On YouTube there are different things I like to look for. For this exercise, I did one of my favorites -searching for soccer highlights. For example, check out the collage of wicked moves by Ronaldinho.
Hulu and Fancast. Would I use them? Probably not. I can see the potential of something like this becoming invaluable to my entertainment life though. The ideal model for me would be shows and movies available via my broadband connection, watchable on my TV. In this case I can pick what to watch, when I want to watch it. I'd be willing to pay and dump cable if I truly had choice and it was functional enough.
The entertainment conglomerates are dragging their feet, but one day it may happen. For now, sitting in front of the computer is less relaxing. And I try to keep my TV watching down a bit as it is.
Useful for libraries? A service like this on a library web site would be great, but seems unlikely in the current digital copyright climate. These kinds of sites are significant to us in that they will drive demand for public access computers as they become more common.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Social netwerkin
This is one of the 2.0 thingys I've never really tried before or gotten into. For me it so much of a time thing. I'm on computers all day at work. I have family and hobbies and sports and when I'm done with it all I find I rarely have the right kind of energy to spend much time on this kind of a pursuit.
But I get it. A little more free leisure time and I'd probably love to do this. And I love the fact that libraries are learning to have a presence here. It is how millions of people keep in touch with each other, and to follow the mandate of meeting people where they are to promote and provide our services, then this is a place we need to be.
This was the first task that got me to do something I never had before - I did create a facebook account. Maybe I'll even start looking up a few old friends. We'll see, perhaps it gets my time after all.
But I get it. A little more free leisure time and I'd probably love to do this. And I love the fact that libraries are learning to have a presence here. It is how millions of people keep in touch with each other, and to follow the mandate of meeting people where they are to promote and provide our services, then this is a place we need to be.
This was the first task that got me to do something I never had before - I did create a facebook account. Maybe I'll even start looking up a few old friends. We'll see, perhaps it gets my time after all.
Friday, June 20, 2008
I heart Flickr
I use Flickr regularly, and have for over a year now. I love Flickr.
I'm no pro photographer, but I use my account for family and friend purposes. I'm shy to share it here in my professional life, but happy to talk about it.
Here's an example of why this site works so well for me. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my brother lives in Tokyo. So when he and his wife visited this past winter, I took hundreds of photos (the joy of digital photography.) I load the best of these up to Flickr. I tag them and create a set (kind of an electronic photo album.) I send my brother the link. Now he can enjoy the photos, download any he likes, print them, use them as he needs. No unwieldy email attachments. No expensive postage to send prints or a CD.
I also like to use the Explore feature. There's some really great photos up on Flickr. I like to look at Most Recent and Popular Tags, but my favorite is Interesting. Just cruising around on Interesting today, I like this, this (the worldwide aspect of Flickr is wonderful), this one is evocative with great colors, and finally this.
I'm no pro photographer, but I use my account for family and friend purposes. I'm shy to share it here in my professional life, but happy to talk about it.
Here's an example of why this site works so well for me. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my brother lives in Tokyo. So when he and his wife visited this past winter, I took hundreds of photos (the joy of digital photography.) I load the best of these up to Flickr. I tag them and create a set (kind of an electronic photo album.) I send my brother the link. Now he can enjoy the photos, download any he likes, print them, use them as he needs. No unwieldy email attachments. No expensive postage to send prints or a CD.
I also like to use the Explore feature. There's some really great photos up on Flickr. I like to look at Most Recent and Popular Tags, but my favorite is Interesting. Just cruising around on Interesting today, I like this, this (the worldwide aspect of Flickr is wonderful), this one is evocative with great colors, and finally this.
Pandora
So I've been using Pandora and I have mixed feelings. As a pop music nerd and veteran mixed tape maker, I remain sceptical that any software or algorithm can create the same feeling or make the intuitive connection between songs that sound good played near each other that a good DJ can.
I started by inputting The Clash, creating The Clash Radio. Pandora responded by playing a song by The Clash. Fair enough. This was followed by The Ramones and The Sex Pistols. Color me unimpressed. These are the two most obvious "listen-alikes" it could have possibly found. This was followed by a song from . . . The Clash! Not exactly brilliant deduction going on here.
I decided to create a new station with a bunch of disparate bands I enjoy. Most of the connections still seemed to be based on era and genre. By entering Spearhead, I got alternative and "positive" hip-hop and rap. Jane's Addiction appeared to get me bands like Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam and other obvious "alternative" early-90s acts.
The Music Genome can't seem to handle the connections between the music of a band like Jane's Addiction and maybe X or The Doors or Gang of Four or The White Stripes. Or between The Clash and perhaps some second or third wave ska acts, early rockabilly, or even reggae or dub.
To be fair, there were a few artists that I noted down because I hadn't heard them before. And as free radio it's far better than the commercial options out there. I'm intrigued by the idea of the service being mobile.
And I'd be lying if I didn't admit it was fun to try and figure out the connections the program was trying to make, even if just to complain about it! (As I'm sure this long post testifies to.)
As a whole, internet radio and streaming music is a blast. I enjoy Garage Band a lot.
I started by inputting The Clash, creating The Clash Radio. Pandora responded by playing a song by The Clash. Fair enough. This was followed by The Ramones and The Sex Pistols. Color me unimpressed. These are the two most obvious "listen-alikes" it could have possibly found. This was followed by a song from . . . The Clash! Not exactly brilliant deduction going on here.
I decided to create a new station with a bunch of disparate bands I enjoy. Most of the connections still seemed to be based on era and genre. By entering Spearhead, I got alternative and "positive" hip-hop and rap. Jane's Addiction appeared to get me bands like Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam and other obvious "alternative" early-90s acts.
The Music Genome can't seem to handle the connections between the music of a band like Jane's Addiction and maybe X or The Doors or Gang of Four or The White Stripes. Or between The Clash and perhaps some second or third wave ska acts, early rockabilly, or even reggae or dub.
To be fair, there were a few artists that I noted down because I hadn't heard them before. And as free radio it's far better than the commercial options out there. I'm intrigued by the idea of the service being mobile.
And I'd be lying if I didn't admit it was fun to try and figure out the connections the program was trying to make, even if just to complain about it! (As I'm sure this long post testifies to.)
As a whole, internet radio and streaming music is a blast. I enjoy Garage Band a lot.
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