For those of you who recognize this as the title of a fantastic Dr. Seuss book, congratulations! This week on the BRAIN_blog, the places you�ll go (well, we�re hoping you will!) are straight to these amazingly cool sites on the web! You’ll find a little bit of everything in this edition of the blog and…
There�s so much to share here, so let us begin!
New tools and new websites you can take for a spin!
Excitement galore at the BRAIN_blog and so….
If you like what you see…well, please let us know!
1) JYBE Talkin�
Have you ever been surfing the web and come across a great site you just know a colleague needs to check out? How do you handle this? Do you cut & paste the URL into an email message, send it off to them and wait for a reply, hoping that they�re online and will be able to decipher the lengthy URL in order to visit the site?** Well, that technique is SO last year….now there is >JYBE (Join Your Browser with Everyone)! JYBE is a great and free tool that enables you to co-browse any website you want � what a revelation! With JYBE your browser is turned into a collaboration tool, and yes, you can have more than one user join your session � JYBE is perfect for group work, group research, and anything else you can think of! Register to download the tool � it�s quick and easy to do. The one catch (if you can even call it a catch) is that the person you want to co-surf with must also have the JYBE software installed � but other than that, it�s a snap!
**more to come on dealing with lengthy URLs � keep reading!
2) Big Fun With DigBig!
Websites can be fantastic resources (as if we all didn�t know that already!) and when we find a fantastic resource, we often want to share it with others. While we just talked about JYBE and co-surfing as being the next big thing in website sharing, sometimes you still DO need to cut and paste those URLs, attach them in an email with a note saying something like, �a website I thought you�d be interested in seeing…�. But what about those super-ultra-long URLs that you sometimes see? You know the ones I mean � they have lots of characters, letters, #s, %s, etc. making them look like bad comic book expletives! Sometimes links can get broken, some characters don�t get cut or pasted, and the link you�re trying to send goes nowhere. Fortunately, >DigBig to the rescue! When you do run across one of those giant URLs, simply open a new browser and point it at >www.digbig.com – cut and paste the lengthy URL into the box at the top of the DigBig page, click �Go DigBig� and in a few seconds you will receive a brand new, and considerably shorter URL! Even handier is the DigBig button, which, once you download it, means you�ll always have DigBig at your fingertips. Click on �Button� at the top of the page, follow the instructions to add the DigBig button to your links toolbar, and then it�s just a matter of dragging and dropping the offending URL to the button � it�s simple, effective, and you�ll never miss a % sign again!
3) Track It! with Bloglines
A nice little feature for all you >Bloglines fans and subscribers � and I know you�re out there! You can now get updates in your news feeds on the status of packages being shipped to you via FedEx, UPS or the United States Postal Service. Pretty nifty indeed, and simple to do too � on the left side of the page under �My Feeds� click �Add� then click �Package Tracking� on the right � enter the tracking number in the appropriate box and click �Track It!�, then click �Subscribe�. When the status of your shipment changes, you will receive an updated notice in your feeds. Handy!
4) UPDATE: Google Adds Satellite Images!
In >February the BRAIN_blog brought you the scoop about >Google Maps. Well this month let us be the first to tell you about the new and improved Google Maps � complete with satellite images! Yes, it�s Google from space, and oh you can have lots of fun with this! Enter the location you want to find (address, city, etc.) click �Search� and then click �Satellite� (hint: top right-hand corner of the screen). You will be brought to a satellite image of your location. Zoom in or out using the �+� and �-� symbols on the scale on the left side of the page for more detailed images. You can also drag the image around, to find what you need. For instance, I searched Hamilton, Ontario, but I dragged the photo around until I found what I was looking for…our very own Mohawk College from the air! Give it a try – talk about fun!
And while we�re talking Google satellite images, why not check out
>Google Sightseeing! This guys responsible for this fantastic blog do the image searching for you and put lots of interesting photos up for you to browse. Organized by category – everything from Buildings and Natural Landmarks, to one collection known simply as Weirdness – this site includes some amazing images! Comments are welcome, and you can also suggest sites for them to post. Who knew photos from the air could be SO much fun!
5) More from Google � this time a Behind-the-Scenes Look!
An Interview with Google Engineer Jeff Dean
Jeff Dean has the title of Distinguished Engineer at Google. Recently, he gave a talk at the University of Washington in which he discussed some of the challenges that face the world�s most popular and biggest search engine. Dean talked about what goes on behind the scenes at Google, about the technology Google uses to produce the search results, and about some insights the company has gleaned from all the data it gathers. Dean�s talk can be seen at the >UWTV site, where you can stream the presentation in Windows Media or QuickTime.
Thanks to Gaye for this link!
6) UPDATE: IM continues!
We�ve had tremendous response to the e-Library�s instant messaging pilot project � so much so that it�s still in action! Yes, you�re not too late to contact friendly e-Library staff via MSN, Yahoo! or ICQ with your burning questions. Reach us at librarymohawk for MSN, librarymohawk for Yahoo!, and 198032612 for ICQ. We�re standing by from 8:30am-9:00pm Monday through Friday and 8:30am-5:00pm on Saturday and Sunday. And just a little bit more about the amazing powers of IM…it is definitely the student�s communication method of choice these days, and more and more libraries are adopting instant messaging services for just that reason. Like any new-ish technology, there is bound to be debate over its use, relevance, etc. If you�re interested in learning a little more about library IM projects, or instant messaging in general, here are a few articles to check out:
>Instant Messaging: Friend or Foe of Student Writing? � interesting article about IM and academics.
>The Net Generation � quick overview of IM � the basics, suggestions for educational uses, and more.
>IM: Breaking Down Boundaries Instant Messaging in Libraries � a great presentation by two librarians for the Computers in Libraries Conference, March 2005. Loads of great information and IM stats.
>IM me � an article from Library Journal about the IM reference debate
So…what�s next for library IM services? Let�s just say the possibilities are endless!
See you next time on the BRAIN_blog!
