I don't know of anyone who likes e-books as much as I do. I'm fanatical about them. I do almost all my reading on Palm OS devices. I buy books from eReader.com, read news from AvantGo, and copy articles from the web onto my handheld. My Tapwave Zodiac is an insurance policy against boredom. The interminable lines at the DMV are no match for the half-dozen digital books and 50-odd articles I carry in my pocket at all times.
Maybe I'm just a lousy evangelist, but I haven't convinced many wood-pulp aficionados to go digital. Treeware users typically complain that small displays make it difficult to read. And they have a point. There's only so much text you can cram onto a small display before it becomes illegible, and when the text is large you have to press the Next button a lot, which interrupts your reading flow.
There's a possible solution to the problem that doesn't require devices with bigger displays. In fact, the displays could be even smaller than they are now. It's called "rapid serial visual presentation" (RSVP for short), and it involves displaying text one word at a time on a phone or handheld screen.
[via BoingBoing]
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Monday, July 25, 2005
Beethoven beats Bono in battle of the internet downloads (Guardian)
Music industry forced to take note as composer's complete symphonies outshine rock acts in online chart
Charlotte Higgins, arts correspondent
Thursday July 21, 2005
The Guardian
Forget Coldplay and James Blunt. Forget even Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which, in the version performed at Live8 by Sir Paul McCartney and U2, has become the fastest online-selling song ever. Beethoven has routed the lot of them.
Final figures from the BBC show that the complete Beethoven symphonies on its website were downloaded 1.4m times, with individual works downloaded between 89,000 and 220,000 times. The works were each available for a week, in two tranches, in June.
Sgt Pepper could well end up as the best-selling online track of all time. But its sales figure of just 20,000 online in the two weeks since it has been available contrasts poorly with the admittedly free Beethoven symphonies. (Sgt Pepper cost 79p on the iTunes website.) (more...)
handheld, podcasts, mp3, music
Charlotte Higgins, arts correspondent
Thursday July 21, 2005
The Guardian
Forget Coldplay and James Blunt. Forget even Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which, in the version performed at Live8 by Sir Paul McCartney and U2, has become the fastest online-selling song ever. Beethoven has routed the lot of them.
Final figures from the BBC show that the complete Beethoven symphonies on its website were downloaded 1.4m times, with individual works downloaded between 89,000 and 220,000 times. The works were each available for a week, in two tranches, in June.
Sgt Pepper could well end up as the best-selling online track of all time. But its sales figure of just 20,000 online in the two weeks since it has been available contrasts poorly with the admittedly free Beethoven symphonies. (Sgt Pepper cost 79p on the iTunes website.) (more...)
handheld, podcasts, mp3, music
Friday, July 15, 2005
New Self Playing Digital Audiobook
Playaway has announced that they will soon offer "the world's first self-playing audiobook." Consumers will be able to purchase a device with a specific title on it for the price of a current downloadable digital audiobook or audiobook on CDs or cassettes, put some batteries in it and connect headphones and listen to the book. The device/book will be portable enough to put in your pocket, and has a simple keypad to control the experience. For libraries, this could be very exciting. No more worrying about lending or recommending devices, the reader does not have to have a computer to download or listen to a book, and the self-playing book can be checked out to the patron, returned and then used again. For talking book centers where we mail out players and cassettes, we could just mail out the selected book or books; then the reader can mail back and we can make available for the next reader. It will be interesting to experience this new type of digital audiobook! For more information, contact Mike Belsito at
mike.belsito@findawayworld.com.
mike.belsito@findawayworld.com.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Thinking Inside the Box: Games, Teens and Libraries
Thinking Inside the Box: Games, Teens and Libraries - Bloomington Public Library
Friday, July 15, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Are video games and their related programs the next hot trend? Bloomington Public Library has a good track record in this area and is keen to share their experience. Join Matt Gullett, Kelly Czarnecki, Chuck, Chad Brekke, and Diane Colletti as they explore the issue and potential partnerships. You can attend online by going to the OPAL auditorium at
http://67.19.231.218/v4/login.asp?r=67955673&p=0
type your name and click login. Please email Lori Bell
if you plan to attend. (lbell@alliancelibrarysystem.com)
The event will also be made available as a podcast.
Friday, July 15, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Are video games and their related programs the next hot trend? Bloomington Public Library has a good track record in this area and is keen to share their experience. Join Matt Gullett, Kelly Czarnecki, Chuck, Chad Brekke, and Diane Colletti as they explore the issue and potential partnerships. You can attend online by going to the OPAL auditorium at
http://67.19.231.218/v4/login.asp?r=67955673&p=0
type your name and click login. Please email Lori Bell
if you plan to attend. (lbell@alliancelibrarysystem.com)
The event will also be made available as a podcast.
Monday, July 11, 2005
LISPodcasts.com: Where librarians sound off
LISPodcasts.com serves as a central clearinghouse of everything that is happening in the world of LIS Internet Audio.
July 2005
librarians, mp3 podcasts, podcasting
July 2005
librarians, mp3 podcasts, podcasting
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
eReader.com free ebook promotion
eReader.com sells ebooks in a number of electronic books formats (Palm, Pocket PC, Mac, Symbian, Windows). For the month of July, they are offering a different book as a completely free download. There is something for everyone from mysteries and thrillers to mind-expanding science fiction, sexy romances, heart-stopping adventures and many more. You will need to set up an account in order to download books.
handheld, E-Books, EBOOK, Palm, pocket pc
handheld, E-Books, EBOOK, Palm, pocket pc
Linux Finds Its Way to More Handheld Devices (Slashdot)
from the promises-promises dept.
LXrider writes "The coolest new handheld to pick Linux as its OS is the Pepper Pad. This device was one of the most exciting products to be found at this year's otherwise lackluster C3 Expo in NYC. The Pepper Pad runs MontaVista Linux on a Intel XScale PXA270 (624 MHz) processor and it used for viewing multimedia, surfing the net, and controlling your home's electronics."
LXrider writes "The coolest new handheld to pick Linux as its OS is the Pepper Pad. This device was one of the most exciting products to be found at this year's otherwise lackluster C3 Expo in NYC. The Pepper Pad runs MontaVista Linux on a Intel XScale PXA270 (624 MHz) processor and it used for viewing multimedia, surfing the net, and controlling your home's electronics."
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Let's Go Library Expo: Books, Ebooks and Audiobooks
“LET’S GO LIBRARY EXPO” ONLINE CONFERENCES
On Thursday, July 28, 2005 the first of an ongoing series of online conferences about hot topics in librarianship and information technology will be held. The series is called “Let’s Go Library Expo” and the July 28 online conference will focus on “Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks.” The keynote speaker will be author Asra Nomani (Author of the new book Standing Alone in Mecca, one woman's pilgrimage to reclaim the rightful role of women in Islam).
Participation in this inaugural conference is free of charge for conference attendees. All you need to participate is a computer with a sound card, speakers, and an Internet connection. If you want to speak using Voice-over-IP (in addition to text chat) you need a computer microphone.
The Let’s Go Library Expo series of online conferences will offer the things you value from in-person conference, such as:
Thought-provoking keynote speeches
Informative panel discussions
Exciting vendor exhibits and demonstrations
Ample opportunities for informal networking
Great handouts and other takeaways
Online conferences avoid the less-lovely aspects of in-person conferences, such as:
Outrageous travel expenses
Long walks in cavernous convention centers
Crowded, stuffy meeting rooms
Shuttle buses
Lost travel time
Uncomfortable beds
For more information about “Let’s Go Library Expo: Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks,” the July 28 online conference, please visit http://www.planetlibrary.info/lgle200508.htm. This online conference is supported by the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center (http://www.mitbc.org/), the North Suburban Library System (http://www.nsls.info/) near Chicago, and the Alliance Library System (http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/) in central Illinois.
Fees for exhibitors and sponsors are very reasonable, and you avoid all of the related travel expenses. For more information about sponsorship and exhibition options within the “Let’s Go Library Expo” online conference (either for single events or the entire series), please contact Tom Peters (816.228.6406 or tpeters@tapinformation.com).
For additional information about the entire “Let’s Go Library Expo” series, please visit http://www.planetlibrary.info/lgleindex.htm.
“Let’s Go Library Expo” is a service of Planet Library (http://www.planetlibrary.info/index.html), an emerging full-service online library that will provide a wide variety of content and services for library users worldwide.
A Yahoo Group has been created to facilitate discussion and announcements regarding Planet Library and its services, such as the Let's Go Library Expo series of online conferences. All library users worldwide are welcome to join this Yahoo Group.
To join the Planet Library Yahoo Group, please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PlanetLibrary/join
The “Let’s Go Library Expo” series and Planet Library are sponsored by TAP Information Services (http://www.tapinformation.com/), which provides a wide variety of high quality planning, consulting, research, and assessment services supporting libraries, consortia, government agencies, publishers, and other information-intensive organizations.
On Thursday, July 28, 2005 the first of an ongoing series of online conferences about hot topics in librarianship and information technology will be held. The series is called “Let’s Go Library Expo” and the July 28 online conference will focus on “Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks.” The keynote speaker will be author Asra Nomani (Author of the new book Standing Alone in Mecca, one woman's pilgrimage to reclaim the rightful role of women in Islam).
Participation in this inaugural conference is free of charge for conference attendees. All you need to participate is a computer with a sound card, speakers, and an Internet connection. If you want to speak using Voice-over-IP (in addition to text chat) you need a computer microphone.
The Let’s Go Library Expo series of online conferences will offer the things you value from in-person conference, such as:
Thought-provoking keynote speeches
Informative panel discussions
Exciting vendor exhibits and demonstrations
Ample opportunities for informal networking
Great handouts and other takeaways
Online conferences avoid the less-lovely aspects of in-person conferences, such as:
Outrageous travel expenses
Long walks in cavernous convention centers
Crowded, stuffy meeting rooms
Shuttle buses
Lost travel time
Uncomfortable beds
For more information about “Let’s Go Library Expo: Books, eBooks, and Audiobooks,” the July 28 online conference, please visit http://www.planetlibrary.info/lgle200508.htm. This online conference is supported by the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center (http://www.mitbc.org/), the North Suburban Library System (http://www.nsls.info/) near Chicago, and the Alliance Library System (http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/) in central Illinois.
Fees for exhibitors and sponsors are very reasonable, and you avoid all of the related travel expenses. For more information about sponsorship and exhibition options within the “Let’s Go Library Expo” online conference (either for single events or the entire series), please contact Tom Peters (816.228.6406 or tpeters@tapinformation.com).
For additional information about the entire “Let’s Go Library Expo” series, please visit http://www.planetlibrary.info/lgleindex.htm.
“Let’s Go Library Expo” is a service of Planet Library (http://www.planetlibrary.info/index.html), an emerging full-service online library that will provide a wide variety of content and services for library users worldwide.
A Yahoo Group has been created to facilitate discussion and announcements regarding Planet Library and its services, such as the Let's Go Library Expo series of online conferences. All library users worldwide are welcome to join this Yahoo Group.
To join the Planet Library Yahoo Group, please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PlanetLibrary/join
The “Let’s Go Library Expo” series and Planet Library are sponsored by TAP Information Services (http://www.tapinformation.com/), which provides a wide variety of high quality planning, consulting, research, and assessment services supporting libraries, consortia, government agencies, publishers, and other information-intensive organizations.
Full Text Searching Via Amazon and Google
Thursday, July 14, 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:
Full Text Searching via Amazon.com and Google
One of the drawbacks of online library catalogs is
that they lack full text searchability. You cannot
look for every occurrence in every book of any single
library collection of phrases such as "social
networking", "molybdenum" or "Paradise Lost." If you
could do this, you might locate valuable information
buried deep inside a book. Amazon.com and Google have
added new services and functionalities that will soon
make this kind of search not only possible, but
efficient and, in any case, extend the value of any
library collection when used in tandem with an online
library catalog. Learn about Amazon.com's
"statistically improbable phrases," "concordance," and
"Search-inside-the-book" features and about Google
Print and Google Scholar, which provide free (if
limited) access to books and scholarly journals. This
session requires no programming knowledge and only a
basic familiarity with Amazon.com and Google.
Presented by William Thompson and Marcy Allen from
Western Illinois University.
To participate, go to the
online auditorium at
http://67.19.231.218/v4/login.asp?r=67955673&p=0
Type your name and click login to enter the online
room. All that is needed to participate are an
Internet connection, sound card, and speakers.
Daylight Time, 1:00 Central, noon Mountain, 11:00 a.m.
Pacific, and 6:00 p.m. GMT:
Full Text Searching via Amazon.com and Google
One of the drawbacks of online library catalogs is
that they lack full text searchability. You cannot
look for every occurrence in every book of any single
library collection of phrases such as "social
networking", "molybdenum" or "Paradise Lost." If you
could do this, you might locate valuable information
buried deep inside a book. Amazon.com and Google have
added new services and functionalities that will soon
make this kind of search not only possible, but
efficient and, in any case, extend the value of any
library collection when used in tandem with an online
library catalog. Learn about Amazon.com's
"statistically improbable phrases," "concordance," and
"Search-inside-the-book" features and about Google
Print and Google Scholar, which provide free (if
limited) access to books and scholarly journals. This
session requires no programming knowledge and only a
basic familiarity with Amazon.com and Google.
Presented by William Thompson and Marcy Allen from
Western Illinois University.
To participate, go to the
online auditorium at
http://67.19.231.218/v4/login.asp?r=67955673&p=0
Type your name and click login to enter the online
room. All that is needed to participate are an
Internet connection, sound card, and speakers.
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