By Theo Ross
Contributing Writer
St. Bonaventure’s Technology Services and the Friedsam Memorial Library hosted the Mobile Technology Expo at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, in the Library Instructional Lab. Ann Tenglund, associate director of libraries, and Karla Bright, an instructional support specialist, spoke about some of the apps available to both students & faculty.
The expo focused on apps that are shared between Android & IoS Devices, as well as apps unique to each operating system. Windows Phones were not covered; however, they could pull from the general category and android category. Key apps that were discussed at length were: StudyBlue, Dropbox & SkyDrive, OverDrivn, OpenWatch and MySword.
StudyBlue is available on all platforms. The app creates notecards and study cards right from your phone. It also includes a quiz feature as well as the ability to make virtual flashcards. Both students and educators can use this app for their studies and presentations.
Dropbox & SkyDrive are online backup apps that provide sync-able access to files and folders across all your devices regardless of operating system. Dropbox allows you to save multiple files of the same name, because it sorts the files by date of creation versus file name, thus allowing the user to save drafts.
OverDrive was added to the collection by Tenglund. It is a library app that is locally employed and allows users to access the Olean Library, as well as the New York Public Library resources right on your phone or device. The app is currently finding the most usage in regards to entertainment media, but encompasses all library resources.
OpenWatch is an app that allows users to silently record video and have it instantly uploaded to a backup server. This can prevent data loss associated with file corruption and battery loss in other similar apps.
MySword is a biblical app that allows users instant, portable access to not just English Bible versions and commentaries, but also the Greek, Hebrew and Latin origins of the scriptures.
Popular apps that were not covered includ Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Yik Yak and Yelp. There was an honorable mention to apps such as Snapchat & Instagram, though they were not discussed in depth.
