February 6th, 2010
SixthSense technology
SixthSense is the mind blowing technology invented by Pranav Mistry, a PhD student working at MIT.
SixthSense is the mind blowing technology invented by Pranav Mistry, a PhD student working at MIT.
ePub is the standard for digital books. That said, why are publishers not following?
How many times have you faced this issue? You start reading a trilogy and buy the first book which is available in ePub format. Then you notice the second book is not available in ePub. How will you be able to read the sequel? Well, get it in another format! Wait, ePub is your only choice because other formats like Adobe Digital Editions PDF are poorly supported (zoom) on your device, get the paperback edition or be patient…
Try Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy on BooksOnBoard (a web store, not a publisher):
Annoying, isn’t it? Don’t be too disappointed ’cause you still get to read the third book! But you’ll stop here as the two other trilogies, Liveship Traders Trilogy and The Tawny Man Trilogy can not be purchased in you favorite format.
As Amazon says “We know that even the best book reader is useless without the books you want to read”, that’s totally what I feel like with my Cybook Opus.
Should I get a Kindle and buy ebooks from Amazon?
Vinland Saga, Ikigami or Iliad (Dossier A in French). If you are not familiar with those names, maybe you’re not yet into manga.
Vinland Saga is a Japanese historical manga about Vikings. Both drawing and writing are handled by his gifted author, Makoto Yukimura. The drawing is extremely well done, very accurate and full of details. This is even more impressive as this is in back & white. The story is not at rest with an intelligent and fascinating plot alongside interesting and colorful characters. When you start reading Vinland Saga, you can’t stop and the five volumes released in France did not last long for me! The series can appeal to any reader of bandes dessinées or comics. Highly recommended especially if you are new to the manga genre as I am.
Ikigami is drawn and written by Motoro Mase. The story happens in a fictive country where a law dictates that one child out of a thousand will receive the Ikigami. Between his 18th and 24th year the young citizen will learn that he has only 24 hours left to live. The said purpose of this law is to make young people learn the value of life. Kengo Fujimoto’s job is to deliver the Ikigami to the condemned ones. The focus is made on the end of their lives: how they face the adversity, how they react and what they choose to do of their last day. A very well drawn manga and an excellent scenario. I’m waiting for the fifth volume which will be released in a few days!
Iliad is the work of Garaku Toshusai and Osamu Uoto. The plot evolves around the mysterious island of Atlantis. I cannot really say much about it as I have just read a few pages of the first volume. The story is appealing and original. The illustrations are also pretty good. Moreover I have heard only good things about it, so I thought it was also worth recommending.
Three original series that differentiate from the actual manga production and set the level very high.
After Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde I am enjoying another classic rap album: The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest. Enjoying is too soft of a term because TCQ second effort is the best hip-hop album I have ever listened to. Q-Tip and Phife rhymes, the lyrics, the beats, the jazz atmosphere, the production… all those elements contribute to create a masterpiece, a flawless album.
“You on point Phife?
All the time, Tip”
For the Apple category the highest rank goes to John Gruber’s Daring Fireball.
TUAW gets the second position and AppleInsider the third one.
I have started the year listening to hip-hop/rap music and I can’t stop! Stones Throw Records is an excellent label that I have get used to dig since J Dilla Donuts was released in February 2006. Those were also the times when I first listened to The Third Unheard: Connecticut Hip Hop, 1979-1983. The compilation was my entry into old-school rap.
Back to the beginning of my story. Usually I listened to hip-hop from time to time. So what happened? I guess it was mainly because of what I read on Stones Throw website about Peanut Butter Wolf’s 45 live box set release and also that video of Otha Fish live on the Rhyme Library. The former lead me to more and more old-school listenings like the First Generation Rap compilations, the latter introduced me to The Pharcyde. Before that I only knew them through the video-clip of their song Drop. I was just astonished by their performance in the Otha Fish video: the flow, the humor, the dancing, the melody… It’s simply jaw-dropping. And it only gets better when you start listening to Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde. The whole album is inventive and impressive. I can easily see why it has become a classic ; it’s so unique and fresh even after all those years.
First Generation Rap is a box set of four CDs. It contains all the singles of the Enjoy label. Just to name a few gold nuggets: Funky 4+1 – Rappin’ & Rockin’ the House, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five – Superappin’, Spoonie Gee – Love Rap, The Treacherous Three – Body Rock, The Treacherous Three – Put the Boogie in Your Body, The Fearless Four – Rockin’ It, The Fearless Four – It’s Magic… I have finished listening to the four volumes: what a great collection of old-school songs!
More good stuff is on the way as I will soon be able to enjoy PBW 45 live box set and also that Harlem World (The Sound of the Big Apple Rappin’) compilation!
I have just been reading in Wayside Music newsletter that Aranis is working on a new album or at least a new project. This time they have added percussions to their music. I’m sure the result will be very interesting. I know someone who will be thrilled!
Via Neven Mrgan: XOC has released a new album. This time he is covering all the music of the Super Mario Bros 3 NES game. In case you didn’t know, he is not at his first attempt at this game. I am a fan of the work he did for the SMW soundtrack which is simply the best Mario music interpretation ever. Indeed Jason Cox is a very talented multi-instrumentalist. So if you want to feel nostalgic or simply to listen to good music, XOC web site is the place to go.
Panasonic has released a new version of the DMC-LX3 firmware. Version 2.1 fixes a problem in 2.0 that brings interesting new functions to the camera: aspect ratio of 1:1, white balance bracket function, high dynamic scene mode… I’m going to try some of those tomorrow.
From Volcano The Bear to Dragon or Emperor and then to Black Carrot! One band leads to another. Drink The Black Forest is Black Carrot’s last album and it’s another excellent surprise: odd, crazy and unexpected. Needless to say, I can’t stop listening to it.