The hardest part of reading (besides the big, scary words) is finding a remotely comfortable way to sit, or lie, while doing it. These crazy prism glasses will add “lying on your back” to the list of options, but you’ll look stupid. More »
Some people think that books are slowly going ‘obsolete’ because of Nooks, Kindles, and iPads. To them, I say: think again. While I have nothing against these digital readers, I think that there’s just something different and special about reading a physical book with pages you can actually turn and feel in your hands.
Now it’s time to cue the Little Free Library, which is a movement that aims to make books more accessible in neighborhoods all over the world.
Basically, people build tiny ‘libraries’ and put the structures on their front lawns. Most of the Little Libraries I’ve seen look like bird houses, but you can put your own unique (and creative) spin on it and come up with one that looks like a miniature phone booth or double-decker bus.
Here’s how it works: you put your own Little Free Library up, stock it up with books, and tack on a sign that tells people take a book – but come one to leave one of their own the next day. It’s kind of like paying it forward to random people who all love to read.
It’s also fun and totally random too, because you never know what books your little library will end up with the next day.
Find out more about the movement and how to build your own little library by checking out the Little Free Library website.
[via Instructables]
It’s becoming a habit of Amazon’s to report on the rise of the e-book at the expense of physical texts, and their latest announcement is no different. Sales figures show that in the UK, 114 Kindle purchases have been made for every 100 printed copies so far in 2012. A similar statistic was achieved in the US last year, but whether these are true indications of e-book supremacy is up for discussion. Free downloads were excluded from the tally, but those released via Kindle Direct Publishing without a paper twin were counted. The Guardian also notes that these are unaudited figures, so there may be a digit awry here or there. And with a few physical stores still around, there’s no need to panic-buy that Kindle just yet.
Continue reading Hold the presses! Amazon UK selling more e-books than printed ones
Filed under: Tablet PCs
Hold the presses! Amazon UK selling more e-books than printed ones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 08:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Our Special Projects Editor Chris Mascari is on something of a Nikola Tesla kick right now, but isn’t sure what biography is the best one to sate his curiosity about the physicist/engineer/inventor. We figured we’d ask you, the readers to help us out on this one. More »
We’re not entirely sure when humans developed their appreciation for public demonstrations of artistically sprayed water, but we do love ourselves a beautiful fountain when we see one. And this Open Book fountain in Budapest is one of the most original designs we’ve ever come across. More »
Looking like a newborn version of Pixar’s famous Luxo lamp mascot, these Tiny Tim Booklights are just begging to be brought to life in an animated film. Standing just five inches tall they’re still fully articulated and presumably cast a soft glow on your reading material via a battery-powered LED bulb. For $10 they’re not only a great gift for Pixar fans, but anyone keeping the printed book dream alive. We just wish they’d make a Kindle-friendly version too. More »
Strangely, the Austrian city of Klagenfurt doesn’t have a public library, even though it hosts the Festival of German-Language Literature. However, an initiative dubbed Project Ingeborg is turning the municipality into a book repository of sorts with 70 QR code and NFC chip-equipped stickers. Plastered throughout town, they direct users to web pages where they can download public domain works, largely from Project Gutenberg. Oftentimes, e-books will be located in relevant locations — so you’ll be sure to find Arthur Schnitzler’s The Killer near the police station, for example. Come August, the team behind the effort will partner with local talent to distribute books, music and other digital content too. In an effort to build a stronger bond to the location, the organizers have prevented search engines from indexing the links, so you’ll have to visit Klagenfurt to access the curated goods. If you’d like to turn your city into a library, the group hopes to release instructions for replicating their system soon.
[Thanks, Michael]
Filed under: Cellphones
Austrian city builds public library with nothing but QR codes, NFC and stickers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 06:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
What do you do on your lazy days? As for me, I love curling up in bed with a good book and reading until I fall asleep – not because the book is boring (I did say it was a good book) but because I’ve done nothing but read all day. An alternative to bed? The Sunflower Chair designed by He Mu and Zhang Qian.
It’s obvious why the designers chose to name it so, and it’s the “petals” part that makes the chair so awesome. It’s the chair that’ll knock bookworms off of their feet. The design lets you stack your favorite books into each compartment and seat yourself in the middle so you can start reading to your heart’s content, and grab another book without having to get up from the seat.
The Sunflower Chair is an award-winning chair too, as it was awarded the “Redtory Design Award” for the 5th “Design for Sitting” Grand Prix.
[via Chair Blog]
It’s been awhile since Sony released its last eReader, but a new arrival at the FCC may signal the company’s return to the family of devices. The PRS-T2 eReader appeared in the FCC database on Sunday night, although there isn’t anything terribly exciting to go off from the image as most of the information is restricted until September 29th. The design looks to be similar to the PRS-T1, however, and WiFi b/g/n is onboard.
It looks like it will occupy the same 6-inch form factor, and also has space for a microSD card slot, but WiFi is all the connectivity this eReader will bring. Bluetooth and 3G are both missing, so if you want those you’ll have to take a trip to Japan and score a PRS-T1.
The Sony PRS-T1 currently has a 6-inch 800×600 e-ink display, 2GB of storage, microSD, and touchscreen input. Some shortcut buttons can also be found at the bottom of the display. Currently that model goes for around $130, so we image the sequel will cost the same and bring some new features or lower the barrier to entry. We’ll keep an eye out in the meantime.
[via The Digital Reader]
Sony PRS-T2 eReader spotted at FCC is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
How many books do you usually read in a month? Do you usually find yourself buying a new book only to leave it unfinished a few days after getting it? Well, Argentinean independent publishers Eterna Cadencia were able to develop a special ink that will reportedly disappear once it comes in contact with light and air. The special ink is a trade secret of course. But the publishers are publishing an anthology of new Latin authors using the ink. According to Eterna Cadencia, the book’s words and letters will disappear within two months after the reader opens its pages.
“Books are very patient objects. We buy them, and then they wait for us to read them. Days, months, even years. That’s OK for books, but not for new authors. If people don’t read their first books. They’ll never make it to a second,” the publishers said. The book, dubbed as “The Book That Can’t Wait”, hopes to provide a solution for half-read and unfinished books on your shelf. Moreover, it’s also aimed at helping first-time authors getting their stuff read more often. Eterna Cadencia has partnered with DRAFTFCB Buenos Aires to promote the innovation.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Author Terry Deary writes a novel for cellphones, Booktrack adds soundtrack to your eBooks,
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
