Technology Blog

Did Santa bring you a new gadget?

Submitted by Jesse on January 5, 2012 - 11:55am
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Maybe an iPad? A digital camera? A new phone? Not sure where to start or how to get the most out of your new device? No matter what your new tech toy is, the Community Technology Center at the Central Library can help!

Here are just a few of the FREE classes happening soon:

Ask the Gadget Guy!
(1st Saturday of every month)
Saturday, January 7, 2 - 4 p.m.

FREE Online Entertainment!
Monday, January 9, 6 - 7:30 p.m.

eBooks for Tablets and Smartphones
Tuesday, January 10, 6 - 7 p.m.

All classes held in the Community Technology Center, Level 4, Central Library. No registration required.

Download FREE Denver Public Library Books to your Nook, Kindle, mp3 player... and more!

Submitted by Melanie on December 28, 2011 - 2:58pm
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eBook Reader

If you got a fancy new Nook or Kindle for Christmas but aren't sure how to make it work with Denver Public Library's downloadable books, fret not! The Community Technology Center is providing FREE instruction to show you how it's done.

Come to one of our eMedia classes at the Central Library, or attend a Tech Petting Zoo at your neighborhood branch library to learn how to find, check out, download and transfer books to your reader.

If you have an eReader and/or laptop, please bring them to class. If you are curious about purchasing an eReader, devices will be available to try out!

Upcoming Tech Petting Zoos:

Schlessman Family Branch Library: Thursday, 1/12, 10 - 11 a.m.

Go ahead, ask the internet

Submitted by nate on December 21, 2011 - 7:00pm
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Our age will probably be largely remembered as the time when humans outsourced large chunks of our brains to our web-connected gadgets: if you had asked me a friend’s phone number 20 years ago, I could recite it by heart – now, I have to make all new friends if I lose my cell phone.

Often, many of my questions can be answered with a simple Google query – “What is the square root of 144?” or “Who played James Bond in Goldfinger?” – but anything moving beyond a simple factual question can mean wading through page after page of results. Search engines, like Google, Yahoo, or Bing, give you a list of websites that may​ have your answer, but they won’t help you sort through them. To do that, you need to access actual people - and there are a wealth of sites that let anyone ask questions to people with the knowledge you need.

Plan Your New Year's Resolution!

Submitted by squee on December 15, 2011 - 2:00pm
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New Year's Resolutions

New Year's is just around the corner, are you prepared for your New Year's Resolution? Take a look at some places on the web to help you keep some common resolutions, including: Get Into Shape, Quit Smoking, Get a New Job, Learn a Language and Save $$$.

Getting in shape seems to be the most sought after goal of New Year's resolutions.  The only problem is, it's really hard to get started (and we don't want to embarrass ourselves trying new things in a strange gym). So what can we do to get our motivation up and our weight down?
Where can I go to workout? Check out Denver Rec Centers! They are a cheaper option to the larger national gyms.

Viruses, Trojans, and, Spyware, oh my!

Submitted by Jesse on December 8, 2011 - 6:43pm
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Join us this Saturday afternoon in the Community Technology Center for our FREE Protecting Your Computer 101 class.

Learn about the different ways your computer can be compromised and how to avoid major computer headaches by using free software that can help protect your computer from viruses, spyware and more.

Protecting Your Computer 101
Saturday, December 10, 2-3:30 p.m.
Community Technology Center, Level 4, Central Library

Online Holiday Fun!

Submitted by Melanie on December 5, 2011 - 1:00am
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NPR

The holiday season is upon us! Looking for fun, free and festive online entertainment? Look no further!

There are lots of fun things to do online during the holidays, from listening to an old favorite like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to finding a new recipe - Romanian Zucchini Potato Latkes, perhaps? Here are a few sites to get you started!

Digital Collections Site Changes

Submitted by lauriekm on December 1, 2011 - 1:00am
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Digital Collections

The Denver Public Library is excited to announce the newest updates to our Digital Collections website. The updates include a refreshed design, new content, powerful zoom tool, social tools, organized browse pages and an easy to use search and refine interface.

In addition to the popular western photos, art, maps and building plans that have been offered in the past, newly digitized materials have been added making searching for digital historical materials much easier:

Sharing Holiday Photos

Submitted by nate on November 23, 2011 - 12:18pm
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(photo courtesy of Awkward Family Photos)

The savory smells of roasting food, the clink and chime of silverware and glass, uncle Jim having a few too many and falling asleep with his mustache awkwardly mashed into the couch, and the click and flash of cameras as we document everything; the holidays are times for making and capturing memories.

With digital cameras and the internet, it’s easier than ever to capture every moment – the sweet, the funny, and the possibly traumatic – and share it with friends and family.

What eReader is Right for You?

Submitted by squee on November 18, 2011 - 4:01pm
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There are so many eReaders on the market, it can be confusing trying to figure out which one is the right one for you. One big question I hear from Denver Public Library patrons all the time is, “which one works with the materials I can download from your website?” The answer is most of them should work, some better than others. I have had the opportunity to play with a few of the commonly used eReaders, and here is what I see as the pros and cons to each:

Kindle – The Kindle only recently started working with the library’s downloadable eBooks, but it is probably the easiest device to use. All other eReaders require a separate software to be installed on your computer before you can transfer a title to your device. With the Kindle, it’s all done wirelessly.

Tips for buying a computer

Submitted by Jesse on November 14, 2011 - 10:54am
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Tech Gadgets

Shopping for tech can be overwhelming  because there are so many options out there:  desktops, laptops, netbooks,  tablets, ereaders--all with different bells and whistles.  Some of our upcoming classes can help you figure out which device is right for you.

Buying a Computer 101
Interested in buying a new computer? Not sure what RAM is or how big a hard drive should be? Learn what to look for so you can determine which computer is right for you!
• November 19, 2-3:30 p.m., Community Technology Center, Central Library, Level 4.

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