Hacks Kindle Touch - disable special offers & change screensaver - Page 2

Touch · 12-18-2011, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCION

Yeah, I'm starting to get bitter. I was really excited about this option. The discount on the lighted cover for the Touch still hasn't shown up. Now would be the time!

You could try for this one on eBay. http://bit.ly/sR5Hh6

SCION · 12-18-2011, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Touch

You could try for this one on eBay. http://bit.ly/sR5Hh6

Thanks. I'd rather purchase something like this direct from Amazon. Sometimes the lighted covers don't work (Amazon.com reviews). It's either a problem with the case itself or the prongs on the device.

Blossom · 12-18-2011, 07:57 PM

We all need to complain to Amazon about the offers. Let them know we are not happy.

graff_king · 12-18-2011, 10:33 PM

I don't think there is a need to complain to Amazon about the ads. That is why there is an option to either buy a non-ad driven Kindle or opt out of the program. The fact that the ads save the purchaser of the device pretty much the cost of a case kind of make the ads a moot point. Plus, its a screensaver, not like it truly interferes with the reading experience. Just my 2 cents, nothing more. Been a long day of people feeling entitled and has grated my nerves, especially considering it is the holidays. Enjoy what you have, there are many who are going without

Morpheus Phreak · 12-19-2011, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImpressedSkeptic

And so the $30 is essentially a fee to continue getting updates. It's not a moral choice, it's an economic one. I'd like my product not to become obsolete when Amazon updates the software, so I will pay the fee.

No, it's most definitely a moral one.

They offer models with the 'Special Offers' and models without the 'Special Offers'.

The models with SO are sold at a lower price. Buying a Kindle at the lower price and then modifying the software to bypass the offers is bad from a moral standpoint.

That's why Amazon offers the ability to just pay the difference and have them removed. It's a sort of...hmm...I don't like the SO after all...should have paid for the regular model...oh wait I can just pay the difference and poof done.

It's there as a convenience for both the customer and Amazon.

tubemonkey · 12-19-2011, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graff_king

I don't think there is a need to complain to Amazon about the ads.

It's not about the ads; it's about the offers. They're getting progressively worse and non-exclusive, while the ads have been increasing. That's a major shift in the program. It's time for Amazon to lay its cards on the table so prospective buyers can make an informed purchase.

markbot · 12-19-2011, 08:35 PM

I actually think the special offers are saving me money. So far I have saved $5 on a bluray. I actually update the offers every so often so i can browse them. The offers are A LOT better than the old ugly screen savers on my DX.

alvareo · 12-19-2011, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImpressedSkeptic

Glad to see this thread. Just got my Kindle Touch today (yay for Christmas, thanks mom!) and was a little disappointed to see the ads, as I didn't know there were ads were on Kindles (I guess why wouldn't there be though, right?). Not that the ads are the end of the world, but it's not like they handed out the Kindle for free. I (or in this case my parents) paid for it, why should I look at ads?

Because there are two editions for Kindles, and one of them has "Special Offers" (ads) for a lower ($30-40) price. The one your mum got was the one with the special offers.

tomsem · 12-20-2011, 01:29 AM

The offers I've accepted so far have been okay, but I've probably accepted fewer than 1 in 10. As time goes by, that ratio may go down, maybe even to zero, but I don't regret choosing a KSO: money not spent is money I still have. The ads don't bother me at all, I barely notice them.

I suspect that the SO Kindles outsell the non-SO Kindles by several hundred percent. The 3rd party ad revenue probably more than offsets the lower price and cost of Amazon discounts and offers. Perhaps the non-SOs are even priced artificially high to drive sales at the lower price point. At least they seem that way to me.

Pricing strategy often includes models which aren't intended to sell at volume, or even be particularly profitable, but are there to make some other, more profitable model seem more attractive. Apple is notorious for this, but usually it is the entry level offer that is used to sell higher priced, more profitable models.

kindle19 · 12-21-2011, 12:14 AM

xxxxxx

richf · 12-24-2011, 04:05 AM

I tried the instructions here wrt replacing the ad screensavers with one of my own, and it worked. Mostly. The ads went away, but about a week or so later, I woke up in the morning to discover the Kindle displaying an ad again.

One step in the instructions didn't work, and I was suspicious at the time, and this is probably why. It's the following instruction in step 6:

chmod -w /mnt/us/system/.assets

EVERY file (even if it's not an executable) in /mnt/us has permissions 755 (i.e. rwxr-xr-x). You can't change this with chmod. I'm not entirely positive right now if this is a limitation of the vfat filesystem, or the mount options, or both.

For this filesystem, /etc/fstab has:
/dev/loop/0 /mnt/base-us vfat defaults,noatime,nodiratime,utf8,noexec,shortname= mixed 0 0

which results in a mounted entry in /etc/mtab of:
/dev/loop/0 /mnt/base-us vfat rw,noexec,noatime,nodiratime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022 ,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0

And I think it's the mask's of 0022 that are the problem. I tried setting the umask for the process to 0222, but the filesystem mask seems to take precedence.

This post:
http://superuser.com/questions/13443...in-ubuntu-9-10
Seems to suggest that if the fmask and dmask options in /etc/fstab were more fully specified (and not using "defaults"), that that might be a workaround.

But I tried something else first, before I found that possible solution, so I'll only try that if the other solution fails. (Although if someone else tries it, I encourage them to post results.)

Anyway, I believe that the update that suggests blocking DNS resolution of adpublisher.s3.amazon.com is somewhat in error. I can't get that host to resolve at all. I believe the proper address is likely adpublisher.s3.amazonaws.com. This is from:
http://www.pierotoffanin.com/2011/12...le-4-for-free/
which was the 2nd google result when I searched for the other address.

If you block it at your router, that solution will only work if you never enable wifi when connected to any other router.

What I tried instead was to always route this on the kindle to a bogus address, by adding the following line to /etc/hosts:
0.0.0.0 adpublisher.s3.amazonaws.com

vi is included and can be used to edit the file. Note that you will first need to make the root filesystem rw *before* you invoke vi, with:
mntroot rw

I suspect it would revert on a reboot, but when you're done, it's probably a good idea to put it back to ro with:
mntroot ro

Sorry if this isn't written in the most user friendly way. It's a little late at night right now for me to go about explaining unix permissions, mounts, filesystems, how dns works, and/or how to use vi for anyone that doesn't know. (And it would make this post even longer than it already is.) Someone else can explain any relevant parts. Or just google for "vi cheatsheet", since if this solution works, it's only really the part at the end that matters, you don't really need to understand why.

Oh, and for the naysayers here, I have absolutely no moral qualms about getting rid of the ads. I did not buy this for myself, it was given to me. So I never agreed to receive the ads, and I would never agree to this. I consider the Kindle a reasonably okay thing to have, and I don't mind having it for free, but it's not anything that I ever would have gone out and bought for myself, not even for the $30 that it would cost me to get amazon to stop force feeding me ads.

eliter1 · 12-27-2011, 09:30 PM

I want to have my own screensavers but I would like to keep the banner at the bottom of the screen. I have no problem with the ads but I don't see why I shouldn't be able to choose the screensaver and still keep the ads. If someone know of a way to do this please point me in the right direction.

alvareo · 12-30-2011, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richf

but it's not anything that I ever would have gone out and bought for myself, not even for the $30 that it would cost me to get amazon to stop force feeding me ads.

No one is "forcing" anything. There are two different editions, and the one that was given to you has the ads, and that's something the buyer chooses.

HarryT · 12-30-2011, 04:08 AM

The MobileRead Moderating Team VERY STRONGLY DISAPPROVES of the practice of removing ads in this way, and would encourage those who wish to remove the ads to do so using the facility that Amazon provides.

dmcounts · 12-30-2011, 06:41 PM

My K3 3G/WIFI did not come with the Special Offers but Amazon is offering me the option of getting them for free.

For those who do have the special offers how is blocking them any different than blocking the popups on webpages with a popup blocker?

Both are designed as a revenue enhancer.

When Amazon offered the popups...sorry, the "Special Offers" for free it changed my mind on the question of removing them if a person wished.

don

12-21-2011, 12:14 AM	#25
kindle19 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: kindle	xxxxxx Last edited by kindle19; 12-21-2011 at 12:19 AM.

12-24-2011, 04:05 AM	#26
richf Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kindle Touch	chmod doesn't work, ad address is wrong, possible /etc/hosts workaround I tried the instructions here wrt replacing the ad screensavers with one of my own, and it worked. Mostly. The ads went away, but about a week or so later, I woke up in the morning to discover the Kindle displaying an ad again. One step in the instructions didn't work, and I was suspicious at the time, and this is probably why. It's the following instruction in step 6: chmod -w /mnt/us/system/.assets EVERY file (even if it's not an executable) in /mnt/us has permissions 755 (i.e. rwxr-xr-x). You can't change this with chmod. I'm not entirely positive right now if this is a limitation of the vfat filesystem, or the mount options, or both. For this filesystem, /etc/fstab has: /dev/loop/0 /mnt/base-us vfat defaults,noatime,nodiratime,utf8,noexec,shortname= mixed 0 0 which results in a mounted entry in /etc/mtab of: /dev/loop/0 /mnt/base-us vfat rw,noexec,noatime,nodiratime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022 ,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0 And I think it's the mask's of 0022 that are the problem. I tried setting the umask for the process to 0222, but the filesystem mask seems to take precedence. This post: http://superuser.com/questions/13443...in-ubuntu-9-10 Seems to suggest that if the fmask and dmask options in /etc/fstab were more fully specified (and not using "defaults"), that that might be a workaround. But I tried something else first, before I found that possible solution, so I'll only try that if the other solution fails. (Although if someone else tries it, I encourage them to post results.) Anyway, I believe that the update that suggests blocking DNS resolution of adpublisher.s3.amazon.com is somewhat in error. I can't get that host to resolve at all. I believe the proper address is likely adpublisher.s3.amazonaws.com. This is from: http://www.pierotoffanin.com/2011/12...le-4-for-free/ which was the 2nd google result when I searched for the other address. If you block it at your router, that solution will only work if you never enable wifi when connected to any other router. What I tried instead was to always route this on the kindle to a bogus address, by adding the following line to /etc/hosts: 0.0.0.0 adpublisher.s3.amazonaws.com vi is included and can be used to edit the file. Note that you will first need to make the root filesystem rw before you invoke vi, with: mntroot rw I suspect it would revert on a reboot, but when you're done, it's probably a good idea to put it back to ro with: mntroot ro Sorry if this isn't written in the most user friendly way. It's a little late at night right now for me to go about explaining unix permissions, mounts, filesystems, how dns works, and/or how to use vi for anyone that doesn't know. (And it would make this post even longer than it already is.) Someone else can explain any relevant parts. Or just google for "vi cheatsheet", since if this solution works, it's only really the part at the end that matters, you don't really need to understand why. Oh, and for the naysayers here, I have absolutely no moral qualms about getting rid of the ads. I did not buy this for myself, it was given to me. So I never agreed to receive the ads, and I would never agree to this. I consider the Kindle a reasonably okay thing to have, and I don't mind having it for free, but it's not anything that I ever would have gone out and bought for myself, not even for the $30 that it would cost me to get amazon to stop force feeding me ads.

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12-18-2011, 07:57 PM	#18
Blossom Treasure Seeker Posts: 18,708 Karma: 26026435 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Kobo HD Glo, Kindles, Kindle Fires, Andriod Devices	We all need to complain to Amazon about the offers. Let them know we are not happy.

12-18-2011, 10:33 PM	#19
graff_king Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 1600 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: PA Device: Nook STR, Kindle 3 wifi, i4s, htc evo, BB 9810, moto xoom,NC	I don't think there is a need to complain to Amazon about the ads. That is why there is an option to either buy a non-ad driven Kindle or opt out of the program. The fact that the ads save the purchaser of the device pretty much the cost of a case kind of make the ads a moot point. Plus, its a screensaver, not like it truly interferes with the reading experience. Just my 2 cents, nothing more. Been a long day of people feeling entitled and has grated my nerves, especially considering it is the holidays. Enjoy what you have, there are many who are going without

12-19-2011, 08:35 PM	#22
markbot Guru Posts: 612 Karma: 7511929 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New York, NY Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2	I actually think the special offers are saving me money. So far I have saved $5 on a bluray. I actually update the offers every so often so i can browse them. The offers are A LOT better than the old ugly screen savers on my DX.

12-20-2011, 01:29 AM	#24
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,464 Karma: 25996225 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	The offers I've accepted so far have been okay, but I've probably accepted fewer than 1 in 10. As time goes by, that ratio may go down, maybe even to zero, but I don't regret choosing a KSO: money not spent is money I still have. The ads don't bother me at all, I barely notice them. I suspect that the SO Kindles outsell the non-SO Kindles by several hundred percent. The 3rd party ad revenue probably more than offsets the lower price and cost of Amazon discounts and offers. Perhaps the non-SOs are even priced artificially high to drive sales at the lower price point. At least they seem that way to me. Pricing strategy often includes models which aren't intended to sell at volume, or even be particularly profitable, but are there to make some other, more profitable model seem more attractive. Apple is notorious for this, but usually it is the entry level offer that is used to sell higher priced, more profitable models.

12-27-2011, 09:30 PM	#27
eliter1 Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kindle Touch w/SO	I want to have my own screensavers but I would like to keep the banner at the bottom of the screen. I have no problem with the ads but I don't see why I shouldn't be able to choose the screensaver and still keep the ads. If someone know of a way to do this please point me in the right direction.

12-30-2011, 04:08 AM	#29
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The MobileRead Moderating Team VERY STRONGLY DISAPPROVES of the practice of removing ads in this way, and would encourage those who wish to remove the ads to do so using the facility that Amazon provides.

12-30-2011, 06:41 PM	#30
dmcounts Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 5140 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Florida Panhandle Device: K2, K3-3G/WIFI	My K3 3G/WIFI did not come with the Special Offers but Amazon is offering me the option of getting them for free. For those who do have the special offers how is blocking them any different than blocking the popups on webpages with a popup blocker? Both are designed as a revenue enhancer. When Amazon offered the popups...sorry, the "Special Offers" for free it changed my mind on the question of removing them if a person wished. don

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