New forms for speakers

As music files continue to go mobile (think Walkmans vs. the new 20GB MP3 players), users are beginning to demand better audio speakers. But where to get speakers that provide reasonable sound quality yet are truly portable? Two companies think they've solved this problem with products designed to work with any audio device that has a jack for external speakers or headphones.

Wave Industries has introduced the Olympia Soundbug, a product that attaches to any surface with a suction cup. Just 4.1" across, it channels sound vibrations into the surface on which it is mounted, making the material a speaker itself. The Soundbug can be attached to almost any hard, smooth surface (glass windows, mirrors, metal), but reviews suggest it works best on wood surfaces. Unfortunately, battery life (three AAAs) is limited to about four hours.

More interesting may be Ellula's HotAir Speakers, inflatable units that you blow up like a beach ball and then plug into your portable device. The speakers go from just 2" when deflated to 9" when full of air. HotAirs produce multidirectional sound from the whole surface of the inflatable units using something called NXT Technology.

Each set of speakers comes with an amplifier, a battery pack (that requires six AAA batteries), and an AC adapter, while a subwoofer can be purchased separately. Because the plastic can be molded into any shape, the speakers can have any number of designs (think promotional campaigns).

Both the Olympia Soundbug and the Ellula HotAir Speakers are available for $49 each.

For Librarians? It's good to know that the public can now bring a pair of speakers into the library and attach them to a fixture. Librarians can make use of these products in mobile labs, bookmobiles, booktalks, job fairs, and other external events.

The hills are alive with the talk of wireless. The buzz in libraries centers around wireless access to the Internet and to the library's own services, including access from mobile devices and from within the library.

New products that can be used within the library appear almost daily. The Linksys Wireless Ethernet Bridge can add any device with an Ethernet port to an existing wireless network. This means you can access any printer, scanner, or other Ethernet device no matter where it is located in the building (as long as it is located within 300 meters of a wireless access point). The best part about this handy little device is that it doesn't need special drivers, so it can be installed on any platform (PC, Mac, Linux). Setup is handled through a web browser, which means it may find some mainstream appeal for home use with video game consoles.

Making the library wireless also means extending its reach to mobile devices such as cell phones and PDAs. Innovative Interfaces is leading the way in extending online catalogs in this arena. The company is beta-testing a stripped-down version of its catalog for two years. Called AirPac, the add-on runs a standard HTTP server that sends out JavaServer Pages formatted for the specific device that is requesting information. This technology allows mobile users to search and browse the catalog, check item status, and even view their own patron record, all in real-time.

Because there are so many different devices that use a variety of standards, it is difficult to create just one version of a catalog that works well on all of them (especially when small screen sizes are taken into account). If a user submits a search of an AirPac-enabled catalog from a WAP-enabled cell phone, AirPac will recognize that the information needs to be formatted in WAP. If the user submits a search from a wireless PDA (such as a Palm or PocketPC), AirPac will format it for that type of device. This reformatting of information on-the-fly means users are sent a version of the catalog that is most appropriate for their device without having to worry about browsers, screen resolution, and the like.

AirPac is also compliant with the U.S. government's Section 508 standards for web site accessibility, as well as the W3 Consortium's Priority 1 checklist of guidelines for accessibility. This compliance is essential for library patrons with disabilities because it makes sites more accessible in screen reading software.

The Linksys Wireless Ethernet Bridge works with the 802.11b standard and is available now for $129. AirPac should be available in 2003.

For Librarians? The Linksys Bridge makes it easier for a library to expand a wireless network to include printers in even remote parts of a building. Alternately, AirPac makes a library's catalog available in a much more usable fashion to an increasingly mobile community.

Even though we're hearing a lot about wireless, wired networks are still the dominant setup by far. The costs of wired networks are lower than those of wireless ones, and new products like 3Com's NJ200 Network Jack make it even easier and more cost-effective to maintain a wired infrastructure.

The NJ200 converts one in-wall, LAN port into four switched (10/100M bit/sec) ports without requiring additional cabling. The unit is the same size as a standard wall adapter, so it doesn't take up any more room. In fact, in rooms where multiple connections are needed, the NJ200 actually saves space because external hubs and switches are no longer required. All of the network management and security can be administered over Simple Network Management Protocol, allowing any of the ports to be activated or deactivated as needed. In fact, a location mapping feature even allows a network administrator to locate any device on the network instantaneously. The unit includes an additional jack that can provide inline electrical power (using the 802.3af inline power standard) for external voice-over-IP phones, wireless access points, or any other 802.3af-enabled device. An optional AC power adapter is available for the NJ200 itself for use in networks that do not support the 802.3af power-over-Ethernet standard.

The NJ200 is available and retails for $219 per unit (or $4,075 for a pack of 20).

For Librarians? A library can now add wired connections quicker and more efficiently by simply replacing an existing in-wall port with the NJ200. This could mean more connections in each room (for PCs, laptops, printers, scanners). Almost any room can now be turned into a multicomputer lab without having to run new cabling for each unit.

While devices have gone small and mobile, the biggest headache is still power cords and the need to "dock" them with a power source periodically. This is especially annoying when traveling. However, this may change in the near future.

You can already purchase a Universal AC Adapter from Targus that uses different tips in order to charge multiple devices. However, even though there is less to carry around, you still have to recharge the devices one at a time. Enter two companies that think they have a solution.

MobileWise made a big splash recently when it announced that Acer and Samsung have agreed to implement MobileWise technology into their handheld devices. The MobileWise product centers around its Wire-Free Electricity Base, which is a pad with nubs (tiny metal contact points). The Base plugs into a wall for electricity, but then any device with a MobileWise chip embedded in it can recharge itself simply by being placed anywhere on the pad. Even better, multiple devices can be placed on the pad. Imagine charging your cell phone, PDA, laptop, and GameBoy simply by placing them on the pad overnight.

Safety concerns are minor owing to the way MobileWise has implemented its technology. The pad transmits power to only those devices with embedded MobileWise chips in them, so you don't need to worry about a child touching the pad, your credit cards, or your cat laying down on it. Eventually, the pads could be embedded in desks (at home and hotels), tables (in restaurants and airports), kitchen counters, and airplane tray tables, while the chips could be embedded in toys, tools, lamps, and appliances.

SplashPower is a competing company that uses "inductive power transfer" rather than metal contact points, similar to the recharging method used by electric toothbrushes. In this case, devices with SplashModules on their surfaces can be placed on a SplashPad in order to recharge. Because there are no contact points, a device with a SplashModule in it could even be placed near a SplashPad instead of on it. The company also makes all of the safety claims that MobileWise does, with the additional feature that the pad does not have to be kept contaminant-free in order to work.

The Targus Universal AC Adapter is available now for $120. MobileWise Wire-Free Electricity Bases may be available next year for approximately $175. SplashPads may appear on the market next year, although pricing has not yet been set.

For Librarians? Libraries could take on the additional role of becoming recharging stations by installing these types of "power pads" on furniture in public areas. In addition, we may end up implementing them in staff areas as a way to provide power throughout the building. Imagine being able to sit a laptop or tablet PC on any surface in the library, getting electricity from the surface and Internet access through a wireless connection.

MicroOptical recently announced a pair of projectable-display eyeglasses aimed at factory workers that allow them to simultaneously view data, pictures, and movies, all within the glasses themselves. The company is pioneering frames that connect to a device (like a laptop, PDA, or cell phone) and project an image into optics embedded in the lenses. The glasses currently support a 640 x 480 display in 24-bit color in a frame that is slightly larger (but not much heavier) than a pair of standard glasses.

The display appears to the user in the middle of the field of vision or off to the left, so as not to block completely the external world. The user can choose to watch recreational movies (think kids on a long airplane ride) or view streaming data (think stocks or medical data such as heart rate).

A Bluetooth version is also in the works in order to remove the need for the frames to be attached to a specific device. Instead, the user could interact with a cell phone, PDA, or laptop within 30 feet and view the data directly within the glasses. The future may hold 3D models that would help scientists and would probably also appeal to video gamers.

MicroOptical eyeglasses are already in testing for the military, and their low-end product for commercial use is available now for $995. The company hopes to drop prices down to just a few hundred dollars in the near future, at which point consumers may be able to purchase glasses embedded with MicroOptical technology at optometry stores in the mall.

For Librarians? While this technology is still several years from going mainstream, libraries need to start thinking now about how to circulate data to patrons who can handle any type of digital file wherever they happen to be. In addition, librarians can take advantage of this technology to provide the full breadth of reference service wherever they are.