Thing #23: Evaluate 23 Mobile Things

This "23 Mobile Things" was very useful to me.  It was good to explore apps in areas that I'm not familiar with.  It was also good to think about how these could be used professionally, in a library setting.  I use apps every day for personal use, but I have not used many apps in my work at the library.

I would definitely participate in another 23 Things programs in the future.  I completed the previous "23 Things on a Stick" a few years ago, and it was SO useful as well.  The 23 Things activities help "launch" me into learning things in technology that I otherwise wouldn't venture into (or even be aware of).  This is VERY useful.

Thing #14: Videos

I downloaded the Vine app for this "Thing".  This is really fun to use!  It's set up so that you can easily and quickly take and send videos to friend and/or post (via Twitter, Facebook, etc.)  This is going to be fun to use in personal life, now that I have a little puppy at home - and LOTS of relatives living far away - who want to see videos of little Becca!

I can see how this would be a handy app in the library setting as well.  Perhaps posting quick videos of summer reading program events on Facebook - would be a way to promote the library.

Thing #22: Discovering Apps

I decided to look at "Quixey"  for this "thing." I thought this was a useful site, as it allows you to search for apps by subject, and then limit by price if you choose.  However, I have found the best way to find out about good apps is by word of mouth!  The best apps I use were recommended to me by others. 

At a recent library all-staff annual meeting, people had the opportunity to share apps that they love.   One fellow librarian talked about the "Evernote" app.  She shared how she used it for both her personal and professional life.  I started using it shortly after.  It's a life saver for me!  This is the best way to find out about great apps: hearing from others and how they use them.

Thing 21: Free-For-All

My favorite app is "Calengoo".  I have been using it for years and I DEPEND on it to organize my life!  Basically, this is the mobile version of Google Calendar.  It syncs with Google Calendar, so that everytime I update Calengoo, Google is updated as well.

Among my favorite features of this app are color-coated events (so that I have a color for work related things and another color for personal).  I can set up "reminders" so that I don't forget an event. 

I can't live without this app!

Thing #20: Games

I downloaded the app/game called "2048".  This is a numbers app, that is SO ADDICTIVE!  I find myself playing it into the wee hours of the morning!  My son actually mentioned it to me - it's a game high school kids are loving these days.  Basically,  you move a grid of even numbers left, right, up and down.  The goal is to get the numbers to add up to 2048!  I have succeeded in doing this only once!

Thing #19: Hobbies

As I have a brand new puppy at home, I decided to download an app to help me deal with all the puppy training issues I've been having!  I downloaded the "Dog Tricks & Bark Machine" app.

This app includes training tutorials in one part and a sound machine in the second part.  The dog tricks section includes commands and tips on how to correct behavioral problems, such as chewing (currently my biggest problem with Becca!)

The "bark machine" part reproduces eight different sounds that get your dog's attention. They include a woof, meow, doorbell, high-frequency whistle that only dogs can hear and other sounds.

Thing #18: Education

I decided to download the Fooducate app for this "thing".  I found this to be a really handy app - for personal use (not sure that I'd ever use this professionally).  This is basically a great tool for monitoring calorie, nutrient, etc. intake.  It's great because you can look up caloric and nutrients for a given food.  It has other cool features: such as Daily Tips on the home page and the ability to scan a food item and get nutritional information. 

Thing #17: Connecting to Community

I decided to download the NNC Now app - for news, weather, sports and other information for Duluth, Iron Range cities, the North Shore, Superior and Northwestern Wisconsin- as both of my children will be attending college in the Duluth/Superior area next year!  This year, I often wished for an app I could easily access to find out if my daughter's college classes were canceled due the the horrendous cold weather!  This app will come in handy next year!

Thing #16: Audio

I downloaded the Audioboo app.  I remember a few years ago, shortly after my dad passed away, I was hanging onto a few of his wonderful phone voicemails.  Just to be able to hear his voice now and again.  I was wishing for a way to hang onto this recording and easily transfer it to a permanent place.  These audio apps I'm reading about in this "thing" would have come in handy! 

Off hand, I can't think of a way to use this app professionally.  But I'm sure there are ways it could be used in the library - perhaps to record programs?