PCtutorial.info computer electronics blog

Wipe Fingerprint marks on SmartPhone Tablet in seconds with No Liquids needed with a MicroFiber Clothe

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:10:28 PST

I have been cleaning my screens on my Tablet, eReader, cell phone, and monitors with Microfiber Clothe to keep oily fingerprints off them.

You can usually find Microfiber clothe like Microfiber Wonder Cloths ( Set of 4) for a few dollars or more in dollar stores, or online. Microfiber clothes are a lot cheaper then those disposable screen wipes, and screen cleaning kits.

They are also lint free, so you won't have lint on your screen after wiping them like tissue paper, or won't scratch your screen like paper towels which is rougher.

I don't need to use liquids in most cases unless the stain is very oily or dirty like butter, or ketchup.

I recommend using clean water to lightly dampen your clothe to use to clean your screen, and you should never spray or poor water directly onto your screen.

Microfiber clothe can easily soak up finger print stains without liquids when just wiping fingerprint marks on your screens. You can also use them to wipe oils and dirt off your hand.

The clothe is also soft enough, so it won't scratch your screens. The clothe are also very durable, and last for years.

I recommend occasionally cleaning the clothe which you use to wipe your screen to avoid dirt and sand on your clothe from scratching your screen, and to keep the clothe more clean and germ free.

Most clothe are washing machine safe or you can just wash them in your sink.

For a dollar, for a Microfiber clothe, you can clean your screen with the same clothe for years.

A Neoprene cushioned case protects Netbook, Tablet, eReader, for under 5 dollars

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:21:47 PST

A Neoprene Cushioned case like a Gorgeous Reversable Black & Red Neoprene Netbook Notebook Laptop Sleeve Cover Case which sometimes can be bought for a dollar at a dollar store in the electronics or bag section can protect your portable electronics like Netbooks, Tablet, eReaders, portable DVD player, and small video players for a dollar or a few dollars. You can always use it as a book bag when you plan on selling your Netbook, and don't own any small devices any more.

They are also more stylish, and don't attract as much attention as laptop bags, and briefcases since Neoprene cases look like book bags, so it won't be as attractive to robbers since it does not look expensive.

Cases also protect your entire netbook, or tablet from scratches, dents, dust, and bumps.
I use a 8 inch Neoprene case to protect my 7 inch Tablet eReader. There are also cases which are 11 inches or bigger in size. I like how I can just open the flap on the top of the case, and pull my Tablet out in a few seconds to start using it which is a lot faster then my laptop bag which I need to unzip, and unstrap my laptop from the bag to lift out.

The case is also a good place to put my tablet on the top of the case to avoid scratching the back of the tablet on a table, or scratching the table with my tablet's back.

Neoprene cases are also stretchable, so they can fit thicker, and slightly longer netbooks, and items inside of it.

This also means, you can put a Tablet with a binder folio case into it, and still have plenty of room.

Holding a soft Neoprene case also seems more comfortable then a Tablet with hard sharp edges.

If you know how to sew, you can sew a short strap on to the sides of the case to turn it into a purse, or small briefcase. You can also very easily decorate the case with fabric paint, sew on badges, glue ornaments onto it. Cases also come in many different colors, and if there are no colors you like, you can always sew or glue a different color fabric, or material onto the outside of the neoprene case to make it the color or material you want while still having the soft neoprene case protecting your electronics inside of it for only a dollar or more.

Tablet eReader bag more protection for Tablet when not in use

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:04:21 PST

When you are not using your Tablet or eReader, it is best to put it into a soft bag like - Black Briefcase Case Bag Amazon KINDLE FIRE {+ 1pc name tag} to protect it from drops, liquid spills, dents and scratches. Plus, using a bag with handles or a strap to hold on to can make carrying your Tablet or eReader a lot easier to hold since handles and straps are better designed for holding.

The zipper bag will keep your Tablet from falling out of the bag, and keep people from looking inside your bag, so your stuff is more private when zippered up inside your tablet bag.

A Tablet eReader bag is also more stylish, and can be a good accessory for your outfit instead of holding a Tablet or eReader which looks technical and scientific which don't go well with what your wearing if you want to be fashionable when you are out.

If you know how to sew, or make crafts, you can sew badges onto your bag as well, or glue ornaments into your bag. Using cell phone charms can also improve the look of your bag.

Some bags also offer extra pockets for Stylus, pen, paper, money, and other things, so you can leave your wallet or purse at home.

You can also use your bag for something else like carrying your lunch, and other belongings when you plan on leaving your Tablet or eReader at home, or if you gave your Tablet away to a friend or family member.

It is best to also has a case like Kindle Fire Lightweight MicroShell Folio Cover by Marware, Black to protect your Tablet or eReader when it is out of the bag since your Tablet and eReader is only protected when it is in your bag, but not out of your bag.

Tablet eReader Case more comfortable to hold while protecting it

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 21:39:11 PST

Using a eReader Tablet case like Kindle Fire Lightweight MicroShell Folio Cover by Marware, Pink to hold your Tablet or eReader can make your Tablet or eReader easier to hold since some cases are also padded, so they are not as hard, and softer on your hands then a back of a tablet which is hard, and have sharp corners in many cases.

Tablet cases have rounder corners sometimes which make them easier to hold. Also, the Tablet case usually use leather, rubber, and less slippery material then the back of a Tablet which uses metal, or plastic sometimes which can be slippery compared to rubber or leather. This means your Tablet is less likely to slip out of your hand if someone bumps into your hand while you are using it.

Some nicer cases also have a stand built-in to them making it possible to stand them up like a desktop monitor, or digital photo frame, so you can use both hands to play games and use your apps which can make games easier and more fun to play.

A Tablet case also protects the back, and front of the Tablet when closed. There are also some cases which protects your Tablets sides if it has a zipper. More sturdy cases can also protect your Tablet from falls.

Many Tablet cases also have a pocket for credit cards, stylus, money, and paper which can make it handy for carrying around, and could replace your wallet, or purse if you also use your case to carry your ID, money, etc.

Tablet and eReader cases usually have a book like appearance, so from far away they look like books instead of expensive tablets, so your Tablet will be less likely to get spotted by robbers, and stolen.

Plus, if someone says your Tablet is theirs, you can take out your ID with name, address, and phone number inside the Tablet case to prove the Tablet belongs to you. You can also save a contact/text file inside your tablet with your name, address, and phone number on it.

Having a paper with your name, address, and phone number, or a contact you file inside your Tablet memory will more likely help the person or police who found your tablet contact you that they have your Tablet or eReader.

Tablet cases are a cheap and easy way of protecting your Tablet case while making your tablet or eReader more comfortable to hold because the case is softer, and have rounder corners.

Tablet cases also look very cool making your Tablet look different from everybody else Tablets which are unprotected by a case.

Side loading Apps, and Data onto Kobo Vox eReader Tablet

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:23:05 PST

Side loading is the process of moving files from one computer to another via USB, MicroSD Memory Card, or by using online storage.

The simplest way to sideload apps on the Kobo Vox is to use your computer to send an e-mail to your e-mail account, and attach files to it like APK Android Installer files, MP3s, and other files.

Next you use your Kobo Vox's browser which has Wireless Wi-Fi internet to download your Apps and files to your Kobo Vox download section. After you downloaded all your files from the internet, you can install your Apps by opening the .APK file which is the Android installers apps for installing files.

Once you installed the App, and it works, you can delete the .apk file if you want.

You can also use a MicroSD memory card, or side load apps by connecting your Vox to your Computer with the .APK files, but you need to use a file manager like File Expert to find and open your files and find them. The MicroSD folder is MNT/EXTSD and the internal SD Card is found at MNT/SDCard folder.

If you want to organized your downloaded apps you need to use a file manager program like File Expert for Android which can be used to move, copy, and paste your files to different folders. You can also use File Expert to search, and make new folders on a MicroSD memory card or your internal memory card on your Vox eReader Tablet. File Expert also has Wi-Fi, and FTP features, so you probably can use the Wi-Fi file sharing, and FTP features to use the internet or wireless wifi connection to side load apps on other Tablets.

Generally, you can just use your Gallery and Music App which comes pre-installed on your Kobo Vox to open compatible multimedia files like MP4 video, Jpeg photos, and MP3 music files, so you don't need to organize your files to find them since you can just use the Gallery and Music App to open them, and these Apps automatically display new media files in its playlist.

You can use the USB cord for your Vox to move files to your Vox's memory and microSD Memory card's data, but you need to turn your Vox ON, and turn on USB Storage mode for your Kobo Vox.

You need to use the USB cord which cam with your Vox since the Vox uses a weird plug which only works with its own USB cables, and not Micro-SD.

Using a USB microSD memory card reader is a lot easier and convenient then using a USB cable since you don't need a USB cable to connect your ON Vox to your PC. All you do is plug in your USB card reader with your MicroSD card inserted in it on to copy files like a regular hard drive, and eject your card reader from your computer, and take out the MicroSD card from your card reader, and gently push it into your MicroSD card reader on your Vox till you hear a click.

You usually don't need to format your MicroSD memory card since most cards are formatted to FAT 32 or FAT 16 which Google Android can read and write to.

Tablet Stand for holding Tablet PCs + eReaders while you use it

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:06:05 PST

Holding a Tablet, and eReader for hours can be kind of tiring since it stills require some strength to hold it in your hand with one hand.

A tablet stand like Targus Mini Stand Designed for Apple iPad 16GB, 32GB, 64GB WiFi and WiFi + 3G, iPad 2, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy AWE65US (Clear) also looks nicer and is more easy to keep your tablet standing up then using a box, and phone book to lean your Tablet against to keep it up right.

If you use your tablet like a laptop with a USB or bluetooth keyboard then using a stand will help you hold your tablet or ereader while you use both hands to type.

Using a stand help you more when drawing, and painting with Apps on your Tablets since it would not move while you draw on it.

A Stand might help you with stationary games like Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Cut the rope, etc since you do not need to hold it, and could just use both hands to play the game since you are not holding your Tablet.

Using a tablet stand to read can also help you when reading speeches since reading a speech while always holding a tablet and looking down on it can look kind of awkward.

A Tablet stand will be best for watching very long movies, viewing a lot of pictures, or listening to music since you don't have to hold your tablet for hours while you watch a video.

Adding Annotations + notes to ebooks loaded to Kobo Vox eBook eReader Tablet

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:15:49 PST

Adding Notes also called Annotations to eBooks loaded on your eBooks loaded on the Kobo Vox eReader is very easy. All you have to do is hold down your finger on the page you want to Annotate, and highlight the text, and you have the option to add an Annotation with your on screen keyboard to your page and highlight the text.

You can also share your annotations to Facebook, or the Kobo Vox Pulse feature which let you share your thoughts with other users who read the same book on the Kobo Vox.

Posting your Annotation to Facebook or Pulse can be a good way to backup your annotations to the internet, so if you lose your Vox, you still have the annotations for reading online on Facebook.

Making a new Facebook account for Posting eBook annotations from the Vox may be a good idea since some of your Facebook friends may not know what you are posting about since not everyone reads books, or annotate books.

I'm not too sure about the Amazon Kindle App and Barnes and Noble App for Google Android, but there is probably a similar feature for adding annotations to your eBooks you bought at Amazon and Barnes and Noble eBook.

Some PDF readers for Android also let you add bookmarks, and annotations to highlighted text on PDF files, so if you read PDF eBooks on your Vox, and use a PDF App which supports bookmarks and Annotations, you can add notes and annotations to your PDF.

Image based eBooks where the text is in an image format, and not text format where you can highlight it don't support note taking, so you either have to do it the old fashion way by using a pencil and paper to take notes, or use a Note taking App for Android.

It might be a good idea to make a note of which pages on your eBook have annotations, and type the annotations on your computer to print out on a printer, so you can study or read them at any time without electricity, and you have a saved copy to your computer.

MicroSD Memory Cards and readers for Android Tablets + eReaders like the Kobo Vox

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:05:22 PST

A MicroSD memory card and card reader likeKOBO VOX (BLACK) eReader more storage because you can copy all your files you downloaded to your MicroSD memory card which you installed on your Tablet, or eReader. The Kobo Vox supports a MicroSD memory card which is 32GB in size like Sandisk 32GB MicroSDHC Micro SD Card with MicroSD to SD adapter & Mobilemate Reader, but you can also use smaller sized MicroSD cards like 256MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, and 16 GB. Generally, you can just use the card after you bought it since most memory cards are formatted to FAT16, or FAT32 which Google Android can read.

Some File Manager Apps like File Expert which is useful for browsing, moving, and deleting files in Android and works similar to desktop file explorers/managers like Windows explorer.

You can also turn on your Tablet, and use its USB cord to connect your Tablet to your computer, and Android will automatically ask you if you want to use your Tablet in USB storage mode, and you click OK.

Now your tablet will act like a regular flash drive this means you can now copy your downloaded files like installer files, documents, pictures to your MicroSD card in Windows Explorer and other file managers. If you use Linux, or Mac, you can also use it to copy and paste files from your internal memory card on your Tablet to your MicroSD card memory card.

Once you are done, you can eject your Tablet USB storage like a regular USB drive, and turn off USB storage mode on your eReader or Tablet to use it as a regular Tablet again, or to just turn it off.

I recommend using File Manager apps to delete stuff in your download folder on your Tablet, or just use the Download App for Android once you moved your downloaded files from your internal memory card to your MicroSD memory card.

To access data on your memory card you installed on your computer, you need a file manager program, and open the mnt folder which will contain a folder which contains the folder for your internal SD card and MicroSD card.

The name of the external microSD memory card is extsd for the Vox, and it is found in the mnt folder. The name of the internal memory card folder in the Vox is sdcard . Be careful not delete folders, and files on your sdcard which are related to Android, or installed Apps. Generally, it is safe to delete download files which you no longer need because you moved them to your MicroSD memory card or backed them up to your PC or laptop drive already when you connected your eReader to your computer.

After you moved all your document, download, picture, movie, music and other file types to your MicroSD, you'll have more space for installing Apps which mainly use your internal storage memory to install Apps to.

If you want to move a lot of files from your computer to your Vox, the quickiest way to move large amount of files are from a MicroSD card connected to your computer with a MicroSD memory card reader plugged into your USB port since you do not have to turn on your Vox, and wait for it to start up, and then switch on USB storage mode. All you do is plug in your USB microSD Card reader with your microSD card inside of it, and start copying files, and then eject your card reader like a regular USB drive, and take out the microSD card from your card reader, and insert it into your Vox's microSD card reader by sliding it in with the gold or silver metal contacts facing the back on the Vox, and the front of the card with the branding facing you, and you push in the card until you hear a click. To remove the MicroSD card, you push inward on the card until it pops out.

In the rare case, 32GB is not enough space to carry all your needed files, you can use more then one MicroSD Memory card for your Kobo Vox by carrying more then one memory card with you filled with files you also need to carry. You can also use multiple smaller files, but you need to take one out before you use the other ones. It is best to take out MicroSD memory cards when your Tablet is not ON to prevent data lost.

I recommend getting a MicroSD holder case like microSD Memory Card Holder micro8 for all your MicroSD cards if you need to carry more then one MicroSD cards with you when you are out, and you'll be less likely to lose or damage the card compared to carrying them in your pocket, or a small bag which is not recommended.

What do you use to carry your files around when you are out?

Drawing + Hand Writing with Kobo Vox Color eReader tablet

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:52:25 PST

Tablet eReader like the Kobo Vox Color eReader has a capacitive touch screen which means you can use your fingers to draw, color, and write with more easily then using a ressitive touch screen which uses a plastic stylus. The 7 inch screen on the Kobo Vox is also big enough to draw on, but not to big that drawing on the go when you are out becomes a hassle like laptops, and bigger tablets which take up more space, and is harder to hold. The colors on the Kobo Vox are also very good, and you can adjust the brightness, so you can turn up the brightness when the sun is reflecting the screen too much, or when it is dark out. The Vox has a optimized screen for reading in sun light or bright places, so you can even draw when it is very bright out. With a backlit display found on the Vox, it means you can draw, paint, and read in the dark.

All you need is a drawing or painting App for Google Android likeDraw(er) Pro to draw on the Kobo Vox. You can download a few drawing App from Getjar, and other Android App marketplace.

Drawing and hand writing on the Vox color eReader is a fun activity to do when you are not reading, or playing games.

Plus, it feels more natural using my finger or capacitive stylus then using a mouse to draw, and I won't be using up all my laptops battery power just to draw or paint on MS Paint for fun.

The benefits of using a Tablet to draw, and write is you don't need paint, and paper. If you have an wireless internet connection, you can also quickly upload your drawing or hand writing to Twitter, Facebook, or your blog without needing to scan it to your computer, and upload, or you can transfer your image file to your PC via USB, and upload it to your computer if you don't have Wi-Fi.

There is also an undo, and eraser function for most drawing and painting apps which is not possible in real life painting since once paint touches the paper it is permanent.

Sharing your images is also very easy by using social networking sites like DeviantArt, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, picture video slideshow on YouTube, etc, so sharing your digital drawings and paintings online is also very easy.

You can also use MS Paint, Photoshop, and more advance image editors on your computer to edit them even more, or print them with your computer's printer.

You can also sell them on your own website for cash.

You also don't need a scanner to scan your drawings into your computer like traditional paintings which are paint based.

Drawing on a tablet is also a lot cleaner then using real paint and paper, and you won't drip paint onto your desk when using painting apps on your tablet.

You can also use your existing pictures as backgrounds to draw stuff on them to share.

Most of the App work pretty similar to MS Paint, but without the more advance features like shapes, cut, copy, and paste found in Desktop Paint programs.

You can also use drawing Apps for hand writing, and save your file as a image file. There also might be some apps which let you convert your hand writing to text.

For more detailed pictures, or to write more neatly, I recommend getting a Capacitive Stylus like AmazonBasics Capacitve Stylus for Touchscreen Devices for drawing and writing more neatly since using your fingers to draw and write on a drawing App might not turn out very well if you have shaky hands or big fingers.

A plastic stylus for resistive touch screens won't work since the Kobo Vox uses a capacitive screen, so you need to use a capacitive stylus. A Capacitive Stylus is typically made of metal, and has a rubber tip to transfer your hands static electricity to your capacitive screen.

You also want to get a a stand like Arkon Portable Fold-Up Stand for Tablets for the Kobo Vox if you are serious about drawing since it helps with keeping your Tablet steady while you draw or write on its screen with a stylus. It also is more comfortable then holding your tablet for long periods of time while you draw. A stand will also help you with other activities like reading, watching movies, gaming, and doing other tasks for long periods of time.

Do you like to draw with your Tablet and touch screen device or on your computer?

How to Copy your Files to your Kobo Vox Color eReader - use it like a external hard drive.

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:31:33 PST

The Kobo Vox Color eReader also lets you transfer your own files to its internal memory via USB, internet connection, wifi, or let you use an external MicroSD memory card up to 32 GB for adding more space on your Vox eReader.

You can also use your Vox to view and carry files around like a USB flash drive or external hard drive, but you need to remember to bring the USB data cable with you.

The main advantage of using your Vox to carry your files is you can also view and listen to them on your eReader, and you can take out the microSD card to conveniently and quickly transfer files to your PC or laptop, or other Tablet if you bought a microSD memory card and USB MicroSD Card reader.

The best way to add a lot of files to your Vox is with a MicroSD Memory card with USB card reader like Sandisk 32GB MicroSDHC Class 4 Memory Card & MicroSDHC Card Reader (Bulk)

All you need to do is use the MicroSD Memory card which is in the MicroSD card reader to copy files to your drive when connected to a USB port. When you are done copying your files on your computer to the MicroSD memory card you eject it from your computer and card reader, and insert your MicroSD card into your Kobo Vox's microSD memory card slot, and your Vox will detect it when you turn your Vox on.

Some Apps like File Manager/Explorer like File Expert have a Wi-Fi sharing option which let you share and download files from other Wi-Fi devices.You'll also need a File Explorer to access your external memory card which will be located in mnt/extsd folder in File Expert File manager.

For Amazon Kindle books, and Barnes and Noble books, you would need to download the app to view and download the books you purchase.

If you like to view office, and other types of files, you need to use Apps which are compatible with the file.

The cheapest way of adding your own files to your Vox is via USB with the bundled USB data cable for connecting your Vox to your computer to transfer files to the internal memory card, but the 8GB of space won't be enough to carry a lot of music, videos, and other files.

You can also use online storage provided by websites like MediaFire, YouSendit, Dropbox, etc to manually upload your computer files to your account, and download them to your Vox by logging into the Vox then opening the web browser to go to your online storage account to download your files one by one by using your web browsers download manager.

Kobo Vox Social networking Instant Messaging Apps to chat

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:23:13 PST

The Kobo Vox Color eReader uses Google Android, and it has an onscreen touch keyboard, so it is compatible with most popular social networking Apps like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google Plus. You can search Kobo Vox Getjar marketplace, or sideload the .APK installer file for social networking sites via the internet, microSD or USB cable to install the social networking, and instant messaging Apps which you got from your Android Phone via Amazon App Store, or Google Android App store on your Vox.

You can use instant messaging and social networking Apps installed on your Vox to chat with your friends about your favourite books, etc you just read on the Vov. The Vox also supports E-mail for people who don't use chat and social networks.

You need to make an account on Twitter, Facebook, Skype, and other sites before you can use them to chat. Many of these social networks also have a mobile site which let you chat from within the web browser, so an App may not be needed, but is more convenient then opening a web browser, and typing in Twitter, Facebook, and other sites link in the address bar to login.

You can also be go directly to Twitter , Facebook, and other social networks to see if they have a download link to install the Apps to go on their site from an App. You can also use third party apps like imo instant messenger to chat with friends.

There are also Apps for Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live messenger, and Skype for Android which let you access your contact list to chat except you can't video chat on the Vox because there is no webcam, so you can't video chat, but you can still chat via instant message, or view the other persons webcam if they have a webcam on their pc, laptop, or tablet.

The Vox also comes with Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter Apps pre-install which run in your mobile web browser like the default web browser for your Vox, or third party web browsers like Dolphin Browser HD to run mobile versions of social networks, and web based instant messengers which are optimized for mobile phones and tablets.

If you need to access your e-mail, blog, forum, you can also use Dolphin Browser. Tumblr, and Blogspot also works on mobile web browser. I think the web browser will be the primary way most people chat with other online because every mobile tablet usually have a web browser these days, and using web apps does not require installation like native apps for Google Android.

The Kobo Vox also comes with an E-mail App, Gmail, and Contacts App which is useful for e-mail, and keeping your contacts organised.

Opening PDF files, ePub eBooks, Word Document, Excel Spreadsheets, Power Point files, E-mails on Kobo Vox eReader

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:37:11 PST

The Kobo Vox can open eBooks from Kobo by default by downloading them from its website to your Vox. However, for Amazon, and Barnes and Noble eBooks you need to go to Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble app store or website to download and install their Apps for Google Android for reading eBooks from their store in your Vox.

The GetJar marketplace which is Kobo Apps store also has a few eBook reading Apps for Android which let you download free eBooks, or buy eBooks from third party eBooks stores which support Google Android.

If you have a lot of eBooks saved in PDF format, you'll need to download and install a PDF reader for Google Android which you can also find on GetJar.

You can also download a PDF readers for Android at Amazon like Adobe Acrobat Reader PDF Reader for Android.

If you need to open .doc, .xls, .ppt files which are Word document, Excel spreadsheet, and Power Point Presentation files for Microsoft Office, you need to download and install a third party Office Suite App program for Android like OfficeSuite Pro 5 for Android which can Create, edit, and view MS Word and Excel documents, View PowerPoint and PDF files, and use Google Docs to access and manage files online.

You can also try using Google Docs to edit and create and view document and office files online, but you need a Gmail account, and an internet connection to use Google Doc's on your Kobo Vox's Web Browser.

I predict Microsoft will someday release an Android version of Microsoft Office if enough Windows and Mac users who use Microsoft Office on their PC and Mac also uses Google Android. Microsoft also has a web based version of Microsoft Office which is called Office 365 which can edit and create Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, Power Point Presentations, and other MS Office files.

ZoHo Office also has an online cloud based programs for opening and creating document files online.

The Kobo Vox can open HTML, .RTF, .TXT, and .JPEG files by default without any extra software.Jpeg is useful for copying and pasting text and images to a blank image file which is 1024x600 in size which is the resolution of the Vox's screen. The disadvantage of using Jpeg is you can't select and copy text like document formats.

To side load your document files on your Vox, you can use a MicroSD Memory card and reader like Sandisk 32GB MicroSDHC Class 4 Memory Card & MicroSDHC Card Reader (Bulk), or the Vox's USB cable, or just upload your files to an online storage site like MediaFire, DropBox, Google Docs, etc, and manually download them via a web browser. There are also Apps which may let you upload files to and from your Vox via Wi-Fi.

Sometimes you may need a File manager program to find your document files on your Vox if your office app does not have a file explorer, I recommend File Expert since it is easy to use. You can also use the search App on your Kobo Vox to search for files via the search.

For accessing e-mails, you can use the Vox's bundled E-mail and Gmail App, Dolphin Web Browser HD or other web Browsers for android to access E-mail from Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, and other web mail services. In GetJar there are also some Apps which let you access your E-mail from Apps for Hotmail, Yahoo mail, and Gmail. You need to be online to reply to e-mails.

How to convert your CD, DVD files like music, video to work on Kobo Vox via MicroSD memory Card

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:43:45 PST

If you have a lot of content from CDs and DVDs like videos, music, pictures and documents, you need to use CD music ripping and DVD video ripping software to convert CD music and DVD video to work with the Kobo Vox eReader Tablet.

If you have Windows Media Player for Windows XP-7 on your Windows based computer, you can use its built-in CD ripping program to rip music tracks on a music CD to MP3 which will be saved on your PC hard drive. CDex is also a good free Music CD ripping software for Windows which you can download for free at cdexos.sourceforge.net/?q=download .

Unfortunately, if your CD is copy protected with Digital Right Management software also called DRM, you can't rip it in some cases, so you need to buy a non-DRM version of the CD, or buy MP3 formated music files which are not copy protected. However, most CDs are not DRM protected and can be easilty ripped.

When ripping your music from CDs, you should rip them as MP3 files, so they are compatible with your Vox and other devices like MP3 players, Tablets, and DVD Players which support MP3 playback.

You would need a DVD ripper software like Xilisoft DVD Ripper Platinum Version 6 to rip your movie and video files from your DVD movies to a compatible video format with the Vox like MP4 (MPEG 4) video. A DVD ripper is like a music CD ripper software, but for video which will be saved on your PC after the DVD ripper software finishing ripping the video to your computer hard drive.

You can use the default Gallery for browsing video and picture files, and the default music App which came with your Kobo Vox to view and listen to media files.

For document file types, you need an App to view them on the Vox. The Kobo Vox App store have a few apps for viewing documents like OfficeSuite Pro 5 . You can just copy your document files to the Vox and open them with an App. You may need a file explorer/manager program to find them if your document app does not have a file manager.

The Vox comes with 8GB of space, but it is not enough space to store a lot of music, video, and photo files, so I recommend getting a MicroSD memory card and a USB card reader like the Sandisk 32GB MicroSDHC Class 4 Memory Card & MicroSDHC Card Reader (Bulk) to copy files on your PC to your Memory card to install on your Vox for easily copying hours of video and music to your PC to your Vox quickly.

Using a MicroSD memory card and card reader is a lot more convenient then connecting your Vox to your PC or laptop to copy files to your Vox via USB since you don't have to take the USB cable out of the box, and connect it to the Vox, and then your USB port on your PC.

All you have to do is plug in your MicroSD card reader with your MicroSD card file installed inside of it to your computer USB port, and start copying files, and when you are done, you remove your MicroSD card reader, and take out the card from the Card Reader and insert it in to your Vox's Micro SD card reader slot by pressing down on it until you hear a click, or it is inserted all the way in.

To remove the microSD memory card from the Vox, you press down on the MicroSD card until it pops out like a digital camera SD card slot.

You usually do not have to format your MicroSD memory card to work with your Vox since most memory cards come formated in FAT16 or 32 file system which the Vox can read and write to.

Note:Windows, Mac, and Linux installer files do not work with Tablets or eReaders like the Kobo Vox because Tablets and eReaders use mobile operating systems like Google Android which can't install full desktop software found on Windows or Mac, so if you need a similar software, you need to download it from GetJar or other Android marketplaces. Your Vox can open most files which your desktop computer can open if you have an App which can open files, but it can't open installer files and executable files to run Windows software on the Vox.

If you want to run Windows software on the Vox, you need to use Remote Desktop software which is like a web browser which lets you use the internet to login to your Windows or Mac computer remotely by using the internet and remote desktop software.

Cloud computing like Google Docs, Zoho Office, etc may be a better choice then Remote Desktop since you just need a web browser and the internet to edit files on a website like Google Docs, and your computer at home does not have to be on, so it uses less electricity.

Share your Tips on using your tablet to open files typically found on a CD or DVD?

Using the Kobo Vox as a Portable multimedia player for watching video on the GO!

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:22:50 PST

The Kobo Vox color eReader is great for viewing video with its 7 inch screen which is optimized for outdoor reading on a eReader tablet. The Vox is one of the fewest Tablets which can be bought for under 180 dollars when on sale, but features a capacitive touch screen with a bright display.

The Kobo Vox can also be used as a photo viewer when you are not using it to view video and music files on it.

The Kobo Vox supports 3GP; MP4; WEBM video file formats, and MP3; AAC; .3GP; MP4; M4A; FLAC; OGG; WAV; MID sound file formats. It also supports JPG; PNG; GIF; BMP picture file format.

All you need is the default media player app for your Vox, or a good media player like Meridian Player for Android which can open and play music and video files. You can also use media players from GetJar which is Kobo default App store.

You can use an Video or audio converter in Windows, Mac, or Linux to convert incompatible video, and audio formats like MKV, WMV, etc to compatible file formats like MP4, MP3, etc. MS paint or other photo editing software can be used to convert incompatible picture formats like Tiff to JPG. By using media file converter software and Image file editors, you can playback almost any file on the Vox as long as you convert it to a compatible file format which works on the Vox and other portable devices like Sony PSP, MP4 player, etc.

You can set the brightness of your Vox's screen higher when outdoors because of the reflection from the sun making the screen not as bright, but when in doors videos and photos look great even on low to medium brightness settings if you want to conserve battery power.

I recommend buying a 32GB MicroSD Card and MicroSD Card Reader like the Sandisk 32GB MicroSDHC Micro SD Card with MicroSD to SD adapter & Mobilemate Reader, so you can load it up with video and music files for playing back on the Kobo Vox to give you even more space from the default 8GB of space.

To save space on your Vox, it would be best to load Standard definition 360P-480P video on the memory card, or HD video files with a resolution of 720P or use the resolution of 1024 x 600 to encode your home movies for the Vox's native resolution. 192 KBps or lower KBps like 96-128 KBps MP3 would be best for audio playback. MP4, OGG, and MID video and sound file formats usually use less space and are high quality at lower bitrates.

The Vox's speaker are okay for watching video in an empty room, but if there is a radio or television on in the same room then you might have trouble hearing the Vox's sound. You can try turning up the volume, or use a pair of headphones or external battery powered speakers like iLuv iSP110 Portable Amplified Stereo Speaker Case (Blue) which uses 3.5mm headphone audio jack and its own power to playback sound. If you have a pair of old computer speakers or MP3 player/iPod headphones, you can use them for plugging into your Vox to use. By using external battery powered speakers or headphones, you'll also have stereo sound from 2 speakers, and better battery life since they both use less battery power from the Vox.

If you plan on watching very long video or listen to a lot of music for hours, buying a Kobo Vox stand case like the Tuff-Luv Tri-Stand Faux Leather case cover Stand for Kobo Vox - Black can make watching longer videos and listening to music more enjoyable since you don't have to hold it manually in your hand since you can just set it up for watching in a vertical or horizontal position. The case will also protect your Vox from scratches and dirt when it is closed.

One of the main advantages of the Vox is it can be used to watch YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, Crackle, and other free online videos with the default web browser and wireless internet. You may need to install the Adobe Flash Player app for Android to view some online video sites which need flash. I recommend Dolphin Browser HD to browse video sites since it seems to be the easiest web browser for Android to use which works well with YouTube. The Kobo Vox also comes with Rdio which you can use for streaming music to your Vox.

The GetJar marketplace also have a few internet TV apps, and free video watching Apps to let you watch TV shows and movies for free via an App which you installed on the Vox.

You can also use the Vox to stream music and video from a PC via its fast 802.11N wireless adapter if you have an app to stream music and video from your PC to your tablet, or you use your Vox's web browser to access your PC's hard drive to stream media via Wi-Fi.

Share your stories on what you use to watch TV, and videos or listen to music when you are out!

Improving your Wi-Fi performance on your Kobo Vox color eReader!

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:58:41 PST

The Kobo Vox Color eReader Wi-Fi adapter is very good. I can pick up Wi-Fi signals from a few houses a way. But, if you have a older wireless router which uses 802.11 b or g then you might be missing out on the high performance of 802.11N which the Kobo Vox's Wi-Fi adapter uses.

These tips will also improve the wireless performance and wireless signal range for your laptop, computer, smartphone, gaming handheld, Tablet, eReaders, and other wireless devicess which uses Wi-Fi to go online, or network with other computers and devices.

This means streaming video to your Vox from your computer, or streaming video from your Vox to your laptop might be a lot slower since you are using an older version of Wireless networking which is 802.11 N which can acheive speeds up to 450Mbps vs 54Mbps with 802.11G or 11 Mbps with 802.11B.

If you have internet like Fibre Optic, T3, or higher end broadband internet, you'll notice a huge difference when using an 802.11G router like D-Link DIR-655 Extreme-N Gigabit Wireless Router which has a max speed of 450Mbps and better signal range then most older wireless router's. This mean you'll be able to surf the internet, stream video from your computer to your Vox with an App, or stream video from your Vox to your PC even when you are outside at super high speeds.

If you use your Vox to wirelessly share files with a laptop or desktop computer via an Wi-Fi sharing App, buying a 802.11N Wireless USB adapter like the D-Link DWA-130 Wireless-N USB Adapter for your desktop and laptop can speed things up and extend the range of the signal instead of using slower wireless adapter which came with your PC or laptop. You can also use Internet Connection sharing to convert your Wired internet service into Wireless in Windows XP, Vista, and 7, so if you don't have access to wireless internet, but you have access to cable to DSL internet you can use Windows Internet Sharing Connection wizard to share your internet connection with your Kobo Vox and other Wi-Fi devices via ICS.

If you just want improve range from your existing 802.11 G or older wireless router, you can get a Wireless signal booster/extender like Netgear Universal WN3000RP Wi-Fi Range Extender to boost and extend the signal, so it will go even farther. You can also use a wireless signal booster to boost the signal of a low end 802.11N wireless router to turn it into a router which signals can reach outdoors and many feet away from your house where the router is located.

Changing the Wireless channel of your Wireless router, and changing the signal strength could also make some improvements to your wireless range, and speed, but it probably won't make as big of a difference compared to buying a high quality 802.11N router and Wireless signal booster to boost your signal to go even farther then before.

There are WiFi analyzer Apps for Google Android which you can download from the Kobo Vox's Get Jar Marketplace app store which you can use to analyze Wi-Fi signal to find the best channel to set your Wireless router to. In my experience, setting my Wireless router to channel 11 seems to produce best results since most Wi-Fi channels for routers are set to 6 or Auto according to many forums, and websites.

Wi-Fi Analyzer Apps also help you pick the best free Wi-Fi Signal in public places when you are using your Kobo Vox at the park, public library, school, or in town. It will show you which Wi-Fi signal is the strongest, and what channel they are set to. This will let you know which Wi-Fi signal might be best for browsing the web, and watching online video.

Some people also claim to have better wireless performance by putting their Wireless router higher, but I'm not sure if it is true since my Wireless router is on a regular height table beside a computer, and a printer blocking the antennae, and it preforms pretty good.

Sometimes, by just restarting your wireless router and modem by hitting the restart button if it has one, or unplugging and replugging it back into the power outlet, you can experience better performance and range or bring the signal back online if your signal drops offline because of interference from a microwave, cordless phone, etc which knocks a wifi signal offline. If this happens a lot, I recommend changing the Channel for your Wireless router to see if it makes a difference to the number of times a day you get disconnected.

You can also plug in your router and modem to a power strip/surge bar with an automatic timer which shuts off at a certain time like 11PM to 7AM, so your router and modem will be off when you are not using them, and on when you are more likely to use them since the timer will automatically shut off and turn on your router and modem everyday. Your router and modem will also use less power and last longer, so this will save you some money in the long run.

Do you have any tips for improving your wireless signal and internet connection performance at home or when you are out?

How to save Battery life power with Kobo Vox eReader Tablet

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:58:10 PST

The Kobo Vox eReader tablet has pretty good battery life for eBook reading at about 7 hours. However, it uses more battery life when browsing the web, gaming, and video. These tips will also help you save battery life and improve performance on your smartphone, and other mobile devices.

These Tips on saving battery life power may also make your Kobo Vox slightly faster since turning off Widgets, and background programs free up your RAM, and CPU cycle, so Apps, Games, and ebooks may load a little faster since it has more free RAM and CPU cycles to use.

Having less Apps and processes running in the background can also increase your Kobo Vox's overall stability meaning it is less likely to crash because of no free RAM or CPU Cycles when too many Apps are running in the background.

The first thing you can do is remove the Rdio, Kobo Book widget, Search, Clock, and all the Widgets and icons which you don't need on your home screens / multiple desktops by pressing on them and dragging the widgets to the trash can icon on the bottom. You can always re ad them later when you plan on using them. I notice the Widgets tend to use up a little bit of RAM and CPU cycles which may affect battery life and performance.

The Kobo Vox also does not need an antivirus since it uses Google Android which is one of the most secure mobile operating systems in the World because it is based on Linux which does not need an Anti-virus. A Google Android anti-virus made by antivirus companies will most likely just make your battery life worse, and slow down your Vox. If you just download apps from GetJar, Amazon App store, and trusted app stores you should be fine since these Apps stores check to see if Apps are safe. Also, read reviews on Apps before you download and install them on your Vox.

Third party launchers like GO Launcher EX, Launcher Pro, etc and third party keyboards like SlideIT can also use up some battery life since I notice they tend to use some RAM, and CPU cycles when on, and their animations, graphics, and special features may also make Android use more power.

The default App launcher and keyboard for Android should be good enough, and keep the Vox running fast without using as much power as third party launchers and keyboards.

Replacing Widgets with shortcuts can increase your battery life if the widget uses a lot of RAM and CPU cycles when being displayed on your home screens.

You can also set the Kobo Vox's reading apps like Pulse, and Notifications off in the book settings, and the book reading app you can set it to a list rather then a 3D book shelf which can use a little bit more power since 2D lists are simpler and usually use less power then 3D book shelfs.

Removing icons and shortcuts which you rarely use can also save you time, and some battery life since you can find the short cuts for apps which you use most often, and you won't have to scroll as much to find them.
Moving most of your most used apps to your Home Screen can also save a little bit of time and battery life since you are not switching screens as much to find them, so you can just launch them after your Vox has turned on, and start using your favorite apps rather then scrolling through the multiple home screen desktops to find the shortcut for your favorite apps.

In the Settings, you can go to your Display settings, and turn down the brightness to the lowest. The Kobo Vox color and brightness is still pretty readable at its lowest setting. You can also turn off the animation for your Vox's display when using the Vox.

You can also turn off Wireless/Wi-Fi in the settings when you are not using Wi-Fi to browse the web, play mobile games which require Wi-Fi for posting high scores or downloading updates. To Turn Wi-Fi back on you just go back into the settings for Wireless, and turn Wireless back on.

If you browse the web a lot, I recommend Opera Mini Web Browser when browsing text and image based website since Opera Mini can be set to compress images to a lower quality, so you don't use as much bandwidth and power to display websites. Except Opera Mini does not work for YouTube, and video sites, but is good enough for blogs, social networks, and other sites which are text and video based.

Dolphin Browser HD is a pretty fast and easy to use browser for YouTube, and more advance websites which have videos, games, and flash content.

When you plan on not using your Kobo Vox eReader for a few hours, it is best to turn it off by holding the power button until you see a pop up window to turn it off instead of Standby mode since Standby uses a little bit of power to keep your RAM powered up for faster start ups, but if you plan on using your Vox in a few minutes or less then Standby would be better since you won't have to wait for your Vox to start up from Off which could take one minute or more instead of a second from wake from standby when you press the power button. Standyby and power off are both better then leaving your Vox on, and not in use since the Vox could use a lot of power when it is on, and not in use.

There are some apps like launchers, utilities, and other apps which you downloaded and install which start up by default when you install it on the Vox from GetJar. You can use a program called Advanced Task Killer can help you find out which Apps start up automatically when your Vox's startup. Although, you should be careful when stopping the System Update, and Kobo App since you may need them, but for trid party apps like Rdio, Globe2G0, INQ, and other apps which came bundled with the Vox or you installed yourself, you can use Advanced Task Killer to stop it. If you need them to run, you can just restart your vox by turning it on, and off again.

You can also turn off, or lower the volume on your Kobo Vox when you are using it since when the volume is turned on, or set higher and playing sound. It uses up power. Using good headphones can also save you some power since headphones use a lot less power then speakers.

Using one app at a time can make your Kobo Vox perform faster and use less battery power.

If you watch a lot of video, and listen to a lot of music from your Vox, using a MicroSD memory card to load a bunch of videos, music, and other types of files to view and listen to on your Vox can save you a lot of battery life instead of using the internet and Wi-Fi to stream and open your media since Wi-Fi and Internet browsers tend to use the most battery power compared to using Apps, and watching video and sound which you preloaded on your Vox via MicroSD memory card or from your computer via USB by copying and pasting files to your Vox's internal memory card. Remember to disable wi-fi when playing video, and music from your Vox, and memory card to save power.

The Vox supports a MicroSD card up to 32GB, but you can use a smaller size MicroSD card aswell or multiple MicroSD cards.

I also recommend charging your Vox when your battery indicator is Yellow, and almost empty since a warning will come up when your Vox's only have 10 percent battery left.

I read online that says white wallpapers uses a little less power then black wall papers, so setting your Kobo Vox to a white wallpaper may or may not make it use less power. Using a Jpeg or PNG picture file for your Wallpaper can be better then BMP and non-compress image file formats since Jpeg, and PNG files are smaller, so when set as your wallpaper they would use less space, and RAM to display.

Also, if you are using an animated wallpaper, switch to a non-animated picture file based wall paper.

Share your tips on saving power with your portable devices like tablets, smartphones, and ereaders.

Protect Kobo Vox Screen and Case with Screen Protector and Case!

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:48:16 PST

You want your Kobo Vox to work and look new for many years to come. The best way to protect your Kobo Vox from damage is to use a Screen Protector, Case, and Bag for your Kobo Vox to protect it from scratches, drops, and dents which damages your Vox, and break it if the drop is high.

Getting a screen protector for the Kobo Vox would protect your Kobo Vox's 7 inch screen from unwanted scratches on the screen. A screen protector is a piece of clear plastic which you stick over your eReader Tablets screen, so fingernails, stylus, pens, and sharp objects don't scratch the screen since the thin piece of clear plastic shields your screen from sharp objects. The piece of clear plastic which comes with the Vox is only a temporary screen protector because it is not very sticky, so it falls off easily, and is not made with the best type of thin plastic for screen protectors without reducing performance when applied to your Vox's screen.

You can also buy a binder foldable case for the Vox to give it an extra level of Protection from scratches by using a case to protect the Vox's top, bottom, and sides from scratches and dents. Plus, it would make your Vox look more Stylish, and feel more like a personal organiser or book.

There are also decal decorative vinyl skin which you can stick on the Vox to protect the bottom and bezel of the Vox's cases from light scratches while customizing the look and feel of your Kobo Vox's eReader Tablet. Your Vox also will have a cool look to it which makes it look more unique from other Vox's.

Using a Netbook or laptop bag to carry your eReader Tablet around town, and protect it from dents, drops, water, dirt and dust by using a padded laptop bag to carry your Vox around town.

Favorite Games + Apps For Kobo Vox Color eReader Tablet

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:44:45 PST

The Kobo Vox color ereader is compatible with a lot of Google Android apps since it uses the most popular version of Google Android which is Google Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread as its operating system. The Kobo Vox has a 800 MHz CPU, 512 MB of RAM, and 8GB of storage which is fast enough for installing and playing most games and apps made for Google Android.

Google Android has one of the largest App and game libraries for mobile devices like smartphones, Tablets and eReaders.

This means if the App or game works on your Google Android phone, it would work on the Kobo Vox eReader in most cases.

My favourite games for the Kobo Vox are Angry Birds series, Fruit Ninja, Gravity Guy, and Cut The Rope which are all available from the GetJar marketplace for free which comes bundle with the Kobo Vox.

Angry Birds is a game where you use a sling shot to hit green pigs which are behind a wall, or rocks. There are currently three games in the Angry Birds Series: Angry Birds, Angry Birds Rio, and Angry Birds Season.

Fruit Ninja is a fun game where you swipe the screen to cut flying fruit while avoiding bombs, and cut as much fruit as possible on the screen.

Gravity guy is a side scrolling game where you tap on the screen, so Gravity guy can walk on the ceiling, or floor to avoid objects while running away from a white soldier with a gun.

Cut The Rope is a fun game where you have to cut the rope in the level, so the candy attach to the bottom drops into a monster mouth.

I also found Tetris, Checkers, Tic Tac Toe, Air Hockey, Krazy Kart Racing, and pinball which are very fun games I downloaded at Get Jar app store for Kobo Vox.

The Kobo Vox comes bundled with a eBook Reader, rdio, Press reader, Globe2Go, video player, music player, dictionary, e-mail, dictionary, picture gallery, and many other apps which work pretty well.

My favourite 3rd-party Apps for the Kobo Vox is Dolphin HD Mobile Web browser, and Opera Mini Web browser for Android.

Dolphin web browser is a fast easy to use web browser which is kind of like Google Chrome user interface, and has gesture shortcuts for better web surfing on a mobile device. Dolphin also features a back and forward on screen button which can make browsing the web easier for newbies to Tablets.

The Opera Mini Web browser is great for viewing picture rich websites since you can set the picture file quality to low to save bandwidth and battery power when Opera is loading pictures on a website. It is also a fast and easy to use web browser like Dolphin HD Web browser.

File Expert is an App for managing, and looking for files which you loaded to your Vox.

The SlideIT keyboard app for Andriod is pretty good since it lets you adjust the size, style, and behaviour of your keyboard easily, and the auto-suggestion is pretty good for SlideIT.

I heard SwiftKeys is also a pretty good third party keyboard for Android. It has auto-prediction and word correction as well. Swift keys also features customisation like SlideIT.

You can sideload other apps which you downloaded with your Google Android cell phone with the Google Android Marketplace by using a MicroSD memory card to transfer the APK files from your phone to the Vox from your phone or the internet from websites.

If you live in the US, you can download the Amazon App store to download even more apps from Amazon Android app store. However, the Amazon App store does not work for users who live outside of the US.

Web Browsing + Wireless Wifi Experience on the Kobo Vox Color eReader

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:28:15 PST

The default web browser on the Kobo Vox Color eReader is the Google Android Gingerbread web browser which is pretty good for visiting mobile sites. The 800MHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, 8GB storage, and 802.11N Wifi adapter found on the Vox is great for browsing most websites online quickly, and download files online to latter transfer to your laptop, or desktop by using the Vox's USB transfer cable. The 7 inch screen, thin case and light weight of the Vox makes it great for carrying around in a bag or purse. I also notice it is easy to read text on the browser because of the sharp screen and bright back light. The 7 inch screen is big enough to display most popular websites like YouTube, Wikipedia, Facebook, Google, and Twitter without the need to zoom in or scroll a lot. The Vox can play YouTube and DailyMotion videos without the Adobe Flash Player add-on if you use the mobile version of Youtube at m.youtube.com . Videos will be played in Full Screen High Quality by default in YouTube mobile.

The Kobo Vox also comes with the bookmarks with the mobile version of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, so easily accessing the mobile version of popular social networks are simple.

Rdio, PressReader, and Globe2Go also comes bundled with the Vox, so you can listen to music, read magazines, and newspapers streamed to you from the internet easily.

The WiFi performance of the Kobo Vox is also very good. The Kobo Vox connects a lot faster to my older Wireless router which uses 802.11G in a few seconds which is a lor faster then my laptop which sometimes take minutes to connect to WiFi.

The Vox also features a 802.11N Wireless wi-fi adapter which means it can detect wireless networks which are farther a way, and have a better range for the Wireless signal. 802.11N can achieve speeds of 300 megabits per second or higher, and longer range. This means if your Wireless router also has 802.11N your speed and range would be very fast and long. But, If you still use a 802.11G router then the speed and range will still be good, but not as good as a N router.

When I use the Vox, it never disconnects me from my home router while I use it.

Downloading eBooks, .APK installer files for android, and media files are also pretty fast.

The default Google Android browser is good enough for browsing 1-3 websites at a time on the same browser.

However, using Opera Mini could be better since you can set Opera mini to compress images to low or medium quality on a website to use less bandwidth and load faster, and you will save a little bit of battery power since you won't need to download image files which are as big, and Wifi uses battery power on the Vox when on. Opera is a tab browser, so it is easy to switch to different websites. Opera also has a back and forward and other buttons found on desktop browsers to make browsing the web on a tablet easier for Newbies. YouTube, and most video sharing sites do not work well in Opera for some reason.

Dolphin Browser HD, and Maxthon Mobile Android browsers seem to work better for Multimedia rich sites, or sites that do not display well on Android, Opera, and other browser. I prefer Dolphin Browser more since it's user interface looks similar to Google Chrome user interface, and Dolphin seems a little more fast and easy to use then Maxthon. Maxthon has customisable themes, and more settings if you care a lot about customisation.

Opera Mini, Dolphin HD, Maxthon, and other mobile browsers are available for download for free at the GetJar Android Marketplace, or online at their websites.

You can also side load APK files with the Internet, USB cable or a Micro SD card to install other 3rd party web browser, or web apps which are not available in GetJar marketplace.

You can also use SlideIT which is a 3rd party keyboard app for Google Android on GetJar to replace the default Android keyboard if you find the Android Keyboard hard to use when typing in searches or website addresses in mobile web browsers.

When using your Kobo Vox for web browsing, and wi-fi is on the battery life is about 3-4 hours on low brightness. By removing un-needed apps like the Rdio, search, clock, and Kobo app from your desktop to the trashcan, you can increase the battery life a bit because fewer apps are running in the background on the Vox. Opera Mini is probably the most power efficient web browser you can find for the Vox since Opera can be set to lower the quality of images, so they download faster, and use less power when downloading.

If you are visiting websites without a mobile version of their site, it is best to hold the Vox horizontally to see the entire width of the page without zooming in and out. Holding your Vox vertically is best for sites like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube which has a mobile version of its website since you can see more posts, and status updates on the page without the need to scroll up and down as much.

Using the Kobo Vox as a casual web browsing reader for reading and watching videos and music online is pretty good. The Vox's built-in mono speaker is good enough for listening to most videos and music online, but headphones or external speakers will improve the listening experience.

It is also possible to install the Adobe Flash Player plug-in for Android to playback flash videos on sites which need it. You just need to search Google for the Adobe Flash Player 11 APK installer file.

Tip: some websites has a mobile app for their website which works like a custom newsreader or browser for only their website for Android devices using these apps would make browsing their website easier, and faster.

Making Bookmarks can also improve your user experience in mobile web browsers since you would not have to type as much with the mobile web browsers keyboard. Dolphin and Opera Mobile browser also might have some shortcut gestures, add-ons and extensions which would improve your mobile web experience.

By making your mobile web browsing experience faster, and more enjoyable, it would make you be able to get more done in a shorter amount of time which could save you some battery life, and time in the long run.

How to make sound louder on Kobo Vox color eReaders Tablet

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:47:19 PST

The Kobo Vox color eReader has loud enough speakers for personal audio listening in a quiet place like a bed room, or small empty room like a home kitchen or living room, but its built-in mono speaker on the top right is not very loud for many people to listen to at the same time in a loud room like a restaurant table or cafeteria.

You should turn your speaker up by pressing on the volume up button until the volume bar is set to max. But, I notice when there is sound louder then the Vox's speaker like a TV speaker or loud conversation, the speaker is very hard to hear.

The Kobo Vox also has a small 3.5mm headphone jack which is for plugging in stereo headphones. You can also plug in external powered 3.5mm speakers to listen to sound through louder speakers. Most computer speakers with a 3.5mm audio jack can be plug into the Kobo Vox. By using External speakers or headphones on the Kobo Vox, the sound will be louder, and have more bass to it making listening to music, audio books, videos, and games more realistic.

You can also buy a line-in cable, or Y-Connector 3.5 mm to RCA connector to connect the Vox to your home stereo, or car stereo if your stereo has a 3.5 mm input jack, or RCA left and right audio inputs.

A FM Transmitter with 3.5 mm input can also be used to transmit the Vox's audio and convert it to an FM signal to listen on your FM Radio with speakers, or headphones on an empty FM channel on your radio. This means you can buy a portable FM radio to listen to your Audio books, or music on your Kobo Vox which is being transmitted to your FM Radio wireless through the airwaves. Most cars also have an FM Radio, so if you connect your Vox to an FM transmitter and stream it to your car's FM radio empty channel, you can also listen to it from your car.

On older cars with a cassette deck on the radio you can use a 3.5mm to cassette adapter which can convert your Vox's 3.5 mm audio to the cassette deck in your car stereo. Cassettes have higher quality then FM radio signals, buy a line-in, or 3.5 mm to RCA Y-connector has the best quality since the signal is not being converted.

3.5 mm headphones, external 3.5mm speakers, Line-in Cable, 3.5mm to RCA Y connector, FM transmitter, and 3.5mm audio to cassette deck converter work on other tablets, ereaders, mp3 players, portable CD and DVD players, and laptops as well as long as they have a 3.5mm headphone jack for plugging in external speakers.

There are also some school binders or cases which have a built-in 3.5mm speaker for plugging in MP3 players which will work on your Vox and other devices with a speaker and headphone input as well.

Playing back Video + music files on the Kobo Vox Color eReader

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:44:50 PST

The Kobo Vox color eReader Tablet is a good color eReader Tablet for watching video, and listening to music. The bright 7 inch capacitive screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 makes it easy for the user to see the bright and colorful colors on the screen, and the capacitive screen makes opening video files, and changing music tracks pretty responsive by only using my finger to control the multimedia player. The 7 inch size of the screen is similar in size as most portable DVD players, so you would not have to hold the Vox very close to your eyes to see the full screen video, or on screen controls.

The Screen is also optimized for outdoor viewing with its FFS+ LCD which is the same type of screen which fighter jets used to see its instruments outdoors. Even on lowest brightness on the Kobo Vox screen, I can still see the screen very well when sitting by a sunny window, and the color is still very nice on the screen.

The Speaker on the Vox is a mono speaker on the right corner of the Vox, it is moderately loud, but not very loud, so in loud places, you can use 3.5 mm headphones, or portable speakers to plug into the Vox when in louder places like a park, or restaurant.

The Kobo Vox is pretty good at playing back YouTube and online video sites' video in full screen. The video plays fast and does not slow down, and the speaker is loud enough to hear in a moderately loud room. It is also easy to turn up or turn down the volume by pressing the volume up and volume down volume buttons.

Some popular video sites like YouTube and Dailymotion works on the Kobo Vox default Android web browser, Dolphin HD, and Maxthon Mobile Web browser work without the need to install Adobe Flash Player, but you can still install Adobe Flash Player by downloading and installing the APK file for it by searching Google for "Adobe Flasp Player APK file"

The Kobo Vox uses the default touchscreen keyboard for Google Android Gingerbread which is okay for typing on to search for online videos and music to watch and listen to.

The Wi-Fi adapter on the Vox is also 802.11N which is the fastest type of Wireless adapter, so if youyr internet is fast, the Vox should be fast enough to stream video in High Quality settings since it also has a 800MHz CPU, and 512 MB of RAM, so videos should play quickly.

Holding the Vox with one hand is also pretty easy since it is very light, and thin. The back of the Vox is a quilted rubber back which makes the Vox easier to hold with one hand for extended periods of time in the horizontal position while watching a movie.There are also some cases for the Vox which let you set up the case like a stand to watch the Vox's screen on a stand without the need for you to hold it while watching.

The Vox also comes with the Rdio App which is an online music streaming service which lets you stream audio from the internet via Wi-Fi.You can also install Adobe Flash Player, and visit a website like Purevolume, LastFM, Myspace, etc to stream the website from their flash music player. In the future, more music players on websites will use HTML5 which is built-in to most newer Web browsers like Dolphin HD mobile web browser, so you would not need to install Adobe Flash player to listen to music or watch video on a streaming media website. I usually just use the mobile version of YouTube's homepage at m.youtube.com to search for videos to watch, or music videos to listen to when I am connected to the internet via Wi-Fi.

The MicroSD card slot on the Vox supports a card up to 32GB in size, so you can have many hours of High Quality Videos in MP4, 3GP, and WEBM video file format, and MP3, AAC, .3GP, MP4, M4A, FLAC; OGG, WAV, andMID audio file formats. The MicroSD card slot is one advantage which the Kobo Vox has over the Amazon Kindle Fire Color eReader Tablet which does not have a MicroSD memory slot.

The 8GB of internal memory is enough for 1-2 HD movies, or many hours of MP3 files encoded in 128 KBPS stereo.

In the GetJar APP marketplace which comes bundled with the Kobo Vox, you could find a lot of multimedia Google Android Apps like Electric Piano and instrument Simulators, Video and music players, sports Apps like ESPN, Golf, and scores, news, and weather apps.

You can also sideload apps you downloaded from your Google Android cell phone with the Google Android Marketplace via a MicroSD memory card, and load them to your Kobo Vox which does not have the Google Android Market.

If you live in the US, you can also use the Amazon Android Apps store to download and install Android Apps from Amazon with your US Amazon Account with a US address and credit card associated with it.

The Kobo Vox is the best 199.99 Color eReader for playing back video and music which you can easily get in Canada and Non-US countries where the Amazon Kindle Fire is not available for purchase. Plus, you can get it for 179.99 if BestBuy or Futureshop is having a sale on it, so you save 19.99 during a sale.

I think the Kobo Vox color eReader is more worth it then most Portable Media Players since the Kobo Vox can play games, browse the web, read ebooks, install Google Android Apps, and has an expandable MicroSD Memory card capabilities while being a pretty good multimedia playback device for videos and music.

Gaming on Kobo Vox color eReader Tablet, Good Gameplay eReader

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:05:48 PST

The Kobo Vox color ereader is a good casual gaming eReader for playing games like Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Cut The Rope, Tetris, Tic Tac Toe, Checkers, Chess, Solitaire, Scrabble, Brick Breaker, Side scrolling games, Casual games, and non- High Definition/Quality 3D games. But, the Kobo Vox also work with some lower quality 3D games like Fruit Ninja, but not HD 3D games like Final Fantasy 11 which you can play on the Xbox, and Playstation.

Game loading times are pretty fast for most 2D and lower quality games, but Angry Birds, and Fruit Ninja takes slightly longer to load.

Gaming on the Vox is almost like gaming on a medium priced Google Android Gingerbread 2.3.3 Smart Cell Phone.

f the game is a cartoon like game, or the game looks like a typical web browser game you play with non-HD graphics, the Kobo Vox can probably play it okay, but the loading times might be slightly lower since it only has a 800MHz Single Core CPU, and 512MB of RAM.

It is best to use the GetJar marketplace to download your games for Free for the Vox, and GetJar is the default marketplace for the Vox, so most games should work for the Vox. You can also try the Amazon App Store for paid and free Apps if you live in the US, or has a US Amazon Account. But, you need to download The Amazon App to use the Amazon Marketplace.

All the games and Apps on Getjar are Free, but some are trials, and most are ad-supported.

You can also use a MicroSD card to sideload APK installer files for Google Android Games which you downloaded on your smartphone, or other Tablets which has access to the Google Android Marketplace which the Vox does not have access to because it uses Getjar. You can also ask your friends to upload APK files to the internet for you to download onto your Vox, or ask them to use Gmail, Yahoo mail, and other e-mail providers to send you game APK installer files via file attachments on E-mails. Most APK files for games are only a few MBs in size except for some 3D games APK files.

Most Google Android Games which are compatible in Google Android Gingerbread should work on the Kobo Vox since it'a operating system is GA Gingerbread.

The 8GB of Internal Memory is enough to install a lot of gaming Apps. I installed over 20 game apps, and I am not even using 1GB of the 8GB of free space. Once you installed the Games, you can safely delete the APK installer files like Windows .exe installer files which are safe to delete once you installed a program in Windows.

The Touch Screen on the Kobo Vox is responsive enough to play Fruit Ninja, Angry Birds, and Tetris since it is a capacitive touch screen which is better then cheaper resistive touch screen where you need a stylus to press hard on the screen. I also like that the resolution of the screen is 1020 x 600, so games look very sharp, and non-jaggy. The color is also very bright. The Kobo Vox also has built in tilt sensors which you can use to play some racing games where you tilt the device left and right to steer.

For some games which require more accuracy like shooting games, a Capacitive Stylus might help you improve your game play.

The Sound on the Vox when playing games is loud enough to hear the sound effects and background music in a moderately load room, but using headphones, or 3.5mm external speakers would make your game louder.

Holding the Kobo Vox with one hand while playing games like Angry Birds is pretty easy since the Vox weighs very little in my Hand. The quilted rubber back of the Vox makes it even more easier to carry it with one hand.

Battery life when using the Kobo Vox for gaming and occasionally turning on WI-FI to download games is about 3-4+ hours when the brightness is turned down on the screen, and Wi-Fi is disabled most of the time. You can also remove un-needed Widgets from the desktop/home screens like the Search Box, Clock, Rdio, and other Widgets and icons which you do not need by dragging them to the trash can to disable them. Turning off Wi-Fi on the Kobo vox, and disabling Kobo Update, Globe and Mail, Android Update, and other un-needed apps in the running apps section of Android Apps settings menu can also make your Vox use less power, and run a little faster when gaming. Occasionally, you should turn on Wi-Fi and reboot (shutdown and turn-on) your Vox to check for updates which could improve performance. The Kobo Vox is auto-updating, so you do not have to manually check for updates when connected to the internet.

The Kobo Vox is probably the best eReader tablet which you can get in Canada and other non-US countries for under 199.99 if you do not live in the US where you can easily buy the Amazon Kindle Fire, or Barnes and Noble Nook Color which can't be bought in Canada easily unless you know someone who lives in the US to buy one or send one to you as a gift.

Accessories for Kobo Vox color eReader Tablet to make it more unique!

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:59:58 PST

Accessories made for the Kobo Vox let you customize your Kobo Vox eReader to make it look different from other similar eReaders while adding some more or improve functionality of your eReader device, and make it look different from other Voxs.

Adding a MicroSD memory card to your Kobo Vox microSD slot can give your Vox up to 32GB of additional storage depending on the storage size of the card. This means you can have 40GBs of storage for your Vox since the Vox already comes with 8GBs preinstalled, so adding a 32GB card will raise the storage space to 40GB (8GB internal + 32GB MicroSD Card). This means you can download and install more apps, ebooks, video, games, and other types of files to your ereader, and you can copy files from your PC, Smartphone, to your MicroSD card, and insert it in your Vox.

You'll need a USB MicroSD card reader if your computer does not have a MicroSD card reader which most computer do not have to read and save files to a MicroSD card.

A stylish Kiwi case for the Kobo Vox to protect your Vox from scratches, and dirt, and it also has pockets for carrying money, cards, and a stylus or pen. It also has a Magnetic/Snap Closure System, so it is easy to quickly close, and open the case. It is also easy to install the Vox into the straps by simply sliding it in.

A case can also make your Vox feel more like a book when holding it, and make it look more classy, or like a Personal Digital Assistant/Organizer.

If you have long finger nails, using a 7 inch screen protector made for the Vox will protect your Kobo Vox's screen from scratches from finger nails, and sharp objects

Using a "capacitive" stylus which is a pointing device for your Vox eReader can make playing some games like Fruit Ninja, and Angry birds more responsive, and fun. Resistive Stylus found on older PDAs, and cell phones won't work on the Vox, you need a Capacitive Stylus. A Stylus also helps reduce scratches, and fingerprints on your screen because the Stylus has no sharp or hard edges. A stylus will also make clicking on links on websites, and drawing on paint programs more easier since it has a smaller tip then your finger, so it can improve your accuracy when typing on the touchscreen, drawing, and clicking on small links, and buttons.

Many eReaders with built-in speakers usually have speakers which are not very loud, so using a pair of headphones, or rechargeable battery powered portable speakers will improve the sound quality for your eReader Tablet when plugged into a 3.5 mm headphone audio jack. eReaders and Tablets typically use 3.5mm headphone jacks which are the same jacks which are use on other portable music players like CD players, and MP3 players.

If you want to change the whole look of the Vox, you can also buy protective decals/skins with custom designs for the VOX eReader Tablet. This will also protect the bezel, and back of the Vox from scratches as well while making your Vox look unique from everyother vox owners, so you would not take your friends normal looking Vox home by mistake.

A clean soft microfibre clothe is also great for cleaning fingerprints off your Vox without scratching it since Microfibre is very soft which should not scratch your Vox. It also absorbs up fingerprint oils very well without the need for cleaning solutions in many cases since microfibre clothe is so absorbent.

For more harder to clean stains on the Vox's screen, you can use a Screen Cleaning kit with clothe and Screen cleaning solution which won't damage the surface of the touch screen like other types of cleaning solutions like Ammonia or Alcohol.

I notice the Kobo Vox's charger cable is kind of short, so buying a power surge bar with a longer cable can make charging the Vox more convenient if there are no power plugs near you. Plus, a Surge protected will protect your Vox from power surges which damages sensitive electronics like eReader while charging.

The Vox USB Cable is also kind of short for desktop computers which have USB ports on the back of the computer, or in hard to reach locations. A Powered USB Hub with a 40 inch USB cord can make it easier for you to plug in the Vox to your computer to transfer files to and from your Vox by plugging the Vox's bundled USB cable into the USB Hub's USB ports.

What accessories do you use to decorate your eReader or Tablet, or to add extra functionality?

Kobo Vox E-Reader, great color eReader for Canadians and non-US readers on a budget!

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:32:47 PST

I recently got the Kobo Vox which is Chapters Indigo newest digital color ereader from Best Buy Canada during the Boxing week sale, and saved 20 dollars on it, so I only paid 179.99 Canadian for it. I been using the Kobo Vox for a few weeks, and I am very satisfied with the Kobo Vox as a eReader, web browsing tablet, video and music player since it is so affordable for a eReader tablet, but can do so much things well instead of poorly like most cheaper Tablets and eReaders. The Kobo Vox is the only Google Android color eReader I can find for under 200 dollars with a high resolution screen, decent performance, good reliability, and well built according to reviews I read on Bestbuy.ca, Futureshop.ca, and other Canadian stores. Canada sadly does not have faster eReaders like the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble Nook Color Tablet with dual core CPU and faster video chips.

The Kobo Vox is a great eBook reader, and can be a good introductory multimedia Tablet for someone who does not need a microphone, cameras, Full USB 2.0 ports, and wireless Bluetooth connectivity, and more advance features on more expensive Tablets made by Apple, BlackBerry, Motorolla, Dell, Acer, etc, but still want to read ebooks, play non-3D games, watch videos, browse the web, check e-mail, open PDFs, and use simple apps like Address book, music, video, photo viewer, calculator, and notepad.

It is one of the most fastest eReaders you can buy within Canada, and other countries which does not have the Kindle Fire, or Nook Tablet, but has the Kobo Vox. The Vox user experience is also pretty good since it rarely crashes, or freezes when I use it, but bigger files and websites with flash just takes a few more seconds to load compared to the Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet, and more expensive tablets.

Making a Kobo account, and updating the Kobo vox is also very easy. However, you need to have wireless internet, or use someone else's Wireless internet to setup a Kobo account, and update to the latest firmware for your Kobo Vox. You just follow the instructions on the screen, and use the on screen keyboard on the Kobo vox to type in your information like e-mail, and make a password for your Kobo account, and let your ereader update to the latest version.
The bundled Instructional paper pamphlet for setting up your Vox is also very easy to follow since it has pictures along with step by step instructions, and there is also a digital version of your Instruction manual on your VOX which is easy to follow.

I like the Kobo Vox bright screen the most, and the touch screen is also pretty responsive for an inexpensive 7 inch multi-touch FFS+ multimedia display capacitive touch screen eReader. I find reading the text on the screen very clear even when near a bright window. The viewing angles are also pretty good. The resolution for the screen is also pretty good at 1024 x 600 which is a lot higher then other eReaders and Tablets for under 200 dollars in Canada. The Screen also has an anti-glare coating on the screen which is optimised for outdoor reading. It is also the same coating which fighter jets use for their displays. I can also read in complete darkness since the Kobo Vox has a backlight which illuminate the Vox's screen, and it is very easy to adjust the brightness of the Vox in the settings in books, or the Vox's home screen settings. The screen is also very smooth on the vox, so you can easily glide your fingers on the Vox to change pages, and launch + control apps on it. You can use two fingers at once to type, and zoom-in because the Vox's screen is a multi-touch display meaning the Vox can sense more then one finger on the screen. A multi touch display is useful for typing, playing games, and zooming in and out of a webpage with 2 or more fingers. The Capacitive touch screen is also pretty sensitive compared to resistive touch screen. I can type, and click on links on websites by gently typing on the touch screen.

The default Google Android Onscreen Keyboard for the Vox built-in to the eReaders Operating System to enter text is easy to use with two thumbs, or just one finger. It is very responsive and accurate for an onscreen keyboard when using it for entering text into e-mails, and other websites, and apps which has text entry.

You can use the keyboard in vertical, and horizontal mode. Vertical has more screen space while horizontal mode has bigger buttons, and larger text boxes.

There is also auto correct and suggestion for the keyboard which can make typing faster on a touch based keyboard.

If you do not like the onscreen keyboard, you can search getjar to download a 3rd party on screen keyboard for Android. SlideIT is a pretty good keyboard you can get at GetJar.

I also like that the Vox has physical home, back, settings, and ON/Off button on the Tablet rather then On Screen Display buttons since this makes it easier to use, and simpler to close applications by using the buttons. The Home, Settings, and Back buttons are also flat, and embedded in the Vox's Bezel, so they take up less space, and you are less likely to accidental press them.

The buttons on the Vox are also very easy to press, and are made of solid metallic like material which does not scratch or dent easily. I can turn on, and adjust the volume by lightly pressing on the buttons.

The Speaker on the Vox not very loud, but good enough to listen to music, and audio in a quiet room with not a lot of background noise. You can also plug in stereo headphones or portable stereo speakers which uses a 3.5 mm audio jack to listen to louder audio on the Vox in Stereo instead of mono on the Vox.

The volume up and down rocker controls is also very easy to use to adjust the volume level of the Vox.

Downloading free eBooks, or buying paid ebooks from the Kobo online store is also very easy with the Kobo App which comes pre-installed in the Kobo. If you read a lot of free books which you can download with the Kobo App from Kobo store, you'll save a lot of money and time compared to buying the paperback versions of the book at an actual book store. Plus, eBooks read in the Vox automatically bookmarks your page, so you won't have to remember the last page you read, and what page to turn to. Everytime, you open the book, the Kobo reading app will automatically turn to the last page read.

There is also an App called Overdrive which you can install on your Vox which let you borrow eBooks books from your local library for free. I also believe you can install the Amazon Kindle, and Barnes and Noble App onto your Vox, so you can download read books you bought from Amazon or Barnes and Noble eBooks on your Vox by installing the Kindle and B&N APP for Google Android on your vox.

There are also some audio books/text to speech books which you can buy with the Vox.

The Vox comes bundled with a Franklin Children's, desert cook book, and lonely Planet Europe eBook when you finish setting up the Vox.

The Kobo Vox is also very light, so you can comfortably hold your eBook with just one hand, and the back has a quilted rubber texture, so it is easy to hold because rubber is more grippy like a tire to a road, so it will be less likely to slip out of your hand like smooth metal, or glass surfaces. The rubber texture also does not scratch or scratch your table like metal, plastic, or glass backs since rubber is soft.The Vox is made of solid plastic, but not the cheap kind you find in toys. The plastic seem pretty high quality because it does not make screechy sounds when being held with my hand. It is also very light, so I can hold it for a few hours, and my hand is not tired from holding the Vox.

The User Interface for the Kobo Vox is also pretty nice since it uses the default Android user interface, so it is easy to customise the design with animated wall paper, your own wall paper, widgets, icons, bookmarks, custom launchers, and other android home screen objects by downloading apps, or following guides for Google Android which you can easily find online by searching YouTube, or Google Search.

The performance of the Kobo Vox is also decent since I can watch full-screen YouTube videos on the Vox with the Kobo Vox Android browser, and the videos run very smoothly. It has a 800 MHz single core CPU and 512 MB of RAM, and should be fast enough for web browsing, reading, casual gaming and watching videos.

A 800MHz single core CPU and 512 MB of RAM may sound a bit slow, but it is fast enough for eBooks, web browsing, standard quality videos, many casual games like Scrabble, Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, etc, basic apps like Media Player, PDF, photo viewing, and music.

The Google Android operating system based on Linux which the Vox uses does not need an anti-virus, firewall, computer security and eReader maintenance software running in the background like a desktop, and laptop computer, so the Vox's OS uses a lot less RAM, and CPU cycles when ON compared to a Windows 7 computers, so 800MHz and 512MB is enough performance for most tasks ,except for 3D tablet gaming and heavy multi-tasking, which you usually do not do on an eReader or Tablet because of smaller screens, and eReaders are designed for eBook reading and media consumption not creation like video editing, advance photo editing, etc. When I use the Task manager, it only says 40-50MBs of RAM are being used, so I still have hundreds of MBs of free RAM for opening apps. Google Android Gingerbread uses RAM and CPU resources very efficiently in my experience.

An eReader and most small tablets also are not designed for 3D gaming or Multi-tasking because of the small screen space, and lack of keyboard, buttons, mice and joysticks.

eReaders and small Tablets are designed mainly for reading, video, music, writing quick notes, and web browsing on a smaller touch screen device.

One advantages of a slower CPU, and less RAM is better battery life since slower devices with less RAM don't use up as much battery power as quickly, so you don't have to charge it as often. Slower devices also don't generate as much heat, so they are more comfortable to hold compared to a laptop which is faster, but gets hot, or overheats if you have poor ventilation and is heavy to hold.

You'll also save some money on your electricity bill if you mainly use your Vox for reading, videos, and other tasks like e-mail since eReaders use very little power compared to desktop and laptop computers which uses more power because of mechanical hard drive, faster CPU and RAM, bigger LCD or Tube display, cooling fans, bigger speakers, keyboard, mouse, and other things plug into your computer which can use 60 Watts more or less compared to eReaders which uses very little Watts of electricity like 3W or less. If you charge your Kobo Vox at school, work, or public places with freely available electricity with your power adapter, you won't even have to pay for your Vox's power consumption.

The Kobo Vox also is auto updating, so over time as new features and software upgrades which are available for the Vox, it will auto update to the latest stable version of the Vox's software without the need to use a computer to update the software.

The Vox also turns on, and awake from sleep in only a few seconds when you press the power button. You need to hold the power button for about 3 seconds to turn it ON from OFF. Kobo did this to prevent you from accidently turning on your ereader while in your purse, or bag, or by just touching the button. Waking from sleep only takes about 1-2 seconds, and you need to swipe the unlock button to unlock the screen when you turn it on, or awake from sleep, so you won't launch app by accident which can drain your battery life when open. You can also password protect your Kobo Vox to protect your privacy if you only want yourself and people with your pin using using your Vox.

Web browsing on the vox is pretty fast with the bundled browser, and can the Wireless 802.11B/G/N adapter built-in to the Vox is fast, and connects to my home wireless signal very quickly, and does not drop the signal.

Maxthon Mobile Browser for Android, Dolphin HD, Opera Mobile and Opera Mini web browsers have a nicer user interface, and seems a little bit faster for browsing multiple websites at the same time because they support tabs.

Opera Mini is best since it can compress images to load faster on slow wireless connections.

Kobo also released a update on December 2011 which improve the performance, stability, and battery life for the Vox.

The reading experience on it is also pretty good since I can change the font, brightness, and size of the font very easily in the settings for the eBook reader program on the Vox.

The Kobo eReader program is also pretty good since all I have to do is tap the screen to turn the page, and I can read a book in landscape and portrait mode.

Zooming in on pages are also simple by pinching the screen inwards to zoom in, and pinching the screen outwards to zoom out.

The Kobo eBook store has millions of paid and free color eBooks for you to buy, or download for free. You can also use the Kobo Vox to subscribe to color magazines, and newspapers which are delivered to you by using the internet.

The GetJar Apps store also has over 15000 Free Apps for the Kobo Vox which you can download and install with the Vox by downloading and installing APK files from GetJar, and opening the APK files from the Vox once the APK file is downloaded. If you live in the US, you can also use the Amazon App Store to download and install free Apps, or buy paid apps to install. It is also possible to side load apps via a USB cable connected to your Vox, or from a MicroSD card with APK Apps on it.

If you live in the US, you can also download the Amazon App Store, and use your Vox to download free and buy paid downloadable apps, but you can't use the Amazon App Store if you are not living in the US.

You can also install Adobe Flash Player with the Adobe Flash player APK Android installer file on the VOX for viewing flash video and apps on websites. But, viewing flash video, and apps can be slower compared to just going to a website which uses WebM videos, MP4 videos, Javascript, HTML5, and Java Apps with the default Kobo Vox browser or installed on the Vox drive.

It is not a big deal that Flash is slower on the Vox since YouTube, Dailymotion, and other popular video sharing sites now support Mobile video like WebM, MP4, HTML5, etc which run a lot smoother, and loads better then Flash video, and using Flash apps on a website is not very usable since most of the Apps were designed to work with a faster computer with a keyboard, and mice not a small touch screen device. It is best to look for Apps like Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, etc which were designed to work well with Google Android touch screen devices rather then playing Apps and Games which were designed mainly for desktop and laptop computers.

Gmail, Google Docs, cloud computing apps like Evernote, Onlive, Dropbox, ZoHo office, and other online web browser app based websites and services can let you do an unlimited amount of tasks on your eReader and tablet device's web browser when you are connected to the internet via Wi-Fi broadband internet.

The Kobo Vox also automatically downloads eBooks which you have bought from the Kobo eBook store. The device comes with 8GB of internal storage, and has a microSD card slot for adding up to 32GB additional storage space by using a microSD memory card for installing more eBooks apps/programs on your Vox, storing more pictures, video, and music files. You can also carry an extra microSD card which you loaded with more files since it is very easily to remove and insert the microSD card into the Kobo Vox MicroSD slot.

The ability to add storage with a MicroSD memory card to the Vox is one advantage the Vox has over the Amazon Kindle Fire which has no MicroSD card slot since it means you can side load APK files into the KOBO vox from a microSD card installed on your Google Android phone with support from the Google Android Marketplace, and load them onto your Vox with only the GetJar marketplace. You can also copy the APK files which you downloaded from Getjar from your Vox to your MicroSD card slot, and use the MicroSD card to load APK files to your phone to install apps on your Android phone. You can also use the MicroSD card to carry more books, and media files for offline viewing, so you can save battery life by turning off the Wi-Fi on the Vox, and using your files loaded on your Vox's memory for entertainment, and reading.

The Vox also comes with a bundled USB cable for easily connecting your Vox to your laptop or desktop computer to move files to and from your home computer via USB.

The Vox supports a lot of popular File Extension formats which it can open.

Document formats : Adobe DRM; ePub; PDF; Kobo
Image Formats: JPEG; PNG; GIF; BMP
Audio Music Formats: MP3; AAC; .3GP; MP4; M4A; FLAC; OGG; WAV; MID
Video formats: 3GP; MP4; WEBM

The Kobo Vox also supports .APK Android programs since the KOBO Vox is based on Google Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread which is one of the most popular smartphone and tablet operating systems, so it is also easy to get free support from websites, forums and blogs for the Kobo Vox or Google Gingerbread if you have questions which the Help pamphlet for the Kobo vox did not answer. It also does not use a custom user interface like the Amazon Kindle, so if you use a Android smart phone, you'll know how to use the user interface on the Vox since it is the same user interface as your phone.

If you mainly plan on using the Kobo Vox for browsing the web, opening a few standard quality videos and music files, as a eBook reader, audio books, and playing a few games and apps, the 8GB should be good enough for many users.

The Kobo Vox battery life last about 4 hours for me when I use it to browse the web, and watch YouTube video.

If you turn off Wi-Fi, turn down brightness, and use the Kobo Vox mostly as a color e-reader it should last about 7 hours more or less according to the manual.

I like the Kobo Vox Charger for its eReader since it is small, and compact, and charges the Vox in only a few hours instead of overnight like some batteries.

Unfortunately, you can't use the Bundled USB cable for charging your Vox via USB, but it is not a big deal since the charger for the Vox is not that big, and is easy to carry in a small purse, or bag. The USB port and charger plug which plug into the USB is also a very good tight fit, so you can attach it, and it will stay in place, and won't unattached because you moved the cable.

The Vox also tracks your reading stats like minutes read, pages read with Reading Life which also give you digital badges/rewards, and you can also talk about your favorite books, pages within the book with the Kobo eReader Pulse social media feature, and share your comments on Facebook or within the book. Kobo also comes bundled with the YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook shortcut icons for quickly going online to chat with friends with Kobo Vox's bundled browser.

The Kobo Vox is one of the best Android eReader tablet devices you can get for 199.99 or less in Canada, and other countries which sell the Vox since the Amazon Kindle Fire, and Barnes and Noble Nook Color are both not available in Canada, and the Vox has a huge selection of paid and free eBooks which you can easily buy or download with the Vox without the need to install any additional Apps.

The Blackberry Playbook can be consider a good Tablet which is faster for 299.99 or 199.99 if there is a sale going on like during the 2011 Winter holiday, but the Playbook does not support as many apps natively as the Vox since the Vox can install almost any Android App, and the Playbook is designed to work better as a Tablet then a eReader device like the Vox which is automatically connected to its huge eBook store without any need to install additional apps like the Amazon Kindle or Barnes and Noble Apps, and the Playbook does not seem to have as big of a community as the Google Android, Windows 7 Tablet and Apple iOS iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch community of users and App developers.

I also feel the Vox is better built then most cheap generic 199.99 or cheaper Tablets and color eReader since the Vox has a better screen, construction, faster parts, more RAM, and nicer design and tech. support then generic tablet makers where tech. support is bad, or not there when you need help. While Kobo is part of Chapters Indigo which is one of the biggest book sellers in Canada, so Kobo seem more trust worthy then a brand I never heard much about.

Top 10 Reasons to use Puppy Linux as a Linux Live CD Operating system!

noreply@blogger.com (Johnson yip) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:59:51 PST

Puppy Linux is an easy to use desktop operating system based on Linux which you can use by just burning Puppy Linux to CD, and using the CD to start your computer to Puppy CD. Usually, all you need to do is just leave the CD inside the CD drive of your computer after you burnt it, and your computer will recognize that you have Puppy Linux Live CD in it, and will automatically boot to your Puppy Linux Live CD, and after a minute or less you can start using Puppy Linux when Puppy Linux is done loading on your computer or laptop.

Puppy Linux is a great free desktop operating system for web browsing, watching videos, listening to music, photo editing, or just having fun with your computer rather then trying to fix performance and stability problems since Puppy Linux is very stable, and runs fast on many older and newer computers and laptops which were made in the last 10 or more years.

Top 10 Reasons to use Puppy Linux Live CD!

1. Puppy Linux is free since Puppy Linux is based off of Linux which is a free operating system which you can use on your computer for free with no need to spend extra money to maintain and keep your computer safe by buying an antivirus, antimalware, antispyware, system utilities, disk clean up, registry cleaners, registry defrag and disk defrag program to maintain your computer like Windows based computers where many Windows users spend hundreds or even thousands maintaining one or multiple computers by buying Windows maintenance software. But, with Puppy Linux no paid software is needed for maintaining your operating system since every time you restart Puppy Linux, it would be as fast as the first time you used it.

2. Puppy Linux is easy to use and learn. The user interface, and programs which come bundled with Puppy Linux are similar to programs which you use in Windows, Mac, or other Linux operating system like Ubuntu, Fedora, etc. By using Puppy Linux, you don't have to learn about anti-virus, disk clean up programs, disk defrag, Operating system updates, and system utilities to keep your operating system running well because everytime you use Puppy Linux it works like new without the need for operating maintenance. All you basicly have to learn is how to use programs like Firefox, Chrome, Abiword, and media players rather then learning how to maintain your operating system like Windows.

3. You'll experience fewer software problems like computer freezes, crashes, and other problems with Puppy Linux since Puppy Linux is based on Linux which runs many of the worlds top websites like Facebook, so it needs to be stable. Plus, the bundled software which comes with Puppy Linux is compatible with Puppy Linux, so there should be no or fewer compatibility problems when using software in Puppy Linux compared to software made for other operating systems like Windows and Mac where software does not always work for older or newer versions of their operating system.

4. Puppy Linux is very unlikely to be infected by virus, spyware, and malware programs since there are very few bad programs which can automatically attack your computer without your permission unlike Windows operating systems which has a greater chance of getting a virus. In Linux, you have to manually give permission to any program which wants to install on your PC in most cases, so auto-run virus programs are very rare.

5. It is easy to get started using Puppy Linux. All you have to do is go to the Puppy Linux website, and download the CD ISO image file for the Puppy Linux Live CD, and use a CD burning program like Roxio, or Nero to burn it, and restart your computer with the Puppy Linux CD inside of it, and in 1 minute or less your computer would be booted into Puppy Linux. You can also install Puppy Linux on to a USB flash drive with UnetBootIn by setting UnetBootin to use the Puppy Linux ISO to make a bootable flash drive.

6. Puppy Linux is one of the most fastest operating systems which run from a LiveCD since it copies itself to your system RAM, so you can take out the CD, and just use Puppy Linux from your faster system RAM. This means Puppy Linux does not need to read from the CD to launch programs since it reads from PC RAM which is a lot faster then CD. Your computer will also run quieter since RAM is silent when reading programs on it compared to a CD which spins, and make noise as it reads content off it.

7. You don't need a very fast computer to run Puppy Linux since Puppy Linux is designed to work on many older computers and laptops. It should work great on most desktop and laptop computers made in the last 10 years or longer.

8. You can save your settings, files, and other data which you changed on Puppy Linux to a USB flash drive, or internal hard drive, so you don't lose your settings, programs, and files which you installed in Puppy Linux After you rebooted your computer. Puppy Linux will ask you if you want to save your settings for your video, internet, installed programs, and other files when you reboot or shutdown your computer with Puppy Linux for the first time. After the first time you shutdown, Puppy Linux will automatically save your settings to the Puppy Linux save file on your hard drive, flash drive, or other storage device like a SD card.

9. Puppy Linux does not require you to install it on your computer, so you don't risk losing data from a failed dual boot, or regular install on a hard drive with Data from Windows, or other Linux operating system like Ubuntu. You can just use Puppy Linux from the CD. Although, you can install it to your computer drive if you want to with the Puppy Linux Universal Installer and Gparted for faster start up after the install.

10. Puppy Linux is fun to use since it comes with all the programs which many people regularly use on their home PC like web browsing, office suite, chat, and media players, so you spend more time having fun on your computer rather then searching for programs, and fixing problems from downloaded programs from the internet which you installed on a PC.

Learn more about Puppy Linux LiveCD for Beginners