Sony Reader

• The Sony Reader will be getting an update that allows users to purchase content from third-party eBook stores, something the Kindle doesn't even have yet. — Engadget
• Apple is supposedly coming out with a red iPhone 3G for the holiday season, and it will be sold as part of the (PRODUCT) RED campaign. — TechCrunch
• Creative has spruced up their Zen players by offering a new design called the Mozaic. The Mozaic is available in black, silver, and pink and in 2, 4, or 8GB sizes. — Gizmodo
• Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, and film director Neil Young doesn't seem to have very many nice things to say about the iPod. — CrunchGear
• Worried about losing your cell phone and all the data in it? There's now some software called Cellphone Hero that will protect, recover, and replace your phone from theft or loss, for $20 a year. — Yahoo! Tech
• It's giveaway time! Be sure to log in for your chance to win a new iPhone 3G by Apple! — geeksugar

The closer we get to Feb. 14, more and more pink and red electronics are coming out of the woodwork! From cell phones and PDAs to mp3 players, gadgets have definitely been getting into the V-Day spirit. Adding to its arsenal of themed products, Sony unveiled a limited-edition Reader bundle just in time for the day devoted to all things love and romance. Coming fully stocked with 14 Harlequin novels and an ultraglam "Cross your Heart" pink protective skin, you can read through the pains and pleasure of romance all from a slim and portable 6" screen. And if you don't want to be reminded of the holiday of love all year round (or if pink just doesn't go with your bag), you can remove the skin to reveal the chic dark blue reader in its natural state.

At $300, I think it's a pretty sweet deal, considering you can store up to 160 average sized e-books on its memory board. I'll start dropping my hints now!

I've been intrigued by the Sony Reader for ages, but hadn't actually tried one out until I visited the Sony booth at Maker Faire.

I was pleased to learn the Sony Reader is just as big, if not bigger than your average paperback, which means your eyes won't have to strain to look at the screen. I was also pleased to see how thin the reader is, and while I love the feeling of a nice paperback by the pool, I think I'd invest in a Reader to use when I am traveling.

The device uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (it apparently lasts for up to 7,500 "page turns"), and it recharges in about 4 hours when using AC wall charger or 6 hours with USB charging from powered computer. (Anyone besides me think that is a long charge time?) It costs $350.

That's right folks, before there were electronic calculators, typewriters, computers, or even the Sony Reader PRS-500, people read from actual books. I know there are a handful of us out there that help keep the mom and pop bookstores and local libraries busy, but it is important to remember what your life might be like without technology. This video makes fun of modern newbie computer users by illustrating how silly some of our questions are by creating a similar problem 500 years ago.

It's from a show called "Øystein & Meg," produced by the Norwegian Broadcasting television channel in 2001. The spoken language is Norwegian, the subs in Danish. It's written by Knut Nærum and performed by Øystein Bache and Rune Gokstad. Genius I tell you, genius.