daveydave

I have at various times over the past few months had a Kindle in my Amazon basket, but have managed to summon the strength to remove it. Last week, I finally gave up resisting. The idea of an eBook reader has appealed for a while. My Dad got a Sony Reader a couple of years ago and he really likes it. He's never actually bought any books for it yet (plus it's impossible for me to buy him one indirectly for a present) but he's been happily working his way through the sizable collection of free classics that are supplied with the device. Of course, you can carry a lot of books around with you in one of these things. Kindle plus points? Well, it's compact, the screen is lovely and clear to read and it is very easy to get books onto the Kindle: you don’t have to use dreadful software to get books onto the thing. So the system works (wake up Sony), the books are not stupidly overpriced (i.e. more than a hardback - wake up Waterstones) and, though you can easily find books fo...

Well... I like him even less than I did yesterday, which is saying something. I've never made much of a secret of the fact that I dislike News International. The organisation has far too much influence for my liking - although a good point has been made on this evening's news: that the influence is probably more in the minds of the politicians than anything else - did everyone who reads the Sun vote Tory last year? Doubt it. Regardless, the politicians in their infinite wisdom, curry favour with the Murdochs and no doubt BSkyB was a sweetner for News International's support of the Tories last May. On to the News of the World. My initial response on hearing about its imminent closure was one of satisfaction. A deserved kick in the eye for News International given the appalling revelations that have come to light. However, when you sit back and think about it, that act has done nothing towards atoning for the wrongdoings of the past. The editorial team currently at the News o...

Around fifteen years ago, a 28" television rattled off the Philips production line - in an era where the UK just about had 5 terrestrial channels. Tonight, it showed me video from the internet. Here's how: The internet arrives from the outside world through a filter and into an ADSL router. Out of the router via a short length of network cable, it enters a powerline network adapter and through the domestic 240v power system at 130Mbps. At the other end it comes out the socket, into a 4-port adapter and through more Cat5 to the FreeSat box. There, it travels the short distance to the TV through a SCART lead and lo... BBC iPlayer arrives on the screen. It may not be a holiday on the moon, but it's a little bit of future.