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Kindle 2: An Introduction

Matt — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:54:19 +0000

Kindle 2

Have you ever prepared for a trip and struggled when deciding which books to take with you? Do you have books that are too big to pack in the car or worry about lugging around? Do you get miles into the trip and wish you brought one of your other books instead?

I’m a software programmer and most of my books are at least 1,000 pages and weigh a couple of pounds. Seriously, these books are huge. Oftentimes, I have found myself in the car a few hours into a trip or even at my destination, and really wished that I had another book that was left home. Well, I finally found a solution.

Introducing the Kindle 2

Image by TW Collins via Flickr

Amazon’s Kindle 2 is a wonderful product. It is an electronic wireless reading device. With it, you can potentially carry about 1,500 books around with you at a time. All those books on the new Kindle 2 would only weigh about 10 ounces! I read my Kindle in one hand and don’t have to worry about flipping pages, or maneuvering the book to see the words in the shadowed cleft where the pages attach to the spine. When I prepare to leave the house, I don’t have to debate with myself over which book deserves to be toted around with me; I just grab my Kindle. There are other benefits of the Kindle that are more than just convenient alternatives to physical books.

Who is it for?

Image via Wikipedia

The Kindle 2 is ideal for any reading enthusiast. If you love books, but are not attached to the physical attributes of them, you will undoubtedly want a Kindle 2. I do have some specific recommendations for types of people that will most likely desire a Kindle the most.

bookworms that gobble up text like it’s candy (e.g. Aunt Mildred, Cousin Albert, that know-it-all kid next door; a.k.a. Lisa Simpson)
history, or reference, buffs that want that information at their fingertips (e.g. Professor Zimmer, spelling bee champions, Civil War reenactors, etc.)
technical devotees looking for a great way to consolidate all their manuals and guides (e.g. software developers, network analysts, electronic repairmen, etc.)
professionals with a need to constantly look-up codes or hard facts (e.g. building contractors, attorneys, engineers, etc.)
many more

This is a great gift for graduates heading off to college, people with low mobility, those with diminished eyesight, and friends or family with one hobby; reading.

A Time When Microsoft Sucks

Chrissy — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:52:05 +0000

So, after waiting and waiting for the new update of Davis (Bikes) for Burnout Paradise, it was released today. We tried and tried to download it, restarting the Xbox360 I don’t know how many times.. and nothing! We figured the download just wasn’t working for some reason, so we went to the Xbox360 Marketplace and found where to download the new update. When we clicked on it, it told us that since we only have a Silver Membership that we have to wait to download it. What is that crap about?! We paid for the Xbox360, we paid for the Burnout Paradise game, and Criterion (the maker of Burnout Paradise, just in case you didn’t know) released this very cool new update for FREE. So, Microsoft has to be the jerk in all of this and force people to pay for a Gold Membership. I, for one, will not help Microsoft rake in the cash with this sad attempt to cause Silver Membership people grief. I can either wait indefinitely while Microsoft decides they have make enough extra money or we could finally set up my husband’s dad with an Xbox Live membership which comes with a Gold Membership for free for a month. We will just see if the Davis (Bikes) update is available tomorrow… Microsoft shame on you! Criterion keep up the good work!

Kingdom Hearts II

Chrissy — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:38:44 +0000

Today, I sold my Kingdom Hearts II video game for the Playstation 2. My trend recently is to get a video game, play it, beat it, and then sell it. I looked into trading in, but you usually get so much more for the games when you sell them on Amazon. This one was an accomplishment. I tried to get 100% completion, but missed by only 4%. I heard that the ending was different if you achieved 100%, but I didn’t get to see that version if there was one. There were a couple activities in the game that I was just not willing to spend hours on: defeating Sephiroth and some of the mini games. I know when to call it quits and 96% was my limit. I even took some screen shots with my camera.

The game was quite good. I hope they have a 3rd one. I have read on GameSpot that one is in talks. Other than some boss fights that are a little ridiculous and some major button mashing in certain fights, I really enjoyed it. If you want to keep it simple and play through the story sequence and not do any extra stuff you can get away with just that; however, if you want to submerge yourself into Kingdom Hearts – minigames, gummi upgrades, and Jiminy challenges – you can do that too. It all depends on how many hours you want to play the game.

Computer Wallpaper

Chrissy — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:44:45 +0000

The coolest site for computer wallpapers is Digital Blasphemy. There is a limited amount of free wallpapers, but to be able to get any of the wallpapers, membership is required and so worth it. Check it out!

The Code Project

Chrissy — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 21:05:41 +0000

The Code Project is a wonderful site for programmers of all levels. There is much to read and learn there Please check it out. Here are a few of my recommended articles:

.NET Framework
LINQ Challenges and SQL Server Compact Edition

Web Security
Switching Between HTTP and HTTPS Automatically: Version 2