Ohhh…sweet technolust… Driving back to Illinois this week I caught up on my Mac podcasts, including one of my favorites Mac Break Weekly. The podcast included loads of news about Apple’s new product the iPhone, and I realized that my personal technolust will surely get the better of me. I want this phone! That said, I wonder how many geeked out folks will doing just what I did: T-Mobile Rep: “T-Mobile Customer Support, how can I help you?” Me: “Yes please, when does my contract expire with T-Mobile?” T-Mobile Rep: “August 2008.” Me: (Ouch) “And how much is the fee […]
Categories Emerging Technology
353 posts
Here’s my updated group project assignment for LIS753 this semester. Which team would you like to be on? 🙂 LIS753 Internet Fundamentals and Design Stephens Team Projects Web Technologies – Creating a Service For this assignment, the class becomes the library emerging technology group. The group is looking at newer technologies and enhancing the library’s online presence. Sub-teams are formed to present prototype projects, research and plans for implementation. The class will be divided into groups. Each team will build a resource for librarians or libraries with their assigned tools. Each team will create a web presence/resource that offers information […]
Via SmartMobs, at http://www.smartmobs.com/archive/2007/01/05/im_vs_email.html: http://www.newscientist.com/blog/technology/2007/01/is-im-better-for-brainstorming.html The New Scientist Technology Blog: Is IM better for Brainstorming? The researchers recruited forty two-person teams of graduate business students, and split them into IM and email groups. Each team then had to tackle a business problem facing an auto-repair firm, using only their allocated communication method. For some reason the paper doesn’t say how long the tests latest. But, on average, the IM teams produced one more idea than those using email. The researchers suggests this may be due to the speed of IM compared to email. Perhaps it also shows that, when it […]
Via AL Direct! http://www.sirsidynixinstitute.com/seminar_page.php?sid=74 This is so HOT my Mac is smoking! As the Nationwide insurance commercials taunt “life comes at you fast”, it’s time for librarians to jump into the knowledge pool of Web 2.0 technologies and discover how these tools are changing the way many library users communicate, collaborate and receive information. Helene Blowers, Technology Director for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County shares insights and best practices around the creation of Learning 2.0, an online self-discovery program designed to encourage staff to explore new technologies (blogs, wikis, podcasts etc.) and reward them for “play.” Join […]
Sean Robinson sends this photo to TTW. Lynn, the new General Reference librarian at the recently-renovated Allen County Public Library tests out her new Segway at the construction site. Sean reports: “It is her personal Segway and she is traveling to work on it. Since we are bringing up the new library and moving material to the new location Lynn has been using the Segway to go back and forth from the old location which is just down the street to the new location. She said that it goes about 12 mph.” Sean talked tothe director about this and showed […]
http://www.bookswim.com/temp_index.php Jeff up in TC alerts me to this post at http://rossnotes.com/archives/2007/01/02/how-i-would-run-a-library-system/ How I Would Run a Library System: In a word: Netflix. The queue system is a perfect fit for books, maybe even a better fit than it is for movies. People will pay money for this service(perhaps not $20 a month). Removing unpopular books from shelves isn’t such a bad idea, but keep them somewhere, available for circulation. Stick a URL on the inside cover of every book that goes to an online discussion board for that book. Either after check-in or a week after check-out, email the […]
Don’t miss: http://cinematech.blogspot.com/2006/12/ten-pivotal-events-of-2006-from.html The Cinematech blog posts “Ten Pivotal Events of 2006, from the Intersection of Entertainment and Technology,” that’s chock full of insight and trends. Pay attention to the section labeled “The Future.” 6. Web sites including iTunes, Amazon, Vongo, and Guba offer full-length downloadable features, joining CinemaNow and Movielink 2006 was the first year you could purchase a digital version of a movie to own (rather than just rent one), and the first year that some sites allowed you to burn a downloaded movie onto a DVD. The process is still too complicated, and the pricing isn’t enough […]
I’ve been utilizing my Amazon Prime account a lot this week – maybe that’s why I received this via email: You’re Invited! As a valued Amazon customer, you’ve been specially picked to get an early look at a new website Amazon has just launched called Askville. Askville is a place where you can ask any question on any topic and get real answers from real people. It’s a fun place to meet others with similar interests to you and a place where you can share what you know. You can learn something new everyday or help and meet others using […]
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/2006_web_technology_trends.php Includes: Social networks RSS moving mainstream Video on the Web Overhype of the term Web 2.0 Take a look. This would be useful reading for a staff meeting discussion.
http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/2006/12/10/its-cool-to-be-cool/ A common response to hearing discussions such as this is to be dismissive – “It’s just geeks being clever. We need to adopt a user-focused approach to development, and we must deploy formal user needs analysis. And we should be dispassionate about the services we’re developing – so the ‘cool’ word is banned! ” Although there is a need to take a user-focused approach to development, I would argue that there’s also a need to encourage a ‘cool’ approach to development, especially at a time of rapid technological development that we are currently seeing. I think encouraging “cool” stuff […]