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The Basics of Reading a Book

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I was initially resistant to using e-readers but once I made the switch in 2012 I was hooked.  The decision to purchase an e-reader instead of another device that would allow me e-reading capabilities was determined based on the following reasons:

  1. I prefer the e-ink technology used for the screen. It’s easier on my eyes than backlit screens.
  2. I’m a bit old-fashioned and I like it that my e-reader is just a book.  It doesn’t do anything else so I’m not distracted by notifications and beeping, nor am I tempted to leave my ebook to surf the web or check messages.
  3. The battery lasts for about 3 weeks on a single charge.

My first e-reader was from Sony and I loved it.  It was easy to use and had buttons or screen swiping for navigating.  Best of all I only needed one library account to borrow ebooks.  After moving about a dozen times I started borrowing books from the library instead of buying them.  I refused to change my reading habits and still borrowed ebooks even though I knew that “moving” ebooks wouldn’t involve packing and backbreaking labor.

I recently switched to a KoboGlo and was dismayed to learn that borrowing library ebooks was not nearly as easy.  I had to to create an account with Kobo just to use the e-reader.  Then I discovered the e-reader couldn’t link directly to my local library as the Sony e-reader had.

To borrow ebooks from my library I performed the following:

  1. Create login/password account to use Adobe Digital Editions (required)
  2. Download Adobe Digital Editions to access the ebook format
  3. Install Adobe Digital Editions on my computer
  4. Access my library overdrive account to borrow ebooks
  5. Download ebook into Adobe Digital Editions
  6. Connect KoboGlo to computer
  7. Add ebooks from Adobe Digital Editions to KoboGlo

I now have 2 additional accounts to manage, plus all the steps involved to get ebooks onto the e-reader (steps 4-7).  However, if I had purchased books, I could have been reading on the KoboGlo within minutes of setting up the account.

Reading is one of my favorite hobbies.  When I switched to digital I wanted the process of borrowing and reading to be just as easy as it was in print. Although I do love the e-reader for many reasons, I sometimes find myself getting frustrated with all the setup and accounts required to something as basic as reading a book.

Human Archives

Delight & Summer Toes

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Summer toes are not like winter toes.  Summer toes are slightly browned from sun exposure.  Who ever remembers to put sunscreen on their toes every day?

Summer toes have weird tan lines from different sandals.  They are happy and relaxed, free from the constraints of a hard-worn shoe encasing them every day in sweaty, sock-filled dungeons.

Winter toes are pale and shriveled looking.  Etiolated stumps deprived of vitamin D, devoid of color.  They are hidden away, nestled in layers of thick socks and boxy shoes.  There they remain with uncut toenails and patches of dry, calloused skin.  Waiting, biding their time to emerge in the nice weather.

That’s why in the summer I love having my toenails painted.  It’s like walking around with tiny jewels on my feet.  Something colorful and sparkly to put a smile on my face.  A shiny row of glittering gems.  It makes my toes happy to feel pretty and pampered with their glistening row of freshly painted nails.  And the joy they feel to be in the sun, naked and free of shoes with a gentle breeze flowing on them.

It is truly one of life’s small delights.

Jewel-toned toes and weird suntan lines. Summer delight!

Jewel-toned toes and weird tan lines. Summer delight!

*Originally written at a writing retreat on Bowen Island sponsored by Callanish on June 26, 2009.

Social Media

Yo – too loquacious or just right?

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Last month a new app called “Yo” hit the market.  I haven’t tried it yet so my knowledge is only from reading about it.  Apparently the app is popular because of its ease and simplicity.  With only two taps on your device a simple “Yo” can be sent to someone which can then be interpreted in a variety of ways such as thinking about someone, to get someone’s attention, to notify someone of something, etc.

In a recent article, “This App Lets You Say ‘Yo’ to Your Contacts. That’s It. (Wait, Is It?)“, the CEO of the company who created it was quoted saying “… We like to call it context-based messaging.”  I think he was referring to potential future uses of the application where it could be linked to specific events or services such as a sports game that sends a “Yo” to a subscriber everytime a point is earned or a news publication sending a “Yo” to a subscriber when a new article is published.  And if that wasn’t his reference then I’m not sure where the “context” is being derived from.

While it is true these intended uses of the application may be developed, I’m still baffled how a one-word message will prove itself to be contextually useful.  I already have enough problems deciphering meaning from other forms of digital communications that lack tone, gestures, facial expression and even proper grammar to guide me in interpreting the message.  I can see a lot of confusion arising out of something like “Yo”.  For example, if I received a “Yo” from one of my friends that could mean s/he was thinking about me, wanted to get my attention or perhaps wanted to remind me of something.  How would I ever be able to understand the meaning when the only contextual clue I have is the name of the sender?

Stay tuned.  Only time and continued usage will determine the lifespan of “Yo” as a new enhanced form of communication or a complete disintegration of it.  In its short existence, it’s already raised over $1 million from investors, been hacked and given rise to new questions regarding proper “Yotocol.”*

 

*Term used from Mashable’s infographic Yotocol Flowchart, which can be accessed by clicking here.

Patagonia

Patagonia: Tierra del Fuego – Los Pinguinos!

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After our exciting morning at Ainsworth Bay, we prepped ourselves for the Megellanic Penguins.  It wasn’t a guarantee we would see them so we were all hoping for the best.  As we approached Tucker Islet I spotted a small penguin hanging out on the surface, kind of like a duck.  Phew!  As an added bonus dolphins appeared and stayed with us the whole afternoon.

The first thing we observed on the island was Rock Cormorants, one of two cormorant species on the island. After leaving the cormorants we started to see tiny black-and-white shapes dotting the green areas of the island.  Pinguinos!  They were magical.  Everybody spontaneously erupted into huge smiles and giggles.

A bunch of Megellanic Penguins hanging around.

A bunch of Megellanic Penguins hanging around.

Penguins are hilarious to watch and incredibly animated.  When you observe a group of them each penguin is doing something different.  Equally amazing is the transformation they make from land to water.  As they approach the water they teeter awkwardly and hunch over so that the beak is almost touching their feet.  Then they slip into the water and instantaneously transform into a magical, sleek animal perfectly suited for swimming and diving.  My brother snapped this close up of a chick. Chicks have grayish feathers and haven’t yet developed the characteristic black and white markings.

A chick hanging out on the shore.

A chick hanging out on the shore.

In addition to cormorants and penguins, skuas are also island residents.  Skuas eat penguin eggs and the freshly hatched chicks, but don’t pose any threat to full grown penguins or the larger chicks.  It was kind of funny to see the two birds, known enemies, hanging around together.  My brother’s boat was in between the skuas and the penguins so he took this picture.

Skuas hanging out adjacent to the penguin colony.

Skuas

After the penguins we circled to the other side of the island to see the Imperial Cormorants, the other species.  They were loud and stinky.  Beautiful to watch, but not as enchanting as the penguins in my opinion.

A gulp of Imperial Cormorants, also adjacent to the penguin colony.

A gulp of Imperial Cormorants, also adjacent to the penguin colony.

*Bonus picture* As we headed back dolphins zipped around the zodiacs playing with us.  My brother got a video of one jumping and captured it as a single image.

Dolphins frolicked around the zodiacs as we zipped back from Tucker Islet to the boat.

Dolphins frolicked around the zodiacs as we headed back to the boat.

Google

Google Glass: Privacy vs. Distraction

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Right now the big discussion surrounding Google Glass has to do with privacy implications, as mentioned in last week’s post.  People are concerned that Glass enables the wearer, also called Glass Explorers, to snap images and take video without anybody else knowing.  While this may be a legitimate concern for Glass, isn’t it already possible for people to take pictures and video with their smartphones, or smartwatches, without others knowing?

At a conference I attended recently one of the tech staff revealed to me that when famous guests are in the conference centre, he would sometimes walk by and snap surreptitious pictures using his smartwatch.  Admittedly using a smartphone is not as clandestine as Glass, but it still happens.  Just the other day a friend sent me a photo he had taken on the subway of two men completely absorbed with their smartphones.  Is that the same infringement on privacy?

In addition to privacy, there are two other aspects of Glass that have not received a lot of attention.

1.  Distraction – Smartphones are a continual distraction for most people, even though leaving the device out of sight and on silent, or vibrate, is an option.  People are already disillusioned into thinking they can multi-task with handheld devices while doing other things, such as having conversations, walking, or trying to work.  How will this work with Glass, when the information is presented in the wearer’s direct line of sight?  An article written in April 2013 titled “What Will Google Glass do to Our Brains?” explores the effects of Glass on health, attention spans, and feeling connected through interpersonal interactions.

2.  Virtual Sharing – With Glass it is possible for the wearer to share his/her view with others through Hangout, a Google application that allows for video conversations with screen sharing, or through LiveStream, a platform that allows people to record and broadcast events.  Glass makes sharing interactive in a way that hasn’t been utilized before now.  The screen sharing capabilities of Hangout make it possible for somebody to see exactly what the Glass wearer is seeing, in real time.  Whoa.  Shouldn’t people also be concerned that their privacy could be violated by having somebody else silently watching through Glass?

Stay tuned. Should you decide to invest in Glass, watch this video to avoid being labeled a glasshole.

Google

Google Glass: Glasshole or Trendsetter?

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About a year ago, Google ran a contest on Twitter to select some people to try out Google Glass, a new product. Glass is essentially a pair of eyeglass frames with a small screen and computer built in. The screen sits just above the right eye. Click here to learn more about it.

Basically Glass aims to make taking pictures, capturing video, messaging people and surfing the web a seamless experience by eliminating the need to hold a device.  For example, the Glass wearer can take a picture of something while s/he is participating because Glass makes it a hands-free activity. Simply speak a command beginning with O.K. Glass and then the action is performed.

On the one hand, this sounds like an amazing feat.  I would certainly appreciate something like this when I’m hiking or when I want to photograph something but can’t because my hands are busy.  However, some people don’t like Glass because they feel like their privacy could be violated.  If a Glass wearer can take pictures or record video without anybody noticing, then it can make other people nervous.

I recently read an article about a woman asked to remove her Glass in a restaurant due to privacy concerns and refused.  She was labeled a “glasshole“.  Once I heard this, I started thinking about places I might feel uncomfortable if somebody was wearing Glass.  For example, my gym’s locker room forbids the use of smartphones because of their photographic capabilities.  Most people ignore it, but I’ve heard it enforced by members.

A Glass wearer can also have hangout sessions, a Google application that lets people have video conversations.  During a hangout, the other person can see everything the Glass wearer can see.  What if a Glass wearer has a conversation with somebody in person while doing a hangout session with somebody else?  The person on hangout would be privy to the entire conversation.  Talk about being a fly on the wall.

As more people start wearing Glass perhaps we will grow accustomed to seeing it and Glass wearers will not be thought of as glassholes.  It could be similar to other technologies that seemed strange at first, like when people first started using cell phones in public places.  Over time we’ve grown tolerant of people using their phones anytime anywhere.  Perhaps Glass will follow the trend.