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Appy Hour: News Apps

Posted on Friday, November 22, 2024 by Jonya

Earlier this year, we held a series of classes introducing free and useful applications for your phone or tablets. Enjoy this review of the news applications we found — some supported by our local news stations while others offer you search functions to find what you are interested in. Each allows you to create a personal account and you may be able to have links emailed to you regarding stories you are following.

KOMU 8 offers both Android and IOS apps. Once it is on your device and your account is created, you find a mix of local, national and international news. There’s an option to stream video although it was a bit clunky for us this winter. Or if you would rather, many of the articles have the option to listen, sometimes by an AI voice. There is a separate app for weather services.

ABC 17 News also has Android and IOS apps. It emphasizes local news and offers a good mix of national news. This winter the live stream only seemed to work for us during the scheduled broadcasts. Using the available predetermined topics makes it easier to navigate through the app but there is a search function to follow through the timeline of a particular event’s stories. ABC 17 has a separate weather app.

The Associated Press provides text, video and audio articles on a wide variety of topics from national and international sources. Often seen as having the finger on the pulse of the world, APNews collects latest news in a series of topics to help you navigate but the front page always has what is considered latest and breaking. You can subscribe in the app to any number of newsletters that aggregate everything happening in the newsletter’s topic, providing regular updates in your email. Their AP Fact Check debunks claims and rumors from some stories running on their front page.

BBC News offers international news with a focus on the UK and Europe, organized by world region. You can use the search function to find closer-to-home articles but will not find many particular to our state; I could find nothing about Columbia, MO or Mizzou, for example. You will find lot of video and live international feeds. The Earth section contains some great, timely articles relating to sustainability, climate science and business practices.

Reuters brings us primarily international news with sections including news, video and various markets, including foreign markets and a currency converter. There is a video section that auto plays through important headlines and breaking news. Like most news apps, they are ad supported but they are non-intrusive.

National Public Radio (NPR) provides listeners with live radio, so you can stay connected with your favorite shows. They offer text as well as audio articles. Heavy on podcasts, some of which are exclusive to the app itself so that’s worth checking out if you are a fan. It uses location services to bring up local stories and stations, so that live radio will always be pertinent to you.

Google News is a news aggregation service, pulling stories on the same subjects from a variety of sources. Click on Full Coverage or scroll right to see all of the aggregated news. As with many of these apps, Google News will customize what you see based on what you’ve viewed in the past but the Full Coverage options will continue to present you the same variety of sources. You can customize what you see, let Google’s algorithm select or you can view just the headlines.

Apple News is another news aggregation service that reviews many sources, but the one presented on the Today page is selected by the Apple News editors. They offer News+, paid-for access to articles from 400+ publications. You can also follow your favorite sports teams. More useful for someone looking for free, customize the Following section to add channels of information that fit your interest. Swipe to indicate you like or dislike articles, and easily share or save them. There is not a web-based portal into Apple News and it is not available to Android users.

News companies continue to review our needs and rework their mobile apps to try to build brand loyalty, but the trend is to offer more, not to reduce what you will find. Take opportunities to poke around any app and see what might have been added. You can’t break anything and you will develop your own rhythm of digesting news content.

Appy Hour: Music

Posted on Monday, May 13, 2024 by Jonya

Did you know that mobile applications have been around for 17 years now? Amazing! Steve Jobs brought out the first iPhone in 2007 and in 2008 the first Apple App Store launched with 500 apps. App stores for Android and Blackberry devices joined the party and “App” was voted Word of the Year for 2010. We were no longer dependent on connecting our devices to our computers to transfer games, music and photos and many people embraced the mobile life.

Public libraries believe in equal access for everyone and that we are part of an educated citizenry, helping you find the information you need when you need it. This includes your digital experience. We have created a series of in-person presentations about various apps, called Appy Hour, in which you can come learn about and interact with apps. You can also watch this space for future Appy Hour blog posts!

Today we’ll examine music apps from a program held earlier this year. Let’s start with the streaming music apps that DBRL provides! Continue reading “Appy Hour: Music”

Is Cord-Cutting Right for You?

Posted on Friday, December 13, 2019 by Brandy

mug of warm beverage posed in front of screen with "Netflix" logo on itAre you considering alternatives to your traditional cable plan, but don’t know where to start? Cord-cutting, as it’s become known, has many potential cost benefits, but it’s important for you to do your research before severing ties with your cable provider. The library has many free tools to help you make a decision based on your household’s enjoyment of movies and TV shows.

High-Speed Internet Connection
Before going the cord-cutter route, you need to check the speed of your home’s internet connection and wireless router. You’ll need an internet speed of at least 8 megabits per second (Mbps) for standard high quality video. Additionally, Consumer Reports recommends investing in a Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) router so that your high-speed internet is efficiently broadcast throughout your home. The most direct method of confirming your internet speed and router model is to call your internet service provider.

Streaming Media Devices
Next, you’ll want to examine the type of device you’ll be using to stream movies and TV shows. Perhaps you already have a television with built-in Wi-Fi, also known as a smart TV. If so, that may be all you need to get started. Continue reading “Is Cord-Cutting Right for You?”

Your Digital Legacy

Posted on Friday, April 12, 2019 by Seth

Several years ago the New York Times published an article about creating your digital legacy, a piece that echoed many of the thoughts that preservation specialists have been expressing since the advent of the internet: what happens to our digital photos, online accounts, and other items stored on remote hard-drives and in the cloud when we are no longer able to maintain them?  What are some of the best strategies for organizing these collections and accounts?  Who has access to our usernames and passwords after we die? What happens after the androids rise up and enslave us all?

Fortunately, archivists, librarians and preservation organizations have taken these questions very seriously. In 2005, Preservation Week was established by the American Library Association in an effort to educate the general public on practical strategies for taking care of their priceless artifacts and digital collections.  In 2014 the Daniel Boone Regional Library began offering a Personal Archiving course that teaches some of the basics behind digital preservation. In the five years this course has been offered we have also assisted patrons with digitization; scanning hundreds of family photos, slides and documents in our Studio digital lab. The library also offers many complimentary classes such as Windows 10, Basic File Management, iCloud and Google Photos to assist patrons with other aspects of file and cloud storage. Continue reading “Your Digital Legacy”

Road Trip! Apps for Your Summer Travel

Posted on Friday, August 5, 2016 by Mike

My original idea for this article was to list some of the best travel apps available. However, as I got into researching apps, I quickly realized how ludicrous that idea was. There are a ton of travel apps to choose from, and most specialize in just a specific part of traveling. So, instead of telling you which travel apps are the best, let me introduce you to a variety of apps that may help you with different aspects of your summer travels.

Navigation:

Cover artWaze
Waze touts itself as a “community-based” traffic and navigation app. One of its most popular features shows road construction and how long it is taking other Waze users to get through it. You can report hazards in the road, cars on the shoulder or accidents so others can be aware of their locations and avoid them. The app can also display gas prices for finding the cheapest price, and users can submit updates if that price has changed.

Cover artRoadTrippers
This app lets you put in start and finish points, then shows you points of interest or businesses along the way. You can filter what you are looking for, like restaurants or historical sites, based on different categories. This app also shows places to visit a little out of your way and helps you navigate to them. Continue reading “Road Trip! Apps for Your Summer Travel”

An Adult’s Guide to the Pokémon Go Craze

Posted on Friday, July 29, 2016 by Mike

Pokémon Go is the latest app craze taking over the country. And while the game is gluing kids (of all ages) to their phones, this app has added a twist; it is used outside.

(For reference, outside is a magical place with a giant ball of energy in the sky and other life forms. It’s cool.)

Before we get into what the app does and how it works, let’s start by asking a question: what is a Pokémon?

Pokémon began as a video game back in the 1990s for the Nintendo Game Boy. From there it grew into a collectible card game, cartoons, toys and more. Pokémon are creatures in the wild that can be caught, trained and evolved. Trainers can also battle with their Pokémon against other trainers.

Now, here is how the app works:

You walk around a map of your area and use your device (typically a smartphone) to look for Pokémon. They appear, and your device vibrates to let you know.
Pokemon Go screenshot Continue reading “An Adult’s Guide to the Pokémon Go Craze”