Knowledge Handler

Information Sources & Information Sifting Techniques

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Location: Independence, Ohio, United States

I am a retired librarian, most recently serving at Indiana Wesleyan University's Cleveland Education Center.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Edutainment

Toni Fuhrman tells about Edutainment apps crafted at Georgia Regents University.   The University made a substantial commitment of resources to allow mobile apps to be developed by University staff, providing rapid development of apps relevant to student needs. The University library does list third-party apps which meet students research needs.

-DD

 

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Developing Contacts Though Networking Events

Samantha Cole shares research which indicates business networking events are stressful for those seeking connections.

-DD

 

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Monday, September 29, 2014

Mobile Phone Espianage

steve Ragan warns about rogue cellphone towers which intercept users' calls.   According to Ragan, "rogue interceptors are a huge risk if used by a malicious actor. That's because once a device connects to them, the interceptor's operator can perform a number of tasks, including eavesdrop on calls or text messages, or in some cases push data (spyware for example) to the device." Ragan suggests products which might help users who require a high level of security in their position.

-DD

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Sunday, September 28, 2014

Mobile VOIP

Patrick Nelson writes how mobile phones are now being designed to automatically do voice calls over an available WiFi connection . Colin Neagle raises concerns that such VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) traffic will swamp corporate networks.

-DD

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DuckDuckGo vs. Google Search

Derek Walter recommends the metasearch engine DuckDuckGo.com for greater user privacy. Walter notes that

DuckDuckGo's search results come from its own crawler (named DuckDuckBot, of course) and over 100 different sources, such as Yandex, Wolfram Alpha, and Bing. You can also take the search engine mobile with its apps for iOS and Android.

Walter also recommends using the ZoHo Docs word processor and spreadsheet for privacy reasons.

-DD

 

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Saturday, September 27, 2014

Lens-Less Cameras

Peter Thibodeau discusses the potential of lensless cameras to allow cameras to be everywhere. By placing the entire camera on a chip, the cost becomes pennies. The article shows how the current generation of lens-less camera provides a grainy view sufficient to recognize general characteristics of an individual, but not to depict fine features.

-DD

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The Physically Active Have Healthier Brains

Burzynska et. al report that "Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Are Beneficial for White Matter in Low-Fit Older Adults ." Their research shows a correlation between excise throughout the day and brain health. Older adults who had a one-hour exercise session each day had more brain lesions than those who are physically active throughout the day.

Michael Potts provided a summary of this research in his announcement "Sitting Too Long Counteracts Cognitive Benefits of Exercise in Older Adults." This summary suggests to me that sitting may be an occupational hazard to the brains of knowledge workers.

In my own life I have noticed a tendancy to 3 o'clock drowsiness which responds better to a brisk walk than caffeinated beverages. Perhaps my body is trying to encourage me to exercise.... -DD

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Friday, September 26, 2014

Mobile VOIP

Bryan Lunduke explains how "How Google Is Helping Me Live a Cellphone-Free Life ."   The article offers valuable tips for using Google Voice and Google Hangouts to reduce reliance on Skype for communicating without a cell phone.

However, Lunduke's earlier article "How I Live Cellphone Free in a Cellphone World" indicates that his VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) solution only works because he used a mobile hotspot device from a cellphone company to provide the data connection he needs when away from open WiFi hotspots.   Thus Lunduke may be able to use a tablet in place of a cellphone plan, but his outdoor connectivity still relies on a mobile data provider.

-DD

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Civility in the Air

Stephanie Rosenbloom wrote a New York Times article on air rage - losing one's temper while on an airplane voyage. She suggests that the crowded cabins and competition for stowage areas have erased the sense of community which once existed among travelers, leaving passengers feeling isolated and without control. She proposes that airline attendants engage in community-building announcements or activities to promote a cooperative spirit.

Some of the same techniques may be used by teachers to keep students civil during a long class session.

-DD

 

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Thursday, September 25, 2014

Chip and Pin Card Weaknesses

Patrick Nelson warns that "Chip Enabled Bank Cards Won't Stop Theft ." Nelson cites a BBC report on British thieves who updated the software on credit card terminals to forward the chip and PIN credentials to a colleague in the Philippines. The chip helps keep data secure, but is not a perfect solution to Internet theft.

-DD

 

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Break Time Is Necessary

Lisa Evans says knowledge workers should take more breaks .

-DD

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Wednesday, September 24, 2014

IBM's Watson

Joab Jackson reports that IBM's Watson technology may someday replace spreadsheets as the default tool for analyzing data.

-DD

 

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Tuesday, September 23, 2014

The High Cost of Disengagement

Jim Harter shares the results of Gallop research into the effect of allowing employees to check work email after work hours. Workers who were completely engaged with their work (a minority in most firms) did not find checking email from home and vacation stressful. Disengaged workers did.

-DD

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Accessibility in the Digital Age

Michael Stratford covers the concerns raised by disability rights groups over campus technology or information content which is inaccessible to some students.

-DD

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Monday, September 22, 2014

Inconsistency in Meta-Analysis

Higgins, Thompson, Deeks & Altman wrote a short paper on "Measuring Inconsistency in Meta-Analysis ."

-DD

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Work Areas

Mark Gibbs provides photos of a dozen desks of IT personnel .

-DD

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Sunday, September 21, 2014

The Future of Customer Service

Trendwatching.com has released a report entitled: "The Future of Customer Service ."

-DD

 

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Saturday, September 20, 2014

Disk Storage Management

Corey Sandler explains "How to Free Up Disk Space on Your Computer

." -DD

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Friday, September 19, 2014

eHistory.org

Franklin University hosts eHistory.org , where a number of universities are sharing digital history presentations.

-DD

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Logic Errors Which Plague Research

A summary of Christopher Labos' article about errors in the medical literature appears here .

-DD

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Thursday, September 18, 2014

Interview Questions

Liz Ryan offers "Smart Answers to Stupid Employment Interview Questions ." She also provides a link to smart interview questions she developed.

-DD

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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Gmail Contacts and Content Backups

Mark Gibbs shares tips for contact list restoration and email content backup .

-DD

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Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Tech Humor in 2014

Phil Johnson uses cartoons to illustrate the year's technical issues.

-DD

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Monday, September 15, 2014

Employment Interview

Mary K. Pratt provides a list of questions to ask at your next job interview .

-DD

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Is Bad Grammar a Sign of a Scammer?

James A. Martin observes that bad grammar is a sign you may be communicating with a scammer.

-DD

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Gamification

Successful Meetings recented published Ten Guidelines for Gamification Succcess .

-DD

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Sunday, September 14, 2014

Conference Call Antics

Tom Kaneshire notes crazy things people do during conference calls .

-DD

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Thursday, September 11, 2014

Website Creator's Checklist

Mark Gibbs shares a checklist of 28 things to check before launching your Website .

-DD

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Monday, September 01, 2014

Email That Gets Read

Anna Codrea-Rado suggests better email practices .

-DD

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