#i know youre so so excited about tech and 3d printers | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

riversofmars · 4 years ago

Note

Could you do a story where Thirteen bumps into the tenth doctor and Donna and thirteen pretends that she's not the doctor but then post-library river comes along and causes mischief please? Also I REALLY love your fics, especially The Oncoming Storm! Yours were the first fanfics I read and they're one of the few I like (I'm picky) so thanks for doing such brilliant stories!

Aww thank you so much, that’s very kind of you to say!! Sorry this took a little while longer, hope the wait was worth it! Turned out a bit longer than expected. Hope it sort of fits the brief lol! Really hope you like it!

Rating: G

Ship: Ten/River, Thirteen/River

Word count: 2400

Read on AO3 or below

River Song Has Been Saved

“Hang on a minute, Doctor.“ Donna walked back over to the TARDIS doors after the Doctor had closed them with a snap of his fingers. She thought she’d seen something, just as the doors had closed.

“What’s wrong?“ The Doctor frowned and followed her, both sticking their heads out.

“Oi, lady!“ Donna called stopping a young woman that had just strolled past the TARDIS and was heading back deeper into the Library. Everyone was supposed to be evacuated by now.

“Sorry?“ The woman looked around, blonde hair framing soft features and big eyes. She looked to them as if she hadn’t expected them to be there.

“You can’t go in there.“ The Doctor gestured to the door that lead further into the Library as they stepped out of the TARDIS again. Only a moment longer and they would have taken off and missed her sneaking in here.

“Ahh… so close. Just a bit too early, wasn’t I, hate it when I do that…“ The blonde said to herself more than anything else.

“Did you just come here? The planet has been sealed off for a hundred years, how did you…“ The Doctor frowned, confused as to how she’d got in.

“Yeah, been meaning to check it out.“ The woman grinned. “The hair is magnificent, isn’t it.“ She eyed the Doctor up who looked back at her utterly bewildered. There was something familiar about her.

“Do I know you?“ He asked.

“No absolutely not, never mind me, I’m sure you got important things to do, so.“ She gave a little wave, intend on heading off.

“You can’t go in there, we’re evacuating the planet.“ Donna backed up the Doctor.

“I know, you have a nice day now.“ The woman grinned.

“Sorry, I can’t let you do that.“ The Doctor was quick to overtake her and step in her way. “This place is gonna get swallowed up by flesh eating darkness soon, you might want to head out not in?“

“I got to check something out of the library, I’ll only be a minute.“ She waved off his warning and tried to push past him. “And like you say, the window of opportunity is closing, so, you should probably leave this place yourselves…“

“And you can’t find your book any other place?“ Donna asked dumbfounded.

“One of a kind, sorry, got to run.“ The blonde replied with a grin pushing past him.

“Alright, have a nice day as well.“ The Doctor let her pass.

“Thanks!“ She grinned and sprinted off.

“Doctor, you're not just gonna let her go, are you?“ Donna asked thoroughly confused watching her leave.

“Not a chance. Just giving her a head start.“ The Doctor winked and they headed after her, careful not to be spotted. They took cover behind some tables in the main area as the blonde headed straight for a computer terminal.

“That was close, stupid box, always with the timing…“ She was mumbling to herself. “Couldn’t have hung on two minutes…“ Without further ado, she started pulling some sort of electrical equipment from the pockets of her impressive coat. There were a lot of parts to it and Donna couldn’t believe it all somehow fit into her pockets. They watched her as she hooked up the equipment to the computer.

“What is she doing?“ Donna whispered to the Doctor who shrugged.

“I’m more concerned with who she is… whatever she is doing, that’s complicated tech…“ He mused, watching in fascination as she continued her work.

“Ouch… alright then.“ The blonde pulled her hands away as she seemed to have gotten an electric shock. She stood and engaged the computer terminal. “CAL, hi, sorry, I know, bit confusing, different face.“ She started talking to the computer and the Doctor and Donna exchanged concerned looks. How did she know about CAL? What she was saying was making very little sense to them without the second half of the conversation. They couldn’t make out what CAL responded. “Just popping in to get what’s mine, alright? Don’t freak out, it’s really me. Can you put her on?“ There was a moment of silence. Neither Donna nor the Doctor said anything but there were only very few people she should be looking to talk to on that computer. This was about to get even more investing than the whole experience had been already. “Hello Sweetie. Surprise! This is gonna be great, you’re gonna love this, had Dorium track it down for me, took a while but here we are.“ The woman sounded thoroughly excited. “Get you coat, honey, let’s see if it works.“ She took a step backwards and pulled something from her coat pocket, pointing it at the computer. Sparks flew and the mechanism engaged.

“Can’t have come cheap, that.“

“Dorium Maldovar is known drive a hard bargain, she must be a hacker or criminal of some kind to have those kinds of ties.“ The Doctor mused, trying to make sense of what they were picking up.

“Perhaps Dorium just owes her a favour…“

“Dorium doesn’t do favours.“ He huffed. It was a ridiculous notion.

“He will.“

“Doctor.“ Donna touched her hand to his arm.

“Shush, Donna, I don’t want to lose the element of surprise.“ He kept his eyes firmly on the woman in the middle of the room who was looking around now, apparently waiting to see if whatever she had tried to do had worked.

“Doctor.“ Donna repeated.

“How much longer until he notices, you think?“

“Doctor?!“ Donna grabbed the Doctor by the shoulder and pulled him around.

“Donna, what?!“ He growled but stopped dead in his tacks when he found River Song standing behind them. He had been having a conversation with her without even realising it. She was dressed in a white flowing dress, a stark contrast to the environmental suit he’d only seen her in, and a grinned spread across her beautiful features.

“Hello, Sweetie.“ She chuckled.

“Oh my God, River, what, how…“ The Doctor couldn’t find words.

“Well, Sweetie, what do you think?“ River grinned at the Doctor.

“Of what?“ He was still in shock. He had watched her die only hours ago, he had managed to somehow, miraculously save her consciousness and now suddenly she was here again? “How did you get out of the computer? What did she do?“

“Some sort of teleport I believe, but like a really clever 3D printer, materialise the body, download the consciousness, boom, brand new wife.“ River explained, enjoying the dumbfound expression on both their faces.

“River!!“ The blonde had finally spotted her and River waved to her.

“Speaking of wife…“ River smirked and the Doctor exclaimed:

“Wife?! I thought you and me, we…“ He looked around to the woman heading straight for them, feeling a wave of jealousy. He knew he’d technically only met River today but he knew how important she would become to him.

“We are.“ River chuckled giving his an amused smirk: “But you know, you can’t talk, all I’m gonna say is: Elizabeth I… so…“ She couldn’t carry on as the blonde rushed around the counter and threw herself at River who pulled her close and twirled her around.

“River.“ The mystery woman took her face in her hands, tears welling up in her eyes, clearly overcome with emotion.

“Hello, Sweetie.“ River smiled the softest of smiles and leaned in to kiss her.

“Sooo… how do you feel about this?“ Donna looked to the Doctor, feeling like they were intruding on a private moment. “You think we should go, or…“ She could tell from the annoyed expression on the Doctor’s face, however, that he had no intention of just leaving it be. He pulled himself up to full height and cleared his throat.

“Okay, so thank you for saving my future…“

“Wife.“ River helpfully supplied the word as they stopped kissing and just held each other close.

“Whatever she is. But who are you?“ He jabbed his finger at the blonde.

“You haven’t figured it out yet?“ The woman let go of River, seemingly reluctantly, and turned to face him. She kept her hand intertwined with River’s.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy River isn’t dead but my future self spent a lot of time thinking about how to save her and then you just waltz in here having to do one better?“ The Doctor crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Well, sadly, you’ll not remember that I came here.“ The woman replied.

“What?“ Donna was utterly confused now.

“Why not?“ The Doctor demanded to know, unsure whether or not that was supposed to be a threat.

“God, you’re slow. Did I give you a concussion when I knocked you out?“ River raised her eyebrows playfully.

“Maybe it’s cause of the hair spray…“ The blonde mused.

“I don’t use…“ The Doctor was going to protest but River had already changed directions:

“Don’t tell me you’re not using hairspray now.“ She ran her hand through the other woman’s blonde bob.

“Naturally falls like that, thank you very much.“ She huffed in response. “Regeneration is a lottery as you should know by now.“

“Are you a timelord?!“ The Doctor exclaimed, not sure how to interpret the statement.

“Yes.“ The blonde replied in amusement.

“But I thought I was the last…“ The Doctor stared back at her in shock.

“Yes, which makes me…“

“You can’t be.“ He shook his head.

“Yes I am the…“ The blonde started but the didn’t allow her to finish.

“You can’t be the Master, he…“

“So close.“ The mystery woman sighed hanging her head theatrically.

“It’s like watching one of those dumb and dumber movies, isn’t it.“ River chuckled to Donna who had long given up trying to follow.

“Hang on!“ The Doctor exclaimed as the penny dropped.

“Yes, crossing time streams, you won’t remember this because you are crossing your own time stream right now! I am you.“ The blonde Doctor sighed, she couldn’t believe she had to spell it out for him like that.

“Pretty boy and pretty girl.“ Donna found herself chuckling almost involuntarily.

“Aren’t they?“ River agreed with a smirk. “The mind races.“

“River. Shut up!“ The Doctor chanted in unison.

“But you’re short!“ The younger Doctor groaned in annoyance as he looked her up and down.

“I am actually rather average height, as it happens! Why does everyone call me small?!“ The older Doctor huffed. “Did I really use to be so obsessed with my height?!“

“Size isn’t everything, darling.“ River pipped up.

“Still not ginger then.“ The younger Doctor carried on.

“None of the next four, no.“ She replied with a shrug.

“Four more regenerations and only now did you work out how to save her?“ He exclaimed looking to River.

“I actually gave her the screwdriver last time we met, thank you very much. One step at a time.“ The older Doctor huffed and turned to her wife: “I booked that suite on Darillium again, by the way, for a few nights, just, you know, if you haven’t got any other plans.“

“Well, this is going to be a whole new experience.“ River smirked looking her up and down. This was the first she was seeing of her spouse’s most recent regeneration and she was beyond intrigued.

“Like it?“ The blonde Doctor asked with a little smirk and River grinned:

“Love it.“

“I don’t like her. Do you like her?“ The younger Doctor turned to Donna, just as his future self pulled their wife in for another kiss.

“Are you jealous of yourself?“ Donna teased and he gave her a playful shove.

“So you’re really him? Just older?“ Donna turned to the future Doctor, still struggling to believe that they were the same person. She knew what regeneration meant but it wasn’t like she’d ever seen the result of one.

“Different face, same dumbass.“ The Doctor retorted with a grin.

“Well done for saving her, Doctor.“ Donna smiled as they looked to River who said her goodbyes to the younger Doctor at present. “She really needed you, this version of you.“ Donna thought back to how devastated River had been at the total lack of recognition on the Doctor’s part. She had missed her Doctor so very much.

“I know. I remember.“ The Doctor gave a sad sort of smile as she thought back to when she had first met River, remembering the pain and sorrow in her eyes. “Donna, I can’t know, you know. You can’t tell me, else I might not get here, details my change and a paradox will be created if I know River lived.“ The Doctor turned to her to explain and Donna nodded slowly, they had mentioned it on the way back to the TARDIS already. This Doctor’s TARDIS was parked right behind their’s where they hadn’t been able to spot it as they got out. “Just be there for him. He’s already struggling, even if he doesn’t show it, even if he doesn’t know her yet, he still knows what and who he’s lost.“ The Doctor tried her best to explain to her what was going on in her younger self’s head.

“How long as it been for you? Since she died. How long have had to carry that with you?“ Donna asked taking her hand comfortingly.

“Some questions are better left unanswered.“ The Doctor shook her head and smiled. “It was good to see you, Donna.“ She pulled her into a hug.

“It was good to meet you, this version of you.“ Donna smiled and let her go, just as River and the other Doctor joined them.

“Well done, Doctor.“ The younger Doctor smiled and extended his hand to her.

“You too, Doctor.“ The blonde smile in return and shook his hand.

“You sure you don’t want to come in for a cup of tea, or…“ River suggested pointing to the TARDIS:

“Down, girl.“ The older Doctor smirked and took her hand in hers.

“You’ll be seeing me again soon, Doctor.“ River smiled at the younger Doctor who grinned:

“I look forward to it.“

“No telling.“ The older Doctor reminded Donna who nodded and smiled:

“My lips are sealed.“

“Now about that suite.“ River smirked at her wife as they turned to their TARDIS.

“Think the TARDIS bedroom will do for now, don’t you?“ The Doctor chuckled as she unlocked the door.

“Bedroom, kitchen, console room, wardrobe hall…“ River smirked and pulled her inside.

“Good for you, Doctor, so you’re not an eternal virgin then.“ Donna teased pulling her Doctor along to their TARDIS before he could get any more jealous.

#Doctor who #River song #river song x thirteen #fanfiction #thirteenth doctor #river x thirteen #space wives #thirteen #river x the doctor #femslash #Ten #tenth doctor #Donna nobel #River x ten #Prompt #Fluff #Library fix it #Fix it #Humour

57 notes · View notes

gen-is-gone · 5 years ago

Text

Ok folks, you know what, I’m tired and sick and sad today and the world is fucked up and humans are consistently awful to each other and I don’t really think I can deal with that rn so I’m (finally) gonna talk about my huge, over-complicated Star Trek library AU that I love very dearly and y’all are just gonna have to deal. This somehow also ended up long as balls, wtf.

[I’ve left out a bunch of stuff and it’s a little incoherent and I haven’t done anything with Disco-trek bc I haven’t seen it yet. It’s one in the morning. Time to post and go to bed.]

SO:

It’s not a city system bc ye gods that would fuckin enormous even by the standards of like, New York. It’s maybe?? a state system? or province? sort of?? And there are a fuck load of different branches in different towns with very different patron demographics and staff.

The James T. Kirk Enterprise Memorial Central Library (It’s nicknamed ‘The Original Sector’ and everyone just calls it Enterprise anyway) is the largest location and also the (obvs) central branch, which houses admin and holds processing and ILL and all sorts of everything. It’s a memorial library built on the same foundation as the original (sort of, I’ll get to that in a sec) Enterprise Central Library. That building burned to the ground, and had to be rebuilt, and when it was, it was given a huge overhaul, expanded to more than twice its initial size, and crammed full of exciting new tech and large windows and low shelves and Optimized Seating Arrangements. (Yes, there is a 3D printer). Area manager Jean Luc Picard is in charge of not only this building, but the other feeder branches in the city, and coordinates with the area managers in the other cities in the system, as well as admin. Basically, he handles a lot, ok?

...But on the flip side, he also manages the library in probably the wealthiest, most gentrified part of the system. He gets to deal with politicians coming by for photo ops, and old white ladies complaining about how their Kindles aren’t working, and unsupervised toddlers trashing the maker space.

T’was not always the case, however. The man after whom the library is named, one James Tiberius Kirk, was a master innovator and cultural shifter, who radically changed the very principles of modern librarianship. Kirk was a legend in sixties library circles. He was famous for his skills as a listener and deescalator (though he was also known to have on multiple occasions broken up fights by, literally, leaping into the middle of them). The original Enterprise library was desegregated and accepted PoC and women applicants for all positions, including administrative. There were certainly controversies and it had its shared of stumbles, but the Enterprise library that founded the system is still fondly remembered by older patrons and its ethos drives the best librarians to do better.

(The original original Enterprise Library is located somewhere else entirely. It’s over one hundred years old and tiny and only used as a historic site/museum/reference branch these days.)

The Voyager Library (It’s a not a memorial library yet) is a brand spanking new, technologically innovative, gloriously modern branch in the middle of rural nowhere in a teeny tiny town. This is one of those unfortunate cases of people with genuinely good intentions fucking up in part because they aren’t aware of the community’s needs and don’t realize, for instance, that what this branch might need is a robustly digitally literate and ideally multi-lingual and culturally sensitive staff capable of helping folks learn how to make and submit resumes online and not say, a 3D printer. Like, it’s not that you shouldn’t have a 3D printer? But maybe that shouldn’t be your first priority. And then also since it really is located out in the boonies, like we’re talking the back of beyond, the ass-end of nowhere, nothing but grazing ungulates and staple crops for miles, admin used this as an opportunity to shunt some disgruntled malcontents who for one reason or another can’t be fired, out where no one else has to deal with them. So the rising stars who got transferred to get the branch competently on its feet are none too pleased to be forced to put their careers on hold rubbing shoulders with the likes of say, Tom “bratty daddy-issues” Paris.

Luckily, they eventually end up with a wonderful children’s librarian in Anika Hansen, though she only ever goes by her strange nickname, Seven of Nine. (She was raised in cult. She’s working through a lot.)

Harry Kim is a page who through all manner of ridiculous circumstances has done pretty much every job in the branch up to and including running it, by himself with a skeleton crew, on more than one occasion. His official job is still book shelving. He’s a temp. He doesn’t have health insurance. Janaway keeps emailing admin going “Ok we’ve had two staff members quit unexpectedly and another one fucking died of a rare disease, can we maybe make Harry a circ clerk at least?” and keeps getting “no, sorry we just don’t have space in the budget for a new hire right now :) :)” in reply.

And then, getting to my favorite part of the AU and what started me off on the whole thing, there’s DS9. DS9 is the janky downtown library with the weird smells and the hideous brutalist architecture and the homeless patrons and the terrible boiler system that means it’s always either freezing or baking and nothing in between. It most definitely does not have a 3D printer. DS9 is my library.

Ben Sisko was a children’s librarian who lost his wife suddenly and unexpectedly, (not in a warzone because this isn’t that kind of AU but it was sudden and violent, I just don’t know how yet) and afterward, just lost all interest in continuing in his job. He was sort of numb, going through the motions and waiting ‘til retirement (or, let’s be honest, until someone fired him. He didn’t really care which at that point, other than if he were fired, it would affect Jake). Due to a long and complicated series of events whereupon admin discovered the previous staff running the library were horrifyingly corrupt and in some cases actively criminal, a round of mass firings happened that left the library almost completely unstaffed. Ben was offered the promotion to area manager, and basically told that if he didn’t accept, he’d be forced into early retirement. Remember, this is what he wanted. But a (somewhat hostile) talk with Picard and a (rather less hostile) talk with his Rabbi convinced him to keep the position, against his better judgement. So he moved himself and his son to be closer to the branch, and set up.

Kira is the newly-promoted adult services librarian, and one of very few people to maintain a job after the mass severance. She despised her previous area manager with a passion, and initially doesn’t trust Ben, not the least of which because she’d applied for area manager and didn’t get it. (She was told she lacked politesse and tact. She told the interviewer where to shove his tact). She was responsible in part as a whistle blower who brought up Dukat’s corruption, sexual harassment, and illegal side hustles to first admin, and then the cops, and finally, the media. Depending on who you ask, Kira Nerys is a backstabbing snitch with no loyalty, or the best staff member in the whole system.

Speaking of Dukat, he maintained throughout the entire investigation that he was an innocent victim being targeted by Kira for ___ made up reason. He later embroiled himself in multiple sex scandals, fessed up to (at least one) love child, got hired by Dominion System Services, then ran for mayor. It was a whole thing. Kind of a shit show.

Miles is the maintenance supervisor, and spends all his time horrified that the building is basically crumbling around him. He’s found live rodents living in the vents! No one should work in this building, it’s a toxic waste dump! FFS!

Worf drives the bookvan. He named it Defiant. He chugs it around the city blaring Russian opera with the windows down. Senior citizens love him. No one is quite sure why or how.

Jadzia Dax is a youth STEM coordinator with waaay too many siblings. The Daxes and the Siskos have been friends for decades.

Ben: hey so Enterprise has a trained, on-sight specialist in trauma-informed care, do you think we, a library serving a number of significantly disadvantaged groups who often deal with heavy trauma, could maybe hire someone like Counselor Troi?

Admin: That’s an excellent idea! But fully-trained therapists are expensive. Jadzia, you have a sister who’s a psych major, right?

Jadzia: yes but she’s not certified, and she’s a clerk.

Admin: great, she already knows how to use the library! we’ll transfer her immediately!

Jadzia: no that’s not what I meant

Admin: oh by the way, we’re also transferring Jadzia, no take-backsies

Ben, Jadzia, and Ezri: noooo...

Admin: :) :) :)

Julian is a circulation clerk trying to hold down a job while in med school. His second week on the job, he attracted the attention of That One Regular, an otherwise avuncular gentleman who hangs around all the time reading the paper, who might bend your ear for hours about politics or art, or might ignore everyone and make a beeline for the best seating in the back, depending on the day. Julian seemed oblivious to his obvious flirting at first, and one day Kira takes him aside in the back and asks if Garak is making him uncomfortable, and if he is, Julian doesn’t have to interact with him at all, and we can ban him if he starts causing trouble okay? Just let me know. And Julian kind of laughs, because he’s an idiot and he’s excited and flattered that this charming worldly gentleman seems interested in him. Kira just sort of stares, dumbfounded. (NOTE: Do NOT do this. This is a fanfic trope. Never assume that anyone in a customer service role is personally interested in you when they have to be nice to you because it’s their job.)

Meanwhile, everyone kind of thought that maybe Garak was homeless? His clothes are impeccable but all pretty old, he spends all his time in here, no one who’s talked to him can agree what his story is, but apparently he does have a place to go at night. He has an alterations shop just up the street, but since he’s the owner and sole employee, he just leaves it closed half the time because there’s nothing to do. He has some beef with the old staff who got fired but no one knows what it is?

Quark runs the skeazy bar next door, and is directly responsible for about 40% of their drunk patrons. His nephew Nog was just starting, and just about to drop out of, high school when Ben and Jake first arrived. Nog used to cause a lot of trouble for the library, vandalizing furniture, stealing all the (free!!) stuff he could fit in a backpack, generally behaving in a most unruly manner. By the time Ben retires, Nog has not only stopped being a poster child for the school to prison pipeline, he’s just completed his bachelor’s and is about to head off to library school for his MLIS.

Odo is city security and senior officer on the library crew. He doesn’t believe in deescalation training. He’s incredibly torn between wanting to be a real cop, and knowing just how corrupt they are, being best friends (and secretly in love with) with Kira.

Look, the Dominion is Library System Services crossed with Amazon ok? It’s some shady shit. A private, for-profit run library system that cuts services to the bone while promising municipalities that at least the library will stay open on the one hand, and a big box brick and mortar for an online retail monolith actively crushing libraries (and writing Forbes articles about how libraries should just be replaced with Amazon stores) on the other. They’re flat out evil. They’re gloating corporate criminals. They plant corporate spies in systems everywhere, looking for weaknesses to exploit and local government contracts to gobble up, all while paying their store-front employees garbage wages and forcing them to work in inhumane conditions. They make you pay to use the 3D printer. Eventually, Our Heroes manage to expose the Dominion’s tactics and destroy its public reputation, and the company (or at least, the for-profit library wing) shutters before they can force DS9 under their contract.

And like? This isn’t something I’d ever actually write per say, because it doesn’t really have a plot so much as contemporary everyone’s human AU takes on the canon stuff. But it just makes me so happy. Just imagine Ben Sisko in a librarian cardigan and Benny Russell’s reading glasses, performing story times for kids at ten in the morning and talking down belligerent drunks at eight at night. An amazing library staff transforms DS9 from a dead space run by a creep, that made people feel unsafe, to a hub of community and learning.

Star Trek encompasses the original sense of the liberal ideal, of acceptance of diversity and difference, and a love of both science and stories. Libraries offer resources for free to anyone and everyone who needs them. Libraries promise to safeguard and make accessible all kinds of knowledge and truths in the face of ignorance and lies, and try and try to live up to that promise. Trek and libraries also are by no means immune to recreating the injustices they both try to fight, but both the franchise and the institution keep soldiering on, trying, always trying, to be better.

#star trek #star trek DS9 #Star Trek TNG #deep space nine #star trek voyager #adventures in L Space #megan whines into the empty abyss of cyberspace

3 notes · View notes

rousingloki · 6 years ago

Text

Thoughts: Nintendo VR

Oh Nintendo, you really have outdone yourselves.

So on my last “Thoughts” topic, I explored what Nintendo has done to keep its identity of Nintendo, and how Nintendo has managed to keep it’s core philosophy alive, and to pass on the dream of Mr. Iwata in keeping games affordable, accessible, and most importantly, fun. I mentioned that I noticed all this with Nintendo Labo, and the upcoming VR kit, and it’s that VR kit that I’d like to talk to you all about.

(Note, if you want to start a discussion about this, I more than welcome it, because discussions about this sort of topic are always great to listen to. I think it’s very important to hear other perspectives, and what other people have to say. With that in mind, however; please try not to start a flame war, or attacking other people’s opinions, I did say discuss, not argue. Thanks)

So before I get into the Labo, let’s look back on a little history. Nintendo has been involved with VR, or the realm of 3D gameplay multiple times. It started back with the Famicom, with a device called: Famicom 3D System. (If you don’t care for the history portion just skip ahead 5 paragraphs)

This pair of goggles basically allowed you to have the game right in front of your face, not really making it Virtual Reality, but it was a start I suppose. To compare it to anything, would be Sega’s Segascope 3D glasses. The system was a colossal failure, and only compatible with about 7 games. It would be about 8 years before Nintendo threw their hat into the ring with another Virtual Reality project.

Skip ahead to 1995. Nintendo was dominating the 16-bit market, with their Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Or Super Famicom if you’re from Japan), and they had complete control of the handheld market with the Gameboy. Nintendo wanted an edge though, to fill a gap before the release of the Nintendo 64. Thus was born, the Virtual Boy. (Then known as VR32)

The Virtual Boy was sold as a Virtual Reality console, and it also was deemed part of Nintendo’s “Portable” line of gaming. Most use that term very loosely though because even I, someone who had a Virtual Boy as a kid, could not see this thing as anything being even close to portable. The Virtual Boy also did not boast real Virtual Reality, what it did have, was 3D screening. Using Stereoscope technology, it tricked your eyes into thinking you were seeing true 3D, which worked, but it didn’t have anything like head tracking, and the constant red and black colors, mixed with having your eyes so close to the poor screen meant eye strain, and headaches.

In the end, the Virtual Boy was a catastrophic failure from the start. It was discontinued less than a year after it was released, with only 22 games ever made for it. The Virtual Boy does have a legacy however; and that legacy was picked up in 2011, by the Nintendo 3DS.

The Nintendo 3DS was everything the Virtual Boy wasn’t: Fun. Not only did games happen for console, but it met the many goals that the Virtual Boy didn’t meet: It was portable, had better 3D, was a social console, and had an excellent line of video games made for it. The 3DS still continues today, and even though it’s hard to say if it’s gonna stick around much longer due to the domination of the Switch, the 3DS is an excellent handheld, and loved by many. Although the one thing it didn’t fulfill, was a VR type experience, which brings us to today...

The Nintendo Labo VR Kit.

Being the first “VR” style platform Nintendo has attempted in 24 years, Nintendo is bringing VR to it’s beloved platform: The Nintendo Switch.

Where to begin with this... I guess I’ll just give my first impressions based on all the pics and videos I’ve seen so far. (Here’s a link to the video Nintendo posted on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOjcbdAU5Gw&t=2s)

So from just the announcement, before a video was even in place, I was immediately excited. I’ve bought every single Labo kit before this, and each one has not disappointed. As someone who’s involved very deeply with STEM, this type of kit is perfect for those looking to get interested in that sort of field, while also having fun, and learning at the same time. I don’t look at the VR as a plaything in the traditional sense, while I do want to have some fun with it, and see what direction Nintendo is taking with it, I’m mostly interested in how everything works, and why everything works about it.

(This is why I will die alone)

When it comes to the games, they’re honestly the least interesting part of the whole experience. While some games (e.g. Piano Studio in the Variety Kit, Adventure in the Vehicle Kit) do have some pull and keep me a bit more interested, the most fun part I’ve had is building them. Anyone who’s played with Lego’s, Bionicle, Gundams, or anything that requires any sort of building, and enjoys that aspect the most, would be absolutely delighted by how satisfying it is to see these creations come to life with each sheet of cardboard.

And once you’ve built them, even if the game doesn’t stay interesting for very long, there’s something very exciting about seeing the Labo work once you start playing the game. The actual reeling in of a fish on the fishing rod, listening to it actually make sounds was something that made me act like a 6 year old kid going fishing with my dad for the first time.

Once you’ve built, and played with the Toy-Cons, you can learn everything there is to know about them.

Ranging from just learning about the Nintendo Switch Hardware on its own, from the Screen to the Joy-Cons, to the actual Labo creations themselves. You can see how the games work, how the Nintendo Switch system is involved, and some general knowledge like fixing the labos is included here as well. As well as how to make your Labo your own, giving customization tips, and what NOT to do if you want to preserve the life of your Labo.

Of course once you’ve learned everything, you can open up the Toy-Con Garage and make your own creations, make your own Labo’s to play with, now that you have the knowledge and tools to make them. It’s what makes the Labo near infinitely re-playable. Ranging from simple games, to instruments, if you have the imagination, I’m sure you can find a way to build it.

After having said all that, let’s get back into the VR kit itself. The VR Kit comes in two different flavors: One with just the Goggles and Blaster, and the other has everything else. Because I’m getting the latter (And will be reviewing it so stay tuned) let’s talk about that one. The Labo comes with 6 different Toy-Con creations: The Goggles, Wind Pedal, Blaster, Bird, Elephant, and Camera.

If we were to go through each one of these, we’d be here forever (Plus I said I’m gonna review it next week, so we’ll do that there) so I’m just gonna say what I feel about the kit as a whole. I absolutely love it. The whole idea of the thing is just fantastic. Not only does it introduce VR at a more affordable yet still fun level, it introduces it to a younger audience, those who are too young to be able to use actual VR systems that were designed with an older audience in mind.

Sure the games look simple, but like I said it’s the experience as a whole, from building the labo, to trying it out, to learning how everything works that makes everything count in the end. Like I said, as someone who’s worked extensively in the STEM field, I’m absolutely delighted to see something like this. It takes the limitations of the switch and expands them to incorporate an entirely new way to play video games. It stretches the field of imagination to new heights, and showcases not only what the Switch as a system can do, but how you can do things with your imagination.

Like the other Labo kits, this one is getting a “garage” where you can create your own games. While you probably won’t be making much out of cardboard, you’re able to make games that would fit with the VR’s idea in mind. From exploration games, to rhythm games, it’s whatever you can think of and get working that makes it so much fun. Plus Nintendo is adding support to Super Mario Odyssey and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for free, so that’s a bonus.

Now this isn’t a full fledged review, and I’m gonna take advantage of that to ask a question, why do people give this thing so much hate? Why are people so against Nintendo Labo?

I’ve seen the hatred for Nintendo Labo since the beginning, it shows with the like and dislike bar of the original video that Nintendo posted before the first two kits were even released.

I truly do not understand the flak that the Labo gets. Most people seem to think that the cardboard is made out of 8x11 printer paper that would fall apart the second you tried to play with it, but after getting 15+ hours out of EACH of my Labo kits, I can safely say that they’re surprisingly durable, and none of them have received any real wear or tear to them.

Yet I still don’t understand the hatred towards them, people say you’re paying a huge amount of money for cardboard, even though people are content paying $60 for a piece of plastic and silicon (not even that if they buy a download code) People also don’t look at the fact that the PSVR, which is usually around $250 to buy new (about $350 if you include move controllers) and most of the games are still nothing more than tech demos, ones of huge games like Skyrim, or Borderlands, which you’re expected to pay for, for full price, and even then the games still feel like nothing but glorified tech demos. Maybe I’m just being cynical, maybe I’m just being a Nintendo Fan boy, but it’s something I really just don’t understand.

So yeah, these are all my thoughts on the VR right now, something I’m looking VERY forward to, and has me being all giddy and excited like a 7 year old kid who’s only a week away from Christmas. It’s something that I know will make people happy, and maybe even get more people interested in VR, and the STEM community as well.

Thank you all for reading (And again, please ask away if you have anything you want to tell me, I’d love to hear what other people have to say on this)

#Nintendo #Nintendo Labo #Nintendo Labo VR #Nintendo Switch #Thoughts #Virtual Reality

3 notes · View notes

preciousmetals0 · 5 years ago

Text

Invest in the Space Race With 3D Printing for Triple-Digit Gains

Invest in the Space Race With 3D Printing for Triple-Digit Gains:

Story Highlights:

3D printing is boldly going where no printer has gone before: space.

NASA is tapping this revolutionary technology, helping boost the market’s projected rise of more than 300% — to $44.4 billion — by 2025.

Here’s the best 3D-printing play to make now — a great investment that leverages our America 2.0 mega trend.

I grew up watching Star Trek. It was like getting a glimpse of a future I couldn’t even imagine.

The cutting-edge technologies seemed truly out of this world.

Like 3D printing.

Star Trek introduced the idea with an imaginary machine called a “replicator,” which creates food, drugs and spare parts, virtually out of thin air in space.

Now, the world of Star Trek is here in 2020.

NASA is using 3D-printing technology to boldly go where no printer has gone before: space — the final frontier.

As you know, 3D printing is one of our Bold Profits mega trends. It’s at the heart of America 2.0.

It’s taking shape as we speak — on Earth and now in the stars.

And this exciting new world presents amazing opportunities for investors who recognize the sky’s the limit for profiting from the right America 2.0 stocks.

3D Printing Pushing Us Forward in the New Race to Space

Four new public-private NASA partnerships are taking 3D printing to a higher level. Here are just a few examples:

NASA engineers are creating 3D-printed rocket parts and engine components, as part of the agency’s goal of returning to the Moon in 2024.

The first 3D printer has been sent to the International Space Station to create parts and equipment in zero gravity. Astronauts recently used it to create a 3D-printed wrench.

NASA now plans to use 3D printers to create supplies to be shipped to the station — such as replacement components, equipment for scientific experiments and even food.

NASA has launched a project to build 3D-printed habitats for future space missions, including planned journeys to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

This technology is vital when it comes to missions in space. Astronauts could have everything they need right there at their fingertips.

No need to wait for NASA to launch more supplies — just create them with a 3D printer and they can make all the supplies they’d need.

NASA project manager Niki Werkheiser put it this way:

Right now if something breaks, we’re completely dependent on launching a replacement from the ground. Imagine launching everything you might ever need for missions to Mars or an asteroid, it would be challenging or impossible.

And NASA isn’t alone: The European Space Agency is working with two 3D-printing companies to build a new base on the Moon, using raw materials found on the spot.

These projects are only the latest, exciting new examples of how 3D printing is being used today — in ways even Star Trek creators could not have imagined in the 1960s.

No. 1 Investment to Profit From the 3D-Printing Mega Trend

The use of 3D printing has been gaining steam in recent years.

That’s because the costs for 3D printing have plummeted since 2017, as new applications and tech investments are soaring.

In 2013, for instance, 3D printing was a mere $4.4 billion industry. But by 2018, it had grown to $10.87 billion.

And the latest market research projections show it will rocket up more than 300% over the next five years, becoming a $44.4 billion industry by 2025.

That’s a rise of more than 900% since 2013!

So, what’s the best way to buy into the incredible, phenomenal, unbelievable potential of 3D printing?

One way is to add The 3D Printing ETF (BATS: PRNT) to your portfolio. The exchange-traded fund (ETF) gives you exposure to 56 companies involved in this mega trend.

It’s been a steady performer — rising an astonishing near 30% during the last month alone. With the market’s booming growth, you could be looking at triple-digit gains in the next five years.

But that’s just the beginning of its potential in the futuristic new world of America 2.0.

We’re going to see 3D printing soar — literally and figuratively — to the stars!

So, I have a question for you. With 3D printing becoming more than just an idea from a futuristic TV show — how would you use a 3D printer in your everyday life? What would you print?

The possibilities are endless. And I don’t know about you, but I am excited for the future of America 2.0.

To your health and wealth,

Nick Tate

Senior Editorial Manager, Banyan Hill Publishing

0 notes

goldira01 · 5 years ago

Link

Story Highlights:

3D printing is boldly going where no printer has gone before: space.

NASA is tapping this revolutionary technology, helping boost the market’s projected rise of more than 300% — to $44.4 billion — by 2025.

Here’s the best 3D-printing play to make now — a great investment that leverages our America 2.0 mega trend.

I grew up watching Star Trek. It was like getting a glimpse of a future I couldn’t even imagine.

The cutting-edge technologies seemed truly out of this world.

Like 3D printing.

Star Trek introduced the idea with an imaginary machine called a “replicator,” which creates food, drugs and spare parts, virtually out of thin air in space.

Now, the world of Star Trek is here in 2020.

NASA is using 3D-printing technology to boldly go where no printer has gone before: space — the final frontier.

As you know, 3D printing is one of our Bold Profits mega trends. It’s at the heart of America 2.0.

It’s taking shape as we speak — on Earth and now in the stars.

And this exciting new world presents amazing opportunities for investors who recognize the sky’s the limit for profiting from the right America 2.0 stocks.

3D Printing Pushing Us Forward in the New Race to Space

Four new public-private NASA partnerships are taking 3D printing to a higher level. Here are just a few examples:

NASA engineers are creating 3D-printed rocket parts and engine components, as part of the agency’s goal of returning to the Moon in 2024.

The first 3D printer has been sent to the International Space Station to create parts and equipment in zero gravity. Astronauts recently used it to create a 3D-printed wrench.

NASA now plans to use 3D printers to create supplies to be shipped to the station — such as replacement components, equipment for scientific experiments and even food.

NASA has launched a project to build 3D-printed habitats for future space missions, including planned journeys to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

This technology is vital when it comes to missions in space. Astronauts could have everything they need right there at their fingertips.

No need to wait for NASA to launch more supplies — just create them with a 3D printer and they can make all the supplies they’d need.

NASA project manager Niki Werkheiser put it this way:

And NASA isn’t alone: The European Space Agency is working with two 3D-printing companies to build a new base on the Moon, using raw materials found on the spot.

These projects are only the latest, exciting new examples of how 3D printing is being used today — in ways even Star Trek creators could not have imagined in the 1960s.

No. 1 Investment to Profit From the 3D-Printing Mega Trend

The use of 3D printing has been gaining steam in recent years.

That’s because the costs for 3D printing have plummeted since 2017, as new applications and tech investments are soaring.

In 2013, for instance, 3D printing was a mere $4.4 billion industry. But by 2018, it had grown to $10.87 billion.

And the latest market research projections show it will rocket up more than 300% over the next five years, becoming a $44.4 billion industry by 2025.

That’s a rise of more than 900% since 2013!

So, what’s the best way to buy into the incredible, phenomenal, unbelievable potential of 3D printing?

One way is to add The 3D Printing ETF (BATS: PRNT) to your portfolio. The exchange-traded fund (ETF) gives you exposure to 56 companies involved in this mega trend.

It’s been a steady performer — rising an astonishing near 30% during the last month alone. With the market’s booming growth, you could be looking at triple-digit gains in the next five years.

But that’s just the beginning of its potential in the futuristic new world of America 2.0.

We’re going to see 3D printing soar — literally and figuratively — to the stars!

So, I have a question for you. With 3D printing becoming more than just an idea from a futuristic TV show — how would you use a 3D printer in your everyday life? What would you print?

The possibilities are endless. And I don’t know about you, but I am excited for the future of America 2.0.

To your health and wealth,

Nick Tate

Senior Editorial Manager, Banyan Hill Publishing

#Timor Invest

0 notes

corpasa · 5 years ago

Text

Ward’s Science–So Many STEM Resources

One of the most difficult skills to teach in school is problem solving. I can’t tell you how many kids–and parents–ask me, “How do I get an A.” My answer: “By thinking,” which oddly confuses them. We talk about what that means–problem solving, critical analysis, logical thinking–but often, that sounds hard to them–too hard. They want an easier way.

Why is that?

Basically, it’s because there aren’t enough education opportunities that require that sort of skill and those there are, usually rhyme with ‘math’ or ‘science’ which to many kids are “just too complicated”.

Enter STEM–Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

“I don’t think schools can manage without coding and STEM. In Finland, we have had coding in the curriculum starting in the first grade; it is not taught separately, but through the thinking of various subjects.” –Anneli Rautiainen, Head of Innovation Unit at Finnish National Agency for Education

Coding, robotics, and experimentation–integral pieces of STEM–give students the best start possible to the rest of their lives. They are a toolkit of life skills such as problem-solving, coding and thinking. 93% of teachers (in America) believe these sorts of thinking skills in K-12 are critical.

Nothing promotes these better than STEM. Done right, STEM turns the confusing part of ‘thinking’ into fun. I found a partner in my STEM projects. It’s called Ward’s Science.

Who is Ward’s Science

Even after 144 years, Ward’s Science continues to be a leading provider of a full range of science products, kits, and resources for AP Science, Biology, Chemistry, Digital Science, Earth Science, Physics, and more for elementary-age students through High School (and beyond)–including Makerspace environments. Ward’s Science is known to its customers and the industry as the complete solution for materials supporting classroom science subjects. They not only offer project supplies but lesson plans, curricula, how-to videos, tips and tricks, personalized help, and podcasts. They even offer interesting extras like “How to choose a 3D printer”, “Connecting your Makerspace to your curriculum”, and “How to get funding for a robotics program”. Curricula are aligned with NGSS, TEKS, and other states and many of the kits are officially licensed by Science Olympiad. They even offer grant services to support school science programs.

What I really like about Ward’s Science

Ward’s Science makes it easy to find engaging, age-appropriate STEM resources, even if you aren’t quite sure what you want. The website is clean, simple to maneuver, and easy to understand. You type in what you’re looking for and get options. No ads. No animations. Just content.

Some services I didn’t expect and that would be difficult to find in other stores–virtual or physical–are:

histology services–schools can send tissues to Ward’s Science and have them placed on slides quickly and professionally

custom geology services–a collection of minerals and rocks to match educators’ teaching needs

custom kits–organize, label, package, and ship materials exactly as a teacher needs them for their classes, everything in one kit

delivery of live (or perishable) materials–shipped just in time for use so they’re fresh and healthy

Customer service includes not only troubleshooting help but access to scientists at Ward’s Science’s onsite science lab via email, phone, or video chat, all happy to help you with decisions and projects, assistance with ordering, and questions.

Another feature I like is called Ward’s World. In this section of the website, Ward’s Science shares spectacular projects that will energize and excite students such as “Halloween fun with chemical reactions”, “The periodic table of candy–a chemistry lesson plan”, “Physics of the fidget spinner (for elementary and middle school”, “6 live specimens that make great classroom pets”, and “A fun way to teach pH”. Activities and lesson plans are organized by subject (chemistry, biology, geology, physics, and STEM), grade level, and resource type (activity, lesson plan, or video).

One more amazing offering from Ward’s Science is professional development resources. This comes to you on their YouTube channel with more videos than I could count on a lot of science topics such as 3D printers, probes, tarantulas, introductions to a variety of products, quantum dots, and so much more. Visit the YouTube channel for a full listing.

For more detail on the breadth of Ward’s Science offerings, try these links:

Ward’s Grants and Funding Services for Teachers

2019 Ward’s Science Catalog

2019 Ward’s Science STEM Catalog

2019 Ward’s Healthcare & Medical Education Catalog

To give you an example of the types of products offered by Ward’s Science, I evaluated two:

Botley the Coding Robot

Crazy Circuits With Squishy Circuits

Botley the Coding Robot

Learning Resources’ Botley

the Coding Robot is a compact two-eyed blocky robot on wheels. The 77-piece classroom set includes Botley the Coding Robot (no assembly required), a starter guide, programming challenges, a remote programmer, robot arms, coding cards, obstacle course pieces, and everything teachers need to introduce early coding fundamentals to students 5-9. Ready to use right out of the box, Botley

helps students master logic, critical thinking, and other STEM skills with no screen time required–no app, tablet, or phone.

How do you use it

Getting started is pretty simple. Unbox Botley the Coding Robot. Make sure the AAA batteries in the remote control and the robot are fresh and working. Lay out the coding cards with what you wish the robot to do–move forward, back, turn, or any number of other commands. Then, with the handset, program Botley to follow your program. Once students master simple moves, turn on Botley’s object detection function that avoids objects in its path, instigate a loop command for repeated coding functions, and have it navigate an obstacle course using the black-line-following mode. Want more? Check the included instruction booklet for lots of ideas.

Overall, Botley is an easy-to-use, friendly robot that will even talk to kids!

Crazy Circuits With Squishy Circuits

I admit, when I first received this kit, I didn’t get the name–Crazy Circuits with Squishy Circuits. I couldn’t get my brain around all those words until I unwrapped the box and pulled the parts out. Then I got it: This had a ton of promise. If you’ve ever made Play Dough at home or in science class and used it as conductors and insulators–that’s the squishy part. When you poke circuits that light up or run motors or a bunch of other stuff into the dough–that’s the crazy part. With this relatively inexpensive kit, a wide age range of students learn about seemingly complicated topics such as insulators, conductors, resistance, and parallel and series circuits.

This is ready to go out of the box which means no soldering required.

How to Use it

The Crazy Circuits With Squishy Circuits kit includes six containers of colored squishy dough–some conductive and some insulating–and a variety of Crazy Circuits Chips. You don’t have to make anything or buy anything else. Detailed directions, project guides, educational resources, and videos can be found online in the Ward’s Science database. Crazy Circuits are compatible with LEGO

and similar brick building systems.

If you’re wondering how squishy dough can conduct electricity, watch this 4-minute TED Talk. Though the video shows how to make the dough, you don’t have to do that. Ward’s Science sends it as part of the kit. You just attach the circuits, motors, and conductors, and let your creativity flow:

youtube

***

Ward’s Science doesn’t pop up right away in a Google search for ‘STEM supplies’ so bookmark this review and share it with fellow science teachers. You’re going to want to find Ward’s Science the next time you’re looking for supplies. You can reach their social media platforms here:

https://www.facebook.com/wardsci

https://www.twitter.com/WardsScience

https://www.youtube.com/user/wardsci

https://www.pinterest.com/wardsscience/

https://www.instagram.com/wardsscience/

#wardsworld @WardsScience

Ask A Tech Teacher readers Get 15% off your order total Plus Free Shipping with exclusive promo code

WardsWorld15TT

Offer valid on web only at wardsci.com. To activate offer, use promo code at checkout. Offer expires 11/31/19. Free shipping includes standard ground shipping only and excludes items with hazardous shipping; standard hazardous shipping fees will apply. Unless otherwise specified, contract discounts and special offers may not be applied to any item priced with a final digit of ‘9’ (i.e. $6.99; $10.09; $129.99.) Offer excludes Somso models due to custom nature of the product. Offer excludes all Triumph Board products. Promotional discounts also may not be combined with other offers, discounts, contracts, or promotions. For more details, visit wardsci.com/terms. Selected items may be or contain chemicals, live materials, or hazardous materials and may be restricted for purchasing by educational institutions only. To purchase restricted items, please log into wardsci.com with your Full Web Profile, or create a new Full Web Profile here using your school’s Shipping Account Number. A full profile also allows you to pay with purchase orders, receive tax exemptions, contract pricing (if applicable), and other advanced features. Don’t know your Shipping Account Number or not sure what it is? We can help. Email [email protected] or Click to Chat on the profile registration page and a Ward’s Science Representative will help you locate your Shipping Account Number or apply for a new one.)

–While I received these products to review, my opinions are my own.

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

Ward’s Science–So Many STEM Resources published first on https://medium.com/@DLBusinessNow

0 notes

evnoweb · 5 years ago

Text

Ward’s Science–So Many STEM Resources

Why is that?

Enter STEM–Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Nothing promotes these better than STEM. Done right, STEM turns the confusing part of ‘thinking’ into fun. I found a partner in my STEM projects. It’s called Ward’s Science.

Who is Ward’s Science

What I really like about Ward’s Science

Some services I didn’t expect and that would be difficult to find in other stores–virtual or physical–are:

histology services–schools can send tissues to Ward’s Science and have them placed on slides quickly and professionally

custom geology services–a collection of minerals and rocks to match educators’ teaching needs

custom kits–organize, label, package, and ship materials exactly as a teacher needs them for their classes, everything in one kit

delivery of live (or perishable) materials–shipped just in time for use so they’re fresh and healthy

For more detail on the breadth of Ward’s Science offerings, try these links:

Ward’s Grants and Funding Services for Teachers

2019 Ward’s Science Catalog

2019 Ward’s Science STEM Catalog

2019 Ward’s Healthcare & Medical Education Catalog

To give you an example of the types of products offered by Ward’s Science, I evaluated two:

Botley the Coding Robot

Crazy Circuits With Squishy Circuits

Botley the Coding Robot

Learning Resources’ Botley

helps students master logic, critical thinking, and other STEM skills with no screen time required–no app, tablet, or phone.

How do you use it

Overall, Botley is an easy-to-use, friendly robot that will even talk to kids!

Crazy Circuits With Squishy Circuits

This is ready to go out of the box which means no soldering required.

How to Use it

and similar brick building systems.

youtube

***

https://www.facebook.com/wardsci

https://www.twitter.com/WardsScience

https://www.youtube.com/user/wardsci

https://www.pinterest.com/wardsscience/

https://www.instagram.com/wardsscience/

#wardsworld @WardsScience

Ask A Tech Teacher readers Get 15% off your order total Plus Free Shipping with exclusive promo code

WardsWorld15TT

–While I received these products to review, my opinions are my own.

Ward’s Science–So Many STEM Resources published first on https://medium.com/@DigitalDLCourse

0 notes

cryptswahili · 6 years ago

Text

BEST TECH STORIES of 2019 (so far)

Hello Curious Hacker,

The internet has so many best of 2018 articles right now… At Hacker Noon, we’re forward thinking. Below are the best 27 stories of the year 2019 (so far).

But first, three short updates from around the Hacker Noon HQ:

Our equity crowdfund campaign is up to $986k from 893 people. The Reg CF maximum raise is $1.07M. Invest before it’s too over.

We’ll be media partner at Blockchain Connect Conference: Academic 2019 @ San Francisco Marriott tomorrow (Jan 11th), with Trent Lapinski recording podcasts and Derek Bernard recording video. A few tickets are still available, come meet the team.

Longtime Hacker Noon contributor Febin John James published a new book: “Ripple Quick Start Guide: Get started with XRP and development applications on Ripple’s blockchain” via another long timer Hacker Noon contributor Packt_Pub, and it included this really kind acknowledgement. Thanks Febin! We bought your book too :-)

And now onto the good stuff: THE 27 BEST TECH STORIES OF 2019 (so far):

CRYPTO WINTER

Surviving Crypto Winter — Part One: Mattereum and the Internet of Agreements by Daniel Jeffries and Carly E. Howard, JD, LLM. Time to build. From the ashes of competition, rises the phoenix. As winter hits, good projects buckle down and get to work building real technology that works in the real world. And that’s what this new series of articles is all about: Who will survive the crypto winter? I’m going to dig deep and profile companies with the best shot at surviving the bust and building something we can’t imagine living without in the coming years.

Surviving Crypto Winter — Part Two: Blockstack and the Great Pendulum of History by Daniel Jeffries. AI went through two wintersand it took 50 years for anyone to reap rewards like self-driving cars. The Internet looked like a joke for the first twenty years. 3D printing is still in a winter, after early hopes of a printer in every house failed to materialize without the reason to have one yet. And of course, the crypto market suffered a spectacular crash in 2018, as the markets lost 80% or more of their value over a long slow slide to despair. The winds of crypto winter are blowing furiously and the storm is taking many victims already. In this series, I cover who stands the best chance of rising from the freezing cold and thriving when spring comes again.

2019 Developments

Best Coding Languages to Learn in 2019 by Rafi Zikavashvili. In an ideal world, your choice of programming language shouldn’t matter. Most of the popular languages share the same basic concepts, to the untrained eye most of them look the same, and let you achieve more or less the same outcome. From a developer’s perspective, a programming language is a tool and choosing the right one will influence one’s career, economic prospects, and future happiness. This article looks at five of the most popular programming languages, examines their individual and relative merits, and recommends which ones you should learn in 2019.

Major Programming Trends to Prepare for in 2019 by Constantin. Trend #1: Could Python Catch up to Java? If you look at the chart above, you’ll see that Python is already the third most popular programming language in the world. According to Stack Overflow, it surpassed C# in popularity in 2018 and PHP in 2017. But Python only recently achieved this status.

Useful Vim tricks for 2019 by Cláudio Ribeiro. Vim has a steep learning curve, let’s not try to cover it. But once you start getting the nuances of it you start discovering that Vim is full of time-saving tricks. That’s what we’re going to cover in this article. I’ve scoured the internet for Vim tricks. Some of them come from different websites, twitter posts and some of them are my own. Either way, some of these might be useful to improve your workflow in 2019.

What if

… we could verify npm packages? by Steve Konves. An npm package is just tarball of files. The fact is that all package managers (Npm, Nuget, Maven, etc) just distribute tarballs or zip files or some other bundle of content. Any responsible developer is going to keep their code in source control; however, this code may or may not be the only thing in the package. For compiled languages like Java or .Net, packages contain build artifacts, not source code. Especially if the build output is obfuscated, it is difficult if not impossible to casually discover security flaws in the package contents. Javascript is a bit different in that many simple packages are simply tarballs of unmodified source code. However, Typescript requires a transpilation step any many other non-Typescrpt codebases include some form of bundling or minification process before an npm package is created. Security concerns are exacerbated but the fact that minified code is hard to read.

Making Career Moves

How I Got Multiple Software Engineer Job Offers When Switching from Another Industry by Weihe Wang. Failure is the mother of success. I failed onsite interviews 4 times before getting my first offer. Sometimes you solved all problems brilliantly but failed the interview; while sometimes you struggled in one or two rounds but succeed in the end. There is an uncontrollable factor called luck that might be pivotal. It is frustrated to be rejected after an onsite interview, but don’t lose confidence and keep applying to other companies.

PODCASTS

Cowen, Andreessen, and Horowitz: Annotated by Arnold Kling. The view from 1995: Marc Andreessen and bhorowitz first collaborated in 1995, when Horowitz left an established, successful company, Lotus Notes, to work with Andreessen at a high-flying startup, Netscape. Andreessen points out that the big issue dividing the tech world was whether or not the Internet was going to actually solve the problem of connecting the world’s computers. As late as 1995, there were still many major companies that were working on technology that would be valuable if and only if the Internet did not work. That was a bad bet.

Hacking The Self with Nick Seneca Jankel & Trent Lapinski. “What is purpose? Well, purpose is like love in action. It is that love and kindness that comes out into I’m going to take on this community issue, I’m going to take on a bigger social problem then I was before. Until we can access purpose within, and keep it stable within us, that control and protect mode of a monkey will keep going ‘forget the purpose, lets make another million, that would be really cool, then we’ll be loved’.” Listen on iTunes or Google Play

Traction

24 Experts Weigh In: How Do You Get Traffic Without Budget? by Kirill Shilov. In my own personal experience, the best way to come up with new solutions is to find experts who have already achieved success in the same field as you and simply improve or repeat what they did. So I went ahead and asked experts from different fields about what they would do if they could start from scratch in 2019. And they answered!

Venture Capital

The Warning Label That Should Come With Venture Capital by Founder Collective.

The 200 Black Women in Tech to Follow On Twitter List by Jay Jay Ghatt. Why Black Women? Since the first list was published three years ago, I’ve been asked why I only featured women on this list when the tech ecosystem is not inclusive of black men as well. My answer: the list of 200 Black Women in Tech to Follow on Twitter was created out of a need to fill a specific and articulated void after I learned that Black Women were less than 1% of StartUp Founders receiving VC Capital (less than .02%), and in essence were located at the bottom of the totem pole and represented the least, much less than black men, white women, Asian American women and other marginalized groups. Not only did this group not receive funding, it was the least represented on the staffs of tech companies and virtually absent on other “who to follow” lists in tech. Out of exclusion comes a solution. I wanted all to know that we’re here too and to make it easier to “find us”, offer a list of the group least represented to draw from so that could not longer be an excuse as to why we were not included.

Hmm… the internet actually works for…

Who’s Really Behind the World’s Most Popular Free VPNs? by William Chalk. Over half (59%) of the apps studied ultimately have Chinese ownership or are based in China, despite its strict ban on VPNs and its notorious internet surveillance regime. This raises questions about why these companies — which have such large international user bases — have been allowed to continue operating. The Chinese-owned VPNs have been downloaded by users in the US, UK, Latin America, Middle East, and Canada. Three of the apps — TurboVPN, ProxyMaster and SnapVPN — were found to have linked ownership. In their privacy policy, they note: “Our business may require us to transfer your personal data to countries outside of the European Economic Area (“EEA”), including to countries such as the People’s Republic of China or Singapore.”

More Government Imagery

See people’s faces from miles away in the 195 gigapixel photo of Shanghai. by Ben Longstaff. As an engineer this is amazing, as a citizen the privacy implications are terrifying. Your average smartphone camera is around 12 megapixels. This image of Shanghai is 195 gigapixels. One megapixel equals one million pixels, a gigapixel equals one billion pixels. Put another way, this image is 16,250 times larger than the image you can take with your smart phone. Let’s see what that feels like through the BigPixel viewer looking at the roof top of a building a few miles away.

How to Download Live Images From Government Weather Satellites by Alex Wulff. Using nothing but your computer, some software, and a $20 radio dongle you can receive transmissions from NOAA weather satellites in the sky overhead. This is an incredibly exciting project that’s easy to do but produces great images. Think about it — you can receive images from a satellite almost 1000KM straight above you!

Listing Infinity

Infinite Data Structures In JavaScript by Francis Stokes. In the real world we deal with “infinite” ideas all the time. All the positive numbers is an example of an infinite concept we wouldn’t bat an eye at. But typically when we are programming we have to think of these infiniteconcepts in a finite way. You can’t have an Array of all the positive numbers (at least not in JavaScript!). What I want to introduce in this article is the idea of an Infinite List data structure, which can represent some never ending sequence, and let’s us use common operations like map and filter to modify and create new sequences.

You Know the Value of Patterns

Complicated patterns aren’t always that complicated. Usually it’s the “simple” ones that bite you. by Patrick Lee Scott. Staring at the maze of interconnected passageways of the microservice system, I immediately recognized the problems. I was sitting with a new client doing a review of their system. This was the first time they were showing me the code which was described as “very interesting” and “definitely one of the most complex I’ve worked on!” with excitement. I shuttered a bit. I thought about my ironically misquoted t-shirt with a picture of Albert Einstein.“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex… It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” — E. F. Schumacher.

Necessary Comparison of Bitcoin to the Weather

Bitcoin: The Gathering Storm. How Thunderstorm Dynamics Are Similar To Bitcoin Market Cycles by Charlie Shrem. On a typical summer day in Florida, the sun rises and begins to heat the ground. This solar heating is transferred into the lowest part of the atmosphere near the surface, essentially the air near the ground begins to gain energy and buoyancy. This can be compared to how Bitcoin adoption increases, such as when thousands of Bitcoin ATMs are deployed and stores begin to accept Bitcoin, which pumps energy into the Bitcoin system.

Necessary Comparison of Bitcoin to Light Itself

The Bitcoin Light Bulb Moment by Beautyon. This is the central problem with the state interfering with technology; no one can predict the future. Now that the law is in force, we are in a situation where capital has been wasted and misdirected, resources wasted and misdirected and depending on the state of the decommissioning of the incandescent bulb lines, no cost less way back to the manufacturing of incandescent light bulbs. The state, by its nature, is incompetent. They cannot predict the future and they are not omniscient. In order to be able to legislate effectively, especially where technology is concerned, they would need to be omniscient, with perfect knowledge of every piece and field of ongoing research and technology, and the potential of each piece and field of research and technology.

About Your Health

Eat Fat, Get Thin? A Physician’s Approach to Reinventing Your Health in 21 Days by Jordan “J” Gross. I tested the strategies presented in Dr. Mark Hyman’s New York Times best-selling book, and here is how it went… My friends have called me the human guinea pig. I am a test mouse in a lab full of endless possibilities. I have gone seven days with only eating Chipotle, I have done a full year with no McDonald’s, I have talked to a new person every day for the last few years, and I have even gone a full month without going to the gym (that one was the hardest for me)… the self-experimental journey I embarked upon recently was actually not so much out of curiosity and adventure, but rather, it was out of necessity.

About Those Other Coins

“When Altseason?” — How to Time the Most Profitable Period in the Cryptocurrency Market. by Rekt Capital. Altseason, a shorthand for Altcoin Season, is the time of the year when the majority of the people in the cryptocurrency market develop a very positive sentiment about Altcoins. This translates into exponential gains across Altcoins (i.e. Alternative coins to Bitcoin). In the past, Altcoins have enjoyed immense gains during Altseasons. Most notably in December 2017 which saw most (if not all) Altcoins gained their initial market valuation many times over during a period of a few weeks of constant, almost uninterrupted uptrends.

About Those Other Tokens…

STO Market Outlook 2019 by Tatiana Koffman. 2018 will be remembered as having paved the way for a new generation of security tokens. Issuers and investors continue to remain curious about the benefits of tokenization such as increased liquidity, fractional ownership, decreased issuance costs, innovative structures and greater pricing efficiency. After conducting an independent study of 130+ STOs currently on the market, the following are some trends forming for 2019.

ETHEREUM

2.0 — The Road To Constantinople And Beyond by Vince Tabora. The next system wide upgrade for the Ethereum network called Constantinople will be implemented in 2019 (originally set for 2018). It is also called as “Ethereum 2.0” or the “New Ethereum”, software version 3.5, part of the release called Metropolis. There is a lot on the line with the success of the Ethereum project, and these are the upgrades to scale the network. The Constantinople upgrade is scheduled for block #7080000. There will actually be three forks in the beginning of 2019 and this includes Constantinople. The two other forks are “hard forks”, meaning they will create a new cryptocurrency. These are Classic Vision and Ethereum Nowa. ETH holders should get an equivalent of those coins in their digital wallet after the fork, if supported by the wallet or digital exchange.

DATA, DATA, DATA

Interview with Data Scientist at kaggle: Dr. Rachael Tatman by Sanyam Bhutani (check out his whole series on machine learning heroes). Dr. Rachael Tatman: As for technical speaking, the best two pieces of advice I can give you are, first, to practice as much as possible. Ask if you can give talks at local events or to relevant clubs. The more talks you give the less nerve-wracking they are and the more you learn what is effective for you. Practice is doubly important when you’re prepping a talk. I usually try to run through the talk at least twice a day in the week leading up to it, making little adjustments when I come across awkward places. Of course, I don’t do that with live streams. I pretty much treat livestreams like technical interviews; it doesn’t matter if I make mistakes so long as I’m telling you what I’m thinking so you can follow my thought processes. My second piece of advice is to be as specific as possible. One of my personal pet peeves are talks that are about how “data science is revolutionizing something” but that is super vague. I want information I can actually apply! If you built a model that does X, talk about why X is important, how you built the model, what makes your model different from other models and how it performed in various situations. Tell me about what specifically you did that didn’t work so I know not to try it. Think about what you wanted to know about whatever you’re talking about a year ago and then tell me those things.

A Last Thought About Diversification

Why Should Everyone Invest In 2019 (Attention, Engineers) by Rafael Belchior, who also wrote the definitive productivity post of the modern era: Top 1,337 Productivity Tips For 2019, Or Any Other Year. As we have just started 2019, 🎉 we have another perfect opportunity to review our lives, opportunities, values, and expectations.

Source: https://dilbert.com/strip/2018-12-31

Despite being a tech addict (DevOps, Blockchain), my path presented me several ways of approaching life and the knowledge I have gained. At some point, I noticed that there is something that professors at my university are not teaching that would turn us into more independent persons. Money. In particular, I became very interested in the investments world, as it allows you to generate money using the money. If you don’t invest your money, it will never increase. You will likely spend, give it away or save it (and possibly spend it in a short-term wish). Now, you could be asking yourself: Why should we care about investments and money? What are the opportunities? Shouldn’t we just save money? How to start well? How to avoid being scammed by false gurus? What is the big picture that we should be aware? Shouldn’t we limit ourselves to the observation of the secret mysteries of this beautiful universe? 🌌

Until next time, don’t take the realities of the world for granted.

Kind Regards,

David Smooke

P.S. We built 13 new collections this week to make easier to find great stories about: BioHacking, Bitcoin ETF, Blockchain Development, Coding, Cryptoeconomics, EOS, Learning to Code, Hacks, Ripple (XRP), Security Tokens, Tech Economics, & Women in Tech.

P.P.S. Our equity crowdfund campaign is up to $986k from 893 people. The Reg CF maximum raise is $1.07M. Invest before it’s too late.

BEST TECH STORIES of 2019 (so far) was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

[Telegram Channel | Original Article ]

#cryptocurrency

0 notes

tastydregs · 7 years ago

Text

This doctor is making Star Trek dreams come true

We talked to Julielynn Wong, a doctor who 3-D prints medical supplies in remote rural areas, in war zones and even in space

What’s the mission of your company, 3D4MD? We’ve tested 11 3-D-printable surgical instruments—sponge sticks, scalpel handles—that can be made on-site or delivered by drones. We have 50 more designs in our catalogue. Our goal is to deploy them in humanitarian settings and to teach locals how to use them.

What kind of printers do you use? We use off-the-shelf 3-D models. The key is that they’re desktop printers, the kind you use at the library or at home. They’re portable and affordable. That’s how you get them to the places that need them the most.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve printed? Definitely our ninja star two-point discriminator, a tool that helps doctors diagnose neurological disorders. We haven’t released most of these designs because we’re working on getting a Health Canada clearance for our devices. We’re going through that process now.

I guess Health Canada is going to be facing a deluge of applications soon. Haha, yes. But that’s okay. If you have an idea, you can draw it digitally using free software that you can teach yourself to use, and you can make it physically real by clicking Print.

Sounds like sci-fi. Star Trek replicators are real. This year we 3-D printed custom-fitted finger splints on the Space Station using a solar-powered replicator.

So you’re a real-life Leonard McCoy. Do people call you Bones? I’m dual-board certified in aerospace medicine and public health, but my goal is to practise in Canada as a rural family physician. It would be so exciting to go to a real Canadian community and use recycled plastics to make low-cost medical supplies that are customized for patients, and use solar-powered 3-D printers to do that.

Seems like you’re more interested in going to the Yukon than going to Mars. People in rural communities face challenges accessing health care services. By creating 3-D-printable medical supplies for space stations, we’re helping to deliver better health care for people on Earth. That said, SpaceX and NASA have announced plans for missions to Mars, and when they do, we’ll be ready. I think the point of sending people to Mars is to bring them back alive.

Speaking of space travel, you led a simulation at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah. What was that like? I was invited to be the health and safety officer for a two-week-long mission simulation. I brought my 3-D printer in a carry-on suitcase. We were at an off-grid, remote research station in the middle of a cold, dusty desert. I thought, why don’t we hook up my 3-D printer to solar panels and see if we can make some medical supplies, which is what we did.

How does airport security deal with your 3-D printer? Once, when I was coming home from Edmonton, I told the guard, “This is my Star Trek replicator that lives inside my R2D2 suitcase.” He said, “You have made my day,” and waved me through.

How long until we can print “tea, earl grey, hot”? Well, we’re not printing tea just yet, but I do have a pancake printer. Instead of putting out plastic, the printer head puts batter on a griddle in the shape you want.

The Incredible Rise of Tech

We have hungry entrepreneurs, deep-pocketed investors, next-level start-ups and an infinite supply of brilliant ideas

Toronto’s top entrepreneurs on start-up stereotypes, wild investor stories and who they admire most

Figure 1, OpenCare and other apps that are taking telehealth into the future

At U of T's Creative Destruction Lab, tech wizards are banking on the quantum future

Inside the Deloitte Greenhouse, featuring an adorable AI robot, VR headsets and 3D printers

Five ex–RIM staffers turned tech tycoons

HackerYou, Lighthouse Labs and Bitmaker are pumping out tech geniuses

Inside Thalmic Labs's secret wearables warehouse

Everything you need to know about neuroinformatics

Huda Idrees, Candice Faktor and three other women rocking the tech sector

How Stratford, a town known for staging Shakespeare, became a hub for self-driving cars

Geoffrey Hinton and the Vector Institute are helping to make Toronto the AI capital of the world

Uber's Raquel Urtasun is revolutionizing the automobile at U of T

The lowdown on Okta, Slack, Amazon and Thomson Reuters's new digs

A Q&A with Toronto’s chief innovation advocate Michelle Holland

Why a bunch of Scandinavian start-up founders spent a week touring Toronto

Getting from Toronto to Waterloo is about to get much easier

Everything you need to know about Wealthsimple, Hubba and League

Glasses that help the blind see, a device that lets the disabled use smartphones and 3D-printed prosthetics

In the last year, Toronto created some 22,500 tech jobs—twice the number of new gigs as in New York City

"We have amazing talent here, and nobody knows it"

Jimoh Ovbiagele on Ross, his company's AI assistant that helps lawyers find legal precedents for their cases

Including MaRS, the Ryerson DMZ, OneEleven and more

0 notes

mr-project-blog · 5 years ago

Text

Emerging Technology Experience (MDD410)

Emerging technology is an exciting component to our world that is ever changing. Each new addition brings ease of access to our everyday lives. These technologies are what enables the world to function even when epidemics like COVID 19 are running rapid. Emerging Multimedia Technologies or MDD410 is a course at DeVry University that focuses on this aspect. It allowed the class to experience and work with some of the emerging technologies that are very popular today. Over the next few moments we are going to take a look at some of my course reflections and recommendations.

What did you expect to learn from MDD410 when you first signed up for the course?

Before registering for the course, I was aware of the buzz word that is emerging technology. I honestly did not know what that entailed. I was expected to learn a history or backstory of the topic and then look at current technologies in today’s world. I was also expecting 1 main course project that encompassed the entire course.

What did you learn that was new or that you now view in a different way? What helped you to learn this?

I thought I had a better understanding of what was really out there. There is so much out there that it can be very hard to keep up with everything that is going on. It was very surprising to learn how much tech is really at our display at any time. One of the examples is creating your own shareable map. I worked in the GIS field for over 4 years and was very font of mapping and mapping based software. I’m also an avid Google user on many of their offered platforms. Despite these two connected services and apps I had no idea that there was a Google service that allowed you to create your own maps with images and vector lines with descriptions. Another example was Google drawing and sharing. The Real-time collaboration is an amazing thing that everyone should experience. This is almost no limit on what can be done with the given technologies that were introduced in this course. Finally, I was not aware that the option to create your own 3D objects was an option outside of having the actual printer. There is even a service embedded in Photoshop that allows you to place an order for your 3D created object. One that I will be personally taking advantage of in the future.

What is the key takeaway that you will retain from the course as you move forward into your career field?

The biggest take way for me is to really stay up to date with all the current technology and what is available to me to explore. My career field is graphics and design. In this, it’s extremely important to know everything that is at your disposal. This way, when you are working with a client you will always be able to present options to them.

All in all, MDD410 introduced me to a ton of exciting technologies that were waiting to be explored. It only takes a few seconds to do a little research to find something that could truly change the way you experience the world. Just when you think you have seen everything, the next hottest tech trends hits and it again, changes our capabilities. Moving forward I would like to share my experiences with my peers and continue to write blog posts about my journeys.

0 notes

movieinternship · 5 years ago

Text

Day One Internship: The TEA

Today was a bit of a recap of who everyone was, where everything is, seeing what things have changed since my 2011/12 Work Study.

I spent some time talking with the Director about what she does regarding budgets and working with the Board of Trustees and the state (since this is a public library they have to work with state funding and reps). Just like any other job really there’s a tree shape to the job levels.

My library uses Overdrive for purchasing their ebooks. I didn’t know that it works the same way as a physical book: however many ecopies the library has, is how many can be checked out. So, if someone rents the only ecopy of a book available you will have to wait until their rental is over to check it out; the rental literally deletes from your device. I had been under the impression that a library's ebooks were a “as many people who want to rent it out at once can” kind of thing; like Project Gutenberg. What I also am not very knowledgeable about is the cost of being able to sell ebooks with copyright. Which is why Gutenberg is as it is; because they only have un-copywritten books.

Which brought an unknown scandal to my eyes, that I had been dealing with the repercussions of but didn’t know why: Apple and Amazon had been price fixing ebooks.

I have, and hold, a bitter resentment towards editors and publishers, but not to the authors. So while I am for pirated and free material (mostly because school books are expensive as fuck and I already eat a lot of ramen and water) I want the writers to get back something of what they put out. So while Apple and Amazon made a killing, the writers got boned, and the two companies were ordered to pay back a certain million to customers who overpaid for their ebooks (in credits... not “real money”).

This brings up another scandal where Macmillan Publishing decided that libraries buying new ebooks was hurting their profit margin and so they were allowing libraries to only buy one ebook of new books- then the library would have to wait six more months to buy another copy (insert Star Trek Ferengi Rules of Acquisition here). Now, this doesn’t sound too horrible, but it has lead to libraries across the nation boycotting the publishing company. In short, since libraries can only rent out an ebook to one person at a time, if it’s a popular book, the wait list for it could be months long for patrons. My personal view is this: some people like to read things before they buy it, some people don’t have money to buy expensive new books- libraries are those middle ground and this alienates the patrons who use libraries to gain access to the material they want to read because of funding or (in case of small towns) not a wide enough, or lucrative enough, local bookstore.

As far as buying physical books for the library we use Baker & Taylor Books. The same company that the local bookshop uses. No tea on that end, but it’s cool to know what companies are available to find these products for bookstores and libraries. There is also Ingram for physical books, and surprisingly 3M Cloud Library for ebooks (sorry no link, they mostly go directly to libraries and is a small selection from what I understand).

After tea time and basics of how the books are attained I was introduced to the Integrated Library System (ILS) which is how a library catalogs incoming items, late items, bills, and just about everything in-between. We use an Open Source version KONA (much like the customization of running LINUX for libraries, instead of cookie cutter systems that run more like Windows). I love it, the tech guy is mad good at what he does, I’ve always been impressed.

We also work with the company OCLC which I have not delved much into, but seems to be a source of ideas for improving the availability of library services and innovating ideas for them as well.

i spent quite a bit of time at the resources desk, learning that most of the questions are technical and computer (we ended up helping some kids to print an awesome geometric design for her skateboard), and finding novels for travel and escapism; also talking about the validity of problematic content-

ok one more Tea for you. Apparently there was a huge meltdown in the Romance Novel genre. Several POC Romance writers took to absolutely destroying the entire basis of the genre. What we’ve all known for, since most of us could read, that romance novels are sexist, racist, and abusive, came flying twitter first into the “oh shit” lives of the white controlling writers of the genre; and in the end a bunch of them resigned from areas of genre writing that I yet have little knowledge of. But damn YES. As I told the librarian I was with- most of these things now come with an asterisk dedicating the work as outdated and offensive, and a product of its time (as Disney+ has done with older films). And as long as a person is intelligent enough to see the wrongs, the form of escapism is a learning process and guilty pleasure. Not that people don’t still believe the stereotypes and act on them, but it’s a slow process to culturally unlearn things with humans. Change is scary. This also falls into the fandom of fanfiction- much the same kind of reader-base, with some similar problems.

In the end, I am so excited to be back because despite what most seem to think: Libraries are not boring and are not dying. These several detailed stories are just some of what I often come across working there, and I love it. There is never a dull moment, and there is always work to do. I did learn that there is a whole class in the Master’s Degree dedicated to learning to catalog books- AND I WANT TO TAKE IT. SO BAD. Also that some schools make you choose your emphasis after one semester, and some don’t care what you do as long as everything is filled out in the end.

Homework this week is to make a list on KONA of books either in a genre to help with content searches of similar topics, or a selfish impulse of my own loves; and to find something in Thingiverse to print in one of the three 3d printers we have (I guess it’s been kind of hard to learn and I have no reason not to, because it’s cool as SHIT, so there.).

#internship #librarian

0 notes