Monday, June 30, 2014
Sony eBook Reader PRS-T3 [Stolen and Repurchased]

In September 2006, SONY released their very first line of ebook readers, PRS-500. By October 2006, I had already got my hands on one, despite the fact that the product was at the time only available in USA [and I was living in Canada]. A few months earlier I had already come across the leaked specs for the device, and I knew I was looking at the realized version of something the need for which had been running around in my head pretty much since I started reading.

Hand held devices and tablet computers on which I could read eBooks weren't anything new, but this was something entirely different. Aside from the nice proper size, ease of use, and well, being able to carry around a whole library in my back pocket, on this device I could read for hours without tiring my eyes due to the E-Ink tech. Having come to the conclusion that in a life like mine I simply couldn't buy and carry around paperbacks, I moved to the ebook side long before that. But this was the first time I was well and truly freed of paper.

I can't begin to describe how much I enjoyed my first reader, and since then I have kept a very close eye on the development of ebook readers from different brand. I guess that part is obvious, given the number of posts on this blog on the topic. Another thing that's obvious from the posts on this blog, is that I've not up to this day found a reader that I've liked more than the Sony Reader line. [And yes well… for a time I was involved with the development… ]

I imagine by now I've made it pretty clear about the kind of dislike I have for Amazon Kindle, and the reasons. And I don't have much positive things to say [comparatively] about the other popular products out there either. But then it's not as if I've always liked how the Sony Reader has turned out.

Since PRS-500, I've basically tried every single Reader model that Sony has released [yes and I still have all of them =D], and not all of them have been so great. I loved PRS-500 since it was my first one. =) PRS-505 was very functional and very cool. PRS-700 was pretty much the love of my life. It was just beautiful, very smooth in every way, amazing performance, and it had back light. And then came PRS-T3. And every model that I haven't mentioned, it's because in some way or the other I didn't really like it.

But oh my world, PRS-T3! This is quite easily the best Sony Reader up to now, and in my opinion very much the best ebook reader currently available. And well, remember how I recently mentioned something about amazing Sony products somehow being constantly dissed by online reviews? That applies to this product too. I can't for the life of me figure out how it is that readers with terrible hardware, glitchie software and all sorts of limitations  are gaining name, while the Sony reader isn't even on the charts!! [Probably a question for marketing people.] I can't quite understand exactly how Kindle still exists, how it's still being produced and bought, when a piece of art like PRS-T3 exists.

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The device, which runs a mini version of Android OS, simply functions very very smoothly. It supports a wide range of ebook and image formats, including ones that Kindle and the rest of them don't support, and you have no limitations as to where you get the books from. The note taking functionality works very well both with finger and a stylus. It's naturally WiFi connected and there are no browsing limitations [you can go wherever you like via the browser]. The device has an optional "light cover", where a very nicely designed reading light extends from the back of the cover. [And unlike the previous version, it doesn't require a separate battery. It uses a negligible amount of the reader's own charge.]

But I guess the most important feature of all is nothing new, the E-Ink is still there, and smoother than ever. The device's display is brilliant, and you can stare at it for hours without any pressure on your eyes, or at least no more than staring at paper [hint hint to Kindle Fire users].

Oh, and to explain the part about "stolen and repurchased". Well, originally I bought the T3 about 4 months ago. But less than a month after that I was robbed in the train, and the reader was stolen from me. So I had to repurchase it… well it was rather annoying seeing that for various reasons I purchased this one from Canada and I had to have my mom buy it again over there and send it to me… But yes, the new one's been here a few weeks now and all is back to normal.

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Thursday, June 19, 2014
X-Men: Days of Future Past

I watched the movie a few weeks ago, but I didn't find the time to write anything about it and I constantly get the question of whether I've seen it and what I think of it.

So here it is: I LOVED IT! =D

Yes. you're hearing [well, reading] me right, it's an X-Men movie, and I LOVED it!

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I've not been that big of a fan of the X-Men movies [or the X-Men universe in general] in the past. As I've mentioned before, the first 2 X-Men movies were far too shallow for me to even feel entertained. Last stand had something a tad more interesting about it, and then First Class finally thoroughly entertained me. But I must say "Days of Future Past" is really the first X-Men movie that I've enjoyed, really, more than mere entertainment.

For the first time an X-Men movie had a really well constructed, very interesting plot. The movie contained some pretty great sci-fi ideas, and well you have to admit, that cast could have made even complete nonsense look good. ;)

That being said, there were of course some huge logic holes in the plot. I mean I'm pretty sure I saw Charles Xavier get blown to pieces by a very evil Phoenix. And now he seems entirely alive. Of course given the end of Last Stand, the theory is that his consciousness got transferred [somehow?!] to his twin brother's body. Hmmm. So obviously the twin brother was suffering some sort of a physical problem as a result of which he was in a coma. And now Xavier just jumps into that body? And even if I were to accept that, then why is it that he's still in a flying chair? For what reason would the brother's body would have the exact same injury????

And then of course Magneto not only got back his lost powers, but seems to be doing extra-well too. And I could go on… And yet, I prefer to think that the holes in the plot are results of previous movies having problematic plots, not this one. ;)

Oh, and on a side-note, I have to mention that I'm growing quite fond of watching a movie in either Corso or Metropole in Zurich in some obscure hour when there's nobody else, and it's pretty much like private screening. ;)

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Tuesday, June 17, 2014
My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk

A few weeks ago I finished reading Orhan Pamuk's historical murder mystery book, "My Name is Red". Honestly I had never even heard of the apparently very popular book or the Nobel laureate author until I saw the book in the hands of an acquaintance, and well, the cover of all things took my attention. =P

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The book goes deep into the culture and mentality of the society of miniaturists in the Ottoman empire, and through that, reveals many interesting facts about the general life style, religious views and beliefs in different classes of the society. But I guess what really got me reading, was that the book talks more about Persia even that it does about Turkey! Seeing that the Persian miniaturists and calligraphists of the time were considered pretty much deities of the field, there's a great deal of discussion and historical facts regarding Persia.

The books touches upon topics that I in the past couple of years I haven't read much about, and it gave me a rather nostalgic feeling. It also brought a few historical facts to my attention that I actually did not know about, despite the fact that I myself practice the Persian calligraphy and have done my fair share of reading on the topic.

And well, the story was also pretty good. =) So yes, recommended reading.

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Ahoo "Aasemoon" Pirsoleimani, 1998-2014