Technology, Books and Other Neat Stuff

Now that version 1.2 of the iPod software supports wired remote control, and I've got the car kit sorted and running, I decided to buy the remote at lunch time. It's nice to see that Apple has understood that consumer electronics tend to be something people tend to stick with, and that their new hardware for old kit works well, with the original 5Gb iPods obviously being designed for a remote control from the ground up. At this rate it'll be some time before I go all the way to a 20GB device...

When I was young one of my favourite SF novels in the children's library was Lloyd Biggle, Jr.'s Monument. Tim White's cover picture of an abandoned spacecraft in a field of tropical flowers is an image I still carry with me, and the story of the world of Langri and its fight for independence is one I haven't forgotten - it's up there with Andre Norton's and Robert Heinlein's juveniles as one of my formative literary experiences. I still have a copy, kept close to hand for those comfort reading moments.

Unfortunately Lloyd Biggle, Jr. died on the 12th of September after a long illness. It's fitting that he left this book behind for us all. Its gentle optimism is a quiet monument for one of SF's best kept secrets.