This blog has been going on for a couple of years now. Since June of 2010, to be exact. And it's been an interesting experiment. It's morphed a few times in its existence, but on the whole, it's been quite fun. However, I'm getting to a point where I'm starting to wonder whether its continued existence is justified or not. Participation--comments, views--has been down, and for much of what we use the blog, Facebook just seems like a better fit these days. In the beginning, we started the blog to make sure we had something to put on our Facebook page. To make it seem more "alive." These days, that can be very easily done with posts and links directly on Facebook.
So I thought I'd throw this out to you, our readers. What do you think about the blog? Do you read it regularly, and just lurk? Would you miss it if it went away? What would you like to see from it?
Do realize that no response here definitely has implications for the future. :-) And thanks for reading, in any case!
Showing posts with label Technology Tuesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology Tuesday. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Office of the Future
Here's a great video with Walter Cronkite, talking about how the office of the future might look. What's most surprising to me is that they got so much of it right. Their biggest mistake seems (to me) to be that they didn't realize all those different gadgets would be able to share the same screen. True, they got the size of them all a bit off, but you can't really blame them for that, either. At the time, computers took up entire rooms. They did assume they'd get smaller. They just couldn't imagine by how much.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The Wonders of Browser Add-Ons
I just wanted to take a second to expound on the virtues of browser add-ons. You know what those are, right? They're little programs you can install on your computer that will let your internet browser do all sorts of cool things. Just the other day, for example, I was bemoaning how hard it was to look up the IMDB ratings of movies I find on Netflix. While I enjoy Netflix's tailor-made recommendations, I often find them to be a bit lacking, especially in determining if a movie is going to be good or just so so. (Three stars or four stars--there's a big difference there. Sometimes I'm willing to put up with a 3 star movie. Sometimes I want to be sure it's going to be good before I get into it. I find IMDB's 10 star system better at judging that, especially since the users there often tend to be better at evaluating films. No offense, Netflix.)
Well, today I came across this article. There's now an add on for Chrome that will automatically bring up IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes ratings when you're looking at a movie on Netflix's site. How awesome is that? I installed it immediately. While it still has some bugs, it works quite well for the most part--and it's free!
Add-ons will do all sorts of other nifty things. You can find out more about them here. They're generally very easy to install. (Though sometimes *too* easy. Internet Explorer users are notorious for having a slew of add-ons on their browsers. I've opened IE sometimes and had the whole computer just lock up as it tried to load them all at once. A little can go a long way. Only install the add-ons you actually are going to use.)
Well, today I came across this article. There's now an add on for Chrome that will automatically bring up IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes ratings when you're looking at a movie on Netflix's site. How awesome is that? I installed it immediately. While it still has some bugs, it works quite well for the most part--and it's free!
Add-ons will do all sorts of other nifty things. You can find out more about them here. They're generally very easy to install. (Though sometimes *too* easy. Internet Explorer users are notorious for having a slew of add-ons on their browsers. I've opened IE sometimes and had the whole computer just lock up as it tried to load them all at once. A little can go a long way. Only install the add-ons you actually are going to use.)
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Trolling the Trollers
I came across this story a while ago, and it's been on my "To Share" list for quite some time. It's an article about a guy who was contacted by a scammer, and he knew it was a scammer. He decided to turn the tables on the bad guy, and hilarity ensued.
The basics were simple. The scammer's goal is to get the scammee to download software that will let the scammer take control of his computer. To do this, the scammer argues that the computer is full of viruses, and it needs to be cleaned remotely. The sad news is that this works an awful lot of the time. So many people really don't understand how their computer functions, and they can be suckered into turning the keys to it over to the Wrong Sort of People.
Of course, in this case, the scammee was a techie, and he managed to keep the scammer on the phone for two hours, with lines like "I have to connect to CompuServ" and by playing modem sounds into the phone. I found this incredibly amusing, although I don't think I'd have the patience to stick with something like that for two hours.
The bottom line is that if you have something go wrong with your computer, you call someone to fix it. People don't call you. If anyone ever calls you saying they know your computer is infected or broken, they're either psychic or lying. (Or they're from your work's IT department, I suppose. This doesn't mean their not psychic of lying, of course.) Be very cautious of situations like that.
But that all goes without saying, right?
The basics were simple. The scammer's goal is to get the scammee to download software that will let the scammer take control of his computer. To do this, the scammer argues that the computer is full of viruses, and it needs to be cleaned remotely. The sad news is that this works an awful lot of the time. So many people really don't understand how their computer functions, and they can be suckered into turning the keys to it over to the Wrong Sort of People.
Of course, in this case, the scammee was a techie, and he managed to keep the scammer on the phone for two hours, with lines like "I have to connect to CompuServ" and by playing modem sounds into the phone. I found this incredibly amusing, although I don't think I'd have the patience to stick with something like that for two hours.
The bottom line is that if you have something go wrong with your computer, you call someone to fix it. People don't call you. If anyone ever calls you saying they know your computer is infected or broken, they're either psychic or lying. (Or they're from your work's IT department, I suppose. This doesn't mean their not psychic of lying, of course.) Be very cautious of situations like that.
But that all goes without saying, right?
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
When Will Virtual Reality Take Over?
I was sitting here at the reference desk today, and a thought popped into my head: "Second Life." Does everybody remember Second Life? It was all the rage a few years ago. An online virtual world where people could buy property, create merchandise--live their lives. Virtually. In library circles, it was THE THING for a while. Libraries were all heading on to Second Life in droves, creating virtual libraries for their patrons. It was supposed to be this new age of wonder, ushering in exciting new directions for librarians.You don't hear about it much these days.
In fact, it seems to have fallen on some hard times, at least from a cursory glance through their home page. I mean, when the big feature on the home page is a girl dressed in a "Mrs. Claus with Loose Morals" outfit, you have to wonder just how seriously the product expects to be taken.
Part of me really wonders why Second Life didn't take off. Sci fi novels are filled with people living in virtual reality worlds, after all. And those worlds look pretty darn appealing. You can meet up with people anywhere in the world, you can hang out, play games, chat, go anywhere. There are a ton of perks, right?
Then again, part of me knows why it's fizzled. It wasn't much fun, to tell the truth. I tried it some, and the controls were frustrating, the people were less than social, and there wasn't much to do. Yes, I could theoretically live a Second Life, but the life I already was living took a ton of attention. I had no time to be living two lives at the same time.
Which leads me to think that for virtual reality to really take off, it's going to need to be based around some sort of a game first. Something that makes people want to go in and play. Steps are being made in that direction. You've got World of Warcraft, and more recently Minecraft. You've got the social structure emerging through Facebook. The games Facebook has you play right now are irritating and pretty rinky dink, but I could easily see this social structure blossoming when matched with the right sort of game.
I personally believe there will come a game that will hit critical mass. Where there are enough people playing it, that it starts to make sense to join up, just so that you're not left behind. I think this game would be free to play, with addons costing money. People would sign up for the social aspect of it alone. Instead of walls, you could have entire houses people could visit, filled with whatever you want to put there. Second Life has the structure for this, but it never had the gaming side down--which is what I think you need in place to attract that critical mass first.
I could see something like this happening in the next decade. I could be wrong, but that's where my money would be.
Any of you have any thoughts or predictions?
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Facebook's Improving Search
Facebook made an announcement today. Ahead of time, people were speculating it was going to be about anything from a new page design to a new mobile interface. The truth? They're expanding their search capability. This doesn't sound too exciting at first--and it might not end up being absolutely thrilling--but it should make some things easier to do on Facebook. For example, if you wanted to search for friends of a friend you know, it used to be convoluted--go to that friend's page, click on her "friends" link, and then start looking through all the results. With this new interface, you could search for "Friend of ________" and "Lives in ________".
I think it has some potential, but I'll have to see it in action before I really make a judgement. Facebook was being very careful to keep repeating that this has no affect on current privacy settings. We'll also see about that. (Sometimes when someone proclaims something a bit too loudly, you start to wonder . . .)
Facebook's also partnering up with Bing to incorporate some web results into these Facebook results. Because, search.
It's a small beta launch right now. To find out more information, go here, where you can also sign up for the beta--assuming they open the doors a bit wider soon.
I think it has some potential, but I'll have to see it in action before I really make a judgement. Facebook was being very careful to keep repeating that this has no affect on current privacy settings. We'll also see about that. (Sometimes when someone proclaims something a bit too loudly, you start to wonder . . .)
Facebook's also partnering up with Bing to incorporate some web results into these Facebook results. Because, search.
It's a small beta launch right now. To find out more information, go here, where you can also sign up for the beta--assuming they open the doors a bit wider soon.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The Vanishing CD Drive
Apple released their latest iMac recently. It's a beautiful machine. Sleek. Stylish. It's just missing one thing: a CD/DVD drive. That's right. If you buy one of these machines, you better hope none of your media comes in a disc format, because discs won't play on them (unless you shell out $80 for an external USB drive, of course.)
Even a few years ago, I think this would have alarmed me. Today? Not so much. No one wonders where the floppy drives are these days (not usually, anyway). And when was the last time you reached for a Zip Disc, or one of those old literally floppy floppy discs? They're outdated. Old news. Everything's getting downloaded more and more. For file transfer, USB drives work wonderfully.
The transition isn't complete yet, of course. Blurays, for example, still provide a generally more reliable picture and audio than streaming does. (Then again, Apple has never really supported Blurays, so why would they start now?) And some areas of the country just don't have internet speeds that are that fast. (But again, these are brand new computers. People without fast internet aren't really Apple's target demographic just yet.)
Let's face it: time is moving on, and physical storage is being left behind. For the most part, I'm all in favor of it. The pros (ease of use, no file size limitation, universal access) outweigh the cons (potential for companies to block access or remove it, alienation of some users). I do think it's very interesting and telling to see signs of this finally happening. As computers and televisions merge, will we see the movie sections of Walmart grow smaller or disappear, as more and more of it is moved online? It's already happened for music. I can't imagine movies are that far behind . . .
Thoughts?
Even a few years ago, I think this would have alarmed me. Today? Not so much. No one wonders where the floppy drives are these days (not usually, anyway). And when was the last time you reached for a Zip Disc, or one of those old literally floppy floppy discs? They're outdated. Old news. Everything's getting downloaded more and more. For file transfer, USB drives work wonderfully.
The transition isn't complete yet, of course. Blurays, for example, still provide a generally more reliable picture and audio than streaming does. (Then again, Apple has never really supported Blurays, so why would they start now?) And some areas of the country just don't have internet speeds that are that fast. (But again, these are brand new computers. People without fast internet aren't really Apple's target demographic just yet.)
Let's face it: time is moving on, and physical storage is being left behind. For the most part, I'm all in favor of it. The pros (ease of use, no file size limitation, universal access) outweigh the cons (potential for companies to block access or remove it, alienation of some users). I do think it's very interesting and telling to see signs of this finally happening. As computers and televisions merge, will we see the movie sections of Walmart grow smaller or disappear, as more and more of it is moved online? It's already happened for music. I can't imagine movies are that far behind . . .
Thoughts?
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Ease of Use in Technology
Every now and then something happens--I come across a new piece of tech, or I update to a new version of an old program--and I'm just reminded about how much easier technology is becoming. With all the innovation in user interfaces and attention paid to streamlining programs and hardware, I think it's really easy sometimes to forget just how hard using technology used to be. Case in point: I remember going to use the computer catalog at the public library when I was growing up. You had to use precise commands that didn't make a whole lot of sense (at least not to a ten year old). These days, it's all point and click and keyword searching. Much much easier, even if now and then you still can't find exactly what you're looking for. It's still much better than it used to be.
Yesterday I was trying out the new versions of iPhoto and iTunes, and I had the same experience. Again--the programs aren't perfect, but it's a lot easier to do things with them than it used to be. I was particularly surprised at how easy it was to upload photos to Facebook. Before, I needed to jump through a lot of hoops, worry about resizing my photos, sometimes use multiple programs. Now it was as easy as checking a box, and suddenly there they were online.
Nothing much more to say about that than what I have. Just that I think we should take the time to be grateful for the technology we have. It can still cause headaches and problems, but it's getting better all the time, and it helps us in so many ways we take for granted already. Yay technology!
Yesterday I was trying out the new versions of iPhoto and iTunes, and I had the same experience. Again--the programs aren't perfect, but it's a lot easier to do things with them than it used to be. I was particularly surprised at how easy it was to upload photos to Facebook. Before, I needed to jump through a lot of hoops, worry about resizing my photos, sometimes use multiple programs. Now it was as easy as checking a box, and suddenly there they were online.
Nothing much more to say about that than what I have. Just that I think we should take the time to be grateful for the technology we have. It can still cause headaches and problems, but it's getting better all the time, and it helps us in so many ways we take for granted already. Yay technology!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The Home Theater Experience
I'm not just a big techie--I'm really into movies, too. I've wired my house with a 7.1 sound system, running cables through walls and underneath floors, all in an effort to get a great home theater experience. It's all self-taught--using the internet as my teacher. This explains why I was so interested by this post I came across yesterday, all about how modern television makers are essentially ruining the movie watching experience. Here's a quote to get you started:
Maybe you got a new TV for Christmas. Or maybe you just got one recently. Maybe you are thinking of buying one. Whichever is the case, take heed: your TV will try very, very hard to make whatever movies you watch on it look not just bad, but aggressively, satanically, puppy-drowningly bad.The post goes on to explain why this is the case (TVs are designed to sell, not do an accurate job of recreating the cinema experience). It's an informative read, and it's got some good tips on how to combat the problems it outlines. Give it a read.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Are We as Safe Online as We Think?
I just came across this post over on Wired about password flaws. I encourage you to read it and consider what it has to say. In a nutshell (for those of you who stubbornly decide to NOT read it), it argues that passwords are ineffective, so long as password recovery is so easy to do. In other words, I can have the best password in the world, but if I can reset that password by just stating my name, my address, and my birthplace, then what's the point in having such a strong password? Someone can just call and have it reset to something they know.
It's an excellent point, and a very scary one. So much of what we do these days is tied up with our online activity. Technology needs to come up with a way to keep that happening--and keep it secure. I'm not sure what the answer to that is, but I know the first step is for people to start demanding that the companies they use online work hard to secure their information. One potential solution is to start using other technology to supplement security.
For example, when I play online games through Blizzard, I have an authenticator on my iPad. Once a week (or when I try to change important information), it asks me to put in a code that authenticator generates. I open my iPad, start it up, read the code, and voila! I'm in. This could be problematic if I lose the iPad, but there are some ways to get around that. They typically involve texting a code to your cellphone. It's true that if your iPad and cellphone get swiped, then that opens you up to trouble--but no more trouble than we're already all in *right now* anyway.
Biometrics is another possibility, but they need to be good enough to be fairly hard to beat. Right now, you can use a photocopy of a fingerprint to get past a fingerprint scanner. That's not security. That's laughable.
Then again, judging by how many people still use 123456 as their passwords, maybe I'm thinking about this too much. Maybe people really just don't care.
What do you think?
It's an excellent point, and a very scary one. So much of what we do these days is tied up with our online activity. Technology needs to come up with a way to keep that happening--and keep it secure. I'm not sure what the answer to that is, but I know the first step is for people to start demanding that the companies they use online work hard to secure their information. One potential solution is to start using other technology to supplement security.
For example, when I play online games through Blizzard, I have an authenticator on my iPad. Once a week (or when I try to change important information), it asks me to put in a code that authenticator generates. I open my iPad, start it up, read the code, and voila! I'm in. This could be problematic if I lose the iPad, but there are some ways to get around that. They typically involve texting a code to your cellphone. It's true that if your iPad and cellphone get swiped, then that opens you up to trouble--but no more trouble than we're already all in *right now* anyway.
Biometrics is another possibility, but they need to be good enough to be fairly hard to beat. Right now, you can use a photocopy of a fingerprint to get past a fingerprint scanner. That's not security. That's laughable.
Then again, judging by how many people still use 123456 as their passwords, maybe I'm thinking about this too much. Maybe people really just don't care.
What do you think?
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Do You Know Someone Getting an iPad Mini?
Okay. I'm a self-confessed technophile, no doubt about it. I've got more gadgets than I have time for, and I'm always on the lookout for more. But I'll be honest: the iPad mini doesn't interest me. At all. And I'm curious about what other people are thinking about it. I assume the target audience is people who can't afford a full iPad, or want something with a little more portability. Or is it trying to eat into the Kindle Fire market? I'm just not sure.
So that's where you come in. Anyone out there getting a Mini, or know someone who is? Why are they doing it? Do they already have an iPad or an iPhone? Again, I can only assume Apple is going after new customers with this device. People who have neither an iPhone nor an iPad, but are interested in diving into Apple's iOS environment. For that demographic, it makes sense. It's a cheaper entry point.
But maybe I just don't "get it."
Thoughts?
So that's where you come in. Anyone out there getting a Mini, or know someone who is? Why are they doing it? Do they already have an iPad or an iPhone? Again, I can only assume Apple is going after new customers with this device. People who have neither an iPhone nor an iPad, but are interested in diving into Apple's iOS environment. For that demographic, it makes sense. It's a cheaper entry point.
But maybe I just don't "get it."
Thoughts?
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Vote!
We take a break from this normally scheduled Technology Tuesday post to just tell you one thing
Please go vote.
See you next week!
Please go vote.
See you next week!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Sandy Aftermath
One of the things that fascinates me about modern technology - and the speed of communication - is how much information we can have, even after a major weather event. In the last 24 hours, I've come across some really great resources, and more than a few that made me think about how we evaluate what's going on in our world.
To start with, the New York Times has a detailed overview of some of the impact of Sandy, including a timed map of power, photographs, and other details. Salon.com also has a good summary of state-by-state effects.
More complicated than that, though, are how to judge things floating around the Internet, especially on Twitter, where there's been more than a little misinformation. There's several great articles debunking some of the fake photos (this one from the Atlantic does a wonderful job), but I also found "Hurricane Sandy tests Twitter's information immune system" (from the Poynter Institute) really well done, and it highlights the major sources of misinformation I've heard about so far.
What are your favourite sources for solid information? Or debunking of false information?
To start with, the New York Times has a detailed overview of some of the impact of Sandy, including a timed map of power, photographs, and other details. Salon.com also has a good summary of state-by-state effects.
More complicated than that, though, are how to judge things floating around the Internet, especially on Twitter, where there's been more than a little misinformation. There's several great articles debunking some of the fake photos (this one from the Atlantic does a wonderful job), but I also found "Hurricane Sandy tests Twitter's information immune system" (from the Poynter Institute) really well done, and it highlights the major sources of misinformation I've heard about so far.
What are your favourite sources for solid information? Or debunking of false information?
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Good News for Apple, Bad News for Amazon
First up, the bad news. Amazon got its Kindle line into some hot water the past few days, mainly due to a customer service nightmare that cropped up. A Kindle user woke one morning to discover Amazon had closed her Kindle account, effectively eliminating her access to all the books she'd ever bought for her Kindle. She emailed to find out why, and she was told she had a Kindle that was associated with an account that had violated rules in the past. Some emails back and forth, and Amazon was just stonewalling her. (Amazon has since claimed this was all just a mix-up, and that customers should have access to all their Kindle content, regardless of their account status. To me, this sounds like damage control after the fact, but whatever.)
The point is that when you purchase all these things through a company--books, music, movies, television shows--you get access to that content through your account. True, you can often download the material and store it locally, but often it's just easier to keep it in the cloud and use it when you want it. (And we all know how easy trumps difficult almost every time.) But if the company shuts down access to that content, you're pretty much out of luck. You're suddenly at the mercy of the provider, and you need to hope that they iron it all out.
I'm not saying that's always going to happen. A lot of my content is in the cloud, and I use it all the time and love it. But when you own a physical copy of a movie or a book, no company is going to show up one day and demand it back. It's yours. You have it. That's not necessarily the case with digital content. (And what happens when you die? Your former physical possessions go on to your next of kin, but no one's really looking at former digital possessions just yet. That's an item that has yet to be wrangled into law, really. Lovely.)
So there's the bad news. (And I should note that's not specific just to Amazon. Any company could do that to you, Apple included. Google. Facebook. They can shut you out just as easily as they let you in.)
But enough doom and gloom. Some bright points today from Apple's new product line launch:
The point is that when you purchase all these things through a company--books, music, movies, television shows--you get access to that content through your account. True, you can often download the material and store it locally, but often it's just easier to keep it in the cloud and use it when you want it. (And we all know how easy trumps difficult almost every time.) But if the company shuts down access to that content, you're pretty much out of luck. You're suddenly at the mercy of the provider, and you need to hope that they iron it all out.
I'm not saying that's always going to happen. A lot of my content is in the cloud, and I use it all the time and love it. But when you own a physical copy of a movie or a book, no company is going to show up one day and demand it back. It's yours. You have it. That's not necessarily the case with digital content. (And what happens when you die? Your former physical possessions go on to your next of kin, but no one's really looking at former digital possessions just yet. That's an item that has yet to be wrangled into law, really. Lovely.)
So there's the bad news. (And I should note that's not specific just to Amazon. Any company could do that to you, Apple included. Google. Facebook. They can shut you out just as easily as they let you in.)
But enough doom and gloom. Some bright points today from Apple's new product line launch:
- New, thinner, smaller versions of iMac, Mac Mini, and MacBook Pro. Because thinner and smaller are pretty much always going to happen these days. (How small and thin can we go?)
- New software--particularly iBooks and iBooks Author.
- New 4th generation iPad--This was a bit of a surprise, since they just introduced a new iPad earlier this year--six months ago or so. This one has a better camera and faster processor.
- New iPad Mini--Basically a size between an iTouch and an iPad. An iPad's screen is about 10 inches. This one's about 8. Same resolution as an iPad 2, however--meaning there doesn't need to be new versions of apps developed, which is always nice. $329. Ships in November.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
When Are You on the Internet?
It seems hard to believe, but apparently there are plenty of people who don't fully realize when what they're doing is "online" or not. Case in point, this article posted for the readers of Reddit, that details the difference between being online and, for example, just typing on your computer. Give it a read.
I get the basic point: everyone becoming so used to just sitting in front of a screen and typing that many people don't discern between the different flavors of programs out there and what they all do. Typing a blog post on Blogger vs. a letter on Microsoft Word these days isn't much different. They both have similar interfaces, with different fonts and colors and alignments and what not. But where the document lives after you type it makes a very big difference indeed.
Some people ask me at times, "How do I keep what I'm doing online secret?" How do I keep a blog secret. Or keep what I post to Facebook secret.
Here's the thing, folks: if you're online, it's not secret. If you don't want something to ever be revealed publicly, writing it and posting it *anywhere* online isn't the best choice you can be making. Far better to assume that anything you're writing online can and will appear in public at some point.
There's just too many ways for information online to get out. Too many holes in the sieve. Once anyone has it, then they're free to do with it what they want (not legally speaking, but practically). Even if you never identify yourself as the author, there are ways to track you--finding the IP address of the computer that wrote the article, for example.
Bottom line: the internet isn't private. It wasn't designed to be.
I wonder sometimes whether this is the sign of a growing problem society will encounter, as more and more people start being able to use technology they don't fully understand to do things they don't know it can do. As devices and programs get more and more streamlined, it becomes easier and easier to use them. Don't get me wrong--I'm all for that ease of use. It's just that I'm not realizing there could be some drawbacks to that, as well.
What do you think?
I get the basic point: everyone becoming so used to just sitting in front of a screen and typing that many people don't discern between the different flavors of programs out there and what they all do. Typing a blog post on Blogger vs. a letter on Microsoft Word these days isn't much different. They both have similar interfaces, with different fonts and colors and alignments and what not. But where the document lives after you type it makes a very big difference indeed.
Some people ask me at times, "How do I keep what I'm doing online secret?" How do I keep a blog secret. Or keep what I post to Facebook secret.
Here's the thing, folks: if you're online, it's not secret. If you don't want something to ever be revealed publicly, writing it and posting it *anywhere* online isn't the best choice you can be making. Far better to assume that anything you're writing online can and will appear in public at some point.
There's just too many ways for information online to get out. Too many holes in the sieve. Once anyone has it, then they're free to do with it what they want (not legally speaking, but practically). Even if you never identify yourself as the author, there are ways to track you--finding the IP address of the computer that wrote the article, for example.
Bottom line: the internet isn't private. It wasn't designed to be.
I wonder sometimes whether this is the sign of a growing problem society will encounter, as more and more people start being able to use technology they don't fully understand to do things they don't know it can do. As devices and programs get more and more streamlined, it becomes easier and easier to use them. Don't get me wrong--I'm all for that ease of use. It's just that I'm not realizing there could be some drawbacks to that, as well.
What do you think?
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Espresso Machines and eBooks
Ever heard of an Espresso Book Machine? It's basically a printing press that can fit inside a small library room, capable of printing any number of books on demand, right there, while you wait. A few years ago, they were looking like they were going to be the future of libraries or books in general. These days? The future isn't looking quite that certain.
They're amazing devices, don't get me wrong. I mean, just check out this awesome video:
So why am I not so keen on them anymore? For the same reason that Bluray players aren't sweeping the nation. More and more, digital is dominating physical. Why own something in print or on disc when you can just stream it or download it on demand? Sure, the picture quality is better, and there's something to be said for the "real"ness of a book, but there's no saying how long advantages like that will keep up. Streaming speeds will improve. Storage costs will plummet. Technology keeps surging ahead.
So it starts to look like an espresso machine--while incredible--just isn't necessary. Users can download a book for cheaper and more quickly than they can pay to print one. Which makes me kind of sad, because I really wanted to see an Espresso machine in action in person one day . . .
They're amazing devices, don't get me wrong. I mean, just check out this awesome video:
So why am I not so keen on them anymore? For the same reason that Bluray players aren't sweeping the nation. More and more, digital is dominating physical. Why own something in print or on disc when you can just stream it or download it on demand? Sure, the picture quality is better, and there's something to be said for the "real"ness of a book, but there's no saying how long advantages like that will keep up. Streaming speeds will improve. Storage costs will plummet. Technology keeps surging ahead.
So it starts to look like an espresso machine--while incredible--just isn't necessary. Users can download a book for cheaper and more quickly than they can pay to print one. Which makes me kind of sad, because I really wanted to see an Espresso machine in action in person one day . . .
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
3D Printing on Your Desktop
I came across an article today about a new Kickstarter effort to fund a desktop 3D printer. Basically, it hopes to create desktop printers that can do a great job of replicating small details, all for just a couple thousand dollars. It's already gotten $1.5 million in pledges, and that's only 7 days into the fundraising drive. Clearly there are a lot of people interested and ready to put their money where their interest is.
I think this is technology that isn't getting enough attention right now. It has the potential to be a real game changer, and it's developing much more quickly than most people realize. True, right now it's limited to creating objects out of plastic or resin, but just a few years ago, it couldn't create objects, period.
I find this exciting and fascinating, and I wish I had a couple thousand dollars to spend on it. Because at the same time this technology is evolving, humans are becoming more and more connected, able to share plans and ideas faster than ever. Add the two innovations together, and the possibilities just explode.
I think this is technology that isn't getting enough attention right now. It has the potential to be a real game changer, and it's developing much more quickly than most people realize. True, right now it's limited to creating objects out of plastic or resin, but just a few years ago, it couldn't create objects, period.
I find this exciting and fascinating, and I wish I had a couple thousand dollars to spend on it. Because at the same time this technology is evolving, humans are becoming more and more connected, able to share plans and ideas faster than ever. Add the two innovations together, and the possibilities just explode.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Pornography in Libraries
I've seen a few jokes popping up here and there online about how public libraries (and libraries in general) are a place people go to surf the internet for porn. And speaking as a librarian who's worked in both places, it's true: a number of people come to the library for that purpose. We don't filter our internet access (though some public libraries do, depending on the local regulations.)
And I've had a number of people ask me why the library doesn't filter. Why is it that the American Library Association is dead set against it? That link gives some excellent reasons, but I wanted to give some of my own insight.
The main goal of a library is to provide access to information. As soon as someone--a librarian, a politician, a parent--starts trying to limit that access, bad things happen. What sort of bad things? Well, what one person might consider obscene, another might consider art. Obscenity is a hard thing to define, and it changes from one person to the next. (Again--this is experience speaking here.) Even if we could all agree on what was obscene and inappropriate for a library, actually filtering just that content is extremely difficult. Technology inevitably filters out some things that shouldn't have been, and misses some things that should have been, if that makes sense.
So then staff are constantly fielding questions from patrons about why _________ site was filtered or why ________ site wasn't. In many ways, filters give people a false sense of security. They feel like the computers are "safe," where in reality, they're just "safer." In the end, it's better to leave the decision up to the patron. Let them decide what is appropriate and what isn't. Yes, I realize it's taking things to extremes, but all you have to do is to look to more totalitarian regimes like Iran or China to see what government-mandated internet filtering can lead to--and then realize that wherever you draw the line on what "should" be filtered, there are going to be people who disagree with you.
And at the heart of the matter is the single driving fact that libraries exist to inform people. Filters exist to keep information away from people. The two don't usually get along very well. Better to have an informed group of users who know what they're searching and why.
Any questions?
And I've had a number of people ask me why the library doesn't filter. Why is it that the American Library Association is dead set against it? That link gives some excellent reasons, but I wanted to give some of my own insight.
The main goal of a library is to provide access to information. As soon as someone--a librarian, a politician, a parent--starts trying to limit that access, bad things happen. What sort of bad things? Well, what one person might consider obscene, another might consider art. Obscenity is a hard thing to define, and it changes from one person to the next. (Again--this is experience speaking here.) Even if we could all agree on what was obscene and inappropriate for a library, actually filtering just that content is extremely difficult. Technology inevitably filters out some things that shouldn't have been, and misses some things that should have been, if that makes sense.
So then staff are constantly fielding questions from patrons about why _________ site was filtered or why ________ site wasn't. In many ways, filters give people a false sense of security. They feel like the computers are "safe," where in reality, they're just "safer." In the end, it's better to leave the decision up to the patron. Let them decide what is appropriate and what isn't. Yes, I realize it's taking things to extremes, but all you have to do is to look to more totalitarian regimes like Iran or China to see what government-mandated internet filtering can lead to--and then realize that wherever you draw the line on what "should" be filtered, there are going to be people who disagree with you.
And at the heart of the matter is the single driving fact that libraries exist to inform people. Filters exist to keep information away from people. The two don't usually get along very well. Better to have an informed group of users who know what they're searching and why.
Any questions?
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
The Inconsistency of Technology
We keep having troubles pop up with computers around the library. This is to be expected, but it still is a massive pain to have to constantly be dealing with things that no longer work, or at least don't work as they used to. This is a problem I sometimes have with innovation. You can innovate so quickly and so drastically that--even though the final product you end up with is great--it's a pain to users to actually use.
These days, updates to programs are coming faster and faster. For years, Windows XP was the standard operating system for PCs. Now Windows 7 is taking over, and from a tech support perspective, that can be a real pain. Not only do you have to learn the new ins and outs of the operating system (while not forgetting how to support the now dated one), but you've got to find software solutions to problems you never had before. You'd been using XP for so long, it was like a nice comfy pair of shoes. You knew what to do, how to do it, and when. With the new OS, you've got to find new approaches to a lot of tasks that hadn't troubled you for years.
As I think on this, I believe some of the problem might have to do with the fact that the software is all virtual. You can change the control scheme without changing anything. I'm reminded of the switch from Office 2003 to Office 2007, when the Ribbon was introduced. Imagine the same sort of thing happening to cars. The gas pedal and the brake are suddenly in different places. The steering wheel is operated by your knees, and the radio has been replaced by a television. (Taking some ideas at random.)
The designers might have done a ton of research. They might have designed an even more efficient way to drive. but at the same time they've alienated all the current drivers out there. Everyone has to relearn how to drive. It really can feel that disorienting (at least to me--maybe I'm alone?)
Or what if the update made it so that cars don't work at all anymore, and now you're forced to choose between a bike and a Segway?
I don't know. What I do know is that technology makes a lot of things much simpler, but it can also make many things more complicated, even if it doesn't seem like they should be any more complex.
I just hope the end result is a net gain in time for us, right?
These days, updates to programs are coming faster and faster. For years, Windows XP was the standard operating system for PCs. Now Windows 7 is taking over, and from a tech support perspective, that can be a real pain. Not only do you have to learn the new ins and outs of the operating system (while not forgetting how to support the now dated one), but you've got to find software solutions to problems you never had before. You'd been using XP for so long, it was like a nice comfy pair of shoes. You knew what to do, how to do it, and when. With the new OS, you've got to find new approaches to a lot of tasks that hadn't troubled you for years.
As I think on this, I believe some of the problem might have to do with the fact that the software is all virtual. You can change the control scheme without changing anything. I'm reminded of the switch from Office 2003 to Office 2007, when the Ribbon was introduced. Imagine the same sort of thing happening to cars. The gas pedal and the brake are suddenly in different places. The steering wheel is operated by your knees, and the radio has been replaced by a television. (Taking some ideas at random.)
The designers might have done a ton of research. They might have designed an even more efficient way to drive. but at the same time they've alienated all the current drivers out there. Everyone has to relearn how to drive. It really can feel that disorienting (at least to me--maybe I'm alone?)
Or what if the update made it so that cars don't work at all anymore, and now you're forced to choose between a bike and a Segway?
I don't know. What I do know is that technology makes a lot of things much simpler, but it can also make many things more complicated, even if it doesn't seem like they should be any more complex.
I just hope the end result is a net gain in time for us, right?
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
The Tablet Wars Finally Heat Up
Things are starting to get interesting in the tablet zone. If you haven't heard already, Amazon announced a new version of its Kindle Fire last week, and where last time, it was mainly the price difference that stood out, this time around, things are more intriguing. The specs are starting to look equal, and the price is still wildly different--cheaper in favor of Amazon, by a good margin. The Kindle Fire HD has a cheap data plan with no monthly payments, stereo sound, a sweet screen, faster wifi, 4G technology--it's looking like a robust tablet, and it's more than a hundred dollars less than a comparable iPad.
How can Amazon do it?
They're very upfront about it. They're not in the tablet business. They're in the content business. They want to sell as much content as possible. Movies, books, products--you name it. They don't need to make money on the tablet, as long as they make money on the content people buy for that tablet. It's a valid approach, and I'm sure it's going to make them a lot of money.
Of course, I personally am all in favor of equal competition. Any time any one company starts getting big enough to bully others around, the consumer loses. Unfortunately, it's getting harder and harder to tell who to root for. In the Amazon/Apple tablet wars, do you gun for Amazon, so that Apple is pushed to do more and innovate? But if you do, what happens in the Amazon/Apple eBook wars, where Apple's been trying to challenge Amazon's stranglehold on the market? There are no easy answers to these sort of questions. Ideally, companies wouldn't gobble up every other company, until it was just super companies vs. mega companies, but that's not the reality we live in.
Tomorrow, Apple will announce its latest round of iPhone and other iWhatevers. I'll be watching closely to see what they end up offering, and to see if Amazon's announcement causes any ripples. There are rumors of a mini iPad. (Isn't that what an iPhone is?) We shall see . . .
How can Amazon do it?
They're very upfront about it. They're not in the tablet business. They're in the content business. They want to sell as much content as possible. Movies, books, products--you name it. They don't need to make money on the tablet, as long as they make money on the content people buy for that tablet. It's a valid approach, and I'm sure it's going to make them a lot of money.
Of course, I personally am all in favor of equal competition. Any time any one company starts getting big enough to bully others around, the consumer loses. Unfortunately, it's getting harder and harder to tell who to root for. In the Amazon/Apple tablet wars, do you gun for Amazon, so that Apple is pushed to do more and innovate? But if you do, what happens in the Amazon/Apple eBook wars, where Apple's been trying to challenge Amazon's stranglehold on the market? There are no easy answers to these sort of questions. Ideally, companies wouldn't gobble up every other company, until it was just super companies vs. mega companies, but that's not the reality we live in.
Tomorrow, Apple will announce its latest round of iPhone and other iWhatevers. I'll be watching closely to see what they end up offering, and to see if Amazon's announcement causes any ripples. There are rumors of a mini iPad. (Isn't that what an iPhone is?) We shall see . . .
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