diff --git a/Adafruit_ILI9341/ILI9341.py b/Adafruit_ILI9341/ILI9341.py
index 8892e69..4db606c 100644
--- a/Adafruit_ILI9341/ILI9341.py
+++ b/Adafruit_ILI9341/ILI9341.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 # THE SOFTWARE.
 import numbers
 import time
+import numpy
 
 import Image
 import ImageDraw
@@ -105,15 +106,11 @@ def color565(r, g, b):
 
 def image_to_data(image):
 	"""Generator function to convert a PIL image to 16-bit 565 RGB bytes."""
-	pixels = image.convert('RGB').load()
-	width, height = image.size
-	for y in range(height):
-		for x in range(width):
-			r,g,b = pixels[(x,y)]
-			color = color565(r, g, b)
-			yield (color >> 8) & 0xFF
-			yield color & 0xFF
-
+	#NumPy is much faster at doing this. NumPy code provided by:
+	#Keith (https://www.blogger.com/profile/02555547344016007163)
+	pb = np.array(image.convert('RGB')).astype('uint16')
+	color = ((pb[:,:,0] & 0xF8) << 8) | ((pb[:,:,1] & 0xFC) << 3) | (pb[:,:,2] >> 3)
+	return np.dstack(((color >> 8) & 0xFF, color & 0xFF)).flatten().tolist()
 
 class ILI9341(object):
 	"""Representation of an ILI9341 TFT LCD."""
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d187380..b612699 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ For all platforms (Raspberry Pi and Beaglebone Black) make sure you have the fol
 
 ````
 sudo apt-get update
-sudo apt-get install build-essential python-dev python-smbus python-pip python-imaging
+sudo apt-get install build-essential python-dev python-smbus python-pip python-imaging python-numpy
 ````
 
 For a Raspberry Pi make sure you have the RPi.GPIO library by executing:
diff --git a/examples/image_timed.py b/examples/image_timed.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70106f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/image_timed.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2014 Adafruit Industries
+# Author: Tony DiCola
+#
+# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+# of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+# in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+# to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+# copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+# furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+#
+# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+# all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+#
+# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+# AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+# LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+# OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+# THE SOFTWARE.
+import Image
+import time
+import Adafruit_ILI9341 as TFT
+import Adafruit_GPIO as GPIO
+import Adafruit_GPIO.SPI as SPI
+
+
+# Raspberry Pi configuration.
+#DC = 18
+#RST = 23
+#SPI_PORT = 0
+#SPI_DEVICE = 0
+
+# BeagleBone Black configuration.
+DC = 'P9_15'
+RST = 'P9_12'
+SPI_PORT = 1
+SPI_DEVICE = 0
+
+# Create TFT LCD display class.
+disp = TFT.ILI9341(DC, rst=RST, spi=SPI.SpiDev(SPI_PORT, SPI_DEVICE, max_speed_hz=64000000))
+
+# Initialize display.
+disp.begin()
+
+# Load an image.
+print 'Loading image...'
+image = Image.open('cat.jpg')
+
+# Resize the image and rotate it so it's 240x320 pixels.
+image = image.rotate(90).resize((240, 320))
+
+print 'Press Ctrl-C to exit'
+while(True):
+    # Draw the image on the display hardware.
+    print 'Drawing image'
+    start_time = time.time()
+    disp.display(image)
+    end_time = time.time()
+    print 'Time to draw image: ' + str(end_time - start_time)
+    disp.clear((0, 0, 0))
+    disp.display()