SPLAT Archive

OneTimeBox: Share Files with No Account

Sometimes I think that I am a terrible Web 2.0 user. In a feigned attempt to protect my privacy, I don’t let my browsers remember my passwords, and I don’t have a dedicated device to call my own. For those reasons, if I want to send something on Dropbox, I have to remember my login.

Get Your Grovo On!

Want to try out a great new web tool but you’re not sure how to begin? Or, have you let a cool new app languish on your smartphone because you’re not sure how to use it? Well, give GROVO a try. This site offers quick (60 second) tutorials for a ton of different subjects –

Raspberry Pi

What is it? The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used

LibraryBox

Have you heard of LibraryBox? LibraryBox is a cool, new tool libraries will use for the distribution of materials. What is it? A device that works with a device’s WiFi capability (like an ipod or smartphone or laptop) to transmit materials. LibraryBox does not require Internet access, and does the file sharing from the box

Trials and tribulations with the Coby Kyros tablet

I was actually anxious to get my hands on the Coby Kyros tablet in the gizmo garage and give it a try. These tablets are android based and retail for around $100 or less. I wanted to see if these inexpensive tablets can do just as good a job as a more expensive iPad, and

E-reader comparison

Great article for comparing popular various ereaders, specifically in regard to use as a tool while traveling.  http://www.itats.org/the-ultimate-ereader-travel-guide/ Julie Raynor has pulled together a great infographic and text providing any buyer a useful tool for making that ultimate decision of which e-reader/tablet in which to invest.

Promise of Libraries Transforming Communities

One of the sessions I attended at this summer’s ALA Annual Conference in Chicago was The Promise of Libraries Transforming Communities: A Presidential Initiative Update Panelists: Maureen Sullivan, President, American Library Association, Alexia Hudson Ward, Mary Wegner, Richard Harwood.  This was a great session which built on the conversation starters held at Mid-Winter in Seattle. 

TV devices and apps in the library

During one of many great conversations during our SPLAT Magic Valley adventure, Gena mentioned adding the Roku to our gizmo garage. I blurted out, “Isn’t the Roku going away and turning into just an app?” Of course I said this in a cloud of fatigue and hunger after a long day of travel. There was

Digital Strategist

In reviewing my blog feeds this morning, I came across this Slide Share by Ben Caddell, Digital Strategist.  It is a great overview of the what a digital strategist is and the role it plays in helping a company or a library promote their services, programming, and resources to the digital world.  I see this

Magic Valley SPLAT Adventure

Today (July 19, 2013), 9 members of the Special Projects Library Action Team (SPLAT) will be visiting 4 libraries in Magic Valley.  They will be interacting with staff  and drop ins — providing insight about tablets, e-readers, and anything else that comes along related to libraries, programming and technology.  Camas County District Library, Burley Public