Best Bytes: Keeping Up With Technology
Posted on August 1, 2011 by Amy Chatfield | 1 Comment
Submitted by Janet Crum, Director of Library Services, City of Hope
We all know we need to keep up with changing technology, but that’s easier said than done. Back in March (when I thought this column would be due in April), I asked my colleagues on the MLGSCA email list to share the sites they find most useful for keeping up with technology. Now, better late than never, I share their recommendations, along with my own. In that spirit of sharing, I hope you’ll add your recommendations in the comments. How do you keep up?
Please note that most of these sites offer a variety of ways to get their content: web site, RSS feed, Facebook page, Twitter feed, and email newsletters. I use different means for different sites, depending on whether I want to be sure to read everything or have the occasional bit of tech news sprinkled in with my social media updates.
General Technology
CNet: Recommended by Rikke Ogawa for technology reviews, CNet includes news and how-to articles as well as reviews of a variety of technology products, including car tech, cell phones desktop and laptop computers, digital cameras, home audio, and TVs. You can browse by category and compare products and prices side-by-side. It’s one of the first sites I visit when trying to decide which make and model of gadget I want to waste money on buy.
Fast Company: Recommended by Melissa Just and seconded by yours truly. Fast Company focuses on innovative technology, design, leadership, and “ethonomics” (ethical economics). I often learn of new sites and products from their email newsletter, but you can also connect with them via Facebook, Twitter, or even a subscription to their print magazine (how retro).
Hacker News: Recommended by Rikke Ogawa for tech news. This no-frills site aggregates tech news stories submitted by users. It seems useful for scanning the latest news on a variety of tech topics.
Lifehacker: Recommended by Melissa Just—and me too. I love Lifehacker, especially for the wonderful range of topics covered. There’s lots of tech information, but they cover all sorts of other topics too. For example, on the morning I wrote the first draft of this column, the top-level page featured articles on grilling steaks (made me hungry), Mac OS X Lion and Snow Leopard (I wonder how long it will take Apple to run out of cats), using Google + Hangouts to set up a surveillance system (yes, really), cleaning electronics with disposable chopsticks (I didn’t know MacGyver did housework), and quite a bit more.
Mashable: Recommended by DeDe Leshy, Mashable focuses on social media and the web, though they often cover other topics as well. I find Mashable to be a great source of information on new social media sites and innovative uses of social media tools, as well as general information about the technology sector. My favorite Mashable headline so far: “Bill Gates to Reinvent the Toilet.” I will refrain from plumbing (har har) the comedic depths of that one.
Smart Planet: Laura Brown likes this site for green tech news and recommends their email newsletter. I’m intrigued by the variety of information on this site. A sampling: an HIV drug made in genetically modified tobacco plants, a space-based warning system for tsunamis, and genetically-modified mice with super endurance (I could use that modification!). Smart Planet can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and they have an RSS feed.
ZDNet is recommended by Rikke Ogawa. ZDNet, a subsidiary of CBS and publisher of several tech magazines, features the latest information and product reviews for tech companies, hardware, software, mobile tech, security, and more. It offers a variety of RSS feeds, email newsletters, apps, and social media presences to help you drink from the tech information fire hose.
Education
7 Things You Should Know About…: Nancy Crossman recommends this EDUCAUSE site for quick explanations of new technology. Each entry includes a brief description with a link to a 2-page PDF listing (surprise) 7 things you should know about an emerging technology, along with a scenario illustrating how it can be used in education. Entries are posted monthly.
Profhacker is a tech blog from the Chronicle of Higher Education that I read regularly. The ProfHacker bloggers cover a variety of tech topics of interest to instructors in higher education; common themes include personal productivity tools and techniques, managing information, writing, mobile tech, and various clever uses of gadgets. They’re all about helping educators get more done in less time with less pain.
Medical Technology
DeDe Leshy recommends two sites for keeping up with technology in medicine:
iMedicalApps describes itself as “an independent online medical publication written by a team of physicians and medical students who provide commentary and reviews of mobile medical technology and applications.” The site seems to average at least one post per day, and you can browse posts by device type.
It Ain’t Rocket Surgery is a blog by Steve Welch, Senior Vice President of Communications at the American College of Chest Physicians and Executive Editor of CHEST. He describes the blog as “intended to help busy health-care professionals find useful online and mobile resources that will enhance their self-education and professional research efforts, or point out important topics of discussion related to online information and content.” Recent posts cover social media, iPhone and iPad, and more. The only downside is that there seem to be very few recent posts, with one post every month or two since the first of the year.
And finally…
Don’t overlook your social network as a source of tech information. I regularly learn about new sites and tools from my friends and colleagues via their posts on Facebook or Twitter.
So, what did I miss? Please add your comments, sharing your favorite sites, tips, and tricks for keeping up with the deluge of information about technology. And many, many thanks to the people noted above who shared their recommendations with me. Thanks for doing a lazy writer’s work for her sharing your knowledge to make this column better. I really appreciate it.
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August 1st, 2011 @ 2:56 pm
Like this post Janet! Thanks for the short format for those of us who – are too-lazy to read in-depth reviews/need a quick summary before our mind wanders. Top tips therein…