Category Archives: Technology

Ebooks and Supporting Local Indie Bookstores and Authors

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Independent bookstores face increasing financial pressure from the rising use of ebooks. Amazon offers many ebooks at a significant discount. This makes it tempting for frugal readers to buy there, especially if they own a Kindle (which device itself is sold at a loss to entice owners to buy their ebooks from Amazon). But there are other options which support indie bookstores and authors directly.

Currently (July 2012) IndieBound.org (a community-oriented movement begun by the independent bookseller members of the American Booksellers Association) member bookstores will sell you Google ebooks though their bookstores’ websites, which gives the store you choose some share of what you pay. You can read Google ebooks with the Indiebound reader app for Android and iOS, with Google’s Play app, with Adobe Digital Editions software on Nook, Kobe, etc, and can be side-loaded onto Kindle. Find links to independent bookstores selling Google ebooks here.

Unfortunately Google has decided to stop the bookstore reseller program in January 2013. But keep an eye on IndieBound.org for a replacement program.

Other options:

Powells Books (in Portland OR and on the web) sells Adobe Digital Edition ebooks, and DRM-free PDFs ((meaning they are not locked to your use only).

A number of publishers sell ebooks directly from their sites. since I read a lof of SF, one of which I know is Baen. They also have an awesome FREE library of some of their older titles and 1st titles in a series. MacMillian will also sell your their ebooks.

Check the author’s website, as more are choosing to self-publish and self-distribute. And if you buy directly from the author more of the money actually goes to him/her since they don’t need to split it with a distributor.

Standing Desk Ideas and Tips

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A few months ago I realized that despite setting alerts reminding me to get up from my desk periodically, I just wasn’t doing it. Having read several articles about standing desks, treadmill desks, etc. I set up an approximation of one using boxes on my desk and on top of my CPU case:

DYI standing desk using boxes

DYI standing desk using boxes

This worked fairly well, except that when I wanted to switch from standing to sitting or vice versa it was a pain moving the monitor off/onto the box, etc. I noticed a co-worker downstairs had obtained a WorkFit-S Stand-Sit Desk Attachment, and had my boss arrange to get me one as well. Here it is in the standing and sitting positions:

WorkFit-S Stand-Sit Desk Attachment

WorkFit-S Stand-Sit Desk Attachment

The WorkFit-S costs about $400 (note that the writing shelf above the keyboard tray is an optional extra item). Custom standing desks, some with treadmills, can cost considerably more.

If you don’t have room for a full desk and/or travel a lot, you’ll want to check out an upcoming Kickstarter project for the Ninja Standing Desk. It hangs from a door (with over-door hooks) or a wall (with drywall fasteners), and packs small enough to easily fit in a carry-on bag! Check out their video, and look for their Kickstarter launch on July 11th: [7/11/12 update: the Kickstarter is now live here]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b-ykMPmb-c

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Be Memorable When You Can’t Be There

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Life happens – you’re due at a gig, but your car/van dies, your flight gets canceled, or as just happened to my friends’ band, the border agents won’t allow you into Canada!

Last-minute disasters suck for everyone involved, but especially if it’s an out of town gig so you are missing a chance to connect with new fans.

What can you do to salvage some good will from this situation? Look for creative ways to reach out to the audience you are missing, e.g.:

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