23 Mobile Things 2014 #5 Notetaking

I tried the Bamboo Paper notepad app on the iPad. It writes smoothly with a finger or stylus, but I didn't see typing capabilities. I tried Remember the Milk on the Kindle Fire and it is type-based. It would be good for lists. However, I share the Kindle so don't take it with me. And you must pay to upgrade to receive reminders.

Dragon Dictation would be of interest, but it seems to be Apple only. Another one to try: SpeakToIt . . .

23 Mobile Things 2014 #4 Keeping Up

Zite is newly available for Kindle Fire in the Amazon App store (formerly it had to be sideloaded from Google Play). It required five interest categories to create a site. Since I have limited time, I thought that was too many for me, but I was able to remove some later. Now I just receive news for "books" and "Kindle."

I wondered if this would be a time saver or a time sucker, and so far the answer is both. I have come across relevant articles I never would have seen otherwise. However, there are also some I regretted wasting time on. But overall, I think it is useful.

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A friend views a blog "I work at a public library" on Tumbler that I want to follow...

23 Mobile Things 2014 #3 Utilities

I could not find a good QR Code Reader for my Kindle Fire. It does not have a back camera, so it was awkward lining up the camera - mirror image. And when I finally got it centered, it did not link to anything. I did install RedLaser onto the Excelsior iPad, and it worked. I also installed a QR at Golden Valley's iPad. I used it with a patron once who had printed a Real Estate home listing with a QR code on it for more information.

Adobe no longer supports Flash for Android, so videos may not be supported. However, Amazon installed a new "Experimental Streaming Viewer" in the Silk browser on the Kindle HDX, so we have been able to view YouTube videos. An alternative would be to install Dolphin browser (not the latest release), but since videos are working so far it may not be necessary.

To install non-Amazon apps may require "Side Loading." This requires turning on "Allow unsupported Apps" in settings. Be sure to turn it back off to protect the Kindle from corrupt Apps.

I have difficulty finding where things downloaded so I can install them. I even contacted Kindle Help four times and they were not able to find my Zinio app download (even with the "directions" from Zinio that were incomplete or incorrect.) I finally stumbled upon it and am now able to access my magazines. LoveMyFire.com has a demo to sideload ES File Explorer to access device's file system, including "Downloads" folder.

23 Mobile Things 2014 #2 device tips

Thing #2 didn't have Kindle Fire tutorials, so I viewed the iPad instructions and tested it on our library iPad. They were iOS 7 new features but I need to get more familiar with the basic iPad features first.

The Amazon Kindle tutorials were pretty basic and I had already figured most of them out by playing. I found a good Kindle tips and tricks site: LoveMyFire.com . Rachel Bruner presents the steps in an enthusiastic and easy to follow manner with lots of screen shots. A lot of efficient keyboard tips, like "Swipe Type" where you slide your finger from key to key instead of tapping. There were ways to open alternate keys without switching between keyboards. (ABC / 123). There are also tutorials on using non-Kindle apps, such as Google Play apps and Flash.

I could spend hours and hours learning all the features!

23 Mobile Things 2014 #1

I've moved from corporate to public libraries. Got a new Kindle Fire HDX! E-Readers, iPads and tablets are big now and I'm looking forward to mastering these devices and learning about useful apps. Just helped a patron use OverDrive to check out books on her iPad, and download the Kindle app, this afternoon.

Thing 6 Online Image Generators
Another fun tool set for school libraries! (I'm going to share Image Chef with my daughter.) I liked how it let me save the license plate directly to my Blogger. I created the trading card from a picture of me in front of the New York Public Library taken a couple weeks ago on my trip to NYC.