Tag: Microsoft

Adult Services & Digital Literacy Programs @ The Librar Week of June 15, 2015

Linda Reimer

Tuesday, June 16, 2015:

Buying, Building OR Repairing Your Computer Workshop: Presented by DJ Dates; Assistant Professor in Computer & Information Science at Corning Community College. Learn how to troubleshoot, upgrade, & replace simple components in computers & notebooks, including hard drives, RAM, keyboards, screens & backlights. Learn how to prepare your working or broken older computer for recycling or reuse without worrying about losing control of your private information. Learn to identify when repairs are best left to professionals. Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Wednesday, June 17, 2015:

Microsoft Excel: Course III: Attendees must have taken “Microsoft Excel: Course I & II” or have working knowledge in basic use of Microsoft Excel 2010/2013. Learn Worksheet Basics, How to Sort Data, Multistep Formulas and How to Create a Chart in Microsoft Excel. We invite you to bring your own laptop (if you have Excel 2010/2013), and will provide laptops for those who need them. Time: 2:00 pm-4:00pm

Thursday, June 18, 2015:

Corning Area Writer’s Group: Inject some socialization into your solo writing time by join the library’s Adult Creative Writers Group for conversation, inspiration and feedback on writing projects. No sign up is required. This group meets every Thursday from 6-8 pm. On the third Thursday of the month the group meets in the library. On the other Thursdays the group meets at Soul Full Cup CoffeeHouse. For more information, please call Adult Services Director Michelle Wells at (607) 936-3713 ext 209 or email wellsm@stls.org. Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Spin a Yarn! Bring in a knitting or crochet project you are working on, get instructions or help or use club materials to make something for a greater good. For more details, call (607)936-3713. All skill levels welcome. Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Friday, June 19, 2015:

Friday Night Free Film: Words And Pictures (2013): A smart, funny, well-written, and beautifully acted romantic comedy-drama seems to be a tough order for Hollywood to fill these days, but Fred Schepisi’s charming indie Words and Pictures delivers just that. The movie stars Clive Owen as Jack, a onetime successful author who is currently the charismatic English teacher at an exclusive East Coast prep school. His style is to needle and engage his students, but his behavior has grown erratic and his writing career nonexistent as his alcoholism has worsened, and he’s informed that he might be let go after his upcoming performance review. When new art teacher Dina Delsanto (Juliette Binoche), whose rheumatoid arthritis keeps her from painting, joins the staff, he tries repeatedly to break through her shell. In order to stoke a fire in his pupils and get Dina’s attention, Jack proposes a contest in which the students debate whether words or pictures are the more powerful art form. Eventually, his playful feuding with Dina leads to a more serious connection. Working from a first-rate script by Gerald Di Pego, Schepisi and the cast strike the perfect balance between comedy and drama throughout the movie. The banter between the two teachers occasionally snaps as sharply as the dialogue in classic screwball comedies did, and the dramatic turns, especially Jack’s painful interactions with his adult son, don’t succumb to pathos because Owen has no interest in unfairly earning the audience’s sympathy. He makes sure Jack’s worst character flaws — accentuated by his drinking problem — remain on display. Clive Owen always brings a strong masculine presence to his roles — he would have made a fascinating James Bond — and while that’s certainly true here as well, he tempers it with the character’s erudite playfulness. He makes Jack charming but untrustworthy: a self-destructive, aggressive intellectual. Juliette Binoche’s Dina, on the other hand, has cut herself off from the world out of bitterness. She’s angry that she can’t make art and that she’s forced to use crutches to get around. Binoche ensures that her character doesn’t melt quickly or easily for Jack’s audacious flirtations. They may be playing English and art teachers, but this movie works so well because of their chemistry. The story here doesn’t surprise, but it works because of how well-observed the characters are. Their interactions are familiar not because we’ve seen these arcs before, but because they behave like real-life people do, in all their complex glory. The running debate in the movie is lighthearted, but the film eventually proves, both via its own quality and the love story at its center, that mixing words and pictures is far more rewarding than judging them against each other. All Movie Guide – Perry Seibert. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Run Time: 111 minutes.

Library doors open at 6:45 p.m. to admit filmgoers and the movie starts at 7 p.m. sharp.

Friday Night Free Films are shown 1st and 3rd Friday of the month from September to June.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2380331/

And here’s our Summer Monthly Science Fiction Film Schedule:

Friday, July 10, 2015: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005): Here’s the absolutely hysterical, wonderfully wild, cosmic adventure comedy THE worldwide best-selling novel, and starring an outrageous intergalactic cast, this is one ride you don’t want to miss. Seconds before Earth is destroyed to make way for a new hyperspace express route, mild-mannered Arthur Dent is whisked into space by his best friend (an alien posing as an out-of-work actor). And so the misadventures begin as he and fellow travelers, including the cool but dim-witted President of the Galaxy, the Earth girl Trillian, and Marvin the paranoid android, search for answers to the mystery of Life, the Universe, and Everything. MPAA Rating: PG. Run Time:  7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Friday, August 14, 2015: Silent Running (1972): As this science fiction classic opens, botanist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) has spent eight years aboard the space freighter “Valley Forge” preserving the only botanical specimens left from Earth under huge geodesic domes. When he receives orders to destroy the project and return home, Lowell rebels and hijacks the freighter, while plunging the craft into the gaseous Rings of Saturn. From that moment on, he has only the trees, the gardens and two “Drone” robots, Huey and Dewey, to keep him company on his greatest adventure of all. MPAA Rating: G. Run Time: 90 minutes. Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Friday, September 11, 2015: 12 Monkeys (2009): Cole (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to save the human race from a deadly virus that has forced mankind into dank underground communities in the future. Along his travels, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) and a mental patient, brilliantly portrayed by Brad Pitt, who may hold the key to the mysterious rogue group, the Army of the 12 Monkeys, thought to be responsible for unleashing the killer disease. Believing he can obtain a pure virus sample in order to find a cure in the future, he is met with one riddle after another that puts him in a race with time. This sci-fi masterpiece from the genius mind of Terry Gilliam is a modern-day classic.  MPAA Rating: R. Run Time: 130 minutes.  Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

If you’d like to be added to our weekly Adult Services & Personal Technology (AKA Digital Literacy) Email notifications list just send us an email and each Monday you’ll receive an email offering information on the programs being held at the library in the upcoming week.

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

Humorous WSJ Video On The Impending Obsolesces of Windows XP

Linda Reimer

I came across this timely and very humorous WSJ video cast on the impending demise of Windows XP.

The video host, WSJ journalist Joanna Stern, is initially shown standing in front of a Windows XP screen with its bright green grass that, as she says, “never needs to be mowed” and with a bright blue sky above — and then she notes that Microsoft is discontinuing support for Windows XP in April and after that the Windows XP universe really won’t be  a safe one to dwell in — and then she’s shown standing with an umbrella over her head on brown grass, with a dark sky above and with hail falling!

So if you’re  a tech fan and in the mood for a humorous video check out this one! 

And if you own a Windows XP PC you might consider one of the very solid options Joanna Stern mentions as an alternative to continuing to use Windows XP; because, indeed, as of April 8 although your XP machine will still run — it won’t be getting any more security updates from Microsoft. 

Have a great day!

Linda R.

New Search Box On Library Homepage & Microsoft Games Coming To iOS & Android

Linda Reimer

New Search Box On Library Homepage: If you’ve ever wanted to search the library’s website – now you can! There is a new search box, powered by Google, on the library’s homepage found at SSCLIBRARY.ORG so if you want to search our website for a subject like “Young Adult” for YA programs “tech” for tech programs “ or “writing” or “writer” to see programs that focusing on writing like our cool Young Adult and Adult Writer’s groups you can! You can also sort the results by relevance or date. This is a cool new feature of our online library which incidentally includes a Calendar of library events (click on the Calendar link) a number of credible databases (click on the Research link to see more) and the e-books and electronic audio books, albums and videos found in the STLS Digital Catalog (which you can access by clicking on the STLS Digital Catalog link).

So check out the library’s homepage for more information – here’s the link:

http://ssclibrary.org/index.html

Microsoft Games Coming To iOS & Android: A number of tech news sources have reported today that Microsoft is working on deals that would bring many of its games to Apple (iOS) and Android mobile devices (i.e. tablets & smartphones). The details haven’t of course been revealed but the specific game mentioned as one of the first to be offered is “Age of Empires” which is one of my favorite Microsoft Games! And I hope — should the deals come to fruition — to also be able to engage in the role playing game “Fate” on my iPad in the near future – Of course if they want to release a version of “Fate” that I can play on my iMac – I’d love that too!

So just FYI if you have some favorite Microsoft games you’ve previously played on your desktop, laptop or Xbox you may in the near future be able to play those same games on your smartphone or tablet!

Here is a link to a Slashgear article on the subject titled “Age of Empires coming to iOS and Android: first of many Microsoft titles:”

http://www.slashgear.com/age-of-empires-coming-to-ios-and-android-first-of-many-microsoft-titles-24287767/

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Burns, Chris. (2013, June 24). Age of Empires coming to iOS and Android: first of many Microsoft titles http://www.slashgear.com/age-of-empires-coming-to-ios-and-android-first-of-many-microsoft-titles-24287767/

Microsoft Changes Its Mind About Xbox One Restrictions & New Echolocation Mapping Technology

Linda Reimer

Microsoft Changes Its Mind About Xbox One Restrictions: Last month Microsoft announced it would release a new version of its popular Xbox gaming console called the Xbox One. The company announced the new console will go on sale this fall but with new restrictions as to its usage. Microsoft said that Xbox One purchasers would be required to connect their gaming consoles to the Internet once a day and if Xbox One owners didn’t  comply they’d be unable to continue playing games on their consoles offline — the idea being to verify that the game consoling was being used by the registered account user and not someone else.

And at that same press event Microsoft also announced there would be a change in the ability of new Xbox owners to lend and re-sell gaming cartridges. The company intended to let the media companies that manufacture the cartridges to set the rules for their sale and re-sale; and thus the Xbox owners might not be able to re-sell cartridges at all or might only be able to re-sell them with a portion of the re-sell proceeds going back to the cartridge publishing company. Additionally, Xbox users would only be able to lend a cartridge to a friend once.

The changes Microsoft proposed were intended to be anti-piracy measures; however, those measures if they had been implemented would also have greatly curtailed the rights of new Xbox owners to use their consoles off line or to lend their gaming cartridges to friends. And of course the new rules would hinder the ability of Xbox One owners to sell their cartridges back to stores so they could get money to buy new cartridges.

Perhaps needless to say all of these restrictions have not gone over well with Xbox and gaming fans. There has been plenty of negative discussion on Facebook and Twitter about these new locked down rules – and whether it has been the overwhelmingly negative feedback from consumers or the fact that Sony announced on the very same day that Microsoft had its press event – that they would release a new PlayStation gaming console called the Playstation 4 this year and that there would be absolute no restrictions as to how long PlayStation 4 owners could play games on their consoles while off line or how many times they could loan out their gaming cartridges to friends —  oh and by the way PlayStation owners were and will continue to be welcome to sell their used gaming cartridges whenever they want to! Whichever factor was the deciding factor – and maybe both together were — today Microsoft did a complete 180 and rescinded all the restrictions on the upcoming Xbox One console and its attending games which is definitely good news for Xbox fans!

Here’s a link to a CNET article on the subject titled “Microsoft pulls a 180, reverses Xbox One always-on DRM and used games policy:”

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57590134-75/microsoft-pulls-a-180-reverses-xbox-one-always-on-drm-and-used-games-policy/

And a second article on the same subject from The Guardian site titled “Xbox One reversal: did Microsoft make the right decision?”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jun/20/xbox-one-uturn-was-microsoft-right

New Echolocation Mapping Technology: And if it has been a while since you took your last science class– the word “echolocation” refers to the ability of some animals – like bats – to navigate over terrain by using internally generated or bio sonar. And now researchers at the Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland have created a computer algorithm that will do the exact same thing – map a room or other surroundings based upon a computer gauging how sound flows over the objects in a given area or room in. In essence the computer is listening to the room and creating a map of it simply by sound.

And as you probably already guessed I read an article on the subject! The article is from NBC News and is titled “Echolocation technology maps rooms in a snap,” here’s the link:

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/echolocation-technology-maps-rooms-snap-6C10382402

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Coldewey, Delvin. (2013, June 20) Echolocation technology maps rooms in a snap. NBC News. Online. Accessed June 20, 2013.

Greene, Jay. (2013, June 20). Microsoft pulls a 180, reverses Xbox One always-on DRM and used games policy. CNET. Online. Accessed June 20, 2013.

Stuart, Keith. (2013, June 20). Xbox One reversal: did Microsoft make the right decision? The Guardian. Online. Accessed June 20, 2013

Apple’s WWDC Keynote Address Highpoints & New Xbox Coming In November

Linda Reimer

Apple’s WWDC Keynote Address Highpoints: Apple kicked off its annual World Wide Developers Conference today and Apple CEO Tim Cook gave the keynote address with assistance from several other upper level Apple staff members. Among the highlights of information relayed in the keynote address include the fact that this fall Apple will update their mobile device operating software to iOS7 which will give iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch models a whole new, fresh and more modern look, the fact that Apple is debuting an Internet radio service called iRadio to compete with Pandora Internet Radio and that SIRI, Apple’s digital assistant for newer iPads, iPods and iPhones will get an update to include better integration and the ability to choose different voices for the personal assistant.

Here’s a link a CNET overview of the iOS7 updated features:

http://reviews.cnet.com/apple-ios-7/

A second link that features a slideshow showing the way  iOS7 will look on the iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch:

http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-3671_7-10017110.html

And third link to a report on the updates coming for SIRI Apple’s voice activated personal assistant:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57588315-37/apples-siri-gets-new-voices-display-and-actions/

New Xbox Coming In November: Microsoft announced today, and I’m sure not coincidentally since Apple was releasing some big news today – Microsoft thought they’d try and steal some of Apple’s proverbial thunder but I digress… Microsoft announced that their new Xbox gaming console will be released in November and cost $499.

Here’s a link to PC Magazine article on the subject simply titled Xbox One Coming in November for $499:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420201,00.asp

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Apple’s iOS 7 gets a new look and several new features. CNET. Online. Accessed June 10, 2013.  http://reviews.cnet.com/apple-ios-7/

Greenwald, Walt. (2013, June 10). Xbox One Coming in November for $499. PC Mag. Online.  http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420201,00.asp

Smoother, Cleaner, Flater. CNET . Online. Accessed June 10, 2013.                               http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-3671_7-10017110.html

Tam, Donna. (2013, June 10). Apple’s Siri gets new voices, display and actions: The digital assistant has some new tricks, including car and music integrations. CNET. Online. Accessed June 10, 2013. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57588315-37/apples-siri-gets-new-voices-display-and-actions/

 

Microsoft Reportedly Negotiating To Buy B&N’s Nook E-Book Division, Amazon Is Working On A 3D Cell Phone! & The PBS App Comes To Roku

Linda Reimer

Microsoft Reportedly Negotiating To Buy B&N’s Nook E-Book Division: Microsoft, which previously invested more than $605 million dollars in the Nook division, has reportedly offered Barnes & Noble one billion dollars to purchase the Nook division which would include both the Nook e-readers and tablets and the Nook e-books. And those few facts are interesting to begin with; however, what I find even more interesting is that it is also being reported that if the deal goes through Microsoft will can the Nook series of e-readers and tablets and make the Nook e-books available on Microsoft tablets, smartphones and computers. So if you’re thinking of buying a new e-reader or tablet – you may want to wait or think about buying an e-reader or tablet!*

Here’s a link to a Forbes editorial on the subject, authored by one of their tech columnists Jeremy Greenfield, titled Microsoft To Buy Nook? What It Could Mean:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremygreenfield/2013/05/09/commentary-microsoft-to-buy-nook-what-it-could-mean/

Amazon Is Working On A 3D Cell Phone! If you’re of an age that recalls going to see the very first Star Wars film in 1977, which was by-the-way – years before our current high tech revolution really kicked off, then you’ll probably recall the scene that features Luke and Obi-Wan Kenobi try and get R2D2 to reply the SOS message Princess Leia recorded – and presto a 3D image of Princess Leia appeared and Luke and Obi-Wan discovered she was in trouble! That 3D message was cool and that type of technology will soon be coming to an Amazon smartphone near you! Amazon isn’t commenting on this news but according to a Wall Street Journal article it is so!

And, naturally, here is a link to that Wall Street Journal article which is titled Amazon Is Developing Smartphone With 3-D Screen and subtitled New Gadgets, Including Audio-Only Device, Is Bid to Expand Beyond Kindle Fire:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324744104578473081373377170.html

And if you have a Roku Player, as I do! You’ll want to check out the newly introduced PBS app – a chance to now watch all that PBS content you couldn’t stream directly through Roku before! Cool stuff!

And here’s a link to an engadet article on the subject titled Roku can now tell you how to get, how to get to Sesame Street with new PBS channels:

Have a great evening!

Linda R.

*The Google Nexus is an outstanding 7” tablet that you can read e-books from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other e-book sellers upon – it cost $199 and in fact I’d recommend it over a Kindle or Nook in that price range because it is a fully fledged tablet and doesn’t lock you into the Amazon or B&N ecosystem. If you’d like to sit down and try out a Google Nexus 7 tablet – stop by the library – we have one here!

References

Bensinger, Greg. (2013, May 9). Amazon Is Developing Smartphone With 3-D Screen. Wall Street Journal. Online.

Gilbert, Ben. (2013, May 8). Roku can now tell you how to get, how to get to Sesame Street with new PBS channels. Engadget. Online.

Greenfield, Jeremy. (2013, May 9). Commentary: Microsoft To Buy Nook? What It Could Mean? Forbes. Online.

Hulu Plus Comes To Apple TV & Microsoft Launches New Email Service And Will Do Away With Hotmail

Linda Reimer

Hulu Plus Comes To Apple TV: Apple TV owners will find a pleasant surprise today. Apple has added Hulu Plus access to it Apple TV service. This is probably because the recent upgrade of Mac OS software by Apple has enabled Mac and Apple TV owners to stream Hulu content from the Internet directly to their HDTVs without having to purchase a $7.99 per month subscription to Hulu Plus. Granted streaming the content requires a few extra steps but it is free. And all Apple TV owners who don’t wish to bother with the extra steps – they can now easily subscribe to Hulu Plus from the Apple TV menu.

Here’s a link to a CNET article on the subject, titled Hulu Plus not showing up on your Apple TV? Restart it, which obviously advises Apple TV owners that don’t immediately see the Hulu Plus app on their Apple TV menus to re-start their Apple TV boxes:

http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57483426-285/hulu-plus-not-showing-up-on-your-apple-tv-restart-it/

Microsoft Launches New Email Service And Will Do Away With Hotmail: Today Microsoft launched a new e-mail service called Outlook. This new email service is being seen as a complement to its business email software of the same name. The new email service will eventually replace Microsoft’s Hotmail email service and Hotmail users are being encouraged to transfer their accounts over to the new Outlook service. You can find the new Outlook site at: Outlook.com

And here’s a link to a New York Times Bits article, titled Microsoft Reboots E-Mail Efforts With a Familiar Name, that offers more information on the subject:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/31/microsoft-reboots-webmail-efforts-with-a-familiar-name/

Linda R.