3-4-09

Amazon just released a version of Kindle for the iPhone. So now I can read all those eBooks that are only available in Kindle format without shelling out the extra money for a 3rd device (who really needs a Pocket PC, iPhone, and a dedicated eBook reader like the Kindle even if they do read as many eBooks as I have recently?). Everyone is reporting on this - see sources at: Techdirt, VentureBeat, ZDNet, PC World, NY Times, CNet Crave, CNet Fully Equiped, and SFGate.

Spectrum 16 awards have been announced for art.

Blood Ties is finally coming to dvd this June.

Random House is launching a free eBook library with 5 pdf books by Naomi Novik, Robin Hobb, Harry Turtledove, Kim Stanley Robinson, and T.A. Pratt. (Now that I have Red Mars as a hardcover, an audiobook, and an ebook, will I finally get around to moving it off the To Be Read pile and actually reading it?) Per Tor.com's article, they will make the books available on their suvudu.com site, through Stanza (for the iPhone), and other content portals.

Brian Fuller has expressed an interest in making a new Star Trek TV series in the campy 60s style.

Another device is being developed to play internet-sourced TV on the TV. I wonder if they will have the same rights problems that Hulu has had.

Happy Halloween!

JMS will be writing an update/remake of Forbidden Planet. If anyone can write this in a way that would make it watchable to me, it would be him.

To promote their video service, Amazon is offering sales on TV series full season downloads. Heroes is $5 per season. Unfortunately, the other shows initially offered at $5 are now just 20% off. It may be worth watching to see if the sales change again.

SFWA responds to the Google vs. Author Guild settlement announced yesterday.

The Economist has an article about ray guns moving from science fiction to reality.

Pushing Daisies is in danger, but contrary to some rumors, it has NOT been canceled. The ratings for the most recent episode went up, and the network is waiting for post-election ratings to decide if they will order any more episodes.

DVR for tonight:
8pm Ghost Whisperer
10pm Numb3rs
-- for Saturday:
Primeval (season finale)
& possibly the pilot for Legend of the Seeker (syndicated)
-- for Sunday:
True Blood

5-29-08

Not too long ago, I mentioned that Neil Gaiman and JK Rowling were among 13 authors writing short stories on postcards that would be auctioned for charity and then displayed on the Waterstones website and published in book form. Today it was revealed that JK Rowling's story is a Harry Potter prequel. You will be able to read the stories online on June 11th.

If you wanted to check out Shadow Unit by Emma Bull, Elizabeth Bear and others, but didn't because the season wasn't complete, then your wait is now over. The season finale is a serialized novel that is being released in sections between now and Saturday. (Source: SF Signal)

Amazon is going to launch a streaming video program in the next few weeks to complement their Unbox program to download rental videos.

DVR for tonight:
9pm Lost (2-hour season finale)