Tag: Corning

Weekend Digital Catalog Suggested Reading, Viewing & Listening Titles April 19-21, 2013

Linda Reimer

Here is a list of select Digital Catalog e-books, audios and videos s you might enjoy reading, viewing or listening to over the weekend!

Suggested E-Books:

The Andalucian Friend: A Novel by Alexander Soderberg: A Monumental International Crime Thriller That Brad Thor Calls “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets The Sopranos.”

Enemies Are Everywhere…

When Sophie Brinkmann–nurse, widow, single mother–meets Hector Guzman, her life is uneventful. She likes his quiet charm and easy smile; she likes the way he welcomes her into his family. She quickly learns, though, that his smooth façade masks something much more sinister.

Guzman is the head of a powerful international crime ring with a reach into drugs and weapons that extends from Europe to South America. His interests are under siege by a ruthless German syndicate who will stop at nothing to stake their claim. But the Guzmans are fighters and will go to war to protect what’s rightfully theirs. The conflict quickly escalates to become a deadly turf war between the rival organizations that includes an itinerant arms dealer, a deeply disturbed detective, a vicious hit man, and a wily police chief. Sophie, too, is unwittingly caught in the middle. She must summon everything within her to navigate this intricate web of moral ambiguity, deadly obsession, and craven gamesmanship.

The Andalucian Friend is a powerhouse of a novel–turbo-charged, action-packed, highly sophisticated, and epic in scope–and announces Alexander Söderberg as the most exciting new voice in thrillers in a generation.

Frankie’s Letter by Dolores Gordon-Smith: A thrilling World War One spy story from the author of the acclaimed Jack Haldean series. “There’s a spy in England. Frankie’s letter. Read Frankie’s letter . . .” The last words said by a dying man to Anthony Brooke in Kiel in Germany during the height of World War One. But who is Frankie? With his cover blown and the German army at his heels, English secret agent Anthony Brooke’s search to discover the truth leads him to an innocent-seeming country house. Here, deep within the English countryside, as Anthony uncovers a web of spies, treachery and terrorists, the war becomes close and very personal.

A Night Like This (Smythe-Smith Quartet, Book 2) by Julia Quinn: Anne Wynter might not be who she says she is . . .

But she’s managing quite well as a governess to three highborn young ladies. Her job can be a challenge–in a single week she finds herself hiding in a closet full of tubas, playing an evil queen in a play that might be a tragedy (or might be a comedy–no one is sure), and tending to the wounds of the oh-so-dashing Earl of Winstead. After years of dodging unwanted advances, he’s the first man who has truly tempted her, and it’s getting harder and harder to remind herself that a governess has no business flirting with a nobleman.

Daniel Smythe-Smith Might be in mortal danger . . .

But that’s not going to stop the young earl from falling in love. And when he spies a mysterious woman at his family’s annual musicale, he vows to pursue her, even if that means spending his days with a ten-year-old who thinks she’s a unicorn. But Daniel has an enemy, one who has vowed to see him dead. And when Anne is thrown into peril, he will stop at nothing to ensure their happy ending . . .

The Burgess Boys: A Novel by Elizabeth Strout: Elizabeth Strout “animates the ordinary with an astonishing force,” wrote The New Yorker on the publication of her Pulitzer Prize–winning Olive Kitteridge. The San Francisco Chronicle praised Strout’s “magnificent gift for humanizing characters.” Now the acclaimed author returns with a stunning novel as powerful and moving as any work in contemporary literature.

Haunted by the freak accident that killed their father when they were children, Jim and Bob Burgess escaped from their Maine hometown of Shirley Falls for New York City as soon as they possibly could. Jim, a sleek, successful corporate lawyer, has belittled his bighearted brother their whole lives, and Bob, a Legal Aid attorney who idolizes Jim, has always taken it in stride. But their long-standing dynamic is upended when their sister, Susan–the Burgess sibling who stayed behind–urgently calls them home. Her lonely teenage son, Zach, has gotten himself into a world of trouble, and Susan desperately needs their help. And so the Burgess brothers return to the landscape of their childhood, where the long-buried tensions that have shaped and shadowed their relationship begin to surface in unexpected ways that will change them forever.

With a rare combination of brilliant storytelling, exquisite prose, and remarkable insight into character, Elizabeth Strout has brought to life two deeply human protagonists whose struggles and triumphs will resonate with readers long after they turn the final page. Tender, tough-minded, loving, and deeply illuminating about the ties that bind us to family and home, The Burgess Boys is Elizabeth Strout’s newest and perhaps most astonishing work of literary art.

E-Books For Kids:

Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters (Alvin Ho Series, Book 2) by Lenore Look & LeUyen Pham: Here’s the third book in the hilarious Alvin Ho chapter book series, which is a Kirkus Reviews Best Continuing Series.

Alvin Ho back and his worst fear has come true: he has to go camping. What will he do exposed in the wilderness with bears and darkness and . . . pit toilets? Luckily, he’s got his night-vision goggles and water purifying tablets and super-duper heavy-duty flashlight to keep him safe. And he’s got his dad, too.

Lenore Look’s touching, drop-dead-funny chapter book about an Asian-American second grader–with illustrations by New York Times bestselling illustrator LeUyen Pham–is perfect for beginning and reluctant readers alike, and has tons of boy appeal.

Beswitched by Kate Saunders: A magic spell has spun Flora into the past. She’s mysteriously swapped lives with a schoolgirl in 1935! No iPod? No cell phone? No hair products? How will she survive?

Now Flora’s a new girl at St. Winifred’s, where she has to speak French at breakfast, wear hideous baggy bloomers, and sleep in a freezing dormitory.

But lots of adventures in the past are amazing even if they are not forever. How will she find her way back to the 21st century?

Ghost Town, Seven Ghostly Stories by Joan Lowery Nixon: Stagecoach robberies. Shoot-outs. Striking it rich. Throughout the Wild West small towns were formed, thriving with men and women from the East and gold from the mines. Notorious outlaws, desperadoes, and gunslingers rustled up trouble in town after town. When the gold disappeared, the outlaws, as well as the local folks, abandoned their towns. Or did they?

There are still sounds, not just the paint peeling from the deserted storefronts, or the tumbleweeds whispering as they somersault down the empty streets. There are voices, whispering stories–are they real or imagined? Stories like the one about the Lost Mine in Maiden, Texas, or the Bad Man from Bodie, California, who’s still searching for his lost finger. . . .

Suggested Albums:

Acoustic Guitar Blues, Volume 1: Library Staff Note: This is actually a how-to album – if  you have a guitar you can listen to this album and play along with the tracks to improve your blues guitar skills!

Here are the practice track listings:

1. Tune Up (Standard Tuning) (Practice-Tracks)

2. Tune Up (Open C Tuning) (Practice-Tracks)

3. Tune Up (Open D Tuning) (Practice-Tracks)

4. Claps Blues in G (Practice-Tracks)

5. Swampdog Blues in D (open D tuning) (Practice-Tracks)

6. Backwoods Blues in A (Practice-Tracks)

7. Minor Slow Hand Blues in A minor (Practice-Tracks)

8. Stevie’s 16 Bar Blues in E (Practice-Tracks)

9. Zepp Blues in C (open C tuning) (Practice-Tracks)

10. Levy’s Blues in E (Practice-Tracks)

11. Rainy Day Blues in E (Practice-Tracks)

12. Mr. V’s Blues in G minor (Practice-Tracks)

13. Acoustic Funk Blues in D (Practice-Tracks)

The Westminster Choir Sings Familiar American and British Folk Songs:

Digital Audio Download Includes:

Part 1:

1. Bamboula (1992 – Remaster) (Leonard Pennario)

2. My Old Kentucky Home (2011 – Remaster) (Salli Terri)

3. Beautiful Dreamer (Thomas Hampson)

4. To a Wild Rose (No. 1 of Woodland Sketches Op. 51) (Dame Moura Lympany)

5. The Liberty Bell (Timothy Foley – The Great American Main Street Band)

6. The Entertainer (Joshua Rifkin)

7. At the River (Marni Nixon/John McCabe)

8. Rhapsody in Blue (jazzband version): Opening (Wayne Marshall/City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle)

9. Three Preludes: No. 2 in C sharp minor (Leonard Pennario)

10. Symphony No. 2 “Romantic”: II. Andante Con Tenerezza (Leonard Slatkin/Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra)

11. Mood Indigo (I. Mills – A. Bigard) (Mills Music, Inc.) (Barbara Hendricks – Monty Alexander Trio)

12. Grand Canyon Suite (1997 Digital Remaster): On The Trail (Felix Slatkin/The Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra)

13. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Roberta, 1933) (1996 – Remaster) (Barry Tuckwell/Sir Richard Rodney Bennett/Ensemble/Neil Richardson)

14. Anything Goes: Overture (London Symphony Orchestra/John McGlinn)

15. Adagio for Strings Op. 11 (London Symphony Orchestra/Michael Tilson Thomas)

16. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (Pal Joey) (Frederica von Stade/London Symphony Orchestra/John McGlinn)

Part 2:

1. Take the ‘A’ Train (Sir Simon Rattle/City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Lena Horne/Clark Terry/Bobby Watson/Joshua Redman/Joe Lovano/Regina Carter/Geri Allen/Lewis Nash/Peter Washington)

2. Fanfare for the Common Man (1999 – Remaster) (Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México/Enrique Bátiz)

3. Appalachian Spring (1999 – Remaster): Very Slowly (Leonard Slatkin/Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra)

4. Appalachian Spring (1999 – Remaster): Allegro (Leonard Slatkin/Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra)

5. Annie Get Your Gun: Overture (London Sinfonietta/John McGlinn)

6. Annie Get Your Gun, Act I: Doin’ what comes natur’lly (Annie, Kids, Wilson) (Kim Criswell/London Sinfonietta/John McGlinn)

7. Annie Get Your Gun, Act I: The girl that I marry (Frank) (Thomas Hampson/London Sinfonietta/John McGlinn)

8. Annie Get Your Gun, Act I: You can’t get a man with a gun (Annie) (Kim Criswell/London Sinfonietta/John McGlinn)

9. Annie Get Your Gun, Act II: Anything you can do (Frank, Annie) (Kim Criswell/Thomas Hampson/London Sinfonietta/John McGlinn)

10. The Little Horses (Lullaby) (Bruce Hubbard/Orchestra of St Luke’s/Dennis Russell Davies)

11. The Dodger (Campaign Song) (Bruce Hubbard/Orchestra of St Luke’s/Dennis Russell Davies)

12. Long Time Ago (Ballad) (Bruce Hubbard/Orchestra of St Luke’s/Dennis Russell Davies)

13. Simple Gifts (Shaker Song) (Bruce Hubbard/Orchestra of St Luke’s/Dennis Russell Davies)

14. Candide (Overture) (Leonard Slatkin/St Louis Symphony Orchestra)

15. Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: II. Somewhere (Paavo Järvi/City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra)

16. Façades (London Chamber Orchestra/Christopher Warren-Green/John Harle/Simon Haram)

17. Vermont counterpoint (Ransom Wilson)

18. Short Ride in a Fast Machine – Fanfare for orchestra (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle)

Suggested Audio Books:

Capitol Murder by Phillip Margolin: Private investigator Dana Cutler and lawyer Brad Miller have overcome more than a few daunting challenges and powerful enemies to see justice done. Against tremendous odds, they successfully unmasked a president’s involvement in serial murders. They also saved the life of a Supreme Court justice while foiling a plot by rogue members of the CIA to fix a case headed for the Court. Now, nefarious threats old and new are about to bring them together once again. As a group of terrorists plot to blow up a football stadium, Clarence Little, the convicted serial killer from Executive Privilege, escapes from death row. In Capitol Murder, this master of suspense delivers another  high-octane thriller set in Washington’s legendary corridors of power filled with startling twists that will have fans racing from first word to last.

Chilling Horror Stories – Volume 2: A collection of six classic chilling horror stories including The Three Strangers, The Phantom Coach, The Open Window and The Travellers Story of a Terribly Strange Bed.

Private Berlin by James Patterson: Private, the world’s most respected investigation firm, has branches around the world, each staffed with the smartest, fastest, and most advanced agents, who have cutting-edge forensic tools that not even the most powerful governments possess. At Private Berlin, agent Chris Schneider has disappeared. Chris had taken a secretive personal leave and hadn’t spoken to anyone from the office in days. The Private team retraces his footsteps to the cases he was investigating before his disappearance: a billionaire suspected of cheating on his wife, a world famous soccer player accused of throwing games, and the owner of a seedy nightclub. They were the last people to see Chris – and they’re all suspects. And someone is lying. The Private team is led to an abandoned Nazi slaughterhouse where all hope vanishes. As Private digs further into Chris’s past, a terrifying history is revealed, and they begin to suspect that someone very dangerous and very depraved is responsible for Chris’s disappearance. And he’s not finished in Berlin. Private: Berlin has more twists, action, and deception than any other James Patterson thriller ever.

Suggested Videos:

Mayan Renaissance: “Mayan Renaissance” is a feature length documentary which documents the glory of the ancient Maya civilization, the Spanish conquest in 1519, five hundred years of oppression, and the courageous fight of the Maya to reclaim their voice and determine their own future, in Guatemala and throughout Central America. This elegant, beautiful, and thought provoking film will share their vision for the future, their call for a long-foretold renaissance of Maya culture and wisdom, and their 100 year plan to lead humanity forward, from the year 2012 on.The film stars 1992 Nobel Peace Laureate and Maya leader Rigoberta Menchu Tum. All of the images, voices, expert commentary and music in the film come directly from Central America, from the heart of the Mayan world.

Young Scientists: Twenty highly motivated students and their teachers at two New York City area high schools conduct serious independent research in anticipation of the world’s largest science fair, Intel’s International Science and Engineering Fair. These students are dedicated to their fields of interest—which are as diverse as cancer research and carpenter ants—along with physics, chemistry, and biology projects.

The STLS Digital Catalog may be found on the library’s homepage of SSCLIBRARY.ORG

Or via the following link:

http://stls.lib.overdrive.com/FE5904CF-8A91-4688-A592-7A046C7988D3/10/536/en/Default.htm

And if you have an app device look for the OverDrive Media Console app in your app store – it is the app that will allow you to check out free library e-books and audio books and download them to your tablet or smartphone.

Digital Catalog music and video titles must currently be downloaded to a Windows computer to enjoy.

Have a great weekend!

Linda R.

 

Digital Public Library of American Opens & Opportunities To Peruse Life-Long Learning With Free Classes, E-Books, Movies & Audio Books

Linda Reimer

Digital Public Library of American Opens: The Digital Public Library of American opened today. The DPLA has been a work in progress for a number of years and to quote from the About page on the DPLA site: “The Digital public Library of America brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and make them freely available to the world. It strives to contain the full breadth of human expression, from the written word, to works of art and culture, to records of America’s heritage, to the efforts and data of science. The DPLA aims to expand this crucial realm of openly available materials, and make those riches more easily discovered and more widely usable and used.”

And you might be wondering who the people are behind the DPLA – and the general answer is people that work in libraries, museums and archives across the United States. However, a more specific answer can be found in some of the partner organizations that contribute content to the online DPLA and they include: The Smithsonian, The New York Public Library, The National Archives and Records Administration, The Harvard Library, The University of Virginia, The Biodiversity Heritage Library and ARTstor among others. The site has just opened and it is a great site to check out. I was able to look at some cool historic photos of Corning Glass by doing a simple search for Corning on the site so I urge everyone to check it out!

Here’s the link to the DPLA site itself:

http://dp.la/

A link to the partners’ page on the DPLA site:

http://dp.la/info/about/who/partners/hubs/

A link to a Verge article on the opening of the DPLA titled Digital Public Library of America launches beta web portal:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/18/4238866/digital-public-library-of-america-launches-beta-web-portal

And a link to an NPR article on the DPLA titled Vast Digital Public Library of America Opens:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/04/18/177727014/book-news-vast-digital-public-library-of-america-launches

Opportunities To Peruse Life-Long Learning With Free Classes, E-Books, Movies & Audio Books: If you’re interested in learning to know more about a great many subjects from Archaeology to history to math and the natural sciences but don’t want to go to college and obtain a college degree nor to pay for college level classes then you may want to check out the Open Culture website found at:

http://www.openculture.com/

The website editor is Dan Coleman who is the Director & Associate Dean of Stanford’s Continuing Education program so the materials and courses offered for free though the site are high in quality.

And naturally I was prompted to write about the Open Culture online materials and classes by coming across an article I found while reading news stories via the Zite app on my iPad. The article is titled: Enrich Yourself with Free Courses, Audio Books, eBooks, Movies, Textbooks & More and it actually links to information found on the Open Culture website – here’s the link:

http://www.openculture.com/2013/04/enrich_yourself_with_free_courses_audio_books_ebooks_movies_textbooks_.html

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Digital Public Library of America. Online. Accessed April 18, 2013.

June, Laura. (2013, April 18). Digital Public Library of America launches beta web portal. The Verge. Online.

Enrich Yourself with Free Courses, Audio Books, eBooks, Movies, Textbooks & More. Open Culture. Online. Accessed April 18, 2013.

Partners. Digital Public Library of America. Online. Accessed April 18, 2013.

Quinn, Annalisa. (2013, April 18). Vast ‘Digital Public Library Of America’ Opens Today. NPR. Online.

What Kind Of Tech Programs Would You Like To See @ The Library?

Linda Reimer

As you may know, and if you don’t just FYI! The library offers a number of free tech programs and even free One-On-One sessions by appointment.

One-On-One Tech Sessions: Now of course the One-On-One sessions are made by appointment with a member of our tech staff, namely Jenn Gaylor or I, and these sessions offer people* an opportunity to come in with the new iPad, tablet, e-reader or PC they’ve just acquired and sit down with a person who is knowledgeable in the language of personal technology and just go over any questions they might have or listen to an overview of how their new device works. You can make a One-On-One tech appointment during any weekday/weekday evening hours the library is open so the appointment fits in with your schedule.

Tech Programs: Right now we are hosting a variety of tech programs on Wednesday afternoons and select evenings. Our current tech program offerings include programs on how to use the iPad, how to use Windows 8, how to do photo editing, how to use Excel, E-Fitness Resources (including a brief Wii workout) and how to use a Mac.

So my goal in creating this posting is to ask all library patrons reading this posting two simple questions regarding tech programs at the library:

  1. What tech topics would you like to see us create programs for in the future?

And

  1. What time would you find convenient to attend tech program at the library? In the morning, in the afternoon or in the evening?

And please feel free to make any additional comments regarding tech programs and services the library offers and/or ones you’d like to see the library offer.

Have a great day!
Linda R.

*One-On-One sessions may be made by individuals or small groups so if you’d like to come in yourself and learn how to use your new iPad or PC etc. you can do so and if instead you’d like to come in with your spouse, or a sibling or friend or two to learn how to use your new iPad, PC, e-reader or other gadget  — you can do that too! Just stop in the library or give us a call! You can make a tech appointment by calling 607-684-0361 or 607-936-3713 ext. 212.

Online Library Fitness Videos & Logitech’s New Harmony Universal Remote Is Truly Universal

Linda Reimer

Online Library Fitness Videos: If you’re ready to workout you should check out the fitness videos in the STLS Digital Catalog! You can download them to your PC and spice up your workout with some new routines!

The library owns the following E-Fitness videos:

A.M. Yoga for Your Week by Rodney Yee

Budokon For Beginners by Cameron Shayne

Dance: Core Cross Train by Patricia Moreno

Easy Home Message: A Step by Step Video Guide

Easy Yoga

Foot Reflexology

Guided Relaxation For Sleep hosted by Dr. James Rouse

Guided Relaxation For Stress hosted by Dr. James Rouse

Healing Yoga by Rodney Yee

All these videos may be checked out via the STLS Digital Catalog for details click on the catalog link:

http://stls.lib.overdrive.com/EF139C11-E181-4009-B6CA-079BACA7E9F2/10/50/en/Default.htm

Logitech’s New Harmony Universal Remote Is Truly Universal: Logitech has come out with a new smart remote, well actually two new smart remotes one The Harmony Universal features a 2.4” touchscreen and the other the Harmony Smart Control. Both remotes allow you to control up to 15 devices including the Xbox, PS3 & Wii game condoles and lamps with a certain type of Phillips light bulbs and offer cell phone integration (translation you can do more with the remotes if you have a smart phone that takes apps). These remotes bring new meaning to the word “universal” allowing you to do much more with them than your typical universal remote  — and they are cool but they are also rather pricey! The Harmony Ultimate (the one with the touch screen) costs $349 and the Harmony Smart Control (the one without the touch screen) costs $129. Hopefully we’ll see a cheaper truly universal remote sometime soon! In the meantime here’s a link to a PC article, titled Logitech’s New Harmony Universal Remotes Link Up to Your Smartphone, on the new and cool high tech Logitech Universal Remotes:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2417819,00.asp

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Milot, Stephanie. (2013, April 16). Logitech’s New Harmony Universal Remotes Link Up to Your Smartphone. PC Mag. Online. 

Tips For Staying Above The Email Tide & Apple Board Member Bruce Campbell Talks Discusses Technological Integration

Linda Reimer

Tips For Staying Above The Email Tide: The New York Times published a neat article over the weekend that offers tips for ways you can cut down on the amount of email you have to sort through on a regular basis. I know many people of a certain age, which honestly is younger than my age, tend to ignore emails because they feel it takes too much time and effort to write, read and reply to emails; but really in the working world – you can’t do that! Not if you don’t want to miss an important email from someone of a vintage that doesn’t text.

So if you too find that same days your inbox has more emails in it than you’d like check out the article, which is titled How to Lighten the Crush of E-Mail, here’s the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/11/technology/personaltech/how-to-lighten-the-crush-of-e-mail.html?ref=technology&_r=0

Apple Board Member Bruce Campbell Talks Discusses Technological Integration: Apple board member Bruce Campbell, who was a good friend of the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and is also the Chairman of the Board of the Intuit software company and he spoke to Intuit employees on Friday about personal technology trends. He specifically spoke about how technology is beginning to seamlessly integrate itself into our daily lives in what we might describe as more personal ways – for example, chips in our clothing, high tech thermostats in our homes that can be controlled remotely via apps and the forthcoming high tech wrist watches that will connect to the Internet and no doubt in the near future allow us to essentially wear a small telephone on our writs a la Dick Tracy.

Bloomberg Businessweek offers a relatively short but interesting article that focuses on the Bruce Campbell talk – here’s the link:

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-04-12/apples-coach-campbell-sees-google-glass-starting-era-of-intimate-objects#r=auth-s

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Vance, Ashlee. (2013, April 12). Apple’s ‘Coach’ Campbell Sees Google Glass Starting Era of Intimate Objects. Bloomberg Business Insider. Online.

Wortham, Jenna. (2013, April 10). How to Lighten the Crush of E-Mail. New York Times. Online. 

The iPhone Comes To The Newly Contactless T-Mobile & Facebook Can Now Take Over You Phone

Linda Reimer

It has been another busy, busy day in library land so this will be a briefer than usual posting!

I know, I know!  “short” is not a word you usually find in my vocabulary especially with regard to writing anything as tech blog postings go! As frequently tech blog viewers know. However, I really will try and do a short posting this evening!

Two of the largest tech stories today, and in deed for this week, are the fact that the iPhone is finally available for T-Mobile customers – and perhaps as you’ll recall T-Mobile recently discontinued its contract cell phone programs so you can get the iPhone 5 for $100 down (and $20 extra dollars per month until the phone is paid off) through T-Mobile and leave T-Mobile at any time for another cell phone company if you wish – you just have to pay off the balance you own on your phone.

Here’s a link to a CNET article that offers more information about the iPhone now being available to T-Mobile customers:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57579367-37/t-mobiles-iphone-off-to-a-damp-but-hopeful-start/

And as far as Facebook taking over your smart phone you can now get the Facebook home app from the Google Play Store for all Android phones (not yet for iPhones). This app will basically put your phone in the Facebook universe as it overlays Facebook features on top of the OS of your phone. So if you are a huge Facebook fan you’ll be able to get this app and then easily reply, send and see Facebook postings among other Facebook related options.

Here’s a link to a CNET story on that same subject:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57579370-93/facebook-home-arrives-in-google-play-store/

Have a great weekend everyone!

Linda R.

P.S. I did it – it is short – only one Word length page!

References

Cheng, Roger. (2013, April 12). T-Mobile’s iPhone off to a damp, but hopeful, start: The iPhone finally launches at T-Mobile, injecting a little energy into the smallest national carrier. CNET. Online.

Van Grove, Jennifer. (2013, April 12). Facebook Home arrives in Google Play store. CNET. Online.

 

Funny List Of Kitchen Gadgets You Can Probably Do Without & The Next Xbox May Become The Brains Of Your TV Viewing Experience

Linda Reimer

Funny List Of Kitchen Gadgets You Can Probably Do Without: The tech site Gizmodo offers a humorous story today highlighting 15 of what they describe as “Insanely Specific Kitchen Gadgets.” It really is a funny list! There is a hot dog slicer for those that would rather not slice hot dogs with a knife, a “Nana Saver” for those that only want to eat half a banana now, hard-boiled egg molds for those who want to have their hard-boiled eggs look like a cat or bear head and even a s’mores maker for those who would rather not squash s’mores ingredients together by hand!

Here’s a link to the article & list:
http://gizmodo.com/5992324/15-more-insanely-specific-kitchen-gadgets

The Next Xbox May Become The Brains Of Your TV Viewing Experience: The tech site The Verge offers an article today on the next generation Microsoft Xbox which it reports will be sophisticated enough to not only run your cable box but to overlay its own software on top of the cable box menu and channel guide. This new Xbox will also have the ability to sense how many people are in the room and allow people to change or pause whatever they are viewing by eye or hand movement – so your remote may soon be a thing of the past! Just exactly when the next generation Xbox Condole and Kinect Sensor will debut isn’t yet known but even so it will be cool to be able to change television channels or pause video playback simply by moving your eyes or hands!

And The Verge article makes me wonder, yet again, what Apple is working on television wise as my guess is whatever smart television or updated media player they come up with is likely to allow for voice commands; just imagine being able to tell your television to turn on and play the latest episode of your favorite television series by simply saying the words “TV on,” “Play insert-name-of-your- favorite-TV series here!”

Here’s the link to The Verge article which is titled Exclusive: Microsoft’s next Xbox will take over your TV, interact with your cable box:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/10/4208970/next-xbox-tv-entertainment-plans

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Horn, Leslie. (2013, April 10). 15 More Insanely Specific Kitchen Gadgets. Gizmodo. Online.

Warren, Tom. Exclusive: Microsoft’s next Xbox will take over your TV, interact with your cable box: The fight for the living room continues. The Verge. Online. 

iPad Flies Off Top Of Car And Into Passing Motorist’s Bumper & More On The Aereo vs. Broadcaster Battle

Linda Reimer

iPad Flies Off Top Of Car And Into Passing Motorist’s Bumper: Have you ever left your smartphone or tablet on top of your car and then drove away with the device still on top of your car? If so then, or even if not, you’ll appreciate the link to the video that follows! It seems that a gal in South Carolina was driving down the road  and heard a moderate noise but didn’t feel anything hit her car so she drove on to her destination and when she stopped she found an iPad lodged into the bumper of her car! The iPad, which was still in working condition, was so tightly embedded into her bumper she had to get a hammer to knock it out – and then she looked up the owner’s information on the iPad and called him. It seems to owner put the iPad on top of his car and forgot to put it in his car before he left home!

Here’s the link:

http://www.abc57.com/news/national-world/iPad-stuck–202194801.html

More On The Aereo vs. Broadcaster Battle: And here a links to two mainstream (aka not tech news sites or magazines) stories on the battle between the upstart Aereo Streaming services that offers its customers access to the free broadcast television content – streamed to all their tech gadgets and on demand – and the traditional networks who are not pleased with the service!

The first link is to a New York Times article titled Broadcasters Circle Wagons Against a TV Streaming Upstart:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/10/business/media/aereo-has-tv-networks-circling-the-wagons.html?ref=technology&_r=0

And the second is to a news story that appeared on NBC Nightly news last night titled Aereo presents challenge to broadcasters: Some broadcasters are considering moving their product exclusively to cable now because of a new way of distributing TV programs online.  NBC’s John Yang report:

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51485531/#51485531

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Johnson, Peter. (2013, April 10). iPad stuck in car bumper. ABC 57 News. Online.

Nightly News. Aereo presents challenge to brodcasters. NBC. Online.

Stelter, Brian. (2013, April 9). Broadcasters Circle Wagons Against a TV Streaming Upstart. New York Times. Online.

 

Is An Ebook A Thing? A&M Teachers Tracking Their Students Text E-Book Usage & Vudu Customer Account Information Stolen

Linda Reimer

Is An Ebook A Thing? The Digital Book World offers an article titled “Is an ebook an experience or a thing?” and the author ponders the question is an e-book a thing as a paper book is or is it an experience? Obviously e-books aren’t tangible things that you can hold in your hand the way you can paper books. And I agree that reading is an experience; and, one can argue that the words flow off the page, whether that page is made up of paper or bytes, and it is the words that paint mental pictures in your mind that are important but I still think you should be able to buy e-books just as you can buy printed books. After all the words are the same even if the format is different.

Here’s the link to the article:

http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/is-an-ebook-an-experience-or-a-thing/

A&M Teachers Tracking Their Students Text E-Book Usage: The New York Times offers an interesting article on a new way teachers at Texas A&M can electronically see if their students are reading their text e-books. The teachers can track the text e-book usage of their students via a new technology known as CourseSmart which allows them to see when individual students have accessed their text e-books, what passages they’ve highlighted, what notes they’ve taken and for how long they’ve actually accessed (read) the text ebook. This technology sort of harkens back to George Orwell’s 1984 and Big Brother is watching you but it can also be seen as a useful educational tool because it will allow teachers to suggest to some students that they need to spend more time reading the text and the notes and highlights students make in their e-text books will allow teachers to see if students are getting the gist of the text or if there is some part of the text that multiple students don’t understand – and then the teachers can explain whatever it is the students aren’t understanding in the text.

Here’s the link to the Times article which is titled Teacher Knows if You’ve Done the E-Reading:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/09/technology/coursesmart-e-textbooks-track-students-progress-for-teachers.html?ref=technology&_r=0

Vudu Customer Account Information Stolen: The Walmart owned streaming video service Vudu has reported that a thief broke into their offices and stole a hard drive which contained the customer account information. In response the hacking Vudu has re-set all customer passwords. So if you have a Vudu account you may want to check you ,ay want to check your password and account status.  

Here’s a link to an Engadget article on the subject titled Vudu offices burglarized and customer info stolen:

http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/09/vudu-offices-burglarized-and-customer-info-stolen/

Have a great day and/or evening!

Linda R.

References

Bacon, Beth. (2013, April 8). Is an ebook an experience or a thing. Digital Book World Online.

Gorman, Michael. Vudu offices burglarized and customer info stolen. Engadget. Online.

Streitfeld, David. (2013, April 8). Teacher Knows if You’ve Done the E-Reading. New York Times. Online.

Walmart’s Vudu resets all customer passwords after March office break-in leads to hard drive theft. The Next Web. Online. Accessed April 9, 2013. 

The Rise Of Group Subscriptions Or Accessing Television Subscription Content You Don’t Pay For & And Rdio Vdio Streaming Service Debuts

Linda Reimer

The Rise Of Group Subscriptions Or Accessing Television Subscription Content You Don’t Pay: The New York Times featured a cool article over the weekend which chronicles a growing trend – the growing number of people who access paid television content by using the cable subscription of a friend or relative so they don’t have to pay for the content. It seems an increasing number of people are accessing paid television shows and movies by accessing cable accounts online or via apps through their tablets or smartphones and then logging into their cable accounts with the log in information of a friend or relative. This new trend seems to be the most popular way for Cord Nevers. The term Cord Nevers referring to young adults that have grown up and accessed television shows and movies both online and by their parents or some other family members’ cable subscriptions and never had to pay for that content – and now they don’t want to so they are essentially getting accessing their favorite television shows and movies by a work-around logging into the HBO, Time Warner or other cable vendors subscription accounts with someone else’s login information.  

Consider this example that is relayed in the article – the HBO television series Game of Thrones is in the midst of its third season. And episodes of the series can be streamed for free from the smartphone and tablet HBO app and also through the HBO website. And the only thing a person needs to stream the episodes is someone’s’ cable subscription login information – it doesn’t have to be theirs. Having the login information in hand can allow five or six members of the same family to watch episodes of Game of Thrones, or any other HBO content, on demand and when they want to! The only stipulation is that two people cannot be logged in and watching the same television episode at the same time.

This is an interesting trend as it shows how the traditional cable TV bundled channel subscription package business model is walking down the road to obsolesce.

Here’s the link to the New York Times article which is titled No TV? No Subscription? No Problem:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/07/business/streaming-sites-and-the-rise-of-shared-accounts.html?ref=technology

And Rdio Vdio Streaming Service Debuts: The company behind the Rdio streaming music service has just introduced a new video streaming service called Vdio. Unlike Rdio, which is a subscription music service, the new Vdio service allows you to buy or rent streaming videos. And currently Vdio is only available to Rdio Unlimited subscribers who can watch the Vdio videos through a web browser or if they have an Apple device through the Apple app – there isn’t yet a Vdio app for Android smartphones and tablets.

And as I’ve already gotten up on my soapbox on for the above section on the New York Times article and gone on about how the traditional cable TV bundled channel business model is changing in our 24-7-365-Internet connected world – I won’t do it again today!

Sufficient to say the new Vdio streaming videos service is another example of how the traditional way people watch movies and television shows.

Billboard offers an article with more in-depth information on this new streaming video service via the following link:

http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/1555894/rdio-launches-vdio-new-tv-and-film-marketplace-updated

Have a great day!

Linda R

References

Dredge, Stuart. (2013, April 4). Vdio streaming TV and film service goes live in the US and UK. The Guardian. Online.

Wortham, Jenna. (2013, April 6). No TV? No Subscription? No Problem. New York Times. Online.