http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640
It’s Friday night and time for some tech and book news. Forgive me for starting with tech; I am still drooling over a TV segment I just saw about the new IPad.
So, I had just gotten back from helping my son upgrade his phone to an Iphone. The clerk and I talked about the IPad; we both think it will be really cool. When we got home I turned on the Rachel Maddow Show and what was on, but a segment on the IPad. A tech blogger reviewed for Rache,l and what I saw made me drool and think sexy thoughts.
Imagine sitting comfortable on your couch holding something that weighs less than a laptop and is about as big as the average size coffee table book. The screen is HD TV quality; the colors jump out and look realistic and life like. One of the applications I saw showed the periodic table (bear with me, it gets sexy). As you look at the table the letters that form the elements rotate and shine. Touch on one of the letters and up pops a rotating picture of the chemical and on the right, an article about it. If you have the money and really want to geek out, Apple sells 3D glasses enhancing the experience. Why is this sexy? Because even without the 3D glasses, it seems as if you are reading a 3D book! Yes! Can you imagine the possibilities? Text books will come alive with this new technology. Learning about a battle? Imagine watching it happen as you read about it! Imagine reading about an area with an interactive map at your finger tips. Not good enough okay, there is more!
If you are like me dear Reader you live in the city and miss seeing the stars and meteor showers that pass overhead in the summer months. I grew up in an area where I could go out at any time to see the planets and shooting stars. Now I am lucky if I can see the moon. What if you could sit in your house and see the heavens above you? There is an app that allows you to see the local sky in REAL TIME. Never again will you miss an astronomical event. It may not be as good as seeing it in your backyard, but let’s face it, many of us would miss it anyway; backyard or not!
Oh yeah, it is an e-reader too. Books are shown with one large page or two. There is no lag time when flipping pages and for those who need to read large print, well it does not get much bigger than this! Speaking of E-Readers:
Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins signed new e-book deals with Amazon. Both publishers declined to comment on the details but what has come out is that Amazon will now charge up to $14.99 a book; the same as the IPad. As much as I want an IPad, I would not pay this price for a casual read that I cannot share or put on my bookshelf. I may pay this and a little more for an interactive science or art book. But I will continue to read print books.
Borders repaid their $42.5 million loan and kept their credit line open. They also reported that its fourth-quarter earnings have more than doubled, though sadly sales fell 13.3%. As much as my local store irritates me at times, I do not want to see all book stores close. It is bad enough that indie books are closing nationwide, but I do not want online shopping to be my only option.
Joe Hill has been outed as Stephen King’s son. Duh, this is news? We fans knew two years ago.
For those who follow Twilight, I don’t, the new Meyer’s book will be a free e-book. The book snob in me says “well this is what it is worth” but the person who likes keeping her friends, says “yippie, and new Meyer book is coming out and its free!
Books on my wish list
The Sabbath World: Glimpse of Different Order of time by Judith Shulevits
What on earth evolved? 100 species that changed the world by Christopher Lloyd
The View From Sari's World 
Wow the Ipad certainly sounds like a tempting option but I still love the paper format.
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Your header looks awesome!I want the iPad~ it seems awesome. Apple does everything well!
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Sharon, I still love print books too. I would play with the iPad when I was not reading LOLDiane,Thanks. The header stands out a little more now. Yes, Apple does indeed make fantastic products. Now if only the price would come down on their iMacs. I would be thrilled!
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