Is your home computer space -- your "digital crib" -- a technological paradise or your worst electronic nightmare? Cisco wants to know.
The company is looking for short (up to three minute) videos showing off your digital heaven or hell. Show how clever and efficient you are with consumer technology and your home network or issue a plaintive cry for professional help. Submit a video, and you will have a chance to win a top prize of $10,000 (in each category) or one of ten $500 gift cards.
All submissions will be hosted on Cisco's Digital Cribs website and be viewable by the public. Winning is weighted toward the most viewed and highest rated videos, so submit early and share with all your friends to improve your chances. Check back regularly and cast your vote for the best or worst video you see.
Submissions will be accepted no later than November 26, 2008. Winners will be announced on December 8, 2008.
For more information and complete rules, click here.
November 7, 2008
Fun Friday: Book Covers Redesigned
The Guardian recently had a contest (inspired by a similar contest at bookninja.com) to redesign covers for classic novels so that they would fit today's bestseller lists. Go here to see the winners.
My favorite redesign: The Iliad, by Homer.
My favorite redesign: The Iliad, by Homer.
Easy Training Videos with Camstudio
As I mentioned a few days ago, one of the cool tools I learned about at this year's Michigan Library Association conference was camstudio.org -- an open source ware that is, as, its website says: "able to record all screen and audio activity on your computer and create industry-standard AVI video files and using its built-in SWF Producer can turn those AVIs into lean, mean, bandwidth-friendly Streaming Flash videos (SWFs)."
I downloaded camstudio one day last week at work and started playing with it. It is a great tool! I have already made two staff training videos -- one of which we are actually using -- and I just made my first training video for the public on how you can log into your Library accounts on our website to check your holds, renew your material, etc.
Camstudio is quick to download, and simple to learn. Though I am no Fellini, nor Antonioni, nor even Roman Polanski, I was quickly able to make pretty good 2 or 3 minute videos.
Here's the one I made for the public. Click on the picture of our web site and turn up your volume. Take a look and let me know what you think.
The only drawback is that the video files are huge. However, I used another site I learned about at the conference to store the 50+ mg videos in the clouds: drop.io.
I downloaded camstudio one day last week at work and started playing with it. It is a great tool! I have already made two staff training videos -- one of which we are actually using -- and I just made my first training video for the public on how you can log into your Library accounts on our website to check your holds, renew your material, etc.
Camstudio is quick to download, and simple to learn. Though I am no Fellini, nor Antonioni, nor even Roman Polanski, I was quickly able to make pretty good 2 or 3 minute videos.
Here's the one I made for the public. Click on the picture of our web site and turn up your volume. Take a look and let me know what you think.
The only drawback is that the video files are huge. However, I used another site I learned about at the conference to store the 50+ mg videos in the clouds: drop.io.
Yelp.com Offers Local Restaurant Reviews
I like to read about restaurants, and restaurant reviews, on the web. There are many sites and a lot of user-generated reviews; not many of them are very complete or very good.
One, of note, is chowhound.com. Sometimes, though, I find chowhound too unfocused.
A new restaurant site I recently found in The New York Times, is yelp.com. According to The Times, yelp.com is one of the fastest growing restaurant sites, with an active social networking component.
I created a free account in minutes. Then I searched a few zip codes with which I am familiar. I am pleased to say that several of my favorite restaurants -- including my local coffee shop and my favorite pizza and bagel places -- already had several reviews.
If you like to read and review restaurants, check out yelp.com.
One, of note, is chowhound.com. Sometimes, though, I find chowhound too unfocused.
A new restaurant site I recently found in The New York Times, is yelp.com. According to The Times, yelp.com is one of the fastest growing restaurant sites, with an active social networking component.
I created a free account in minutes. Then I searched a few zip codes with which I am familiar. I am pleased to say that several of my favorite restaurants -- including my local coffee shop and my favorite pizza and bagel places -- already had several reviews.
If you like to read and review restaurants, check out yelp.com.
November 6, 2008
National Book Award Winners Announced Online on November 19
The National Book Foundation believes that literature is a vital part of American culture. Working with writers, publishers, libraries, and booksellers, the Foundation celebrates the best of American literature to help expand its audience and enhance the cultural value of good writing in America.
Each year since 1950, the Foundation has granted the National Book Awards to the best in American Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry and Young People's Literature. This year, the winners of the Awards will be announced on November 19, on the Foundation's website www.nationalbook.org.
You can also go to the website to view a full list of National Book Award winners and finalists from 1950 to the present.
Each year since 1950, the Foundation has granted the National Book Awards to the best in American Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry and Young People's Literature. This year, the winners of the Awards will be announced on November 19, on the Foundation's website www.nationalbook.org.
You can also go to the website to view a full list of National Book Award winners and finalists from 1950 to the present.
Best MP3 Players for Audiobooks
Recently, CNET.com published an article listing their choices of the best MP3 players to use with downloadable audiobooks.
The Troy Public Library currently subscribes to two different providers of downloadable audiobooks: NetLibrary and OverDrive. Both of these services offer audiobooks in different formats that are not compatible with all MP3 players currently on the market. Compatible MP3 players for NetLibrary can be found here. Compatible players for OverDrive can be found here.
Of CNET's reviewed players, the Creative ZEN supports downloadable audiobooks from NetLibrary and both OverDrive audiobook formats (MP3 and WMA). Both SanDisk players and the Microsoft Zune work with both OverDrive formats, but are not listed as compatible players for NetLibrary. Apple's iPod is only compatible with OverDrive audiobooks in the MP3 format.
Have you used any of these players to download audiobooks? Have you had success with others? We'd love to hear about it! Let us know in the comments below.
The Troy Public Library currently subscribes to two different providers of downloadable audiobooks: NetLibrary and OverDrive. Both of these services offer audiobooks in different formats that are not compatible with all MP3 players currently on the market. Compatible MP3 players for NetLibrary can be found here. Compatible players for OverDrive can be found here.
Of CNET's reviewed players, the Creative ZEN supports downloadable audiobooks from NetLibrary and both OverDrive audiobook formats (MP3 and WMA). Both SanDisk players and the Microsoft Zune work with both OverDrive formats, but are not listed as compatible players for NetLibrary. Apple's iPod is only compatible with OverDrive audiobooks in the MP3 format.
Have you used any of these players to download audiobooks? Have you had success with others? We'd love to hear about it! Let us know in the comments below.
November 5, 2008
FCC Votes to Open "White Space" Spectrum to Wireless Internet for the Public
As Sirsi/Dynix VP Stephen Abram reminds us, there was other news yesterday, even in the United States.
The Federal Communications Commission voted 5-0 to open up the "white space" spectrum -- the unused airwaves between broadcast television channels -- for public wireless broadband service. Abram says that this decision will transform technology in 2009 and beyond, and quotes Google co-found Larry Page as saying: "This is a clear victory for Internet users and anyone who wants good wireless communications."
Read the entire post on Stephen's Lighthouse.
The Federal Communications Commission voted 5-0 to open up the "white space" spectrum -- the unused airwaves between broadcast television channels -- for public wireless broadband service. Abram says that this decision will transform technology in 2009 and beyond, and quotes Google co-found Larry Page as saying: "This is a clear victory for Internet users and anyone who wants good wireless communications."
Read the entire post on Stephen's Lighthouse.
Newspaper Front Pages from Around the World
With Barack Obama being elected the next President of the United States, you may be interested in how newspapers, both nationally and from around the world, are covering this historic day in American politics. What are their headlines? What pictures do they use?
Go to the Newseum's website. From there, you can see scans of front pages from over 600 newspapers from the United States and around the world.
Go to the Newseum's website. From there, you can see scans of front pages from over 600 newspapers from the United States and around the world.
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