Top 10 Google Products

Can you name Google’s top ten products? If you look at how Quantcast ranks Google’s subdomains, you can get a sense of which Google products are the most popular. Here they are: 

1. Google Search
2. Google Image Search
3. Google Maps
4. Gmail
5. Google News Search
6. Google Video Search
7. Google Product Search
8. Google Book Search
9. Picasa
10. Google Earth

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Literary Hoaxes, Now and Then

Now that Holocaust survivor Herman Rosenblat has admitted that his “memoir” Angel at the Fence  is a fabrication and Berkley has canceled its publication, (do you think he will be summoned back by Oprah–taken in again–for a dressing down?) let’s take a walk down memory lane…

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How many of these do YOU remember? Should books such as these be removed from the library shelf? Should we put disclaimers in books proven to be hoaxes??

Museum Passes Now Available

You probably noticed a new link on the homepage for MUSEUM PASSES.  Patrons can click the link and reserve free passes (on a specific date of their choosing) to any of 10 different Long Island and NYC Museums.  Some passes are good for 4 or more people and are generally due back the day after they are used (if the library is open).  A $40 charge will be assessed if the pass is returned late.  Any questions can be directed to Community Services.         More info

Honk if You Love Grammar Girl

The homepage of this site has a bunch of “Quick and Dirty Podcasts” that help you in all aspects of life including manners, nutrition,  being a mother, legal issues, finance, getting things done and more…but what I like best is Grammar Girl.  Each week she spends 5 minutes clearing up a challenging grammatical issue.  Important stuff,  like when to use  ”affect vs. effect” or ”which vs. that”.  You can listen to the podcast, download the mp3 or read the full text transcription for each episode.

Archive  for Grammar Girl

Top Tech Breakthroughs of 2008

“R&D labs were busy laying the foundations of some amazing future technologies in 2008. They produced concepts such as silicon chips you can swallow for personalized medicine from the inside out and a fourth fundamental element in electronic circuitry. ”

Wired Magazine’s  Top 10 Breakthroughs

Manhattan in Picture

“A selection of brilliant photography that captures the life of Manhattan in all its details and variety!” View Pix

(This saves me a trip on the LIRR – Ed)

Penguins gather in Antarctica

You think you have it bad?

Huddling together in subzero temperatures, these playful emperor penguin chicks face a fight for survival in their Antarctic home with temperatures plunging to -76F (-60C) and winds over 100mph.   Story

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanuka, Happy Kwanza, Happy Holidays

Cell Phone Study and Brain Tumors

“…people who use cellphones regularly are 50 percent more likely than non-users to develop brain tumors…analysis from the U.K., Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland reported a 40 percent increase in tumor risk in people who use cellphones for more than a decade; the study found no discernable risk for people who have used cellphones for fewer than 10 years.”   Story

These statistics can be misleading unless we know the real amounts of people getting tumors.  A 50% increase means 3 people getting tumors from a population instead of just 2.  But is it 3 people vs. 2 people  from a population of only 10  or from  a population of a millions?  That makes all the difference, obviously.  -Ed

If you’re still using your phone – here’s some good news:  Dial 1-800-GOOG-411.  It works from any phone and you get free 411 information and the actual call to any business is also free.  Story

VHS – R.I.P.

The VHS format has finally died. Even though most of us probably thought it was already long gone, its death certificate was signed when Distribution Video Audio of Palm Harbor, Florida–the last major supplier of VHS tapes–shipped the last of its saleable stock.

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