Amazon Ignites Kindle Fire

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, an evil capitalist, introduced the new range of Kindle e-readers at a recent Amazon press event in NYC. The new Kindle Touch debuts at $146 with 3G and $99 without 3G. The e-ink, non touch screen Kindle will now sell for $79. Jeff used his press event to showcase Amazon’s step into the tablet market via Kindle Fire.

Kindle Fire’s important specs as per Amazon:

• 7″ multi-touch display with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and anti-reflective treatment, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi, 16 million colors.
• 14.6 ounces (413 grams).
• 8GB internal. That’s enough for 80 apps, plus either 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books.
• Free cloud storage for all Amazon content.
• Up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as web browsing and downloading content.
• Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, or 802.1X standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks.
• USB 2.0 (micro-B connector)
• 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, top-mounted stereo speakers.

Fire is running  on a dual core processor powered by Android 2.3 OS.  Owners will access the internet using Amazon Silk web browser. In addition, customers who purchase Fire will receive a month of Amazon Prime at no charge. The tablet is competitively priced at $199 and Amazon is accepting pre orders with an anticipated ship date of November 15th.

This isn’t your granny’s Kindle, folks.

MOH Recipient Issues Scholarship Challenge

MOH recipient, Dakota Meyer, is teaming up with Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation to raise $1 million plus matching funds by the foundation’s 50th anniversary on May 28, 2012.  The funds raised will help support the educational goals of U.S. military families:

The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation is the nation’s oldest and largest provider of need-based scholarships to U.S. military families, and has provided 26,500 scholarships valued at more than $65 million for the post-high school education of children of wounded Marines and Navy corpsmen, according to its website.

Meyers has set a personal goal of raising $1 million for the scholarship fund and issued a ‘Challenge to America’ to match his donations dollar for dollar. I’m confident Americans will step up and accept Sgt. Dakota Meyer’s challenge.

Marines are made of good stuff.

The Chris Christie Conundrum

Let me start by stating that Chris Christie’s keynote speech at the Reagan Library tonight was powerful refutation of the Obama administration. The Governor of New Jersey can lay down a speech like no one since Reagan himself.

Since his days as a candidate running for Governor of New Jersey, I’ve heard good arguments for and against his candidacy. Several local teaparty groups were not enamored by Christie as the Republican candidate, and some were. As delighted as I was when Jon Corzine was defeated in his reelection bid, I wondered what type of politician the voters of New Jersey selected to replace Jon Corzine.

Bold New Look for The Sundries Shack

Yowza!  Jimmie Bise has got himself one hot blog!  

The Sundries Shack, serving up the best of new media since 2004, is looking better than ever. I’m seriously impressed with this new design and features. The blog has the looks and moves that turn ones head. Well done, Jimmie!

While visiting, I suggest you check out his amazing podcast shows smartly titled ‘The Delivery’.  

Whew, I need a cold drink right about now..

A Foregone Conclusion

I called this a month ago.

Politico reports SCOTUS will decide the fate of Obamacare. 

The Obama administration chose not to ask the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to re-hear a pivotal health reform case Monday, signaling that it’s going to ask the Supreme Court to decide whether President Barack Obama’s health reform law is constitutional.

We The People White House Petition to Repeal ObamaCare

Hat Tip to Verum Serum for finding and promoting a petition to Repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Please note: You must register an email address in order to sign the petition. It is easy to create a throwaway account if you do not want your email littered with BO announcements.

Share this petition with everyone you know. If the petition gets 5,000 or more signatures by October 22nd, the White House will respond to the petition.  Imagine the spin involved when the White House responds to a petition to repeal the wildly unpopular Obamacare.

Solyndra Fallout

Via Tina Kobe at Hot Air the take home messages from this developing scandal are as follows:

1. The administration fast-tracked a $535 million loan to Solyndra.
2. Major Solyndra investors were often also major Obama donors.
3. Solyndra declared bankruptcy, despite apparently making it appear to the administration as recently as July that the company’s finances were fine.

This pay to play scheme not only violates basic economic principles, it taints the reputation of all green businesses legitimately competing within an energy marketplace.  A quick look at my “Where I Stand” page reveals my support for green energy technology along with every other source of energy known to man. I’ve no problem with solar energy being a viable choice for consumers.  If evidence comes to light that this Administration was using undue political influence to ‘pick a winner’ in the green energy market, it is an egregious break of faith with the citizens of this nation and damaging to other green energy companies across the nation.

This weekend I attended a Fall Harvest Festival organized by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), while there I picked up a gardening award and stopped to chat with a local vendor of solar panel systems.  The subject of Solyndra did not come up, but the sales pitch was quite informative. Local companies,  Sunpower and Heat Shed, are competing against a near monopoly called PECO. The representative framed the use of solar power within a urban environment as a cost saving measure, not a replacement of local power from PECO. This is the reality solar power in a large metropolitan cities.  Solar power will not replace traditional means of power, but it will reduce consumers electricity costs.

I went online to sunpower corporation and received a free estimate of a solar panel installation package for my home. After state and federal rebates the estimated cost came to $22,000. The cost of solar power is still quite pricey for the average consumer. Government meddling ala Solyndra does not help this green industry find the cost point that will induce consumers to buy enmass.

Happy Belated Blogaversary – This Ain’t Hell

 

 

Marooned in Marin reminds me of blogging milestone – This Ain’t Hell..but you can see it from here is celebrating its fifth blogaversary!  Jonn, TSO, COB6 – Here’s to five more years of outstanding and entertaining blogging.

Group Photography Tips

The group photo taken of leaders of Open Government Partnership along with Barack Obama has been making waves across the blogosphere.

Allan Tannenbaum-Pool / Getty Images
U.S. President Barack Obama waves while standing with other leaders during the Open Government Partnership event at the United Nations September 20 in New York City. The United Nations General Assembly kicks off September 21, with leaders from around the world attending.

From a photographers standpoint, this photo represents a teachable moment in regards to group photography. Having taken numerous group photos, I find at times it to be a herculean task. The photo above demonstrates three major challenges facing any photographer responsible for a group photos.

1. The joker in the middle. No matter how carefully you choreograph the group, there will always be the one person who just follows a different beat. Sadly, the individual obscured in this photo is the President of Mongolia. Due to geographic issues, it will not be an easy feat to reassemble this group for another photograph.
2. An ultra wide angle lens is required gear at a group photo shoot. Note the cropped individuals at the far left of the photo. This cut off on the left may have been caused by the photographer using an inappropriate lens for the size of this group.
3. A camera that can shoot minimally least 6 frames per second is a must have for group photography. Utilization of rapid frame rates in your photo shoot will minimize problem #1.  While I was not present during this photo shoot, I am reluctant to believe this photographer only took one photograph of the group and that he was the only photographer present.

With proper planning and understanding of the dynamics of group photography, you can avoid the three major pitfalls highlighted in this photograph and produce dynamic group photographs.

 

 

Thoughts on Florida GOP Debate

A few days late, but I’ve had time to gather my impressions and video clips of this recent debate.

To start, I was not impressed with the inclusion of video questions or revelations of Google search query analysis during breaks in the debate . By far, the worst offender of this debate – Wordles.  Really, Wordles?  That is so 2008.

It is entirely unacceptable to have faulty microphones distracting the debate with presidential contenders.

I say keep it simple, scrap the annoying tech nonsense and simply focus on the candidates.