Archives for the Month of December 2007 on media addict
eBook Readers
With all of the recent hype about Amazon's new (and horribly named) Kindle ebook reader I decided to add my two cents on the issue.
Ever since Sony first introduced their reader a couple of years ago I have been somewhat apprehensive about this technology. The pros and cons are well documented but these are the few I think are key:
Pros:
- One small device can carry hundreds of documents
- Ability to wirelessly acquire new media
Cons:
- When the battery dies you're screwed
- No universal open format for electronic print items
- Books don't cost much less than paper copies
- Not as rugged or as disposable as a paperback or magazine
- Expensive
At this point, I think the cons vastly out weigh the pros. A fragile, expensive piece of electronics with essentially one function is not a wise use of your money. I also think most of the additional functionality of the Kindle is a waste since it drives up the price of the unit. Being able to download new books and newspapers over Sprint's EVDO service is definitely cool, but I would much rather have device without this capability for less money.
My main argument against this generation of ebook readers is that they aren't that good. Give me a reader that can display color and doesn't have any unnecessary crapware built-in; I don't need it to play MP3s, record audio, browse the web, or display photos. Then get the price closer to $100 ($300-$400 is ridiculous) and I might consider purchasing one.
The Mist
The Mist is a perfect example of what could have been a great movie that loses its way and ends up only being decent. The plot is fairly standard horror: isolate a group of people, give them no information about their situation, and scare the crap out of them. This is all done very well; I liked the way this movie is shot as well as how the mist itself almost has some character. One of the biggest negatives for me came in an early scene when the first victim was attacked. The CGI special effects were horrible. If this movie had been made in the mid-90s this would be excusable, but not in 2007. This made even less sense given that the special effects later in the movie were more than acceptable. Why was the first (and arguably most important) scare so poorly done? Special effects aside, the acting and atmosphere are excellent and they are what keep this movie from running off the tracks. As the plot evolves, however, we realize that the story really has nowhere to go. This results in some fairly ridiculous situations as well as an absurd assertion about the origins of the monsters. All of this culminates in an incredibly stupid ending. I just wish they could have maintained the intelligence and creativity of the first three-quarters of The Mist into the last quarter. 3/5
Bug Labs
I have been following this company and its innovative idea ever since I heard about it via Make Magazine's Blog. After seeing these three videos (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) this weekend, I am very excited about what they are doing. Bug Labs is about to release a modular, completely open source, hand-held piece of hardware. So with this device you can now design and build your own PDA, GPS, Camera hybrid device. Definitely a very cool idea that is worth keeping an eye on.