Cloud as device?

[Kumabjorn]

I use both Kindles (mobi) and Sonys (epub), and if there is one feature where mobi has epub beat hands down it is Amazon's Whispersync. Reading on both devices I appreciate Whispersync more and more, the ability to pick up where I stopped on a different device is a godsend convenience.

The reason Whispersync can do is because Amazon sends an itty bitty piece of information in a separate file from the actual eBook. A file that contains notes, highlights, bookmarks and last place read. When you open the book on another device the first thing it does is download that information from Amazon's server.

This got me thinking, shouldn't it be possible to do something like this with a little ingenuity? Well, the first thing we will need is the ability to hold a copy of the books we are reading in the cloud, hence the question if it is possible to set up a cloud drive as a device.

If you use Dropbox there is a free app called DropSync that allows you to sync a folder on your device with a folder on Dropbox. SugarSync has the same capability built in. I don't know enough about Box, but I assume if it can be done on the others it should be possible on Box as well.

I'm sure there might be some technical flaws in my description or presumptions, but you guys are smart. You can think of some way to compensate for those flaws. Do you think it would be possible to create your own version of Whispersync for epubs?

[kovidgoyal]

The cloud part is fairly easy, you need support for the cloud infrastucture in the actual programs you are reading on. Since there is no way to modify those programs on most devices, that is the stumbling block.

[Kumabjorn]

I thought the Cloud app, with its syncing capability would take care of that. Am I wrong?

[kovidgoyal]

The cloud app isn't a reader, and even if it were, it would only apply on those devices capable of running it.

[Kumabjorn]

Ohh, I don't expect the Cloud app to be a reader, I expect it to sync my book between different devices. Let's say I have Baskerville's Hound on a phone, a tablet and a Sony.
After reading it on the phone, the Cloud app will sync the folder I have the book in with a similar folder in the Cloud. The Cloud app on the tablet will then see (be told, push) that there is a change in the Cloud folder and sync with that folder. Hence, when I open the book on the tablet it will be the version that is updated from the Cloud.

Wishful thinking?

[kovidgoyal]

That would still require some co-operating reading program to store its last read position in a way that syncing the book file would update the position.

[Kumabjorn]

Don't they all? I'm always back to where I left off.

[kovidgoyal]

Most reading apps store last read position etc. in a separate db or in a private copy of the ebook, so simply updating the file will not do anything.

[Kumabjorn]

Now I don't follow. By keeping that db up to date over devices (through a Cloud sync) wouldn't I open the book in the same place regardless which device I happened to use? If that can't be done then I feel royally screwed. I doubt that Amazon would be the only one that could do something like that.

[Adoby]

You usually open a local copy of the book. The cloud is typically used to backup and sync local copies, between devices, not used directly. It would be slow, cause too much traffic and possibly be too expensive.

The reader software keep information about reading position and annotations, and so on, separate from the books. This information can also be synced between devices, but most likely the software has to support this.

Mantano eReader also has a cloud-service. I haven't tried it. For Epubs and PDFs.

Switch between your phone and tablet and always find your books, annotations, notes, reading positions along with you.

Synchronize seamlessly all your devices!

https://cloud.mantano.com/