September 2005

802.11n and UWB

Excellent story explaing 802.11n and Ultra-Wide Band (UWB)
Full article at: NE Asia Online 2005 Oct : 802.11n or UWB?: “802.11n or UWB? Two major candidates are competing to become the wireless interface destined to feature in home digital equipment: IEEE802.11n, and Ultra-WideBand (UWB).

The day is coming fast when home digital equipment will have wireless interfaces, implementing wireless transmission of high-definition television (HDTV) imagery and high-speed swapping of still pictures and audio content with portable gear.

There are two major candidates for the wireless interface: 802.11n, a next-generation wireless local area network (LAN) built on spatial multiplexing using multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) technology, and Ultra-WideBand (UWB) wireless technology using ultra-wideband technologies such as Wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB). 11n offers a long range of up to 200m, and is viewed as the most likely contender for the home network backbone. UWB, on the other hand, is likely to make best use of its low-power, high-speed operation in short-range equipment interconnect, such as personal computers (PC) and portable equipment.

At present both 11n and UWB are being supported as industry standards by multiple groups in competition with each other, with no clear victor in sight. In 11n, the TGn Sync industry body primarily composed of home appliance manufacturers is in collision with the World-Wide Spectrum Efficiency (WWiSE) group, comprised of mostly wireless LAN chip manufacturers, wireless LAN vendors and similar firms. In UWB the situation is similar, with the DS-UWB scheme based on direct-sequence spread-spectrum technology competing with Wireless USB using multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) for the position of ‘standard technology’. Equipment manufacturers have assumed the technologies would continue to coexist, watching and waiting to see if one falls by the wayside.”

Excellent story explaing 802.11n and Ultra-Wide Band (UWB)
Full article at: NE Asia Online 2005 Oct : 802.11n or UWB?: “802.11n or UWB? Two major candidates are competing to become the wireless interface destined to feature in home digital equipment: IEEE802.11n, and Ultra-WideBand (UWB).

The day is coming fast when home digital equipment will have wireless interfaces, implementing wireless transmission of high-definition television (HDTV) imagery and high-speed swapping of still pictures and audio content with portable gear.

There are two major candidates for the wireless interface: 802.11n, a next-generation wireless local area network (LAN) built on spatial multiplexing using multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) technology, and Ultra-WideBand (UWB) wireless technology using ultra-wideband technologies such as Wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB). 11n offers a long range of up to 200m, and is viewed as the most likely contender for the home network backbone. UWB, on the other hand, is likely to make best use of its low-power, high-speed operation in short-range equipment interconnect, such as personal computers (PC) and portable equipment.

At present both 11n and UWB are being supported as industry standards by multiple groups in competition with each other, with no clear victor in sight. In 11n, the TGn Sync industry body primarily composed of home appliance manufacturers is in collision with the World-Wide Spectrum Efficiency (WWiSE) group, comprised of mostly wireless LAN chip manufacturers, wireless LAN vendors and similar firms. In UWB the situation is similar, with the DS-UWB scheme based on direct-sequence spread-spectrum technology competing with Wireless USB using multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) for the position of ‘standard technology’. Equipment manufacturers have assumed the technologies would continue to coexist, watching and waiting to see if one falls by the wayside.”

The loneliness of a conservative librarian

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently featured an interesting commentary by David Durant, a self-avowed conservative librarian, on the recent political stances taken by the American Library Association.

Note: This story was submitted and rejected by another LISNEWS author. I know there are numerous reasons for rejecting a story so my posting this is no reflection on the original decision not to post. I did point out to the person that submitted the article that the story had been brought up in another post. The person had this response “Thanks for pointing that posting out as I had missed it. I noticed that the specific article is linked but Blake doesn’t include much detail about it. Also, the link on the posting doesn’t go to the article but the discussion about it on the Chronicle. There has only been one response to that specific article so I think that it is too bad it didn’t have its own. So if you want to post it here is what I think would work well.”

Note 2: You can read the essay The Loneliness of a Conservative Librarian here without a subscription to the Chronicle. -Bibliofuture

Note 3: No censorship happened on LISNEWS. Let’s move away from that discussion and discuss the merits or lack of merit of the The loneliness of a conservative librarian essay. Especially now that there is a link to the item that gives everyone access to the essay. -Bibliofuture

Books as art – art as Books

Cortez writes “Claudia Cohen likes books and the world is better for it:
From The Seattle Times:”A beautiful hand-bound book is part skill and part art,” says Mark Wessel, co-owner of Wessel and Lieberman Booksellers, where Cohen’s work is on display. “It’s fine for Claudia to say she’s not an artist. But it can’t be lost that the reason for her success is her sense of design and aesthetic. She may be a bookbinder first, but there’s a lot of artistry involved.”, including: pennyroyalcaxton.com

Report on the Midlist Book.

A committee appointed by the Authors Guild set out a year ago to study the problem of the “midlistâ€? book. With the help of a grant from George Soros’s Open Society Institute, the committee hired the reporter David D. Kirkpatrick to research and write about what he found. Note:Chapter 15 of the report is titled “The Trouble with Libraries.” Get the report here. The Guild has an overview of the project and a link to the report here.

The LISNews Librarian Pickup Lines

Originally posted on February 21 2003, this hiliarous collection of librarian pickup lines remains one of our most popular features ever.
The List was originally compiled, (but not tested) by Blake, Aaron and Steven. Many others have contributed to the list since.

Feel free to use them at work, conferences, out at your favorite pub, or anywhere you may find the librarian of your dreams.
Note: use at your own risk, may result in slapping, or having a drink thrown in your face.

Are you on interlibrary loan? Because, baby, you’re outta this library!


What’s your cutter number baby?

I bet you have quite a nice book worm!

You must work at a busy library, cuz baby you just increased my
circulation.

Are you a librarian? Well I really need to be shushed!

Damn… you have more hardcovers than my private stash

Are you a librarian, because when you walked in the room I knew I was
overdue!

I couldn’t help noticing what a great book bag you have

Have you heard the one about the librarian with more stacks than she
could handle?

You look like a real challenge!

No one believes I am a librarian, maybe you should try to check me out.

You have the tightest hair bun in the place.

I’m like Google, more results than you can deal with.
 
Did I mention I write for LISNews?
 
Let’s play search engine:  enter your terms and see if you get
positive results.
 
Soooooo, people tell me that I look like Chris Sherman.
 
I’d catalog you under “Desirable!”
 
You have some back-end architecture.
 
Either my sight’s fading fast, or you’re the hottest guy I’ve checked
out all week.

So, you’re a librarian? Do you mind if I work on your desk?

Originally posted on February 21 2003, this hiliarous collection of librarian pickup lines remains one of our most popular features ever.
The List was originally compiled, (but not tested) by Blake, Aaron and Steven. Many others have contributed to the list since.

Feel free to use them at work, conferences, out at your favorite pub, or anywhere you may find the librarian of your dreams.
Note: use at your own risk, may result in slapping, or having a drink thrown in your face.

Are you on interlibrary loan? Because, baby, you’re outta this library!


What’s your cutter number baby?

I bet you have quite a nice book worm!

You must work at a busy library, cuz baby you just increased my
circulation.

Are you a librarian? Well I really need to be shushed!

Damn… you have more hardcovers than my private stash

Are you a librarian, because when you walked in the room I knew I was
overdue!

I couldn’t help noticing what a great book bag you have

Have you heard the one about the librarian with more stacks than she
could handle?

You look like a real challenge!

No one believes I am a librarian, maybe you should try to check me out.

You have the tightest hair bun in the place.

I’m like Google, more results than you can deal with.
 
Did I mention I write for LISNews?
 
Let’s play search engine:  enter your terms and see if you get
positive results.
 
Soooooo, people tell me that I look like Chris Sherman.
 
I’d catalog you under “Desirable!”
 
You have some back-end architecture.
 
Either my sight’s fading fast, or you’re the hottest guy I’ve checked
out all week.

So, you’re a librarian? Do you mind if I work on your desk?

So… they say Dewey had a harem, care to help me start mine?

So they say you’re like a public library, anyone with a card can check
you out.

Mind if I check you out?

I may not be a cataloger, but I bet I can find a place to fit you in.

You’d find me in the RC560.S43’s!

Let’s play shelf reading, you be the shelf and I’ll jump in.

So is it true academic librarians only let scholars in?

My mom was a librarian, she taught me every should have access to my
stacks

Do you sleep on your books? Can I?

What’s you cutter number baby?

Forget that! Playing doctor is for kids! Let’s play librarian.

So do you mind if I use my Dewey Decimal on you?

My budget just got cut, buy me a drink

damn… you’re stacked better than the LOC

Hey baby, let’s play library, you can be the door and I’ll slam you!

Do you know the difference between sex and The LC Subject Headings?
(No.) Do you want to go up to my room?

So is it true public librarians let anyone in?

Didn’t I see you on the cover of American Libraries?

Are you a librarian? So then you can belive in open access to your
stacks?

You’re a librarian?? You’ve got to refer me to your plastic surgeon.

I’d luuuuuv to check you out

So when’s the last time you were “on the desk”

Care to do a little shelf reading?

Want to come back to my room and play cataloger? I brought my own Dewey.

Hey baby, wanna go knit?
 
Let’s go get Dewey.
 
I can do the neatest thing with a full set of the OED.
 
I do collection development for 613.96
 
As a librarian, I’ve learned to work very well with women.
 
My library or yours?  Better make it mine, we don’t have filters.
 
I’ll make you scream LC subject headings.
 
My fingers are quite strong from typing all day.

You’ve never seen a LAN like mine.

Could you do me a favor and check out my new interface?

Hey, baby, what’s your call number?

What’s HQ stand for? That’s my headquarters in the stacks, honey.

LC already rearranged the alphabet for us, hot stuff–they put H and Q together.

Mm-mm! How I’d like to cutter number!

When lovin’ you, baby, I’m all about hiiiiiiigh specificity.

How I’d love to be a page in your section, sugar.

Well, stamp me received! You are checked out and I am cheeeeck’d in!

My eyebrows have never been heirarchy than when I look at you.

Please hold on a minute, ma’am; I’d like to do a shelf check.

Cutter?! I barely know her!

I’m currently offering a free trial of my new interface

I’ll be the best you’ve ever had. I’ve got great authority control!

I’m rated AA. I C that you R2!

Your spouse will never know. Under the Patriot Act, I can’t tell anyone you’ve been here!

Great bun. Does the carpet match the drapes?

Tell me about your Fantasy collection. I’ve got one of my own …

Damn! You’re so hot, I can’t even imagine how fine you’d look in shoes that weren’t sensible!

Wanna go back to my place and flout my FOI?

Just call me “Bookmobile,” ’cause I deliver.

I’d sure like to get you under a Mylar cover!

So, ever see “Tomcats”?

You’re someone I could really blog about.

When I’m through, you’re gonna need to get your books rebound.

I’m into military uniforms, I guess that’s why I’m so into U.

Are you on interlibrary loan? Because, baby, you’re outta this library!

Librarians do it in stacks.

I’m totally out of bibliographic control!

You’re a Librarian? If my library lady looked like you growing up, I would have been an avid reader!

I bet that you would be a CINCH!

Library works out catalog snafus

The Howard County Times reports on “a beastly transition” to a new SirsiDynix system in Howard County Maryland. The problem boiled down to one of software compatibility, Tom Gates, vice president of marketing for SirsiDynix, said Sept. 27. Essentially the company’s software didn’t click with Java, a programming language, he said.

“It’s really changed my library behavior,” Weems said. “One gets angry when one loses what one loves.”
“We are the first problem of this nature that they have encountered, partly because we are among the most heavily used remote systems in the world,” Gross said.

Update: 09/30 11:52 EST by B:Link Fixed

Staff Quits, Students Protest Over Fired Librarian

It’s a novel approach to getting a fired librarian back to work in Poseyville. Students and parents are rallying behind head librarian Stan Campbell. He worked at the Carnegie Public Library for eight years.

The library board fired him two weeks ago, and Campbell says he doesn’t know why. Some parents suspect it was because he let students play semi-violent computer games.

More.

Do books have a future? Well, yes

The Telegraph reports: An attempt to start a “great debate” about whether printed books would disappear in 10 years and whether reading would be a basic skill had a resounding rebuff yesterday.

None of the 5,500 teachers, academics, employers, parents and pupils who responded to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s “national conversation on the future of English” thought either question worth considering.

Book debate pits ‘all good guys’

The Huntsville Times takes an interesting look at the banning of Chris Crutcher’s book “Whale Talk” from Limestone County schools last spring. They say the viewpoint is the same: Everyone involved wants what’s best for the kids of Limestone County. Everyone involved has considered the question in light of personal religious and moral values.

School library book too sexual for grandmother’s custom

I think this is the first Gramma Knows Best story I’ve read. A book in the Acton Middle School library has one Granbury grandmother seeing red. The book, “Detour for Emmy,â€? by Marilyn Reynolds, recounts the choices that the sexually active title character must make after an unprotected encounter with her boyfriend that leads to teen pregnancy.
Caroline Sanders’ 13-year-old granddaughter recently brought the book home from the library.
“I read a couple of pages, and it talks very vividly about the sexual encounters of a 15-year-old,” she said. “Maybe I am living in the dark ages, but I don’t think it is appropriate for a 13-year-old to read that.”