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 …
Continue reading →
As I've mentioned before, Jasper Fforde is one of my favourite authors. His latest book "One of Our Thursdays is Missing" is a brilliant work of fiction - but contains a rather worrying flaw. Well, I say a "worrying flaw" - I mean an error. All books contain errata - I think that's a given - but outside of academia, Jasper Fforde is the only author I know who offers upgrades to his books. …
Continue reading →
It emerged this morning that the Guardian newspaper has realised that the way it writes is unsuitable for the web. Source: Guardian Newspaper, 18/11/2011, page http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mind-your-language/2011/feb/18/mind-your-language-day-date-time By using non-specific language, I have introduced a degree of ambiguity which makes it hard for reader - both in the present day and the…
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…
Continue reading →
I've just taken delivery of a shiny new Amazon Kindle 3. I'm looking forward to giving it a thorough review - but here's a quick comparison between it and my venerable Elonex 511EB. Click for bligger (more…) …
Continue reading →
Like many people, I've been frustrated by the lack of firmware updates to the Elonex 511EB ebook reader. There are several bugs which are frustrating to many users - as judged from the comments on this blog. With the Amazon Kindle dropping to a lower price, this ebook reader really needs to be updated if it wants to stay competitive. Well, I'm pleased to say that it looks like there will be a…
Continue reading →
I was pleasantly surprised to see this poster at my local train station. Looks like Surrey Library is moving to the digital age. eBooks and eAudiobooks from Surrey Library (click to embiggen) "Bet the site doesn't work on my phone," I thought. http://ebooks.surreycc.gov.uk/ I was wrong! Overall, this is a brilliant new service. A great initiative to get people reading more books and…
Continue reading →
So, the Kindle finally launches in the UK. This blog has become something of a Mecca for users of the Elonex 511EB. The comments on my reviews run in to the hundreds, I get thousands of page views a month on them, I regularly answer private emails about the device. So, why am I abandoning Elonex? Simply put - Elonex abandoned me. Their staff and website promised updates which never came. …
Continue reading →
Well, it's been ages coming, but it's finally here. Elonex have released V0.47 of the 511EB software. V0.47 was released on 12th March 2010. The previous firmware (V0.41) was released on 18th January 2010. The next release should include note taking functionality. You may be interested in part 1 and part 2 of my review. This firmware update resolves some issues when processing very large…
Continue reading →
Jasper Fforde releases upgrade patches for his books. If he has made an error of fact, created a plot hole or missspelt a word - you can download an upgrade for your book. How cool is that? He also has a "cut scenes" repository where you can see the chapters which were cruelly cut by his editor. There's even a director's commentary available. Along with behind the scenes material, …
Continue reading →
I've been blown away by the number of comments and visits to my original review of the 511EB. To clarify some of the points and answer some questions, I've decided to post another video review. This shows the speed of page turning and some of the idiosyncrasies of the eReader. Run VT, Errol! Startup Screen Click to download full size I've set my startup screen to show my phone number and…
Continue reading →
When I was younger, I was taught that a roll of papyrus in ancient Egypt cost the same as the monthly wage for the average citizen. Nowadays the cost of paper is negligible. That's how it goes with new technology - it's frightfully expensive to begin with, but after a while it's as ubiquitous and disposable as paper. Ebook readers are the latest in a long line of "written-word" technology. F…
Continue reading →
