Librarians Fight to Save NJ Libraries…03.19.10

The Path to 1 Billion Tweets…03.19.10

Click on image to ENLARGE:

Yummy QR Code Cupcakes…03.19.10

iPhone apps for librarians…03.19.10

Yelp…03.18.10

New Video Wikipedia…03.18.10

Let’s Get Video on Wikipedia

“Wikipedia is the largest collaborative experiment in human history. It’s also one of the ten most-visited websites in the world. The English Wikipedia alone has more than 3.2 million articles. These articles were all created by the active community of Wikipedians. Anyone can edit an article, making Wikipedia a constantly growing and improving resource.

But a text article can only convey so much. Wouldn’t it be great if a Wikipedia entry could communicate the motion of a pirouette? Or the kinetic buzz of New York City’s Grand Central Terminal?

Right now, very few articles on Wikipedia have videos. It’s time to change that! Starting now, you can be among the first people experimenting with the possibilities of collaborative video. Your contributions will shape the future of Wikipedia, making it a rich and dynamic source of high-quality educational content. You will also help spread free sharing of knowledge on the web.

Plus, when you post a video to Wikipedia, you are also helping to promote open video. Wikipedia uses a 100% free and open source video stack powered by HTML5 and Theora. The articles are free to share and reuse, there’s no advertising, and the software that runs the site is free and open source...”

SXSW Invaded By QR Codes…03.18.10

Excerpted from Fast Company:

“Everywhere you look at the South by Southwest conference this week, you see QR codes. The square “quick response” codes turn URLs, vCards, or any kind of text into a jumble of pixels that you can scan onto your smartphone instantaneously, no typing required. At SXSW, QR codes appeared on flyers, postcards, business cards, t-shirts, stickers, and swag. Organizers of the Austin gathering for film, music, and Web geeks even included a QR code on every registrant’s badge to cut down on paper waste and manual data entry…”

QR Codes Combined with Augmented Reality:

“…A building in Japan created a giant QR code on their building which people captured and enabled them to see real-time twitter feeds from the people inside the building…”

Chevy Adding QR Codes to Cars:

Review of New Alex E-Reader…03.18.10

Excerpted from CrunchGear:

“The Alex ereader is out and I got to look at it today for a few minutes. The top part is a real epaper screen and the bottom part is essentially a small Android MID. The device has Wi-Fi and is available now for $399, shipping in May.

The company had a few interesting points about their sales strategy. Their goal isn’t to sell and ship devices, although their ereader will play epub, PDF, HTML, and TXT files out of the box. They are currently partnering with international publishing houses and periodicals and will work with those partners to create an web store as well as a unique UI for each device. In this way a newspaper could offer a branded version of its reader and offer it at a subsidized rate to online subscribers or a publishing house or book store could offer their own branded experience…”

FREE Online Conference on The Future of Libraries…03.18.10

FREE OPAL ONLINE CONFERENCE:

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time,  10:00 Central, 9:00 Mountain, 8:00 Pacific, and 3:00 p.m. GMT:

One-Day Online Conference on the Future of Libraries

Over the course of the day a group of presenters (including keynote speaker Stephen Abram) will explore and discuss with participants how libraries can understand, embrace, and lead future developments in libraries and librarianship.

Please Note: Participants are required to register for this one-day conference and pay a small registration fee. This is the fifth of nine monthly one-day Trendy Topics conferences that will be  held throughout 2010.

Conference Website (includes registration info): Trendy Topics Conference Website

Co-Organizers: Alliance Library System and TAP Information Services

LibriVox – FREE Audio Books Online…03.17.10

Who is Using Chatroulette?…03.17.10

Librarian Skills in the 21st Century…03.27.20

Download the REPORT

The personal assessment:

Click on image for larger version

Facebook and QR Codes…03.17.10

Excerpted from TechCrunch report Facebook Kicks Off Implementation of QR Codes:

“I can’t see this on my own Facebook profile yet, but we’ve gotten a number of tips in our inbox in the past 10 minutes so it’s safe to assume it’s not a hoax or anything: Facebook appears to have started enabling users to generate custom two-dimensional QR codes.

From the looks of the screenshot embedded above, there are two types of QR codes: a personal barcode or a “status QR barcode”. This also seems to appear on Facebook Fan Pages.

Judging from the tweets about this, the QR codes don’t seem to actually function yet, and the links on pages appear to come and go.

We’re trying to get more information and will update accordingly.

Update – Facebook gave us the boilerplate response:

‘We’re always testing various features on the site, but we have nothing more to share at this time.’…”

Google – Trying Not to Be Evil “The Beast File”…03.17.10

What does the Future Hold for Reference Services?…03.17.10

Fandango Starts Offering Mobile Movie Tickets Via QR Codes…03.16.10

TechCrunch reported today on yet another application of mobile QR codes:

“Waiting in line for movie tickets is still the worst part of going to the movies (unless you are going to see The Bounty Hunter). With so many mobile phone movie apps, it’s easy to find what’s playing at nearby theaters and even purchase tickets right from your mobile phone, but then you still have to get a paper ticket from the dispenser or the ticket agent. But your ticket could easily be delivered to your mobile phone via a 2D barcode.

Today, Fandango is launching a mobile ticket program in eight cities which lets moviegoers finally go paperless. Your ticket is delivered to your mobile phone via an SMS or MMS message linked to a 2D barcode, which the ticket-takers can scan…”

Libraries and the Cloud…03.16.10

Einstein Life Lessons…03.15.10

From Library Garden:

Google Social Search and Search Engine Optimization…03.15.10

From What Does Google Social Search Mean for SEO?:

“…The idea is that you would see blog posts and other content from your social network in your search results.

Now, the feature is being rolled out to everyone as a new beta feature of Google.com.  As part of the release, Google has also integrated social search into their Image search.  You’ll see pictures from photo sharing sites such as Flickr and Picaa.

The images will appear under their own special heading.  You’ll also notice links to ‘My social circle’ and ‘My social content.’ Click on either of these links to discover your social network as Google defines it.

To truly experience social search, you’ll want to create a Google profile, where you can list your various social networks.  This helps Google find your network and connect them to you in their new social efforts…”

iPhone RFID Reader…03.15.10

10 Search Engines to Explore the Deep Web…03.15.10 10

Excerpted from MakeUseOf’s post 10 Search Engines to Explore the Deep End of the Invisible Web:

“…To get a more precise idea of the nature of this ‘Dark Continent’ involving the invisible and web search engines, read what Wikipedia has to say about the Deep Web. The figures are attention grabbers – the size of the open web is 167 terabytes. The Invisible Web is estimated at91,000 terabytes. Check this out – the Library of Congress, in 1997, was figured to have close to 3,000 terabytes!…

Let’s get to know a few resources which will be our deep diving vessel for the Invisible Web. Some of these are invisible web search engines with specifically indexed information…

Infomine has been built by a pool of libraries in the United States. Some of them are University of California, Wake Forest University, California State University, and the University of Detroit. Infomine ‘mines’ information from databases, electronic journals, electronic books, bulletin boards, mailing lists, online library card catalogs, articles, directories of researchers, and many other resources.

You can search by subject category and further tweak your search using the search options. Infomine is not only a standalone search engine for the Deep Web but also a staging point for a lot of other reference information. Check out its Other Search Tools and General Reference links at the bottom.

The WWW Virtual Library is considered to be the oldest catalog on the web and was started by started by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the web. So, isn’t it strange that it finds a place in the list of Invisible Web resources?…

Intute is UK centric, but it has some of the most esteemed universities of the region providing the resources for study and research. You can browse by subject or do a keyword search for academic topics like agriculture to veterinary medicine. The online service has subject specialists who review and index other websites that cater to the topics for study and research.

Intute also provides free of cost over 60 free online tutorials to learn effective internet research skills…

Complete Planet calls itself the ‘front door to the Deep Web’. This free and well designed directory resource makes it easy to access the mass of dynamic databases that are cloaked from a general purpose search. The databases indexed by Complete Planet number around 70,000 and range from Agriculture to Weather. Also thrown in are databases like Food & Drink and Military…

Infoplease is an information portal with a host of features. Using the site, you can tap into a good number of encyclopedias, almanacs, an atlas, and biographies…

DeepPeep aims to enter the Invisible Web through forms that query databases and web services for information. Typed queries open up dynamic but short lived results which cannot be indexed by normal search engines. By indexing databases, DeepPeep hopes to track 45,000 forms across 7 domains.

The domains covered by DeepPeep (Beta) are Auto, Airfare, Biology, Book, Hotel, Job, and Rental. Being a beta service, there are occasional glitches as some results don’t load in the browser.

IncyWincy is an Invisible Web search engine and it behaves as a meta-search engine by tapping into other search engines and filtering the results. It searches the web, directory, forms, and images. With a free registration, you can track search results with alerts.

DeepWebTech gives you five search engines (and browser plugins) for specific topics. The search engines cover science, medicine, and business. Using these topic specific search engines, you can query the underlying databases in the Deep Web.

Scirus has a pure scientific focus. It is a far reaching research engine that can scour journals, scientists’ homepages, courseware, pre-print server material, patents and institutional intranets.

TechXtra concentrates on engineering, mathematics and computing. It gives you industry news, job announcements, technical reports, technical data, full text eprints, teaching and learning resources along with articles and relevant website information…”

ALL FL State Aid Funding For Public Libraries To Be Eliminated – Floridians Urged to Action…03.14.10

Librarians are urging Floridians to email, call, or write letters to the state of Florida before it is too late! This will be voted on March 19th.

Governor
Governor Charlie Crist - Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com / (850) 488-7146

House
House Leadership
Larry Cretul (r) – Speaker – Represents parts of Alachua, Levy, & Marion Counties –larry.cretul@myfloridahouse.gov / District (352) 873-6564 / Tallahassee (850) 488-1450
Rep. Dean Cannon (r) – Represents part of Orange County – Speaker designate 2011-12 –dean.cannon@myfloridahouse.gov / District (407) 623-5740 / Tallahassee (850) 488-2742
Rep. Will Weatherford (r) – Represents parts of Hillsborough & Pasco Counties – Speaker designate 2013-14 -will.weatherford@myfloridahouse.gov / District (813) 558-5115 / Tallahassee (850) 488-5744
Rep. David Rivera (r), Chair of the Full Appropriations Council on Education & Economic Development – Represents parts of Broward, Collier, & Miami-Dade Counties – david.rivera@myfloridahouse.gov / District (305) 227-7630 / Tallahassee – (850)-488-7897

House Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations Committee (TED)
Rep. Rich Glorioso (r), Chair – Parts of Hillsborough & Pasco Counties –rich.glorioso@myfloridahouse.gov / District (813) 757-9110/ Tallahassee (850) 488-0807
Rep. Mike Horner (r), Vice Chair – Represents parts of Okeechobee, Orange, Osceloa, & Polk Counties /mike.horner@myfloridahouse.gov / District (407) 943-3077 / Tallahassee (850) 488-8992
Rep. Evan Jenne (d), Ranking Democratic Member – Represents part of Broward County –evan.jenne@myfloridahouse.gov / District (954) 321-2760 / Tallahassee (850) 488-0245
Gary Aubuchon (r) – Represents parts of Charlotte & Lee Counties – gary.aubuchon@myfloridahouse.gov / District (239) 344-4900 / Tallahassee (850) 488-7433
Re. Esteban L. Bovo, Jr (r) – Represents part of Miami-Dade County – Esteban.bovo@myfloridahouse.gov / District (305) 364-3113 / Tallahassee (850) 487-2197
Rep. Jennifer Carroll (r) – Represents parts of Clay & Duval Counties –– Jennifer.carroll@myfloridahouse.gov / District (904) 573-4994 / Tallahassee (850) 488-5102
Rep. Joe Gibbons (d) – Represents part of Broward County – joe.gibbons@myfloridahouse.gov / District (954) 893-5006 / Tallahassee (850) 488-0145
Rep. Audrey Gibson (d) – Represents part of Duval County – audrey.gibson@myfloridahouse.gov / District (904) 353-2180 / Tallahassee (850) 488-7417
Rep. Dorothy Hukill (r) – Represents part of Volusia County – dorothy.hukill@myfloridahouse.gov / District (386) 322-5111 / Tallahassee (850) 488-6653
Dave Murzin (r) – Represents part of Escambia County – dave.murzin@myfloridahouse.gov / District (859) 494-7330 / Tallahassee (850) 488-8278
Jimmy Patronis (r) – Represents parts of Bay & Franklin Counties – jimmy.patronis@myfloridahouse.gove / District (850) 914-6300 / Tallahassee (850) 488-9696
Hazelle Rogers (d) – Represents part of Broward County – hazelle.rogers@myfloridahouse.gov / District (954) 497-3367 / Tallahassee (850)488-8234
Maria Sachs (d) – Represents part of Palm Beach County – maria.sachs@myfloridahouse.gov / District (561) 266-6645 / Tallahassee (850) 488-1662
Rep. Robert Schenck (r) – Represents parts of Pasco, Hernando, & Sumter Counties –robert.schenck@myfloridahouse.gov / District (352) 688-5005 / Tallahassee (850) 488-6641

Senate Leadership

Senator Jeff Atwater (r) – President – Represents parts of Broward & Palm Beach Counties -atwater.jeff.web@flsenate.gov / District (561) 625-5101 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5100
Senator JD Alexander (r), Chairman, Policy and Steering Committee on Ways and Means – Represents Hardee, Highlands and parts of DeSoto, Glades, Okeechobee, Polk, and St. Lucie Counties -alexander.jd.web@flsenate.gov / District (863) 679-4847 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5044
Senator Mike Haridopolos (r) – President designate, 2011-12 – Represents parts of Brevard, Indian River, Osceola, & St. Lucie Counties – haridopolis.mike@flsentate.gov / District (321) 752-3131 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5056

Senate Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations Committee (TED)

Senator Mike Fasano (r), Chairman – Represents parts of Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, & Pinellas Counties /fasano.mike.web@flsenate.gov / District (727) 848-5885 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5062
Senator Tony Hill (d), Vice-Chair – Represents parts of Duval, Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, & Volusia Counties –hill.tony.web@flsenate.gov / District (904) 924-1646 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5024
Senator Alex Diaz de la Portilla (r) – Represents part of Miami-Dade County – portilla.alex.web@flsenate.gov / District (305) 643-7200 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5109
Senator Paula Dockery (r) – Represents parts of Hernando, Lake, Osceola, Polk, & Sumter Counties -dockery.paula.web@flsenate.gov /District (863) 413-2900 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5040
Senator Andy Gardiner (r) – Represents parts of Orange, Osceola, & Seminole Counties –gardiner.andy@flsenate.gov / District (407) 428-5800 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5047
Senator Chris Smith (d) – Represents parts of Broward & Palm Beach Counties – smith.chris.web@flsenate.gov/ District (561) 650-6801 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5112

Alternate Careers for Librarians…03.14.10

Digital Library and Digital Curation Education…03.14.10

Gaming in Libraries…03.14.10

“Tracked 24/7″ Infographic…03.14.20

Format: A Brief History of Data Storage…03.14.10

Social Networking at SXSW This Year with QR Codes…03.13.10

From the Ft. Worth Examiner

“Social Networking has been made easy this year by the organizers of SXSW ["South By Southwest" Music/Film/Interactive in Austin, TX] with the addition of the QR Code to the badges. This year’s badges will include a photo and a small square similar to a bar code.  That bar code is the QR Code.

To use the QR Codes most effectively, download a reader from this website (http://link.me/sxsw) from your mobile phone.  Any phone with an internet connection and camera will be able to use it, and it will automatically download the correct reader for your phone.  If you encounter any problems, visit SXSW‘s website for more information…”

For more about QR Codes, search my many other posts on this blog.

Mobile Tech – Google Shopper…03.13.10

Cool Reanimation Library…03.13.10