User Shade from the-ebook.org has found a way to put a clock in the status bar of the Sony Reader. More (in Russian) can be found here:

http://www.the-ebook.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6448

Check out the replies in this thread for English instruction.

Well...my Russian is a bit rusty. Anybody who can translate the idea? :P

It is quite simple.

Step 1. You need Sony Reader with sw 1.0.00.21081 (not upgraded)

Step 2. Download file with new sw: http://rapidshare.com/files/27838275/opt-clock.zip.html

Step 3. Download sw loader: http://projects.mobileread.com/reader/users/porkupan/eBook_041.zip

Step 4. Unzip everything to C:/ebook/

Step 5. Execute upgrade:
C:\>cd ebook

C:\eBook>ebook ls /proc
Sony Reader utility 0.41 (c) 2006 Igor Skochinsky
/proc/:
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 1
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 121
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 123
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 125
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 126
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 127
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 128
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 130
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 131
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 133
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 134
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 2
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 29
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 3
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 31
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 4
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 47
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 49
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 5
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 6
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 7
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 bus
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 cmdline
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 cpu
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 cpuinfo
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 devices
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 dragonball_mx1
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 driver
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 e-ink
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 execdomains
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 fb
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 filesystems
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 fs
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 interrupts
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 iomem
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 ioports
-rw-rw-r-- 67112960 Aug 14 2004 13:49 kcore
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 kmsg
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 ksyms
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 loadavg
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 locks
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 meminfo
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 misc
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 modules
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 mounts
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 mtd
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 net
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 nlver
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 partitions
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 self
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 slabinfo
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 stat
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 swaps
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 sys
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 sysvipc
drwxrwxr-x 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 tty
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 uptime
drwxrwxr-x 0 Jan 01 2006 00:00 usbtg
-rw-rw-r-- 0 Aug 14 2004 13:49 version

C:\eBook>ebook um recovery
Sony Reader utility 0.41 (c) 2006 Igor Skochinsky

C:\eBook>ebook pwrite "Fsk" opt.fs
Sony Reader utility 0.41 (c) 2006 Igor Skochinsky
UsbOnlyReqProc() Sequence Error [errorNo=-1, command=0x106, state=1]
Info for partition Fsk
Device: 1, start sector: 0x9e, image size: 0x700000
Ready to write 4415488 bytes to partition Fsk. Are you SURE you want to proceed?
[N]y

C:\eBook>ebook um normal
Sony Reader utility 0.41 (c) 2006 Igor Skochinsky
UsbOnlyReqProc() Sequence Error [errorNo=-1, command=0x106, state=1]

C:\eBook>

Done.

I ran it through BabelFish translation, but I couldn't really the translation very well. :sad:

I think the linked file (from Rapidshare) will do the change, but I don't know if it explains how to implement it, and any instructions would most likely also be Russian, as the alteration seems to build on the Russified Reader.

I find it terribly ironic that the origin of the first known mod to add the much requested feature of a clock on the Reader, is a place where you can't 'officially' get a Reader, and in a language the Reader doesn't 'officially' support. :laugh4:

Well...my Russian is a bit rusty. Anybody who can translate the idea? :P
Alplus just has translated it, go there again.

Thanks vvv. Too bad you need a Reader with the old firmware. :( Thanks to Alplus for translating.

Too bad you need a Reader with the old firmware.
Some years ago, using Sony Clie, I have understood a simple thing: do not upgrade nothing from Sony.

Maybe Igorsk know how to install a clock for the new firmware, ask him.

Man, this is awesome! I never upgrade f/w's for devices I get from Sony unless it adds something of value that I've been missing. This held true with the PSP and the whole homebrew scene. Now I'm glad that I didn't update my Reader yet, perhaps $ony will incorporate this into their next update?

vvv, Before I update my Reader with this cool utility, is there a way to backup my current f/w so I can restore it in the off chance I need to roll back to the original? I know Shade wrote it and there is a little English on the other forum, but thought I'd ask you . Thanks man!

I'm usually pretty wary about upgrading firmware, but especially when you get what amouts to a pilot production version of a new product, you've got to know that the firmware is still in a state of flux. I updated my Reader firmware, and I've been happy with the results.

I hope Sony comes out with an update that improves navigation for large numbers of book files and also adds sorting for music files.

But if it's possible to display a clock on the reader why can't the reader remember the right dates/time for the bookmarks?

You need to connect the Reader to PC once after reset to synchronize the clock.

You need to connect the Reader to PC once after reset to synchronize the clock.
Thanks for the tip! It works! I am glad I didn't upgrade my firmware yet. Igorsk, any chance for those who have already upgraded to revert to the older firmware or to gain write access to root on the newer firmware?

Yes, there is a way. I'm currently working on a more "user-friendly" version of my scripts.

Yes, there is a way. I'm currently working on a more "user-friendly" version of my scripts.
Sounds great! :happy2:

How does the clock work, refreshes when the page refreshes? I like the pictures, wish it had a little more spacing though, like right justified or even a | or - or something in between the page numbers and the clock.

If that guy can do it, why can't Sony? We've been asking for a clock since the thing came out.

Well...if they implement it, I hope they make it optional. I would hate to see a clock infront of my eyes all the time when I read a book. It would be so f..rustratingly distracting!

You need to connect the Reader to PC once after reset to synchronize the clock.

I've found that the reader's internal clock drifts a lot unless you connect to the PC regularly

I find that with eReader on my Treo, the clock is one of my favorite features!

Has anyone said whether this Sony Reader clock would cost any battery life? I would love to see Sony pick up on it (as an optional feature, as mentioned above.)

Has anyone said whether this Sony Reader clock would cost any battery life?I don't think it would, since it only refreshes when the page refreshes. :shrug:

I don't think it would, since it only refreshes when the page refreshes. :shrug:

Which would be horrible since the Reader stays on for an hour after your last page turn if you don't switch it off on purpose -- you're reading, put the reader down to go answer the phone, get involved in a conversation of some length, sit back down and continue reading the page, thinking it's 30 minutes or so earlier than it really is.

I figure it's just as easy to look at my watch or a clock or the vcr or the microwave or any of a dozen time-sources.

I don't need one on the reader -- if it's user removable, I wouldn't mind it as long as it wasn't programmed instead of them spending time on things I consider more important such as a way to move through a multiple-page list of books in larger increments than one page at a time.

Maybe, but the fix is open source, just copy this guy's code.