PDF Zoom - Page 2

zetareticuli · 08-01-2010, 11:42 AM

Everything you guys are describing here can be done via software, regardless of what the hardware is. I looked at my Kindle 2 and noticed (as others have also reported) that the Kindle UI is written in Java. The code is obfuscated making reverse-engineering the code difficult. I will spend a bit more time on this as soon as I reassemble my Kindle 2. There are several techniques we can use to reverse-engineer these classes but the success rate varies a lot. Even if we are successful decompiling this obfuscated code, we will only get bits and pieces of it.

Hrant · 08-01-2010, 11:44 AM

Actually I think a good PDF viewer will be one of the first apps we'll see, since it has to do with reading, and the routines are well-documented.

Now, how about displaying PDFs linked from websites? :-)

hhp

Hrant · 08-01-2010, 11:47 AM

> Even if we are successful decompiling this obfuscated code, we will only get bits and pieces of it.

Ergo: long live the KDK!

hhp

zetareticuli · 08-01-2010, 12:01 PM

I agree. By any chance, do you have the KDK? I registered and have been waiting for days and nothing yet.

Hrant · 08-01-2010, 12:08 PM

No, and my programming skills have rusted considerably since my CompSci degree...

hhp

zetareticuli · 08-01-2010, 12:24 PM

If you do come across it, please let me know. Also, wouldn't you be interested in doing some Kindle programming? Your skills might be very rusty right now, but I am sure it will take you a very short time to get them back in shape again.

Hrant · 08-01-2010, 12:31 PM

I've always loved it - started when I was 9 (on the original Commodore Pet).
Thanks for the encouragement - never say never!

hhp

isotherm · 08-01-2010, 02:45 PM

There was an earlier ROM for the Kindle 2 that wasn't obfuscated. I think a forum search will tell you more.

zetareticuli · 08-01-2010, 04:10 PM

Haven't been able to find it after searching for more than 1 hour. It would be great if you could find it and share it. Thanks for the information.

Kindle3w_Pdfs · 11-11-2010, 11:18 AM

Hi, I'd like to add to the pdf zoom enhancement requests that Kindlematic and Hrant posted here on 8-1-2010. I'm not sure where the best place to post them is, so I'm posting them here.

- A 2-stage crop: The optional first stage would allow the user to manually set crop borders that would be (saved and) restored each time the user reads that particular pdf file, to allow the user to crop away wasteful repetitive items such as headers and footers. The second stage would automatically crop away whatever white space bounds whatever remains after the first stage.

- Smarter automatic cropping that recognizes when the reader is in a zoom mode that is displaying part or all of the top, middle or bottom section of a page. (Typically in landscape mode.) Automatic cropping of white space should be handled on a per-section basis, rather than a per-page basis, to allow some sections to fit entirely within the screen width even when another section on that page has content that is wider. Wider sections would still require the user to pan right or left to see all of them, but narrower sections that fit if smartly cropped would no longer require panning. As a result, fewer paragraphs would be split into a left portion and a right portion, so the user would no longer need to pan right and left for each line of each paragraph. (For examples of books that would benefit considerably, look at the Head First series published by O'Reilly.)

- Smarter automatic cropping that would recognize and optionally crop away patterns that repeat on most pages of the book (i.e., wasteful headers and/or footers). For efficiency, the software could save the crop parameters on a per pdf file basis, and restore them each time that particular pdf file is opened. Also, the software could calculate the crop parameters using a lower priority background process so as not to slow down the user's reading experience. (If this feature is implemented, then the 2-stage crop feature described above would not be needed.)

Thanks for considering these.

tomsem · 11-11-2010, 01:14 PM

Keep in mind that the Kindle uses Adobe's Reader Mobile SDK (sans ePub, sans ADEPT) for PDF rendering. So they can do anything that any of the other ereaders can do. Sony's implementation seems particularly feature-rich.

The KDK Developer Guidelines state that:

Quote:

Developer Guidelines

Voice over IP functionality, advertising, offensive materials, collection of customer information without express customer knowledge and consent, or usage of the Amazon or Kindle brand in any way are not allowed. In addition, active content must meet all Amazon technical requirements, not be a generic reader, and not contain malicious code.
We will work to refine the above guidelines throughout the beta.

(emphasis added)

Not sure if that means 3rd party PDF or epub reading apps are prohibited.

08-01-2010, 11:44 AM	#17
Hrant Polymath in training Posts: 32 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle2 (Global)	Actually I think a good PDF viewer will be one of the first apps we'll see, since it has to do with reading, and the routines are well-documented. Now, how about displaying PDFs linked from websites? :-) hhp Last edited by Hrant; 08-01-2010 at 11:46 AM. Reason: Clarification

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08-01-2010, 11:42 AM	#16
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	Everything you guys are describing here can be done via software, regardless of what the hardware is. I looked at my Kindle 2 and noticed (as others have also reported) that the Kindle UI is written in Java. The code is obfuscated making reverse-engineering the code difficult. I will spend a bit more time on this as soon as I reassemble my Kindle 2. There are several techniques we can use to reverse-engineer these classes but the success rate varies a lot. Even if we are successful decompiling this obfuscated code, we will only get bits and pieces of it.

08-01-2010, 11:47 AM	#18
Hrant Polymath in training Posts: 32 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle2 (Global)	> Even if we are successful decompiling this obfuscated code, we will only get bits and pieces of it. Ergo: long live the KDK! hhp

08-01-2010, 12:01 PM	#19
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	I agree. By any chance, do you have the KDK? I registered and have been waiting for days and nothing yet.

08-01-2010, 12:08 PM	#20
Hrant Polymath in training Posts: 32 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle2 (Global)	No, and my programming skills have rusted considerably since my CompSci degree... hhp

08-01-2010, 12:24 PM	#21
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	If you do come across it, please let me know. Also, wouldn't you be interested in doing some Kindle programming? Your skills might be very rusty right now, but I am sure it will take you a very short time to get them back in shape again.

08-01-2010, 12:31 PM	#22
Hrant Polymath in training Posts: 32 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle2 (Global)	I've always loved it - started when I was 9 (on the original Commodore Pet). Thanks for the encouragement - never say never! hhp

08-01-2010, 02:45 PM	#23
isotherm Connoisseur Posts: 79 Karma: 187319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kindle 2	There was an earlier ROM for the Kindle 2 that wasn't obfuscated. I think a forum search will tell you more.

08-01-2010, 04:10 PM	#24
zetareticuli Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 228 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Aztak Mentor	Haven't been able to find it after searching for more than 1 hour. It would be great if you could find it and share it. Thanks for the information.

11-11-2010, 11:18 AM	#25
Kindle3w_Pdfs Enthusiast Posts: 27 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: kindle 3 wifi	Hi, I'd like to add to the pdf zoom enhancement requests that Kindlematic and Hrant posted here on 8-1-2010. I'm not sure where the best place to post them is, so I'm posting them here. - A 2-stage crop: The optional first stage would allow the user to manually set crop borders that would be (saved and) restored each time the user reads that particular pdf file, to allow the user to crop away wasteful repetitive items such as headers and footers. The second stage would automatically crop away whatever white space bounds whatever remains after the first stage. - Smarter automatic cropping that recognizes when the reader is in a zoom mode that is displaying part or all of the top, middle or bottom section of a page. (Typically in landscape mode.) Automatic cropping of white space should be handled on a per-section basis, rather than a per-page basis, to allow some sections to fit entirely within the screen width even when another section on that page has content that is wider. Wider sections would still require the user to pan right or left to see all of them, but narrower sections that fit if smartly cropped would no longer require panning. As a result, fewer paragraphs would be split into a left portion and a right portion, so the user would no longer need to pan right and left for each line of each paragraph. (For examples of books that would benefit considerably, look at the Head First series published by O'Reilly.) - Smarter automatic cropping that would recognize and optionally crop away patterns that repeat on most pages of the book (i.e., wasteful headers and/or footers). For efficiency, the software could save the crop parameters on a per pdf file basis, and restore them each time that particular pdf file is opened. Also, the software could calculate the crop parameters using a lower priority background process so as not to slow down the user's reading experience. (If this feature is implemented, then the 2-stage crop feature described above would not be needed.) Thanks for considering these.

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