Ex libris is a wonderful game. No – better than that – it’s a beautiful game. Here are the rules: Everyone has to write the opening line of a novel, based on the novel’s summary. One player has the real opening line to copy down. One other player (the guesser) has to guess which of…
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Four months ago, I wrote to Waterstones about an error in an eBook I purchased from them. I’ve finally received a reply… Dear Terence, Some time ago you contacted us regarding the following eBook title, “One of Our Thursdays is Missing (eBook): Thursday Next Series, Book 6” (ISBN: 9781444713039). We have had our eBook supplier…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The unsurpassed guru of mobile phones, Tomi T Ahonen, has released his latest book for free! The book, “The Insider’s Guide to Mobile”, is an invaluable guide to anyone in the mobile industry. I’ve read through a few pages of it and it is smart, funny, useful and a hugely important tome for anyone in…
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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. 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…
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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…
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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…
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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.
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