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12/27/09
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- A Sony Reader user
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It isn't anyone's business anymore than knowing what color socks or underwear I buy.
If I purchase several books on growing weed are they going to kick my door in and look for grow equipment?
What if I'm reserching methods terrorists use to create havoc and disrupt transportation systems for a paper...FEDS gonna come knocking? Flock that.
Sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but I've been forced to relinquish enough of my personal privacy rights for the sake of "terrorism" and WOMD, and not by choice I might add, I was one of few outspoken and outraged by the Patriot Act and the wholesale slaughter of rights of individuals from government snooping. It has nothing to do with being truly Patriotic. Most take it laying down or in stride for the false sense of security that we continue to pay for today.
I'm not a tin-foil, paranoid kinda person. Interesting that anyone who objects to this invasion of privacy is labeled a kook or maladjusted in some way, or in some way not an American.
I'm a firm believer that what the govt. gets to know about me is my choice and provided by me, nothing more. Fucking data is collected on every fucking thing we do, I'd like to keep a tiny shred of choice as to who gets it and when/why if I may.
You can have your Kindles, Nooks & Google Books.
I'll stick to buying books and the ability to read them where and when I want, without someone snooping over my shoulder or holding the threat of reporting it to law enforcement or some other fucking agency of intrusion.
12/27/09
I'm not trying to pick on you, but people light their hair on fire over little invasions of privacy while ignoring large ones. How many people use free email from Google/Yahoo/Microsoft/etc? How many people have cellphones? Credit cards? Because, really, in practical terms, the notion that Amazon knows what page of Liar's Poker I'm on is trivial to the point of dismissal considering that my cell provider can locate me at just about any given time.
12/27/09
Your cursory glance gave you that info because I chose to post it online, again, my choice to do so and the point I was making.
In addition, I would much rather support my local bookstores, new and used, the mom and pop bookstores I go to, instead of purchasing a gadget.
They keep track of my account and what I like to read in a recipe box on an index card...not too threatening and is acceptable for me. Guess I'm an old-school, Goldwater conservative.
12/27/09
But that wasn't really my point. The privacy implications of e-readers and other relatively new services and devices tend to be vastly overstated whereas services/devices people are used to are vastly understated. That includes posting personal information on Facebook, or Twitter, or, yes, Gizmodo.
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Grow up!
12/27/09
That was very mature of you.
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And if you come back at me again it'll show just how immature you are by needing to get the last word.
Anyways dude it was just a joke. If you have a family member or a friend that suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and I offended you then I am sorry.
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Seriously. Ebooks. Why would anyone be worried about people potentially seeing what they read and whatnot? We don't live in China. No one on U.S. soil is going to be arrested for buying books on human rights.
This is taking the privacy thing in a wrong direction. Seriously, books. Come on. Yes, personal privacy is important, but seriously. Books.
ZOMG HE READ THE GUNSLINGER AND IS NOW OBVIOUSLY INFLUENCED AND IS GOING TO GO BUY A SIX-SHOOTER AND BECOME A VIOLENT CRIMINAL!!!!!11!
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Stop it! Stop it! I know you're watching me! What do you want from me! The silence... its too much, I just can't... I just can't take it anymore!
SAY SOMETHING DAMN YOU SAY SOMETHING!!!! Say something before the men in white coats put the backwards jacket on me!
12/27/09
So basically it all boils down to amazon having an advanced knowledge of what I read or search for. That doesn't frighten me, if it means I get advertised at in a more contextual manner then GOOD, I'm sick of spam about penis pumps --the schlong is long enough thanks.
If, however, you are frightened by all this I suggest closing your web browser, disconnecting you computer and burning it because one way or another you give your details out to big corporations all the time. Shame Xmas has been and gone, you could have asked Santa for some tin foil hats.
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12/27/09
Many people have privacy concerns. It isnt ridiculous to not want other people to know what what media you consume. Just because you are not paranoid doesnt mean the information collected about you cannot be used against you.
Lets look at the example of netflix. [arstechnica.com] Here we have a person who has a reasonable fear that this data will out her as a lesbian. Depending on her job, the community, etc, this could ruin her life.
Who is to say that what you read isnt resold to various organizations, or supena by the government to be used against you? We already know that the gobberment has used library records to harass citizens.
This isnt paranoid conspiracy nut job illuminati under every rock with mind control and the 5 jew bankers doing 911 kinda stuff. Its a reasonable concern, even more important, its a reasonable desire, to not have your consumptions cataloged.
All those people who share everything about themselves on the internet... They all have secrets that are important to them to.
12/25/09
12/25/09
I do completely agree about tablets. The real killer here is not really the guts, but the screen. My BB has a 2.2" screen at 260x240 and will last for quite some time. But you get up to 5 inches or more, and it starts to be a massive power suck compared to the size of battery you can get in that size of a device - unless you start increasing thickness, which is the kiss of death for both tablets and ereaders.
12/26/09
12/28/09
You have 15 times as much screen space on a 9" eee as a 2 inch blackberry. This means that you're backlighting and refreshing 15 times as much space for the same period of time. Lots of energy wastage there.
12/25/09
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R&D: 20 hours to rip off a Kindle
Licensing: Ignored in China
Distribution: Existing mostly thru established Chinese channels, one shipping container - $3500
Labour force: $.40 per unit. DOn't believe me? Watch the documentary - "Corporation".
12/25/09
1. R&D is more than just "look at a product, go". the fact you ignored that, QC, prototyping and everything else shows how little you know.
2. Aluratek is an American company based out of Irvine, not China. Even if they were Chinese, they'd still have to go through licensing channels for US distribution.
3. Distribution: Once more, an American company. Even if they were Chinese, they'd still need to go through proper trade channels to get it to American distribution. You'll notice that most HKOs sold in the US and Canada are actually distributed through an American branch.
4. Labour: Once again, this is an American company that has more than just some company in China churning out their products. You need to pay all American staff.
Think before you speak.
12/25/09
Proper trade channels! I laugh in the direction of your pompous hiney.
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