[LM_NET] HIT: New devices, apps, sites (second of two)

[Mary Ann Bell <drmaryannbell@GMAIL.COM>]

Thanks again everybody! This was fun! This one is much shorter...I did not
manage to split them equally...never was good at math.



Web 2.0 of course

EVERYTHING at http://www.shambles.net/web2/index.htm



Podcasting (of course again)

EVERYTHING at http://www.shambles.net/podcasting/



Being alive at this time in history (of course cubed)

i.e. being here on my balcony outside my home office in north Thailand,
sitting in the sun .... wireless enabled laptop (heck ... wireless enabled
house), answering your email, having my coffee and toast, wearing my work
clothes (shorts and sloppy), listening to some rock music  .... watching the
cat hunt a lizard in the garden. Occasionally travelling physically to work
in schools across Asia or present at conferences .....(where I do wear
smarter clothes) .....  welcome back the era of "Victorian Cottage
Industries ..... with a new digital dimension (of course)"



Just saw something about using iPods to download
streaming video and connect to a TV in any classroom
in the school. Hmmm...  Got me thinking. Have to
explore the $$ to see if it makes sense moneywise.



During this past year we (well, my wife) figured out how to pull still
pictures from our digital video camera, so we're not looking for a still
digital camera any more. Meantime, I still enjoy the old Argus 35mm
camera my mother bought during WW II. Don't have an iPod, but am
thinking about getting a cd player if I can find one not made in China.
My son, the computer geek, got me interested in Linux-based cell
phone/pda, and sent me some info on a Linux-based cell phone just last
night. When I find a Linux-based pda I'll get one.


My computer at home is a Linux machine, and all the software on it is
freeware. Love it!



Oh boy! Sure wish I could answer this one from home. KR_NET, Glow Bugs,
Library of Congress, National Weather Service all are used almost daily.


My cell phone was replaced under warranty, and the replacement had a
camera (old one didn't). I finally saw the point of the camera this past
weekend, when I was able to see my nephew's son Saturday evening, and
then show the picture to my 92-year-old mother on Sunday. That is her
first great-grandchild.



I'm pretty close to getting a 1960's Heathkit Twoer on the air again.
I'm looking at getting new computers for the library.Yesterday I saw the
plans for some neat things that my school amateur radio club can build.

As you can tell, my interests are pretty broad. While I like new stuff,
I also like the old.

***********************

My BEST new toy is an Otterbox for my iPod.  It is a waterproof case.  Now I
can swim with my ipod.  Biggest challenge has been ear phones.  H20 sells
ones meant for swimming but they are expensive and receive mixed reviews.
I've been trying other solutions but haven't found the perfect ones yet.



My favorite new app is NewsFire, an RSS reader for Mac OS X.  It dynamically
reorders your list of feeds as you read so your feed containing the most
unread posts is always at the top.  It is quite configureable, and the has
good keyboard shortcuts. In the preview window, you can see graphics that
were part of the post-- my previous reader didn't have that feature either.
This nifty program has greatly reduced the time it takes me to read through
my feeds.  It works so well, the program itself becomes almost invisible.

   1. New gizmo-Satellite radio that double as a MP3 player and allows
   you to record off the radio.
   2.Picasa2 brought to us by Google

 WIKI's!!!!  I was introduced to Wikis this year and love them! They are
FREE, EASY and have ENDLESS possiblities - every chance I get I tell people
about how they can use Wikis!

I have acquired a couple of new gadgets this part year.  I love my iPod!  I
use it for audiobooks, as well as music, TV shows and videos.  Wow!  And
when the kids come into the library and find out about mine, I become the
"really cool" librarian!  I also got a PDA for Christmas and I am loving
that, too.  So far, I have done away with my paper and pencil calendar,
to-do list, and grocery list.  I am putting my contacts on it tonight and
then I will have it all in the "Palm" of my hand!

**************************

I have enjoyed Photofiltre a photo editing software that is free to
download.
It does lots of editing with no cost. You simply go to www.phohotofiltre.comto
download it.

My favorite technology of 2006 is the podcast. Now wherever I go (even
if it's just to the kitchen!), my iPod Shuffle is with me, loaded with
an audiobook and a few podcasts.
 What are some favorite gizmos?

I've never gotten much into gizmos I'm afraid.  But I can tell you - the new
iPhone is grabbing my attention.  I've never had a cell phone before - but
this is tempting because of all the other uses.  I'm on a tight budget and
have not allowed myself to entertain the idea of an ipod - but have always
wanted one.  Combining it with a cell phone might just push me over the
edge.


2. What are some favorite applications? I am especially interested in new,
free, and web –based, such as photo-sharing sites, online word processing,
etc.

I really like Winkflash  for ordering prints online.  But the 2 absolute
best piece of software I have ever used - bar none - are Picasa for
managing/editing and sharing my pictures and Google Desktop.  I use them
every day and they save me HOURS of time.

3. What are some great websites that are new to you? Even if they have been
around for a while, but are constantly updated and exciting...including, of
course, blogs and wikis.

I love Bloglines for keeping up with my blog reading.  My blogroll can be
viewed at:
http://www.bloglines.com/public/JacquieHenry
Under Library/Education Blogs, I read the first 10 or 12 pretty thoroughly
and the next 15 or so a skim once a week.

I love having my own blog and using it as an "auxilliary" brain.  I can dump
information there that I think I might want sometime in the future.  I can
then use the search function to retrieve it as needed - virtually wherever I
am.  It is like a really really useful post it note that never comes
"unstuck".  Of course - I DO have to be somewhat circumspect about what I
put there, always remembering that I am not the only one who can find the
information on the blog from everywhere!


4. Finally, have you changed your mind about some tech in the last year. For
example, I used to be 100% leery of Wikipedia, but now see its pluses.  I am
interested in things that have just lately caught your eye. They do nothave
to be brand new, but new to you. They can be useful, entertaining, or
of course both!

Only a few things come to my tired brain right now....

I have definitely changed my tune about wikipedia.  I still teach kids to be
more than a little sceptical - but you absolutely can't beat it as a place
to start researching new trends/issues/people etc.

Another site is Ask.com <http://ask.com/>.  I have been introducing it to
kids every time I get a chance.  I HATED AskJeeves.  But this search engine
has really turned itself around and I find it SO useful.  Here is what I
like best about it:
--  It generally provides you a link right at the top to an encyclopedia
type website to give you the basics of the topic first.
-- I LOVE the "narrow your search"  and "expand your search" options.  They
are great for getting more targeted websites - but also get kids thinking of
other ways to word their queries.  One of the things I see kids doing is
typing the same ineffectual search into different search engines/databases
and getting the same poor results.  Ask.com <http://ask.com/> really helps
with that.

And finally - just for fun - I love The Dialectizer
http://www.rinkworks.com/dialect/  which allows you to translate text and
even whole websites into such foreign languages as "Elmer Fudd", Swedish
Chef, and even Klingon.

Below is your first question - translated into Elmer Fudd.  Be sure to note
that it automatically throws in "Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!" now and again.

What awe some favowite gizmos? Hewe I am thinking of hawdwawe/pewiphewaws
such as ceww phones, camewas, etc. Do you have pewiphewaws fow youw
pwephewaws, such as nifty speakews fow youw iPod? Awe you now wonging fow
the new Appwe phone? Do you have a new MotowowaQ ow othew phone? Photo
pwintew? I am even cuwious about those of you enjoying cwothing wif
technowogicaw adaptations, such as jackets wif MP3 howdews. Oh, dat scwewy
wabbit! Anyone out thewe twacking kids' dwiving



-- 
*********************************************
"Try curiosity!"--Dorothy Parker
*********************************************
Dr. Mary Ann Bell
Associate Professor, Library Science
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX
drmaryannbell@gmail.com
lis_mah@shsu.edu

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