links for 2009-07-17

  • "[W]e’ve been taught to believe that e-books are, you know, just like books, only better. Already, we’ve learned that they’re not really like books, in that once we’re finished reading them, we can’t resell or even donate them. But now we learn that all sales may not even be final.

    "As one of my readers noted, it’s like Barnes & Noble sneaking into our homes in the middle of the night, taking some books that we’ve been reading off our nightstands, and leaving us a check on the coffee table."

  • "Because your iPhone knows your location, the app can show you nearby places to eat, stay and explore, as recommended by the Dopplr community. It also comes with built-in recommendations for 250 popular cities around the world.

    "With a single tap, you can add new places you've discovered to the Dopplr Social Atlas. You'll be able to confirm these additions, and enter more details, next time you log in to dopplr.com.

    "The app is a great pocket travel guide even if you do not have a Dopplr account; but if you do, it offers much more. You can keep track of your fellow travellers, find out where they are now, and what future trips they have planned. You can even contact them directly from inside the app. You can view your own planned trips, and find co-incidences where fellow travellers will be nearby."