Detroit News' Caterpillar Reads on Laptop, Not Print, for Parade

Another sign that the times are changing:

The caterpillar in the Detroit News' float in America's Thanksgiving Parade (held in Detroit for the past 83 years) was reading detnews.com on a laptop this year:


Happy Holiday!

Mango Basic Language Learning Program Now Available at Troy

If you use Mango Languages, an online language learning program offered through the Troy Public Library, you will notice something different when you login. Now, instead of a screen showing various languages, you have a choice: Mango Complete or Mango Basic.

Mango Complete is Mango's standard language learning program. It features courses in 9 foreign languages and ESL support for 3 languages. Each course contains 100 lessons.

Mango Basic is new product designed for people who need basic-level language skills in a short amount of time. It includes lessons for 22 foreign languages and ESL courses for 14. This includes languages that are in Mango Complete, such as French, German, and Japanese, as well as new languages like Arabic, Hindi, and Korean. It uses the same flash card style as Mango Complete.

Each language lesson in Mango Basic is divided into 2 sections. Section 1 teaches greetings, gratitude, and goodbyes, while section 2 discusses how to ask if someone speaks English. In addition to basic words and grammar, cultural information is also covered.

To access Mango Languages, you will need a Troy Public Library card. Go to our website and click eResources on the left under Library Links. Click on Language Learning, then Mango Languages.Try it out and let us know what you think.

For more information about Mango Basic, see this blog post.

Microsoft Office 2010 Beta Released

As we mentioned in January, Microsoft is developing its latest version of Office -- Microsoft Office 2010. While not commercially available yet, the company has made the beta release of available for download.

Switching to this latest version of Office should be easy for people familiar with Office 2007. Office 2010 keeps the same "ribbon" navigation format. Many items have been upgraded, including more ways to edit photos, new themes, and the ability to add screenshots from the Insert tab. Additionally, Office 2010 will work with Microsoft Office Web Apps. For an early preview, see this article from pcmag.com.

Download Microsoft Office 2010 here.

If you are running Office 2010, let us know what you think by leaving a comment. We are currently testing it now, and will share our thoughts in a later post.

November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that affects brain function. This disease typically starts with slight memory loss and slowly becomes more severe and debilitating. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s and as many as 10 million family caregivers.

To raise awareness of this terrible disease, and to provide support and information to caregivers, the Michigan Department of Community Health has dedicated the November 2009 issue of its Family History and Your Health newsletter to Alzheimer's information.

The Department encourages you to share this newsletter with friends, relatives, and patients, in an effort to reduce the effects of this chronic disease on Michigan residents and to promote a healthier lifestyle.

Top Words of the Decade

The Austin, Texas-based Global Language Monitor – which analyzes the latest trends in word use and word choices, and their impact on culture – has released the Top Words, Phrases, and Names of the Decade from 2000 – 2009.

The top ten words, along with the year they became popular, are:

1. Global Warming (2000)
2. 9/11 (2001)
3. Obama (2008)
4. Bailout (2008)
5. Evacuee/refugee (2005)
6. Derivative (2007)
7. Google (2007)
8. Surge (2007)
9. Chinglish (2005)
10. Tsunami (2004)

The lists were created by tracking words and phrases in the media and on the Internet (including blogs and social media, such as Twitter), in relation to frequency, contextual use and appearance in the global media.

Where to Read Free Books Online

Wonder where to find free books online? There are tons of online libraries that provide electronic fiction, nonfiction and reference books at no charge. Here, from EduChoices are 25 Places to Read Free Books Online.

Amazon Releases Kindle for PC Application

Competition for ebook readers has been heating up.

Sony has introduced new versions of its Reader. Barnes and Noble's new device, the Nook, will be shipping soon. Instead of a new device for the holidays, Amazon has launched a new, free, application that allows Kindle books to be more accessible. Kindle for PC joins the Kindle for iPhone app that allows Kindle books to be read on devices other than a Kindle, like on your home computer.

Still a beta release, Kindle for PC, like the Kindle for iPhone app, features Whispersync technology which keeps tracks of your place in a book when you switch between devices. It is currently only available for Windows, but a Mac version is promised.

For some reviews, check out this story at wired.com and this review from PC World.

Get A Glimpse Into the Future with Microsoft's Protoype Office Wall

Microsoft has recently released a video which shows a prototype of a futuristic Office Wall. The video itself is incredible, and tends to remind me of the movie Minority Report. Take a look!

If you're interested you can also check out the excellent photos that Microsoft has posted on Flickr.