Skip to main content

Getting excited about iPhone, Mac, iTunes and Mobile ....

The first week of the new year is dominated by my quest for a new mobile phone. My work htc tytn II is 2 years old, but what's worse, is it's inability to keep connected to any providers network. I only use it for wifi-access .... My personal Samsung "died" in Portugal.
My boss is waving around with her personal new iPhone and I keep feeding her with nice (medical) apps. 

I am limited to a business phone subscription provided by KPN, and they don't deliver iPhones. And if you want a new phone, you just have to buy a new one. No nice deals including new phones... So, how can I buy an iPhone, make my boss pay and still use the KPN as provider?

I do not JUST want an iPhone, I want to make a library application for the iPhone. The trend is "going mobile". Within the hospital I see more and more staff and students using iPhones or "simular" devices. Hospital policy is NOT to support any other but the standard issued devices. But with our content and services out there, 95 percent web-based, and the number of people with Internet-access on these devices rising quickly, there is urgent need for:
  • a mobile version of (parts of) our website, including tools for interaction and contact
  • mobile versions of the most commonly used databases, inclusing the linkresolver sfx
  • an overview how to access our licenced resources from mobile devices. 
  • info on how to configure an iPhone (or "simular" devices) to access our proxy server (RUG), and 
  • info how to use VPN on iPhone (or "simular" devices)(UMCG)
You can argue about the need for specific apps for library resources or services when all focus previously has been on making everything web-based. Why do you need to have an app when you can just go to your mobile browser and approach them there? Are we going to repeat history? (in first creating windows-based desktop clients and  later on move to web-based).
The success of iPhone apps can't be ignored.
But let's make sure we get apps for several platforms (Symbian OS, iPhone OS, RIM's BlackBerry, Windows Mobile (marketed as Windows phone), Linux, Palm WebOS, Android and Maemo. ), or even better, " platform-independent". And if I have to pick two to start with, I would go for the iPhone OS and Android :-). (BTW: Do read the great post by Aaron Tay on Accessing library catalogue & databases on your Mobile phone!)


And if this take buying a Mac to be abled to create an iPhone app, so be it.... Maybe, just maybe I can grow to like them ...
Another thing you HAVE to do on a Mac, is create content for iTunes U (like Stanford).
When talking of iTunes, I again wonder why there is no such tool for Open Access or Scientific Papers yet. Two tools come close though: read a translated blog post about Mekentosj Papers (iPhone) and Mendeley (windows desktop & web).
What would happen if we were to implement iTunes-like functionality on all scientific Open Access content?



Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Comments

Unknown said…
I'll be your tester Guus. Iphone is on the way here :-)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Anonymous said…
KPN heeft wel iPhone's, maar alleen voor klanten die dreigen met overstappen naar een andere provider.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Allen said…
Hello, you have tried to your best. I agree with you and really liked it. Great effort... Keeps it up!!!!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Medical Supplies said…
Hi, it is a very good way of marketing. I agree with your effort, it’s a nice blog. Really liked it!!!!!!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PubMed Search & News Widget

OK, I think Toolbars are great for quick easy access to search databases, free or licensed databases. Users can use this jumpstart search to get to their preferred search engines direct from their browser window. But not everybody is allowed to install browser plugins or add-ons. To distribute the Toolbar functionality like the search & news options, I create derived widgets that can be used as a whole in many social networks , websites and intranet sites, everywhere where it is allowed to put up html. The PubMed Search & News Widget is the latest one. I just got confirmation from Widgetbox that they approved it. "Derived" in this case, means, the widget is using the PubMed Toolbar installed custom searches and the installed rss-feed of PubMed New & Noteworthy . (re-published from NLM Toolbars Blog ) Tags: pubmed , nlm , search , widget , toolbar , socialnetworks Related articles by Zemanta PubMed Toolbar in the Spotlight (digicmb.blogspot.com) ...
5 comments
Read more

Updates from Journal Apps (BrowZine, docwise, ReadbyQxMD, Docphin)

Here a short overview of all new updates around the Journal apps we are supporting. Personally I am most excited about the anouncements of " docwise " making big steps to keep up with BrowZine & Read (Integration -"Open in"- with Dropbox, Evernote and more, save and email full text articles), but making a hug jump with unique features, like shareable Folders with docwise users ánd a RSS reader feature (boldly called Google Reader replacement!). Bring it on! BrowZine : just published the Android Version of their App to which the CMB UMCG now has a subscription. To be downloaded from Google Play Store or Amazon App Store the following publishers have been added  Project MUSE Cambridge University Press American Marketing Association Academy of Management Royal Society of Chemistry Institute of Physics American Physical Society Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) American Geophysical Union International Society for Optics a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Make RSS feed from any Facebook Page

You could ask why on earth do you want that....   Well, simply to insert the feed into a feed reader or make all posts/updates available in an "aggregator" like Rebelmouse.com.  With Rebelmouse you can create your own social media Frontpage (and blog) based on various social media accounts, searches AND RSS feeds. ( More on Rebelmouse and the power of curation  ) Say I want to add Facebook posts ánd images from the page Inuit Art Zone  into a Rebelmouse I made about Inuit Art . Rebelmouse offers to add My Pages via my facbook account, but other pages can only be entered via RSS. You only need TWO things :  the base url string for the RSS feed:  http://www.facebook.com/feeds/page.php?format=rss20&id= the Facebook ID of the page: Find the Facebook (Page) ID Add the ID at the end of the url string and you have a complete working RSS feed! For   Inuit Art Zone  the RSS feed would be: http://www.facebook.com/fee...
2 comments
Read more