Things I like:

• The multi-touch interface is very cool.  I quickly adapted to using gestures and pinching to use the phone.  It makes the phone very intuitive and easy to use.
• Multitasking works really well.  My last phone could multi-task, but the Pre gets it right.  It’s easy to see what you have running and switch between those programs.
• The hidden keyboard is very usable.  Even though it’s smaller than my previous phone’s keyboard, I can type very well on it.  I was actually quite surprised how usable it is for me.
• The web browser is fantastic.  Being able to view full web pages like I would on my laptop is very cool.  Most sites optimized for iPhones also work perfectly on the Pre.  Flash isn’t supported (yet), but that’s yet to cause a problem for me.
• Online syncing works.  Some people hate the way the Pre merges information from Google, AIM, and Facebook, but I like having it all in one place.  However, I have not synced my Facebook account and I can see how that might be overwhelming to some.  Syncing my Google contacts, email, and calendar seems to work flawlessly.
• The GPS is very accurate.  Google Maps actually tracks me as I walk around my house.  Several of the applications already make use of your location.
• The camera is 3 mp.  It takes pretty decent pictures and even has a flash.  Using the entire screen as a view finder makes it nicer to use than my Canon camera.
• The charging/data port is standard.  Micro-USB is becoming the standard interface for mobile phones.  It’s nice that I don’t need to use expensive Palm-branded cables for the Pre.
• It’s Linux.  Knowing that the platform is built on open source is comforting.  A development community has formed and they’ve already figured out how to root the device and access the command line.
• It’s Palm.  My first PDA was a Palm III.  I moved to other devices before the Treo came out, but it’s nice to come back to Palm.  I’m rooting for them and hope the Pre can turn things around for the company
• It’s Sprint.  They get a lot of bad press (especially when it comes to customer support), but I’ve been with them for about ten years and have always been happy.  Sprint’s coverage is great in this area and their data plans are cheap compared to the other carriers.

Things I don’t like:

• It’s a new platform.  WebOS is very much in its infancy and that means there’s not many applications available yet.  Also, there’s not a whole lot you can customize yet.
• The email application is pretty basic.  It gets the job done, but there’s no way to mark all messages as read or easily move messages to other folders.
• The music application is also basic.   While it’s fine for listening to music, I mostly listen to podcasts.  However, there’s no way yet to manage podcasts or listen at faster speeds.
• The built-in backup application is ambiguous.  The phone’s data is automatically backed up daily to your Palm account.  However, it’s unclear where that data goes and what does and doesn’t get backed up.  I’m really not sure what I would lose if my phone was reset.
• Tethering is not supported (yet).  I would like the option of getting my laptop online via the Pre if needed.  It’s not clear of Palm/Sprint will eventually support this, but it’s just a matter of time before someone figures out a way to do it.
• There no way to manage files.  You can connect the Pre to a computer as a USB mass storage device, but there’s no way to add/move/delete from the Pre itself.  You can’t even save files from the web browser.
• There’s no video camera.  I’m hoping this will be resolved with a future software update.  I don’t take too many videos, but I’m sure there will be situations where I wish I could do it.

While there’s plenty that I don’t like, I think most of that will go away as the WebOS platform matures. There’s a lot of potential in the Pre and there’s already a development community forming around it. Hopefully more WebOS devices will follow over the next year or so.

At MPOW, we purchased an iPod Touch to play around with.  I’m not an Apple fan in the least, but the browser on the Touch and iPhone beats anything else on a mobile device.  I’ve can effortlessly navigate and read almost every site I visit.  There’s no need to search for a “mobile-optimized” version of a site, turn off styles, or make any other alterations.

I know that not everyone has an iPhone, but we’re starting to see lots of other gadgets and software that strive to achieve the same experience that Apple provides.  The next couple of years will yield phones and media devices that put the full web experience in your pocket.  And that is why libraries have missed the mobile web.  We are moving away from the need for mobile versions of our websites, catalogs, and databases.  Most libraries have never catered to mobile users and soon there will be little need to do so.  The trend is slow now, but is accelerating.

So should you create a mobile version of your library’s website if you haven’t already done so?  I think it largely depends on your type of users.  Students are more likely to make use of the web on the go.  So school and academic libraries need to pay extra attention to mobile access.  My general recommendation, however, would be not to worry about making your entire website available to mobiles users.  Unless you have the knowledge and resources to build a site that gracefully adapts on its own for mobiles devices, just create a basic page with important links and information for mobile users and link to that page from your main website.  Put the link near the top of you home page so mobile users can find it easily.

It makes me a little sad to say that mobile websites will soon be obsolete.  I like the idea of having simplified versions of web pages.  There are fringe benefits to a mobile-optimized page as well such as speed and accessibility.  However, it’s nice that evolving gadgets are making more library resources available to users on the go.

I was recently invited to guest blog about Ultra Low-Cost PCs like the Asus Eee PC.  The post is up now.

OnStar will soon include the ability for the police to shut off your engine remotely. Buses are getting the same capability, in case terrorists want to re-enact the movie Speed. The Pentagon wants a kill switch installed on airplanes, and is worried about potential enemies installing kill switches on their own equipment.

Microsoft is doing some of the most creative thinking along these lines, with something it’s calling “Digital Manners Policies.” According to its patent application, DMP-enabled devices would accept broadcast “orders” limiting capabilities. Cellphones could be remotely set to vibrate mode in restaurants and concert halls, and be turned off on airplanes and in hospitals. Cameras could be prohibited from taking pictures in locker rooms and museums, and recording equipment could be disabled in theaters. Professors finally could prevent students from texting one another during class.

Somehow I knew Microsoft would be involved in this.  Read on for Bruce’s impressive rant against devices controlling devices.  I’m in 100% agreement with him on this issue.

Libraries might like the idea of being able to silence cellphones entering the building, but there are just too many ways that something like this can be abused.  At least give me the ability to reject these “orders” being sent to my gadgets.  You hear me, Microsoft?

Getting Results with Google (Support Staff Symposium)
April 17th
SWON Libraries – Dayton, Ohio

Panel Discussion and Wrap-Up
April 28th
TechConnections Conference – Columbus, Ohio

Mobile Devices in Libraries (OLC Boot Camp)
April 29th
Ohio Library Council – Columbus, Ohio

Getting Results with Google
May 13th
CO-ASIST – Columbus, Ohio

Tune-Up Your Library’s Website
February 21
SWON Libraries – Springfield, Ohio

Technology Trends
March 20th
SWON Libraries – Blue Ash, Ohio

Open Source Applications
April 9th
Computers in Libraries Conference – Washington D.C.

Mobile Devices in Libraries (OLC Boot Camp)
April 29th
Ohio Library Council – Columbus, Ohio

Google Tools
February 12th
CO-ASIST – Columbus, Ohio

Tune-Up Your Library’s Website
February 21
SWON Libraries – Springfield, Ohio

Technology Trends
March 20th
SWON Libraries – Blue Ash, Ohio

Open Source Applications
April 9th
Computers in Libraries Conference – Washington D.C.

Mobile Devices in Libraries
April 29th
Ohio Library Council – Columbus, Ohio

Once again, I gave my talk on Digital Rights Management. DRM is showing up in lots of digital content and has its pros and cons (mostly cons) for libraries.

Next, I gave an abbreviated look at Gadgets and Gizmos. Patrons with portable media players and smart phones are definitely influencing collection development policies. They want to enjoy ebooks, audio books, and even movies on their portable devices.

Technology Trends
October 2nd
Preble County District Library – Eaton, Ohio

Look before You Leap: Why Web 2.0 Alone Can’t Save Your Library
October 10th
OLC Annual Convention – Columbus, Ohio

Managing Rights or Managing Restrictions?
October 10th
OLC Annual Convention – Columbus, Ohio

Integrating Web 2.0 Tools for Your Web Site
October 26th
ALAO Annual Conference – Columbus, Ohio

Panel Discussion
October 26th
ALAO Annual Conference – Columbus, Ohio

[youtube=http://youtube.com/w/?v=T0QJmmdw3b0]

Key points from his definition:

• Applications that are pieced together
• The data is in the cloud
• Can run on any device
• Very fast, very customizable
• Distributed virally

His response is very focused on the idea of the Web as a software platform. And it’s no coincidence that these are the types of things that Google is developing. Many other descriptions of Web 3.0 focus on the Semantic Web aspect. No one really knows exactly how the Web will evolve, but I think it’s a given that more and more software will live online.

Whatever the next evolution of the Web looks like, libraries need to figure out how it fits into the services they provide. Much of the information that libraries provide is already available online. There are some questions, however, that libraries need to think about. Can library data be mixed up and used in custom applications? How can libraries integrate data from “the cloud?” Can these services be easily accessed on mobile devices?

Your Virtual Branch: Best Practices for Today’s Library Websites
August 1st
SWON Libraries Mini Conference – Erlanger, Kentucky

A Look at George Jetson’s Gadgets
August 15th
International Paper – Loveland, Ohio

Gadgets & Gizmos Galore
September 4th
Kenton County Public Library – Independence, Kentucky

Technology Trends
October 2nd
Preble County District Library – Eaton, Ohio

Look before You Leap: Why Web 2.0 Alone Can’t Save Your Library
October 10th
OLC Annual Convention – Columbus, Ohio

Managing Rights or Managing Restrictions?
October 10th
OLC Annual Convention – Columbus, Ohio

Integrating Web 2.0 Tools for Your Web Site
October 26th
ALAO Annual Conference – Columbus, Ohio

Panel Discussion
October 26th
ALAO Annual Conference – Columbus, Ohio

This, however, is too important to pass up. Apple has released some web development guidelines for the iPhone. A half million people already have iPhones and that number will certainly increase quite a bit. A lot of companies are scrambling to make sure their sites are usable. Meebo just announced that (after a few quick tweaks over the weekend) their IM services now work on the iPhone. What about your web site? Apple’s guide is a really good overview of what works and what doesn’t. Mouse-over events and Flash are good examples of features that don’t work.

Libraries need to be particularly concerned about this. Users can walk into your library, attach to the WiFi with their iPhone, and try to access resources while standing in the stacks. Does your site’s navigation system work? Can they use the catalog? What about all of the databases?

My advice? Find someone who has an iPhone and test your web site on it. Be sure to test how fast your site loads while using the phone’s data network. This is just one more example that people should be coding their web site for devices these days (not just browsers).