Foreign travel NC w/N2A--dumb questions

[whiteginger]

I have traveled quite a bit since I've been a NOOK owner.  On domestic trips, I've always carried my NC; on foreign trips, my N1E or more recently my NST.

A few months ago in preparation for a trip to Amsterdam, a friend bought an ipad.  While in Amsterdam, she emailed me several times via her ipad.  When she returned last week, she brought over all her photos which we viewed full-screen in her ipad gallery.  She explained how she had taken photos each day and then downloaded  to her ipad each night from her camera.  That got me to asking myself:  Can I do all that with my NC w/N2A?

Here are all my specific, dumb questions:

1.  Can I email from foreign countries with NC and/or N2A at a WiFi hotspot?

2.  Can I download pix from my camera to my NC (N2A side) if I have the correct cable and a good file manager app?

• What is the correct cable?
• What is a suitable file manager app?
• What is a good photo gallery app?

3.  Do I need to upgrade m N2A card?  (I bought and installed it almost a year ago--and as you can probably tell, I haven't used it too much. )

[nekoz]

Hello Whiteginger,

I am not the most experienced with a rooted Nook Color but let me give you some info based on my experience.  Someone else will probably provide with you more detail. I don't have a N2A brand sd card but I am running CM7 on a homemade sd card.  So here goes.

Emailing from another country should be no problem at all.  I emailed people from my stock Nook Color all the time when I was in Mexico.  If I were you I would download Dolphin HD on your N2A side to make the web experience easier.

As for loading photos from your camera directly to your Nook, don't think that is possible.  Unless someone has come up with that recently.  I seriously doubt it.  

  You can load your photos onto your computer and can manage your photos on Picassa.  If you upload your photos onto Web Picassa on your computer, you can then download the Picassa app onto your Nook Color.  That will allow you to view your photos on the Nook Color (N2A side) while on Wifi.  But you can also have the option to download the photos from the Picassa app onto your stock gallery.. (on the N2A side, I am assuming it has a gallery) that will allow you to show photos when you are off Wifi.

I don't know about updating the N2A card.. because I have never had one.

Hopes this answers your questions.

[nekoz]

oh yes.. someone will probably just tell you to save the photos on the sd card.. easier and faster.  But I like having the option of having my photos available to me from anywhere.. so thats why Picasa.  Also a cheap and easy way to edit your photos.

I just realized I spelled Picasa wrong on the previous post. 

[bobstro]

If you will have access to WiFi and the Internet, you should not have any problems.

[BruceMcF]

---

whiteginger wrote: ...

2.  Can I download pix from my camera to my NC (N2A side) if I have the correct cable and a good file manager app?...

• What is the correct cable?
• What is a suitable file manager app?
• What is a good photo gallery app?

---

Downloading directly from your camera requires that the system has "USB host mode" turned on. I don't have a vender version of an N2A card, so I do not know if they support that or not, but its possible from a home-made N2A-type card.

If a USB keyboard works with that card, direct download of files from a flash drive or direct from camera ought to work. Using a flash drive normally needs a powered hub, so for the camera, I would try it with a powered hub first to see if it works at all, and then try it with a direct cable to see if the Camera is tapping the USB cord for power. If its not, you might be able to dispense with the powered hub.

As far as I understand, root explorer is the most powerful file manager, since it gives access to the whole system, but I get by with Open Intents File Manager.

I don't have a need for a gallery app, but I've seen QuickPics, Fishbowl and Gallery 3D with fans.

[whiteginger]

Wow!  Thanks everyone for the answers.  I'm going to check out USB host mode, but if other N2A users know about this--Is it possible with N2A?  How to activate it?--please chime in!

Again, thanks.

[whiteginger]

---

BruceMcF wrote:

Downloading directly from your camera requires that the system has "USB host mode" turned on. I don't have a vender version of an N2A card, so I do not know if they support that or not, but its possible from a home-made N2A-type card.  If a USB keyboard works with that card, direct download of files from a flash drive or direct from camera ought to work.

Went to N2A site, registered and found info about USB Mode.  I have just updated my N2A card and now have NC plugged in and recharging before installing the NC Tweaks app (necessary for USB Mode on NC).  

Using a flash drive normally needs a powered hub, so for the camera, I would try it with a powered hub first to see if it works at all, and then try it with a direct cable to see if the Camera is tapping the USB cord for power.  If its not, you might be able to dispense with the powered hub.

I hate to be such an idiot, but what do you mean , "try it with a powered hub"?

As far as I understand, root explorer is the most powerful file manager, since it gives access to the whole system, but I get by with Open Intents File Manager. I don't have a need for a gallery app, but I've seen QuickPics, Fishbowl and Gallery 3D with fans.

Thanks for the different app suggestions.  (I'm getting excited that I might actually be able to do this!)

---

[BruceMcF]

---

whiteginger wrote:

I hate to be such an idiot, but what do you mean , "try it with a powered hub"?

---

Something like this from Belkin or this one from Macally.

You have to make sure you get that one that specifies "AC adapter", since that's what lets you know it doesn't depend on the upstream USB port for power.

[nekoz]

Is this what you are talking about?

http://www.caseyfrennier.com/nook-color-keyboard-case-and-mouse/

I had totally forgotten about this.. which is weird because I am using the keyboard setup.  But I totally forgot the hub.

[whiteginger]

---

BruceMcF wrote:

---

whiteginger wrote:

I hate to be such an idiot, but what do you mean , "try it with a powered hub"?

---

Something like this from Belkin or this one from Macally.

You have to make sure you get that one that specifies "AC adapter", since that's what lets you know it doesn't depend on the upstream USB port for power.

---

Nekoz wrote:  

Is this what you are talking about?

http://www.caseyfrennier.com/nook-color-keyboard-case-and-mouse/

---

Thanks, again, for the help.  Yes, Nekoz, I guess this was along the lines of what I was thinking might be possible--some kind of adapter to connect camera to NC so that the NC becomes my "computer."  I can connect my camera to my computer via a USB cable and download pix from the camera (internal memory or SD card) directly to my computer.  I don't recall having to install any camera specific software on my computer in order to do this.  I'll check the camera specs/instructions, too.

BruceMcF, you had mentioned that if a keyboard connection were possible (USB host mode), a camera connection could be possible, too.  That "USB host mode" was, I thought,  the critical piece I was missing in my simplified picture of how this could all work.   I was thinking that I had this licked--it all seemed too incredibly simple--until I got confused  with the "power" stuff. 

Below are the UBS host mode instructions from N2A.  Does this sound applicable for camera-to-NC connection?  Are there other critical pieces I'm missing in trying to figure this out?  (I really like to have all my pieces laid out before I begin a project )

Enabling USB host mode on the Nook Color will allow you to connect certain USB devices including keyboards. To do this follow the instructions below.

Items you will need 
1-Nook Color 
2-Original USB cable that came with the Nook (other USB cables might work) 
3-Female to female USB adapter 
4-Nook Color Tweaks app (it can be downloaded from the Play Store) 
5-A USB device to plug in 

Once you have all of the required items above follow these steps 

-Connect the USB cable with the USB device using the female to female adapter but DO NOT plug it into the Nook yet 
-Open "Nook Tweaks" 
-Touch "USB Settings" 

-Press the check box for "USB Host mode" 

-Plug the USB cable into the Nook 

You should not [sic -- now?] have access to your USB device. If you do not try unplugging the USB cable, rebooting the Nook and redoing the steps.

[BruceMcF]

---

nekoz wrote:

Is this what you are talking about?

http://www.caseyfrennier.com/nook-color-keyboard-case-and-mouse/

I had totally forgotten about this.. which is weird because I am using the keyboard setup.  But I totally forgot the hub.

---

That's a hub powered by the USB port on the Nook.

The USB port on the Nook can be short of power for some USB devices (it was not originally design to be a host, after all), and those are the devices that need a powered hub to work properly.

You can try it with the cable plugged directly into the camera, and if it works, fine. If you're lucky, the camera was not designed to leech power off the USB port.

If not, try it with an AC-powered hub.

[whiteginger]

---

BruceMcF wrote:

---

That's a hub powered by the USB port on the Nook.

The USB port on the Nook can be short of power for some USB devices (it was not originally design to be a host, after all), and those are the devices that need a powered hub to work properly.

You can try it with the cable plugged directly into the camera, and if it works, fine. If you're lucky, the camera was not designed to leech power off the USB port.

If not, try it with an AC-powered hub.

---

OK.  I finally  understand!  And just in time to think I might have another problem . . . let me pass this by you:  Suppose I do connect the camera and NC and can "see" the camera's SD card's picture folder with all the pix files inside it . . . How do I transfer them over to the NC? Are the file manager programs for Android "drag and drop" or do they provide some way of selecting files and initiating transfer from one location to another?  In other words, will I be able to send the files to my NC?

Sorry .  I probably need to invest in an Android for Dummies book.

[stolenmoment]

---

whiteginger wrote:

How do I transfer them over to the NC? Are the file manager programs for Android "drag and drop" or do they provide some way of selecting files and initiating transfer from one location to another?

---

I use Root Explorer, YMMV with others.  You can select a folder or any subset of its contents and copy them elsewhere with just a few taps.  As far as the user interface goes, you're just looking at more mountable storage, like another SD card, like plugging your camera into a PC without using some fancy gallery app.

[whiteginger]

Thank you all so much!  Wish I could give each of you many laurels for your help.  Tonight I'm selecting and installing a file manager and checking out the gallery app on my N2A. Tomorrow is the big day.  I now THINK I understand enough to march to Best Buy and talk with someone about the USB connector I need.

I will post my success (or at least my results)  

[whiteginger]

I have been double-posting (here and on ClubNOOK).  Someone on ClubNOOK just suggested this--an SD card for cameras (compatible with my current cammera!!!) that works as both as storage and mobile hot spot to transfer pix directly from the camera to other devices -- anywhere!  It has gotten rave reviews . . . AND my local Best Buy (l mile away!)  has the Pro X2  version in stock  I would be spending about $70 more than I had planned, but the convenience!