Thing 15 of the 23 mobile things

Infographics

I would like to tell you about the amazing infographics that I discovered on all of the apps I was able to download or all of the complicated and enlightening information I was able to share in a visually informative way, but instead I will tell you about finally being thwarted by my devices and the many ways the apps of the world are very heavily Apple leaning.

I attempted to find Infographics Hub on both my Kindle and my phone but the app is not compatible with either. I then attempted to find an alternative option, as I have so many other times, no such luck. Finally, I searched for infographics apps on the internet and read several blogs which suggested solutions to my problem. The best suggestion I found was a recommendation to use Quick Office or whatever office program you regularly use to create graphics in the Power Point like program. So here goes...

I do like the visual format that an infographic offers for sharing data and I think that most people just scan the image rather than read it, so clarity is vital. It doesn't seem that an app is necessarily the easiest way to find existing infographics. I did see a few which offered an infographic a day rss feed, but a quick search on the web will do as well at bringing back a good selection better fit to a specific topic.

Thing 14 of the 23 mobile things

Vine

This app was downloaded for about 10 minutes and one test video was created before my daughter grabbed the phone and started making crazy kid videos featuring everything from the family dog to her My Little Pony collection to her dad saying "blahhh". Needless to say this app is very user friendly and easy to learn. It would be great for sharing six word book reviews, "why I came to the library..." quotes, or even recording that strange printer, AMH, alarm sound that you can never describe to IT. I like the short length of the videos and the ability to edit video snapshots together.

thing 13 of the 23 mobile things

Presentation Maker

Once again I was unable to find the recommended app in the the Kindle app store, instead I searched the for presentation apps and discovered Presentation Maker. This is a relatively new app and had only a few reviews but they were favorable so I gave it a try. The selection of  fonts, transitions and templates is pretty limited but it does what it promises and allows the user to create a simple presentation with images, text and backgrounds. I can see it being a good introduction to more complicated versions of similar programs or an option if you just don't have access to anything else. After creating the presentation the user can share their work via the most common social media platforms or email. I was pleased with how easily I was able to link to my images and how intuitive creating a presentation was. I did find saving and later accessing the presentation a little tricky, but with a little digging I was able to discover a solution to that challenge. Overall, a nice simple option.

thing 12 of the 23 mobile things

Free books, Audiobooks

I was stumped with this one. I don't want to fill my phone with audio books so I didn't add the apps there and Kindle doesn't let me access the suggested sites. My compromise is to report how I do access audio books and get free books.

For the audio piece I use both Overdrive and OneClickdigital. I find that they compliment each other nicely and rarely overlap with what they offer. The selection is great and once I figured out what how to transfer the material via OneClickdigital's somewhat clunky interface I have had really good luck with getting titles both through requesting material and just browsing. I have opted for this fee free way of getting audio books rather than going with the subscription service Audible which is offered through Amazon. I know the selection is as good and the means of accessing the titles less cumbersome, but I am at heart cheap and can't bring myself to pay for a book I can't physically hold.

That brings me to free e-books. Again I get most of what I need form Overdrive, but when I just want a classic I have had really good luck searching for a free version directly from Amazon. Unless there is a current movie out for the title it is pretty simple to find what you need. I have had limited luck searching Google for open source titles and reading in the browser but it seems hit or miss when it comes to being readable on the Kindle.

Whichever way I choose to access material I am a little proud to say I've never had to pay for any of it. I could read exclusively in e-formats and never ever run out of things to choose from.

Thing 11 of the 23 mobile things

hclib.org, Overdrive and Zinio

I know that there are many who have issues with the hclib.org app, and I will admit that there are elements that are less than graceful, but I swear by it. I can't explain how much easier it is to manage my account since I started using it.


My favorite things to use the app to do:

• renew on the go
• request on demand, my daughter wants a book, I see a movie preview
• see if that in transit item finally came
• find a location that has the item in while I'm out and can get to the building

What it doesn't do well:

• Suspend requests
• inter library loans
• link to overdrive

and the one thing that it is terrible at....

It will renew an item multiple times or remove an item from you request list if you hit the back button, stay away from the back button.


This is the second Kindle I have had and the first that I was able to install the Overdrive app on, I am really happy with what it is able to do. I can easily manage my account and quickly request, borrow and download content. I would like to be able to skip the step over to Amazon to get an item but I realize that is Amazon's decision and not Overdrive. The waiting lists are always shorter on Overdrive but most items still are out on patron accounts for the full three weeks and there are fewer copies in the collection which makes the wait time longer than that of a physical copy. I tend to save my Overdrive selections for less popular titles, on the spot selections or things I don't mind waiting a while for. This is clearly an area which will develop over the next several years and Overdrive seems quite able to respond to the changing market. Even in the time I have been using it I have seen improvements in both platform and ease of use. I expect that to continue.


I have had mixed results with Zinio. I really like the idea of reading magazines without them cluttering my house and the selection is very good, but getting them on my Kindle has been tricky and not always reliable. Initially there was no app for the Kindle and with no factory installed Flash it was impossible to read the titles I downloaded. I eventually found a way to work around both the lack of an app and by installing a new browser and then Flash I was able to read most of what I selected. There are a few titles that don't seem to be in a format that is compatible with the Kindle and I haven't figured out how to tell which file formats are which. I also would like to get rid of older issues once I've read them but that seems low on the list of complaints. It certainly serves the purpose and has helped to cut down on paper waste in my house. This would be a great way to get a title into patron hands when when that specific title is unavailable in a building.

Thing 10 of the 23 mobile things

Instagram

I should use this more. I like the format and I enjoy playing with the editing filters. The ability to share images across several social networking sites make it more appealing. When I was trying to learn Hootsuite I realized that I don't post much to any of the sites I follow, but when I do it tends to be images with short captions. This is what Instagram was made to do. I prefer the visual style of this over the text based Twitter. It is such a simple way to share images of events across platforms that I cam see how powerful this can be as a a way to communicate. I look forward to learning more about the social element within the site since I have never really looked at what others post there without linking to other apps. 

Thing 9 of the 23 mobile things

Color Splurge

The colorizing part of Color Splurge feels is fun and I could play with with it but I don't think I would regularly use it. I like the ability to highlight areas within a picture, it might be fun for a visual scavenger hunt, players could find the highlighted item. I like the coloring book feel of filling in the black and white images.

The photo editing tools are more useful to me personally. I didn't really have that with my device and I think I will keep the app if only because of the added tools for editing.