Does 2.0 matter?

There's a running debate in the library world about the features and benefits of "library 2.0." It's a somewhat nebulous concept cribbed from the "Web 2.0" movement in the broader tech world. In a nutshell, the most vocal proponents say those resisting Web 2.0 are obstinate dinosaurs, while the extreme on the other side claims Web 2.0's backers are naive technophiles.
Personally, I think both groups are right. But it's not just librarians having this debate. Given that the Web is now pretty much ubiquitous, there's no escaping the new-fangled tools, whether they're useful or not. The blog Lifehacker is conducting a poll on whether readers see Web 2.0 as a problem invented for geeks to be solved by geeks. It's at http://tinyurl.com/573smf. The comments are so far echoing the huge range of emotions surrounding the issue that have been on display in the more insular library world.

Ubuntu gets an update

Last week saw the release of Ubuntu's latest Linux release, 8.04, or "Hardy Heron."
Ubuntu has made great strides in turning Linux into something people can actually use, rather than the command-line driven operating system used only by the most esoteric computer geeks. And the Hardy Heron release takes a further step in that direction. Most users will get by just fine, and it's certainly worth the effort to try out; you can view tutorials on how to give it a go without removing Windows at www.ubuntu.com (you can also download it from there).
Of course, it's still not perfect. Power users might have hardware problems (for example, Linux doesn't work well with RAID devices), but most people won't run into that.
So why delve into the world of Linux? For one thing, competition is good. With some people still unhappy with Microsoft Vista (legitimately so or not), Ubuntu helps drive improvements in Microsoft. Also, it's less of a system hog than Microsoft. If you have an older computer, there's a good chance it'll run faster and smoother with Linux.
Oh yeah, and Linux is free. That's always a big plus.
For the adventurous, living a week or so with Ubuntu is a great experiment.

The perils of form over function

In these days of sleek and streamlined electronics, it's easy to forget that looks aren't everything. Besides recent studies showing people are more forgiving of pretty tech even when it doesn't work as well, there are also some sound practical reasons to look beyond looks when evaluating a service or device. Here's a link to a video hosted by the New Yorker. It's time-lapsed footage of a man who spent a whopping 31 hours trapped in a Manhattan elevator. There was no built-in phone, and no panic button, so he couldn't call for help. Being the New Yorker, the magazine set the footage to nice, soothing piano music. The end result is a terrifying video of this man's ordeal. Just one more reminder that holding form over function, while quite common in the tech world, can have a real downside!

e-paper a-dvancing

People have been saying the printed page is in its death throes for years now. Given that paper is a technology we've been getting along just fine with now for a couple millennia or so, that's probably an oversimplification.
But e-books are getting better. Amazon's Kindle has proven to be remarkably popular despite its proprietary file formats and uncertain upgrade path. Now, PC World is reporting on some further advances in "electronic paper" that could make e-books more user-friendly. Here's the story: http://tinyurl.com/3py6ys.
According to PC World, it's now possible to take notes on e-paper (which is a technology touted for being easier on the eye than a standard LCD or CRT screen). Users can also erase content and make other alterations with ease.