Any recommendation for a ebook reader on Android? I picked one when I first got an Android phone and, being lazy, I've never kept up or tried to compare my pick with others.

I especially appreciate reader apps that do a good job with math and illustrations. 

"How did the burglars enter?"
"Through the front door."
"But how is that possible?! I'm sure the security chain was in place!"



I don't usually post links about foreign politics here. This one is an exception.

+John Cook makes a good point about Moore's law and algorithmic improvement: In some areas at least, improved methods have been more important than faster computers in increasing computing speed.

I suspect this will only become more common and more significant over time, as hardware scaling slows down.

I haven't gotten an update for my Xperia Tablet Z in two years. Worried about security issues and spurred by some comments here on G+, I spent the day figuring out how to update it manually.

Fortunately Sony Mobiles permissive attitude makes it feasible to do this kind of thing, and to my surprise it is now quite easy to update the firmware yourself even if it's not officially available for your region. No need to root your tablet or scour seedy areas of the net for suspicious-looking firmware files supplied by trustworthy gentlemen with names like D00MLorDz99.

Herewith a small guide on how to update your Xperia device, using nothing more than Ubuntu and two cross-platform apps. 

Just got a new OS update for my Xperia Z1. Happy to see Sony keeping it updated despite being three years old now! But at the same time, my Tablet Z hasn't seen a single update since I bought it in 2013. It's still 4.2.2, and probably so full of security holes by now that I shouldn't even use it online any longer.

Hard to say what lessons to draw from this. Buy Sony phones but avoid the tablets? This particular tablet version (SGP312) is a lemon, can't be updated and should have been recalled?

I really like the hardware and software, and I'd like my next one to be from Sony. But I worry I'd get stuck with another abandoned model again. It's too much money to risk it.



Nethack 3.6 is out, 12 years after the last version! The important bit with the release is not the new version, but that they're reorganizing to continue development.

I may need to take a break from KSP and see if I can find that damn amulet this time.


I picked up The Talos Principle on a Steam game sale. Works really well on my new Linux desktop. It's a story-driven first-person puzzle game, akin to Portal in many ways.

It's good, and it aspires to be great, but doesn't quite reach it. The environments are wonderful, in no small part thanks to the great lighting. They're aiming for a realistic post-apocalyptic aesthetic, and mostly pulling it off. The story seems interesting so far.

I mostly play it while waiting for simulation results at home. With Kerbal Space Program I risk get sucked in for hours, but this game lends itself to short 10-20 minute sessions.

What keeps it from being great? The puzzles are OK, but not very challenging, and they get a bit samey after a while. You move around boxes, beam splitters and so on to get past the obstacles to your target. Rinse and repeat. I rarely need to really stop and think to solve a puzzle, and the only real challenge so far was only because of tricky timing. It's not necessarily bad of course; you want to progress with the story after all. Portal isn't very difficult either.

But also, I actually get a little motion sick after a while. Not really sure why; I don't get it with other games. Perhaps the realistic rendering is a little too good, or the game geometry is a little off (the placement of the point of rotation is critical, for instance). But to me this game not only plays well in short bursts; I couldn't play long sessions if I wanted to. The options have a separate section for motion sickness reduction, so the developers are at least aware of the issue.

Should you get it? If you like games like Portal, then yes. It's fun and worth the money. Just don't expect quite Portal-level greatness and you'll have a great time.


+TheTalos Principle​