Senior Citizens and Technolgy

How to help Seniors Learn New Technology

Jim Miller | June 20, 2015

...There are many communities that offer beginning computer and personal technology classes for older adults that are new to technology. To find out what’s available in your area, contact your local public library, senior center, college or university, or local stores that sell computers.

<more at http://www.heraldextra.com/news/community/how-to-help-seniors-learn-new-technology/article_e3ebbc2f-2e8a-504b-90d6-d370c23614a8.html>

Seikei University Library (Japan)

University Library (Seikei University, Japan)

The University Library is a “knowledge hub”, and is enjoyed also by people in the community as the new symbol of Seikei University. The building is made of brick to carry the University’s tradition, and has a glass atrium, which lets in abundant daylight and provides open atmosphere.

Source: http://divisare.com/projects/137969-Shigeru-Ban-Architects-Seikei-University-Information-Library-

Link for Library website: http://www.seikei.ac.jp/university/eng/organization/library.html. More images at: http://divisare.com/projects/137969-Shigeru-Ban-Architects-Seikei-University-Information-Library-

"Reading" the Mind

Scientists Devise Way To Read Your Mind

Mary Nichols | June 29, 2015

Scientists have developed a way to read your mind -- and they don't even have to listen.
The process involves analyzing brain waves and interpreting them as words and complete sentences of continuous speech, writes The New Zealand Herald.

<more at http://www.designntrend.com/articles/55728/20150629/scientists-devise-new-way-read-mind.htm; related links: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/science/news/article.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=11471210 (Scientists 'read' minds in test trial; Brainwaves show activity of words being formed which can be decoded into speech) and http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2015.00217/abstract (Brain-to-text: decoding spoken phrases from phone representations in the brain) [Abstract: It has long been speculated whether communication between humans and machines based on natural speech related cortical activity is possible. Over the past decade, studies have suggested that it is feasible to recognize isolated aspects of speech from neural signals, such as auditory features, phones or one of a few isolated words. However, until now it remained an unsolved challenge to decode continuously spoken speech from the neural substrate associated with speech and language processing. Here, we show for the first time that continuously spoken speech can be decoded into the expressed words from intracranial electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings.Specifically, we implemented a system, which we call Brain-To-Text that models single phones, employs techniques from automatic speech recognition (ASR), and thereby transforms brain activity while speaking into the corresponding textual representation. Our results demonstrate that our system can achieve word error rates as low as 25% and phone error rates below 50%. Additionally, our approach contributes to the current understanding of the neural basis of continuous speech production by identifying those cortical regions that hold substantial information about individual phones. In conclusion, the Brain-To-Text system described in this paper represents an important step toward human-machine communication based on imagined speech.]>

Football and Virtual Reality

All You Need To Know About Virtual Reality Training In College Football And The NFL

Mark Lelinwalla | June 29, 2015

If it's something that can offer them an edge, sports teams are going to be interested getting their hands on it.

Source: http://sportstechie.net/eon-sports-vr-sidekiq-future-of-football-and-sports-training/

That increasingly seems to be true for virtual reality technology.

<more at http://www.techtimes.com/articles/64366/20150629/draft-need-know-virtual-reality-training-college-football-nfl.htm; related link: http://sportstechie.net/eon-sports-vr-sidekiq-future-of-football-and-sports-training/>

Research Data Repositories

Where Should You Keep Your Data?

Formal policies on information storage are finally beginning to emerge from federal grant agencies

Karen M. Markin | June 23, 2015

Federal funding agencies have made it clear that grant proposals must include plans for sharing research data with other scientists. What has not been clear is how and where researchers should store their data, which can range from sensitive personal medical information to enormous troves of satellite imagery.

<more at http://chronicle.com/article/Where-Should-You-Keep-Your/231065/; related links: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/sharing.htm (NIH Sharing Policies and Related Guidance on NIH-Funded Research Resources) and https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PYOhBh6bglh6BkQFlpvNLOwlpzvQyguWAG8AkQMtU0s/edit#gid=0 ("A table summarizing the Federal public access policies resulting from the US Office of Science and Technology Policy memorandum of February 2013"] --with updates [Blogger's note]>

Google Searches

Study Offers New Evidence That Google Skews Search Results

Issie Lapowsky | June 29, 2015

Evidence continues to mount that when it comes to search results, Google isn’t always playing fair.

                           Source: http://www.google.com                                

The latest accusation comes from a new study written by Harvard Business School professor Michael Luca, Columbia Law School Professor Tim Wu, and Yelp’s data science team. 
<more at http://www.wired.com/2015/06/google-wu-study/; related link: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB11064341213388534269604581077241146083956 (Study Suggests Google Harms Consumers by Skewing Search Results) and http://www.slideshare.net/lutherlowe/wu-l (Is Google degrading search? Consumer harm from Universal Search) [Abstract: While Google is known primarily as a search engine, it has increasingly developed and promoted its own content as an alternative to results from other websites. By prominently displaying Google content in response to search queries, Google is able to leverage its dominance in search to gain customers for this content. This yields serious concerns if the internal content is inferior to organic search results. To investigate, we implement a randomized controlled trial in which we vary the search results that users are shown ­ comparing Google’s current policy of favorable treatment of Google content to results in which external content is displayed. We find that users are 45% more likely to engage with universal search results (i.e. prominently displayed map results on Google) when the results are organically determined. This suggests that by leveraging dominance in search to promote its internal content, Google is reducing social welfare ­ leaving consumers with lower quality results and worse matches.]>

Most Unusual Violin

3D-Printed Violin Looks Like the Future of Music

Tracy Staedter | March 30, 2015

New Da Vinci Instrument Unveiled

Just feast your eyes on this gorgeous two-string Piezoelectric Violin from architects Eric Goldemberg and Veronica Zalcberg of Miami’s MONAD studio.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/05/3d-printed-violin-of-doom/

They created it with multi-instrumentalist Scott F Hall for a musical exhibition next month at New York City’s Javits Center for the Inside 3D Printing conference.

<more at http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/3d-printed-violin-looks-like-the-future-of-music-150330.htm; related links: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/05/3d-printed-violin-of-doom/ (Despite its looks, this 3D printed violin (probably) won't kill you) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bafbvJOGiDI (3-D Printed Violins and Guitars Push the Boundaries of Art and Tech) (Video with sample music; also includes examples of a cello and guitar); further: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHmdVmKX9x8 (Playing the 3D-printed violin: Joanna Wronko at TEDxAmsterdam) (more traditional violin with music examples)>

Role of Librarians

Should Librarians Challenge the Status Quo?

An Interview with Laura Saunders

Brian Matthews | June 5, 2015

I decided to ask a professor. Laura Saunders is an Assistant Professor at Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science, where she teaches and conducts research in the areas of reference and instruction, intellectual freedom, and academic libraries. She also has a strong interest in social justice issues related to libraries.

Source: http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/theubiquitouslibrarian/2015/06/05/should-librarians-challenge-the-status-quo-an-interview-with-laura-saunders/?cid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

<more at http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/theubiquitouslibrarian/2015/06/05/should-librarians-challenge-the-status-quo-an-interview-with-laura-saunders; related link: http://www.simmons.edu/Faculty/Laura-Saunders>

Online Education

Lecturing to Ghosts: Blurring the Face-to-Face and Online Divide

How the dynamics of today’s live music concerts can shed light on teaching to the device generation.

Carla Bluhm & Kevin Mobbs | June 11, 2015

...The point is, of course, that you probably can Google every single concept you currently teach and your students know this well. An added challenge is to grapple with the informal course designs that are popping up all over the net.

<more at http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/lecturing-ghosts-face-933; related link: http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/02/15/385774711/q-a-exit-interview-with-a-nationally-known-school-leader>

Highly Portable Physical Libraries

The Nomadic Libraries Bringing Books to the Four Corners of the Globe

Allison Meier | May 13, 2015

Arriving by camel in remote areas of Mongolia or on boat along the coast of Norway, contemporary libraries are often mobile, creative, and community-driven, and are adapting rather than fading with the rise of electronic books and decrease in budgets.

Souce: http://hyperallergic.com/202030/the-nomadic-libraries-bringing-books-to-the-four-corners-of-the-globe/ 

<more at http://hyperallergic.com/202030/the-nomadic-libraries-bringing-books-to-the-four-corners-of-the-globe/>

Augmented Reality in Space

HoloLens is About to Transform the Space Station

James Temperton | June 26, 2015

Two pairs of HoloLens glasses will be delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) on 28 June to allow astronauts to carry out augmented reality experiments in orbit.

Source : http://www.windowscentral.com/nasa-sending-two-microsoft-hololens-headsets-international-space-station-june-28

<more at http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-06/26/hololens-nasa-microsoft-iss-sidekick; related links: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/06/microsofts-hololens-is-heading-to-the-space-station-tomorrow-on-spacex-crs-7-2/ and http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/space_apps_challenge/#.VZFNV_lVhBc>

EU's "Right to be forgotten"

Read the BBC Stories Purged from Google over 'Right to Be Forgotten'

Michael Rundle | June 25, 2015

The BBC has published a list of pages that have been removed from Google's search results because of so-called 'right to be forgotten' requests.
A ruling made at the EU Court of Justice in May 2014 saw the search giant forced to remove links on EU versions of its tool if they lead to information which is outdated, irrelevant or misleading.

Example of one such link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/humber/5070882.stm(Heiress killed in fit of jealousy)

<more at http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-06/25/bbc-right-to-be-forgotten; related link http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/files/factsheets/factsheet_data_protection_en.pdf (Factsheet on the "Right to be Forgotten" ruling (C-131/12) ) and http://www.wsj.com/articles/google-advisory-group-says-limit-right-to-be-forgotten-to-eu-1423206470 (Google Advisory Group Recommends Limiting ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ to EU); further: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/01/bbc-wrong-right-to-be-forgotten (Why the BBC is wrong to republish ‘right to be forgotten’ links)>

Myle Tap Memo Recorder Worn on Shirt

The Backed Pack: Myle Tap Memo Recorder Takes Notes and Knows What to Do With Them

Ross Rubin | June 27, 2015

...But the clippable microphone isn’t just a modern-day smartphone connected voice recorder once associated with reminders. The folder organization of those devices have been replaced with a host of app integrations for services such as Evernote and OneNote (which seem like naturals), ...

Source: http://media.gadgetsin.com/2015/06/myle_tap_voice_powered_wearable_thought_catcher_1.jpg

<copy http://venturebeat.com/2015/06/27/the-backed-pack-myle-tap-memo-recorder-takes-notes-and-knows-what-to-do-with-them/; related link: http://www.connectedcrib.com/myle-tap/ and http://www.eastersealstech.com/2015/06/23/myle-tap-wearable-thought-catcher/>

China in Space

China Says Improved Space Docking Technology Will Help Future Missions (+ Video)

South China Morning Post | June 22, 2015

Chinese scientists have improved the technology needed to carry out docking between vessels in space with the development of a new guidance system, state news agency Xinhua said on Monday. The new “eye” guidance system, which used an...

<more at http://article.wn.com/view/2015/06/22/China_says_improved_space_docking_technology_will_help_futur/; related link: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1824743/china-says-improved-space-docking-technology-will-help-future-missions>

China BMW Self-Driving Car

China's Baidu Could Beat Google to Self-Driving Car with Baidu

Chinese technology firm partners with BMW to launch new self-driving prototypes on to public roads in race with Google

Samuel Gibbs | June 10, 2015

Baidu – the search engine and technology company often called China’s Google –plans to release a self-driving car with BMW by the end of the year.

Source: http://www.valuewalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Baidu-Self-Driving-Car.jpg

The Chinese firm has been working on autonomous vehicles for the past couple of years, recently partnering with car makers including BMW.

<more at http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/10/baidu-could-beat-google-self-driving-car-bmw>

3D Glass Printing

Micron 3DP Unveils Glass 3D Printing Technology

Michael Molitch_hou | June 22, 2015

Recently, Israel-based Micron3DP released its latest all-metal 3D printer extruder, the Cobra. That’s all metal, inside and out. The hot end has already seen at least one manufacturer take advantage of their specialty extruders, Poland’s AyeAyeLabs. The reason for using such a 3D printing accessory is that it can allow for the use of unique 3D printing materials, such as colorFabb’s carbon fiber composite filament. Today, Micron3DP unveiled that their extruders may even be able to work with glass.

Source: http://3dprintingindustry.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/micron-3DP-3D-printing-glass.jpg

<more at http://3dprintingindustry.com/2015/06/22/micron3dp-unveils-glass-3d-printing-technology/?utm_source=3D+Printing+Industry+Update&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=02cf6b2ad9-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_695d5c73dc-02cf6b2ad9-64525993>

U.S. Copyright Office

Creators Frustrated with Copyright Office's Outdated Technology, Procedures

The Copyright Office is a 19th century relic that operates out of a cramped office in the Library of Congress

Colin Diersing | June 24, 2015

...To find the records ... needed, the documentary filmmaker, who tells stories of Jewish heroes, has to send someone in person to the Copyright Office headquarters in Washington to look through hard copies of old documents.
She could hire Copyright Office staff, but the charge is $200 an hour and it takes at least six weeks to respond. Plus, what they turn up might be outdated because updated information must be submitted on paper, which can take more than 18 months to process.

<more at http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-copyright-office-20150623-story.html#page=1>

Babcock University (Nigeria)

Babcock University Deploys Total Classroom Revolution Technologies

Kayode Makinde | June 25, 2015

Babcock University, Ilesan Remo, Ogun State has raised the bar in education technology by  becoming the first university in Nigeria to embrace a Total Classroom Revolution (TCR) that will wirelessly connect all undergraduates, post graduates, certificate students, lecturers, school administrators to classrooms, chapel, halls of residence, library, and cafeteria in  a campus-wide platform.

Source: http://www.babcock.edu.ng/gallery/

When completed, the project will help to accelerate students learning, research and social collaboration using a combination of the latest and best- in- class advanced education technologies that can only be found among top universities in Europe, Asia and America.

<more at http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/babcock-university-deploys-total-classroom-revolution-technologies/213011/>

Hoverboards for Real

Lexus Revels Real-Life Hoverboard Powered by Magnets and Superconductors

Tim Hornyak | June 24, 2015

...On Wednesday, Toyota’s Lexus luxury division teased a video about the Slide, a prototype board that hovers several centimeters off the ground. ...The promo video on YouTube shows the Slide emitting wisps of steam just below its bamboo surface. Its ends are slightly upturned like those of a skateboard.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zTCgMPZRuo&feature=youtu.be

<more at http://www.pcworld.com/article/2939992/lexus-claims-most-back-to-the-future-hoverboard-yet.html>

EU Antitrust Regulators and Google

Getty Images Takes Google Grievance to EU Antitrust Regulators (+Video)

Reuters | June 24, 2015

Getty Images has become the latest company to take its grievances with Google to EU antitrust regulators as it accused the world's most popular internet search engine of favouring its own images service at the expense of rivals.

<more at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Getty-Images-takes-Google-grievance-to-EU-antitrust-regulators/articleshow/47800939.cms>

Machines Replacing Workers

A World Without Work

For centuries, experts have predicted that machines would make workers obsolete. That moment may finally be arriving. Could that be a good thing?

Derek Thompson | July/August 2015, The Atlantic

...Some observers say our humanity is a moat that machines cannot cross. They believe people’s capacity for compassion, deep understanding, and creativity are inimitable. But as Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee have argued in their book The Second Machine Age ...

<more at http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/07/world-without-work/395294/>

Autonomous Drones

Scientist Created Drones That Fly Autonomously and Learn New Routes

Investigación y Desarrollo | May 26, 2015

Drones say goodbye to pilots. With the goal of achieving autonomous flight of these aerial vehicles, the researcher José Martínez Carranza from the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE) in Mexico, developed a vision and learning system to control and navigate them without relying on a GPS signal or trained personnel.

Source: http://www.aerodefensetech.com/component/content/article/1198-ntb/news/news/22389 Drone Manufactured by Blue Bear Systems Research Ltd.

Mexican José Martínez, structured an innovative method to estimate the position and orientation of the vehicle, allowing it to recognize its environment, hence to replace the GPS location system for low-cost sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and camcorders.

<more at http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=153046&CultureCode=en; related link: http://www.aerodefensetech.com/component/content/article/1198-ntb/news/news/22389>

Road Noise and Health Risks

Road Noise Linked to Deaths, Strokes

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine | June 25, 2015

Living in an area with noisy road traffic may reduce life expectancy, according to new research published in the European Heart Journal.
The find suggests a link between long-term exposure to road traffic noise and deaths, as well as a greater risk of stroke, particularly in the elderly. The research was led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in partnership with Imperial College London and King's College London.

<more at http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2015/06/road-noise-linked-deaths-strokes>

Programming Errors Copied from Old Software to New Software

Programmers Are Copying Security Flaws Into Your Software, Researchers Warn

Many software developers are cribbing code, and its flaws, that someone else created. And the problem is only getting harder to keep up with.

Laura Hautala | June 23, 2015

...Programmers -- the people who create the software -- don't write all their code from scratch, instead borrowing freely from others' work. The problem: they're not vetting the code for security problems.

<more at http://www.cnet.com/news/programmers-are-copying-security-flaws-into-your-software-researchers-warn/

Long Beach Public Library

Customer Success Stories. Long Beach Public Library

Meeting Information Needs

2015

A story that includes 3D printing.
The Long Beach Public Library has created a space for art and innovation, incorporating technology ranging from building blocks to e-readers to its very own MakerBot Replicator 2. In order to bring in new patrons and meet the growing needs of the community, Long Beach Public Library is changing the perception and mission of its offerings.

Source: http://www.lbpl.org/locations/library_locations.asp

Case study can be requested from the link: http://pages.makerbot.com/long-beach-public-library-case-study.html

Institute of Making

Institute of Making

The Institute of Making is a cross-disciplinary research club for those interested in the made world: from makers of molecules to makers of buildings, synthetic skin to spacecraft, soup to diamonds, socks to cities.

2015

Website: http://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/

For libraries interested in presenting a Makerspace, this is a rich source of information about a wide range of ideas that have been explored by an exciting organization.

Recent blog posts:

• Festival of Stuff, June 23-27, 2015. Masterclasses and exhibits. Video at http://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/blog/2015/05/festival-of-stuff1

• Light Touch Materials in the Lab. Includes projects using organic light-emitting diodes. Video at http://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/blog/2015/05/light-touch-materials-in-the-lab

Source: http://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/makespace

• Light Public Open Day Exhibit of materials and making "around the theme of light". See http://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/blog/2015/05/light-public-open-day

A section of the blog covers their MakeSpace, which offers a wide range of tools for members. See the FAQ for additional information: http://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/makespace/faqs

Website Copyright Infringement (Australia)

Legislation Blocking Overseas Copyright Infringement Websites Passes

Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick | June 24, 2015

On 22 June 2015 the Parliament passed the Government’s website blocking legislation – the Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill 2015.  The Act will come into effect when it receives Royal Assent, which usually occurs two to four weeks after the passing of legislation.
The Act enables the Federal Court to order an internet service provider (ISP) to block access to an overseas website if...

<more at http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=f1c1dd6d-6f2a-4776-afd2-a9897a80d13a>

Caffe Ibis: Wi-Fi No More

Caffee Ibis Ditches Wi-Fi, Embraces Emerging Trend

Kevin Opsahl | June 23, 2015

It wasn’t too long ago that the popular local fixture Caffe Ibis used to look a lot like other coffee shops across the country — people, retreating in solitude with their fresh cup of coffee and the warm glow of a laptop to immerse themselves in the universe of the internet, completely tuning out their surroundings.

Source: http://www.cnet.com/news/coffee-shop-bans-laptops-and-tablets-business-grows/

<more at http://news.hjnews.com/allaccess/caffe-ibis-ditches-wi-fi-embraces-emerging-trend/article_87f3ce84-2f40-5c89-9399-a6a641c66c5e.html; related link: http://www.cnet.com/news/coffee-shop-bans-laptops-and-tablets-business-grows/ (Coffee shop bans laptops and tablets, business grows)>

Smithsonian and 3D Printing

The Fine Art of Forgery

Why the Smithsonian Is Using 3-D Printing to Copy Artifacts

Henry Grabar | July/August 2015, The Atlantic

...The project—the largest 3-D-printing effort yet undertaken by the Smithsonian’s central exhibits team—vividly demonstrates how technology is changing museums’ approach to art and artifacts. As fragile, rare, or ephemeral objects are rendered durable and plentiful, the benefits of accessibility are pitted against those of authenticity.

Source: http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/3d-collection

<more at http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/07/art-forgery/395282/; related links: Smithsonian X 3D beta [browser for their 3D models] http://3d.si.edu/browser and http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/3d-collection "The scanning process enabled us to generate 3D models of each object that you can view, rotate, and interact with online. It may take a minute or two to load depending on your computer, but after it is loaded you will be able to move the 3D object around by holding down the left-click button and moving your mouse.">

Lily Camera

Camera. Reinvented. (+Video)

The Camera That Follows You

Lily Flies Itself. No controller required. Focus on your activity while Lily flies itself to capture your adventures.
Get Your Lily Camera Now For $499! Shipping February 2016.
Some specs: Camera

Source: https://www.lily.camera/tech-specs/

• Video Resolution: 1080p 60 fps / 720p 120 fps
• Video FOV: 94º
• Video Format: H.264 codec, .mp4 file format
• Photo Resolution: 12 MP
• Digital gimballing
• Image stabilization
• Fixed focus

<Product website: https://www.lily.camera/>

DPLA Open E-Books Initiative

Open Ebooks Initiative

DPLA | May 2015

The Open eBooks initiative was announced by President Obama at a ConnectED event that was held at Anacostia Library in Washington, DC on April 30, 2015.
Under the thoughtful guidance and coordination of The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the initiative is a partnership between three existing nonprofits–DPLA, the New York Public Library, and First Book–and is made possible by the generous donations of publishers.
Open ebooks add to existing efforts to help kids develop a love of reading and discovery by making ebooks available to youth from low-income families.

<more at http://dp.la/info/get-involved/dpla-ebooks/open-ebooks-initiative/>

University of California at Irvine

Faster Humanities Ph.D.s, But at What Cost?

Colleen Flaherty | June 23, 2015

Critics have long said graduate students in the humanities take too long -- a decade is not uncommon -- to earn their Ph.D.s. But the calls for reform attracted new converts and grew louder after 2008, when available tenure-track positions in the humanities dropped in number. With fewer available positions, some said, programs needed to help their students accrue less debt and get them out on the job market faster.

<more at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/06/23/uc-irvine-experiments-new-graduate-degree-and-postdoc-hybrid-program>

E-Book Prices

E-Book Prices Marked Up Too High, Libraries Protest (+Video)

With markups of up to 8 times retail price, libraries say they can't afford a good range of content

Emily Chung | June 22, 2015

Why aren't there more e-books on your library's virtual shelves? Libraries say it's because publishers are sometimes charging them more than $100 per copy — and they can't afford it.
The Kindle edition of Lena Dunham's bestselling memoir Not that Kind of Girl retails for $14.99 at Amazon.ca. But the book's publisher, Random House, charges Canadian libraries $85 per copy of the e-book — five times more, according to the Canadian Library Association. 

<more at http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/e-book-prices-marked-up-too-high-libraries-protest-1.3123465>

Rare Books at Yale

Yale's Rare-Books Library Is Saving Old Chipotle Cups

They join a collection of American poetry and fiction printed on pencils, postage stamps, paint chips, and other unusual materials

Robinson Meyer | June 23, 2015

Yale’s rare-book library has acquired a complete set of the Chipotle “Cultivating Thought” series—the series of short, “two-minute” essays and stories printed on the side of the company’s disposable paper goods.

Source: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/restaurants/blog/2015/01/28/neil-gaiman-chipotle-cultivating-thought/

<more at http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/06/those-chipotle-cup-stories-are-now-in-yales-rare-books-library/396560/; related link: http://www.mhpbooks.com/yales-rare-books-library-acquires-chipotle-cups/ and http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/about/blogs/yale-collection-american-literature/2015/06/22/new-collection-cultivating-thought-series>

Amazon Echo

Amazon Echo Now Available for Purchase Without Invitation

Sean Riley | June 23, 2015

[Blogger's Note: I have been a beta tester for Amazon Echo for some months and find it an ingenious gadget that simplifies life. Echo is talked to by a name of your choice, and I just use the default Alexa. I start the day by saying, "Alexa weather" and get the latest. Also "Alexa Flash Briefing" and get the latest news from my choices of services. You can get the time, put things on your shopping list or to-do list, all by voice. And no shouting. Alexa has good ears and picks up voice with extreme accuracy, as long as you as "her" about things she knows. She can tell you Wikipedia information, do math, and entertain with "Alexa Joke". Although I did not think I needed Echo at the time, I would hate to give it up now.]
It has been more than 7 months since Amazon announced the Echo, a speaker that doubles as a personal assistant, and in that time Amazon has expanded the capabilities considerably from the somewhat limited initial feature set. While the question of what exactly can it do was a bit of a stumbling block for the Echo, the fact that it was only available by invitation, and even then with a shipping date that was often 4-5 months out, really stacked the deck against early adoption.

Source: http://androidandme.com/2015/06/news/amazon-echo-now-available-for-purchase-without-invitation/

<more at http://androidandme.com/2015/06/news/amazon-echo-now-available-for-purchase-without-invitation/; related link http://www.forbes.com/sites/janakirammsv/2015/06/26/amazon-echo-just-turned-your-living-room-into-a-battleground/ and http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/technology/personaltech/amazon-echo-aka-alexa-is-a-personal-aide-in-need-of-schooling.html?ref=technology>

Automotive Copyright Issues?

Do Copyrights for Books, Music Also Apply to Cars?

Chad Halcom | June 22, 2015

The U.S. Copyright Office will likely decide within months whether a law written partly to protect literature and music copyrights in the digital age also prevents car owners and mechanics from making vehicle repairs or diagnoses.

Source: http://jalopnik.com/carmakers-want-to-make-working-on-your-car-illegal-beca-1699132210

That federal agency, a division of the Library of Congress, held hearings last month and expects supplemental materials from attorneys shortly in its regular three-year review of proposed exemptions to the specific law involved: the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. 

<more at http://www.autonews.com/article/20150622/OEM06/150629990/do-copyrights-for-books-music-also-apply-to-cars?>

Amazon Payments to Authors

Amazon to Pay Kindle Authors Only for Pages Read

Amazon's new system will cut the royalties for self-published authors who fail to hold a reader's attention until the final page

Anita Singh | June 22, 2015

If you are an author whose book fails to grip in the opening chapter, it could prove costly.
Amazon is to begin paying royalties to writers based on the number of pages read by Kindle users, rather than the number of books downloaded. If a reader abandons the book a quarter of the way in, the author will get only a quarter of the money they would have earned if the reader stuck it out to the end.

<more at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/amazon/11692026/Amazons-to-pay-Kindle-authors-only-for-pages-read.html>

Digital Comics and Graphic Novels

Recorded Books and iVerse Media Form Exclusive Partnership to Deliver Digital Comics and Graphic Novels to Libraries

PR Web | June 22, 2015

In an exclusive partnership, Recorded Books and iVerse Media will offer libraries and their patrons access to a selection of more than 10,000 digital comics, graphic novels and manga titles both inside the library and remotely.

<more at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/06/prweb12800279.htm>

Incorporating Your Physical Movement into VR

Cyberith Virtualizer

The Cyberith Virtaulizer allows you to walk on the platform and it will incorporate your motion into your VR experience. You can control your game character with your own movements.

Source: http://cyberith.com/product/

<Product web page at: http://cyberith.com/product/ (+Video)>

Inexpensive Virtual Reality and Immersive Viewers

Virtual Reality on the Less Expensive Side

These Products Are Shown in Roughly Increasing Cost

Cardboard Viewers
Shown at Google I/O 2015
Works with a Smartphone. Various models. 
There a numerous types and design. A typical one is I AM CARDBOARD, such as v. 2 and EVA. Priced beginning at $14.99.

Source and ordering information: https://www.google.com/get/cardboard/get-cardboard/

Immerse Virtual Reality Headset, $47.29

Works with a Smartphone. Adjustable head strap and foam facial contact area.

Source: http://www.firebox.com/product/7017/Immerse-Virtual-Reality-Headset

VR One

Can use iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy smartphones and some others. Zeiss VR One bundle at $129.00 which includes the headset with strap and the smartphone tray.

Source: http://vrone.us/zeiss-vr-one

Samsung Gear VR

Has the following sensors: accelerator, gyrometer, geomagnetic, proximity. Micro USB connection to Galaxy note 4 or S6. $199.99 in some online stores. Details on features at http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/gearvr/gearvr_features.html

Source: http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/gearvr/

National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)

The Town That Banned Wi-Fi

‘Electrosensitive’ people are flocking to the West Virginian home of a deep-space telescope, attracted by the rules prohibiting phones, TVs and radios. But, as Ed Cumming reveals, their arrival means Green Bank is far from peaceful

Ed Cumming | June 20, 2015

Up and up the roads to Green Bank went, winding into the West Virginian hills as four lanes thinned to one. It was early March and snow was still spattered on the leaf mould between the firs and larches. Hip-hop and classic rock radio stations were gradually replaced by grave pastors and bawdy men twanging banjos and, eventually, they too faded to crackling white noise. The signal pips on my phone hollowed out. I was nearly there.

Source: http://jump2.nrao.edu/dbtw-wpd/Textbase/Imagefiles/gb_interferometer_lo.jpg

<more at http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/21/the-town-that-banned-wi-fi>

Libraries Without Walls

Libraries Without Walls: When Students Become the Core Design Consideration

Hamilton Wilson, Education Specialist, Wilson Architects, shares his insights into the future trends of education architecture and how to design a 21st century library.This piece is part two of a three-part series; the first explored the school of the future. Lead image: UQ Ipswich Resource Centre

Hamilton Wilson | June 22, 2015

Technology has had far-reaching effects on the library as we used to know it. The idea of the library has been completely transformed from a repository of resources – with controlled access and clearly defined rules – to a gateway of information that can be accessed anywhere, at any time. The focus has expanded from the collections to the community, and the myriad ways they can come together to learn, create and share the huge amount of information now at our fingertips. The library is no longer defined by a physical space – in a school environment, the library services can extend to all the campus – classrooms, outdoor spaces, circulation areas and even the students’ own homes.

Source: http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/features/comment/libraries-without-walls-when-students-become-the-c

<more at http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/features/comment/libraries-without-walls-when-students-become-the-c; [Blogger's note: Part 2 of a series; the first part is at http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/features/comment/designing-the-school-of-the-future>

Librarian of Congress

Hiring: The First Librarian of Congress for the Internet Age

Robinson Meyer | June 21, 2015

In a month or six, the United States will get its first new Librarian of Congress in nearly three decades. The current librarian, James Billington, has held the title since his appointment by President Reagan in 1987. Though named by the president and confirmed by the Senate, the Librarian doesn’t change with every new White House. After being appointed, Librarians are free to serve as long as they want—that’s why there have been only 13 of them since 1802.
In other words, this will be the first time a new Librarian has been appointed since the invention of the web.

<more at http://www.nextgov.com/big-data/2015/06/hiring-first-librarian-congress-internet-age/115861/; related link: http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/philip-kennicott-finding-a-successor-for-library-of-congress-leader/article_1af61e17-da0a-54cf-8177-f8db99024e22.html (Finding a successor for Library of Congress leader)>

Copyright Licensing Agency (U.K.)

Universities Allowed Instant Rights Purchase Through CLA

Research Information | June 10, 2015

The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) is launching a  service to allow universities to buy rights instantly online.
This is the first time that universities have been able to purchase additional rights from CLA immediately and it is expected to save them thousands of hours each year on administration.

<more at http://www.researchinformation.info/news/news_story.php?news_id=1930; related link: http://www.cla.co.uk/ [Who we are: The Copyright Licensing Agency Limited (CLA) is a licensing body as defined by the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.CLA was set up in 1983 and is owned by the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society Ltd. (ALCS) and the Publishers' Licensing Society Ltd. (PLS) to perform collective licensing on their behalf. We are a leading member of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO).]>

Google Builds "Hallucinating" Neural Network

Inceptionism: Going Deeper into Neural Networks

Alexander Mordvintsev, Christopher Olah & Mike Tyka | June 17, 2015

Artificial Neural Networks have spurred remarkable recent progress in image classification and speech recognition. But even though these are very useful tools based on well-known mathematical methods, we actually understand surprisingly little of why certain models work and others don’t. So let’s take a look at some simple techniques for peeking inside these networks.
...Instead of exactly prescribing which feature we want the network to amplify, we can also let the network make that decision. In this case we simply feed the network an arbitrary image or photo and let the network analyze the picture. We then pick a layer and ask the network to enhance whatever it detected. Each layer of the network deals with features at a different level of abstraction, so the complexity of features we generate depends on which layer we choose to enhance. For example, lower layers tend to produce strokes or simple ornament-like patterns, because those layers are sensitive to basic features such as edges and their orientations.

<more at http://googleresearch.blogspot.com/2015/06/inceptionism-going-deeper-into-neural.html; related link: http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2015/0619/Google-builds-neural-network-makes-it-hallucinate-video (Google builds neural network, makes it hallucinate (+Video)>

High-Tech Bookmobiles

Library Rolls Out High-Tech Mini Bookmobile Service

Erin McCracken | June 14, 2015

Ottawa’s library is taking technology on the road with the launch of its new mini Bookmobile.

A 3D printer, drone copter and futuristic music makers are just some of the high-tech gadgets that will be rolling into neighbourhoods as part of the library’s new $130,000 mini Bookmobile.

Alexandra Yarrow, Ottawa Public Library’s manager of alternative services, left, listens to music through earphones as Mark Gelsomino, technology librarian, broadcasts music with the help of human touch, bananas and a high-tech gadget, one of several tools in the library’s new mini Bookmobile service. Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney, chair of the library board, and River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington also took part in the launch of the service at the Hunt Club Centre on June 3.

“Libraries are changing,” Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney said after the new van made its first stop at the Hunt Club Centre at 3310 McCarthy Rd., marking the launch of the service on June 3.

<more at http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/news-story/5674167-library-rolls-out-high-tech-mini-bookmobile-service/; related link: http://www.timtierneyottawa.ca/media/library-rolls-out-high-tech-mini-bookmobile-service/>

Sleep and Memory Loss, Alzheimer's

Sleep Could Help Stave Off Alzheimer's and Memory Loss, According to New Study

Alena Hall | June 2, 2015

We've long known that people with Alzheimer's disease often experience problems with their sleep. But according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, poor shut-eye in older adults may play a role in the development of the disease in the first place.

<more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/02/sleep-alzheimers-linked-to-memory-loss_n_7494502.html; related link: https://news.berkeley.edu/2015/06/01/alzheimers-protein-memory-loss/ (+Video) (Poor sleep linked to toxic buildup of Alzheimer’s protein, memory loss) and http://news.berkeley.edu/2014/09/14/neural-compensation-for-alzheimers-beta-amyloid/ (Researchers find neural compensation in people with Alzheimer’s-related protein)>

Eyeglasses for the Unseeable

3 New Eyeglasses That Give Doctors Superhuman Vision

With them, you can see veins, hidden bruises, cancer cells and more

Ferris Jabr | May 19, 2015

The standard safety goggles that surgeons and other doctors often wear have a single important purpose: to protect the eyes from spurts and splashes of blood and other bodily fluids. Now health care professionals are welcoming a new generation of medical spectacles that not only shield the eyes but also enhance them.

Source: http://www.technicupdates.com/smart-glasses-that-help-surgeons-see-cancer-cells/

<more at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/3-new-eyeglasses-that-give-doctors-superhuman-vision/; related link: http://www.technicupdates.com/smart-glasses-that-help-surgeons-see-cancer-cells/>