Categories
Technology

Kindle Versions

On Groundhog Day, I’ll have had my Kindle for a year. I’ve been working on an anniversary review of the device, which will get posted either to the Frugal Algorithm or Secret of Signals. Or perhaps a bit in both, not sure.

The buzz about the Kindle now is that a 2.0 version is coming out, February 9th. I imagine a new version is likely, but contrary to what people have been saying, there has been more than one Kindle variation released in the last year.

Currently, there are Kindles running the following operating system versions: 1.04, 1.08, 1.1, and 1.1.1. Amazon has stressed that all provide the same functionality. The only thing to account for the difference, then, is variations in the device. Not a simple swapping of parts, either, because one doesn’t need to update an operating system when one swaps identical parts.

I have a 1.04 version of a Kindle, and must admit to some curiosity about what improvements went into the 1.08 and 1.1 models. I know that one always takes risks buying version 1 of anything, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a case where an item’s internal architecture has changed three times within one year. Changed enough to force a new version of the operating system. At a minimum, I have to wonder what will happen when new software functionality is rolled out. Do we 1.04 owners get the same goodies as, say, 1.1 owners?

To add further to the confusion, some people have reported in the owner forums seeing an OS version of 1.2 in their devices, and there are differences with this OS, but Amazon has stated this operating system has not been released. So rumor runs rampant in the forums, because we have no other source of communication about what’s happening with the devices. To be blunt, Amazon does not communicate with Kindle owners.

Regardless of lack of communication, and despite being an “old” Kindle owner, I do still like my device, though I really wish we had folder capability. However, I’d really rather that Amazon support ePub, and release its AZW format to other ebook readers. And I’ll have more to say on this later, too.

Categories
Social Media

Hiring the critic

f I had known Sitepoint would be hiring I may have held back from telling the lead designer that he’s full of bull. He was full of bull, though, with his exhortation to XHTML users to grow up. Still, another opportunity lost.

There is no room in this economy for the critic. At least, not unless one is already employed. The wind is blowing towards sweetness and light. Desperately blowing, caught up in the maelstrom of fear and uncertainty.

What should I do? Continue to criticize, until I can no longer afford my web space? Or shut up, and hope that someone safely employed takes the time to respond? I guess I pick my battles. Perhaps only criticize those who can’t do me any good, or have no power.

Fah, I sneer at my own words.

Categories
Burningbird

The Frugal Algorithm

My WordPress site has now gone live: The Frugal Algorithm. In the opener I wrote

We are too often seen as consumers in a disposable society, whose primary interest is what new toy to buy, and how much garbage we generate. When faced with difficult times, we buckle down reluctantly, anxiously waiting when the times are better and we can return to a time of “prosperity”, prosperity in this context meaning buying more stuff. Our societies are based on the concept that worth is measured in goods, and the ultimate health of the collective is based in gross national product and balance of trade. We work to buy, and we buy to work.

But what if we broke the cycle?

Other writings:

As stated, The Frugal Algorithm is based in WordPress, while my other sites stay at Drupal. The theme at Frugal City is a modification of the WordPress theme, Barecity, which I thought was an appropriately named theme. It’s minimalist, much more so than my other sites. Again, though, a minimalist design fits the site concept.

I did have to modify the theme to make it XHTML compliant, and WordPress isn’t as XHTML friendly as Drupal, but the differences just keep me on my toes.

The site is actually more of a celebration of the times, then not. I’m not downplaying the unemployment and the real fiscal worries we all have—heck, I’m teetering at the edge of the abyss myself. But in my readings about the Great Depression, one thing I noticed is that the people during the 1930s seemed to be more capable of directly facing the troubled times. Today, we’re more likely to put our hands over our ears and hum “LaLaLaLa!”. We tell ourselves and each other that we’re trying to maintain a positive attitude but what we’re really doing is denying reality, and in doing so, denying others their reality. Life is just a bowl of cherries.

Not long ago, some happy soul pontificated that the only reason people don’t have jobs is that they weren’t really trying. Not really trying…Last week, a company was looking for 100 new employees in the St. Louis area, and held a job fair. Over 3,000 people showed up at the fair. This is addition to a couple of thousand other applications given online. It worked out to 50 people applying for each open position.

Facing up to the times means being aware that other people may be struggling. It means learning how to manage when you’re struggling, yourself, or how to live so you don’t get to the point where you’re struggling.

The Frugal Algorithm isn’t a doom and gloom site, but it’s not a haven for the Shiny, Happy People, either. It’s a way for me to work through my fears, and maybe help others do the same. More importantly, the site’s focus is on recognizing that a person’s value is not based on the toys they own or the money they make; to find something real, inside.

Categories
Money

Do not toss that Netflix wrapper

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

I enjoy Origami, the art of Japanese paper folding. I originally started practicing Origami as a way of enhancing my skills when working with paper. A favorite hobby of mine is bookbinding, but the materials, such as handmade papers, can be quite expensive. Origami helped me to get a “feel” for working with paper. Over time, though, I began to enjoy Origami for its own sake.

There’s something very soothing about the tactile feel of the paper, and following the steps in a diagram. Origami is also an inexpensive hobby, even if you’re using traditional Japanese Origami papers. And if you muck up, the result is recyclable.

There’s no cost to trying your hand at Origami if you’re a Netflix subscriber. The Origami Netflix web site provides detailed Origami diagrams that are tailored to the shape and size of the wrapper that gets torn off from the Netflix DVD envelope. I took at shot at the glider, which made it all the way through my living room and into the dining room, before coming to a sudden stop against Zoë, my cat.

I also made a Netflix Origami shirt, though I have to be more careful how I tear the sheet loose, as you can tell from my snapshot of my effort. Still, the tear does add a grunge feel to the work.

Netflix Origami shirt

Categories
Money

Making do is making green

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

I’ve been experimenting with a few simple household items in order to replace more expensive bath and kitchen items. For instance, distilled white vinegar in a shallow dish will dissipate over a couple of days and help eliminate persistent, bad or stale odors in a room. Baking soda sprinkled on a carpet and allowed to sit overnight before vacuuming will do the same for a carpet. Best of all, there’s no fake, cloying, floral scent left over.

I’ve also been experimenting with replacing more complex products, such as dishwasher soap. One popular formula mixes equal parts of baking soda and Borax (such as Twenty Mule Team Borax), though I’ve been having better luck with a recipe consisting of washing soda, Borax, and sugar free lemonade Koolaid (citric acid helps to prevent white deposits on dishes), based on a recipe found at The New Homemaker. My main modification is that I don’t add the essential oils.

The primary advantage to these home mixes is that they’re typically cheaper, but a secondary advantage is that most of the alternatives are also much better for the environment. They don’t contain bleach and potentially other, harmful chemicals, and though something like Borax is toxic if ingested, most cleaning material is toxic when ingested. What happens to the material when it hits your sewer system and your water supply is what makes the difference.

As I find recipes that work, I’ll post them online. In the meantime, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has posted a list of unusual uses for ordinary objects you might find both interesting and helpful. For instance, to remove the chlorine discoloration from hair, dissolve eight aspirin in a glass of water, work into your hair, leave on for ten minutes, and then rinse. Much cheaper than exotic shampoos, and better than turning your silver hair blue.

(Note, the P-D does have a habit of changing URLs over time, so you might want to print the page.)