Tag Archives: apps

App of the Week: VINE

VINEApp: Vine

Cost: FREE

Availability: iOS

Here is something different: Vine. It’s a mobile app that lets you shoot short videos. Here’s the catch: the videos you create on Vine are 6 seconds or less and continuously loop. They can capture both sound and motion.

Vine doesn’t have a play button, just a create button. The whole purpose behind the designers thoughts were to “share life in motion.”

Step one: get inspired. Step two: create. Step three: share.

Get Started: Download the app from itunes for iOS devices.

App Includes:

  • Unlimited uploads
  • Integration with your twitter and facebook accounts
  • Share and follow your friends on vine
  • Search and share by hashtags

There is an app for Android devices, but it is only for viewing videos on Vine. 

Cinemagram is an Android version of a short video app. Cinemagram is also available on iOS

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App of the Week: Prezi

PreziApp: Prezi

Cost: Free

Availability: iPhone & iPad

Developer: Prezi

 

Prezi for the iPhone: Functionality is limited to viewing and presenting your Prezis. Since your Prezi account lives in the cloud, no matter where you are, you will always have access to your most recent version.

You cannot create or edit your Prezi on the iPhone app, it is simply for viewing. So if you are sitting in the library and you want to go over your presentation before you go live, this is a great way to practice.

Download Prezi for iPhone

Prezi for iPad: With the iPad application, you can create a new Prezi and edit an existing one. You can also present and share your Prezi right from your tablet. With the iPad, you can rotate your text, images and frames with your fingers, resize your paths, and tap & drag to create text and more. This app gives you great mobility with your Prezi. If you are out traveling to another branch or campus library, take your iPad with you and you will have access anywhere you go.

Download Prezi for iPad

In my opinion, the only downfall is that it isn’t available on Android devices yet. I would also like to see them add more functionality to the iPhone app such as correcting a quick typo or adding a photo from your photo stream

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App of the week: Pocket

PocketApp: Pocket (formerly Read It)

Cost: Free

Availability: iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows Mobile, Blackberry

Developer: Nate Weiner

Have you ever scrolled through your twitter feed, found something great, and realized that the article was too long to read at that second? Or you received an email with a great link to a video, but it’s a little long to view right then and there?  Then this app is a perfect fit for you! When you find something interesting you want to read or watch later, you can put it in “Pocket.”

Pocket let’s you save anything from articles – to images – to videos. When you save something to your pocket account, it’s available everywhere you have access to that app.  This includes your phone, your tablet and your computer. Pocket is integrated with all your devices so you can access it anytime, anywhere. Once you have saved items to your pocket account, you don’t even need Internet access to read it later.

I really like this app, it’s a great way to organize articles and videos that I can’t get to in the middle of the day. I use twitter to keep up with what’s going on in the technology and library world. There are times when I stumble across something and just don’t have time to read it. This app let’s me watch an hour video on Digital Literacy or read the new ALA Ebook Business Model Scorecard at a later time. I have integrated it on my iphone, ipad and my Google Chrome browser on my computer. I can even tag the article or video to a specific category like libraries or software, making it even easier to find later.

Get Started: http://getpocket.com/signup/

App Integration: Pocket is integrated into over 300 apps including Twitter, Google Currents and Flipboard. To view the complete list of all apps, take a look at the Pocket App Directory.

Devices and Browsers: iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire, Android, Google Chrome, and Firefox

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App of the Week: Next Exit History

Next Exit HistoryApp: Next Exit History

Cost: Free

Availability: iOS & Android & Windows Mobile

Developer: University of West Florida

Next Exit History is an interactive app for all travelers that provides access to historical sites through your mobile device.  It’s an engaging system of mobile applications that allows users to listen, watch, and read about local history around them. Visitors are also presented with historical interpretations of landmarks in their vicinity through GPS and mobile computing technologies.

The app is equipped with access to more than 56,000 historical sites across America. Next Exit History provides an exclusive opportunity to put history in the palms of their users’ hands. Through interpretative media, dictated by historians and technologists, this program offers great exposure and recognition to historical sites in your community.

Quick Access

  • Access to audio and video podcasts
  • Available on iOS, Android and Window Devices

For more information check out: NextExitHistory.com

Mobile Apps Avaiable for Download: iOS, Android, and Windows Mobile

This is a great app that enhances communities and organizations with historical context.

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App of the Week: iDisplay

idisplayApp: iDisplay

Cost: 4.99

Availability: iOS & Android

Developer: Shape

 Did you ever have a need for a second monitor while you were working on library statistics or updating your website? Well iDisplay may be the quick fix you need without spending money on a second monitor. If you have an Android or iOS device, you can download the iDisplay app and get that second monitor you need! 

Benefits of the App

  • Mirror image from your main display on your iOS or Android device 
  • A way to share your desktop with an audience or multitask
  • Compatible with both Mac and Windows 
  • Installed on your desktop and connect remotely to your device 

Getting Started

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App of the Week: Facebook Pages

facebook-pages

App: Facebook Pages

Cost: FREE

Availability: iOS

Developer: Facebook

Do you update your library page for Facebook? Well this app will certainly help you manage all your information! The Facebook Pages App helps admins of pages access messages, photos, insights, and settings. This is a great app to share posts, links and photos when you don’t have access to your computer or you are on the go.

What I like

  • You can quickly check your insights, total likes, people talking about your pages, and your total weekly reach.
  • If you manage multiple pages for your branches or campus libraries, you can access them all in one location.
  • Great for responding quickly to notifications, especially if you are on the go.
  • Update on the run! Want to post something as you are walking into the library in the morning, but your computer isn’t booted yet? Grab your phone and post that update in your Facebook Pages app.

What I don’t like

  • You don’t have the option to share a post, link or photo like you do on the desktop site.
  • You can’t check in at a different location. So let’s say you have community outreach event at the YMCA, you can’t check in and say you are there.
  • You can’t access your pages home feed.
  • You can’t tag people in the photos.

Overall: I give it an B-, if Facebook would let me check-in and share posts, they would get a better score. Download it and save some time next time you have to update you library page. 

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App of the Week: Mendeley

mendeleyApp: Mendeley

Cost: FREE

Availability: iOS

Developer: Mendeley

Mendeley is a great way to organize all of your documents into your own digital library. Whether you are indexing PDF’s or research from a recent search, you can pull all your information into one location. The app allows you to gather document details from your PDFs allowing you to search, organize, and cite.

The Mendeley App allows you to sync your account with your device, outlining the same organization as your desktop account. You can download your documents while you are connected to wifi for offline reading at anytime. If other librarians or colleagues have Mendeley, you can share documents with the citation via email from within the app.

Getting Started: Register for a free Mendeley account by using your email address or Facebook account. Start adding documents! Next, download the free Mendeley for iPhone/iPad app. When you load the app you can login with your Mendeley account credentials.  Finally, sync your library from your desktop account to your app by simply clicking on the sync button within the app.

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What’s Trending in Technology: SlideShark

Are you looking for a way to display a PowerPoint presentation on an iPad? Well look no further, SlideShark can meet your needs! SlideShark is a great way to take your presentation on the go with your tablet. Wither it’s to present at a conference, in the library, or to a patron, SlideShark is a mobile application you can take with you on the go! It allows you to view and present effectively with animations, fonts, colors and images or graphics maintained from your original presentation.

There are three different options available for individual accounts and one option for a team account. With a free account you have access to 100MB of storage, the ability to upload a file, view and present a PowerPoint, and share PowerPoint slides online. You can upgrade to 500MB for $49.00 annually or 1GB for $98.00 annually. A team account can be set up for large groups. This allows your team to have access to presentations where they can upload, convert, and view their own presentations as well.

Set Up an Account: Once you decide on what type of account you will need, create a SlideShark account with an email address and password - https://www.slideshark.com/register.aspx

Upload:Next you will want to upload a PowerPoint presentation. You can upload either a .ppt or .pptx file. 

Share: Once the file is uploaded you can share the presentation through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or email. 

View: Make sure you have downloaded the SlideShark app from iTunes. Once you have signed in, your welcome screen will include your presentations, dashboard activity, and your settings. Click “download” on the presentation you are ready to view.  Once it completes, your presentation is ready for viewing. 

Presentation Options: With SlideShark presentation options you can have your PowerPoint auto-play, select a slide delay, and loop your presentation. 

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What’s Trending in Technology? Instagram

Instagram is a photo-sharing application that allows users to take and upload photos, apply a filters, and share it with the world! The program provides a unique feature to individualize each photo you take. With over 15 different filters to choose from, you can have your photo look like a vintage 1977 clip or  a black and white masterpiece. The availability to explore and share photos has made this app one of the fastest growing social apps out there.

Launching back in October of 201o, Instagram recently came into the popularity stream when Facebook purchased the company, and it’s employees for $1 billion dollars. It was also named the 2011 top iPhone app of the year by Apple.

 

Getting Started: You can download the free app on both Apple and Android devices.

Photos: You have the option to either take pictures within the app or use photos that you have on your camera roll. The photos are all square, similar to old Polaroid images.

Manipulation: There are 18 different filters you can chose from to make your picture look retro, futuristic or anything in between.

Social Sharing: You can currently share your photos on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, Posterous, and Foresquare. Under settings, you can add your user names for your social networks.

Followers: You can find, invite, and search for friends and users on Instagram. With the “Find” friends option, the app will search for your friends from your connected social networks. You can even search for friends right from the contact list on your device.

Once you have set up your account and followed some friends, you can browse through their photos, select favorites, and start sharing photos of all the neat things going on at your library!

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @tblc

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