diff --git a/Adafruit_LEDBackpack/Adafruit_7Segment.py b/Adafruit_LEDBackpack/Adafruit_7Segment.py
index f5965404..232c4ce0 100644
--- a/Adafruit_LEDBackpack/Adafruit_7Segment.py
+++ b/Adafruit_LEDBackpack/Adafruit_7Segment.py
@@ -13,21 +13,50 @@
 
 class SevenSegment:
   disp = None
+
+  # Some 7Segment-Display have several different colons, e.g. the
+  # 1,2" display. To seperately control such different colons
+  # use the following values where applicable:
+  #
+  # 0x00 - nothing
+  # 0x02 - center colon
+  # 0x04 - left colon - upper dot
+  # 0x08 - left colon - lower dot
+  # 0x10 - decimal point
+  # 0xFFFF - everything (default)
+  mask_colons = 0xFFFF
  
   # Hexadecimal character lookup table (row 1 = 0..9, row 2 = A..F)
-  digits = [ 0x3F, 0x06, 0x5B, 0x4F, 0x66, 0x6D, 0x7D, 0x07, 0x7F, 0x6F, \
-             0x77, 0x7C, 0x39, 0x5E, 0x79, 0x71 ]
-
+  DIGITS_NORMAL = [ 0x3F, 0x06, 0x5B, 0x4F, 0x66, 0x6D, 0x7D, 0x07, 0x7F, 0x6F, \
+                    0x77, 0x7C, 0x39, 0x5E, 0x79, 0x71 ]
+  # inverted table from https://github.com/tomgidden/Adafruit-Raspberry-Pi-Python-Code/commit/87bed18ecc8e251f3c10433d8a31d363dbbd355c
+  # thx to tomgidden@github for this
+  DIGITS_INVERTED = [ 0x3F, 0x30, 0x5B, 0x79, 0x74, 0x6D, 0x6F, 0x38, 0x7F, 0x7D, \
+                      0x7E, 0x67, 0x0F, 0x73, 0x4F, 0x4E ]
+  digits = DIGITS_NORMAL
+  display_inverted = False
+  
   # Constructor
   def __init__(self, address=0x70, debug=False):
     if (debug):
       print "Initializing a new instance of LEDBackpack at 0x%02X" % address
     self.disp = LEDBackpack(address=address, debug=debug)
 
+  def invertDisplay(self):
+    if (self.display_inverted): # we were inverted, so switch back to normal
+      self.digits = self.DIGITS_NORMAL
+      self.display_inverted = False
+    else:                       # we were displaying normally, so switch to inverted
+      self.digits = self.DIGITS_INVERTED
+      self.display_inverted = True
+  
   def writeDigitRaw(self, charNumber, value):
     "Sets a digit using the raw 16-bit value"
     if (charNumber > 7):
       return
+    if ((self.display_inverted) & (charNumber < 5)):
+      "if inverted we need to use reverse character positioning"
+      charNumber = 4 - charNumber
     # Set the appropriate digit
     self.disp.setBufferRow(charNumber, value)
 
@@ -37,6 +66,9 @@ def writeDigit(self, charNumber, value, dot=False):
       return
     if (value > 0xF):
       return
+    if ((self.display_inverted) & (charNumber < 5)):
+      "if inverted we need to use reverse character positioning"
+      charNumber = 4 - charNumber
     # Set the appropriate digit
     self.disp.setBufferRow(charNumber, self.digits[value] | (dot << 7))
 
@@ -45,8 +77,9 @@ def setColon(self, state=True):
     # Warning: This function assumes that the colon is character '2',
     # which is the case on 4 char displays, but may need to be modified
     # if another display type is used
+    
     if (state):
-      self.disp.setBufferRow(2, 0xFFFF)
+      self.disp.setBufferRow(2, self.mask_colons)
     else:
       self.disp.setBufferRow(2, 0)
 
diff --git a/Adafruit_LEDBackpack/ex_7segment_clock.py b/Adafruit_LEDBackpack/ex_7segment_clock.py
index 99f00ab1..5b4875a3 100644
--- a/Adafruit_LEDBackpack/ex_7segment_clock.py
+++ b/Adafruit_LEDBackpack/ex_7segment_clock.py
@@ -23,7 +23,12 @@
   # Set minutes
   segment.writeDigit(3, int(minute / 10))   # Tens
   segment.writeDigit(4, minute % 10)        # Ones
-  # Toggle colon
-  segment.setColon(second % 2)              # Toggle colon at 1Hz
-  # Wait one second
-  time.sleep(1)
+  
+  # Toggle colon(s) as configured in Adafruit_7Segment.py
+  # every second (by using even seconds vs. odd seconds)
+  if (second % 2 == 0):                 # reminder = 0 -> even second
+    segment.setColon(0)                 # turn colons off
+  else:                                 # reminder != 0 -> odd second
+    segment.setColon(1)                 # turn colons on
+  
+  time.sleep(1)                             # Wait one second