Tech Briefs
By Josh Hadro -- Library Journal, 11/15/2008
- Exent Technologies is now offering a library-specific subscription gaming platform called “Family Play Pack.” The product requires only a broadband Internet connection and features access to more than 250 games, including Zoo Tycoon, Clifford the Big Red Dog and others; all are rated “E for Everyone.”
- TheOhio Web Library went live in October, featuring a federated search resource portal built on top of open source software, available to all Ohioans. The metasearch portal was developed by the Ohio Public Library Information Network using Index Data's Pazpar2 metasearch middleware (see “Free Your Search with Open Source,” netConnect, Summer 2008, p. 24) as well as database connectors licensed via LibLime's OpenTranslators service.
- BNA, a publisher of professional information and analysis products, released BNAConvergence, a news filtering and delivery tool geared toward legal and corporate librarians and other users who need to keep tabs on a wide variety of different sources. Built on “relevance recognition” tech from a company called Llessiant, BNAConvergence is used to generate tailored reports on industries and specific businesses.
- Global Reader, part of Macmillan Publishing Solutions Mobile, has signed on with DNAML to promote collaboratively the DNL eBook standard with the Global Reader mobile format. Both companies provide platforms for reading ebooks secured with digital rights management software; the cross-partnership will give broad access to end users using both desktop-based and mobile ebook readers.
