By BROCK READ
With iPods slowly working their way into college classrooms, it was only a matter of time before someone put the devices to use as a way of cutting corners on course work.
Now a pair of companies has stepped up, offering a line of iPod-ready crib notes to such literary classics as The Great Gatsby and The Scarlet Letter. The notes are taken from study guides published by SparkNotes -- a company that has marketed itself as a hipper version of CliffsNotes, the giant of the field -- and are sold by iPREPpress, a business that retails reference material that can be viewed on the digital music players.
Right now about a dozen titles are available at $4.95 apiece. But the companies plan to publish digital guides for about 50 English-department cornerstones, according to Kurt Goszyk, the founder of iPREPpress.
The guides basically turn the iPod into a text-based browser: Students can read biographical sketches of characters, review themes and motifs, and test themselves with study questions and answers -- all by using the iPod's click wheel to navigate a series of hyperlinks.
But students can also listen to overviews of the books' plots and protagonists while they work out at the gym or walk from class to class. The study guides each include about six or seven minutes of audio material for students on the go, said Mr. Goszyk. "But in areas where you really have to concentrate" -- like SparkNotes' more detailed summaries of quotations and symbolism -- "we kept it as only text," he said. (more...)
Friday, October 28, 2005
Friday, October 14, 2005
Drexel U. to Hand Out Video-Playing iPods (Wired Campus Blog)
It certainly didn't take long for the newest iPod to work its way into a college curriculum.
Earlier this week, Apple unveiled the latest version of its popular music player, a model that can play videos on its tiny color screen. And already, officials at Drexel University say they've come up with a plan to give the devices to the 33 students enrolled in their online master's program in higher education.
The university distributed iPods to students at its School of Education earlier this fall. But the new program will "up the ante," according to William Lynch, the school's director: Students, he says, will be asked to edit their own research journal using podcasting technology.
Friday, October 07, 2005
Why Libraries Matter: A Story Long OverDue - new animated audio ebook for libraries
Why Libraries Matter: A Story Long Overdue.
The Alliance Library System, www.LibrariesMatter.com, and TumbleBooks Inc are pleased to announce the launch of a new animated online book entitled "Why Libraries Matter: A Story Long Overdue."
The book, in both online and downloadable format, is available free to all public libraries and elementary schools in North America for use on their websites.
"Why Libraries Matter: A Story Long Overdue" is the charming tale, told in rhyming verse, of a young girl who shows her family and neighbors how important the library is to them and their community.
The link below is an example of what the icon will look like on your website. It will also give you the opportunity to view, download, and e-mail the book for yourself.
http://www.librariesmatter.com/books/index.cfm
The project is the latest in a series of initiatives from the Alliance Library System who, last year, introduced the Libraries Matter campaign (ww.LibrariesMatter.com ) to public libraries across the world.
"We wanted to raise awareness," says Kitty Pope, Executive Director of Alliance, "and thought, what better way than to produce a book about 'Why Libraries Matter'? One of Alliance's main goals is to develop webcontent for our members." So Ms. Pope amd her team contacted TumbleBooks Inc., a company which specializes in creating animated, taking picture books for their online collection, TumbleBookLibrary, which is used by over 2000 public libraries and elementary schools across the world.
"We're a TumbleBookLibrary subscriber," explains Pope, "and we just love TumbleBooks. We thought it would be a perfect way to publish and distribute the book."
The result is an animated, talking picture book which can be viewed online, downloaded, and even e-mailed to friends and family. Alliance and TumbleBooks are providing the book for free to public libraries and elementary schools. It is the first in a series of awareness and fundraising projects Alliance and TumbleBooks will be collaborating on.
To receive "Why Libraries Matter: A Story Long Overdue" for your website, or for more information about the book and campaign, contact:
Ron Zevy
President
TumbleBooks Inc
(416) 781-4010
rz@tumblebooks.com
or
Sandy Albrow
Webmaster
Alliance Library System
(309) 694-9230
salbrow@alliancelibrarysystem.com
The Alliance Library System, www.LibrariesMatter.com, and TumbleBooks Inc are pleased to announce the launch of a new animated online book entitled "Why Libraries Matter: A Story Long Overdue."
The book, in both online and downloadable format, is available free to all public libraries and elementary schools in North America for use on their websites.
"Why Libraries Matter: A Story Long Overdue" is the charming tale, told in rhyming verse, of a young girl who shows her family and neighbors how important the library is to them and their community.
The link below is an example of what the icon will look like on your website. It will also give you the opportunity to view, download, and e-mail the book for yourself.
http://www.librariesmatter.com/books/index.cfm
The project is the latest in a series of initiatives from the Alliance Library System who, last year, introduced the Libraries Matter campaign (ww.LibrariesMatter.com ) to public libraries across the world.
"We wanted to raise awareness," says Kitty Pope, Executive Director of Alliance, "and thought, what better way than to produce a book about 'Why Libraries Matter'? One of Alliance's main goals is to develop webcontent for our members." So Ms. Pope amd her team contacted TumbleBooks Inc., a company which specializes in creating animated, taking picture books for their online collection, TumbleBookLibrary, which is used by over 2000 public libraries and elementary schools across the world.
"We're a TumbleBookLibrary subscriber," explains Pope, "and we just love TumbleBooks. We thought it would be a perfect way to publish and distribute the book."
The result is an animated, talking picture book which can be viewed online, downloaded, and even e-mailed to friends and family. Alliance and TumbleBooks are providing the book for free to public libraries and elementary schools. It is the first in a series of awareness and fundraising projects Alliance and TumbleBooks will be collaborating on.
To receive "Why Libraries Matter: A Story Long Overdue" for your website, or for more information about the book and campaign, contact:
Ron Zevy
President
TumbleBooks Inc
(416) 781-4010
rz@tumblebooks.com
or
Sandy Albrow
Webmaster
Alliance Library System
(309) 694-9230
salbrow@alliancelibrarysystem.com
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Factiva Upgrades Mobile Capability (Factiva press release)
New York (September 29, 2005) - Factiva®, a Dow Jones and Reuters Company, today announced that its Wireless Beta program, “Factiva Mobile”, is now available to all customers leveraging Factiva.com, Factiva SalesWorks™ and Factiva Companies & Executives™. It will provide time-pressed, mobile executives with access to business news and company information that will help them to more effectively prepare for sales calls, meetings, and business planning, anytime and anywhere.
“As Factiva continues to provide information where, when, and how our customers need it, mobile delivery has become an important part of our vision,” said Alan Scott, chief marketing officer at Factiva. “The capabilities offered by Factiva truly gives executives a competitive edge by arming them with the most current facts about their customers, prospects, competitors and markets.”
Compatible with BlackBerry® devices, Factiva Mobile for Factiva SalesWorks and Factiva Companies & Executives delivers snapshots of key information for more than 1.5 million companies worldwide, including company news, financials, contact details, executive lists, stock quotes, and more. (more...)
“As Factiva continues to provide information where, when, and how our customers need it, mobile delivery has become an important part of our vision,” said Alan Scott, chief marketing officer at Factiva. “The capabilities offered by Factiva truly gives executives a competitive edge by arming them with the most current facts about their customers, prospects, competitors and markets.”
Compatible with BlackBerry® devices, Factiva Mobile for Factiva SalesWorks and Factiva Companies & Executives delivers snapshots of key information for more than 1.5 million companies worldwide, including company news, financials, contact details, executive lists, stock quotes, and more. (more...)
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Audio archives and podcasts available from the Audio Book Expo
On Wednesday of this week a one-day conference was held in East Peoria, Illinois and online on the topics of digital audio books and multimedia ebooks.
Speakers included Steve Potash from OverDrive, Paul Cappezzello from OCLC/NetLibrary, Judy Dixon from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Geoff Freed from the National Center for Accessible Media, Charlotte Johnson from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, William Harroff from McKendree College, Tom Peters from TAP Information Services, and others.
The conference was sponsored by the Alliance Library System, the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center, and the Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service.
The archive of the conference, including the PowerPoint slides and audio recordings of each session, is now available online at the following URL:
http://www.opal-online.org/archivespecial.htm
The MP3 audio recordings also are available as podcasts at the following URL:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/OpalPodcast
Speakers included Steve Potash from OverDrive, Paul Cappezzello from OCLC/NetLibrary, Judy Dixon from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Geoff Freed from the National Center for Accessible Media, Charlotte Johnson from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, William Harroff from McKendree College, Tom Peters from TAP Information Services, and others.
The conference was sponsored by the Alliance Library System, the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center, and the Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service.
The archive of the conference, including the PowerPoint slides and audio recordings of each session, is now available online at the following URL:
http://www.opal-online.org/archivespecial.htm
The MP3 audio recordings also are available as podcasts at the following URL:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/OpalPodcast
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)