Sunrise on the San Sebastian River. Photo from the author’s collection at Flickr.
Lots of excitement here in Florida as we get ready to host the Republican National Convention. It looks like delegates may want to bring their foul weather gear with them because Hurricane Isaac may pass by on his way up the Gulf. Now would be a good time for everyone in the Gulf Coast area to review their hurricane plan, check the pantry and make sure all those family treasures are safely stored, archived and backed up.
Speaking of politics, you’ll find some fascinating ways to look at the current state of political discourse around the country. First up is Amazon’s Election Heat map based on their political book sales.
Then there’s the Twitter Political Index which measures Twitter users’ interaction with and reaction to the presidential candidates and issues during the campaign.
Amazon’s in the news with the announcement that they will be holding a press conference on September 6th in Santa Monica, California. Many expect them to announce the newest Kindle Fire, but there could also be an Amazon phone in the works. Others have noticed the low inventory levels of Kindle e-Ink devices lately and wonder if there’s a new Touch in our future too.
Shortly after Amazon’s announcements, Apple will be doing some of their own. It looks like September 12th is the date we hear about iPhone 5 and possibly even a smaller iPad. If there is such a thing, I’m wondering if it won’t be marketed as the new iPod Touch rather than a smaller iPad . . .
[tweet https://twitter.com/toddanglin/status/238838461166133249]
I.R.I.S., the company known for its scanning and OCR (optical character recognition) tools, has released a digital pen that will give the Livescribe pen a bit of competition. The IRISnotes 2 doesn’t require special paper. Instead it uses a receiver device that’s placed on the paper while you write. Prices start at $90.
Logitech has released a washable keyboard for Windows users. It’s a wired keyboard that can be put under the faucet to wash. And, it’s quite affordable at $40. Expect to see it on shelves in a couple of weeks.
Looking for something fun? Try making your own map envelope. At the Map Envelope site, you enter a location and a message then Map Envelope will generate an envelope template that you print, cut out and build yourself. This could be an interesting way to mail an event invitation . . .
This week at Moultrie Creek Books, you’ll find a funny memoir – Jumping in Mud Puddles – along with a growing collection of family histories, research guides and storytelling how-to. Stop by anytime for a look.
