Comments on: Just right for LibriVox: Nokia handhelds—plus news on DRM, Blackmask reborn, and David Moynihan’s free mystery novel

By: David Rothman

David Rothman — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:33:24 +0000

Everyone re batteries: Thanks for enlightening us with your experiences, not just citations! One of my favorite uses of the blog! Ellen, by net.radio for the N770, I meant the usual streaming–the Net-transmitted versions of WETA, etc.; the “channel” switch is simply one of the home page apps. However, yes, the N800 actually does have a nice little FM radio built in. Thanks! David

By: Paul Biba

Paul Biba — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 20:41:01 +0000

Regarding OTR, XM Satellite Radio has a full-time OTR channel which I often listen to on long trips. One can also record it and save the programs for playback later on.

By: Joseph Gray

Joseph Gray — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 20:06:55 +0000

Regarding lithium batteries, the information at the link posted by Paul is correct. Use the Nokia (or other device) normally, avoiding total discharge, and recharge overnight. Don’t worry about leaving the charger plugged in. I do this with all my devices that use lithium batteries and get 2-3 years of use from a battery.

Related to audio books, there are lots of OTR (old time radio) programs available at archive.org and elsewhere. If you want a pseudo-audio book experience, download some of the drama productions (Mercury Theater, Academy Award Theater, Philco Radio Hall of Fame, Suspense, Escape, etc.). There are also westerns, comedies, detective/cop shows, juvenile shows, you name it.

With a very few exceptions, OTR programs are public domain, as the copyrights were not renewed. Certainly, the shows on archive.org should be safe to download and enjoy. The one major exception that I know of is CBS Radio Mystery Theater which is still in copyright, although there are groups that collect and trade these shows.

I have been collecting OTR for a while and have about 200GB of MP3 files. Most of these programs are as enjoyable to listen to today as they were decades ago.

By: Ellen Hage

Ellen Hage — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:45:17 +0000

David,

I didn’t know that leaving it plugged in would do harm. No, I don’t listen to music while reading, but I do switch from reading a book to listening to it. When I read Cell by Stephen King, I would listen when walking my son to and from school, then go back to reading when I got home. I really liked it.
Re: the radio. I don’t understand. How is it connected and what is the purpose?

Ellen

By: David Rothman

David Rothman — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 18:28:52 +0000

Paul B re battery: Thanks! Glad to know that replacements are cheap and that keeping the thing plugged in shouldn’t hurt the battery. That addresses the issue of falling asleep and then having the battery run out of juice—when you might need the Nokia in the morning. Now I do remember batteryuniversity.com. What a great pointer. Thanks! Given all the help you’ve provided people through the TeleBlog, MobileRead and the Palm site, I’m tickled that the NYT wrote you up! – David

By: Paul Biba

Paul Biba — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 18:10:58 +0000

Regarding your battery question, just treat the Nokia like any cellphone. I charge mine up and then unplug the charger and leave it alone. Then I charge after every use. If you want the real story on how to treat the battery, for the Nokia or anything else, just go to:

http://batteryuniversity.com

I don’t see why leaving it plugged in should hurt the battery, by the way. Most good chargers will reduce their output as the battery charge increases and when the battery is full they will put out only a trickle to keep it charged. Replacement batteries are pretty cheap, by the way, if you don’t get them from Nokia.