tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-265309192024-03-13T09:53:09.651-07:00Tuesday Technology Talks @ PPLThis is a blog to chronicle the monthly Tuesday Technology Talks that happen the first Tuesday of the month at Princeton Public Library in Princeton, NJ. Information about upcoming talks and much more will be included.Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-59922395884850093342007-08-28T14:11:00.000-07:002008-12-09T04:35:56.543-08:00We have moved "home" the library!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RtSQa9AKjCI/AAAAAAAAAHU/fU-hr4uC3RU/s1600-h/moved.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 126px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RtSQa9AKjCI/AAAAAAAAAHU/fU-hr4uC3RU/s200/moved.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103863070443867170" border="0" /></a>The Tech Talk blog has been relocated and we are now being hosted on our own servers. Please join us at our new <a href="http://www.princetonlibrary.org/techtalks/">location</a> for announcements about upcoming talks and other news.<br /><br />Don't forget to update your RSS feeds when you follow us to our new home. Feeds for the new blog are located at the following link:<br />http://www.princetonlibrary.org/techtalks/atom.xmlJanie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-29325022737333069792007-08-03T07:46:00.000-07:002008-12-09T04:35:56.642-08:00Upcoming Tech Talk to feature Nanch Blachman of "Google Guide" fame.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RrONIZSwJ0I/AAAAAAAAAGU/G0yOq2vXbrQ/s1600-h/NancyAndGoogleGuide.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RrONIZSwJ0I/AAAAAAAAAGU/G0yOq2vXbrQ/s200/NancyAndGoogleGuide.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094570778854172482" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Google Shortcuts</span><br />Tuesday August 7th at 7 pm<br />1st Floor Community Room<br /><br />Google is so easy to use, why attend this presentation? If you're like many people, you use only a small number of Google's services and features!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.variablesymbols.com/nancy.html">Nancy Blachman</a>, who taught computer science at Stanford University, will show you how to go beyond Google's deceptively plain interface and take advantage of many shortcuts and underutilized capabilities.<br /><br />Nancy has been using Google since the spring of 1999, when it was less than one year old. She has written more than a half dozen tutorial and reference books, including How to Do Everything with Google, and she also maintains the popular <a href="http://www.googleguide.com/">Google Guide</a> web site.<br /><br />Read more about the talk and Nancy in <a href="http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18658955&BRD=1091&PAG=461&dept_id=346950&rfi=8">Get Your Google On</a>, an article that T<a href="http://pacpub.com/">he Princeton Packet</a> published on 8/3 that features an interview with Nancy about her upcoming appearance at PPL.<br /><br />Hope to see you there!Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-52980721536889731942007-06-08T07:55:00.000-07:002008-12-09T04:35:56.817-08:00Links from "Top Free Reference Resources Online" DataBytes sessions<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.princetonlibrary.org/research/techcenter/classes.html#Library">DataBytes</a> is a monthly series that occurs the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of most months at 1 pm in the <a href="http://www.princetonlibrary.org/research/techcenter/index.html">Tech Center</a> on the 2nd floor (exceptions are that we do not do a session in July and some months we only have one session due to holidays). DataBytes is a 45-50 minute tour of a library subscription database or covers other databases and sites found online that are useful for research and everyday life. Each session is taught by a reference librarian and includes time for Q&A at the end.<br /><br />Our topic in May was </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;font-size:100%;" >Top Free Reference Resources Online</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >. Here is the introduction from class:<br /> Eac<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RmmGmXK780I/AAAAAAAAAFU/KoTDr4SOy88/s1600-h/free.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 128px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RmmGmXK780I/AAAAAAAAAFU/KoTDr4SOy88/s200/free.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5073734448822612802" border="0" /></a>h year since 1999 the Reference And User Services Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association publishes a list of the <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaourassoc/rusasections/mars/marspubs/MARSBESTIndex.htm">Best Free Reference Websites</a> via the MARS (Machine-Assisted Reference Section) committee. This list is a treasure trove of what is good reliable reference sources and freely available on the web. </span><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Essentially, in this session of DataBytes we will be examining this list and I will be highlighting a dozen or so of these sites and. This list of reference sites by RUSA/MARS is a great place to find databases for all types of reference needs, and includes everything from comics to food to government statistics and more. </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I will also include a few that are not on the list -- these are sites that I have found via serendipity, reviews and also by using the Librarians' Internet Index (<a href="http://lii.org/" target="_blank">http://lii.org</a> ). I consider the Librarians' Internet Index to be a great reference tool in and of itself due to the fact that they catalog a lot of databases and only sites that have been reviewed by librarians are included. </span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" > So, without further ado, here is the list of what we ended up exploring at each session:<br /><br /></span><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sites Demonstrated</span></span></u></b>: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Librarians' Internet Index</span></span></b> <a title="http://lii.org" href="http://lii.org/" target="_blank">http://lii.org</a><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">FoodSafety.gov</span></span></b> <a title="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/">http://www.foodsafety.gov/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Population Reference Bureau</span></span></b> <a title="http://www.prb.org" href="http://www.prb.org/" target="_blank">http://www.prb.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Acronym Finder: The Acronym and Abbreviation Dictionary </span></span></b><a title="http://www.acronymfinder.com/" href="http://www.acronymfinder.com/">http://www.acronymfinder.com</a><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Internet Movie Database </span></span></b><a title="http://imdb.com/" href="http://imdb.com/">http://imdb.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><b style="font-family:courier new;"><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Big Cartoon Database </span></span></b><a title="http://www.bcdb.com" href="http://www.bcdb.com/" target="_blank">http://www.bcdb.com</a><o:p></o:p></span> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">National Atlas </span></span></b><a title="http://www.nationalatlas.gov" href="http://www.nationalatlas.gov/" target="_blank">http://www.nationalatlas.gov</a><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recalls.gov</span></span></b> <a title="http://www.recalls.gov" href="http://www.recalls.gov/" target="_blank">http://www.recalls.gov</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Charity Navigator </span></span></b><a title="http://www.charitynavigator.org/" href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank">http://www.charitynavigator.org/</a><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">All-Music Guide</span></span></b> <a title="http://www.allmusic.com" href="http://www.allmusic.com/" target="_blank">http://www.allmusic.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p>Lyric Wiki</span></span></b> <a title="http://lyricwiki.org/" href="http://lyricwiki.org/">http://lyricwiki.org/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Get Human</span></span></b> <a title="http://gethuman.com/" href="http://gethuman.com/">http://gethuman.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hoaxbusters vs. Snopes<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;"><a title="http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBHoaxIndex.html" href="http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBHoaxIndex.html">http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBHoaxIndex.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;"><a title="http://www.snopes.com/" href="http://www.snopes.com/">http://www.snopes.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><i><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Polling Report Online</span></span></b><a title="http://www.pollingreport.com/index.html" href="http://www.pollingreport.com/index.html"> http://www.pollingreport.com/index.html</a><o:p></o:p></span> </p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:courier new;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plants Database</span></span></b> <a title="http://plants.usda.gov/" href="http://plants.usda.gov/">http://plants.usda.gov/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:12;"><o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >If you are interested in reading more about this session, <a href="http://princetoninfo.com/">US1 Newspaper</a> did an interview with me called <a href="http://www.princetoninfo.com/200705/70502s01.html#Scouring%20The%20Net%20For%20Free">Scouring the Net for Free</a> in which these sites are discussed (and you can also discover informative facts, such as the real truth behind my path to librarianship).</span><br /></o:p></span></span></p>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-88758525832533282562007-06-01T11:52:00.000-07:002008-12-09T04:35:56.970-08:00June 5th Tech Talk on Screencasting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RmBsciUkoZI/AAAAAAAAAFE/aV5tti2TrIs/s1600-h/stevescils.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 113px; height: 151px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RmBsciUkoZI/AAAAAAAAAFE/aV5tti2TrIs/s320/stevescils.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071172417924407698" border="0" /></a>Our next Tech Talk will be all about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screencast">Screencasting</a> and feature <a href="http://www.stevegarwood.com/bio.htm">Steve Garwood</a> -- a dynamic presenter who gave this presentation recently to rave reviews at the <a href="http://www.njla.org/conference/2007/">NJLA Annual Conference</a>. Here is the official blurb:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Just Press Play</span><br />Screencasting is being used increasingly to do computer-based training, online education delivery (PowerPoint with voice narration), software demonstration, and even video podcasting. Steve Garwood, a faculty member of the <a href="http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/">School of Communication, Information and Library Studies </a>at <a href="http://nbp.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>, will demonstrate a variety of popular screencasting tools. With screencasting software, a company can easily demonstrate a software program, a trainer can show trainees how to execute a task and libraries can demonstrate common tasks with their catalogs (renewing materials, creating holds, etc.). Screencasts can be delivered online as part of a website, setup as a video podcast, or burned to a CD.<br /><br />The talk will begin at 7 p.m. and be held in the library's first floor community room.Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-47564850073408143332007-05-21T12:11:00.000-07:002008-12-09T04:35:57.178-08:00Links from Open Mic Night<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RmBp9SUkoYI/AAAAAAAAAE8/OjTnVcmKwm4/s1600-h/Microphone_7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 164px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RmBp9SUkoYI/AAAAAAAAAE8/OjTnVcmKwm4/s320/Microphone_7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071169682030240130" border="0" /></a>We had a great time at our first ever Open Mic Night -- even if no one from the audience was brave enough to take the podium and share. Bob, Evan, Jim and I were each prepared with more than enough sites and tips to share. It is a rare occurence for the 4 of us to be together in one place and the chance to share our "favorites" with the Tech Talk audience was a lot of fun. Here are the links to what we demonstrated and talked about that night:<br /><br />The evening kicked off with Jim Crawford sharing the news that he recently became a grandfather (congrats Jim!). Jim then demonstrated some of the ways that he and his wife were involved with the arrival of their granddaughter even though they live on opposite coasts -- all thanks to the wonders of the modern Web.<br /><br />For instance, when the baby shower was being planned, invitations were sent via <a href="http://www.evite.com/">Evite</a>, a site which allows guests to rsvp online with notes to the hosts and guest of honor. So even though Jim and his wife could not fly to California for the shower, they could send their regrets with a personalized note.<br /><br />On the day of the shower they were able to contribute to the buffet by having a beautiful "bouquet of fruit" delivered from <a href="http://www.ediblearrangements.com/">Edible Arrangements</a> and have their gift sent automatically using online baby registries.<br /><br />Now that their granddaughter is here, they get to see her grow via a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/">flickr</a> photostream.<br /><br />Jim also shared a few items from a list he compiled called Jim's Web Picks. We will post that list shortly as a separate blog entry as it is lengthy.<br /><br />Next up was Bob Keith who shared 2 "freebie" utilities that he uses regularly, a new online photo editing site as well as one site that is "just for fun" because we all need a little fun now and then.<br /><br />The two utilities that Bob demonstrated are <a href="http://ccleaner.com/">CCleaner</a> and <a href="https://secure.logmein.com/home.asp">LogMeIn</a>. Bob will write more about those in a separate post in the coming weeks so stay tuned... next up was Picnik!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.picnik.com/">Picnik</a> is a photo editing site that is still in beta, so all of its tools and features are currently free. After they come out of beta, a good portion of the site will still be free but you will have to pay for some of the premium features. Bob is excited about Picnik as it is a good alternative for quickly editing photos when you do not have access to other software. Also, you can grab your photos right from your flickr photostream for easy-editing. Bob will be teaching a class on Picnik on June 26th at 7 pm. Why not sign up and explore! Check our <a href="http://www.princetonlibrary.org/research/techcenter/classes.html">class calendar</a> for this and other exciting classes.<br /><br />Finally, just for fun, Bob shared the <a href="http://www.krazydad.com/colrpickr/">KrazyDad Colr Pickr</a> -- a great way to explore the color fields tags on flickr and a fun way to surf for images.<br /><br />I was up next (I am Janie Hermann, for those who do not read this blog regularly) and my selections were somewhat eclectic.<br /><br />I started off with a live demo of using a new service called <a href="http://www.jott.com/">Jott</a>. I had literally just set up my Jott account a few days before this session and am still loving this service. With Jott I can dial a 1-800 number from my cell phone to send messages to my email -- and much more! My best ideas often occur to me on my morning commute, so now I can just send myself a Jott and not worry about forgetting a single thing!<br /><br />I am a list maker and have long used calendars to keep myself organized, so I demonstrated two online tools that I use to keep my life organized: <a href="http://www.cozi.com/">Cozi Central</a> and <a href="http://www.tadalist.com/">Tada Lists</a>.<br /><br />I finished off with a demonstration of how to stream music using <a href="http://pandora.com/">Pandora</a>. I have blogged about my love of Pandora before and you can read about it on <a href="http://librarygarden.blogspot.com/2006/04/rocking-out-on-pandora.html">Library Garden</a> (my other blog). Pandora and other<br /><br />Last, but certainly not least, was Evan Klimpl who gave us a tour of the tools we used to create <a href="http://pplpoetpodcast.wordpress.com/">PPL's Poetry Podcast Blog</a> for National Poetry Month in April. We were able to create and host an ambitious podcasting project using a variety of free tools.<br /><br />The blog was hosted on the free version of <a href="http://wordpress.com/">WordPress</a> and each entry consisted of the text of the poem(s), a biography of the poet and their photo. We recorded the poets using a free audio editor and recorder from<a href="http://sourceforge.net/"> SourceForge</a> called Audacity. We also used Audacity to edit the files and Evan gave a fun demonstration of the capabilities of Audacity to clean up sound files for clear quality. All of our sound files were then hosted for free on the <a href="http://www.archive.org/index.php">Internet Archive</a> and linked to our blog via a free Adobe flash MP3 player.<br /><br />If you are interested in some hands on experience with creating podcasts, Evan will be teaching a 3 week course on podcasting this July in our Tech Center.<br /><br />We are going to do another Tech Talk next spring with the PPL Tech Staff, and even though the format may be different I can guarantee that it will still be fun.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-15961826291066209192007-04-25T15:41:00.000-07:002007-04-29T15:51:38.101-07:00Open Mic Night!We are trying an experiment this month for Tuesday Technology Talks and I hope you will join us to help make it a success. We are hosting a <span style="font-style: italic;">Tech Open Mic Night</span> on Tuesday May 1st at 7 pm in the Community Room! <br /><br />We recognize that our Tech Talk audience is full of expert users with much knowledge to share and we want to take advantage of the collective wisdom of those who attend.<br /><br />We will have our laptop set up with an Internet connection for all to use. You can demonstrate a favorite site or two or show off a good search strategy. Perhaps you know of a great Firefox extension that was not covered last month, if so please share! We are also interested in learning about any shortcuts or tricks to make us all smarter computer users. It is an anything goes type of night!<br /><br />To kick off the night, and to help get everyone feeling at ease, we will have the PPL Tech Training Team start by sharing their favorites, shortcuts and tips. We spend considerable time collecting useful sites and helpful tips and are eager to share them with you.<br /><br />Here is the official "blurb" from our program guide.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">What's New and Cool? </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;"> The PPL Tech Team Presents Open Mic Night</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> Get to know Princeton Public Library's technology training team (Janie Hermann, Bob Keith, Evan Klimpl and Jim Crawford) as they reveal all about their favorite sites and recent discoveries. Then, it's your turn. Don't be shy: Step up to the podium and share your knowledge with others. What sites do you use daily? What is really useful to you? Chances are if you find a site useful , then others will, too</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic;"> Tuesday May 1, 7 p.m.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic;"> Community Room</span><br /><br />We hope this will become an annual event so help spread the word to make this a success!Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-20455064184276226272007-04-05T18:49:00.000-07:002008-12-09T04:35:57.332-08:00Firefox Extensions Follow-Up<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RhWpOSSjN5I/AAAAAAAAACg/HHy5N2diS8c/s1600-h/firefox_image.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 91px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RhWpOSSjN5I/AAAAAAAAACg/HHy5N2diS8c/s320/firefox_image.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5050128620058785682" border="0" /></a>John's talk on April 3rd was incredibly informative and lots of fun. Not only did he talk about all the cool ways to extend our use of Firefox, he also managed to demonstrate many useful 2.0 sites such as <a href="http://del.icio.us/">del.icio.us</a> and<a href="http://tumblr.com/"> tumblr</a> and <a href="http://www2.blogger.com/docs.google.com/%20-">Google Docs & Spreadsheets</a> in the process. As an added bonus, the presentation even included a good discussion on the important topics of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tags">tagging</a> and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folksonomy"> folksonomy</a>.<br /><br />John has posted about his <a href="http://www.lemasney.com/home/?p=621">Firefox presentation</a> over on his blog at<a href="http://lemasney.com/"> lemasney.com</a> -- he even provides the link to the complete presentation as well as the information on how to access the list of extensions and plug-ins he demonstrated:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Anyone who wishes to see the presentation [which I wasn’t actually able to give, but it all worked out] can go to <a title="http://ghost.rider.edu/openlearning" target="_blank" href="http://ghost.rider.edu/openlearning">http://ghost.rider.edu/openlearning</a> and log in as a guest, then visit the <a title="Top 25 Firefox Extensions" target="_blank" href="http://ghost.rider.edu/openlearning/course/view.php?id=4">Top25 Firefox Extensions course</a> in the course list. There are lots of other resources there you can peruse if you like, too.</blockquote><br />We did have a technical glitch which prevented John from accessing his server, but he carried on liek a pro and did the full presentation without his list of links. Thanks John for all your hard work -- and we look forward to having you back again sometime soon!<br /></div>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-56154416283704549502007-03-27T05:38:00.000-07:002007-03-27T05:47:20.314-07:00Tech Talk on Extending FirefoxOn Tuesday April 3rd at 7 pm<a href="http://www.lemasney.com/"> John LeMasney </a>will make a return appearance by popular demand to lead a session called Extending Firefox. John is going to cover a wide range of popular add-ons and plug-ins that can be used to enhance your browsing experience. The press release is below.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size: 12px;">MEDIA RELEASE<br /></span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:Stone Sans OS ITC-Medium;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:Stone Sans OS ITC-Semi;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.princetonlibrary.org">Princeton Public Library</a><br />Sands Library Building<br />65 Witherspoon St.<br />Princeton, NJ 08542<br />609.924.9529<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 13px;"></span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size: 13px;"></span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:Times, Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b>March 16, 2007<br /><br /> </b></span></span> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b>PRINCETON PUBLIC LIBRARY HOST SESSION ON FIREFOX<br />Web browser is the subject of April 3 edition of Tuesday Technology Talks<br />featuring John LeMansey of Rider University </b></span></span> </p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Mozilla’s popular Firefox Web browser will be the subject of April program in the Tuesday Technology Talks Series on April 3 at 7 p.m., when John LeMansey of Rider University presents a program titled “Extending Firefox.”</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">“As the popularity of Firefox continues to grow, so, too, do the ways in which it can be expanded,” said Janie Herman, programming coordinator at the library and founder of the Tuesday Technology Talks series. “John will demonstrate for our audience the best 25 free extensions and add-ons for Firefox.</span><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br />LeMansey, who presented a program on open source software at the library last November, is manager of Instructional Technology at Rider and the technology consultant for the Center for Innovative Instruction. The center is part of the Teaching and Learning Center at Rider.<br /><br />Hermann noted that Firefox, a freely available web browser that is released under an open source license and can be extended with hundreds of free add-ons, is quickly changing the way people think about and use the Internet.<br /><br />The monthly sessions of the library’s popular Tuesday Technology Talks series feature demonstrations and discussions of new and emerging technologies and related issues. The series continues on Tuesday, May 1 at 7 p.m., when the library’s technology team hosts an open mic night.<br /><br />All Princeton Public Library programs are free and open to the public. If programs require registration, preference is given to library cardholders. The physically challenged should contact the library at (609) 924-9529 48 hours before any program with questions about special accommodations.<br /><br /> The library is in the Sands Library Building at 65 Witherspoon St. in Princeton Borough. Convenient parking is available on neighboring streets and in the borough-operated Spring Street Garage, which is adjacent to the library. For more information about library programs and services, call (609) 924-9529 or visit www.princetonlibrary.org<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /><br /></span></span></p>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-7331534075820424602007-03-05T07:51:00.000-08:002007-03-05T08:05:49.731-08:00Zuula in the News!Just updating in regards to the Tech Talk scheduled for tomorrow night at 7 pm as <a href="http://www.zuula.com">Zuula</a> has had two significant interviews published this week. Looks like tomorrow's talk will be very interesting based upon reading the interviews.<br /><br /><a href="http://www2.blogger.com/profile/04049942096676844442">Pete Bromberg</a>, my colleague from <a href="http://librarygarden.blogspot.com/">Library Garden</a>, published his <a href="http://librarygarden.blogspot.com/2007/03/10-plus-1-questions-with-boris.html">interview with Boris</a> on our blog last week. A great set of questions with equally interesting answers.<br /><br />In addition, <a href="http://princetoninfo.com">US1 Newspaper</a> published an article/interview by Patrick Spring called <a href="http://www.princetoninfo.com/200702/70228f02.html">Carnegie 214 Firm Aims at Google</a> which gives a detailed overview of the company and its founders.<br /><br />Spread the word to your colleagues and I will see you tomorrow night!Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-70296708749729952292007-02-28T11:59:00.000-08:002008-12-09T04:35:57.658-08:00Meet "Zuula" on March 6th at 7 pm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/ReXhCWbq4vI/AAAAAAAAABg/Aq8DgNVP-1M/s1600-h/logobig.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/ReXhCWbq4vI/AAAAAAAAABg/Aq8DgNVP-1M/s200/logobig.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036679188781392626" border="0" /></a><b><span id="st" name="st" class="st">Zuula</span>: A New Metasearch Engine … from New Jersey!<br />Tuesday March 6th at 7 pm<br />1st Floor Community Room, Princeton Public Library<br /></b><span style="font-style: italic;">with Boris Simkovich, CEO of Zuula LLC</span><br /><p> </p><a href="http://www.zuula.com">Zuula</a> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>is a new metasearch engine, and it's based right here in Princeton. What's more, <span id="st" name="st" class="st">Zuula</span> has some special features that have been attracting a lot of <a href="http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2007/01/10/metasearch-engine-zuula-has-searches-useful-sites/">attention</a> in the world of search engines. During this session of Tuesday Technology Talks, <span id="st" name="st" class="st">Zuula</span>'s CEO will describe the history of <span id="st" name="st" class="st">Zuula</span>, including the challenges it has faced during development and since its launch. He also will demonstrate the various features of the search engine, and compare <span id="st" name="st" class="st">Zuula</span> to other leading metasearch sites. Finally, the session will end with a discussion of features and functionality planned for <span id="st" name="st" class="st">Zuula</span>'s future.<br /><br />This session should be very interesting and a provide unique opportunity to "look under the hood" of a search engine and learn about the technology behind the scenes. Hope to see you there!Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-68412004843378315062007-02-28T11:49:00.000-08:002008-12-09T04:35:57.904-08:00Upcoming DataBytes and Tech TalksJust a visual heads up to what will be happening for the next three months! I am really excited about the next round of Tech Talks and hope that you will help spread the word!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/ReXdyGbq4tI/AAAAAAAAABQ/LC2nN9b0Lkg/s1600-h/tech_talks_spring07.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/ReXdyGbq4tI/AAAAAAAAABQ/LC2nN9b0Lkg/s320/tech_talks_spring07.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036675611073635026" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/ReXeBmbq4uI/AAAAAAAAABY/3_BIE9MeiAU/s1600-h/databytes_march_may.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/ReXeBmbq4uI/AAAAAAAAABY/3_BIE9MeiAU/s320/databytes_march_may.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036675877361607394" border="0" /></a>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-63463305765516013462007-01-12T12:17:00.000-08:002007-01-12T13:12:18.526-08:00Social Software Round Up: Part 1<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We had a good crowd come out on January 2nd for our first Tech Talk of 2007 -- it was a great way to kick off the year. I have been meaning to get this post written for the last week but have been swamped with other duties. I will split the post in two as I still need to find time to convert our PPT slides to PDF. Here, in brief, are a few of the highlights that Karen and I covered that evening. </span><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><p:colorscheme colors="#656151,#ffffff,#2f2d25,#ffffcc,#818173,#809ea8,#e2c86a,#b7b6a3"> </p:colorscheme></span><div shape="_x0000_s1026"> <div class="O" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:178;"><span style="color: rgb(226, 200, 106); position: absolute; left: -3.68%; top: 0.49em;font-size:65;" ><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:32;"></span></span></div></div><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >What is Social Software?<br /></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">A relatively "new" term with lots of creative and complex defintions.</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Simplest Definition -- software that facilitates collaboration.</span><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_software">Wikipedia Defintion</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> -- Software that enables people to rendez-vous, connect or colloborate through computer-mediated communication.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.myspace.com/">MySpace</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> is one of the best known social software sites, but there are many sites that utilize social software for a variety of reasons. Social software is about meeting people, but it is also about sharing information, opinions and interests. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >A few examples of Social Software Sites:</span><br /><ul><li><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.myspace.com/">MySpace</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">/</span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.friendster.com/">Friendster</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">/</span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">/</span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.bebo.com/Default.jsp">bebo</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> -- online communities for connecting with friends and meeting new people.</span></li><li><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://secondlife.com/">Second Life</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> -- An online society with a 3D world.</span></li><li><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.youtube.com/">YouTube</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> -- a place to share, rate and comment on videos</span></li><li><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.flickr.com/">Flickr</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> -- a place to share and talk about photos</span></li><li><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.xanga.com/">Xanga</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">/</span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.livejournal.com/">LiveJourna</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">l -- communities of online diaries and journals</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.last.fm/">LastFM</a> and <a href="http://www.librarything.com/">LibraryThing</a> -- sharing music and books (respectively)</span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://del.icio.us/">del.icio.us</a> -- social bookmarking (sharing your bookmarks with others)</span><br /></li></ul><o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Positive Aspects of Social Software for Teens (and others):</span><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Expressing Individuality</span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Engaging in </span><st1:city style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Reading</st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> and Writing</span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Sharing Ideas and Opinions (and sometimes creative work such as music or photos)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Great tool for learning hands-on about blogging, podcasting, and other new technologies</span></li><li><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><o:p></o:p><span style=""></span><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Community</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Building</st1:PlaceType></st1:place><o:p></o:p><span style=""> and </span>collaboration with others<o:p></o:p></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Communication with each other, but also Teens to Adults and Adults to Teens.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Raising awareness of events and "causes"</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Freedom to choose, be creative and express themselves.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">The "Hype" is that social software is dangerous and should be banned from places like public libraries and schools. While tt is true that predators can and do use social software to find victims, they also use Instant Messaging, Message Boards, and other forms of electronic communication in addition to going to public places like malls. The problem of online predators and cyberbullying is much larger than banning a few popular social software sites. A proactive approach of teaching our children and teens about online safety is crucial because the "reality" is that much of MySpace and other sites are safe when you are aware of common sense rules for protecting your identity online.<br /><br />A great site for learning about safety online is <a href="http://www.wiredsafety.org/">WiredSafety</a>, which includes great handouts on <a href="http://www.wiredsafety.org/resources/pdf/socialnetworktips.pdf">Social Software</a> and <a href="http://www.wiredsafety.org/resources/pdf/I%20Tube.pdf">YouTube</a>.<br /><br />I will hopefully find time to finish this post next week. Feedback and comments are welcome.<br /><br /></span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style=""></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style=""> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-34708027202503633292006-12-21T09:49:00.000-08:002006-12-21T10:11:31.616-08:00Tech Talk on Social Software on January 2nd, 2007Here is the press release for January's Tech Talk -- thought I would post it early since I will be taking some time off during the last week of December. The topic of this talk really couldn't more timely given that Time Magazine considered the development of the social web to be worthy of being named <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1569514,00.html">"Person of the Year"</a>. Hope to see you there!<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><strong>PRINCETON PUBLIC LIBRARY HOSTS SESSION ON SOCIAL SOFTWARE</strong> </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:courier new;">Janie Hermann and Karen Klapperstuck to give overview of sites such as MySpaceas part of Tuesday Technology Talks program </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:courier new;">Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. </span></div><span style="font-family:courier new;"><div align="left"><br />Princeton Public Library’s Tuesday Technology Talks series will focus on social software sites such as MySpace on Jan. 2 at 7 p.m., when librarian Janie Hermann and Karen Klapperstuck present a program titled <strong><em>“Social Software: Hype Versus Reality.”</em></strong> Hermann, program coordinator and reference library at Princeton Public Library, and Klapperstuck, director of the Bradley Beach Library, will examine the increasing popular sites, which allow users to connect and communicate online in an open and easily accessible space. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">“MySpace, Facebook and YouTube are the most well-known of these sites,” Hermann said, “but social software in general is increasingly popular and has received unprecedented media coverage this year, as the recent issue of Time magazine proves.” Time awarded its 2006 Person of the Year to You, which the magazine defined as the community of Internet users who create content on social software sites. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">The Princeton Public Library talk will define social software, look at the pros and cons of using it and show participants how to set up a profile. “We’ll also provide tips for staying safe in online communities and examine what is hype and what is not about the dangers of connecting and collaborating in a virtual world,” Hermann said. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">The monthly sessions of the library’s popular Tuesday Technology Talks series feature demonstrations and discussions of new and emerging technologies and related issues. The series continues on Tuesday, Feb. 6, when Martin Mosho presents a program titled “eBay Essentials.”</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>All Princeton Public Library programs are free and open to the public. When programs require registration, preference is given to library cardholders. The library is in the Sands Library Building at 65 Witherspoon St. in Princeton Borough. Special assistance is available for library customers with disabilities. Those with special needs should contact the library 48 hours before any program to arrange for accommodations. Call (609) 924-9529. For more information on library programs and services, visit www.princetonlibrary.org</em></span></span></div>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-35857585889306999902006-12-15T14:18:00.000-08:002008-12-09T04:35:58.113-08:00DataBytes for Winter 2007<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RYMfgIneHiI/AAAAAAAAAAM/WQPytW-dQ4o/s1600-h/databytes_dec-feb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5008881847495433762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d6Z0HG-4Sh8/RYMfgIneHiI/AAAAAAAAAAM/WQPytW-dQ4o/s400/databytes_dec-feb.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-26886920968433081622006-12-15T13:57:00.000-08:002006-12-15T14:02:55.132-08:00Getting a HumanI am a fan of technology (this should be obvious by now), but the one technology that I despise is complex phone menus that always lead to a dead end when I just want a bit of help from a human. I am pretty certain that I am not alone in my frustration with phone menus and now I have proof.<br /><br />I have recently discovered a great new site for when you need to make a phone call to a “customer service” line and dread weaving your way through the prompts to find a human voice that can provide help. Check out <a title="http://gethuman.com/" href="http://gethuman.com/">http://gethuman.com</a> for a database of customer service numbers and instructions on how to defeat the menu of prompts to get directly to a human! The database is here:<br /><a title="http://www.gethuman.com/us/" href="http://www.gethuman.com/us/">http://www.gethuman.com/us/</a><br /><br />I-800 customer lines are listed and then tips on how to defeat the menus are given! Here is a sample entry:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.gethuman.com/rate.cgi?id=5057&url=www.pepboys.com">Pep Boys</a> <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=PBY"></a><br />F <em><span style="font-size:85%;">(note: this is the grade it was given... they failed)<br /></span></em><a href="http://www.pepboys.com/about/contact/index.html">800‑737‑2697</a><br />Press 33; at prompt press 1; hold through prompts for representative.<br /><br />I will be adding this to the Fantastic Freebies roadshow!Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-1164927820909567032006-11-30T15:01:00.000-08:002006-11-30T15:03:40.910-08:00Tech Talk on 12/5/06: Cyber CrimeOur final Tech Talk of 2006 is coming up in a few days and it promises to be something a little different and quite fascinating -- a look at computer crime from both sides of the law. Here is the blurb below. I hope to see everyone on Tuesday night. <br /><br /><br /><strong>Reporting and Defending Computer Crime<br />Tuesday December 5, 2006<br />7:00 pm<br />Presented by Jef Henninger, Esq. <br />A vast amount of computer crime goes unreported by both individuals and companies because the victim doesn’t know how to proceed or is afraid to get involved. Jef Henninger, a criminal defense attorney who has been studying computer crime since 1990, will cover topics such as what to do before you become a victim, who to call when you are one, what to expect as a witness before and at a trial, interacting with the prosecuting authority, and other tips to make the prosecution a success. On the opposite side of the law, defendants charged with computer crimes face an uphill battle at trial because most lawyers have a computer phobia which causes almost all cases to end in a guilty plea. These crimes are ensnaring more innocent people than any other type of crime. Learn how to protect yourself when you are suspected of committing a computer crime. </strong>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-1164927657652148892006-11-30T14:51:00.000-08:002006-11-30T15:00:57.676-08:00Podcast of Open Source Software talk now online!John LeMasney gave a great talk earlier in November on election night. He gave a great overview of the open source movement, creative commons licensing and software built using open source standards. If you missed John's talk, he has put up a podcast in MP3 format <a href="http://lemasney.com/?p=491">on his blog </a>so you can listen and you can view the slides too!<br /><br />I hope we will have John back in the near future to talk to us about Firefox extension and customization!Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-1162701162044293872006-11-04T20:28:00.000-08:002006-11-04T20:32:42.056-08:00Open Source Software (and election results) on 11/7/06It will be a double-header in the community room of the library on November 7th -- come hear a fabulous tech talk on Open Source Software and then stay late to watch the election returns on our large screen. The library will be open late on election night so that the community can gather to discuss election results as the returns are announce and Ingrid Reed will be there to lead the discussion.<br /><br />The Tech Talk will begin at 7 pm sharp and the election results will be broadcast starting around 8:30 pm.<br /><br />John LeMasney of Rider University will be our guest speaker and he will set about giving us all we need to to know about Open Source Software (see blurb below).<br /><br />Hope to see everyon there!<br /><br /><br /><strong>Open Source Software<br />"This presentation will give an overview of Open Source Software, touching on history, applications, and common usage with examples. Linux will be discussed in depth, but many OSS applications for Windows and Mac OS will be discussed as well. Come and find out why business users, home users, and even those who don't use computers are so excited about the Open Source movement. "</strong>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-1160488876384226582006-10-10T06:53:00.000-07:002006-10-10T07:01:16.396-07:00An Event Not to be Missed!Just thought I would alert everyone to a great event that is happening next week on Thursday October 19th in the Princeton area. It is the <a href="http://www.acm.org/chapters/princetonacm/meetings/mtg0610.pdf">27th Annual Computer Graphics Film Show</a> of the <a href="http://www.acm.org/chapters/princetonacm/index.html">Joint Princeton Professional Chapter of the ACM and IEEE Computer Society</a>. The event takes place at<a href="http://www.sarnoff.com/"> Sarnoff</a> and starts at 7 pm. Lots of fun and lots of great door prizes. Mark you calendar now!Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-1159479271740538782006-09-28T14:22:00.000-07:002006-09-28T14:34:31.796-07:00Learn How to Protect your Home Computer on 10/3/06<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4559/2594/1600/computer-security.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4559/2594/320/computer-security.jpg" border="0" /></a> Please join us for our next Tech Talk on Tuesday October 3rd 2006 when Joe Perignat gives a presentation called <em>Security for the Home Computer. </em><br /><br />Safeguarding your home computer is crucial in order to protect both your equipment and data.<br />In this talk Joe will cover virus protection; e-mail security, and spyware programs. In addition, buying on the internet, e-mail scams as well as the “Do’s and Don’ts” of releasing information online will also be discussed. Staying current and up to date is important and this talk will cover advice and products (both commercial and free) that will protect you.In this talk Joe will cover virus protection; e-mail security, and spyware programs. In addition, buying on the internet, e-mail scams as well as the “Do’s and Don’ts” of releasing information online will also be discussed. Staying current and up to date is important and this talk will cover advice and products (both commercial and free) that will protect you.<br /><br />The talk will begin at 7 pm and be followed by a question and answer session.Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-1159476769247575102006-09-27T15:36:00.000-07:002006-11-03T12:14:01.063-08:00Flyer for Upcoming Tech Talks<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4559/2594/1600/tech_talks_new.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4559/2594/320/tech_talks_new.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-1159476092498880612006-09-22T16:53:00.000-07:002006-09-28T13:43:03.193-07:00Links and Notes for Web 2.0 PresentationThree weeks ago, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/5386505">Pete Bromberg</a> gave a great presentation that gave an overview of Web 2.o and the associated software and sites. It was really too much to cover in one presentation, which I knew from the start, so it looks like we will be having a follow-up session in the Spring (especially since <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/3091417">Sophie Brookover</a> was not able to present with Pete due to illness and she really has a lot to add to this topic). So, stay tuned for more on Web 2.0 at future tech talks.<br /><br />In the meantime, Pete has been maintaing and adding to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki">wiki</a> that he and Sophie set up for the presentation. So, if you missed the talk, need more handouts, or just want to review what was said take a visit to the <a href="http://ppltechtalk.pbwiki.com/">PPL Tech Talk Web 2.0 Wiki</a>.<br /><br />I also got an email from <a href="http://www.manifest-tech.com/about/dixon.htm">Doug Dixon</a> (a Tech Talk "regular") where he provides a wonderful link to his <a href="http://www.manifest-tech.com/docs/dixon_blogs_notes_0604.mht">Notes on Blogging, Syndication, Podcasting, and Vidcasting</a>. As Doug indicates in his email these "notes on Blogging & other Web 2.0 goodies ... help to define these concepts and put them in context". Thanks for sharing the link Doug!Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-1157562157411431222006-09-06T08:46:00.000-07:002006-09-06T11:26:04.603-07:00Links for Power Googling<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4559/2594/1600/qmark.3.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="268" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4559/2594/320/qmark.2.jpg" width="72" border="0" /></a> I have had several requests asking if there are links to the handouts that <a href="http://www.variablesymbols.com/nancy.html">Nancy Blachman</a> distriubted during her talk on Power Googling that she gave on July 25th. So, for those that couldn't make the talk or those that have misplaced the wonderful handouts, here are the links to the printable versions for future reference: <p align="center"><strong>The 16 page guide to </strong><a href="http://www.googleguide.com/print/power.pdf"><strong>Power Googling</strong></a><strong><br /><br />The always popular Google</strong><a href="http://www.googleguide.com/print/adv_op_ref.pdf"><strong> Cheat Sheet</strong></a><strong><br /><br />The Google Guide to </strong><a href="http://www.googleguide.com/print_website_development.html"><strong>Developing a Web Site</strong></a><strong> </strong></p><p align="left">Keep checking the <a href="http://www.googleguide.com/">Google Guide</a> often as Nancy does a great job keeping it current.</p>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-1157219874650878662006-09-02T10:47:00.000-07:002006-09-02T20:33:41.016-07:00Web 2.0 Demystified on 09/05/06<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7998/87451427147682/1600/sophie2.1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 126px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 108px" height="116" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7998/87451427147682/1600/sophie2.1.jpg" border="0" /></a> Join us on for our 1st Tech Talk of the 2006-2007 season when two dynamic speakers will demystify the buzz and hype of Web 2.O. Here is the official program description:<br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Web 2.0 Demystified</span> <br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">You've seen the term and heard the buzz, but what in the world is W<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7998/87451427147682/1600/bromberg_blogger.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 82px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 89px" height="183" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7998/87451427147682/1600/bromberg_blogger.jpg" border="0" /></a>eb 2.0? <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/3091417">Sophie Brookover</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/5386505">Pete Bromberg</a> offer<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7998/87451427147682/1600/bromberg_blogger.jpg"></a> an answer, incorporating blogs, RSS feeds, Wikis, Podcasts, social software, Friendster, MySpace, de.lico.us, furl, Flickr, IM, lastfm, Folksonomies, Mashups and Tagging. Learn about this slew of 2.o technologies and find out what's useful and what's not.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.princetoninfo.com/">US1 Newspaper</a> did an extensive interviews with Sophie and Pete about their upcoming talk, and the article, <a href="http://www.princetoninfo.com/200608/60830s01.html#World%20Wide%20Web%202.0:%20The%20Next%20Generation" name="World Wide Web 2.0: The Next Generation"><em>World Wide Web 2.0: The Next Generation</em></a>, can be accessed online.<br /><br />This talk is going to be a fantastic way to kick off our 7th Season of Tuesday Technology Talks! I hope to see you there.Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26530919.post-1154293058695667472006-07-28T09:42:00.000-07:002006-07-30T14:06:48.830-07:00Tech Talk on 08/01/06: Designing Intelligently with Adobe InDesign<img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 104px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 83px" height="131" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4559/2594/200/adobe.jpg" width="151" border="0" />Beat the Heat! Enjoy the cool comfort of our community room while you learn all about <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/">Adobe InDesign</a> at our upcoming Tech Talk. There is not need to register, just drop on in! The session will start at 7 pm. Here is the press release:<br /><br /><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#990000;">PRINCETON PUBLIC LIBRARY TO HOST TALK ON ADOBE INDESIGN Princeton residents Andy Epstein and Tim Quinn to discusshistory and functionality of graphics software on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m.</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#990000;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:courier new;">Princeton Borough residents Andy Epstein and Tim Quinn will review the history and functionality of Adobe’s powerful graphics software InDesign at Princeton Public Library on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m.<br /><br />Titled “Designing Intelligently with Adobe InDesign,” the program in the first floor Community Room is part of the library’s Tuesday Technology Talks series.<br /><br />Quinn, public information director for the library, will discuss the history of the software and Adobe’s efforts to compete with QuarkExpress, which until recently had been the industry standard in print graphics software. Quinn is a writer and designer responsible for the library’s marketing and promotional materials.<br /><br />Epstein, associate director of graphic design and print production for Bristol-Myers Squibb, will demonstrate some of InDesign’s capabilities. Epstein is a graphic artist who manages the creative group responsible for much of the pharmaceutical company’s graphic design, copywriting and Web Design.<br /><br />Recently he completed a two-year term as president of InSource, an organization he co-founded, that is focused on addressing the needs of the in-house design community. Epstein has written articles for HOW and Graphic Design:USA magazines in addition to contributing to articles featured in Dynamic Graphics and the Rockport Press book “Bringing Graphic Design In-House.”<br /><br />Awarded a Sappi “Ideas That Matter” grant, he is most proud of the book published with that award, which he created with the students of The Lakeview School, an institution devoted to the needs of children with Cerebral Palsy.<br /><br />The monthly sessions of the library’s popular Tuesday Technology Talks series feature demonstrations and discussions of new and emerging technologies and related issues.<br /><br />All Princeton Public Library programs are free and open to the public. The library is in the Sands Library Building at 65 Witherspoon St. in Princeton Borough. Special assistance is available for library customers with disabilities. Those with special needs should contact the library 48 hours before any program to arrange for accommodations. Call (609) 924-9529.<br /><br />For more information on library programs and services, visit <a href="http://www.princetonlibrary.org">http://www.princetonlibrary.org</a></span></div>Janie L. Hermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13138323559795157435noreply@blogger.com0