Just became a recent convert to e-readers. Got a Kindle, but not wedded to this specific device. I really like the whole category now that I’ve got one in my hands. I’m enjoying reading books on a device rather than holding a book and flipping pages. I do most of my personal reading in bed early or late, and it feels really natural, and even more comfortable. I swear I’m reading faster too.

I’m kind of into the one-task aspect of e-readers, precisely because they don’t let me check e-mail, check Twitter or view a video. The book format is still a sacred space for concentrated absorption in a story or topic. I get enough pressure to multi-task in front of my computer screen, and I think a multi-function device like the iPad might just add another distraction-driving device.

If you’re into reading, you’ve got to check these devices out. Bummer that the price of e-books looks like they just spiked, but still I’d say it’s worth it. Consider a more open device for more options on content. I hear the Barnes & Noble nook has more options on content, including the sharing of books. Might just have to pick one up for my wife in order to check it out.

Vector1 Media runs on a platform of open source technologies. We use WordPress for blogging and Joomla for our content management. The experience overall has been a positive one, but there are some limitations. In some sense, it’s “you get what you pay for” in terms of these limitations, but it’s also a factor of getting benefit based on the time you put into it, which is true of any software. And it’s also been our experience that the pain points iron themselves out over time, but sometimes at a glacial pace that depends on other users feeling your own pain, like any software.

Overall, both platforms provides incredible flexibility and there are a cadre of professional developers on a global scale that work to specialize the software and add value through plugins and modules. There are often too many choices to choose from to address specific problems or our wishes to extend the technology. This results into some false starts when realizing that the software doesn’t do exactly what you wanted, and some frustration when you can’t find what it is that you’re after. Custom development is always an option to address this, and there are good developers, but again it’s sometime hard to find the right ones with the necessary expertise and motivation.

The constant updates of foundational technology are generally a boon for better security and functionality. Not all updates are great though, with serious issues sometimes cropping up that undermines productivity, like all software. But generally the updates have been really good, and there’s increasing attention being paid to easing the update process with quick and easy patches rather than disruptive foundational changes, like all software.

We’ve certainly had a need for guidance on both platforms, but our knowledge has increased over time and we’re gaining greater confidence with making changes ourselves. This is possible due to the incredible amount of documentation and forums that can give you a detailed walkthrough of how to address any troubles that you encounter along the way. We’ve used a wide variety of different consultants to help us extend the technology, mostly with a modicum of success. As with all software integration projects, there are different interpretations of objectives and different levels of skill sets that can hamper progress.

Given the open ended nature of the software, open source does provide a wider platform for the imagination to play. There are  endless amounts of options for flexibility in how we delivery information. That’s both a good thing in terms of “the sky’s the limit” and a bad thing in terms of staying focused and providing a coherent information portal.

Overall, I’d say that I wouldn’t care to go a different route at the stage that we now operate. The low pain and scalability of the solution at our size makes good sense. As our business expands and larger teams are assembled, I can see that there are benefits of a more managed approach. It’s a great thing to have multiple entry points in terms of software cost and complexity.

Working away today from my home office, and the doorbell rings. My office is on the third floor, so it’s a bit of a trek to answer. Could be a neighbor or the Jehovah’s witnesses again. I make the trip, slightly grumpily, and am surprised to see a four year old boy who I’ve seen around the neighborhood standing alone on the porch with his bike helmet on.

Me: Hello, do you know Lillie? (my friendly dog is obviously the reason for the visit)

Elan: Yes, I know you guys.

Me: Are you out for a ride?

Elan: Yes, my mom said I could ride around the block alone. I’m on vacation from school.

Me: Nice of you to visit. Where do you live?

Elan: I live on Earth.

Wouldn’t the world be a simpler place if we all were so outgoing and named our planet before our address or country? After I wished him a good day, I bounced back upstairs with a much fresher outlook on my day.

I’ve long contemplated the best computer for conference or in-the-field journalism. I hate lugging around a heavy laptop that’s overkill for the simple text and voice recording that I do at a conference. I need very little computing power to record the details of an event as it’s happening, and my ability to collect information is often hindered by the short battery life and bulk of my laptop.

My computer of choice is a MacBook Pro, having used Macs consistently for the past 10 years. I have nothing against PCs, other than Vista. And most of the software capability that I’m used to is easily accessed via either operating system.

My wish list for a note-taking computer has long included the following characteristics:

• Small form factor, but with a screen at standard text or web-page width
• Very lightweight, to be carried in a portfolio or better yet a pocket
• Full-size keyboard
• Tablet capability for stylus-based note taking
• Voice and video recording capability

Today I caught my first glimpse of the Lenovo Yoga above. This device accomplishes the first four items with ease, and could be accesorized for voice and video recording. And the mini-laptop comes wrapped in handsome leather to harken back earlier days of journalism.

While this device is a prototype that may never ship as seen in this CNET slideshow, I feel that the features and form factor of this machine are right on target. These features and form factor make it a very interesting option for reporters. I’m hoping to see this machine or one very much like it on the shelves soon.

Apple keeps hinting at a laptop or a netbook. I think they could capture a good market size with a device that mimics the Lenovo Yoga. Or is it back to the Apple Newton?

In my travels to various conferences I’ve gotten to know several other reporters that cover geospatial topics, and there’s always an instant connection given our common purpose. Angus Stocking is a freelance writer, registered land surveyor and regular contributor to American Surveyor magazine. He’s also a free thinker with an interesting personal tale of being an ex-Jehovah’s Witness.

I’ve had many interesting conversations with Angus in our off time that always start with geospatial perspectives, but broadly wander in mind bending ways toward our belief systems, and the state of the world. Angus produced a radio program in rural Colorado titled Belief Systems & Other BS, and has written books on this subject. He’s now a resident of San Francisco and is continuing his mental wanderings through a Blog of the same name.

If you’re a geographically-minded person with a curious mind about religion, you’ll certainly enjoy Angus’ essays. As a reporter, I’m trained to question things, but don’t always turn that lens inward. I’m now following Angus regularly, because in these trying times I think it’s important to connect with our core beliefs, and to always question them.

Tomorrow will be the last day that I’ll receive the Rocky Mountain News, my trusted city paper. Still not sure what that means for my morning newspaper reading habits. I’ll miss the good local coverage and the convenient tabloid size. Fortunately, we’ll still have a local paper, and the Denver Post has committed to grabbing some of my favorite columnists.

I’ll miss the Rocky editor and publisher John Temple’s weekly Saturday column, with his pragmatic and clearly customer-focused outlook. And, I’m still not sure that I can forgive the Denver Post for their recent highly-biased coverage of Governor Ritter’s union moves (read an independent take here). They printed a front-page editorial that compared the governor to Jimmy Hoffa!

The slide shows of all the long faces in the newsroom on the Rocky website make me feel as if an era has passed. The recession is definitely largely to blame, but so too is the rise of the Internet and the importance of search. I’m considering the move to a Kindle e-reader and a daily subscription to the New York Times or Wall Street Journal. But I’d miss the local angle on news, and I don’t think I can deprive my kids of a newspaper at their fingertips.

Newspapers fulfill a very important civic role. I think it’s crucial for advertisers to allocate a portion of their advertising funds toward making a local connection and fulfilling a civic duty. Without adequate funding, we’ll lose hard-hitting investigative journalism that keeps our politicians honest, and we’ll see far too much celebrity drivel and even worse celebrity stalking.

Obama will sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Tuesday at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and I’m thrilled that he’s chosen this city and that venue to sign this bill into law. The venue is green, having recently added a huge solar array on their roof that produces 100 kilowatts of power, and it’s also a place that will emphasize science and technology as the foundation of the solution.

Renewable energy is a focus of the plan and Colorado is at the epicenter of this drive as the home of the National Renewable Energy Lab. The state has made large investments in solar and wind power and our governor keeps touting a “New Energy Economy.” It’s nice to see that this thinking has the president’s ear, and that he’s getting out of Washington to emphasize the impact of this bill on this region and the country as a whole, rather than just to Washington pols.

There’s nothing quite like travel to raise the blood pressure. I’m adding another post to the blogosphere about the stupidity of erratic and changing travel policies. Today, the issue was parking at the Stapleton Park and Ride. They instituted a new fee, when it’s been free for years. I don’t mind paying the $1/day, since it’s still the best value around, but what irks me is how it has been implemented — no signs, no notification, and a flawed and unenforceable “interim” system.

I parked the car, headed to the bus line, and there a man approached me and asked if I needed help with parking. I thought he was a bum asking for money and tried to brush him off. That’s when I noticed his official looking ball cap, and he told me that I needed to pay for parking. He then escorted me over to fill out a form and drop my money into a box — no pens, no credit cards, no receipt.

What really got me is that without a receipt I’ll have no way to dispute a ticket. Without some sort of ticket on my dash, they’ll need to go through all these envelopes, search the whole garage, and then somehow mark my car to indicate that I’ve paid. I really doubt that anyone is going to go through all of that trouble, and with just one man letting people know, many are likely to slip through. Can’t help but feel like a sucker to pay this fee when I know that most people will get through without paying.

I grumbled, and felt bad for the poor man who has been set up by bad managers. Apparently a machine is going to be installed soon that will take credit cards and give a receipt. But, why implement the policy without all the pieces in place? Seems like everyone’s grubbing for more money in this poor economy, but how you implement a new policy still goes a long way toward how it’s accepted.

I’m upset about the closing of Circuit City not just as a bellweather of a really bleak economy, but because it means an end to my favorite way of purchasing electronics. I’ve been using Circuit City’s buy online and pick up at the store method for years because I really hate talking to pushy and often clueless salespeople. I usually research via Consumer Reports and other online resources and then simply go to the front counter of my nearby store to pick up the item. I’ve bought a few cameras and a large-screen TV this way with good success. I’m hoping another retailer will pick up this great idea after Circuit City liquidates and is gone.

For details on the store’s rise and fall, read this eulogy on CNet.

Google recently announced a site for user-generated product ideas for Google Mobile. A nice feature of the site is the ability to view and rate the ideas of others, with the most popular ideas sorted to the top. Not surprisingly, many of the ideas are map related.

“Whether you’ve got a great idea about Google Maps for Mobile or there’s just one small issue Gmail for Mobile that bugs you, now’s your chance to share. See what others have to say and vote up the ideas you like the most. We’ll be checking in from time to time to see what you have to say, and will be giving updates on what we see in our Product Ideas Blog.”

The new site was announced in a Blog post dated Dec. 31, and as of today there’s input from 5,478 people with 1,700 ideas and more than 92,000 votes. Obviously there’s a lot of interest in directing Google’s path to application development, and this open forum provides a good means to filter the products of greatest interest.