Bluefire reader app

[ATimson]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

Didn't iOS 4 give the iPod touch an orientation lock as well? (in the same place it can be found on the iPad after 4.2?)

At least on the iPod, the lock only locks it into portrait orientation even if you're holding it landscape; it doesn't lock it into the current orientation.

[Jane12]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

Didn't iOS 4 give the iPod touch an orientation lock as well? (in the same place it can be found on the iPad after 4.2?)

Ow. I realize now why so many new apps don't offer orientation lock -- iOS4 has it built-in! But as far as I can tell, it only works on 3rd or 4th Gen iPods, and mine is 2nd Gen. If I'm mistaken and it *is* possible to access the orientation lock feature on a 2nd Gen iPod -- especially if it will lock in landscape -- please someone tell me how! Thanks!

[toddos]

Originally Posted by Jane12

Ow. I realize now why so many new apps don't offer orientation lock -- iOS4 has it built-in! But as far as I can tell, it only works on 3rd or 4th Gen iPods, and mine is 2nd Gen. If I'm mistaken and it *is* possible to access the orientation lock feature on a 2nd Gen iPod -- especially if it will lock in landscape -- please someone tell me how! Thanks!

Sorry, if your device can't run iOS 4, you can't get orientation lock (there might be a jailbreak app for that, though). And as was already mentioned, the iOS 4 orientation lock is portrait-only, which makes it next to useless for anybody who uses landscape mode for anything.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by ATimson

At least on the iPod, the lock only locks it into portrait orientation even if you're holding it landscape; it doesn't lock it into the current orientation.

Well that's stupid. I thought Apple liked giving a "consistent user experience"... so why didn't they make it like the iPad, which does lock into the current orientation?

[Jane12]

Originally Posted by toddos

Sorry, if your device can't run iOS 4, you can't get orientation lock (there might be a jailbreak app for that, though). And as was already mentioned, the iOS 4 orientation lock is portrait-only, which makes it next to useless for anybody who uses landscape mode for anything.

Actually, my 2nd Gen iPod can and is running iOS 4.

But some iOS 4 features require at least a 3rd Gen iPod to run. I knew I was missing out on multi-tasking, but I see now that I'm also missing the orientation lock :-( Though if it only locks in portrait-mode, it's not particularly useful to me.

Can iPhones lock in landscape mode or are iPads the only iDevice with this feature?

If both iPods and iPhones cannot lock in landscape mode -- even with the latest OS -- maybe BFR would reconsider adding this to the iPod/iPhone version? While landscape lock may seem like a small detail, it actually makes a huge difference in usability.

[toddos]

My bad, I forget that iOS 4 is half-installable on older devices. Jailbreak and enable the missing features.

And iPhones only have portrait lock. I assume iPad has landscape lock because prior to 4.0 it had a physical orientation lock switch and customers would be even more upset with Apple if they not only took away the hardware switch but also the ability to lock in landscape. (also, if you have an ipad, jailbreak and get your hardware orientation lock switch back.)

[xristy]

Why is Bluefire Reader app rated 12+? I don't see it's content being any more or less objectionable than iBooks which is rated 4+.

Just wondering.

[xristy]

deleted

[Micah]

Originally Posted by xristy

Why is Bluefire Reader app rated 12+? I don't see it's content being any more or less objectionable than iBooks which is rated 4+.

Just wondering.

It is self rating, and there is some PG+ content in mainstream books, scary/violent/monster stuff, steamy romance stuff, etc. so 4+ did not seem honest.

[Nitehood]

Originally Posted by Shell30Bell

There is a lot to like about the Bluefire app: being able to easily load eBooks through iTunes; Recent/Title/Author sort ability; font size; background colour etc but for now I will be sticking to Txtr. Despite the tiresome process for loading eBooks and the removal of the sort function with the last upgrade, the one function I do like with the Txtr app is the ability to edit the title and author details of the eBooks once on the device. This is something that Bluefire does not (yet?) have. I like to be able to have all of my eBooks in reading order, for example with Lee Child's Jack Reacher series I will edit the title of the books to include JR and then a numerical number to indicate which book in the series it is, and will insert this before the title of the book. That way, when the books are sorted by author, the list will be in reading order. It also enables me to load anthologies several times if I want each story within the anthology to be listed under each authors names.

I agree. The best book/pdf reader for me is one that lets me put the books in reading order and create collections. I like to have my magazines in a different shelf than my mystery books or SciFi, etc. I would like to have seperate bookshelves for each, and perhaps separate series with in.

~nitehood

[WarumIch]

Originally Posted by Micah

As to the jailbroken phone issue of freezing on exit, we are still struggling with reproducing it. If anyone on this list has experienced it, can you please post a note here with model, OS, what kit you used for jailbreaking, and any details that might help us reproduce it? Alternatively you can send the details in email to info@bluefire.tv

iPad 16GB, only WLAN, iOS 4.2.1, RedsnOw. The iPad freezes every time i close Bluefire, and I had to reboot the iPad.

Installed with Cydia is: Activator, Airplane SBSettings Toogle, AppSync for OS 4.2, Browser Changer, Cydia Installer, Hackulous Security, iFile, Installous 4 (Beta), Metadata Removr, SB Settings, sbsettingstoogles, Source GUI, UDIDFaker.

On my iPhone 3G, iOS 4.2.1, Rednow, Bluefire works fine. Installed with Cydia is: AppSync for OS 4.2, Cydia Installer, Hackulous Security, Installous, Source GUI.

Maybe SBSettings is the problem?

Edit: i installed SB settings on my iPhone to test it with Bluefire, but no freeze.

Edit 2: i deinstalled SBSettings, iFile, UDIDFaker and Activator on the iPad, to have the same configuration as on the iPhone, but Bluefire still freezes.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Micah

It is self rating, and there is some PG+ content in mainstream books, scary/violent/monster stuff, steamy romance stuff, etc. so 4+ did not seem honest.

But the app isn't what need to be rated age appropriate. It's the books that get age rated. Rating a reading app for age appropriateness is silly and well, not age appropriate.

[xristy]

Originally Posted by Micah

It is self rating, and there is some PG+ content in mainstream books, scary/violent/monster stuff, steamy romance stuff, etc. so 4+ did not seem honest.

I agree with JSWolf. I would think that unless there is some 12+ content in the help or other text of Bluefire itself then 4+ is appropriate since the app may be used by 4+ with age appropriate ePub or PDF content. Otherwise I would think that the rating would have to be 17+ given that there is content of that level that could be loaded into Bluefire.

[toddos]

Why not take a page from video games? They're rated on the content that ships with the app, with a disclaimer that any online interaction is not rated at all. Bluefire comes with no books (right?), so it's certainly 4+. Of course you can add any books you want to it, and those books might not be 4+, but that's not the point. The point is that the app by itself has nothing offensive in it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by xristy

I agree with JSWolf. I would think that unless there is some 12+ content in the help or other text of Bluefire itself then 4+ is appropriate since the app may be used by 4+ with age appropriate ePub or PDF content. Otherwise I would think that the rating would have to be 17+ given that there is content of that level that could be loaded into Bluefire.

If Bluefire has an age rating due to some of the content that might be used with it, then it might as well be 21+. Or for that matter, given some of the content out there, why bother?