"Two Peaks software has released the beta version of mobileRSS, a Web-based RSS news aggregator that should work with any connected PDA having a Web browser. I've tested it with my Toshiba e740 using both PIE and Netfront3 and my Treo 300, and it seems to work pretty well. The Treo doesn't seem to work if you check Stay Logged In, but other than that it works quite well. It should be especially useful to the Palm OS world, as I'm not aware of ANY RSS software for this OS. Right now mobileRSS is free, so check it out." [The Connected PDA]

"Intel and some of its partners [are] sponsoring One Unwired Day on September 25th. It will be an opportunity to sample some commercial WiFi hot spots for free." [The Connected PDA]

If your library provides free WiFi for the public, you should contact your local newspaper and ask to be included in the write-up for this event.

Libraries Offer Video Previews

"Visitors to the King County Library System (WA) Web site now can preview videos and reserve a copy on the spot ... without ever visiting a branch. If you haven't been to a library since your subscription to Boy's Life ran out, you may not have noticed they've morphed from storehouses of information into conduits to information, much of it digital." [Lost Remote]

Wow - KCLS continues to lead the way! Here's the blurb from their home page:

"At the Movies: Previews of your favorite films- Now you can view more than 12,000 movie titles from classics to new video and theatre releases. After viewing the preview, if the video or DVD is in the KCLS catalog, you can instantly place a hold on the title."

The first link takes you to a page on VideoDetective.com that *looks* like a KCLS page. From there, you can search or browse for specific titles and watch previews. Each individual item page has a "place a hold on this item" button that links back to the KCLS catalog if the Library owns a copy. Very slick!

Two caveats: the first is that if the Library doesn't own it, there's no button that says "Request a copy via Interlibrary Loan." The second is that the Catalog records don't link directly to the video previews, so it's only one-way for the moment. Maybe these enhancements will be part of phase two.

Either way, nice job, KCLS!

Side note: KCLS is doing lots of other interesting things, too. In addition to the eAudio service I've highlighted in the past, they subscribe to less traditional sources such as Books24x7 and ResumeBuilder for their patrons, and they're using WorldLingo to translate their site into multiple languages. Smokin'!

Here's the write-up they got in Seattle Weekly: Neo Libraries. Shift, baby, shift!

If I'm not in a meeting at work, I'm probably at my computer, so I'm getting a lot of mileage out of Rhapsody. Nine-year old Kailee knows that she's not allowed to fire up the service at home if I'm at work.

I was sitting at my PC in my office this morning listening to music, when it suddenly stopped and an error message popped up. I was told that my account was logged on elsewhere, so I was being disconnected. I immediately called home, and Sheree answered the phone. I told her that Kailee needed to log off Rhapsody and Sheree started laughing.

She said, "Kailee told me that opening it would probably kick you off, so she didn't think she should. I told her to go ahead, that it would be fine.... I'll go tell her to log off."

Of course, I didn't wait. I just kicked Kailee off myself by logging back in.  :-P

I wonder if they're planning a multi-user, family subscription....