Tag: Corning

It’s Coming! The Ability to Stream Content Through The SSCL Website!

Linda Reimer

Right now you can check out digital content in the form of e-books, downloadable audio books, downloadable videos and downloadable music titles from the STLS Digital Catalog to a variety of tablets, PCs, smart phones, e-readers and Macs.

And also right now the content you can check out to specific devices varies as does the process you use to check out those items.

For example, you can read library e-books on almost any e-reader, tablet, Smartphone, PC or Mac.  

However, you can only watch videos on PCs and a handful of less-than-well-known portable devices but not on your iPad, Smartphone or Android tablet.

And you can download free library audio books to your Smartphone or tablet directly but only the ones that are in the MP3 format. OverDrive audio books that are WMA formatted have to be downloaded to a computer first and then you can transfer them to you Smartphone or tablet – but you can’t download them to a Mac because the “WMA” stands for Windows Media Audio and it is a Microsoft software which won’t open on an Apple computer – but you can transfer a WMA audio book to an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch if you first download it to a PC.

Did I mention all of this can be very confusing!

However, if you are interested in checking out digital content and have questions please ask the library staff! A member of our tech team will even be happy to sit down with you and go over the entire process step by step.

But I digress; back to the subject of streaming content!

If you’re streaming content, and the word streaming is fancy tech speak that simply means you open a web browser of your choice (i.e. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome etc.) and the e-book or other e-formatted item you open is sent from the server on which it is stored to your device so you can read the book, watch the movie or listen to the audio book or album. And with this new streaming process you won’t actually be downloading anything so there won’t be a cumbersome registration and set up process, you won’t have to authorize your device before you can check out content nor will the process for accessing the content be different by device – you’ll be able to read your library e-book, watch your library e-videos or listen to library e-audios by opening the web browser on your tablet, PC, Mac, Smartphone and even XBOX and Wii!

So the fact that this new second generation library e-content software, officially called the Next Generation Library Platform (managed by the library e-content vendor OverDrive) is coming is very exciting because it will make the process of accessing digital content from the STLS Digital Catalog a very easy and user friendly one!

And as soon as the updated platform is available we’ll loudly proclaim that fact via this blog, the library’s website and our Facebook page.

Have a great day!

Linda R

And here are links to two cool, and short, news stories offered by OverDrive regarding the new cool features coming to the Library Digital Content vendor’s platform soon!

The first story relays the fact that you’ll soon be able to read e-books, watch library e-videos and listen to library e-audios on your TV via your gaming console and the second offers information on the platform upgrade which will allow you stream content instead of having to download it:

Library E-Books Coming to Gaming Consoles:

http://overdriveblogs.com/library/2013/01/24/library-ebooks-are-coming-to-game-consoles/

http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/News/News-Item/OverDrive-Announces-Streaming-Video-and-Audio-Services-for-Libraries-and-Schools–87321.htm

OverDrive The Next Generation Digital Library Platform

http://www.overdrive.com/Next-Gen/

How Technology Is Changing Our Lives – Faster Than We Think!

Linda Reimer

I came across two articles in the last two days that appeal to me as the duo-history and tech fan that I am!

The first article is from Forbes and is titled The Apple iPhone at Age 6: My, How Things Have Changed. And I like that article because is illustrates the point that the iPhone, which was the first popular smart phone and offered a truly innovative and intuitive design, has only been on the market for six years! And six years ago people used cell phones to be sure but most of them weren’t smart and you didn’t see them in peoples hand on every street corner, bus stop and supermarket. Today smart phones like the iPhone are ubiquitous. We see cell phones in the hands of children, seniors, teens and everyone else in between. And as the articles’ author Danny Turnbull notes having smart phones has changed the way we live in a number by essentially allowing us the ability to access information and communicate with others at any time.

Here’s the link to the Forbes article:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gyro/2013/01/23/the-apple-iphone-at-age-6-my-how-things-have-changed/

And the second article is from USA Today and discusses how Netflix shares grew at a much larger rate than anyone, even Netflix, expected in the last quarter of 2012. And I like that article because the reason they give for this great growth in Netflix usage is streaming. And by streaming I mean the number of people who have subscriptions to Netflix who watch videos streamed from the Internet on their Smartphones, tablets and televisions; and that point is cool because just as the iPhone kicked off the era of being able to be connected to the Internet 24/7/365 via your smart phone – the growth in people who stream Netflix videos instead of using the service to obtain and watch DVDs shows how the technology and the instant access to video content we gain from having a 24/7/365 Internet connection in our homes is beginning to transform the way we watch television shows and movies – we can now watch them when and where we want instead of  having to wait for those shows to air on TV and that too is cool!

The USA Today article is titled Netflix eked out a profit of $8 million as growing sales tablets and smartphones prompted new customers to try its service and can be accessed via the following link:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/01/23/netflix-reports-4q-profit/1859185/

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Turnbull, Danny. (2013, January 23). The Apple iPhone at Age 6: My, How Things Have Changed. Forbes. Online.

Yu, Roger. (2013, January 23). Netflix eked out a profit of $8 million as growing sales tablets and smartphones prompted new customers to try its service. USA Today. Online. 

The Rising Popularity of Public Libraries As Places to Access The Internet & Obtain Tech Assistance – All For Free

Linda Reimer

The PEW Research Group has just released some new survey findings as part of their Pew Internet & American Life Project that show that public libraries are key places people go to use the Internet for free. Of course those of us who have worked in public libraries for a while know that well! When I first started working at the old Corning Public Library in 1984 patrons coming in would not have found a computer in sight! By 1987 though the library had a digital “card” catalog that allowed patrons to search for books that were available both in our library and in all the other member libraries of the Southern Tier Library System. And by the late nineteen eighties the library also had an internal DOS like email system, portable CD players for patrons to use in the library, CDs and video cassettes for patrons to check and a number of Macs for staff use.

And since the library re-opened as the Southeast Steuben County Library in 2000 we have added new tech offers for patrons which include Internet connected computers, Wi-Fi and tech usage assistance from staff – all for free – and patrons have shown they loves these new services.

Where else can you go to use the Internet for free, to scan documents, photos or slides for free, to ask for staff assistance in putting e-books on your new e-reader or tablet – or in checking out library e-books all for free?

And one of our most popular services today is indeed free tech assistance.

And you might well wonder what I mean by that…

And what I mean is patrons can call the library and make an appointment to sit down with a member of the library’s tech staff and go over any tech usage questions they might have. So if you wonder how to use your new Windows 8 laptop, your new Kindle, Nook, iPad or Mac, how to create a resume using Microsoft Word, how to fill out a job application online or set up a free email account you have access to assistance for free! Just call us at: 607-936-3713 ext. 502 to make an appointment.

And today our new digital offerings, all of which can be accessible through the library’s website 24/7/365, include credible news, research, health and art databases*, e-books, e-audio books and a growing number of music titles and videos accessed via the STLS Digital Catalog link on the library’s homepage.

The library’s home page is found at: 

http://ssclibrary.org/

You can access the STLS Digital Catalog (the place where you can find e-books, e-audio books, digital music and video titles online) by either going to our homepage and clicking on the STLS Digital Catalog link or clicking on the following link:

http://stls.lib.overdrive.com/01E2684D-2EA9-4F70-9752-3C9D716A313B/10/536/en/Default.htm

 The New York Times article that offers a brief overview of the new PEW survey results is titled Pew Survey Finds Reliance On Libraries For Computers and Internet and may be accessed via the following link:

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/pew-survey-finds-reliance-on-libraries-for-computers-and-internet/?ref=technology

And PEW offers a more in-depth explanation in an article on their website that has a really long title: Library Services in the Digital Age

Patrons embrace new technologies – and would welcome more. But many still want printed books to hold their central place:

http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/library-services/

Have a great day! (or evening depending upon when you take a look at the library tech blog or Facebook page)

Linda R.

References:

Kaufman, Leslie. (2013, January 22). Survey Finds Rising Reliance on Libraries as a Gateway to the Web. New York Times Bits Blog. Online.

Zickuhr, Kathryn., Rainie, Lee., Purcell, Kristin. (2013, January 22). Library Services in the Digital Age: Patrons embrace new technologies – and would welcome more. But many still want printed books to hold their central place. PEW Internet. Online.

*And very shortly we will add the Mango Languages database too so if you’d like to learn a new language that will be the database for you!

Digital Impulse Buys & Library Tech Programs Of The Week

Linda Reimer

Digital Impulse Buys: I came across a New York Times article over the weekend that relays a point I know well and that is that the instant access to information e-books, instant videos and instant music titles that you can buy online (from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other e-book and media vendors) and access instantly via your smart phone, fully fledged tablet (i.e. iPad, Galaxy Tab etc.) or reading tablet (Kindle HD, B&N HD etc.) offers two sides of the proverbial coin. On the one side the instant access is great because you no longer have to try and remember a great book, movie or television show that your best friend has just told you about you can instantly buy it on your device and read it or watch it later. And the second side of the coin is that you can spend a bit of money doing just that! The ability to instantly access e-books, movies, television shows and music can add up to thousands of dollars per year. Just ask Nick Bilton the author of the New York Times Bits blog article which is titled Disruptions: Impulse Buys, Straight to a Screen — he spent $2,403 last year on digital content!

Here’s the link to the article:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/disruptions-impulse-buys-straight-to-your-screen/?ref=technology

Library Tech Programs of the Week: If you just bought a new laptop, iPad, e-reader or other tech devices and have questions about how to use it you may sign up for a free one-on-one tech session with a member of the library’s tech team. Just call 607-936-3713 ext. 502 to make an appointment.
And in addition to our one-one-one tech sessions we are hosting two tech programs this week the latest in our popular Pinterest series and an iPad workshop.

Here’s a detailed description of both programs:

Dream and Create with Pinterest: Date: Tuesday, January 22, 2013. Time: 5:30 – 7:00 PM. Description: Are you one of the many who are absolutely fascinated with PINTEREST? Join Jenn Gaylor every other Tuesday evening to “Dream & Create with Pinterest!” We’ll do some dreaming while searching for great DIY projects on Pinterest, and we’ll do fun and easy projects that you can take home with you. So come in and Dream & Create with us!

Intro to iPad Date: Wednesday, January 23, 2013. Time: 2:00 -3:00 PMish. Description: This workshop, one of our Wednesday One Hour Tech series offerings, gives new iPad owners an overview of how to use the iPad, how to navigate between screens, search for apps, download apps- and just generally how to get around in the iPad universe. Registration is required. You may register via phone (607)936-3713 ext. 502 or in person at the Reference Desk. And the “ish” in the time simply referrers to the fact that although the program officially runs an hour tech staff will be on hand to answer all questions so staff will be available after 3 PM to answer questions too!

Have a great day!
Linda R.

References
Bilton, Nick. (2013, January 20). Disruptions: Impulse Buys, Straight to a Screen. New York Times. Online.

A Start Menu For Windows 8 & Temple Run Sequel

Linda Reimer

A Start Menu For Windows 8: If you’ve purchased a new computer in the last three months you’ll know what I mean when I say Windows 8 offers a very different operating system than any previous Windows operating systems. And if you’ve purchased a Windows 8 PC and miss the old standby – the Start Menu – than you’ll be happy to know there is a workaround to install a Start Menu on a Windows 8 PC! According to the tech site arstechnica the best app you can currently obtain to create a Windows 7 like Start Menu is the Windows StartlsBack app which is available through the Windows App Store. And the article, titled Help! I’ve got Windows 8 and I miss my Start menu!, may be accessed via the following link:

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/01/help-ive-got-windows-8-and-i-miss-my-start-menu/

Temple Run Sequel: A TempleRun sequel, titled Temple Run 2, has just been released. And for those who aren’t familiar with it TempleRun is a very popular game for Apple and Android phones and tablets. The game features an Indiana Jones like figure that the game players make run, rump and slide along a stone path trying to outrun the monkeys that are chasing him and running over gold coins along the way. Temple Run 2 offers a bit more in-depth adventure having the main character swing on rope-like vines and strea a mine cart in addition to running to keep away from the monkeys.

Here’s a link to a USA Today article, titled Temple  run sequel hits the app store, that offers more information on the subject:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2013/01/17/temple-run-sequel/1839883/

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Bright, Peter. (2013, January 14). Help I’ve got Windows 8 and I miss my Start menu! Arstechnica. Online.

Snider, Mike. (2013, January 17). TempleRun Sequel. USA Today. Online. 

Tactus Tablet With Pop Up Tactile Screen & The Future Of Tech Innovation

Linda Reimer

Tactus Tablet With Pop Up Tactile Screen: One of the coolest devices to be shown off at the 2013 Consumer Electronics show last week was a new tablet by the company Tactus. This new table features a tactile screen that rises from the flat surface of the tablet and allows tablet users to actually have a physical keyboard to type upon. The rising keyboard completely disappears once the tablet user finishes typing leaving the surface of the tablet smooth once more. This is really cool technology! Here’s the link to a TechCrunch article with a colorful title (Hands-On: Tactus Technology Gives Flat Touchscreens The Middle Finger With Pop-Up Buttons) that offers more in-depth information and a demonstration via video clip:

http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/13/this-is-the-future/

The Future Of Tech Innovation: I came across another neat article this morning that appeals to both the tech fan and history major in me and I thought I’d share! The article’s full title is Has the ideas machine broken down? The idea that innovation and new technology have stopped driving growth is getting increasing attention. But it is not well founded and the unnamed Economist author discusses how technological advancement flows in small steps interspersed with giant leaps and, correspondingly, how this tech evolutionary pattern has been seen before. The basic gist of the article is that despite what some people in the scientific and tech communities are saying tech innovation isn’t dead it is simply going through one of those small step advancement periods before the next giant leaps occur.

Here’s the link to the article:

http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21569381-idea-innovation-and-new-technology-have-stopped-driving-growth-getting-increasing

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Burns, Matt. (2012, January 13). Hands-On: Tactus Technology Gives Flat Touchscreens The Middle Finger With Pop-Up Buttons. TechCrunch. Online.

Has the idea machine broken down? (2012, January 12). The Economist. Online.

Corning’s Willow Glass

Linda Reimer

Living and working in Corning, NY I am, not surprisingly, a big fan of Corning (meaning the company and not the city — although I am a big fan of the City of Corning too!); and of course, Corning makes Gorilla Glass which is used as screen glass for many tech devices due to its durability. And now Corning has a new kind of glass — it is called Willow glass and it is flexible — it is the next high tech type of glass because you can roll it up like a newspaper!

So here’s a link to a CNET article that discusses, and shows a demonstration video of, this new glass (filmed at the 2013 CES in Las Vegas):

http://ces.cnet.com/8301-34447_1-57563367/hands-on-with-cornings-bendable-willow-glass-exclusive/

Have a great weekend!

Linda R.

References

Dolcourt, Jessica. (2013, January 10). Hands-on with Corning’s bendable Willow glass (exclusive). CNET. Online. 

 

Two Cool Articles That Discuss How Technology Is Expected To Further Transform Our Lives In The Next Few Years

Linda Reimer

I came across two cool articles yesterday that discuss how technology is expected to further transform our lives in the next few years. The first article is from NPR and focuses on Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Paul Salopek’s plan to walk the route scientists believe our human ancestors took thousands of years ago when they walked out of Africa and migrated northward and eastward. Salopek believes he’ll gain a view into how technology is transforming people lives and connecting them on a global level. And the second article, from the New York Times, features an interview with Ben Horowitz the co-founder of the Silicon Valley capital venture firm Andreessen Horowitz who shares a bit of tech insider insight into how he believes technology, in this case software, is transforming the lives of people around the world.

Here is the link to the NPR Paul Salopek article titled What Do You Pack For A Seven-Year Trip?

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/10/168961210/what-do-you-pack-for-a-seven-year-trip

And here is the link to the NYT interview with Ben Horowitz:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/10/ben-horowitz-on-the-impact-of-software-everywhere/

Have a great weekend everyone!

Linda R.

References

Hardy, Quentin. (2013, January 10). Ben Horowitz on the Impact of Software Everywhere.

NPR Staff. (2013, January 10.) What Do You Pack For A Seven-Year Trip? NPR. Online. 

Ten Tech Blunders To Avoid In The New Year

Linda Reimer

The Wall Street Journal’s Digits blog has a fun article on the WJS website titled Tech Blunders To Avoid in 2013. The author, Theresa Poletti, offers a combination of fun insights and tech etiquette tips. She notes that our society has gone from the personal era of the personal computer to what futurist Paul Saffo recently described as the “intimate” era of smartphones and 24/7/365 connectability  – an era that allows us to carry access to the internet in our pockets and share every little detail of our lives with others whenever we are inspired to do so. And she humorously describes all the photos of food that people post online as “Food Porn,” insists that people don’t need to share their location or their tastes in music with the entire online universe and that we should all remember that if we want information kept private we should not post it on our Facebook or Twitter accounts (Just ask Randi Zuckerberg about that one!).

Here’s the link to the article:

http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-12-20/commentary/35923435_1_social-media-etiquette-photos

And just FYI should you have missed the online flap during the busy holiday season Randi Zuckerberg, the sister of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, posted a photo of her family during a holiday gathering on Facebook with the intent that it should just go to her friends but she didn’t quite get the Facebook settings just right and one of her sister’s friends shared the photo with thousands of other people and it was then shared by more people and more people and…you get the idea! And Randi Zucerkberg wasn’t pleased to say the least! Here’s a link to a Gizmodo article on that subject (which just goes to show the common sense rule of thumb is that you don’t share anything online, and I do mean anything, that you don’t want everyone else in the universe to see):

http://gizmodo.com/5971918/watch-randi-zuckerberg-have-a-facebook-freakout-over-her-photo-going-viral

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Biddle, Sam. (2012. December 28). Watch Randi Zuckerberg Have a Facebook Freakout Over Her Photo Going Viral. Gizmondo. Online.

Poletti, Theresa. (2012. December 20.) 10 Tech Blunders to Avoid in 2013. Wall Street Journal: Market Watch. Online.

The Growing Popularity Of E-Singles & When Is A Library Book Not A Dewey Book?

Linda Reimer

The Growing Popularity Of E-Singles & When Is A Library Book Not A Dewey Book?

Library Books That Are Not Dewey Books – They are Fiction!

The Growing Popularity Of E-Singles: E-Singles are a popular e-book format that is growing. Singles are shorter works than novels but longer works than articles. Singles are typically of a length that allows readers to sit down and read the work in one sitting. And the Singles format is growing in popularity because of the shortness of the works – it is easier to fit the time into the busy schedule to read a short book if you can read it in one sitting, because of their price – most singles are priced around $3.00 and because Singles are usually only issued in the digital e-book format so you can’t buy a printed copy of a Singles title. Additionally of note is the fact that although Singles can be put out by self-published independent authors they also being published by mainstream authors like Nelson DeMille, Lee Child and Diana Gabaldon and there is a growing trend for large media companies like the New York Times to publish the works of their journalists, particularly works in a series, as Shorts. Amazon and Barnes & Noble both sell Shorts. Amazon actually calls them “Shorts” (they used to call them Kindle Singles) and Barnes & Noble calls them “Nook Snaps” but by whatever name you chose to give them they are short, inexpensive works that can by quickly read when ever a reader as an hour or two to spare!

There are several articles listed online regarding this subject today and one of them is from the PaidContent site. It is titled Why 2012 Was The Year Of The E-Single­ – here’s the link to the article:

http://paidcontent.org/2012/12/24/why-2012-was-the-year-of-the-e-single/

When Is A Library Book Not A Dewey Book? And a library book is not a Dewey book when it is not a non-fiction book! The Dewey Decimal Classification scheme is for non-fiction works only. Fiction titles can of course be found in all public libraries. And in our library fiction titles (in the adult reading level section) are broken down into eight subsections and they are:  Large Print (for general large print fiction), Large Print Mysteries, Large Print Westerns, Fiction (for general fiction titles), Mysteries (for all those stories where things go bump in the night!), Westerns (if  you like stories where cowboys and horses dot the terrain!), Short Story collections (these are all shelved by title and are just that – popular short stories housed in single volumes) and the combined Science Fiction and Fantasy section (these works include futuristic science based tales and tales of other dimensions and realities). And the accompanying photo shows you the spine labels of our non-Dewey fiction books – for each our seven fiction sections (adult reading level fiction sections that is – the children’s fiction sections we’ll leave for discussion another time!).

Have a great day!

Linda R.