Android tablet GPL compliance

Android tablet GPL compliance:

"The Android operating system is built on top of the Linux kernel and a small number of other GPL components. The GPL requires that vendors either provide the source code to the GPL components with the device, or alternatively to provide a written offer to provide the source code upon request. Many vendors fail to do this. Distributing devices without adhering to the copyright license of the associated software is copyright infringement, and doing so commercially is a criminal act in many countries.

This page attempts to list the known Android tablet (not phone) devices available, along with broad information about the chipset and whether the vendor supplies the kernel source in compliance with the license."

American English Dialects

American English Dialects:

"There are 8 major English dialect areas in North America, listed below the map at left. These are shown in blue, each with its number, on the map and in the Dialect Description Chart below, and are also outlined with blue lines on the map. The first 6 of these begin at the eastern seaboard and proceed west, reflecting western settlement patterns. 24-Aug.-2010

The many subdialects are shown in red on the map and in the chart, and are outlined with red lines on the map. All of these are listed in the margins of the map as well. 28-Aug.-"

E-Books Outsell Paper Books On Barnes & Noble's Online Store

E-Books Outsell Paper Books On Barnes & Noble's Online Store:

"Bookseller Barnes & Noble Inc. on Thursday said its line of Nook e-reading devices are the biggest-selling items in its history, and added it sold nearly 1 million e-books on Christmas Day.

The New York company said its Nookcolor e-reader, which launched eight weeks before Christmas, was its top-selling gift of the holiday season."

Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys: Missing You

Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys: Missing You:

"Just a few pointers to the words of others, acknowledging some of those pioneers and fallen champions of the science fiction realm who have boldly gone into the great beyond this past year."

Pat's Fantasy Hotlist: The Hotties: 2010 Year-End Awards

Pat's Fantasy Hotlist: The Hotties: 2010 Year-End Awards:

"Sure, we may not be as prestigious or glamorous as the Hugo, the Nebula, or the World Fantasy Awards, but winning a Hottie still means something, right!?! Well, maybe not but what the heck!?!

For the sake of posterity, I've also included my Top 10 SFF novels and the runner-up titles of the year in this post."

Are Right-Wing Libertarian Internet Trolls Getting Paid to Dumb Down Online Conversations? | Media | AlterNet

Are Right-Wing Libertarian Internet Trolls Getting Paid to Dumb Down Online Conversations? | Media | AlterNet:

"The weapon used by both state and corporate players is a technique known as astroturfing. An astroturf campaign is one that mimics spontaneous grassroots mobilizations, but which has in reality been organized. Anyone writing a comment piece in Mandarin critical of the Chinese government, for example, is likely to be bombarded with abuse by people purporting to be ordinary citizens, upset by the slurs against their country."

Best Books of 2010 (That I've Read) ~ Mad Hatter's Bookshelf & Book Review

Best Books of 2010 (That I've Read) ~ Mad Hatter's Bookshelf & Book Review:

"2010 was a bit of a revelation for me. Many of my favorite genre authors were without a new release or had them pushed off for another year, which left me looking at a lot of authors I've been meaning to try and also lots of discoveries and saw a decline in reading Epic Fantasy than in years past. 2010 also turned out to be the year of the Cross Genre book ..."

The best podcasts of 2010 | Best Of 2010 | Best of | The A.V. Club

The best podcasts of 2010 | Best Of 2010 | Best of | The A.V. Club:

"Like blogs, podcasts have become an indelible part of the media landscape over the past nine years, providing an easy creative outlet for anyone with a computer and a microphone. The A.V. Club listens to a ton of them, so we decided to round up the best we heard this year, excluding the ones that were basically podcast versions of radio shows."

Samsung's tablet: No serious regrets - Dan Gillmor - Salon.com

Samsung's tablet: No serious regrets - Dan Gillmor - Salon.com:

"As I wrote here in November, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is the first serious competitor to Apple's iPad. I've been living with this device, which I purchased, for more than a month. Bottom line: No, it's not nearly as slick a combination of hardware and software as the iPad -- no one beats Apple in this regard at the moment -- but it's vastly better than good enough."

Cheap ereaders – This site has them all! | eBookAnoid

Cheap ereaders – This site has them all! | eBookAnoid:

"Whilst researching the net for my posts on the MiGear and the Slick ereaders I came across a rather wonderful website in China. It is one of those trade ones, you know the sort, they list all the manufacturers of various products that you can buy online.

Anyhow, this one among other products has lists of ereader makers – hundreds 0f them!

So, I thought I would share it with you, as you might be interested in a very basic and cheap ereader."

Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews: 2010 Dark Wolf's Awards - Readings

Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews: 2010 Dark Wolf's Awards - Readings: "Once again my end of the year list of books that enchanted me the most throughout the last 365 days (still three days left, but that would not change my list) will be made without taking into account the year of publication, genre or length of the book. Because although I would certainly like to read more and a bit more varied (not that fantasy would not have the lion’s share of my readings) it is not always possible. 2010 was quite a busy year and the time for reading a bit cut down compared to other years. It still was an interesting year when it comes to books though and here are my favorites, linked to my full impression of the reading experience:"

New project site launched for Augen The Book e-reader

New project site launched for Augen The Book e-reader: "I’ve just heard over at MobileRead that someone is starting a project with the goal of hacking Augen’s e-reader. His long term goal is to be able to use The Book as a limited netbook computer."

Wake Up, Geek Culture. Time to Die | Magazine

Wake Up, Geek Culture. Time to Die | Magazine:

We’re on the brink of Etewaf: Everything That Ever Was—Available Forever.

"Here’s the danger: That creates weak otakus. Etewaf doesn’t produce a new generation of artists—just an army of sated consumers. Why create anything new when there’s a mountain of freshly excavated pop culture to recut, repurpose, and manipulate on your iMovie? The Shining can be remade into a comedy trailer. Both movie versions of the Joker can be sent to battle each another. The Dude is in The Matrix."

Patton Oswalt's take on culture.

The 20 Best Games of 2010 | GameLife | Wired.com

The 20 Best Games of 2010 | GameLife | Wired.com

5 E-Book Trends That Will Change the Future of Publishing | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics

5 E-Book Trends That Will Change the Future of Publishing | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics: "Philip Ruppel, the president of McGraw-Hill Professional, has an article with the above name in Mashable today."

At McGraw-Hill, we have been an active player in e-book technology dating back to devices like the RocketBook (one of the first e-book readers) that was launched more than 10 years ago. And today, e-books and e-book distribution is central to our publishing and growth strategy.
From the front lines of the e-book revolution, here are five trends I’m watching.

an-example-of-wishful-thinking-some-predictions-for-2011

The Wertzone: The Wertzone Award for Best Novel in 2010

The Wertzone: The Wertzone Award for Best Novel in 2010:

"I read 33 new releases (out of 83 book reviews overall) this year, a distinct improvement on last year (when I read 20 new releases). The cream of the crop this year:"

Amazon K2, Sharper Image Literati show up in after Christmas clearance sales

Amazon K2, Sharper Image Literati show up in after Christmas clearance sales:

"Best Buy have put the black Sharper Image Literati on sale for $50."

Apparently its a POS. But $50? C'mon! If I was in the states I'd grab this just to fiddle with Open-source firmware upgrades.

Putin Orders Russian Move To GNU/Linux - Slashdot

Putin Orders Russian Move To GNU/Linux - Slashdot:

"In America, you put in Linux.

In Soviet Russia, Putin Linux you."

Inkmesh – a rather neat ebook search “engine” 0 quick and clean

Inkmesh – a rather neat ebook search “engine” | eBookAnoid:

"“Ebook search engine to find free ebooks and compare ebook prices for the Kindle, iPhone, Nook, Sony Reader and more!”"

Pat's Fantasy Hotlist: Top 10 Speculative Fiction Titles of 2010

Pat's Fantasy Hotlist: Top 10 Speculative Fiction Titles of 2010:

"So here are my favorite reads of this last year, including both my Top 10 and the runner-up titles!"

His 11-20 runner-ups are most of my top ten.

PodCast Awards for 2010

PodCastAwards.com: "2010 Winners and Nominees from Podcast Connect Inc."
Top winners in the following categories. Follow the link for the top 10:
(my faves in bold)
Peoples Choice: Tell 'Em Steve Dave! [url] [rss]
Best Produced: Radiolab [url] [rss]
Best Video Podcast: TED [url] [rss]
Business: Career Tools [url] [rss]
Comedy: Tell 'Em Steve Dave [url] [rss]
Cultural / Arts: Decoder Ring Theatre [url] [rss]
Education: The History of Rome [url] [rss]
Entertainment: The Fringe Podcast [url] [rss]
Food and Drink: Beer Download [url] [rss]
Gaming: 4Player Podcast [url] [rss]
General: The Survival Podcast [url] [rss]
GLBT: Savage Love [url] [rss]
Health / Fitness: QuackCast [url] [rss]
Mature: WTF with Marc Maron [url] [rss]
Movies / Film: Doug Love Movies [url] [rss]
Podsafe Music: Irish & Celtic Music Podcast [url] [rss]
Politics / News: Free Talk Live.com [url] [rss]
Religion Inspiration: Atheist News Podcast [url] [rss]
Science: The Skeptics Guide to the Universe [url] [rss]
Sports: The BS Report [url] [rss]
Technology: This Week in Tech [url] [rss]
Travel: WDW Radio Show [url] [rss]

Boss Magic 8292 7″ Android Tablet - SlipperyBrick.com

Boss Magic 8292 7″ Android Tablet - SlipperyBrick.com:

"Boss Magic sounds like a finishing move that will help you beat the boss in a video game, but as it turns out, they are the makers of this $139.99 7″ Android Tablet. It must be magic, since it looks a lot like the iPad. The Boss Magic Album 7″ Android Tablet 8292 features WiFi, 2GB of memory, an SD slot, mini USB connection, and a 7″ capacitive touchscreen.

Sadly it also features just a 2 to 3 hour battery life. No info on what processor is inside or what version of Android it’s running."

Malaysia Defeats Indonesia Thanks to Laser-Shooting Soccer Fans

Malaysia Defeats Indonesia Thanks to Laser-Shooting Soccer Fans:

"As soon as the team took to the pitch, they were bombarded with lasers to the point where they literally walked off in the 54th minute."

Fantasy Book Critic: My Top 25 Novels of 2010 in Covers; 30 More 2010 Highly Recomended Novels in Covers (by Liviu Suciu)

Fantasy Book Critic: My Top 25 Novels of 2010 in Covers; 30 More 2010 Highly Recomended Novels in Covers (by Liviu Suciu):

"...my personal list of top 25 novels published in 2010 in ranked order as a collated cover post."

Getting started with an Android tablet

Getting started with an Android tablet: "So you’ve just gotten a tablet. This post is a collection of problems I’ve had with Android and questions I’ve been asked."

How To Install Apps on Android eReaders and Tablets | The eBook Reader Blog

How To Install Apps on Android eReaders and Tablets | The eBook Reader Blog: "There’s a lot to learn when first getting started with Android-powered ereaders and tablets such as the Pandigital Novel, Pocketbook IQ, Next3, or a number of other devices. Often times there aren’t any directions on how to install Android apps, so here’s a quick tutorial to get started."

PaulCornell.com: The Twelve Blogs of Christmas: Ten

PaulCornell.com: The Twelve Blogs of Christmas: Ten:

"1: Publishers have always thought that when you buy a hardback, what you're paying more for is the chance to own it on the day of publication. Paperbacks are cheaper because they come out a year later. The reading public, on the other hand, always thought what they were paying more for was the extra physical mass and quality. (Actually, a hardback costs, one publisher told me, only from 50p to a couple of pounds more to make.) So obviously publishers think an e-book, out on the day of publication, should cost the same as a hardback. And obviously the reading public think it should cost less than a paperback. From this difference in perception stem all subsequent horrors."

I don't believe this for one second. I believe you were told this, but there is no way that hardcovers are more expensive because they come out first.

Alt Text: The Best New Webcomics of 2010 | Underwire | Wired.com

Alt Text: The Best New Webcomics of 2010 | Underwire | Wired.com:

"Scenes From a Multiverse
Jon Rosenberg has been making webcomics since before anyone ever heard of The Penny Arcades and Questionable Concepts. And this year he has pelted us with a new comic, one set essentially in his own shudderingly original imagination. Plus, it gets all Web 2.0 on you, with a weekly vote for which destination to visit again the next week."

a) Scenes From a Multiverse is the best new comic this year.
b) Its Questionable Content

Hyperbole and a Half: The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas

Hyperbole and a Half: The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas:

"By the time my grandparents dropped me off at home, I had convinced myself that I needed to take matters into my own hands and reinvent the birth of Christ so that it conformed to my expectations. My parents and I lived with my maternal grandmother and my aunt, so I would have more than enough talent to work with - all I had to do was create a compelling story line.

I walked through my front door with purpose and gathered my family members in the living room to tell them about my vision. I was going to rewrite the birth of Jesus Christ and I was going to make it POP."

This sweet mix of short story and comic book artwork totally save my x-mas.

Calibre 0.7.35 released | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics

Calibre 0.7.35 released | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics: "Add a simple to use Rich text editor for comments to the edit metadata dialog.
E-book viewer: Add a right click menu item ‘Inspect’ that allows you to inspect the underlying HTML/CSS source of the currently displayed content"

Shanzai tablet of the year for 2010

Shanzai tablet of the year for 2010

Pound for pound the Herotab M802 (also know as the APAD IMX515) in my books has the best performance/price ratio (USD 209.00 at merimobiles.com), features-set AND… form factor. The 8” (4:3 aspect ratio) screen looks great and the device feels well balanced in the hand. The only real downer for me is the lack of a web cam.  If you want you can read our full tablet review here.

The People Choice Awards
The people’s choice? If you go by video views as some kind of indicator of what you guys are interested in, a full 390,000 of you watched the Eken M0017 tablet video, another 165,000 watched the 8” Eken video and the even the Moonse E70017 had over 150,000 views.

Of course the best deals will be completely different in January.

Bruce Sterling on Wikileaks - I smell BenGay and OldSpice

The Blast Shack:

"If the Internet was walking around in public, it would look and act a lot like Julian Assange. The Internet is about his age, and it doesn’t have any more care for the delicacies of profit, propriety and hierarchy than he does."

A very long article by Sterling on Wikileaks, Assange, Manning, the NSA, "cypherpunks", and Sterling's own massive ego. Some funny bits (unintentional) so its worth reading.

ScienceFiction.com Aims To Become The “TechCrunch Of Sci-Fi”

ScienceFiction.com Aims To Become The “TechCrunch Of Sci-Fi”:

"ScienceFiction.com has launched as a way for fans to access information about all things science fiction, ranging from movies, TV shows, games, books, comic books and technology.

Or, as Ruddell puts it (and not us): the “TechCrunch of Science Fiction”.

The goal of ScienceFiction.com is to offer top quality news, reviews and interviews about the world of sci-fi and fantasy."

Archos 70b e-reader available via Pre-Order, ships January 7th 2011 | Good E-Reader Blog - Electronic Reader and Tablet PC News

Archos 70b e-reader available via Pre-Order, ships January 7th 2011 | Good E-Reader Blog - Electronic Reader and Tablet PC News: "Right now the only e-Reader offering from Archos is this little unit, and the company currently has no plans to do a follow up for at least three or four months. The Android driven tablet will be running Google Android 2.1 and will NOT have access to the Google Android Market."

Kobo for Android gets an update

Kobo for Android gets an update:

"Kobo just added highlighting to their Android reading app."

Graffiti is back – for Android! | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics

Graffiti is back – for Android! | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics:

"Recently I replaced my iPhone 4 with an Android-powered Samsung Captivate. Imagine my surprise when I saw that Graffiti, yes, Palm Graffiti, is now available for Android! Access, the current owner of Graffiti, has released it and it works like a charm on my Android phone.

While not ebook related, I’m sure many of our readers grew up with Palms – that’s where I first started reading ebooks – and remember Graffiti well. I was amazed at how my “muscle memory” allowed me to complete strokes I hadn’t made in years."

Video: Herotab M10 finishes the year as Best iPad Clone for 2010

Video: Herotab M10 finishes the year as Best iPad Clone for 2010:

"... priced at USD 299.99 (as usual at merimobiles.com) its simply amazing how similar the product is to the original iPad. No doubt you could fool your friends with this one but surprise them as well with its Android implementation."

10 Sci-Fi Promises Not Yet Fulfilled By 2010

10 Sci-Fi Promises Not Yet Fulfilled By 2010: "Anyway, look at these science fiction-y type inventions of the future that were never, ever realized! Look at them and condemn the Heinleins, Bradburys and Asimovs of our world. Condemn them to a life without your precious hoverboards. Condemn them to hell, I say!"

NCBI ROFL: Top 10 most popular posts of the year! | Discoblog | Discover Magazine

NCBI ROFL: Top 10 most popular posts of the year! | Discoblog | Discover Magazine

Christmas Celebrations Around the World

Christmas Celebrations Around the World:

"Most of you are familiar with American, Canadian and English Christmas customs, which are largely the same, including Santa bringing presents that sit below a lit up tree. But have you ever wondered just how Christmas is celebrated in China, or in Finland? Whether you’re just interested in learning more about other cultures or want to incorporate some new traditions into your holiday celebrations, this article is filled with all you need to know about international Christmases."

Fantasy Book Critic: “The Lost Gate” by Orson Scott Card (Reviewed by Robert Thompson)

Fantasy Book Critic: “The Lost Gate” by Orson Scott Card (Reviewed by Robert Thompson):

"The Lost Gate introduces readers to a magic system that is over thirty years in the making and, in the author’s own words, would explain everything:

“Elves and fairies, ancient mythical gods of every Indo-European culture, ghosts and poltergeists, werewolves and trolls and golems, seven-league boots and mountains that move, talking trees and invisible people—all would be contained within it.”"

39 Degrees North: Christmas Card 2010 on Vimeo

39 Degrees North: Christmas Card 2010 on Vimeo:

"We started down a rather unconventional route for our Christmas card this year and there was simply no turning back. The pull of the dark side was just too strong.

Here's our adaptation of a wonderful poem by the fantastic Neil Gaiman."

Jenga Online

Jenga Online:

"Looking for something to amuse the kids while school is out? This online game of Jenga might be a challenge."

A simple yet elegant implementation of the game.
Good for ages 8 to 80.

Rejection Letters Received by Bestselling Authors - Would they have self-published today?

mental_floss Blog - Try, Try Again: Rejection Letters Received by Bestselling Authors:

"These best-selling authors were rejected, too, and some not very kindly. Editors, publishers and agents have made big errors in judgment, as evidenced by the list of unkind (and sometimes needlessly rude) rejections received by these famous writers."

From George Orwell and William Golding to Stephen King, some of our greatest authors have faced the dreaded rejection letter.
The rise of effective (as in you don't have to stand in the street trying to sell photocopied, hand-bound pamphlets) self-publishing will pretty much make the rejection letter a minor nuisance rather than a career ender. How the great written works will rise above the crowd in the future remains to be seen.

Google Books Ngram Viewer: Google Earth for the Written Word

Google Books Ngram Viewer: Best New Toy on the Internet:

"Google Labs recently provided the internet with a brand new toy: the Books Ngram Viewer. This “research tool” allows you to search the occurrences of words or phrases from over five million books, dating all the way back to the year 1500. Of course, Google created this graphing tool to help literary scholars view trends in literature."

Google Ngram Viewer - like Google Earth it can be used for research, or the greatest time-waster ever invented.

There are problems with the raw data. It will likely be cleaned up quicker if there are tools like Ngram to play with the data.
(Google’s word engine isn’t ready for prime time - Natalie Binder, The Binder Blog)

Are paper-book-lovers in denial? | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics

Are paper-book-lovers in denial? | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics: "But what interests me about this is just how many of these particular posts we’ve been seeing over the last few months. They’ve always been with us, even from the days when the preferred e-book device (among those few who read e-books) was the Palm Pilot, But we’ve been seeing so many of them lately (and everyone posting them seems to think he’s stumbled upon some new and original insight) that it seems almost as if the e-book has finally become popular enough that paper-book-lovers are starting to go into denial. “E-books won’t kill printed books! They’ll make them better.”"

Responses and reviews, criticism and critique at SF Novelists

Responses and reviews, criticism and critique at SF Novelists:

"To my eye, those bemoaning the “shallowness” of Internet reviews are missing an important point.

I see four general kinds of commentary on books, each of which has a different audience and a different purpose.

First are the responses, which I think many of those bemoaning the current trend (erroneously) try to interpret as reviews. A response is just one reader’s personal reaction to the book, without much attempt at context. This can be positive or negative, short or long, anything from “Meh. I couldn’t get into it.” to a thousand words on how much the reader adores the protagonist. Their purpose is simply to share, and as such, their best audience is often other people who have also read the book. After all, your reaction doesn’t mean much to me if I don’t know the thing you’re reacting to."

Must remember re-read this article every once in a while.

Is science fiction dying? - Are misleading headlines commonplace at Salon.com

Is science fiction dying? - Fiction - Salon.com:

"It seems fitting, then, at this early juncture in the new millennium, to examine some recent representative SF books of differing types and check their pulse for signs of health or illness. Does the genre continue to have new and useful things to say? Is it still intellectually and narratively interesting? Or is the genre suffering from a case, as H.G. Wells so direly phrased it, of 'mind at the end of its tether'?"

Not so much a treatise on the status of science fiction literature as a decent review by Pail DiPhillippo of some good books in the genre.

Fantasy Book Critic: "Blue and Gold" by KJ Parker (Reviewed by Liviu Suciu)

Fantasy Book Critic: "Blue and Gold" by KJ Parker (Reviewed by Liviu Suciu):

"OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS:'...In the morning I discovered the secret of changing base metal into gold. In the afternoon I murdered my wife'
...
'Blue and Gold' is packed with stuff whose true meaning becomes apparent only gradually, so I actually read it several times to get all its nuances. In a departure for the author whose novels prefer the detachment of 3rd person, 'Blue and Gold' is narrated by self-confessed liar, philosopher, writer, criminal and genius alchemist Saloninus aka Nino, former college chum and current court alchemist and brother-in-law to prince Phocas who rules the country where the action is set."

If I ever get around to finish reading The Folding Knife I might take a look at Blue and Gold and other works by Parker. I've enjoyed the detailed world building and some of the plot lines in Folding Knife are fresh and well developed. I just can't seem to care about any of the characters.

The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi - Review by Mad Hatter (I'm sold)

REVIEW | The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi ~ Mad Hatter's Bookshelf & Book Review:

"The Quantum Thief is one of the most fast paced Sci-Fi novels in recent years, which sets the mind afire with culture-building and the highly stylized scientific curiosities including a spaceship that looks like a black spider web as depicted on the UK cover."

OK. I'm sold. Going on the list.

Google eBooks: Is That All There Is?

Google eBooks: Is That All There Is?:

"Two weeks ago the Google eBookstore finally launched, and the world was briefly amazed. Google Editions, as it was known until launch, was the book world’s Duke Nukem Forever: vaporware for seven years, depending on how you count. Its actual emergence was like the birth of a unicorn. A mewling, misshapen, half-baked unicorn."

Sounds like the typical corporate malaise: more time spent in the boardroom working on mission statements and marketing plans than actually building and populating the store.

So, which eReader should you choose from the hordes available? | eBookAnoid

So, which eReader should you choose from the hordes available? | eBookAnoid: "About a year ago it was simple….. There were basically only a few eReaders to choose from, the Kindle, the Sony and that was more or less it. So choosing was not really a problem. But now….. There are literally dozens of eReaders or devices appearing, that are capable of being used as eReaders and in spite of what a lot of people are saying about the iPad killing off the dedicated eReader, more are still coming onto the market almost weekly, and as far as I can see, this trend will continue for some time yet.

So, how to choose?"

Calibre updated to 0.7.34 - gotta get it

Calibre updated to 0.7.34 | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics
The important/interesting new features, at least for me:

• Page turn animations in the e-book viewer
• EPUB Output: Add an option to flatten the EPUB file structure, specially for FBReaderJ.
• EPUB Output: Ensure all files inside the generated EPUB have unique filenames, to support broken EPUB readers like Stanza, Aldiko, FBReader and Sigil.

The page animation might be more enjoyable (combined with the new(?) ability to turn pages using the mouse wheel) if the paging worked consistently (ie first line of new page is always the line after the last line of the last page.

The Next1 and Next2 eBook Readers From Nextbook - A close call

The Next1 and Next2 eBook Readers From Nextbook | The eBook Reader Blog:

"There’s a new ebook reader company called Nextbook that has two new ereaders called the Next1 and Next2.

Both the Next1 and Next2 have 7″ color TFT screens with pixel resolutions of 800 x 480. They come with 2GB of internal memory and have micro SD card slots for memory expansion."

I was briefly tempted to pick up the Next1 on sale at XSCargo for $99. Until I did a bit or research.

Most telling were the complaints in the forums at the Home Shopping Network.

Of course, my first clue should have been that it was on sale at XSCargo - the elephant graveyard of electronics.

What Caffeine Actually Does to Your Brain

What Caffeine Actually Does to Your Brain

How Barnes & Noble Can Help Kill Itself - Another case of remote control gone wrong

How Barnes & Noble Can Help Kill Itself

Barnes and Noble has every right to try to maintain the "purity" of their e-readers by wiping out rootkit replacements of their software: its not going help them sell more e-books or e-readers. Theres a difference between trying to build a relationship with the customer and holding a gun to the customer's head and demanding "buy from me or else...".

Omnivoracious: Kill the Dead Richard Kadrey's Top 10 Books Read in 2010

Omnivoracious: Kill the Dead Richard Kadrey's Top 10 Books Read in 2010
Whatever the author of Sandman Slim is interested in is probably worth taking a looking at.

What’s wrong with e-reader reviews - why tablets may win out

What’s wrong with e-reader reviews

I agree very much with the first point. Not only are the reviews lax when it comes to reviewing the software, the e-reader manufacturer's themselves are guilty of skimping on the software feature set and documenting what they are offering.
This is the main reason why I am looking at a generic Android tablet: the reading/librarian software is open to fine tuning and innovation.

What Is SF? at SF Novelists

What Is SF? at SF Novelists:

"My own take on the question is that SF is anything where the ideas in a story are at least as important as the characters. Or any story that has rockets. My only caveat is, if the story sets out to be literary from the start, then I’m happy to let the lit crowd have it. I probably won’t like it anyway."

Another definition of SF, this time by fantasy author S.C. Butler.

Whatever voted most irritating word in poll | Reuters

Whatever voted most irritating word in poll | Reuters: "For the second consecutive year 'whatever' topped a Marist poll as the most annoying word or phrase in the English language."
Waiting to see what John Scalzi has to say about this.

Dr. Syntax: More on P- versus E-Books: Bookstores, and Printed Books, Aren't Dead. But...

Dr. Syntax: More on P- versus E-Books: Bookstores, and Printed Books, Aren't Dead. But...:

"Likewise, the printed-book-as-object, though it may become more of a luxury item, is always going to be one of the world's best gift items (including gifts to oneself, of course). And much as I like reading on my iPad, I'm always going to prefer a paperback in the bath or at the beach. For this and many other reasons, printed books are not going to disappear."

Bullerjan - Bullerjan� CLASSIC - TIMELESS QUALITY

Bullerjan - Bullerjan CLASSIC - TIMELESS QUALITY:

"Primitive fire enclosed in solid steel that is the Bullerjan. Timelessly manufactured, easy care and adaptable: the Bullerjan CLASSIC is the perfect companion for your home. It blends into the ambience of your home and opens the view of crackling fire."

Cool stove with some interesting features.

Omnivoracious: Hundred Thousand Kingdoms Author N.K. Jemisin's Top 10 Books Read in 2010

Omnivoracious: Hundred Thousand Kingdoms Author N.K. Jemisin's Top 10 Books Read in 2010: "I don't have a lot of time for reading these days, so my top ten consists mostly of books that have come out a few years before the present. (But they're all still in print, so go get 'em!) Also, though I'm a fantasy writer, I read an eclectic mix of stuff--science fiction, fantasy, horror, YA, a bit of nonfiction for worldbuilding research and fun. So my list will draw from all of these categories. These are in no particular order, note."

Best Genre Books of the Year - Long List Edition ~ Mad Hatter's Bookshelf & Book Review

Best Genre Books of the Year - Long List Edition ~ Mad Hatter's Bookshelf & Book Review: "Without further preamble here are the best, most entertaining, and original books I've read this year in no particular order."

Dolly Has Been Quietly Replicated into a Sheep Clone Army - Gearlog

Dolly Has Been Quietly Replicated into a Sheep Clone Army - Gearlog: "There's a public perception that cloned animals age prematurely, largely based on the untimely demise of Dolly. However, this may not be exactly accurate. According to Dr. Keith Campbell, one of the original Dolly scientists who also helped create this new generation, several cloned sheep have gone on to live (or are currently living) full sheepy lives well into their expected life spans.However, the general public remains largely unaware of these cases.

We've all heard how Dolly had truncated 'telomeres,' the little pieces of spare DNA on the end of chromosomes that grow shorter with age. The public perception is that these dwarfed telomeres are what led to Dolly's downfall. But the original research team would like to remind people that that Dolly came down with a lung infection, a common affliction among sheep living in closed quarters."

Canadian iBookstore approved | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics

Canadian iBookstore approved | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics: "The Ministry of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages has granted formal approval to the Canadian iBookstore, opening the door to a flood of new content from Canadian publishers and authors. While the iBookstore has already been operating and offering some — mostly US-based — paid titles along with the usual assortment of free public-domain and PDF texts, the approval is expected to boost both the offerings available to Canadian iOS device owners as well as help promote Canadian works in other countries."

The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2010 | Kirkus Book Reviews - 2 out of 15

The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2010 | Kirkus Book Reviews
I'll get around to reading 2 of the 15 listed: Side Jobs and How To Live Safely in a Science Fiction Universe. The other 13 get thrown into the subconscious pool for further consideration.

Why we love bad writing - Laura Miller - Salon.com

Why we love bad writing - Laura Miller - Salon.com
Decent little bit of condescending analysis from Salon.com. The best part of the article is the quote from a CS Lewis article on the same subject.

"... because it is immediately recognizable. 'My blood ran cold' is a hieroglyph of fear. Any attempt, such as a great writer might make, to render this fear concrete in its full particularity, is doubly a chokepear to the unliterary reader. For it offers him what he doesn't want, and offers it only on the condition of his giving to the words a kind and degree of attention which he does not intend to give. It is like trying to sell him something he has no use for at a price he does not wish to pay."

Why Isn't Backgammon More Popular? - NYTimes.com

Why Isn't Backgammon More Popular? - NYTimes.com
If its so popular then why don't we see it on TV like poker?

The Cruz Reader from Velocity Micro - Borders - Books, Music and Movies

The Cruz Reader from Velocity Micro - Borders - Books, Music and Movies
Only $110US with free shipping. $3.99 Shipping if you are a Canuck. Very tempted by this: if Borders accepted Paypal this may have been a done thing.
I especially like the 800x600 7" screen over the usual 800x480 on most of the other bargain 7" tablets/readers.
Check out Velocity Micro Cruz Reader and Cruz Tablet: Hands On from PCMag.com.

The e-readers of CES 2010: Where are they now? | CES 2011 - CNET Blogs

The e-readers of CES 2010: Where are they now? | CES 2011 - CNET Blogs:

"Quite the assortment, they looked pretty high tech when we ran this slideshow a year ago. But take a stroll today through these images and the impression you get may be a little different. This is a rogue cast of characters, a motley crew. A lucky few managed to survive and have fared well enough. Some limped their way into the marketplace but have never really made it out of the starting blocks. And several simply vanished into thin air, vaporized by the iPad and the price cuts to the Nook and Kindle.

It's a mostly sad tale. Have a look."

Shocker! Internet use now ties TV in time spent avoiding outdoor activity -- Engadget

Shocker! Internet use now ties TV in time spent avoiding outdoor activity -- Engadget:

"internet use has also risen to 13 hours weekly, a veritable tie to which we naturally reply, 'what took it so long?' This number represents a 121 percent uptake in the past five years"

Is this a typo? Is it 13 hours a week or 13 hours a day?

Marketers ponder advertising in e-books | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics

Marketers ponder advertising in e-books | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics:

"The article looks at Wowio’s advertising practices, including a deal with Fandango to advertise the Jack Black movie adaptation of Gulliver’s Travels using Jonathan Swift’s book, and Scribd and ScrollMotion’s efforts.

Paper books used to have all sorts of advertising in them: several pages in the back advertising the author and publisher’s other works, and I’ve read more than one “Nick Carter” or other men’s-adventure novel that had a cigarette ad bound into the middle."

Bring it on. I'll keep an eye out on ad-ripping software as well.

How the rise of e-readers takes the fun out of giving books - The Globe and Mail

How the rise of e-readers takes the fun out of giving books - The Globe and Mail: "Stay with me! I swear this is not going to be one of those hackneyed columns about how much we’ll all miss the old-fashioned book. I travel too much to be sentimental about the beauty of marginalia or the satisfying crack of a hardcover spine. Hauling books around the globe has cost me thousands in excess baggage fees, and left me with a hyper-extended left shoulder and a nagging sense of having misplaced something important. Hardly a week has gone by since university when I haven’t stood up from my desk thinking, “Where is that book?” then spent half an hour scouring my shelves before concluding it must be boxed away in my parent’s basement. The idea that, having attained an e-reader of my own, I will now be able to have all my books contained in a single device, like a pocket-sized library complete with personalized Dewey Decimal System, is so liberating it’s almost magic.

My issue is with other people’s books. Specifically that the act of giving books as gifts – once the simplest of holiday rituals – has been perverted beyond recognition as a result of technology."

Smugopedia - | Pretend you know better.

Smugopedia - | Pretend you know better.:

"Luciano Pavarotti

Although Pavarotti was clearly very talented, his fame was inflated by the London and Decca marketing machines. Domingo or even Corelli were obviously his equal."

Good for some chuckles.

DealExtreme: $89.10 C008 7.0" Touch Screen E-Book Reader Music/Video Media Player w/ Voice Recorder/TF - Black (4GB)

DealExtreme: $89.10 C008 7.0" Touch Screen E-Book Reader Music/Video Media Player w/ Voice Recorder/TF - Black (4GB)

Somebody buy this and tell me how it works. The problem with buying direct with China is the dearth of detailed info (what software is it running?), and the expense involved if there are hardware problems.
I like the feature set and the price, though. I'm gonna keep an eye on it.

Consumer use guide to e-books and readers - Stackpole cuts through the BS

Consumer use guide to e-books and readers�|�Stormwolf.com:

"I get asked a lot of questions about e-books and e-book readers. There seems to be a lot of confusion about the different devices and what buying one will allow people to do. Depending upon which device you’re looking at, these can be very expensive gadgets. The following is an attempt to clarify what one needs to know about e-book readers, and e-books in general, both to make the correct choice when buying and for maximizing use of that device."

Clear overview of the e-book world. Written for the novice in mind but strong on the facts without any bias.

Unshelved - Book reviews in a comic book format

Unshelved - Book reviews in a comic book format
A great site. My two favorite features of the site are the Unshelved comic strip about librarians (its funny, I swear!) and the one-page book reviews in comic format.
Check out the link above for a one-page review of The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman.

Comedy Quarterly The Devastator Vaporizes Sci-Fi | Underwire | Wired.com

Comedy Quarterly The Devastator Vaporizes Sci-Fi | Underwire | Wired.com:

"Comics and sci-fi engage warp-speed satire with the help of writers from The Daily Show, The Oblongs, Metalocalypse and more in the second quarterly volume of The Devastator.

Released Thursday, the old-school print brainchild of Los Angeles writers Geoffrey Golden and Amanda Meadows — a self-described “book of comics, satire and awesomeness” — looks to slay the sophomore slump at the expense of Tron, Star Wars, Soylent Green and other sci-fi standbys and oddities. (Yes, we’re looking at you, Existenz.)

“In The Devastator No. 2, you find out that the entire science-fiction genre is actually a giant computer program that we’re living inside, while aliens harvest our body energies to power their panini makers,” said Meadows in an e-mail chat with Wired.com. “How else can you explain Heinlein and Dick?”"

Notion Ink Adam Review - Posed to be next big success after Samsung Galaxy Tab

Notion Ink Adam Review - The Android Powered Tablet:

"Notion Ink opted to offer two different screen technology options for the Adam, an LCD display like those used on televisions and laptops and a more advanced variety that uses Pixel Qi technology.

Pixel Qi is a variation of LCD technology that is extremely energy efficient because it can use ambient light as a source to illuminate the pixels on the screen, without causing the screen to fade in bright light, so it is easily readable outdoors. The backlight can be turned on and off, depending on the lighting conditions. (Here's a really good article about Pixel Qi if you want to learn more.)"

* 10.1" LCD WSVGA (1024 x 600) Display
* Optional Pixel Qi display with transmissive, transflective, and reflective modes
* NVIDIA Tegra 250 Dual Core Cortex A-9 Processor
* Android Operating system (2.2) with upgrades to 2.3 and 3.0
* Wireless: WLAN - 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, optional 3G
* 1GB DDR2 RAM, 1 GB SLC, 8+ GB Flash, Memory expandable up to 128GB
* Micro SD card slot
* Sensors: accelerometer (3-axis), ambient light sensor, GPS, digital compass
* Ports: 2 USB 2.0, mini USB, HDMI
* 3 cell 24.6Whr battery
* 3.2 MP auto focus camera with 185° swivel
* Built-in speakers, microphone, headphone jack (3.5mm)
* Dimensions: 269 x 191 x 14mm
* Weight: aprox. 1.6 pounds

The Notion Ink Adam has a decent hardware profile and some interesting innovations. I think that if they compete with Samsung on price they could be the next major tablet manufacturer to hit the one-million mark. It has the screen size to compete directly with the iPad as well. A strong suite of Android 2.3 and 3.0 software will be crucial.

New BookReader from OpenLibrary - html5 at its best

New BookReader! - The Open Library Blog: "We’re pleased to announce the release of our freshly re-designed BookReader on the Internet Archive."
    * Redesigned user interface that maximizes the amount of space given to the book.
    * Navigation bar that helps show your location in the book and navigate through it.
    * New Read Aloud feature reads the book as audio in most browsers.
    * Tables of contents are being automatically generated for most books and can be edited or added manually through the Open Library site.
    * Vastly improved full-text search.
    * More sharing options – the new Share dialog gives you to option to choose how to link to the book and set options when embedding the BookReader on a blog or website.
    * Touch gesture support – swipe to flip pages in two-page mode, pinch to zoom on iOS.
    * Improved support for tablet devices like the iPad.
    * Updated UI for the embedded BookReader – now includes “expando” button to view the book in a new browser window.
    * Integration with Open Library – books that have an Open Library record can have their title and table of contents edited through the Open Library site.

2010: A Big Year For Remote Web Workers - Wheres my job?

2010: A Big Year For Remote Web Workers:

"This year proved to be a strong one for online employment, as more and more took to the Web to find work, where an increasing number of jobs are for employers in other geographic areas, according to a report released by Elance."

Gotta get me one of those remote jobs. SEO, Google App, HTML5, and affiliate marketing are the hot skills. Apple stuff gives me a rash, SEO and affiliate marketing is too white belt and shoes so I think I need to work on my HTML5.

New Calibre Released:: 0.7.33

New Calibre Released: "Release: 0.7.33 [10 Dec, 2010]"

Release: 0.7.33 [10 Dec, 2010]

New Features

• Language sensitive sorting
• Add an action to merge only formats and leave metadata alone (Shift+Alt+M)
  
• Add a tweak to control which custom columns are displayed in the Book details panel.
  
• Implement a more sophisticated 'functional programming' template language. See the User Manual for details.
  
• Speed up deleting of large numbers of books and show progress while doing so
  
• Adding books: Dont refresh the Tag Browser while adding multiple books. Should speed up the adding of large numbers of books.
  
• Edit metadata dialog: When trying to download metadata, if there are multiple matches indicate which matches have a cover and summary in the list. Also add an option to automatically download the cover of the selected match.
  
• Drivers for the HTC Legend and Samsung Epic
  
• FB2 Output: Convert SVG images in the input document to raster images
  
• News download: Localize the navigation bars in the downloaded news to the language the user has selected for their calibre interface

Bug Fixes

• Various fixes to the Title Case function
  
• Content server: Fix --url-prefix being ignored for links at the Top level
  
• News download: When generating periodicals for the SONY use the local timezone in the SONY specific metadata
  
• Fix bug in cover cache that could cause it to keep a large number of covers in memory. Showed up when adding large numbers of books to calibre.
  
• Adding books: Run in the main thread to prevent unfortunate interactions with the metadata backup. Also fix regression that broke the Abort button.
  
• Fix a crash on OS X if OK is clicked inthe edit metadata button while downloading a cover
  
• E-book viewer: Fix a regression that prevented booksmarks from working with some EPUB files
  
• Save to disk: Refactor to not open a database connection in the worker process. Also fix a bug that could lead to save failures not being reported.
  
• Fix regression in 0.7.32 that broke opening formats in the ebook viewer from the edit metadata dialog
  
• FB2 Output: Generate output 100% compliant with the FB2 spec
  
• Fix Saved search dropdown box looses selected search
  
• TXT Output: Fix an issue where the br to space conversion was not being handled properly.
  

New news sources

• ToyoKeizai News and Nikkei Social News by Hiroshi Miura
• St. Louis Post Dispatch by cisaak
• Heise Open and Technology Review by Anton Gillert

Improved news sources

• Le Monde
• Ming Pao
• New Yorker

Not copycats, but innovators said the Chinese minister

Not copycats, but innovators said the Chinese minister:

"“Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to so many in so short a time.” - Bill Gates' quotation has held true for the Chinese shanzhai makers as well, who have excelled at their craft, transforming from a bunch of copycats to the innovators of new breeds of gadgets and gizmos. Lately, the success of shanzhai innovators has turned a lot of heads, and it seems like the Chinese officials are now in a caring mood. They want to encourage and preserve the innovation involved in the shanzhai gadget designs by making them legally more sound."

I've looked at bargain shanzai tablets quite a bit over the last few months as a possible replacement for my current e-reader. Battery life is a big problem, but software support is a bigger problem. Innovation is good, but if turnover of newer hardware is more important than service and support then its too risky.

Invaders from Mars - A Global takover from a hive mind - non-fiction

Invaders from Mars - Charlie's Diary:

"Corporations do not share our priorities. They are hive organisms constructed out of teeming workers who join or leave the collective: those who participate within it subordinate their goals to that of the collective, which pursues the three corporate objectives of growth, profitability, and pain avoidance. (The sources of pain a corporate organism seeks to avoid are lawsuits, prosecution, and a drop in shareholder value.)"

Charles Stross looks at why the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

My top five red herring ebook stories, 2010 | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics

My top five red herring ebook stories, 2010 | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics:

"What are my top five red herrings, and why do I think they are not the stumbling points the pundits make them up to be? Keep reading to find out!

RED HERRING #5: THE WAY THINGS WORK
My father calls publishing the finest business model ever put forth by the bright minds of the 17th century.

RED HERRING #4: THE AGENCY MODEL
the reality is that in the end, its going to matter very little what the publishers ‘want’ to do, unless they can get customers to pay for it.

RED HERRING #3: THE BLAME GAME
They just want the book, and if someone won’t sell it to them, they will get it elsewhere or do without

RED HERRING #2: EVIL BIG CORPORATE
It’s nonsense, and here are two words that prove it: Giller Prize

RED HERRING #1: THE UBER-DEVICE
More likely to me is a scenario where we get to a hard-drive-on-a-stick sort of endgame with one’s entire OS—apps, files, media, all of it—on a SIM card and just gets plugged into various dumb terminals"

A great list that spans all of the e-book/e-reader controversy and growing pains of the year. Lets hope that the uber-device scenario is introduced in 2011 -- it will probably come in iOS/Android/Chrome/Ubuntu/Win7 flavors.

Picking the Next Trilogy to read - THE EVOLUTIONARY VOID by Peter F. Hamilton

MostlyFiction Book Reviews - THE EVOLUTIONARY VOID by Peter F. Hamilton:

"Hamilton’s imagination and the scope of his Commonwealth Universe is the best I’ve read so far, and that includes Asimov’s Foundation series and Brin’s Uplift War. I’m just sorry the story is over. I hope he writes more stories in this incredible universe. I feel like I just lost a best friend now that it’s over. The Void trilogy could not possibly be told in fewer pages (each volume is more than 640 pages). They are well worth the investment."

The Void Trilogy has shown up everywhere good sci-fi is discussed on the net. I don't know if I should start with the Void Trilogy (Dreaming, Temporal, Evolutionary) or the Commonwealth Saga (Misspent Youth, Pandora, Judas)

The Wertzone: Misspent Youth by Peter F. Hamilton:

"Overall, not his best work and at times rather dull, but the scene-setting for The Commonwealth Saga makes Misspent Youth (***) worth reading."

And of course the first trilogy sets the scene for the second trilogy. Its decisions like these that keep some books in the middle of the pile.

Also, I'll take shopping for books by reading reviews and following links over walking the aisles of a bookstore any day.

‘Predator: South China Sea’ – Jeff Vandermeer's mainstream adventure

Graeme's Fantasy Book Review: ‘Predator: South China Sea’ – Jeff Vandermeer (Dark Horse Books):

"That made it all the more surprising then when I found out that he had written a ‘Predator’ tie-in novel a couple of years ago (yep, it can sometimes take me far too long to catch up on things). I was of course immediately curious to find out what Vandermeer made of the leap from the gloriously weird settings of ‘Finch’ and ‘City of Saints and Madmen’ to a setting that’s undeniably more commercial and mainstream. As things turned out, it was a leap made with some aplomb but also with the help of an anchor placed firmly in the weird stuff..."

Some light reading from an unusual source. I read City of Saints and Madmen and find it hard to believe that Vandermeer would write something like this. First off, an artist still has to eat, and second, I think he probably had fun playing with the standard format thriller. I'll read it if I can get my hands on it.

Coming Dec 16 on BBC: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Coming Soon: Dirk Gently trailer | Tor.com:

"Dirk Gently has finally arrived at the BBC—and he’s looking good! Based on Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, Stephen Mangan stars as the oddball holistic detective in the upcoming weekly series."

Get ready for something fantastic ... or something fantastically disappointing.
It’s on Thursday, December 16th, on BBC4 and BBC HD. It is a single one-off pilot, but may turn into a 6-episode series if the viewing numbers are good.

According to Chortle

‘Douglas once said, memorably, that “getting a film made in Hollywood was like trying to cook a steak by having a bunch of people come into the room and breathe on it”! Well, we did eventually get a film made in Hollywood of Hitchhiker and, tragically, Douglas didn't live to see it. Nor will he see this adaptation of Dirk – but it's worth bearing in mind that Douglas always thought Dirk would make a better film than Hitchhiker and I feel sure that this new TV drama will prove his point!’

Accurate But Misleading Movie Descriptions – Fantasy Division � Whatever

Accurate But Misleading Movie Descriptions – Fantasy Division � Whatever:

"I’m doing “accurate but misleading” movie descriptions for fantasy films, to complement the set of accurate but misleading science fiction movie descriptions I did a couple of weeks ago. Please go there this instant OR CHRISTMAS WILL BE CANCELLED. Thank you."

Funny stuff. My favorite is:

Coraline
In order to gain acceptance, a young woman flirts with the practice of body modification.

and

Blade Runner
Poor product design leads to trouble for a manufacturer and one exasperated policeman. (Note: this is also the description for I, Robot.)

Sci-Fi Author Charles Stross knows how the world works

PSA - Charlie's Diary:

"Hint: there is a workaround. Register a new (free) gmail account. Use it to open a new amazon.com account. Give your new Amazon account a home address somewhere in the USA. Do not give it a credit card. You now have a US amazon account!

Buy amazon.com gift vouchers by logging into amazon.com with your existing UK/EU-based amazon.co.uk account, and cash them in to charge up your new, sanitary, lives-in-the-USA account. You are then set up to buy US Kindle ebooks by pretending to be American.

You'll need to have a Kindle device tied to that account, or read the books on screen. (Personally I'd download the ebooks to something like an iphone, then break the DRM on them and transcode them to epub files for reading on whatever the hell gadget I prefer. But you didn't hear me saying that ...)"

In the comments section of a blog post where he informs his fans that the middle book if his Merchant Princes series is available Stross tells people who want to read his books (and want to buy them) how to do it, even if it means gaming the system a little.
Frankly, I don't think Amazon particularly cares if people in the UK set up a false US account, or even strip DRM from the file once they purchase a book. The only ones who care are the publishers who are trying their best to hold on to an outdated system.
Kudos.

The Google Wars: Taking the First Step

The Google Wars: Taking the First Step

The Reading Slump... | Tor.com | Science fiction and fantasy | Blog posts

The Reading Slump... | Tor.com | Science fiction and fantasy | Blog posts

itoos i5 looking good at USD 100

itoos i5 looking good at USD 100: "The itoos i5 comes with a very powerful hardware configuration of an 800MHz Telechip 8902 chip, which powers Android 2.1 OS. The tablet has a 7' resistive touchscreen and a 1.3 mega pixel camera. It also has 256MB DDR2 built-in memory and 4GB onboard storage. The device support 1080p video decoding and the built-in Wi-Fi module that supports IEEE 802.11 b/g. Plus, it has a G sensor accelerometer. The itoos i5 has two USB ports and supports an external 3G card."

Kobo Wifi now has free use of Bell Canada’s Wifi network

Kobo Wifi now has free use of Bell Canada’s Wifi network:

"Canadian Kobo Wireless eReaders are pre-configured and ready to go on the Bell Wi-Fi network, the largest Wi-Fi network in Canada. Once at a Bell Wi-Fi network hotspot location, customers simply visit the Kobo Store area on their Kobo Wireless eReader and they will be seamlessly connected and able to browse, download and buy eBooks, magazines and newspapers from the Kobo store – and start reading instantly."

I'd be excited about this if I was also able to reach my gmail account.

Free ebook/audiobook: With a Little Help by Cory Doctorow – Mad Marketing Skillz

Free ebook/audiobook: With a Little Help by Cory Doctorow – Grasping for the Wind:

"Cory Doctorow has just launched his self-published short story collection With a Little Help. The book is availble in paperback, super-limited hardcover, and audiobook for a fee. There are also free digital editions (including a free audiobook)."

Authors and indie publishers need to "pirate" Doctorow's marketing plans and start making some noize on the internet.
(Get it? All hip and young and new! Not your granddaddy's publishing plan.)

PocketBook IQ Firmware Update | a tablet with legs

PocketBook IQ Firmware Update | The eBook Reader Blog:

"The new update seems to make the PocketBook IQ faster. Scrolling is smoother and PocketBook’s Reader app has been improved, although it still does not support Adobe DRM or text to speech, both of which are to be added with a future update."

This reader is starting to look better and better. Consistent firmware upgrades are always a good sign. The price is still high: $149 on the pocketbook site and $159 on eBay (also a good sign--good stuff doesn't show up on eBay in bulk).
On the plus side it seems well-supported and boasts an 800x600 color touch screen. Custom software is robust - fine as a dedicated reader and no need to go fishing in the Android market even though it will be upgraded to 2.2 (from 2.0 now) in 2011.
On the minus side the battery is only 1600mAh and eInk lovers will not be happy reading an LCD screen while sitting out in the sun (not a problem for me!)
For a tablet in this price range to get so little negative press in the pre-xmas season is surely a sign that there is something right going on here.

Google eBookstore came to set us free. Here’s why it didn’t - a list of can't

Google eBookstore came to set us free. Here’s why it didn’t:

"For 14 months I was living with a hope that one day Google comes up with a fix-it-all solution. However, from a point of view of a reader living outside USA, the list of limitations is longer."

Google has to race clean up its act or the bookstore will go the way of the Google phone, interested independent publishers aside.

Tablets won’t kill e-readers – EVER - (lets say within 5 years)

Tablets won’t kill e-readers – EVER:

"Now, when we get a decent $100 tablet, that’s when the e-reader market might start to feel the pinch. The profit margin will be so thin by that point that tablet features might show up on e-reader becuase there is little money saved by leaving them out.

By that point, though, I’m not sure we’ll still be calling them tablets or e-readers. The market will have changed to much."

I pretty much agree with thism but I think the price point will drop down to $50, $75, or even $19.99.
look at theportable music market: I remember when the cassette tape Sony Walkman was hundreds of dollars and eventually you could buy one at the gas station for $10. We've already seen that with mp3 players: you can get a 1G screenless version for $3.
Tablets/readers will enjoy the same (d)evolution, and more likely at the mp3 player speed, not the Walkman speed.

Can you defame someone with a hyperlink? 0 Canada Supreme Courst to decide

Can you defame someone with a hyperlink?:

"Pilling's articles relied on the obvious pun here, using titles like 'Friends of Crookes' and 'Gang of Crookes.' In covering the free speech aspects of the case, Newton linked to the articles in question. Crookes demanded Newton remove those links, saying that Newton himself could be liable for defamation. Newton refused; Crookes sued.
Jon Newton

Newton's piece was read by less than 2,000 people, but the lawsuit spawned by that article has now progressed to Canada's highest court, where the judges will rule for the first time on the liability that Internet users have for the hyperlinks they create."

Unbelievable that this has reached the Supreme Court. Crooke argues that a hyperlink is the same as embedding the content of the destination link into the origin document. This is garbage. The hyperlink itself is the information in the document: that it exists, and what web site it resides on. Clicking on a link is the same as tracking a footnote down to the source document and retrieving it. Just because the retrieval is much easier than walking the aisles of a library does not change the volition of the act.

The Twitter Hulks

The Twitter Hulks

Google eBookstore Open for business in US - free and PD available in Canada

Google eBookstore:

"The latest Google eBooks are not available for sale in your location, yet...

Google is working with publishers around the world to let you buy the latest ebooks from top authors. In the meantime, you can still browse millions of free and public domain Google eBooks and read them effortlessly across your devices.Learn more"

The store is finally open and I expect the complaints to come fast and furious. First complaint, of course, is why not in Canada? This opens up the whole can of worms concerning geographical limitations set by publishers.
I suspect that the quality of the scanned PD books will become an issue (again) as more people see the slipshod Google has done.
Between inheriting all the ills of the current ebook publishing industry and creating more than a few of their own mistakes, Google will not have an easy go of it.

Video Review: Wopad WR701 capacitive touch tablet

Video Review: Wopad WR701 capacitive touch tablet: "Pros:
Capacitive touch screen provides very good responsiveness and excellent viewing quality
Unique metallic finish on the chassis
Good solid 720p video playback (great for a nice screen) and includes HDMI out
Crisp, solid browsing experience (but no Flash)
Android App Market included
2 USB connections (1 full 1 mini
)Bigger battery than typical shanzhai tablets (3000mah) for 4 hours

Cons:
Android 2.1 (but it is a solid implementation)
No webcam
Only 2 buttons in hardware (no “back” button in hardware) usually you get 3 (menu, home, back) or even occasionally 4 (includes search button in hardware)"

Video Review: Apad 710 for best 7” screen quality

Video Review: Apad 710 for best 7” screen quality: "Pros:
Best resistive screen quality and responsiveness we’ve seen
Includes decent quality front facing camera
Could almost be described as a fingerprint resistive design
Good video performance (no 1080p although they don’t claim it either)Includes HDMI cable, headphones, 2 USB extensions (for the price this is good to see)

Cons:
Design still includes legacy stylus and button placement for “pre-Android” based tablet designs
Average battery life (approximately 3hr)
Android 2.1 where many tablets are now moving to Android 2.2"

Review: Viewsonic VEB 620 --two thumbs down

Review: Viewsonic VEB 620 (video):

"Reading Experience

This e-reader is slow. It’s the kind of slowness that would be tolerated in 2008, but I won’t in 2010 because I have other options. The screen is not the cause; IMO the software needs work. You have to press and hold a button and wait for it to respond. If you’re in a menu, you can’t press the down arrow several times; it will only respond to the first press.

The VEB 620 is okay to hold one handed, but with the slow page turns I abandoned it pretty quickly.

Opinion

This e-reader cost me $99, and it’s not as good as other you can find at that price. Augen The Book is better, and the Ectaco Jetbook and Aluratek Libre are just as good."

With video to back up a tough review, I can't see why anyone would buy this thing. I might get one for $40-$50 as a backup or just to mess around with. My old eBookwise is better than this.

Kobo Wireless $20 off Coupon, Kobo eReader Bundles | The eBook Reader Blog

Kobo Wireless $20 off Coupon, Kobo eReader Bundles | The eBook Reader Blog
Tempting deals like this is why the Agency model is doing authors and readers no good. If the retailer can't fiddle with prices to make sales there will be fewer sales.

A is for Ackbar -- Star Wars alphabet for kids

A is for Ackbar | brandonpeat.com:

"When my wife Emma and I found out we were pregnant with our first child, Tycho, we began thinking of fun ways to decorate a baby boy’s room. Since we live in an apartment and aren’t allowed to paint the walls, that meant posters or prints of some kind. And, being artists, we naturally wanted to create those prints ourselves. In the end, we decided to illustrate an alphabet of characters from one of our favorite franchises – Star Wars.

Selecting each letter was a lengthy process. The characters who made the cut are primarily from the Original Trilogy (no Prequel characters here!), with a few from the Expanded Universe of books, comics, and video games. We also tried to keep the illustrations as non-violent as possible (in the words of Wuher, “No blasters!”) for maximum kid-friendliness."

Too cute. Its a book right now, but they've gotta come up with stickers, stencils, and coloring books.

Top 10 Culture of Tech Stories of 2010 - Tyranny makes a comeback

Top 10 Culture of Tech Stories of 2010:

"Every year ReadWriteWeb selects the top 10 products or developments across a range of categories. The latest installment is the top 10 stories of the culture of technology.

These are the stories that answer that question you sometimes hear from tech skeptics or those who mistake advances in computing and communications for Beanie Babies and Segways. The question is 'So What?' Here's what."

'Tis the season for the top ten list. This one looks at the affect of technology on culture. It is not pretty. The age of empowerment is over. The "old guard" power structure is getting hip to the technology ... and it is not good news for the rest of us.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Sells One Million Units - Gearlog

Samsung Galaxy Tab Sells One Million Units - Gearlog:

"How does all of this compare to the iPad? That device managed to sell more than two million units in its first two months. The Next Web points out that Apple's tablet didn't really have much competition when it was launch--though that was no doubt something of a mixed bag for the company which had the difficult job of convincing consumers and reporters that the world needed another screen.

All of that said, Samsung is not doubt quite happy with these numbers, having outpaced its own expectations and established the Galaxy as the number two device in what is sure to become a very, very crowded field in the near future."

Strong competition is good news. As I see it #1 and #2 need to compete strongly on features and price so that I can pick up an also-ran tablet. Said tablet will have more features and have a lower price than if it was competing with a sole front runner.

Some favourite sci-fi about each of the planets – Whats wrong with Uranus?

Some favourite sci-fi about each of the planets – Blog – BERG:

"Uranus

There’s not much that springs to mind for me about Uranus, other than it moves around the Sun by rolling, like a ball, rather than spinning like all the other planets."

A fun list, pretty much spot-on for me, including Earth Abides by George Stewart.
I can't think of any sci-fi that features Uranus in any significant way. A quick search of fantasticfiction.co.uk provided 2 candidates (not including the likes of Mighty Robot Vs. the Uranium Unicorns from Uranus, and non-fiction.
Anyone read The Uranus Run by Daniel F Mitcheall (1996) or Uranus by E Eaton (1996)?

View From Down Under: A response to Smashwords | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics

View From Down Under: A response to Smashwords | TeleRead:

"Arguing that the old publishing model was broken (all the power in publishers’ hands, low returns for authors, waste, inefficiency) is fine, but replacing it with a model in which all the power is in publisher’s hands and returns to authors are slightly better is not a fix.

Decrying the fact that the big bad retailers were able to discount a poor author’s books, reducing their cash return, ignores the fact that the whole point of discounting is to increase sales, and therefore the return to the author. Price down, sales usually up. Americans are fond of calling it the “free market”. Ironic that this all started in New York."