MCLC Library Tech Talk

Guest Blog: What’s on the Horizon? by Allison Ringness

Vinny — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:48:46 +0000

It’s a new year, a time for looking ahead and planning for the future. But how to predict what will be on the horizon? Ask the New Media Consortium.

The New Media Consortium hosts the Horizon Project, which “charts the landscape of emerging technologies for teaching, learning, research, creative inquiry, and information management” (http://nmc.org/horizon-project). The Horizon Report is produced annually by the Horizon Project, and details which technologies are anticipated to be adopted in one, two-three, or four-five year “horizons.”

A few flavors of the Horizon Report are out there: in 2011, the NMC published Horizon reports for museums, K-12 education, and higher education. Regardless of whether you work with school-aged children or want to take a peek at where other areas of the information technology fields are going, all the Horizon Reports are freely available. All the 2011 Horizon Reports can be found on iTunes U (search New Media Consortium) or on the NMC website, http://nmc.org, and you can watch the 2012 report as it moves from draft to final version as it takes shape on the Horizon Projects Wiki, http://horizon.wiki.nmc.org/.

You don’t just have to watch, either: if you like the work the NMC does, you can connect with them via Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, or become an NMC member. Have a project you want to share? Contribute it to NMC Project Navigator, a project database that is both customizable and fully integrated with social networking tools.

For more information on the NMC, the Horizon Reports, and getting involved, visit http://nmc.org.

2011 MCLC TechTalk Blog in Review

Vinny — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:49:19 +0000

Some interesting stats from the previous year. A big thank you to all who participated in all of our activities this past year.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,000 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 50 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Overdrive eBook Catalogs Are Different

Vinny — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:46:42 +0000

I found this post from the Librarian in Black’s website.

http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2011/12/overdrive.html

It is a good read for every library on Overdrive or thinking of getting into eBooks through Overdrive. The one thing I do not understand is why this surprises so many people. Then again that is a topic for another post.

Music on the Go Part II

cathyc — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:54:12 +0000

Last week Google opened Google Music to everyone with a Google ID and also added music to the android market.

http://lifehacker.com/5860817/google-music-vs-amazon-mp3-vs-itunes-which-online-music-store-is-the-best-for-you

Google Music is a place on the cloud that you can store your music. You can also store your music on Apple’s iCloud or Amazon’s Cloud Drive. http://www.informationweek.com/news/cloud-computing/software/231903150?nomobile=1

Buying My Tablet

Vinny — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 02:27:00 +0000

One does not have to search very far for a new tablet on the market. After the last couple if years hearing how this is the year of the tablet we finally have happened upon such a year. The market is bristling with slick slabs of glass for work or play. Weather you are ready to take the plunge yourself or just are interested in what your patrons are now arming themselves with I wanted to share some of the factors that I considered when choosing my tablet.

First, some background. I had been using and enjoying an Apple iPad for about a year now at work. The time had come to turn it back in and I was left in a bit of a pickle. I really liked the iPad but I do not care for having to sync it to iTunes every time I want to load something on it. Plus the cost left me with a sinking feeling in my wallet. Since even the newest iPad does not offer external storage I would be looking at the 32 GB one to replace the one I had been using, and at $600 it simply was out of my price range. Even the entry level 16 GB iPad was at the outer reach of my range at $500.

Time was price wasn’t really a factor because all the tablets cost the same. With more manufactures entering the market we have now the benefit of competition in the price field. Prices are coming down with tablets such as the Kindle Fire going for as little as $200. I knew that somewhere out there was a tablet that would do what I needed and was in the $300 to $500 price range I could afford.

Your choices for a tablet will largely by influenced by the operating system (OS) it runs. Currently the two leaders are iOS (Apple) and Android (Google). Some tablets do run a version of Windows 7 but it is less than ideal and Microsoft has yet to show what Windows 8 will do for tablets, though the promise is high. I have been using iTunes and the iTunes Store since getting my iPod five years ago, but since getting my Android smartphone I have left that ecosystem behind. I have also become quite a fan of having all my email, calendar and contact information synced in the cloud and accessible with a minimum of effort. Long story short, I knew I wanted an Android tablet. I will say I like how simple it is to get around on an iPad and for the user who is already happy with getting their digital media through Apple this is a fine choice. I also found myself wanting a tablet that is more PC like in behavior than device. I like the ability to load files to and from my tablet either through the cloud or PC on the few occasions when I do sync it. I also am used to having access to the files on my PC and phone and would like that feature in a tablet.

Using the iPad had given me a good idea what I would be using a tablet for. I needed a good web browser, access to storage for my music, books, and movies, a good library of apps and a means to take notes and write (type) on. On the iPad I had been using Evernote and iA Writer and was very happy with both. Unfortunately iA Writer is only available on the iPad, but a look through the Google Market and I found Jota Text Editor, a basic text editor with similar features.

The storage issue was the biggest and most decisive factor for me. The tablet I wanted had to have access to an SD card of some sort. As mentioned, that left out the current offerings from Apple and iOS. On the Android side things weren’t looking too bright either. The current flagship Android tablet, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is absent that one feature as well. At that point I had come across a review for the Toshiba Thrive that mentioned one of it’s standout features; a full sized SD card slot. Apparently Android 3.1 (Honeycomb), the Android tablet OS, does not include support for external storage, but Toshiba’s engineers managed to slip this in. The latest version of Honeycomb, 3.2, rectifies this, opening the door for more tablets to offer this feature. I should also mention the Thrive came in 8, 16 and 32 GB models where as many current tablets only came in a 16 or 32 GB model. The benefit there is you can couple the smalkest size with a larger SD card and save yourself quite a bit of money. The Thrive also has full size USB and HDMI ports. This makes the tablet a bit on the thick side. Actually quite a bit on the thick side as it is the thickest tablet out there but it is still slimmer than a net book not to mention my laptop. Once I learned that the Thrive also featured a robust file manager I was sold. I would now have access to all my files and can move them around at will.

Another consideration was battery life. This is one area where the Thrive comes up a little short. On the plus side, the Thrive has a user replaceable battery so should it stop taking a charge or even if you wanted to carry a spare around you do have that option. Because if this, the battery is smaller than most of the competition. The result is where the iPad can last nine hours on a charge the Thrive only lasts about six. In the real world that translates to about two days on a charge. By comparison the iPad I was using averaged about four days before needing a sip of Uncle Charlie’s electron juice. Not a deal breaker for me but certainly a bummer.

Remember earlier when I mentioned I could not afford the iPad at $600, well Android tablets like the Galaxy, and the Zoom were busting the bank at $500 to $700 as well. The Nook Color was attractive at $250 as was the Kindle Fire, but since those tablets run a customised version of Android they do not have access to the Google market making app selection modest at best. I found Android tabkets in the sweet spot between $300 and $500 from manufacturers like Acer, Archos, ASUS, Dell, Lenovo, Sony, Visio etc. I found that the Thrive was right in that price range as well. Looking around, I found the best price on Amazon. Though my wife did one better with a Groupon for a 16GB Thrive for $300 dollars. For my Thrive I paid $375, add in $20 for a 16GB SD card and I now have a 32GB tablet for $395. That is $105 dollars cheaper than the base 16 GB iPad.

I could not be happier with my Thrive. Many of the Apps I use on my phone work on the tablet as well, plus it syncs my personal and work email and my personal and work calendars from the cloud. The Jota text editor works as good as iA Writer for me and I am now powering through the last third of my next novel on it. Once I loaded up the SD card on my laptop with my music and movie libraries I was good to go. I have also connected it to my TV via the HDMI port (using the cable I already have I might add), for some big screen video watching. I can finally catch up with The Big Bang Theory on CBS.com. I should also mention my wife liked it so much she did use that Groupon and bought one for herself.

Music on the Go

cathyc — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:19:51 +0000

More and more people are giving up cds and listing to music on their computer, tablet, smartphone, portable music player, smart tv and blueray dvd player, gaming console, car, etc. There are different websites and apps that let you listen to music on these devices. These services also suggest music for you based on the artists you tell them are your favorite. They also have music channels that have different themes. For example, during the holidays, they have a channel with holiday music. If you find a song that you like that is new to you they give you a chance to purchase the song from online music stores.

Pandora

Launched in 2000. It has an ad supported free version. It is $36 a year for ad free listening. Free Pandora accounts permit 6 skips per hour per station, for up to 12 total skips per day across all stations. Upgrading to Pandora One will remove the daily skip limit (although the 6 skips per hour per station limit will remain in place). You can listen for free on the web and apps in smartphones, tablets, blueray dvd players, roku, etc.

Last.fm

Launched in 2002. It has an ad supported free version. It has a $3.00 per month subscription service. What you get with a subscription: Uninterrupted radio listening, Play radio on your mobile app, Play radio on supported hardware platforms, Ad-free browsing and streaming, Recent visitors to your profile, A prestigious black icon, Access to their VIP zone with more charts, graphs and the latest from the Last.fm Labs. Apps for android phones, iPhone, ipod, etc. are available to free and paid accounts.

Spotify

Launched in 2008 but just became available in the U.S. this year. It has an ad supported free version that you can listen to through their computer software which limits you to 10 hours a month. It is $4.99 a month for an ad free version. To use their apps you need a premium account which is $9.99 a month.

Rdio

Launched in 2010. To listen on the web it is $4.99. To listen on the web or via smartphone or sonos or roku ap it is $9.99 a month.

Grooveshark

Launched in 2007. There is a free version of Grooveshark. Grooveshark Plus costs $6 a month or $60 for a year subscription, which averages to $5 a month. Grooveshark Anywhere costs $9 a month and $90 for a year subscription, which averages to $7.50 a month. Benefits include: No advertisements on Grooveshark and affiliated sites, Customizable features, such as access to a wider variety of site skins, Access to the Grooveshark Desktop Application, Priority e-mail support from our friendly community support team,Sneak Peaks of our latest developments on Grooveshark Preview, Unlimited space in your library and favorites lists, Last.fm Scrobbling. Grooveshark Anywhere subscribers also get unlimited access to their mobile application, which allows you to take your library and playlists with you on-the-go.

Librarian in Black’s blog post on Spotify Vs Rdio.

Ever get a song in your head or hear a song in a store or on the radio that you do not know the title or artist? The SoundHound and Shazam apps for your smartphone will let you hum a few bars of the song or hear the song on the radio or in the store and tell you the name of the song and artist.

Lifehacker’s article on Shazam Vs. SoundHound.

After you find a song somehow you can purchase it online. The iTunes Store and Amazon.com are two places where you can purchase songs online. With iTunes you have to use their software to purchase a song. The songs will only transfer to an Apple mobile device. If you purchase a song from Amazon.com it will download either into iTunes or Windows Media Player and then can be transfered to a MP3 player or an Apple mobile device.

Life on Cloud 9 3/4 Presentation

Vinny — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 20:18:17 +0000

Here is the presentation from this past Thursday’s meeting. I have added a few extra slides to it that came out of the discussion in the meeting.

Life on cloud

View more presentations from Vinny Alascia

3M To Tackle eBooks

Vinny — Thu, 26 May 2011 15:21:00 +0000

This is a post from engadget.com about 3M entering the library eBook arena. It should be interesting to see where this goes.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/20/3m-announces-cloud-library-e-book-lending-service-for-21st-cent/?a_dgi

Guest Blog: Authors and Social Networking Part III – Sam Sykes by Wendy Trakes

Vinny — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:56:54 +0000

I have been fortunate enough to have developed a few friendships with several local Arizona fiction authors. They live all over the state, have touring schedules and “day jobs” and I don’t see them often, but, like most Americans with computers, we communicate regularly through email and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. It is through the electronic media that I have learned more about them, developed stronger friendships, and been even more enthusiastic about reading their latest books. I have learned about the differences and similarities between writing styles, the emotional attachment to the characters that they carry throughout a story as they write. In short, without social networking connections, I wouldn’t know half of what I do about them as people and as authors.
I recently asked three of my more online-active author friends, Yvonne Navarro (Highborn and Concrete Savior), Janni Lee Simner (Thief Eyes and Bones of Faerie), and Sam Sykes (Tome of the Undergates and Black Halo) to answer a couple questions about the impact of social networking on their work, sales, and relationships with fans and business associates. Each one had a different viewpoint on the impact of social media with their business. The similarities, however, were more surprising. It seems that while there is a lot of hype about using social networking sites as a means to raise business, for some in the book world this may not be worth the time spent. I suspect the following answers may be voiced by many more authors than just my friends.

Sam Sykes

Q. What social networking sites do you use? (Twitter, Facebook, etc…)

A. I use twitter, facebook and my blog, mostly. I sometimes think I should have stayed with MySpace. Surely, it was mostly pornbots, pictures of scantily-clad and nubile young women looking at me with come-hither stares not unlike sirens whispering short and subtle messages in a language that dead men speak and…

…I forgot where I was going with this.

Q. What purpose is your primary account on each of these sites? Are they for personal use? Business use? Both on one?

A. As a man who mostly needs a personality cult to survive, I’d say they count as both business and personal. The fact that I can write 140 characters about beating up a bear in a tuxedo and call it (technically) business is the greatest thing about this job.

Q. How much time do you spend on social networking sites during the day or week?

A. About as much as I spend on anything that is inherently meaningless…four? Six hours a day?

Q. What are the benefits of authors using social networking sites to promote their work?

A. Quite a bit. The main reason, I feel, is that it sort of cultivates a need to be personal and friendly so that you can take that energy with you when you meet other writers and readers out there. Smiles, everyone, smiles.

Q. Are there any pitfalls? If so, describe a few?

A. It can take an immense mental toll, for one. Everything online has the power to suck you in and make you think it’s real. If you’re not careful, you can start becoming too involved: linking your self-worth to the number of twitter followers you have, the number of comments you get, how much attention anyone is giving you at that moment. Go in steadily and knowing it’s just the internet and you’ll be fine.

Q. Do you use any other online resources (chat rooms, video blogs, podcasts) to promote your work?

A. Podcasts, sure, whenever I get the chance. I once got an email from a guy who said he liked my book. I wrote back to him under the assumed name of Ranger Bwansanti of Kenya, explaining that his email had made Sam Sykes laugh with such glee that he never heard the water buffalo coming up behind him to kill him. Said fellow then reposted it on a forum. I guess that counts?

Q. What positive or negative effects have you noticed in your sales, promotional events, etc since you began promoting your work online?

A. I don’t pay enough attention to my sales to answer that question. I assume they go up.

Q. How has the use of these sites changed your relationship with your readers? Any examples?

A. People can talk to me more freely. It’s nice.

Q. How has the use of these sites changed your relationship with your publisher/agent/business professionals? Again, any examples?

A. My editor once called me a jerk in front of all my twitter followers. How embarrassing.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

A. Do it if you want to. Don’t if you’d rather not. It’s not something you desperately need.

Follow Sam Sykes on Twitter

Follow Sam Sykes on Facebook

samsykes.com/

Seven Tech Trade-Offs Worth Making

Vinny — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:52:49 +0000

Buying a new gadget or gismo. The New York Times had an interesting article on what to spend your money on and what you are better off skipping. Click the link to read.

NY Times: Seven Tech Trade-offs