Windows Tools

Brad Chacos reveals obscure Windows tips and settings which allow the user more control of the environment.

-DD

The Objects That Are Part of the Internet of Things

Jim Duffy defines what qualifies as a "thing " in the Internet of Things.

-DD

Obsolete Technologies

Jake Widman presents obsolete technologies and their replacements.

-DD

Chrome Productivity Apps

Brian Nadel compiles a list of fifteen Chrome OS Productivity Apps that Work Offline

. -DD

RSS and Blogtrottr

Mark Gibbs recommends Blogtrottr for sending blog or website RSS notifications to your email.

-DD

Base

Base is a database of free academic resources.

-DD

Ethics in the Library

University of Toronto students produced a video on "The Ethical Responsibilities of Librarians ." Privacy is of such a concern that at my workplace, library credentials are only shared via secure university issued email accounts.

-DD

 

Adobe Digital Index Shows Chrome Is Browser Leader

According to Adobe's Digital Index, Google Chrome now has more market share than Microsoft Internet Explorer . Adobe's Digital Index appears to be a useful source of trends that affect online marketers.

-DD

Future of the Book

Ilan Stevens muses on the future of the printed book as a means of distributing knowledge.

-DD

Virtual Reference Service

Rutgers Professor Marie Radford has a YouTube post about virtual reference service .

I serve as a reference librarian equipped with chat technology such as described by Dr. Radford. However, with a student body of perhaps 10,000 students, most prefer to use email or the telephone to communicate, not a service where they must type in a chat box. After perhaps six months of using the chat service, we rarely get one chat request in a day. With such sporadic use it is hard to justify keeping someone at a desk where they would wait for a chat query.

Another problem with chat service is that the synchronous typing back and forth is very s-l-o-w. This limitation makes it suited for quick answers such as the library hours, but not for the type of interview a librarian wants to hold with a serious researcher.

An ethical issue with typed chat clients is that authentication is not required to promote ease-of-use. This means that the librarian really does not know who they are chatting with, and thus cannot ethically release information such as library account numbers, information about books on loan, etc., over the chat stream. So if any of these common requests appear, the chat has to be aborted and an email sent.

In summary, chat offers a mode of service that is appreciated, but in no way does it replace the phone, email, or personal visit to the library.

-DD

 

Data Analytics Need Improvement

According to Michael Cooney, DARPA is seeking more robust data analytics to cope with the surges of data being introduced by new technologies.

-DD

Android Business Apps

Andrew Vacca shares "Eleven Tools for Android Road Warriors ." These include an assortment of calendars, conference calling, and messaging apps.

-DD

Implications of Digital Rights Management on the Web

Chris Minnick muses "Can Digital Rights Management and the Open Web Coexist?"

-DD

 

Review of Google Drive

According to Woody Leonhard, "Google Drive Leads in Features, but Lags in Ease-of-Use ." Leonard provides links to companion reviews to competitor online products such as Microsoft Office and Apple's iWork

, -DD

Augmented Reality in Retail

Jack Miners writes about the role of augmented reality in online and onsite retail sales. The new technology allows people to view how purchased items might be used in their homes.

-DD

Operating Systems On A USB

Jared Newman has written " Have Operating System, Will Travel: How to Run Virtual Machines from a Flash Drive ." Newman notes that running the alternate operating system requires administrative privileges, which may limit the use of Portable Virtual Box to a geek's home lab.

-DD

Windows PC Maintenance Tips

Jon L. Jacobi of PC World shares how to do all the needed maintanance to keep your Windows 7 or 8 system functioning normally.

-DD

Students Without Technology and Flipping the Classroom

Robert Talbert addresses the digital divide in his series of posts dealing with skepticism toward the flipped classroom .

-DD

TrueCrypt Abandoned by Its Creators

Ellen Messmer reports that the open-source security tool True Crypt was suddenly abandoned by its secretive creators. The creators are reported to have sent a message to the open source community stating that "Using TrueCrypt is not secure as it may contain unfixed security issues." Messmer reports that the abandonment of TrueCrypt leaves computer users with no free alternative for encypting files.

This episode highlights the lack of accountability or support for some open source products. My recommendation would be to limit freeware or open source purchases to those with contact information to a responsible party, just as I would want an author listed for data I was going to rely upon.

-DD

Data Brokers

The United States Federal Trade Commission has just released a report on data brokers . The report calls for the United States Congress to pass legislation to require more accountability and transparency from these firms.

Grant Gross has summarized the 110 page report in a Network World article.

-DD

New Apps

Bob Brown recommends "Twenty-Five Cool Cloud, Security and Mobile Apps ."

-DD