Ever thought of writing a novel on your cell phone?
TOKYO —
Of last year’s 10 best-selling novels, five were originally cellphone novels, mostly love stories written in the short sentences characteristic of text messaging but containing little of the plotting or character development found in traditional novels. What is more, the top three spots were occupied by first-time cellphone novelists, touching off debates in the news media and blogosphere.
Whatever their literary talents, cellphone novelists are racking up the kind of sales that most more experienced, traditional novelists can only dream of.
One such star, a 21-year-old woman named Rin, wrote “If You” over a six-month stretch during her senior year in high school. While commuting to her part-time job or whenever she found a free moment, she tapped out passages on her cellphone and uploaded them on a popular Web site for would-be authors.
Rin, 21, tapped out a novel on her cellphone that sold 400,000 copies in hardcover.
Science and technoloyg: The Year in Review
From Facebook's explosion in popularity to an astronaut's fall from grace, 2007 was a major year for science and technology. Click through the timeline to see CNN's picks for the year's top 10 stories.
Story Highlights
Windows Vista, Halo 3, iPhone were among year's releases, Earth-like planet discovered, mummy of Queen Hatshepsut identified, Astronaut falls from grace, bald eagle removed from threatened species list, Google stock tops $700, Microsoft buys Facebook share for $240 million
The next time you accidentally leave your cell phone in your pocket when you wash your pants or soak your iPod while jogging in the rain, don’t open, start, or plug in the gadget. Instead, bury it in gel-type kitty litter for 24 hours. The litter will absorb all the moisture and dry out the device.
Creative Inventions that MAY prevent crimes
Fearing Crime, Japanese Wear the Hiding Place
Though street crime is relatively low in Japan, quirky camouflage designs like this vending-machine dress are being offered to an increasingly anxious public to hide from would-be assailants.
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