TPL Technology Forum

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

2010-04-09T08:01:00.001-07:00

As of Friday, April 8, 2010, this blog has moved. Please visit http://blogs.twinsburglibrary.org

Amazon: Kindle will "save" reading

2009-02-11T08:23:00.001-08:00

Here's an interesting article posted at PC World. Amazon's Kindle has been a runaway success by nearly any measure. Now, there's an update -- thinner and with more storage -- slated to release later this month. In a press conference, Amazon claimed the Kindle will "save" reading of long-form text. Of course, recent stories (and Twinsburg's circulation statistics) indicate that reading, at least where libraries are concerned, is still pretty healthy. More uncertain is the public's willingness to pay $350 for a Kindle, plus charges for non-transferrable books to read on it. The Kindle seems great and all, but I'm skeptical that, even if reading needs to be "saved," Amazon will do the job with this.

New Kindle

2009-01-27T11:51:00.003-08:00

It hasn't been in headlines too much lately, but Amazon's Kindle has been doing really well in sales. Looks like the device may get an update shortly. Rumor is the announcement will be made at a NY library, which is kind of weird considering the device's library-unfriendly user agreement and proprietary file format. Still, cool is cool and people will want this.

New Kindle

2009-01-27T11:51:00.001-08:00

FCC and DRM; two great acronyms that go great together

2009-01-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

Here's a post on the gaming blog Blue's News about digital rights management. It seems the FCC is seeking consumer input about the use of technologies that impede the use of the materials they're bundled with. I have a few examples I may send in. It's surprisingly easy to get hit with the DRM stick. One example is downloadable books. While the actual audio books may be fine, the DRM often causes problems for people trying to use those books here at the library. It really is a consumer nightmare.

Is Blu-Ray passe?

2009-01-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a NY Times story via the blog HardOCP. It takes a look at Blu-Ray, which was expected to bloom as the HD format bowed out of the high-def format war last year. The problem is, people don't seem to be snatching up Blu-Ray in the droves Sony imagined. While the price of players has finally become reasonable, there seems to be a real sense that downloadable high def movies are just around the corner. In other words, the new disc-based media may have simply come too late. Meanwhile, there are only just over a thousand titles available on Blu-Ray. Already, one Web-based service offers 1,400 titles as high-def downloads. Could DVDs outlive Blu-Ray simply by being "good enough"?

is open source viable?

2009-01-07T09:21:00.001-08:00

Is open source just a fad?
According to the tech blog HardOCP, some projects aren't as healthy as their popularity indicates. Here's the post. Apparently OpenOffice only has 24 active developers working on it. When you consider how many apps are included in that package and how frequently it's updated, that's not many at all. In some ways this should probably be expected: It's hard to get people to work on something that doesn't have a traditional revenue stream. While OpenOffice is backed by Sun, many open source projects don't enjoy regular funding or are maintained by volunteers. The products are solid enough to make the commercial equivalents work for their money. But in the long run, might that be a bad thing? If open source squeezes the market, especially where small developers are concerned, but then proves unviable, could it lead to stagnation?

Be your own tech support

2009-01-03T09:42:00.001-08:00

Ever tried getting tech support from some of the newer gadget companies out there? Probably not more than once.
Some of them really do try. But if you're like most people, you lack the patience to put up with the abysmal support that has become the norm for so much of our tech.
Here, via the blog lifehacker, is a list of some go-to sites to get real help from real people. Most of these are forums. You just leave your question and the masses weigh in. It's a mixed bag, sure, and you have to remember these folks aren't actually affiliated with the product at hand. But if time and user-friendliness are of the essence, online forums beat the pants off official tech support.

online job searches

2008-12-22T16:16:00.000-08:00

It's an ugly fact, but it can't be ducked. The economy, especially in this part of the country, is hurting. That's been felt by a disturbing number of people, who may or may not have been in the job market recently. If it's been a while, you may not know about some of the online tools available to help job-seekers.
First off, here's a list of online job-posting sites, via the blog Lifehacker. Those online ads, while often great, are kind of a mixed bag, though. Just like traditional job searches, it pays to check multiple venues.
The Akron Beacon Journal runs a portion of its classifieds through online posting service Monster: here's that list.
And, finally, here's a link to the employment classifieds over at the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Teacher cracks down on Linux users

2008-12-12T14:08:00.001-08:00

Here's a fun one, via the tech blog HardOCP. A teacher noticed her student using Linux on a laptop. Her reaction? Putting an immediate stop to it and confiscating all the discs the student had. Seems she didn't believe any software could be free (though in the reprinted letter she does admit to trying Linux in college - one wonders what she thinks Linux is, exactly). Anyway, she wrote her letter to a Linux forum threatening legal action.
There is a serious element here, though. Namely, it underscores the challenge Open Source software faces. In many cases it -- not just Linux, but also OpenOffice, Gimp, and all those others so many of us have grown to love -- is just as good, or even better, than its commercial equivalent. But we live in an ownership society, and in the minds of many something that has no cost cannot have any value.
Someday we'll live in a world where teens don't have to experiment with Linux behind the barn and where college experiences with software aren't abandoned by adults. Until then, many people are likely to miss out on some great stuff as they skip over some excellent tech products.

Google archive of Life Magazine pics

2008-12-04T07:29:00.001-08:00

Here's something the Internet is perfectly suited for. Google, as part of its ongoing efforts to digitize everything, has gotten hold of Life Magazine's photo archives. Here's the story, via HotHardware.com.
For the younger readers, Life Magazine was a powerful part of American journalism, known for its photography. Many of its photographs serve as the most memorable images of the 20th century.
Interestingly, while the project is up and running and the pictures are easily accessible, there doesn't seem to be any copyright information included. Presumably the parent companies and photographers have not relinquished their copyrights. But given other recent stories about Google landing in hot legal water for its liberal take on intellectual property, I would have expected to see a disclaimer.

Recover lost form data!

2008-11-24T16:22:00.001-08:00

Here's a great tip from the ever-interesting blog Lifehacker. Someone's gone and made a Firefox extension that can recover lost form data. If you're anything like me, you've spent hours crafting lists of threats and insults to submit to your local newspaper/blog/sports team/daycare forum. It's incredibly easy to get distracted and switch pages, or get a glitch on hitting the submit button. Rather than toss up your hands in frustration and give up ever trying to remember all your wit and witticisms, now all you have to do is press go on the Lazarus Firefox extension.

Linguistics of nerdery

2008-11-10T12:25:00.001-08:00

Ever wonder where those Internet shorthand terms come from? No? Well, apparently some people do. Here's a story from PC World magazine about Net shorthand. Interestingly, some of the terms, such as ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing) and its many derivatives predate the explosion of the World Wide Web. ROFL dates back to at least 1989 on Usenet forums. Some other terms, like FWIW (for what it's worth) actually have their origins in office culture rather than the Web.

Google and copyright

2008-11-06T07:35:00.001-08:00

Remember the brouhaha a couple years back about Internet search giant Google trying to put copyrighted books online for free? If you're wondering what happened to that, it's been tied up in court. Finally, it looks like the tangled mess is due to be sorted out, sort of. A potential settlement is being floated to the various litigants in the class action lawsuit, with May as a deadline for approval. Here's the story, via Library Journal.
The thing is, the classes in this suit are pretty nebulous. There's just no way to represent all authors and publishers. Yet the ramifications of this litigation could be felt by all of us in the information industry. Already the various classes involved are showing signs of dissent. It'll be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

TMI?

2008-10-21T12:17:00.001-07:00

Here's what looks to be an interesting study from Forester, via the blog Lifehacker. While the study costs money, Lifehacker reports that it found RSS use (blogs and such) has slowly risen to around 11 percent. That means most folks are still going to individual Web sites or getting information in other ways.
Now, RSS is still relatively new and things like that take time to catch on. But the troubling part (for RSS proponents) is that of the large portion of people not using it, an overwhelming majority -- something like four-fifths -- aren't even interested in learning about it.
Have we finally reached a point where the tired expression "TMI" ceases to refer to gross or unsavory information but instead means, quite literally "too much information"? As a self-described RSS junkie, I can definitely see where most people would quite happily swear off the vast amounts of information that cross my computer screen each day.

Data, data, data!

2008-10-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

With technology, we can acquire a lot of data, in lots of different areas. I recently read Click: What Millions of People are Doing Online and Why It Matters by Bill Tancer, the general manager of global research at Hitwise. Hitwise is a company that analyzes Internet data. Tancer has a number of really neat insights in his book, but what I found the most fascinating was the 90-1-9 rule of Web 2.0 (i.e. participatory Web applications like blogs, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) 90% of people who view blogs never comment--they just read! 9% contribute infrequently, and only 1% are frequent contributors. So that means there are a lot of you out there we've never heard from!

On a smaller scale, the library uses data to see trends in our circulation. As Acquisitions Coordinator, I do a lot of analysis of our collection to see what materials are popular, what we could use more copies of, and what materials aren't as popular. Did you know there is an item in our library that has circulated over 1000 times? It's a VHS copy of The Accidental Tourist. Our administration department looks at data as well, to see how many people use the library every month and how many books we've circulated. In September 2008 alone, we enjoyed a circulation of over ninety thousand items.

So what can you do with data? Here at the library, we use it to better serve the public. Bill Tancer says that companies who analyze Internet search results can predict trends and get better market shares. Personally, I enjoy knowing these facts about the library and about the world around me. Data can be fascinating and eye-opening.

computer guts

2008-10-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what goes into assembling a computer? On Sun., Oct. 25, we'll be ripping apart (I mean, lovingly disassembling) a donated PC here at the library. Along the way, we'll talk about the various components and how to keep up with the technology. In this age where software gets all the attention, it's easy to forget that at its heart your computer is just a bunch of soldered circuits. And magic too, don't forget the magic. In any case, if you're into hardware, drop by. It should be fun!

Web 3.0

2008-09-14T10:16:00.001-07:00

Wonder what the next stage in the evolution of the Web might be? People have been talking about semantic search for years now, but it's easier to talk about teaching a computer to grasp human meaning than it is to do.
PC World has this good explanation of what the goal of semantic search is and how it could revolutionize the way the Web works.

Is Web 2.0 just hype?

2008-09-11T07:22:00.001-07:00

Web 2.0 is a big term in both the computer world and, as its corollary Library 2.0, in libraries. This article from PC World, though, may be an indication that much of the buzz over 2.0 has been, well, just buzz. The whole user-producer model of letting people participate in sites has been underwhelming. Social networks haven't taken off and may be dying. Much of the concern focuses on the business model, in other words, how to turn a profit off these features from advertising. Of course, that's not so much a concern for Library 2.0. But it is interesting that some of the underlying ideals, like participation and ubiquitous connectivity, seem to be more attractive to proponents of 2.0 than to real people.

Google newspaper archive

2008-09-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a bit from Google's blog about a running project to digitize newspapers. It's a great idea, as so many of the millions of pages of news have been lost to time. Unlike some of the early attempts at digitizing books, it looks like Google's working with the publishers on this one. It's a pretty monumental undertaking, though, so only time will tell if it's effective.

Wanna help shape the Web?

2008-08-05T16:53:00.001-07:00

Mozilla, the people who make that cool Firefox browser, is calling for help in visualizing what the next generation of Web applications will look like.
Of course, Mozilla is an open source project, meaning that computer engineers and programming types have been able to chime in from the word go. What makes this different, though, is that the organization is specifically calling for people less embedded in the programming world. They want to hear about what people want to use, rather than what they want people to use. Some of the ideas so far sound pretty dreamy; the ability to share files with other users within the browser, for example, and IM built into the browser as well.
Here's a much more detailed analysis from PC World.

Steampunk as a cultural movement

2008-08-01T07:16:00.001-07:00

Could a growing literary genre become a design movement?
According to SF writer Cory Doctorow, posting here at the news blog Boing Boing, that answer is yes. It's happened before, and is happening again with steampunk (in grossly oversimplified terms, a kind of cross between science fiction and Victorian-era tech).
Doctorow's post includes a link to a podcast panel discussion of the aesthetic that took place at ReaderCon, an annual science fiction convention in Massachusetts.

Cuil maybe not so cool

2008-07-29T11:54:00.001-07:00

OK, so yesterday I was all excited about the prospect of a Google competitor. After all, competition's a good thing, and Google is getting a little too pervasive in the information world for comfort.
So I gave upstart www.cuil.com a shake. Yesterday about half my searches resulted in an error message stating servers were overloaded. This wasn't starting off well. Moreover, many of the promised features, like tabs and a unique drill-down tool, didn't seem to be up yet.
Perhaps most troubling was the search results themselves. I've long been skeptical of Google's ultra-secret search algorithm that leaves most of the Web invisible. Cuil didn't really seem any better, though. Results of the searches I tried (Twinsburg library, my own name, how to fix a broken vase without my wife catching on, etc.) mostly just pulled up various iterations of the same sites.
I hope Cuil catches on and improves. At first blush, though, it looks like the former Google devs behind the project may have bitten off more than they can chew.

A rival for Google?

2008-07-28T13:13:00.001-07:00

Here's a new startup that's come into a market long dominated by Google.
Cuil claims to be a bigger, better, faster search engine than the pervasive Google. Time will tell, but at first glance, the new company just might be right. Or at least right-ish.
Google has long used an ultra double-secret algorithm for determining result priority. One of the biggest factors in that was how many other Web sites link to the site returned by a search. Cuil takes a different approach, relying more on content relevance. Other nifty features include tabbed searches so you don't lose your results, and an easy drill-down tool that helps narrow searches.
I've only been using Cuil for an hour or so now, but it seems good. I don't know if, as it claims, it really does index more sites than Google, but given the explanations of its search methodolofy it does seem plausible.
But will it unseat the giant? Without enormous marketing, it'll be hard-pressed to do so. After all, "google" has become recognized by some dictionaries as a legitimate verb. And I'd be wary of publicly talking about "cuiling" someone. It could be misunderstood in oh so many awkward ways.

DRM, unsurprisingly, losing popularity

2008-07-28T12:24:00.001-07:00

Hate Digital Rights Management? You're not the only one. DRM is a security measure bundled into various forms of electronic media to keep people from copying it illegally. The thing is, there's loads of collateral damage. For example, the library's Overdrive download service can drive even the most tech-savvy patrons bonkers with its conflicting information about what a track is labeled, prevention of many unspecified players from working with the files at all, and general hostile messages. Of course, the DRM in that case is pretty easy to get around for those of a mind to do so; just copy the files to a CD and rip them back to mp3 format, and Bob's your uncle. What that means is that the only people really burdened by the system are those trying to use it legitimately.
Here's an article at PC World that offers some hope better days ae ahead.

List of cool free software

2008-07-28T11:56:00.001-07:00

The blog Lifehacker posted this list of all the software used by its editors. Most of it's free. There are, of course, any number of lists of free apps. What makes this one stand out is that the programs included are used in a real-world environment.

Technology & Cataloging

2008-07-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

Many of our readers are probably familiar with the Dewey Decimal System, the system of cataloging library books created by Melvil Dewey in the 19th century. Most public libraries, and some academic and school libraries, use this system to this day. Well, Tim Spalding, the founder of LibraryThing, thinks we need a new system. He's created an open source project, called The Open Source Classification, and has opened it to librarians all over the world to help create this new classification scheme. We've seen that collaboration online can do some extraordinary things -- witness the rise of Wikipedia and social networking. Can we, together, oust Dewey after all these years? I'm not sure. I grew up in libraries and have been memorizing Dewey numbers since I was a small child, so part of me resists this idea. The other part of me, who's been a cataloger and a public services librarian, realizes that Dewey doesn't always work when it comes to co-location and finding the materials you want when you want them. I wonder if there's a compromise? Or will libraries start coming up with their own classification schemes? I wouldn't mind writing my own classification scheme just for TPL! Keep watching for more info about this exciting trend. Well, it might be exciting to me and boring to you, but it'll definitely affect you, one way or another!

E-books can drive print sales?

2008-07-14T11:41:00.001-07:00

A few months back I posted a piece about Neil Gaiman and his publisher allowing free downloads of audio versions of some of his books. Turns out, it may have been great marketing. Here's a story via the blog Boing Boing that indicates the move drove print sales of the books. I downloaded one of his audio short stories (if you haven't heard Gaiman yet, he's nearly as enjoyable a reader as he is a writer), and I was tempted to buy the book (OK, I admit, I meant to buy it, then forgot. Ask my wife how good I am at remembering things for more than five minutes). Here's hoping we'll see more of the strategy in the future.

Fuel cost calculator

2008-07-11T08:19:00.001-07:00

Via the blog Lifehacker, here's a cool tool for determining whether that extra trip this summer is really worth it. The online trip cost calculator gives you a map to your destination, a la Mapquest, but then also factors in average fuel costs for the area you'll be driving through, along with your vehicle's fuel economy (and a government link to determine that if you don't already know it).
Depressing, maybe, but certainly poignant, and valuable information these days.

Gaming in libraries

2008-06-30T12:57:00.001-07:00

Quiet in the library, or you'll be pwned.
Librarians are not noted for being hip. But libraries do try to keep up with the world in order to remain relevant. One trend that has long passed the point of being easy to overlook is gaming. It's a huge industry; even Hollywood has started to see real competition for its audience (there was much debate over whether Iron Man suffered from the near-simultaneous launch of Grand Theft Auto 4 a couple months back).
Well, the American Library Association hasn't missed the boat. As I write this, it's conducting this study. Or at least planning to conduct a study. The goal is to see if gaming can be used to improve literary skills.
On the one hand, I'm delighted to see the ALA looking seriously at gaming.
On the other hand, though, I'm a little disappointed at the implication they'll only embrace gaming if they deem it promotes literacy. Other widespread library programs -- like chess clubs, puppet shows, antiques roundups and so on -- don't inherently promote literacy, but we pursue them anyway. Can't it just stand on its own merits? If one does take the stodgier view that gaming needs a literary angle, there's a huge body of work that clearly makes that case. Many video games have been spun out of the work of Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, not to mention the world of sci fi.
But anyway, here at Twinsburg we're not waiting for study results. Our LAN parties have been huge draws for teens and young adults. And a new series of gaming parties will hopefully expand on that. Check out our Steam (it's a gaming thing) page for details: http://steamcommunity.com/groups/twinsburg.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Public records no longer public?

2008-06-28T10:12:00.001-07:00

Here's a story via the blog BoingBoing about some recent moves to electronically publish our country's legislative history. Publisher Thomson West received loads of help from Government Accountability Office law librarians (publicly funded) in compiling and scanning this information. A portion of those documents are being made available free of charge. But Thomson now says it owns the exclusive rights to these documents, as it's the "publisher."
It's a tricky situation we're likely to see more of in coming years. Typically, government documents are freely available to citizens. They have already been paid for through tax dollars, after all. When publishers come onto the scene, though, they have a financial stake in keeping this information out of public hands. They want people to use their, usually extremely expensive, databases or services to access what was once public domain.
So there's a bit of a dilemma. Is it better to have electronic, but expensive, access to these documents? Or is it better to keep public information freely available to the public, even if that public needs to track down documents the old-fashioned way in D.C.?

Are the days of the "new media" numbered?

2008-06-19T08:18:00.001-07:00

There's a bit of an uproar in the blog world right now about some recent legal maneuvers on the part of the Associated Press. The AP holds blogs are infringing copyright when quoting news stories. Bloggers are crying foul, saying such use falls under long honored copyright allowances.
So who's right? I'm not the one to answer that (I'm a librarian, not a lawyer, Jim).
I will say this, though. On the one hand it's a little ironic that the AP is doing this. It frequently quotes other sources of material, for example, including blogs.
But copyright's a tricky thing in this digital age. Distributors of digital media successfully convinced legislators to hold their media to a stricter standard. Witness the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which, among other things, prohibits a person from breaking the digital rights management on an item he or she owns (sounds innocent, but consider that it could prevent you from watching, say, your DVD on your own computer) and also allows companies to hold people to use agreements they "consent" to merely by opening a package (to read said agreement, for instance). In other words, electronic copyright is much more of a gray area than print, and unlikely, when legislators refer to the Internet as plumbing, to improve anytime soon.
I should also mention, however, that as a former journalist I do see where the AP is coming from. Huge numbers of blogs basically repeat stories written by reporters, then crow about how "old media" is irrelevant. It's kind of a parasitic relationship that has had a very real effect on newsrooms, which are shrinking -- or outright closing -- across the country at an alarming rate. Until blogs start supporting investigative staff, not simply weighing in on what other people dig up -- the blogging world does actually need agencies like the AP to remain healthy.
Here's a news story about the whole brouhaha, as reported, of course, by the AP. One important thing to note is that the agency the AP is negotiating with, the Media Bloggers Association, is far from a representative entity. Actually, it's one guy, a right-wing pundit named Robert Cox. The fact that the AP is reporting the negotiations as representative of interested parties is quite telling about its motivations.
It'll be interesting to see how this shakes out.

PC World on Internet safety

2008-06-16T11:21:00.001-07:00

We've all heard the horror stories about personal information making its way into pernicious hands via the Web. While it's certainly tempting sometimes to just swear off the Internet and live a life of Luddite bliss, that's simply not a viable option for most people in this day and age.
Here's a pretty good article from PC World on some steps you can take to protect your identity and safety online. If you're interested in a more hands-on approach, the library has a new class on Internet safety that should be appearing on the class schedule soon.

How to find old user manuals

2008-06-12T08:04:00.001-07:00

I find myself referencing the blog LifeHacker pretty frequently in this space. It's a great source for finding tools to make the tech world more applicable to everyday life. Here's another great example of that, SafeManuals online.
Here at the library, we get occasional requests for help from people who have lost the user manual to a television or microwave or so on. Really, who hasn't misplaced something like that or tossed it out thinking it wouldn't matter. Hunting these things down on the Internet is a dicey proposition. Frequently the manufacturers want you to purchase another manual. If you can find a free manual online, chances are it's a contorted, confusing download that carries a high risk of putting viruses on your computer.
Safemanuals carries a measure of respectability -- the site gets its money from advertising. It also features a pretty simply search/browsing process to locate manuals in pdf format.

E-paper of the future? (Hint: it doesn't involve jetpacks)

2008-06-11T13:47:00.001-07:00

We've written on this blog many times now about the progress of electronic books. Devices like Amazon's Kindle have shown the format's promise of low price (over time, anyway) and convenience has a basis in reality. It's still evolving, though. Features like color and the user interface will likely have to improve before most people start looking at e-paper as a viable alternative to a book. Here's an article from Computer World that takes a peek into the future, asking various industry experts about what's on tap.

Scientific American on photo fakery

2008-06-10T17:04:00.001-07:00

One class the library offers that is growing in popularity is on Gimp, a pretty powerful photo-editing app. I love seeing how entranced people get when they learn just how easy it really is to totally fake a photo. It's one of those skills like lock-picking; most people would never in a million years use it for evil, but isn't it kinda fun to see how it's done?
Well, the technology behind photo editing is well ahead of the technology to detect such trickery. There have been some efforts by companies like Adobe to insert data into images indicating their authenticity. Those efforts have largely fallen flat, though. Detection largely relies on the trained human eye.
So how's it done, in this age when anyone with a computer has access to tools like Gimp?
Here's a guide I mentioned in the class, from the always impressive magazine Scientific American.
Even if you don't have much need for such detective work in your own life, the techniques can be pretty interesting. One, for example, takes the shape of the subject's pupil into account to determine whether his or her angle from the camera has been toyed with. Never woulda' thought of that.

spellcheck shenanigans

2008-06-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a cautionary tale from the blog hothardware.com about relying too heavily on spell-check tools. A high school yearbook staff spellchecked their publication, apparently setting the check to automatically fix errors. When they got their boxes od copies back from the printer, they had some surprises. Spellcheck worked out kinda cool for some kids (Max Zupanovic became Max Supernova, for instance). Others, like the newly named Kathy Airbag and Alexandria Impolite, didn't fare so well.
In this heavily computerized age, it's important to remember there's still a place for human skill. Neat as tech tools are, there's still no good app that can be substituted for common sense. Always check a computer's work, and never assume spell check actually did its job!

"Free" wi-fi?

2008-06-03T10:54:00.001-07:00

The popular and ever-useful blog Lifehacker reports that most locations of Starbucks will today begin offering free wi-fi access to customers (click here for the story). There's a catch, of course. You've still gotta buy $5 or more in coffee. What does this mean, aside from the likelihood of Internet postings becoming even more jittery and incomprehensible as all that caffeine kicks in?
Well, it points again to the "digital divide," that gap in people's access to the information world that is caused by factors like age, tech-savvy, and ability to pay for the Internet. Information has become a valuable commodity, as Starbucks has certainly noticed. All this makes libraries, with (at least in our library) really free wi-fi ever more relevant these days.

My last post on this forum - about ebooks

2008-05-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

The eBook Problem and The eBook Solution -

more on the epub standards debate and future of ebooks. This blogger is right on the money. Now if only publishers and device manufacturers would just take note. In my dreams!

The Eee PC Killer?

2008-05-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

The blogosphere is awash with links to the latest Dell sub $500 mini-laptop. If small and ultra-portable is what you've been waiting for, this is a definite contender. It is supposed to come with a "choice of both Windows XP Home or Ubuntu Linux, 8-in-1 card reader, integrated webcam, direct media playback buttons, and a 'host of wireless access options'." The official release may occur at Computex Taipei next week. I wonder why Michael Dell is leaking this all over the place? See links on engadget and gizmodo.

Compare also with HP's mini-notebook: The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC starts at $499 and is expected be available later this month.

Hackers pervert San Fran storytimes

2008-05-28T08:25:00.001-07:00

Here's a link to an unfortunate story out of San Francisco: http://tinyurl.com/67up7d
Apparently a public library there runs an automated kids' storyline. Like a recorded answering machine message, where kids can call and choose from a list of recorded stories. Someone allegedly hacked into the system behind it and added a pornographic story about the sexual relationship between a dog and a pig.
The thing is, we're likely going to hear about this on various blogs in the library community, magazines like Library Journal, and maybe even the local news. Maybe I'm pessimistic, but I'm guessing most of what we hear is going to be how dangerous this technology is and how we have to protect our children.
Now, this is a terrible thing. But it should be kept in perspective. Libraries have always suffered from vandalism; naughty bits drawn in books, obscenities scrawled on walls and so on. The only thing that really makes this much different is that it was allegedly done by a computer hacker. Had the same story simply been written in the margins of a kids book, the media probably wouldn't have picked it up.
Technology certainly leaves open some security holes. What's new is that it takes a high level of technical skill to break these systems. The flip-side is that it also takes a high level of technical skill to understand what's gone wrong and fix the problem, which leaves many people scared of the situation. It's unfortunate all around.

Cool! Free webcam! Now what?

2008-05-27T15:40:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine gave me a webcam he came across for free this weekend. My first reaction was pretty much like any time someone dangles a new tech toy in front of me. After I settled down and stopped dancing around, I started thinking of what I could use it for. And I'm still thinking.
Most people seem to be using their webcams in a search for Internet fame, if Yahoo Live is a true indication (given what I saw there the other day, I really hope it's not). It could also make a great security camera, assuming anyone breaking in points his face directly into the camera (and also doesn't think to steal the computer).
Skype allows for a webcam video feed, and I started thinking that might make a really cool reference tool. People could chat with librarians and, combined with Skype's ability to let users "push" Web pages to one another, the whole setup could almost approximate an in-person reference transaction.
My wife may have had a better idea with her thoughts about a "gerbil-cam," though...
It seems like so much in the tech world is analogous to my free webcam. There are some great tools out there, but making them actually useful will require some creativity. The things the creators of technology envision are only one part - and probably just a small part - of what any product truly has to offer. These are great times to be a tinkerer.

Mobipocket app soon to be available for iPhone/iTouch

2008-05-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

A similar ebook reader app that's been available for Blackberries and other handhelds may soon be out for iPhones and iTouch before the end of the year. What effect will this have on the Amazon Kindle or other such devices? Probably not much for early adopters or people that spare no expense for new toys, but for someone like myself - good news.

I'd rather listen to an audiobook than read an ebook but some things just have to be in print and for that reason - bring it on - Mobipocket! I always have my iPod with me and would more likely reference an ebook whenever I have a spare minute or two than haul around a Kindle or other such reader. For more thoughts on this topic, see the Kindleville blog.

Group calls for libraries to boycott DRM

2008-05-14T08:47:00.001-07:00

Here at the Twinsburg library, we've had great success with our "download station," which is really just a library computer set up to use the CLEVNET consortium's collection of digital media. It usually works well, and gives patrons access to a huge collection of titles.
But then, there are times it doesn't work at all. This is usually due to some kind of compatibility issue caused on one of a range of levels by Digital Rights Management (DRM). For example, a downloaded file needs an mp3 player to decode its DRM using a specific flavor of mp3, but a patron's player only plays other specific types of mp3. It can be very discouraging for the patron, and nearly impossible to explain to someone not familiar with the many headaches caused by DRM.
Well, now a group -- defectivebydesign.org -- has written an open letter to libraries urging them to boycott services that use DRM. It looks like this letter was originally sparked by experiences at the Boston library system, though the open letter is gathering signatures nationwide and is geared toward all U.S. libraries. It specifically mentions OverDrive, the company that runs our consortium's digital collection. Click here for the letter.
It's a tradeoff, there's no denying. The DRM can be oppressive. On the other hand, though, try finding a vendor that doesn't use it. So do we deny our patrons this service because of the vendor's practices? These are questions that are becoming more and more important to libraries across the country.

Yet another Linux release

2008-05-13T12:32:00.001-07:00

Not to be outdone by the good folks over at Ubuntu and their recent release, the Fedora project has just gone live today with its latest update, Fedora 9.
Fedora makes a special effort to promote open source software, only including in its Linux distribution applications that meet that standard of openness and freedom. They're idealists, in other words. It so happens that they also have a pretty nice Linux distro.
According to the release notes, the bootloader, the small application that fires Linux up, has undergone some updates. This is one thing that has been holding some people (well, me, anyway) back from Linuxy goodness, as older distros don't play nice with some computer hardware. Here's hoping some of these updates continue to make Linux more friendly to the masses.
Click here for the Fedora Project Web page.

What's 2.0?

2008-05-12T12:54:00.001-07:00

Confused about all this 'Web 2.0' stuff? You're not the only one. Pundits all over the place, and especially in the library world, have taken "2.0" as a malleable term that can define nearly anything they like or dislike.
Here's a good explanation, though, ferreted out by the computer-news site [H]ard|OCP.
It cuts the marketing hype out of the debate, defining Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 by the technologies that drive them and the services they offer. Of course, it focuses on Web 2.0, but it offers great insight into what people in the information world mean (or should mean, anyway) when they talk about Library 2.0.

Wikis in Plain English

2008-05-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

View Commoncraft video on creating wikis:

Is an open-source Flash creator coming soon?

2008-05-03T08:15:00.001-07:00

PC World is reporting that Adobe is loosening its licensing restrictions on Flash, the media format that makes possible online, animated videos embedded in Web pages. This includes the little sparklies and snazzy intros that so many Web sites use (for good or ill) these days. The full text of the story is at http://tinyurl.com/5ey7ab.
This could be good news for the open source community. To date there are no good free apps for creating these videos, keeping this part of the Web development game in the hands of those willing to shell out a couple hundred bucks to Adobe (or, previously, Macromedia). This move won't on its own make that possible, but it could be the beginning of that process.
There is some speculation that the move could be a corporate attempt to head off an upcoming, similar technology from Microsoft. In any case, the next few months could see some great moves to keep Web development a level playing field that allows those with creative vision and the willingness to learn some new skills the ability to design pages on par with the largest businesses.

Turn Your iPod into a Travel Guide

2008-05-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

Travel season is almost upon us and there are many nifty podcasts (video or audio) available to download and take with you on trips or, for the armchair traveler, to enjoy at home. Some are done by well-known purveyors of travel books, such as Frommer, the Travel Channel, Lonely Planet, and Rick Steves or even by very enthusiastic amateurs, who want to share their experiences with others. Check out these Links.

So much for that idea...

2008-05-01T12:19:00.001-07:00

It doesn't take a computer guru these days to tell you that the recording industry has a, um, mixed view of opportunities opened by technology. We've all heard about the heavy-handed lawsuits lobbed at college students and, on occasion, schoolgirls. And then there's the restrictive digital-rights management (DRM) that limits how you can listen to mp3 files you've paid good money for.
So when the band Radiohead announced last year it was offering up its latest album for download, and asking listeners to pay whatever they felt it was worth, the move was heralded by many in the anti-DRM camp as a visionary move that embraced new technology and ways of thinking.
Well, it turns out the record companies may just have a better grasp of human nature. The Radiohead album was widely pirated and not often paid for. Now the band is saying it probably won't do that again. Here's the story, from the Web site bit-tech.net.
What does this mean for libraries? Well, probably whatever someone making an argument wants it to mean, just like our current state of confusion. As companies race to get content online for library patrons, they often stumble over their own feet trying to manage DRM and content-protection schemes. It's a situation no one enjoys, but, if Radiohead's experience is typical of that of a content creator, is perhaps a necessary evil.

Refine your Web searches with Boolify

2008-05-01T07:56:00.001-07:00

Here's another great tool I picked up from the blog Lifehacker.
This one's called Boolify, and is at the Web site http://boolify.org.

Essentially, Boolify is a tutorial on Boolean operators (like using connectors such as "and" and "or" to refine search results). It lets users build a visual search with those operators, then runs it through Google. The results can be much more relevant than the typical "throw terms in and see what works" approach.
Of course, you can always use Boolean operators without this tool, but the visual format helps users form these searches and makes the whole process more accessible.

Does 2.0 matter?

2008-04-29T10:51:00.001-07:00

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

2008-04-29T07:29:00.001-07:00

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

2008-04-17T13:06:00.001-07:00

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

2008-04-16T08:45:00.001-07:00

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.

computer security

2008-03-31T16:14:00.001-07:00

CanSecWest, a high-profile conference that draws North America's best and brightest computer security minds, just wrapped up. One of the more interesting features of this year's event was called a "pwn 2 own" contest. It featured three laptop computers, each running a different operating system. Conference attendees were offered the chance to hack into the machines. The prize? Hack the machine and it's yours. Here's a link to the rules: http://tinyurl.com/3beslz. each person was allowed 30 minutes to work the machine over and try to recover a secure file from within it.
The results? Apple went down on day two. Vista lasted until the last day of the conference. Ubuntu was the sole survivor.
Does this mean everyone should ditch their favored system for Linux? Not at all. Keep in mind these were the geekiest of computer geeks, and they were allowed unfettered access for half an hour. Unless you leave your laptop sitting unsupervised at a lot of Star Wars conventions, you probably won't face that level of risk.
What it does serve to underscore, however, is that no operating is truly secure (though some try to market themselves that way). No matter what system you use, bolster it with antivirus and antispyware software, and use good sense and the OS's built-in security features.

iPod Friendly OverDrive Coming Soon to a Library Near You

2008-03-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

Big announcement for Libraries buying downloadable audiobooks from OverDrive - read their full news release Here.

Alternatives to Microsoft Office

2008-03-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

A lot of libraries and individuals too are looking for free or inexpensive replacements for Microsoft suite of office applications. The two biggies are Open Office and Google Docs, but here are more suggested links:

Forget Word - 13 online word processors

Forget Powerpoint - 13 online presentation apps

Forget Excel - 14 online spreadsheet applications

30 Benefits of Ebooks

2008-03-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Although "Read an Ebook week" (March 2-8, 2008) is officially over, Epublishers Weekly 30 Benefits of Ebooks List (written in January) is still relevant.

OverDrive to Partner with Borders

2008-03-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

OverDrive is the primary distributor of downloadable audiobooks, e-books, music, and videos to our library and other members of CLEVNET. They just announced today that they will also be providing content to the new concept stores that Borders will be opening this year as well as select superstores nationwide. Read HERE for the complete announcement.

Internet Explorer to become standards compliant?

2008-03-05T06:58:00.001-08:00

Here's a great bit of news for anyone disseminating information over the Web: http://tinyurl.com/25s2d5
According to the tech watchers over at Fudzilla, the next release of Microsoft's Internet Explorer will comply to W3C standards. The W3C is the closest entity the Web has to a governing body, and for years now Microsoft has declined to make its browser fully compatible with standard HTML. For Microsoft, which bundles IE with Windows and enjoys an enormous install base, this has ensured users of its browser as Web designers often simply choose to design pages compatible with IE (and thus often making pages incompatible with other, standards-compliant browsers).
To make truly accessible Web pages that worked on any browser, designers often had to pull of some intense coding gymnastics. Needless to say, usability suffered. So here's hoping the rumors of IE standards compliance are true.

Is Web 4.0 just around the corner?

2008-03-04T11:09:00.001-08:00

Here's an interesting piece that originally appeared on PC World's blog: http://tinyurl.com/yug9fg
According to analyst Nils Muller, we're rapidly on the way to Web 4.0. For those who pay attention to running debates like this, the concept of Web 2.0 has been controversial, difficult to define, harder still to explain, and generally annoying for all concerned. Muller actually offers up a pretty concise explanation as to what Web 2.0 means, as well as the meaning of its successors. He sees a near future in which people interact with technology seamlessly. Instead of looking up a particular Web page and querying something, for example, one could simply ask his or her computer a question, just as people do with their friends today. He might have something there, as projects like the Semantic Web begin to bear fruit.
For now, though, it might be a little early for most of us to start planning this far ahead. We're still on Human 1.0.

10 Ways to Make Your iPod a Better Learning Gadget

2008-03-02T10:04:00.000-08:00

Podcast Library - if you have one (iPod) use it for some of this great free stuff.

Install Wikipedia on iPod generations one to four, as well as iPod Minis and Photo iPods (not sure if they mean video iPods?).

You are not just limited to iTunes' podcasts or fee based videos and mp3s on your iPod. For more freebies, go here.

Free Online Courses from Great Universities

2008-03-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

I know I keep pushing the Open Culture website, but it just keeps getting better and better. This is one of those sites I plan on using lots when I retire.

The Online Writing Courses at Stanford also tie in with our TPL Writers' Circle that meets here the first Tuesday of the month at 7 pm.

Borders Personal Publishing

2008-03-02T09:24:00.001-08:00

Borders is partnering with Lulu in the self-publishing field or what we librarians used to call vanity press. Recently we had a very good experience using Lulu to publish our Library cookbook, so I'm definitely not looking down my nose at anyone using that source. Now that Lulu is pairing up with a distributor of substantial means and reputation, self-publishing might come out of the shadows a bit more. In this digital world, I personally see it as inevitable, although I'm sure Simon & Schuster or similar publishing houses aren't trembling in their boots yet - good editors are worth their weight in gold.

Steampunk magazine publishes online for free

2008-02-28T08:48:00.001-08:00

Steampunk has for some time now been recognized as a subgenre of science fiction. It entails re-envisioning technology based on Victorian-era culture. These made-up worlds are populated with steam-powered rockets and gear-driven computers. This genre of literature enjoys a large following among the Internet and computer crowd.
To that end, there's a downloadable magazine covering all things steampunk. Artwork and fashion are featured, but so are short stories and poetry. It's still relatively new, but each issue can be downloaded for free. It's an interesting window into a thriving genre of literature. Check it out at www.steampunkmagazine.com

Wikitravel

2008-02-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

We all know how quickly travel guide books go out of date - Wikitravel is an attempt to create an up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide by allowing fellow travelers to edit any page with more current information.

It has the look and feel of its older cousin, Wikipedia, but I haven't had time for an in depth search yet.

Format wars: e-book versus print

2008-02-26T14:29:00.000-08:00

TeleRead suggests that it doesn't have to be an either or situation. Print or e-books or audiobooks, for that matter, all have their usefulness depending on content or circumstance.

RFID kits

2008-02-22T08:30:00.001-08:00

Like retail outlets, libraries have been drooling over the possibilities opened up by RFID technology for a couple years now. It could potentially allow people to check out a book simply by walking past a scanner. Shelf-reading could be done by passing a wand over a shelf. The location of any item, even if mis-shelved, could be determined, and librarians with laser-implants in their eyes could Segway over to shelves and discard whole sections with one swipe of their chainsaw hands.
Of course, some of those possibilities are more likely to see the light of day than others. In the interest of experimenting, evaluating costs versus benefits, and turning staff on to the possibilities, there are some cheap RFID play kits available for about $100. Check out this link: http://tinyurl.com/ysd4pw for more information.

Blog comments on CPL Web site

2008-02-21T09:01:00.001-08:00

As if anyone needs more proof that people on the Internet can be an opinionated bunch, here's a blog entry about the recently redesigned Cleveland Public Library site: http://colbowdesign.com/blog2/?p=107.
The thing is, this writer mocked up his own version of what he feels the site should look like, and it's actually pretty good. He points out some things that CPL may really want to take into consideration. Just another indication that even if it doesn't always feel like it, people do watch library Web sites and consider them a public face of the community they serve!

Creative Commons and libraries

2008-02-21T08:16:00.001-08:00

In recent years, as the Web has complicated copyright law and generally caused headaches for authors, publishers, and end-users, alternatives to strict U.S. copyright law have become more attractive. The best known example of this is the Creative Commons license. It's rapidly gaining in popularity among people who want to make their work (in any media) available for use, but not totally surrender their rights to it. It's a compromise that's tricky under current U.S. law.
The Nebraska state library just posted this: http://tinyurl.com/2tdrf5 on its blog. Libraries there are beginning to explore the possibility of including CC-licensed work in their collections.
Now, I've seen a lot of CC-licensed books online, and most of them aren't copyrighted by major publishers for a reason. But as Creative Commons gains popularity, it's also catching the eye of established writers like Cory Doctorow (the nonfiction author, not to be confused with author E.L. Doctorow). It's an interesting idea that probably warrants exploration.

Make Your Own Comic

2008-02-18T07:50:00.000-08:00

Stephen Abram from SirsiDynix and Stephen's Lighthouse has created his own comic strip using toonlet. This is so cool! Anyone with a bit of spare time and stories to tell (personal, work, or school related) could have a lot of fun with this.

Read an E-Book Week, March 9-15

2008-02-18T07:43:00.000-08:00

Whether you are into green or black & white, March 9 - 15 has been "set aside to educate consumers about reading electronic books and other reading material." For more...

Ebooks on iPhone and iPod Touch

2008-02-18T07:39:00.000-08:00

Although you need to have an active web connection, "With TextOnPhone, iPhone and iPod touch users can view electronic books (ebooks), text files, and documents on the go using an iPhone-friendly interface when browsing TextOnPhone.com." For more...

50 Free Applications

2008-02-13T10:06:00.000-08:00

The Top 50 Proprietary Programs that Drive You Crazy — and Their Open Source Alternatives includes substitute applications for operating systems, office tools, graphics, media, and more.

Kindle Selling Sample Chapters

2008-02-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

News from Kindleville - Stephen Windwalker is selling an excerpt of his forthcoming book: How to Use the Amazon Kindle for Email and Other Cool Tricks. The exerpt is available as a Kindle download - quelle surprise!

Top Tools 2008

2008-02-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

List of Top 100 Tools for Learning - Spring 2008 may not contain any surprises, but it is still early in the year.

Top 100 Tools for 2007 by Popularity

Kindle can't be lent?

2008-02-09T08:16:00.001-08:00

OK, people who know me sometimes say I can sound a little paranoid about the differences in copyright law between print and electronic materials. Electronic items, thanks to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, can come with extremely restrictive license agreements that deny the so-called "first-sale" doctrine libraries rely on to lend materials.
Here's a link to a story in Library Journal about a concrete example, though: http://tinyurl.com/24m5xa.
According to the story, the license agreement specifically prohibits the Kindle from being lent out. This could be a sticking point as libraries attempt to more fully embrace digital materials.

10 Signs of Intelligent Life at YouTube

2008-01-31T08:32:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for more than clips of funny babies and American Idol contestants (come on, I'm grandmother - what else would I watch?) check out openculture for links to content with signs of "intelligent life" on YouTube.

See also 10 Ways to Make Your iPod a Better Learning Gadget .

Free unzipping utility for Windows

2008-01-28T11:22:00.000-08:00

There are quite a few unzip utilities, but IZArc claims to unzip almost every known format out there and it's free! So, if you don't want to load your PC with a bunch of utilities or pay for something you may only need to use once or twice, this may be the way to go.

Zipeg is another free utility that has versions for Windows and Mac OS X users too.

Sites with other free zip/unzip software: freeware.intrastar.net and Thefreesite.com

Free Neil Gaiman audio story

2008-01-26T07:55:00.001-08:00

Here's a link to a story about one of Neil Gaiman's short stories, in MP3 audio read by the author: http://tinyurl.com/26avjf. The story includes a link to a free download provided by the publisher.
This caught my eye because it seems like a great marketing device for publishers. Some people who habitually watch Book TV (well, my mother, anyway) cite as a reason the chance to watch authors read from and talk about their work. That's remarkably hard to come across these in these days of highly managed media. Authors appearing on talk shows, for example, get about three minutes to talk, minus the time eaten up by the host's hilarity. Public readings used to be a pretty common thing. I know there are still readings, but they're relatively hard to come across and are typically undertaken by lesser-known authors. I, for one, think it's promising to see publishers using tech as an efficient platform to re-imagine those free readings.

Creating Your Own Social Network

2008-01-22T13:11:00.000-08:00

www.ning.com does for social networking what blogger.com does for blogging. It provides templates and features that will allow you to be up and running in minutes. You have more control of your network than simply creating a page on myspace or facebook.

You can even add it as a subdirectory to your web page, but that will cost you $5.00/mo. For the really ambitious, Ning will provide the source code to create your network from scratch. This might be a good tool to provide the social networking experience for young people in a safer environment.

Guess who's using Flickr?

2008-01-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

You not only get a chance to view some of the hidden treasures of the Library of Congress' prints and photos, but you can also create tags to help describe the collection. Check out The Library of Congress Pilot Project on Flickr.

Installing videos on your ipods or other video players

2008-01-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

I've been asking myself - what good is it having a video iPod or Creative Zen V if you can't download videos? Even the new Harry Potter DVD comes with a digital version for you to download legally, but it is not compatible with iPods!

Today I heard about an open-source program called HandBrake that is supposed to convert files and it is available for Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows. I may have some time this weekend to try it out. I was really disappointed that our Creative Zen V was not compatible with Overdrive's collection of downloadable videos. It works great with audiobooks, but not videos.

The Amazon Kindle

2008-01-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

Staff member Katie Salley tested the Amazon Kindle for a week. Here is her review of the device! Please comment with questions. Katie is always very happy to talk about the Kindle!
-Cari D., Reference Librarian

Katie's Review

Likes:
1. The dictionary feature - it's nice to be able to look up words that are unfamiliar with ease.
2. The ease with which you can browse the Amazon store - it's really cool that you are able to read reviews and browse chapters before you buy a book. The ability is also there to write reviews while on your Kindle, but I am not all that comfortable with using the tiny keyboard so I would still prefer to do this on a normal computer.
3. The speed at which files are downloaded to your device - once we purchased a book, it was on the Kindle in less than 30 seconds. By the time I realized that it was downloading my book, it was already done!
4. The e-ink technology - it's nice to be able to read the text, no matter at what angle I view it. Yes, you need a light to read (there is no backlight, which gives for great battery life) but you need a light to read a book, so I don't see the merit in other people’s complaints of this feature.
5. Ability to change font size - while reading, I love that I can change the font size to be either bigger or smaller. When my eyes get tired and have a hard time focusing, it will be nice that I can make the font bigger to make reading easier.
6. Because text is only on one side of the “book”, I am able to stay in the same comfortable position for longer. When laying in bed and reading a normal book, I have to resituate myself every time I turn the page. This is alleviated with the Kindle.
7. I was able to upload a text file with my class notes onto the Kindle. I then took the Kindle to class with me to study before a final. Since I was so infatuated with the Kindle (it was like a new toy to me!) I was able to study longer and better. And my eyes didn’t get as tired.
8. Battery life is fantastic. I browsed the Kindle store, surfed the internet, read an entire book, studied for an exam, and the battery still lasted 6 days. I was incredibly impressed! However, I did have the wireless option turned off more often that I had it on, so that definitely helped prolong the battery life.

Dislikes:
1. Too easy to hit the "next page" button; there's no good way to hold it without the case without hitting buttons. This became less of an issue once I used the case it came with. Also, once I got used to the buttons, I was less likely to hit them just from normal handling. I also found out that you can lock the keys (by hitting Alt+aA, which is the alt key and the key to change fonts). This is handy when you are just setting the Kindle down for a short time, but do not want to turn it off completely.
2. Initial cost - it's $400, enough said. Although, I looked at the cost of the Sony Reader, and it’s $300 (and their books cost more and they don’t use Whispernet, which wirelessly downloads the books within seconds). With the Kindle, you also have free internet wherever you go, so I think that the Kindle is a better deal than the other e-book readers out there, as long as the internet stays free. That being said, I am a poor college student, so I will be waiting until the price drops before purchasing one.
3. The keypad worked a little slow for my liking. I’m a fairly fast typist, even on this smaller keyboard and it bothered me that the letters didn’t show up immediately. It’s not a huge deal but it was enough to make me frustrated every now and then.
Not sure if I like or dislike:
1. It plays audio books as well. Now, the Kindle is great as an e-book reader, but I don't think it was necessary to make it work for audio books as well. There are far better devices out there that would work with audio books, and this device is too clunky to be using it for audio books on a daily basis. One idea that would be neat would be to play the book while you read it, but unfortunately, you cannot multitask while listening to an audio book.
2. It plays MP3s. I'm tempted to put this one under the "dislike" column. It's an e-book reader. It should stick to what it's good for. There is no way to organize songs (which is fine by me) and there's no way to skip tracks (also fine by me). I know that some people will complain about this feature, but if you want something that plays MP3s in that way, get an ipod.

Places to download eBooks for free:
http://manybooks.net/
http://www.feedbooks.com/discover/index
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
From what I have used these sites, I actually do not like the Project Gutenberg site all that well. The PG site makes formatting strange when you change fonts or even use the default font on the Kindle. Feedbooks was by far my favorite. Once you download a book for the Kindle, you get a short biography of the author and a list of some of their other works. From that list, you can wirelessly download more books by that author (very handy!). You can also download a guide to all the books they have and keep that guide on the Kindle. Through this guide, you are also able to download the books with just a few clicks of a button!

Free Office software

2008-01-04T09:19:00.000-08:00

If you received a new laptop during the holidays that didn't come already installed with Microsoft Office - what do you do? Microsoft does offer very deep discounts for students and educators. But if you don't teach or have munchkins at home, you still have some good choices.

For PCs with Windows or Unix/Linux OS - OpenOffice is a good choice and it's free!

For Macs - take a look at NeoOffice, it is a straight conversion of OpenOffice to the Apple platform and also free; there are a few complications loading OpenOffice on a Mac, not insurmountable but does require a bit of expertise.

These are full-featured sets of office applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, and database programs.

A New Website for Free Ebook Downloads

2008-01-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

I also posted this on our DigiDownload blog, because I was so impressed by it. Please excuse the duplication.

This is a pretty snazzy site to acquire free ebook downloads. I'm not sure that some of these titles couldn't be found elsewhere, but the format and content should appeal to Gen Ys.

What attracted me first was the layout of the website and then the categories - these are not all classics and public domain titles. Yes, they have comics and graphic novels and great cookbooks! WOWIO books are free because sponsors pay authors and publishers on subscribers' behalf, so some are rather new releases.

Important things to note: you need to register to download titles; these are pdf files, so you will need the latest Adobe reader installed on your pc; you create a queue of titles you want to read, but only three titles may be downloaded each day. I think there is a time limit to access your titles, but I'm guessing that you can request it again if you need it for a longer period of time.

So far I've checked out - Stargate: The Graphic Novel, Excel 2007 Miracles Made Easy, and Stews, Casseroles & One Pot: 365 Recipes.

The site also provides RSS feeds to be notified about new releases.

The OLPC - FBReader installation

2008-01-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

Check out TeleRead blog - FBReader running on OLPC laptop. Epub books soon for One Laptop per Child kids—and public libraries interested in laptop?

"We’re a little closer to e-book nirvana. FBReader, which in most incarnations can read .epub, the new standard e-book format from the IDPF, is now running on the OLPC laptop."

Currently these little gems cost about $400 for 2 laptops - you keep one and one is sent to a needy child somewhere in the world. The goal of the OLPC project is that the laptop will eventually sell for just $100.

Along with the Asus eeePC, these keyboards are made for very little fingers - but they're bigger than screens for text messaging and both may be viable ebook readers.

Kindle's Hidden Features Discovered

2008-01-02T19:20:00.000-08:00

I'm not recommending that anyone try to reverse engineer their recently acquired Kindles, but it was just a matter of time before someone started messing around with this new device. The latest easter eggs - a basic photo viewer, a minesweeper game, and a rudimentary GPS feature. See Crave: the gadget blog

PC World story about libraries

2008-01-02T09:28:00.001-08:00

I got really frustrated over the holiday while watching "I Robot"; a perfectly good movie that just had to slip in a line about libraries being made obsolete by the Internet.
Well, here's a PC World article that made it all better: http://tinyurl.com/yo4kyb
A new study shows Gen Y is coming to the library specifically for the computers. Actually, the largest group of adult visitors to libraries are in the 18-30 age group. That group tends to make heavy use of research databases, the Web catalog, and other online library resources like IM reference.
Maybe "I Robot" was wrong and there won't be a shortage of libraries (or an over-abundance of killer robots) in the future.

For the New Year I Want an eeeKindaPod

2008-01-01T14:39:00.000-08:00

After trying out all the new gadgets at home and at the Library, I decided that I want one device that does it all and I'm calling it an "eeeKindaPod". Now I just need a New Year's miracle to get Amazon.com, Asus, and Apple to work together to create it.

My device would not only download ebooks from Amazon in less than three seconds, but it would also allow me to browse Amazon's entire website for other stuff as well. While I'm at it, I'd like to be able to check my e-mail and view any other website that strikes my fancy with Amazon's free wireless Whispernet.

I'd also like to be able to access web based applications like Google Docs, while I'm listening to music or audio books that I've downloaded from iTunes or the Library.

I really don't think these are unrealistic expectations. The Kindle, eeePC, and the new iPod Touch are all pretty remarkable devices. Each have unique features:

Amazon.com's The Kindle - uses Sprint's EVDO broadband network for mobile phones
Asus' - direct links to Google Docs and wikipedia; can also be installed with either Linux or Windows OS
iPod Touch - has Safari built in and enough memory to store a ton of music, TV shows and audiobooks

Come on guys - show me the magic!

Predictions for 2008

2007-12-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

Stephen Abram, SirsiDynix's VP of Innovation, posted 30 Library Technology Predictions for 2008 in his blog today.

A smarter iPod?

2007-12-27T19:09:00.000-08:00

From OpenCulture - 10 Ways to Make Your iPod a Better Learning Gadget - Be sure to check what generation your iPod is before trying to install some of these programs.

Put Wikipedia on Your Ipod - generations 1-4
Watch DVDs on Your iPod
Load YouTube Videos to Your iPod
Make Other Video Formats iPod-Ready
Convert MP3 files into One Big iPod Audiobook File
Create eBooks for the iPod
Record Web Audio and Move it To Your iPod
Get a Civic Education on Your Ipod - ten important documents in American history
Load Maps onto Your iPod
Study Foreign Languages, Take University Courses, and Listen to AudioBooks on Your iPod - a plug from OpenCulture

Big Year for RSS

2007-12-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

2007: The Year in RSS by Marshall Kirkpatrick on his blog ReadWriteWeb

Library Firefox Lovers Unite

2007-12-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

From LibrarianInBlack Sarah Houghton-Jan:

Ellyssa Kroski on iLibrarian has amassed the single biggest list of Firefox plug-ins useful to library staff that I have ever seen. She broke it into three parts, so as to make it easier on the head! If you use Firefox (and you should) then you will be sure to find something useful here, and even for you Firefox fanatics like myself, you will probably find at least one new plug-in that has you grinning. Thanks Ellyssa!

40 Useful Firefox Add-Ons for Librarians – Part One
40 Useful Firefox Add-Ons for Librarians – Part Two
40 Useful Firefox Add-Ons for Librarians – Part Three

Fred's favorite web apps

2007-12-19T13:10:00.001-08:00

Since we're talking about our favorite Web apps, here's my list. It's hard because there are so many useful tools out there!
1) Del.icio.us -- It's basically a portable bookmark manager. It's on the Web, so unlike browser bookmarks you can get to it from any computer. It also lets you add your own tags to pages so you can find them later. All in all I have a couple hundred things tagged.
2) Gmail -- There are a lot of free e-mail providers out there. Gmail stands out in my mind, though. First, there's the massive volume of storage. You can use Gmail as an online hard drive, emailing documents to yourself so you can get to them anywhere. Next, there's the excellent search functions and effective spam filter. Finally, it has IMAP support, meaning you can pair it with an e-mail client like Thunderbird to bring your messages to you in a cool, smooth interface. In my mind Gmail's the undisputed champion of Web-based e-mail providers.
3) Bloglines. In an earlier post I touted the features of Google Reader as a blog aggregator. I'll spread the love here though by mentioning Bloglines. It tracks all your favorite blogs, keeping track of what you've read and what you'd like to keep. An easy way to get far more relevant news than would ever be fit to print.

Top Web Applications for the Year

2007-12-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

What are your top three recommendations for web aps or add-ons this year? Share your suggestions of new, improved, or just discovered aps for 2007. Maybe we can put together a top ten or twenty list for the new year.

My three favorites are:

picnik - what I like most about picnik is that I don't have to log-in to use it, so I can get started cropping, resizing, or editing images immediately. Since I edit images primarily for webpages, it satisfies most of my requirements. You may have to upgrade to the premium version or try other commercial editing tools for more features, but for quick fixes - the basic, free version does the trick;
mixaloo - want to try your hand at putting together a cool musical mix to share with friends online? This is not an entirely free site. The mix consists of 30 second clips of your selections, but if someone wants to buy your full length version, mixaloo will give you a very small commission per track. You're not going to make your fortune here - just have a little fun;
cooliris - this is really just a browser add-on, but I'm hooked! Once installed, cooliris works by opening up a window whenever you pass your mouse over any link on the webpage you are viewing. Versions are available for both Internet Explorer or Firefox.

Google Reader

2007-12-19T06:44:00.001-08:00

In the library's computer classes about blogs, I've introduced people to the RSS aggregator Bloglines. It's a wonderful tool that gathers up all your blogs for you. I may be rethinking that choice of aggregator though after trying out Google Reader.
It's not that Bloglines is bad, mind -- actually it's quite a good tool. But Reader brings with it some of the interface slickness that defines Google. Adding new feeds is easier, discovering new blogs is much simpler, and there's a little more customization possible. Also, rather than the clippings folder used by Bloglines, Reader goes with a more unified approach. Simply "star" the entry you wish to keep and add some tags. Later, you can find it with a simple search. Finally, there are some rudimentary social networking functions built in. You can share entries with groups of friends and so on. I still have my beloved Bloglines account, but I have been finding myself visiting Reader much more often this week.

Amazon's Kindle hacked!

2007-12-17T16:00:00.001-08:00

There's been a lot of talk about Amazon's Kindle here in the library. A device with aspirations that could one day see our beloved paper books consigned to museums is bound to provoke reactions. Of course, the Kindle's big drawback was the digital rights management (DRM) scheme that only allowed it to display electronic books purchased through Amazon.
These days all DRM schemes seem to be irresistible targets for the code warriors out there, rendering corporate dreams of marketing synergy and forced sales little more than roadblocks that cause headaches for those using the devices as manufacturers intended. Amazon's Kindle has proved no different in that respect. Just a few weeks after launch, the DRM has been countered to allow the playing of MobiPocket books. As an aside, the library offers free downloads of MobiPocket books through its download stations.
Here's a link to the story about the Kindle being hacked: http://tinyurl.com/2aq96o

Go Go Gadget Laptop!

2007-12-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

Hi! This is Cari, Reference Librarian and Technology Team member. I'm typing this post on an ASUS Eee PC, a tiny laptop that runs on Linux. It's a very cool, sleek-looking gadget, which includes a camera, Skype, and Web access. It doesn't carry enough memory to run higher-level apps like a "normal" laptop would, and it has a miniature screen and a teeny keyboard. I'm definitely having trouble typing because the keys are so small--and a man with larger hands would probably have more trouble. My neck also kinda hurts from slouching and bending over. So this gadget may not be the best thing if you need something with full function, but it's a neat little tool to carry around in your purse or bag for quick connectivity.