Kindle 3 "Special offers" edition Screensaver hack help

[regnaston]

Just completely power it off.. instead of just flicking the power switch.. Hold it to the right for about 10 seconds and it will be a white screen

[gershwin]

I am actually interested in finding a hack that works. I live in the Philippines. My uncle just gave me a KSO (Wi-Fi) as a gift. He bought it in the US, and had it shipped here.

Which is why I have some concerns:

1. Do the ads work here where I am? I mean, I see the preloaded ones, but apart from those, will they update in the same way as yours do? Will it show me $10 for $20 discounts, that sort of thing?

2. If not, then technically this feature is useless for me, right? Hence am thinking of hacking them and changing the images. Is this advisable? I read somewhere that if you get caught they might close your account or something like that. Although I really don't buy anything in Amazon because shipping from there to here is hell on my pocket. But I have an account and use it for wishlists and such.

3. I checked, and a lot of books still aren't available for people here in Asia Pacific area, so I would most probably just read ebooks that I already have and convert them using calibre. Even the supposedly free books (classics, etc) are not free for me - it's $2 for some titles.

4. I have the Kindle registered in my account in Amazon, with the address here in the Philippines. Should I decide to hack it, will that be detected when I have the Wi-Fi on? Should I switch the addresses in my account first (say, use my uncle's)?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[DiapDealer]

Did anybody actually buy one of these things? It just seems as if there's an inordinate amount of KSO "gifting" going on.

Would it be possible to ship it back to your uncle who can return it for the standard model? That would probably be the easiest solution.

[chas0039]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Did anybody actually buy one of these things? It just seems as if there's an inordinate amount of KSO "gifting" going on.

Would it be possible to ship it back to your uncle who can return it for the standard model? That would probably be the easiest solution.

Very Interesting observation. I think you will be on to something. However, for a gift, the price savings is hard to pass up when someone else will deal with the ads, so I can see it happening a lot more and I can also see the recipient doing a lot more posting here as opposed to those who knew what they were getting.

For the record, I bought mine, but I paid the same price as I would have for the non-KSO version. So, finally tomorrow, with the $20 gift card, I'll actually get some benefit.

[gershwin]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Would it be possible to ship it back to your uncle who can return it for the standard model? That would probably be the easiest solution.

I don't think so. He shipped this with in a big box with a lot more items so from my understanding he bought this a long time ago. What is the time/duration of when you can return things to Amazon, but most especially the Kindle?

[chas0039]

30 days. However there have been some reports here of end users able to convince Amazon to change their KSO to a non ad version, given then the KSO feature is under their control by virtue of the serial number. However, it is really no big deal. People get used to these and having your own personal screen saver was never an Amazon feature. You could always wait until there is an ad you want and then just delete all the other ads. If you stay off of WiFi, which it sounds like you will do anyway, you can get what you want.

[pcdude2143]

[buhleted]

[Lanoitarus]

...wow

Nice trick, thanks for sharing!

[Germanc]

Originally Posted by pcdude2143

Just plugging my own solution. It's a little involved and likely above the skill level of the Kindle's primary audience, but oh well. It replaces the ads with whatever images you want, doesn't actually remove them. Also, if you connect to the Internet via anything other than your home wifi you'll get back the old ads. Not a problem for me because I have the cheapest Kindle, which doesn't have 3G.

pwnazon.tar.gz: http://code.google.com/p/joelisester...downloads/list

Nice trick ! I'm going to try it ASAP. I have a kindle KSO, and since I live in Argentina, none of the offers apply to me, so even if I see them, they are useless for me or for amazon. I bought it since it's the only one sold here (imported by some small shops).

[Snorkledorf]

So pwnazon sets up a de-facto screensaver server? Awesome! And arguably even cooler than the screensaver hack. That's the first time anything's made me wish I had a KSO instead of a K3!

[markbot]

Personally, I much prefer ads on the screensaver than the freakin ugly default screensavers of authors and such that Amazon was forcing customers to see. I was scared to see what screensaver was on my device when picking it up. Ads are much more pleasant for me. Typically I hate ads also but in this case it is ads that I would probably like to see....not ads that are for lipstick, sexist "funny" ads that torment men, feminine hygiene products, vulgar humor, etc.

[Lanoitarus]

Originally Posted by markbot

Personally, I much prefer ads on the screensaver than the freakin ugly default screensavers of authors and such that Amazon was forcing customers to see...

I would have agreed with you until two weeks ago, when there were a series of ads for "twilight". A few people at work spotted that screen saver over the course of the week and commented on my "reading choice".

I would kill for a "I swear I am not interested in this please take it away forever" button.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by Lanoitarus

I would have agreed with you until two weeks ago, when there were a series of ads for "twilight". A few people at work spotted that screen saver over the course of the week and commented on my "reading choice".

I would kill for a "I swear I am not interested in this please take it away forever" button.

just manually blank your screen (hold slide switch for 5 seconds) instead of allowing the screensaver to take control. then nobody will see and you won't be embarrased (i've read all 4 twilights and the novella as well as her scifi novel, the host and enjoyed them all)

[Jayd31]

I had a 3.1 version, applied the 3.2.1 jailbreak and screensaver hack, all fine, then I received an upgrade to 3.3 and now I am seeing special offers which are no use to me living in the CZ.Republic anyway.

Mine is not the cheaper advert model and before the 3.3 upgrade I only had the screensaver, no ads, awaiting clarification from Amazon, fingers crossed.

I hear that the screensaver hack works with 3.3 only if it was installed before the 3.3 upgrade?

J

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Jayd31

I had a 3.1 version, applied the 3.2.1 jailbreak and screensaver hack, all fine, then I received an upgrade to 3.3 and now I am seeing special offers which are no use to me living in the CZ.Republic anyway.

Mine is not the cheaper advert model and before the 3.3 upgrade I only had the screensaver, no ads, awaiting clarification from Amazon, fingers crossed.

You can turn the ads off. Just go online to the Manage Your Kindle page, select Manage Your Devices, select Edit under the Special Offers column, then click Unsubscribe now with 1-Click. Since you paid full price, there will be no charge for doing so.