Wednesday, February 11, 2009

D.E. Mays

portlandart.net/archives/2009/06/first_thursday_39.html

Portland Art selected to feature D.E. Mays for their First Thursday's pick. I first saw May's work at PDX contemporary in the Window display. I was in awe of their power to suggest architectural space. It was want I wanted to do. His work still influences me. I meet him at a solo exhibition at the Marylhurst Art Gym space. I'm glad to see his new drawings. They still have that simplicity and architectonic space to the compositions.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Kindle 2



I want one.  I want one.  This version 2 is so sexxy.


The Kendle 2 is available for consumption. Many people are talking about it. It is incased in an exciting shape. It is as thin as a pencil.  It looks like a large ipod for reading.  Amazon pays for the Wireless 3G access which is a great idea.  Garry's Posterous post has some interesting things to say about this free 3G. Amazon sells the e books, so essentially anyone that buys an Amazon product or especially it's ebook is paying for the subscription.  It's always a hard decision to pick that book for a plane ride.  Here a whole library is contained in a svelt package.  J.L. Borges would love this idea.  There are other magazines and newspaper monthly services for $9. Reading blogs is free. I liked the idea of the first generation of Kendles but knew that it was a prototype idea, clumpsy in it's shape and usablity.  The new shape also improves the battery life, readability, and download time.   This one is hard to resist.  The price is approximately $345.

amazon Kindel stuff

It certainly will change the way people read and buy books.  I hear writers groaning.  I'm not sure what their complaint is.  Maybe it will be less profitable for them or that Amazon doesn't carry certain chapbooks or books printed in small numbers.  Maybe it affect the writer's pocket book as in less royalties.  Independent book sellers, bookstores and even internet book stores has yet another source of competition.

It is interesting that a ebook device has available 3G 24/7 without a monthly service charge where as the phone needs this service much more and subscribers have to pay.  Really how many times does one need to down load a book?  And a book can last the reader for at least a day.  It is the blog reading and the newspaper / magazine articles which has news and needs the 3G.  What it means is an ebookstore which will be open all the time, with or with out hooking up to the internet.  There are no wires.  It will even read to y ou.  I wonder what this post will sound like on a Kindle.  This business model turns Amazon into a powerful publishing house.  Perhaps other publishers besides Amazon will offer this service.  Depending on production time of a paper vs. ebook, we could see three different release dates for books:  hardback, paper, and ebook.

I remember picking out each book and weighing them then taking that specific.  I clearly remember sitting down at a pool reading Magic Mountain or in a hotel in a foreign country reading english novels.  In some cases I did not bring books so I was subjected to the limited choice of a foreign bookstore's small sellection.

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