Any way of backporting the new ppw4 "Dark Mode" Quick Access shortcut to previous fw?

[violet_lee]

It's known that newest kindle fw are aggressive and defeat the fw update blocking methods we currently have available. It never bothered me to stay on lower fw because there aren't worthwhile features on newest updates. The latest official update for ppw4, though, added a very useful shortcut for Dark Mode without having to go into accessibility settings. Is there any way to implement that feature or something similar on a jailbroken ppw4 without updating? Thanks.

[NiLuJe]

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Also no.

[NiLuJe]

Note that the feature can be enabled programmatically (there's a thread about just that over here, a quick search should turn it up), but that doesn't help you making it more "accessible".

[shamanNS]

Would it be possible to add search bar command thingy (like ";un" for USBNetwork toggle) on jailbreak-ed Kindle? That would be somewhat less annoying and quicker way to toggle dark mode?

[violet_lee]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

Note that the feature can be enabled programmatically (there's a thread about just that over here, a quick search should turn it up), but that doesn't help you making it more "accessible".

I see. How about some way of turning it on automatically at a certain timeframe (say at night for example)? And then turning it back off in the morning. Would that be feasible?

Even though I'm guessing we can't just randomly run these routines in background even on a jailbroken device, is that correct? I wonder how they manage to make the whole sleep book cover modification work without that kind of access though.

[Quoth]

But dark mode was really invented for LCDs and OLEDs set too bright. It makes little sense on eink.

[NiLuJe]

I mean, (almost) anything is possible on a jailbroken device, you just have to be willing to get your hands dirty .

But I kinda agree with @Quoth there, nightmode on eInk is an aberration, even if the implementation on the Oasis 2/3 is the *least terrible* one I've seen on eInk.
(i.e., my only interest in it is the technical aspect of the implementation).

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by Quoth

But dark mode was really invented for LCDs and OLEDs set too bright. It makes little sense on eink.

I use it every night. It makes a lot of sense for my eyes. Eyes are different.

[NiLuJe]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

Eyes are different.

True.

As in, it kinda gives me headaches over here, so, eh ;D.

[violet_lee]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

I mean, (almost) anything is possible on a jailbroken device, you just have to be willing to get your hands dirty .

But I kinda agree with @Quoth there, nightmode on eInk is an aberration, even if the implementation on the Oasis 2/3 is the *least terrible* one I've seen on eInk.
(i.e., my only interest in it is the technical aspect of the implementation).

In my personal use case, when reading at night before sleep, I need as little light as I possibly can have while still being able to read in order not to annoy or wake up my SO and the black background ends up reflecting way less of the light to the room than the white background, so that's my use case. I'm not well versed in the technical aspect of the implementation, but it has been very useful for me in that regard.

But I digress. The question was answered, so thank you very much!

[Ruskie_it]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

I use it every night. It makes a lot of sense for my eyes. Eyes are different.

Actually, eyes are the same and so is physics.
But perceptions are different, and minds plays trick on each one of us, I'll give you this. So, it's perfectly fine for you to prefer the dark mode, I don't mean to criticize this preference of yours at all.

That said, speaking about, let me say "facts". Dark mode in LED screens is useful because of this: LEDs get lighted up to display white, and cast rays of light directly from the screen to your eyes. That is what is annoying and tiring to your eyes. Using dark mode, that essentially turns off most of the pixels in the screen works because: 1. The light emitted and cast to your eyes is sensibly less; 2. Saves battery (less leds turned on)

But, on e-ink screens, nothing of this is true. Pixels here are just "balls of ink", turned on the black side or on the white side. None of them do emit any light. Light comes from the leds in the bezel of the kindle, and those leds are turned on anyway, whether you use "bright" or dark mode. So the e-ink pixels do reflect the same light to your eyes, no matter the color they have.
Okay, black pixels will reflect slightly less, but not that much. Which is why in dark mode (expecially in a dark environment) you still have that "glowing" look if you look at the dark-mode screen of the kindle: you still are seeing the bezel light being reflected back to your eyes.

So, while dark mode in oled screens means "screen not emitting light", it doesn't in e-ink front-illuminated screens, which is why dark mode makes little sense, physically speaking, on the kindles and on your eyes.

As I said, though, you are absolutely entitled to prefer it, as it is a matter of tastes; it's just that, well, physically dark mode is not different than "bright" mode.
I for myself, I don't like it because the glow becomes much more apparent on a dark screen. Moreover, I also see many more fingerprints on the screen when it's black.

[waterlubber]

Originally Posted by Ruskie_it

Actually, eyes are the same and so is physics.
But perceptions are different, and minds plays trick on each one of us, I'll give you this. So, it's perfectly fine for you to prefer the dark mode, I don't mean to criticize this preference of yours at all.

That said, speaking about, let me say "facts". Dark mode in LED screens is useful because of this: LEDs get lighted up to display white, and cast rays of light directly from the screen to your eyes. That is what is annoying and tiring to your eyes. Using dark mode, that essentially turns off most of the pixels in the screen works because: 1. The light emitted and cast to your eyes is sensibly less; 2. Saves battery (less leds turned on)

But, on e-ink screens, nothing of this is true. Pixels here are just "balls of ink", turned on the black side or on the white side. None of them do emit any light. Light comes from the leds in the bezel of the kindle, and those leds are turned on anyway, whether you use "bright" or dark mode. So the e-ink pixels do reflect the same light to your eyes, no matter the color they have.
Okay, black pixels will reflect slightly less, but not that much. Which is why in dark mode (expecially in a dark environment) you still have that "glowing" look if you look at the dark-mode screen of the kindle: you still are seeing the bezel light being reflected back to your eyes.

So, while dark mode in oled screens means "screen not emitting light", it doesn't in e-ink front-illuminated screens, which is why dark mode makes little sense, physically speaking, on the kindles and on your eyes.

As I said, though, you are absolutely entitled to prefer it, as it is a matter of tastes; it's just that, well, physically dark mode is not different than "bright" mode.
I for myself, I don't like it because the glow becomes much more apparent on a dark screen. Moreover, I also see many more fingerprints on the screen when it's black.

The backlight on the Kindle PW appears to be somewhat reflective, as the LEDs illuminate the text, which reflects to your eyes. Dark mode would reduce the total amount of light leaving the device, and potentially reduce eyestrain if it helped the device match the background brightness of the room.

It doesn't save power, though, but it's entirely reasonable that it may be easier to view for some people.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by waterlubber

The backlight on the Kindle PW appears to be somewhat reflective, as the LEDs illuminate the text, which reflects to your eyes. Dark mode would reduce the total amount of light leaving the device, and potentially reduce eyestrain if it helped the device match the background brightness of the room.

It doesn't save power, though, but it's entirely reasonable that it may be easier to view for some people.

Actually, it's a frontlight not a backlight. An eInk display is opaque so you need a frontlight. The design of the frontlight (LED placement, light guide design, etc.) is a bit of a black art.

[Ruskie_it]

Originally Posted by waterlubber

The backlight on the Kindle PW appears to be somewhat reflective, as the LEDs illuminate the text, which reflects to your eyes. Dark mode would reduce the total amount of light leaving the device, and potentially reduce eyestrain if it helped the device match the background brightness of the room.

It doesn't save power, though, but it's entirely reasonable that it may be easier to view for some people.

It is reflective, otherwise you wouldn't see anything in the dark. And so is paper: how would you see the text on your paper book if the light cast from the light bulb would not bounce on paper and hit your eyes?
But, two considerations:

1) If you reckon too much light is getting to your eye, since the Kindle has 24 different intensity level for its frontlight, why don't just decrease it?

2) Would you read a paper book printed on black paper with white ink? I guess no, or most paper book would be printed that way if it was so much more convenient. Then, why do so on e-ink which, phisically-wide, does behave the same?

It is true that black e-ink reflects less light than white e-ink: it's physics. But it's not so noticeable that some person's eyes would be strained by one and not from the other, or those people would not be able to read paper books printed on white paper as well. So no: it's not "reasonable" it may be easier to view for some people, objectively speaking (which was my point from the start, or Niluje's if I understood him right). But of course, since suggestion plays a role here as well, it's perfectly possible that some people believe they can read better white-on-black. And this is not an issue, everyone is entitled to his own preference, absolutely nothing wrong with that. But it's just that: preferences based on a personal suggestion.

[JSWolf]

I find the problem with night mode is that you need to have the from light up brighter then you do without night mode. So if you are in bed with your partner, the light has to be brighter and thus, maybe a bother.