How to hack a Sony Reader

Tweaks made easy

Rather than reproduce all the code here – which is essentially JavaScript wrapped in XML – the best way to learn is by looking at it in detail. The MobileRead forums include a development corner for the Sony Readers, where you can find lots of hacks. And, more usefully, you can find a way to apply many of these without having to get your hands dirty using XML or programming in JavaScript.

PRS Customizer lets you tweak your Reader by ticking a few checkboxes

PRS Customizer is a tool for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux which makes it much much simpler to apply some of the common customisations to your Reader.

All you have to do is tick the options you require, fill in any details you want for personalising the About screen, and then click the Customize button. A folder called sdcard will be populated with all the files necessary to re-flash your reader, including a copy of the Universal Flasher, so you don’t even need to download that separately. There are three alternative icon sets included with PRS Customizer, if you want a change from the Sony ones, and don’t fancy creating some yourself from scratch.

Alternative icon sets are included with PRS Customizer

If you want to find out more about the reader, the forums at MobileRead are well worth exploring, and you can also download some of the additional applications that have been written to run from the SD card slot. ®