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?

So that’s why people aren’t going libraries! They don’t get headaches from trying to figure out our catalogs or navigate our poorly designed sites. It’s the free WiFi! Maybe libraries should pass out tin-foil hats. Or would that just amplify the signal?

As crazy as this sounds, there are many people who claim to be electro-sensitive. My question for this group is why focus on WiFi? There have been tons of other signals bombarding us for decades. And if there really is something in the 2.4GHz range that affects people, why should this be treated differently than any other allergen? Should we remove all other sources of pollen and dander in cities? Seriously, many people suffer from and have to manage their allergies. Why would a WiFi allergy be any different?

Before these people start attacking libraries for providing a free, needed service, they should check their own neighborhood. I bet a few of their neighbors are leaking some sickening WiFi from their homes.

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).

That last observation particularly troubled me. I know that there are still many people who use and need the library for Internet access. They come in to check email, chat, look for jobs, etc. I also know that many people enjoy borrowing DVDs for free instead of paying rental fees. What bothers me is that these libraries seem to be counting on these services to bring in patrons. Demand for these services, however, is going to steadily decline.

More and more people are getting high-speed, always-on Internet access from home. A Pew Internet Report from almost two years ago shows that teens have broadband in over half of all homes with Internet access. Some metro areas are getting free WiFi. Over the next several years, even rural areas will get these services via WiMax and other wireless technologies. We are also seeing an increase in the number of people using mobile devices such as smartphones to access email and other information. So where does this leave public access computers in libraries? They will always be needed and used, but public computers will become less and less of a necessity to patrons.

Most people are happy to drop by the library, pick up a video, and then bring it back when finished. They are happy to this because it’s currently the most convenient option to get movies. Many libraries are even offering drive-thrus to pick up materials. So why will libraries see a decline in demand? Because streaming, on demand video is the new thing. 2007 will be the year that downloading video, including movies, over the Internet will start to catch on. Companies like Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, and TiVo are all rolling out services to download movies and other video content on demand. A couple of them make it very easy to send video straight to the TV. Households with broadband Internet (see previous paragraph) will enjoy streaming movies that start playing minutes after renting or purchasing them online. Hollywood Video and Blockbuster are worried about this and libraries should be as well. Because people will eventually find it more convenient to pay a few bucks to rent a movie online than to make a trip to the library for a free rental.

I know that these changes are not going to happen overnight. They are coming, however, and libraries need to prepare for them now. No, the answer is not to find new services that will draw patrons into the building. Libraries need to accept that fact that more and more of their usage will be from remote users and that it’s okay if patrons are not stepping foot into the library itself. Ebooks and downloadable audio books are a start, but libraries need to consider how they will make all of their materials, including video, available to remote users. Vendors like Overdrive are already providing downloadable movies for libraries, but the pace needs to be quickened. Libraries should also consider creating their own video content.

So should libraries be concerned that fewer and fewer people are stepping into their buildings? No. They just need to be concerned about how they will continue to serve those people and stay relevant from a distance.

I’m not a coffee drinker, but this interests me because library patrons can benefit from the same type of service. Here in Ohio, OPLIN has launched a mobile interface to find the nearest public library. Just go to www.oplin.org/mobile on your phone and plug in a zip code. It even lists the closest branch of a library. It would be great if a service like this could take advantage of the GPS in some phones so that a zip code isn’t needed.  And how about a Google Map mashup to plot the closest libraries and give driving directions to them?

On the flip side, someone in Alaska was busted for “borrowing” library WiFi after hours. The library itself has not commented on the case yet, but this is definitely some bad publicity for libraries in general. I guess you could make arguments both ways, but I’m in the camp that believes there is nothing wrong with a library providing WiFi access when the building is closed. Libraries that don’t wish to do so should turn off the wireless or use a gateway to disable it after hours. Libraries are now offering 24-hour services/resources on their web sites. So why not leave the WiFi on so patrons can get to them?