It was not too long ago (250-300 years) that books were a rather valuable commodity. Each family owned maybe one or two, with the more sophisticated and educated perhaps owning quite a few more. Now, books are on sale at some places for as low as 1cent, and are loaned, lent, and even given away for free at local libraries. As the times have changed, readership and readable medium has changed, and progressed hand-in-hand with the ongoing technological evolution. If you are a reader and are looking for new ways to experience text, or if you are content to continue on letting your eyes graze along the yellowed and worn pages of your favorite book, but are curious as to what other avid readers are pursuing – then have a look at 10 pieces of technology for the reader.
Amazon Kindle. The recent release of the Amazon Kindle 2 has re-revolutionized the way that many go about reading books, daily papers, magazines, and blogs. It seems that the capabilities of the Kindle are limitless, as far as content is concerned. The Kindle is reminiscent of an over-sized iPod, and delivers digitally what readers have been ogling on paper (papyrus, leather, animal skin, etc.) for the last few thousand years.
Blogs. News media and op-eds are nothing new. For as long as the mediums of newspapers and magazines have existed, opinion peieces have been included. Blogging, or personal internet publishing, has provided a platform for individuals and groups to share news, thoughts, and opinions on a level of universal proportions. Blogs have been able to give readers more with less. It is trendy in the blogosphere to keep posts shorter and more pointed. Blogs also offer a medium for instant reader interaction. No longer must the reading responder wait for 3 days to have the letter-to-the-editor published, rather the reader can make their viewpoint known in seconds with only a few keystrokes and a tap of the return key.
RSS. The process of Real Simple Syndication allows readers to stay updated to certain blogs, news outlets, and other services without having to hunt for the information. When new content is published, it is imported into a feed reader, and remains there until the human reader decides to lay their eyes upon the content.
Google Books and Project Gutenburg. Both are projects which are an attempt to take all works which are now considered to be public domain, and publish them on the internet so that readers may enjoy the classic and highly revered works for free.
Shelfari. Shelfari is a service which allows readers to build a virtual shelf of books that they have read, and books that they plan to read. Users can browse the book shelves of their friends, and trade comments and book reviews as well. Shelfari is a great too if you are stuck and don’t know what to read next, your friends shelf might hold the next great read!
Eyercize. If you enjoy reading, but can’t do it as fast as you would like then Eyercize might be what you are looking for. Eyercize is an online course which teaches readers how to become faster readers – savings readers time, and allowing them to enjoy more books and content.
ReadingTrails. ReadingTrails, much like Shelfari, is a social website focused on connecting readers by reading interests and favorite books. ReadingTrails allows users to discover new reads and readers and connect with them to discuss books and themes, and whatever else readers talk about.
Free-eBooks. Free-eBooks is a site much like Amazon.com, but instead of paying for books, each piece of material is available for free download. If you are a reader who enjoys informational reads, How Tos, and self help manuals, then Free-eBooks should keep your eyes busy for a while.
BookAdventure. BookAdveture.org is a site aimed at promoting readership among the younger Kindergarten – 8th Grade crowd. BookAdventure seeks to promote readership among the young crowd by offering a point, reward, and prize system for readers who complete the reading assignments (think in terms of Pizza Hut’s BookIt promotion).
AudioBooksForFree. When your eyes get tired and you feel like taking a break from reading, but want to keep up with the stories, AudioBooksForFree.com has many fiction and non-fiction audio books available for download, along with some other great audio products.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Ethan, very cool blog you’ve got going–looks real professional. Soon you should consider getting a few people to help you out–utilize their personal brands to help promote the site also. Easier to have 3 people tweeting and linking it around the net, than just one, ya know?
Anyway, I’m not sure I’d ever use the Kindle, but Google Reader is so good to me–i don’t even like reading real blogs unless i’m subscribed, i mean it’s fun to visit, but for the serious reader Google is where it’s at.
Thanks for the comment on f77. Keep livin life maannn
@MattWilsontv’s last blog post..Thriving on a Small Salary with Danny Kofke
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Here’s the 2 big advantages that books have over e-books:
1. You don’t need special technology to read them, like a Kindle.
2. Books are completely power independent. You don’t need to recharge anything to read them.
If e-books can overcome those two hurdles, then they’re ready to replace regular books. Otherwise, they won’t anytime soon.
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