Many academic and research based books are available on Google eBooks. Whether you’re researching or reading the latest novel you can take your books offline. Once you are disconnected from the network you will be able to read your books right in the Chrome browser.

Currently only Google Chrome browser and Chrome OS devices are supported. If you need to download Google Chrome you can do so at google.com/Chrome. Only flowing text type books are available offline (EPUB format), PDF files do not work at this time due to their file size.

To download books to read later offline follow these simple steps.

1. Open Chrome, and download the free Google Books App by visiting this page in the Chrome Web Store.
2. Click the blue Add to Chrome button in the top right corner.
3. Confirm that you want to Install Google Books on the next screen.
4. Before you can read your books offline you will need to download them to your device. To do this, open up the Google Books Application from Chrome. Hover over a title and select Make available offline. Once you check this box, Chrome will begin downloading the book to your device. Once it has finished downloading, you will see the words Available offline under the book icon in the main application screen.

Once a book is available for offline use, simply open Google Chrome, then run the Google Books application. During offline use, some features will not be available such as Wikipedia and Google searches, translation, and margin notes.

Mobile Devices
Many mobile devices support reading your Google eBooks offline. Before you head out of town or catch a flight you can take your favorite books offline. Whether you have a network connection or not you will have something to read.

On iPod, iPhones, and iPads you can head over to the app store and down the Google Books application. Once you log in to your Google account via the application you will see all of your books. Books that have not yet been downloaded have the words Tap to download under the title. You will see a status that says downloading and also a spinning circle over the book. Make sure the book has completely downloaded before heading offline.

On Android devices you will want to get the Google Books application. Books that you read are added to your library and automatically downloaded to your device. If you have not read a book recently it may be removed to save space. To see what titles are available offline select Make available offline from the menu.

There is a great article up on The Verge on how lobbyists will determine the fate of SOPA.

In case you are unfamiliar with SOPA, here is an introduction from Wikipedia.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as House Bill 3261 or H.R. 3261, is a bill that was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on October 26, 2011, by House Judiciary Committee Chair Representative Lamar S. Smith (R-TX) and a bipartisan group of 12 initial co-sponsors. The bill, if made law, would expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods. Presented to the House Judiciary Committee, it builds on the similar PRO-IP Act of 2008 and the corresponding Senate bill, the PROTECT IP Act.

The article at The Verge is a great read and gives you a good insight of what is going on with SOPA.

I quickly learned that our elected officials are not demigods solely focused on the collective good — they’re just people. To inflate them into anything else trivializes their real accomplishments at best, and blinds us from the reality of Congress at worst. Lawmakers may have their own parochial interests or lofty causes, but first and foremost they’re always looking for votes. To get votes, they need attention and money — something that corporate lobbyists can dish out in abundance. The end product of this system is lawmaking that’s less about making good public policy and more about appeasing the hands that feed — as a result, powerful corporations with deep pockets gain unparalleled access to members of Congress, and they help set the agenda. That agenda is why bills like SOPA and PIPA gain such traction — they were delivered to Congress in return for money and votes.

It seems that this is going to come down to who has the most money.  And that’s going to be the entertainment industry.  I’ve heard a lot of people today complain about the possibility of SOPA being passed, I wonder though, how many of those people have taken the small step of calling their representatives in Washington?  I’ve given a lot of thought lately about complacency.  About accepting things as they are.  If we’re good with how things are going and everything looks OK to us, we often let things slide.  Don’t let this slide.  It will be too late.

I recently purchased a Fitbit to help me drop some fat before my upcoming half marathon run.

Check out my review of Fitbit.

Bookmarks for January 9th:

• AT&T goes big with first 4G Windows Phones, six Android devices – The first 4G Windows phone.
• Android as we know it will die in the next two years and what it means for you – Will Android (as it is today) be gone in two years?
• National Geographic Photography Contest Winners: 2011 – Amazing photos from National Geographic
• How Are You Spending Your Days? – How are you spending your days? Wasting them doing meaningless tasks? Or grabbing your dreams?

This has to be the face of Christmas. 
 

Bookmarks for January 8th:

• Path is where the A list hangs out, don’t tell anyone – An inside look at Path. I tried it, and didn’t really go any where with it. Maybe I need to give it another chance.
• GTD Leaders: A Lifehack Exclusive Interview with David Allen and Mike Williams – David Allen interview.
• Five Lies Personal Development Gurus Like to Tell – The “self help” business is as close to a snake oil you will find.
• Best Goal Tracking App or Service? – What are the best goal tracking applications for tracking your new habbits?
• The Geek’s Companion – Reading Outisde Your Bubble -
• A good smartphone comes but once a year | The Verge – Apples release schedule dominates the market.

After more than thirty years I’ve finally realized New Year’s resolutions are shams.

Most New Year’s resolutions are done on a whim with no plan or action steps in place.

But, at the beginning of a new year we feel like we have a clean slate and a new start.  It is a good time to sit down and look over your life and see where you would like to improve.

I’ve decided to try something new this year.  Something I’ve never really done before, and that is to keep a daily journal.  Even if I only write a few words, I am going to try to keep a daily journal.  I’ve decided to use Day One Journal synced to Dropbox on my iPhone and Mac.  This seems like a solution that will work, I’ve used it a few days now and have not had any issues keeping it synced.

How about you?  Did you set any New Year’s resolutions this year?

I’ve come across a lot of news and commentary the last few weeks regarding RIM.  I think we can all agree they royally screwed up.  BlackBerry, not too many years ago was it.  It seemed like 5 years ago, for a smartphone you could have a Windows phone or a BlackBerry.

It was a market that RIM seemed to dominate.  But there was trouble on the horizon, and just as Palm did.  RIM did too.  They failed to adapt to the changing technology.  Smartphones were about to make a big shift.    Put plainly, the mobile OS were just not ready for the technological changes on the horizon.  Apple and Android were basically starting from scratch and had the big advantage.

Maybe RIM can turn the ship around, and recapture a portion of what they have lost.  But, it’s looking like an impossible task more and more.

There’s just a little over seven days left to order the latest Humble Indie Bundle of games.

Seven epic games. We’re ready to drop seven new cross-platform, DRM-free games down your digital chimney. Bandage your fingertips and prepare your mind for the challenges of Super Meat Boy, Shank, Jamestown, Bit.Trip Runner, and NightSky. If you pay more than the average price, you’ll also get two massive, well-loved indie favorites: Cave Story+ and Gratuitous Space Battles.

This is a great chance to help out indie developers and support charity.  In return you get some great DRM-free games to enjoy over the holiday.

Just when you thought things were dying down with the Carrier IQ ruckus.

FBI: Carrier IQ files used for “law enforcement purposes”

A recent FOIA request to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for “manuals, documents or other written guidance used to access or analyze data gathered by programs developed or deployed by Carrier IQ” was met with a telling denial. In it, the FBI stated it did have responsive documents – but they were exempt under a provision that covers materials that, if disclosed, might reasonably interfere with an ongoing investigation.

It’s unclear exactly what the FBI is trying to do.

What is still unclear is whether the FBI used Carrier IQ’s software in its own investigations, whether it is currently investigating Carrier IQ, or whether it is some combination of both – not unlikely given the recent uproar over the practice coupled with the U.S. intelligence communities reliance on third-party vendors. The response would seem to indicate at least the former, since the request was specifically for documents related directly to accessing and analyzing Carrier IQ data.

Here is a great article that sheds more light on exactly what’s going on with Carrier IQ.