Tech

My opinions on all things tech related

There are 271 posts filed in Tech (this is page 16 of 28).

Retrievr

Via TechCrunch, I stumbled across Retrievr yesterday.

Sketch something in the white box, and Retrievr will do its best to find Flickr pictures of what you drew. My results were a bit mixed, as you can see in the screenshot to the left (click for a larger version). With my amazing art skills, I drew a picture-perfect (ha) rendition of a tree. The site did its thing – lo and behold, the first result is a picture of a tree! Unfortunately, nowhere near all of the results are trees. But there are a couple, and some of the rest are sort of vaguely tree-looking. I got similarly apt results when attempting to draw a santa hat.

Obviously, the service has a while to go yet. But I’m excited! I experimented with examples of similar retrieval methods in grad school, but none were as effective as I’ve found Retrievr to be. Sometimes finding images with keywords just doesn’t cut it – this sort of graphical search has a lot of potential.

One year down, many to go

I am a sucker for year-end wrapup entries. I won’t go all out as much as I have in the past, but felt like putting a few thoughts down.

What was my life about this year? In a word: change. A second related word would be travel. And I’ll throw in community as a third.

I started 2005 one third through grad school. I had just started blogging in the last week of December ’04, and had no idea how it would steer my life in ’05. I’m a bit proud of myself for sticking to it all year. And, I have no plans to give it up any time soon.

So I went to class, I worked, I saw friends, and I blogged. Then, on Jan 27th (aren’t giant e-mail repositories fun to search through?) I sent an E-mail to Michael of TameTheWeb, introducing myself. I wish I could remember how I found his site, but it was the first library-related blog I read. Through him and links on a few other librarian blogs, I slowly stepped into the blogosphere. I read alot about the Computers in Libraries conference, and somewhere along the way I learned about the possibility of student discounts. So I found out details, signed up, and flew off to DC. There I met great people and made connections. For the first time I realized how much of an asset my background in computers could be to a library. I returned to Pittsburgh and went back to class, my head spinning.

Sometime later in the spring, I was asked to bring a student perspective to a panel of librarian bloggers at the ALA annual conference in Chicago in June. Again taking advantage of student prices, I attended. While there, I thought why not check out the job placement center? I talked to half a dozen employers that I never would have otherwise. That led to two job offers, one of which I gladly accepted.

Thus began the great cross-country (well, North to South anyway) driving expeditions. My Dad met me in Pittsburgh, and we drove to Huntsville. Spent most of a week picking out an apartment. Things looked bleak for a while, but I ended up with a beauty! We returned northward. A few weeks later, I drove back South on my own with a Subaru packed full of my worldly belongings.

I settled in, but not for long. The Last Call Poker ARG picked up pretty soon after my arrival, and I ended up flying to DC and driving to Atlanta for related live events. God bless Independence Air and their amazing sales! Unfortunately they’re due to go out of business next week, but I still highly recommend the airline.

Earlier this month I returned to Chicago for the Gaming in Libraries conference. There I reunited with people I’d met all year, at conferences and in games and online.

At the beginning of 2005, I told myself that I had to make sure to go to one new place this year. I did a bit better than that:
-DC (outside of the standard touristy stuff)
-Chicago (x2)
-Everywhere between Rochester, NY and Huntsville, AL
-Huntsville (outside of Space Camp)
-Atlanta

Not too bad for someone just starting out, if I do say so myself.

But the most amazing part is that none of it would have happened without blogging and communities from online games. I had zero awareness of conferences I could go to before I started blogging and reading blogs. I never would have made the effort to go to CiL or ALA otherwise. But the library blogger community drew me in. Similarly, the community of Last Call Poker and Alternate Reality Games in general had me hooked. I watched for affordable travel deals that I never would have kept an eye out for on my own, and ended up knowing people when I got off the plane or stepped out of my car. A year ago, my world was New York and Pennsylvania. Throw in my dispersing college and high school associates: Now I’ve got friends and colleagues all over North America, with the financial ability to go visit them.

What’s next?

Google and Yahoo – Together at Last?

Gmail added a feature recently where “web clips” show up along the top of your Inbox. Really, these are headlines pulled from various RSS feeds.

As I was checking my mail tonight, I noticed something odd. Take a look at this screenshot.

Notice where the web clip comes from? The new Ask Yahoo service. Apparently Google selected this Yahoo feed as one of their defaults.

I wonder what the thought process was behind the decision to promote their rival’s new service.

Speaking of Gmail, I’ve been meaning for a while now to update my contact info for, well, pretty much everyone I know. If there’s any info you’d like me to have (e-mail, phone, mailing address, IM name, etc), send me an e-mail to the address you can see in the top right area of the screenshot.
I’m so sneaky.

X-Play Vidcast

Despite my general feelings about the G4 network, which is supposedly devoted to video game programming after rising from the premature ashes of TechTV, it still has one show worth watching: X-Play.

X-Play is simply a video game review show. A heavy dose of cheesy (but mostly well done) humor and obscure references help it stand out. The show isn’t perfect, but hosts Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb have helped me discover a game or two that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Despite the outward trappings, the reviews really do identify the cream of the crop pretty accurately. They aren’t afraid to call a game crap if that’s what it is. I’ve really been missing the fact that G4 isn’t part of my cable lineup on Knology just for this one show. Not enough to pay extra for it, but still.

Anyway, to the point. You can now get downloadable vidcasts of their reviews! The show’s official site has a link on the left side to the feed in iTunes as well as generic rss feeds for your app of choice. Each review is nicely segmented into its own file.

This was a great surprise to end my day on.

DDR Advice for Libraries

A number of fellow attendees at Gaming in Libraries were asking me questions about Dance Dance Revolution. What console to get it for, what dance pads, etc. Now I’m not nearly as well versed on the topic as someone like Eli and the other presenters. But, here’s my two cents from the player’s perspective.

For starters, get yourself a Playstation 2. It has the widest variety of DDR games available, and can also play versions designed for the Playstation 1. Each game has a different song set, and after a while you’ll probably want to move on to a new one.

However, do not buy the Playstation 2 off of Ebay or the like. The small bit of money you’ll save is outweighed by the risk of never receiving the system and being unable to verify its condition prior to purchase. If you’re looking to start out low budget, borrow one. Odds are that a library employee, one of their kids, or one of your kids’ friends has one. Explain to the owner of the system what it will be used for, and I’ll bet they’ll be more than willing to help out. Trust me: Nothing lights up an accomplished DDR player’s eyes like the prospect of group play.

If successful, invest in your own new system. They’re $150, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the price drops in the next six months.

Buying used games, though, is probably ok. And in the case of older versions of DDR it may be your only option. Check out your local Electronics Botique or Gamestop and browse their pre-played selection. I’ve never had a problem with a used game not working, and stores usually take them back if there’s a major issue (just be sure to ask before buying).

Lastly, the dance pads. If you really, really need to keep the budget low the first time out, try the $15-$20 foldable pads you’ll find in any video game store. But, I guarantee they will fall apart and/or stop registering steps correctly before long. The next step up are inch-thick foam pads such as this one. $99.99 each. I have this one personally, and like it a lot. But again, eventually they will break down under the pressure of sustained group play.

In the end, for long term use you’ll be best served by the Cobalt Flux hard metal pads that Eli uses. They’re on sale a bit at the moment, $569.99 for two. An investment yes, but it will pay off in the long run. And players will love you for it. Oh, whatever style of pad you decide on – make sure you’re buying it for the correct console.

Hope that helps.

Remote Desktop

With flashy Web 2.0 applications popping up left and right, my favorite new tech tool is a little closer to home:

Plain old Windows Remote Desktop.

If you haven’t heard of it, remote desktop allows you to control a computer at a distance online. Other than a slight delay in accepting commands, it works just like using windows. The desktop of the remote PC shows up on the one you’re using.

Sure, it isn’t perfect. I wish I could drag and drop files between computers when logged in remotely. But for basic productivity, remote desktop is a lifesaver. When I’m at the reference desk and things are slow, I work on projects that require my office computer. When I’m at my office PC and need to reference travel plans on my computer at home, I can do that too. Of course, I have to plan ahead and leave the computer on that I’m trying to access.

During the Gaming in Libraries conference, I needed to get some information from e-mail stored on my work computer. I sent an e-mail from my laptop to the co-worker I share an office with. She pushed the power button on my PC, and voila! Full remote desktop access to a computer in Alabama from Chicago.

Maybe I’m easily amazed, but we do live in amazing times.

AIM Tip of the Day

I learned today that AOL Instant Messenger can send text messages to US phones.

Just send an IM to the phone number, including area code, with a +1 in front of it. So for example: +1(123)456-7890.

When the recipient replies, that shows up right in the IM window.

Neat! Might save me a bit of money, given that Verizon charges 10 cents per message sent or received.

Google and Your Patrons

When: Friday, November 18 2005 11:00 AM
Where: Calhoun Community College, Huntsville AL
More Information: http://www.dupagepress.com/COD/index.php?id=981
My Role: Attendee
Today I attended a teleconference put on as part of the “Soaring to Excellence” series of talks. “Google and Your Patrons” featured Steven Bell, with a brief phone appearance by Mary Ellen Bates.

I’ve done a bit of poking around Google on my own, and honestly didn’t expect to pick up much from the talk. Thankfully, I was proven wrong! Bell hammered on the point that while Google isn’t everything, if we dismiss it out of hand then we also dismiss our patrons who have come to depend on it.

Instead, why not show them how to use Google more effectively? I’ll take any teachable moment I can get. Make it clear that Google has limitations. As the patron (or student) gets to know Google better, point out features of library databases and other resources that will enhance and extend their search.

Beyond the central themes, I also picked up on a number of smaller items.
–Google Ride Finder points out where taxis currently are in selected cities
–Thumbshots and Dogpile have great visual methods of comparing what multiple search engines return.
-I’d forgotten the syntax for Open Worldcat results in Google: search for “Find in a library” as a phrase, along with what you’re looking for.

In the end, Bates and Bell both emphasized the need for balance. Show patrons that while there is Google, there is also more. Let them make their own conclusions.