Boox has announced it is in the process of rolling out a new firmware update for its range of E Ink devices. The update – version 3.5.3 – comes with several new features while also coming with enhancements to some exciting features as well.
Among the new features the update comes with include a new user interface that is all about minimalism without compromising efficiency. Onyx said the minimalist approach covers almost every aspect of the UI, such as the buttons, icons, borders, navigation bars, tab, and toolbars to make things look clean and inviting. Boox said this has been done to ensure users have no issues getting to where they wish to and with the least of fuss.
The latest update also introduces a new handwriting tool FreeMark that will let you write on almost anything. That can be web pages, e-books, or even third-party apps as well. It has a system-wide applicability and will let you write down notes or annotate say e-mails. You can also scribble or draw images as well if you so wish. Anything that you do with FreeMark is going to be saved as screenshots in the Gallery section and can be easily shared with others as well, thereby promoting easy collaboration. Boox however stated the NeoReader and Notes app won’t be available for freemarking.
There is also the new BOOXDrop Screen Mirroring feature that the update brings along and will let you mirror what you have on your display onto a bigger display. That can be another PC or a laptop, or as Boox stated, any device that supports a browser. This way, the feature can serve as a whiteboard and can hence be a nice and convenient teaching aid. It can also have wide application in the corporate sector where professionals can present their ideas and thoughts to others easily by mirroring on a bigger display. This facilitates the sharing of ideas and eventually helps in the decision-making process.
Among the other features that the update comes with include a new Dark Mode. You will henceforth also have the option to crop images as well for seamless integration with the surroundings. Further, you also have a new AI-enabled OCR feature as well that can recognize the text present in an image. The same OCR recognition feature is also part of Smart Lasso so that you can switch between handwritten and text formats easily.
Further, there is also an AI Assistant that can now be availed of via Naviball and Control Center. Just ask any questions to the assistant and it is ever so eager to come up with a suitable answer. The Calendar Memo has also been made more comprehensive in that it comes with a larger area for accommodating more to-do items, appointments, or other reminders. Lastly, taking screenshots is now easier as just a three-finger swipe down is now enough to capture what is on the screen.
Boox said the update is being rolled out in batches, which means it is not going to be available to all users at the same time. Check if you have the update available on your device.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.