I'll be upfront, I mostly got this eReader because it's the only one on the market with a USB-C connection. OK! OK! That's not the main reason. It has pretty good support from the manufacturer and a vibrant community around it. Masses of memory, warm lighting, and oodles of space. And, I think, pretty hackable. Quick video Specifications Android 6.0 - with a promise to update it to Android 8.0 Touchscreen with Wacom stylus 1.5GHz CPU 2GB RAM 32GB storage plus a microSD slot 7.8 inch…
Continue reading →
Three years ago I promised to convert the Voynich Manuscript into an ebook. The recent news that it may have been deciphered spurred me to finish my project. So, here it is, the world famous mystery that is the Voynich Manuscript now in convenient eBook format. PDF - suitable for Kindle, nook, Kobo, Android, iOS and for most devices (60MB) CBZ - suitable for comic book readers, tablets, etc. (60MB) As the book is pure images, I decided not to convert to .mobi or .epub. Those are …
Continue reading →
The Internet is "the world's most efficient copying machine" -- Cory Doctorow. This is a long and rambling blog post which asks two questions: Given that we can only read one book at a time - can we set up a "Kindle Stock Exchange" for our unused media? If so, what effect would this have on content producers and sellers who rely on artificial scarcity? This has been mulling over in my head for some time. Image from FreeFoto.com Transactional Friction One of the great advantages…
Continue reading →
Amazon claims that it makes no money from the sale of Kindle eReader hardware. Looking at the prices of eink devices at wholesalers, this looks broadly accurate. They do seem to be selling at around wholesale cost - customers also get Amazon's fabulous support, free software updates, and high quality manufacturing. Yet there is a curious anomaly. Why aren't Amazon selling ePub books? Terminology A quick diversion into the terminology used in this article. eReader - the physical…
Continue reading →
It looks like the next big thing in Kindle-land is - depressingly - advertising subsidisation. the world's first ad-supported Kindle, going on sale within Target and Best Buy locations for $114. That represents a gentle $25 savings compared to the price of today's cheapest Kindle, but those 2500 pennies don't come free -- you'll be asked to endure "advertisements on the bottom of the device's home page and on its screen savers." Engadget Can It Work? On the strength of the current evidence…
Continue reading →
As you may have guessed from previous posts, I love my Kindle. I often read late into the night, which either means keeping a light on and annoying my wife - or using a book light. Normally, I'd be happy just annoying her - but I can't resist the allure of buying new technology! I tried a few generic book lights but they were either too dim, didn't fit correctly, used obscure batteries or - as with the official booklight case - ensconced in vegetarian unfriendly leather. Then, I discovered…
Continue reading →
I was reading this article on Armed Services Editions of books distributed during World War 2, when I came across this extraordinary propaganda poster. Original image is from The Boston Public Library on Flickr under CC BY NC. What strikes me is how detailed the poster is. The power of the quote. The sheer neutrality of the sentiment. Books - any book is a weapon. Whether it is The Communist Manifesto or Atlas Shrugged. Imagine a Kindle full of books placed into the hands of a child. If …
Continue reading →
Thanks for all the suggestions on which eBooks I should read on holiday. I didn't get through as many as I would have liked (crappy flights and too many pre-lunch cocktails!) - but here's what I did read and what I thought of them. Anathem Neal Stephenson's Anathem By rights, I should have loved this book. But I didn't. I couldn't even get 5% of the way through. Perhaps it was the deliberate use of overcomplicated language, or perhaps because it feels like it's an n-th generation copy of …
Continue reading →
I'm an utter bookworm - on holiday, I like nothing better than to lie by the pool reading a good book. I generally average a book a day. Me reading a Kindle on the beach.... Last year, I took a mixture of eBooks and physical books away with me. This year, I'm only taking eBooks. That's where I need your help, gentle reader. Which books should I take? Which books do you recommend for a beach read? Criteria eBooks only. Liz & I have a Kindle and an Elonex 511EB - happy to have…
Continue reading →
For years I've been mildly obsessed with the Voynich Manuscript. An ancient book, written in a language no one can decipher, showing plants which don't exist, and measuring astronomical configurations which make no sense. The book is an enigma. Many think it to be an elaborate hoax - others have more.... esoteric explanations. Regardless of what the book means, it is a beautiful and mysterious work of art. And I want to read it on my Kindle! Archive.org has an ebook version of the Voynich …
Continue reading →
I gave a quick talk at BarCamp Brigton about how to hack the Amazon Kindle 3G. These hacks come in two flavours - easy and very easy. Very Easy - Pictures Wouldn't it be great to view pictures on your Kindle? Well? OK - pictures, perhaps not so much - but comics? Yes please! For best results, image files should be the same resolution as the Kindle. 600px * 800px - and grey-scale. Let's use the XKCD comics - mostly because they're already the right size and mostly in black and white. And …
Continue reading →
There are lots of tutorials for how to create a Kindle case from a hollowed out book. This is the first time I've seen one in the wild. Created by my colleague Elliot Moore. …
Continue reading →
