Two Nifties

Nifty number 1:

The Sony Reader. I actually posted something about this a while back, but now I have one in my hot little hands.

It’s really great at what it does. That is, it replaces the many pounds of cloth and glue and paper that you’d need to carry around in order to have a decent selection of books with you when you travel. I have over 90 books on mine.

It does not bring books into the new world. There’s no search, no backlight, no clock (though you can hack one in). But if you just want to read (with one hand), it’s pretty damn good. The screen produces crisp text in three sizes that so far hasn’t tired my eyes after reading hundreds of pages. (I use the smallest size, so I’ve got room to grow older and blinder.) You can bookmark as many pages in as many books as you want, and it always remembers where you were in any given book.

I just took it as my only “book” on a 7 day cruise, read it for hours a day, and only used about half the battery. I also find it easier than a book when I’m holding a baby in one hand. Or when I’m eating, and don’t want to deal with it closing up on itself the way a book will when you try to lay it flat.

Now, it’s $300, which is a ton. Maybe too much for me to handle, so I’m very close to sending it back (I have 30 days from about 10 days ago to decide). I do like it, but I don’t know that I need it $300 worth.

Nifty number two is a little laser magic. Thanks to my brother, Jeffrey, for sending it along.