Since the times of version 10.2, the internal code name of OS X major releases has become public knowledge and Apple has started using it in marketing. While there is a whole series of arguments for and against the usage of a non-sequential version numbering, I would say that in the case of operating systems it works just fine. After all, people only have to remember what the current release’s name is, and maybe the names of the two that came before it. Not a big deal.
Month: May 2010
Considerations about Facebook
I have had a Facebook account for a couple of years now, and I am seriously considering disabling or deleting it. The reason is privacy, and not because I have anything bad to hide; I am smart enough to avoid posting things I don’t want anybody to see. The real issue for me is that I would really like to decide who should be able to see what, and I am not able to do that anymore. Believe me, even the tightest privacy settings won’t shield your data from prying eyes anymore.
Where do you find e-books?
So you have bought a nice e-ink based e-book reader, and you need to quench your thirst for books. How do you get them? Free e-books are, well, free and without encryption; paid e-books, on the other hand, can be either encrypted or unencrypted.
For the sake of simplicity, I will assume that your reader is able to read ePub and PDF files and supports the Adobe Digital Editions DRM for both formats. Most readers can however be reprogrammed to support Mobi files, however, but I personally suggest to stick with ePub.
Electronic ink: is it that good?
E-ink is the technology behind e-book readers such as the Opus. Some call it e-paper, but it’s essentially the same thing: a (relatively) revolutionary approach at computer-controlled displays. E-ink screens differ greatly from CRT or LCD screens, in several ways:
- They are not backlit, therefore you need ambient light to see what’s on them
- They do not require power to keep the image up
- Their refresh rate is abysmal
- They do not yet come in color, and they’re quite lame at showing gray too
So, you may wonder, why even consider buying something like this? That’s very simple: the things I mentioned above are the points of strength of these devices, not their weaknesses: it’s all about what you use these screens for. I am going to briefly go through those perveiced problems.
What’s in a name?
Last month, and more recently the past few days, the volcano beneath the Eyjafjallajökull glacier in Iceland has been erupting, causing disruption in air travel and huge economic losses. Being passionate about languages, I can’t help but grin from ear to ear when I think about the whole ordeal.
Bookeen Cybook Opus review
As you may know by now (if not, see the previous post), I am the proud owner of a Bookeen Cybook Opus. My video may or may have not made sense, so here I am, giving more details about the device. If you are satisfied with a very short review: here it is: this thing rocks. If you need to know more, just read on.
If you haven’t watched the video, don’t bother doing so: anything I said in it will be covered here.
Bookeen Cybook Opus video review
Last week I got an e-ink based e-book reader, specifically a Cybook Opus by Bookeen. I made a basic video review for those who have no idea what an e-book reader is about and why it blows away any other device, when it comes to reading books.
Head to the video page on Youtube and enjoy. If you can stand my accent, that is.