Good, Better, Best Ebook Reader? Not Kindle or iPad.

Saw this blog post http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2012/05/22/new-icarus-excel-9-7-e-ink-ebook-reader-with-wacom-touchscreen/ about new ICARUS eXceL Ebook Reader, Icarus website http://www.icarusreader.com/excel.

It is going on my wish list, I like my Kindle, but want larger screen, and easier page turns, plus the stylus for notes, highlighting, etc.

Edited to add this about Memory:

• 4GB internal memory (flash)
• Memory can be expanded up to 32Gb via optional SD cards

For those not familiar with SD cards see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital since they say 32 GB pretty sure they mean SDXC even though they said SD.

Most newer electronics use SDXC, same physical size card, just higher memory capacity than older
SD style.

Found Review with Youtube.  Link to review http://www.the-ebook-reader.com/icarus-excel.html, youtube below.

HathiTrust Digital Library

http://www.hathitrust.org/home

Just discovered this today, well do another post once I know more, but wanted to share this resource with everyone.

Ray Bradbury has died.

http://lisnews.org/developing_news_ray_bradbury_has_died

Brings me down, I still remember the first serious Research Paper I did years ago in college, a semester long paper, it was on Fahrenheit 451.

That paper was one of the first clear steps for me becoming a writer, I got an A-, would have been better grade but my Bibliography was rather poorly written.

Had plenty of good sources, but was first time I had made a Bibliography, and unfortunately it showed.

This last weekend was also first year anniversary of author Joel Rosenberg's death, an author I had the opportunity to meet, take a class from, and join for dinner.

If there is an author, or any person, that you admire or appreciate, make the time to tell them that.

You never know if your going to have another chance, and it means a lot to people to be admired and appreciated.

~Cliff

Free Online Ebook: NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER

Cover page, NARRATIVE OF THE  CRUISE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 

Index/beginning:

Voyage of the H.M.S Challenger, on a Scientific Marine Expedition, published in 1885:

"reproduced from original documents in the library holdings of
Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA Copyright © 2003 by Dr. David C. Bossard"

I haven't had time to read this, but some aspects were mentioned in this Ars post,
Researchers match modern ocean temperature records to those of the 1870s.

Matt de la Peña's advice to aspiring writers

When people find out that I am a writer, I am a Technical Writer, and that I have successful blogs, they often pitch ideas to me.

They also will come to me for advice, I tell them to write, they need to produce lots of bad material, so they can learn how to produce good material.

I learned that years ago from Jerry Pournelle, he tells writers that, but I believe Matt de la Peña's words below show that:

He told them that if they were serious about writing, they had to be ready to accept lots of failure. He once wrote a poem for a girl he liked, but after reading it, she never spoke to him again. His goal as a writer, he said, “is to give grace and dignity to people from the other side of the tracks.” 

~from page two http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/education/racial-lens-used-to-cull-curriculum-in-arizona.html

That NYT article is about the controversy over Matt de la Peña book Mexican WhiteBoy, being pulled from an Arizona school.

For more on this author see his website http://www.mattdelapena.com/ 

For the book mentioned see Mexican WhiteBoy

DoJ reportedly planning antitrust suit against Apple, publishers over e-books

Full story at Apple Insider, as a fan of Ebooks I hope this goes to trial, but Apple and the Publishers involved will probably want to settle out of court to avoid the publicity.

Because that would increase awareness of their role in raising Ebook prices.

Some words from my favorite living author that I need to share

"But if I were thinking in strictly economic terms, I wouldn’t be a writer. My prose is important to me for reasons which have nothing to do with money: it’s something I can control, and it gives me the illusion that my life is to some degree under control."

        ~David Drake http://david-drake.com/2012/newsletter-66/