[skat_et_dieu]

With developer Zhephree open sourcing his Woonden Rows app we can definitely use it to make an app like iBooks app that iOS has. It could even be included as a standard app with new versions of webOS. What do you guys thinkg?

[dkirker]

Seems like a pretty nifty idea.

[OldSkoolVWLover]

HMMM I think there is one person that has posted in this thread that has the skills to contribute if he has the time.


(not me... I've been lazy lately)

[toaste]

I'd like to see this app possibly hooked up with something like collectorz.com has (yes, I already am using their desktop products and would LOVE to have it on my webOS devices). They are already on the iPhone and Android so this would be another good move for them.

[OldSkoolVWLover]

I have never used collectorz, back in the day I used to use DVD profiler on the desk top, but that was YEARS ago.

[dkirker]

HMMM I think there is one person that has posted in this thread that has the skills to contribute if he has the time.


(not me... I've been lazy lately)

Shouldn't be hard. We have Wooden Rows for UI, pReader for handling the content, and I am sure there is an easy way to learn Amazon's Whisper Net API for content syncing. I'll add it to my TODO list. Help would be nice.

[allen832008]

I like the linking to Amazon idea. That would be sweet to have all your content right there.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre3 using Forums

[skat_et_dieu]

I'm down to help but I do need some guiding because I don't know Enyo nor Javascript incredibly good but I do know the basics of programming. I've programmed in C++ and PHP.

[OldSkoolVWLover]

Shouldn't be hard. We have Wooden Rows for UI, pReader for handling the content, and I am sure there is an easy way to learn Amazon's Whisper Net API for content syncing. I'll add it to my TODO list. Help would be nice.

Might be a good excuse for me to actually focus, helping you and others...

[grasshoper]

If this project is still going on, I'm willing to help also, maybe by providing further UI and design elements and architecture. Let me know...

[Buddy1969]

*raising hand like in school* if you need a tester, I would be available...

[NCCaniac]

Shouldn't be hard. We have Wooden Rows for UI, pReader for handling the content, and I am sure there is an easy way to learn Amazon's Whisper Net API for content syncing. I'll add it to my TODO list. Help would be nice.

I thought the Zhephree developer originally had Wooden Rows tied into Amazon's API's for getting the movie/book/game cover art and item descriptions but had to remove that due to some technicality with the license terms for the Amazon APIs. (I think he ended up switching to Best Buy's APIs which did not have nearly as comprehensive a list of movies/books/games as did Amazon, of course. He covered this on his blog a while back.) So, not sure if the Whisper Net API has the same restrictions or not.

[dignitary]

Shouldn't be hard. We have Wooden Rows for UI, pReader for handling the content, and I am sure there is an easy way to learn Amazon's Whisper Net API for content syncing. I'll add it to my TODO list. Help would be nice.

I thought the Zhephree developer originally had Wooden Rows tied into Amazon's API's for getting the movie/book/game cover art and item descriptions but had to remove that due to some technicality with the license terms for the Amazon APIs. (I think he ended up switching to Best Buy's APIs which did not have nearly as comprehensive a list of movies/books/games as did Amazon, of course. He covered this on his blog a while back.) So, not sure if the Whisper Net API has the same restrictions or not.

First, Amazon's general product API is way separate from any Kindle-specific functionality like Whispersync or Whispernet, and no API, as far as I'm aware, publicly exists for either Whispersync or Whispernet. So yeah, that's kind of a big restriction right there. The closest thing that *might* even be a remotely possible option would be applying to their Kindle Developer Program (in beta) to see what's available, but I'm almost 100% certain that's meant for creating applications for the Kindle devices themselves. The Kindle KDK they offer in that program is Java-based, after all.

If you really want to get down to it, you probably need to first ask yourself why there aren't any non-Amazon apps out there on the popular mobile platforms with Whispernet or Whispersync integrated. There's probably a real good reason for that, and saying "I'm sure there's an easy way to learn..." is rather foolish to claim if there's nothing available out there to base that assertion on.

[grasshoper]

But we could make the app without kindle integration for a start. Maybe just need to put epub's or pdf's in a specific folder in media/internal and the app search inside it for new ebooks?

[dkirker]

First, Amazon's general product API is way separate from any Kindle-specific functionality like Whispersync or Whispernet, and no API, as far as I'm aware, publicly exists for either Whispersync or Whispernet. So yeah, that's kind of a big restriction right there. The closest thing that *might* even be a remotely possible option would be applying to their Kindle Developer Program (in beta) to see what's available, but I'm almost 100% certain that's meant for creating applications for the Kindle devices themselves. The Kindle KDK they offer in that program is Java-based, after all.

If you really want to get down to it, you probably need to first ask yourself why there aren't any non-Amazon apps out there on the popular mobile platforms with Whispernet or Whispersync integrated. There's probably a real good reason for that, and saying "I'm sure there's an easy way to learn..." is rather foolish to claim if there's nothing available out there to base that assertion on.

Foolish? Ha! There are ways... It isn't a big priority in my book right now (I am focused on WebKit). I may look into it. Yes, like Google, many of Amazon's APIs for copyrighted content are NOT public for a very very specific reason. There does exist a library for reading ePUB books with DRM. As for Whipsernet, dunno, haven't looked. Just because a public API doesn't exist doesn't mean the private one couldn't possibly be used (how do you think they are getting Whatsapp working?). Is it worth the time? Dunno.

Regarding an official inclusion in open webOS (at least as distributed by webOS-Ports): Forget it. As for a Preware download: potential.

[dkirker]

Also, one solution may be to load the binary from an already installed Kindle app.

[webOSnomad]

So as things stand, we have Wooden Rows as the UI and pReader as content handler. What's needed now are ideas for ways to sync data across devices, like Whispernet and Whatsapp do.

Guessing an implementation of Synergy is off the cards so is a server upload/dissemination like that the way to go? Like the file sharing in TapNote?

[k4ever]

So as things stand, we have Wooden Rows as the UI and pReader as content handler. What's needed now are ideas for ways to sync data across devices, like Whispernet and Whatsapp do.

Guessing an implementation of Synergy is off the cards so is a server upload/dissemination like that the way to go? Like the file sharing in TapNote?

Maybe use Box.net to sync? Have the application or user create a folder under the user's Box account that stores the content. The program could search for that folder when it first starts up and sync any books found there?


---Sent from my HP TouchPad using Communities (a great webOS app!)

[Vistaus]

Meh. I wish there was an app that had the visuals of the Amazon Kindle app (e.g. the page flipping and stuff) for the reading instead of preader. I do agree on Wooden Rows as the app for browsing, it's just made for it.

[grasshoper]

Hope this project is still going on. Would love to help if needed (in graphic design, that's the best I can do... Or CSS if needed)

As for page flipping, you can find several tutorials on google that gives hints on how to do that with javascript, so it should be easy to add to the final app in enyo I think.