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Tuesday Three: Tech thoughts

  • It’s been about six months since an iPad was added to our household, courtesy of my employer. Annoyingly, it’s one of the very early, chunky ones. That said, it’s still handy for dealing to emails and for reading in bed – Flipboard FTW – or being out and about during the day. Full on blogging and serious writing, not so much (I might feel differently if it was a newer version and fit properly into the iPad combo stand/keyboard I also have, but it doesn’t.)
  • I’ve always spoken out against e-books, and I still don’t see myself ditching paperbacks at any point. That said, I’ve found it particularly handy for one thing: free classics. I’m plowing my way through a long list of old novels and it turns out they’re mostly available for free (generally through the Gutenberg project) online. I can’t possibly rack up late return fees at the library, don’t need to wait for them to be transferred to my local branch and go pick them up in person, and it’s unbelievably handy to be able to highlight words and look up their definitions right there on the page (which I find myself doing at a frequency which correlates with the age of the book).
  • I’m still not convinced by 3D movies. Pretty much every free film screening I’ve been invited to over the past couple of years has been a 3D one (most recently the Hobbit) and while the technology is occasionally impressive, in general, it stinks. It’s patchy from scene to scene, most of the time looking no better than cardboard cutouts in front of a backdrop.

By the way, I’m working on a post about my favourite WordPress plugins, so if you’ve got any to nominate, let me know in the comments!

8 thoughts on “Tuesday Three: Tech thoughts

  • Reply Sense January 16, 2013 at 01:10

    The Hobbit was one of the only movies I’ve seen in 2D that I kind of wished I’d seen in 3D. The scenery was so detailed and luxurious. I always regret going the 3D route when I do spring for it, so that is saying a lot! Interesting that you wished the opposite for the Hobbit movie.

  • Reply Manda January 16, 2013 at 02:59

    Ugh, 3D movies. I’m really upset that The Great Gatsby and the new wizard of Oz movie (I think it’s just called Oz?) are in 3D if I remember correctly as I’m dying to see both those movies but could really do without the 3D. I saw a screening of The Hobbit in 3D and I really don’t think it added anything to the film; in fact, I’d argue it detracted from certain scenes.

    WP plugins… love the footnotes one. I also couldn’t live without Revision Control (helps cut down on my database size, which is handy as I’m constantly saving drafts!)

  • Reply iris January 16, 2013 at 03:15

    eBooks are GREAT for plane rides! Or if you’re in a non-English speaking country for an extended period of time! Or if you know how to download books from torrents. Seriously. I just got a Kindle and it’s perfect for my life right now. And probably is pretty darn perfect for anyone else who travels. ‘Hold onto them for a bit longer and I’m sure you’ll fall even harder!

  • Reply Leslie January 16, 2013 at 07:03

    For WP plugins, I love the editorial calendar!

  • Reply Budget & the Beach January 16, 2013 at 14:35

    I’m totally with you on the 3D movies! I like good old fashioned 2D!

  • Reply Kara January 18, 2013 at 19:05

    NO disrespect meant at all, but I don’t get the whole “speaking out against e-books” thing. I’ve seen many people say this and it makes no sense to me. Why does anyone feel the need to “speak out” against them. No one is forcing anyone to buy e-books or e-readers.

    Personally I LOVE my e-readers. I have tons and tons and tons of real books and always will – there’s something about the feel and smell of a book that I love and sometimes I just want to pick one up and turn the pages and read. But for reading in bed (esp when my guy wants to sleep and the light and sound of pages turning would keep him awake), for travelling, for carrying in my purse to read on the bus or while waiting in line somewhere, for the accessibility (as you pointed out) of free classics and low price introductory books to new novelists … I absolutely adore my Kindle and my Kindle app on my tablet. Heck, I even wind up reading on the Kindle app on my phone sometimes.

    I just don’t get why people ahve to be so either/or about reading. Books, e-books, audio books … they all have their place and time. Embrace the technology.

    • Reply eemusings January 18, 2013 at 19:14

      Great question. I don’t know, exactly. I don’t consider myself a luddite (I work in digital and am attached at the hip to my iPhone, and I hardly ever read papers or mags in print) but there’s something so emotional in the reaction. For convenience, it’s hard to beat e-books, and I’ll be doing a lot of travelling this year for the first time, so I’ll be relying on them a lot. (Page turning doesn’t disturb my partner at night, but having the light on does, so in that sense e-books help too as the screen lights up.) However, all the tactile stuff I dislike – the lack of pages to turn, the cold, hard, heavy, metallic feel – and I hate adding any more screen time into my life, given I spent 8 hours plus a day at my computer. Reading is one of my few hobbies away from screens of any kind, or used to be.

      • Reply Kara January 19, 2013 at 11:57

        I get the whole wanting to break away from technology for a while thing. I think for me, the experience of getting into a good read sort of makes all of that vanish into the background. I don’t feel like I”m looking at words on a screen when I’m reading something that really engages me. I’m often accused of being weird, tho! 🙂

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