Notice something new on The Tech Desk?To the right, near the top, there is now a "Search Technology" search box. This will make it easier to find technology information in our entire "neighborhood" -- on our site and all the other sites and blogs we read.Here's how it works: You remember that we have written on a topic of interest to you, for example, Library electronic resources available to use on your iPod. So you search "iPod" in the search box. The results are displayed, with the first tab showing results from our blog; the second, results on the sites to which we are linked; and the third, results from the blogs we read:
So not only do you find a reference to our posts on the subject -- for instance, More Titles from OverDrive to be iPod Compatible -- but in the second and third tabs you find posts from several other sites we've referenced. This means that you will be able to use The Technology Desk as the starting point for your research on current technology issues.
Try it out and let us know what you think.
Recently, USA Today reported that Anthony Zuiker, creator of the CSI television shows, has teamed up with Dutton Books to introduce the "digi-novel," a term coined by Zuiker because it incorporates digital and print media to tell a story.
Zuiker claims that the concept of the digi-novel is a "revolution in publishing for the YouTube generation." Readers will first read the novel in print and then go online to view video clips that further develop the storyline. Michelle Kerns, writing on examiner.com, says that while online, "Readers will also be able to participate in a community portal that features alternative storylines, different characters, and, according to Dutton, 'countless ancillary levels of story enrichment.'"
Zuiker's digi-novel, Level 26: Dark Origins, is the first book in a three book series about a government investigator who pursues serial killers. Level 26: Dark Origin is scheduled to be published in September
Looking for more summer reading?EarlyWord looks at two new summer books roundups: the first, from four regular National Public Radio commentators; and the second from the RealSimple blog.When you are finished noting your picks, come into the Library and check them out!
Traveling with young children this summer? Or just looking for an inexpensive dinner option for your family? Here are more than 50 restaurants where children can eat free or for very inexpensively (under $1), compiled by FrugalLivingTV.Note that some of the restaurants have certain restrictions to receive the free food, such as restricting days or times, or requiring that a child be accompanied by an adult purchasing a meal. And it is always a good idea to call the restaurant location you plan on attending before arriving with a car full of hungry young people.
[via Lifehacker]
The problem: Junk everywhere. And nowhere to put it but the landfill.
The solution: A communal approach that shows that one household's junk is another's salvation.
The "How-to" from Annabelle Gurwitch, from Planet Green’s Wasted television show and treehugger.com:"The concept of 'freecycling' has exploded in recent years, especially with the website freecycle.org. You go there and type in where you live and what you need to get rid of -- it could be a baby crib you no longer need or a set of old golf clubs.
Once you've posted the availability of items, you could get dozens of responses from people near you who need them. Then, you put it on your curb and it's gone!
I worked with one woman who had a ceiling fan and aquarium to get rid of. She was ready to pay for a salvage company to pick them up. I steered her toward freecycling instead, and she got 20 responses in one day. And she was able to get baby clothes that she needed from a mom whose child had outgrown them.
I have gotten rid of our child's crayons and magic markers doing this -- someone had a day-care business and needed them."
[via USA Weekend]
What’s in your refrigerator right now? Leftovers from dinner at a Chinese restaurant? Yesterday’s pasta? A few stalks of broccoli?Before you throw out all this, thing about combining these "orphans" into another tasty while they are still good. After all, a smart way to save on groceries is to efficiently use what you buy.
Get creative. Have a bit of coleslaw? Use it to top a turkey sandwich. Extra cooked or raw vegetables? Tuck them into salads, omelets, casseroles. One broccoli stalk won't feed two people, but you can add other veggies and a protein (beef, chicken, tofu) for a tasty stir-fry.Surf for more ideas. Two sites in particular -- wastedfood.com and lovefoodhatewaste.com -- offer lots of food for thought.
[via USA Weekend]
The “Sandwich Generation” describes those who are sandwiched between the dual responsibilities of caring for their own children and for aging parents or relatives.
Former AOL Digital Chief and founder of Launchbox Digital, John McKinley found a distressing lack of resources that helped adults find the right care providers for elderly parents. McKinley vowed to create a portal aimed towards the consumer and this month he launched OurParents, a free elder care matching service, focused on assisting adult children with aging parents find the right care solution that meets the parents’ health care needs.
OurParents offers descriptions, services, quality ratings, and price info for care providers and allows consumers to filter search results by location, cost, quality, distance and special requirements. Free detailed reports about each facility, which includes access to the Medicare ratings, detailed audit findings, community data, and information about nearby hospitals and clinics are available once the user creates an account.
In mid-June, OverDrive, one of Troy Public Library's suppliers of downloadable eAudiobooks, is releasing a new version of its Media Console software. What makes this update newsworthy is that the majority of all downloadable OverDrive audiobook titles will become iPod compatible.The issue of iPod compatibility with OverDrive eAudiobooks has been a concern for sometime. iPod users were told that downloaded materials couldn't be transferred, or would have to come up with various workarounds for the problem. Last year, to help solve the problem, OverDrive started releasing titles in the OverDrive MP3 format, that can be transferred to an iPod. The problem is the many bestsellers, such as Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, The 8th Confession by James Patterson, and Resilience by Elizabeth Edwards, are not available in the MP3 format. They can be downloaded and played on a computer, but are not iPod transferable.
OverDrive Media Console 3.2 should change that. According to the OverDrive press release, "once OverDrive Media Console version 3.2 is installed, most titles in a library's OverDrive WMA Audiobook collection will instantly become iPod-compatible for users with Windows PCs." It appears that the only drawback is that Mac users will not be able to take advantage of this update.This news comes at an excellent time for the Troy Library. We have been seeing record numbers of checkouts this year of our OverDrive material. If you haven't used OverDrive because popular titles were not available to be transferred to your iPod, keep following The Tech Desk. We will let you know when OverDrive Media Console 3.2 is available.
In the meantime, if you still would like to check out OverDrive, go to the library homepage and click "Downloadable eBooks, Audiobooks, and Videos" in the left side menu. For the complete text of the OverDrive press release, click here.
