I just read an interesting article on New York Times, which addresses the topic of exhaustion and stress in the world of online news coverage and blogging.

This got me thinking - is round the clock online action really the way we want our lifestyles to go? Sure, most of us dream of hitting it big and making enough money for a secure future with a relaxed lifestyle somewhere in the Bahamas, but how many actually get there, before they get to the hospital? It seems, not many.

I find blogging to be stressful at times, even though I’ve been making pauses lately (as you can see on date stamps on my posts lately), and I’m not even trying to follow most of the news all the time, but rather write whenever I feel the need to react or follow up on something. If you write on a few blogs at the same time, however, things can get quite stressful quickly. A release valve is needed. Personally, I chose to get away from things by going hiking, running, visiting places I’ve never been to before… But after a while that’s not enough, since you have to take time off to do these things, and blog content keeps coming in all the time. Eventually, you’ll want to get away more, but you can’t… the vicious circle starts spinning. Oh, almost forgot, how about friends and family? There are only so many hours in a day, so you need to take time to spend time with these guys as well :).

Some people I know cope with this by staying mobile all the time - using laptops, MIDs, smart phones, etc, and doing things on the go. I guess that’s one way - by changing places all the time, there is a sort of satisfaction in indirectly creating your own working environment, and feeling the vibes from the place and the people, and making it to dinner at your parents’ home once in a while. This kind of approach, however, has its drawbacks - mobility requires money, and time as you need to spend time moving from place to place.

It seems the best way to go is to take things as they come - if you don’t feel the need to get out, don’t; if you need a change of scenery, get the backpack out and off you go, and smell the flowers on the way, while blogging your ass off.

I’d be very interested in how you cope with these problems? Comments are now open, so fire away.

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I read a post on Linux Devices showing what is going to be a new UMPC on the market very soon. It’s the Cloudbook (or CE1200V), manufactured by Everex. It’s basically a 7-inch screen ultra-portable computer, with some impressive characteristics, if they prove to be true. It’s going to pack a 1.2 GHz ultra-lov voltage processor and a reuglar hard disk. Unlike the EEE PC I wrote about weeks ago, which has 4 GB of solid-state disk (SSD) space, the Cloudbook will have 30 GB hard disk. According to Linux Devices, there will be a developer version of the new product, featuring a touch screen interface. The regular Cloudbook will ship mid-January for about $400, while the developer version will ship a bit earlier, probably at the very beginning of January.

I must say this UMPC looks a bit better than the EEE PC. Firstly, the screen actually occupies more space on the inside of the cover, while the EEE PC’s screen has big fat margins around it. The overall look is also more appealing, to me anyway, but I guess it’s best to wait for actual action shots. Here’s a couple of pictures I picked up on Linux Devices:

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Amazon released its own ebook reader called Kindle. At first glance the device looks quite good. Here are the technical details from the Amazon Kindle page:

• Display: 6″ diagonal E-Ink® electronic paper display, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 4-level gray scale
• Size (in inches): 7.5″ x 5.3″ x 0.7″
• Weight: 10.3 ounces
• System requirements: None, because it doesn’t require a computer

Amazon has gone far in making it easier for consumers to purchase content through Amazon. Kindle has wireless connectivity using the same 3G network as mobile phones, and it’s called Amazon Whispernet. Unlike WiFi, the user doesn’t have to bother with locating a hotspot. Amazon promieses there are no confusing service plans, yearly contracts, or monthly wireless bills because they’ve taken care of it for their consumers. Buying content is as easy as a 1-click operation, with Amazon shopping integrated into the device. Users can buy books, magazines, subscribe to newspaper editions, and there are special trial periods for many of the publications to give users a chance in trying out whether a particular content is interesting enough for them to subscribe to for a longer period of time.

Amazon boasts a paper like screen which shows crisp text and images using the latest electronic paper technology, where the actual ink is dispersed electronically allowing for greater precision and display quality. The device also features a full qwerty keyboard, and ergonomically designed function buttons for easy content browsing. Kindle retails for $399 on Amazon.

Although Kindle looks reasonably good, I’d still wait a while until more sophisticated and thinner devices hit the market, like the recently covered Seiko Epson ebook reader prototype. Sony had a very successful model, the PRS 500, which ironically was sold on Amazon until recently. Although e-book readers have their place on the market, it may be more useful to wait for a more all-in-one device in the future like a tablet PC with improved screen reading. Although tablet PCs are still expensive, if a future ebook reader/tablet computer can be placed somewhere in the middle, that would be breakthrough.

For more pictures go here.

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It has been a while since e-book readers have appeared on the market. There are several models available, such as the Sony PRS 500. What makes this one different is the fact that it’s only 3mm thin. The model is not available on the market yet, it’s more like a prototype of something that will appear in the future.

Here are some technical details: view dimensions (180×120mm), thickness (3mm), weight (57g), contrast ratio (8:1), reflectivity (43%), redrawing time (0.7s), battery (one CR1220 button cell; good for 1400 screen redraws). And here’s a picture of the new e-ink reader concept:

I like the design very much, although the edges and corners could be made a bit rounder which would add to the already pretty sophisticated look. I don’t know how the display would behave on a sunny day, but I suppose you will always find a shady spot for reading anyway, so that may prove to be less of a problem than it would seem. See more pictures of the Seiko Epson e-ink ebook reader on Engadget.

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Found this on Laptopmag.com who did a review of the newly born ASUS Eee PC. I already wrote about the Eee PC hitting the market earlier, but this is the first actual review I’ve come across. The review also features a nice photo gallery of the Eee PC, so enjoy.

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Have you seen the movie Gattaca? People can easily check someone’s DNA information by going to a public service terminal and requesting that information. Well, it seems that kind of future is almost upon us. At the Web 2.0 Summit, Craig Venter, a biologist working on projects having to do with gene sequencing, said it won’t be long before DNA sequencing becomes part of a standard medical test. What was a biologist doing at a Web 2.0 conference? Well, he was interviewed by Tim O’Reilly on stage, in the effort to show how close biology and information science are tied together, and have been for some time. Mr. Venter supports genetic transparency and predicts a future in which someone can easily find your DNA information on search engines or “Google a date’s DNA”. People will be able to see whether someone they are thinking about getting involved with has a hereditary disease or other genetically induced health anomaly that may have a negative impact on offspring.

Is this the kind of future we are aiming for as a global society? I am not sure this is the right way to go, although movies are usually pretty good in showing things that will come to pass in the future, so this may actually become reality. On one side, it may be useful to know your potential partner is carrying DNA code that may cause health or other problems for offspring, but on the other hand there are other factors in survival, especially in the human society.

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Image credit: ASUS

The new 7” screen ultra-portable PC has hit the markets, well in Taiwan anyway. The sales seem to be going great thus far, according to PC World. I have long been desiring a device that would allow for many of my daily tasks to be done in environments other than my office or home. The size is almost perfect and allows you to perform tasks such as email correspondence, blog post writing, image upload and stuff like that. With weight under 1kg and compact dimensions it’s pretty easy to carry around, although you still need a bag or a backpack. It uses solid state disk technology (SSD) which means the data stored is shock resistant, and thus safe in a portable environment.

The prices range is about $300 US (give or take depending on the model). It ships with a Linux based OS, although it’s Windows XP compatible. Some of the built-in goodies are the 7” LCD wide-screen (800×480), 900 MHz Celeron Processor, ASUS Linux OS, webcam (optional), stereo speakers, modem, ethernet, wi-fi, VGA output, audio & USB ports, SD card reader. ASUS boasts this product to allow for complete mobility and a new experience in Internet browsing. Well, it’s certainly got all the mobility ingredients, although for the life of me, I don’t understand why the screen is so small with so much obvious extra space around it. They could easily have fitted an inch and a half more in that frame. The price is in the right neighborhood, so I will definitely think about once the Eee PC heads for Europe.

Official ASUS press release.

Eee PC official site

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No really! Just look at this thing. It’s like the ultimate pocket sized internet tablet device and it’s got the muscle to go with the good looks (except for the VGA camera):

• integrated GPS receiver
• Wi-Fi connection
• up to 45 hours of music playback and memory to store up to 7,500 songs
• 10GB memory card
• large (4.13″), sharp (800×480 resolution) wide screen
• powered by maemo Linux based OS2008
• Mozilla based browser with Ajax and Adobe flash 9
• Bluetooth
• VGA camera (why?!? VGA) for video chat

This is a very good looking upgrade from the previous N800 (qwerty keyboard to start with). Read in more detail in the press release on Nokia.com .

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Remember this guy? If you’ve spent time on YouTube you must have seen his videos. I’ve watched them over and over again, and enjoyed his tricks every time. In case you still don’t know what I am talking about, see here.

Something is going to happen on November 5…

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YeboTV, a Finnish, Ohio (US) based company, features live video streaming of entertainment content. Content ranges from many different categories - animals, arts, autos & vehicles, comedy, entertainment, music, news, people, pranks & gags, sports, technology, travel & places. The company also has an office in Finland.

Live events are announced with a live timing ticker, letting you know how long before the next live broadcast. There are also scheduled rebroadcasts for those who miss the live event. Videos can be uploaded, and there’s also text messaging - both require free registration.

Yebotv is a ‘next-generation’ TV-channel with a vast selection of real time and archived content that can be viewed via multiple platforms; the Internet, mobile devices, satellite and IPTV. Content is also generated and streamed Real-Time from webcams, and in the very near future, from mobile devices.

The company is aiming to become a broadcast center where everyone can become an author, producing their own content channel which can be directed to particular audiences using multiple platforms.

Yebotv is committed to ensuring that the Yebotv viewer enjoys what they see and what they do within the site. A Yebotv subscriber will not only have a chance (and a choice) to view content from a vast array of genres (i.e. music, sports, comedy, Reality TV., etc), but can also produce and publish their own content. Users can create their own TV-channel(s) and subsequently operate the channel with a global audience utilizing multiple platforms.

A similar project has already been announced (Floobs) although with a slightly more moderate approach. Indeed, the emergence of services such as YeboTV, will create a whole new approach to rich content aggregation on the Web by putting the regular user in the center of things. A user-centered Internet is, after all, the goal that seems to be aimed for, not only in the rich media sector.

Here’s an example of video content found on YeboTV (nice guitar skills!):

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