Nook hacked with Web browser, Facebook, and Twitter apps for starters

And here we go. With the Nook rooted and plenty of Android devs at the ready to exploit the device's free 3G data and semi-useful WiFi connection, it's officially open season on Barnes & Noble's new e-reader. Within the last few hours the Nook has been given a web browser (pictured left) to join the Pandora hack just announced by NookDevs. A trick that adds plenty of functionality to the Nook including the ability to login to public WiFi hotspots and read the news on an RSS aggregator (pictured right with Google Reader). Better yet, the rogue band of devs have already ported AndTweet and the Facebook app from the Android Marketplace. Unfortunately, the Google Maps port failed due to some missing libraries within the Nook's Android implementation. Naturally, none of this has been packaged for the everyman yet, but at this rate we might have off the shelf Nook homebrew before those January Nook orders can be delivered. Hey Barnes & Noble, welcome to the wild west of consumer electronics.

[Thanks, Scott]

[AdamSpruijt Posted Dec 17th 2009 4:44AM]

Shhhhh... don't tell B&N about this....
oh this could be magical.

[eugeneaction Posted Dec 17th 2009 6:11AM]

@AdamSpruijt


i always wanted a black n white browser



not

[benjgvps Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:25AM]

@(Unverified) Why not? You're taking advantage of ~**FREE**~ 3G, this is one step closer to having a real Hitch hiker's guide to the galaxy.

[CityZen Posted Dec 17th 2009 1:47PM]

@AdamSpruijt, I cannot imagine that B&N will let this pass. I'm thinking they might hold up shipments of Nook now so that they can lock it down further and prevent this "abuse" (from their standpoint) of their network dollars. We'll see.

[uscmafia Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:18PM]

@CityZen

haha...... i wish B&N goodluck on that....

[jccs14000 Posted Feb 15th 2010 5:10PM]

@AdamSpruijt I can confirm that 3G is looked down. I went through the trouble to buy a Nook, hacked it, works great using wifi. But when trying access 3G, it won't work at all. I talked to nookdev, developer said blocking is done by BN. Talked to BN rep, they don't have wikipedia access like Kindle and doesn't seems like in work. So don't bother w/ Nook. The whole process I lost $26 for return restocking fee + shipping it back $11 = $37 lost just to try out nook. At least w/ Kindle return only cost me $4. Nook cost me $282, Kindle cost me $269. All in all, BN experiences was very disappointing. Don't bother.

[DrEngrish Posted Dec 17th 2009 4:54AM]

If B&N were smart, they would let the dev community have its way. Stuff like this makes people (like us) want to buy products.

[Erb Posted Dec 17th 2009 5:05AM]

@DrEngrish

But if I remember right, it has free 3G built in for life.
Having it be able to run streaming, full web browsing, etc may be a bit of a problem and could loose them their 3G deal with AT&T. (Too lazy to google at 5AM to check if its AT&T, but if I remember right it was AT&T)

Little tiny 1-2MB (At very most) ebooks are so tiny it barely leaves a dent in any 3G network, but streaming Pandora will.

[DrEngrish Posted Dec 17th 2009 5:13AM]

@Erb

Thats a very good point. So sad when you think about it that way. AT&T will not want to compromise it network any more than it has to. Imagine losing service on your Nook when trying to download a book XD.

[coredalae Posted Dec 17th 2009 5:13AM]

@Erb can't AT&T just limit the connectivity on the NOOK to connect to B&N server's only? (should be possible easy)

then again i'm in the netherlands and i'd just smack a copy of my sim into this thing ;)

[Chip Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:01AM]

@DrEngrish I'm sure B&N is only paying for minimal bandwidth for these devices. It's only a matter of time (and probably not much time at that) before some sort of limit is placed on the account that the Nook SIMs are tied to. Either a VERY low bandwidth cap, or blocking it from accessing all bu a few specified B&N-specific IP ranges.

[TheRPN Posted Dec 17th 2009 9:33AM]

@Erb That's exactly right. Unless B&N is going to start charging a monthly data fee, I don't see this lasting for long.

[datafox Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:55AM]

@DrEngrish But if it does not make them any money it would not be smart to promote it.

[coredalae Posted Dec 17th 2009 5:08AM]

this might actually make my buy this thing oO

[3rdsun Posted Dec 17th 2009 5:18AM]

A hacked Nook is a very dangerous weapon. Look for it to be on the black market and making its way to Iran and N Korea soon

[michaspi Posted Dec 17th 2009 5:47AM]

@3rdsun
North Korea is Best Korea.

[Psyg Posted Dec 17th 2009 5:51AM]

@3rdsun

Yes be careful or they will use their reading abilities to destroy America.

[AmandaGal Posted Dec 17th 2009 5:25AM]

I wouldn't mind if it was limited to browsing/streaming while connected to wifi. Surely the nookDevs can do that.

[rk604 Posted Dec 17th 2009 5:33AM]

Your nook can connect to B&N Fast & Free Wireless networks in the United States. These networks are cellular data networks that are widely available. In areas without B&N Fast & Free Wireless coverage, you can rely on Wi-Fi to access network services. Wi-Fi access is available in all Barnes & Noble Bookstores.

Your nook cannot connect to other cellular data networks in the United States. It cannot connect to any international cellular data networks, including those in Canada and Mexico. Wi-Fi connectivity is possible globally.

[Johanu Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:03AM]

@rk604 Say wha'?

[rk604 Posted Dec 17th 2009 5:35AM]

Says that it uses its own "Fast & Free Wireless network", so maybe it may be using AT&T's network, but with a different APN or login?

With that in mind, it is possible for them to only allow access to their eBooks website for purchasing. correct me if im wrong

[EliWhitneyPort Posted Dec 17th 2009 8:15AM]

@rk604 Absolutely, it's gotta be similar to the Peek device, which has dedicated T-mob servers for flow control. That said, it may not limit traffic to the eBooks site on the back end.

[beersurfing Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:08AM]

@rk604 I've been wondering this as well. "Free 3G" doesn't mean free access to everything. If the Nook is intended to run B&N ebooks, it makes sense to limit 3G access to B&N's servers.

[indiana Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:40AM]

if these guys hack android pdf app into that thing and comic book reader. ill buy it at the speed of light.

[MJZimmer88 Posted Dec 17th 2009 9:30AM]

Who would have thought Barnes and Nobles would fail so hard that so much good is going to come out of it? They cant even bother worrying about this problem yet, until they manage to fix what they have in place to a working level (ie: their iPhone app doesn't allow you to read books anymore).

Also, who would have thought AT&T would be THIS DUMB... again?

[beersurfing Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:04AM]

It amazes me how easily the Nook was hacked, if you can even call this a hack - it's running Android on a MicroSD card, completely unsigned. Just pop the card into a Linux machine, change one line in the startup script, and toss it back in the Nook. The hardest part is tearing the Nook open.

It's almost like B&N wanted this to happen.

[Armen Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:21AM]

Now things are getting really interesting about this device! How can I contact these guys with a problem/suggestion I'm having on my CyBook Gen3 :) which is I think a common problem with all eInk devices? I guess if they are real geeks they read Engadget :) so I think it's a good place to tell them about my problem:

It's a simple problem [or at least seems much simpler than running a browser :P ]
- My first and second languages are not English so while reading a book I need to use the dictionary a lot... and it takes a hell of a long time from the point I want to look up a word to the point when I'm back to the book reading the rest.

I guess it's eInk's response time fault, you push a key, it takes half a second to show the menu, then you laboriously and patiently select the word, you wait another half a second to definition to show up, then maybe next page, then menu again, then back to reading after another half a second for page to show up.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could have a virtual keyboard on touchscreen, key in the word, see the definition on the touchscreen itself, scroll up and down there (touchscreen) [maybe even hearing the pronunciation]. Kindly remember that English unofficially (practically) is becoming the official international language so there are a lot of people who are not native English speakers and use the dictionary regularly.

Also according to Oscar Wild [thanks to my Gen3 Cybook on which I read this!] : "We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language." So there are maybe some Brits who want to use a dictionary to understand your language ;)

So maybe it's a good idea [necessity!]

[iName Posted Dec 17th 2009 12:23PM]

oh no, my e-reader doesnt have google maps! /sarcasm

[xandervincent Posted Feb 11th 2010 3:13PM]

Another fail. The nook hacks do NOT use 3G ever, at all, not even a little bit. The apps for the nook ONLY use Wifi.