Luke Sheldrick's Blog

I’m well late for this party, but having recently got an Amazon Kindle, and I have to say, I am very, very impressed with it.

Sure, it doesn’t play movies, it has a laughable web browser, and the audio play back is awful. However for what it was designed for, reading books, it is simply the best device I have used.

I’d previously tried to read paper books, using iBooks no the iPad, Android Tables, Phones, and my iPhone, nothing really felt right. I went on a long weekend to Tenerife a few weeks back, and wanted to try out a few books I’d been recommended. Previously I hand’t really been a ‘bookworm’, sure I read tons every day, but usually they’re technical books, RSS, Blogs… that kind of thing, but not novels or that kind of thing; even rarer to read it from cover to cover.

So I picked up a wifi Kindle, for £90, ordered a few books on the store, charged the thing up, and shoved it in my bag. Whilst sitting by the pool, I started to read ‘A Million Little Pieces’ a book a good friend had recommended. The first thing I noted was the eInk screen, and how easy it was to read in the bright sunlight – something no other device I have can be said about. The second was how comfortable it was to read with it. The buttons are exactly where they need to be on both sides, and the Kinda is very light, lighter than most books, so holding it for any length of time isn’t an issue.

The things that are clearly awesome about it:

• The price – It’s really rather cheap in comparison to my normal gadgets.
• Ease of use – It’s so simple, even Mother can get on with it.
• Ease of buying – The system Amazon has built around buying eBooks is so simple. I can request a sample of a book, read the first chapter, and if I like it, at the end of the first chapter, I have a buy button; that’s it, I then have the book.
• Screen – The eInk display is really rather impressive. The only downfall to it is the lack of backlight, so as soon as it’s not overly light where you are, you can’t see the thing. They do have a case with integrated night light. This also works quite well, as it uses the power from the device for power.
• Weight/Shape/Controls – They are all very well designed.
• Battery – Two weeks of use, and I still haven’t charged it.

The things that aren’t so awesome:

• Screensavers – They’re awful. I had to jailbreak the device, to get rid of them.
• Cases – To get a backlight, I bought the official case – they’re not cheap.
• VAT – not an Amazon or a Kindle issue – but in the UK, you still get charged VAT (20%) for eBooks. So eBooks are more expensive than paper books – CRAZY!

One thing I really wish I had done now in reflection is to buy the 3G model. The only reason I’d want that is the page sync. I’ve found that the Kindle app for Android is surprisingly very good. I use it on my ZTE Blade, which has an AMOLED screen. Putting the background to black and text to white, doesn’t use a lot of battery at all on the Blade, and being able to turn page by using the volume switch, makes it quite a good device to use when I don’t have my kindle on me. The only issue with this is, I need to remember to turn the kindle wi-fi on and sync the pages back to Amazon – if I’d bought the 3G model, this would just do it for me.

I’ve tried the Kindle app on the iPad, and whilst it’s all there, I just don’t find the iPad that great for reading for any length of time, the lack of a ‘turn page button’ and it’s slightly too heavy. It is however neat to have a synced copy of all my books on all the devices… just in case.

So, it seems, on Friday I accidentally left my personal mobile phone in a taxi, and that $nicetaxidriver decided to remove my sim/switch the phone off when I called it, rather than return it.

As such, currently my personal phone number isn’t routable. This happens when a new sim is ordered on a line, and is unrouteable until the new sim is assinged. Three seem to be having some issues actually getting me a new sim, so if you try and call me at the moment, you’ll get a number not recongised type alert. Annoying!

As soon as the new sim is assigned, I’ll forward the calls to my temporary number, so I can at least get voicecalls.

As for getting a replacement iPhone, seems I need a 101 documents, for the insurance claim, which will take some time to gather up.

If you need to get hold of me before then, drop me a mail, and I’ll get back to you.

Argh!

Update 14/06/2011: New SIM has been assigned, but still cannot divert calls from my personal number to temporary number. Getting docs for insurance is a Royal PITA.

Update 15/06/2011: After numerous calls to Three, I finally have a working sim, and can take calls again. Now onto the saga that is getting the documents needed for the insurance claim.

Usually, I’d shrug off being ill, with the occasional rant about the seasonal flu. However January really has taken the biscuit.

The week before Christmas, I had an awful cold (I won’t compensate and call it flu). Luckily I was then fine for a few days over the Christmas break. To then come down with the worst case of flu I think I’ve ever had the week after. Literally a week in bed, was very grim. I suspect that was swine flu.

Have then been fine for a week or so, to then come down with another cold, again with a weasey chest. The cold has now pretty much gone, but I still sound like a burst hoover every time I breath in and out.

So I checked in at the local doctors this morning, to be greeted with a really caring, genuinely nice doctor. I told her what the history, and she had a listen to my chest, and concurred something was not right.

She prescribed me 500mg Amoxicillin, as she believes I’ve had a secondary infection in my chest. This may be causing a bit of a loop. Chest gets better (but weakens immune system) > Influenza takes hold due to weaken immune system > Chest… etc

I’ve never really been a fan of anti-biotics, you read about the super bacteria, that are cropping up all over the place. Some believe these are ‘evolving’ due to the over use of anti-biotics. I’m also not a huge fan of popping a pill at every opportunity. However, not taken any anti-biotics for the first 25 years of my life, I’m sure one dose wont bring on the resident evil stylie zombies… or will it?

So last weekend I went to visit some friends for the day, and packed a usual day trip bag. I’ve always been aware I don’t really travel light, however when I got everything out to take a “Whats in your bag” photo, I was quite shocked, on just how much stuff I carry around usually.

Below is the outcome of emptying my bag… quite a lot of stuff in there… maybe I should think about scaling down?

At least I can safely say, I’ll never be bored if I get stuck anywhere.

Yesterday, we said goodbye to my amazing Nanna, Irene Alice Sheldrick. Born 7th October 1913, and taken from us 2nd December 2010, aged 97.

I started off my blog with a dedication to her, some three years ago. She was an amazing woman, she was a grandmother to me and my three cousins, a great grandmother to five, and a great great grandmother to Theo. I’ve never met someone with such strength and dedication. Living through the both World Wars, bringing up my Father, and my Aunt, always being there for everyone, she will be dearly missed.

Words can’t really do justice to say how much she’ll be missed. I like to think she is still with us, and still getting her own way. The funeral director on the day of the service, had to tell us that he had unfortunately forgot to bring the CDs for the service. One of the songs was Goodnight Irene by Nat King Cole. We all firmly believe that this was Nan’s doing, she didn’t want us to say goodbye. I was very lucky to see her the day before she was taken from us, and tell her how much we all loved her. I’ll always have very fond memories of visiting her in my summer holidays, and her doing her morning excercises in her kitchen door way, even at the age of 80.

Rest in piece Nan, say hello to Purple for me.