Subscribe via email

Friday, April 29, 2005

Podcasting Roundup

News, Blogs


Podcasts

Resources

tags: , , , , , ,

Audiobooks in Windows Media Audio format

Illinois is one of several states participating in a consortia "Unabridged" at http://unabridged.lib.overdrive.com with Overdrive audio books in Windows Media. We see that this may be a problem because they will not play on IPODs, the most popular MP3 player at this time. However, many of our readers are older and may not have purchased an MP3 player yet; there are over 500 devices that will work with Windows Media Audio. OverDrive is working on a children's collection but it is not available yet to my knowledge. These just came out in November 2004.

netLibrary/Recorded Books introduced their digital audiobook service in February 2005 - not even a full three months ago. Theirs are in Windows Media audio format also.

These two new services in addition to new audio books from Tumble, are offered by vendors who are constantly seeking feedback from libraries and users about this service. Several of these vendors have even changed pricing plans to better meet library needs and to make it more affordable for small libraries to offer these books.

Audible.com offers audiobooks that will play on an IPOD, but they do not have a library management model, which makes it difficult and labor-intensive for libraries to provide this content.

Soon, these services will also be offering downloadable music, and I think this is where it may hit the hardest with younger users. If, and I know a number of librarians feel that Windows Media Audio is a problem that needs to be addressed sooner than later, they should contact OverDrive, and OCLC/netLibrary and let them know that this is a problem and may affect their sales.

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Fairfax Public Library - Windows Media books

Phil Shapiro writes:

The Fairfax County Public Library system is a large library system in Northern Virginia, a suburb of Washington DC. Leaders of the Fairfax Public Libraries think it's a good idea to distribute downloadable audio books to the public in Windows Media format. These digital rights managed (DRM) files will not play on Macintosh computers, GNU/Linux computers or iPods. Taxpayer funds are being used to purchase these audio books.

[via BoingBoing]

tags: , , ,

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Introduction to PDA's for Librarians (Metro Workshop)

Date: Friday, May 6, 2005
Time: 10:00 AM — 1:00 PM
Location: METRO Training Center, 57 East 11th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY

Are you considering buying a PDA for yourself or want to know how they are being used by libraries? If so, you will want to attend this workshop. The registration fee is $75. Save $20 by registering two weeks in advance.

To register, go to: http://www.metro.org/2005_spring/in_palm_hand.html

Audience/Prerequisites: No prior PDA experience is necessary. You don’t have to own a PDA, but if you do, please bring it. Emphasis will be placed on devices using the Palm OS, but PocketPC and Blackberry systems will also be discussed.

Do you notice more and more people in the library, on the subway, at the supermarket tapping away at tiny computer screens, and wonder what they are doing? Are you thinking of buying a personal digital assistant (PDA), but aren’t sure what to get? Do you own a PDA, and are not sure how to make the most of it? Are you trying to incorporate PDA support as part of your library’s services? Then this is the workshop for you!

Topics of discussion will include:
* What is a PDA?
* The different brands, models and operating systems on the market.
* Considerations for purchase.
* Basic (out of the box) functionality.
* Freeware, shareware, and proprietary applications
* Uses for staff and patrons in the library.
* Tools for PDA training.
* Security issues.
* Wireless capabilities.
* Keeping up to date with the technology.

Presenter: Nancy R. Glassman is the Information Technology Librarian at the D. Samuel Gottesman Library, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she is implementing Reference Manager and EndNote training programs, developing a bibliographic management software information website, and writing “cheat sheets” for AECOM Library patrons. She contributes a technology column to the New York / New Jersey Chapter of the Medical Library Association’s newsletter. She earned her MLS from Kent State University.

Sponsored by METRO, the Metropolitan New York Library Council

tag: , , , , , ,

Monday, April 25, 2005

The Mobile Searcher and Medical Information

Gary Price of SearchEngineWatch writes:

The combo of mobile and local search is all the rage these days but mobile access to health and medical info/research has been building momentum for several years. In fact, the National Library of Medicine released a mobile interface to PubMed back in 2003 and since then has released several other mobile tools. This new compilation has intro info and links to the growing list of resources that NLM offers mobile web searchers. Since the topic is mobile search and health info, I recently learned that a mobile versions of the Merck Manual and other reference tools are available (free).
Source: ResourceShelf

tags: , , ,

Friday, April 22, 2005

Sims 2 coming to consoles, handhelds, and cellphones

Electronic Arts has announced that its popular The Sims 2 game will soon be ported to gaming consoles, handhelds, and mobile phones. The EA press release is here.

Source: PDAGeek

tags: , ,

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Faster Web for dialup and PDA users

Easy-to-use Loband speeds up your web browsing in low bandwidth environments (dialup, PDA) by stripping out wasteful graphics and other trimmings. [via Teleread and Slashdot].

Skweezer is another proxy server that'll speed up your browsing.

tags: , , , ,

PalmSource Mobile Summit and DevCon Blog

This is the official blog for the PalmSource Mobile Summit and DevCon 2005 to be held at the Fairmont hotel in San Jose, CA Tuesday through Thursday May 24-26, 2005.

tag: ,

Monday, April 18, 2005

Techie Librarian List

This is a list that might interest many of you. Here is a description of the list:
"Discussions about the creation and nature of taxonomies, ontologies, the Semantic Web, RDF, Information Architecture, Knowledge Management, Thesaurus building, XML, Schemas, OWL, Topic Maps, controlled vocabularies, authority control, data management, and much more. You do not have to be a very technical person to understand and participate in this list, you must though, be familiar with cataloging terms and how to manage information (good librarian skills)."
To join, go to http://lists.topica.com/lists/techielibrarian

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Tungsten E2 review roundup

[via Engadget and Palmaddicts]

tags: , , ,

Is Microsoft Downsizing the Tablet PC?

Is Microsoft Downsizing the Tablet PC?
April 13, 2005, Eweek

First it was the slate. Then it was the PC-Tablet convertible. Now it's a mini-Tablet that can do everything that a traditional Tablet PC can do, plus store electronic books, that could end up as the new gadget on which Microsoft is betting to further Tablet PC momentum.

A prototype of a new device—described by sources as a type of hybrid Tablet PC/eBook—has been making its way around the Microsoft Corp. Redmond campus, according to sources. The mini-Tablet, which measures about six inches by eight inches and features a digitizer, is just one of a number of new Tablet form factors expected to debut in the coming months.

tag: handheld, , ,

'Rifle' Sniffs Out Vulnerability in Bluetooth Devices

All Things Considered, April 13, 2005   If you've used your cell phone today -- or any other wireless device that uses Bluetooth technology -- someone could be watching you.

John Hering, a student at the University of Southern California, has developed the BlueSniper rifle, a tool that looks like a big gun which can "attack" a wireless device from more than a mile away -- several times the 328-foot maximum range of Bluetooth.
This was first reported at BoingBoing last month:
One of the security assumptions in Bluetooth is that attackers need to be quite close-by if they want to gain access to your phone or other device. Here's simple instructions for building a handsome, effective Bluetooth "sniper rifle" whose high-gain antenna will give you access to devices from miles away.


tag: , ,


Thursday, April 14, 2005

OEBF Ebooks in Education conference recap

Today in New York City, the Open Ebook Forum is hosting an Ebooks in Education Conference. Join us online as Tom Peters from TAP Information gives a recap of the conference on Friday April 15. To participate, go to the online auditorium at

http://www.tcconference.com/lib/?auditorium&nopass_field=1

type your name in the box and click enter to go into the room. All that is needed to participate are an Internet sound card and speakers. If you have a microphone, you can participate with audio. If you don't have a microphone, text chat is available.

Friday, April 15, 2005 beginning at Noon Eastern Daylight Time, 11:00 a.m. Central, 10:00 Mountain, 9:00 Pacific, and 4:00 p.m. GMT:
Recap of the OeBF Conference on E-Books in Education
On Thursday, April 14 in New York City the Open eBook Forum will host a one-day conference on E-Books in Education. The speakers will include Steve Potash from OverDrive, George Kerscher from the DAISY Consortium, Ron Zevy from TumbleBooks, and many others. During this following day online follow-up, Tom Peters will lead a discussion about the major ideas, issues, opportunities, and announcements coming out of this conference.

Live webcast with author Homer Hickam and Poetry panel

Thursday, April 14, 2005 beginning at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 10:30 a.m. Central, 9:30 Mountain, 8:30 Pacific, and 3:30 p.m. GMT:
Live Discussion with Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys
The NASA Glenn Research Center and the Cleveland Area Metropolitan Library System invite you to participate in a live 60 minute webcast discussion with Homer Hickam author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller Rocket Boys and inspiration for the hit movie October Sky. Rocket Boys is the true story of the author's life growing up in the mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia. In October 1957, Sputnik raced across the Appalachian sky, leaving in its wake 14-year old Homer’s dream to build rockets. With the help of his friends, a dedicated teacher, his mother, and others in his small, company town, Homer’s rockets would carry him, and his town, farther than he ever expected.


Thursday, April 14, 2005 beginning at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 3:00 Central, 2:00 Mountain, 1:00 Pacific, and 8:00 p.m. GMT:
Beyond Limits: A Poetry Reading and Panel Discussion with Lucia Perillo, Stephen Kuusisto and Paul Guest
Three poets will discuss their inspiration, adaptations, and assistive technology as poets with physical limitations or disabilities. Panelists will share the creative and technical process of writing as poets with such limitations as Multiple Sclerosis, blindness and quadriplegia. Lucia Perillo (http://www.luciaperillo.com/) is the author of three books of poetry and winner of several awards, including a MacArthur Foundation fellowship. Among other accomplishments, Stephen Kuusisto is the author of Only Bread Only Light (poems) and Planet of the Blind: A Memoir. He is an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University (http://people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/kuusisto1/). Paul Guest is the author of The Resurrection of the Body and the Ruin of the World (poems) and co-editor of the online poetry journal Mot Juste (http://www.motjustepoetry.com/).

To attend both programs, go to the online auditorium at
http://www.tcconference.com/lib/?auditorium&nopass_field=1
type your name in and click enter. For the webcast, you will need to download a free copy of Real Player

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Our Space, Our Web

The announcement of Google Video brings to mind some thoughts. We are almost to the point where we do not need to own any web space. It is all provided for us in open communities. The amount of space necessary when considering Web hosting becomes trivial. All that is needed is a link to the content residing within your Web Community where your house can always be open - a VERY spacious house at that.

Open Communities:
Images: Hello or Flickr,
Audio/Video: OurMedia.org or Google Video
Blogging/News: Blogger.com or Bloglines
It seems that the Web is becoming everything we hoped for in the Dot Com era. Albeit, with a much more realistic outlook this time around.

Global communication realized.

Google Local Search, Mobile edition

Google has added a mobile version of their local-search service to their lineup of mobile applications available from devices equipped with XHTML-enabled browsers. Enter your search term, as well as the location or zip code to limit your search, and receive a mobile-sized Google Map with details listed below. You can:

* Locate a business's exact location on the map by zooming in and out;
* Get driving directions to your desired location;
* Place a call directly to a business by highlighting and selecting its phone number.

Google's approach to local search involves using yellow page and business directory information from third party providers, and integrating it with information about individual businesses from Google's main web page index.

Google Local Search

tags: , , ,

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Libraries and Gaming List

If you are interested in libraries and gaming, join this great new group recommended by Kelly Czarnecki, Young Adult Librarian at Bloomington Public Library!
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/LibGaming/about

Chapura releases Pocket Favorites: Sync your IE Favorites

Chapura, Inc. yesterday released PocketFavorites, the first application that makes use of Palm Powered handhelds to synchronize the list of web sites in Internet Explorer Favorites between multiple computers and lets you launch these favorite Web sites automatically in your mobile web browser, so that you can quickly access your Favorites list on any computer, including your pda.

tags: , , , ,

Monday, April 11, 2005

Gaming and Libraries - Bloomington Public Library right on!

For a wonderful look at what libraries can do with gaming and young adults, it doesn't get any better than the Game Fest coming up at the Bloomington Public Library in Illinois. The Information Technology Department is working with the Young Adult Department to offer GameFest the night of April 15 and a bunch of other great activities!

From the website:

"More Game and More Fun
In Bloomington Public Library's Community room, we will offer Dance Dance Revolution on the Xbox, Gran Turismo 3 on the Playstation 2, Movies, Board Games (Chess, Monopoly, Twister, etc) and plenty of tables for Collectable Card Games (CCGs) such as Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic the Gathering. For all CCGs, you will need to provide your own cards. The Library no longer provides Yu-Gi-Oh decks for play. Be sure to come ready to play as the library will be keeping track of the winners through out the night on all the different events. Water, Pizza and Chips will be provided, but they need to remain away from the games and are not allowed in the Technology Room.

In Bloomington Public Library's Technology Room, we will once again be offering the LAN game Desert Combat. We have a maximum of 16 players at a time divided in to teams of 8. Don't worry if you don't know how to play, the first session of the night will be a learning round for new players. Also the library will have "Cheat Sheets" available with the more common commands that are used in the game. Each session will consist of three 15 minute rounds on three maps. One Map will be more person to person combat, the second map will be a mix of persons and vehicles and the third map will be a large map mainly for vehicle combat. The highest scoring player from each team in each round will be invited back at the end of the night for a Championship event that will include a few surprise players from the Information Technology Service's Desert Combat team. This was a lot of fun last time, and everyone enjoyed going up against the library's players.
arians from the Adult Services department"

For more information on this great event, contact Matt Gullett at mattg@bloomingtonlibrary.org!

Duke to scale back mass iPod giveaway

Only students in selected classes to get free gadgets

An iPod in every new student's hand? Not this year at Duke. The private university in Durham has decided not reprise last year's experimental mass handout to all incoming freshman of the pricey hard-disk portable digital players.

After a preliminary report on the project, Duke now plans to issue iPods to students enrolled in selected classes. Tracy Futhey, Duke's vice president for information technology, said the scope will depend on the demand from faculty.

In a memo to faculty, Peter Lange, the university's provost and senior academic officer, said the administration was pleased with how the free iPod project encouraged faculty and students "to consider new ways of using the technology in fields from engineering to foreign languages."
(MSNBC, 4/7/05)

* Google News search

tags: , ,

Listening to Podcasts on a Palm

Palm Focus has a handy tutorial on listening to podcasts on your Palm handheld. One method involves downloading the podcast to your computer and transferring the podcast to the Palm. Another method involves wirelessly downloading and/or streaming the podcast on your Palm.

tags: , , ,

Saturday, April 09, 2005

OEBF Ebook Workshop Update to Poetry with the Presidents

Greetings. Throughout the remainder of April there will be some great online programs that are open to all and free of charge. These programs are offered through a service called OPAL, which stands for Online Programming for All Libraries. Below is a list with brief descriptions of the upcoming programs. We'll be discussing such diverse topics as the love poems of George Washington, rocket science, young adult literature, the secret life of bees, poetry written by poets with physical challenges, how to make ebooks more accessible, genealogy, and more. The full OPAL schedule, including links into the online meeting room where each online program will be held, is at the following URL:

http://www.opal-online.org/progschrono.htm

If you have any questions, please contact Tom Peters (tpeters at tapinformation.com). Thanks.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 beginning at beginning at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 1:00 Central, Noon Mountain, 11:00 a.m. Pacific, and 6:00 p.m. GMT:
"Feeling a little poetic this evening": The Poetry of U.S. Presidents
Although poetry writing isn't an activity we normally associate with U.S. presidents, several of them turned to poetry as an outlet for their feelings and thoughts. Join us as we explore the love poems of George Washington, the religious verse of John Quincy Adams, the melancholy poems of Abraham Lincoln, and poetry written by other presidents. We will also look at several poems written about American presidents, especially poems memorializing Lincoln, and will find out what when wrong when Robert Frost attempted to read a poem at John F. Kennedy's inauguration. Hosted by Peter Armenti from the Library of Congress.


Wednesday, April 13, 2005 beginning at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 3:00 Central, 2:00 Mountain, 1:00 Pacific, and 8:00 GMT:
Young Adult Literature, Part II
David Faucheux will continue his exploration of the genres within young adult literature. Includes an annotated bibliography based on the NLS publications Talking Book Topics and Braille Book Review from January-February 2002 to the present. If you think YA fiction is boring, simplistic, or too cute--think again! There is something for every taste--even adults may find something of interest--perhaps, to share with a child, grandchild, nephew or neice or young friend or as a shorter read and change of pace.


Thursday, April 14, 2005 beginning at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 10:30 a.m. Central, 9:30 Mountain, 8:30 Pacific, and 3:30 p.m. GMT:
Live Discussion with Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys
The NASA Glenn Research Center and the Cleveland Area Metropolitan Library System invite you to participate in a live 60 minute webcast discussion with Homer Hickam author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller Rocket Boys and inspiration for the hit movie October Sky. Rocket Boys is the true story of the author's life growing up in the mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia. In October 1957, Sputnik raced across the Appalachian sky, leaving in its wake 14-year old Homer’s dream to build rockets. With the help of his friends, a dedicated teacher, his mother, and others in his small, company town, Homer’s rockets would carry him, and his town, farther than he ever expected.


Thursday, April 14, 2005 beginning at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, noon Central, 11:00 a.m. Mountain, 10:00 a.m. Pacific, and 6:00 p.m. GMT: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. (RC 55533, narrated by Robin Miles) Join the Cleveland Public Library, Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped to discuss this novel set in South Carolina in the 1960's. When 14-year-old Lily rescues Rosaleen, her African American housekeeper, from the hospital after she was beaten while trying to register to vote, the duo seek safety in a beekeeping operation run by three black sisters. Please note: This special two-hour program will be held in the Cleveland Public Library's online meeting room, which can be accessed at the following URL:
http://www.tcconference.com/lib/?cleveland&pass.


Thursday, April 14, 2005 beginning at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 3:00 Central, 2:00 Mountain, 1:00 Pacific, and 8:00 p.m. GMT:
Beyond Limits: A Poetry Reading and Panel Discussion with Lucia Perillo, Stephen Kuusisto and Paul Guest
Three poets will discuss their inspiration, adaptations, and assistive technology as poets with physical limitations or disabilities. Panelists will share the creative and technical process of writing as poets with such limitations as Multiple Sclerosis, blindness and quadriplegia. Lucia Perillo (http://www.luciaperillo.com/) is the author of three books of poetry and winner of several awards, including a MacArthur Foundation fellowship. Among other accomplishments, Stephen Kuusisto is the author of Only Bread Only Light (poems) and Planet of the Blind: A Memoir. He is an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University (http://people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/kuusisto1/). Paul Guest is the author of The Resurrection of the Body and the Ruin of the World (poems) and co-editor of the online poetry journal Mot Juste (http://www.motjustepoetry.com/).


Friday, April 15, 2005 beginning at Noon Eastern Daylight Time, 11:00 a.m. Central, 10:00 Mountain, 9:00 Pacific, and 4:00 p.m. GMT:
Recap of the OeBF Conference on E-Books in Education
On Thursday, April 14 in New York City the Open eBook Forum will host a one-day conference on E-Books in Education. The speakers will include Steve Potash from OverDrive, George Kerscher from the DAISY Consortium, Ron Zevy from TumbleBooks, and many others. During this following day online follow-up, Tom Peters will lead a discussion about the major ideas, issues, opportunities, and announcements coming out of this conference.


Thursday, April 21, 2005 beginning at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 2:00 Central, 1:00 Mountain, Noon Pacific, and 7:00 p.m. GMT:
African-American Genealogy Basics
Researching African-American ancestors poses a unique set of problems for family historians. Jack Simpson, genealogy curator at the Newberry Library in Chicago, will give an overview of genealogy research techniques with a focus on African-American sources. The talk will cover basic genealogy sources, such as the U. S. census and vital records. It will also examine more advanced sources, such as the records of the Freedmen’s Bureau. Jack Simpson is the Curator of Local and Family History at the Newberry Library in Chicago. Before coming to the Newberry, he worked at The Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan and the Reuther Library at Wayne State University in Detroit. In addition to his work as a reference librarian, Jack teaches several seminars in genealogy at the Newberry Library.


Wednesday, April 27, 2005 beginning at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 1:00 Central, Noon Mountain, 11:00 a.m. Pacific, and 6:00 p.m. GMT:
"To light us to freedom, and glory again!": The Role of Civil War Poetry
Poetry written during the Civil War era was used as a means of political and social mobilization. Using the Library of Congress's online collections, we will explore how Northern and Southern war poetry helped unify citizens, inspire troops, memorialize the dead, and overcome the anger and resentment of both sides in the aftermath of the war. Hosted by Peter Armenti from the Library of Congress.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

6M not smoking the podcasting dope: Pew study numbers questioned

TechDirt reported yesterday that not only are the Pew numbers on podcasting inflated, but that they were cognizant of the misrepresentation from the start:
In fact, the research director behind the study clarifies (after the fact, of course) that the study actually asked people: "if they had ever downloaded a podcast or radio Internet program." So, out of 200 people, they got 60 to admit that they had maybe at some point downloaded an internet radio program (which is not necessarily the same thing as podcasting) -- and from that they put out a report with the headline that "6 million American adults have listened to podcasts."
tags: ,

Verizon Treo 650 Almost Here

Engadget is reporting that Verizon Wireless has at last posted a teaser page for the Treo 650 up on their website.

And MyTreo.net is taking pre-sale orders for the Verizon Treo 650. The Treo 650 model is offered on a pre-sale basis for only $369.99 after mail-in rebate and will ship when Verizon officially announces availability.

Tags: , , ,

Monday, April 04, 2005

Podcasting Catches On: Pew Internet report

The audio programs known as "Podcasts" are catching on with people who own iPods or other digital-music players, according to a survey released on Sunday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

More than 22 million American adults own iPods or MP3 players and 29% of them have downloaded podcasts from the Web so that they could listen to audio files at a time of their choosing. That amounts to more than 6 million adults who have tried this new feature that allows internet “broadcasts” to be downloaded onto their portable listening device.

The report is available for download in PDF format .

tags: , , ,