Put a reward/info box on your lockscreen wallpaper for lost pb's

What triggered this idea was that in a thread, someone posted that someone who had found a lost pb was able to find info in the various files to locate the original owner. But then it became apparent that if the pb was password protected, a "finder" could not be able to easily identify the owner.

A similiar issue had arisen on kindle forums. So I edited my wallpapers on a rooted kindle and added a reward box with email address. Last week I did the same to my pb.

I used the free, easily obtained irfanview to merely paste a text box just off the left of the PASSWORD prompt box (and I just realized it does not show in portrait mode - oh, well, hopefully someone who finds it will move it around a bit). While this one shows a bit opaque, the original is like the word REWARD, see-through.

There is the drawback that your email address will be displayed to anyone who looks at your pb while the homescreen is showing minimum icons. I guess you could signup for a quickie email address for this purpose.

Here's what happens when you open the pb with a password

What a cool idea! It can be used to put the contact details of owner too!
I have a problem though, whenever i try to use my own wallpaper, the PB blows it out of proportion somehow (It doesn't work the same way as setting wallpaper in the bb).
How to rectify this problem?? :(

Make the wallpaper 1024x1024

Nice; now, if one of our resident app developers would develop an app for just that, replete with icon, I'd buy it. ;)

I did have to experiment with placement since you are right - the wallpaper changes size. I had the wallpaper on the pb, so I was able to just see what part of the photo would show near that corner when I added the text box. I tweaked once or twice using a new copy each time. So in this case, I saw there the CLOUD was and the boat MASTS were and judged accordingly.

Again, it is somewhat of a kludge but until rim provides a way to identify owner on the "cover screen" it may work.

Too bad you cannot have a 'personal message' on the lock screen like the BlackBerry phones, as it would serve this purpose just the same.

I like your idea though!

Originally Posted by BrizzadMan

Too bad you cannot have a 'personal message' on the lock screen like the BlackBerry phones, as it would serve this purpose just the same.

I like your idea though!

Love the PB but I do wish they had all the functionality of a BB phone in addition to the tablet enhancements.

OP, great idea to alter the wallpaper like that. I'm gonna use it!

Ohlol that's a good idea though, here is what i have done. I have a writed down a little note with my phonenumber email-adress.
And a rewardsuggestion and more i put the note between the OEM-Softshell and the PlayBook,
near the audio headjack where you clearly can see a little bit of the note itself, so the finder will mostly try to,
open the case if he sees a little paper between the jack/case/playbook.
But a personal message on the lockscreen would be lovely indeed.

That's a nice picture by the way. Looks like Seattle? Lake Washington?

Originally Posted by ody360

That's a nice picture by the way. Looks like Seattle? Lake Washington?

Lake Union taken near the Rowing Club's area at the northwestern corner. Taken with the pb on a bike ride back from Shilshole. I had posted it in one of the occasional, what I did with my pb weekend photo threads and someone mentioned it would be a nice wallpaper. I am still thinking of going back to Larch Trees over in the Lake Wenatchee area for my wallpaper.

Or you can just take white-out and write your contact information on the back of the device. :o

http://crackberry.com/blackberry-pla...zing-explained

http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...-fancy-704974/
:)

Hi. sorry but i think i'm missing something here. i get how to place the text on the wallpaper, but does that mean its always going to be on the home screen, even when my PB is not locked? can you set a seperate wallpaper for the lock screen?

Originally Posted by ollabuschagne

Hi. sorry but i think i'm missing something here. i get how to place the text on the wallpaper, but does that mean its always going to be on the home screen, even when my PB is not locked? can you set a seperate wallpaper for the lock screen?

As far as I understand your question, the contact info will be on the screen regardless of whether the PB is locked or not. It will just be embedded into the wallpaper itself.

By the way, what I usually do is put a sticker with my contact info on my most valuable things.

There is also a paid service, that some of you may find useful:

TrackItBack

Hope the next update will bring separate wallpaper for home screen and lock screen.
I knew this because on my SGT, you can choose two different images for that.

Hmmm, I just tape my business card to the back of my PB like I do many of my other portable items including my laptop and phone, tacky maybe but it got my phone returned promptly once a few years back. I even have a business card taped on my Trek in case it gets stolen and an honest person sees the card. It has my work address, phone number, email and cell number on it with the word REWARD written on it.

Buddy of mine used to take a pocket knife and scratch his name into everything he owned. I mean everything. You could pick up anything in his house and it would have his name and phone number chiseled into the back. If it was too small for his name it would at least have his initials on it.

Yes, it does disturb the aesthetics of the wallpaper permanently. Okay, maybe a label machine is in order. Maybe I will add another image and instead the box will say "Add Label"

The business card method works even if the device is dead and the person who finds it does not have a charger, also works for items without power like a bicycle. I used to engrave (or carve my name/initials into) some of my items when I was a kid or when I was in college, even record albums, it did not stop anyone from taking them, but made them easier to identify if they were recovered. I don't like to deface anything that I may want to sell or pass along later, so I quit using those methods. I have BuddyGuard Pro for recovering, wiping or locking my phone remotely and other options besides BB Protect and it is well worth the $3.99 if you ever really need it, but even that will not work in all situations of course. Hopefully the PlayBook will have something similar soon.

Just used my label maker to put my info on back of PB.
Guess if I loose it, honesty comes into play with the finder.
Since my playbooks seldom leave my house and they get stolen the thief will already have all my info of where I live.lol

can use the wallpaper maker

http://wallpapers.crackberry.com/wallpaper/maker