Neatorama |
- 5 Futures for Libraries
- Neatolinks: Champagne, Movie Cameos and Evil Dead the Musical
- Best Sci-Fi And Fantasy Short Films Of 2013
- How to Be a Gangsta
- Strange Jobs And The Workers Who Love Them
- World's Largest K'nex Ball Machine
- This Dog Rescued His Dying Kitty Friend
- Electric Snow Scooter
- Welcoming in 2014
- Global Type
- Eye Chart Martini Shaker
- The Real Life Doge
- Geek Facts About 2013
- Man Proposes By Building Three Story Tall Transformers Model
- Celebrating a New Year in the Movies
- Amazing <i>Star Trek</i> Styled House
- Woody Guthrie's New Year Resolutions
- Man Reenacts Movie Scenes With Boss's Dog
- Fireworks Over Sydney
- 15 Fantastically Artistic Alternate Covers For Famous Books
- Gandalf and Captain Picard Celebrate New Year's Eve
- CalcuDoku
- Video Game Superstars Battle Mario With His Own Power Ups
- Imgur's Best 13 Images of 2013
- Ball of Spiders Explodes in Every Direction
- The Wonder Woman Tiara Ring
- Mix Stix
- Sculptures Of Stuffed Birds Sporting Bizarre Hairstyles
- Flying Tiare
- The Mirrorcube Makes Leaving No Trace Luxurious
Posted: 01 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST (Photo: Rob124) We’ve seen e-readers and libraries without print books. But beyond the obvious proliferation of e-books and fully online information sources, what might we see in the future of libraries? Here are five possibilities. 1. Patron-Driven Acquisition In library circles, PDA doesn’t stand for “public display of affection” but “patron-driven acquisition.” Collection development librarians select materials for purchase based upon their understanding of the patron base, item reviews and circulation statistics. In a patron-driven acquisition system, patron interest can bypass some of the intermediary work of a collection development librarian and purchase library materials. (Photo: Tulane Public Relations) PDA is typically used for electronic resources, particularly e-books. A database vendor may offer a certain number of views of an e-book item for free. If enough individual patrons view the item, the library automatically purchases a copy, which is then added to the collection. Vendors and librarians can set up safety mechanisms to ensure that a single patron cannot rig the system to purchase something inappropriate or excessively expensive. The advantage of patron-driven acquisitions is that a library can respond to shifting patron desires and acquire electronic materials very quickly. 2. Discovery Portals At most libraries, if you want to effectively search the whole of body of resources, you’ll have to perform several different searches using different tools and different ways of expressing your query. But what if you could use just one search portal that would give you access to everything (or most) that a library has to offer? This is what a discovery service or discovery tool does. Libraries have had one-stop shopping portals for years, but they’ve generally been awful—especially if you’re searching for an obscure piece of information or information from a particular type of source. They’ve been like convenience stores that offer some basic goods, but have few options beyond them. Now computer technology has advanced to the point in which programmers have developed portals that can effectively search the breadth and depth of a library’s resources across multiple database platforms that use different search languages and scopes of materials. EBSCO Discovery Service and ProQuest’s Summon are among several competing products in this field. (Photo: Texas State Library) 3. 3D printing and Makerspaces Once upon a time, libraries commonly offered public internet access for exclusively research purposes. Then they offered internet access for whatever patrons wanted, as well as basic computer applications, such as word processing. Now many libraries offer document scanners, and computers with photo editing and computer-aided design software. Libraries are giving people access to tools that they wouldn’t otherwise have so that patrons may create things that are important to them. That’s why somelibrariesaredevelopingmakerspaces—workshops where patrons can use tools that they otherwise couldn’t afford. Cory Doctorow expressed it this way:
You may not be able to afford a 3D printer of your own, but may be able to use one at a library and build a prosthetic arm. Would you like to learn how to sew or build electronic components? Libraries may be able to teach you how by providing the tools and basic instruction. (Photo: Lenore Edman) 4. Embedded Librarianship An embedded librarian is one who embeds him or herself inside a patron community, often online. This is particularly common in school libraries. If students are taking an online class, an embedded librarian may be present in the class through the learning management system (LMS). The librarian offers instruction and personal assistance on how to engage in information research. (Photo: Loic Le Meur) Simple enough, right? Now just imagine combining the virtual presence of a librarian with a wearable computer interface, such as Google Glass. Joseph Janes, the editor of Library 2020, states that this level of embedded librarianship can ensure “that all people can use embedded or wearable technology to get instant information about everything in their surroundings.” (Photo: Jim Reynolds) 5. More of What We’re Doing Now We librarians are used to an established genre of journalism that may be called “the end of libraries.” It’s an article (example) usually written by a wealthy, technologically sophisticated person who proclaims that the end of libraries (public, school, academic) is nigh. Here’s what the futurists are missing: they possess the latest mobile devices and sophisticated computer skills. But most people don’t. The futurists project themselves as typical library patrons. But there are a vast number of people with very limited computer skills or computer access. And don’t assume that it’s confined to older people. College students usually prefer print books to e-books. I routinely encounter 18-year olds who don’t know how to access the internet or use email. The digital divide remains huge and will continue to provide a market for libraries. What’s worse is that these futurists and skeptics often overestimate their own information access capabilities. They think that because they can connect to the World Wide Web, they have access to most of the information in the world—a belief that is not only wrong, but spectacularly wrong. As Will Rogers (allegedly) said, “It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so.” Both of these problems point to a need for libraries—or, more to the point—librarians. There’s a gap between information that is available and the skills of people who want to access that information. Thus there is a need for people who can teach others how to cross that gap. And because technology changes, there will always be such a gap and thus always a future of libraries. This is what libraries have done in the past, are doing now, and will continue to do in the future. |
Neatolinks: Champagne, Movie Cameos and Evil Dead the Musical Posted: 01 Jan 2014 04:00 AM PST Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Bubbly Booze That Left You Hungover Today (Mental Floss) Lisa Frank's House Sigils For Game of Thrones (The Mary Sue) Six Surprisingly Self Aware Movie Cameos (Unreality Mag) Celebrate Winter With These Paper Snowflakes Inspired By Frozen (Geeks Are Sexy) Evil Dead: The Musical Pretty Much Looks Amazing (Geek Girls) Image: TARDIS Lamp by IchabodtheGecko (imgur) |
Best Sci-Fi And Fantasy Short Films Of 2013 Posted: 01 Jan 2014 03:00 AM PST There’s no better way to ring in the new year than sitting around nursing a hangover and watching a bunch of amazing videos online, unless you’re planning to party through New Year’s Day! io9 has put together a rather amazing list of the Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Short Films from 2013 and they are so much fun to watch it makes you wonder what sort of visual goodies await us in 2014. From face melting Liquid Television inspired shorts like PostHuman by Cole Drumb to kinder, gentler shorts about robots like Dr. Easy by Shynola, there’s something on the list for every kind of viewer, and you won’t have to scour the interwebs to find them all because they've taken care of the gathering for you! (Some films may be NSFW due to language and/or violence) |
Posted: 01 Jan 2014 02:00 AM PST Mr. Forthright leads a thug life. Oh, yeah, he belongs to a gang, the AARP. You may have heard of them- they start recruiting you on your 40th birthday, but won't let you join until you're 50. Learn how to be a gangsta with the most excellent Mr. Forthright's timely tips! Psst: Stay for the bloopers at the end. -via Daily of the Day |
Strange Jobs And The Workers Who Love Them Posted: 01 Jan 2014 01:00 AM PST Have you ever thought to yourself- "Gee, I wonder if there’s a person who samples dog foods, or dives into golf course ponds for balls, or evaluates human breath odor?" The answer is yes, yes and oh my yes! These are the odd jobs that most people wonder about, never sure whether they actually exist or not. They’re odd occupations not normally found in your local job listings, and they are all featured in two books of photography by Nancy Rica Schiff entitled Odd Jobs and Odder Jobs. They range from “that’s weird” to “man am I glad I don’t have THAT job!”, and the mere existence of these niche jobs makes for a fun bit of trivia. Via 22 Words |
World's Largest K'nex Ball Machine Posted: 01 Jan 2014 12:00 AM PST K'nex builder Austron recently completed the largest K'nex ball machine as an installation at The Works interactive museum in Bloomington, Minnesota. from the YouTube page:
-via Viral Viral Videos |
This Dog Rescued His Dying Kitty Friend Posted: 31 Dec 2013 11:00 PM PST Cats and dogs have a reputation for not getting along, but many of them are actually friends, in fact, some are even the best of friends. Recently, a dog rescued his best friend who was hit by a car. While Stewart the cat was missing for over 24 hours, his family figured he was just out catting around, Toby the golden retriever knew something was wrong. He was pacing around and acting strange and then when he was let outside, he started barking at a bush in the back yard and wouldn't stop. His owners came out and looked in the bush and then discovered Stewart was laying in the bush injured after apparently being hit by a car. They immediately brought him to the vet where they found that his pelvis was seperated from his spine. Stewart had his injuries mended and while he still can't wander around the house until he recovers all the way, Toby has been sitting outside the cage, rubbing noses with his friend, thankful he is ok. |
Posted: 31 Dec 2013 10:00 PM PST Dane Kouttron’s goal was to design and build a cheap, light electric scooter that could take him everywhere he needs to go in any weather. After 18 months and $360 in parts, the MK-1 fulfills all of those requirements. Mr. Kouttron can pop off the front wheel (and brake) and replace it with a ski. It’s a great project, though Mr. Kouttron notes that he’d like to replace the electronic brakes with mechanical brakes and add a suspension system. I would also suggest adding some sort of amphibious mode, especially one that offers submersible transportation. If you want to make a vehicle truly all-weather, this could be helpful. -via Hack A Day |
Posted: 31 Dec 2013 09:00 PM PST Happy New Year! At least to the Eastern time zone of the U.S... Screen Junkies gives us a wonderful way to ring in the New Year -with a movie supercut that pretty much picks up where that last one left off. We hope your 2014 is the best year ever! |
Posted: 31 Dec 2013 08:00 PM PST A friend of typography expert Jennifer Kennard recently came across this gem from a bygone era. It’s a typewriter ball for an IBM Selectric. They were not normally packaged and sold as globes, so this is a rarity. It’s a clever marketing gimmick if a company is trying to market itself as essential for international commerce. -via Nerdcore |
Posted: 31 Dec 2013 07:00 PM PST Add a little visual fun to your bar with the Eye Chart Martini Shaker from the NeatoShop. This fabulous glass martini shaker is designed to look like an eye chart. Look carefully. The several rows of optotypes contain a hilarious secret message. Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Barware & Cocktail items. |
Posted: 31 Dec 2013 07:00 PM PST By now you've almost certainly seen the Doge pictures that make up one of the most popular memes of 2013 and even served as inspiration for a new virtual currency. But while most internet users are now familiar with Doge's face, they generally don't know anything about the real shiba inu in the photo. The now legendary pup is eight year-old Kabosu, who was adopted by a kindergarten teacher in Japan when she heard that a puppy mill was closed down and that the puppies would be put down if they weren't adopted. The teacher, Atsuko Sato, first posted the picture of Kabosu on her blog back in 2010 and it wasn't until Shiba Confessions posted the image on their blog in 2012 that the meme actually took off. You can read the whole story of how this picture became such a popular meme over at The Verge. Via Laughing Squid |
Posted: 31 Dec 2013 06:00 PM PST The year we know as 2013 is so mathematical it may make your head hurt, but saying goodbye to the year only opens us up to 2014 and the numbers it brings. This geeky numbers wrap-up graphic is from Mike Lomax, with information from GeekDad. -via Geeks Are Sexy |
Man Proposes By Building Three Story Tall Transformers Model Posted: 31 Dec 2013 05:00 PM PST When a guy asks a girl to marry him the proposal is usually accompanied by flowers, dinner, champagne and a box with a ring inside. But one Chinese man felt that the only way he could get his geeky girlfriend to say yes was to construct a thirty foot tall model of Optimus Prime. He built the Autobot leader out of over 40,000 rivets and almost $10,000 worth of iron and stainless steel, working through 400 drawings over the ten months it took him to transform a pile of metal and bolts into one amazing looking metal sculpture. Via Uproxx |
Celebrating a New Year in the Movies Posted: 31 Dec 2013 04:00 PM PST New Year's Eve on film can be funny, sad, nostalgic, hopeful, drunk, or just happy -but they all have Auld Lang Syne to tie them together. These clips are from the movies Ocean's 11, One Way Passage, The Gold Rush, Waterloo Bridge, An Affair to Remember, Wee Willy Winkie, Scandal, The Apartment, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Bachelor Mother, and It's a Wonderful Life. Someone needs to append When Harry Met Sally into this. Happy New Year! |
Amazing <i>Star Trek</i> Styled House Posted: 31 Dec 2013 03:00 PM PST (Photos: Line Rainville) All the comforts of a 1960s era starship can be found in this home in Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, Quebec, Canada. Line Rainville, the owner, is a hardcore Trekkie who is devoted to the classic series. A few years ago, she remodeled her basement into a home theater. She decided to add some Star Trek design accents. Within a year, the project took up all of her basement rooms. For a cost of $30,000, she had props and settings that she either purchased online or made herself. They allowed her to create, among other features, a mockup of Spock’s quarters, including a 3D chess set and workstation. -via Nerd Approved |
Woody Guthrie's New Year Resolutions Posted: 31 Dec 2013 02:00 PM PST Songwriter Woody Guthrie wrote down a list of New Year resolutions in his journal in 1942. They are commonsense rules that I hope he was able to keep. Just a few:
Most are accompanied by illustrative doodles. You can enlarge the image to better read it at NYC Educator. |
Man Reenacts Movie Scenes With Boss's Dog Posted: 31 Dec 2013 01:00 PM PST Ask a man to watch your dog for you at work and you’d better have someone check in on them from time to time, or you may not like the pics you find online. Reddit user mmsspp has been posting pics of himself and his boss’ dog Wrigley re-enacting scenes from famous movies, and the only real problem is they all seem to be from love stories or scenes of romance. The dog looks cute and all but I can’t imagine anyone wanting to share photographic evidence of their creepy love affair with a dog online, but maybe mmsspp justifies it by claiming they’re just pretending to be in the movies. Yeah right! Via DesignTAXI |
Posted: 31 Dec 2013 12:00 PM PST The new year came in hours ago in Australia, and Sydney welcomed 2014 with a glorious 12-minute fireworks display centered around the Sydney Harbour Bridge. THe finale, with the cascading shower off the bridge, begins at the 11:10 mark. -via The Week Personally, I think the New Year Map is the easiest to follow. |
15 Fantastically Artistic Alternate Covers For Famous Books Posted: 31 Dec 2013 11:00 AM PST We do a lot of fun artist takes based on movies and TV shows, but I know smarty pants like you Neatonauts are also big fans of books. So, for all you bibliophiles out there, here are a few artist’s takes on some great books. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. HydeArtist Jason Edmiston did this great take on cover of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde for a Gallery 1988 show, called Required Reading, that was put on back in 2011. The Lord of the FliesThe dark, creepy artwork in this cover by DeviantArt user artlyric is perfect for William Golding’s tale of young boys turning totally primal after their plane crashes on an abandoned island. Moby DickDeviantArt user lovedagoldens’ digital painting of Moby Dick is utterly beautiful, and his layout is simply perfect in this alternate cover for Melville’s classic whale of a tale. The Origin of SpeciesDarwin’s classic treatise on evolution has never looked so fun and approachable as it does in this fantastic illustration Delicious Design League created for the Required Reading Gallery 1988 show. Catch 22The art style Marcos Castillo used in this alternative Catch 22 book cover might not be what you’d expect to see on this Joseph Heller classic, but the message of soldiers dancing for Uncle Sam is pretty darn spot on. The Philosopher’s StoneThis Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stonecover by Keith James does a great job of depicting all of the characters from the story in a fun, stylized fashion, without actually giving away any of the plot. I especially like the Dursley family on the back cover. The Harry Potter Series: Penguin ClassicsPenguin Classics have a very distinct artwork style on their covers and this take on the Harry Potter series by M. S. Corley does a great job showing what J.K. Rowling’s works would look like if they were released as part of the Classics line. A Series of Unfortunate EventsHere’s another take on a modern series made into a Penguin Classic by M. S. Corley. In this case, the books in question are the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. The Hunger GamesTo make her alternative book covers of The Hunger Games, Kathryn Rosa Miller drew inspiration from classic Puffin Book covers of Little Womenand The Secret Garden. You can see how well they stack up against the originals by clicking on the links on the title names –she did a pretty great job at capturing the style while still illustrating the story of The Hunger Games. The Hobbit: There and Back AgainIn order to read the full title on this stunning Hobbit book cover by Wes Talbott, the reader must actually rotate the book itself, taking him or her “there and back again” in the process. The Hobbit’s JourneyBy illustrating this Hobbit book cover in a way that requires the characters to stretch across the entire cover, Max Meinzold manages to foreshadow the epic journey the group must make during their quest in a beautiful and simple manner. Slaughterhouse FiveGiven that the book is both about a man who continues to become unstuck in time and the Dresden air raid of WWII, DeviantArt user Miss Bagels’ book cover for Slaughterhouse Five really manages to capture the essence of the story without giving any details away. And, as an added bonus, it also includes Kurt Vonnegut’s alternate title for the book. Mother NightI’ll be honest, while Kurt Vonnegut is my favorite author, I have yet to read Mother Night. Even so, I absolutely love this cover for the book by the Deviant Art user of the same name. In fact, it actually makes me want to go buy this book and read it immediately. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the GalaxyWhen you’re hitchhiking through the galaxy, sometimes you have to rely on a sign post in an asteroid to help guide you as this Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy cover by DeviantArt user Chavs reminds us. I really like how modern this cover is as it looks like something you could pick up off the shelf of your local Barnes and Noble right now. Fahrenheit 451The cool thing about Joel Bewley’s take on Fahrenheit 451 is that with the futuristic gun and firefighter outfit, it could just as easily be the cover for a cool new video game. In fact, maybe the book itself could become lose inspiration for a game about fighting those who burn books. What book would you have liked to see on here? There are a lot of these types of artworks out there, so if we know which book covers you would like to see redone, we can make sure they’re in there if we do a follow up article sometime in the future. |
Gandalf and Captain Picard Celebrate New Year's Eve Posted: 31 Dec 2013 10:00 AM PST Best buds Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart celebrated Christmas together. Now they've already started a New Year's party. Pour the ale and engage! |
Posted: 31 Dec 2013 09:30 AM PST Woohoo! This week's collaboration with Conceptis Puzzles brings us CalcuDoku, a neat puzzle game where you get to add, subtract, multiply and divide to solve the clues. The object is to fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to N (where N is the number of rows or columns in the grid) appear exactly once in each row and column. In addition, the numbers in each block should produce the result shown in the top-left corner of the block according to the math operation appearing on the top of the grid. In CalcuDoku a number may be used more than once in the same block. There is only one unique solution for each puzzle. Game Instructions: Click mouse on the desired square to open dial pad and then click on the desired number. To remove a number, repeat the above using X at the bottom of the dial pad. Numbers can also be placed by pointing mouse on the desired square and then typing with the keyboard. So go ahead and check it out! Then visit Conceptis Puzzles for more neat puzzles. |
Video Game Superstars Battle Mario With His Own Power Ups Posted: 31 Dec 2013 09:00 AM PST Mario has a colorful arsenal to say the least, and his power ups make him the most powerful plumber in the world of video games aside from his similarly powered brother Luigi. The Mario Brothers are an unstoppable force thanks to their Fire Flowers, Tanooki Suits and mushrooms for every color of the rainbow. Characters from all over the world of video games are getting mighty jealous of the power being wielded by those blue collar heroes, and three of those envious avatars got their hands on some Mario Bros. specials and are now out to prove their might against Mario himself. But Mario is a master, and he doesn't need swords or fancy guns to kick some digital tail. Via Destructoid |
Imgur's Best 13 Images of 2013 Posted: 31 Dec 2013 08:30 AM PST The image-hosting site Imgur was born as a way to make sharing pictures fast and easy for forums and social media. Today they posted a gallery of their best 13 images of 2013. The pictures are not necessarily the most aesthetic or the most-viewed images of the year, but were selected as the pictures that were most talked-about or made a big impact on the internet in some way or another. Quite a few of them you've seen here already this year, but are worth another look. The odd image shown here starts the list at #13, and is the product of a panoramic camera shot gone awry. This particular picture led the Imgur staff to seek out the weirdest panoramic photographs and put them together in an album. Those will make you laugh! |
Ball of Spiders Explodes in Every Direction Posted: 31 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST This Vine video by paglo shows a clump of spiders a few inches across. Paglo pokes them. Then all hell breaks loose. Vine videos are only 6 seconds long. I wouldn't be surprised if paglo didn't live much longer than that. -via Super Punch |
Posted: 31 Dec 2013 07:30 AM PST We've previously featured some of the great jewelry designs by artist Paul Michael, including his Han Solo and Death Star rings. If you like his style, but not big on Star Wars, here's one you might dig instead -a ring based on Wonder Woman's fantastic tiara. It's a fantastic gift for any lady who happens to be into strength and power. The ring is made from warm rose gold and the star features five custom-cut kite-shaped rubies. Via Fashionably Geek |
Posted: 31 Dec 2013 07:00 AM PST |
Sculptures Of Stuffed Birds Sporting Bizarre Hairstyles Posted: 31 Dec 2013 07:00 AM PST There are so many varieties of birds flitting around planet Earth that it’s nearly impossible for anyone to have seen them all, but I guarantee even the most experienced birdwatcher has never seen birds like these! With their crazy coiffed hair, fashionable adornments and bold colors these otherworldly birds look like they’re ready for either the catwalk or an interstellar moonwalk. They were created by Karley Feaver using stuffed birds that died of natural causes, wood, gold plate and human hair, and although all of the elements are from the natural world when they’re used together they give each sculpture a truly unnatural look. Via Beautiful/Decay |
Posted: 31 Dec 2013 06:30 AM PST Air Tahiti Nui is a French Polynesian airline (nicknamed Tiare) that not only takes tourists to paradise from France, the U.S., Japan, New Zealand, and Australia, but also hops from tiny island to not-so-tiny island. This video makes use of GoPro cameras in the strangest places, even inside a jet turbine, to give us an up close and personal view of an Airbus and its routine. Plane maintenance between flights is included, and the views from above the islands are awesome. Do not miss the final shot at the end. |
The Mirrorcube Makes Leaving No Trace Luxurious Posted: 31 Dec 2013 06:00 AM PST The Boy Scouts adhere to the idea of leaving no trace, but for those who like a little luxury in their life, camping is usually a no go because it's so darn uncomfortable. Now people can enjoy luxury and a reduced impact thanks to the Treehotel's Mirrorcube. This stunning treehouse has a mirror-lined wall, making it nearly invisible amidst the forrest wher it is located. And don't worry about the birds accidentally crashing into this cool structure, it is covered with an infrared film that is impossible for humans to see, but enough to stop any flitty birds from flying into it. You can read more about Sweden's truly unique Treehotel over at Homes and Hues, and if you like this, don't miss the glass toilet located in the middle of a garden or the Netherland's surreal Glass Barn. |
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