Overall the 23 Mobile Things MN has been a wonderful experience. I think I really learned more than I had anticipated. I sort of had an attitude of, "Well, I'm a digital native, a naturally-curious librarian, and someone who has had an iPhone for several years and used her first tablet in the fourth grade...what am I really going to learn here?" But, I decided to do the program anyway because:
1) Its free. I'm a temporary substitute in one position and a part timer in another, which generally means neither job has allocated funds/time off/anything for my professional development or continuing education. If I want to do something or attend something, costs are out of my own pocket and its done on my own time. 23 Mobile Things was great because its free, and was something that could be picked away at over several months, so I could fit it in around both jobs and my personal life.
2) I'm a naturally curious librarian.
3) I probably don't know as much as I think I do, and I realize that!
4) Why not?
I'm definitely glad I did complete the 23 Things. I found apps that I didn't even realize existed (case in point-Apps Gone Free-an app you use to find other apps...WHAT?!) and apps that could be really useful and make life easier (document editing and presentation apps come to mind). I also found fun apps that I now love and use all the time-Instagram and Snapchat, Duolingo, and various games apps come to mind. I even used my county library system's app for the first time (and many times since then) as a direct result of this thing, despite the fact that it is not only a library I work for but also my home library system.
I would definitely participate again if another 23 Things type program was offered. 23 Mobile Things MN has been a good experience and a lot of fun, and I learned quite a bit! Big thanks to everyone who had a part in making this happen-it takes a lot of work to put something like this together and keep it going, and I definitely appreciate it!! Cheers! ~Olivia
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Thing 22-Discovering Apps!
We're in the final stretch! Thing 22 is the last Thing that involves trying out apps (23 is a final thoughts/evaluation post) and this one was all about continuing to discover new apps, even after 23 Mobile Things MN wraps up!
The app I decided to try for this is Apps Gone Free, which is available for Apple only. The idea of this app is it finds other apps that are usually paid but happen to be free for the day (I mentioned Ticket To Ride, a game app, frequently has sales on post 20-this app might be a good way to watch for it to go on sale!). When you find an app you like you can click on it and you will be linked to that app in the App Store, where you can then download it. I've seen at least 6-7 free apps each day I've used the app so far. Another nice feature is that it also indicates, right on the main page listing all the apps of the day, whether the app is universal, for iPhone or for iPad only. I've actually already downloaded 2 new apps using Apps Gone Free. Both have been hobby type apps (one a game and one an audio app), and apps that I would have never bothered to buy, but if they're free, why not?!
I also tried out Quixey.com, an online search engine for apps. First, choose your platform (Android, iPad, iPhone, etc) then type in your search query. It does show example search queries if you click on the search box but don't immediate type something (some I saw included "make a photo collage," "manage files," "shop online," and "improve battery life"). Once you start to type something in, it will offer suggestions based on what you are typing as well. On the results page you can see the cost, a brief description, and ratings or click into an app title to see screenshots and a full description, much like you would in the App Store. You can also limit results to free apps only, which is nice. Also included are options to see trending apps or just browse apps by category (play, work, live, learn) and subcategory, so that even if you don't have something specific in mind you might still find new apps. Overall a really well designed site! I wish I had known about this and Apps Gone Free years ago when I first got my iPhone!
The other way I had discovered new apps in the past is just periodically checking in the Apple App Store. Once you enter the app store, you can click on "Top Charts" to see listings of the most popular free and paid apps, either in general or by category. Categories are numerous and include things like News, Education, Reference, Games, Photo & Video, Travel and more. The downside to this, though, is that once an app has reached the Top Charts, it tends to stay there for a while so unless you are willing to click though a lot of top apps, you won't see new things too frequently.
Whoa. So...that's it. Those are all the Things. Stay tuned for my final post, wrapping up my 23 Things experience!
The app I decided to try for this is Apps Gone Free, which is available for Apple only. The idea of this app is it finds other apps that are usually paid but happen to be free for the day (I mentioned Ticket To Ride, a game app, frequently has sales on post 20-this app might be a good way to watch for it to go on sale!). When you find an app you like you can click on it and you will be linked to that app in the App Store, where you can then download it. I've seen at least 6-7 free apps each day I've used the app so far. Another nice feature is that it also indicates, right on the main page listing all the apps of the day, whether the app is universal, for iPhone or for iPad only. I've actually already downloaded 2 new apps using Apps Gone Free. Both have been hobby type apps (one a game and one an audio app), and apps that I would have never bothered to buy, but if they're free, why not?!
I also tried out Quixey.com, an online search engine for apps. First, choose your platform (Android, iPad, iPhone, etc) then type in your search query. It does show example search queries if you click on the search box but don't immediate type something (some I saw included "make a photo collage," "manage files," "shop online," and "improve battery life"). Once you start to type something in, it will offer suggestions based on what you are typing as well. On the results page you can see the cost, a brief description, and ratings or click into an app title to see screenshots and a full description, much like you would in the App Store. You can also limit results to free apps only, which is nice. Also included are options to see trending apps or just browse apps by category (play, work, live, learn) and subcategory, so that even if you don't have something specific in mind you might still find new apps. Overall a really well designed site! I wish I had known about this and Apps Gone Free years ago when I first got my iPhone!
The other way I had discovered new apps in the past is just periodically checking in the Apple App Store. Once you enter the app store, you can click on "Top Charts" to see listings of the most popular free and paid apps, either in general or by category. Categories are numerous and include things like News, Education, Reference, Games, Photo & Video, Travel and more. The downside to this, though, is that once an app has reached the Top Charts, it tends to stay there for a while so unless you are willing to click though a lot of top apps, you won't see new things too frequently.
Whoa. So...that's it. Those are all the Things. Stay tuned for my final post, wrapping up my 23 Things experience!
Friday, June 13, 2014
Thing 21: Free-For-All!
Thing 21 is a Free-For-All, meaning we get to choose whatever app we want to blog about. After very little consideration, I'm going with a "Health and Fitness" theme and choosing to blog about MyFitnessPal (MFP) (Apple and Android). Its a free app that is, hands down, the app I use most frequently, so it only seems right I include it here!
As I've mentioned before, I've lost a lot of weight, and a lot of that weight came off with the help of this app. Its essentially a calorie counting, diet tracking app. Create an account, input your information, select your goals, and MFP gives you a daily goal for your calories as well as macro and micronutrients (fat, protein, carbs, vitamins, minerals, etc). The database of foods includes literally millions of entries, so odds are if you're eating it, you can find it in the database and add it to your food diary for the day. It also has a barcode scanner so if you're eating something packaged you can scan the barcode and up will pop the food you're eating and its nutritional information. Making a recipe? Enter the ingredients and number of servings in the Recipe Builder and you'll have the full nutritional breakdown per serving that can be added directly to your diary. At the end of the day (or anytime, really), the diary lets you view your full nutritional breakdown for the day-did you go over your sodium or sugar goals? Get enough calcium or vitamin D? You'll know for sure using the breakdown tools.
It also has entries for exercise. Based on your gender, height and weight MFP estimates calories burned for a wide variety of physical activities-from gardening to basketball and running to snowshoeing and Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, if you move it, you can probably track it! And, if you have a fitbit, BodyMedia, Nike Fuel or any other variety of fitness/step tracker, it very likely also syncs with MFP.
Its a great, easy to use app that is constantly being updated and improved. It also has a .com version, so those without smartphones or those who just spend a lot of time on computers can use it. I should also mention it has settings for those looking to maintain their weight or gain weight as well, so its not just for dieters but also weight lifters and athletes. If you're looking to lose weight, or just get a better idea of what exactly you are eating and weather or not you're getting all the appropriate nutrients, this app is GREAT. I cannot recommend it enough because, as I said, its helped me lose, and keep off for over a year, 100+ pounds. As far as library applications, it could be combined with programming as an additional resource.
Ok, end of testimonial :) Sorry, I can't help but love MFP. Anyway, things are just about to wrap up! Stay tuned as I post the final two blog entries in the next day or two!
As I've mentioned before, I've lost a lot of weight, and a lot of that weight came off with the help of this app. Its essentially a calorie counting, diet tracking app. Create an account, input your information, select your goals, and MFP gives you a daily goal for your calories as well as macro and micronutrients (fat, protein, carbs, vitamins, minerals, etc). The database of foods includes literally millions of entries, so odds are if you're eating it, you can find it in the database and add it to your food diary for the day. It also has a barcode scanner so if you're eating something packaged you can scan the barcode and up will pop the food you're eating and its nutritional information. Making a recipe? Enter the ingredients and number of servings in the Recipe Builder and you'll have the full nutritional breakdown per serving that can be added directly to your diary. At the end of the day (or anytime, really), the diary lets you view your full nutritional breakdown for the day-did you go over your sodium or sugar goals? Get enough calcium or vitamin D? You'll know for sure using the breakdown tools.
It also has entries for exercise. Based on your gender, height and weight MFP estimates calories burned for a wide variety of physical activities-from gardening to basketball and running to snowshoeing and Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, if you move it, you can probably track it! And, if you have a fitbit, BodyMedia, Nike Fuel or any other variety of fitness/step tracker, it very likely also syncs with MFP.
Its a great, easy to use app that is constantly being updated and improved. It also has a .com version, so those without smartphones or those who just spend a lot of time on computers can use it. I should also mention it has settings for those looking to maintain their weight or gain weight as well, so its not just for dieters but also weight lifters and athletes. If you're looking to lose weight, or just get a better idea of what exactly you are eating and weather or not you're getting all the appropriate nutrients, this app is GREAT. I cannot recommend it enough because, as I said, its helped me lose, and keep off for over a year, 100+ pounds. As far as library applications, it could be combined with programming as an additional resource.
Ok, end of testimonial :) Sorry, I can't help but love MFP. Anyway, things are just about to wrap up! Stay tuned as I post the final two blog entries in the next day or two!
Thing 20-GAMES!
Ok all, I am super excited about this thing! My friends and I are big gamers-board, tabletop, card, phone; you name it, we play it! I'll try to keep this relatively short...Try.
Sadly, one of the games in the official 23 Things post for this Thing, Take Ten! (one of the few I hadn't already heard of or tried, and was actually super excited about) isn't available for Apple. It's a cruel world, folks. But I've got plenty of others!
Candy Crush Saga (Apple and Android)-As stated on the official 23 Things page, you can't have a games Thing without mentioning Candy Crush Saga! I first heard about the app at the Medical Library Association's 2013 Annual Conference. One of the speakers had his current CCS level in his introduction, and when I heard the chorus of impressed 'Ooohs!' and 'Ahs!' around the room I knew I had to see what the hype was about. If you've played Bejeweled, CCS is very similar. Super easy to learn and very addictive. Its one of my favorite time killers when I have a few spare minutes here or there, and it doesn't require wifi or data to play, which is always a plus. [Free, with in-app purchase options]
Another huge one is Words With Friends, or its sister app Scramble With Friends (Apple and Android). WWF is essentially like Scrabble, you play one opponent (it can be random or a friend via Facebook or your contacts). SWF again allows you to challenge friends (or random opponents) to a three-round game, only this time it presents you with a 4x4 grid of letters from which you have to make words. If you like word search puzzles, you'll love this app since its essentially the same thing but adds the fun of challenging a friend. I love love love these apps! [Free and pro versions, with in-app purchase options]
Scrabble-If you like the board game, you'll like the app (Apple and Android)! Play AI (computer generated) components, Facebook friends, random opponents, or in pass-and-play mode (multiple players sharing one device in one location) etc. Generally, I only use this app when I want to play an AI game. If I'm going to play something like this with live opponents, I'm going to use WWF, but Scrabble is a great, easy to use alternative when I can't (lack of wifi etc) play a live game or have a few minutes to kill! [Free]
Text Twist 2 (Apple and Android) is another word game. You are presented with a number of letters and have to find all the possible words that can be made from those letters. There are a few different gameplay modes, but that's the gist of it. Super easy to learn, mildly addicting, and if you like word games, you'll probably love this one. ($0.99 for Apple, Free or $1.99 for Android)
If you're familiar with the board game Ticket to Ride you'll be pleased to know there is an app version (Apple and Android)! If not, TTR is a competitive strategy game where you build train routes across a map, fighting to get the longest trains, best routes, and most points (its much more fun than my description makes it sound like!). App gameplay is identical to the board game (there is also a great tutorial on the app if you need it), but the app's key feature is its flexibility! On a road trip? Pass the phone (or iPad/device) around to each passenger in the car and play live on one device. Multiple devices on the same wifi network? Start a local game and each play on your own device! By yourself? Play other random opponents live OR play up to four AI characters! I've had this app for years, and I never get sick of it. [Currently $6.99 in the Apple app store, but they often have sales; additional in-app purchase options for more maps. SO WORTH IT.]
Sudoku by Finger Arts is another favorite [Apple only, I think]! If you are somehow unfamiliar with Sudoku, its a number based logic game that seems mind boggling at first glance but is relatively simple and very addictive! Another good time killer that doesn't require wifi, this is a pretty basic, not-to-many frills app for Sudoku. There are a few appearance options, some game play options, and increasing levels of difficulty that unlock as you successfully complete puzzles-what more could you need? [Free]
Did you ever play the Gold Miner game online growing up (or recently...no judgement!)? (http://www.goldminergames.net/gold-miner.php) My friend and I played the heck out of that thing when we were teens, and I was pumped to find out it is available as an app (Apple and Android, titled Gold Miner Classic HD Free on Android)! Called Classic Miner Free for Apple, it replicates the original game exactly for a shot of nostalgic, addictive fun! If you're not familiar with it, you are a gold miner and have to get gold, diamonds, and other treasure (or rocks, if you're unlucky!) from the ground using a swinging hook mechanism in a series of increasingly difficult layouts. Super easy to catch on, super hard to stop! [Free]
Ok, that's already eight games. I better stop here, but trust me I could go all day! Generally there probably isn't a whole lot of direct library application for this one, aside from possible use in programming. On International Games Day, for example, my library had all sorts of games-video, table top, etc. I don't think we had any iPad in there (I could be wrong-I didn't actually participate in planning or running this event), but we very easily could have loaded up a couple iPads with games and let users play individually or in groups for pass-and-play games like Ticket To Ride and Scrabble. BRB, gotta go do some gaming! :)
Sadly, one of the games in the official 23 Things post for this Thing, Take Ten! (one of the few I hadn't already heard of or tried, and was actually super excited about) isn't available for Apple. It's a cruel world, folks. But I've got plenty of others!
Candy Crush Saga (Apple and Android)-As stated on the official 23 Things page, you can't have a games Thing without mentioning Candy Crush Saga! I first heard about the app at the Medical Library Association's 2013 Annual Conference. One of the speakers had his current CCS level in his introduction, and when I heard the chorus of impressed 'Ooohs!' and 'Ahs!' around the room I knew I had to see what the hype was about. If you've played Bejeweled, CCS is very similar. Super easy to learn and very addictive. Its one of my favorite time killers when I have a few spare minutes here or there, and it doesn't require wifi or data to play, which is always a plus. [Free, with in-app purchase options]
Another huge one is Words With Friends, or its sister app Scramble With Friends (Apple and Android). WWF is essentially like Scrabble, you play one opponent (it can be random or a friend via Facebook or your contacts). SWF again allows you to challenge friends (or random opponents) to a three-round game, only this time it presents you with a 4x4 grid of letters from which you have to make words. If you like word search puzzles, you'll love this app since its essentially the same thing but adds the fun of challenging a friend. I love love love these apps! [Free and pro versions, with in-app purchase options]
Scrabble-If you like the board game, you'll like the app (Apple and Android)! Play AI (computer generated) components, Facebook friends, random opponents, or in pass-and-play mode (multiple players sharing one device in one location) etc. Generally, I only use this app when I want to play an AI game. If I'm going to play something like this with live opponents, I'm going to use WWF, but Scrabble is a great, easy to use alternative when I can't (lack of wifi etc) play a live game or have a few minutes to kill! [Free]
Text Twist 2 (Apple and Android) is another word game. You are presented with a number of letters and have to find all the possible words that can be made from those letters. There are a few different gameplay modes, but that's the gist of it. Super easy to learn, mildly addicting, and if you like word games, you'll probably love this one. ($0.99 for Apple, Free or $1.99 for Android)
If you're familiar with the board game Ticket to Ride you'll be pleased to know there is an app version (Apple and Android)! If not, TTR is a competitive strategy game where you build train routes across a map, fighting to get the longest trains, best routes, and most points (its much more fun than my description makes it sound like!). App gameplay is identical to the board game (there is also a great tutorial on the app if you need it), but the app's key feature is its flexibility! On a road trip? Pass the phone (or iPad/device) around to each passenger in the car and play live on one device. Multiple devices on the same wifi network? Start a local game and each play on your own device! By yourself? Play other random opponents live OR play up to four AI characters! I've had this app for years, and I never get sick of it. [Currently $6.99 in the Apple app store, but they often have sales; additional in-app purchase options for more maps. SO WORTH IT.]
Sudoku by Finger Arts is another favorite [Apple only, I think]! If you are somehow unfamiliar with Sudoku, its a number based logic game that seems mind boggling at first glance but is relatively simple and very addictive! Another good time killer that doesn't require wifi, this is a pretty basic, not-to-many frills app for Sudoku. There are a few appearance options, some game play options, and increasing levels of difficulty that unlock as you successfully complete puzzles-what more could you need? [Free]
Did you ever play the Gold Miner game online growing up (or recently...no judgement!)? (http://www.goldminergames.net/gold-miner.php) My friend and I played the heck out of that thing when we were teens, and I was pumped to find out it is available as an app (Apple and Android, titled Gold Miner Classic HD Free on Android)! Called Classic Miner Free for Apple, it replicates the original game exactly for a shot of nostalgic, addictive fun! If you're not familiar with it, you are a gold miner and have to get gold, diamonds, and other treasure (or rocks, if you're unlucky!) from the ground using a swinging hook mechanism in a series of increasingly difficult layouts. Super easy to catch on, super hard to stop! [Free]
Ok, that's already eight games. I better stop here, but trust me I could go all day! Generally there probably isn't a whole lot of direct library application for this one, aside from possible use in programming. On International Games Day, for example, my library had all sorts of games-video, table top, etc. I don't think we had any iPad in there (I could be wrong-I didn't actually participate in planning or running this event), but we very easily could have loaded up a couple iPads with games and let users play individually or in groups for pass-and-play games like Ticket To Ride and Scrabble. BRB, gotta go do some gaming! :)
Thing 19-Hobbies!
This Thing is all about hobbies! Developing them, finding new ones, finding new creative outlets, you name it. But first-another update! Remember back in Thing 10-Sharing Photos when I didn't have anyone to Snapchat with, so I never got to try the app? Now I do! My best friend got the app, so we have started Snapchatting. The app isn't as intuitive as I thought-both my friend and I were puzzled about a few things and felt like we didn't know what we were doing at first (I even had to Google some how-to guides since the app doesn't have a tutorial or a 'Help' guide). But, now that we have the hang of it we've been loving it and snapping daily! Very fun but with a definite learning curve.
Now-to the task at hand! As I mentioned before (Thing 17-Connecting to Community), I have lost a lot of weight and am constantly striving to be more active and healthy. Its no surprise that a lot of my apps are related to those goals. One of my all time favorite hobby apps is Zombies, Run! (Apple and Android). Zombies, Run! is an immersive, adventure, story line app that develops as you run. When you're ready to run (indoors or out), you start up the app. Every time you run you hear a bit more of the story. The audio is very well done-they have different voice actors for each character, sound effects, you name it. In the very first story you find out there has been a zombie apocalypse of sorts, and the helicopter you're in crashes right into the midst of it, but you survive! Thankfully, a local group of survivors spot you and contact you via your headgear, leading you to their base. Each time you run, you learn more about yourself, the apocalypse, the local group of survivors, and so on learning more of the plot each time. I won't lie-I've laughed out loud and even borderline held back tears while using this app (yes, mid-run!); the story line is so good!
You can set the app up for mission lengths of about 30 minutes or 60 minutes, and bits of story line are interspersed with music from your phone (after every or every-other song, depending on length of mission, you hear more plot). You also gather supplies as you run (you'll hear things like "Collected an ax and a pair of shorts" as you go). Long distance runner? No worries, it switches to "Radio Mode" and you hear radio broadcasts and stories after your official mission is over. You can even enable "Zombie Chases" to do interval training-your GPS on your phone tracks your speed, and when you are warned that zombies are approaching you (you can hear them grunting and moaning behind you!) if you don't pick up the speed enough they can catch you and steal supplies.
I literally cannot explain enough how awesome this app is. If you're even vaguely interested in it, just get it! And yes-you could absolutely use it walking as well, you don't HAVE to be running (though I think they do make a version specific to walkers but I haven't tried it). It is incredible, the designers have really thought of everything, and are constantly doing updates as well to make it even more awesome. The app itself is $3.99 and there are multiple in-app purchases available as well. They've got three season's worth of missions, races, and more. I've had this app for probably about 2 years-it never gets old, there is always new content, and I don't regret a single penny spent!
iFunny :) (Apple and Android, free) is another one that would probably fall under 'hobby.' Its a collection (ever-expanding) of "humorous" GIFs, pictures and videos. Note I put "humorous" in quotes-The content of the app is created by its users, and everyone's definition of humorous varies, so yes, there are some off-color things, cursing etc. in there occasionally, but if that doesn't bug you, this might be a good app to either view or create things.
One in-library use I can definitely see for hobby-related apps would be for use in programs! For example, if the library is putting on a program about gardening, they could include apps related to gardening (like MyGarden, mentioned in the official post for this blog). MyGarden, though I didn't try it myself, sounds somewhat like Facebook for gardening. If participants of the program decided to download the app and add each other, it could be a great tool to continue the learning and interaction after the program ends! Of course, you'd probably want to add in some wordage about apps not being official endorsed or maintained by the library etc. etc. to be safe, but in general hobby apps could be a great additional resource to accompany programming!
Now-to the task at hand! As I mentioned before (Thing 17-Connecting to Community), I have lost a lot of weight and am constantly striving to be more active and healthy. Its no surprise that a lot of my apps are related to those goals. One of my all time favorite hobby apps is Zombies, Run! (Apple and Android). Zombies, Run! is an immersive, adventure, story line app that develops as you run. When you're ready to run (indoors or out), you start up the app. Every time you run you hear a bit more of the story. The audio is very well done-they have different voice actors for each character, sound effects, you name it. In the very first story you find out there has been a zombie apocalypse of sorts, and the helicopter you're in crashes right into the midst of it, but you survive! Thankfully, a local group of survivors spot you and contact you via your headgear, leading you to their base. Each time you run, you learn more about yourself, the apocalypse, the local group of survivors, and so on learning more of the plot each time. I won't lie-I've laughed out loud and even borderline held back tears while using this app (yes, mid-run!); the story line is so good!
You can set the app up for mission lengths of about 30 minutes or 60 minutes, and bits of story line are interspersed with music from your phone (after every or every-other song, depending on length of mission, you hear more plot). You also gather supplies as you run (you'll hear things like "Collected an ax and a pair of shorts" as you go). Long distance runner? No worries, it switches to "Radio Mode" and you hear radio broadcasts and stories after your official mission is over. You can even enable "Zombie Chases" to do interval training-your GPS on your phone tracks your speed, and when you are warned that zombies are approaching you (you can hear them grunting and moaning behind you!) if you don't pick up the speed enough they can catch you and steal supplies.
I literally cannot explain enough how awesome this app is. If you're even vaguely interested in it, just get it! And yes-you could absolutely use it walking as well, you don't HAVE to be running (though I think they do make a version specific to walkers but I haven't tried it). It is incredible, the designers have really thought of everything, and are constantly doing updates as well to make it even more awesome. The app itself is $3.99 and there are multiple in-app purchases available as well. They've got three season's worth of missions, races, and more. I've had this app for probably about 2 years-it never gets old, there is always new content, and I don't regret a single penny spent!
iFunny :) (Apple and Android, free) is another one that would probably fall under 'hobby.' Its a collection (ever-expanding) of "humorous" GIFs, pictures and videos. Note I put "humorous" in quotes-The content of the app is created by its users, and everyone's definition of humorous varies, so yes, there are some off-color things, cursing etc. in there occasionally, but if that doesn't bug you, this might be a good app to either view or create things.
One in-library use I can definitely see for hobby-related apps would be for use in programs! For example, if the library is putting on a program about gardening, they could include apps related to gardening (like MyGarden, mentioned in the official post for this blog). MyGarden, though I didn't try it myself, sounds somewhat like Facebook for gardening. If participants of the program decided to download the app and add each other, it could be a great tool to continue the learning and interaction after the program ends! Of course, you'd probably want to add in some wordage about apps not being official endorsed or maintained by the library etc. etc. to be safe, but in general hobby apps could be a great additional resource to accompany programming!
Thing 18-Education
Thing 18 is Education, and has been one of the most difficult Things for me-in a good way! There are so many apps out there that can be used for education, and education of so many topic areas, that it was hard to pick just a few to review (y'all want a blog post, not a book, to read!).
The first app I tried out was Duolingo. I had heard about it before; my best friend's boyfriend is German, but was raised mostly in the US, so he doesn't speak much of the language despite still having lots of family in Germany. So, he had found Duolingo and was working on learning German on the app! He said it was great, and I added it to my list of things to check out, but never got around to it until this Thing came up. I majored in Spanish and studied abroad in Spain twice as an undergraduate, but since then have been getting rustier and rustier for lack of practice. Duolingo seemed like a perfect way to brush up, so I decided to try it! Users have to first create an account, then choose which language you'd like to learn (Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese).
You get a walk-through describing the app, you set a goal for how much time you'd like to invest in using the app each day, and then you're off! I liked that there was the option to test out of introductory material as well.
The app is very user friendly once you are started. There are a number of different skills included, which, from an education and language acquisition standpoint, is key! For example, the app presents information in the target language and asks for an English language translation, and vice versa. It will play an audio clip and ask you to transcribe it, or allow you to listen to a clip and ask you to repeat it (using the microphone-if you are in a location where you cannot speak, there is also an option to indicate that). In that way, its much more thorough then many other language-learning apps and websites I've seen. Best of all-its free! I was amazed and puzzled at how such an app could be free, so I decided to head to the website (by the way, you can login and complete activities either on the app or on the website, in case your mobile device isn't handy or you don't have one). Apparently, Duolingo is free because outside entities can submit information that needs translating and the Duolingo users then translate that information as they practice their lessons, then when the translation is complete the entity pays a fee for the service-who knew? That strikes me as a very creative solution to funding, and its nice because the app, though free, doesn't even have ads! Overall I was hugely impressed with this app and have finally found the motivation and (fun!) tool to help get me back on track linguistically!
I've also used Fooducate in the past. A friend recommended it to me. If you don't know much about nutrition, it is a great app! You search for a food to find nutritional information and a grade (A, B, C, or D) for that food. It can now also be used as a food tracker. Its a neat concept, but a little too basic for me-I know quite a bit about nutrition so it didn't really teach me much, and I eventually wound up deleting it for lack of use.
And, of course, as a child of the nineties, I HAD to try the Bill Nye the Science Guy app (Apple only). As soon as it didn't have the signature "BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY!" intro I was a little disappointed ;) The app itself was ok; certainly aimed at a young audience but I spent my fair share of time learning about planets and launching rockets. The nice thing is there are multiple different things you can do. The downside is there isn't really any tutorial, though the appropriate audience for this app probably doesn't want tutorials-they just want to get in and explore!
Briefly, another app I really like is ASL Dictionary. Its not free ($4.99 for Apple and Android), but it has over 5,200 words with videos, not just images of the sign, which makes learning/using a word correctly much easier! Its also really good about providing signs for all the possible meanings of a word-take 'block' for example. There are four different videos-block as in a block in a neighborhood, a toy block, a building block, or block as in an obstruction. Its not a very fancy app, but when you need a sign, odds are this app will have it!
Stick around, I'm following this post with several others!
The first app I tried out was Duolingo. I had heard about it before; my best friend's boyfriend is German, but was raised mostly in the US, so he doesn't speak much of the language despite still having lots of family in Germany. So, he had found Duolingo and was working on learning German on the app! He said it was great, and I added it to my list of things to check out, but never got around to it until this Thing came up. I majored in Spanish and studied abroad in Spain twice as an undergraduate, but since then have been getting rustier and rustier for lack of practice. Duolingo seemed like a perfect way to brush up, so I decided to try it! Users have to first create an account, then choose which language you'd like to learn (Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese).
You get a walk-through describing the app, you set a goal for how much time you'd like to invest in using the app each day, and then you're off! I liked that there was the option to test out of introductory material as well.
The app is very user friendly once you are started. There are a number of different skills included, which, from an education and language acquisition standpoint, is key! For example, the app presents information in the target language and asks for an English language translation, and vice versa. It will play an audio clip and ask you to transcribe it, or allow you to listen to a clip and ask you to repeat it (using the microphone-if you are in a location where you cannot speak, there is also an option to indicate that). In that way, its much more thorough then many other language-learning apps and websites I've seen. Best of all-its free! I was amazed and puzzled at how such an app could be free, so I decided to head to the website (by the way, you can login and complete activities either on the app or on the website, in case your mobile device isn't handy or you don't have one). Apparently, Duolingo is free because outside entities can submit information that needs translating and the Duolingo users then translate that information as they practice their lessons, then when the translation is complete the entity pays a fee for the service-who knew? That strikes me as a very creative solution to funding, and its nice because the app, though free, doesn't even have ads! Overall I was hugely impressed with this app and have finally found the motivation and (fun!) tool to help get me back on track linguistically!
I've also used Fooducate in the past. A friend recommended it to me. If you don't know much about nutrition, it is a great app! You search for a food to find nutritional information and a grade (A, B, C, or D) for that food. It can now also be used as a food tracker. Its a neat concept, but a little too basic for me-I know quite a bit about nutrition so it didn't really teach me much, and I eventually wound up deleting it for lack of use.
And, of course, as a child of the nineties, I HAD to try the Bill Nye the Science Guy app (Apple only). As soon as it didn't have the signature "BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY!" intro I was a little disappointed ;) The app itself was ok; certainly aimed at a young audience but I spent my fair share of time learning about planets and launching rockets. The nice thing is there are multiple different things you can do. The downside is there isn't really any tutorial, though the appropriate audience for this app probably doesn't want tutorials-they just want to get in and explore!
Briefly, another app I really like is ASL Dictionary. Its not free ($4.99 for Apple and Android), but it has over 5,200 words with videos, not just images of the sign, which makes learning/using a word correctly much easier! Its also really good about providing signs for all the possible meanings of a word-take 'block' for example. There are four different videos-block as in a block in a neighborhood, a toy block, a building block, or block as in an obstruction. Its not a very fancy app, but when you need a sign, odds are this app will have it!
Stick around, I'm following this post with several others!
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Thing 17-Connecting to Community!
This Thing looks at ways we can connect with our community via apps! I think this Thing is super important, for a number of reasons. First, I tend to (perhaps optimistically) think of libraries as a center of community life, and as a part of the a connection to all the other goings-on in the community. Keeping up-to-date with community news and events is a key part of that, and apps such as the ones I'm about to review can be key in that. Secondly, a library is often a first stop after new people or families have settled into town, and I think these would be great resources to add to the library's newcomer's kit (be it formal or informal).
For this app I downloaded St. Paul Connect, Going Out, and Explore Minnesota (all available for Apple and Android).
St Paul Connect allows users to user the app with or without creating an account. The apps main focus is not on events so much as on giving residents/visitors an opportunity to connect with the city of St. Paul. For example-if you spot something that seems wrong/out of place/broken in the city (examples included abandoned vehicles, noise complaints, parks and trails, graffiti, tree issues and much more!), the app allows you to snap a picture of it, add a description, it automatically adds a location based on the GPS in your device, then your issue is submitted and forwarded on to the proper personnel! You can also see a map of reported issues in your area (again, based on GPS)! Near one of the libraries I work at I spotted reports of potholes, a broken traffic light, parking violations and excessively tall grass. The feature allows you to see when something was reported, and you can even see issues that were reported and resolved. If you live in St. Paul, you can register to be shown in the "Neighbors" feature. I don't live in St. Paul, but think this app is GENIUS. I didn't actually submit a report myself, but the process seems super easy and I like that you can check the map to see if someone else has already reported the issue, and how recently. More cities should have apps like these!
Going Out, made by the StarTribune, will ask for your current location when you open up the app. Then, you'll see a list of 10 options, including Art & Museums, Stage & Comedy, Movies, and more. Click on a category and you'll see a listing of events that fit in that category that can then be filtered by near your current location, a specific zip code, date, venue, or searched by keyword. When applicable, there are direct links to purchase tickets, which is really nice! Overall its a good, very easy to use app that will certainly come in handy, but it has a few setbacks. For example, ongoing events (a Beatles exhibit, for example), will be listed repeatedly for each date they run, rather than just once with a date range (example: Monday-Sunday, June 1-30). A single listing and date range would do a lot to clean the app up visually and improve user experience. But overall, I like the wide range of events gathered on this app and will definitely keep it in mind!
Explore Minnesota's app is targeted at having active users-the logo even contains the word "Active," so the information it provides is all about getting active in the great state of Minnesota! The app itself is simple and requires no login. When you open it there are two options-Experiences or My List. Clicking into Experiences brings up a menu of options including golfing, hiking, paddling, runs and walks, and more. In theory, you click into any of the categories and, using your GPS, the app will find listings of events near you. I LOVE the idea of this app. About a year ago I lost a significant amount of weight and have become much more active. I love running, walking, and hiking and just tried kayaking for the first time last week. This app would be perfect for me as it could help me discover new places and events to help me stay active. The bad news? Whenever I opened the app, I got an error message saying Google has disabled the Maps feature on the app and if you were the app owner, you could visit a website for more information. That disabled feature seemed to prevent me from seeing listings of events-I would only ever see a "Loading listings..." message. But, I'm so in love with the idea of this app that I contacted Explore MN (to make sure they're aware of the issue) and I'll keep checking back to see if it gets fixed sometime soon!
Next time I'll be posting about a big one-Thing 18-Education! Until then, cheers!
For this app I downloaded St. Paul Connect, Going Out, and Explore Minnesota (all available for Apple and Android).
St Paul Connect allows users to user the app with or without creating an account. The apps main focus is not on events so much as on giving residents/visitors an opportunity to connect with the city of St. Paul. For example-if you spot something that seems wrong/out of place/broken in the city (examples included abandoned vehicles, noise complaints, parks and trails, graffiti, tree issues and much more!), the app allows you to snap a picture of it, add a description, it automatically adds a location based on the GPS in your device, then your issue is submitted and forwarded on to the proper personnel! You can also see a map of reported issues in your area (again, based on GPS)! Near one of the libraries I work at I spotted reports of potholes, a broken traffic light, parking violations and excessively tall grass. The feature allows you to see when something was reported, and you can even see issues that were reported and resolved. If you live in St. Paul, you can register to be shown in the "Neighbors" feature. I don't live in St. Paul, but think this app is GENIUS. I didn't actually submit a report myself, but the process seems super easy and I like that you can check the map to see if someone else has already reported the issue, and how recently. More cities should have apps like these!
Going Out, made by the StarTribune, will ask for your current location when you open up the app. Then, you'll see a list of 10 options, including Art & Museums, Stage & Comedy, Movies, and more. Click on a category and you'll see a listing of events that fit in that category that can then be filtered by near your current location, a specific zip code, date, venue, or searched by keyword. When applicable, there are direct links to purchase tickets, which is really nice! Overall its a good, very easy to use app that will certainly come in handy, but it has a few setbacks. For example, ongoing events (a Beatles exhibit, for example), will be listed repeatedly for each date they run, rather than just once with a date range (example: Monday-Sunday, June 1-30). A single listing and date range would do a lot to clean the app up visually and improve user experience. But overall, I like the wide range of events gathered on this app and will definitely keep it in mind!
Explore Minnesota's app is targeted at having active users-the logo even contains the word "Active," so the information it provides is all about getting active in the great state of Minnesota! The app itself is simple and requires no login. When you open it there are two options-Experiences or My List. Clicking into Experiences brings up a menu of options including golfing, hiking, paddling, runs and walks, and more. In theory, you click into any of the categories and, using your GPS, the app will find listings of events near you. I LOVE the idea of this app. About a year ago I lost a significant amount of weight and have become much more active. I love running, walking, and hiking and just tried kayaking for the first time last week. This app would be perfect for me as it could help me discover new places and events to help me stay active. The bad news? Whenever I opened the app, I got an error message saying Google has disabled the Maps feature on the app and if you were the app owner, you could visit a website for more information. That disabled feature seemed to prevent me from seeing listings of events-I would only ever see a "Loading listings..." message. But, I'm so in love with the idea of this app that I contacted Explore MN (to make sure they're aware of the issue) and I'll keep checking back to see if it gets fixed sometime soon!
Next time I'll be posting about a big one-Thing 18-Education! Until then, cheers!
Thing 16-Audio!
For Thing 16 we are discussing apps that record audio! The timing for this Thing was almost too perfect. I have always disliked the sound of my own voice. Recently, I started visiting a new chiropractor, who mentioned that I should consider a second career in voice over acting, as I have one of the most beautiful voices she's ever heard. Wha? The comment caught me so off guard! Then this Thing rolled around and presented the perfect opportunity to record my voice and check out my future possibilities as voice over actor! ;-)
The first app I tried out was Audioboo, available for Apple and Android. Audioboo lets you record up to ten minutes of audio that can then be 'published' to a variety of social media outlets such as Facebook, Audioboo, Twitter, etc. The app required creation of an account to get started, which makes sense since publication of audio files is one of the key features of this app. Once you log in, there isn't really a tutorial but using the app is pretty simple. You can record audio (there are a few simple editing tools as well), or browse things others have published on Audioboo to see how everyone else is using it. Once you've recorded your audio, you can also add an image, a text description and tags to make it searchable on Audioboo. Much of what I listened to seems to be podcast-y in nature, if you're at all familiar with podcasts. The first thing that came to mind regarding this app and libraries was using it to record booktalks! If you're not familiar with Reader's Advisory, a booktalk is a short blurb ('speech' seems too formal-they are often just a minute or two, though they could be longer) a librarian (or someone else) might come up with that gives an audience just a little bit of info about a book (plot, setting, characters), without providing a synopsis or reviewing the book. Just enough info and intrigue to make them want to go out and pick up a copy for themselves! This app would be great for recording and sharing booktalks, which in turn could help boost circulation and also acts as a bit of free marketing for the library! Overall a very easy to use app that could definitely have multiple applications in the library!
The next app I tried is SoundCloud (available for Apple and Android), which seems to have an even more social focus than Audioboo. Once again, you have to sign up to use it. Once you've signed up, you're presented with a list of music genres (and representative artists) as well as audio styles (news, sports, religion, comedy, etc.) for audio broadcasts and asked to mark your favorites. This becomes a list of people and/or genres you follow on SoundCloud, meaning they go into your stream of audio (your personal SoundCloud, filled with audio you like to hear). The stream essentially works like a newsfeed in many social media applications, except that instead of your friend's latest news and images, SoundCloud lists audio files from the people/entities you follow that you can then click into and listen to. Of course you can edit your stream, search for new material and so on. It reminded me of Pandora, only with more variety as Pandora is pretty much just for music. And while you can record audio, it seems like listening to/discovering other audio is really the main function of this app. I personally don't see as much application/use for this app within my libraries. but I did enjoy playing around with it and seeing what it found for me to listen to. It did find quite a bit more variety than I would normally hear on the radio or via other apps like Pandora, so I will probably keep it for that reason.
In the end, I'm not convinced of my future career in voice over acting (let's just say I didn't share any of my audio bits...haha!), but I guess I won't completely ignore the possibility. As they say, beauty is in the eye (or ear, in this case) of the beholder, right?
That's all for now; look forward to Thing 17- C0nnecting to Community, which will immediately follow this posting!
The first app I tried out was Audioboo, available for Apple and Android. Audioboo lets you record up to ten minutes of audio that can then be 'published' to a variety of social media outlets such as Facebook, Audioboo, Twitter, etc. The app required creation of an account to get started, which makes sense since publication of audio files is one of the key features of this app. Once you log in, there isn't really a tutorial but using the app is pretty simple. You can record audio (there are a few simple editing tools as well), or browse things others have published on Audioboo to see how everyone else is using it. Once you've recorded your audio, you can also add an image, a text description and tags to make it searchable on Audioboo. Much of what I listened to seems to be podcast-y in nature, if you're at all familiar with podcasts. The first thing that came to mind regarding this app and libraries was using it to record booktalks! If you're not familiar with Reader's Advisory, a booktalk is a short blurb ('speech' seems too formal-they are often just a minute or two, though they could be longer) a librarian (or someone else) might come up with that gives an audience just a little bit of info about a book (plot, setting, characters), without providing a synopsis or reviewing the book. Just enough info and intrigue to make them want to go out and pick up a copy for themselves! This app would be great for recording and sharing booktalks, which in turn could help boost circulation and also acts as a bit of free marketing for the library! Overall a very easy to use app that could definitely have multiple applications in the library!
The next app I tried is SoundCloud (available for Apple and Android), which seems to have an even more social focus than Audioboo. Once again, you have to sign up to use it. Once you've signed up, you're presented with a list of music genres (and representative artists) as well as audio styles (news, sports, religion, comedy, etc.) for audio broadcasts and asked to mark your favorites. This becomes a list of people and/or genres you follow on SoundCloud, meaning they go into your stream of audio (your personal SoundCloud, filled with audio you like to hear). The stream essentially works like a newsfeed in many social media applications, except that instead of your friend's latest news and images, SoundCloud lists audio files from the people/entities you follow that you can then click into and listen to. Of course you can edit your stream, search for new material and so on. It reminded me of Pandora, only with more variety as Pandora is pretty much just for music. And while you can record audio, it seems like listening to/discovering other audio is really the main function of this app. I personally don't see as much application/use for this app within my libraries. but I did enjoy playing around with it and seeing what it found for me to listen to. It did find quite a bit more variety than I would normally hear on the radio or via other apps like Pandora, so I will probably keep it for that reason.
In the end, I'm not convinced of my future career in voice over acting (let's just say I didn't share any of my audio bits...haha!), but I guess I won't completely ignore the possibility. As they say, beauty is in the eye (or ear, in this case) of the beholder, right?
That's all for now; look forward to Thing 17- C0nnecting to Community, which will immediately follow this posting!
Monday, June 9, 2014
Thing 15-Infographics!
This Thing is actually very appropriate and well-timed with goings-on in my library. One of the libraries I work in recently held an infographics contest. While I wasn't able to participate (it was only for students), it did spark an interest and, at the time, it hadn't occurred to me that there may be a tool I could use to create and view infographics on my phone!
I originally intended to download two apps for this Thing-info.Graphics (Apple only) and Infographics Hub (Apple and Android). I shortly realized that Infographics Hub, which I couldn't find in my app store, was only available for the iPad. I then tried to download Visualize (Free), but I couldn't find that one in my app store either (under either name)! When I tried to find it on Apple's website, I got no results, so I'm thinking that perhaps that app is no longer available at all, at least not for Apple.
In any case, I was able to get a hold of info.Graphics, and it is optimized to function with iPhone 5, which is perfect for me! Upon first opening the app there was no tutorial, no login, no how-to, just straight to a feed of infographics (recent? popular? I'm not sure, it wasn't specified). Just click on one to expand it (usually what you see in the feed is just a small portion of the infographic). You can browse those, or look at graphics that have been categorized (business life, education, food and beverages, and movies are a few of the eight main categories) if you have certain interests or information needs. I noticed the app, though a great idea, was also sort of glitchy in practice. Several times when I opened the side menu to view categories it froze, and had to be closed and re-opened. Another feature that would greatly improve the app is some sort of search system, perhaps by keyword or hashtag (#library would have been my first search, but was, sadly, not an option!). But, this app serves its purpose by putting tons of infographics right at your fingertips! I wish I had known about this app while we were running the contest-I had several people ask what an infographic even was, so it would have been great to whip this out and show, rather than just explain. It also could have served as inspiration for students considering entering the contest.
There was one lingering thought regarding info.Graphics...They provide all sorts of infographics, and invite users to share them via social media, but where do they come from? I wasn't able to find an "About" section or anything of the like to explain that....Hmmmm.....[tries to ignore copyright and related concerns....]
Overall (and I can't say I blame them!) there doesn't seem to be much you can do from a phone in terms of creating infographics. Its just not practical. Even viewing them can be a bit of a stretch (lots of zooming to view all the details). But-chalk up another reason for me to upgrade to an iPad! Many more creation and viewing options seem to be possible at the tablet size. Anyway, join me soon for another post-next time on Audio!
I originally intended to download two apps for this Thing-info.Graphics (Apple only) and Infographics Hub (Apple and Android). I shortly realized that Infographics Hub, which I couldn't find in my app store, was only available for the iPad. I then tried to download Visualize (Free), but I couldn't find that one in my app store either (under either name)! When I tried to find it on Apple's website, I got no results, so I'm thinking that perhaps that app is no longer available at all, at least not for Apple.
In any case, I was able to get a hold of info.Graphics, and it is optimized to function with iPhone 5, which is perfect for me! Upon first opening the app there was no tutorial, no login, no how-to, just straight to a feed of infographics (recent? popular? I'm not sure, it wasn't specified). Just click on one to expand it (usually what you see in the feed is just a small portion of the infographic). You can browse those, or look at graphics that have been categorized (business life, education, food and beverages, and movies are a few of the eight main categories) if you have certain interests or information needs. I noticed the app, though a great idea, was also sort of glitchy in practice. Several times when I opened the side menu to view categories it froze, and had to be closed and re-opened. Another feature that would greatly improve the app is some sort of search system, perhaps by keyword or hashtag (#library would have been my first search, but was, sadly, not an option!). But, this app serves its purpose by putting tons of infographics right at your fingertips! I wish I had known about this app while we were running the contest-I had several people ask what an infographic even was, so it would have been great to whip this out and show, rather than just explain. It also could have served as inspiration for students considering entering the contest.
There was one lingering thought regarding info.Graphics...They provide all sorts of infographics, and invite users to share them via social media, but where do they come from? I wasn't able to find an "About" section or anything of the like to explain that....Hmmmm.....[tries to ignore copyright and related concerns....]
Overall (and I can't say I blame them!) there doesn't seem to be much you can do from a phone in terms of creating infographics. Its just not practical. Even viewing them can be a bit of a stretch (lots of zooming to view all the details). But-chalk up another reason for me to upgrade to an iPad! Many more creation and viewing options seem to be possible at the tablet size. Anyway, join me soon for another post-next time on Audio!
Thing 14-Videos!
We're on to Thing 14! But first-updates! I got an email the other day informing me that Springpad (used way back in Thing 5-Notetaking) is shutting down! I'm kind of bummed, as I had actually used that app several times after my report on Thing 5 wrapped up. They are offering export of data to Evernote though, so they aren't leaving users hanging.
Now-to the task at hand-Videos! I downloaded and used Vine and Magisto (both available for Apple and Android) for this thing. I had heard a lot about, and seen a few Vines prior to this thing, but had never seen or heard of Magisto.
Vine, like most apps, required an account for use. The purpose here is to create videos up to six seconds long. Six seconds sounds too short for just about anything, but honestly it seemed like an appropriate length once I got started. With the digital world and the immediacy of information, it seems our attention spans keep shrinking. I rarely just watch TV anymore, with undivided attention. Instead, I am reading on commercial breaks, playing games on my phone during the show, surfing the internet and catching up on email, playing with the dog-you name it. I just don't have the attention span to devote myself to TV, and nothing else. Vine, then, is genius because it only requires your attention in up to six second spans! Its perfect! If a picture says 1,000 words, a Vine can say so much more, without boring people like a longer YouTube video might! I can definitely see this app being great for libraries-it could be a great marketing tool (I'm picturing Vines posted to the library's Facebook, and think that would go over well!). Overall the was very easy to use. It could have been my internet connection, but I was sort of surprised that my short videos took several minutes to upload. One other thing I really enjoyed was scrolling through the video feed of popular Vines-not only were they entertaining, but it was great to see all the ways Vine can be used!
Magisto is more of a movie making too than a video taking tool, if that makes sense. It takes video clips and photos right from your own photo stream on your device and turns them into a movie (or perhaps I should say a "movie," as it isn't really a movie, but more of a video presentation). Magisto actually has an option to create an account or try it out as a guest, which is nice. Once you've chosen your login method, there is a four-screen slide show that describes some of the features. Then, as you begin to create your first movie, pop-ups guide you through each step. First, you choose your videos and photos (up to 10 in the free version), then your theme (there are 16, ranging from 'Summer' [bright and cheery with uptempo songs] to 'Country' [sepia and faded, with country songs]). You can also choose to add a song from your own library, which is awesome. Then, when you're set, you submit your movie for compiling. Mine took less than five minutes and was then ready to view and share. One major gripe, and a reason why I probably wouldn't use this app professionally, is that I used one video and 9 pictures in my movie, but it spliced up the video and put a clip there, then some pictures, then a clip there, and so on, in a random order that I couldn't choose. If I were going to use this professionally, I'd want to design that myself, not leave it up to fate. Beside that, it was a super easy to use app and has the added bonus in that you can control who sees the video-just you, everyone, certain people, etc. I'll definitely keep using it for my personal stuff, as it was fun and easy to use, but don't think I'd use it (at least not the free version) professionally.
That's all for videos, but stay tuned! I'll be posting about infographics shortly!!
Now-to the task at hand-Videos! I downloaded and used Vine and Magisto (both available for Apple and Android) for this thing. I had heard a lot about, and seen a few Vines prior to this thing, but had never seen or heard of Magisto.
Vine, like most apps, required an account for use. The purpose here is to create videos up to six seconds long. Six seconds sounds too short for just about anything, but honestly it seemed like an appropriate length once I got started. With the digital world and the immediacy of information, it seems our attention spans keep shrinking. I rarely just watch TV anymore, with undivided attention. Instead, I am reading on commercial breaks, playing games on my phone during the show, surfing the internet and catching up on email, playing with the dog-you name it. I just don't have the attention span to devote myself to TV, and nothing else. Vine, then, is genius because it only requires your attention in up to six second spans! Its perfect! If a picture says 1,000 words, a Vine can say so much more, without boring people like a longer YouTube video might! I can definitely see this app being great for libraries-it could be a great marketing tool (I'm picturing Vines posted to the library's Facebook, and think that would go over well!). Overall the was very easy to use. It could have been my internet connection, but I was sort of surprised that my short videos took several minutes to upload. One other thing I really enjoyed was scrolling through the video feed of popular Vines-not only were they entertaining, but it was great to see all the ways Vine can be used!
Magisto is more of a movie making too than a video taking tool, if that makes sense. It takes video clips and photos right from your own photo stream on your device and turns them into a movie (or perhaps I should say a "movie," as it isn't really a movie, but more of a video presentation). Magisto actually has an option to create an account or try it out as a guest, which is nice. Once you've chosen your login method, there is a four-screen slide show that describes some of the features. Then, as you begin to create your first movie, pop-ups guide you through each step. First, you choose your videos and photos (up to 10 in the free version), then your theme (there are 16, ranging from 'Summer' [bright and cheery with uptempo songs] to 'Country' [sepia and faded, with country songs]). You can also choose to add a song from your own library, which is awesome. Then, when you're set, you submit your movie for compiling. Mine took less than five minutes and was then ready to view and share. One major gripe, and a reason why I probably wouldn't use this app professionally, is that I used one video and 9 pictures in my movie, but it spliced up the video and put a clip there, then some pictures, then a clip there, and so on, in a random order that I couldn't choose. If I were going to use this professionally, I'd want to design that myself, not leave it up to fate. Beside that, it was a super easy to use app and has the added bonus in that you can control who sees the video-just you, everyone, certain people, etc. I'll definitely keep using it for my personal stuff, as it was fun and easy to use, but don't think I'd use it (at least not the free version) professionally.
That's all for videos, but stay tuned! I'll be posting about infographics shortly!!
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Thing 13-Presentations
Love 'em or hate 'em, presentations of varying degrees of formality are pretty commonplace in librarianship. This Thing looks at some apps that can be used to help create presentations. I scoped out two apps-Haiku Deck (Apple only) and Deck Slideshow Presentations (Apple and Android) for this thing.
Haiku Deck-Right after opening the app for the first time, there is a brief presentation about Haiku Deck (promotional more than informational). Then, as with anything else these days, you have to create an account to get started. Once you've done that, you'll see your "decks" (presentations). At this point, there is just one-"Meet Haiku Deck for iPhone." That is when I realized that Haiku Deck currently has limited functionality for iPhones. You can view decks but you cannot create or edit them on iPhones. Supposedly this ability is coming soon, but in the mean time if you try to click on the "+" to create a new deck, you are offered email links for the web version of Haiku Deck or a link to the iPad version of the app. I don't have an iPad, so I had to check it out online. For anyone familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint, Prezi, or any other slide-based presentation application its easy enough to use, even without a demo or tutorial. One really slick feature is the image search box. Pop in a search term, "beach" for example, and up pop a bunch of beach photos you can use in your presentation (of course you can also upload your own photos). Supposedly (hopefully) the images are all free, Creative Commons licensed images (more info here: https://haikudeck.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/202231193-Free-Images-Licensing-and-Commercial-Use), which is a GREAT feature. And, if you've typed some text onto a slide it might automatically find relevant images for you. For example, I created a slide that had the text "What about libraries?" on it, then clicked on the images button and it automatically searched for 'libraries' images for me! Neat! In my honest opinion (and in my limited user experience since I cannot use my phone to edit/create decks), that is the app's coolest feature. Overall, it was very easy to use and a fun alternative to the more commonplace PPT or Prezi. I will definitely keep this in mind next time I have a presentation, and hope for continued updates that bring more functionality to the iPhone app.
Deck Slideshow Presentations-This app does actually allow users to create and edit slideshows on their iPhones. It is simpler, doesn't require an account, and has no tutorial or anything upon start up. Its focus is on 'Twitter-like brevity" (from the Sample Deck that comes pre-loaded on the app)-it actually limits the number of characters each part of a presentation can have. This is great-many people put WAY too much text on their slides, then simply read the text...BORING. This app might help eliminate that problem. The app itself has a selection of 'professionally designed' themes-you choose the one you want, punch in your text and data, and you're good to go! Some (like Paper Planes) are fun, but could get old fast (imagine orange and grey paper planes unfolding and refolding, and flying across the screen to reveal your text...cool right? Only for so long, and only ONCE. Show the same group of people that same theme again and it loses its cool factor-in my opinion!). Anyway, most the themes are pretty nice and creating a deck is pretty simple-there is a very clean, easy to follow layout in the creation phase. There is also an option to create and input your own charts and graphs-Probably not ideal if you have a lot of data, but easy enough to use. Overall, this is a great app! Easy to use, really fast, and worth a download if you're looking for something fresh (note-you will have an ad message at the end of your presentations-"Effortlessly create unique presentations with Deck at deck.com" or something along those lines).
I haven't had to do a presentation that required a slideshow or anything of that nature for at least a year (when I finished grad school), but believe it or not-with these apps I'm sort of excited for the next opportunity to come up! Cheers!
Haiku Deck-Right after opening the app for the first time, there is a brief presentation about Haiku Deck (promotional more than informational). Then, as with anything else these days, you have to create an account to get started. Once you've done that, you'll see your "decks" (presentations). At this point, there is just one-"Meet Haiku Deck for iPhone." That is when I realized that Haiku Deck currently has limited functionality for iPhones. You can view decks but you cannot create or edit them on iPhones. Supposedly this ability is coming soon, but in the mean time if you try to click on the "+" to create a new deck, you are offered email links for the web version of Haiku Deck or a link to the iPad version of the app. I don't have an iPad, so I had to check it out online. For anyone familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint, Prezi, or any other slide-based presentation application its easy enough to use, even without a demo or tutorial. One really slick feature is the image search box. Pop in a search term, "beach" for example, and up pop a bunch of beach photos you can use in your presentation (of course you can also upload your own photos). Supposedly (hopefully) the images are all free, Creative Commons licensed images (more info here: https://haikudeck.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/202231193-Free-Images-Licensing-and-Commercial-Use), which is a GREAT feature. And, if you've typed some text onto a slide it might automatically find relevant images for you. For example, I created a slide that had the text "What about libraries?" on it, then clicked on the images button and it automatically searched for 'libraries' images for me! Neat! In my honest opinion (and in my limited user experience since I cannot use my phone to edit/create decks), that is the app's coolest feature. Overall, it was very easy to use and a fun alternative to the more commonplace PPT or Prezi. I will definitely keep this in mind next time I have a presentation, and hope for continued updates that bring more functionality to the iPhone app.
Deck Slideshow Presentations-This app does actually allow users to create and edit slideshows on their iPhones. It is simpler, doesn't require an account, and has no tutorial or anything upon start up. Its focus is on 'Twitter-like brevity" (from the Sample Deck that comes pre-loaded on the app)-it actually limits the number of characters each part of a presentation can have. This is great-many people put WAY too much text on their slides, then simply read the text...BORING. This app might help eliminate that problem. The app itself has a selection of 'professionally designed' themes-you choose the one you want, punch in your text and data, and you're good to go! Some (like Paper Planes) are fun, but could get old fast (imagine orange and grey paper planes unfolding and refolding, and flying across the screen to reveal your text...cool right? Only for so long, and only ONCE. Show the same group of people that same theme again and it loses its cool factor-in my opinion!). Anyway, most the themes are pretty nice and creating a deck is pretty simple-there is a very clean, easy to follow layout in the creation phase. There is also an option to create and input your own charts and graphs-Probably not ideal if you have a lot of data, but easy enough to use. Overall, this is a great app! Easy to use, really fast, and worth a download if you're looking for something fresh (note-you will have an ad message at the end of your presentations-"Effortlessly create unique presentations with Deck at deck.com" or something along those lines).
I haven't had to do a presentation that required a slideshow or anything of that nature for at least a year (when I finished grad school), but believe it or not-with these apps I'm sort of excited for the next opportunity to come up! Cheers!
Thing 12-Books, Books and MORE BOOKS!
Whew-its been a while but I'm back! Feeling refreshed after a long weekend and ready to finally type up my next blog post :) This time we tackle the arguable "meat and potatoes" of librarianship-books!
When I got my first iPhone about five years ago one of the first apps I downloaded was Free Books (available for Apple and Android). However, I didn't use it much. It provides access to thousands of eBooks, mainly public domain titles, but I quickly found that I just don't like reading eBooks on my iPhone screen-its just too little! So, after a few attempts, I eventually just deleted the app. In the future, if I get an iPad, I would almost certainly download it again, as it was an easy to use app and who doesn't love free books!
On a related note, for this Thing I also downloaded Audiobooks (Apple and Android). Audiobooks is pretty much the audio version of Free Books-Thousands of (mostly) public domain books in audio version! The app itself is great-books are listed by title, author, genre, popularity, even narrator (which I really like-I'm kind of picky about my narrators and when I find a good narrator I want to listen to everything they've done! This saves me a lot of steps of looking them up online, finding the titles they've recorded, then searching through the app for those titles). The app remembers where you are in a book and automatically resumes when you close and re-open the app. The main downfall is that (at least for the free version) you cannot download audiobooks-you can only stream them! This stinks for a few reasons. I have about a 30 mile commute to work-PERFECT for audiobooks, but not if I've got to stream them (I have very little data on my phone plan, since I typically have wifi access, and those overages are STEEP!). So unless I'm at home, its not very practical. Also, even if I am at home, I get nervous. I was out doing yard work and listening to some Dickens and kept checking my phone to make sure I was still in wifi range! But, I'll definitely keep the app as it did seem to have (based on the handful of titles I tried) good quality recordings, and sometimes I just feel like being read to rather than reading!
I'm not sure I'd really recommend either of these apps to patrons, due to their limitations. (Also, I still get a lot of patrons that don't have at home wireless internet, so streaming is more or less out). I suppose if they were tech savvy and particularly interested in something other than our own eBook/eAudiobook collections, I might mention these apps. I would certainly promote our collections before promoting either of the apps I used here, but they might be a good second option for someone looking for more.
When I got my first iPhone about five years ago one of the first apps I downloaded was Free Books (available for Apple and Android). However, I didn't use it much. It provides access to thousands of eBooks, mainly public domain titles, but I quickly found that I just don't like reading eBooks on my iPhone screen-its just too little! So, after a few attempts, I eventually just deleted the app. In the future, if I get an iPad, I would almost certainly download it again, as it was an easy to use app and who doesn't love free books!
On a related note, for this Thing I also downloaded Audiobooks (Apple and Android). Audiobooks is pretty much the audio version of Free Books-Thousands of (mostly) public domain books in audio version! The app itself is great-books are listed by title, author, genre, popularity, even narrator (which I really like-I'm kind of picky about my narrators and when I find a good narrator I want to listen to everything they've done! This saves me a lot of steps of looking them up online, finding the titles they've recorded, then searching through the app for those titles). The app remembers where you are in a book and automatically resumes when you close and re-open the app. The main downfall is that (at least for the free version) you cannot download audiobooks-you can only stream them! This stinks for a few reasons. I have about a 30 mile commute to work-PERFECT for audiobooks, but not if I've got to stream them (I have very little data on my phone plan, since I typically have wifi access, and those overages are STEEP!). So unless I'm at home, its not very practical. Also, even if I am at home, I get nervous. I was out doing yard work and listening to some Dickens and kept checking my phone to make sure I was still in wifi range! But, I'll definitely keep the app as it did seem to have (based on the handful of titles I tried) good quality recordings, and sometimes I just feel like being read to rather than reading!
I'm not sure I'd really recommend either of these apps to patrons, due to their limitations. (Also, I still get a lot of patrons that don't have at home wireless internet, so streaming is more or less out). I suppose if they were tech savvy and particularly interested in something other than our own eBook/eAudiobook collections, I might mention these apps. I would certainly promote our collections before promoting either of the apps I used here, but they might be a good second option for someone looking for more.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Thing 11-Library & Reference
This Thing mainly covers library mobile apps! I work for Anoka County Libraries and it is also my home library system, so I downloaded the ACL app for this Thing. Curiously, I didn't have the app before (if, for example, I needed to renew something I would use the link in the reminder email and it would open my account in my internet browser on my phone. I guess I didn't realize there was an app, or feel a great need to look for one). I did check out the reviews before downloading, and the main complaint I saw was that although it was a great app it was too slow. Always good to keep an eye out on what the users think of our products...
Upon downloading I did a few different things-placed some holds, looked things up in the catalog, some of the more common things patrons might use the app for. Interestingly, I was unable to renew materials using the app. I tried several titles that all were eligible for renewal and yet none would renew. We have had prior sporadic reports of the renewal feature not working on the app; I guess I caught it at a bad time! This does highlight a major problem with the app though-there was no error message to indicate my items DID NOT renew, I had to re-examine my account to determine they had not renewed on my own. Some patrons may not take this step and simply assume their items were renewed-this could of course lead to confusion, late fees, and upset patrons. Hopefully a permanent solution (or at least an error message of sorts!) can be found/created.
Anyway, back to the good! The ISBN lookup feature is really slick. It allows you to scan the barcode of a book and will then search the catalog automatically for that title! Handy for when you see a book of interest but wouldn't want to purchase the title yourself- just scan and request (provided ACL has a copy in its holdings-it doesn't let you request ILL using the scan feature). I also really like the Library Locator feature. It pulls data from your phone's GPS to determine how far you are from each of the ACL branches and can generate driving directions via Google Maps. Great feature, and it could very likely come in handy when patrons travel to and from branches to pick up materials (some prefer to pick them up themselves rather than have them delivered for various reasons).
I will agree with the reviewers about the app's speed. It is slow moving between screens and a speed boost could greatly improve the app's overall usability and the user experience with the app. Overall, though, it is a good app and easy enough to navigate. I would definitely recommended it to our patrons!
I also work at a small private academic library. As of yet, there is no app for the library. We do, however, (much like ELM, the Electronic Library for Minnesota) have a responsive webpage that automatically re-sizes itself to fit to whatever screen size you are using. Granted, that is pretty much the standard with web design these days, but its better than nothing at all!
Next time, we move onto what some would consider the meat and potatoes of libraries-Books, Books, and MORE BOOKS! Stay tuned :)
Upon downloading I did a few different things-placed some holds, looked things up in the catalog, some of the more common things patrons might use the app for. Interestingly, I was unable to renew materials using the app. I tried several titles that all were eligible for renewal and yet none would renew. We have had prior sporadic reports of the renewal feature not working on the app; I guess I caught it at a bad time! This does highlight a major problem with the app though-there was no error message to indicate my items DID NOT renew, I had to re-examine my account to determine they had not renewed on my own. Some patrons may not take this step and simply assume their items were renewed-this could of course lead to confusion, late fees, and upset patrons. Hopefully a permanent solution (or at least an error message of sorts!) can be found/created.
Anyway, back to the good! The ISBN lookup feature is really slick. It allows you to scan the barcode of a book and will then search the catalog automatically for that title! Handy for when you see a book of interest but wouldn't want to purchase the title yourself- just scan and request (provided ACL has a copy in its holdings-it doesn't let you request ILL using the scan feature). I also really like the Library Locator feature. It pulls data from your phone's GPS to determine how far you are from each of the ACL branches and can generate driving directions via Google Maps. Great feature, and it could very likely come in handy when patrons travel to and from branches to pick up materials (some prefer to pick them up themselves rather than have them delivered for various reasons).
I will agree with the reviewers about the app's speed. It is slow moving between screens and a speed boost could greatly improve the app's overall usability and the user experience with the app. Overall, though, it is a good app and easy enough to navigate. I would definitely recommended it to our patrons!
I also work at a small private academic library. As of yet, there is no app for the library. We do, however, (much like ELM, the Electronic Library for Minnesota) have a responsive webpage that automatically re-sizes itself to fit to whatever screen size you are using. Granted, that is pretty much the standard with web design these days, but its better than nothing at all!
Next time, we move onto what some would consider the meat and potatoes of libraries-Books, Books, and MORE BOOKS! Stay tuned :)
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Thing 10-Sharing Photos!
Hi all! Now that we've mastered taking and editing photos, its time to share them! For this Thing I initially decided to try out both photo sharing apps-Instagram and Snapchat. However, once I created a Snapchat and logged in, it seemed like very few of my contacts actually use Snapchat, so I didn't really have anyone to chat with. I will say, though, that the account creating and log in was very easy, and it seemed the the photo taking and sharing screen was also user-friendly and easy to figure out. I would try Snapchat in the future if more of my friends and contacts started using it.
I did, however, have good luck with Instagram! I logged in using my Facebook account, and that instantly showed me a list of Facebook friends who had Instagram whom I could follow (and who may follow me). I got logged in, followed some set-up steps of finding Facebook friends to follow, and was ready to go in a matter of minutes. I was pleased with the app's photo editing options (mainly filters, though there are a few more options). Even though I just downloaded all those fancy new cameras and editing apps for our last Thing, I found myself just using the default Instagram options just as frequently, and being pretty much just as pleased with the results.
Overall Instagram was very intuitive and easy to get started posting photos, liking other people's photos, and following people. I have a mix of friends and friend/professional acquaintances amongst my followers, and we all seem to share both work and non-work related photos. Right of the bat I can see Instagram being great for sharing ideas at conferences, from programs at libraries, of storytimes or crafts, and much more with librarian followers. From that standpoint, this app makes more sense to me for professional use-Snapchats disappear after so much time has elapsed (unless you snap a screen shot)-Instagram, however, seems more permanent, especially since hashtags are often used and can be searched. Granted, I didn't get to Snapchat, so perhaps I'm missing something there...
In any case, if I were ever to use Instagram heavily for work I would probably consider creating a second account, much like I would do for Pinterest. I'm sure my friends don't mind some library related pics, and my librarian friends don't mind some dog/cat/running shoe/food pics, but too much of one or the other may be a turn off. So, a possible separation of sorts may come into play at some point, but for now I'm just having fun snapping and sharing pictures with my followers!
Stayed tuned-next time we are shifting gears and moving on to Library and Reference related Things!
I did, however, have good luck with Instagram! I logged in using my Facebook account, and that instantly showed me a list of Facebook friends who had Instagram whom I could follow (and who may follow me). I got logged in, followed some set-up steps of finding Facebook friends to follow, and was ready to go in a matter of minutes. I was pleased with the app's photo editing options (mainly filters, though there are a few more options). Even though I just downloaded all those fancy new cameras and editing apps for our last Thing, I found myself just using the default Instagram options just as frequently, and being pretty much just as pleased with the results.
Overall Instagram was very intuitive and easy to get started posting photos, liking other people's photos, and following people. I have a mix of friends and friend/professional acquaintances amongst my followers, and we all seem to share both work and non-work related photos. Right of the bat I can see Instagram being great for sharing ideas at conferences, from programs at libraries, of storytimes or crafts, and much more with librarian followers. From that standpoint, this app makes more sense to me for professional use-Snapchats disappear after so much time has elapsed (unless you snap a screen shot)-Instagram, however, seems more permanent, especially since hashtags are often used and can be searched. Granted, I didn't get to Snapchat, so perhaps I'm missing something there...
In any case, if I were ever to use Instagram heavily for work I would probably consider creating a second account, much like I would do for Pinterest. I'm sure my friends don't mind some library related pics, and my librarian friends don't mind some dog/cat/running shoe/food pics, but too much of one or the other may be a turn off. So, a possible separation of sorts may come into play at some point, but for now I'm just having fun snapping and sharing pictures with my followers!
Stayed tuned-next time we are shifting gears and moving on to Library and Reference related Things!
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Thing 9- Taking & Editing Photos!
This is a Thing I have really been looking forward to! I have an iPhone, and they have pretty good cameras, considering its a cell phones, but I've been told that to really make the most of your photos you need to make use of apps. Despite this, I haven't really tried any, so this Thing gives me the perfect excuse to download and play away! I'm not currently in a position where I would use my photos for any sort of marketing for my libraries, but you never know when that may change. I initially decided to download and try three apps for this one-CamMe, Color Splurge, and LINE Camera. CamMe is available for Apple only while the other two are available for Apple and Android.
I tried LINE Camera first, but wasn't impressed. It looked like an app geared for children, and I'm not huge into the idea of adding bright text and frames to my pictures. So, I instead asked a budding photographer friend which camera app she uses on her iPhone, and she recommended Camera Awesome (available for Apple and Android). I downloaded that one and preferred it. It feels more grown up, and although there is no in-app tutorial upon start-up (as there so often is these days), it was easy to figure out. It offers filters, preset image-improving options, textures, cropping, and its "Awesomize" feature, which automatically adjusts images for you and takes the guess work out of adjusting all the levels individually. For me, it was just easier to figure out and use than LINE Camera.
Color Splurge, though not an app I'll use terribly frequently, was fun and easy to use and one that I'll definitely keep around. It allows you to make a photo gray-scale and then go back and colorize just the bits you want to pop! The app includes a getting started video, which surprising seemed to have no audio, but gets the job done regardless. I was able to watch the video, select, edit, and post my first photo to Instagram (from right within the Color Splurge app) in less than ten minutes. For the record, it was a shot of my friend and I running the Get Lucky 7k-wearing neon tutus! It turned out pretty neat! I'd always wondered how people did this in Photoshop, so I'm happy to have an app that replicates the effect easily! The other main feature is a re-coloring option (change reds to blues, for instant), but it looked too off and fake to me, I'll stick with the main feature of the app.
I also got CamMe, because who doesn't love a good selfie!? This app also begins with a quick video how-to that shows a young lady taking pictures of herself in the dressing room while trying on dresses. After the video shows you how the app works, you're off and running taking selfies! Its incredibly easy to use, and this app would be especially useful for taking group shots-simply wave rather than trying to figure out who has the longest arms/best angle to try to fit everyone into the frame (think Ellen at the Oscars...). The main problem I had was finding a stable surface that was at the appropriate height and getting my phone to stand on its own/finding things to prop it up with (although I do believe they make cases that work as stands as well).
Overall, a very fun Thing to play with! And-keep your eyes peeled for my post on the next Thing (number 10!), which will be following this post in the next day or two. Now that I've got all these great photos, its time to share them!
I tried LINE Camera first, but wasn't impressed. It looked like an app geared for children, and I'm not huge into the idea of adding bright text and frames to my pictures. So, I instead asked a budding photographer friend which camera app she uses on her iPhone, and she recommended Camera Awesome (available for Apple and Android). I downloaded that one and preferred it. It feels more grown up, and although there is no in-app tutorial upon start-up (as there so often is these days), it was easy to figure out. It offers filters, preset image-improving options, textures, cropping, and its "Awesomize" feature, which automatically adjusts images for you and takes the guess work out of adjusting all the levels individually. For me, it was just easier to figure out and use than LINE Camera.
Color Splurge, though not an app I'll use terribly frequently, was fun and easy to use and one that I'll definitely keep around. It allows you to make a photo gray-scale and then go back and colorize just the bits you want to pop! The app includes a getting started video, which surprising seemed to have no audio, but gets the job done regardless. I was able to watch the video, select, edit, and post my first photo to Instagram (from right within the Color Splurge app) in less than ten minutes. For the record, it was a shot of my friend and I running the Get Lucky 7k-wearing neon tutus! It turned out pretty neat! I'd always wondered how people did this in Photoshop, so I'm happy to have an app that replicates the effect easily! The other main feature is a re-coloring option (change reds to blues, for instant), but it looked too off and fake to me, I'll stick with the main feature of the app.
I also got CamMe, because who doesn't love a good selfie!? This app also begins with a quick video how-to that shows a young lady taking pictures of herself in the dressing room while trying on dresses. After the video shows you how the app works, you're off and running taking selfies! Its incredibly easy to use, and this app would be especially useful for taking group shots-simply wave rather than trying to figure out who has the longest arms/best angle to try to fit everyone into the frame (think Ellen at the Oscars...). The main problem I had was finding a stable surface that was at the appropriate height and getting my phone to stand on its own/finding things to prop it up with (although I do believe they make cases that work as stands as well).
Overall, a very fun Thing to play with! And-keep your eyes peeled for my post on the next Thing (number 10!), which will be following this post in the next day or two. Now that I've got all these great photos, its time to share them!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Thing 8-Social Media Management
Hello, hello! We're back again with social media management tools! The idea with these tools is that you can input all your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and so on) and it will allow you to manage (post, view updates, etc.) all of them simultaneously as opposed to having to log into each social media site separately.
For this app I chose to use Cloze, as I liked its concept most and it seemed most relevant to me. One of their slogans is “With Cloze people come first, everything else is secondary.” That said, their main feature is that the app prowls through your email and social media accounts to find out who you interact with most. It assigns your friends and contacts a closeness score, and puts those with the higher scores at the top of the pile. That means that when you log into Cloze, your contacts with high scores will have their posts, pictures, emails etc. visible to you first, as opposed to a date/time order.
It sounded good, but didn't pan out so well in reality. The app did have an in-app walk through that came up the first time I signed in, but it was very brief and after it was over I still had no clue what to do or what was what! I found some more information online, and evenutally got used to playing with Cloze. However, as it turns out, I'm really not a fan of the main concept of the app.
The "key people" only feeds were just sort of repetitive, and not really that targeted to me. For example, a "key person's" friend has a birthday and they wish them a happy birthday on Facebook. That post wishing them a happy birthday then shows up in my feed, even though I am not mutual friends with the birthday boy/girl. Such a post as that one is not really relevant to me, and a waste of screen space. Plus, I realized I like seeing the random posts/tweets/whatever from people I vaguely know, as well as from my loved ones! I'd rather just scroll all the way through my Facebook feed, and my email, and my Tweets and see everything.
Beyond my general dislike of the concept (which sounded good on paper but just didn't work out for me), the app also has some strange quirks. For instance-I frequently send myself email reminders-links to check up on later, a reminder to get a piece of mail out in the morning, etc. So, I popped up as an important person on my Cloze news feed, meaning I saw all my own tweets, posts, emails, updates, and the like on my feed. This was redundant and a waste of feed space, and I couldn't figure out a way to completely delete myself as a "key person" (perhaps it can be done, but not intuitively).
Overall, I'm just not a fan of this one. Its a good concept, and would probably work very well for some people, but just not for me! You win some, you lose some!
For this app I chose to use Cloze, as I liked its concept most and it seemed most relevant to me. One of their slogans is “With Cloze people come first, everything else is secondary.” That said, their main feature is that the app prowls through your email and social media accounts to find out who you interact with most. It assigns your friends and contacts a closeness score, and puts those with the higher scores at the top of the pile. That means that when you log into Cloze, your contacts with high scores will have their posts, pictures, emails etc. visible to you first, as opposed to a date/time order.
It sounded good, but didn't pan out so well in reality. The app did have an in-app walk through that came up the first time I signed in, but it was very brief and after it was over I still had no clue what to do or what was what! I found some more information online, and evenutally got used to playing with Cloze. However, as it turns out, I'm really not a fan of the main concept of the app.
The "key people" only feeds were just sort of repetitive, and not really that targeted to me. For example, a "key person's" friend has a birthday and they wish them a happy birthday on Facebook. That post wishing them a happy birthday then shows up in my feed, even though I am not mutual friends with the birthday boy/girl. Such a post as that one is not really relevant to me, and a waste of screen space. Plus, I realized I like seeing the random posts/tweets/whatever from people I vaguely know, as well as from my loved ones! I'd rather just scroll all the way through my Facebook feed, and my email, and my Tweets and see everything.
Beyond my general dislike of the concept (which sounded good on paper but just didn't work out for me), the app also has some strange quirks. For instance-I frequently send myself email reminders-links to check up on later, a reminder to get a piece of mail out in the morning, etc. So, I popped up as an important person on my Cloze news feed, meaning I saw all my own tweets, posts, emails, updates, and the like on my feed. This was redundant and a waste of feed space, and I couldn't figure out a way to completely delete myself as a "key person" (perhaps it can be done, but not intuitively).
Overall, I'm just not a fan of this one. Its a good concept, and would probably work very well for some people, but just not for me! You win some, you lose some!
Friday, March 21, 2014
Thing #7-Content Saving & Sharing
Back again, this time with content saving and sharing! The idea behind this Thing is getting easy access to things we find and want to save on the internet. This things hits close to home-I used to have a beautiful collection of bookmarks, organized into folders, on my browser on my main personal computer. I had bookmarks for professional information, hobbies, sites I frequented in grad school, you name it. Then my laptop died a horrible death, had to be completely wiped and restored to factory settings. And I lost Every. Single. One. Of. My. Beautiful. Bookmarks. And what's worse is that since I had them bookmarked I didn't really even pay attention to what the actual web address was, so I haven't been able to recover most of them. *sigh*
The content saving and sharing tools we looked at in this section (Pinterest and Bitly) could have saved me from losing my bookmarks, as they store your content on the cloud, so to speak, making it accessible from pretty much any internet connected device. I chose to create a Pinterest account because just a few weeks ago a coworker had told me she keeps both a personal and professional Pinterest account and has found it to be a great professional tool. She works in a public library with adults, young adults, and children and uses her Pinterest for everything from ideas for story-time and crafts to book clubs and collection development.
I decided to follow my coworker's lead and create a Pinterest for work-related ideas and information. I'm part time academic reference librarian and part time public library substitute, so I love having the ability to create an unlimited number of boards for various aspects of public vs. academic librarianship. The app is very user friendly and it is easy to search for, pin, and organize things. It was also easy to transition back and forth between web and mobile versions of Pinterest, though I suppose one would expect that from such a popular entity. I can also see how collaborative and social this app could be-I ran into the pins of several professionals I know from around the country while perusing the pins! Overall, I'd have to say I'm really enjoying using Pinterest. I've pinned books I'd like to read, statistics, cool library spaces, and much more. Its been a fun and new (to me) way to engage in the professional field.
I'm going to end by sharing another cloud bookmarking tool called Delicious that I learned about in grad school (delicious.com, also available as an app for Apple and Android) (and yes, I do realize that had I adopted it back then I would not have lost all my bookmarks on my recent computer crash. Hindsight...always 20/20). You can bookmark online resources and add your own tags to them to help you describe, organize, and find them (what librarian wouldn't love that?!). Similar to Pinterest, Delicious lets you ‘follow’ other users and the user’s public resources and tags become viewable by their followers. Another plus-you can choose to make resources and tags private, which can be tricky to do on other services like Pinterest. It would another great tool for workplace collaboration. Cheers!
The content saving and sharing tools we looked at in this section (Pinterest and Bitly) could have saved me from losing my bookmarks, as they store your content on the cloud, so to speak, making it accessible from pretty much any internet connected device. I chose to create a Pinterest account because just a few weeks ago a coworker had told me she keeps both a personal and professional Pinterest account and has found it to be a great professional tool. She works in a public library with adults, young adults, and children and uses her Pinterest for everything from ideas for story-time and crafts to book clubs and collection development.
I decided to follow my coworker's lead and create a Pinterest for work-related ideas and information. I'm part time academic reference librarian and part time public library substitute, so I love having the ability to create an unlimited number of boards for various aspects of public vs. academic librarianship. The app is very user friendly and it is easy to search for, pin, and organize things. It was also easy to transition back and forth between web and mobile versions of Pinterest, though I suppose one would expect that from such a popular entity. I can also see how collaborative and social this app could be-I ran into the pins of several professionals I know from around the country while perusing the pins! Overall, I'd have to say I'm really enjoying using Pinterest. I've pinned books I'd like to read, statistics, cool library spaces, and much more. Its been a fun and new (to me) way to engage in the professional field.
I'm going to end by sharing another cloud bookmarking tool called Delicious that I learned about in grad school (delicious.com, also available as an app for Apple and Android) (and yes, I do realize that had I adopted it back then I would not have lost all my bookmarks on my recent computer crash. Hindsight...always 20/20). You can bookmark online resources and add your own tags to them to help you describe, organize, and find them (what librarian wouldn't love that?!). Similar to Pinterest, Delicious lets you ‘follow’ other users and the user’s public resources and tags become viewable by their followers. Another plus-you can choose to make resources and tags private, which can be tricky to do on other services like Pinterest. It would another great tool for workplace collaboration. Cheers!
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Thing 6-Creating and Editing Docs!
Moving right along to thing number 6! This time around we are looking at apps you can use to create and edit documents. This is something I'd never really done on my iPhone, aside from within the notes applications. That said, I decided to give Quickoffice a try.
Quickoffice is an app available for both Apple and Android that lets you create and edit Microsoft Office documents, spreadsheets and presentations and can, if you have a Google account, save your work in Google Drive (note-you also need to download the Google Drive app on your device, if you do not already have it for full functionality). Of course if you'd like to work on documents on multiple devices you'll have to save them in Google Drive as opposed to a thumb drive or something of that nature and remember to always save them on Google Drive. I'm traditionally a thumb drive kind of gal myself (there are literally five different thumb drives in my work bag) so that took getting used to.
Like most apps these days there is a bit of a walk-through to acquaint users with the app and how to best use it after you create your account. Its a pretty good guide, and gives enough information to get you started but not so much as to bore or overwhelm.
I did a few things for my trial. First, I accessed a folder of recipes that have been shared with me by a friend. I edited one and added a comment and it worked beautifully. I also like that I now have easy access to the folder-I would much rather use my iPhone (as opposed to a laptop) when I'm trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.
I also created a trial document. It was easy to create a new document, and the various features of the app are pretty easy to use. One grudge-every time I wanted to change a setting (alter font, indent, bullet points, you name it) it took several keystrokes (screen taps?)-one to hit "done" so the keyboard would go away, which then revealed the settings menu, then a few more to get to the proper setting. Not a big deal, but it slows the process down a bit compared to using a traditional laptop. This problem may be resolved on larger devices with more screen space. Another thing I noticed is that when I had to delete something the app lagged quite a bit. More than once I deleted way more than I needed to because there was a substantial delay between pressing the backspace button on my keypad and something actually being deleted on screen. Not a major issue, but a small annoyance. Overall creating and saving a document, and making various layout/font changes was quite easy. When I opened my document in Word on a regular computer it looked great.
All in all, I will say that, for my taste, the iPhone is just too small to do in-depth work on a document. Don't get me wrong, the app is user friendly and easy to navigate, I just don't like doing such detailed work on such a small screen! I could see myself using this app very frequently if I got an iPad.
I'm definitely going to keep this app as it could be a lifesaver in a pinch. I also like the collaborative features and the ability to make and track changes amongst multiple users (so long as everyone uses Google Drive). I was somewhat surprised to see advanced features like that one in the app, but pleasantly so!
Quickoffice is an app available for both Apple and Android that lets you create and edit Microsoft Office documents, spreadsheets and presentations and can, if you have a Google account, save your work in Google Drive (note-you also need to download the Google Drive app on your device, if you do not already have it for full functionality). Of course if you'd like to work on documents on multiple devices you'll have to save them in Google Drive as opposed to a thumb drive or something of that nature and remember to always save them on Google Drive. I'm traditionally a thumb drive kind of gal myself (there are literally five different thumb drives in my work bag) so that took getting used to.
Like most apps these days there is a bit of a walk-through to acquaint users with the app and how to best use it after you create your account. Its a pretty good guide, and gives enough information to get you started but not so much as to bore or overwhelm.
I did a few things for my trial. First, I accessed a folder of recipes that have been shared with me by a friend. I edited one and added a comment and it worked beautifully. I also like that I now have easy access to the folder-I would much rather use my iPhone (as opposed to a laptop) when I'm trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.
I also created a trial document. It was easy to create a new document, and the various features of the app are pretty easy to use. One grudge-every time I wanted to change a setting (alter font, indent, bullet points, you name it) it took several keystrokes (screen taps?)-one to hit "done" so the keyboard would go away, which then revealed the settings menu, then a few more to get to the proper setting. Not a big deal, but it slows the process down a bit compared to using a traditional laptop. This problem may be resolved on larger devices with more screen space. Another thing I noticed is that when I had to delete something the app lagged quite a bit. More than once I deleted way more than I needed to because there was a substantial delay between pressing the backspace button on my keypad and something actually being deleted on screen. Not a major issue, but a small annoyance. Overall creating and saving a document, and making various layout/font changes was quite easy. When I opened my document in Word on a regular computer it looked great.
All in all, I will say that, for my taste, the iPhone is just too small to do in-depth work on a document. Don't get me wrong, the app is user friendly and easy to navigate, I just don't like doing such detailed work on such a small screen! I could see myself using this app very frequently if I got an iPad.
I'm definitely going to keep this app as it could be a lifesaver in a pinch. I also like the collaborative features and the ability to make and track changes amongst multiple users (so long as everyone uses Google Drive). I was somewhat surprised to see advanced features like that one in the app, but pleasantly so!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Thing 5-Notetaking
Hello again!
Today I'm posting on Thing 5-Notetaking! In the past, it never really occurred to me that there were apps dedicated to notetaking. iPhones come standard with a 'Notes' app, so I've always just used that for my notes. I've got recipes, goals, to-do lists, movies and TV shows I'd like to watch, and so on. However, all the notetaking apps seem to have many advantages over the traditional Apple 'Notes' app in that they are much more flexible and you can do much more with them.
I chose to use Springpad, available for Apple and Android, because it seemed to be one of the most versatile apps. Indeed, upon setup I saw there are 8 templates for different types of notes that you can use within the app: recipes, for later, tasks, work project, quick notes, books, movies, and home improvement.
Unfortunately, the app wasn't as flexible as I'd have wanted. For example, I took several years of American Sign Language while in college, and recently I've been considering making it a goal to practice at least two hours each week, just to keep the rust off. I thought the "Tasks" portion of the app would be perfect for this goal-I could go in and check it off as I get my two hours done each week. Well, there was no way to create on-going tasks or add elements such as time requirements. I'd have to add a new task for practicing ASL manually each and every week, for each hour I intended to practice. Not worth the time investment, in my opinion.
I have, in the week or so that I've had the app, used it several times to take quick notes-a trial code for a new website, things of that nature. I already track recipes in another app, so I haven't used that feature. Another feature I've not used, but see great potential for (especially in the library) is the ability to collaborate. You can, for example, create a task-list of things that need competing for a project, then multiple users can access it and check things off as it gets done. This could be extremely useful when working on projects with coworkers at the library. Rather than a long chain of emails, a physical checklist, or any other alternative means of tracking progress, the app would allow easy access for multiple users to check off, and keep track of tasks! I love this idea and will definitely keep the app in mind in the future!
On a related note-another way I frequently "take notes" with my phone is by simply taking a picture of something. Imagine seeing a flyer for an upcoming event at the library-instead of copying all the information down in a notetaking app, why not just snap a picture? It takes much less time, and then you have your own copy of the original thing! And, if you snap a photo rather than taking a copy of a flier, you're reducing waste. Then, once the event or whatever it may be is over, you simply delete the photo. I actually have shared this tip with a few patrons before, and their reaction is typically something along the lines of, "Why didn't I think of that?!" In a world where we always have our phones with us, and they all come with pretty darn good cameras, it makes sense!
Today I'm posting on Thing 5-Notetaking! In the past, it never really occurred to me that there were apps dedicated to notetaking. iPhones come standard with a 'Notes' app, so I've always just used that for my notes. I've got recipes, goals, to-do lists, movies and TV shows I'd like to watch, and so on. However, all the notetaking apps seem to have many advantages over the traditional Apple 'Notes' app in that they are much more flexible and you can do much more with them.
I chose to use Springpad, available for Apple and Android, because it seemed to be one of the most versatile apps. Indeed, upon setup I saw there are 8 templates for different types of notes that you can use within the app: recipes, for later, tasks, work project, quick notes, books, movies, and home improvement.
Unfortunately, the app wasn't as flexible as I'd have wanted. For example, I took several years of American Sign Language while in college, and recently I've been considering making it a goal to practice at least two hours each week, just to keep the rust off. I thought the "Tasks" portion of the app would be perfect for this goal-I could go in and check it off as I get my two hours done each week. Well, there was no way to create on-going tasks or add elements such as time requirements. I'd have to add a new task for practicing ASL manually each and every week, for each hour I intended to practice. Not worth the time investment, in my opinion.
I have, in the week or so that I've had the app, used it several times to take quick notes-a trial code for a new website, things of that nature. I already track recipes in another app, so I haven't used that feature. Another feature I've not used, but see great potential for (especially in the library) is the ability to collaborate. You can, for example, create a task-list of things that need competing for a project, then multiple users can access it and check things off as it gets done. This could be extremely useful when working on projects with coworkers at the library. Rather than a long chain of emails, a physical checklist, or any other alternative means of tracking progress, the app would allow easy access for multiple users to check off, and keep track of tasks! I love this idea and will definitely keep the app in mind in the future!
On a related note-another way I frequently "take notes" with my phone is by simply taking a picture of something. Imagine seeing a flyer for an upcoming event at the library-instead of copying all the information down in a notetaking app, why not just snap a picture? It takes much less time, and then you have your own copy of the original thing! And, if you snap a photo rather than taking a copy of a flier, you're reducing waste. Then, once the event or whatever it may be is over, you simply delete the photo. I actually have shared this tip with a few patrons before, and their reaction is typically something along the lines of, "Why didn't I think of that?!" In a world where we always have our phones with us, and they all come with pretty darn good cameras, it makes sense!
Friday, February 28, 2014
Thing 4-Keeping up!
Hi again!
We are on to Thing #4-Keeping Up! This thing is all about effectively managing all various news sites and blogs you visit via RSS, or really simple syndication. Imagine you visit multiple news sites, blogs and the like each day. RSS tools can be used to bring the latest posts to you all in one location, rather than you having to visit each site each day (or several times a day), to see if there is something new. It puts the information right at your fingertips (or on your phone, as it were), saving you time and energy!
I'll admit that while I'm well aware of RSS and what it does, and have been for several years, I've never used it. Call me old fashioned, call me crazy, but I sort of enjoy waking up, sipping my cup(s) of coffee, and visiting all my favorite sites and blogs each morning.
But alas, 23 Things is not about sticking with what you already know, it is about trying and exploring new things! So, I chose to download Flipboard, an RSS app that is free and available for both Apple and Android.
You must first create an account, then the app lets you choose a few basic topics you'd like to see in your Flipboard newsfeed-news, sports, and the like. Then you are offered some subtopics-if you choose news, you might see subtopics like travel, fashion, food, politics, and more. Once you've selected some options, you see your initial Flipboard, and from there you can add your own favorite sites (social network, news sites, blogs, you name it!).
The main feature of this RSS tool in particular that sets it a bit apart is the creation of what they call "Magazines." You can create a magazine called "Dream Vacations," for example and then add items (articles) to your magazine related to your dream vacations. If you're familiar with Pinterest, its somewhat similar to pinning things to a themed board. You can then flip through the pages of articles you've saved like you would flip through the pages of a magazine.
I used this app to follow both personal and professional sites and blogs. Visually, I like the layout and how organized everything looks. Scrolling through the latest posts on a news site, for example, is easy and enjoyable, but if you want detailed information you have to click to see the full story, which takes you to another page.
In the end, I don't think I'll be using this app (or any like it) very extensively in the future. I'd rather just look at each site one at a time, as I have in the past. RSS feeds just aren't for me. However-there is one exception to that statement: I like the idea of using them at work. Imagine working at a reference desk...sometimes you have a few spare moments. Flipboard would be great to use then, to catch up on the latest professional news, as you can quickly glimpse all the latest headlines, and even make a magazine of things to read up on more fully at a later time. So, perhaps I'll keep my account going, if only for professional information.
Next time I post we'll be on to Thing 5-Notetaking! Stay tuned!
We are on to Thing #4-Keeping Up! This thing is all about effectively managing all various news sites and blogs you visit via RSS, or really simple syndication. Imagine you visit multiple news sites, blogs and the like each day. RSS tools can be used to bring the latest posts to you all in one location, rather than you having to visit each site each day (or several times a day), to see if there is something new. It puts the information right at your fingertips (or on your phone, as it were), saving you time and energy!
I'll admit that while I'm well aware of RSS and what it does, and have been for several years, I've never used it. Call me old fashioned, call me crazy, but I sort of enjoy waking up, sipping my cup(s) of coffee, and visiting all my favorite sites and blogs each morning.
But alas, 23 Things is not about sticking with what you already know, it is about trying and exploring new things! So, I chose to download Flipboard, an RSS app that is free and available for both Apple and Android.
You must first create an account, then the app lets you choose a few basic topics you'd like to see in your Flipboard newsfeed-news, sports, and the like. Then you are offered some subtopics-if you choose news, you might see subtopics like travel, fashion, food, politics, and more. Once you've selected some options, you see your initial Flipboard, and from there you can add your own favorite sites (social network, news sites, blogs, you name it!).
The main feature of this RSS tool in particular that sets it a bit apart is the creation of what they call "Magazines." You can create a magazine called "Dream Vacations," for example and then add items (articles) to your magazine related to your dream vacations. If you're familiar with Pinterest, its somewhat similar to pinning things to a themed board. You can then flip through the pages of articles you've saved like you would flip through the pages of a magazine.
I used this app to follow both personal and professional sites and blogs. Visually, I like the layout and how organized everything looks. Scrolling through the latest posts on a news site, for example, is easy and enjoyable, but if you want detailed information you have to click to see the full story, which takes you to another page.
In the end, I don't think I'll be using this app (or any like it) very extensively in the future. I'd rather just look at each site one at a time, as I have in the past. RSS feeds just aren't for me. However-there is one exception to that statement: I like the idea of using them at work. Imagine working at a reference desk...sometimes you have a few spare moments. Flipboard would be great to use then, to catch up on the latest professional news, as you can quickly glimpse all the latest headlines, and even make a magazine of things to read up on more fully at a later time. So, perhaps I'll keep my account going, if only for professional information.
Next time I post we'll be on to Thing 5-Notetaking! Stay tuned!
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Thing #3...Utilities!
I'm back after a bit of a reprieve! I got caught up in a stint of working 12 days in a row, and just didn't have the time or energy to think about the 23 Things. Now that that's done, and I've had a few days to recover and get caught up on all the other errands that got set aside, I'm back and we're on to utilities!
Thing three is all about utilities-all the little things you can use your mobile device for to make life that much easier.
The first utility app recommended on the official 23 Things page is a QR code scanner. When I got my first smart phone about four years ago a QR code scanning app was the first thing I downloaded. QR, or quick response, codes were just going mainstream around the time I got my first iPhone, and I was anxious to be in on the trend. While there were initially high hopes for their use (in libraries and in general), it seems their popularity has since dropped off. Still a handy app to have (and there are many free ones to choose from), as I do see QR codes popping up occasionally.
Hands down, my favorite utility app is the flashlight app. It is now a built in feature as of the latest iOS update, but an app version offers some different options like strobe etc should that be of interest. I cannot tell you how often I use the flashlight. Probably every day, whether its to search under the couch for lost dog toys, illuminate the area under a workstation at the library, find an elusive cooking pan in the cabinets-you name it.
I also use the calculator frequently. I'm not a math whiz, so its usually faster and easier for me to just open up my calculator app and do the math in there, rather than trying to work it out in my head or on paper.
I'm not entirely sure that this counts as a utility, but I don't necessarily see a place for it in any of the other 20 things that remain, so we'll cover it here...the Dictionary app! I have the Dictionary.com app and love it. I am a bit strange in that while I have a fairly large vocabulary (kudos to being a reader and taking the GRE for that), I am usually terrible at describing what a word means to someone when asked, even if I know what it means. I don't know why, it has just always been that way. The dictionary.com app gives me concise, easy to look up definitions. It also has a feature that lets you play a proper pronunciation of the word in question. They also do a Word of the Day-usually relatively uncommon words, to help boost your vocabulary. Plus, I use it way more than I would ever use a standard dictionary-whenever I happen upon a new word in a book, when a friend asks what a certain word means, and even during Scrabble and other word games when alternate spellings are questioned.
Those are my favorite utility apps! Stick around as I'll soon be posting about thing 4-Keeping up!
Thing three is all about utilities-all the little things you can use your mobile device for to make life that much easier.
The first utility app recommended on the official 23 Things page is a QR code scanner. When I got my first smart phone about four years ago a QR code scanning app was the first thing I downloaded. QR, or quick response, codes were just going mainstream around the time I got my first iPhone, and I was anxious to be in on the trend. While there were initially high hopes for their use (in libraries and in general), it seems their popularity has since dropped off. Still a handy app to have (and there are many free ones to choose from), as I do see QR codes popping up occasionally.
Hands down, my favorite utility app is the flashlight app. It is now a built in feature as of the latest iOS update, but an app version offers some different options like strobe etc should that be of interest. I cannot tell you how often I use the flashlight. Probably every day, whether its to search under the couch for lost dog toys, illuminate the area under a workstation at the library, find an elusive cooking pan in the cabinets-you name it.
I also use the calculator frequently. I'm not a math whiz, so its usually faster and easier for me to just open up my calculator app and do the math in there, rather than trying to work it out in my head or on paper.
I'm not entirely sure that this counts as a utility, but I don't necessarily see a place for it in any of the other 20 things that remain, so we'll cover it here...the Dictionary app! I have the Dictionary.com app and love it. I am a bit strange in that while I have a fairly large vocabulary (kudos to being a reader and taking the GRE for that), I am usually terrible at describing what a word means to someone when asked, even if I know what it means. I don't know why, it has just always been that way. The dictionary.com app gives me concise, easy to look up definitions. It also has a feature that lets you play a proper pronunciation of the word in question. They also do a Word of the Day-usually relatively uncommon words, to help boost your vocabulary. Plus, I use it way more than I would ever use a standard dictionary-whenever I happen upon a new word in a book, when a friend asks what a certain word means, and even during Scrabble and other word games when alternate spellings are questioned.
Those are my favorite utility apps! Stick around as I'll soon be posting about thing 4-Keeping up!
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Thing Two-Mobile Tips and Tricks!
Thing two is all about getting better acquainted with your mobile device of choice.
I'll be using my iPhone 5c (my favorite color blue, if you must know!) throughout this process. I actually just got the phone a few weeks ago, and good thing I did! I was previously using an iPhone 4, so "old" and "outdated" that there weren't even and links or information provided for the 4.
I had already seen the official Apple iPhone 5c tips and tricks (http://www.apple.com/iphone-5c/tips/) linked in the challenge. As I recall, my cell phone carrier linked me to those when I first got my 5c so I breezed through them then.
As a digital native, paired with the fact that I'd already spent some time getting to know my phone and that many of my friends also have the same or similar phones using the same operating system, I figured I really wouldn't learn anything in the Thing. However, I should not have jumped to conclusions as I did learn several useful things!
One trick that will come in handy is how to view time stamps from text messages. I've got a few group texts that run continuously, and if I'm away from my phone for a while playing catch-up can be tricky. A timestamp would be useful, so I can know how recently something was sent.
I also liked the compass trick that was shown. By swiping over the compass the app turns your phone into a leveler (picture the air bubble in the water on a ruler [is there a better name for this device?] that helps you level art you're hanging on the wall, for example). Even though I don't think I'll use it much, its nice to know its there.
The only trick I wasn't previously familiar with from the 15 (More)... web page (http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/iphone-more-tips-tricks/) was the Find Word Or Phrase within a Web page trick. I use that fairly frequently on laptop or desktop computers, but hadn't realized I could duplicate the trick on my iPhone! Awesome! I think this one will be a time saver.
The rest of the tips I either already knew about or really weren't relevant to me (there were a few Twitter tips, for example, but I'm really not much of a tweeter). I think its definitely worth mentioning here, though, that these "Things" can benefit more than just me-they can benefit my patrons and coworkers too. More than once a patron has come in with a mobile device that for some reason they can't get to function properly...knowing all these little tips and tricks can be hugely helpful. Its always good to learn something new and have a refresher on things you already know!
However, now that we've got the basics out of the way, I'm excited to move onto our next thing-Utilities! Stay tuned for my next post...
I'll be using my iPhone 5c (my favorite color blue, if you must know!) throughout this process. I actually just got the phone a few weeks ago, and good thing I did! I was previously using an iPhone 4, so "old" and "outdated" that there weren't even and links or information provided for the 4.
I had already seen the official Apple iPhone 5c tips and tricks (http://www.apple.com/iphone-5c/tips/) linked in the challenge. As I recall, my cell phone carrier linked me to those when I first got my 5c so I breezed through them then.
As a digital native, paired with the fact that I'd already spent some time getting to know my phone and that many of my friends also have the same or similar phones using the same operating system, I figured I really wouldn't learn anything in the Thing. However, I should not have jumped to conclusions as I did learn several useful things!
One trick that will come in handy is how to view time stamps from text messages. I've got a few group texts that run continuously, and if I'm away from my phone for a while playing catch-up can be tricky. A timestamp would be useful, so I can know how recently something was sent.
I also liked the compass trick that was shown. By swiping over the compass the app turns your phone into a leveler (picture the air bubble in the water on a ruler [is there a better name for this device?] that helps you level art you're hanging on the wall, for example). Even though I don't think I'll use it much, its nice to know its there.
The only trick I wasn't previously familiar with from the 15 (More)... web page (http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/iphone-more-tips-tricks/) was the Find Word Or Phrase within a Web page trick. I use that fairly frequently on laptop or desktop computers, but hadn't realized I could duplicate the trick on my iPhone! Awesome! I think this one will be a time saver.
The rest of the tips I either already knew about or really weren't relevant to me (there were a few Twitter tips, for example, but I'm really not much of a tweeter). I think its definitely worth mentioning here, though, that these "Things" can benefit more than just me-they can benefit my patrons and coworkers too. More than once a patron has come in with a mobile device that for some reason they can't get to function properly...knowing all these little tips and tricks can be hugely helpful. Its always good to learn something new and have a refresher on things you already know!
However, now that we've got the basics out of the way, I'm excited to move onto our next thing-Utilities! Stay tuned for my next post...
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
So begins 23 Mobile Things! Part One-Blgging and Registering
Hi all!
My name is Olivia and I'm a 2013 MLS graduate of IU Indianapolis. I'm currently working in both public and academic libraries in Minnesota, so I get to experience the best of both worlds! This blog was set up as part of the requirements for the the Minnesota multitype library systems' 23 Mobile Things program. Over the next few months I'll be blogging about my experience trying out a wide variety of mobile apps! Hope you enjoy! :)
Olivia
My name is Olivia and I'm a 2013 MLS graduate of IU Indianapolis. I'm currently working in both public and academic libraries in Minnesota, so I get to experience the best of both worlds! This blog was set up as part of the requirements for the the Minnesota multitype library systems' 23 Mobile Things program. Over the next few months I'll be blogging about my experience trying out a wide variety of mobile apps! Hope you enjoy! :)
Olivia
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