The Verge - Sony Reader hacked to run full Android

Hacked Sony Reader can run partial refresh mode for smoother E Ink transitions

2012-01-16T15:45:46Z

The recently-released Sony PRS-T1 ereader runs Android at its core, so of course hackers quickly rooted it and installed a full version of Android. However, the black-to-white screen refresh inherent in current E Ink screens makes it a poor choice for dealing with Android's scrolling lists and overall interface, but there's a way to improve the experience. With a rooted PRS-T1, there's a pretty easy way to enable partial refresh mode, which greatly reduces the black-to-white flicker that accompanies most E Ink screen transitions: just open up the browser, do a pinch-to-zoom motion a few times, and then tap the top of the screen before the E Ink display has caught up with the input. Once you're in partial refresh mode, the screen...

Sony Reader PRS-T1 hacking instructions now available

2011-10-24T19:31:55Z

A week after the Sony Reader was hacked to run full Android, the instructions for doing so are available to everyone. Instructions and files have been posted to The Electronic Book that let you root and install Android 2.2 in a few minutes; there's no Android Market access or Google apps to be found, but your new Android tablet will have apps like Dropbox and CoolReader, and you could use Dropbox to side-load the Amazon Appstore and test other apps. As you'll see in the video below, Android's not especially well-suited to an E Ink display, but luckily you can switch back and forth between Sony's interface and full Android with just a couple of taps.

Sony's Reader PRS-T1 cracked open; first Angry Birds attempt fails

2011-10-18T01:37:01Z

Despite claims from the hacking community that the Sony Reader PRS-T1 was immune to hacking because it lacked a full Android install, it appears it can indeed be modified. Hacker kuzelnik has posted a video of the e-reader running a handful of non-stock apps like Android Terminal and CoolReader, although Angry Birds didn't do so well.

It may be a while before the average user will want to try this hack -- kuzelnik notes that this software "is not ready for release yet" and that he's only successfully ran five different apps. Regardless, it's nice to see the parade of because-we-can Android hacking continue — check out kuzelnik's video below to see this hack in action.