As you may know, I am somewhat of an avid follower of Japanese otaku culture. There are some things about it that amaze me, some things that scare me, and some of it I which find purely fascinating.

“Here, in the latter category, is an application that allows you to pretend that an anime character is calling you on the telephone to wake you up with fake call screen and all”:http://www.moedroid.jp/16675.html.

Glorious.

So we’ve all heard the news by now that Amazon is coming out with a $199 version of the Kindle and dropping prices on the eInk editions.

Consider this: instead of attempting to replace a $230 iPod, I could buy a $200 Kindle Fire *and have room to spare*.

Instead of buying a $499 iPad, I could buy a Kindle Fire *and* an e-Ink Kindle touch.

I don’t know why people are comparing the price to the iPad! Ok so I guess I do. But the fact of the matter is, this is a different class of handhelds: $200 is getting into PSP, 3DS, and iPod range. And fuck those! As a professional user who actually doesn’t have that much time for games, I already know what I’d want, and that’s a motherfucking Kindle.

7″ IPS touchscreen, dual-core OMAP, and custom Android build which will hopefully be rootable, and all of this translates to: if this tablet turns out to be even half decent, Amazon wins the game.

Nook color was pretty decent, but at $250 and without the equivalent ecosystem, it just can’t compete.

Dropped my iPod somewhere around work and dear lord WHERE IS IT

Well I guess one of two things will happen, either I will discover that it was somewhere obvious, or else I will never see it again; i don’t know that such things as good samaritans exist in this uncivilised barbaric desert of a place

Bottom line is that unless I pick up an iPhone next year I’m somewhat less likely to be doing anything on iOS for awhile