Chapter 11. Customizing and Configuring Your NOOK
Your NOOK has many features that enable you to easily customize it and make it your own, and many settings control how your NOOK operates. In this chapter, you examine how to customize and configure you NOOK.
Using Custom Wallpaper and Screensavers
You can customize your NOOK by using custom wallpaper images and screensaver images. Wallpaper appears on the reading screen when you are on the Home screen. Your NOOK displays screensaver images on the Reading screen when it is sleeping. Even though your NOOK’s Reading screen isn’t a color screen, it can display 16 levels of gray, making it ideal for displaying black-and-white versions of your favorite pictures.
Creating Wallpaper and Screensaver Images
Before you use a picture as wallpaper or a screensaver on your NOOK, you need to resize it to fit the dimensions of your NOOK’s Reading screen. Wallpaper images should be 760 pixels high and 600 pixels wide, and screensaver images should be 800 pixels high and 600 pixels wide. (Wallpaper images are 40 pixels shorter to provide room for the status bar at the top of the page.) For information about creating wallpapers and screensavers, see Appendix D, “Using Picasa to Create Wallpapers and Screensavers.”
Copying Wallpaper Images to Your NOOK
Before you can use your custom images as wallpaper on your NOOK, you need to copy them from your computer to the My Wallpapers folder on your NOOK. However, you first need to rename the images so that you can easily identify them.
Tip
If you installed a microSD card in your NOOK and want to store your wallpaper images on that card, simply create a folder called My Wallpapers on your microSD card. Then copy your images to that folder instead of the My Wallpapers folder on your NOOK’s internal memory.
If you want to use an image you took with a digital camera, the filename of the image is likely something such as IMG_0743.JPG. Your NOOK uses the filename (without the file extension) for the wallpaper name, so you need to rename this image to something recognizable before you copy it to your NOOK. For example, if you copy an image of a snow-covered tree, you might want to change the name to Tree with Snow.JPG. Your NOOK can then identify the image as Tree with Snow.
After you rename your images, copy them to your NOOK using these steps:
- Connect your NOOK to your computer with the USB cable. When you do, your NOOK appears on your computer as a new drive called NOOK.
- If your computer doesn’t automatically display the folders on your NOOK, open your NOOK via My Computer on Windows or the Finder on the Mac. You should see the My Wallpapers folder. (Mac users can also double-click the NOOK icon on the desktop.)
- Open the My Wallpapers folder.
- Copy your renamed images from your computer to the My Wallpapers folder on your NOOK.
Copying Screensaver Images to Your NOOK
Screensavers on your NOOK consist of a series of images. Each time your NOOK sleeps, it displays the next image in the series on the reading screen. Unlike wallpaper images, the image names for screensaver images aren’t important. Instead, your NOOK identifies screensavers by folder name.
Copy screensaver images to your NOOK by following these steps:
- Connect your NOOK to your computer with the USB cable. When you do, your NOOK appears in your computer as a new drive called NOOK.
- If your computer doesn’t automatically display the folders on your NOOK, open your NOOK via My Computer on Windows or the Finder on the Mac. You should see the My Screensavers folder.
- Open the My Screensavers folder.
- Create a new folder for your screensaver. The new folder’s name is the name of your screensaver on your NOOK.
- Copy the image files for your screensaver into the folder you created in step 4.
For example, if you have a series of images of a winter snowfall, you might want to create a new folder in the My Screensavers folder called Winter Snow and copy your images into that folder. You can then use the images in that folder as your screensaver by selecting Winter Snow as your screensaver.
Just as with wallpaper, screensavers can be stored on a microSD card by simply creating a My Screensavers folder on the microSD card and copying your screensaver folder into that folder.
Now that you’ve copied your custom images to your NOOK, look at how you can change the settings on your NOOK to use the new images as your wallpaper or screensaver.
Choosing a Custom Wallpaper or Screensaver
Your NOOK’s Settings menu enables you to change the wallpaper or screensaver on your NOOK. Here’s how:
- Make sure your NOOK is at the Home screen.
- Tap the Settings button on the touchscreen.
- Tap Display in the Settings menu.
- To change the screensaver, tap Screensaver on the Display menu, and select your screensaver. To change the wallpaper, tap Wallpaper on the Display menu, and select your wallpaper.
Notice that your NOOK displays the image filename for wallpaper and the folder name for screensavers.
Wallpaper and Screensavers from Other Sources
You can use several online sources for NOOK wallpaper and screensavers. One of the best is NOOK-Look (www.NOOK-look.com). NOOK-Look provides a wide assortment of quality wallpaper and screensavers for your NOOK.
Another way you can locate wallpaper for your NOOK is by using the image search feature on your favorite search engine. A search for “NOOK wallpaper” in Google turns up plenty of images presized for your NOOK. The same search on Bing is less helpful, but by clicking the Images of NOOK Wallpaper link on the left of the page, clicking the Images tab, and selecting Tall on the Layout menu, plenty of images are available in the correct size for your NOOK.
One Step Further—Decals
If you want to take the ultimate step to customize your NOOK, a DecalGirl skin (www.decalgirl.com) is the perfect addition. DecalGirl skins are vinyl skins with adhesive backing that you can easily apply. Many skins also include matching NOOK wallpaper that provides a truly unique look.
Your NOOK’s Settings
Your NOOK offers configurable settings for controlling many of its features. Tap Settings on the Home screen to access the Settings menu. When you do, the Reading screen displays the Summary pages for your NOOK. The Summary pages contain information about your NOOK and its settings separated into several sections.
Your NOOK displays the following information in the Summary pages.
Profile
The Profile section displays personal information about you. Your name and your NOOK’s name are both contained in the profile stored on your NOOK. Your email address is part of your B&N profile that you created when you registered your NOOK.
To name your NOOK, tap Device on the touchscreen, and then tap Edit Your Profile on the Device menu. Enter your name and the name you’d like for your NOOK; then tap Submit.
Software
The Software section displays the version of software (called firmware) currently installed on your NOOK. B&N releases periodic updates to the NOOK to improve performance and fix known issues. As long as your NOOK has a connection to B&N’s Fast & Free Wireless or a Wi-Fi connection, your NOOK automatically downloads any updates that B&N releases.
Not all NOOK owners receive new firmware updates at the same time. B&N rolls out new firmware over a period of about a week. If you would like to update your NOOK manually, you can visit www.barnesandnoble.com/NOOK/support where B&N typically provides instructions for manually updating your NOOK to the latest firmware.
Available Memory
The Available Memory section shows you how much memory is available and how much has been used. If you have a microSD card installed in your NOOK, memory statistics are included for it as well. Reading this might be confusing, so here’s a description of what the memory means. For each memory item, you have a number, a slash, and a percentage. For example, Internal Memory 1.18GB / 1.28 GB (92%). This means that you have available 1.18 GB of memory out of a total of 1.28 GB; thus, your internal memory care is 92% free.
For more information on adding a microSD card to your NOOK, see “Adding a microSD Card to Your NOOK.”
Battery and Wi-Fi
The Battery and Wi-Fi section displays the current percentage of battery charge remaining and the current Wi-Fi status.
If your NOOK is connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot, it displays the name of the Wi-Fi hotspot. Otherwise, it displays Disconnected.
Device Information
The Device Information is on page 2 of the Summary pages. It displays your NOOK’s serial number along with several ID numbers related to its cellular modem. You can also find your NOOK’s MAC address—the hardware address of the Wi-Fi modem.
Configuring Your NOOK’s Settings
You’ve already seen how you can configure some of the settings on your NOOK. This section covers the rest of the settings available on the Settings menu.
Airplane Mode
When traveling on a commercial airline, it is not legal to use the cellular modem inside your NOOK. To turn off all radios in your NOOK quickly, turn on Airplane Mode: Tap Airplane Mode on the Settings menu, and then tap On.
If you travel on a flight that offers Wi-Fi service and you want to use the hotspot with your NOOK, leave Airplane Mode off. If your NOOK is connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot, the cellular modem won’t be activated. However, check with the flight crew first to avoid any problems.
When you activate Airplane Mode, an Airplane icon appears to the left of the battery indicator on your NOOK’s status bar. To turn off Airplane Mode, tap Airplane Mode on the Settings menu and then tap Off. The Wi-Fi and cellular radios return to the state they were prior to activating Airplane Mode.
Wi-Fi Menu
The Wi-Fi menu provides options to turn the Wi-Fi modem on or off and to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots.
To turn the Wi-Fi radio on or off, tap Wi-Fi on the Settings menu; then tap Wi-Fi on the Wi-Fi menu. A check mark appears next to the current setting. Tap the desired setting to turn the Wi-Fi radio on or off.
Tip
You’ll likely find it easier to access Wi-Fi settings by tapping the Wi-Fi button on your NOOK’s Home screen.
For more information on connecting to Wi-Fi hotspots, see “Using Wi-Fi Hotspots.”
Display Menu
The Display menu contains several options for configuring your NOOK’s display. You already learned how to change its wallpaper and screensaver using the Display menu. Now look at the other display options available on this menu.
Tip
The Display menu contains more items than can be displayed on the touchscreen. To view all the menu items, you need to scroll down. The easiest way to scroll using the touchscreen is to tap and hold for a second and then move your finger up and down to scroll the display.
Sleep Timer
This controls the time interval after which your NOOK puts itself to sleep. This timer is set to 10 minutes by default. To change the interval, tap Sleep Timer, and then tap the desired time interval.
Tip
If you set the sleep timer to a time interval shorter than the amount of time it takes you to read a page on the reading screen, your NOOK goes into sleep mode while you are reading. So be sure you set the interval appropriately for your reading speed.
Because your NOOK uses almost no battery power when you read, 10 minutes is likely a suitable interval for most people.
Auto Adjust Brightness
Your NOOK contains a light sensor that adjusts the brightness of the touchscreen based on the ambient light level. Because the touchscreen uses less power when the brightness is reduced, it’s recommended that you leave this setting turned on. However, if you want to turn off the automatic adjustment, tap Auto Adjust Brightness and then tap Off.
If auto-adjust brightness is turned off, the Touchscreen Brightness setting (described next) controls your NOOK’s touchscreen brightness.
Touchscreen Brightness
This setting controls the maximum brightness of the touchscreen. To adjust the brightness, tap Touchscreen Brightness; then drag your finger to adjust the slider. When you are happy with the setting, tap the X to return to the menu.
Touchscreen Timer
This adjusts the time interval after which the touchscreen turns itself off. You can choose 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 60 seconds.
Clock
These settings enable you to select your current local time zone, whether you want Daylight Savings Time on or off, and select a 12-hour or 24-hour clock format. Your NOOK normally gets the current time using Fast & Free Wireless if you have the 3G/Wi-Fi NOOK. However, if wireless service isn’t available, the NOOK can still display the current time, provided you have configured your time zone.
If you travel to another time zone and a Fast & Free Wireless connection is available, your NOOK automatically sets the time zone for your current location. Otherwise, you need to set the time zone manually.
Device Menu
The Device menu provides device settings for your NOOK. You already explored the Edit Your Profile option. Also provided are options to unregister your NOOK (to remove the connection between your NOOK and your B&N account), to reset it to factory defaults, to require a passcode to use your NOOK, and to require the entry of your B&N password to purchase NOOKbooks, magazines, and newspapers on your NOOK. Think of the passcode protection as a PIN for your NOOK so that another person cannot just pick it up and start reading for free.
Caution
Resetting your NOOK to factory defaults removes all content from its internal memory. Content stored on a microSD card is not removed. Before you reset it to factory defaults, make sure you have backups of any personal documents stored in your NOOK’s internal memory.
Contacts Menu
One of the unique features of your NOOK is the ability to lend some NOOKbooks to your friends and family members. To lend a NOOKbook to someone else, you need to provide an email address. To make lending easier, your NOOK enables you to store email addresses so that you can easily lend a book by selecting someone from your contact list.
For more information on lending books on your NOOK, see Chapter 13, “Lending and Borrowing Books on Your NOOK Using LendMe.”
To view your list of contacts, tap Settings and then tap Contacts. To add a new contact, tap Add a New Contact, enter the name and email address for the contact, and tap Submit.
To edit an existing contact, tap the contact and then tap Edit. Enter the new information for the contact and tap Submit. To delete a contact, tap the contact and then tap Delete.
Adding a microSD Card to Your NOOK
Your NOOK has approximately 1.3GB of built-in usable memory. That’s enough memory for an enormous library of books. However, it might not be enough memory if you add pictures, music, and audiobooks to your NOOK. Therefore, your NOOK’s memory is expandable using a microSD card.
Tip
A microSD card is not the same as an SD memory card like the kind typically used in digital cameras. A microSD card is approximately the size of your fingernail.
To install a microSD card, you need to first remove the back cover on your NOOK. Removing the back cover is easy when you know how to do it.
To install a microSD card, follow these steps:
- Locate the small tab under the micro USB plug on the bottom of your NOOK.
- Gently pull the back cover away from your NOOK using the tab.
- When the bottom of the back cover begins to come off, slide your fingernail along the left and right edges between the cover and your NOOK to pull the remainder of the cover off.
- Locate the microSD slot on your NOOK. It’s located next to the battery.
- Gently slide the metal cover for the slot toward the top of your NOOK to unlock it. You should feel and hear a snap sound. If the cover won’t slide, it might already be in the unlocked position.
- Lift the metal cover, which is hinged at the top. To open it, lift the bottom of the cover.
- Place the microSD card into the slot so that the metal contacts in the slot contact the metal contacts on the microSD card.
- Close the metal cover, and slide it toward the bottom of your NOOK to lock it into place.
- Snap the back cover onto your NOOK.
When you connect your NOOK to your computer, you now see your microSD card in addition to your NOOK’s built-in memory. You also see memory statistics for your microSD card listed in the Summary page in your NOOK’s settings.