Those of you interested can check out these lists of what I've been reading and what gadgets I'm using (and have used).
The Long Version
My Reading List
One of my resolutions for 2010 was to read at least one book every two weeks. Having kept track of everything I read, I figured I might as well share it - hence Reto Meier's Reading List. Some observations from reviewing the list:
- Favourite Book: Music for Torching by A. M. Holmes.
- Most Read Author: Philip K Dick accounted for 4 of the 23 books I read in 2010.
- The Kindle Effect: I read 6 books in 2 months on Kindle versus 17 in the 9 months before.
- Hardcover versus Paperback: 12 hardcovers, 6 eBooks, 5 paperbacks.
My Gadget Compendium
I often get asked which gadgets (Android powered or otherwise) I'm currently carrying around. These days the list seems to change every month or so, so for easy reference I've put together Reto Meier's Gadget Compendium.
I'll update it whenever a new gadget gets slightly less top secret, or something gets retired from the active lineup. A couple of observations from looking at my current lineup and the honorably discharged:
- Rate of Innovation: From 2 phones in 5 years, to 5 phones in two years since the G1 was released in 2008.
- Size: Everything (except my Netbook) has gotten thinner, lighter, and sleeker. There's also a distinct movement away from physical keys / buttons -- my SE P910i had a qwerty keyboard, dial pad, and a 5 function scroll wheel, my Nexus S and Galaxy Tab have only power and volume keys.
- Connectivity: The only pieces of old kit with a mobile data connection where the phones. Now the only gadget in my bag without 3G is my camera. Which reminds me, I must pick up an Eye-Fi card.
With a broader variety of Android devices scheduled for release this year it'll be interesting to see if they replace or augment my existing collection of portable gadgets. I'd love to replace the netbook for a Chrome-powered variety, but I'm not sure I can imagine writing a whole book without Word so I'm not sure if that's on the cards.
Why not to use Google Books for tracking books to read? I'll try to use it to track my books this year, this is my 2nd approach to using GB.
ReplyDeleteI only lack the ability of tracking audio/dvd/vinyl records and fact that I cannot find some books, especially Polish ones.
I got a Eye-Fi card for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteIts awesome!
The Kindle is definitely great for reading. It fits into a coat pocket, can be held with one hand, lasts forever on a single charge, and has such a *comfortable* screen. I wish more programming books were available on it though. That said, I am really excited about the possibility of having a combination of the functionality of the Tab and the Kindle (maybe Pixel Qi screen?), since portability is a definite requirement for a device made for consumption.
ReplyDeleteYour camera selection is a good choice and is following a similar path to what I took. I went from a Cybershot DSC-whatever that I got in 2004 to a Canon Rebel XT (I think that's the 300D or 350D outside the US) in 2006ish to a 7D that I got about a year and a half ago. Beware the addictive nature of photography + gadgets, haha. The 500D will give you a lot more control of your shots and a lot better photographs. If you're not yet familiar with going full manual, I recommend switching it to aperture priority for the majority of your shots. When you're ready for improved equipment, I suggest spending the money on a good lens rather than a new body next.
Love my Nexus One (rooted ofc) and running cyanogenMOD 6 - with usual apps backgrounding (Seesmic, FB, 2x google A/Cs etc) the battery dies far too quickly though.
ReplyDeleteNexus S maybe or wait it out for something Tegra 2 (Axis perhaps?)