Thursday July 29
21:46
New Kindles arrive
Amazon just announced the latest generation of Kindle – in WIFI and 3G versions:
Although many people discount the 3G saying they don’t need to be able to download books when out the house, the 3G is astoundingly useful because it syncs your position with Amazon. That means if you pick up an iPhone or iPad and use the Kindle app (which I often do), it will pick up from where you left off on your Kindle. I wouldn’t recommend skimping on 3G.
Interestingly, the new Kindle has a WebKit based browser. Here are all the new features (3G version.)
Kindle is our #1 bestselling item for two years running. It’s also the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon. Now it’s even better.
- All-New, High-Contrast E-Ink Screen – 50% better contrast than any other e-reader
- Read in Bright Sunlight – No glare
- New and Improved Fonts – New crisper, darker fonts
- New Sleek Design – 21% smaller body while keeping the same 6″ size reading area
- 15% Lighter – Only 8.7 ounces, weighs less than a paperback
- Battery Life of One Month – A single charge lasts up to one month with wireless off
- Double the Storage – Up to 3,500 Books
- Books in 60 Seconds – Download books anytime, anywhere
- Free 3G Wireless – No monthly payments, no annual contracts
- Built-In Wi-Fi – In addition to the 3G wireless, you can connect to Wi-Fi hotspots
- 20% Faster Page Turns – Seamless reading
- Enhanced PDF Reader – With dictionary lookup, notes, and highlights
- New WebKit-Based Browser – Free 3G web browsing (experimental)
Friday July 2
17:58
Good and Evil reversed
If you’re looking to buy the new Kindle DX, beware:
Confusingly, Amazon sells them both for the same price! Update: The white (old) DX is now $359, which is $20 cheaper than the new DX at $379. For just $20, you’re better getting the new DX.
Thursday July 1
14:07
New Kindle DX and why the colour change is important
The start of new Amazon’s new Kindle launches is here…
The new Kindle DX
- Price drop from $489 to $379
- 50% better contrast ratio, making it easier to read
- 9.7-inch e-ink display
- New black “graphite” colour (see my notes on this below)
- Free 3G international wireless
- No computer required
- Shipping July 7th
For me, the two negatives about the Kindle 2 are the contrast ratio and the white border. Since the e-ink background in the Kindle 2 is grey, the white border is actually distracting – reminding you that the e-ink “paper” is not as white as it could be; reminding you of the low contrast. I don’t think the graphite colour looks as good, but I’m sure it will help the perception of contrast and make it easier to read.
The Kindle 3 has got to be on the way now. At the current price of $189, the Kindle 2 is $190 cheaper than the new indle DX. I predict the Kindle 3 will have WIFI and 3G versions at price-points of $125 and $175, but we’ll have to wait and see.
For what it’s worth, for me I would always get the 3G version over the WIFI version. One of the things I love about Kindle is the automatic syncing across devices – I can read a book on my iPad at home, then take the train to work and continue reading on my iPhone or Kindle, and the iPhone or Kindle will “know” where I finished reading on the iPad. You don’t appreciate that until you experience it.
Get the new Kindle DX International 2 here.
Important: Amazon still sells the white Kindle DX. This is the old model, without the screen improvements. Kindle DX Generations:
- 1st Generation: Kindle DX (US only)
- 2nd Generation: Kindle DX International (White)
- 3rd Generation: Kindle DX International 2 (Graphite)
Hopefully Amazon has plans to remedy this – it’s confusing to have the old and new models on sale at the same price, and the description for the white model doesn’t make it clear the screen is the old screen. I’m not going to link to the White version because I don’t want people buying it by accident!
Update: The white (old) DX is now $359, which is $20 cheaper than the new DX at $379. For just $20, you’re better getting the new DX.
What can you read on Kindle? Check out these pages:
Wednesday June 30
11:31
Apple & Softbank shocker!
In Japan there are 3 main mobile phone networks – Docomo, AU, and Softbank. Of the 3, Softbank has the worst reception. Guess which network Apple chose? Yup, Softbank.
Japan is the only country in the world where the iPad is locked to a particular carrier.
It’s always been assumed that this was due to an Apple/Softbank tie-in, but not according to Softbank:
At Softbank’s annual shareholder meeting in a grand Tokyo auditorium, Mr. Son fielded a question from an investor about whether Softbank is worried that Apple may use another carrier in Japan to sell its products. He said while there is no binding clause keeping Apple tied to Softbank, he is pleased to be able to play a role in getting these products out to as many consumers as possible.
So there we have it – Apple locks us to Softbank for fun. Most likely, Docomo refused the iPhone at first and so Steve has locked down the iPad to “punish” them.
Monday June 28
22:38
Panchira – Up skirt Japanese
For some reason, “up skirt Japanese”, “upskirt Japanese”, and “up-skirt Japanese” are the most popular search terms for my blog from Google. I didn’t intend it to be that way – it just happened like that. I’ve never understood why anyone would search for that.
Well imagine my surprise when I was glancing at a book called “Otaku Encyclopedia” and I came across this:
Would you like to take a photo of my panties?
There is a word in Japanese for taking photos up skirts of Japanese girls! It’s called Panchira パンチラ.
If you squint at the photo, you’ll see there’s a phrase for Panty Thief also – Shitagi dorobo.
This country never fails to amaze me.
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Panasonic DMC-G1
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Panasonic DMC-GH1/G1HD (check availability)
