February 25, 2010

BlackBerry Audiobook App Available for OverDrive

Downloadable audiobook vendor OverDrive has released an app available for BlackBerry smartphone users. OverDrive Media Console for BlackBerry is the latest Media Console release for smartphones and mobile devices, and follows similar releases for both the Windows Mobile and Android platforms.

While it is still only a beta release, you can download the OverDrive app here. At this time the only format that can be downloaded with this app are MP3 audiobooks.

Read more about the OverDrive Media Console for BlackBerry.

February 9, 2010

OverDrive Continues to Set Records

On February 2, OverDrive -- the vendor that provides downloadable audio and ebooks to the Troy Library -- celebrated another milestone: 20 million digital titles have been checked out using its service since it began in 2004. In January 2010 alone, over 1 million items were checked out. This news already follows the tremendous growth by OverDrive in 2009.

At the Library, we have also experienced increased use of OverDrive. OverDrive checkouts increased 68% in 2009 compared to 2008. In January 2010, we recorded our largest monthly number of checkouts. We have seen an increase in patron questions about transferring content from OverDrive to iPods, MP3 players, and eReaders.

Have you downloaded eBooks and eAudiobooks yet? If not, now is there perfect time! To try OverDrive, you will need to have a valid Troy Public Library card. Visit the Library homepage and click on the Downloadable Audiobooks, Video link. From there, select OverDrive.

February 8, 2010

3-D TV?

If high definition television is not life-like enough for you, maybe you are ready to experience 3-D TV. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, several TV manufacturing companies including Sony, Panasonic and Vizio, showcased 3-D enabled television sets and other gear for which they hope consumers will clamor. 3-D glasses are still required and the sets face other obstacles as well.

Are they the wave of the future? Read all the pros and cons in this Los Angeles Times article.