Stormy's Corner

Sharing books & Amazon's Kindle

Dale Dougherty argues that Amazon needs to allow Kindle users to share their books with friends and family.  I disagree.  I think the model of sharing a physical book is changing to a model of recommending books and rating them. 

• Amazon's rating model has drastically changed the way users buy books.  I won't buy a book without first checking the Amazon rating!
• We are already familiar with the idea of sharing recommendations instead of the object itself.  Most of us recommend movies to our friends but don't actually have the DVD to pass out.
• Most of the friends and family I would share books with are not local.  I'd rather buy a cheaper book, not pay shipping and then buy them an Amazon gift certificate.  They can then either buy the books I recommend or another book that they'd rather read.
• Most of us want instantaneous access to the book or movie we want to see.  If I could download it immediately from Amazon's library and read it this weekend (if the price was right) or wait a week for my friend to mail it to me, more often than not I would just buy it.  This is why I end up buying new books from Amazon instead of used ones.  I subscribe to Prime shipping and I know I'll get the book in two days instead of a week or two!

So while it would be nice to be able to share or resell Kindle books, I think as long as the price is right (to reflect the fact that you can't resell or share them), I think the model will work.

Amazon Kindle is a success!

People predicted that the Amazon Kindle, their electronic book reader, was too expensive to be successful.  Turns out they were wrong.  Amazon is sold out until after Christmas so new Kindles are going for $1000/each on eBay!!  (The Kindle retails for about $400.)

I really wanted to play with one.  I should have bought one, played with it and then sold it on eBay.  I'd then have $600 to buy Christmas presents with!  Or more electronic toys.

Digital pens

Frank bought me an io2 digital pen a while back and I love it.  I take notes at home and at work and then I upload them all to my computer - you can search them then.  So I have:

• a backup of my notes (I was always really afraid I'd lose my notebook) and
• I have copies of old notebooks without carrying them around and
• I can search them!

My one complaint would be that you have to use their notebooks and they don't have any graph paper - it's all line ruled.  On the other hand, the memory and battery life have been outstanding.  I really miss my Miquelrius leather like journals but not enough to give up the benefits of an io2!

Leapfrog - the company that makes the computer like books - also makes a digital pen for kids.  It works like the io2 but does more - it actually reads back what you write and has programs to help you with writing, foreign languages and math!

Underwater digital camera: Pentax Optio W30

There's a new a new digital underwater camera!  Pentax Optio W30 is:

• $300
• 7 megapixel
• 5.6 ounces
• waterproof up to 10 feet for 2 hours
• video mode
• macro mode (close up shots)
• 2.5" LCD viewable in the sun
• shake reduction
• 3x optical zoom

I want one to try on our BVI vacation!  Here's a full review with some great pictures.

Computerless email

As many of you know, I'm a big Ceiva fan.  Ceiva is a digital picture frame that all your friends and family can load pictures into from the web - a perfect gift for someone without web access who wants to see all your digital pictures.  Now they've got another device which sounds just as good.  This new HP device, Presto, is a standalone printer.  People can send email or pictures to it and it automatically prints it out.  I would send my Grandma a lot more letters if I could just email them to her! 

A Moving Alarm Clock!

MIT has come up with a new product called Clocky.

Clocky is a clock for people who have trouble getting out of bed. When the snooze bar is pressed, Clocky rolls off the table and finds a hiding spot, a new one every day.

Personally, I think everyone just needs to get more sleep.

12/3/06: You can buy your moving alarm clock here for $49.99.

Interactive Books

I've talked several times about one of my favorite books, The Diamond Age, by Neal Stephenson.  The reason I like it is because there is an interactive book that changes and adapts to a little girl as she grows.  It's her teacher, mentor, friend and protector.  I want one of those books.

Well, I can almost have one.  A company called LeapFrog makes a product called LeapPad. LeapPads are interactive books.  They give kids interactive feedback while they are learning to count, read and write.  For example, it might say, "Find the monster with one horn."  If the child touches the wrong monster, it might say "Find the red monster with one horn."  If the child makes a mistake again, it will say, "Let's move on.  Find a red monster."  If at any point the child gets it right, the LeapPad cheers, applauds or makes some other funny noise. 

I know one 4 year old who loves his LeapPad.  He especially likes to play with it while I'm busy on my laptop.  He has his own book/laptop.  Now I just have to wait for LeapFrog to make one for adults.

New note: I did find something similar for adults: an io2 digital pen!

Also, I'm looking at a LeapPad like toy for my 15 month old because he loves his older brother's LeapPad!