/* ** ************************************************************************* ** ************************************************************************* ** ** NN NN SSSSSS XX XX ** NNN NN SS SS XX XX ** NN N NN SSS XX ** NN N NN SSS XX ** NN NNN SS SS XX XX ** NN NN SSSSSS XX XX ** The Non-Sequitur Express ** « an eclectic e-newsletter, e-published irregularly » ** Produced by Phillip Thorne ** nsx.underbase.org ** ** Volume 8, Issue 2: Wednesday, 15 February 2006 ** Previous issue: Wednesday, 4 January 2006 ** ** ************************************************************************* ** ************************************************************************* */ FROM THE EDITOR: Coat hooks, a noisy balloon. ERRATA: TCM not TMC. EVENTS: Participatory Python at WHYY. CONSUMER 'TRONICS: Sony(R) Reader with E Ink. http://www.underbase.org/nsx/ - back issues http://www.underbase.org/blog - NSX::Blogmode http://www.underbase.org/nsx/index_plus.htm - extra content /* *************************************************************************** ** FROM THE EDITOR ** ************************************************************************ */ Welcome to this Day After Valentine's Day edition of _The Non-Sequitur Express_. I've got lots of content just-about-almost ready, but it'll have to wait for #8.3 because there's something I need to mention without delay. You know what public restrooms need? Hooks. Although *toilet stalls* typically have coat hooks -- except for the ones in that mall in Houston that had waist-high partitions with no doors; that was a shock, I'm sure readers who are fellow members of the 1993 Academic Team remember the place -- there's no provision to hang coats or bags while washing your hands. Such hooks should be durable -- possibly molded into the wall tiles -- to withstand vandals and vandalistic impulses. Yesterday I endured what was possibly the most annoying gift ever to arrive in an office on Valentine's Day: a heart-shaped mylar helium balloon equipped with a touch-activated song chip. It played a ten- second snippet of "You're the One that I Want" at twice-cell-phone- ringer-volume, and did so every time the balloon was tapped, nudged, or indeed, exposed to more than the briefest glance. Since the chip was *inside* the balloon, there was no way to disable it without wasting all that fun helium. /* *************************************************************************** ** ERRATA ** ************************************************************************ */ In Issue 8.1, I wrote of "Turner Movie Classics (TMC)." The correct name and abbreviation are "Turner Classic Movies (TCM)." "TMC" stands for "The Movie Channel," an entirely different cable network. /* *************************************************************************** ** EVENTS ** Participatory Python in Philadelphia ** ************************************************************************ */ This month (February), Philadelphia PBS station WHYY TV-12 will feature a series called "Monty Python's Personal Best," six one-hour episodes each detailing one member of the original troupe. To celebrate this, WHYY has invited Python fans for a two-hour evening of audience participation, featuring a costume contest, sing-a-long, and skits -- groups of up to eight can register. Do so by tomorrow afternoon. When: Thu 16 feb 2006 18:00-20:00 Where: WHYY Independence Foundation Civic Space 150 N Independence Mall Philadelphia PA 19106 Between Race and Arch Streets RSVP: Online or at 215-351-0511 By 16 feb 15:00 http://www.whyy.org/community/python.html http://pbsmail.org/whyy_e_services/events/montypython/details.tcl http://www.whyy.org/community/pythonskit_reg.html http://www.whyy.org/about/directions_phila.html /* *************************************************************************** ** CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ** Sony(R) Reader using E Ink technology ** ************************************************************************ */ For years, electronics companies have been trying to create the "electronic book" desired by futurists -- a device with the advantages of both hardcopy (legible, portable, durable) and online/screen reading (copious, updateable, searchable, zoomable). Previous attempts have all fallen short -- too heavy, too expensive, insufficiently legible, limited in content, short battery life. These have included the desktop PC, laptops, PDAs, and dedicated devices like the Franklin and Rocket. In 1997, E Ink Corporation of Cambridge, Massachusetts developed a promising technology for "electronic paper:" so-called "microencapsulated electrophoretic beads" and associated driver electronics. Products slowly appeared in the retail display sector while technologists eagerly awaited the personal "electronic newspaper." In April 2004, Sony released a device called the "LIBRIé," based on E Ink's display; but it was available only in Japan. On wed-4-jan-2006 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Sony announced a follow-up device for the US market. The "Sony(R) Reader" (what a boring name) will be released in April 2006, at a yet- to-be-determined price of $300 to $400. Its physical specs: 6.9 x 4.9 x 0.5" (larger than a trade paperback, but thinner), 9 ounces. The screen is 6 inches diagonal with a resolution of 170 dpi, the same as the LIBRIé -- this seems to be E Ink's standard display module. It's not a touch-screen, but the unit includes numerous hard-buttons which allegedly permit one-handed operation. There's no backlight, but it's readable in bright sunlight, and from any angle. Text can be zoomed 200%. (Why not more? That's a software issue, surely.) (Specifically: 37% white reflectivity, 8:1 contrast ratio, 170° viewing angle, 4 grey levels, 1-second image update, 800x600 pixels in 6-inch diagonal area (90.6 x 122.4 mm), rectangular pixels.) Unlike an LCD or LED display, an e-ink display is nonvolatile; it uses power only to *change* state, and if you turn off the device, the image remains. The integrated battery is rated for 7500 screen-flips, and can be recharged in 4 hours with the AC adapter. (If the device has onscreen menus, presumably it uses clipping to alter the pixels in only a fraction of the screen, saving power.) The Reader has onboard memory, with slots for both a Sony MemoryStick(R) and SD card. It also plays music files (unencrypted MP3; there's no DRM support) through a headphone jack (although that CPU load probably drains the battery). Unlike many previous e-book devices, content is open. Although Sony has a content agreement with the CONNECT(tm) Store (desktop software is included), you can also load any arbitrary files: PDF, RSS, and Jpeg are mentioned -- although they must be converted to the internal "BBeB" format. Presumably this opens it to content from Project Gutenberg, the Baen Free Library, Fictionwise.com, and any internet fanfic you care to reformat. www.e-ink.com http://www.e-ink.com/products/matrix/High_Res.html - LIBRIé http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/6394 http://products.sel.sony.com/pa/PRS/index.html http://products.sel.sony.com/pa/PRS/reader_features.html http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/ces/live-from-ces-the-sony-reader-146628.php /* ************************************************************************ ** Legalese ** Acknowledgments ** Opt-in/out Instructions ** *********************************************************************** */ The original content {layout, text} of this newsletter is copyright 2006 Phillip Thorne. Reproduction in whole or in part is permitted only as per applicable copyright law, if all copyright notices remain intact, and if citation trails (URLs or otherwise) are provided. That said, if you think colleagues would find an issue useful, please reproduce it -- but also suggest they subscribe. Those creative works {books, films, TV, websites, software, toys, etc.} referred-to {reviewed, synopsized, quoted, condensed, analyzed, etc.} herein are the property of their respective owners, are referred-to according to copyright law as interpreted in the U.S., and are cited whenever possible. No {endorsement, infringement, insult} is {expressed, implied, intended}, except where specifically stated. Other data sources: The Internet Science Fiction Database www.isfdb.org Usenet news.rec.arts.anime.misc news:rec.arts.sf.tv Wikipedia en.wikipedia.com Yahoo! Movies movies.yahoo.com If you're receiving this newsletter, you've probably intentionally subscribed to it, or possibly you're interested in special topical coverage, or maybe I've sent you a teaser issue. To subscribe and unsubscribe, use the addresses below: Publisher: nsx@underbase.org (human) Newsletter: nsx-l@underbase.org (automated system) nsx-l-subscribe (to subscribe; blank subject) nsx-l-unsubscribe (to unsubscribe) /* *************************************************************************** ** *************************************************************************** ** The Non-Sequitur Express ** http://nsx.underbase.org/ ** Volume 8, Issue 2: Wednesday, 15 February 2006 ** Copyright 1999-2006 Phillip Thorne, nsx@underbase.org ** *************************************************************************** ** ************************************************************************ */