TECHNOLOGY: Kindle DX for text books? Doesn’t make sense.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=17630

Revisiting the ROI of the Kindle DX: Why is Amazon blind to Wi-Fi?
Posted by Larry Dignan @ 2:24 am

*** begin quote ***

Amazon unveiled its much hyped Kindle DX, an e-book with a 9.7-inch screen designed to raise a ruckus in the textbook market, but delivered a $489 curve ball that seriously alters the return on investment calculation for academia.

On the surface, the argument for the Kindle DX (Techmeme) in academia holds somewhat but that price tag makes the case much harder for your average student. Amazon is asking students to learn a little about total cost of ownership over three years before they pick up a book. What is this? Enterprise software?

The Kindle DX runs you $489 as an upfront investment and the average student spends $488 on new and used course materials a year. In a nutshell, Amazon is asking the average student to fork over more money for the Kindle and then buy the textbooks too.

*** end quote ***

They’d have a better chance supporting the Open Textbook effort. That’s what student’s could afford.

Textbooks’ prices are obscene!

Even when I went to school.

No margin, no mission. I understand. BUT, (there is always a big butt), it doesn’t have to be a screw job!

Don’t forget Project Gutenberg and Google with it’s out of print books.

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

TECHNOLOGY: Print On Demand allows the capture of “stuff” that otherwise would be lost

Saturday, May 9, 2009

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=96515

POD books and information overload
Posted: April 30, 2009 1:00 am Eastern
Technology
Phil Elmore

*** begin quote ***

{Extraneous Deleted}

The fact, tenor and import of being a “published author” in the United States is changing, and changing rapidly. While anyone can be “published” on the Web, would-be writers put much more stock in hardcopy. There is something about holding a real, bound paper book that carries with it a certain weight, a certain validity – and it is this validation, this sense of accomplishment made physical, that a first-time author craves. Given how difficult it is to be selected or discovered by a traditional publishing house, a market has sprung up that serves amateur and first-time writers’ need for affirmation. It is the publish-on-demand self-publishing industry.

{Extraneous Deleted}

*** end quote ***

As a “published author”, (Yeah, two Lulu entrees, a third in queue, including my magnum opus “CHURCH 10●19●62”, and a few more on the drawing board!), I believe this “technology” allow the capture of family histories, individual interest topics, and other stuff that would be completely lost. It reminds me of the FIreFox books. Human knowledge is IMHO being lost at a huge rate. People die without having their stories “captured”. POD technology will allow that to be captured. It’s great!

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

SERVICE: MYNAMEISE may be useful

Friday, April 17, 2009

http://www.mynameise.com/about

About us.

E is a privately funded startup based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. E started as a graduation project in January of 2006 and grew into a service to connect users and their online lifes to the real world. The letter E stands for whatever meaning the users would like it to have. E can be emotion. Evolution. Everybody. Everything.

Our team has grown from three founders to a group of lovely, and very talented individuals. Click on their photos to meet them.

# – # – #

I’m a sucker for useful applications of technology.
http://www.mynameise.com/reinkefj

200904171534.jpg

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | SERVICE | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

WRITING: How did I get the book done

Sunday, March 29, 2009

On 03/20/09 11:22 AM, JohnB wrote:

*** begin quote ***

John, did you have any problem staying focused/motivated while writing your book? If so, do you have any tips or tricks? I’ve been hammering away at something for years now and I always find myself distracted and starting back at square one.

*** end quote ***

# – # – #

The book was written mostly from 5AM to 6Am every morning for many months. I cheated a little and thought about it while I was commuting. I cheated more by thinking about it when I’d go to bed, head, or waiting. I cheated a little because it’s somewhat a psuedo autobiographical of my day dreams in Church back when I was in Eighth Grade.

I could have written it 45 years ago. The basic story was there. So, I really never got “writer’s block”.

I did have some equipment failures that were setbacks. One night when I couldn’t sleep, I got up and wrote for two hours. For some reason, darn windoze, it was lost. It was really good too. Oh well.

I have a good outline of the 100 chapters. I was posting it on the Frugal Squirel’s Patriot Story forum. So I have a lot of positive feedback.

I think it has to be a labor of love. With passion. I still cry when I read certain chapters. (Everyone dies in the end. rofl!)

Once I got into the habit, it just took on a life of its own.

I’d previously put a year’s worth of my blog posts in a book using Lulu to print it. My mom was thrilled. My friends were polite. But, that showed me what was possible.

Does this help?

Since, I bought a MacBookAir and a Time Machine to prevent lost data and bought “SCRIVNER” that does housekeeping for the novels. I have 11 outlines — fiction and non-fiction — in queue. May not write them all, but they are there for the “doing”.

Hope this is what you wanted,

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | Writing | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

JOBSEARCH: STRATEGY Get your writing noticed?

Thursday, March 26, 2009

OK, we all agree its a tough world out there.

And, as you despite being an expert in <insert favorite aspect of your career>, you, (and me), AIN’T drawing a paycheck.

(And, for those smug overconfident soon to be unemployed, you may have drawn your LAST one!)

Here’s a way to get your content out there. I don’t particularly care what content it is. AS LONG AS IT’S SPELLED RIGHT and gramatically correct. (Wouldn’t that be the kiss of death. Like having a typo on your resume!) And, it isn’t too controversial (e.g., “How I was abducted by aliens”; “How to conceal your drug habit?”; “Padding your expense account”; “Best racist dirty jokes”). You get the idea.

I do know that this site has “buzz”, is indexed by Google, and has high traffic counts.

SOME folks are even putting their resumes on there. (I’m not so sure that’s a great idea.)

But if I was a lean and hungry seeker. I’d get soem high quality content up there. ESPECIALLY if I was an expert in something other than the lifestyle of turkeys (i.e., out of work jobseekers) large and small.

fjohn
the big fat old turkey hisself

p.s., I’m putting stuff up there. We’ll see if it works for fat old turkeys!

http://www.scribd.com/

*** begin quote ***

Welcome to Scribd!

Congratulations, you’ve just joined the world’s largest community of readers. Now that you have an account, you can:

* DISCOVER fun or functional writings and documents on any subject – explore by category, by browsing or just typing in a search topic.

* SHARE your own writings and documents – dust off all that great content on your hard drive or in print. Then check back for comments and analytics on how many people have read or downloaded your doc.

* DISCUSS topics of interest to you – leave comments on other people’s documents, join groups and express yourself.

… and a whole lot more. Also, don’t forget to check out the Scribd blog for updates on new product features and other Scribd news!

– The Scribd Team

*** end quote ***

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | JOBSEARCH | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

TECHNOLOGY: Watching the NCAA men’s online

Friday, March 20, 2009

http://mmod.ncaa.com/?source=mktg_09MMOD_EMnc319

Watch live games from the 2009 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship online for free

# – # – #

Watching. Pretty good! Impressive. Who needs TV?

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

INTERESTING: Ca125 blood test and sonogram

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Ca125 blood test and sonogram can detect ovarian cancer?

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | INTERESTING | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

WRITING: CHURCH is on final approach

Friday, March 13, 2009
CHURCH 10●19●62 front cover

CHURCH 10●19●62 front cover

CHURCH 10●19●62 back cover

CHURCH 10●19●62 back cover

An alternative future history. What might have been? If Nikta hadn’t blinked. If children were allowed to “be all that they could be”. If adults didn’t waste their time and attention on memes and paradigms that are insanity. If I’d known. Shoulda, coulda, and woulda! The human race’s millstone — obsolete thinking. Here’s what I think might have been possible.

The labor of love — telling a story I’ve had in my head since 8th grade — is almost complete. Lulu is shipping me my final proof. I think, I hope, I’ve solved the light printing problem.

We’ll see.

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | Writing | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

TECHNOLOGY: Free utility turns windoze display 90 like kindle

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Note the free downloadable utility that would allow the “pink elephant” to imitate a Kindle reader for books.

March 4, 2009 2:00 PM PST

Kindle, schmindle…I’ve got your $350 e-book reader right here

http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-10188221-12.html?tag=nl.e404

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

TECHNOLOGY: Tried to put Google Voice on to my the free, and unequaled, wordpressdotcom blog — NG!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Tried to put the new Google Voice on my blog

<embed src=”http://embed.grandcentral.com/webcall/87646957276d5456517b27b724819231&#8243; width=”227″ height=”93″ wmode=”transparent”></embed>

<A HREF=”http://www.backwoodshome.com”><IMG SRC=”http://www.backwoodshome.com/banners/bhms1.gif&#8221; WIDTH=”120″ HEIGHT=”120″ BORDER=”0″ ALT=”Backwoods Home Magazine – practical ideas for self-reliant living”></A>

<A HREF=”http://embed.grandcentral.com/webcall/87646957276d5456517b27b724819231″><IMG SRC=”http://embed.grandcentral.com/webcall/87646957276d5456517b27b724819231&#8243; width=”227″ height=”93″</A>

<img style=”visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;” border=0 width=0 height=0 src=”http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.11NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyMzY4NzEyMjExNDQmcHQ9MTIzNjg3MTI*NjgxMiZwPUdyYW5kQ2VudHJhbCZkPSZnPTEmdD*mbz*5NmUxOWFhYzUyYjQ*OGI5YTQwMmFhMTgxYTQ1NmJkNA==.gif&#8221; /><embed src=”http://embed.grandcentral.com/webcall/87646957276d5456517b27b724819231&#8243; width=”142″ height=”54″ wmode=”transparent”></embed>

<A HREF=”http://embed.grandcentral.com/webcall/87646957276d5456517b27b724819231″><IMG SRC=”http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.11NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyMzY4NzEyMjExNDQmcHQ9MTIzNjg3MTI*NjgxMiZwPUdyYW5kQ2VudHJhbCZkPSZnPTEmdD*mbz*5NmUxOWFhYzUyYjQ*OGI5YTQwMmFhMTgxYTQ1NmJkNA==.gif&#8221; width=”150″ height=”93″</A>

Failed!

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »