Unofficial Qt Environment (and Sudoku) For the Kindle 36
An anonymous reader writes "I've just posted packages for installing a Qt-based platform on the Kindle 2 and DX devices, and a Sudoku game to go along with it. The Qt-based platform includes plugins I wrote for the e-ink display, the keyboard, and the five-way joystick thing — so it's a fully interactive and usable environment now. Soon I'll be adding a sample app with source code to go along with it."
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What better way of demonstrating this than by looking at the hidden messages contained within the names of some of Linux's most outspoken advocates:
I see your point; the fact that your whose name is an anagram for "a cosy round woman" only reinforces it.
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This is my favorite troll. Everybody should read it at least once.
Is that why you posted it?
Seriously though, it was a lot better in the Katz era. Now that he's gone, not only can the masses rest a little easier, but he's not Slashdot's resident anything.
Oh yeh... (Score:1, Funny)
It suks duko.
sudOkU (Score:3, Informative)
It is sudoku, you retards
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This is sladshot, what do you expect?
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This is sladshot, what do you expect?
I except prefection!
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I expect slashdotters to know their Japanese words. But you have a point; it's not like sudoku appears a lot in tentacle rape hentai.
Does it do anything for refresh rate? (Score:5, Interesting)
I checked a Kindle out of my college library and the WhisperNet browser was better than I had expected. I set up a textarea form on my server, and tested taking notes with it.
The only problem was that each letter would appear on its own refresh cycle (at about 1Hz). While it took me 51 seconds to type out a short paragraph, the K2 was locked up for another 60 seconds while each letter appeared one after the other.
It was clear that the string was saved to a buffer (because I *didn't* have to wait for each letter to appear before typing the next), and I know the refresh rate is just a limitation of e-ink, but it seems an alternative environment could display multiple characters with each refresh.
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sounds like a coding bug, I can't see why they couldn't display all the characters currently in the buffer instead of 1 character at a time.
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Re:Does it do anything for refresh rate? (Score:5, Informative)
I just tested it again and it appears to be an issue only in the browser. When I add a note to an e-book, the screen keeps up fairly well. But when I type a long comment into a textarea on a webpage, it keeps up for the first few words and then slows to a crawl.
So, yeah, probably a bug in the code.
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If only the Kindle developers had heard of Nagle's algorithm [wikipedia.org] which addressed an almost identical problem in TCP in 1984.
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Is it still subject to a patent or copyright?
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> Is it still subject to a patent or copyright?
no, because it's not a book, music or movie. Those are the only things with IP value.
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It is not subject to any patents, because even if he had patented it in the US, the patent would have expired.
The algorithm's description is copyrighted, of course, but that doesn't stop anyone implementing it (although it would be interesting to try to argue that an implementation of a published algorithm is a derivative work, I doubt that has any legal validity).
Not sure about the conditions of use (Score:2, Insightful)
ACCEPTABLE USES: The Sudoku! Free Edition game is for personal use only, do not redistribute it. The Qt platform proof-of-concept plugins can be used with your own Kindle apps, personal or commercial.
HOSTING: Please do not re-host the install packages for the Qt platform except temporarily on the occasion that this site is not accessible. Refer people to this site instead. The uninstall packages can be re-hosted without limitations (to assist in any recovery, if it's ever required).
If he is trying to develop a commercial environment for the kindle, then he is going about it in a strange way.
rationale (Score:4, Informative)
The platform itself is not supposed to be commercial/closed. I'll drop that hosting request as soon as enough people have tried it and I know it doesn't brick a whole lot of Kindles. This way I can easily change the packages and fix something if it goes wrong. Also, if Amazon gets crazy nasty and starts banning everyone who installs it, then I can properly warn people if that starts to happen.
I was only able to test it on two Kindles, after all... and not for very long on the Kindle 2 (which most people probably have).
As for the Sudoku game, I was hoping to do the standard iPhone app-like demo version + paid version later. If nobody cares, or if Amazon decides to play rough... I won't sell the paid version. I don't need that kind of trouble. If the legal stuff looks a little weird, give me a little break, here... I could potentially get in a lot of trouble with this. I'm pretty conflicted ATM.
Amazon's announcement of their own official 'KDK' in the works messes with my plans somewhat. :) Don't get me wrong, the fact that Amazon is going to be providing that is awesome. I was hoping to prove there's a good amount of interest in it and also (if I was really lucky) push any SDK to use Qt instead of Java. (and maybe make a little money as the first real app for it in the process) ... I can't believe Amazon's first app idea is Sudoku. I guess it's an obvious one... but damn!
The original goal of being the basis of a future Kindle SDK look a little blown. So, I'm still figuring out where to go with it.
Someday I'll actually take the time to find my login and actually post as myself. Sorry. :)
Darron
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okay, recovered my login. This is me. I'll skip reposting the whole thing.
A question of definitions (Score:1, Insightful)
According to Wikipedia, "A personal computer (PC) is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator."
The iPad is not a personal computer, since the iPad *does* have an intervening computer operator (Apple) which defines which applications may or may not be installed on the iPad.
Since, according to the article, the Kindle is in fact "a Linux devi
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"intervening" ?
-3: Offtopic, Pedantic, and Wrong (Score:2)
no intervening computer operator.
You have to take some liberties to wedge Apple into the role traditionally known as operator in computing history, which the article is most likely referring to, and to the extent Apple fits here, Amazon does as well: they're not selling the Kindle as a general purpose device, and you have to jump through some hoops to get it to work like one.
That said, I agree the Kindle is a PC of sorts, albeit one with different strengths and weaknesses from the iPad.