CIL2007: Trends in Mobile Tools & Applications for Libraries

Megan Fox, Simmons College, (fox@simmons.edu) web.simmons.edu/~fox/mobile

• Patrons want and demand mobile on-demand services
• Mobile Market
• [I lost the stats I typed in...]
  
  
• Latest Devices
• iPods
• tablets
• PSP
• Blackberry
• m300 smart watch
  
  
• Treo
• Samsung B470
• Nokia N93
• HTC S710
• iPhone
• MyOrigo
• HTC Advantage and Shift
• Ultra Mobile PC - Q1 Ultra
• Mobile Web / Transcoded Web
• .mobi
• mobilelearn
• winksite
• volantis
• roundpoint
• mobiSiteGalore
• Freemont PL has a .mobi version
• zinadoo
• NYT
• National Weather Services
• Digg
• PubMed
• Hoovers
• Ball State University (Looks like Gopher)
• Mobile Optimized OPACs
• III AirPac
• LibraryThing
• Ready Reference On the Go
• Tucors
• handango
• dictionaries
• almanac
• Mobile Answers
• eBooks & eAudio
• Transcoding
• Optimizing for the mobile environment on the fly
• May remove content so somewhat controversial
• Blogger on the Go
• mobilicio.us
• Databases on the Run
• Factiva
• LexisNexis
• Mobilize your content
• via RSS then to SMS
• MobiFeeds
• xFruits
• feedbeep
• hubdog
• GoogleReader
• Text onto the iPod
  
  
• Mobile Search
• Google
• 4info
• Yahoo!
• AOLMobile
• Ask
• [Presented on this earlier in the conference]
  
  
• SMS for content
• GoogleSMS
• Yahoo
• AskMeNow
• Biblioteche di Roma (answer w/in 48 hours, ugh!)
  
  
• 411
• Meriam Webster
• Life's a Pitch - 1st chap via SMS
• Harper Teen
• Citysearch
  
  
• SMS for communication
• Simmons College Reference Services
• Altrama (SMS Virtual Reference)
• teleflip
• gizmoSMS
• MagicMessage
• MobileU
• AIRBaruch
• Class in Hand
  
  
• Text Feedback Link
• Feedback Meter Link
• Mobile audio & multimedia
• downloadable audio
• mobile tours - guide by cell
  
  
• instruction
• story hours
• video tours
• mobile tv
• mobile YouTube
• mobile Second Life
• Ball State University training videos & promotional videos
• Video downlaods
  
  
• Applications for staff
• Stats - bar code readers
• Sirsi PocketCirc
• Wireless Workstation
  
  
• What's Next?
• txt & video ads (you must approve & get a discount on your bill for viewing)
• MasterCard & Visa via your phone
• Hardware displays
• glasses
• eink/epaper
• project to wall
• ZenZui
• Microsoft Live Labs Deepfish
• Photo2Search
• Thrrum
• mobile visual interactions - qipit
• spoken interactions - GotVoice
• GPS Location Interaction
• [showing pics from my Library Signage flickr pool!]
  
  

Un-sync-able

I've yet to get my Treo to sync to my office computer. This means I'm running two calendars, two task lists, and two contacts lists. I'm going nuts! I hope to have this resolved in the next few days.

UPDATE 2:50pm: Permissions reset, software reinstalled and I'm syncing again. (Let the puns continue.)

CIL2006: Supporting the Digital World with Gadgets

Hope Tillman, Director of Libraries, Babson College
10:30-11:15am

• Definition of Gadgets
• small electronic or mechanical device which a practical used often thought of as a novelty
• Consumer electronics
• Gadgets are all arounds us
• productivty vs. distraction
• useful or time-consuming toys
• time shifting
• blurring of work and personal time
• overload vs. the more the better
• makes time to do more
• makes more to do
• Today's students
• Class of 2009
• voice mail always available
• may have slept w. game boys in their crib
• always digital cameras
• may not distinguished between news entertainment
• libraries have always been comp access centers
• Why single out gadgets
• what consumers are willing to buy
• refelect customization and personalization trends
• continue to change, show evolution and shift
• qustions to consider
• what features lend themselves to info magt knowlege sharing
• how to identify gadgets to adopt/support
• what do patrons use now
• who are you listening to?
• what makes your life easier
• what are other libraries doing
• what's the tipping point
• how do you look at the issue of interoperability and upgrades
• Tends
• convergence
• personalization and customixation
• miniaturization / portability
• ZDNet top 10 gadget must haves list
  
• changes every 2-3 weeks
• Creative Zen
• Sony PSP
• XBox 360
• Mobile DVR
• Slingbox
• Treo 700w
  
• Soundmatters MainstageHD
• A few of the gadgets
• PDAs
• tablets
• cell phones
• MP3 players
• video players
• digital cameras
• pocket scanners
• Morphing the name of the PDA
• Personal Digital Assistant
• Palm or PocketPC
• Handheld
• Portable Media Player
• Movile Media Companion
• PocketPC phone
• Ruggedized handhled
• Ultra personal computer
• PDA/Handhelds/Tablets
• Convergence
• thickness weight vs. functionality
• PDAs still part of the mix
• Smart watches
• Embedded GPS for kids
• wireless or synched
• limited by recption area
• content
• IM cell phone features
• Smart phones
• single device for all data and voice nees
• e-mail access
• SMS
• browser
• organizer
• phone
• MP3 players
• iPods
• Nomad Jukebox
• Walkman Bean
• iRiver
• Rio Carbon
• Creative Zen
• Flash/HD/FM
• Digital voice recordres
• smartphone/pds
• iPod addon
• olympus DM-20 w/ USB interface
• Video Players/recorders
• Creative Zen vision
• iPod w/ video
• Archos Gmini 402
• Smasung YEPP YH-999 PMC
• Digital still video cameras
• Standalones
• Embedded/addons to other devices
• one-time use
• webcams
• Pocket scanners (reader pen)
• scan, store send
• reads notes aloud
• beams data
• get immediate translations definitions
• reading aids
• Wizcom technologies
• Docupen RC800
• Digital Pen (drawing pen)
• Logitech io2 Digital Writing System
• TabletPC w/o the tablet
• Security everywhere
• fingerprint
• Keyboards
• jump drives
  
• biometrics
• RFID
• Pros cons
• inventory vs. privacy
• Special purpose chips
• USB drive
• flash memory
• fitkeys
• dexit
• sanDisk flashCP Cruzer
• DRM dongle
• IBM Soulpad
• Wireless devices
• mice
• keyboards
• presentation remotes
• Remote control
• Logitech Harmony
• MyNevo
• Game machines
• Sony PSP was the gadget of 2005
• "Video Games and the Future of Learning"
• "Everything Bad is Good for You"
• Games and Libraries
• Gaming in Libraries blog
• Game Primer
• Parallel Worlds: Online Games and Digital Information Services
• GPS
• Stand alones
• smart phone
• pc-based
• geocaching
• What toys do your toys have?
• memory chips
• keyboards
• speakers
• skins
• caps
• cases
• solar backpacks
• ringtones
• subscription content
• library applications
• marketing
• Geocaching
• podacsts
• blogging
• MySpace
  
• operations
• Inventory control / RFID
• remote control
• circulation of devices
• bibliographic file management
  
• communication/collaborations
• IM
• blogs
• videoconferencing
• wikis
  
• learning/entertainment
• delivery of files data
• role of games in learning
• search engines
• ebooks/ejournals
• current awareness
• iPod use
• catalog pages
• pubmed for handhelds
• What's next?
• e-ink
• e-paper
• flexible displays
• soft-hardware
• ElekTex keyboard
  
• wearable computing
• itunes jacket
• movie glasses
• MP3 sunglasses
• Head-word display
  
• more games w/in libraries
• additional tool to help librarians provide realistic simulations
• reference librarian avatars
• "Active Worlds" site
• Convergence of information and connectivity
• "Ambient Findability" by Peter Morville
• Trends
• convergence
• personalization
• customization
• portability
• "Save the time of the reader"
• any time, any where, and way
• Where to go
• Engadget
• Gizmodo
• ZDNet must have list
  

Library WiFi Access: Follow-up

One of the comments, left by "Anonymous", in regards to my comments regarding requiring a login for public WiFi access in a library was worthy of a response. Here it is:

A teenager insisting on accessing quite offensive pornography was recently a regular at the computers at one of our local libraries.

Sir (I'm assuming but could be wrong), I'm sorry to hear that you're upset about this issue. However, since I am unaware of the actual content of the material that the “teenager” of unspecified age (as an 18-year-old is an adult but still technically a teenager) was viewing I can not judge as to the level of offensiveness of the material. Even if I could judge however, I would not as what is offensive to one individual may not be offensive to another. This is why things that are merely offensive are generally allowed under the first amendment. Even so, if that material was so patently offensive to offend even my tolerant sensibilities, the requirement of a log-in for WiFi access would neither prevent or necessarily track such usage as there are privacy issues involved and libraries rarely keep such information longer than is absolutely necessary (typically through the end of the day.) The information that is kept is generally done so to be able to track those that cause damage to their property. Since such in formation in this case would not even do that, I see even less reason to ask for the information in the first place.

Do you propose that others should be able to access and download child pornography and remain untraceable by the police by just going to the library?

This sentence has nothing to do with the first nor did I write anything thing to suggest that doing something illegal should be allowed in a library. (The afore mentioned teenager may have been doing something inappropriate yet still legal) Even if the log-in is required and kept, there are any number of ways of masking what you're doing while logged into the library's, or any other, network. Therefore, again, the log-in requirement is useless in preventing illegal activity rendering that defense of the policy impotent.

Surely, it's already going to be difficult enough to fight this evil in the coming era of mobile devices with totally removable memory and storage?

The "era" of mobile devices and removable memory/storage is already here, (as I can attest to with my Treo with an SD slot,) but now I'm just arguing semantics. I disagree with your premise that a library's job is to "fight evil" in the world. Granted, Batgirl was a librarian, but I digress. If I were to agree that one of the library's missions was to "fight evil" I would suggest that the best way for a library to do so was to provide access to more information and remove as many barriers to information as possible. The policy at issue does nothing to accomplish either. So, if fighting evil is the goal, this policy is not the way.

The "four things" meme

I've been tagged...

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. Internet Trainer
2. Writer
3. Bookseller
4. Clerk @ a Bed, Bath, & Beyond

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Labyrinth
2. Brotherhood of the Wolf
3. Chasing Amy
4. High Fedelity

Four places you have lived:
1. Rochester, NY
2. Albany, NY
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. Aurora, CO

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. 24
2. Bones
3. Battlestar Galactica
4. Doctor Who

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. London, England
2. San Francisco, CA
3. St. Louis, MO
4. Phoenix, AZ

Four websites I visit daily
1. Bloglines
2. Blogger
3. del.icio.us
4. flickr

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Sushi
2. Cheesecake
3. Pizza
4. Garlic Nan

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Anywhere but a Holiday Inn
2. Anywhere but a Holiday Inn
3. Anywhere but a Holiday Inn
4. Anywhere but a Holiday Inn

Four people I will tag thinking they will respond.....
1. I do these but I don’t pass them along…
2.
3.
4.

Four things I always carry with me
1. Pen
2. Treo 600
3. Wallet
4. Keys

Treo 700w

The new Windows-based Treo is now available.

TechnoLust

The Palm Treo 700w
via Engadget

PHONifier

The PHONifier processes Web pages "removing code unnecessary for cell phone display." I've tried it on several large sites like Amazon.com and it does make them much easier to use on my Treo.

Blues on the Rocks

Last night I was at Red Rocks to participate in the annual appearance of Blues Traveler. Opening acts were The Wallflowers and Boulder-based The Motet. (I ordered their latest CD this morning.) I wish I'd brought my camera as I was in row nine just to stage right from the sound boards. Here's the best I could do with my Treo in the way of a picture. (Effect generated with the Polaroid-o-nizer.)

Sleeping in Airports

To be honest, I've never had to spend a night in an airport. There was this one time where I though I'd be sleeping in Miami's airport but it ended up not happening. Well, thanks to the folks at The Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in Airports I'm prepared. I've got this one bookmarked on my Treo just in case.
via ResearchBuzz

Watch this

Anyone who knows me knows that I don't wear a watch. (For those of you who hadn't noticed this, I've not worn one for the better part of a decade.) Why bother when I'm usually either in front of a computer or have my Treo within easy reach, both of which tell time quite accurately. All that being said, theYES Zulu Watch is one I'd be happy to wear. My birthday's in September so you've got time to start saving your pennies.
via Gizmodo

Treo⁴

Stephen Cohen of Library stuff took this photo yesterday. The conference hadn't even started yet and somehow there were four librarians each with a Treo in a single hotel room. How geeky is that?

Do you know the way to monterey?

It's oh-hell-it's-early in the morning and I'm in the Des Moines, IA airport waiting to head out from my last Gates training trip in Iowa (and anywhere) for 2004. Nope, not heading home, not really, as I'm on my way to Monterey, CA for Internet Librarian 2004. The funny part is that I have to change planes in Denver and again in San Francisco. I never thought that I'd be passing through my home airport. (And with only 25 minutes between flights so it might be close.) Oh well, it gets me to someplace sunny and warm. Since my workshop on Sunday was canceled it looks like I get a day to myself. Yes, everyone, I plan on going to the aquarium. (No, telling me that it's the place that was featured in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was not the deciding factor.) My plans for what to do this evening in Monterey, check in to the conference, get my badge and ribbons, and then sleep. (Considering that in Monterey time I got up at 2am this morning, that two-hour time change is going to be a big deal.)

The plan is to blog as much as I can from the conference so keep an eye out here for updates. (The key is how WiFi friendly the conference center is. However, this time I have the Treo which will get me wireless access assuming there's Sprint service...)

The treo 650 is on its way!

According to PalmOne Sprint stores will start carrying the Treo 650 in "mid-November". The linked article also provides a complete review.

Key trouble

In response to the recent problem with my Treo Laura felt it necessary to send me the following:

The Thutton Typewriter Thervice,
12 New Thtreet,
Thutton, Thurrey

Dear Thir,
Will you pleathe thend thomeone to mend thith typewriter? Thith ith the thecond one we have had from you on which the eth key doeth not work.

Yourth thincerely,
T. Thamuelth

 

Mr. T. Zamuelz

Dear Zir,
We quite underztand your trouble, and will be zending zomeone around az zoon az pozzible.

Yourz zincerely,
The Zutton Typewriter Zervice

This post brought to you by the letter t.

I'm on my second Treo 600. This one is having a problem. I'm not upset with the equipment, I'm upset with the Sprint service people. What's up this time. Well, the 't' key works intermittently. IF you press is firmly and squarely it seems to work more often but with the keys the size they are, this is not exactly convenient. So, off to the Sprint store over my lunch hour.

I got there, explained my problem to one of the sales people and took my Treo into a tech in the back room. She reappeared a few minutes later and told me that according the tech manager, if I was willing to "first uninstall all the third party software first" he would then do a system reset to see if that solves the problem. Considering my recent state of mind regarding hearing things that don't make sense, I threw a very calm fit. She offered to get said tech manager. I said that would be a good idea.

He made his appearance and I tried to explain to him that this was a hardware problem and that no software could be causing this problem. I said that what he was telling me was like saying that reinstalling Windows would fix a problem with my desktop computer's keyboard. His response, "Well, Windows is a completely different operating system and I can't speak to that. Can you tell me for sure that none of the third party software on this machine is not causing the problem." Well, no, I can't, but it's just a basic application of logic. Besides, if all he wants to do is a hard reset of the Treo, there's no need to uninstall anything first as a hard reset would put the Treo back to the way it was the day I got it, sans all additional software. Confirming that's what he wanted to do, I told him to go ahead and do the reset.

For an unknown reason he had to go into the back room to perform this simple operation. Five minutes later he reappeared once again, and showed me that the 't' key now worked. I walked out with the Treo and got into my car. I tried the key again and the problem still existed. Obviously, he wasn't clear on the definition of intermittent. I walked back in, told him it was still broken. Without any further investigation he got another sales person to order me a replacement unit. It should be here tomorrow or Friday.

Did that have to be so difficult?

Treo trouble, update

Well, today my Treo got worse. I notice I had a voice mail on the phone and I tried to retrieve it. The phone refused to keep a signal for any longer than 10 seconds. It would dial, connect, and by second #10, I'd get "Network Searching" and it would drop the call. I got home and figured out how to get into my cell's VM from my home phone. Luckily, the message was from the Sprint Store telling me my new phone was in!

Got the new phone home, hooked it up to the computer, clicked the sync button, and a few minutes later my new phone was just like my own phone. No loss of data, no need to even reinstall any software or reset customizations. This unit rocks!

Treo trouble

Yesterday I noticed that the screen on my Treo had developed a small orange blotch. This morning, it was a little bigger. Obviously something with the LCD had gone wrong. So, I found the box and the paperwork and headed back to Best Buy since I'd purchased the extended warranty that would get me a replacement Treo.

I arrived at Best Buy and got into the customer service line. While waiting I saw a sign that informed me that as of a week ago, cell phone problems would no longer be handled in the store and that I had to call the store's 888 number. I continued to wait in line so I could ask for more details. It seems that since the company's been "loosing millions of dollars" on cell phones that all repairs were now handled through corporate and that I'd have to send in my phone and they'd send a replacement. This is not what I wanted to hear. I paid for the in-store replacement and since this is not just a cell phone, but also my PDA, I hardly wanted to be without out it for days or even potentially weeks. They were "sorry" but they couldn't give me a time frame since "it will depend on the vendor". So, I headed off to handle some other errands.

When I got back home I called Best Buy's 888 number and was immediately informed that they were "experiencing an unusually high volume of calls" (surprise!) and was placed on hold for 50 minutes. When I was able to speak to a human, at first they couldn't find the information about the plan I had purchased and put me on hold again. Five minutes later I was informed that my phone was still under the manufacturer's warranty (Sprint) and that I would need to talk to them. "Can I take it into the Sprint person in the store?" I asked. "Yes" was the response. So, back to the store.

Once in the store I found the sprint person and explained the problem. She said she couldn't help since she was just a sales rep and that I needed to call Sprint about it. "Do you have the number I can call?" "No, but you can also go to a Sprint store. There's one down the road." Off to the Sprint store.

At the Sprint store I explain my problem yet again and I'm told that there is no tech on duty today. He won't be in again until Tuesday. "The store in Cherry Creek has a tech on duty today though." Off to Cherry Creek, 15 miles away.

I get to the Cherry Creek Sprint store and wait in line for 20 minutes. I get to speak to a person and explain my problem yet again. Without even talking to a tech (who, by the way, was not in the store but "should have been,") I hear the following magic words: "Oh, no problem. We'll replace it for you. I'll order one for you now and we'll have it in a few days. We'll call you when it comes in and then you can swap your old one for a new one."

A solution so simple should not take four hours to accomplish.

Eugene, OR

Stopped by the relatively new public library this evening. A few photos from my Treo are available.

The good photos

Those interested in the better (i.e. non-Treo) photos from this week's trip across Oregon may view them via Ofoto.
No, I don't know why I got up at 4:30am this morning...

Mt. rainier photos

I've posted about a dozen of the more than 100 photos I took while on my hike up Mt. Rainier last week. These are of a much higher quality than the ones from my Treo.

First photos up

The few photos via my Treo from my Mt. Rainier experience are up on the photoblog. If you think those are impressive, wait until the weekend when I get the ones from my digital camera uploaded...

Want some exercise just head three miles due up

I spent three hours today hiking up, and the back down, Mt. Rainier. I started out at 5400 feet and got up to 7000 feet. Needless to day, I hurt. (I'm also deeply sunburned.) Photos frrom my Treo will start to appear on the photo blog in the next few hours. (Or maybe tomorrow considering how tired I am.) Photos from my digital camera will be posted here sometime over the weekend when I can upload them easily.

Seattle photos

I've created a page of photos from my Seattle trip. These photos are of better quality, (i.e. not from my Treo) and include images of the Seattle Public Library and the Science Fiction Museum & Hall of Fame.

Banking from anywhere

This Treo thing is quite handy. I'm sitting outside my Starbucks before I go grocery shopping and realized that I'd not transferred the funds to pay for my groceries. Well, I just launched the Web browser, logged into my bank, and moved the money. How convienent is that?

Score!

Two full days into the conference and I'm finally told that there's free wireless in the lounge. Guess where I am now...

It was a great afternoon and a better evening. The sessions went well and we quite interesting. (o.k. I think most anything blog-related at this point is interesting.) I also had a short meeting with the Editor-in-Chief of Information Today about my next book idea. He likes it and he's passed around the proposal along to five big wigs in the library world for their input. (Sorry, can't remember any names but I recoginzed four out of the five he mentioned.) He promised to send me their responses back in the next week or two.

Dinner was an absolute blast. 14 library bloggers including The Shifted Librarian, and Chris of L.A.C.K. were there. Jenny decided to show off her Treo 600 and I think she's convinced me to get on this weekend when I inally get rid of my finally. I asked her if 'that picture' she had taken of me was going to appear on her blog. She said of course. I meant the one she took of me and my tablet. She meant the one she had taken of me just minutes earlier on her Treo. (Hey, when I'm at sea level I'm allowed on drink.)

Durring the conversation one person mentioned that during a presentation I didn't attend today someone asked if anyone was blogging this conference. The presenter did a quick search and they found this blog, specifically the entry relating to The West Wing comment from D. Scott Brandt posted last night. Man I'm gettng more press by just being here than I did four years ago when I presented. I'm starting to get a little freaked out.

A bunch of us ended up getting ice cream (yes, in DC in March) from a little shop down the street. Turns out we were being served by the 'scoop freaked.' (His term not ours.) It started out by one of our group asking "hey, is that more ice cream" pointing at another selection around the corner. His response, "no, that just looks like ice cream." The conversation, though funny, went down hill from there.

Well, some others just arrived and want me to join them. Later...