Last week, I attended an online conference about blockchain and libraries. The vast majority of the material presented was either explanatory or speculative in nature;…
Read MoreOPLIN 4Cast #599: We may have reached peak hype around blockchain
Author archive for: laurasolomon
Google made major news headlines this week, when it decided to withdraw from Project Maven, after its contract expires next year. This partnership provides AI…
Read MoreOPLIN 4Cast #597: The drone era is here, for better or for worse
OPLIN 4Cast #595: The sound of another security headache for smart speakers
Posted in 4cast, and Voice-activated assistants
Audio viruses are not a new thing, although they certainly haven’t gotten the attention that other kinds of hacks and malware have. As early as…
Read MoreOPLIN 4Cast #595: The sound of another security headache for smart speakers
Several nights ago, my 13-year-old son was invited over to a neighbor’s house to play video games. When he got home, he was bubbling over…
Read MoreOPLIN 4Cast #591: Esports roundup, in which my son discovers Fortnite
If you’re like almost two billion other people on this planet, you’ve been a user of Facebook. And, chances are fairly good, your profile was…
Read MoreOPLIN 4Cast #587: The aftermath of the Facebook fallout
Who can forget Pokémon Go? It wasn’t the first AR (augmented reality) app when it premiered in 2016, but it was certainly the app that…
Read MoreOPLIN 4Cast #585: Pokémon Go was just the beginning
OPLIN 4Cast #583: Still the same old VR, but now with more uses
Posted in 4cast, and Virtual reality
Last month, I presented a webinar concerning some developments in emerging technology. One of the topics I didn’t really cover was virtual reality (although I…
Read MoreOPLIN 4Cast #583: Still the same old VR, but now with more uses
In libraries, we’ve been aware of the term “digital divide” for quite some time. Traditionally, it has meant the difference between technology “haves” and “have-nots.…
Read MoreOPLIN 4Cast #581: The digital divide moves to the forefront
If you work in a public library, especially after school lets out, you might have noticed a trend with kids: playing video games is still…
Read MoreOPLIN 4Cast #579: The rise of Twitch brings more competitors…and questions
OPLIN 4Cast #577: They’re all over the news: are they in your home?
Posted in 4cast, and Smart assistants
My son has been after me to buy an Alexa or a Google Home, after he saw one in action at a friend’s house. “They’re…
Read MoreOPLIN 4Cast #577: They’re all over the news: are they in your home?