Tag Archives: books

Across Realtime by Vernor Vinge

Across Realtime is a science fiction novel by Vernor Vinge.

This is Vinge’s first full length novel. For some strange reason, I’ve never gotten around to it before now. I’m not sure why, but maybe it has been a combination of fear that it couldn’t live up to the expectations that A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky had built and the fact that Vinge has written so little and I didn’t want to bleed that well dry just yet. An endless list of excuses doesn’t make a good review, so let’s get on with it.

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Photo book printing

Note: This article has been, sporadically, updated since it was written. Most of it is still relevant.

I recently photographed a couple of weddings and decided to make photo books, to the happy couples. They where a huge success. Initially I just chose the service that allowed me to pick up the books locally and seemed fair price wise. But then I decided to make a small test to see if I had chosen wisely.

A couple of notes:

  • The is a comparison of consumer services. I’m aware that there are professional services, that will give you a lot more then the consumer service, but also that at a totally different (higher) price.
  • I’m in Denmark, but as far as I can see what I’m writing here will be relevant for most people in Europa, as the service and machines used are probably all the same. It’s probably possible to find what exact machine is being used, but setting may vary, so I’m not sure how useful this information will be.
  • I’m only looking at book printing here.
  • Pricing is current as of December 12th 2008.
  • Both foto.com and digitalshoppen.dk (fujicolor.de) now offeres “photopaper” quality books. I’ve only tested the Digitalshop “Brilliant” print, but haven’t added it yet. The short of it: Better then the good PhotoCare.

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I, Robot movie

Just saw this movie, after harboring serious doubts about it for a long time. I’ve read and loved all of Asimovs robots stories and the trailer of I, Robot was in serious violation of the three laws.

But it’s actually a really cool action movie that does stick to the three laws. I’ve said some bad things about this movie based on the trailer alone and now I feel somewhat stupid about that. The trailers does leave the wrong impression, but the movies is well thought out and, while it isn’t totally logical, it does justify the seemingly three-laws impossible actions of some of the robots.

Gets a bonus for one of the coolest shootout in the final show-down scene.

Reading The Knight Templar

I’m currently reading The Knight Templar by Jan Guillou (I’m reading the danish version called “Tempelridderen”). I’m about one third through and it’s looking good.

It takes place in the 11th hundred AD, during the crusades. Swedish Knight Templar Arn has joined to the crusades a part of a punishment, because he got a little to “heavy” with his girl friend before they got married. She had gotten sentenced to 20 years in a nunnery and he has vowed not to return before the 20 years has passed. Looking good…