a known issue with the chassis of the original batch of Nooks, so they were quite familiar with the problem by the time it occurred for me. They simply shipped me a new Nook and requested that I ship my old one back once I received the replacement. There was no charge, no hassle, just a happy Nook customer.

I was assured at the time that they had changed the chassis design and the button crack would not be an issue with my replacement. So, I was quite perturbed to discover another button crack last week. It is a hairline crack in the left page forward button, barely visible to the naked eye, but after my first experience it’s something I check for quite regularly. The crack doesn’t even affect the button’s functionality, but I was concerned that it might get worse if left untended to. I emailed Barnes & Noble about the issue, gave them my information, and eventually called them to confirm some things. Again, they were super helpful and very willing to solve the issue—and I totally lucked out. When the gentleman processing my return was making notes on my file, he noticed that I had called on the very last day of my base warranty! This unfortunately means that my replacement Nook is not covered for any problems or issues by a Barnes & Noble warranty, but I may look into the possibility of a third-party warranty service such as Squaretrade just in case.

Even with the button issue, I am a happy e-reader and my enthusiasm for the product has sold more than one friend on buying their own. My friend DB (who runs the awesome Stephen Colbert site No Fact Zone) and her husband Dan each got one after my glowing recommendation. I’ve even hooked my best friend on the Nook—I bought her a factory refurbished unit as a combination Christmas and birthday gift this year!

The Nook is a mainstay in my bag for both travel and every day use. Yes, I could read books on my iPhone or iPad, but the headaches are not worth the device convergence to me. The eInk screen is just as easy on my eyes as paper, the battery life is great, and it is comfortable to hold and use. I have an ebook library numbering in the many hundreds, which I manage through Calibre. I love that I can check out books from my local public library’s Overdrive system and read them on my Nook. That helps curb my book buying habits a little bit, but not much! Barnes & Noble has great sales, plus I can buy ebooks from any online retailer that sells them in ePub format. I have also downloaded all my old ebook libraries from other vendors, broken the DRM and converted them to ePub so that I can enjoy them again.

At the end of the day, I’m never going to stop buying physical copies of books. I have a small handful of lifetime favorites in hardback, paperback, and now ebook format. I have shelves so crammed with books that there is literally no more space for me to store anything new (though that didn’t stop me from buying three books at Half Price on Tuesday). Someday I want to have my own study with floor to ceiling bookshelves full of volumes. But let’s face it—I might not be able to carry my entire physical library in my purse, but I can carry my entire ebook library with me at all times. For a book lover like me, that’s my idea of paradise. I love living in the future.

They posted a great list today of 10 new Instagram-related apps and sites that you can use to make your Instagram experience that much more awesome. Go check it out!

Download the PostalPix app to your phone to upload and order prints, then use the code jessf to get your discount at checkout. In addition to the 4″ x 4″ prints I ordered, they also offer 4″ x 6″, 8″ x 10″ and mouse pads. The prices at PostalPix are very reasonable as it is, but 20% off your order makes it insane for you NOT to try out their service! Let me know what you think in the comments.

Thanks PostalPix!

Disclaimer: I have not been compensated in any way (monetarily or in exchange for products or services) for my positive review of PostalPix. They provided the discount code free of charge for the readers of Daily Tech Diva.

Instagram is a great little free app that lets you take pictures (or use photos already in your camera roll), apply fun filters that overlay things like Polaroid-esque 70s coloring or the distinct light leaks of a Lomo camera, and post them online. You can choose only to share in the Instagram app, or you can have it cross-post to Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, or other social media services.

I loved the app right away but, like many apps I download, I used it only sporadically. That all changed when Shawn and I took a trip to Paris back in February. This was the trip of a lifetime for me–I had been dreaming of going to Paris for over half of my life, and even though we were only there for four days I wanted to capture every heart-fluttering moment I could.

My iPhone 4′s camera was the BEST on this trip–my trusty Canon point and shoot just wasn’t good in low-light environments like the Louvre where I couldn’t use the flash, and compared to the iPhone camera it felt slow and annoying to use. My iPhone, coupled with the Mophie Juice Pack Plus to make sure I didn’t run out of juice during long days away from the hotel, allowed me to snap away to my heart’s content. Instagram allowed me to apply filters that made the photos feel even more special, then easily post them to my social media channels at the end of the day via the hotel’s wireless to share with family and friends. It was such a fantastic way to share parts of our trip and the pictures turned my amateur photography into something absolutely beautiful. I even noticed that I was taking more care to frame up shots and capture interesting things that would look awesome once I “Instagram-ed” them.

Once I came back from our vacation, I had to dive right in to preparing for a huge work trip and didn’t get around to uploading the photos from my iPhone and Canon onto our Mac Mini until this weekend. However, I kept looking longingly through my Instagram stream at some of my beautiful Paris memories. I wanted to get them printed but I hadn’t had time to go through the process of pulling them off the iPhone, uploading them to Flickr and ordering prints. Plus, I wasn’t sure if any of the online services offered square prints.

Then I saw a great new app called PostalPix. It lets you take your Instagram, Hipstamatic or other digital photos on your iPhone, easily upload them and order prints. Bonus? They just started offering 4″ x 4″ prints! I quickly grabbed a 20% off code I found online and ordered a handful of my favorite pictures from my camera roll. They arrived this weekend and they look fantastic! I can’t wait to find some square frames, or do a custom mat for a triptych of Paris pictures.

If you’re looking for a quick, easy way to get prints from your iPhone camera roll, download PostalPix today! It’s free and easy to use, which are two of my favorite things. And if you’d like to add me as a friend on Instagram, you can find me there as jfritsche.

Then I started reading about how people were creating on the iPad–specifically, how writers were using the iPad as a 10- to 12-hour mobile writing powerhouse. Talk about serious gadget envy! This was definitely relevant to my interests, as I have gotten serious about my writing and wanted a more reliable (battery-wise anyway) mobile device than my netbook. The more I read about other writers and creative people using their iPad for more than just media consumption, the more I realized how perfectly it could fit into my mobile life.

I still held out until October 2010, when I began pricing out a new computer. I had planned on getting a new MacBook Pro and perhaps asking Santa for an iPad, but I realized that what was really needed was a desktop “home base” that my husband and I could share. So, I decided to get a Mac Mini to act as that home base, and a 16GB WiFi iPad to fill my mobile computing needs. The fact that the Mini + iPad combo was roughly the same purchase price as the MBP I was looking at just sealed the deal.

I use my iPad for all the normal iPad user things: surfing the web on the couch, reading magazines and articles, playing games, email…but like the people I originally envied, I also use it to create as well as consume.

The iPad, along with the Bluetooth keyboard and a cheap wire book stand, became my constant companion in November for National Novel Writing Month. I wrote a large chunk of my half-finished 50,000 word novel at write-ins, bookstores, coffee shops and friends’ homes. Now I am using it to work on another novel that I’m finishing and editing, and all my writing syncs back to my Mac Mini and writing software of choice, Scrivener using my favorite online sync and backup tool, Dropbox. I use a few different apps that can all sync to Dropbox, but my current favorite for fiction writing is Elements.

I also use the iPad more and more in the workplace. My email and calendar (both personal and work) sync via Google to my device, so I am able to keep up with things when I am in long meetings. I originally planned on using my iPad for nothing but personal things (like Seth Godin I think it is important to draw lines in the sand on what your devices are used for) and while that is still its main usage, I do find it quite useful at work. I am a copious notetaker and those notes usually come in quite handy, but I was wasting a lot of paper. I was becoming unorganized with the level of paper that needed filing. So, as an experiment I decided to try handwriting my notes on my iPad using Notes Plus. That app has an excellent system that lets you write in a zoom out panel, so your handwriting output looks the same as on normal paper, and it even smooths out your lines, auto detects drawn shapes, and much more. Now I can sync my notes via PDF or image file with Google Docs or Evernote, I can’t wait until the much anticipated Dropbox support is built in.

I originally got the Apple case for my iPad, which I actually love. It’s functional and not terribly ugly nor pretty, just nondescript and protective enough for my needs. Recently I made the switch to the Happy Owl Studio clutch case in red because the idea of pockets and storage space on the iPad was too great to deny. I love it! I use the Targus stylus to write on my iPad because it is the best of those I have tried. So other than the keyboard, stand and my headphones, those are all my necessary iPad accessories. I will be getting the camera connection kit soon…how else will I hook up my new Blue Snowball mike for iPad podcasting?

For work or for play, the iPad is one of my favorite things in the world these days. I have no plans to upgrade to the iPad 2, but come talk to me when the iPad 3 comes out! Are you rocking an iPad or other mobile tablet?

I will begin with the gadget that rarely ever leaves my side, let alone my hand.

In August of 2010, it was time to upgrade from my much beloved iPhone 3G. It was on its last legs–something inside had broken and made a rattling noise when I moved the phone, and my reception had dropped to almost zero. I suspect it was part of the antenna! Besides, there were upgrades to burn on our account and I wanted the hot, new shiny device! When the iPhone 4 arrived in my hands, I was completely blown away by the retina display, the speed, and the improved camera.

The iPhone 4 is just as integral a part of my day as the iPhone 3G was–even moreso thanks to the extra horsepower it packs under the hood. I use it from the moment I wake up in the morning until I put it on the charger, pull up the covers and turn over to go to sleep at night. It is my alarm clock, radio, email inbox, calendar, GPS, camera, feed reader, portable gaming system, secondary ebook reader, note taker, and social tool. I plug it in to the USB interface in my 2010 Honda Fit (another upgrade last year!) on my way into the office and control my podcasts and music right from the Honda’s stereo interface. I use it all day long to manage my email and calendar, since I have frequent meetings and deadlines. I keep up with friends and family via text, email, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I used the iPhone 4′s incredible camera in place of my point-and-shoot almost exclusively on a recent trip to France, and I got some very impressive shots using the HDR function. There is almost nothing I can’t do with my phone.

I rotate between a Belkin Grip Vue case in purple, which is a fantastic, slim, flexible case that offers good protection, and a mophie Juice Pack Air. I love my Juice Pack but it stopped charging my phone correctly, so I had to send it in for warranty service. It is only a few months old so hopefully they can either fix or replace it and send it back my way soon. The extra battery life is great to have during long days away from my desk, or in travel situations like our trip overseas. I protect the screen with a Power Support crystal film, my very favorite screen protector for the iPhone.

The iPhone 4 is probably the most used, most important gadget in my arsenal–it is practically my whole life in one device.

It may not seem like a gadget to most, but a good flat iron is something every curly haired gal needs in her tech arsenal.  They are pretty awesome these days–adjustable temperature, ceramic plates, and other cool features that help you get your hair as straight as possible.

I hope that fate intervenes and picks me as the winner, since my hair confounds many lesser flat irons!    If you’re interested, head on over to Hillary’s blog and find out the ways you can win!  The entries close soon, so hurry!

http://www.byhillary.com/2010/02/you-are-gonna-want-to-read-this-hint-it.html

DISCLAIMERS: 1) This post is over a year out of date at this point (as of 3/23/11). 2) You are fully responsible for what you do with your gadgets, including if you mess things up following my directions! Good luck.

I’ve been waxing poetic on my Twitterstream about my Apple TV’s new lease on life, thanks to the Boxee Beta and a few related hacks. A few friends have asked what exactly I did, so I thought I’d put the process together here.

I’m a Boxee beta tester, but you too should be able to get the Beta as it is released to the public. There’s just one problem–there is no Beta release for the Apple TV. But, never fear…the community is on top of things. I honestly think that the Boxee Beta install is even easier than the Alpha ever was.

Ready to install? The details are after the jump!

First of all, you’ll need to create a patchstick to open up access to your Apple TV. If you don’t know how to do that, I’m not going to go into it here. Most likely, you’re here because you already have your ATV patchsticked and you just want to be able to get the Beta on it. If you don’t know how, use this handy dandy utility called ATV USB Creator. Download it here.

Once you have SSH access to your Apple TV, you will need to SSH into your it. Don’t forget, Apple TV hackers–the password is frontrow! Once you’ve gotten access to your Apple TV via Terminal or the command prompt, you’ll need to download and run a script created by a Boxee/Apple TV enthusiast that installs Boxee along with Firefox 3.6, NitoTV, and the newest beta of Flash. Run each line as a command, one at a time.

wget -m -nd http://www.green-light.ca/cmn_external/app/boxee/beta/BoxeeBetaInstallScript.sh
sudo sh BoxeeBetaInstallScript.sh latest
sudo reboot now

Once you’ve gotten your Apple TV rebooted, you’ll need to go to the Nito TV menu > Settings > Install Software > Smart Installer. Let that do its thing installing…at this point I rebooted again for good measure once it was done.

This gets the latest and greatest bits installed. After this, I actually did some further tweaking that has really helped the way that my Apple TV performs, especially with streaming video. Another one of the forum members posted up these tweaks on the Boxee forums. He recommends, as do I, that you shouldn’t attempt these tweaks unless you are comfortable with command line work and are willing to possibly require a factory restore on your Apple TV if you mess something up. However, just follow the directions and you should be fine!

1. Tweak the network settings of the Apple TV.

Make sure you are SSH’ed into your Apple TV, and then you’ll use the terminal to create and run some files.

Type the first command in:

sudo nano /etc/sysctl.conf

Then you’ll copy and paste the following:

kern.ipc.somaxconn=512
net.inet.tcp.mssdflt=1460
net.inet.tcp.sendspace=98304
net.inet.tcp.recvspace=98304
kern.ipc.maxsockbuf=1048576
net.inet.udp.maxdgram=57344
net.inet.udp.recvspace=42080
net.local.stream.sendspace=98304
net.local.stream.recvspace=98304
net.inet.tcp.delayed_ack=0
net.inet.tcp.rfc1323=1
net.inet.tcp.rfc1644=1
net.inet.tcp.newreno=1

Then press Control+X to save, and Y followed by Enter to accept the filename.

Then create a script that will initiate the changes you just made using these two commands (one at a time):

cd ~
nano -w Tweaks.sh

This will create another new file, which you’ll paste this into:

awk '{ if (!index($1, "#") && index($1, "=")) print $1 }' < /etc/sysctl.conf | while read
do
sysctl -w ${REPLY}
done

Control+X to save again, followed by Y and Enter to accept the filename.

Now, run the following commands (again, one at a time):

chmod +x ./Tweaks.sh
sudo ./Tweaks.sh

And you should get the following output (or else something went wrong):

kern.ipc.somaxconn: 128 -> 512
net.inet.tcp.mssdflt: 512 -> 1460
net.inet.tcp.sendspace: 32768 -> 98304
net.inet.tcp.recvspace: 32768 -> 98304
kern.ipc.maxsockbuf: 262144 -> 1048576
net.inet.udp.maxdgram: 9216 -> 57344
net.inet.udp.recvspace: 42080 -> 42080
net.local.stream.sendspace: 8192 -> 98304
net.local.stream.recvspace: 8192 -> 98304
net.inet.tcp.delayed_ack: 3 -> 0
net.inet.tcp.rfc1323: 1 -> 1
net.inet.tcp.rfc1644: 0 -> 1
net.inet.tcp.newreno: 0 -> 1

2. Create advancedsettings.xml to adjust the skiploop feature (making things run faster/smoother, as well as prevent the Boxee screen from randomly blanking out after you turn your TV off for a bit)

Still using SSH and the command prompt, run the following command, which will create another file for you:

nano /Users/frontrow/Library/Application\ Support/BOXEE/UserData/advancedsettings.xml

Then paste this into it, Control+X to save, Y plus Enter to accept the filename:


true
8


Exit Boxee, then run the following command:

rm /Users/frontrow/Library/Logs/boxee.log

Then restart Boxee, and issue the following command:

less /Users/frontrow/Library/Logs/boxee.log

You should scroll down in the results from that command and see a line about advancedsettings.xml. If there is no error, things are just fine!

3. If you want to run Netflix...

Boxee does not include the Netflix app for Apple TV, and even though you're installing the Mac version of the Beta it still doesn't shoehorn the Netflix app into the install. I wish it did, because despite the reports of the Apple TV not being powerful enough for it, it's my experience that Netflix runs GREAT on the Apple TV after all these tweaks are done.

How exactly am I running Netflix? Well, here's the deal. When you install Boxee Beta and Nito TV, Firefox 3.6 gets installed with it, along with Silverlight. Go to the Nito TV menu from the main Apple TV menu, then choose Applications > Firefox. You can use it like a normal browser, and I use it to watch streaming content from netflix.com. I like to pause it and let it buffer just a little bit at the beginning so that playback is smooth.

In order to work with Firefox and Netflix on the Apple TV, I've done a couple of things. I've used the Awkward TV wiki to enable the mouse pointer and install a VNC server so that I can easily control the screen using Chicken of the VNC on my Mac or Mocha VNC Lite on my iPhone. I really only use that to choose what I want to watch from my queue if I'm too far away from the TV to see it clearly (the browser stuff is small).

Mostly, I use Rowmote Pro on my iPhone to control the Apple TV itself as well as Firefox, Boxee, and other apps using the remote feature and the wireless keyboard/mouse feature. It works just like the keyboard does on my Mac when I'm using Netflix in Firefox--space bar pauses, escape exits from full screen. Rowmote is great because it controls just about anything you want on your Mac, plus they have an installer so you can use it on the Apple TV too. I had the 99 cent original Rowmote, but I upgraded to Rowmote Pro so that I could have the wireless keyboard and mouse in addition to just the remote functions.

Another thing I have done (that I figured out myself, mind you!) is installed the extension Full Fullscreen in Firefox on the Apple TV, and set it to launch in fullscreen mode every time. That gets rid of the annoying menu bar and such along the top and makes Firefox true fullscreen. I've been using this extension for a while on my netbook for real fullscreen browsing and it's fantastic.

It's not the MOST elegant solution, but it works great to watch Netflix using the Apple TV. We have an XBox 360 and PS3 in our living room, which I use quite a bit to watch Netflix and I really love the ease of access and always growing library of Netflix's streaming offerings. I was determined to find a way to easily watch Netflix on the new 19" LCD HDTV in our bedroom, and I knew that I couldn't move any of the gaming systems in from the big TV in the living room (my husband wouldn't be pleased). I also didn't want to buy a Roku box or anything else just for Netflix access, but I knew that my netbook doesnt run it well enough that I could have just hooked it up to the TV.

I wanted the Apple TV to be able to work with my needs, and I wasn't disappointed. Between the Boxee installation for local media, music, Boxee apps, Hulu and other streaming media, and now Netflix for my streaming fix, PLUS all the shows and music available via the iTunes store, the Apple TV gives me just about anything I could want.

Thanks go to Keith and Jim from the Boxee forums for figuring out the Beta install and tweaks!

I received a great comment to my Boxee post from a guy named Tom, who worked with Boxee (pretty obvious from the @boxee.tv email address!), but I didn’t realize right away that Tom was the co-founder!  Bad software fan.  I was very pleasantly surprised to receive the comment, which offered to help me figure out the problem.  Not only was it just a nice gesture, but he was really committed to helping me figure out the problem.  Tom was incredibly helpful and responsive during the entire troubleshooting process…we emailed back and forth and I followed some instructions given to me, and through the sending of logs and following Tom’s tweaks, I got everything working perfectly.

You’ve made a big Boxee fan an even bigger devotee with your dedicated customer service, Tom!  Thanks so much.