Book N Tech

Saturday, August 17, 2013

School again, school again

     School again, school again, jiggity-jog. It's nice to be back in school again and getting things done (If you disagree, comment on it). Seriously, this might be a challenging year, like all the others, but this time It's because I'm stuck with people that don't try. I think this year, I might have to request being raised up to a higher class to my counselor.
     There is a lot of good things though. Now that It's junior year at high-school,  more electives and fun classes. Yes, it's really nice when half of your classes are electives. I don't know about you but I want to get through this year with good grades. All of us will probably learn a few good lessons not from an assignment. So good luck to you all. :)
     This is where I spend a lot of time, of course ↓

Friday, August 16, 2013

Like Mind Review

Like Mind, James Wood
Overview
       Like Mind is a fast paced science fiction/thriller novel/novella (felt pretty short I finished it in about 2 hours) that makes big promises in a good looking package. It follows Corey and Anka on the trail to find out a lot of information in a short amount of time before they get killed. Sounds fun? Well its gets better with some really cool mind science thrown in plus some unexpected plot twists. Like Mind promises a lot and delivers on every one and provides a really good story even if it is a bit short.

Review  
      Well I was pretty surprised at first and a bit wary at reviewing this book. The plot sounded shall we say a bit different. Not something I was used to even as a science fiction author and reader. I've been broadening my horizon and to date haven't rejected a book. So I requested a paperback which incidentally came today. I decided to write a review while the plot was fresh in my mind. First thing to say is: mind = blown. A guy who somehow is a theologian has brought to life all of my fantasies of the spy world influenced by a man named Bond, Chuck Norris, and McIver. The book read like butter and to my surprise did contain some choice words a spy might use still not to warrant a complete dismissal. Spy stereotypes weren't visible and the female character role was made quite nice not a typical chica. Well done Mr. Wood I highly recommend.

Rating
    4.5/5 So good I'd give it a 5 but the cursing it does include (comes along with any spy novel granted) limits its audience to 15 and above. Still nothing real bad in it and the writing style was unique.

Source: http://www.amazon.com/Like-Mind-ebook/dp/B00E9KS8YW/

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Outlook.com is up :)

     I bring you good news. Microsoft's outlook.com is up again! It was down this morning but I noticed it got fixed, so hurray.

Outlook.com is down :(

  I went to check my e-mail this morning and sad to say Outlook.com is DOWN! Neowin and others are reporting it as well. As an Outlook Insider I was surprised to see this. As they say a picture is worth 1,000 words. I don't know if they are doing some updates to the site which seems unlikely because they would have told us.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Official YouTube app for WP is back!

As reported by WPCentral the official YouTube app is back in the store with new features!
According to the app description, the features include: 
Pin any video, playlist, channel, and search queries to Live Tiles
Manage your YouTube profile with your unique My YouTube page
Manage your playlists, uploads, and video lists
Find channels, videos, and playlists with the quick access search bar
Share videos to your social networks, e-mail, and text messages
Let your kids watch safe videos in Kid’s Corner and keep their own profile
The app is now available for older devices too, which is a great win for legacy users who have felt left out lately from Microsoft’s releases.
You can download the now official (and legal) YouTube app for Windows Phone here in the Store.
Source: WPCentral

Dassault and Kinect

     Ever since the launch of Microsoft Kinect, it has had many useful and innovative uses. It has made Xbox more interactive and Windows more fun and geeky with Kinect for Windows. From virtual touchscreens to virtual clothes try-ons, Kinect has it all.
     Dassault Systemes uses Kinect to create 3D experiences like fashion and shows. In Mr. & Mrs. Dream, Kinect sensors are placed above the stage to follow the movements and create effects for a stunning stage environment. I hope to see more of Dassault's innovation in the future and can't wait for Kinect to be completely native in Windows.


This is the Future: Fire extinguiser

Overview

     Fire extinguishers have always been big, bulky red cylinders, but effective at putting out small fires. Now designer Philip Andersson has made a light and easy to use fire extinguisher that can be held in your hand and stashed in a bag for use anywhere. Say you have a bug out bag and you live in an urban setting where fires could be a problem in a survival situation. You could stash one in your bag so if you are in a general area and a fire blocks the only exit then you could use this to fight it. The amount of uses a small fire extinguisher brings are many. Read on!

The Design

Y'all know I love getting into the design of anything even if it was a bottle cap! Well this thing has an excellent non assuming design. It's perfect for an extinguisher. The directions to use it are pretty easy in layman terms. I could see someone using it, anyone really. The design is pretty minimalistic not much to talk about though.

The Future

Well the future looks pretty bright if we can keep fires from happening like they do. Look in the Midwest - West where we see elite firefighters getting overwhelmed by huge blazes. Sometimes these blazes which take brave men and women's lives could've been prevented. If this can help, I could see a future with less people dying.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Dr. Homebrew- Free E-book on August 21st and 22nd on Amazon

Recently a very bold and awesome author contacted us for a review of their book: Dr. Homebrew. I was naturally intrigued by the awesome artwork, cool site design, and the informative e-mail. Personally I have never heard an author ask me to post a free e-book promo on the site (its not that kind of site) but I figured I'd help a good author if they are as awesome as to believe their characters exist (they said Dr. Homebrew told them to e-mail me that's awesome). So this isn't a review (review comes soon) but so far considering the author's awesomeness, coolio art, and website design I highly encourage you to get the book for FREE next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EGXYMAG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00EGXYMAG&linkCode=as2&tag=drhomebrew-20
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