Category Archives: technology

Since the mid 1990′s, my friends, family members, and clients talk with me about their experiences with their computers. Windows, Macs, iTunes, the Web, Office, Keynote, whatever.

“How can I make a seamless tile for my site background?”, “How can I get an image off my camera and onto a web site?”, “How can I edit 100 Word files and make them into PDFs?” And more questions like this.

Now that we are more of digital with our media, we need simple ways to make them all work well with each other. I’ve had great teachers, inspiration, and examples to be able to share with people some answers.

12 Topic to watch for in 2012

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2011 proved to be a year of great efforts. Several manufactures attempted to deliver an iPad-like device but not set the world on fire, including Amazon’s mini tablet. We also saw changes in web browser upgrade policy as Microsoft announced their behind-the-screens auto update for IE.

This year I’d like to monitor the changes and influences of the web technologies and devices that influence our daily lives. I’ll attempt to list here the current state of these areas and post updates on changes to promises and projections thought the year.

1) Tablets. There’s no doubt Apple has delivered the best and most popular solution. iOS has proven to be more profitable for developers than Android. Will Apple develop a 7 in iPad to compete with a newbie competitor Amazon Kindle Fire?

2) The Cloud. So far it’s got promise but my experiences with Amazon’s, Google’s, and Apple’s clouds have been lack luster.

3) CMS market share. WordPress is growing as is Joomla! and Drupal. Using CMS for website development has as many pros as cons. I prefer WordPress for its support and simplicity, and Drupal for its customization.

4) Browsers. So far, Chrome use is matching Mozilla’s FireFox. Charts show it will surpass Mozilla soon. As of this writing, mobile Safari has a larger footprint than Mac Safari. No surprise there. But what’s going to happen with the cluster-fudge we call IE? Microsoft’s recent announcement to force upgrades is good news. But IE9 needs better HTML5 support.

5) Speaking of HTML5, will Flash really go by the wayside? As an animator and programmer, I love what Flash can do. But with Adobe’s announcement on their decision to discontinue their mobile support for Flash, and iOS not supporting Flash, well, it all smells like formaldehyde to me.

6) Video file formats. From Google’s webM, and the “open” h.264 mp4, there are good choices. But cross browser support and exporting tools all affect workflow, costs, quality, and over all winners and losers. I’m surprised how amazing ogv is. Seriously, it looks great and has a small file size and loads fast.

7) eBooks. I’m loving my Nook Simple Touch. Kindle is a common family favorite. We all have one with matching cases. iBooks have been a huge disappointment in my book (pun intended.) but with Apple’s new iBook Author, I see some major changes coming. I’m hoping Nook grows. Their tablet is way better than Amazon’s Fire, and their eInk screens are nicer.

8) Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). With mobile device and more businesses running remote satalite workers, VDI is growing. Will we see this in homes too?

9) iOS, Android, Windows Phone. Enterprise Mobile Applications. Office apps, security, commerce, medical, pharma. It’s going mobile and developers are responding to the change.

10) Digital media consumption. Specifically movies. Theaters are reporting a decline in attendance. Personally I’m turned off by all the advertisements before movie I paid to watch. Large screen TV and digital downloads are making the home theater an attainable experience.

11) Voice recognition. Apple’s acquisition and implementation of Siri exposed speech recognition to the masses. It also delivered a 2001 Hal like experience. Android’s cleverly named (?) Iris and other similar offerings like Evi for iPhone 4, are nice and close to an AI experience. But Siri’s cheaply comments are certainly part of the fun.

12) Social networks. This one still stumps me a bit. Those who use FaceBook say its just a waste of time. Those selling FaceBook marketing swear by its impact. LinkedIn and Twitter round out a more useful (?) functionality to this industry. I’m curious if we will see any new ideas, or we will all march to FaceBooks beat?

How to get Library ePub Books onto your Nook

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I have a very soft spot in my heart for my Nook Simple Touch. I just love it. It’s only $99, it has a better eInk screen than Amazon’s, and it’s the same screen size as the Kindle but because it’s touch, there is no need for a keyboard.

Oh, AND there are no buttons on the edge of the Nook for me to accidentally press while getting comfy with my latest novel. So, because of my NookLove, I’d like to help those who love their Nook, love to read and love to rent books from their local library. Here is my experience with getting eBooks in the ePub format onto my Nook Simple Touch. I hope this helps those who are looking for this information.

Adobe is the leader in eInk technology for most eBook readers such as Barns & Noble’s Nook and for Amazon’s Kindle. Adobe also has a nifty piece of software called Adobe Digital Editions. This is used to manage your ePub eBooks, and to transfer them to your nook.

UPDATED AS OF Jan 10, 2012

STEP 01 – Get software from Adobe

  1. If you do not already have one, sign up for an Adobe account.
  2. Download Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). [download link]
  3. Install ADE, but do not launch it just yet. If it automatically launches, then quit the software.

STEP 02 – Connect your device to your computer and to the software

  1. Using the Nook’s USB cable, connect your Nook to your computer.
  2. Launch Adobe Digital Editions. (I found that if you launch ADE first, and then plug in your Nook, ADE does not see the Nook.)
  3. Log in with your Adobe account. To Deathorize Adobe Digital Editions from your Computer, use the keystroke of Command-Shift-D (or Control-Shift for Windows).
  4. Say “yes” when asked if you want your connected device to be associated with the software. To Deathorize Adobe Digital Editions from your Nook, use the keystroke of Command-Shift-E (or Control-Shift for Windows).

STEP 03 – Find your resources to get eBooks

Okay, if you’ve got this far, terrific! You now know that your Nook is connected to ADE and you can manage your eBooks using your personal computer. Whether you download books as rentals from your library, or from other eBook resources, you will most likely need to create user accounts. My local library provided me with my library card number and PIN. My county (Bucks County, in North East Pennsylvania) connects with OverDrive. Access to your library may vary depending on your location and library’s resources. Not all libraries connect with OverDrive, and some have their own eBook solutions. Please consult with your librarian, or read the FAQs from the links here in this section.

  1. OverDrive.com is a commonly used resource for many libraries [link]
  2. eReader.com also offers eBooks [link]
  3. NetLibrary World Public Library is also a good resource [link]

STEP 04 – Download and transfer your eBooks onto your device

Once you’ve chosen a source to obtain your eBooks, be sure you can use the ePub format. This will allow for text resizing and other simple reading features.

  1. Downloaded your eBooks to a location on your computer where you can easily access and find them. I’ve created an eBook folder inside my Documents folder. They seem to like it there.
  2. Be sure that your Nook is connected to your personal computer before you launch ADE. (As mentioned before, if it is not showing up, quit ADE, and be sure your Nook is powered on, connected to your computer, and is showing up as an external device.)
  3. In ADE, choose the “LIbrary” menu item and locate your eBooks to load them into your library. You can also use the Command-O (for Open?). Find these in your eBooks directory of your computer.
  4. Once you have transferred your eBooks to ADE, you can now drag and drop them to your Nook. (Video coming soon).

I hope that these instructions helps you. I’ve tested it a few time and made sure that my steps can be followed with little problems.

ENJOY!

A few notes

eBOOK FILE FORMATS:
PDF – Adobe’s document format, but does not allow for text scalling
ePub – An “Open Standard” – preferred if you want to change text size and adjust other styling
Be sure to eject your Nook properly after you have transfered your files. I made the mistake of just yanking the cord, and was not able to re-mount my nook until I called B&N Tech support.
Adobe Digital Editions is not the only way to get your books onto your Nook. You can also simply drag and drop them onto the USB mounted device. However, it is the only software I found which works with OverDrive and my local library.