Category Archive: “Uncategorized”

McReadability Repaired

McReadability is a bookmarklet which reflows the text of a web page into a multi-column format. I created it based on an earlier bookmarklet by the folks at Readability, which has since transformed into a more ambitious service. Along the way I updated McReadability to continue working without relying on Readability; in other words, the requisite stylesheets and scripts were all hosted here at anoved.net.

I forgot to transfer some of those files when I changed hosts, so the bookmarklet recently stopped working.

I restored the files this morning, so McReadability should be working again. Give it a try.

Incidentally, the bookmarklet is overdue for an update. Eventually I plan to remove more of the residual Readability features and present a simpler setup page.

Posted on Wednesday, September 26th, 2012.

Rekindled

Earlier this month I mentioned that my Kindle’s display had malfunctioned and that I’d decided to repair the device with a replacement screen.

Well, the new screen arrived today. I took apart my Kindle and replaced the screen. It works!

I relied on PowerbookMedic’s excellent Kindle 3 disassembly video to guide my efforts. One note for others undertaking similar repairs: it is not necessary to separate the speaker assembly from the “midboard” in order to replace the screen. Since they are adhered together, the speaker assembly will come out anyway when you remove the midboard.

It is necessary to disassemble most of the Kindle to access the screen. The screen is sandwiched between the front cover and the other components, which are accessed through the back cover. Once I exposed the back of the screen, I found confirmation that it was physically damaged: cracks in one corner, as seen above. From the front, the cracks appeared only as artifacts in the display.

It was neat to observe that e-ink panels truly do not require electricity to maintain an image. The new screen arrived with a default Kindle home page displayed, despite have spent a few weeks in a shipping box disconnected from any power source.

In the time that my Kindle has been out of commission, Amazon has released a rare software update for the Kindle 3. Added is support for a few new file formats and, evidently, a sharper version of the reading font. Without comparing it to text on an older device, I can’t claim to notice any specific difference, but I suppose it does look nice. Legibility, at any rate, is greatly improved – due to the non-broken new screen, of course.

Incidentally, the new screen came with a protective plastic film, which I’ve left in place for now. It gives the matte display a slightly glossy sheen, which is not necessarily preferable to e-ink’s normally paper-like appearance, but it does give the reader a bit of showroom appeal. Not bad for a retread!

Posted on Monday, September 24th, 2012.

Fresh Off the Portraits-in-Profile Mill

The less meticulous I try to be, the better I like the results.

Doesn’t mean these are particularly accurate likenesses or meaningful objets d’art.

But I like them, because I think they give you a good chance to see the way I do.

Drawn with a sweet chunky graphite pencil stick thingy.

Posted on Friday, September 21st, 2012.

Clipless

Thanks to the generosity of a friend, I have acquired a set of clipless shoes and pedals. After a few stationary experiments, I installed the pedals on my bike and went for a short ride. I was happy to find I was able to disengage and dismount without tipping over! I’ll have to practice a lot more before it becomes instinctive, though.

I expect that I will continue to use platform pedals on a day-to-day basis, as the practical advantages of being able to ride with any footwear far outweigh the potential performance benefits of being clipped in to the bike, at least for my routine errand-oriented riding. I can imagine using these pedals if I ever get into racing, though, or for future bike tours where I expect to be in the saddle all day.

And yeah, it’s confusing that shoes which clip in to matching spring-loaded pedals are referred to as “clipless.” The name distinguishes the design from pedals with straps or toe cages that surround the foot.

Posted on Friday, September 21st, 2012.

Ship’s Log, Hosting Status

Having endured many minor mishaps and miscommunications over the years, this morning our ship was threatened by an “account suspended” warning that seemed set to scuttle the site. Fortunately, it proved to be a false alarm triggered by a server problem unrelated to my account.

Smart spacers know that there’s no such thing as gremlins, only substandard preventative maintenance practices. A worn and weathered vessel is one thing, but no one loves a glitchy ship.

So, I backed up my database to a cryo buoy, hailed a passing hosting carrier, and bailed out the airlock. After a few quick config trips to the engineering deck, anoved.net is now berthed at Laughing Squid.

Posted on Tuesday, September 18th, 2012.

Interleaved Reading

Typically I only read one novel at a time. At present, however, I am reading Ben Bova’s Titan as well as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. These novels are sufficiently distinct that I don’t think I’ll have any trouble keeping the stories straight – although both are certainly set in alien environments. Fortuitously, both books have short chapters, making it feasible to alternate between them whenever I sit down to read.

My hope was that these books would complement each other as part of a balanced fictional diet. Titan has big ideas and a technically intriguing setting, but, admittedly, its characters perform like cardboard character actors (a risk of its subjective yet superficial third-person perspective, I suppose). An exception is Titan Alpha, the rover whose misbehavior is the most interesting enigma I’ve encountered in the story. Titan Alpha is a viewpoint character.

I like it when a character cracks a joke and it still seems fresh despite the knickers and two hundred year old diction.

Pride and Prejudice portrays people with much more nuance, although they are all perhaps a bit too snooty to earn much sympathy from me. (I realize that this impression may well be intentional, given the title.) What I like most about Pride and Prejudice is the language – the sentences themselves exhibit a variety of structure that is a pleasure to unravel, yet never too baroque to understand. I like it when a character cracks a joke and it still seems fresh despite the knickers and two hundred year old diction. Whether it is Austen’s own style or simply English of the era that I enjoy, I cannot say.

I’m only about a quarter of the way through each book, so the impressions above shouldn’t be construed as final reviews. Mainly, my intent is to compare what I’ve noticed in the process of alternating between books.

So, do you ever select books based on what you perceive to be their complementary properties? Are you a gourmet, seasoning your reads with sweet and sour, or is your mind a furnace into which you must shovel as many ideas and experiences and as possible?

Posted on Tuesday, September 18th, 2012.

Rekindling my Kindle

Last week I was dismayed to discover that my Kindle had developed a malfunction. A strip along the top of the screen no longer displays anything but noise. No software reset procedures dispel the artifact, so I believe the screen itself is damaged. Otherwise, the Kindle still works fine. Unfortunately the device is out of warranty.

This problem has provided occasion to be tempted by the newly announced Kindle Paperwhite or by a competing reader such as the Nook Simple Touch. I’ve test-driven the Nook; it’s nice.

But! Fixing broken things is nice, too. Gadget-repair emporium iFixIt makes a good environmental argument for resisting disposable material culture. Their self-repair manifesto enumerates other compelling reasons for undertaking to fix things, and is sort of inspiring to boot. Being prepared to repair our domestic robots may help ward off the inevitable robot uprising as well.

So, instead of replacing my Kindle, I’ve ordered a replacement screen. The e-ink panel is probably the most expensive component of an ereader, so this approach isn’t a whole lot cheaper than a new ereader, but at least this way I won’t be throwing out an otherwise serviceable device. I’ll post an update once the screen arrives (it’s shipping from Hong Kong) and I’ve attempted the repair.

In the meantime, I’ll continue reading – on paper.

Clarkesworld Magazine publishes good stuff for the discerning science fiction and fantasy fan. You can read the stories and articles online for free, but if you’re a fan of the genre, considering subscribing to the ebook edition. Places like this are where SF is happening.
The “Computers and Satellites” ebook is a collation of T. S. Kelso’s Satellite Times column, which was an instrumental reference in the making of Ground Track Generator.

Posted on Thursday, September 13th, 2012.

Paying Attention to Point of View

Last month, SF Signal published a two–part “mind meld” on point of view in fiction. Earlier this year, the folks at Writing Excuses discussed the omniscient viewpoint. I encountered all of these discussions recently, and it got me thinking about point of view. At first I found it challenging to recall the perspective of books I’d previously read, even if they were among my favorites. With concentration, however, I realize I can figure it out for most examples that come to mind.

(Sometimes it’s obvious. It’s a good bet that stories with large ensemble casts – like The Song of Ice and Fire, to name a popular example – are told from a third person perspective that can follow the separate adventures of multiple characters.)

Conflicts are revealed from multiple perspectives; tension arises from wondering how these perspectives will converge – or collide.

In contrast to my fuzzy recollection of the narrative perspective of some past reads, I feel acutely aware of point of view now that I’ve encountered the discussions mentioned above. I am reading Ben Bova’s Titan, and the third person perspective seems conspicuous. Conflicts are revealed from multiple perspectives; tension arises from wondering how these perspectives will converge – or collide. The plot becomes an almost secondary source of suspense.

I can’t say that I prefer one perspective over another (well, second person perspective sure is an odd duck¹), but I do think it enriches the reading experience to better understand how a story is told. There’s a parallel with science here: knowledge does not sap a system of wonder, but rather equips you recognize and appreciate its even deeper mysteries.

To read a fascinating visual analysis of the “Choose Your Own Adventure” format, you decide to check out Christian Swinehart’s One Book, Many Readings.

Posted on Tuesday, September 11th, 2012.

Pencil Test

This is a test of my emergency portrait drawing system.

The drawing on the right was drawn left handed. (I’m right handed.)

Posted on Tuesday, September 11th, 2012.

SciFi Soundtracks

One StarShipSofa segment I have come to particularly enjoy is David Raiklen’s SciFi Soundtracks. David plays excerpts from selected soundtracks (films as well as television shows and now video games) and points out the notable characteristics of each bit of music. His comments help an unsophisticated ear understand how a composition or performance influences the associated story. That increases my appreciation for the soundtracks I hear.

Posted on Monday, September 10th, 2012.