Wilton Library Technology Blog » Reviews

More Apps To Help With Lifestyle Changes

mamfranco — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 16:25:06 +0000

We are fast approaching January 1, the day when we will tackle new goals, become more healthy, more fit, and perhaps even better organized. This article from Mashable.com lists five apps to help us successfully achieve our goals. If you are planning to quit smoking, save money, or exercise more, this article is for you! Good luck in your journey. . .

~mary anne
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The 10 Worst Tablets of 2011

mamfranco — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:24:07 +0000

Buying a laptop, cell phone, eReader, or tablet is a very personal choice. The look, feel, weight, and size matter in different ways to each of us. It’s also important to read reviews on these products as they can be rather expensive and you want to make the best choice possible in your price range. In his article, Donald Bell of cnet lists the 10 worst tablets of 2011. You might want to read his article before you do your last minute shopping.

~mary anne
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Are You In The Market For An eReader?

mamfranco — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:13:03 +0000

Many people ask us at the Library “Which is the best eReader?” Or, “Which eReader do you recommend?” Although I have definite thoughts on the different products out there, there is no right or wrong answer. It is a very personal choice and it is important to hold one in your hands before you buy. At Wilton Library, you can try an iPad, Kindle, or Nook for a week–I find that this opportunity is very helpful for people so they can feel the weight, size, and see the type of lighting necessary to use it.

I found a review article “2012 Best eBook Reader Comparisons and Reviews” that you might also find helpful. It compares pros, cons, specs and lots more. Keep on reading!

~mary anne
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A Great Recipe App!

mamfranco — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:04:51 +0000

Back in 1993, I bought a recipe program. It was made for Windows 3.1 or higher and I love it almost as much as I used to love my Palm contact list and calendar. My husband successfully moved it to each new computer and operating system we acquired (it is now running on a Windows Vista machine). We don’t know if it is capable of making the journey to Windows 7 or 8 and this is a major problem for me.

My colleague, Carolyn Benjamin sent me an article from Thursday’s New York Times called App Smart: For the Thanksgiving Cook, a Recipe Manager to Celebrate by Bob Tedeschi. It reviews a number of recipe apps but the standout for me is Paprika Recipe Manager. The iPad app was $5 and entirely worth it. It is easy to use and their support is amazing. I emailed my first question at 12:55 pm on 11/18 and received a perfect instructional answer to my question at 13:06 p.m. As I began to use the app, I had a few more questions and my contact at Paprika, Christine Meranda answered each question quickly and in easy to understand language. I then decided to spring for the Mac version of the app ($20) so I can also use my keyboard to enter recipes manually. The best part of this is that the files sync between the iPad and the Mac so everything is always up to date on each device.

My husband is happy too–no more moving of the incredibly important recipe program. This was a great Thanksgiving present to myself as I always cook for what is my favorite holiday! Thanks, Carolyn!

~mary anne
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What Does the Future Hold for Blackberry?

mamfranco — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:33:02 +0000

Are you a Blackberry owner? You will want to read this article on ZDNet.com by Jason Perlow on the future of Blackberry. Signing up for a two-year contract is an expensive proposition, especially if your choice of equipment is no longer actively supported by your provider.

~mary anne
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Spotify Free Legal Music

mamfranco — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:02:25 +0000

Last night, this article from David Pogue in The New York Times really caught my interest! “Free, legal, song-specific and convenient” music–what more could I want! In order to try it, you must receive an invite from a friend or request one from Spotify.com. I’ve requested mine and hope it comes for this weekend! I’ll let you know what I think.

~mary anne
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HTC Has Patent Troubles

mamfranco — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 18:48:27 +0000

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes of ZDNet posted a very interesting article entitled “Apple deals massive patent blow to HTC, Android in serious trouble.” He states that a judge ruled that “smartphone maker HTC has infringed two Apple patents, and it seems likely that every single Android device out there infringes the same patents.” Yes, this is a big deal and watching for what the fall out is from this ruling is important if you are considering the purchase of an Android phone.

~mary anne
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HP TouchPad

mamfranco — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:22:59 +0000

James Kendrick of ZDNet.com posted this very interesting story yesterday: HP: This TouchPad owner just got very nervous. Thanks. He saw enough promise in the webOS platform–as I did with my purchase of a PalmPre phone. Then, he discovered yesterday that Jon Rubenstein (head of the webOS unit) had been replaced at HP. This is truly disheartening news for those who put a great deal of money on the table for this tablet. As the purchaser of a webOS Palm Pre, I feel their pain. While my phone is a great device, lack of support from the mother ship for their App Catalog made my purchase less than useful. I hope the same fate doesn’t come to those new TouchPad purchasers.

~mary anne
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New E-ink Reader from Barnes & Noble

mamfranco — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:51:05 +0000

Oh, it’s so hard to keep up! As you will see in this article from Lauren Indvik of mashable.com, Barnes & Noble has announced a new addition to its Nook line of eReaders that they believe will give Amazon’s Kindle a run for its money. The Simple Touch Reader has two great new features: a touchscreen and a far longer battery life. The tablet/eReader market is continually changing. When you finally settle on a device, make sure it’s the one for you; there is no one size fits all model. And, remember that it will soon be superseded by newer fancier models! As long as your purchase works for you, there’s no need to continually upgrade.

~mary anne
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Open Office Usurped by LibreOffice. . .

mamfranco — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:00:15 +0000

Open Office was the first major office suite that was both free and legal. The open source model of the community coming together to continually improve a product is a wonderful idea. But, what happens when forks in the development process happen? LibreOffice is the result of such a fork. This ZDNet article by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols describes the package and gives download instructions. Let me know what you think!

~mary anne
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