Talking Technology

Microsoft Templates!

There are many reasons to download a free template. For example, maybe you’d like to fix up your resume or possibly make a colorful sign for a yard sale. If you ever get anxious before you travel (like me) because there is always so much to get done before you leave, you might find the Travel Checklist template quite helpful.

Here are the 5 most e-mailed templates from the Microsoft Office Online website:

• 2008 calendar
• Chronological resume (Traditional design)
• Business cards (Level design)
• Personal budget worksheet
• Fax cover sheet (Professional design)

You can search for templates directly from any Microsoft application, such as Word or Excel. After opening a new document, look for the Template options on the right side of the screen. It’s handy, and it’s free!

Submitted by: Clancy Scheid

5. …to stop in during one of our hour long Open Tech Times with your technology related questions. We have over 15 sessions every month!

4. …to learn how to use the Kindle, Amazon’s new wireless reading device.

3. …to scan your treasured family photos at our scanning station. Not only will you have digital copies for safe keeping, but you can share the images with family.

2. …to attend one of our many free classes. Here’s our schedule for September:

1. …to say hello to one of our knowledgeable and friendly staff members!

The Tech Center is open from 1:00 pm till closing every day of the week, unless a scheduled class is in session. Please call the second floor Reference Desk at (609) 924-9529 x.220 to find out about Tech Center availability.

Submitted by: Clancy Scheid

Shelfari, “the premier social network for people who love books,” is definitely worth checking out. The site allows you to create a virtual bookshelf of books you’ve read, are reading currently, or plan to read. You can rate books and also write reviews. Linking to other Shelfari members enables you to see what your friends are reading too.

Shelfari Groups are an excellent way to connect with other members. You’ll find groups discussing subjects ranging from Books Featured on the Daily Show and the Colbert Report to Reading Green, “…a place to share your books and tips on how to live more green” to 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. These groups are an excellent way to share your opinions and pick up some really good recommendations.

Submitted by: Clancy Scheid

Our first ever Pecha Kucha Night at PPL was a huge success. Thanks so much to the intrepid crew who joined me in creating presentations in the 20x20 format. We had a a lot of fun and, judging by the laughter and applause, the audience enjoyed the event as well. We hope to repeat this again sometime soon, but on a different topic. Stay tuned!

Feeling sad that you had to miss out? Not to worry as Pete Bromberg recoreded all our sessions and they are now live on blip.tv as a show that Pete set up for us. You can also access the presentations from this archive link.

John LeMasney gave a summary over at his blog and Julie Strange shared her thoughts as well at her blog.

Also, as promised, here is the list of search engines that Romina covered in her talk:

Specialized Search Engines from Pecha Kucha @ PPL

People Search:
http://www.spock.com/
http://Pipl.com
http://Yoname.com
http://Wink.com
http://www.facesaerch.com/

Videos:
http://www.wonderhowto.com/
http://www.showroom411.com/
http://www.blinkx.com/

Travel:
http://www.wego.com/
http://www.mytraveldb.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/
http://www.mobissimo.com

2.0 Searches:
http://www.omgili.com/
http://addictomatic.com/
http://keotag.com
http://blogdigger.com
http://sphere.com
http://icerocket.com
http://rssmicro.com

Picture search:
http://labs.systemone.at/retrievr/
http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/index.php
http://pixsy.com
http://picsearch.com
http://images.google.com

Music:
http://Songza.com
http://Seeqpod.com
http://Musicgama.com

Wine Search:
http://www.wine-searcher.com
http://www.snooth.com
http://www.boorah.com/restaurants

Make your own:
http://rollyo.com/

On Tuesday June 3rd we will finish up the 8th season of Tuesday Technology Talks by experimenting with something new and exciting: Princeton's first ever Pecha Kucha Night!

Pecha Kucha, the Japanese phrase for the sound of conversation, is a phenomenon that is spreading across the globe in a variety of venues. Join the PPL Tech Team and several invited guests for an evening of fast-paced presentations in the 20 by 20 format, in which panelists have exactly 6 minutes and 40 seconds along with 20 images to cover a current technology trend or topic of their choosing.

See if they can do it and then join in the conversation about Web 2.0 and technology. Confirmed panelists for the evening include Peter Bromberg, Romina Gutierrez, Janie Hermann, Bob Keith, John LeMasney, and Julie Strange.

Check out Pecha Kucha: Making Cyberspace a Reality by Karen Hodges Miller in this week's issue of U.S. 1 for more details. You might also want to look visit http://www.pecha-kucha.org/ to find out about Pecha Kucha nights around the globe.

Princeton Public Library's Pecha Kucha Night will begin at 7 p.m. in the library's 1st floor community room.

If you were unable to attend Nicole Engard's talk last month on the Onlie Office you can still view her slides as she is generously sharing them online via her blog What I Learned Today. The slides are located on the Publications and Presentations page and can also be accessed her via this direct link.

John LeMasney spoke in March on the topic of using technology to lose weight. He too has posted the slides from his talk on his blog and also the audio.

Thanks for providing the slides online John and Nicole -- this is a good "green alternative" to providing handouts and also allows for easier sharing and future viewing for all!

Just a reminder that our next Tech Talk will take place tomorrow (May 6th) at 7 pm in the library's community room. The topic is "The Online Office"and our speaker will be Nicole Engard (returning by popular demand). Here is the official "blurb" below:

Tuesday Technology Talk: The Online Office
Online office tools help to eliminate email clutter and foster collaboration across borders. In this Tech Talk, librarian and open source evangelist Nicole C. Engard will introduce you to a variety of online tools that will help you work more efficiently into today's environment. Tools such as blogs, wikis, online office applications and shared web calendars can all improve productivity and communication in your office and beyond.

The library has recently added OneSource to our family of online subscription databases. This demonstration session will introduce you to the scope of this new source of business information and give you advice on how to search it effectively.

Please note: It will be held in the Community Room and not the Tech Center

March's Tech Talk will feature a return appearance by John LeMasney who will be sharing with us how he used technology to lose over 100 pounds. John is well known for speaking on topics relating to open source software, but this unique tech talk will be his first time talking about how he has lost (and kept off) weight thanks to tools found online and elsewhere.

John will be here on Tuesday March 4th at 7 pm to share his tips and answer your questions.