Tag: NY

What On Earth Is The STLS Digital Catalog Anyway? & Why Is It Exciting? Part II of II!

Linda Reimer

Getting back to our topic of Wednesday – the answer to the question: “What on Earth is the STLS Digital Catalog anyway?” I’m going to pick up the topic and discuss the e-video and e-music titles you can access through the Digital Catalog. And I’ll start rolling simply by repeating that two of the items patrons can access through the STLS Digital Catalog are videos and music. Both formats can be downloaded and played on a PC and on a number of portable devices.

Regarding On Demand Library E-Videos Consider These Scenarios: It is snow day, or a holiday vacation week, and your four kids and their two friends are off from school and hanging around the house with all the time in the world and nothing to do – or at least that is what they say! The weather outside is, as the expression goes frightful, and they’ve done all the sledding they care to do for the day, played all the games they have on hand and they aren’t interested in watching any DVDs in the house but it is two o’clock in the afternoon and a thus a long, long time before dinner time.

So what do you do? You might suggest they download a new, and free, library e-book from the Digital Catalog to their e-readers or if that doesn’t quite fill the bill for everyone – you might suggest they watch one of the e-videos they can download through the catalog. They can even download different videos to different PCs so they don’t all have to watch the same thing!

Now you might suggest that the two guitar fans in the bunch pick up that old acoustic guitar you have on hand check out the Absolute Beginners: Guitar video – they can play and replay all the step-by-step guitar tricks relayed in the video and have a good time while they’re learning more about how to play that poor neglected guitar.

Or you might suggest your young science buff check out the Astronomy I & II titles, The Amazing Human Body video or the Animals and Insects videos – those videos should hold her attention for a couple of hours.

And your littlest guy at 5 might really like the Big Wheels Rollin’ video which features monster trucks, the video All About Airplanes  or the Busytown video The Biggest Storm Ever which would go along well with the frightful weather!

And your history fan might like the documentary 14 Women – which chronicles the lives of 14 U.S. Senators or the Ancient Civilizations video which tells the story of Ancient Athens and Ancient Greece.

And after you eventually put the kids to bed that night you might want to check out one of the Yoga or fitness videos for relaxation and refreshment! Hmm, perhaps I should check out Super Fat Burning video again…

Regarding On Demand Library E-Music Consider These Scenarios: You’re on a business trip. It has been a very long day and you still have quite a bit of work to do. So you picked up Chinese on your way back to the hotel and as you fire up your laptop you realize that your smartphone battery is dead so you have no tunes to listen to while you’re working.

So what do you do? You could forgo the music but that is no fun! Instead, you might go to the STLS Digital Catalog and download one of the music titles in the catalog to your laptop to sooth you while work! Cocktail Jazz by the Network Music Ensemble is a good one or perhaps After You’ve Gone by Lenny Soloman or American Road by the Tierney Sutton Band – which every title you pick – you’ll be listening to soothing jazz in seconds and you won’t have to pay a dime to do so!

You’ve got your 3-year-old granddaughter with you for the weekend. And she’s a bit bored with her toys and you’re trying to get her interested in the easy reader books you have on hand but she has heard all those stories before…

So what do you do? You might go to the STLS Digital Catalog and check out, and download to your PC, 120 Sing Along Songs for kids or 50 Nursery Rhyme Songs – both are cool kids music albums that you could both enjoy while testing out your singing abilities!

It is a crisp fall evening and you’re hosting a barbeque at your cottage at the lake. You’re serving the excellent barbequed food, wine and other delicious items cafeteria style and every one is going to congregate near a huge bon fire when one of your guests requests you play some blues to go along with the food and good company. And you’ve got music on hand – party CDs, classic rock and a few classical favorites but the blues CDs you own – those you left at home.

So what do you do? You could forgo the blues music but that wouldn’t be any fun! Instead, you might go to the STLS Digital Catalog and download that Charlie Musselwhite album Ace of Harps or the one by Saffire – you know the Uppity Blues Woman – it is called Ain’t Gonna Hush or you could check out All The Way Crazy by Little Charlie & the Nightcats as if ever there was a blues party album, well that one certainly qualifies! Then you can pipe the music from your computer though your sound system and your patio speakers and  wa lah! Blues on tap for all the blues fans at your party!

It is Sunday morning and you’re hosting a family breakfast when your aunt asks you if you have any classical music you might play while the family is eating. Now not being a classical music fan you don’t have any classical music CDs.

So what do you do? Well, you could get our your iPad and buy some classical music from iTunes or you might go to the STLS Digital Catalog and check out the album Abide With Me And Other Favourite Hymns – that album is free and your aunt loves hymns so you’d be all set.

And in closing on the subject of the STLS Digital Catalog, for the moment anyway!  I hope I’ve managed to insert some humor into my examples!

My main point of course is that: library patrons CAN DOWNLOAD FREE E-BOOKS, VIDEOS, MUSIC AND AUDIOBOOKS from the STLS Digital Catalog. And if I can show my vintage for a moment – I think that is way cool!

Have a great day!

Linda R.

iOS 6 Released!

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, I know I said in yesterdays’ blog posting that I would discuss how you can get free library e-music and e-videos through the STLS Digital Catalog; however, I have been super swamped today and have not gotten a chance to do a thorough job on the subject because I’ve been so busy. 

Sorry about that! However, there is some new tech news I can relay in brief and that is the news that Apple has released the iOS 6 software update.

The New York Times tech journalist David Pogue has written a nice overview of the basic changes and new features includes in this Apple software upgrade.

His article is titled New iOS 6 Loses Google Maps, but Adds Other Features and here’s the link:

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/new-ios-6-loses-google-maps-but-adds-other-features/

Have a great evening everyone!

Linda R. 

What On Earth Is The STLS Digital Catalog Anyway? & Why Is It Exciting? Part I of II!

Linda Reimer

We do quite few tech programs here at the library. And one of the ones that I’m hosting this week is a part of our Wednesday One Hour Tech* series – it is titled STLS Digital Catalog. Now that is a very bland name from an entertainment perspective…very bland indeed; however, I assure you the Digital Catalog is both cool and exciting! And if you want to find out more about it you can come to the workshop – it is tomorrow from 2-3 PM and I’ll answer any questions you have about the catalog. And for more information right now – please read on!

The short answer to the very valid question: “What on Earth is the Digital Catalog?” is that the Digital Catalog is essentially an e-library that is open twenty four hours a day and 365 days a year. A library where patrons can go, via the Internet, and check out e-books, e-audio books, e-videos and e-music — on demand — whenever it is convenient for them; whether that time happens to be before ones 6 AM run, late into the evening after a very long day or smack dab in the middle of a week day afternoon .

So let me see if I can add some color and depth to the explanation of what that bland name “Digital Catalog” means while further illustrating why it is exciting to be able to access digital content on demand. And I’ll start by offering a brief definition of what I mean when I say “e-books, e-audio books, e-videos and e-music titles.”

E-books are the best known of the four formats mentioned and they are simply versions of print books offered for people to read on PCs, Macs, e-readers, tablets, MP3 players like the iPods and smartphones like the iPhone 5.

The term E-Audio Books refers to audio book titles that may be checked out via the Digital Catalog and downloaded and/or transferred to a PC, smartphone, tablet or other portable device. So you can listen to e-audio books on your PC, iPod, MP3 player, iPhone and most other smartphone and tablets.

E-videos are videos that may be downloaded from the Digital Catalog to a PC and then watched on that PC.

And e-music titles are albums that may be downloaded from the Digital Catalog to a PC and then listened to on that PC or transferred to supported portable devices so you can take the music on the go.

Having said that here are some scenarios that illustrate why accessing content from the Digital Catalog can be both fun and very convenient!

Regarding On Demand Library E-Books: Consider These Scenarios: E-Book Scenario 1: It has been a hectic Tuesday and it is 7 o’clock at night as you sit down ready to read. As you go to sit down in your favorite chair glass of wine or cup of favorite tea in hand, you realize you’re ten pages from the end of the mystery you’ve been reading…

 So what do you do?

You could get in your car and drive to the library to pick out another book or you could buy another e-book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble…

Or you could just go to the Digital Catalog and search for a new e-book to read without even leaving your house and be reading it in less than minute*1. You might out one of those spicy paranormal books by Lara Adrian, a new Susan Mallery book or perhaps if you’re in the mood for something really light one of the Sophie Kinsella books that you haven’t read yet. And low and behold, via the Digital Catalog, your relaxing reading evening is saved!

E-Book Scenario 2: You’re stuck in the airport in BoiseIdaho. You’re flight has been delayed for three hours and you’re bored straight out of your tree. What do you do? You might get out your Nexus 7 or Motorola Zoom tablet, open the STLS Digital Catalog app (aka OverDrive)*2 and download a new e-book to read or e-audio to listen to so you can pass the time more pleasantly. And what do you know, those three hours pass quickly!

E-Book Scenario 3: You’re on vacation at the beach, or ski lodge, and have run out of reading material. It is so nice to be able to just sit there in the sun or in the chair by the cracking fire of the ski lodge hot toddy in hand, that you don’t want to get up and go out to get a book.

So what do you do? You take your iPad out of your bag and open the STLS Digital Catalog (OverDrive) app and search for an e-book by your favorite author to read; if you’re in the mood for romantic reading perhaps a Debbie Macomber or Susan Mallery title? Or perhaps you’d like something more in a suspense vein like an e-book by John Grisham, James Patterson, Lisa Jackson or Karin Fossum? Or just perhaps you’re in the mood for a biography…You might check out Barbara Eden’s bio Jeannie Out of the Bottle, Lois Banner’s bio of Marilyn Monroe – The Passion and the Paradox…or if you’re in the mood for a more historical works you might check out Marc Seifer’s of Nikola Tesla, Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla or Wade Davis’s book Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest.

E-Book Scenario 4: It is Saturday afternoon and your fifth grader just told you he has a book report due on Monday on a biography that he hasn’t read yet. You’ve got plans for the evening and for all day Sunday so what do you do? You might access the Digital Catalog on your family’s PC*3 because you know that sports fan that your son is – if he really has to write a book report on a biography than one of the Matt Christopher sports bios for kids might be just the ticket! The Matt Christopher bios in the catalog include ones on: Tony Hawk (skate boarding), Derek Jeter (baseball) and Jeff Gordon (obviously NASCAR!). So your son picks his sports bio of choice and begins eagerly reading the e-book! He is just engrossed enough that you think he will actually finish the book and the book report by Monday!

E-Book Scenario 5: It is 6 PM and as you’re getting ready for dinner your teenage daughter, who is a voracious reader, complains that she’s read all the print books she checked out of the library earlier in the week. You suggest she hop on her laptop and check out the e-books in the Digital Catalog. She finds two new e-books by Rachel Vincent! And she sees there is an e-book edition of the Hobbit so she can read it again – this time as an e-book. She then transfers all three titles to her Nook and begins reading. So you’re tops in your daughters book! She has something new to read without either of you having to leave the house – how cool is that? Of course, you may have to do the dishes yourself but at least your daughter is happy.

Regarding On Demand Library E-Audio Books: Consider These Scenarios: Scenario 1: You’re going on a vacation and driving from the Southern Tier of New York to Maine to visit friends. It is early on a crisp fall day with a bright blue sky and not a cloud in sight. What could go wrong? The car is packed and you’re ready to go with a cup of coffee in one hand and a library CD audio book set in the other. You put your coffee cup in your cup holder and the CD in your CD player and down the road you go. And after about 20 minutes you realize you’ve already read the book you’re listening to on CD.

Major league bummer!

So what do you do?

You could turn around and go home to get another audio that you’ve already listened to or you could drive back to town and wait an hour for the library to open…

Or you might pull out your iPhone or other smartphone, open the STLS Digital Catalog (OverDrive) app and look for a new e-audio to listen to. You might check out the audio version of Baltimore Blues (Tess Monaghan series, book 1)by Laura Lippman since your sister has been telling you to read it; or perhaps you should try that Blaine Harden book, Escape from Camp 14, you heard about on NPR the one about the Korean prisoner who escaped from a work camp. Or you just might be in the mood to listen to the War Horse audio by Michael Morpurgo as you never got around to seeing the movie and the books are always better than the movies anyway. And if you’ve got kids with you the entire Harry Potter series is available in e-audio format and you could always listen to one or two of those audios again. So which ever e-audio you download to your phone – you should be all set as far as entertaining listening goes and you don’t have to turn the car around to go home and get another audio nor do you have to buy a new one!

Scenario 2: You’re getting ready to go out on your morning run and realize you finished the audio book you were listening to on your iPod or MP3 player, yesterday. You fire up your PC and check the Digital Catalog for newly added e-audios and find the new Ken Follett audio The Winter of the World is available; so you download the Follett e-audio book to your PC and quickly transfer it to your iPod or MP3 player and away you go! Of course, if you’re not in the mood for historical fiction you might try out one of the Hunger Games trilogy of audios, one of the E.L. James audios or perhaps something in the mystery or suspense vein by Joss Morag or James Patterson…and with the new library e-audio on your iPod you wind up so engrossed in the story that you run two extra miles for a definite fitness plus!

Scenario 3: It is 6 PM on a Wednesday and you’re dropping an item off for an elderly relative who has difficulty reading and loves audio books. It seems she’s listened to all the audio books you checked out of the library for her last week. Fortunately, she has a library card! So you fire up her laptop, go to the Digital Catalog and download three new audios for her to listen to on her laptop while she is knitting. You found her the Gone Girl audio by Gillian Flynn, a Julia Quinn romance she missed – What Happens in London and one of Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone cozy mysteries – Chocolate Covered Murder. And needless to say you are a big hit with your relative! You made her day!

And as I’ve typed a longer blog post than I intended I’m going to leave a discussion of the exciting aspects of downloading e-videos and e-music titles for tomorrow!

And if you have any questions about the STLS Digital Catalog let us know! You can call the library at: 607-936-3713 and press extension 502 which will get you the tech savvy folks at the Reference Desk or you can send us me an email at: REIMERL@STLS.ORG

Have a great afternoon!

Linda R.

*1) You can download free library e-books directly to a number of tech devices including the iPhone, the iPad most Android tablets and most smartphones. If you have a dedicated e-book reader the process is a bit different but essentially if you have a Kindle you go online to the Digital Catalog click on an available e-book you would like to read and follow the prompts – the e-book will then be sent to your Kindle and you can read it. If on the other hand you have any of B&N’s Nooks you will have to download the e-book to your PC and then transfer it to your Nook. As the staff for details about this process!

*2) The free STLS Digital Catalog app, which once installed allows you to download e-books and some e-audio books to your iPad, other tablet or smartphone, is called OverDrive and is available from most App Stores.

*3) All the formats in the STLS Digital Catalog – e-books, e-audio books, e-videos and e-music titles can be downloaded to a PC – so you don’t need an e-reader to read e-books on! You can bring up that bio for your fifth grader on your PC and let him have at it – as the expression goes…

Tech ABC Flash Cards & Using A Password That Isn’t One

Linda Reimer

Tech ABC Flash Cards: Emma Cook who hails from South Africa has created some neat ABC tech orientated flash cards. The flash cards would be useful for any adult working on learning English as a second language but have a fun added spin to them in that the card subjects all have to do with technology!  For example, instead of the traditional “A, is for apple” the A flash card from the set features “A is for Apple” and shows a photo of an iMac!

So if you like technology and/or are an adult English language learner you’ll have fun checking out the flash card examples which can be found at the following link:

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Design-Nerds-Flash-Cards/1416145

Using A Password That Isn’t One: If you’re at all like me sometimes you get annoyed at how many alpha numeric passwords you have to keep track, and frequently update, in order to safeguard access to your online accounts; it always seems to me that as soon as I remember all my passwords it is time to change some of them again!  

And good grief, if I’m trying to log into an account early in the morning (and for me early is before 10 AM), and have recently changed my password to that account but haven’t yet had a full cup of coffee…well, that is not good!

Thankfully, changes in how people can securely log into their online accounts are afoot. Intel is one of the companies working on ways to allow people to access their online accounts without having to remember all those passwords. In Intel’s case they are working on palm scanning technology that will allow users to verify their identities and log into their online accounts by simply waving their palms in front of a sensor built into a tablet or computer. So in the near future we may simply wave at our computers, smart phones and tablets to log into our online accounts – and that is something I am looking forward to because trying to remember all those passwords can be trying!

The Intel article is titled With the wave of a hand, Intel wants to do away with passwords and can be accessed by clicking on the following link:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/13/us-intel-passwords-idUSBRE88C1A120120913

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!

Linda R.

Upcoming Southeast Steuben County Library Tech Programs for the Week of September 17 – 23, 2012

Linda Reimer

Here is a listing of the library’s tech programs for the next week. Join us!

Registration is required for all tech programs unless otherwise specified. You can register by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 ext. 502 or by stopping by the Reference Desk.

Tuesday, September 18: Mastering Job Applications & Interviews with Lynn Paige: 3:00 – 5:00 PM. Please bring your employment history with you and information regarding any information regarding any jobs you are currently in the process of applying for.

Wednesday, September 19: Wednesday One Hour Tech: The Library’s Digital Catalog: An Introduction: 2:00 – 3:00 PM. Find out how you can download digital library materials in the form of e-books, audio books, videos and music from the library’s Digital Catalog – for free! Digital library materials are accessible 24/7/365 through the web and may be downloaded to PCs and a variety of portable Wi-Fi devices.

Thursday, September 20: Creating An Effective Resume with Lynn Paige: 1:00 – 4:00 PM. Please be sure to bring information regarding your employment history and the jobs you will be applying for.

Saturday, September 22:  Job Fair @ The Library! 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. This program does not require registration! Just bring your job history and yourself. The Job Fair is being co-hosting by the Southeast Steuben County Library, The City of Corning, The Corning Chamber of Commerce and CSS Workforce. For additional information call the library or click on the following link:

http://ssclibrary.org/12.09.22.Job%20Fair.pdf

And of course individual one-on-one instruction in tech usage of PCs, Macs, tablets, e-readers and other tech devices is always available for free – just call us to make an appointment! And also please call us if you have any questions about any upcoming tech programs.

Our telephone number to register for tech programs, to inquire about tech programs and to arraign a one-on-one tech appointment with a member of the library’s tech staff is:

Tel: 607-936-3713 ext. 502.

Have a great weekend!

Linda R.

 

More on the iPhone 5

Linda Reimer

The introduction of the iPhone 5 is obviously the biggest tech story of the week so here is just a bit more info on the subject. The iPhone 5 become available for pre-sale on Friday at 12 AM west coast time and the allotment of phones available sold out in the first hour* so people are certainly interested in Apple’s new iPhone! With that interest in mind, the first article is from the New York Times bits blog, is titled Answers to Your Questions About Apple’s iPhone 5, and focuses on answering iPhone set up questions as compared to simply highlighting the features of the phone. So if you’re interested in buying an iPhone 5 and aren’t sure which carrier to go with you may want to check it out.

Here’s the link:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/qa-iphone-5-apple/?ref=technology

And likewise, here’s a link to a PC World article titled Which iPhone 5 Carrier Should You Choose? That discusses the pros and cons of each iPhone carrier:

And as much as I love Apple products I know some people are rather anti-Apple and prefer to buy cell phones from other manufactures; with that in mind, here’s a link to an Information Week article titled 5 Alternatives to the Apple iPhone which offers a few solid suggestions as to which non-Apple phones would be good ones to buy. Here’s the link:

http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/5-alternatives-to-the-apple-iphone-5/240007366

And along those same lines here’s a link to a September 4 CNET site review page for the top smart phones, granted one is the iPhone but the other four are not!

http://reviews.cnet.com/best-smartphones/

Have a great Saturday!

Linda R.

 

*According to multiple sources including the following Washington Post article

Apple’s iPhone 5 pre-orders sold out; plus a look at the phone’s pros and cons

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/apples-iphone-5-pre-orders-sold-out-plus-a-look-at-the-phones-pros-and-cons/2012/09/14/d692921a-fe62-11e1-b153-218509a954e1_story.html

Tech at the Library & Two Questions For Readers!

Linda Reimer

I usually relay tech news in this blog. However, I thought I’d try something different today and inquire if everyone out there in cyber-land is aware of the tech materials, programs and services our public library, and indeed most public libraries, offer patrons today.

The Southeast Steuben County Library has always strived to offer patrons the best materials, programs and services possible. And offering excellent materials, programs and services in the early twenty first century translates into us offering more than traditional books, programming and on site research assistance to our patrons. Today we offer patrons a multifaceted array of tech related materials and services.

The library offers patrons the following free tech related items and services:

  • Access to e-books through our Digital Catalog
  • Access to a growing number of videos and music titles via our Digital Catalog
  • Access to circulating e-readers with pre-loaded bestsellers
  • Access to tech assistance (You can call and make an appointment to sit down with a member of the library’s tech staff and go over tech question – so if you just got a new e-reader, PC or tablet or other device and have questions about how to use it – call us! We’re here to help. We also have some insight on the best e-reading devices to use to check out free library e-books — just ask us!)
  • Tech programs and workshops (including upcoming ones on how to use the iPad, how to use a digital camera, how to use Microsoft Publisher, how to use Microsoft Excel and one showcasing video streaming players in the form of the Apple TV and Roku player.

And Access to credible databases including:

  • Academic One File (useful if you’re for kids and adults doing academic research)
  • The Business & Company Resource Center (useful if you’re researching a company)
  • The Chilton Library (think of this database as all the Chilton Auto Repair Manuals in the library – accessible online!)
  • Ebsco Animals (useful for kids doing research for school projects or anyone who wishes to know more about animals)
  • Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (use to check simple facts)
  • Grolier Online (offers articles, audio and video clips on a wide range of subjects – useful for students or adults doing research)
  • Health Reference Center (useful for anyone doing research on medical/health related topics)
  • Heritage Quest (a genealogical research database for those looking into their family history)
  • Literature Resource Center (a database that offers articles and biographies about authors, books etc.)
  • New York State Newspapers (a database that allows you to search for articles found in New York State newspapers on a cornucopia of topics)
  • OCLC First Search (a database that allows patrons to search for books owned by libraries across the globe)
  • Talking Tumble Books (this database offers free audiobooks for children and adults as well as multi-lingual titles)
  • Twayne Authors (If you’re interested in information about a specific author – this is the database for you!)

And my two questions for our patrons are:

  1. Did you know we offer all the above digital materials and services? (If not – please pass the word on!)

And

2. What digital materials, tech programs and services would you like to see our library offer? (And feel free just to state a specific e-book title or pitch an idea for a tech program etc. Thanks!)

And in relation to my two questions, please do feel free to go wildly off topic and pitch any suggestions that come to mind! We like feedback here in library land…

Have a great day!

Linda R.

iPhone 5 & New iPod Touch & Nano

Linda Reimer

And now that today really is Wednesday I can say…Apple introduced the iPhone 5 today and also offered a look at a new iPod Touch and Nano!

The new iPhone 5 is half an inch larger than previous iPhone models with a 4” Retina Display.  The iPhone 5 also features a faster chip, extra microphones, new camera features and a smaller dock connector. The iPhone 5 will be available in black or white and in three sizes: 16GB for $199, 32GB for $299 and 64GB for $399. It will go on sale on September 21.

The new iPod Touch will also offer a 4” Retina Display and all the non-cell phone bells and whistles that are included with the iPhone 5. Additionally of note, the new iPod Touch will be available in the following colors:  silver, black, red, yellow or blue. You’ll be able to pre-order the new iPod Touch via Apple’s website starting Thursday, September 14 and you’ll be able to buy a 32GB model for $299 or a 64GB model for $399.

Both the iPhone 5 and the new iPod Touch will feature Apple’s iOS 6 which includes a number of new features like a new maps app, updated Siri functionality and the ability to do video chatting via FaceTime on 3G networks.

Apple has also updated its iPod Nano to offer a 16 GB player with 2.5” touch screen that supports widescreen video and a new home button. The Nano will be available in white, purple, black, blue, green, yellow or pink/red and will, like the iPod Touch, be available for pre-order this Thursday.

And as you might imagine there are tons of news stories online regarding the iPhone 5 and the new iPods and related new features – here are two:

1. A CNET overview of the iPhone 5 found at:

http://www.cnet.com/iphone-5/

2. A Macworld article titled Apple Shows Off iPod Touch Nano Updates that offers more information on the new and improved iPod Touch and iPod Nano found at:

http://www.macworld.com/article/1168525/apple_shows_off_ipod_touch_nano_updates.html

And of course you can get information to straight from the horse’s mouth as it were – via the Apple website found at: http://www.apple.com/

Have a great day!

Linda R.

 

New Kindle Fires & Kindle Paperwhite

Linda Reimer

Wow, I just got back from a short vacation and not only is it rip-roaring busy in library land today but additionally Amazon has introduced multiple new tablets. The new tablets consist of three new Kindle Fires and a new e-ink Kindle with a built-in lighting system called the Kindle Paperwhite.

The new Kindles are:

1. The Kindle Fire: This is the new entry-level Kindle Fire. It features a 7” screen, is Wi-Fi only, features 1024×600 pixel screen resolution (a higher screen resolution than the 1st generation Kindle Fire), has stereo speakers and 8 GB of storage. Price: $159.

2. The Kindle Fire HD: This version features a 7” screen, is Wi-Fi only, has a front facing video camera for video calls, offers 1280×800 pixel screen resolution, has Dolby Audio dual-driver stereo speakers and either 16 or 32 GB of storage. The 16 GB model costs $299 and the 32 GB model is $369.

3. The Kindle Fire HD 4G: This Kindle features an 8.9” screen, a front facing camera for video calls, 1920×1200 pixel screen resolution, has Dolby Audio dual-driver stereo speakers and either 32 or 64 GB of storage. The 32 GB version costs $499 and the 64 GB version is $599. Additionally of note regarding the 4G cellular connectivity Amazon states that “Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ offers the most affordable 4G tablet data package. Amazon’s 12 month 4G data package includes 250 MB a month of blazing fast 4G data, 20 GB of additional Cloud Drive storage, and $10 Amazon Appstore promotional credit, all for a one-time payment of only $49.99, no monthly payments required. If you need more data, additional 3 GB and 5 GB data plans are also available for purchase. You can sign up for a data plan right from your device.” So you can in essence tack another $49.95 onto the price of whichever of the two Kindle Fire HD 4G model you pick if you decide to purchase the Kindle Fire HD 4G.

4. The Kindle Paperwhite: And the e-ink Kindle Paperwhite is Wi-Fi only, features a built in lighting system (like the Barnes & Noble Glowlight) and a higher screen resolution than previous e-ink Kindle models. In fact, Amazon says of the screen resolution of the Paperwhite that it offers: “62% more pixels for unsurpassed resolution.”  Additionally of note, this Kindle costs $139 for the add free version or $119 for the “Special Offers” version that features screen saver adds. 

And you can find more information on all the new Kindle models at the Amazon website located at WWW.AMAZON.COM

And the Gizmodo tech site has a nice overview of the new models in the aptly named article Amazon’s New Kindle Avalanche Everything You Need to Know:

http://gizmodo.com/5941083/amazons-new-kindle-avalanche-everything-you-need-to-know

And if you’re in the market to buy a new tablet – or even your first tablet you may want to wait a bit despite Amazon’s new offerings as there are other new tablets forthcoming that may be even better than the ones Amazon introduced today. Google has, of course, already introduced its Nexus 7 tablet which has gained good reviews for its features and $199 price tag. Microsoft is coming out with its Surface tablet in October and Apple is likely to introduce a 7 or 8” Apple Mini iPad also in October. And just to add my two cents worth – I’m sure the Amazon’s HD 4G tablet is quite nice, and granted I haven’t seen it yet; however, if you’re spending more than $499 on tablet – I would still suggest you check out an iPad. You can come to the library and sit down with one of ours to test drive it before you buy it!

 Have a great evening everyone!

Linda R.

What the Library Has to Offer Tech Wise

Linda Reimer

This posting is a bit different from my usual postings that relay and comment on tech news. Instead of discussing what is new in the tech world I thought today I’d discuss what type of tech related items you can access or check out at our library. And you may know about some of these items and services but I’d be surprised if anyone reading this knows about every item on the list!

And here’s a list of many of tech related items and services you can obtain via the Southeast Steuben County Library.

Access free Wi-Fi – bring in your tablet, laptop or other internet connecting device and surf the web!

Free assistance with tech usage questions – if you just bought a new PC, Mac, e-reader, iPad or other tech device and have questions about how to use it – come to the library  and let our tech staff show  you the tech ropes. You can even make an appointment for a one-one-one tech session to sit down with a tech staff member and go over your questions in a leisurely manner.

Free tech programs and workshops – we have an ongoing series of tech workshops and programs that will offer you free instruction on a variety of topics including: how to use Excel, how to use your digital camera, how to edit photos, how to use a computer (the basics), where to find cooking apps and/or websites etc.

E-Books – E-Books may be read on e-readers, smart phones, tablets, PCs, Macs and other devices and are available through the STLS Digital Catalog found on the Library’s homepage at SSCLIBRARY.ORG

Circulating E-Readers – with three pre-loaded e-books a piece – want to read the Shades of Gray or Hunger Games trilogy or the new James Patterson book in e-book form and don’t own an e-reader…Check out one of ours today!

Downloadable audio books – also available through the STLS Digital Catalog and downloadable to a variety of devices including PCs and tablets so if you need a new audio book to listen to on a Sunday evening check out a downloadable audio book.
Downloadable videos and music – again these are available through the STLS Digital Catalog which may be accessed via our homepage found at SSCLIBRARY.ORG – we have only just started adding videos and music to the catalog so please peruse the titles and let us know what you think! (Note: the videos and music will play on only a  handful of portable devices but can be watched or listened to on a PC.

Free Databases: Just go to the Library’s homepage and click on the Reference Link and then the Subscription Services Link and you’ll be able to access a number of databases that we pay for but you don’t! And you will need your library card to access the databases which include:

Heritage Quest – to assist with your genealogical searches

Chilton Library – to assist you if you need to repair a car

Business & Company Resource Center – to assist you in finding basic information about a business including items like how much the company makes in a year and where the company’s corporate offices are located etc.

Health Reference Center – to assist you in searching for information on all things medical

Audiobookcloud.com – this is a streaming service for audio books so unlike the audio books available through the STLS Digital Catalog you stream the audio books found via this link from the cloud

Literature Resource Center & Twayne Author Databases – to find information on literature and/or authors

NOVEL List – this one is a neat reader’s advisory site – for example, if you like books by Stephen King, John Grisham or Danielle Steel you ‘ll be able to search for similar authors. And likewise if you like a specific title you’ll be able to search for other books in that same vein.

EBSCO Animals – this one is made great use of by students who can learn about various animals for their elementary or middle school projects

And for adults searching for credible information on a variety of sources for personal or high school/college research:

ART MUSEUM IMAGE GALLERY – a digital archive of visual works of art

OMNIFILE FULL TEXT SELECT (H.W. Wilson) – for full text scholarly journals

INFOTRAC NEWSSTAND  – this one has Full-text newspaper database

NATIONAL NEWSPAPER INDEX and this one offers access to indexed articles from the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times

NY STATE NEWSPAPERS – this database allows you to search for stories and articles that have appeared in New York State newspapers

ACADEMIC OneFile this database offers peer-reviewed, full-text articles from the world’s leading journals and reference sources, from Gale and NOVEL

GENERAL OneFile  – a one-stop source for full text news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics. Updated daily, from Gale and NOVEL

FUNK & WAGNALLS NEW WORLD ENCYCLOPEDIA – A wide variety of reliable source material

GROLIER ONLINE  – Encyclopedias & encyclopedic multimedia resources for students of all ages, with AP news feed

And

OCLC FIRST SEARCH Database of library collections from around the world, an STLS* member library subscription resource

We have all those tech related items and services and more! If you have any questions about this list please let me know. You can post a comment on the blog or send me an email!

Have a great day!

Linda R.

REIMERL@STLS.ORG