Screencasting is all the rage these days.  From longer demonstrations to short how-tos to quick hellos, folks are using screencasts to make up for the lack of being able to to be everywhere all the time.  Navigating the technology needed to create these screencasts can be a little daunting, however.  Thankfully, there is a sleek online resource that makes short screencasts a breeze.  If you’re hungering for an easy screencasting solution, take a little taste of Screenjelly!

Screenjelly is sweet!  Its site lets users create three-minute screencasts on their computers, complete with audio, and then share them via Twitter, Facebook or e-mail.  It is completely browser-based, so there is no software to install.  ScreenJelly also offers a bookmarklet that allows users to start a screen capture with a quick click and a button that can be added to any website that will allow users to record something and embed it in the site.  Veodia, the company behind ScreenJelly, also offers a premium tool for those wanting to record more than three minutes of material.

Three minutes may not seem like a lot of time to demonstrate something, but in today’s fast-paced world time is at a premium.  Researchers say that one really only has a few minutes to get another’s attention and convey a message.  Screenjelly makes creating your three-minute message quick and easy.  Getting the “word” out also could not be easier.  You can just “tweet” it to the world via a simple link, pop it into an e-mail, or stick on your Facebook page!

ChaCha says it wants to be your mobile BFF.  The question is whether your are ready to cozy up to this intriguing mobile resource.  ChaCha is a web / mobile service designed to put a virtual reference desk in your pocket. The concept is simple enough – you ask them a question and they text you an answer. The service is free, though any fees from your mobile service provider will apply. ChaCha.com is the site that directs users to and explains the service.

Here is how ChaCha works…  You can text your question to 242-242  or call the ChaCha hotline at 1.800.224.2242 to ask your question directly.  ChaCha then routes your query to one of its “guides”, who sends you a text response within minutes.  By registering for a free account online, you can even keep a log of your questions and answers.  ChaCha currently has over 55,000 of these “guides” globally and boasts 24/7 service.  It is ad supported, so that it stays free to users.  ChaCha’s mission is simple: “Providing the easiest way to access information while on the go.”  And yes, they are always looking to sign up new “guides”. 

The iBraryGuy Team decided to test ChaCha with a question to which we knew the answer. We also did a Google search to make sure the answer was readily available. We entered my question and with a click sent it to ChaCha. We very quickly received a text message with our answer. It was surprisingly fast and we were excited.  Sadly, the answer was not only incorrect, but YEARS out of date. In fact, from the context of the response, it was clear that our original request had been either misread or altered.  Even the fastest response is of no value if it is incorrect.   So we tried one more (again, knowing the answer and making sure it was readily available).  This time, we recieved a message that ChaCha was trying to find our answer, followed many minutes later by another incorrect answer.  Needless to say, our team decided to skip the “third time is a charm” rationale and end our testing for now.  With better accuracy (any accuracy, given our testing), the folks behind ChaCha may be onto something cool. Based on this test, however, they have some real work to do.

Although shopping for groceries is not necessarily a library or research function, the iBraryGuy team recently came across a resource that was too good not to share with our professional colleagues.  Besides, we know that you all take your shopping seriously and that, as a whole, librarians are an uber-organized bunch.  Thus, today's review and recommendation – ZipList.
 
ZipList is a hot, new set of tools designed to make the task of creating a grocery list not just easy, but also interactive.  Create lists online, using a free account, and then share them with friends and family via the web, e-mail, and even text messaging.  They can then add things to your list or even do some shopping for you.  Your list is accessible on the go from your laptop or smartphone browser.  An iPhone app is on the way!
 
There is much more to ZipList than just making and sharing lists, however.  It is literally designed to make list creation easy, help you plan meals, and even save you money at the store!  It comes with thousands of recipes already built in.  Add them your online "recipe box" or just have ZipList create a shopping list directly from the recipe.  Don't like the recipes they offer or want to add in some of your own?  ZipList has a recipe clipping function that will import recipes from other web pages!  Other awesome features include the ability to designate the stores from which you want the items, setting item priorities, adding reminders to items for which you have coupons, and even filtering your lists by stores or priority.  AND . . . if that is not enough to win you over, ZipList is an intelligent solution . . . it learns!  It remembers your lists, allowing you to add favorite items, and will even warn you when you add something to the list that you recently purchased.  ZipList can help you reduce waste and expenses!
 
We may be librarians, but we cannot live by our books alone.  We have to eat and we have to shop (we are human after all . . . ok, superhuman maybe).  Using ZipList, we can take a little of our library know-how and put it to some really practical use!  Enjoy!

Nobody likes to think about death.  However, like taxes (especially here in Chicago), dying is a fact of life.  Like so many other facts of life, it generates a data trail which can become part of a research project.  Sometimes, it is not enough to tell a searcher that the human subject of their research has passed away.  Sometimes we need to know where the deceased’s final resting place lies.  Enter Interment.net.  It’s like an OPAC of the dead (Yes, we just said that)!

Interment.net provides free, online burial records from over 5,000 cemeteries from around the world.  You can search across all the records or just browse burial lists by location.  There are even special collections dedicated to such things as national and flooded cemeteries and California missions.  The site is well organized and extremely user-friendly, is a little spartan in its design.  But then again, an overly lively site might be just a bit too much when it comes to research of this nature!  In an interesting twist to the site, the folks behind Interment.net also offer an RSS feed of new cemetery trascriptions and their own blog!  It is a great site for historical, genealogical, and – yes – even skip-trace searches!

If you are dying to know where someone is buried, Interment.net is the place to start digging.  And with that, we are done with the deadly puns.  😉

Getting a grip on what all the social networking buzz is about these days is no small task.  Mastering it and keeping on top of the latest developments in social media is even more difficult.  Adding the Social Times to your professional reading list is a great step in the right direction.  When you need to get you head around the social networking phenomenon, you need to consult the Social Times!
 
More than just a blog, the Social Times is a hub for news, tools, tips and tricks.  It is dedicated to bringing you the best in social media coverage.  Additionally, Social Times hosts networking events around the country to build a sense of community beyond the online social networking world.  Founder Nick O'Neill is an industry expert on the social networking industry.  His style is "no holds- barred commentary and insightful analysis on social networking and social media".  He is a frequent speaker at conferences around the country.
 
In addition to its running blog, you can follow Social Times via Twitter, Facebook, and RSS feed.  Check it out today!

When we first saw the name in an article on social networking, we had to ask . . . What on earth is Wibiya?  The name may be a bit of a tongue twister, but there is nothing twisted about this awesome social networking platform.  We tried it out and were hooked.  In fact, most of you can see our tool bar on our main site.  In a nutshell, we think Wibiya is just wonderful.  (Now say that five times fast!).

Wibiya is platform that aims to make social networking on your blog or website easy, full-featured, and interactive.  From Twitter and Facebook integration to broadcast messages and live chatrooms to a whole host of applications and tracking tools, Wibiya packs a whole lot of power in a simple little tool bar.  Installation is a snap and it works with virtually any blogging platform.  It is fully customizable and fun to use.  

The Wibiya toolbar is free.  To get it, you just sign up on their site and then start customizing it.  Full instructions on how to add it to your site are included.  Any time you wish to add or change anything, just head on back to the site and edit away.  You don't have to speak geek or master code to install and customize your own toolbar . . . not with Wibiya.

Check out our Wibiya toolbar and try one on for yourself.  You will be glad you did and so will the folks who visit your site!

CNN Money today ranked the Nook from Barnes & Noble tops in a match up against Amazon's Kindle and Sony's eReader.  Having tested a few of these ourselves, the iBraryGuy team chose the Nook for home use.  After a month and a half of use, we are ready to report on our own experiences with B&N's flagship eReader.  We agree with CNN, for the money, the Nook is hard to beat!
 
Usability:  Because the Nook is essentially "all screen", it may be a little intimidating at first . . . albeit, very aesthetically pleasing to the eye.  However, learning to use it takes little time.  There is something to be said for the sleek interface that is devoid of excess plastic and awkward buttons.  The touch pad is easy to use, is fairly responsive to even a light touch, and adds a nice splash of color to the otherwise monochrome e-ink screen.  The unit itself is light to carry and comfortable for either right-handed of left-handed use (or both!).
 
Connectivity:  We have been making the most of both the 3G and wifi capabilities of our nook.  From downloading novels on the fly to having our daily newspaper delivered each morning, we have had VERY little connectivity issues.  Books download fairly quickly.  Having B&N's extensive catalog at your fingertips is a sweet feature to say the least.  Added to that is the fact the Nook supports EPUB format and the tons of free books that utilize it. Taking your Nook into a B&N store to see the special in-store-only promos is also fun.
 
Functionality:  We enjoy reading on our Nook.  The e-ink is easy on the eyes and the graphics are not too bad.  For more detailed graphic abilities, we'd go to a computer anyway.  We are not too keen on the finger-swipe method for advancing pages as it still seems a bit clunky to us.  Besides, the page buttons are convenient and easy to use.  Why smudge up the screen flipping pages?  Highlighting and bookmarking definitely need to improve.  Thus far, this has been a short-coming for all the eReaders on the market.  B&N has already improved these features since we got our Nook . . . but they have a ways to go before they can replicate what you can do with actual books!  The dictionary function also seemed a bit limited.  However, we have not had much need for it.
 
Support:  Barnes & Noble is still playing catch-up when it comes to filling orders.  This has been their main focus.  We are thus not shy to say that customer service and communication could use some improvement.  Still, in B&N's defense, they are ramping up their game.  We got our Nook right before Christmas.  Since then, there have already been two software updates that have improved the Nook's functionality.  This is what we like to see.  Solid updates and constant innovation.  B&N needs to bring the same customer service for which its stores and online are known to its eReader experience.  We are confident they will. We must also not forgot to mention that loads of cool Nook accessories are already making their way to the market.
 
All in all, our Nook is definitely one of our favorite purchases of 2009.  We have been delighted with it and have no plans to put it up for auction when the new Apple iPad drops this year.  Not that we don't want an iPad . . . but rather because we know a good thing when we've got it.  There is a lot that is good about Barnes & Noble's Nook.

Exciting News from iBraryGuy!!!
 
The iBraryGuy team is pleased to announce the release of iBraryGuy for iPhone!  Our new, FREE app is designed to bring the best of the library and info social web to your iPhone.  With the iBraryGuy App, you can access our content and that of some of the best library and information blogs in the internet from any place you have 3G or WiFi access.
 
The iBraryGuy App is simple, yet powerful.  The initial screen upon opening the app is a live feed of iBraryGuy content, streamed directly from our blog.  With a click of the InfoBlog button, the entire web of library and information blogs is opened.  The InfoBlog section provides a live feed from our Librarians.Collected collaboration at Collected.Info. Librarians.Collected features over 30 (and growing) of the best and most popular blogs by and for librarians and info-pros.  If you know of any blogs that we should add to the list or have one you would like us to remove, please let us know!
 
We'd appreciate any feedback you can offer and hope to have an Android version available later this year.  Oh, and did we mention, iBraryGuy for iPhone is FREE?
 
iBraryGuy for iPhone . . . News for the Info-Minded!

No doubt, many would argue that jury duty is about as popular as a root canal.  Though it is a legal and civic duty, it is not something to which most people look forward.  So then how is it that a website dedicated to solving disputes before online, armchair juries is gaining in popularity?  Perhaps there is something to be said for decided cases in your pajamas.  Whatever the reason, at InstantJury, court is always in session!

The concept behind InstantJury is a novel one.  Whether it's an argument over where to go for dinner or whose fault an accident was, parties can plead their cases online and get a quick result.  The judges and juries come from an eager pool of at-home participants.  Unlike actual courts, there is no fee to file your case with InstantJury.  Signing up to be a judge or sit on a jury is also free.  However, also unlike real courts, the decisions of the judges and juries are not legally binding.  No, this site is all about vindication . . . winning one in the "court of public opinion".  Dare we say that it is actually kind of fun?  We know, also unlike actual courts!

InstantJury has been earning its share of press lately and has even begun expanding internationally.  Who would have thought justice would become so popular!  Then again, courtroom drama has been a staple in entertainment for ages now.  With InstantJury, it makes a grand leap onto the web.  To that, we gladly raise our gavels!