redesignrelated:

Apple’s iPod Shuffle redesign is small, tiny in fact. Literally. The new 1.8” tall x 0.3” thin dimensions house 4GB of storage with the controls moved to the earbud headphones (so don’t think about using your own).

The biggest introduction is their new VoiceOver feature:

VoiceOver is the exciting new feature that makes iPod shuffle the first music player that talks to you. It entirely changes the way you browse and navigate your music. Say you’re listening to a song and want to know the title or the artist. With the press of a button, VoiceOver tells you—without interrupting your music.

Oddly enough, Apple’s new design reminds us a bit of the spoof iPod Flea:

All in all, this update to the most entry level iPod could be trouble.

The Author’s Guild is not happy with the new Kindle’s
text-to-speech feature as they feel it violates copyright.

But Neil Gaiman disputes the issue with his agent and writes this on his online journal:

“My point of view: When you buy a book, you’re also buying the right to read it aloud, have it read to you by anyone, read it to your children on long car trips, record yourself reading it and send that to your girlfriend etc. This is the same kind of thing, only without the ability to do the voices properly, and no-one’s going to confuse it with an audiobook. And that any authors’ societies or publishers who are thinking of spending money on fighting a fundamentally pointless legal case would be much better off taking that money and advertising and promoting what audio books are and what’s good about them with it…”
(via boing boing via neil gaiman)

But regardless of the copyright issue, I sure hope no parents see this functionality as a comparable alternative to reading aloud to their children.

 Reviewing the Kindle 2 on Good’s blog

“The acceptance of a new technology isn’t always an either/or question. It depends on a matrix of advantages and disadvantages. Successful products obsolesce their predecessors only when those disadvantages begin to be heavily outweighed by the advantages. I think e-paper devices, whether Kindle-branded or simply generic, will eventually become a ubiquitous part of everyday life, especially as the color and resolution approaches that of paper…”—Joel Johnson

Acceptance of e-readers as a mainstream alternative to books is difficult for me, though I have to admit my Sony E-Reader is quite convenient for reading manuscripts. And I do have this new Amazon Kindle on my wishlist.

redesignrelated:

Amazon’s much anticipated Kindle 2 redesign comes with some big improvements over it’s older sibling, the Kindle.

Aside from the more ergonomical form factor, the new Kindle adds 3G wireless connectivity so you can find that new book outside of hotspots.

What’s inside:

Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines

Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback

Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots

Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required

Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images

Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging

More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 books

Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns

Read-to-Me: With the new Text-to-Speech feature, Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud to you

Large Selection: Over 230,000 books plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs available

Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise”

via Engadget & The New York Times

Camera Lens Calendar designed by Sharad Haksar
(via ubergizmo)