The Kindle e-reader has been there for quite some time now, having been released back in 2007. What that means, those who have bought subsequent models of the e-reader may be left with older models lying around with them. They may not be of much use to them anymore even though they are still functional. However, instead of throwing them off, here are some ways, as MUO pointed out, those can still be made functional.
Read on to find out how the old Kindle in your home can still be of worth to you. However, before getting started on this, here is a word of caution. Most of the projects described here require some modifications to the Kindle, albeit minor ones. Also, almost always the software will need to be jailbroken to overcome restrictions imposed by the manufacturer. Any hardware level changes will be minor at best and will require adding electronic components such as an Arduino. One won’t need extensive hardware or software level expertise to get started with the projects described here.
So, let’s get started.
1. Literary Clock Kindle Display
This perhaps is the next best thing to do with an old and used Kindle other than reading off it. Also, there isn’t just the time that is shown but a quote also gets displayed from a book every minute. All of this might sound intimidating for the novice users though fortunately, Japp Meijers who conceived the project has got us covered. He took most of the quotes shown by the device from a list that the Guardian newspaper had compiled and fed those to a script he wrote.
Further, Meijers used a Kindle 3 Wi-Fi model for the Literary Clock project, the one that came with a keyboard and was introduced in 2010. You can use the same for this project though many said they have been successful in implementing the project on later generation touchscreen models of the Kindle as well. The end-user will just need to install the script after jailbreaking the Kindle, the instructions for which have all been provided.
2. Kindle Fridge Message Board
An old kindle device attached to the fridge can serve as an excellent message board to send fun e-mail messages. This way, it can be a nice way to make good of a device that might have become redundant. Anyone with the e-mail id of the device will be able to send messages which will be displayed till the time the next e-mail comes in. Also, the entire setup might seem a bit complicated since it requires running a web server on a Raspberry Pi though Peter Vojtek who conceived the project has provided detailed instructions on his website and can in fact be quite simple to implement. This way, not only do you get to make good use of the old Kindle but can liven up the fridge as well.
3. Kindle Music Reader
Who might have thought an old Kindle can be turned into a music reading device though that is exactly what the project envisages. The process is simple too as it needs an ESP8266 for implementing wireless connectivity, besides installing some software after jailbreaking the Kindle. All of the steps are detailed on the project page and the Kindle can be the perfect music reader that you have always wanted. You will be saved from investing in an iPad for the same, which not only is way more expensive but won’t be as eye-friendly as the Kindle is.
4. Smart Home Display
Who might have thought it is an old Kindle device that lies underneath the Smart Home Display, one that can show weather info, calendar events, upcoming deliveries, notes, and other pieces of info, the things that project developer Matt Healy wanted the device to pull off. The implementation was simple as it just needed to take a screenshot from a website every minute and display the same on the Kindle.
Matt used a Kindle 4 device for the project which only needed to be jailbroken and does not require the addition of any specialized hardware unit. You just have to follow the instruction provided and that’s it, the old Kindle that wasn’t of much use till the other day can now be a much-needed Smart Home Display showing important information all the while.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.