I wrote just over a month ago about a big price drop for Amazon’s Kindle.
Now they’ve gone one better. They’ve not only slashed the price, they updated the product. The latest Kindle Wireless Reading Device
The all new Kindle is smaller, lighter, faster and with 50% better contrast. Check out the New Kindle Wireless Reading Device here
I see the strangest things when I’m cycling to work.
I pulled up at a set of lights this morning and noticed that the lady in the Volvo beside me had a large white cat across her lap. The cat seemed quite happy and probably does a fair bit of travelling with its owner but I do wonder about the wisdom in driving with an unsecured cat in the car, especially sitting on top of the driver.
If the car had to stop suddenly, Tibby would be rocketed into the dashboard. I’m a real cat lover; I’m just not convinced that cats should go everywhere that their humans go.
Later during my ride I noticed a young guy in a work ute drinking a can of Red Bull. I wondered why anyone would need an energy hit at that time of the day. If you need artificial stimulants to keep going that early in the day you’re going to be completely wrecked by lunchtime. I didn’t think too much of it at the time but I couldn’t help sitting down and shaking my head as I pondered the situation while sipping my double shot espresso at my desk at work.
What are some of the strange things you’ve seen on your daily commute? Whether you travel by car, bike, bus or train, I’m sure you’ve seen some intersting sights.
Last night I was invited to hang out with a bunch of people, have a few drinks, some great food, and watch TV. Apart from the fact that I didn’t know anyone else in the room I had a great time.
It was a Soup event. Soup is Australia’s first Word of Mouth Marketing Agency and last night they were marketing Panasonic’s range of Full-HD 3D Plasma Televisions. There were several Panasonic experts on hand who gave us a very comprehensive understanding of how the 3D experience works and how Panasonic is at the forefront of developing 3D technology. (By the way, if you want to become part of the Soup community to sample products and have great nights out like I did, you can click here to sign up for Soup.)
The idea of 3D TV hasn’t really grabbed me in the past. I guess my previous experience of 3D is of clunky effects and dull colours. Not bad for an occasional experience but I’ve had my doubts about regular programming in 3D. It’s all seemed like too much of a gimmick. It’s OK to see objects flying towards you and people reaching out beyond the screen but if that’s all there is I can do without it.
I was pleasantly surprised watching the Panasonic VIErA Full-HD 3D Neo Plasma TV. The eyewear does reduce picture brightness a little but nowhere near as much as my previous 3D experiences. There was still plenty of colour and the 3D imagery was incredibly sharp, not like the slightly fuzzy images I’ve experienced in the past.
The content we watched wasn’t full of junky effects, instead it was a well shot slice of reality. The 3D effect was so good that it didn’t need gimmicks to shout out, “Hey, look at this”. We also saw a demonstration of 3D gaming. While I’m not a big gaming fan I could see that this would add so much to the gaming experience. It gave the user a much greater sense of being part of the action.
One of the things that really impressed me is that the eyewear and 3D vision didn’t leave my head spinning or feeling nauseous like other 3D experiences.
These plasmas are not only great 3D televisions, they’re excellent 2D TVs. They perform brilliantly with regular content with the added feature of going 3D when the content requires it.
So I guess I’m a convert. 3D TV isn’t simply a junky gimmick.
I’m not the only one who enjoyed the experience. You can check out more Panasonic 3D TV reviews here.
I can’t see our family affording a 3D television anytime soon but I would certainly recommend that you check them out. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the experience.
I was reminded again on the weekend just how good it is to catch up with people who talk the same language you do. I don’t mean English, I mean people who have a similar interest who know exactly what you mean when you use words that most people don’t quite get.
I had a few of my cycling mates over on Saturday night to see a stage of the Tour de France and it was so good to launch into conversations about cycling that didn’t require any explanation of the terminology. Don’t get me wrong, I love spreading the cycling message and helping others understand the finer points but there’s something special about talking with like minded people isn’t there?
Do you find that with any of your interests? Do you enjoy conversations when everyone’s on the same wavelength.
Oh well … the tour’s over for another year. Roll on Tour de France 2011.
If you’re in Australia it wouldn’t be too hard for me to guess what you were doing last night. It’s very likely that you were watching Channel Ten’s final for Masterchef … like a massive chunk of Australia’s population.
We didn’t see all of the show but we got home from church in time to see the final challenge and the naming of this year’s winner. The final became the most-watched non-sporting event ever shown on Australian television. A peak of 4.348 million viewers across the five capital cities tuned in to watch Adam beat Callum to win $100,000 and a cookbook publishing deal.
Callum seemed very likable and a more than able cook but I’m glad that Adam took out the title. I was also very impressed by Callum’s reaction to Adam’s win. While the runner-up on most reality shows will give the winner a hug and smile a lot, you can often tell that they’re trying to stay in control while battling deep dissapointment (and who could blame them) but Callum appeared genuinely thrilled for Adam. I’m sure he would have preferred winning but his reaction showed a real maturity and great character.
Did you watch much of the series this year? Who did you want to win?
So Masterchef is over for another year and huge amounts of time will now be freed up for Australians as we no longer have to sit glued to the box each night for the next installment.
Mind you … Junior Masterchef is set to start soon. 🙂