DaveHoran.com

Thanks to a visit to my friend Curt, I was able to get a hands-on look at the Amazon Kindle. I have an iPhone, with a lot of ebooks on it. This comes in handy when traveling as I only need to take one device with me that does it all: email, phone, apps, ebooks, etc. So when I saw the Knidle (and more recently the unusually large iPod Touch — I mean iPad) I thought, big deal.. I already have an ebook reader. However, I really wanted an up-close look at the eInk screen.

I had heard some downsides to the display, as there was no scrolling for text as you read, and there was a distinct flicker as you switched from page to page. However, after seeing this up close, it’s hard to deny the crispness and contrast of the display. This is very much like a printed page. You will need an external light source if you want to do night reading, but the new Kindle(s) do have a nice text-2-voice capability that allows the device to read the text to you.

The original Kindle form factor turned me off, and I passed on looking into it more. However the new device is think, quite lightweight, and because it really only stores text and B/W images, can store an amazing amount of content in a small memory footprint. The new DX is a bit too big for my liking, but does seem to have more screen real estate relative to the device size.

The cons seem to be the device screen; this is not a milspec hardened device. There have been reports of screen issues, but according to my friend Amazon replaces them quickly. However this is something that you’ll want to get a case for. Overall though, I think I might get one… but I still like the feel of a paper book.

sugru | Hack Things Better

Hacking is no longer just an ’80s term for breaking into computer systems. In this new age of DIY, “hacking” is more about customizing and/or re-purposing something. This is a very cool material for just this. I definitely need to get some. With my household, I could use it more for repairs (toys, electrical, etc) than anything else.

The Price of my Dreams – $60 a Week

Ok, so since my health scare this summer I’ve been reading up on getting healthy.. yes that raises all the red flags of “analysis paralysis”, but since I was not cleared to actually get out there any tart running marathons I was just doing what I could do. One component of my plan is eating better.

There are there three main areas that are impacting my health: poor diet, poor exercise, and stress. I read the article above by Sid Savara and it set off a little lightbulb in my head (dimly, but there). I’ve been pricing out local gyms so I can run in the winter months, so the idea of budgeting for someone to cook ready-made healthy meals sounded kinda good. Kristin is trying to get back in to Nutrisystem, but I think I’d like to look at having someone cook real meals rather than eating the fish-oil laden pre-packed stuff. I’m sure it works, as I have several friends how have had success with it, but I’m not a big fan of most frozen/vacupacked meals.

I *could* do this myself, and have planned/cooked/toted meals in the past when I was on the BodyForLife program. However, with 2 kids now and busier job now I’m not sure I’ll have the time to do it right. If I have to for cost reasons I will, but if I can have someone help with even 2 days worth of meals a week, that would be very cool and worth every penny.

So, we’ll see how far this idea flys. If anyone has any experience or thoughts on this, let me know via comments.

In short, the swine flu sucks. 103 degree fever, body aches that drive you crazy, coughing, runny nose, etc. This is especially problematic when the entire family gets it at the same time. We also discovered that giving Tamaflu to an 11 year old with a high fever causes hallucinations. Chasing an 11 year old up and down the hallway at 3am, while you yourself feel like the walking dead, makes you wonder if you’re being filmed for someones comedy show.

My propensity for nerd-dom comes thru here. When I go, this is the sort of thing I’d like. Not the normal solemn urn or box, but something cool that shows something about me.

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/sparc_urn_-_yes_hes_really_in_there.html

A new story snippet I started 2 years ago…

It was a dark and stormy night when Rick realized he left his brain back at the bar. Well, at least the part that did most of the thinking. He didn’t intentionally leave it sitting in the tray next to his empty beer glass, but as soon as he unplugs it, the little reminders that pop into his thoughts are no longer there.

“Well” thought Rick, “at least the little guy can tell someone who it belongs to.” Rick continue on to the apartment in the rain without a second thought, literally.

Rick climbed the grimy, creaky steps to the door of the second floor apartment and fumbled with his keys. The thin round cylinder with laser cut bar codes slipped easily into the round keyhole by its time worn end. At least this much was hardwired enough that he could still remember where he lived. The door lock quietly chirped, then thumped as the lock opened, and Rick went inside.

The room slowly lit when he entered as the bioluminescent plastic strips on the walls woke up like trapped fireflies. As he walked down the short hall, he noticed the blinking lights of the answering machine.

Not sure where this will end up, but I figured I’d post it. Let me know if you have any ideas.

After many years at GoDaddy (or GoSlowly, or Go<fill in the blank>) I have moved the blog to a new server via AppSalon. So it’s an opportunity to clean house and load up a new template. So, I’ll start things anew and see where it goes.