The Radar

Cross posted from the Answer.

Google Fast Flip is an interesting, if not terribly useful, means of reading magazines, newspapers, and blogs. Fast Flip takes snapshots of webpages of the online publications such as BBC News, Spin, TechCrunch, New York Times, Newsweek and many others. It then indexes the stories (as Google likes to do) and makes them searchable in an almost tactile way. Imagine flipping through a magazine that has articles from the previously mentioned publications on cats or healthcare or anything else you may be interested in but online – that is Fast Flip’s goal.

It is a nice addiction to Google’s rapidly growing stable of products, but not one I think I would ever use. I am a huge fan of RSS feeds and get my news that way, but for those who like the idea of idly flipping through a magazine this resource may be useful.

Fast Flip also has a mobile version for iPhones and Androids which I could see being more useful. Another feature is the ability to “Like” stories. Once you have liked enough stories Fast Flip will anticipate what you might like in the future. It is also possible to recommend stories to your friends.

When you need an image for a presentation or a project, do you usually go to Google and do a quick image search?  We all have, but there are so many other alternatives out there.  Here are some options that can really help bring your presentation to the next level.

Flickr

Flickr Storm

Open Photo

NASA Images

Pics4Learning

World Images Kiosk

Free Foto

Google Images Advanced Search

Life Photo Archive hosted by Google

One of the most frequently asked questions in the Adult Computer Lab  is whether or not we provide support for cell phones. Generally, when we are asked that question, we identify the person’s cell phone provider and refer them to a store. Below is a list the most popular cell phone carriers along with their support website, closest location and map.

support website: http://support.vzw.com/?lid=//global//support
customer service number: (800) 922-0204
closest store:Skokie Pointe Plaza – Store |  5700 W Touhy Ave  |  Niles, IL. 60714  |  (847) 647-7724
view map

support website: http://www.wireless.att.com/support/
customer service number:
closest store: AT&T Store |  9725 SKOKIE BLVD |  SKOKIE, IL 60077  | (847) 679-8447
view map

support website: http://support.t-mobile.com/index.html
customer service number: 1-800-T-MOBILE
closest store: Pagecomm_T-Mobile Limited  | 5220 Dempster St.  |  Skokie, IL 60077  | (847) 679-8447
view map

support website: http://support.sprint.com/support/
customer service number: 888-211-4727
closest store: Siena At Old Orchard | 9406 Skokie Blvd | Skokie, IL 60077 | (847) 763-9105
view map

 These are instructions on how to use the iMovie ‘09 green screen feature to change the background of your video clip.

Step One

For this tutorial you will need two video clips; one that has been recorded with a green screen background and one that is the background you would like to change to.

Launch iMovie ‘09 by clicking its icon in the dock or in the Applications folder.

  Read the rest of this entry »

There have been many questions regarding Microsoft’s October 22 release of Windows 7. One of the main questions is whether or not someone should upgrade. After the less-than-stellar response to Microsoft XP with Vista, the company is looking to rebound. I have been watching the press releases on Windows’s  7 very closely to see how this new operating system will impact Window’s users.  Many are saying the Window’s 7 is merely a release of the way Vista “should have been” created. Others, like CNet are saying that Windows 7 is ”stable, smooth, and highly polished”. Others are waiting eagerly.  Window’s 7 is so highly anticipated that, according to TGDaily, Window’s 7  has surpassed Harry Potter on Amazon.com’s Pre-Order sales list. I am not sure if the pre-order sales are due to the disatisfaction with Vista or actual interest in Microsoft’s new OS but one thing is for certain; if Window’s 7 is unimpressive, Microsoft will have a real problem on there hand because most consumer aren’t very forgiving.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/funlovers/2719976577/

According to a recent article on Mashable, the average Internet user now spends 68 hours per month online. The article also claims that the average Internet user visits nearly 2700 websites and averages 57 seconds per website. I have to say I’m not that surprised by these figures because it seems more people have jobs that involve being online and people are also watching more television online on websites like Hulu.

So, we want to know. How much time do you spend online in an average day? week? month?

Right here in the Skokie Library Digital Media Lab, you can teach yourself to play the piano or the guitar!  You can also learn musical notation (how to read and write music), and you can even compose your own original music with multiple, editable tracks.

Apple’s iLife ’09 program suite contains GarageBand— the program that allows you to do all of this.

Watch the GarageBand video tutorials, and then start using the program.  If you get stuck, you can use the extensive Help menu.  GarageBand is a user-friendly, straightforward yet sophisticated program.

With it, you can also “play along” with existing background or beat tracks, or pick from many tracks to accompany your composition.  You can also get lessons from popular musicians (there’s an Apple website charge for that option, though).  Once you start with this program, you’ll be hooked!

Take a few moments to view this video from Google explaining web browsers.  I have often noticed that many people have issues with understanding  the difference between a web browser and an operating system.

Cross posted from The Studio.

Songza is a Google-esque search engine designed specifically for music. Type in a song title or artist name and it will spit out a list of songs. What makes this site so very excellent is the huge selection of music and just as importantly each song is played in its entirety. No more listening to only 40 seconds of a song and then a fade-out to nothing.

It is possible but not necessary to create and save songs to a profile. The saved songs will become a playlist which you can reorder and shuffle. The profile will produce an RSS feed so friends and/or interested people can receive updates on songs you enjoy. You can follow my song selection @ http://songza.com/chesslibrarian/rss if you want.

Songza is fun but it isn’t perfect. Sometimes the songs lag a little. Unlike Pandora it does not stream new music to you. Songza does not allow downloading of songs.

Songza is incredible for what it is does and I highly recommend playing with it!

Do you aspire to be the next great American filmmaker? If so, you’re going to want to start working on that video portfolio for your film school application and there’s no better way to do that then entering the Library’s 2nd Annual Teen YouTube Contest!

Just like last year, the theme is tied to Teen Read Week, which is celebrated all across the country every October. That means videos should reflect the 2009 Teen Read Week theme “Beyond Reality!” and be inspired by a favorite book.

All you need to do is create your video, post it on YouTube (make sure you tag it “splteenreadweek2009″), and submit your online entry form by Friday, October 9, 2009. More information is available on our website.

And don’t forget! Our brand new Digital Media Lab is open and it’s a great place to borrow a video camera, edit video, and upload your video directly to YouTube!

For inspiration, here’s last year’s first place winner: