Geek Toys
On his front page Thom Hogan compares Nikon unfavorably to Apple
Oh, Nikon, you try so hard, but you will fail if you keep pounding on the same wall. Yes, you've added things like being able to do a raw conversion in camera, and video editing, but let's face it, you're not a software developer, Nikon. Not even close. You can't even keep your regular software updated for operating system refreshes that are telegraphed more than a year in advance. Meanwhile, Apple has proven that there are tens of thousands of capable programmers out there ready to work 24/7 to cause a piece of hardware to fart (and much more that's actually useful). You see, the answer is not to try to do it yourself. Invert the Razor Blade, Nikon, invert the Razor Blade.He also has a best and worst of the decade list and revises his personal equipment choices yet again.
Speaking of Apple: while their all but confirmed tablet may not be the portable computer I've been waiting for, that doesn't mean I'm not interested in it.
Comics
Thorn would like manga translators to write better. Which is problematic, because most manga fans would like them to write worse. Or, to put it in less divisive terms, Thorn likes looser, more literate translations tooled to the rhythms and subtleties of English-language dialogue; fans prefer literal translations that deviate from the Japanese as little as possible. To a lot of fans, stiff translations are “authentic.” Nowadays, by the time a popular manga sees professional publication in the U.S., it already has fan translations online. Hardcore fans often attack the official translation as “unfaithful” if it deviates from the familiar fan version. Oh, the Light/Raito flamewars that broke out when Viz released its translation of Death Note…- Shaenon Garrity responds to Matt Thorn's contentious post on the poor quality translations of foreign language works.
