Sunday, June 15, 2014

Thing 23. Evaluate 23 Mobile Things

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/23-evaluate-23-mobile-things/


Wow! What a ride it has been! This is one of the most interesting and helpful 'classes' I have taken in a long time!

As helpful as 23 Things on A Stick was several years ago in introducing me to Facebook, Flickr, Del.ici.ous and others, this has been even more helpful in teaching me about apps for mobile devices.

It's amazing to think we knew we were cutting edge then, when this seems even moreso. I had a working knowledge and experience with many of those sites before my much-cooler-than-I teens were!
Am I ramped up in my coolness factor again? I'll have to test the app-ability of my now-young-adults!

What 23 things will we learn in another five years? One can only speculate.

I'd like to thank those of you who went to all the effort and hard work to put this together for us librarians. We have busy work lives. Budget cuts have made them even busier. Yet, we still strive to keep ahead of the learning curve so we can help our patrons to the best of our abilities. You folks have made this easier for me, and I appreciate it.

We have patrons who use the Overdrive app, which tells me we have patrons who have mobile devices. That knowledge makes me realize that I can now add apps to the repertoire of offerings I give to our patrons for research, learning, and entertainment purposes. Thank you for equipping me to do my job better! :)

Au revoir, until the next 23 Things...


Thing 22: Discovering Apps

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/22-discovering-apps/

Who knew there were apps that enable you to find apps?


I am anxious to try Quixey, the app search engine a sort of catalogue of apps,



but what I focused on for this Thing was:


Apps Gone Free. This is an Apple only app that daily gives a list of apps that were paid, but are now free for a limited time, or just for the day. I have used this app for a week now, and find its offerings useful. Being Scottish, I love saving money, so this is a great app for me!

Also, while it is not at all an app search engine, I still found that I was discovering new apps each day, so it is a good way to find them, a few at a time.

Thing 21. Free-For-All

In this entry we were encouraged to showcase one of our favourite apps.
I do a lot of Bible reading and study, and I had to share the app I use the most.

The ESV Bible App sits right on the dock of my iPhone with the three other apps (phone, Safari, and messages) that can fit there. It is no reflection of what kind of person I am, but it IS a reflection of how important this app is to me, and how accessible I need it to be. I find myself waking up at night, and clicking on this one, reading a few verses of the Bible, then drifting off to sleep. If I were able to also infuse my veins with tea at the same time, it would be a perfect world... :)

Crossway, who produces this app, also has an ESV Study Bible app which is great for that purpose. Both apps connect with their online services, where they keep track of the verses you've highlighted and favourited, as well as notes you've written. This is extremely useful in the unfortunate event of losing your app, which happened to me once!

Another Bible app I really enjoy is BLB or Blue Letter Bible. This one, shown here for iPhone, has most bible translations, a built in concordance, commentaries, etc. It really is a powerful and useful tool. It, too, has a robust website attached to it.

Thing 20. Games

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/20-games/

When I saw this Thing, I was sure they would encourage us to try Angry Birds, so I was surprised to find it missing. I have not tried it yet, as I am afraid of the addictive factor my friends have fallen prey to, but I imagine it's not on the last as they assumed everyone had tried it.

What I did find, and really enjoy, is Word Abacus. Like most games, this one starts out easy, and progressively gets harder with more and more obstacles and time limitations added per level. As a writer, I find this sort of game helps me with my writing and thinking skills.

Another word-oriented game I really enjoy is W.E.L.D.E.R.

Thing 19. Hobbies

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/19-hobbies/

For this one, none of my hobby interests match the apps offered, so I went off exploring on my own. I have several hobbies, a new one being sewing, but of enduring interest to me my entire life has been the enjoyment of tea.
So, I downloaded a couple of free tea apps. Nearly every app offered had a company behind it, so of course their teas were promoted. Of these, I chose Dilmah Tea. This app has a Tea Sommelier which helps you choose the right kind of tea to serve at any meal. It also has a brewing guide and a timer.
I thought I knew almost all there is to know about tea, but no...there is plenty more to learn, and this app is going to be a great learning tool for me!
I also downloaded the Teavana Perfect Tea Touch app, which seems similar to Dilmah Tea. I will be comparing the two over the next few days to see which I like better. They both have gorgeous graphics, and both send you over to their websites where you can purchase the tea.

While I was searching, I also found a couple of paid apps that I would like to try. Mr. Tea HD is $1.99, but it looks well worth it for someone like me who is crazy about tea!

Thing 18. Education

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/18-education/

Again, this was another entry with hours and hours worth of fun and interesting apps!


GoogleEarth was a great one. When I get homesick for the Yukon, I can just zoom over there right on my iPad!



Khan Academy was also a very interesting app. I can't believe all of the education available for free on this app!







TED talks have been of interest to me lately, so it was the perfect time to download and explore this app. I will be sharing this with the young adults in my library!

Thing 17. Connecting to Community

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/17-connecting-to-community/

This was one of my favourite Things to explore. There are so many interesting apps showcasing our wonderful state and its offerings!

 I have used the MN511 app several times to check out road conditions before I venture out. I have also used the Mayo Clinic Patient app, which I find incredibly useful (I have used their website to direct patrons to find reliable information about their health conditions.)

The MN Museums app was of particular interest to me. I did not even realize we have over 500 museums in this state!




And, I can already see myself guiding my patrons (and myself) to the

UpNorthExplorer,





Minnesota State Fair, and





ExploreMinnesota apps.


Thank you for all the great ideas!

Thing 16. Audio



I chose to explore Sound Cloud. It is an amazing way to listen to amateur and professional audio and music from around the world. Of course, I was happy to find that my favourite preachers are also on here via podcast. It's another great way to get my audio content, and it's improving every day! What a way to connect with the whole world! 

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Thing 15. Infographics

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/15-infographics/

One of my favourite blogs, Challies.com showcases a lot of good infographics. I am a visual person, so I find these very helpful and fascinating. These ones have a Christian theme and often describe a book of the Bible, or a biography about a famous preacher.
I was pleased to see that 23Mobile Things MN offered an app, i Visual Info Touch Lite, which enabled me to make my own infographic easily and quickly. This would be a lot of fun to use in the library for signs, or for passive programming.
Both Info.graphics, and Infographics Hub apple apps were for iPads only, so I was unable to download them onto my iPhone. They worked fine on my iPad.
Info.graphics was fun to look through, and since my son is getting married in about a month, I found a wedding infographic helpful (I tried to copy and paste it into here, but I could not get it to stay.)





Thing 14. Video


http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/14-videos/

I like the idea of what Vine presents: 6 seconds of video. I think this would be fun to post quick things on Facebook or Twitter.
However, Viddy is a better option for us at our library, I think, since it allows one to creaate 30 second videos. I recently had a meeting with my community's mayor, and she asked that the library put some public service announcements on our local cable station. Once I become more proficient at it, Viddy will be the perfect solution for that.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Thing 13. Presentations

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/13-presentations/

I am excited about the options in this one! I was not aware of any of these presentation apps, so I feel like a child in a candy store! I can see these being useful for team meetings, training, presentations at schools and at City Hall, etc.
deck presentation Deck Slideshow doesn't require any design skills. While I sometimes spend an inordinate amount of time making things look pretty, or centered, or 'just so', I can see this helping me to simplify my presentations. Just plug in the information, and let this app do the work! I'm sure I'll still be tweaking it... ;)
Haiku DeckHaiku Deck is the one I will probably be using the most. While there is a need for presentations, etc., in a small all-purpose public library like mine, we all wear several hats, and there is no time to spend on just one thing. However, I still want a high quality presentation, so Haiku Deck will be just the thing for that!
This really is an amazing app. I could not believe the number of options of fonts, layouts, photos, etc. it gives you to use. I make a short presentation in under 10 minutes! I especially love the phrase "Patience Grasshopper. This page is still loading..."!
Good job, folks!

Thing 12: Books, Books, & More Books

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/12-books-books-more-books/

YALSATeenBookFinderlogo I like this app! You can search by title, author, genre, year, award, or booklist. You can also favorite books, so you can make your own list of favorites. This is just what I have been looking for to help me recommend books to teens, especially since I don't personally read many books in this category.

freebooksicon FREE BOOKS: I downloaded this app for free onto my iPad, but they were charging $.99 for it for the iPhone! Aside from this glitch, I really enjoy this app! While I will always prefer the tactility and stability of a paper book, I do read ebooks, and will really enjoy the access to so many free ones that this app provides! This is one I will share with my patrons, as well.

Thing 11. Library & Reference

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/11-library-reference/

I have taken a class about all the offerings of the Electronic Library of Minnesota , and it is a great resource! I have used and promoted it for years. Kudos, ELM folks! :)

My library system, Great River Regional Library, does not have a mobile app, but we do use the Overdrive app that allows patrons to check out ebooks and audiobooks from our library for free. I have used that app on occasion, and I do love it!
Even though GRRL does not have a mobile app, I find I am easily able to navigate their website on my iPhone as well as my iPad.

Thing 10. Sharing Photos

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/10-sharing-photos/

The two apps profiled for this 'thing' were Instragram and Snapchat.

Instagram logo I have an Instagram app, which I mostly use to follow my daughter's photographic journey through life. It really is a straightforward, easy to use app, and I enjoy it. I can see this will be helpful for taking photos of library events.

Snapchat logo I dowloaded Snapchat on my iPad and checked it out, but it's transitory nature makes me wonder if there is a real use for it in the library world right now. Perhaps it would be useful if I wanted to send a quick photo of an event or idea to my supervisors or coworkers who also have Snapchat accounts.

Thing 9. Taking & Editing Photos

 http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/9-taking-editing-photos/

Wow, I had no idea there were so many cool apps to help with photo taking!


First, there is  CamMe
CamMe, which "allows you to set your device down and just wave at it to take a picture. You can be in a group or by yourself but taking the picture is as easy as a wave." What a cool app! This is one I will be sharing with my husband, who has perfected the art of setting up the camera then running into position during group photos. I had some difficulty with getting the hand wave to work after the first couple of photos, but I'm sure it just takes time and practice.

line camera Line Camera would be a great tool in the library if we had more time to make our own flyers, etc. in our small library,
color splurge Color splurge is one of my new favs. I always wondered how people manipulated the colors of their photos!

Thing 8. Social Media Management Tools

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/8-social-media/

 LinkedIn logo I recently opened a new LinkedIn account, and mashable.com's "The Beginner's Guide to LinkedIn" helped me learn more about it. I did not realize it is "the world's largest professional network on the internet" with 225 million members in over 200 countries. I have been building my number of connections (they recommend having at least 50 connections), and have joined a couple of library related groups.
 Twitter_logo_blueTwitter and
FB logo Facebook were already mentioned, but as I am a regular user of both of these, I did not explore them. I especially like twitter for following news services, etc.

getglue I had never heard of the tvtag app., and I want to try it. I think that will be helpful when helping patrons who have more media-related questions and requests.

Thing 7. Content Saving & Sharing




http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/7-content-saving-sharing/
Pinterest iconFor this 'thing' I worked with Pinterest. I have used Pinterest in the past, but not to its full extent. I have found it to be overwhelming, but I think it's because I have not previously spent enough time to really explore what it can do. I can't recommend it enough for the fabulous ideas I find on there for book display ideas, craft ideas, etc. Of course, a website is only as good as the people who add content to it, and thankfully Pinterest has taken off, and is full of great ideas! My next plan is to look for photos of how other libraries organize their spaces--ours needs a bit of a facelift!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Thing 6: Creating & Editing Docs

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/6-creating-editing-docs/


I have an older MacBook, with equally aged software that I use for my freelance writing and other documents for home. Conversely, at my library job, I am spoiled with a constantly up-to-date Windows-based desktop computer that provides the latest in Microsoft Office Suite.

Recently I've been needing to create more spreadsheets outside of library work, and find my Mac software horribly outdated. (But, Office 2004 seems like it just came out yesterday, doesn't it?) I don't have a portable Windows-based computer at home, so I have been on a frustrating quest to find the best way to make good spreadsheets on my iPad, or on my home computer without being forced to update my antiquated software on a laptop that probably can't handle the change. So, I've been trying some iPad apps, all of which are offered for free.

  Enter Google Sheets: This would work just fine if I weren't already spoiled by the fantastic offerings on my work computer. It does the job, but is VERY basic, with only 6 font choices, for example. I like to be more fancy than that.

  Enter Numbers, a free app I found in the Apple App store, and downloaded on my iPad. This got me excited. It was intuitive and easy to use.  However, when I tried to open it in Excel, as it says I can, I lost the formatting. The creators of Numbers still have work to do to win me back.

cloudon  Enter CloudOn. Oh, CloudOn, where have you been these past few weeks?? It is an amazing app, and looks and works just like an Excel spreadsheet on my iPad. I'm not sure if I can get it on my MacBook (although one CAN download apps to Mac computers now), but I am thrilled with this app! Not only does it work well as an Excel provider, but also gives us Work and PowerPoint. I can also sync it with my Google Docs. And, it's FREE!
This girl is happy!

quickoffice  I have not tried the QuickOffice app yet, but it sounds like it is similar to CloudOn. I'm going to try it out as well, to see which one I like the best. No worries if I don't like it--CloudOn suits my fancy just fine!

Thing 5: Notetaking

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/5-notetaking/


I like the idea of having different types of note-taking apps. We all learn and organise differently, so it's fun to check out the ones for verbal people (Dragon Diction for Apple), the people who prefer handwriting to typing (Bamboo Paper), and of course those list makers (Springpad). I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with the choices, and find myself gravitating towards the old and tried (the plain old notes app on my iPhone, or the tasks list within my gmail account.)

When I'm writing a task list, the last thing I want to do is learn how to USE a task list. I just want to jot down my ideas on a real or virtual piece of paper!
Also, I want something that is EASY that will sync with my calendar, etc., which is what is so great about using google.
However, I did try the Bamboo Paper bamboo paper
I must be a neat freak, though, because although I LOVE to write by hand on regular paper (pencils are best-a good one just glides across the paper), I really don't like it on a mobile device. It is just not neat enough or physically conducive to doing so with any comfort.

I did not try Dragon Diction dragon dictation, although it's a great concept for some (speech to text). I just don't like talking that much! Plus, during dictation, I find I do a lot of 'uh's and 'um's.

Springpad  springpad   reminds me a lot of Pinterest, which tends to get information-overloaded and out of hand for me.
So, while those are all AWESOME apps for certain people, and even I would get better at them with practice, I will just stick with the simple list making apps I already use.

Thing 4: Keeping Up

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/4-keeping-up/


By "Keeping Up",  they mean keeping up on the news, on your favourite social media sites, on your RSS feeds.
I use Flipboard to collect all of my RSS feeds together. It's a great app,  highly customizable, and reads like a magazine as you 'flip' through the pages (thus the name). I don't have it connected to my Facebook or Twitter, although you can-I have to get away from those sites sometimes. It really is a handy gathering place for all of my Canadian news sites, etc. It suggests news sites and categories through Flipboard Picks--such as "Oprah" (NOT a fan!), and "Oddity Central" (sometimes very interesting reading for this weird brain!)
I like it, I just don't use it enough.

Thing 3: Utilities

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/3-utilities/


I didn't find this section on utilities so helpful. However, I know they could only choose a few to profile. I have used Wi-Fi Finder, and have found it helpful when I'm out and about. I like the concept of the iHome Sleep app (which, despite its name, is for both Apple and Android), and the StandApp is cool for those who sit a lot and could use a reminder to get up and stretch those legs.

Personally, I  like and use the Errands To Do List app, created by David Mandell of Yoctoville. It is a high quality, stable, regularly updated app and has been free so far. I love the unusual alarm tones!
The developer asks for donations, and I think he deserves them, this app is so good!

He also has three other great apps that have the same level of quality and great customer service.

I also found of interest the human story behind a web developer's life, something we don't always think about. This fellow lives an interesting nomadic life, traveling in a camper van with his computer and his dog, Buddha. Read his story here and follow his blog here.

ErrandsIcon.png  Errands

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Thing 2: Mobile Device Tips

 http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/2-utilities/


Having been an iPhone owner for 5 years, and an iPad owner for 4 years, I didn't think I would be learning much at this juncture. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn small, helpful things about my devices that I had not discovered on my own! Those niggling questions that weren't quite worthy of research have now been answered for me. Some of my favourites were:
1.  http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/123596-ios-7-tips-and-tricks-here-s-what-your-iphone-or-ipad-can-do-now-updated.
2. http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/iphone-more-tips-tricks/
3. From a fellow 23MobileThings blogger! http://heatherwambach23things.blogspot.com/2014/01/thing-2-mobile-device-tips.html

Wow, that little metal object in my purse suddenly became so much more useful to me! :)

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Thing 1

http://23mobilethingsmn.org/the-23-things/1-blogging/

I am  joining the 23MobileThings (http://23mobilethingsmn.org) program with the Minnesota multitype library systems. This blog is my record of my findings as I learn different ways to use my mobile device. I am very excited to learn this, so that I can help my patrons with  more efficiency and creativity.
I completed the 23 Things On A Stick (as in, zip drive) program several years ago, and found that to be incredibly helpful. Because of that, I am certain to encounter the same wealth of ideas in this program!