Library Tech Confidential

I previously blogged about Wifi at the Toronto Reference Library, but neglected to note that the Toronto Public Library now offers free wireless internet access at 31 of its 99 branches. They’ve even got a Google map showing wifi-enabled branches.

That reminds me, now that TPL has its own decent Google map of branches, I should either comprehensively update or decommission mine. 

Chumby is an eminently hackable, wifi-enabled, open-source, widget displaying ambient device currently in pre-release (full launch in early 2008).For now, you can play with a plethora of widgets that pull data from tons of popular sites and web2.0 services as well as pretty much anything else via RSS. Best of all, you can try setting up your own channels (essentially pre-programmed widget slideshows) and view them using an embeded ‘virtual’ Chumby like the one above.

It pulls down content from the web via wifi, but suffers from the need to be plugged in to draw power rather than incorporating a battery. With any luck, some enterprising hardware hacker will come up with a simple way to add an external battery (or, dream on, an internal one plus a handy docking station).

Price? ~$180USD. Do not want!

Alaska police crimp wireless surfer - “A Palmer man has been waiting to see if he’ll be charged with criminal wrongdoing after a patrolling police officer seized the laptop he was using to play online video games in the [public library’s] parking lot… Police said that although Tanner was using an essentially free service, there are library rules governing its use and Tanner wasn’t following them.” [UPI via Engadget]

Using free wireless at library described as theft - “Tanner said he was upset that he hasn’t gotten his computer back yet. The police have told him he won’t until the case is concluded, he said. Jeanne Novosad, the library system manager, said the wireless connection is normally shut off when the library is closed. But the library was waiting on a technician to install a timer and the connection was left on after hours for several days, she said.” [Anchorage Daily News]

Online game-player chased for using city’s wireless link - “Tanner said he doesn’t think the case will go to court. Remaley said he’s not sure either. He has to talk to library officials, find out what their rules are, and make a determination. He hasn’t seen a lot of these cases, but he doesn’t think the case against Tanner is going away.” [Anchorage Daily News]

From Spacing Wire:

Toronto Reference Library finally has Wifi. While this is one of Toronto’s most wonderful places, the lack of wireless internet has been the only drawback, as laptops get lonely when they can’t connect to anything, and sometimes books just aren’t enough…