On the road again... Back to work.

    One of my cohorts on 2Old2Play commented on my mention of the Amazon Kindle, so I thought I'd reproduce my reply here, too: There are multiple models of the Kindle, and there appear to be waiting periods for all of them because of high demand. I think the bells and whistles mostly involve the Whispernet wi-fi functionality that lets you download books you've ordered wherever Amazon has that coverage. There's also one with a larger screen that costs about $150 more than the base 2nd Generation model (which I think can be backordered on Amazon for around $135 plus shipping). The Kindle I own is 2nd generation with a 6" screen; with variable text font size, it's big enough for my reading needs. (Unfortunately, the menu with the list of books has a fixed size, a distinct disadvantage for folks with poor reading eyesight.) It has wi-fi for downloading books, but I figure when I download, it'll be when it's connected to my PC. The previous owner said activating the wi-fi tended to run down the battery. Battery life is great, otherwise. I usually only charge it every couple of days. A long day of reading only drained the battery about 25% for me. The electronic ink doesn't use any power to display text, only to change it. (In fact, when it sleeps, the Kindle displays a neat cover image, like a line drawing of a famous literary figure.)  

    Today's featured Modern Warfare 2 vid is a Junkyard129 FFA on Sub Base. The second vid is an MW2 Domination game on Vacant with side-by-side commentary by zzirGrizz and hitmehn. Moving on...

 

• Ars Technica reports on Call of Duty: Black Ops, the PC version.

• Strategy Informer op-ed: The Medal of Honor debacle.
• Razer Onza remappable console controller causes consternation among 'Pro' gamers.
• Microsoft smites Halo: Reach pirates.
• IGN's History of Halo Leaks. 
• Doctor Who game lets you explore the Tardis. Let me know if you run into Billie Piper in there. I've been looking for her for a while... 
• George Lucas sues to stop sale of 'Jedi Mind' controller.
• Kokugamer's Top Five Games That Will Scare the Sh!t Out of You.
• The 10 Most Overblown Video Game Controversies.

• Solar system with seven planets discovered.
• 'Mystery Stone' suggests ancient Greeks were in New Mexico in 500 B.C. Maybe they retired there...
• High-tech batteries for military use.
• EFF slams Apple patents as 'traitorware'; Steve Jobs is spying on you.
• California moves to outlaw online 'e-personation'. 
• Facebook Follow: The Twitter-Eater, The Preemptive Google Me-Killer.
• Mystery radio station UVB-76 broadcasts new voice message.
• Cracked: Six movie heroes who actually made things worse. And a tribute to another inept hero: Big Trouble in Little China's Jack Burton (played by Kurt Russell):