OverDrive is updating its Media Console software for Windows to allow iPod users better access to WMA-format audiobooks. Click here for the article from May 27, 2009.
USB, DVI, HDMI, coaxial, composite, component, …. computers, digital television, converters, audio, video, … it all starts to blur together after a while. This New York Times article and the accompanying slideshow will untangle it all.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/technology/personaltech/16basics.html
“Social Networking” is a subject we hear more and more about lately. If you’ve wondered “exactly what is social networking, and why should I care?”, you’re not alone. Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision, if you will. We are familiar with social networking that’s done in person, (in schools or in the workplace, for example), but online social networking has become hugely popular. The number of people who use social networks can be counted in the hundreds of millions. This video clip explains the basics of what social networking is and what it can do:
The top 3 frontrunners on the current social networking scene are Facebook, Myspace and Twitter - names most of us are familiar with. At one time, online social networks were mainly the realm of teens & young adults. Today, however, adults ages 34-55 represent the fastest growing demographic of online social network users. It’s not just for kids anymore! (Check out the Cheshire Library’s Facebook Page).
There are dozens of popular social networking sites out there, some tailored toward specific interests (movie lovers, classmates, business networking, etc.), and some more broad. Below is a table showing the 25 most popular social networking sites, ranked by number of monthly visits. Why not check some of them out and see what all the fuss is about?
OverDrive has improved the interface of their Downloadable Audiobook Catalog. From the library’s catalog, click on “Downloadable Books.” On the left-hand side, you can click on “New MP3 Audiobooks” or “View all MP3 Audiobooks.” Alternatively, you can click on “Advanced Search” and limit your results to “OverDrive MP3 Audiobook” in the “Format” drop-down menu.
This will be especially helpful for iPod users, whose devices cannot play WMA-format audiobooks, which currently make up the majority of our downloadable audiobook collection. Going forward, however, I plan on purchasing only MP3 titles, which will play on any digital device, including iPods.
The Cheshire Public Library now offers free wireless internet access throughout the public areas of the building!
Of course you are using anti-virus software on your Windows PC, and you are updating the virus definitions at least once a week, and you have a virus scan scheduled to run once a week. But if you ever should need to deal with a virus/bug/worm/Trojan on your home computer, or if you just want to learn more so that you can prevent an infestation, a good place to start is at BleepingComputer.com. Registration is free, but you don’t have to register in order to use the tutorials or search the forums and databases.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, The average worker in Connecticut spends 24.1 minutes traveling to work each day, just a shade under the national average of 24.3. Of course, that’s not counting being stuck in traffic jams because of construction, accidents, and other forces of nature. Whether you drive to work, walk, bicycle, or take the bus or train, a good book can make the time fly.
You probably already know that the library has a wide selection of audiobooks on CD and tape. Are you also aware of the many books that we have ready to be downloaded to your WMA/MP3 player, burned to CDs, or simply played from your computer? And we even offer a few e-books that can be read as PDF files.
To start, visit our downloadable audiobook catalog by clicking on the link over on the right side of the screen on our website’s homepage. You can start browsing the collection by categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children’s and Young Adult, Recently Returned, New Arrivals, and Always Available. You can search by title or author, and you can ask to see only titles that are available. Or you can start with one of the guided tours or tutorials offered.
In order to download audiobooks and e-books, you will first need to install OverDrive Media Console 3 onto your computer. OverDrive is a small application that manages your checked out materials and downloads them to your portable audio device. (The task of burning CDs is handed off to Windows Media Player.) Then you simply start adding books to your cart, proceed to checkout, and start OverDrive in order to download the books you have checked out. Some downloadable audiobooks in our collection are always available, but others may be checked out by only one person at a time. If the audiobook you want is checked out, you can put a hold on it, and you will be notified by email when it is available for you to download. Audiobooks expire 14 days from the time they were checked out.
Portable audio devices come in several sizes, and if you are buying your first player, you may be wondering how much memory you will need to buy. As a rule, the item record in the audiobook catalog will list the filesize in kilobytes (KB) and the duration in hours and minutes. For example, The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, by Howard Pyle, is 157300 KB and 10 hours, 56 minutes long, or roughly 14300 KB per hour of listening time. 14300 KB is equal to 14.3 MB (megabytes), so a 512 MB MP3 player can hold about 35.8 hours of listening pleasure.
This service is intended for home use only, and you will need your 14-digit Cheshire Public Library card number. While you may browse this collection and checkout titles at the library, you will not be able to download the files to a library PC. Apple iPods are not supported yet, but will be later this year.
Detailed instructions are provided at the Library Connection Downloadable Audiobook Catalog, and we’re here to help you if you have any questions.
Microsoft Word 2007 files are not backward compatible with Microsoft Word 2003, the version we have at the library. Word 2007 is on order, and will be installed by this summer. In the meantime, there are a couple of ways that Word 2007 files can be handled.
There is a web-based service at http://www.zamzar.com that will convert docx (the Word 2007 format) files to doc (the Word 2003 format) files. There is no registration required for the free service, just an email address to send the converted file to. Files for the free service get queued up after the paid accounts get serviced, so there is no guarantee as to how soon the converted file will be ready, but I’ve experienced pretty response time with it. There is a 100MByte limit to the size of the files that can be converted with the free service.
Alternatively, when you save your Word 2007 documents, save a copy in Word 2003 format and bring that copy to the library. Or, you can also save your Word 2007 documents in the RTF (Rich Text Format) format, and those will be compatible with both Word 2003 and Word 2007.
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