Evaluate 23 Mobile Things:
These are my final thoughts about this 23 Mobile Things program. I apologize that I am very tired, and haven't left myself much time at the end.
I really liked that we got started by getting to know our devices. Some things that I learned, such as how to take a screen shot has helped my life immensely.
An example is that I can make a screen shot of a Google Map page, and then I will have it with me in the car when I don't have wifi.
I wish I had been able to review other people's blogs. I did receive some comments from someone(s), and quite frankly, having the sense that someone was occasionally reading my blog gave me the energy I needed to complete these Things on time.
I hope to go back and read some others, especially the apps that I really liked. That will be fun.
I pulled together some notes I had made earlier:
Flip-something pushes me ten news stories, every day, and there are sometimes ones that I want to follow up with. I may download app again.
Pinterest- drop that app ASAP. I don't like it.
Drop SnapChat too, but keep it in mind. Could be useful some day.
I have found utility in putting other items ( for example the program for an educational weekend trip ) into Box.
That's it, thanks for organizing and managing these 23 Mobile Things, and all of us.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Thing 22 of 23 Things
Discovering Apps:
I decided to use the online version of Quixey to look for apps.
And the subject of my app search today is an app to help me appreciate the World Cup Soccer Tournament currently underway in Brazil.
I performed the search, and had quite a few hits, but I wasn't able to determine very easily whether the apps would work with my slightly older iOS 6 operating system.
Also, maybe because it's early in the tournament, the site seemed a little unstable and shut down on me a couple of times.
But I was able to review some good app candidates, and add some to my short list.
Then I took the advice listed at the end of Thing 22 - perform an Internet search. In this case, since the apps that I want are so current and topical, I found that there are quite a few articles and reviews published only in the past week.
I scanned a few articles, made a list of about five candidates, and checked them out in the App Store. Only two were good in iOS 6, and I chose the more popular one, FIFA World Cup 2014 Brazil.
App seems pretty decent. It's not obvious if I'll be able to see game highlights, but everything else I want in this type of app seems to be here, and it seems pretty stable.
Good enough for me, as I move from my blogging obsession to a bit of a soccer obsession.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
I decided to use the online version of Quixey to look for apps.
And the subject of my app search today is an app to help me appreciate the World Cup Soccer Tournament currently underway in Brazil.
I performed the search, and had quite a few hits, but I wasn't able to determine very easily whether the apps would work with my slightly older iOS 6 operating system.
Also, maybe because it's early in the tournament, the site seemed a little unstable and shut down on me a couple of times.
But I was able to review some good app candidates, and add some to my short list.
Then I took the advice listed at the end of Thing 22 - perform an Internet search. In this case, since the apps that I want are so current and topical, I found that there are quite a few articles and reviews published only in the past week.
I scanned a few articles, made a list of about five candidates, and checked them out in the App Store. Only two were good in iOS 6, and I chose the more popular one, FIFA World Cup 2014 Brazil.
App seems pretty decent. It's not obvious if I'll be able to see game highlights, but everything else I want in this type of app seems to be here, and it seems pretty stable.
Good enough for me, as I move from my blogging obsession to a bit of a soccer obsession.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Thing 21 of 23 Things
Free for All:
This time, it seems, I get to choose the app. And a few things came to mind.
First is to mention some apps that I am planning to add, once I make sure that I have the space.
Wikipedia, which was last on the list of Thing 18 - Education. I really do start each workday by reviewing the Entry of the Day. Would like to have it one click away, and I'd like to see if there are any other features.
I received an email that SPCO has a website where you can access all their recordings (and check the SPCO schedule, buy tickets, and probably make a donation, too). I'll check into that.
I also heard about a really cool app for stargazing. Your device knows when you hold it above your head, and it will display the stars you'll see behind the device, in labeled form. And if you hold it facing the ground, it will show you the stars visible from the other side of the earth. I don't know the name of this app, and maybe I should wait for an iPad for full effect. But cool, yes ( and maybe not free....).
But if I look more closely at your question, I was asked to:
write a blog post telling us about an app you love and why you love it. Make a good case for its awesomeness and we may just include a link to your blog post here.
I feel like I'm cherry picking here, but when I look at all my apps, and exclude those that were delivered with my iPod (the alarm, timer, music player, audio recorder - basically the ones that aren't deletable), there are a handful, let's say two, that are amazing.
And the first, the most amazing is Google Maps. First, let me remind you that I have an iPod. No phone attached.
I can open up Google Maps, when at home, on wifi, and I can type in an address that I want to go to (yes, like everyone). Before I leave the house/wifi, I click on the arrow to start the navigation. Then I get in the car and drive towards my destination.
My open Google Map map will show my progress as a little blue dot - without wifi!! I can navigate all the way to my destination, always able to see where I am on the map (but it won't create more map if I drive elsewhere). I have heard that Google Map does this using cell phone tower signals. The first time I saw this, I had to pull over to the side of the road. A cell phone app for free!
Google is so ubiquitous that this hardly seems surprising anymore. But Google Maps is an amazing app.
My other amazing app, like my old paper and pen (or quill and ink, if you prefer) is my blogging app, BlogPress. It's fun, amazing, and I have lots of fun with it when I travel.
Do I use these at work? Well, no, but I think that's OK.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
This time, it seems, I get to choose the app. And a few things came to mind.
First is to mention some apps that I am planning to add, once I make sure that I have the space.
Wikipedia, which was last on the list of Thing 18 - Education. I really do start each workday by reviewing the Entry of the Day. Would like to have it one click away, and I'd like to see if there are any other features.
I received an email that SPCO has a website where you can access all their recordings (and check the SPCO schedule, buy tickets, and probably make a donation, too). I'll check into that.
I also heard about a really cool app for stargazing. Your device knows when you hold it above your head, and it will display the stars you'll see behind the device, in labeled form. And if you hold it facing the ground, it will show you the stars visible from the other side of the earth. I don't know the name of this app, and maybe I should wait for an iPad for full effect. But cool, yes ( and maybe not free....).
But if I look more closely at your question, I was asked to:
write a blog post telling us about an app you love and why you love it. Make a good case for its awesomeness and we may just include a link to your blog post here.
I feel like I'm cherry picking here, but when I look at all my apps, and exclude those that were delivered with my iPod (the alarm, timer, music player, audio recorder - basically the ones that aren't deletable), there are a handful, let's say two, that are amazing.
And the first, the most amazing is Google Maps. First, let me remind you that I have an iPod. No phone attached.
I can open up Google Maps, when at home, on wifi, and I can type in an address that I want to go to (yes, like everyone). Before I leave the house/wifi, I click on the arrow to start the navigation. Then I get in the car and drive towards my destination.
My open Google Map map will show my progress as a little blue dot - without wifi!! I can navigate all the way to my destination, always able to see where I am on the map (but it won't create more map if I drive elsewhere). I have heard that Google Map does this using cell phone tower signals. The first time I saw this, I had to pull over to the side of the road. A cell phone app for free!
Google is so ubiquitous that this hardly seems surprising anymore. But Google Maps is an amazing app.
My other amazing app, like my old paper and pen (or quill and ink, if you prefer) is my blogging app, BlogPress. It's fun, amazing, and I have lots of fun with it when I travel.
Do I use these at work? Well, no, but I think that's OK.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Thing 20 of 23 Things
Games:
Well, I have a couple of games on my mobile device, but none are listed here. I play the trusted standby Solitaire ( and even paid the big bucks to get rid of the ads).
My second game is called Flight Control (was free, now $1, according to my son). It's a game where you manage an airport by drawing a flight path in front of a landing plane to indicate how it should land.
In the game, There are three runways or landing pads, and three types of aircraft, each of which lands at a different speed. The game requires you to plan ahead and manage many planes at the same time. Fun and easy, until the jumbo jets arrive! This game was recommended to me by my fifteen-year-old son as a game which runs at my speed!
For this Thing, I will investigate the drawing game app. I'm imagining something like Pictionary, but I am up for anything. It's called DrawQuest, and when I clicked on the link, I could go directly to the App Store. Then it told me:
Maybe a licensing issue, or copyright conflict - and when I used the search within the App Store, the title just couldn't be found. Maybe there was a similar problem with the other apps I could't find?
Word games don't appeal to me today, and Candy Crush seems oddly toxic. I decided to download the new version of Flight Control ($1). When I was searching for other drawing games, flight simulator came up, maybe because you 'draw' the flight path you want the planes to follow.
Once I was up and running, I recalled the low key 40's swing-style background music, which is another plus for the game. The promo for the new game mentioned that storm management is now part of the play, but they must have added that to the higher levels of play - which is OK with me.
They've also added the choice for 'rewind', which lets you play an impending accident over again, but it seems to cost points that I don't have (and won't purchase).
This game fine for home, not OK for work, and not terribly addictive. A good standby, with some skill development allowed.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Well, I have a couple of games on my mobile device, but none are listed here. I play the trusted standby Solitaire ( and even paid the big bucks to get rid of the ads).
My second game is called Flight Control (was free, now $1, according to my son). It's a game where you manage an airport by drawing a flight path in front of a landing plane to indicate how it should land.
In the game, There are three runways or landing pads, and three types of aircraft, each of which lands at a different speed. The game requires you to plan ahead and manage many planes at the same time. Fun and easy, until the jumbo jets arrive! This game was recommended to me by my fifteen-year-old son as a game which runs at my speed!
For this Thing, I will investigate the drawing game app. I'm imagining something like Pictionary, but I am up for anything. It's called DrawQuest, and when I clicked on the link, I could go directly to the App Store. Then it told me:
Maybe a licensing issue, or copyright conflict - and when I used the search within the App Store, the title just couldn't be found. Maybe there was a similar problem with the other apps I could't find?
Word games don't appeal to me today, and Candy Crush seems oddly toxic. I decided to download the new version of Flight Control ($1). When I was searching for other drawing games, flight simulator came up, maybe because you 'draw' the flight path you want the planes to follow.
Once I was up and running, I recalled the low key 40's swing-style background music, which is another plus for the game. The promo for the new game mentioned that storm management is now part of the play, but they must have added that to the higher levels of play - which is OK with me.
They've also added the choice for 'rewind', which lets you play an impending accident over again, but it seems to cost points that I don't have (and won't purchase).
This game fine for home, not OK for work, and not terribly addictive. A good standby, with some skill development allowed.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Thing 19 of 23 Things
Hobbies:
I read through all the options for this Thing before I went to bed last night, and I was leaning towards one of the ESPN apps. I would really like to have access to game results and maybe highlights, but only for World Cup soccer, which will be going on for the rest of the month.
This morning, the gardening app My Garden was most appealing to me. So I dived in . . . And I noted right away that I like the simple icon (which I guess il like judging a book by its cover).
I started by looking at the list of plants, which I can add to my garden. I was surprised at the simplicity: there was a listing for tomato, and for a specific variety of tomato which is good for slicing: Siletz.
There are 1384 gardens with the Siletz tomato, but I've never heard of it. Where is the Big Boy and the Early Girl - the go-to varietals for Minnesota gardeners? There is no listing for these (and if you have a garden in Minnesota, and don't you start with tomatoes. . . ?).
One answer may lie in the list of top gardeners. There are five people of the first page of gardeners; the first is from Troy NY, the next is from Belgium, two seem like somewhere in Germany, and one is from Dublin.
A very international showing.
But Minnesotans? The search engine seems to lack robustness, but finally I pulled up four other Minnesotans. One had 21 plants, one had 26, two had none. Only one mentioned zone 4, our hardiness zone, which is a critical factor in discussing perennial plants that we can grow (that is, that can survive through our long cold winters).
These observations led me to the question: where are all the 'real' gardeners? The master gardeners must have somewhere to meet electronically over the long northland winters. I don't think they are using this app.
I expect that there's another app out there for gardening that's more popular among locals. I may take the time to look for it- but maybe not until I and my flower beds are tucked away for the long winter.
The ultimatum: not for work, and not for home. But I will ask my tech savvy gardening friends if they use any gardening apps.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
I read through all the options for this Thing before I went to bed last night, and I was leaning towards one of the ESPN apps. I would really like to have access to game results and maybe highlights, but only for World Cup soccer, which will be going on for the rest of the month.
This morning, the gardening app My Garden was most appealing to me. So I dived in . . . And I noted right away that I like the simple icon (which I guess il like judging a book by its cover).
I started by looking at the list of plants, which I can add to my garden. I was surprised at the simplicity: there was a listing for tomato, and for a specific variety of tomato which is good for slicing: Siletz.
There are 1384 gardens with the Siletz tomato, but I've never heard of it. Where is the Big Boy and the Early Girl - the go-to varietals for Minnesota gardeners? There is no listing for these (and if you have a garden in Minnesota, and don't you start with tomatoes. . . ?).
One answer may lie in the list of top gardeners. There are five people of the first page of gardeners; the first is from Troy NY, the next is from Belgium, two seem like somewhere in Germany, and one is from Dublin.
A very international showing.
But Minnesotans? The search engine seems to lack robustness, but finally I pulled up four other Minnesotans. One had 21 plants, one had 26, two had none. Only one mentioned zone 4, our hardiness zone, which is a critical factor in discussing perennial plants that we can grow (that is, that can survive through our long cold winters).
These observations led me to the question: where are all the 'real' gardeners? The master gardeners must have somewhere to meet electronically over the long northland winters. I don't think they are using this app.
I expect that there's another app out there for gardening that's more popular among locals. I may take the time to look for it- but maybe not until I and my flower beds are tucked away for the long winter.
The ultimatum: not for work, and not for home. But I will ask my tech savvy gardening friends if they use any gardening apps.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Thing 18 of 23 Things
Education:
I think that this also happened to me towards the end of my 23 Things on a Stick experience - the selection of Things got both broader, and more fun, making the decisions more difficult (or my list of 'remember this one' is getting longer and longer).
The first one that piqued my interest was the 'Advanced English Dictionary and Thesarus'. Blurb reads:
. . . the WordNet dictionary is organized with an innovative and convenient approach. Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are grouped into sets of cognitive synonyms, interlinked by means of conceptual-semantic and lexical relations.
I am so fascinated by what that means!
Bill Nye the Science Guy, and DuoLingo would be fun to poke around with (downloading an interesting app is much greater commitment than clicking on a website, I see).
The 'Eat This, Not That' sounds like a fun game to play at home with my know-it-all family.
The NSF app is one that could be helpful in my work, and the same with the National Archives- Today's Document. Actually, I really should look at the websites for these last two: maybe an email could be set up for a daily push to my work email (suddenly, you can see my ulterior motive: useful and/or interesting information, no matter what the format or delivery method - format/blind).
Then I got to the end of the list of apps for this Thing: Quizlet, a tool that will really help me during the school year, as I am the go-to parent for helping my fifteen-year-old son with studying.
I have been cobbling together power point presentations with photos of minerals, and I was thinking that there had to be a better way. And i see that there really is!
Actually, David has one more final exam this year: A French final exam on Monday.
We've been studying 20 minutes each day, but tomorrow we'll use a slideset on which verbs go with etre or avoir, and those verbs which direct and/or indirect indefinite pronouns. Perfect subject for flash cards (or we can use the cool matching game)!
Addendum - the absolutely last item on the list for this Thing is Wikipedia. I have the Wikipedia link in my reader, but it always takes so long to load. Since I always start out every workday by reading the Featured Articles in Wikipedia, this is most definitely an app I can use at work!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
I think that this also happened to me towards the end of my 23 Things on a Stick experience - the selection of Things got both broader, and more fun, making the decisions more difficult (or my list of 'remember this one' is getting longer and longer).
The first one that piqued my interest was the 'Advanced English Dictionary and Thesarus'. Blurb reads:
. . . the WordNet dictionary is organized with an innovative and convenient approach. Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are grouped into sets of cognitive synonyms, interlinked by means of conceptual-semantic and lexical relations.
I am so fascinated by what that means!
Bill Nye the Science Guy, and DuoLingo would be fun to poke around with (downloading an interesting app is much greater commitment than clicking on a website, I see).
The 'Eat This, Not That' sounds like a fun game to play at home with my know-it-all family.
The NSF app is one that could be helpful in my work, and the same with the National Archives- Today's Document. Actually, I really should look at the websites for these last two: maybe an email could be set up for a daily push to my work email (suddenly, you can see my ulterior motive: useful and/or interesting information, no matter what the format or delivery method - format/blind).
Then I got to the end of the list of apps for this Thing: Quizlet, a tool that will really help me during the school year, as I am the go-to parent for helping my fifteen-year-old son with studying.
I have been cobbling together power point presentations with photos of minerals, and I was thinking that there had to be a better way. And i see that there really is!
Actually, David has one more final exam this year: A French final exam on Monday.
We've been studying 20 minutes each day, but tomorrow we'll use a slideset on which verbs go with etre or avoir, and those verbs which direct and/or indirect indefinite pronouns. Perfect subject for flash cards (or we can use the cool matching game)!
Addendum - the absolutely last item on the list for this Thing is Wikipedia. I have the Wikipedia link in my reader, but it always takes so long to load. Since I always start out every workday by reading the Featured Articles in Wikipedia, this is most definitely an app I can use at work!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Thing 17 of 23 Things
Connecting to Community:
Oh, decisions, decisions. If I had lots of time, I'd try the Superior Hiking Trail app. I love that trail, and maybe exploring the app would help me fill my dreams until I can go there again.
The app for Minneapolis open spaces would be nice too, and of course I already have the MPR app (but only useful for me when I'm on wifi).
The app that I actually need is Minnesota 511, the MnDOT app, so that I can check the best route before heading to work or home from work - especially on those occasional bad weather/driving days. I already have a link to the MnDOT website on my work computer, so I check that occasionally. I will certainly be able to use this app at home for planning routes, or to help with timing and planning.
I continued to scroll down the list: Minnesota Museums, Explore Minnesota, all good choices. Then I saw it: Minnesota Beer Activists! And it's only for Android!
I don't remember this problem with any other Thing until now - something that was so unique, interesting, and only available on Android. I'll have to make sure my friend Mike, with an Android phone (and a highly developed taste for local beer) has this app. And I'll take a look at the organization's website.
But back to the app that will improve my life? Minnesota511. I loaded it, and it's perfect!
Here's a screen shot that shows my daily commute, from lower left to upper right. I can look at both the traffic and/or the specific incident reports. Very intuitive. My one complaint about this app? It has the ugliest icon of any on my mobile device :
(photo courtesy of skills learned inThing two: tricks and tips)
I can't use this app at work (no wifi for me at work, remember?), but I can recommend it to others. And, I can use it to get to work on time, which will benefit my workplace.
I am about to wrap up this Thing, but I was wondering, are there apps for Mn cycling? Mn bike trails? I know where to look for that, and may get to look for a Thing like that soon. . . .
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Oh, decisions, decisions. If I had lots of time, I'd try the Superior Hiking Trail app. I love that trail, and maybe exploring the app would help me fill my dreams until I can go there again.
The app for Minneapolis open spaces would be nice too, and of course I already have the MPR app (but only useful for me when I'm on wifi).
The app that I actually need is Minnesota 511, the MnDOT app, so that I can check the best route before heading to work or home from work - especially on those occasional bad weather/driving days. I already have a link to the MnDOT website on my work computer, so I check that occasionally. I will certainly be able to use this app at home for planning routes, or to help with timing and planning.
I continued to scroll down the list: Minnesota Museums, Explore Minnesota, all good choices. Then I saw it: Minnesota Beer Activists! And it's only for Android!
I don't remember this problem with any other Thing until now - something that was so unique, interesting, and only available on Android. I'll have to make sure my friend Mike, with an Android phone (and a highly developed taste for local beer) has this app. And I'll take a look at the organization's website.
But back to the app that will improve my life? Minnesota511. I loaded it, and it's perfect!
Here's a screen shot that shows my daily commute, from lower left to upper right. I can look at both the traffic and/or the specific incident reports. Very intuitive. My one complaint about this app? It has the ugliest icon of any on my mobile device :
(photo courtesy of skills learned inThing two: tricks and tips)
I can't use this app at work (no wifi for me at work, remember?), but I can recommend it to others. And, I can use it to get to work on time, which will benefit my workplace.
I am about to wrap up this Thing, but I was wondering, are there apps for Mn cycling? Mn bike trails? I know where to look for that, and may get to look for a Thing like that soon. . . .
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Thing 16 of 23 Things
Audio:
Right away: ipadio is the app for me, because it can take a recording up to an hour long, and it can be saved on the ipadio website.
Now, I fear that it's only available on iOS 7. I'll know shortly . . . but no! I can use my iOS 6 device!
I downloaded the app, but didn't follow all the instructions. I turned down the option of sharing my photos with the app, but then it wouldn't let me open ipadio. It seems that ipadio saves the audio files somewhere in my photo file.
Once I shared permission, ipadio was happy, and I was able to make a recording.
My initial attraction to this app comes from the difficulty I've had sharing audio files I made while interviewing my elderly parents.
I have wanted to share the recordings with my sister who lives in Europe. I discovered that I can only email ten minutes at a time. With this app, I can share the website with her, and she can listen herself (probably from her mobile device)!
I realized while making the recording that I could easily use this recording app for interviewing clients, or for some sort of promotional effort. So yes, this is definitely an app that would be useful at work.
Very nice app!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Right away: ipadio is the app for me, because it can take a recording up to an hour long, and it can be saved on the ipadio website.
Now, I fear that it's only available on iOS 7. I'll know shortly . . . but no! I can use my iOS 6 device!
I downloaded the app, but didn't follow all the instructions. I turned down the option of sharing my photos with the app, but then it wouldn't let me open ipadio. It seems that ipadio saves the audio files somewhere in my photo file.
Once I shared permission, ipadio was happy, and I was able to make a recording.
My initial attraction to this app comes from the difficulty I've had sharing audio files I made while interviewing my elderly parents.
I have wanted to share the recordings with my sister who lives in Europe. I discovered that I can only email ten minutes at a time. With this app, I can share the website with her, and she can listen herself (probably from her mobile device)!
I realized while making the recording that I could easily use this recording app for interviewing clients, or for some sort of promotional effort. So yes, this is definitely an app that would be useful at work.
Very nice app!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Thing 15 of 23 Things
Infographics:
Well, my first choice, info.Graphics, is only available for iOS 7. The next closest app, infographics Hub, did not show up in my App Store search.
So I decided to search for 'info graphics' and there were quite a few that weren't free, and a lot more that didn't have any reviews.
I chose an unreviewed app called 'Lemonly'. Once I dowloaded the app, I reviewed apps by category, and could save, send, or share any that I liked.
I noticed that the infographics had a corporate source, like Dove, for an infographic on bad hair days, and an infographic by Samsung on what makes a good camera for a mobile device.
I looked at quite a few infographics, and actually found one that would be relevant at work - on the subject of Copyright Compliance in the corporate world.
Here are some screen shots, and I have added a link to the full infographic below.
And the link to the copyright infographic:
http://lemonly.com/work/copyright-and-content-use-in-the-workplace
Here's an example of a lighter subject:
I was curious about Lemonly, and a quick google search informed me that that it's web design and graphic design firm out of Sioux Falls that specializes in infographics.
So, in answer to the 23 Things perennial question, yes, I could absolutely use an app like this at work.
I think one of the other apps might have better, or broader coverage, or coverage better suited to my library's needs. More research would be required, and of course I would need to cite my sources!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Well, my first choice, info.Graphics, is only available for iOS 7. The next closest app, infographics Hub, did not show up in my App Store search.
So I decided to search for 'info graphics' and there were quite a few that weren't free, and a lot more that didn't have any reviews.
I chose an unreviewed app called 'Lemonly'. Once I dowloaded the app, I reviewed apps by category, and could save, send, or share any that I liked.
I noticed that the infographics had a corporate source, like Dove, for an infographic on bad hair days, and an infographic by Samsung on what makes a good camera for a mobile device.
I looked at quite a few infographics, and actually found one that would be relevant at work - on the subject of Copyright Compliance in the corporate world.
Here are some screen shots, and I have added a link to the full infographic below.
And the link to the copyright infographic:
http://lemonly.com/work/copyright-and-content-use-in-the-workplace
Here's an example of a lighter subject:
I was curious about Lemonly, and a quick google search informed me that that it's web design and graphic design firm out of Sioux Falls that specializes in infographics.
So, in answer to the 23 Things perennial question, yes, I could absolutely use an app like this at work.
I think one of the other apps might have better, or broader coverage, or coverage better suited to my library's needs. More research would be required, and of course I would need to cite my sources!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Thing 14 of 23 Things
Videos:
I only started recording videos about a year ago. When cycling in Wisconsin, I wold stop at a rural four-way intersection. Quiet and pastoral, I was struck by how much birdsong there was when I watched the video. In real life, I guess all that music was tuned out as background noise.
Anyway, a six-second video seemed just too limiting, so I chose to try the viddy app.
I found it to be very unstable; it shut down numerous times while I was saving and editing my video.
But on the bright side, the software was intuitive and easy to use. I was able to send the video, with soundtrack, to myself and my family. We never have enough videos of our blind cat.
My remaining complaint is that I didn't get to label the video: Peet at rest. And I hope the video link can transfer to my blog
Watch my video on Viddy http://viddy.it/PBUCPf.
Taken with Viddy
Finally: use this app personally? Sure! But it has no application to my work, that I can see.
PS - I hope one can follow the link to my video. Maybe I have to share it more broadly?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
I only started recording videos about a year ago. When cycling in Wisconsin, I wold stop at a rural four-way intersection. Quiet and pastoral, I was struck by how much birdsong there was when I watched the video. In real life, I guess all that music was tuned out as background noise.
Anyway, a six-second video seemed just too limiting, so I chose to try the viddy app.
I found it to be very unstable; it shut down numerous times while I was saving and editing my video.
But on the bright side, the software was intuitive and easy to use. I was able to send the video, with soundtrack, to myself and my family. We never have enough videos of our blind cat.
My remaining complaint is that I didn't get to label the video: Peet at rest. And I hope the video link can transfer to my blog
Watch my video on Viddy http://viddy.it/PBUCPf.
Taken with Viddy
Finally: use this app personally? Sure! But it has no application to my work, that I can see.
PS - I hope one can follow the link to my video. Maybe I have to share it more broadly?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Thing 13 of 23 Things
Presentations:
Ah, finally something that we're doing in my library - making training videos!
I am currently on a project at work for which I am collecting screen shots and writing a script for a colleague to record.
But, I really can't see the advantage of doing that work on my mobile device (unless, again, I was a captive - maybe a long commute by train or bus).
But . . . I have the perfect project for this type of presentation app! While on a bike a trip to Vietnam a while back, I took a whole lot of photos using my mobile device, and people kept wanting me to put together a show.
I took a look at the options, and the most useful from my perspective seems to be Haiku Deck- oops, requires iOS 7.
Next stop- Lensoo Create, which looks useful. But there's no trace in the App Store.
Finally settled on Educreate. Again, nothing with this name in the App Store (it's been some time since this 23 mobile things was released).
I finally searched in the App Store for just 'whiteboard', and there are a whole lot of free options - many seem to be from China, with no customers ( or just no reviewers?).
The product I tried was called 'whiteboard'. It seems be more of a sharable drawing app. I had been looking forward to being able to narrate, or add text, and to develop a narrative using multiple slides. This app didn't cut it. My expectations are so much higher now.
Oh well, that's the down side of being exposed to many presentation options.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Ah, finally something that we're doing in my library - making training videos!
I am currently on a project at work for which I am collecting screen shots and writing a script for a colleague to record.
But, I really can't see the advantage of doing that work on my mobile device (unless, again, I was a captive - maybe a long commute by train or bus).
But . . . I have the perfect project for this type of presentation app! While on a bike a trip to Vietnam a while back, I took a whole lot of photos using my mobile device, and people kept wanting me to put together a show.
I took a look at the options, and the most useful from my perspective seems to be Haiku Deck- oops, requires iOS 7.
Next stop- Lensoo Create, which looks useful. But there's no trace in the App Store.
Finally settled on Educreate. Again, nothing with this name in the App Store (it's been some time since this 23 mobile things was released).
I finally searched in the App Store for just 'whiteboard', and there are a whole lot of free options - many seem to be from China, with no customers ( or just no reviewers?).
The product I tried was called 'whiteboard'. It seems be more of a sharable drawing app. I had been looking forward to being able to narrate, or add text, and to develop a narrative using multiple slides. This app didn't cut it. My expectations are so much higher now.
Oh well, that's the down side of being exposed to many presentation options.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Thing 12 of 23 Things
Books, Books, & More Books
Oh, what a tie-in to the previous thing, on library apps! While playing around with my SPPL app for Thing 11, I noticed three separate e-book providers, one of which I signed up for over a year ago (the 3M eBook- I am glad it's still one of the options). I also noticed that one can download audio books. Back when I had a long commute, I borrowed audiobooks from the library regularly (probably on cassette tapes - ah, times change).
Wattpad, iStoryBooks, and Audiobooks - these sound the most interesting to me. First, a few thoughts:
My fifteen-year-old son is an avid reader. But too old for playing with the iStoryBooks - it would be great if I had a youngster in my life - and an iPad would also help. So I will pass, but definitely keep iStory in mind as a recommendation for friends.
And Audiobooks, as mentioned before, can be really enjoyable (special joy in camping by myself, kids asleep in the tent, while I sit in front of the campfire listening to an audiobook/book on tape ). But if I am limited to listening to an audiobook only when streaming (connected to wifi), it is not nearly so appealing. Maybe if I ever upgrade to an iPad or smartphone with a data plan. Next?
Wattboooks. Sounds interesting. Maybe new literature? Short fiction? Could be pretty engaging!
I took the time to review some summaries. I am usually drawn to non-fiction, but after reviewing a number of titles, this section heavily focused on how to write, publish, edit, etc.
I started a short story, after reviewing quite a few. The one I chose turned out to be pretty odd, but it was kind of fun. If I was on a long trip, or was otherwise a captive audience, I'd go back. There could be some gems here. This is something to keep in mind, socially, not so much professionally.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Oh, what a tie-in to the previous thing, on library apps! While playing around with my SPPL app for Thing 11, I noticed three separate e-book providers, one of which I signed up for over a year ago (the 3M eBook- I am glad it's still one of the options). I also noticed that one can download audio books. Back when I had a long commute, I borrowed audiobooks from the library regularly (probably on cassette tapes - ah, times change).
Wattpad, iStoryBooks, and Audiobooks - these sound the most interesting to me. First, a few thoughts:
My fifteen-year-old son is an avid reader. But too old for playing with the iStoryBooks - it would be great if I had a youngster in my life - and an iPad would also help. So I will pass, but definitely keep iStory in mind as a recommendation for friends.
And Audiobooks, as mentioned before, can be really enjoyable (special joy in camping by myself, kids asleep in the tent, while I sit in front of the campfire listening to an audiobook/book on tape ). But if I am limited to listening to an audiobook only when streaming (connected to wifi), it is not nearly so appealing. Maybe if I ever upgrade to an iPad or smartphone with a data plan. Next?
Wattboooks. Sounds interesting. Maybe new literature? Short fiction? Could be pretty engaging!
I took the time to review some summaries. I am usually drawn to non-fiction, but after reviewing a number of titles, this section heavily focused on how to write, publish, edit, etc.
I started a short story, after reviewing quite a few. The one I chose turned out to be pretty odd, but it was kind of fun. If I was on a long trip, or was otherwise a captive audience, I'd go back. There could be some gems here. This is something to keep in mind, socially, not so much professionally.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Thing 11 of 23 Mobile Things
Library Reference:
This one is straightforward.
At work, I can't get on wifi (it's possible with a smartphone, maybe an iPad, but other smart devices like an iPod touch are stranded).
We even have a mobile app for accessing the catalog by smartphone, but I can't get on at work. So though I'd love to explore that, my hands are tied.
So on to the front burner: I downloaded the SPPL app, logged in, and determined that a book that I requested last week is ready for pick-up. Nice interface, easy to use (but not particularly pretty). Just for kicks, I searched for an author. I do like the color palate of the full sized version better (unless the color scheme is something new for all versions).
I actually had used the browser on this device previously to renew a library book- I realized that this iPod can get booted up and online much more quickly than my home laptop.
Now with the app, it's even smoother, with quicker access to my account. Very nice! As a decent public library user, this app will definitely be useful on my personal life.
Still waiting to see if I can make progress with mATLAS, the smartphone version of our work library catalog and intranet presence. But in the mean time, it's the SPPL library app for me!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
This one is straightforward.
At work, I can't get on wifi (it's possible with a smartphone, maybe an iPad, but other smart devices like an iPod touch are stranded).
We even have a mobile app for accessing the catalog by smartphone, but I can't get on at work. So though I'd love to explore that, my hands are tied.
So on to the front burner: I downloaded the SPPL app, logged in, and determined that a book that I requested last week is ready for pick-up. Nice interface, easy to use (but not particularly pretty). Just for kicks, I searched for an author. I do like the color palate of the full sized version better (unless the color scheme is something new for all versions).
I actually had used the browser on this device previously to renew a library book- I realized that this iPod can get booted up and online much more quickly than my home laptop.
Now with the app, it's even smoother, with quicker access to my account. Very nice! As a decent public library user, this app will definitely be useful on my personal life.
Still waiting to see if I can make progress with mATLAS, the smartphone version of our work library catalog and intranet presence. But in the mean time, it's the SPPL library app for me!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Thing 10 of 23 Things
Sharing Photos:
Well, this is a thing that I would think I'd like. I have family all over the world, and I take lots of photos.
I'd love to place a roll of selected photos on some server, and send a link to my family and friends.
I do have a small presence on Facebook, and I post occasional groupings of photos. Big snow, cute cat, selected travel shots.
So, looking at the options for this thing, Pinterest, the more popular of our choices, seemed way too social.
I chose to try SnapChat. One day last winter, I found my 15 year old son taking photos of himself doing homework ( which is why the device should be away during homework). Using SnapChat, all his friends were sharing similarly interesting homework selfies.
I was a bit curious how SnapChat works, so I signed up. Then SnapChat scanned my contacts for potential friends. My lucky 25 year old niece is my only SnapChat friend - poor thing!
I sent one funny photo with caption to niece Maxine ( if only I had known how to save it, you'd see it here, and have a chuckle). I haven't heard anything back-but will ask her in a couple of days.
I guess beyond my hesitancy to post photos to a broad list of 'friends', I am no so visually attuned as to envision photos that I think my short list of friends would want to see. Maybe when I retire, and start every day with a walk in the woods.
I think it goes without saying that I can't see using SnapChat for work photos.
But maybe it would be a fun way to be in touch with someone I'm close to, who happens to be far away. A way to share the experience.
(BTW, I never heard back from the niece. If I learn something later, I'll comment it.)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Well, this is a thing that I would think I'd like. I have family all over the world, and I take lots of photos.
I'd love to place a roll of selected photos on some server, and send a link to my family and friends.
I do have a small presence on Facebook, and I post occasional groupings of photos. Big snow, cute cat, selected travel shots.
So, looking at the options for this thing, Pinterest, the more popular of our choices, seemed way too social.
I chose to try SnapChat. One day last winter, I found my 15 year old son taking photos of himself doing homework ( which is why the device should be away during homework). Using SnapChat, all his friends were sharing similarly interesting homework selfies.
I was a bit curious how SnapChat works, so I signed up. Then SnapChat scanned my contacts for potential friends. My lucky 25 year old niece is my only SnapChat friend - poor thing!
I sent one funny photo with caption to niece Maxine ( if only I had known how to save it, you'd see it here, and have a chuckle). I haven't heard anything back-but will ask her in a couple of days.
I guess beyond my hesitancy to post photos to a broad list of 'friends', I am no so visually attuned as to envision photos that I think my short list of friends would want to see. Maybe when I retire, and start every day with a walk in the woods.
I think it goes without saying that I can't see using SnapChat for work photos.
But maybe it would be a fun way to be in touch with someone I'm close to, who happens to be far away. A way to share the experience.
(BTW, I never heard back from the niece. If I learn something later, I'll comment it.)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Thing 9 of 23 Mobile Things
Taking and Editing Photos:
Taking pictures, I do that regularly. Especially with the trick I learned in thing 2 - where I take screen shots of images ( like maps) that I won't have available when I'm out of wifi range.
I decided to work with Color Splurge, which looks like fun. And it is fun!
This is my Siberian Iris, colorized red. Ironically, it's the purple color that I like best about this type of flower, but colorizing it allowed me to appreciate the form instead.
Now for two portraits, with colors changed, or augmented:
My one complaint is that there are no earth tones on the color palate. I would have enjoyed looking at myself with a new hair color. That's probably why they have an upgrade available.
As mentioned above, Color Splurge is just plain fun. I can't think of any work project, unless it's to augment a team photo, for the fun of it.
But the coloring process, with the eraser, feels as fun as coloring books were when I was a little kid. And the final products look pretty good!
I think I can find use for this my non-professional life - prettying a photo for a birthday party invitations and similar projects. But possibly more important, I see that this app can fill an unconscious need for craft-type projects.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Taking pictures, I do that regularly. Especially with the trick I learned in thing 2 - where I take screen shots of images ( like maps) that I won't have available when I'm out of wifi range.
I decided to work with Color Splurge, which looks like fun. And it is fun!
This is my Siberian Iris, colorized red. Ironically, it's the purple color that I like best about this type of flower, but colorizing it allowed me to appreciate the form instead.
Now for two portraits, with colors changed, or augmented:
My one complaint is that there are no earth tones on the color palate. I would have enjoyed looking at myself with a new hair color. That's probably why they have an upgrade available.
As mentioned above, Color Splurge is just plain fun. I can't think of any work project, unless it's to augment a team photo, for the fun of it.
But the coloring process, with the eraser, feels as fun as coloring books were when I was a little kid. And the final products look pretty good!
I think I can find use for this my non-professional life - prettying a photo for a birthday party invitations and similar projects. But possibly more important, I see that this app can fill an unconscious need for craft-type projects.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Thing 8 of 23 Mobile Things
Social Media Management Tools:
Well, I sure can get behind the goal of managing social media tools ( prepare yourself for a diatribe).
I signed up for the big ones a few years back, as part of 23 things, and I was exposed to the whole social world. At that time, I was merely exposed. But over the years, I have picked them back up.
First, there's Facebook, where I am immersed in the lives of my extended family, as well as high school friends from St. Louis, living all over the world. Add college, and some current friends and coworkers. But I am uncomfortable with some potential friends, maybe from work, of very different political persuasions. I like to check FB every few days, and in 10-20 minutes, I can stay on top of the incoming posts. It's a joy - an enrichment of my life.
I have also attempted to do more LinkedIn- first populating my connections with people I know socially. I have made the effort to engage LinkedIn more professionally- I connected with people I met at a professional conference. But now, what do I do with these? I am not looking for a job. I review my list of contacts, I read about a promotion in a job here or there. But I'm not finding value, or even any lame jokes. I would rather check FB and laugh at the 100th video of my Texas friend's toddlers.
I will continue to check, and connect. Maybe I'll eventually get the chemistry right. But it seems like a work in progress, at least for me, now.
Finally, there's Twitter. Again, I signed up ages ago- and since I signed up at work, I signed up for work-related entities to follow. Some product lines from my company. Some vendors and professional organizations. Occasionally, notices are pushed to me, and I find the tweets to be interesting (despite being work- related).
I used this 'thing' to review, and refresh myself on the basics about Twitter. I now understand some of the nuances of where, and how you place an address (starts with an @). And I spent some time looking for names to follow, starting with a connected colleague, and noting some of the people he follows. Mostly politics or humor, but an occasional work-related tweeter. I am looking forward to reviewing, and retweeting. And maybe really diving in with a post, sometime. I may be approaching a sweet spot- let's hope.
Finally, and quickly, I am completely cold at these so called management tools that allow me to merge all my posts or comments to multiple apps. I find that there aren't enough walls within Facebook-I certainly don't want to inform Twitter and LinkedIn of my every move, and every 'oooh' and 'ahhhh' I have in response to the Texas Toddler.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Well, I sure can get behind the goal of managing social media tools ( prepare yourself for a diatribe).
I signed up for the big ones a few years back, as part of 23 things, and I was exposed to the whole social world. At that time, I was merely exposed. But over the years, I have picked them back up.
First, there's Facebook, where I am immersed in the lives of my extended family, as well as high school friends from St. Louis, living all over the world. Add college, and some current friends and coworkers. But I am uncomfortable with some potential friends, maybe from work, of very different political persuasions. I like to check FB every few days, and in 10-20 minutes, I can stay on top of the incoming posts. It's a joy - an enrichment of my life.
I have also attempted to do more LinkedIn- first populating my connections with people I know socially. I have made the effort to engage LinkedIn more professionally- I connected with people I met at a professional conference. But now, what do I do with these? I am not looking for a job. I review my list of contacts, I read about a promotion in a job here or there. But I'm not finding value, or even any lame jokes. I would rather check FB and laugh at the 100th video of my Texas friend's toddlers.
I will continue to check, and connect. Maybe I'll eventually get the chemistry right. But it seems like a work in progress, at least for me, now.
Finally, there's Twitter. Again, I signed up ages ago- and since I signed up at work, I signed up for work-related entities to follow. Some product lines from my company. Some vendors and professional organizations. Occasionally, notices are pushed to me, and I find the tweets to be interesting (despite being work- related).
I used this 'thing' to review, and refresh myself on the basics about Twitter. I now understand some of the nuances of where, and how you place an address (starts with an @). And I spent some time looking for names to follow, starting with a connected colleague, and noting some of the people he follows. Mostly politics or humor, but an occasional work-related tweeter. I am looking forward to reviewing, and retweeting. And maybe really diving in with a post, sometime. I may be approaching a sweet spot- let's hope.
Finally, and quickly, I am completely cold at these so called management tools that allow me to merge all my posts or comments to multiple apps. I find that there aren't enough walls within Facebook-I certainly don't want to inform Twitter and LinkedIn of my every move, and every 'oooh' and 'ahhhh' I have in response to the Texas Toddler.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Thing 7 of 23 mobile things
Content sharing and saving:
I first chose Bitly. As it seemed simpler, and maybe more direct. But (as I learn to read iTunes descriptions more closely) it requires iOS 7, and I only have iOS 6, I saved myself the effort of downloading. I switched and downloaded Pinterest.
I am looking forward to trying this, since I spend most time on my work computer, next most time on this device, and finally least time on my home laptop, where ironically, I have time to spend.
So, a shareable, device-independent tool to keep track of links I want to see again- that's an app I can use. I never realized that Pinterest could be that tool.
Well, I was first overwhelmed by the food, fashion, trends, and humor options that I can choose to 'pin'. Then looking back at the 23 Mobil Things site, I see that there are some cool things.
I will have to keep playing with this tool, looking at pins from people and organizations that I value. As before, my jury is out, but this could be useful personally and professionally. Or not . . .
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
I first chose Bitly. As it seemed simpler, and maybe more direct. But (as I learn to read iTunes descriptions more closely) it requires iOS 7, and I only have iOS 6, I saved myself the effort of downloading. I switched and downloaded Pinterest.
I am looking forward to trying this, since I spend most time on my work computer, next most time on this device, and finally least time on my home laptop, where ironically, I have time to spend.
So, a shareable, device-independent tool to keep track of links I want to see again- that's an app I can use. I never realized that Pinterest could be that tool.
Well, I was first overwhelmed by the food, fashion, trends, and humor options that I can choose to 'pin'. Then looking back at the 23 Mobil Things site, I see that there are some cool things.
I will have to keep playing with this tool, looking at pins from people and organizations that I value. As before, my jury is out, but this could be useful personally and professionally. Or not . . .
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod.
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