Learning to eRead

Did you receive an ebook reader for Christmas? I did. I’ve spent the past few days learning to eRead on my Sony Reader (Touch Edition).

While I’ve tried the Stanza, Kindle, and Kobo iPhone/Touch apps, nothing compares to the larger 6 inch screen of my Reader. I’m also getting used e-ink. It’s probably the biggest drawback to ebook readers right now. On the plus side, Sony’s Reader software installed very nicely on my Mac, and supports Adobe Digital Editions. The Sony Reader supports the EPUB format, which essentially means there are lots of sources for ebooks.

If you are looking for some free ebooks to download, check out the following sources (and be mindful of the copyright legislation for your country):

Google Books
The Grandfather of free ebook search.

Feedbooks
Click on the “public domain” link to browse thousands of free and original books.

FictionWise
Click on the “free ebooks” link to browse their collection.

Kobo
Click on the “Free ebooks” link to download books for the web, mobile and EPUB format.

Project Gutenburg
Project Gutenberg is the place where you can download over 30,000 free ebooks to read on your PC, iPhone, Kindle, Sony Reader or other portable device.

Project Gutenburg Canada
The ebooks on this website are in the Canadian public domain.

Smashwords
Click on the “filter by: free ebooks” to browse for ebooks by indie authors and publishers.

As well, don’t forgot to check out your local library.  I’ve already borrowed several ebooks from Vaughan Public Libraries. Sony also hosts a library finder page, where you can browse for local libraries that offer ebooks for loan.

If you are considering an ebook reader purchase, be sure to read Gadget Lab’s How to Choose an eBook Reader, and the exhaustive ebook reader comparison chart on the Mobile Read Wiki.

Happy eReading!

What Matters Now

Looking for a good read over the holidays?  Take a look at Mashable’s 10 must-read ebooks for social media lovers.

I’ve just finished reading What Matters Now.  #10 on the list, it’s a series of micro-essays from Seth Godin and 70 other “big-thinkers”.

If you read one last ebook in 2009, this should be it.  Thought-provoking. Inspiring.

Get it.

Rewind 2009: Apple’s top app picks

I blogged about my fave and must have iPhone and iPod Touch apps recently. What are Apple’s picks? Check out the new Rewind 2009 Apps page in iTunes. The page features Apple’s Best of 2009 games and apps, and top sellers too.

I’m also trying the WordPress app for the very first time. This is my first post from the app!

OLA Super Conference ~ imagine, inspire, make a difference.

I’m officially registered for the 2010 Ontario Library Association Super Conference.

The theme of the conference is: Imagine. Inspire. Make a Difference.

‘Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.’ ~ Howard Thurman

What inspires me? … mobile libraries, digital strategies, collaboration tools, web design, and embracing web 2.0.

If you plan on attending, be sure to take advantage of the online conference planning tool. Here’s my preliminary conference schedule.

Want to follow the conference on Twitter? Tweet: watch for or use tag #sc10

Register soon … fees go up December 23rd. Step up your passion!

my must-have iPhone and iPod Touch apps

I’m an App-addict. There. I said it.

If you’re a new iPod Touch or iPhone owner, you probably spend a fair amount of time in the iTunes Apps Store. I do. I also read alot of reviews and blog posts. Web Worker Daily has a nice round-up of must-have iPhone and iPod Touch Apps for Newbies.

Here’s my must-have list of apps. All are free, and some are for Canadian users too. (Note, links open the app or web developer’s homepage, not the iTunes Apps Store.)

Echofon If you can tolerate the ad-banner at the top, I highly recommend the free version of this app for Twitter. Great for managing multiple Twitter accounts. Offers the ability to upload photos from your Photo Library and post your Profile location.

flickr An amazing app for flickr-addicts! You can search photos, view your photostream, sets, tags, favourites, and photos from your contacts. You can upload photos directly from your iPhone/iPod Touch photo library too.

Facebook Stay connected with all your Facebook friends.

iGO Union Stations Departure Board A must have for GO Transit commuters. The app could use with some enhancements — route schedules for given date/time and a system map. Overall, it does the job of keeping you up-to-date on track information and delays.

Linkedin This app offers most of the same functionality as the web version: see all network updates, Inbox, search, view connections, update your status, and send invites. Contact information for your connections can be added directly to your iPhone/iPod Touch address book.

NetNewsWire I’m hooked on this free RSS-app for Google Reader. You can download your feeds and read them offline.

Remote Nifty app from Apple that turns your iPhone/iPod Touch into a remote for controlling your iTunes music from your Mac or Apple TV.

SIRIUS I’m seriously loving this Internet-radio app. You’ll need a SIRIUS account, or you can sign-up for a free 14 day trial. I love the ‘favourites’ option that lets me bookmark my channels. It also offers the ability to buy songs via iTunes.

Shortcovers an online e-book reader from Chapters Indigo. Great Canadian content, but you need to be wifi-connected and online to read the content.

Stanza The original e-book reader that lets you access 50,000 free classics and books from Project Gutenburg. Download and read books offline. I’m currently reading “Howards End”.

Twitteriffic The original Twitter application that Mac users have come to love. It includes nearby location search and trending topics.

Tumblr If you’re a Tumblr user, you’ll want to give their app a try. Simple and easy to use, this app gives you the ability to access the dashboard, reblog and like posts, and post directly to your Tumblr. It includes a search feature tht lets you search the entire Tumblrverse, your dashboard and all your posts. Kudos to the Tumblr folks for a super-easy and fast app.

WeatherEye from the Weather Network. This app gives more details than the Weather app that comes standard on the iPhone/iPod Touch. Highly recommended for Canadian users who like to know their P.O.P. and wind readings.

Honourable mentions …

Alarm Clock If you forget yours the way I do, this alarm clock app will do the trick. Just be sure to keep it on and charged while using it.

Corus Radio Listen to radio stations that are part of the Corus Entertainment channel line-up. Stations can be sorted by name, city and nearest location.

TweetDeck If you like TweetDeck for the desktop, you’ll want to give this one a try. The limit on 4 tweets per column and no scroll feature puts this one at the bottom of my list.

Units An app for converting all kinds of measurements. Especially handy for Canadian who got stuck learning both Imperial and Metric, and forever get the two mixed up. (How many inches to a kilometre, you might ask? why 39370.0787402!)

Lastly, there’s the WordPress app. This is on my must-try list. Watch for a blog post using this one soon.

What’s your must-have iPhone/iPod Touch app?