Brand Changing Day

Overview
     A book I'd define as surrealist fiction starts out a bit well different. Still the author takes you on a mellow journey that is as deep as I've read so far. The book follows a restaurant chain that goes on a brand change that somehow deeply effects some interesting characters. Plus how could you not love the cover?

Review
     I will say this book is for adventurous/non traditional readers only. It at times will make your head spin but at no times is it boring. The book seems targeted at the far out ballers who like interesting books. The plot was good but the true calling card was the amazing character development. At the core of every book is good character development. Some stories focus more on plot but I like how the characters change and mature over time. Plus the cover is amazing.

Rating
4/5 A very solid read for the awesome people even though at times it can IMO ramble or show a wall of text which isn't ideal. Still I loved it!
http://www.amazon.com/Brand-Changing-Day-Shawn-Mihalik-ebook/dp/B00GPB4PD6

Meta Glasses | Wearables | CES 2014

    All this wearable technology but the most well known probably has to be Meta's Space Glasses. Now, you've probably heard of Google Glass but Meta's Space Glasses is the one catching a lot of interest and is even being talked about at school. It's funny because it's not even just the nerds and geeks I hang with, it's even non-techy people talking about it. So hearing it a few times, I looked them up https://www.spaceglasses.com/. There site is well programmed too and they also brag about their glasses having 15 times the screen area of Google Glass.

"The MetaPro glasses do some pretty amazing things with augmented reality" - Engadget. Some people even say they make you feel like Iron Man. I think it would be pretty interesting to try them out because this definitely looks cool.  Here is a list of some pretty amazing specs for this computer:
-Intel i5 CPU
-4GB RAM
-128GB SSD
-32Whr battery

    So yea, this thing is pretty amazing and is probably the next popular form of PCs. Very personal computer. It basically has equivalent power to the average hybrid (tablet/laptop) computer. As you can see, the interface is produced on the lenses and the interactivity uses some kind of Kinect like technology to read your gestures and see things. Just think, all this is being made by a start up. See what all it can do on this video.

Check out the site at https://www.spaceglasses.com/. Here are the full tech specs:

Wearable Tech | CES 2014

    So CES 2014 has come and gone but there was a theme this year that I thought would eventually come. Wearable's. I'm going to wait and see what the companies have to offer on wearable technology but for now, I prefer a full computer. Laptop, tablet, hybrid or whatever, do provide the performance and non-hassle that most wearable's can't for now.

    Intel has invested heavily into this market because this could be the next major thing worth making processors for. They have high expectations for them and so do I. The team said, 'What do you think?' I said, 'It's great, but you have to lose the batteries and the Bluetooth.' - Mike Bell. So, the only way to make it widespread is to make it not noticeable, not required to charge or anything obtrusive.
So, wearable tech is all the hype right now, but as a student, I'm for the cheap, productive, useful, privacy tech, which includes desktops, laptops, hybrids and more. So what do you all think about wearable tech?

Clearview Clio see-through speakers | CES 2014

   

    Well, sad to say good bye to CES 2014 but there were many cool technologies worth talking about. Now, I'm not a fan of the un-needed, extreme, $$$ technology but I do like innovative, futuristic technology that will shape the future. One that caught my eye was the Clearview Clio sea-through speakers that literally produce the sound through the transparent transducer.
    This new speaker technology is an ultra-thin, slightly curved, and optically clear acrylic glass transducer that allows it to disperse sound waves in multiple directions according to Yahoo. “We believe that good design, innovative engineering, and advanced acoustic technology are key to the enjoyment of audio in the home,” said Stefan Bokamper, CEO of Clearview Audio. I think that maybe Bose needs to experiment with different transducer types to see if costumers are more willing to try this stuff out. So, define transducer.

Definition of transducer (n)

Bing Dictionary

• trans·duc·er
• [ tranz dssər ]

1. device that converts energy: a device that transforms one type of energy into another, e.g. a microphone, a photoelectric cell, or an automobile horn
2. biological converter of energy: a biological entity that converts energy in one form to another, e.g. the rods and cones of the eye or the hair cells of the ear

    So it turns out a transducer could be just about anything. Some things are just more efficient than others. Woofers have been the traditional way of producing sounds but need a box. A company that uses different types of transducers that people might be familiar with is Eminent technology. There most known of technology is their rotary subwoofer, which uses blades and rotation to produce Guinness World Record bass to below 1hz. So you see, sound technology is interesting.
    So back to this cool, little, transparent speaker. Instead of pushing from behind, like a traditional cone speaker, Edge Motion-driven speakers actuate a thin membrane along the side in a manner that creates an extremely efficient, piston-like motion in front. The speaker creates panoramic sound which produces sound in the front and the back because there is no box or anything. That bottom, non glass part you see does all of the processing and is also the box for a down firing woofer to produce sounds below 200hz, while the transparent part produces sounds above 200hz.

Clio Wireless Invisible Speaker Hands On  

 

 

 

    Read more from Yahoo - http://finance.yahoo.com/news/clearview-audio-launches-clio-revolutionary-142400483.html

    Stay tuned to BookNTech for more spotlight technology from CES 2014. We will still be looking at some cool tech from there and whatever caught our eyes.


CES 2014 | Day 5 final day

    So sadly, today, day 5, was the last day of CES 2014. Less people were there today of course, but it was an amazing week of cutting edge technology at the largest technology show in the world. Even though the day is over, you can still watch this video if you want to see everything CNET covered  today with there live coverage, which isn't so live anymore.

Michael Bay Melt Down Onstage at CES 2014 Vegas

    Many people who have been keeping track of CES 2014 has probably already seen this. So CES always starts out with keynotes from giant companies. Well this year, during the Samsung keynote, Michael Bay didn't seem to be the readiest of them all. That's what makes this one the most interesting!

CES 2014 | Live: Day 3 coverage

    Here is some live coverage for Day 3 at CES 2014 for the interested!

 

#CES2014

CES 2014 | Live: day 2 coverage

    Hearing about all this technology from the World's largest tech show is making jealous. Wish I could be there right now. For all of you tech fans and CES fanatics, here is CNET's live coverage from CES 2014, Day 2.

CES 2014 | Day 2 from the Consumer Electronics Show

Here is the Los Angeles Times with what stood out to them for day 2 at CES 2014.

#CES2014

AMD Nano PC | #CES2014

    With all this CES 2014 technology, the vibe is going strong, and now with AMD showing off palm sized PC prototypes. I think that AMD and Intel are pushing for ever so thin and small PCs with full pc power.
    This reference design, according to Engagdet, packs enough to run Windows 8.1 seamlessly and even get in a quick game of FIFA 14 at 1080p. This contains their Mullins chip, a 256gb solid state drive (SSD), camera, Bluetooth, Wifi, and a DockPort connector. This design also features HDMI and USB ports. Sounds good to me!
    Engadget says, "Here's hoping that a company or two picks up on the design and starts making absurdly thin machines of their own."

CES 2014

With the close of 2013 and the new year ahead, CES 2014 starts the new year with the latest and greatest technology and previews of products from various companies.

 

 

     CES or Consumer Electronics Show is the largest technology show in the world. This year, it is in Las Vegas, Nevada from January 7-10, 2014. We can expect to see Microsoft's presence there with the OEMs showing off there hybrids, and transformers, etc. running Microsoft software. You can check out there products for CES 2014 on their beautifully designed site - http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/ces/2014/index.html.

    Another thing you can expect is popular 3D printing - Most interesting industry of 2013?

The big announcements from Press Day at CES 2014

    Sorry guys, I can't cover even half of CES but Engagdet has a CES 2014 preview - http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/03/ces-2014-preview/ . I'll be covering some interesting spotlights of CES 2014 over the week of CES.

Here is the official site for CES - http://www.cesweb.org/.

The Lead Cloak

Overview
    Erik Hanberg's science fiction read may not be a quick read, bit its a highly enjoyable one that kept me up till 3am to finish it. What makes a book that good? Well it starts off very intriguing with a good backstory to finish very climatic, unexpected, and challenging everything you hold to be morally upright.

Review
   Well I enjoyed the book because of the story telling. It used excellent literary devices and the sensory details were superb. I liked how the author takes character development and warps how you really read books. Parts in the middle could keep you down if your a hack n' slash sort of reader, but they really add to the whole experience. The entire package is clean especially the brilliant cover.

Rating
   4.8/5 An excellent science fiction novel with a great cover. Took .2 points off because it is long at 422 pages for the paperback but one of the best for the new year!

Broken Allegiance

Overview
       Mark Young's latest detective crime novel features an aging cop Tom Kagan who is trying to stop a Mexican prison gang leader who has gone rogue in a fast paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the end, forcing you to write an e-mail to Mr. Young begging for more. Part of the reason Broken Allegiance won the Book N Tech Editor's Choice Award was the fact that Mr. Young was a former cop who knew the streets, which enables him to write something that seems legit.

Review
     The novel starts off relatively slowly which is good because it introduces you to the story correctly. If your a big mystery novel reader then you'll see a few easter eggs, but then the novel takes you into the good part. The book really does have the Oculus Rift (Virtual Reality headset) type of experience I look for in a book. You'll be taken away with it.

Rating
   5/5 Sorry for my typical glowing reviews but once again a book in a category that I love but don't read very much (due to IMO a lack of good books in the category) this was amazing. Kudos to you Mr. Young and thank you for protecting us when you did serve.

Carthage High School Robotics

So, I am in advanced robotics at school but I haven't really had time to make a site for robotics. Our class has gotten start with the Arduino Uno board and kit that came along with it. There is the tutorials page where you can get started with Arduino Uno too. So if you like robotics, or technology/engineering in general, visit the site and also write a comment.
Check it out at www.robots.plyhost.com.

The Editor's Choice Awards 2013

Well in this Christmas season I'd like to spread some holiday cheer by presenting the first annual Book N Tech Editor's Choice Awards! In this post I'll show you the covers, title, and short blurb of the books I've chosen in their respective categories and the book of the year! For this year I really can't say I could choose an overall winner because that would be comparing apples to oranges in my opinion. All the books I received in the queue were great though! Sorry that you have to scroll so much! Also due to varying cover sizes there were some formatting problems.

Science Fiction

The book was a great read and my favorite in the science fiction category because of the main character Ack Ack Macaque. He's a real charmer for all the science fiction fans with his hard demeanor. Good job Mr. Powell on making an excellent science fiction novel all can enjoy. 

Check the review out: http://bookntech.blogspot.com/2013/10/hive-monkey.html

Buy the book! http://amzn.to/1cwcIyN

Action

A fun faced paced adventure action book that takes a comedic look at action, love, and all the other aspects of life. Some of my favorite parts are the various nerd movie references and Mr. Wood's writing style. 

Check the review out: http://bookntech.blogspot.com/2013/08/like-mind-review.html

Buy the book: http://amzn.to/19KNAlG

Non-Fiction 

Ah the infamous non-fiction "Jesus book!" Well lay your possible anti Christian thoughts aside this book provided kindly by BookCrash for free was amazing. Not biased toward Christianity at all or mean spirited it just tells a great story in 30 days for you to reflect on your faith and an amazing book trilogy.

Check the review out: http://bookntech.blogspot.com/2013/11/finding-god-in-hunger-games.html
Buy the book: http://amzn.to/19nKlCK

Steampunk

Probably one of my favorite steampunk adventures I have ever taken thanks to the amazing writing style the author Mrs. Hudson provided with the double life living psychiatrist Max Mason and his lovely assistant Amber. Some might argue the lack of backstory for the post apocalyptic (in so many words it looks like one) setting makes it feel rush I rather enjoy it. Can't wait for the next in the series to further the story!
Check the review out: http://bookntech.blogspot.com/2013/08/dr-homebrew.html
Buy the book: http://amzn.to/1c5ibqd

Dystopian

Iron Mountain (Arc)
Sadly still not out yet but this book was simply phenomenal. A great sequel the previously reviewed Flotilla by author Daniel Haight noted for his "dark humor and crackling narrative." The book really continued a great story for that I am eternally grateful! When the book cover and link to Amazon are available I will add them.
Check the review out: http://bookntech.blogspot.com/2013/12/iron-mountain-review.html
Go to the website: http://flotillaonline.com/

Thriller

Wow. A beautiful cover. Great story. Excellent ending. All of these aspects form to make Discretion a killer Christian (however you want to slice it) thriller that's worth your dollar. The writing style is consistent throughout the story providing a great adult story. Still would argue with the author that the extra added adult content is unnecessary but still a great story.
Check the review: http://bookntech.blogspot.com/2013/09/discretion.html
Go buy the book: http://amzn.to/19cHIxQ

Western

Remember the classic Mark Twain novel that you read in grade school and did your book report on? Well Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer come back in a surprisingly good novel that doesn't bear the marks of typical fan fiction novels.
Check the review: http://bookntech.blogspot.com/2013/10/redemption.html
Go buy the book: http://amzn.to/19eFS2H

Art

Looking for an amazingly done comic series that is perfect and fun for the whole family? Well artist Nick Seluk has done an amazing job by making Lars the Awkward Yeti and his various webcomic drawings some even featured in media campaigns like Taco Bell. The artwork shows for itself how amazing it is.
Check the review: http://bookntech.blogspot.com/2013/10/lars-awkward-yeti-book-review.html
See the interview: http://bookntech.blogspot.com/2013/10/interview-with-creator-of-awkward-yeti.html
Buy it! http://amzn.to/1dBohBo

Detective Thriller

Are you a big fan of the classic cop/detective thriller? Than read Broken Allegiance by Mark Young a former cop himself. The book is written from the point where you can tell they have been in involved in the business making it feel more genuine. Plus the author handled the book review request properly and very professionally. The review is coming shortly.
Check the review: pending
Buy the book! http://amzn.to/1hCQNWb

Short Story

MG Mason's novelette was an excellent detective cyborg story set in the future somewhere in Europe where Climate Change was real and times were hard. The book was a bit preachy on certain topics but it was easy to overlook and a really great read! No offense to the author but the original artwork (pictured) looks a lot better than the new cover but still the story was a great read. Hopefully there will be a followup.
Check the review: http://bookntech.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-weight-of-reason-review.html
Buy the book!: http://amzn.to/1cwoR78


And... that's a wrap! Congratulations to all the winners and I hope everyone has a great Christmas!
Book N Tech Book Reviewers
Ezekiel Carsella (senior)
Kevin Anthony (senior)
Mani Lea DeShong (new)
Emily Koons (new)

Drift Mania | Gameplay app review

Drift Mania is a free game you can download in the Windows Store for Windows 8+. I was impressed at how smooth it runs on a low end computer. The graphics are not bad at all and the game is fun to play if you like drifting. You can upgrade and buy cars with the money you get for drifting.

I give this app a 5/5 because it's free, fun to play, and smooth graphics.

Microsoft is shooting itself in the foot

       Well I recently got a Windows 8.1 Asus T100 tabtop and aside from the keyboard dock suddenly dying I really like it... along with everyone else I've shown it to. They all say, "oohhh Windows tablet" and refer to the commercials or the Microsoft Surface. Long story short, whenever they ask about a certain app I get scared because a) the official isn't in the store b) the third party version sucks c) probably won't come to Windows.

 

       Some of the prime examples are Instagram, Vine, Snapchat (big one in my school), Candy Crush Saga, Big Buck Hunter 2014, most AAA mobile games, and YouTube. Even though Windows Phone has either the officials or an excellent alternative to these none of those wonderful apps are there for me when I need them most. I love Windows 8 with the whole design language and compatibility with desktop apps (I'm surprised I only downloaded Office 2013 and Google Cloud Printer), but (unless Android virtual machine works) things like Bluestacks or Windroy can't work with my camera and are laggy complicate the problem further. My only Android a resistive screen Skytex Gingerbread tablet I've put through a lot (I typed a few papers in Google Docs on her) and even with a calibration app the screen is impossible to type on to the point I can't login to Snapchat.

 

       If Microsoft had Windows at least allowed Windows Phone apps to run on it or preferrably like it is rumored to unite the app stores that would be dandy. Then I could at least play Angry Birds Go! or other Windows Phone exclusives. Even with the announcement of Viber today (still a ripoff IMO because you have to have a smartphone to use it) the app situation looks bleak and the linkage of the Stores is really a stopgap solution. I mean no Soundcloud app? Still I'm glad they have a lot of the basics covered (still no fps games in store).

Iron Mountain review

Overview
     Remember the amazing Flotilla the novel I reviewed by independent author Daniel Haight? Well he's back with his latest installment in the Flotilla series featuring teen hero Jim Westerfield running all over the California coast from racist militia, drug dealers, and terrorists during an epic meltdown with his sister and some new friends. The book was a beautiful mix of tragedy, comedy, and dystopia without offending a soul or being conspiratorial.

Review
     Well this is a little teaser since... It won the Book N Tech Editor's Choice Award in the Dystopian Category! Good job Team Flotilla on the good editing job and the facts used (accurate weapons, emergency plans, etc) in the book which made the book vastly appealing to a prepper and book reviewer like me. The storyline was real and very relatable making me happy, happy, happy on the inside impatiently waiting for the third. All of the thematic elements come together to make a story that anyone would enjoy.

Rating
  5/5 Editors Choice 2013 winner this book is worth our beautiful modern designed award for many reasons, but the main is the highly relatable plot story, characters, and settings. It does what the book was invented for: put you in someone else's awesome adventure.

Despicable Me | Gameplay and App review

Many people know and enjoy the Despicable Me characters and now there is a game app for Windows 8.1 to enjoy them even more. In this game, you get to be one of the minions and dodge things, run away from Vector or whoever, and etc. The app is free and is a 140mb download and installation so you can get it easily. I give this app a 5/5 for it's unique character's, gameplay, and fun.

Bing Maps Preview (3D) | App Review

 

Bing has come up with an app called Bing Maps Preview where you can view anything on Earth in 3D. It is probably similar to Google Earth but this might take up a little less resources from the computer. You can find it in the Windows Store for Windows 8.1+. I give this app a 5/5 for it's ease of use and coolness.