tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51114730846274706332024-02-20T00:03:57.326-06:00SF & F ReaderSome reviews, some rants, everything a blog needs. Here Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels (and sometimes movies) are given consideration.SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-73511580511715100842014-04-30T20:10:00.000-06:002014-04-30T20:10:04.840-06:00Star Wars VII Cast Announcement<br />
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Well <a href="http://starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-7-cast-announced.html">this</a> sounds promising. Now if only we could get rid of J.J. . .<br />
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<br />SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-46450518959350050512012-09-19T17:14:00.003-06:002012-09-19T17:15:40.554-06:00Continuing Continuum<br />
If you haven't seen <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuum_(TV_series)"><i>Continuum</i></a> yet, <a href="http://continuumtheseries.com/episodes">what's stopping you</a>?<br />
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Well, if you were worried about emotionally investing in a Canadian cable sci-fi show, and I don't blame you in that regard, there's one less reason to worry; <a href="http://www.showcase.ca/blog/archive/2012/8/25/continuum-gets-renewed-for-season-two.aspx">Showcase has ordered a second season</a>!<br />
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So far I have found <i>Continuum</i> to be smart and (relatively) hard hitting. This is not your average feel good science fantasy, nor is it just about beautiful people running around in the adventure of the week (although <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Nichols_(actress)">Rachel Nichols</a> <i>is</i> rather attractive. . . ). There are real issues being explored here such as the nature of terrorism, the rising power of mega-rich corporations, and ultimately the nature of good and evil and our ability to differentiate between them. For example, Kiera (Nichols) is an agent of the future corporate 'government' and she strives to uphold the law and bring the terrorists to justice. However, through her eyes, we see more and more reason to doubt just how just the system is that she works for. Her intentions are righteous, but is her effort misplaced?<br />
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Yes, the show is also about time travel. But like all good science fiction*, the science is just there to help amplify relevant themes from our current time, to dissect them and offer them up for closer examination by the consumer.<br />
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I applaud that this show is actually set in Canada. You'd be amazed how many television shows, especially Sci-fi ones, are made here. Speaking of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_franchise">Stargate</a></i> <a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/tongue.gif" /></a>, fans of that TV series should easily recognize two of the stars of <i>Continuum</i>: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexa_Doig">Lexa Doig</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Amendola">Tony Amendola</a> (one of them is married to fellow Stargate SG1 alum <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Shanks">Michael Shanks</a>, I'll let you guess which <a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/wink.gif" /></a>).<br />
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*That is not to say that I dislike 'hard' science fiction, just that I prefer a bit more social and philisophical speculation to go along with the technical manual of the future.<br />
<br />SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-68860562355097813692012-07-18T15:05:00.000-06:002012-07-19T11:58:18.433-06:00Another Disappointment From Kobo<br />
I try so hard not to be negative, yet it seems inevitable that every post I make these days is critical. Perhaps that is why I have not been posting much lately.<br />
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Moving along now, it's been a little over a year since I bought my Kobo Touch. Coincidentally, Firmware 2.0.0 has, at long last, appeared. Is this a good thing? You decide.<br />
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New Features:<br />
- Custom Shelves (finally)<br />
- The Home screen now has a single carousel (although they kept the wrong one and hid the wishlist again)<br />
- Adjustable font weights (Currently works for most of Kobo's font's but does not work for sideloaded fonts and, in fact, breaks them (see below under Newly Broken Features))<br />
- French Dictionary<br />
- Switch between accounts on your Kobo<br />
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New 'Features':<br />
- Improved custom recommendations (i.e. Better Spying)<br />
- Pin books to your Wishlist so you can buy them later (With an obtrusive link on the Home page)<br />
- Find books similar to the ones in your library (Also with an obtrusive link on the Home page)<br />
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Newly Broken Features:<br />
- Sideloaded fonts are set to the lowest possible weight with no way to adjust them<br />
- The clock is now buried within a menu, even when reading<br />
- The wishlist hearts no longer work<br />
- Page turns in sideloaded books are now much slower<br />
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Still Missing:<br />
- Proper Library sorting options (genre, length, etc.)<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">- Support for book series</span><br />
- User adjustable first line indent options<br />
- A Bug free experience<br />
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Please Note: This upgrade is known to brick some Kobos. In fact, the firmware is no longer being pushed to devices until they get it working.<br />
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Personally, I'm quite glad that I didn't download this 'upgrade'.<br />
<br />SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-64041300171568459332012-06-19T12:31:00.001-06:002012-06-19T12:31:09.207-06:00OtterBox Disappoints Again<br />
So, it seems OtterBox will not be releasing the Defender series case for my phone after all. Thanks a bunch, guys.<br />
<br />SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-19990892482645917842012-05-30T10:04:00.000-06:002012-05-30T15:05:32.837-06:00OtterBox Blues<br />
I eagerly anticipated the arrival of an OtterBox protective case for my new Samsung smartphone. My sister has one for her phone which is similar to mine. The phone, that is. Amongst all the rave reviews I had heard about the OtterBox, not once did I hear that there are two type of OtterBox cases: The Defender Series and the Commuter Series. I received the latter.<br />
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As I opened the box I saw right away that this one was different. I had been expecting a front and a back that snap together with a built in screen cover. What I got instead was a rubber layer that grabs the sides and covers the back, a hard plastic layer that covers most of the rubber, and a separate stick-on screen protector. First disappointment.<br />
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"Oh well," I thought. "Lets try it."<br />
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I have one of these sticker type screen protectors on my Kobo Touch, so I'm familiar with the concept. This one refused to go on straight. It is also very under-size, the edges of the sticker clearly visible all the way around. It looks cheap!<br />
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Worse still, where the Kobo has a matte screen, my phone has a very glossy screen. Every flaw in the application is immediately and glaringly obvious. I have tried cleaning and reapplying the protector four times now. Somehow a little speck of dust always finds it's way under there.<br />
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I would be tempted to just go without the sticker except for three things. One, the rubber forms a wavy frame around the screen. Two, the plastic has rough unfinished edges. And three, most infuriatingly, the screen on my phone (supposedly made of scratch proof glass) already has scratches. . .<br />
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I'm done. This one goes back tomorrow. I hope the Defender is better because these are supposed to be the best cases available.<br />
<br />SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-34464907141330790422012-05-15T18:01:00.000-06:002012-05-15T19:08:35.388-06:00Angry Birds In Space<br />
Hmm, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angry_birds">Angry Birds</a></i> goes retro sci-fi. . .<br />
<br />
Yesterday I downloaded the demo for <a href="http://shop.angrybirds.com/us/games/pc-games/angry-birds-space-pc-version.html"><i>Angry Birds: Space</i></a>. I admit that I did so with some prejudice, expecting perhaps a simple palette swap. Afterall, as Penny-Arcade so aptly <a href="http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2012/02/20">illustrated</a>, how could the usual sling shot physics work in space?<br />
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Well, I'm happy to report that it does work! While there are some levels where gravity plays no role, most levels are built around small planetoids complete with their own gravity and atmosphere. This makes for some complex and interesting trajectories. Rovio has added a short predictive line to the interface to help you place your shot, but the larger and more complex the level, the less this line will help.<br />
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The atmosphere is an interesting element. Mostly it serves to show where the effect of gravity begins, but it also is essential to the pigs who can not survive in the vacuum of space. There is no explanation as to how the birds are able to survive in space (or why the slingshot's planetoid does not have gravity), but pigs must either live within a planetoid's atmosphere or within a small bubble of air. Should that bubble pop, the pig will flash freeze and then shatter.<br />
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The pigs in bubbles, especially when placed above the atmosphere of a planetoid, are oddly reminiscent of the star child from <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(film)">2001: A Space Odyssey</a></i>. On some levels though, the bubbles are given antennae and are clearly meant to represent old school space helmets.<br />
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As an added bonus, you can pop the bubbles on the level selection menu and freeze the pigs there as well.<br />
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There has been a sprite swap for the birds in order to bring the retro sci-fi theme together. The red birds have been given a black mask, the blue birds a lightning cap. The yellow birds, which are not used in the demo but shown in the cut-scene, are now purple with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclops_(comics)">Cyclops</a>-esque visor. The black birds have been dressed in orange suits with wide round collar and they have been given a ponytail that is lit on fire like a fuse. The big red birds, which also do not feature in the demo, are now big green birds (no relation to boomerang birds).<br />
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There is also a bonus level included with the demo that pays tribute to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Invaders"><i>Space Invaders</i></a>.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
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I installed and played this demo on my computer. I'm not sure how these expansive levels will look on a tiny iPhone or smaller android phone.<br />
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There also seemed to be a long wait at the end of the level of each level. Presumably this is due to the complex physics.<br />
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All in all, I'd say that this is a great addition to the <i>Angry Birds</i> franchise.<br />
<br />SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-17291025839144387032012-03-05T14:34:00.003-06:002012-03-05T14:42:29.693-06:00Read an E-Book Week<div><br /></div>Just a heads up, this is currently Read an E-Book Week. Go on over to the <a href="http://www.ebookweek.com/">website</a> to find links to a large number of free eBooks.<div><br /></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-89187358642238514372012-03-05T12:02:00.003-06:002012-03-05T16:14:38.693-06:00Ebook Giveaway<div><br /></div>Michael A. Stackpole is <a href="http://www.michaelastackpole.com/?p=3086">giving away</a> ebook versions of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029XG190">A Gathering Evil</a> through Amazon for one day only. Open to all world regions!<div><br /></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-5480619588776025972012-01-18T00:00:00.000-06:002012-01-18T11:53:51.172-06:00E Ink at CES 2012<div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165557">This is Interesting.</a><div><br /></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-87373826198594642292012-01-15T23:30:00.001-06:002012-01-15T23:33:41.388-06:00North America's First Colour E Ink E-Reader<div><br /></div><div>Today is the 'Expected' ship date for what is being advertised as North America's first Colour E Ink e-Reader, the <a href="http://www.ectaco.com/products/jetBook_Color/">ETACO jetBook Color</a>. Guess they ship on Sundays in some parts of the world. . .</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been waiting for colour e-ink for several years now. It's one of the main reasons why I waited so long to buy my first e-reader. Of course, six and a half months after I gave up waiting, look what they roll out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yet, the ETACO is not exactly what I was waiting for anyway.</div><div><br /></div><div>You see, there are <a href="http://www.geekgumbo.com/2011/06/02/update-on-color-eink/">several promising technologies</a> that have been announced over the past several years. For instance, there is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interferometric_modulator_display">Mirasol</a> screen, utilized by the <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33198_7-57329355-286/kyobo-mirasol-color-e-reader-debuts-in-korea/">Kyobo</a> e-reader that was recently released in Korea (<i>not</i> to be confused with the <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/e-book-readers/kobo-ereader-touch-edition/4505-3508_7-34746372.html">Kobo</a> e-Reader). Supposedly inspired by iridescent butterfly wings, Mirasol uses tiny electrically controlled mirrors. Besides the colour capabilities, this screen will refresh faster than current black and grey E Ink.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even more promising is the <a href="http://www.liquavista.com/default.aspx">Liquavista</a> screen that was purchased by Samsung a year ago. This screen uses <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrowetting">electrowetting</a> technology. It promises far faster refresh rates, fast enough to watch video, <i>and</i> lower energy consumption. It is also <a href="http://www.liquavista.com/technology/default.aspx">easier and cheaper to make</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>So how does North America's first colour e-Reader stack up? It uses an older technology that relies on several layers of colour filters layered over an ordinary E Ink screen. This has several disadvantages since it has many of the same deficiencies of a regular E Ink screen as well as having all those extra layers for the light to pass through, which ultimately produces a dimmer, less distinct image.</div><div><br /></div><div>Still, the jetBook Color has been available in Europe for some time now and it was deemed popular enough to bring over here. I'd be interested in seeing one, but I'm not rushing out to pay <a href="http://www.ectaco.ca/products/jetBook_Color/">$520</a> dollars for one.</div><div><br /></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-83078264739488622232011-12-23T16:54:00.006-06:002012-07-18T14:51:31.515-06:00Six Months With the Kobo Touch<div>
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According to the receipt that I found yesterday, I have now (as of today) owned my <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CEAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobobooks.com%2Ftouch&ei=PVX6Tu6hFKrd0QH3nbW2Ag&usg=AFQjCNFo-riyD-DXAusCPmQHHCW3aAaTuQ">Kobo Touch</a> for six months. Coincidentally, a <a href="http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162202">new firmware</a> version has also been released today.<br />
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At the time, the Kobo Touch seemed like the right choice. I had considered buying the first Kobo eReader since it was cheaper than a Sony and it didn't lock you in like Kindle, but several things held me back. The biggest thing was that change was promised to be on the horizon. "Price drops by Christmas," they said, "colour e-ink next year. . ."<br />
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Of course, those promises were broken. So by the time the Kobo released a new touchscreen I was tired of waiting and ready to buy a device just to 'get me by' until the good stuff came out.<br />
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By and large, the Kobo has worked. Most of the time. Right off the bat the reading experience wasn't great. There was little support for sideloaded content (the main reason I bought the thing) but you could read with it. It just wasn't very easy. There wasn't much control over how the text was displayed and the 'page' number would often overlap the text. Through quite a few firmware updates all this has changed, of course.<br />
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But the story doesn't end there. It hasn't always been an uphill experience. With each firmware 'update' it seems that new bugs are introduced. Sometimes old bugs come back. There was one bug that cut off the last line of text on every page. There was one bug that broke the functionality of SDHC memory cards for some users. There was even a bug that caused some Kobo databases to become corrupt forcing constant 'factory resets'.<br />
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Currently, the only bug that really bothers me is that it will sometimes not turn the page when I tap the screen, a second tap will then turn two pages. This bug has been around for a long time. . .<br />
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I hope that the new firmware I just installed will fix this, but I doubt it. It isn't listed as one of the fixes. Also, there is still no way to organize the library into collections or shelves.<br />
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Conclusion: while buggy and often frustrating, it works. Still, I can really only recommend the Kobo Touch to users who won't mind mucking through CSS and XHTML to make their books work, or who can <a href="http://www.chauveau-central.net/pub/KoboTouch/">hack</a> the Linux based firmware. Furthermore, within the last six months, new ereaders have come on the market that are priced competitively with the Kobo. Sony and Kindle (Amazon) both offer much better customer support and can pump far more resources into their software updates.<br />
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<br /></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-31040738348435447252011-12-09T15:10:00.002-06:002011-12-09T15:15:33.055-06:00Kobo Touch 1.9.14<div><br /></div>For those of you considering buying a <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/touch">Kobo Touch</a> for Christmas (and as penance for <a href="http://sfandfreader.blogspot.com/2011/12/kobo-touch-malfunction.html">yesterday's post</a>), here are some of the features that Kobo has added to the Touch since it's initial release (my notes in <i>italics</i>):<div><br /></div><div><ul><li>Choice of five new pre-loaded fonts (seven in total)</li><li>Add your own fonts!</li><li>Adjustable margins, line spacing, justification and more</li><li>Search within a book</li><li>Enter text for dictionary search in all supported book formats</li><li>Select words within ePubs for dictionary search</li><li>Set your preferred language</li><li>Translate words in a book into other languages</li><li>Full German dictionary now included</li><li>Sleep and power off screens now show full screen book covers!</li><li>Support for free ebooks from Internet Archives</li><li>Book progress available in Library</li><li>Customize how you tap on the screen to turn pages (including left-handed)</li><li>Check the time while you are reading</li><li>Revised EXTRAS page under Settings <i>(extras include Sudoku, Sketchbook, and the internet browser)</i></li><li>Make notes within a book while you read</li><li>Browse and edit your notes with the Annotations List</li><li>Tap the upper right-hand corner of your page to bookmark it</li><li>Add notes to your bookmarks from the Annotations List</li><li>Sync your notes and bookmarks to the Kobo Cloud <i>(Proprietary ePubs only)</i></li><li>Share passages and awards with your friends through Facebook</li><li>Recieve awards for sharing your reading life</li><li>Share book on Facebook</li><li>Quickly preview Footnotes and Endnotes from linked text in a book <i>(not working properly yet)</i></li></ul><div><br /></div>I have found the Kobo Touch to be very buggy. Each firmware release fixes some problems but invariably introduces more or resurrects old bugs. Strangely, these bugs do not affect everyone, but everyone will get a bug at some time or another.</div><div><br /></div><div>One persistent bug which has affected my Kobo is that it will randomly not turn the page when I tap the screen. I could then wait forever staring at the same screen, the interval is not a factor, but the next time I tap the screen the page will process two taps. This means that if I tap forward a second time the reader will quickly turn two pages. If I tap in the center it will turn the page once and then bring up the menu. This problem presents more frequently under certain firmware versions than others but it has not gone away.</div><div><br /></div><div>I still cannot recommend this device to the average user. There are plenty of alternatives on the market now such as the <a href="http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&identifier=S_Portable_Reader">Sony PRS-T1</a>. If you can find the discontinued <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Reader#Touch_Edition_PRS-650">Sony PRS-650</a> I'd recommend that over the new Sony. Personally, I would avoid Kindle at all costs, but they reportedly do have great customer service.</div><div><br /></div><div>And just recently colour eInk eReaders have <a href="http://www.ectaco.com/posts/list/75840.page">started to show up</a>. . .</div><div><br /></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-65461679622206787602011-12-08T13:54:00.003-06:002011-12-09T15:15:48.433-06:00Kobo Touch Malfunction<div><br /></div>What is <span><span>this</span></span><a href="http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1869577&postcount=23"></a>? Some sort of cosmological retribution for finally getting a <a href="http://sfandfreader.blogspot.com/2011/12/finally-bluray-player-that-works.html">functional Bluray palyer</a>?<div><br /></div><div>Last night my ereader started acting up. Basically, my SD card no longer functions with my <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/touch">Kobo Touch</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a known problem, has been for a couple of months now, it just never bit me before. Kobo keeps telling us that they've fixed the problem, but that doesn't seem to be true now does it. In fact, the Kobo Touch has many problems and lacks in some industry standard features (like the ability to organize your library), although firmware updates may address these issues in the future. For instance, they have added many features since the original launch such as search within the text of a book, highlighting, and notes. Yes, those are standard features on other ereaders, and yes Kobo Touch owners had to wait until <a href="http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158476">quite recently</a> for those last two (note that they list the SD card problem as 'fixed'). Mostly they've given us clutter like <i>reading awards</i>, <i>post to facebook</i>, and other crap like that.</div><div><br /></div><div>And how do they reward us loyal early adopters? By giving away free ebooks to <a href="http://blog.kobobooks.com/kobo-2012-book-club/">new adopters</a>. . .</div><div><br /></div><div>I was going to post about all the nice features that Kobo has added to the touch, but I'm too pissed off at the moment. As it stands now, I cannot recommend this product to anyone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Edit (12/09/2011): Oops, my bad. The problem was caused by a poorly formated epub. . .</div><div><br /></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-56245603971663890962011-12-07T15:21:00.002-06:002011-12-07T15:25:01.178-06:00Finally, a Bluray Player that Works!<div><br /></div>So, finally fed up with a growing collection of Bluray discs that I can't watch, I went out and bought a new player last night.<div><br /></div><div>And I'm shocked to report that it actually works. And no, that is not me being facetious.</div><div><br /></div><div>The list of failures my <a href="http://www.lg.com/ca_en/tv-audio-video/video/LG-blu-ray-dvd-player-BD350C.jsp">old player</a> presented me with is long and stretches back all the way to the day I got it. A specific example would be <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_begins">Batman Begins</a></i>, a problem disc to be sure.</div><div><br /></div><div>I like this movie. It really is a shame that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_(film)">sequel</a> is a steaming pile (I hope the third is better), but even more disappointing is the fact that I have been unable to watch the Bluray that is in my possession.</div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, that is not entirely true, I was able to watch it once on my computer, but that was a struggle in itself. The <a href="http://sfandfreader.blogspot.com/2011/10/canada-to-support-evil.html">digital lock</a> would not permit me to watch past the warning and logo screens. I naively tried to update the software that came with the computer, a move which locked out all the movies I own, including the ones I had previously watched on my computer; such titles as <i>Iron Man</i>, <i>Get Smart</i>, <i>Stargate</i>, and <i>The Fifth Element</i>. I finally resorted to a trial version of an on the fly DRM stripping program called <a href="http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvd.html">AnyDVD</a>. It worked. . . the first time.</div><div><br /></div><div>My old LG never would play this disc. I always found this to be rather odd. <i>Batman Begins</i> is not a new title. It was not even when I bought the player. The digital key should have been available even then, and certainly via firmware update since. It never was.</div><div><br /></div><div>Begining to doubt that the player was at fault when I tried to watch this movie on my computer for a second time, I even tried <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Extreme-CD-Repair/step3/Boil-your-CD/">dropping the disc in boiling water</a> for ten seconds, a remedy I had read about that had <a href="http://www.xboxliveaddicts.co.uk/forums/topic/265-game-disc-wont-play-heres-how-to-fix-it/">cured some Xbox discs</a>. No go. In fact the computer would no longer even recognize that the disc was valid.</div><div><br /></div><div>I thought I had killed it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not so. Last night, and continuing this morning, I began going through the list of discs that wouldn't play on my old LG. So far so good; they all play. With trepidation, and little hope, I placed Batman Begins on the tray of my new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-BDP-BX58-Blu-ray-Player-Wireless/dp/B004T6VT74">Sony BDP-BX58</a>. Success - an FBI warning! Then the WB logo! Then the menu! Wonder of all wonders, the movie even played!</div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, so the picture quality of this old bluray isn't the best. DNR all over the place. At least the movie itself is good. And more importantly, I can see it again!</div><div><br /></div><div>Rating for Sony's BDP-BX58</div><div><br /></div><div>*****/5</div><div><br /></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-68694823265914920312011-11-08T12:37:00.000-06:002011-11-08T12:37:51.417-06:00HD TNG!!!<div><br /></div>So I was busy making up my Christmas wishlist and I went to check if there are any deals on seasons of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation">Star Trek: The Next Generation</a>.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/star-trek-the-next-generation-sampler-blu-ray/m2193238.aspx?path=401f559347250fb8f6077b8489c883c0en02">Wow</a>! Just <a href="http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=7439">wow</a>! <a href="http://tng.trekcore.com/bluray/">HD TNG</a> is coming in 2012! (links in order of my discovery)</div><div><br /></div><div>That happened much earlier than I expected, but I guess next year is the 25th anniversary. 25 years? I'm getting old. . .</div><div><br /></div><div>My only concern is that they will be redoing all the special effects rather than upconverting. This could be good and it could be bad. I guess it depends on how many elements they can salvage and how many they have to recreate. Hopefully they give us better looking planets for the first few seasons anyway.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wait and see, I guess.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope they don't cost an arm and a leg either. . .</div><div><br /></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-85042937956904434502011-10-28T14:29:00.003-06:002011-10-28T15:34:00.465-06:00Sucker Punch (2011)<div></div><br /><div>I like to think of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucker_Punch_(film)"><i>Sucker Punch</i></a> as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_story">frame story</a> for a bunch of action movies that I wish were full length movies on their own. The frame itself is very much like a picture frame; it is the functional, stylish, yet utterly mundane thing that surrounds the beautiful picture.</div><div><br /></div><div>**/5</div><br /><div></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-77423798138622686002011-10-11T17:30:00.001-06:002011-10-11T18:19:24.483-06:00No DRM = Less Piracy?<div><br /></div>Yeah, I knew <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/09/ditching-drm-could-reduce-piracy-prices-inconvenience/">this</a> too (see my <a href="http://sfandfreader.blogspot.com/2011/10/canada-to-support-evil.html">previous post</a>). Apparently, a recent study shows that abandoning DRM would actually reduce digital piracy because legal customers would no longer be driven to other means in order to avoid being <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/harassed">harassed</a>. Shocking. . .<div><br /></div><div>While I have a hard time understanding how anyone could not see this as common sense, I <i>can </i>believe that the <a href="http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/09avpsycho-2b/Article/">sociopaths</a> and other power freaks that run business might not.</div><div><br /></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-42128798639895623292011-10-07T15:11:00.003-06:002011-10-07T16:42:54.520-06:00Canada to Support Evil<div><br /></div><div>I knew <a href="http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/ottawa-copyright-laws-mean-canadians-203351106.html">this</a> was going to happen. . . but I wanted the '<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/sweeping-conservative-crime-bill-only-the-beginning/article2173915/">tough on crime</a>' Bill and the eradication of the <a href="http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2011/05/04/18104321.html">long gun registry</a>. . .</div><div><br /></div><div>The specific evil to which I refer in the title of this post is the provision in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_C-32">Bill C-32</a> that makes it illegal to break <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management">DRM</a> even for personal use of media that you <i>paid</i> for.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's be clear here: DRM is evil! It is the equivalent of selling a house that only one person can live in, no one can visit, the key may or may not open the front door even if the newest version of key has been provided, ownership can be revoked at any moment at the whim of the vendor, yet it cannot be resold when the 'owner' needs to move to a new city and it cannot be jacked up and trucked to the new property.</div><div><br /></div><div>The most annoying aspect of this is that DRM serves no purpose unless law-abiding customer annoyance <i>is</i> the purpose. Pirates tear through DRM like <a href="http://www.dailytech.com/Bluray+Disc+Protection+BD+Cracked/article11182.htm">tissue paper</a>. <a href="http://www.dailytech.com/New+HD+DVD+Bluray+Disc+Copy+Protection+Defeated+Before+Release/article7327.htm">Sometimes</a>, the new encryption is broken before it even hits the market.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, it can be argued that digital piracy exists, in part, because of DRM. This is due to the annoyance factor. <a href="http://sfandfreader.blogspot.com/2011/07/blu-ray-sucks.html">Personally</a> I have been stung with a number of Blu-rays that simply won't load despite installation of the latest firmware. Worse yet, the new firmware broke compatibilty with some of my Blu-rays that previously would load.</div><div><br /></div><div>And I know I'm <a href="http://upup-downdown.com/comics/2011/08/03/real-men-dont-pirate/">not the only one</a> being inconvenienced by DRM. In fact, I would wager that the only people being inconvenienced by DRM are legal consumers. I've read many testimonials on the internet from those who have purchased a game that, due to draconian DRM (worthy of its own post), was unplayable so they downloaded a cracked copy. I've also read about people ripping DVD's just so that they don't have to watch the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuxO6CZptck">anti-piracy ad</a> every time they want to watch a movie.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just to highlight some of the lunacy this Bill represents, here are a few quotes from the article listed above:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; "><blockquote><i>"Bill C-32 would make it legal for consumers to make a back-up copy of content to protect against loss or damage."</i></blockquote></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Then later:</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; "><blockquote><i>"Under the law, Canadians will not be allowed to break digital locks, even if it's for personal use. This includes picking a lock on a DVD purchased overseas to watch at home or to transfer a purchased e-book to read on another personal device."</i></blockquote></span></div><div><br /></div><div>How does it even make sense to say that you can make backups for personal use, yet you can not bypass the DRM to do so?</div><div><br /></div><div>Useless.</div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile there is still no word about removal of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_copying_levy#Canada">29 cent<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "></span> levy on blank CD's</a>, which is supposed to compensate musical artists for piracy (and tacitly making said piracy legal) or how this will affect the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_sharing_in_Canada#2007:_RCMP_toleration_for_personal_and_non-profit_use">Mountie's stance regarding file-sharers</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>And hey, what is a conservative government doing meddling in the affairs of business anyway?</div><div><br /></div><div>Harper! <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laissez_faire">Laissez-nous faire</a></i>!</div><div><br /></div><div>P.s. Tivo and other PVRs were illegal? What was Futureshop really selling in all those boxes then?</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><i>"The law will legalize everyday consumer practices, such as using a personal video recorder to record a TV show for later viewing or copying music from a purchased CD to an MP3 player. These are not allowed under the current law."</i></blockquote></div><div><br /></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-76582577150937947802011-09-20T22:00:00.001-06:002012-08-27T13:11:00.995-06:00Total Recalled<div>
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How come I never hear about <a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/total-recall-remake-include-threebreasted-alien-woman/">things</a> until well after the fact?</div>
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For those who didn't click the link above (and probably some who did) let me elucidate: They are remaking <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_recall"><i>Total Recall</i></a>!</div>
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<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/hollywood-balks-big-budget-movies-dvds-drop-141507203.html">Why</a> they are doing this is not really a secret. In short, fewer people are paying $13.00 a ticket to watch movies in room full of inconsiderate people, fewer people are buying Low-Def DVDs to watch on their High-Def TVs, and even fewer people are buying overpriced DRM <s>protected</s><a href="http://sfandfreader.blogspot.com/2011/07/blu-ray-sucks.html"> locked</a> BDs (Can anyone say "Netflix"?).</div>
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So Hollywood is turtling into the realm of 'Safe' movies (i.e. remakes, low budget productions, etc.). And what could be safer than remaking a successful movie. And that's not all, it's one of the most successful of the many adaptations of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick">Philip K. Dick</a>'s writings. For the record, these other adaptations are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner"><i>Blade Runner</i></a> (1982), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screamers_(1995_film)"><i>Screamers</i></a> (1995), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Recall_2070"><i>Total Recall 2070</i></a> (1999 TV Series), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_(film)"><i>Imposter</i></a> (2002), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minority_Report_(film)"><i>Minority report</i></a> (2002), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paycheck_(film)"><i>Paycheck</i></a> (2003), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Scanner_Darkly_(film)"><i>A Scanner Darkly</i></a> (2006), and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adjustment_Bureau"><i>The Adjustment Bureau</i></a> (2011). Also in the works are a <a href="http://sfandfreader.blogspot.com/2011/03/blade-runner-prequel-and-sequel.html"><i>Blade Runner</i> Sequel and a Prequel</a>.</div>
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Will I go see it? That is question that I can't answer yet.</div>
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Interestingly, it seems that Colin Farrell didn't get enough of a taste of (P. K.) Dick. Previously he played a fatally naive detective on Minority Report, opposite Tom Cruise. I just don't know how successful they will be replacing an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schwarzenegger">Austrian Oak</a> with an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Farrell">Irish Twig</a>.</div>
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Be sure to check out the picture of the flying car prop over on the Wikipedia <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Recall_(2012_film)">page</a>.</div>
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P.s. Somebody please pick up the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_Ranger#The_Lone_Ranger_.282013.29"><i>Lone Ranger</i> project</a>! So typical to cut a potentially good film when the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboys_%26_Aliens_(film)">crappy one</a> you just made bombs at the box office <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20www.freesmileys.org=" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-rolleyes010.gif" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.freesmileys.org=" title="Smiley"><br /></a></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-21870494899665174112011-09-11T16:00:00.002-06:002011-09-11T16:00:05.135-06:00Oldie, But Far From Classic<span style="font-weight: bold;">Book Review - <span style="font-style: italic;">Whipping Star</span> by Frank Herbert</span><br /><br />Every so often I manage to attend the yearly book sale at my local library. Last year I just happened to notice the sign while driving by. . .<br /><br />Fifty cents (CDN) for a hardcover is a very good price, assuming you can find something you like.<br /><br />One of the books from my haul last year was <span style="font-style: italic;">Whipping Star</span> by Frank Herbert. Now I admit that the last thing I read by Mr. Herbert was <span style="font-style: italic;">Dune</span>. And that was over a decade ago. What I remember is that the book was kinda obtuse and overly dense. Of course, I was seventeen at the time that I read that tome.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Despite my first impression of Herbert's writing, I bought this novel. </div><div><br /></div><div>Or perhaps novelette would be a more apt description. The first thing I noticed when I picked up the book was that it was quite <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15.9722px;">thin. Opening the book revealed rather large font. Font almost large enough for the elderly to read.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15.9722px;"></span>That being said, it felt kind of refreshing to read a story that wasn't plumped up 500% like many books being written today.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis</b></div><div><br /></div><div>The Empire was built on a gift from a mysterious alien race, a gift that allows instantaneous transport to any place in the universe. Now the last member of the alien race is being slowly tortured to death by a madwoman and it soon becomes clear that once the alien dies anyone who has ever transported will wink out of existence. . . and no-one is known to have <i>not</i> transported.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Verdict</b><br /><br />My first impression of the writing was that it was amateurish. While reading those first few pages I surmised that this must be one of Herbert's early works. So I looked up some dates on the internet to confirm this idea, but alas, I was wrong. 1945 appears to be when his first short story was published. 1963 was when Dune appeared. 1970 is when the book form of whipping star was published (apparently a shorter version was published in <i>Worlds of If Science Fiction</i> the year before). I think it's safe to assume that Whipping Star was written to keep Herbert's <a href="http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pot1.htm">pot of water boiling</a>.</div><div><br />One thing that intrigued me was Herbert's invention called the Bureau of Sabotage, although it was not fully developed in this short work. In fact it mostly came across as just another government agency.</div><div><br /></div><div>Herbert also created some cool alien names in this book which mostly offset the negative aspects of the <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LawOfAlienNames">Law of Alien Names</a>. Despite this, the names match up to some pretty average aliens. That's not to say that there isn't some experimentation, especially with the eponymous race (what you couldn't figure that one out from the title?). At least, should a movie ever be made from this story, the aliens couldn't all be played by people with <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RubberForeheadAliens">rubber masks</a>.</div><div><br />The main character reads very much like an ethnologist from the 1960's. I picture him as a burly man wearing flannel, arrogant and full of bluster (pretty much exactly like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Binford">this guy</a>). His ethos is characterized by an oblivious humano-centrism, much as real ethnologists from the mid twentieth century were ignorant of their Euro-centrism. Central to this attitude is also the belief that everything can be understood (usually with only casual observation). Typical of literature from this period, this attitude is always correct and successful.<br /><br />One last thing - I don't normally condone vandalising library books, but. . .<br /><br /><a href="http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx50/SFandFReader/Whipping-Star.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 423px;" src="http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx50/SFandFReader/Whipping-Star.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Rating: **.5/5</div><br /><div></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-86190529484981160612011-09-07T16:00:00.003-06:002011-09-07T16:37:30.865-06:00Hanna (2011)<div></div><br /><div>Okay, not SF. Maybe fantasy if you take that word at its base meaning.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whatever, I'm going to review <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanna_(film)">Hanna</a></i> anyway.</div><div><br /></div><div>This could have been a good movie. At times it actually is a great movie. However, bad pacing and plot holes bring this one down.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately for a 'thriller', this one starts out slow, without a hook, and continues in this rut for far too long. On its own, the opener wouldn't be such a bad movie. One I might not watch, but not bad. Does it fit where it is? Not so much.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then the narrative finally switches and it seems that we get the movie that was advertised.</div><div><br /></div><div>But the action is short lived. We then get a fish out of water story not unlike the movie <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nell_(film)">Nell</a></i>. Oh, there's also a bit of a lesbian romance.</div><div><br /></div><div>Eventually the bad guys catch up with Hanna and there is a brief flash of excitement. Hanna totally outclasses these thugs, yet she opts to jump in the river rather than finish the bad guys off and rescue the family that has been helping her. The movie dishonestly leaves the fate of the family off camera. However, everyone else that encounters the bad guys meet gruesome ends and it is unlikely that the family would have escaped a similar end.</div><div><br /></div><div>From here it's all downhill. The only gun seen (and used) belongs to the main antagonist which works quite well for her until Hanna remembers how to use it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ultimately this movie revels in a bleak, masochistic view of the world and offers little entertainment in return. I recommend last year's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick-Ass_(film)"><i>Kick-Ass</i></a> over this movie.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rating: **/5</div><br /><div></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-71770952132904977942011-08-16T21:24:00.000-06:002011-08-16T22:24:45.525-06:00Cyberpunk lives!<div></div>
<br /><div>Guess I'm going to have to re-read <a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/neuromancer-preproduction/"><i>Neuromancer</i></a> soon. . .</div>
<br /><div>I remember when I first heard about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cube_film"><i>Cube</i></a>. Like so many movies, the trailer was better than the feature. But It did prompt me to watch each of its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cube_(film_series)">sequels</a>. (for a really good Canadian film check out <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foolproof"><i>Foolproof</i></a>)</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I haven't seen <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splice_(film)"><i>Splice</i></a> yet. It really doesn't look like my thing.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>At any rate, I think Natali is probably the right man for the job.</div>
<br /><div></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-88567511057899019682011-07-28T10:21:00.001-06:002011-07-28T11:23:12.288-06:00Blu-ray Sucks!<div></div><br /><div>I'm sick and tired of Blu-ray DRM. More specifically, I'm tired of buying movies and having to wait upwards of a month to watch it because the latest firmware for my player isn't out yet. I'm tired of disc load times that creep ever upward. I'm tired of disc failures due to damaged DRM tracks. I'm sick because I payed for this headache. And I'm sick because I also payed for an expensive Blu-ray drive for my computer that requires an even more expensive piece of software that still won't play my movies!</div><div><br /></div><div>The insanity of it all is that there is absolutely no reason to keep changing the encryption every time a new movie comes out. Let me be absolutely clear on this point: DRM does not stop pirates! What it does manage to do, and do quite well I might add, is piss of those of us that insist on giving our money to these jokers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now <a href="http://www.highdefdigest.com/blog/netflix-loses-sony-movies/">why</a> is it that everyone seems to be joining Netflix?</div><br /><div> </div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-25605715521845526652011-06-28T19:26:00.001-06:002011-06-28T20:34:37.643-06:00Kobo Touch 1.9.5<div>Update!</div><div><br /></div><div>The 1.9.5 firmware update (full details <a href="http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140872">here</a>) for the Kobo Touch adds a fully featured text adjustment menu. There is now a slider to adjust margins, a slider to adjust line spacing, and a slider to adjust font size. You can also select left aligned or justified text.</div><div><br /></div><div>Most importantly, there are new Fonts! The Kobo Touch came pre-packaged with Avenir and Georgia. Now it also has Amasis, Delima, Felbridge, Gill Sans, and Rockwell.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>You can even add your own fonts! There is room on the font menu for five more fonts that you can load yourself. Just make a folder called fonts (not Fonts) and put the OpenType or TrueType font files in there. Right now I have Bookman Old Style, Calibri, Charis SIL, Segoe UI, and a <a href="http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1615230&postcount=16">modified version of Nimbus</a> (not fully functional on the Kobo) made by the <a href="http://www.mobileread.com/">mobileread</a> forum user delphin.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've also tried Book Antiqua, Cambria, DejaVu Sans, DejaVu Sans Mono, DejaVu Serif, Droid Serif, Garamond, Garamond Premier Pro, Liberation Serif, and Minion Pro.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Note: Italic and bold text in side-loaded books seems to have been broken by this update.</div><div><br /></div><div>My wish list for future updates: Dictionary and highlighting for side-loaded books, library sorting options (Author, Genre, length, etc.), a notepad, first line indent.</div><br /><div></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111473084627470633.post-34434941229097953952011-06-24T15:16:00.001-06:002011-06-24T16:19:04.955-06:00Variable Star by Robert A. Heinlein and Spider Robinson<div></div><br />Sadly, I cannot recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Variable-Star-Tor-Science-Fiction/dp/0765351684/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300725802&sr=8-1">Variable Star</a> by Robert A. Heinlein and Spider Robinson, but read on if you would like to know more.<div><br /></div><div><b>Synopsis</b></div><div><br /></div><div>A young man with a promising career as a composer, and who also happens to be the son of a Nobel Prize winning genius, discovers that the woman he wants to marry is actually the heir to one of the biggest, and wealthiest, dynasties in the solar system. He has been deemed worthy by the patriarch of the family and everything is ready to proceed. One hitch, he has to give up his career as a musician, his surname, and all the dreams he had for the future.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sounds like a deal, right?</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead he joins a colony ship heading out for the stars and far, far away from the only woman he has ever loved.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>My thoughts</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Let me state right off the start that I have never before read anything by Robert Heinlein nor Spider Robinson. Perhaps fans of either author will find more in this offering. Perhaps not.<br /><br />To begin with, this is not a Heinlein book. Spider Robinson was told not to write one. This is a book based on an unfinished outline for a juvenile novel that Heinlein shelved early in his career. It also carries on with some of Heinlein's themes and is set in a <span style="font-style: italic;">version</span> of Heinlein's '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_History">Future History</a>' universe. How exactly this version differs from Heinlein's own I can't really say, but there is one rather large event half way through the book that I'm pretty sure mucks things up really well.<br /><br />It most definitely is not appropriate as a juvenile novel.<br /><br />I don't know how <span style="font-style: italic;">Variable Star</span> compares to Robinson's other works, but this one was not for me. His language skills are proficient enough; I have no problem there. The problem is that there are really three stories here, each of which could have been given their own treatment. Or rather, they <span style="font-style: italic;">should</span> have received their own treatment. The first is a romance story, the second a tale of a generational ship, and the third. . . well I won't spoil it for you. The storylines sit mostly on their own, growing from the previous story but never returning, not really interdependent. Each could probably have been worked to stand on their own as a short story or novella. Each has enough changes in theme or genre to cater to an entirely different audience than the last.<br /></div><div><br />I also found that too much depended on sheer coincidence. It's a pet peeve of mine. I find that it interrupts my suspension of disbelief. But that might just be me, and I realize that coincidence is not only necessary in some degree for most narratives, but that it actually does happen in real life too.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Parting Shots</span><br /><br /></div>Apparently there are three sequels forthcoming. Maybe then we'll get an answer to the mystery of the poppy incident.<br /><br />I did enjoy the little tidbits of Canadiana that Robinson inserted here and there. Now if he would just learn more about the rest of his adopted country. . .<br /><br />I wish I had bought the paperback version. I got the hardcover on impulse; it was in a bargain bin at Coles. Normally I like to do a little research before a purchase, but hey, the price was right. What I later learned was that the <a href="http://www.martiniere.com/imagepages/variablestar.htm">Cover</a> Art, mostly covered up by a text box on my <a href="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n32/n163805.jpg">copy</a>, was done by none other than <a href="http://www.martiniere.com/">Stephan Martiniere</a> (whom I wrote about <a href="http://sfandfreader.blogspot.com/2009/02/judging-book.html">here</a>). As you can probably tell from the article behind my parenthetical link, I'm a fan of his work. Such work as is displayed much better on the <a href="http://jacketupload.macmillanusa.com/jackets/high_res/jpgs/9780765351685.jpg">paperback</a> edition. . .<br /><div><br /></div><div>Rating: **/5</div><br /><div></div>SF+F Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12630487254303910625noreply@blogger.com0