Search results matching tag 'gadgets'

Roundup Friday: eBooks!

Betsey Blanche — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:39:00 GMT

My colleague Linda hit the nail on the head once more when, in her latest blog post, she wrote: "electronics vendors offer "must-have" apps and gadgets faster than we can learn or finance them." I am so taking it out of context but I read it as a break from shopping online for a new gadget of my own, namely an eReader or a tablet. This delightful coincidence got me thinking about eBooks and all the arguments for and against them. So please allow me to offer up some random thoughts and useful tips in this eBook Round Up.

Get Rich Slowly - a personal finance blog - recently posted a piece on the cost effectiveness of eBooks. The author of the piece, J.D. Roth, waffles a bit on the pros and cons but here are some of his highlights.

eBooks are a great way to cut down on Stuff (which is especially useful for those who move frequently)
eBook Readers often have apps that you can use on other devices such as your personal computer, tablets and smart phones.
The best values on eBooks tend to be found with the newest and oldest books. The older books often being available for free because they live in the public domain. But whether or not the initial cost of a Reader makes up for that price difference depends on how frequently you use it.

Leatherbound: Perhaps you've decided to skip buying an actual eReader and simply use various apps for your eBooks. For instance, my phone allows me use of both the Nook and Kindle apps. Leatherbound allows users to search for eBooks across both of those platforms as well as the iBooks platform (designed for the iPad and other Apple devices). This allows users to find the cheapest version of the eBook they're looking for without visiting each virtual store.

Big News: Your very own Round Rock Public Library will soon be adding another wrinkle to your decision-making process! On December 17^th we'll be launching use of OverDrive, a service that provides downloadable audiobooks, eBooks, music and video. In my opinion, it's a step up from our previous provider of eBooks which did not allow titles to be downloaded to personal devices.

Also Check Out:

"You'd be surprised who reads steamy novels"

"Google opens bookstore with 3 million titles, free android and iOS reader apps"

"iPad leading e-book reader demand despite Kindle price advantage"

How I Saved My Phone and Ruined My Dinner: True Tales of a Wet Gadget

Betsey Blanche — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:20:00 GMT

I was beginning to think my summer was cursed. First my car was totaled, and then my laptop became completely overwhelmed by my music and photo files that it barely turns on. It seemed only right that a third item would suddenly and strangely meet its end.

As I was settling in the other night to read DBC Pierre's Vernon God Little (which is great and must be the only Man Booker Prize winner set in Central Texas) I noticed a cup of water I'd left on the nearby table. "Well," I thought, "I'd better put that on the floor so I don't knock it over and spill it everywhere." The best intentions . . .

I turn my clock to check the time and as I do my cute little HTC MyTouch slips off the table and does a beautiful, vertical dive directly into my water glass. I cannot even tell you how impossible it seemed. It just so happens a similar event caused the death of my Blackberry Pearl last year. But this time I was equipped with the knowledge I needed to take action.

Step 1) Get it out of the water as fast as you can! I immediately swooped down and rescued my sweet, sweet phone from the water (probably while muttering to myself). Step 2) Cut off the power supply. This is perhaps the critical step. The combination of water and electrical circuits is a bad one. If your phone stays connected to a power source there will be trouble and destruction (of those circuits). While you're at it, go ahead and slide out your SIM card if you have one. Even if you phone is fried, your SIM card carries loads of valuable information that would be a shame to lose. After a bit of fumbling I managed to take off the back of the phone and remove the batter. Step 3) Gently dry off all the parts of the phone as well as you can. Out of desperation I just used the UT t-shirt I was wearing. Step 4) Dry it out. I scurried into the next room where I dumped a bag of dry white rice into an empty shoe box. The fact that I even had rice on hand is also rather extraordinary as I was in the middle of packing up my apartment and the only food items left included two bags of cornmeal (why? I have no idea) and this one, magical bag of rice. Step 5) Wait. I waited about 24 hours because I'm impatient. Luckily, that was enough time for my phone to have dried out and it turned right back on . . . omg! It actually worked. You can tell I was thrilled because OMG is not something I utter often.

The dry rice trick is gaining popularity but I have to admit that I had my doubts until I tried it myself. It works because dry rice is a desiccant just like silica gel, calcium chloride and calcium sulfate. The difference is that dry rice is something you're likely to actually have on hand. It may ruin your evening stir fry plans but I'd certainly rather spend $0.89 to replace rice than however much it would cost to replace your phone.

Some Don'ts

Don't try to turn on your phone before it's had time to really dry out
Don't try to dry it using something warm like a hair dryer. The heat may get the water dried up but it causes damage of its own.
Don't try to turn on your phone before it's dry (I know this is a repeat. But I had to learn the hard way last time).

Photo from Flickr User benmarvin

RFID Magic

Betsey Blanche — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:58:00 GMT

As many of you know by now, the library is in the process of switching our circulation to an RFID system. I realized the other day that, when telling patrons about the switch, I often used the phrase “like magic” to explain the new system. As a provider of information I’m starting to feel like I could be a bit more clear.

So here it is. The library is happily moving away from the old school barcodes which must be scanned one by one with a barcode reader. With the new system we’ll use an antenna to detect RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags within books; no scanning necessary. The most noticeable change for patrons will be the new, improved self-check machines. At the new machines users will simply place all their items on the antenna (which is really just a flat surface) which will then read the tags placed in each book/item. See? Like magic! The new machines will also allow users to pay their fines then and there without going to a service desk. The new system also makes it easier for our staff to find misplaced books within the library. We’ve been equipped with an RFID “wand” (see how the magic keeps coming?) which we can wave over the shelves in order to find specific books. We believe this switch will help us better serve your needs.

Interested in other uses of RFID tags? Check out this article from CNET on RFID in passports and this short list by Wired Magazine of creative uses of the system.

RR Public Library presents blogs on Technology

Betsey Blanche — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:09:00 GMT

Round Rock Public Library is adding a new element to our Library Information blog starting right . . . now. About once a week we'll add a post about technology that, hopefully, our readers will find interesting or useful. We'll cover topics such as open source software/freeware, useful web applications, gadgets, technology in general, and some of the issues that come with emerging these technologies. We'll start with topics we think will be especially useful to our patrons but feel free to contact us (by writing a comment below) if there's a specific topic you would like to learn more about.