Category Archives: Review

Kindle Touch Review

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I’ve had my Kindle Touch for a little over a week now, and absolutely love it.

First of all, I prefer it to reading on my Samsung Galaxy Tab, mostly because of the e-ink screen. I spend all day staring at a computer screen at work, so the last thing I want to do when I come home and read is stare at another glowing screen. The e-ink is refreshing and doesn’t stimulate my eyes right before I go to bed like my tablet does. For me, the best thing about it is the screen.

I’ve found the navigation to be fairly intuitive. A few minutes playing around and I had the hang of it. In the course of my reading, I’ve also found a few swiping gesture shortcuts to navigate around (try swiping from top to bottom, bottom to top, and right to left while reading).

The other nice thing about it is the long battery life. I haven’t had it long enough to test the 2-month battery life claim, but I don’t doubt it at all. After using it pretty consistently for the last few days, the battery meter reads just under full. I’ve made sure to turn off the wireless when I’m not using it. In contrast, consistent use of my tablet requires charging at least every other day.

Also, it’s nice to have a device dedicated to reading. For someone like me who likes to multitask, the tablet offers plenty of distractions and makes it hard to get through a chapter without some sort of notification getting in the way. Ditching the distractions makes for a great reading experience.

I was really excited when I learned that Utah libraries now support ebook rentals through OverDrive. However, the excitement quickly died down when I logged in and saw that the waiting list for popular books like The Help is 100+ people. I’m not getting that book anytime soon. Unless public libraries purchase and make more copies available, I doubt it’ll be useful in the long run (unless you’re looking for really obscure books).

My excitement returned when I learned about Amazon’s Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, a way to check out books from Amazon (up to one book a month) with no due date if you have Amazon Prime ($40 for students after the free trial). Not every book is available as part of this program, but it’s got a pretty decent selection which I imagine will expand over time.

My first rental from the lending library has been The Hunger Games. The catch with these rentals is that they’re only available on an actual Kindle device–the book doesn’t show up in the Kindle app on my tablet, or in the web-based reader. Since you can rent up to one book a month, it’ll be easy to keep my 2012 resolution of reading one book per month, without needing to actually buy any books.

What’s been your experience with the Kindle? Are you sitting on the fence, wondering whether you should get one? Have any more tips and tricks to using the Touch? If I’ve convinced you, you can get yours at Amazon right now.

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Vibram FiveFingers Shoes

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I’ve been eyeing the FiveFingers for a while now, wanting to get a pair mostly just to try them out. The price tag was getting in the way, so when I found a deal for 50% off, I decided it was time to try them out.

I went for a pair of the Men’s KSO FiveFingers, which seem to be the most popular and most versatile of the different models. And from what I’ve heard from different salespeople at different shoe stores, there isn’t really a whole lot of difference between the models. That makes total sense, since the whole point of the shoe is being barefoot–something that doesn’t have a whole lot of variation.

When I first put them on, they felt a little too small. I had gone through the measuring process to figure out my size, but my big toes seemed too close to the edge. Turns out the ideal fit is when your big toes (or longest toes) graze the edge of the toe pocket. They’re supposed to fit like a glove, but not curl your toes. After wearing them for about 5-6 hours, they feel just fine.

Wearing them is fantastic. It really does feel like you’re walking around barefoot, just with a little protection on the bottom (the KSOs have a 2mm sole). They’re natural, they don’t get in the way, and it’s easy to forget that I’m wearing them at all. The thing I enjoy most about them is the same thing I enjoy about being bald–it’s one less thing to worry about. When I’ve got the shoes on, I can be inside, outside, go to Costco, or curl up on the couch. I don’t have to think about putting on and taking off shoes, just like I don’t have to think about doing my hair.

If you’re on the fence about getting a pair of FiveFingers, I’d definitely recommend them. So far I’ve only done regular walking, but I already feel like the shoes have been a good investment. I’d like to get into barefoot running in the coming weeks and will write another post if that happens. But if the price tag bothers like like it did me, be patient as you look for a deal–they don’t come too often.

UPDATE (1/2/2011 7:20pm MST): I found another deal on this exact pair. If you’re interested, you can check it out here. Not sure how long this will last.

Favorite Album of 2011

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My favorite album of 2011 is definitely The King is Dead by The Decemberists. I found it this past summer, right before The Decemberists came to SLC for the Twilight Concert Series, one of the best concerts I think I’ve ever been to. Be sure to listen through the entire album–every track is fantastic.

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