The Kindle as information screen

Prospect · 12-04-2012, 08:13 PM

I have mounted a Kindle 4 next to my entrance door showing updated public transportation and weather information. The setup is simple: I disabled the screensaver and pointed the Kindle's browser to a page that auto updates the information. The Kindle is connected to power and it all seems to be very stable. I am quite satisfied with the solution since an epaper screen is good esthetics for such purpose and the total setup is quite inexpensive ($89!)
compared to other solutions. I am also considering setting up an extra screen (kindle) in my kitchen to show images by simply using a webpage that shows a full screen slideshow that updates i.e every 2 hours.

The only issue is that the information is that the Kindle browser also shows the address bar and the status bar and I am not able to turn them off and enter true full screen mode. I have looked around and my conclusion is that it is neither possible on the Kindle as shipped from Amazon and nor is there any hack available to enable a true full screen browser on the Kindle.

Does anybody have any solutions for the full screen issue? Have anybody build an application or anything that can do the same, but in full screen mode?

I know that there is a VNC client for the Kindle, but then I would need to set up a computer serving as a VNC host. That would add to both the cost and the complexity, and I am also concerned about the stability of VNC (this needs to run for months without interruption)

Alternatively is there any other epaper device with wifi and a stable full screen browser?

hippy dave · 12-05-2012, 04:58 AM

someone did something similar, not using the web browser:
http://www.mpetroff.net/archives/201...ather-display/

dsmid · 12-05-2012, 06:54 AM

I would use Kindle picture viewer in full screen mode for that purpose:
Have more than one picture in /mnt/us/pictures/<any name>/, launch picture viewer in full screen mode, launch a script (i.e. with launchpad) that uses wget to download updated images time to time and generates "next page" events periodically.
On server side you need something that renders the images instead of HTML pages (ImageMagick ?, PHP GD ?).

Prospect · 12-05-2012, 07:58 AM

Thank you for the link Hippy Dale. I was not aware of this great project. However I am not sure how well it would work for my purposes since the real-time public transportation information needs to be updated at least with 2 minute intervals to be useful.

twobob · 12-05-2012, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prospect

Thank you for the link Hippy Dale. I was not aware of this great project. However I am not sure how well it would work for my purposes since the real-time public transportation information needs to be updated at least with 2 minute intervals to be useful.

ermmm...
well reading the comments...

http://www.shatteredhaven.com/2012/1...r-display.html

Looks to have a time display? That would require a fairly regular update no?

ON CRON:

Quote:

NOTE: I DO NOT RECOMMENDED SETTING THIS TO A LOWER INTERVAL FOR TESTING PURPOSES. As soon as you restart cron (either rebooting the Kindle or from the command line) The display launches at the designated time. If you set this too low (for example 1 or 2 minutes) and reboot the kindle, you will be unable to access the cron and adjust the time. This is because a reboot causes you to lose access to SSH (requiring the ;debug command to be re-entered). If the script is set to run every minute or 2 minutes, that is likely not enough time for you to enter the command, SSH into the device, and edit cron.

However having a task that ran for 4 minutes triggered every five minutes or something would be a possible workaround. That kind of thing.

Anyways. Good luck. Oh and I use JPG's with eips... but you have to mangle them to fit first... (since eips is a bit flaky)

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=145

HTH. GOOD LUCK!!!

Prospect · 12-05-2012, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twobob

http://www.shatteredhaven.com/2012/1...r-display.html
Looks to have a time display? That would require a fairly regular update no?

Thanks twobob. As I understand it the time display in Jennifers project shows the time for the last update, not current time.

twobob · 12-05-2012, 09:12 AM

Right. What is the issue? Cant you just do a partial screen update for the time

The custom screensaver thread (That no longer works but meh) discussed adding times and stuff. What kind of update frequency do you need?

Every two minutes? That hardly sound infeasible by any means. Is it the processing overhead that is killing you? I am obviously missing the point. Will read the post again (yours)

Use skipstone? ah you have a 4... hmm... thinking..

Would a working X server be helpful? That could happen.

Or: Possibly could hack a debian together to provide all your bits and pieces that the 4 is obviously lacking.

Could probably jerry-rig that together. Assuming you have power to the device all the time it probably will "just run" forever... or until the battery dies.
(I have done some grind-kindles-into-the-floor test)

Thoughts?

NiLuJe · 12-08-2012, 12:07 AM

You might also want to look at the similar thing that was done on the Kobo (don't have the link right now, check the Kobo dev forum).

IIRC, it's using Python, but that's not really a problem, you should be able to use the Python package used by the ScreenSavers hack. (And, in the event it's missing some extra modules/packages, don't hesitate to poke me

).

h1uke · 12-08-2012, 12:10 PM

I believe that googling for "kindle as an additional PC screen" could be very fruitful.
Just keep all rendering at the PC/host side ...

Other approaches are possible, but most of them require native programming..

Kindle devices make great outdoor indicators, just because the picture is clear and
visible in direct sun light. I know several technicians who were successfully using Kindle devices
as specialized indicators in a field (i.e. sitting on a pole and tunning up the microwave antenna).

12-04-2012, 08:13 PM	#1
Prospect Other Posts: 143 Karma: 644 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norway Device: Cybook, Kindle	The Kindle as information screen I have mounted a Kindle 4 next to my entrance door showing updated public transportation and weather information. The setup is simple: I disabled the screensaver and pointed the Kindle's browser to a page that auto updates the information. The Kindle is connected to power and it all seems to be very stable. I am quite satisfied with the solution since an epaper screen is good esthetics for such purpose and the total setup is quite inexpensive ($89!) compared to other solutions. I am also considering setting up an extra screen (kindle) in my kitchen to show images by simply using a webpage that shows a full screen slideshow that updates i.e every 2 hours. The only issue is that the information is that the Kindle browser also shows the address bar and the status bar and I am not able to turn them off and enter true full screen mode. I have looked around and my conclusion is that it is neither possible on the Kindle as shipped from Amazon and nor is there any hack available to enable a true full screen browser on the Kindle. Does anybody have any solutions for the full screen issue? Have anybody build an application or anything that can do the same, but in full screen mode? I know that there is a VNC client for the Kindle, but then I would need to set up a computer serving as a VNC host. That would add to both the cost and the complexity, and I am also concerned about the stability of VNC (this needs to run for months without interruption) Alternatively is there any other epaper device with wifi and a stable full screen browser?

12-05-2012, 09:12 AM	#7
twobob ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°){ʇlnɐɟ ƃǝs}Týr Posts: 6,586 Karma: 6299991 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: uti gratia usura (Yao ying da ying; Mo ying da yieng) Device: PW-WIFI\|K5-3G+WIFI\| K4\|K3-3G\|DXG\|K2\| Rooted Nook Touch	Right. What is the issue? Cant you just do a partial screen update for the time The custom screensaver thread (That no longer works but meh) discussed adding times and stuff. What kind of update frequency do you need? Every two minutes? That hardly sound infeasible by any means. Is it the processing overhead that is killing you? I am obviously missing the point. Will read the post again (yours) Use skipstone? ah you have a 4... hmm... thinking.. Would a working X server be helpful? That could happen. Or: Possibly could hack a debian together to provide all your bits and pieces that the 4 is obviously lacking. Could probably jerry-rig that together. Assuming you have power to the device all the time it probably will "just run" forever... or until the battery dies. (I have done some grind-kindles-into-the-floor test) Thoughts? Last edited by twobob; 12-05-2012 at 09:20 AM. Reason: X maybe, debian? both doable now

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12-05-2012, 04:58 AM	#2
hippy dave Zealot Posts: 124 Karma: 178472 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Kindle 4	someone did something similar, not using the web browser: http://www.mpetroff.net/archives/201...ather-display/

12-05-2012, 06:54 AM	#3
dsmid Linux devotee Posts: 598 Karma: 2069047 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3, Kindle 4B, Kindle PW2	I would use Kindle picture viewer in full screen mode for that purpose: Have more than one picture in /mnt/us/pictures/<any name>/, launch picture viewer in full screen mode, launch a script (i.e. with launchpad) that uses wget to download updated images time to time and generates "next page" events periodically. On server side you need something that renders the images instead of HTML pages (ImageMagick ?, PHP GD ?).

12-05-2012, 07:58 AM	#4
Prospect Other Posts: 143 Karma: 644 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norway Device: Cybook, Kindle	Thank you for the link Hippy Dale. I was not aware of this great project. However I am not sure how well it would work for my purposes since the real-time public transportation information needs to be updated at least with 2 minute intervals to be useful.

12-08-2012, 12:07 AM	#8
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,477 Karma: 26012492 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	You might also want to look at the similar thing that was done on the Kobo (don't have the link right now, check the Kobo dev forum). IIRC, it's using Python, but that's not really a problem, you should be able to use the Python package used by the ScreenSavers hack. (And, in the event it's missing some extra modules/packages, don't hesitate to poke me ).

12-08-2012, 12:10 PM	#9
h1uke Zealot Posts: 121 Karma: 82565 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Maryland, USA Device: dxg, k3w,k4nt,kpw	I believe that googling for "kindle as an additional PC screen" could be very fruitful. Just keep all rendering at the PC/host side ... Other approaches are possible, but most of them require native programming.. Kindle devices make great outdoor indicators, just because the picture is clear and visible in direct sun light. I know several technicians who were successfully using Kindle devices as specialized indicators in a field (i.e. sitting on a pole and tunning up the microwave antenna).