If only I could play like BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughn or Eric Clapton!

We are a very bookish family. We live in a bushfire prone part of Australia and are often confronted with very real situations where we have to pack belongings and leave until the bushfire crises subsides. As a family we all agree that in the event of the worst case scenario, we would be most devastated to lose our shelves and shelves of books rather than jewelry, electronics or other keepsakes. There’s something about being surround by volumes, lazily browsing titles and handling most favorite books.

So my family was surprised I got a KOBO. It’s practically the antithesis of the what we collectively value. It’s a piece of technology, small and without character. However, I was fascinated with the small size, weight and ability to store a large volume of books in the device.

After buying the KOBO I quickly striped off the box and got down to business. I was impressed with the 100 or so books that came preloaded. Only after the purchase did I wonder if the device was compatible with my linux systems. The answer is yes and no. I plugged it in and the device was recognised by my Ubuntu system however the preloaded software on the KOBO was not linux compatible (familiar story for linux users). I surfed over to the KOBO website and was impressed with the selection of ebooks. I found the book I was looking for, Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson, and made my online purchase. This was when I realised that KOBO was not going to play nicely with linux. I could not download the ebook purchase.

I rebooted into windows and installed the preloaded software. Arg!. Another problem. The preloaded software was branded to the store (Angus & Robertson) the KOBO was purchased from and could not download or install my purchase from the KOBO site. It was also very apparent that the preloaded software was very limited and only managed purchases from the Angus & Robertson online store. After a little googling I installed Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) and was able to download Snow Crash from KOBO site and then install it on my KOBO. All seeming was well.

But, when adding ebooks to the KOBO from ADE, the front covers are lost as is the ability to change font size. This was important because the font was so small it made reading on the KOBO very tedoious. A little more google later, I learned how to hack into the Snow Crash epub file and delete the css sheet. Like magic, this allowed me to then change the font size on the KOBO for Snow Crash.

The preloaded software is annoying and basically useless. I contacted KOBO support and they were quick to reply but could not offer any real solutions except to say that in the coming weeks, the KOBO site will release their own KOBO software.

I have downloaded the ereader Calibre on linux and this does a great job of managing the books on my KOBO without having to boot into windows. It doesn’t manage to install books purchased online and copyright encrypted. I still have to use ADE to do this although I have managed to get ADE running under Wine on linux.

So what’s the verdict? I love it. It has rarely left my side in two weeks. I like being able to carry several books on the train, to work and around the house in one small tiny device. I like the fact that it is very simple and focuses on only being an ereader. I like the fact that it’s very small, light weight and easy to handle. It makes reading in bed with one hand very easy! The screen was designed specifically to read books from and works well in the sunshine and shade. It is not back-lit and is very easy on the eyes. Almost like a real book. It uses very little power. I’m almost finished with Snow Crash and have started a number of other titles and have recharged it only once.

I’m a convert and you’ll find the KOBO on my bookshelf.

July 2 2010 – UPDATE

Kobo have released a firmware (1.4) update that resolves the issues I mentioned with the font and covers. If you have a Kobo and have not upgraded the firmware, check out this post from Michael Tamblin, EVP of Content, Sales and Merchandising at Kobo discussing the firmware upgrade in detail. Kudos to Kobo for listening to customers and promptly responding. Let’s hope this sort of collaboration continues!

However, I realised that the XShot2.0 is really for wimps. It’s long and flimsy and looks like it belongs nestled in a pocket protector alongside a calculator and half a dozen leaking pens. I decided that I’d make a better camera extender thing meself.

So, without fanfare or any pomp and circumstance nonsense, here’s the BigShot .00.

It’s chunky and rugged. It can hold a REAL camera and lens.

It allows you to take nice pictures of yourself.

But, I got to thinking that my BigShot can do a lot more than the little XShot2.0.

It can be used as a club to fight off man eating bears or dive bombing magpies.

It makes a nice walking stick or just a good ol place to rest your noggin.

I’m pretty proud of the BigStick.

So, I’m off into them there hills and gonna take a few panoramics of meself from the ridge.

BTW, I’d recommend you drop on around to Shuttercal and check out the photo a day projects and their really cool prints + shoeboxes. Also, even though you might really want a BigShot .00, I’ve decided to keep it a one-of-a-kind so you’ll have to settle for a XShot2.0.

But, Shuttercal, I still wouldn’t mind a XShot2.0, just to compare of course …

In case you ever wondered, here the result of forgetting you have your slr on timer mode. I snapped a shot of Willow on the trampoline only to have the shutter fire several seconds later.

So, if you’re game enough, sign up on the NaNoWriMo site and join me. If you’re already signed up, find me there and let’s encourage each other along, I know I’ll need it.

I followed the link see what all the commotion was about. I think I now understand his excitement. Check out his  blog post regarding NaNoWriMo too.  NaNoWriMo is a public commitment to write a 50,000 word novel within one month. That’s a 175 page novel! Yep, that’s right, within a month. The aim is for quantity and not quality. Now you might think this is a disaster waiting to happen. But the philosophy behind NaNoWriMo is to get the creative juices flowing and not to hinder them in anyway. No worries about grammar, plot, character development and etc …. just pull the stopper until there’s nothing left in the tank.

They reckon that in order to meet the 50,000 word goal, you need to write at least 1,666 word each and every night … even those nights that by the time you get back home they are not really nights anymore.

So, I’m gonna take the challenge and try and bang out that novel about Redneck Buddha that’s been pinging around in my skull for the past 5-6 years. If you decide to do the same, find me and befriend me on the NaNoWriMo site!

Until 1 November, I’ll be pondering …

At 2pm on Saturday, the thermometer outside my home nestled in the forested mountains overlooking Melbourne registered 115 degrees (46.4 C). Winds whipped the window awnings causing them to snap and pop like sails on a yacht at high seas. Smoke from nearby fires choked the valley and obscured the afternoon sun but provided no respite from the intensity of its heat. Our Mountain home with its flat tin roof proved to be more oven than hospice. We all gathered semi-naked around the single air conditioner for comfort.

We watched as Elvis, the giant Erickson S-64 Air-Crane Helitanker traverse across our windows, back and forth, carrying water to nearby bush fires. And we listened with trepidation for the local volunteer fire station’s alarm to sound and we waited for winds to change, to bring back the familiar cool mountain breeze.

Luckily for us and our neighbours, the fires did not reach our valley. But more than1000 other families were not so lucky. They have lost their homes and some, more than 136 at this stage, lost their lives.

The fires still burn and no doubt more will experience loss and grief. Our hearts go out to those who have lost and suffered.

Now, did you catch the name where I spent each summer and school holiday as a kid? – Telephone, TX

And what about where I work each day? – Dandenong, AU