Wikitude is amazing

Find information about the world around you using Wikitude. You let it find your current location and then displays will be populated with information about the restaraunts, cafes, events, sights, even ATMs found from your current position. Maps can be used immediately, flickr photos, even tweets.

ALD App now Available

The ALD App can now be downloaded to your smart phone!
Type in ald.boopsie.com into your web browser and install. It is my understanding that the app will be promoted in a much larger way to the public at a later date. Currently, the app is in a "soft opening" phase for staff and anyone who manages to find it on their own.
Have fun. It is pretty cool.

How to strip hidden formatting in WORD

A patron called me over to help him with a document in WORD that he was working on. He wanted to know how to change the grammar and spell checker to perform in English, not Spanish. I was somewhat puzzled, because, of course that is the default and we could not seem to modify the proofing option to change that. Plus – he claimed that he did not change it himself, but that the computer application was somehow set up incorrectly. I found Daisy and she worked with him as well. Turned out he had copy/pasted a paragraph from a website and that the settings from that site carried over into his document. They found an option to remove formatting and that fixed it. Another option is to copy/paste into notepad first, then into WORD. Notepad will strip formatting. I did further research on that issue and found that if you select the newly copied text and use CTRL + SPACEBAR, the formatting will be stripped. Another option, which seemed to remove most of the formatting is MORE under the Styles group on the Home tab – there is an option to “clear formatting”.

Know The Operating System Extensions

Did you know that when you save a file the computer adds a three letter extension to the name you give the file.
The extensions tell the computer what program to use to open a file.
These are some common file extensions:
Extension Program that opens it
.doc Microsoft Word
.xls Microsoft Excel
.pub Microsoft Publisher
.ppt Microsoft PowerPoint

Some file extensions used on the internet tell you what kind of file something is:
Extensions What it probably is
.htm A Web Page
.gif A Graphic or Animation
.jpg A Photo or Image
.png A Photo or Image.
.mpg A Movie or Animation
.pdf A Portable Document File
.mp3 A Sound or Music File

Shopping with Apps

Consumer Reports listed several apps to download to your smart phone to help you find the best prices for the item you are shopping for.  For instance-PriceGrabber-will tell you who is sellig what you are looking for at the best price, including tax and shipping fees.  Another App is Foursquare-finds your location and tells you deals at stores, restarants and theaters.  If you are a traveller Kayak will compare prices on flights, car rentals and hotels.  These are just a few of the Apps you can use.  To see more of the Apps check out the December 2011 issue of Consumer Reports.

Donate retired Cell Phones

If a patron ask where can I donate my old cellphone. They can Donate old Cellphones for our Soldiers.( find a drop-off site at CellphonesForSoldiers.com; they'll be loaded with prepaid minutes) so troops can call home.

What's the first book in this series?

We're often asked where a series starts or what's the next title. A lot of you oldtimers are probably familiar with KDL What's Next but maybe some of the new staff have yet to discover it. It's put out by Kent District Library, kdl.org - Books& More - Popular Links. You can do a search by author, title or series. It's not just for adult titles, Harry Potter is in there just in case you've forgotten the order. Don't forget to click on the printer friendly feature so you can print it and give it to the patron! Bookmark it, you'll be glad you did.

Have you heard this iBand?!

May I be the first to wish you Happy Holidays with this tech iBand playing Feliz Navidad on ipads, iphones and musical apps galore! Click here.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcexJQM-8W0

Google Music

Google has a music program called Google Music. Google Music is a cloud-powered music player and storage service that lets you keep your music collection online so you can save space on your Android device or iphone/ipad. Just download the Google Music app. Music is purchased or can be found for free via the Android Market (music from EMI, Sony, Universal and other small record companies). You can also upload your music from itunes. There is no syncing. You can listen to you music on any computer (unlike itunes) since this program uses cloud technology. CD's can be burned from this program, and music can be shared with anyone via Google+. For more information visit music.google.com

Website for comparing E-Readers & PC's

I found a website that compares all tablet PC's including the new Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. This website tabletpccomparison.net is very handy to show patrons who want to compare the newest E-Readers that are out. This website also shows other PC's that are available to shoppers this holiday season.

Respect curriculum site: Operationrespect.org

Peter Yarrow (Peter,Paul & Mary) was speaking, singing and promoting his new book about Puff the Magic Dragon at the Tattered Cover in early Nov. It was great fun to relive the days of Puff, but Peter wants us to know that the song's message is about the feeling of caring for another creature. This led him to his main focus of the evening which was his anti-bullying organization he founded in 1999. It is called Operation Respect and there is a wonderful website for it called www.operationrespect.org
It is a non-profit organization working to assure each child & youth a respectful, safe and compassionate climate of learning where their academic, social and emotional development can take place free of bullying, ridicule and violence. There are several good links for parents, kids and educators with downloads for curricula files and many songs. He feels this is a wonderful for anyone who works with or cares about children as well as all of us who interact with others.

Pinterest.com: New social media and bookmarking website

Instead of bookmarking websites only by web address, Pinterest.com uses visual bookmarking. Pinterest.com allows you to share things that you're interested in with friends and strangers, but also keeps your personal information private, showing only your chosen photo and username to Pinterest members. It gives you the option to connect with your friends from Facebook, Twitter, or email. When using www.Pinterest.com, you "pin" your chosen visual bookmarks to a "board", which is how you organize the things that you're interested in. Your boards can be labeled any way you choose, and you caption each of your pins however you'd like. There is also the option to search different pin categories, such as Food and Drink, Humor, or Fitness, and "repin" any items you find interesting to your boards. This is a fantastic tool that our patrons might really enjoy, because it essentially takes a person's Favorites bar from their computer and puts it in a place that is easy to access from any location that has internet access. It gets rid of the need for different folders for different interests (recipes, organization ideas, crafts, etc). And overall, it's fun!

CELL PHONE BATTERY

I read in PC World Magazine some tips to extend the battery life of your cell phone. 1. Turn the brightness of your screen down to the lowest setting that you can.  2. Turn off Wi-Fi when you are not using it,  3. Turn off the Vibrate feature-this uses a lot of battery power.  4. If you use the GPS feature to help you find addresses, to map out routes for you, or to find movie theatres or eateries shut it off and just turn on when you need to use this feature. 5. If your screen stays lit up for an extended period of time after sending or receiving change the time in your display settings menu.  6.  If any of these tips do not help your battery life you can buy an extended battery.  I have tried a couple of these tips and find that I do not have to charge the battery quite as often.

Changing Print Size

Often a patron is frustrated when the print job won't fit onto just 1 page. Go to print preview and click on 'shrink to fit'. Choose the % you want, then re-check print preview to make sure the job isn't going onto a 2nd page.

To make the print larger for whatever reason, select View and experiment with larger and largest. If that still isn't large enough, select View again and experiment with the Zoom function which has a variety of percentage increments. My patron was amazed that it could be adjusted until he could read it. This is especially helpful for vision impaired patrons who just want to be able to read their email, etc.

30 web sites

PC World, in its December 2011 issue, published an article entitled, "30 Sites You Should Be Using Right Now." The web sites are related to dining, education, finance, health, music, productivity, and travel. The two that I actually plan to use are google.com/flights and airfarewatchdog.com, both of which let users find low air travel prices. I am also interested in runkeeper.com, which allows users to keep track of mileage and pace on-line, and localeats.com, which help find local restaurants in foreign cities (no national chains allowed!). I might recommend khanacademy.org or oyc.yale.edu to patrons looking to further their knowledge. According to the article, the Khan Academy offers short videos covering many different subjects, especially mathematics and sciences, and Open Yale Courses is a collection of "videos of lectures originally intended for undergrad Yale students." What are your favorites?

can't hear?

Janet and I discovered that I need to adjust the volume on the BLACK screen of the computer I use in order to hear anything while I am on my remote desktop.

The Onion apps

For those of you with iPhones or iPod Touches: The Onion has a free app that you can download! You may now enjoy satire anywhere you are. Cinema fans may like the A. V. Club app, which allows you to "take the latest reviews, news, trailers, and interviews with you wherever you go," according to the blurb on the Apple web site.

Puff the Magic Dragon

Dear rascal Puff has made it all the way from the land of Honalee to digiland. To accompany the release of the beloved Folk Song in pop-up book format, there is now an app for Puff the Magic Dragon. The charming interactive app for children is available for purchase on Apple (iPad, iPhone, iTouch) and Android devices. Children can enjoy the interactive experience in 3 different formats: "Sing to Me", "Read to Me"or "Read Myself". The app was demonstrated last Friday evening at the Tattered Cover (Highlands Ranch) by Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary fame) during an author presentation. Go to www.sterlingpublishing.com/digital to view the app.

Apple Filing May Signal Focus On Disability Market

I lifted this article from disabilityscoop.com.

By SHAUN HEASLEY September 6, 2011

Apple appears to be taking steps to make its popular tablet and smartphone devices more user-friendly for people with disabilities who are unable to use touch screens. In a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made public this month, the technology giant said it is seeking to patent a method for connecting its products to accessories that could act in place of the touch screen. This may allow people to control Apple products in the future by using devices like a joystick or by doing something as simple as blowing into a straw.

In recent years, Apple’s iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices have been overwhelmingly popular among people with disabilities who use text-to-speech and other types of applications to replace traditional, costly assistive technology. However, since the products all use touch screens, some with dexterity issues and visual impairments have had trouble with the devices.

The patent application may suggest that Apple is looking to eliminate this hurdle.

Microsoft Translator

Now, with a single click, you can translate any webpage in any language with Microsoft Translator. Simply install the Microsoft Translator as a bookmark, and you can easily change the language of any webpage with one click. This is a pretty cool tool I think will help with some of our patrons who prefer to read newspapers, articles, etc in their native language.

PDF Crowd

PDF Crowd is a really cool website you can use to translate web pages, email coupons, and more into PDF files to make them easier to print. A patron showed this tool to me, and it works great. Give it a try if you have a pesky webpage that just won't print nicely.

Move Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar in Word (undo, forward and save buttons) is located in the top left hand corner by the Microsoft Office Button. The toolbar can be moved by clicking the arrow to the right of the toolbar. It can be moved above or below the ribbon. You can also customize items on your Quick Access Toolbar using the drop down menu that comes up when you click the arrow.

safety on the internet

These are website that have information to stay safe on the internet.

http://onguardonline.gov/index.html
This site provides some practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help people guard against online fraud and protect personal information.

http://www.safekids.com/
They advertise themselves as a "Family Guide to making the Internet and technology fun, safe and productive." Try this site for more detailed information about protecting kids on the internet.

http://www.be-cyber-safe.com/
Be Cyber Safe is a good overview of the dangers that are out there for kids while they are online. It's full of information and links to additional resources. Definitely a good site to check out.

What is CLEL?

To read more about some of the concepts discussed at Staff Development Day, in particular information on early literacy for families and kids, visit the CLEL website (Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy) CLEL.ORG. I like it so much, it’s on My Favorites Bar.
Their Mission:
All children deserve the joy of reading and the skills in life that literacy brings. Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy is passionately committed to strengthening children’s literacy through library services and community advocacy.
On this website you can find (among other items):
• Early Literacy Services
• CLEL Blog
• Every Child Ready to Read info
• Info on the Clel 12

Change Case of Letters in Word

A patron had a problem with one line only coming up as capital letters in a Word document. We went to the top and found Change Case or Aa.
When you click on that you will get a couple options to go to Sentance Case; Lower Case; or Upper Case. Click the option that you want and that will change the letters to whatever case is appropriate for your document in Word.

Free remote access and remote desktop sharing @TeamViewer.  Need help troubleshooting?  This is a possible solution.  Other similar sites:

Logmein
Metafilter
Aardvark

The App Gap

This NYTimes article calls to mind the All Staff Day presenter who'd talked about the importance of reading to infants and how that determines their future success. Looks like it's not just reading anymore. Scientists now say that there is an "app gap" between affluent children who are exposed to computers and iPads (i.e. mobile education games) from an early age and low socioeconomic children who are not (i.e. just television). Over half of affluent families will download apps for their children to play with, while more than a third of low-income parents don't even know what an 'app' is. This can set a child even further behind when they are expected to know how to use computers for research and typing essays in school. It looks like along with the problem of reading gaps in children, we need to be concerned about a technology 'app gap' as well.

Adult Literacy

I'm often asked by patrons about English language classes. I tell them what we have available through the District. I recently read an article in Your Hub about an organization, The Learning Source. They've been in operation since 1964. They provide English classes with reading, writing and math instructions. The organization might also serve patrons who are looking for volunteer opportunities in the community. They provide training. More info can be found on their website, coloradoliteracy.org.

ShoeBox App

Clear out the actual old shoebox of treasured old paper photos with this new smartphone app. This free app allows you to use the iPhone's camera as a photo scanner. An Android version will be coming soon. The app lets users crop, rotate, date and tag photos to share with friends through ShoeBox or Facebook. The photos are also stored on www.100memories.com which is the website of the startup behind ShoeBox.

Apps Against Abuse

On Tuesday, November 1, 2011, Vice President Joe Biden announced the winners to the “Apps Against Abuse” challenge he'd launched this summer to use smart phone apps to fight sexual abuse in college campuses. The two winning apps – “Circle of 6” and “OnWatch” – offer users a discreet way to get help and notify a circle of friends and/or the police their GPS location with just a tap of a finger. These apps will be available for free spring 2012 and are a great tool for safety.

.XPS Documents and Printing

Four patrons came in on Sunday 11/6 trying to print documents saved as .xps and were unable to from patron computers. Every PSS at Southglenn worked on this problem (Debbie, Rosie, Jane, Sherry, Emily) and had a hard time coming up with a solution because we were all unfamiliar with this new format. We all tried converting the .xps to a pdf, html, doc, rich text and were still unable to print. A .xps document viewer is needed on the computer in order to successfully print the document. It seems that .xps may be the new Windows' default file when saving an internet document. .Xps is Windows version of a pdf. In order for the patrons to print, they had to email the attachment to a staff member who was able to print it from a staff computer. It would greatly help staff members and patrons if the .xps document viewer was installed on patron computers.

Beyond Skype

We have some SG patrons with a hearing disability. They use the patron computers to "skype" with others in sign language. Only they are not using Skype. They are using Deafchat which is provided by Purple.com. I found it helpful to know that there are other communication programs operating from the cloud. If a patron has a Skype or otherwise account, they can use it to communicate from our patron computers.

Improve your passwords

We all know that you shouldn't use your name as your password, and you shouldn't use the same password over and over. How to build better passwords, and remember them? "PC World magazine" sugests starting with an easy to remember password phrase; a more than one word base is much harder to hack than a single word. Then insert a capital letter or two, and turn one or more of the letters into numbers.

Here's an example: The password phrase "dogsherman" becomes DogSherman, and then
D0gSh3rman (insert a zero for the o and a 3 for the e). This is now my basic password.

To make it unique for the various web sites I regularly use, I'll insert an identifying letter or letters. So for my Facebook account, D0gSh3rman becomes D0gfaSh3rman (inserting "fa" in the middle) and my Wells Fargo online account password becomes D0gweSh3rman ("we" inserted in between the two words).

Hope this helps - how many times has a patron asked us what to use for a password? And gone ahead and used their name?? Now I must get busy and put this advice into practice myself!

What is a .tif file?

A patron received an email attachment with the extension .tif and was very frustrated when she couldn't print it. A google search revealed that "tif" stands for "Tagged Image Format" and is used for storing images; documents produced by digital copiers and fax machines are sometimes .tif files. PDF files of images are more common and preferred, because they can be easily printed, while .tif files cannot.

We found a free software download which promised that we would be able to print .tif files after installation, but it didn't work. In the end, she printed the screen, using Gadwin Print Screen on the patron computer. The resulting image was less than ideal. Here's hoping you never come across this file format!

Access World News

Access World News is the database from Newsbank with newspaper articles from all over the world. ALD has it on trial through Nov. 30 so we can all take a look at it. It is the gateway to the latest news from practically anywhere in the world and is updated daily. The vetted articles can be cited by using hardcopy or by pasting the URL into a document. There are archived videos and images. A person can register to receive e-mail alerts on any subject. This feature might come in handy for medical research, investments, job seekers, attorneys and any type of student research. Anyone newly arrived from a foreign country can keep up on news from home in his native language. Access World News includes both public and private companies whereas Reference USA is for public companies only. Since the articles are vetted this is a good place for students to know what reliable info looks like. There is a tutorial for advanced searches.

WebPac Limitations

At times when patrons are using the WebPacs it appears to them that they can access all of the information that would be available to them on the ALD website because they can actually bring up the website and search to a certain degree following the links. However, obtaining some specific results are not possible. For example; a patron accessed the ALD website through one of the WebPacs. He was interested in Consumer Reports information on a specific appliance. He found the exact article he was looking for and clicked on the link that would take him to the full article. He got only a gray blank screen. The WebPacs do not allow for the in-depth searching one can accomplish as with a full Internet connection. Their primary function is catalog searching. When such a scenario occurs, direct the patron to one of the public access computers in order to accomplish a complete search.