Metro’s Smart Phones and Mobile Computing Special Interest Group (SIG) is born from the PDA & Handheld Computing SIG. It is composed of individuals from all types of libraries interested in personal digital assistants and other handheld electronic technologies (e.g. smart phone, tablet PCs). Through meetings, events and other shared-learning opportunities, members explore innovative ways libraries can use these technologies to enhance staff workflow, provide patron services, and support users.
There are two exciting speakers lined up for the SIG’s next two meetings.
On Wednesday, February 24, Matt Benzing, Information Technology Librarian, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, will talk about Mobile Versions/Skins for a Library Website.
On Wednesday, May 12, Alexa Pearce, Acting Librarian for Journalism, Media, Culture & Communication, New York University, will discuss Mobile Reference Services Provided by Libraries.
Both meetings will be held at METRO Headquarters, 57 East 11th Street, from 3:00-4:30.
Smart Phones and Mobile Computing Wiki:http://metro.org/collaborate/index.php/Smart_Phones_and_Mobile_Computing
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Source: noreply@blogger.com (Grace Lee)
Mashable has a writeup of the Skiff Reader, jointly developed by Hearst and Sprint:
In an increasingly crowded eReader market, Skiff distinguishes itself by taking a more platform-oriented approach than a device-specific one.
With a large, 11.5-inch form factor, the Skiff Reader is geared toward bringing newspapers and magazines to digital life more so than the primarily book-oriented approach of several of the other eReader devices out there (Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Spring Design Alex, for example). You’ll still be able to download and read books from its content store (which at launch will include an undisclosed volume from a variety of publishers beyond Hearst), who is heavily involved in backing the Skiff project.
Source: noreply@blogger.com (Grace Lee)
Brad Stone of the New York Times is covering the Consumer Electronics Show, and has an article about the “new wave of slender touch-screen tablets and electronic reading devices” that debuted at the show:
…Some of these gadgets allow people to read for long periods of time without eye strain and without killing the batteries. Others focus on allowing their owners to surf the Web, watch video and play casual games without being tethered to a bulky laptop and its traditional keyboard.
…Now advances in technology and manufacturing are belatedly making good on the early promise of this idea. So-called ARM processors — the low-power, low-cost chips found in many cellphones — are finally robust enough to take on some of the tasks, like Web surfing, that were previously the domain of full-fledged computers. As a result, companies have been able to build a wider range of devices, including thinner products with [...]
Source: noreply@blogger.com (Grace Lee)