Skip to main content

Hackers Tear Open Nook, Find Cheap Web Tablet

nook-hackingHardware modders, perhaps frustrated by the Android-based device’s poor performance, gave the Barnes & Noble Nook a quick fix—they turned it into a Web tablet. According to the nookDevs forum, modders found a way to turn Barnes & Noble’s $259 Nook e-reader into a portable computer with free 3G Internet access. Unfortunately, this clever modifaction violates the Nook’s warranty and user agreement, and according to developers to modify the e-reader takes a grand amount of technical skill—meaning: don’t try this at home consumers. Many blogs note this as a major deterrent to people mucking around with the Nook.

No seriously, listen up disappointed Nook customer—before you tear open your shiny new e-reader, take some consideration and preparation of the Nook hacking process. If you do this correctly, the Nook will be a computer tablet running on a full Android operating system with a built-in, free cellular internet connection, and an incredibly long lasting battery. Sounds pretty good to us.

Check out nookDevs Wiki instructions on how to hack the Nook.


Image provided by MobileCrunch.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Dena Cassella
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Haole built. O'ahu grown
The best cheap tablets under $500
Two women working at a table with one holding an Amazon Kindle Fire.

Tablets have traditionally been among the more pricey items in the gadget market, and until recently, they've been perceived as a luxury item for consuming entertaining content as well as performing light chores like web browsing, shopping, and email. No longer. Tablets have entered into the hardcore productivity and artistic arena in a big way, often substituting for and ultimately replacing laptops for some users, especially students, teens, remote workers, retirees, and others who don't always need the horsepower of a laptop or desktop computer. Affordable tablets have improved over time as their prices dropped and huge smartphones started entering into the tablet space. If you're on a limited budget, here are the best affordable tablets that $500 or less will buy you.

If money is no object, have a look at our listing of the best tablets money can buy.

Read more
Google Drive, Docs, and other apps are getting way better on Android tablets
new workspace updates for android tablets.

Google is bringing the desktop experience for its core Workspace apps to Android tablets, adding some much-needed productivity flair. The changes, which come in the wake of announcements made at I/O earlier this year, are targeted at improving the split-screen multitasking experience after laying down the foundations with Android 12L.

The first and most important change is the ability to drag and drop images from an app running in one window to another app running side by side in a second window. Google says the Chrome browser and Workspace apps like Sheets will support the drag-and-drop trick for Docs and spreadsheet cells, among other services.

Read more
There’s a new Pixel Tablet coming in 2023
Google Pixel Tablet.

Google had another surprise up its sleeve at Google I/O today, announcing that it will be expanding its lineup of first-party Android products with its first Pixel Tablet.

Although it's not expected to arrive until 2023, Google wanted to give us a sneak peek at its new tablet. The company said there's so much energy around tablets in the developer community that it wanted to ensure everyone was in the loop and ready for it.

Read more