August 24, 2005
Apple plans use flash memory for its new iPod Mini MP3 players, industry analysts
said on Wednesday.
Apple is expected to introduce a 4-gigabyte version of the iPod Mini that uses NAND flash memory instead of a hard disk drive for the Christmas season.
"To support production of its flash memory-based iPods, Apple has booked as much as 40 percent of the NAND output of Samsung for the second half of 2005, according to our industry sources," said iSuppli Corp. analyst Nam Hyung Kim.
Source: Reuters
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
How Mobile Phones Conquered Japan (Wired News)
By Xeni Jardin
Blue-haired Harajuku high schoolers thumb-text distant pals on stickered keitai. Cell phones become cookie brokers, beaming snack requests to vending machines that zap back digital payment demands. Teen girls book illicit "compensation dates" with salarymen, sending snapshots to potential johns via camera-phones.
The popular myth of Japan as a surreal, warp-speed incubator for all things handheld and digital is nothing new.
But rarely do outsiders have an opportunity to venture beyond iconic anecdotes for a matter-of-fact understanding of how mobile technology shapes that country's culture -- and our own.
Personal, Portable, Pedestrian: Mobile Phones in Japanese Life is touted as the first English-language book to attempt just that, and it succeeds.
Co-edited by University of Southern California research scientist Mizuko Ito, Keio University lecturer Daisuke Okabe and Misa Matsuda of Tokyo's Chuo University, the book debunks popular assumptions about why mobile culture evolved as it did in Japan.
Through a series of real-world case studies, it examines the relationship between mobile technology and Japanese society. In doing so, it sheds light on the way handheld connectivity tends to reshape cultures worldwide. (more...)
Blue-haired Harajuku high schoolers thumb-text distant pals on stickered keitai. Cell phones become cookie brokers, beaming snack requests to vending machines that zap back digital payment demands. Teen girls book illicit "compensation dates" with salarymen, sending snapshots to potential johns via camera-phones.
The popular myth of Japan as a surreal, warp-speed incubator for all things handheld and digital is nothing new.
But rarely do outsiders have an opportunity to venture beyond iconic anecdotes for a matter-of-fact understanding of how mobile technology shapes that country's culture -- and our own.
Personal, Portable, Pedestrian: Mobile Phones in Japanese Life is touted as the first English-language book to attempt just that, and it succeeds.
Co-edited by University of Southern California research scientist Mizuko Ito, Keio University lecturer Daisuke Okabe and Misa Matsuda of Tokyo's Chuo University, the book debunks popular assumptions about why mobile culture evolved as it did in Japan.
Through a series of real-world case studies, it examines the relationship between mobile technology and Japanese society. In doing so, it sheds light on the way handheld connectivity tends to reshape cultures worldwide. (more...)
A Novel Approach to Podcasting (The Book Standard)
August 26, 2005
By Anna Weinberg
Scott Sigler first published his science-fiction novel EarthCore in 2001 with iPublish, an AOL/Time Warner imprint. When a promotional ebook version came out first, it hit No. 1 on Barnes & Noble’s website, and as plans to release the print version were going full steam ahead, Time Warner decided to scrap the whole imprint. After making sure he held the rights to the book, Sigler started looking for another way to get it an audience. In March, the author began podcasting a serialized version of his novel, which has now been downloaded more than 10,000 times. “When podcasting rolled around, I thought it would be a great way to release a novel,” he says. “I did a lot of research on it. There are 23 million Americans with an MP3 player, and the most popular form of radio is talk radio. So I thought, ‘This is just going to be huge.’ ”
As recently as this time last year, a podcast—a digital audio program that lives on the Internet—would have meant very little to most people. But today there are thousands of websites devoted to the technology; major media outlets have started releasing some of their broadcasts via podcast; and even cult favorite Neil Gaiman has posted the first few chapters of the audio version of his Anansi Boys on his blog. Sigler’s podcasting got him a deal with the publisher Dragon Moon Press after the publisher heard his audio version of EarthCore. And a new site, Podiobooks.com, has launched, with five titles already available for download. Its co-founder, Evo Terra, a podcaster for the online talk show The Dragon Page, notes that, as of this writing, 19 new authors have signed on to release free audio versions of their books through the site.
But Terra’s ambitions for the site are grander. “I see Podiobooks.com as the springboard for other authors who want to explore this new side to their craft,” he says. “I want a hundred books up by the first of the year, and I want each book to have thousands of subscribers. I want it to be a community resource for people looking for new and interesting work, and I want it to act as a catalyst for the sale of other forms of books, including print.” (more...)
By Anna Weinberg
Scott Sigler first published his science-fiction novel EarthCore in 2001 with iPublish, an AOL/Time Warner imprint. When a promotional ebook version came out first, it hit No. 1 on Barnes & Noble’s website, and as plans to release the print version were going full steam ahead, Time Warner decided to scrap the whole imprint. After making sure he held the rights to the book, Sigler started looking for another way to get it an audience. In March, the author began podcasting a serialized version of his novel, which has now been downloaded more than 10,000 times. “When podcasting rolled around, I thought it would be a great way to release a novel,” he says. “I did a lot of research on it. There are 23 million Americans with an MP3 player, and the most popular form of radio is talk radio. So I thought, ‘This is just going to be huge.’ ”
As recently as this time last year, a podcast—a digital audio program that lives on the Internet—would have meant very little to most people. But today there are thousands of websites devoted to the technology; major media outlets have started releasing some of their broadcasts via podcast; and even cult favorite Neil Gaiman has posted the first few chapters of the audio version of his Anansi Boys on his blog. Sigler’s podcasting got him a deal with the publisher Dragon Moon Press after the publisher heard his audio version of EarthCore. And a new site, Podiobooks.com, has launched, with five titles already available for download. Its co-founder, Evo Terra, a podcaster for the online talk show The Dragon Page, notes that, as of this writing, 19 new authors have signed on to release free audio versions of their books through the site.
But Terra’s ambitions for the site are grander. “I see Podiobooks.com as the springboard for other authors who want to explore this new side to their craft,” he says. “I want a hundred books up by the first of the year, and I want each book to have thousands of subscribers. I want it to be a community resource for people looking for new and interesting work, and I want it to act as a catalyst for the sale of other forms of books, including print.” (more...)
Friday, August 26, 2005
WFU To Pilot Pocket PC Phone Edition in Campus (Geekzone)
Pocket PC Phone Edition devices will be in the hands of about 120 Wake Forest University students as the university begins a pilot program to explore potential campus uses for converged mobile technology.
The pilot program, called MobileU, will explore the ways students are already communicating and find out if one mobile device can meet their needs and enhance academic and student life.
"What we've seen over the past two or three years is students moving away from more traditional messaging like e-mail to newer technologies such as instant messaging and text messaging," said Jay Dominick, chief information officer at Wake Forest. "Student communication patterns are diverging. We want to find out if we can use mobile technology to close that gap, to deliver new things in ways students want to get them."
The Windows Moble Pocket PC Phone Edition in the pilot combine the functions of a cell phone and a mobile computer with wireless access and are equipped with instant messaging, text messaging and various customized software. Participants in the pilot will provide feedback on specific applications, but are also encouraged to come up with their own creative uses for the devices.
The pilot program will focus on three key functions: mobile messaging (such as instant messaging, text messaging); mobile access to information (including a calendar, the campus information network and specialized features such as campus shuttle bus tracking and laundry monitoring); and control over the device (including features such as turning off the ringer during a student's scheduled class times). (more...)
The pilot program, called MobileU, will explore the ways students are already communicating and find out if one mobile device can meet their needs and enhance academic and student life.
"What we've seen over the past two or three years is students moving away from more traditional messaging like e-mail to newer technologies such as instant messaging and text messaging," said Jay Dominick, chief information officer at Wake Forest. "Student communication patterns are diverging. We want to find out if we can use mobile technology to close that gap, to deliver new things in ways students want to get them."
The Windows Moble Pocket PC Phone Edition in the pilot combine the functions of a cell phone and a mobile computer with wireless access and are equipped with instant messaging, text messaging and various customized software. Participants in the pilot will provide feedback on specific applications, but are also encouraged to come up with their own creative uses for the devices.
The pilot program will focus on three key functions: mobile messaging (such as instant messaging, text messaging); mobile access to information (including a calendar, the campus information network and specialized features such as campus shuttle bus tracking and laundry monitoring); and control over the device (including features such as turning off the ringer during a student's scheduled class times). (more...)
Monday, August 22, 2005
Metropolitan New York Library Council PDA and Handheld Computer Special Interest Group
The Metropolitan New York Library Council's PDA & Handheld Computing
Special Interest Group will hold its
inaugural meeting on Wednesday, September 14, 2005, from 3:00 to 4:30 at METRO's
office at 57 East 11th Street, 4th Floor (between Broadway and
University Place, near Union Square) in Manhattan. This SIG is for librarians,
from all types of libraries, interested in PDAs and other emerging handheld
computer technologies (e.g. smart phones, tablet PCs), and exploring
innovative ways libraries can use these technologies to enhance staff
workflow, provide patron services, and support patrons who use PDAs.
At this inaugural meeting we will use "UI Current LIS Clips: Personal
Digital Assistants (PDAs)"
http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/clips/2005_07.htm
compiled by Sue Searing as our jumping-off point for discussion.
Since this is our first meeting, we'll also spend a little bit of time
getting organized, finding out where people's interests lie, and
exploring topics for future meetings.
Whether you are already using a PDA, smartphone, tablet PC, or are just
curious about these gadgets, I hope you'll join us!
To RSVP or if you have any questions contact the SIG Convener Nancy
Glassman
at glassman@aecom.yu.edu.
Nancy Glassman
Information Technology Librarian
D. Samuel Gottesman Library
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Special Interest Group
inaugural meeting on Wednesday, September 14, 2005, from 3:00 to 4:30 at METRO's
office at 57 East 11th Street, 4th Floor (between Broadway and
University Place, near Union Square) in Manhattan. This SIG is for librarians,
from all types of libraries, interested in PDAs and other emerging handheld
computer technologies (e.g. smart phones, tablet PCs), and exploring
innovative ways libraries can use these technologies to enhance staff
workflow, provide patron services, and support patrons who use PDAs.
At this inaugural meeting we will use "UI Current LIS Clips: Personal
Digital Assistants (PDAs)"
http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/clips/2005_07.htm
compiled by Sue Searing as our jumping-off point for discussion.
Since this is our first meeting, we'll also spend a little bit of time
getting organized, finding out where people's interests lie, and
exploring topics for future meetings.
Whether you are already using a PDA, smartphone, tablet PC, or are just
curious about these gadgets, I hope you'll join us!
To RSVP or if you have any questions contact the SIG Convener Nancy
Glassman
at glassman@aecom.yu.edu.
Nancy Glassman
Information Technology Librarian
D. Samuel Gottesman Library
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
E-Audiobooks--from Emily Bronte to Dr. Phil--Now Available Free from the Los Angeles Public Library (Overdrive.com press release)
(Los Angeles, OH) - August 15, 2005 - To the list of things you can do while stuck in traffic, climbing the Stairmaster, eating lunch at your desk or just relaxing at home, you can now add listening to a downloaded best-selling book, thanks to the new e-audiobook service from the Los Angeles Public Library. Debuting August 15, the free service is available 24/7 on the library's Web site, www.lapl.org.
With a library card and an Internet connection, patrons can select from hundreds of fiction and non-fiction titles, then download the complete work as an audio file to a PC or laptop, then transfer the file to a supported MP3 player, PDA (personal digital assistant), or Smartphone. Most files can even be burned to CD for convenient play in a car, home, office, boat or other location.
The library has long offered a large collection of audiobooks in cassette and CD formats, but this marks its first foray into digital audio technology. "Audiobooks are in such high demand that we can barely keep them on the shelf," says City Librarian Fontayne Holmes. "The new technology makes this popular resource even more accessible and widely available. (more...)
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Publishers loosen rules on e-textbooks (C|Net)
The pilot project, which will see textbooks sold in downloadable form at 10 university bookstores this fall, went into operation earlier this week. Under the initial version of the program, the downloads were to be sold for 33 percent off the cost of a new, printed copy, but would only be usable for about five months.
On Friday, MBS Textbook Exchange--the textbook wholesaler that is organizing the program--said publishers had agreed to extend the expiration dates for the digital textbooks. The downloads will now last from 12 months to an unlimited time, depending on the publisher.
"All of us have always been committed to putting together a program that delivers a cost savings to the student through the traditional channel, which is the bookstore," MBS Direct Chief Executive Officer Dennis Flanagan, who is heading the project, said in a statement. "Adapting to student recommendations is what this test is all about."
The experiment, which is already ongoing at several schools including the University of Utah, is one of the most ambitious efforts offering students digital versions of textbooks instead of the heavy printed copies they're used to.
A handful of textbook publishers already offer downloadable versions of their works through their own Web sites or through partners. But the programs have been only lightly used--in part because most students tend to buy their books all at once either onlin
The new program will see little cards produced by MBS sold on the shelves next to used and new copies of textbooks, offering students the discount if they buy online instead. The generic cards--similar to phone cards--are associated with a specific book at the bookstore's check-out desk, and the student downloads the book later.
Formatted and copy-protected using Adobe technology, the books can be searched by keyword and read out loud by the software. But antipiracy protections will prevent them from being sold back to the bookstore or to other students once a class is finished. (more...)
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
At Duke U., Public Radio Comes to iPods (Wired Campus Blog)
MP3 players aren't much use in the classroom if you don't have any content to put on them. But officials at Duke University -- which has drawn a great deal of publicity for its efforts to incorporate iPods into pedagogy -- seem to have anticipated that concern: They've struck a deal with Public Radio International to provide digital audio files for classroom use.
Under the arrangement, Duke professors will be able to use portions of popular public-radio shows like "This American Life" and "Studio 360" in class at no charge. And students will be able to download some of the shows to their portable MP3 players.
The deal will run through December, at which point Duke officials will decide whether to extend the program.
Also see an article from The Chronicle, by Brock Read, on Duke's assessment of the educational value of its iPod experiment.
podcasts, podcasting
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Coming to campus: E-books with expiration dates (C|Net.com)
By John Borland
Story last modified Tue Aug 09 11:26:00 PDT 2005
When students at Princeton University, the University of Utah and eight other colleges start combing their school bookstore shelves for fall semester textbooks, they'll find a new alternative to the hard-covered tomes they're used to buying.
Alongside the new and used versions of Dante's "Inferno" and "Essentials of Psychology" will be little cards offering 33 percent off if students decide to download a digital version of a text instead of buying a hard copy.
That's not a bad deal for a cash-strapped student facing book bills in the hundreds of dollars. But there are trade-offs. The new digital textbook program imposes strict guidelines on how the books can be used, including locking the downloaded books to a single computer and setting a five-month expiration date, after which the book can't be read. (more...)
Story last modified Tue Aug 09 11:26:00 PDT 2005
When students at Princeton University, the University of Utah and eight other colleges start combing their school bookstore shelves for fall semester textbooks, they'll find a new alternative to the hard-covered tomes they're used to buying.
Alongside the new and used versions of Dante's "Inferno" and "Essentials of Psychology" will be little cards offering 33 percent off if students decide to download a digital version of a text instead of buying a hard copy.
That's not a bad deal for a cash-strapped student facing book bills in the hundreds of dollars. But there are trade-offs. The new digital textbook program imposes strict guidelines on how the books can be used, including locking the downloaded books to a single computer and setting a five-month expiration date, after which the book can't be read. (more...)
Monday, August 08, 2005
HOW TO make DRM-free ebooks for the Sony Librie e-ink ebook reader (Make)
The Sony Librie is a stunning e-ink ebook reading device with the most print-like book reading experience you can have at this time (the display moves microscopic black and white particles held within spherical microcapsules). For the most part, it hasn't been a success in the market; Sony crippled it with DRM, and only released in it Japan. But the hackers and tinkerers of the world have taken this device and modded the firmware. Now we're going to show you how to make non-DRMed ebooks for free..
[via BoingBoing]
[via BoingBoing]
Friday, August 05, 2005
Technorati blog search engine - new Mobile version
Blog search engine Technorati now offers a version optimized for mobile phones (like the Treo 600/650). It may also be the thing if you're not happy with the new redesign.
search, Technorati
search, Technorati
Risks of Losing Portable Devices
As PDAs become more powerful, and memory becomes cheaper, more people are carrying around a lot of personal information in an easy-to-lose format. The Washington Post has a story about this:
Personal devices "are carrying incredibly sensitive information," said Joel Yarmon, who, as technology director for the staff of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), had to scramble over a weekend last month after a colleague lost one of the office's wireless messaging devices. In this case, the data included "personal phone numbers of leaders of Congress. . . . If that were to leak, that would be very embarrassing," Yarmon said.
[via PalmAddicts]
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
The Library in the Palm of Your Hand(PDAs)
The Library in the Palm of Your Hand(PDAs) compiled by Sue Searing is now available on the web as a UI Current Awareness Clip. She has selected and annotated articles on a variety of topics related to libraries and PDAs including the ten myths about PDAs, library services for PDA users, the PDA Librarian, redesigning library applications for PDA use, and more. "UI Current LIS Clips, an electronic current awareness service, helps you stay up-to-date with the latest issues in library and information science. This free service offers thoughtful, easy-to-read summaries of the key recent publications in the field, for practicing librarias, information professionals and academics. Each issue focuses
on a topic of current concern to the Library and Information community." This issue was very nicely done and informative. UI Clips is a joint project of the School of Library and Information Science and the Library and Information Science Library at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
on a topic of current concern to the Library and Information community." This issue was very nicely done and informative. UI Clips is a joint project of the School of Library and Information Science and the Library and Information Science Library at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
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