Categories
Books Media

Delaying ebooks

I was going to blog about the recent article describing how publishers are going to be slotting ebooks into their traditional Handcover-then-Paperback release schedule. I was going to point out that treating digital objects like physical objects has never worked, will never work, and to expect it to work is a fundamental error of modern media.

I was going to do that, but then Chad Haefele over at Hidden Peanuts did it for me. Go read it.

From his post:

Scribner has created an ecosystem where piracy is literally the only option for potential customers who would otherwise line up to give them money, AND that piracy delivers what’s actually a superior product with no DRM.

Yep, that’s pretty much what they’ve done. And, like the music industry, they are going to shoot themselves right in the foot.

Categories
Books Gadgets Writing

Drowning in eReaders

I’m in the middle of writing an issue of Library Technology Reports on Gadgets in your Library, focusing on personal electronics (eReaders, personal media players, cameras, audio recorders, etc). I’ve been drowning in electronic readers lately, starting with the Barnes & Noble Nook finally shipping and going all the way through a myriad of hardware vendors that are jumping into the eReader space. A few of the eReaders that might not be on everyone’s radar:

Categories
Brand_New_World Uncategorized

(Future) Top Chef




IMG_8707

Originally uploaded by griffey

Eliza is really, really into playing with her little kitchen, plastic food, and play pots and pans. So today, when we let her “help” us bake Christmas cookies, she was in heaven.

She stood on a step stool for no less than 45 minutes in complete and total concentration: pouring flour, sugar, and salt from one bowl to another, stirring, adding cinnamon, feeling it with her fingers, trying out the measuring cups and spoons, having an absolute blast. She got herself (and the kitchen) so messy, but it was so interesting to see her so focused and so joyful.

Maybe she’s a famous chef in the making? Nothing would make us prouder, I believe!

Categories
MPOW

More UTC Library Rave videos

More videos collected from YouTube…these all from a single user, in the last couple of hours.

Categories
MPOW

UTC Library Rave – Fall 2009

Looks like another flash mob/flash rave happened at MPOW, UTC Library, last night. From the footage already up on YouTube, looks like this time someone convinced the powers that be to let the students into the library instead of pepper spraying them outside of it.

Here’s the early footage:

EDIT: More videos coming online now

Categories
MPOW

Groundbreaking!

Groundbreaking

So exciting! The ground has officially been broken on the site of our new library! This is a minor start, really just moving some telecom equipment around, but still…there’s a hole in the ground, and in 18 months we hope that it’s filled with a beautiful new library.

Categories
Brand_New_World Uncategorized

Some day they’ll both kill me for this




IMG_8603

Originally uploaded by griffey

Here’s the post-Thanksgiving aftermath, Eliza and her cousin Parker taking a bath. Eliza thought it was hilarious. Parker just sort of sat in the corner and wondered how he got there. Luckily, they get along really well, despite Eliza’s bossy bear tendencies.

Categories
Brand_New_World Uncategorized

Decorating for Xmas



Decorating for Xmas, 2009, originally uploaded by griffey.

Eliza doing her first Christmas decorating, helping Mom and Dad trim the tree. She loved it for about 15 minutes, then got bored.

Categories
Technology

Google Chrome OS on a Dell Mini 9

Google Chrome OS running on a Dell Mini 9.

Chrome OS on Dell Mini 9

Chrome OS on Dell Mini 9

It looks like most everything works (touchpad, including tap-to-click, sound, video at full rez)…except the wireless. Hardwired connectivity works fine, though. Maybe in an updated build they’ll add drivers for the mini 9 wireless.

Anyone else out there having success getting it running on a Dell Mini 9?

Categories
ALA

ALA Techsource Fall posts

I just realized that I have failed to link a couple of my more recent ALA Techsource posts here on Pattern Recognition! So, if you’re interested, here are links to my Techsource posts from this Fall.

If you haven’t checked out the excellent stuff coming from the Techsource blog, you really should add it to your RSS Reader…tons of really great writing from the other authors there.