Wednesday Tech Tips: Guess what?

You can use your smartphone as your library card!

Image: Giphy

If you would like to read more words about it, you can go to the CPL website, but in a nutshell, there are free apps that you can install on your smartphone that will allow you to use a high-res image of your library card to be scanned at the checkout desk.  Key Ring and Cardstar work with iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows devices.

Questions?  Don't be shy about finding a librarian to help you out!  'Cause when you've got your library card, you're happy, we're happy, everyone is very very happy.

Wednesday Tech Tips: Guess what?

You can use your smartphone as your library card!

Image: Giphy

If you would like to read more words about it, you can go to the CPL website, but in a nutshell, there are free apps that you can install on your smartphone that will allow you to use a high-res image of your library card to be scanned at the checkout desk.  Key Ring and Cardstar work with iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows devices.

Questions?  Don't be shy about finding a librarian to help you out!  'Cause when you've got your library card, you're happy, we're happy, everyone is very very happy.

Wednesday Tech Tips: Fun with Photos

I just read about a newish app called Throwback that takes photos, but instead of saving them to your phone, emails them to you in the future -- anywhere from one month to five years.

What a cool idea in our multi-task, memory-challenged times!  Nowadays you aren't saving a shoebox full of old photos, so Throwback has found another way to offer that moment of nostalgia.


I decided to look for other fun things you can do with your pics.  With these photo editors and apps, you can decide to save your summer vacation snaps for five years down the road, or dress them up now!

• Throwback

• Blingee (Beth's favorite)

• Yearbook Yourself*

• AdornPic (using Face In Hole feature)

• AnyMaking (using PopArt feature)

*This is not such a far cry from my junior high years.  Except the hair.  My hair was SO MUCH BIGGER.

Wednesday Tech Tips: Fun with Photos

I just read about a newish app called Throwback that takes photos, but instead of saving them to your phone, emails them to you in the future -- anywhere from one month to five years.

What a cool idea in our multi-task, memory-challenged times!  Nowadays you aren't saving a shoebox full of old photos, so Throwback has found another way to offer that moment of nostalgia.


I decided to look for other fun things you can do with your pics.  With these photo editors and apps, you can decide to save your summer vacation snaps for five years down the road, or dress them up now!

• Throwback

• Blingee (Beth's favorite)

• Yearbook Yourself*

• AdornPic (using Face In Hole feature)

• AnyMaking (using PopArt feature)

*This is not such a far cry from my junior high years.  Except the hair.  My hair was SO MUCH BIGGER.

Wednesday Tech Tips: How to Lose Your Phone

Losing your phone does not have to be the end of the world if you are prepared for it.  Take a little time to run through these steps and give yourself peace of mind about walking away for half an hour while you leave your phone charging in a public space.

Wait, what?  Okay guys, this just in -- don't leave your phone unattended in a public space.  I got mixed up there for a second...


Constant vigilance!  That's what we're going for.

1) Do you have a password for your phone?  Most smartphones offer a numerical or pattern option; others have a crazypants voice or face recognition option.  Consider whether you will leave a trace on the screen if you use the pattern option, especially if you have been eating Cheetos.

2) Do you back up your data?  Even if you don't keep sensitive info on your phone, chances are there are photos and other information on your phone that you don't want lost forever.

3) Do you have a way to remotely track, lock, and/or erase your phone? 

4) Is there a way for someone to return a lost phone to you?  You can display a message with contact information either as wallpaper (take a photo of your message) or through the lock screen settings on your phone.  Make sure the contact information provides a safe way for someone to reach you -- not your home address.


You can find out how to do all this and more (more!) with these helpful articles from CNET and How to Geek.




There. I feel better, don't you feel better?

Wednesday Tech Tips: How to Lose Your Phone

Losing your phone does not have to be the end of the world if you are prepared for it.  Take a little time to run through these steps and give yourself peace of mind about walking away for half an hour while you leave your phone charging in a public space.

Wait, what?  Okay guys, this just in -- don't leave your phone unattended in a public space.  I got mixed up there for a second...


Constant vigilance!  That's what we're going for.

1) Do you have a password for your phone?  Most smartphones offer a numerical or pattern option; others have a crazypants voice or face recognition option.  Consider whether you will leave a trace on the screen if you use the pattern option, especially if you have been eating Cheetos.

2) Do you back up your data?  Even if you don't keep sensitive info on your phone, chances are there are photos and other information on your phone that you don't want lost forever.

3) Do you have a way to remotely track, lock, and/or erase your phone? 

4) Is there a way for someone to return a lost phone to you?  You can display a message with contact information either as wallpaper (take a photo of your message) or through the lock screen settings on your phone.  Make sure the contact information provides a safe way for someone to reach you -- not your home address.


You can find out how to do all this and more (more!) with these helpful articles from CNET and How to Geek.




There. I feel better, don't you feel better?

Wednesday Tech Tips: Text Alerts

Want to know when your requested books have arrived, when your DVDs are due, and when that PlayStation game is overdue?

Of course you do!

But email is so very tedious.  ALL THOSE WORDS.  They take time away from what you'd really like to be doing, which is reading more books.

You can sign up for text alerts instead!  Here's how:

1. Sign into your Minuteman account.  You can do this from the library's homepage.
2. Select "Modify Personal Information" in the My Information box.
3. Enter your cell number under "Mobile Settings."

Texts are sent between 9AM and 6PM, so they won't interfere with your beauty sleep.  Unless it's Saturday.  Standard text messaging rates may apply (this depends on your plan, y'all).

Only one text will be sent when notifying you about multiple items, so your phone will not be perpetually beeping, thank heavens.  If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE, that's easy too.

• To opt out from the The Minuteman Library Network Alerts, send a text message with the word STOP, STOP ALL, END, QUIT, CANCEL or UNSUBSCRIBE to 82453 or 35143 from your mobile phone and we will unsubscribe you from our service. You will not receive any additional text messages via your mobile phone.
• You may also opt out by logging into your patron record and updating your patron record.

Hooray!  Now you won't be shocked when you come to the library after six months and discover your mom "borrowed" your card to check out all those Vin Diesel movies.  I, for one, am profoundly relieved.

Wednesday Tech Tips: E-Readin'

What's up, guys?  Did you know you can borrow a Nook e-reader from the library?  It is awfully nice to have if you're going away for a few days and don't know what you're in the mood for.  You can't download titles yourself, but each device is pre-loaded with a selection of in-demand books.

Stephen Collins: www.colillo.com

And we have two dedicated to YA reads, with a third on the way!  Want to spend the whole weekend reading everything by John Green or Allyson Condie?  Now you can, without toting around 50 pounds.  Plus, there are short novellas from your favorite series that are only available electronically -- we've got those too!  If there is a book you think we should put on the Nook, please tell us.

 

*****

If you've got a smartphone there are a slew of books you can read for free.  Remember a few weeks back when we were talking about copyright?  Mercifully, many many great books (some of which you may be reading for a class) are in THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.  Usually because the author is dead, but sometimes because an author will voluntarily make his or her book available.  In either case, this is why you can download them for free and why they will be made into BBC miniseries, world without end.

 

I read ebooks mostly on my smartphone because it is just easier.  You install an app, you browse around, you download a book = DONE.  Google Books is good; I also use Moon+ Reader and Aldiko.

 

*****

Next week I will talk about Overdrive and how you can "check out" e-books for free from the library.  Bring a snack, because it is going to take a while.

 

 

Wednesday Tech Tips: Sleep Texting

Have you ever suffered a concerned parent trying to convince you to drink your milk, go outside, get eight hours of sleep every night, and stop staring at your phone already?  Turns out there is not only a health-related reason to silence your phone while you sleep; it can also keep you from making an ass of yourself.

It sounds like a joke, but sleep texting is a growing problem among teenagers.  Try talking to someone while s/he is falling asleep or talking in their sleep; they're not going to remember the conversation.  Sleep texting works the same way: you reply to a text and wake up to find you've sent a sketchy message to your friend.


(Okay, so that also has the potential to be hilarious, but do you want to risk it?)


If you need to leave your phone on for emergencies (or if, like me, you use it for an alarm clock) you can install an app to disable email and/or text alerts for a set time period or even when you are in a specific location.  Hey, that could also be handy if you don't want to blast your ringtone in class orrrrrrrrrrrrr -- the library ;)