Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (Book Review)

This part is spoiler free. I was with Adrian at Barnes & Nobles a few weeks ago while helooked for a copy of the new Vladimir Tod novel. when I saw a book sitting there. I wasn't going to pick it up because it just didn't seem interesting. But, on the cover was a very large blurb by Neil Gaiman. Now, if he says he'd recommend it over anything else he's read this year (which he did), then I am obligated to look at it. I needed a "plane book" so I bought it for my trip to the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas (see next blog post for that write-up).

The book in question is "Little Brother" by Cory Doctorow. I read it, and I recommend this book to anyone with the mind to grasp it. It's a very interesting book set in approximately present-day San Francisco. The story revolves around W1n5t0n a cyber-hacker who happens to be a teenager in a local high-school. It's tech-heavy; so although you probably don't need to understand too much to enjoy the book, it certainly would help. It doesn't drift far-off reality and it's not really even science-fiction except for the detail that it isn't a true story. It's frighteningly close to reality and there's not much separating it from truth. It's hard to pinpoint it to a specific genre -- though the Tor imprint pretty much implies sci-fi.

Before I get to the review with spoilers, I must say this book is FANTASTIC. And it's IMPORTANT. You need to read this book. Seriously. It blurs the line between fiction and reality so strongly, you'll begin to wonder. Forget the conspiracy nuts, this book will actually make you wonder how nuts those theorists really are.

Mr. Doctorow is a former director of the EFF, so his facts are tight. Apart from an unhealthy love of the evil X-box, he's blown me away with Little Brother. And if the recommendation by Neil Gaiman isn't enough, how about Mitch Kapor, Ray Ozzie, or Tim O'Reilly? This book is amazing. And the even the giants of technology agree -- the list of kudos is impressive.

The book is a quick read, tightly packed, well edited (I only found two typos), and fascinatingly entrapping. A good mental exercise and a release at the same time. Buy it. Read it. Then tell your friends. This book should go viral.

This italicized part is NOT spoiler free. Specifically, Marcus (W1n5t0n) lives his life as a cyber-geek and cyber-genius. Unrelated to that, a terrorist attack hits San Francisco. This is the story of Marcus and his girlfriend in their quest to reclaim San Francisco when the Department of Homeland Security takes over. They turn San Francisco into a mini-Gitmo and while they never impose marital law, rights are slowly taken away just like is happening in real life. Alone that would make the book possibly interesting. But that's not all.

The book explains, in detail, why all those little RFID devices everyone carries aren't such a good idea. RFID? They're in your SunPass (toll booth transponder), Passport, and so forth. They couple that with data in the traffic camera, and data mined from government records. All of a sudden they know more about you than you care to think. Might sound like science fiction but it isn't. This part is all current, working, installed technology.

W1n5t0n goes into hiding and his ultimate goal is to survive his imprisonment, torture (yes), and take back what is slowly being taken away. He could be a hero if he can only succeed. Nothing I write here will do this book justice. You need to read this book. If you think you're living in a free America, you probably should read this work of fiction. Because although it's fiction, that story is delivering a message. Freedom is not free. What would you pay for yours?

Please buy this book. I really can't reiterate this enough: buy this book. BUY IT NOW.

As for my friends: you're all getting this for Christmas if you don't write me and tell me you've read it before then. You don't want to wait. Trust me. You're going to have thoughts after you read this book. Be afraid. Very afraid.

PS2 Most-Played Console in June according to Nielsen

Excerpt: NEW YORK (AP) - More than 68 million people played video games on a console last month, spending much of it on Sony Corp.'s older PlayStation 2, according to Nielsen research.

Seven years after its launch, Sony's PS2 was still the most-played console, accounting for 42 percent of video game use during the month. Microsoft's original Xbox took second place with 17 percent, followed by the Xbox 360 with 8 percent. Nintendo's GameCube ranked fourth with 5.8 percent. The numbers suggest that older machines remain popular despite last November's high-profile debut of Nintendo Co.'s Wii which had 4 percent and Sony's PlayStation 3, 1.5 percent.

What does this suggest? PS2 continues to dominate the market. The X-box pair together total 25% and Microsoft's Xbox Unit Posts $1.9 Billion Loss which is good news indeed. Nintendo Game Cube is the loser here, as it will slowly fade away. Wii is a strong contender and the only reason it's not more popular is that you just can't find one. Sure, it's not hardcore but it IS fun which is what really matters. PS3 is stagnant, and I fault the lack of any games whatsoever. It's great because I use mine as a BluRay player, but that's not going to sell units.

Speaking of the format wars, Target Corp. confirmed yesterday that it will promote the rival Blu-ray format for high-definition DVDs this holiday season. They join Blockbuster in taking sides. Microsoft is in the HD-DVD camp. Yay.

Video Game Console Wars

Whither PS/3, Xbox-360, and Nintendo Wii? Ah, well I am so glad you asked. In the 24 March 2007 issue of the Economist, they do an analysis of which of these systems is better.

So far, The Xbox 360 has sold the most consoles but is flopping in Asia while doing well in the US and parts of Europe -- speculatively because they launched much earlier.

Nintendo can be proud of the Wii having accelerated sales far faster than anyone else, and still having scarcity based on demand in many markets. Analysts expect sales to taper off because the graphics on the Wii are inferior compared to other offerings. I tend to disagree because the Wii (in my personal experience) is way more fun than any video game I've played in ages.

Sony claims PS/3's relatively slow sales are the result of low availability, but we all know they're in stock everywhere unlike the Wii. (The Xbox also has Ample supply). However many people buying the PS/3 are in search of a Blu-Ray player and not a video game console, considering that a nice bonus.

So who's the winner? The answer will absolutely, positively shock you. In the month of December alone the Sony PS/2 (not PS/3) outsold both the PS/3, Wii, and Xbox 360. Yes, the PS/2 is still winning the race.