Category Archives: Apps

Apps

App of the Week – Overdrive

OverdriveSo, I don’t know if it’s the same for you, but my commute to and from work can be long and tedious, and I get bored listening to the same old music on the radio every day. On long drives, I always like to listen to an audiobook.

Audiobooks are expensive from the bookstore, so I usually borrow them in CD form from the public library. This was working out very well until recently when the CD player in my car broke and the shop wanted to charge $500 to replace it….uh..no. So how am I supposed to listen to audiobooks now? Well I learned about a really handy app called Overdrive that can be downloaded to your laptop, iPad, iPod, e-reader, or smartphone. Basically, with this app you can log in to your local public library or your college library and download e-books and audiobooks for your reading and listening pleasure. An added bonus – no lost books, scratched CDs, or late fees!

The Annandale Campus library posted about this a couple of years ago – http://blogs.nvcc.edu/anlibrary/2012/06/

Also, here’s the direct link to Overdrive:  http://www.overdrive.com/software/omc/

If you have any confusion downloading or using the app, I plan to create and post a short step-by-step tutorial video -so watch this space!!

Have fun!

Apps, Fun Stuff

Biggest QR Code…IN THE WORLD!

Have you heard about QR (Quick Response) codes? They look like this:

If you scan it with a QR code reader on your tablet or smart phone (scanners are free to download!), it’ll take you to a website or show you a message. If you see one on NOVA’s campus, give it a try!

The largest QR code in the world is a Corn Maze at the Kraay Family Farm in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. To be eligible for the Guinness Book, the Kraay family had to hire a helicopter so they could scan the code to prove that it really links to the farm’s website. Check out the news story here:

http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/lacombe-corn-maze-qr-code-is-world-s-largest-guinness-1.948692

Unfortunately, you can’t scan this one from the video…I tried. So you’ll just have to take the Kraay’s and Guinness’ word for it.

Want to learn more about QR codes? Contact us at the Faculty and Staff Resource Center (anfsrc@nvcc.edu)!

Apps

A Lazy Summer Twitter Post

I’ve talked your ears off for the last few posts, so I’m going easy on this one…also, I’m feeling lazy this week and I’m off my usual schedule. I read a great article about using Twitter in the class room, from the Chronicle of Higher Education, so I thought I’d share it here:

10 Commandments of Twitter for Academics

I don’t use Twitter much myself, but this article made me think about my attitude towards it and I’m now considering creating a more active Twitter presence. A good friend of mine, a librarian in CT, absolutely swears by it for networking in academia. And she would know; she’s one of the most networked people I’ve come across.