Taking QR Codes to the Streets- July 31, 2008 At the Medical Library Association Conference this year I included QR Codes as a Tech Trend. The only place QR Codes are actually useful is still in Japan, where they are becoming ubiquitous. In the States, online guides Citysearch and Antenna Audio piloted QR Codes, in San Francisco back in the Spring. The are readers available for just about every mobile platform, including iPhone.The latest product on the market are QR Code patches, which point to a proxy server which then redirects a phone.http://ericschnell.blogspot.com/2008/07/taking-qr-codes-to-streets.html Cincinnati Motorized Logo LIVES!- July 29, 2008 Back in 1927 a motorized sign commonly known as "YouBert" was installed above the Young & Bertke air systems building along I-75 north of downtown. After years of walking in place, YouBert has been motion less since 2005, after the sign's mechanism failed. Well, the logo is back at walking with a new motor and a fresh coat of paint.http://ericschnell.blogspot.com/2008/07/cincinnati-motorized-logo-lives.html Mobile Optimized Library Web Sites- July 21, 2008 An article in today's NetworkWorld highlights the beta launch of Opera Mobile 9.5, a native Web browser for higher end 'smart' phones. Opera Dragonfly is Operas open source cross-platform developer tool. The beta browser is for Windows but Symbian support is in the works and Java support so it can run on the Samsumg SPH-M800 (a.k.a Instinct) is also rumored to be in the works.Other entrants into the mobile browser space include Mobile Firefox and Skyfire, expected sometime this year. All are in.http://ericschnell.blogspot.com/2008/07/mobile-optimized-library-web-sites.html Using IDEAS to Create an Innovative Library- July 14, 2008 I have been reading The Game Changer by A.G. Lafley and Ram Charan. The book provides a different way of thinking about management processes to make innovation a central driver of a business. It draws upon the authors experience at Proctor and Gamble. There, they made building an innovative culture a fundamental part of the organizational strategy by using the concept of IDEAS.Inclusive - the benefits of diverse thinking and ideasDecisive - eliminating organizational debate and overanalysis to.http://ericschnell.blogspot.com/2008/07/using-ideas-to-create-innovative.html To the Moon on 72Kb- July 8, 2008 As a child of the 60's, I continue to be interested in space. Specifically, the technology of space. This week, the Science Channel is running a series this week called Moon Machines during their Space Week 2008.The episode I just watch is called "Navigation."It details the creation of the Apollo command module guidance computer (AGC) by the MIT Instrumentation Lab.Apollo Guidance Computer Specifications:Instruction Set: Approximately 20 instructions;100 noun-verb pairs, data up to...http://ericschnell.blogspot.com/2008/07/to-moon-on-72kb.html 8 Drugs Doctors Would Never Take- July 1, 2008 As a health sciences librarian for almost 20 years, I have many issues with the coverage of medical topics in such popular literature. The latest to get me going is a Men's Health article entitled 8 Drugs Doctors Would Never Take.Sadly, this article is filled with overgeneralized statements such as "Unfortunately, it seems some doctors rarely pull the PDR off the shelf. Or if they do crack it open, they don't stay versed on emerging research that may suddenly make a once-trusted treatment one...http://ericschnell.blogspot.com/2008/07/8-drugs-doctors-would-never-take.html |