Live data from Hacker News

Kobo can run apps now

bandarlabs.github.io

61–70 of 224 posts

Re: Kobo can run apps now

#63

Vibecoded, from what I see in the git log.

I think so too. I wish all projects had a tag with amount of AI usage. It's not that vibe coding is bad on its own, but it makes me worried about project's future (ease come, easy go).

This wasn't a flag?

Store-only by design: installing it proves delivery of an app the USB package never contained.

Re: Kobo can run apps now

#64

For the unaware, there is an existing solution that integrates with Kobo's native software (Nickel). It has been maintained for years, and it supports every Kobo AFAIK. It's called NickelMenu, and it's great. I'm in the Kobo ecosystem because of NickelMenu and Plato. One note if you're thinking about getting a kobo due its relative openness: consider getting a two-core device. I did not do my homework and got a Clara…

Hey, author here. NickelMenu is terrific and Cobalt uses it to show the menu item in the default Kobo menu. It's just that Cobalt and NickelMenu are not the same in terms of project goals.

I created this as I could not find anything existing that gives the capabilities I wanted. I read several things downloaded over web apart from books on my Mac and phone, which I would prefer to do on an eInk display. Search papers on arxiv and read them offline later, Substack, even spending a lot of time on chess puzzles, monitor my Claude/Codex remotely, generate explainer audiobooks and listen to them on my bluetooth speaker etc.

The longer battery and the display makes some use cases really shine and I wanted to create apps for my own Kobo and potentially helpful for others as well.

Re: Kobo can run apps now

#66
post #28

Isn't the whole point of Kindle (or other ebook readers) being able to read books without distractions?

There's a contingent of enthusiasts who, once they find out a device runs Linux or can run Linux, seems determined to expose a terminal on it. I don't know why someone needs to SSH into their toaster, but damned if they're not gonna do it, just because they can. Me personally, I just want a reliable toaster.

This isn't Normie News! I think you are on the wrong site!

The street finds its own use for things is the excitement that we don't know what is possible, and that we ought be free to try. The amazing suite of software here sure looks like self evident proof about how exciting it is when we can go further, to me. I love the LLM prompt sidekick; super neat as an ambient display.

It's really sad how HN is so vocally anti-hacker, is so conservative, shows up so regularly to declare alliance to anti-possibility, to anti-features. For some people, they don't only fail to be interested, they are expressly anti interested, the only thing they want is for everyone else to have to live as constrained and unexplorarive and unthoughtful as they are. I don't get it. Conservatism is a wicked disease, imo.

Re: Kobo can run apps now

#67
post #28

Isn't the whole point of Kindle (or other ebook readers) being able to read books without distractions?

I went through a whole design phase with ChatGPT on the idea of using an old Kobo as a low-distraction TV remote for my dad. The idea is that it would interface with a computer media server thing, be more legible than a traditional remote, and not be an app on his phone that would immediately send him into his phone.

Ended up being more involved than the benefit it would bring, especially considering that these media server programs know how to interface with the traditional remote over HDMI (if you have the right graphics card or a dongle) and show the selection UI on screen like a smart TV.

Anyway, my response is "you don't necessarily have to complicate your e-reader, instead you have the option of making it not an e-reader."

Re: Kobo can run apps now

#69
post #28

Isn't the whole point of Kindle (or other ebook readers) being able to read books without distractions?

Even if you want it for just books, there are benefits to installing things like KOReader (way better ebook reader than the default). This allows you to sync with Calibre, etc.

Years ago, it was practically a hobby of mine to go to my local Goodwill, and find an extremely cheap old used Kobo and find someone to donate it to. Now I'm thinking of getting old Kobos just for the eink display so I can run simple apps on it - while continuing to use my regular Kobo as an ereader.

Re: Kobo can run apps now

#70
post #2

As a Kindle owner; I'm very jealous.

I'm not. I want my Kindle to do ONE job well, not turn into another multi-purpose device.

I'm like yours, But there are things that makes me angry. I cannot for example read Farsi books. I cannot put a new e-pub into my kindle and I have to send it over the web; there are many things like these. And so I just want to have a nicer reader that I myself control.
Post reply on HN