Playing with feeds #9

Feedster would not open for me when I tried it today...I'll have to go back and give that one a try later. Of the other three that I tried I though Topix.net was the easiest to use. It has a great interface that is appealling to look at and easy to navigate. Syndic8.com seemed to want to make a statement that they are layed back and don't want to be flashy, which I think is refreshing. So many times the best looking websites are not nearly as helpful as the more straightforward sites. Technorati was interesting but it seemed like it was just another search engine. Obviously with more playing on all of these sites I would be able to give a much better review. Of the three that I could look at, I think I would yse Topix.net if I was looking for a newsfeed because of its ease of use. Synic8 is intriguing because of the ability to search podcasts.

No matter what all of these sites are just an example of free speech in motion, which I think is so cool. Connecting small and large groups of people from all over the world around similar issues is fascinating.

Blog lines #8

On Thursday I had created a new gmail account with the help of Peter and I started using their reader. However I think I like the bloglines reader better...not sure why though. It makes so much sense to use a reader if you are constantly reading from the same sites every day. However, I feel that I go to a lot of popular sites that Bloglines or the Google reader just send you to anyways when you click on the article name. I am sure that there is a way to get all of the text into the Blogline reader without being transfered to the original site to read the article. I see this application being especially useful for those who are constantly reading blogs to keep up with when new posts are added. It is annoying going to your favorite site and seeing that nothing has been updated...you feel like you have just wasted your time (although really how much time did you waste!). I'm going to see which reader I like best over the next couple of weeks and then stick with one. I do need to find some good library blogs to read though.

I think it is interesting that the newest addition of Internet explorer has an rss function in the top left hand corner of the page. This just goes to show how popular this has become.

Technology related thing of interest #7

I have been increasing interested in how we are using our phones these days. I can remember when Zach Morris on Save by the Bell would use his "cell" phone....the thing was enormous!! In hindsight it looks rediculous, but at the time I thought how cool it would be to use a phone that didn't have a cord. Now I don't even have a "home" phone number, I just use my cell phone as my primary means of communication. Whenever I sign that new agreement I am already thinking what will my next phone look like. What amazes me now is how phones have turned in to mini computers that are used to send text messages and picture messages more often than receive or send actual phone calls. I have been thinking about getting a smart phone that has internet and emailing capability. I just wonder if I really NEED them...read: no....if I have my own computer. I can picture them being extremely useful for those who are always on the go, but I'm not. As they become more affordable I feel more and more tempted. I am pretty good at not having to be the first to get something which is helpful I think, because by the time I actually get around to buying these new fangeled technologies the bugs have been worked out. Those iPhones sure do look like a lot of fun though......

Flickr apps #6

I had heard people talking about API in regard to pages like Facebook and MySpace, but I think the Flickr apps are much cooler. I explored one called trip planner. It is a website hosted by yahoo that combines flickr photos. Trip Planner is described by the people at flickr as "a website that lets you build a travel itinerary with your hotel, nearby restaurants, attractions, maps, driving directions and more! When you return home, create a photo set of your trip on Flickr then show them off as part of your trip plan." I think this application is fantastically useful for individuals who are planning trips and want to get an idea of where they are really going. I did a simple search for Italy and was amazed at not only the beautiful pictures, but also the depth of the descriptions in the journal function of the trip. Just by reading a few of these entires you can really appreciate the plans that you should make and most importantly the clothes you need to pack!! The API really encourages the involvement of the entire user community to be creative and to create their own programs that might just be for fun, but can also be tremendous assests to the entire user group.

Flickr Fun #5

I have played around with flickr befor, but it is interesting to think how flickr can be used in libraries. It is great to share pictures of events that have taken place in the library, but there seems to be so many more applications that we haven't thought of. Being the history nerd that I am I did a search for the Library of Congress and was pleasantly surprised to find out that the LOC has a Flickr account!! How cool is that!

To pick one picture would be far to difficult. I do suggest searching for places that you would like to travel to, as it is a neat way of "seeing" the world before you actually see the world.

I do have plans to buy a nice digital camera in the near future...maybe with that tax rebate that will be coming my way...Once I have a decent camera I plan to start my own Flickr account as it is an easy way to keep your photos organized and it is so easy to share those pictures with friends.