A (geeky) way to put your ID on your reader

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by ChuckEggDotCom

LoL. I just found out I'm not the only one who thinks this is a great idea.

Sony sells an upgraded leather cover that has both the business card holder and the SD card holder. Click the link below to see it. Oddly, it looks like it attaches differently to the reader, and the pockets are in the BACK inside cover not the front inside cover.

My question: Why didn't Sony include a similar business card holder inside the the default cover? it would have cost them about another 50-cents



http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...&storeId=10151

Because they want you to lose it for good so you buy an other one.

[Evin]

Originally Posted by JanetCinNC

I took a picture of myself, used a simple photo editing program and added text saying "This Sony reader belongs to " and put my name & phone number in there. I added the picture to my reader. Since the picture can't be deleted without using software, no one can pick up my reader and try to pass it off as theirs. It's also a sure-fire way of identifying it if someone finds it and wants me to positively identify it before they'll return it.

Great idea, but I didn't have a handy photo of myself so I just typed my contact information (and reward notice) on a grey-screen background jpeg with Photoshop.

[ShellShock]

Originally Posted by JanetCinNC

I took a picture of myself, used a simple photo editing program and added text saying "This Sony reader belongs to " and put my name & phone number in there. I added the picture to my reader. Since the picture can't be deleted without using software, no one can pick up my reader and try to pass it off as theirs. It's also a sure-fire way of identifying it if someone finds it and wants me to positively identify it before they'll return it.

I'm not sure how secure this is. What is to stop chummy from connecting your PRS to his PC using a standard USB cable, letting Windows auto-mount the PRS drives, and then going in a deleting all your content, including the photo? No need to use any specialist software--any O/S that mounts USB devices will do.

Perhaps PRS-Customizer would be a better option--it allows you to put your contact details on the PRS About screen. I think this would require a firmware update to remove (not sure about that though).

[JanetCinNC]

Originally Posted by ShellShock

I'm not sure how secure this is. What is to stop chummy from connecting your PRS to his PC using a standard USB cable, letting Windows auto-mount the PRS drives, and then going in a deleting all your content, including the photo? No need to use any specialist software--any O/S that mounts USB devices will do.

Perhaps PRS-Customizer would be a better option--it allows you to put your contact details on the PRS About screen. I think this would require a firmware update to remove (not sure about that though).

Well, as I said in my original post, it is possible to remove it, but I can prove it is mine if I go up to the lost & found and tell them how to look at the picture. If someone is savvy enough to know how to clear everything off, and has the ability to do it before I figure out that my reader is missing - well, then there is no hope for me.

And I don't use PRS-Customizer for anything related to my reader, so that's not an option for me.

[Ankh]

The interesting question here is if Sony and Adobe provide a "blacklisting" for lost/stolen readers.

Everything can be erased, but ID (which is used to register device with Sony and Adobe) is a slightly tougher nut to crack. Has anybody tried to report lost/stolen readers to Sony or Adobe?

[DojoPat]

Hmm... I'm going to give this a try too. Thanks for the idea.

[toomanybooks]

I took the low tech route to identify/mark my Sony. I used an ultra fine line Sharpie to write my favorite quotations, the name of the ereader and my name and contact info on the back. I had to write over everything two or three times, but now it is legible and won't rub off.

[Faenad]

Perhaps PRS-Customizer would be a better option--it allows you to put your contact details on the PRS About screen. I think this would require a firmware update to remove (not sure about that though).

You would have to reflash the device with PRS-Customizer to remove the contact info. I used it to put a phone number and email.

But while it's great to prove ownership, the About screen is so well hidden that the average person looking to return it will probably never found it.

If you're afraid to lose it but don't want to engrave your name you should use some self adhesive label on the back. Look for the variety that don't leave any trace when they are removed.

[Momo_Germany]

Hi JanetCinNC!

That's a really good idea! For sure it's not perfect and the photo can be removed, as said above, but however, it's a way worth a try for the case you might lose your device.

I also noted the serial number of my devices and I'm going to add a sticker with my name and email etc. on it, but in addition to that it seems to me to be a good idea. And as I don't have any other pictures on the reader and the title of the picture is "This ebook-reader belongs to" it might be possible to be found.

Just wanted to thank you for the idea!

Greetings,
Momo

[JanetCinNC]

Originally Posted by Momo_Germany

Hi JanetCinNC!

That's a really good idea! For sure it's not perfect and the photo can be removed, as said above, but however, it's a way worth a try for the case you might lose your device.

I also noted the serial number of my devices and I'm going to add a sticker with my name and email etc. on it, but in addition to that it seems to me to be a good idea. And as I don't have any other pictures on the reader and the title of the picture is "This ebook-reader belongs to" it might be possible to be found.

Just wanted to thank you for the idea!

Greetings,
Momo

You're welcome, Momo. I'm glad you like the idea. It's good to have as many ways as possible to get your reader back, right? I'd be heartbroken if I lost my reader, so I want to give an honest person every opportunity to get it back to me!

JanetCinNC

[kelly1010]

I think I will try both the picture idea (thus I'll be able figure out how to put pictures on the 505) AND the prs Customizer (which will give me an excuse to figure out how that works). But, seeing as how I never let my 505 out of my sight, and MY hands are the ONLY pair of hands that have touched it, I don't forsee myself losing it anytime soon. I've taken it out in public a few times (HEY gotta spread the word sometime huh) but I'm afraid it will get messed up by all the things floating around in my purse. I am still looking for a better case for it though.

[JanetCinNC]

Originally Posted by kelly1010

I'm afraid it will get messed up by all the things floating around in my purse. I am still looking for a better case for it though.

I used to use a Vera Bradley Mini Hipster to carry my reader in. It was perfect - like it was made to carry the reader. I carried the mini hipster with my purse, not in the purse, because I carried tiny purses then. The mini hipster would have fit into a larger purse. Now that I have my reader in the lightwedge case all the time, it doesn't fit in the mini hipster as well.

Since I carry a bigger purse now, I wanted something that would fit inside my purse. I found a netbook case at amazon.com - the Belkin F8N082-MHR 7-Inch Neoprene Sleeve for Netbooks - that I use inside my purse. It's soft neoprene, so it offers a little cushioning, and it keeps pens and keys from scratching the screen or the lightwedge. It wouldn't protect it from a crushing blow, but I try never to do that to my purse, anyway!