This article was taken from the November 2011 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
The literary icons who grace the Kindle's screensaver surely deserve their place: Milton, Steinbeck, Brontë and, ahem, a Kindle feedback request. But what if you want to celebrate, in glorious e-ink, those writers who didn't make Amazon's cut? You can in fact import any image to use as a Kindle screensaver -- if you jailbreak your device. Doing so may void your warranty, but if you're feeling brave, here's how to do it.
1. DOWNLOAD THE JAILBREAK FILE
Download the zip file (K3GB is for the 3G UK Kindle; K2i the international model). Plug your Kindle into your computer.
2. INSTALL, THEN UPDATE
Load the file into the Kindle's root directory. Disconnect the Kindle, go to its home page, and click: Menu > Settings >
Update Your Kindle > OK.
3. ADD THE IMAGE FOLDERS
Your Kindle will restart after the file has installed. Now download this zip and inside find the file appropriate for your Kindle model.
4. CREATE THE DIRECTORY
Connect your Kindle to your computer. Copy the "ss bin" file to the Kindle directory and the "linkss" folder to the root file.
Unplug and update the Kindle.
5. LOAD YOUR IMAGES
Connect the Kindle to your computer. Drag your image files into:
Root Directory > linkss to make them appear on the Kindle as a screensaver.
6. GET THE RES RIGHT
Screensaver resolution is 824 x 1,200 for the newest Kindles.
Put your images in 8-bit grayscale and save as either .jpg or
.png.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
