23 Mobile Things by AP Staff

I watched both videos for the iPad and the iPhone. A tip I learned is how to close an app. Before, I would just tap on the home button and assume that would close the app. Now that I know how to, I just double tap on the home button and it brings up the multitask display, then with my finger slide up the apps I want to close.

Another very useful tip I found on the iPad and iPhone is that it can read to me out loud.This feature is very useful for me when I want to know the correct pronunciation of a word or just want to sit back and have my iPhone read to me. All I have to do is highlight the text and tap Speak. This feature works on text, email or the web. To turn on the Speak Selection go to Settings > General > Accessibility >Speak Selection.

I couldn’t try out most of the apps suggested in this “Thing” simply because I can’t just use our work iPad whenever, wherever I want to.  I suppose I could have done a short trial run of the StandApp, but I’m already up and about for a fair bit of the work day.  Plus, I would likely need to relinquish control of the iPad at some point during the day anyway and the notifications probably wouldn’t be very effective if I’m not around to hear or see them.  The iHome Sleep app is just right out of the question (though if I did own a device myself it sounds like something I could really use).  I did try the RedLaser Barcode and QR Scanner and also scrolled through the App Store Utilities section to see if there were any other apps that might be useful.

RedLaser Barcode and QR Scanner

I liked the RedLaser Barcode and QR Scanner…for a bit.  I had a lot of fun wandering around the library looking for barcodes and QR codes to scan.  I found nearby places where I could buy the hand sanitizer we have in our work room:

and got linked via QR code to a subscription page for one of the magazines we receive: 

  I also had the chance to test out the QR codes on a sign one of my co-workers made that advertises our library’s social media pages (all of them worked wonderfully!)  And then, after a while, the novelty wore off and I didn’t have new things to scan.  I can definitely see how there is potential for QR codes to be a useful way for libraries to connect with their patrons.  However, there would need to be a concerted effort to add more codes to posters, brochures, etc.  At the moment, I didn’t really have that much to scan.  It would be great to have QR codes on events fliers that take the patron straight to the registration page or signs in amongst the books with codes that take patrons to related databases or booklists.  It would be a wonderful way to give somebody an action that they can take right away to interact with the library rather than something they’ll have to remember to do later.

MyScript Calculator — Handwriting Calculator

I’m an embarrassingly non-mathy person.  My good grades in math classes at school were the result of a significant amount of work and practice (and tears).  I stopped taking math as soon as I could and have since discovered that without adequate practice even the simplest of math problems (the ones other people solve in their heads) are often beyond my reach.  That said, I do actually like math, have a healthy appreciation for those who are good at it, and wish I could pump up my math skills again.  In the App Store under the utilities section is an app called MyScript Calculator - Handwriting Calculator.  This thing just amazed me.  You write in a math problem like so: 

and somehow it understands, reformats your question into typed numbers and symbols, and solves it for you like so: 

A “Thing” that I desperately need, considering that I do not have mobile devices of my own!  I’m starting to get more comfortable with mobile devices, at least with the iPad I get to use at work (and occasionally a friend might toss me their smart phone to look up navigation while they drive).  Still, because I don’t have my own device, I feel like I’m really only comfortable with the very basics of how to maneuver my way around mobile devices.  I know how to type, for example, and how to swipe between pages, how to tap on icons to open something up, and the pinch motions used to zoom in or minimize apps on iPads, but not much beyond that.  So, even though the things I learned through the videos and articles might seem simplistic to more experienced mobile device users, I was pleased to take even just a little step up in my skill set.

  So, some of my favorites (on the iPad):

Accessing the control center by scrolling up.  Along with this one, knowing that the control center is where you can lock the orientation of the screen will certainly come in handy.

Swiping in the middle of the iPad to get to a search bar for the whole device.  Really useful for when I can’t remember where to access a particular app.

Docking/undocking and splitting/merging the keyboard.  Not sure if splitting the keyboard will help my clumsy fingers get better at typing on the iPad, but it is nice to have the option.  And being able to undock the keyboard and move it out the way without getting rid of it entirely will be fantastic.

Going into settings to add languages to the keyboard.  I got a little sidetracked after adding the emoji to my keyboard because I had so much fun typing out faces and animals.  I also added a Spanish keyboard.  We sometimes use our work iPad to help patrons pay fines with a credit card through our website (since our cash registers don’t have the ability to accept cards) and it might be more comfortable for our Spanish speaking patrons to have a keyboard tailored for them.

How to press the lock button and home button at the same time to take screenshots like this one:

Finally, after years of seeing other people’s screenshots, I can take some of my own!

Presentations aren't something that I do in my daily work but if I ever needed to I would use Haiku Deck rather than Deck Slideshow. 

Deck Slideshow Presentation wasn't great. Very basic design and not very user friendly.

You only start out with a few free design options and have to pay for all the rest. Although the designs look nice enough there is no customization of them whatsoever.

Haiku Deck was awesome, although I had to do it on either my iPad or the web, you can run a Haiku Deck that is on the web with your phone but you can't actually create one on your phone.

One fun thing you can do is look at Haiku Deck's that other people have created and there are some gorgeous ones out there.

Once you've started making your Haiku Deck and you want to add photos you can use the great stock photos they have available for you or you can get your own photos from a variety of sources.

You can search for any image simply by typing it in the search box. This is also where you can add graphs.

The designs are awesome and very bold.