alt Hacker NewsI dream of an e-reader which could have the qualities of a true e-ink technology (ability to read under any light conditions, especially sunny one), while allowing usage of dictionaries like the android Livio offline apps (English, French, etc. )
Replies
I know everyone has pointed you to Boox/Onyx devices, but Supernote is also android based. You have to sideload apps or add a 3rd party App Store. I use it for reading in Kobo and KOReader and note taking at work.
While I know people understandably dislike Onyx Boox for their disregard for the GPL, their Android-based e-ink readers are exactly this. Their built in reader has offline dictionary support of its own, but as they are Android devices (albeit an older version and with a bit of hassle to get the Play Store on it besides their limited store), it can run standard Android apps -- I use it for both ebooks and for reading magazines from my library with Libby.
All the modern mainstream eReaders have offline dictionary support. Some of them you can add custom dictionaries to. Not sure what's special about the "Livio" apps but they do exist.
I skimmed through Livio web-site and it seems like it's just a repacked wiktionary?
On my e-book I use KOReader and I uploaded dictionaries of my personal choice on it. When I see a new word, I hold a finger for a bit longer than usual and KOReader opens a modal window with a definition from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary. It took some time to find a DRM-free version and convert it into StarDict format but I've done it so I can share you only need to use this Python script: https://github.com/ilius/pyglossary. I'm sure there's already a wiktionary stardict on the web and you won't need pyglossary.
KOReader can be installed on many popular e-readers, including jailbroken Kindles (this usually takes 10 minutes to do depending on Amazon mood).