From an email from RefWorks:

RefGrab-It, a feature within RefWorks, allows users to capture data from web sites through a simple single click!

An enhanced version of RefGrab-It is now available for users with two different versions:

• a bookmarklet (for use in Internet Explorer and Firefox)
• a plug-in (one specifically for Internet Explorer and one specifically for Firefox)

This new version now provides all RefGrab-It users with additional options and features including:

• Show details link for each reference
• Author Resolver linking
• OpenURL Resolver
• Export to RefWorks

The plug-in version has some features that are not available in the bookmarklet version:

• RefWorks Association - creates a direct export to your account and identifies which references RefGrab-It has already downloaded
• Embedded Mode - lets you view RefGrab-It on top of the webpage as opposed to displaying in a new window
• Export RIS Format Files (plug-in only) - allows users who have the ISI help file on their computer to override direct exports from certain data vendors to EndNote, Reference Manager and ProCite and save the references as an ris.text file for importing into RefWorks

Information for installing and using RefGrab-It is available in RefWorks’ online help section. New RefGrab-It training webinars are scheduled for June 2 and June 24.

From the Tampa Library, following the water dammage of May 14:

This morning we re-opened half of the Media Resources area on the first floor of the USF Tampa Library. Half of the computers are accessible, we are making video/DVD players accessible, the scores are accessible, the Media Annex videos are accessible, and the desk will be open.

Remaining closed due to flooding damage are the main video collection, DVD collection, CD collection, multi-media rooms (LIB125D&E), and half of the computers. Staff will retrieve items from these collections for patrons as requested.

We may be able to open these areas soon, if several things fall into place. Carpet has been removed, and the concrete needs to dry and be cleaned, and the drying equipment needs to be removed. Once that happens, we will open the rest of Media Resources. There will be a brief closure again later in the summer when the carpet is replaced.

Informaworld will not be available Wednesday, May 27 from 1:00 to 5:00 a.m.

We use the Informaworld database to access the full-text of articles from scientific publishers like Taylor & Francis.

On Monday, May 25, the Library and Open Use Lab will be closed to observe Memorial Day.

Have a great week-end!

Brand, spanking new:

The purpose of Data.gov is to increase public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government.

As the service is just starting, the number of datasets is still limited but will grow in time. Data can be searched and downloaded. Suggestions for additional resources is welcomed.

No, I haven’t decided to put all my thoughts on the project in Dick Cheney’s undisclosed location ™. I just haven’t had time to focus on this. When I was a grad student, I could just fiddle with stuff until 2 or 3 in the morning, but that doesn’t work anymore. Something about age, having teenagers in the house, being overcommitted, etc…

XHTML is the modern version of HTML, the original Web markup language. XHTML (and HTML) tags tells Web browsers how to display the information contained between the tags.

There is no difference between the .htm and .html extension.

I. Advantages of XHTML over HTML
A. XHTML does not let you be as sloppy in your markup as HTML does. While this may appear at first glance as
a disadvantage to some who like to be sloppy, it forces you to do things the same way every time and really learn
the language.
B. XHTML is much more compatible across different browsers than is HTML.
C. The best Web sites today are being built with XHTML, so this is the language you will see when you are looking at
source codes for ideas/questions.

II. Expanding an XHTML-created website
A. Embedded programs
1. Java applets
2. ActiveX controls (both are miniature programs that you can use in a Web page but are not written in XHTML)
B. Browser Plug-ins
1. Acrobat
2. Flash

The document type definition (DTD) is placed at the beginning of a Web page to tell the browser which language the page was written in:

XHTML Strict:

< !DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">

XHTML Transitional:

< !DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

Tags tell the browser to run on and off formatting settings; tags are used in pairs with a start tag and an end tag. A pair of start and end tags is known as an element. ()

Standalone tags do not come in pairs and typically insert something into the page. (
)

The comment tag will tell the browser to hide everything that is between the tags ()

Use a validator (www.validome.org) to validate pages.

The validated code for the text example:

< !DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">

Hire Me!

I am Lee Park, hire me for your company, because my work is off the hizzle.
As proof of my staggering computer skills and monumental work ethic, please enjoy this
electronic resume.

Indispensable Skills

My skills include:

• Fast typing (nearly 12 words/minute).
• Extraordinary pencil sharpening ability.
• Inventive excuse making.
• Negotiating with officers of the peace.

And I also know XHTML!

Previous Work Experience

I have had a long and illustrious career in a variety of trades. Here are some highlights:

• 2005-2008 - Worked as a typist at Flying Fingers
• 2008-2009 - Starred in Chapter 2 of Creating Web Pages: The Missing Manual

I knew that the Web had existed prior to the 1990s, but that it didn’t hit the mainstream until 1993. This chapter told we why, something that I never knew: 1993 is the year the first Web browser was introduced. And what is it that makes a Web browser so magical? A browser sends a request for the text version of the page a user types in to the address bar to a server where that information is stored. The server then sends back the text, and the browser interprets that text (html, xhtml, etc.) and draws the webpage on the screen for the user.

I currently use IE and will need to download Firefox to check my webpages.

I. Planning a Web Site
A. Types of Sites
1. Personal
2. Blogs
3. Résumé
4. Topical
5. Event
6. Promotion
7. Small business
B. Understanding Your Audience
1. Compare screen monitors with different resolutions
2. Be careful using non-standard fonts
3. Slim down graphics
4. Easy on features that aren’t widely supported
C. Lifespan
1. Best sites are constantly improving/adding new content
2. Think in stages/design a site that is easy to modify
3. Modify key areas regularly, leave the rest alone
D. Practice good design
1. Keep it simple
2. Consistent design
3. Gear style towards your audience
II. Ingredients of a Web Site
A. Web Pages
B. Web Space (Publishing to the Web)
C. Domain Name
D. Using Web Design Tools
E. Hyperlinks
F. Extras
1. Listed in search engines
2. Forums
3. Commerce
4. JavaScript
5. Audio/Video

From the Tampa Library:

Torrential downpour floods media resources and bound periodicals

Heavy rains Wednesday night led to significant water intrusion on the USF Tampa Library’s first and second floors. Your patience is appreciated as we dry out our collections and building. Bound periodicals and other materials on the second floor are available for use but may have been relocated. Please check with desk staff for access to materials in affected areas.

This could affect Polytechnic users requesting some articles through interlibrary loan, or Polytechnic faculty needing a-v materials for class use. Your comprehension is appreciated.

updated May 14
Internet Explorer 8 is now generally available, but problems still persist.

In order to use IE8 with Blackboard, you will need to change the compatibility mode of IE8 to emulate IE7
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/features/enhanced-navigation.aspx

It’s still in beta, so it should come as no surprise to anyone who uses it, but there are known problems with IE8 Beta and Blackboard.
The following are known issues with IE 8 Beta

• Students trying to upload files to an Assignment will receive an error message
  “Please submit a valid file”
• When taking a timed quiz, the yellow timer which normally sits in the upper-right corner of the screen, instead rests in the lower-right corner, covering up the next/previous question buttons. Students are unable to advance to the next questions.

The only current workaround is to use a supported web browser, IE7, Firefox 2 or 3, or Safari 3.

Similarly, Google’s awesome new web browser Chrome is not supported, and there are currently no published plans by Blackboard to do so.

Here is Blackboard official support matrix for web browsers. (updated Oct 27, 2008)
http://kb.blackboard.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=25368490

Please take note that the textbook pickup service will start on Monday, May 11 at the *new* location and times specified in our previous post. The USF Polytechnic campus is currently on semester break for the week. The Help Desk (who distributes the textbooks) closes at 5PM for the students. The Help Desk staff is currently very busy making sure all the computers and classrooms are ready for the Summer semester and cannot man LAC 1275.

We realize there was a miscommunication with the USF bookstore and that the information for picking up textbooks, given out in the email the bookstore is sending, is incorrect; our apologies for any inconvenience and we thank you for your comprehension.

The USF Poly Bookstore has moved and is no longer located in the Library/OUL (LTB1115).

The new location is in LAC1275 (863-667-7842).

The hours of operation starting May 11, 2009 will be:

• Monday-Thursday
  9am-1pm & 4pm-7pm
• Friday
  9am-1pm & 2pm-5pm
• Saturday
  10am-2pm

If you have any questions about your order, please email the bookstore at sm022@bncollege.com or call 813-974-5028 (8am-3pm) or 813-974-5412 (3pm-7pm)

UPDATE: Updated the hours and contact information

Here are the items newly arrived at the USF Polytechnic Library during the month of April. As always, new circulating books are found in the “New books” stacks in the Group Study area; the new reference titles are being immediately shelved in their respective stacks.

Of note, we have started receiving the 2008 award-winning Children’s Books. See more details at the ALA website. More titles are coming.

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Reference

• Florida statistical abstract. Gainesville : University of Florida Press, 1967-
  Reference HA311 .F55
• CSG state directory. Directory I, Elective officials. Lexington, Ky. : Council of State Governments, c1998-
  Reference JK2403 .B6 Suppl.1 2009
• The ACS style guide : effective communication of scientific information. Washington, DC : American Chemical Society ; Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2006.
  Reference QD8.5 .A25 2006

Books

• A biographical dictionary of the Baseball Hall of Fame / John C. Skipper. Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., Inc., Publishers, c2008.
  GV865.A1 S516 2008
• Case study research : design and methods / Robert K. Yin. Los Angeles, Calif. : Sage Publications, c2009.
  H62 .Y56 2009
• Capitalism / by Geoffrey Ingham. Cambridge, UK ; Malden, MA : Polity Press, 2008.
  HB501 .I5795 2008
• The dynamics between entrepreneurship, environment and education / edited by A. Fayolle and P. Kyro. Cheltenham : Edward Elgar, 2008.
  HB615 .D97 2008
• The business value of IT : managing risks, optimizing performance, and measuring results / Michael D.S. Harris, David Herron, Stasia Iwanicki. Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press, c2008
  HC79.I55 H39 2008
• The green and virtual data center / Greg Schulz. Boca Raton, FL : Auerbach Publications, 2009.
  HC79.I55 S38 2009
• Going lean : how the best companies apply lean manufacturing principles to shatter uncertainty, drive innovation, and maximize profits / Stephen A. Ruffa. New York : American Management Association, c2008.
  HD38.5 .R84 2008
• Analysis without paralysis : 10 tools to make better strategic decisions / Babette E. Bensoussan, Craig Fleisher. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : FT Press, c2008.
  HD38.7 .B4555 2008
• Leading strategic change : bridging theory and practice / Eric Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle. Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2008.
  HD58.8 .F5455 2008
• The one minute entrepreneur : the secret to creating and sustaining a successful business / Ken Blanchard, Don Hutson, with Ethan Willis. New York : Currency Doubleday, c2008.
  HD62.5 .B56 2008
• Effective web presence solutions for small businesses : strategies for successful implementation / Stephen Burgess, Carmine Sellitto, Stan Karanasios. Hershey : Information Science Reference, c2009.
  HD62.7 .B834 2009
• Billion dollar lessons : what you can learn from the most inexcusable business failures of the last twenty-five years / Paul B. Carroll and Chunka Mui. New York : Portfolio, 2008.
  HG3761 .C37 2008
• Fixing global finance / Martin Wolf. Baltimore, Md. : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008.
  HG3881 .W65 2008
• Couples, gender, and power : creating change in intimate relationships / Carmen Knudson-Martin, Anne Rankin Mahoney, editors. New York : Springer Pub. Co., c2009.
  HM1106 .C67 2009
• Mediated interpersonal communication / edited by Elly A. Konijn … [et al.]. New York : Routledge, 2008.
  HM1166 .M43 2008
• Aging families and caregiving / edited by Sara Honn Qualls, Steven H. Zarit. Hoboken, N.J. : John Wiley & Sons, c2009.
  HV1451 .A37 2009
• Controlling crime, controlling society : thinking about crime in Europe and America / Dario Melossi. Cambridge : Polity, c2008.
  HV6018 .M45 2008
• Data mining for intelligence, fraud, & criminal detection : advanced analytics & information sharing technologies / Christopher Westphal. Boca Raton : CRC Press, c2009.
  HV7921 .W47 2009
• Cyber forensics : a field manual for collecting, examining, and preserving evidence of computer crimes / Albert J. Marcella, Jr., Doug Menendez. New York : Auerbach Publications, c2008.
  HV8079.C65 C93 2008
• Neo-liberal ideology : history, concepts and policies / Rachel S. Turner. Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, c2008.
  JC574 .T75 2008
• Inventor’s notebook : a “patent it yourself” companion / By Fred Grissom & David Pressman. Berkeley, CA : Nolo, 2008.
  KF3120.Z9 G75 2008
• Asian Americans and the media / Kent A. Ono and Vincent N. Pham. Cambridge ; Malden, MA : Polity, 2009.
  P94.5.A762 U6 2009
• Of cigarettes, high heels, and other interesting things : an introduction to semiotics / Marcel Danesi. New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
  P99 .D36 2008
• Writing the laboratory notebook / Howard M. Kanare. Washington, D.C. : American Chemical Society, 1985.
  Q180.58 .K36 1985
• Guide to essential math : a review for physics, chemistry and engineering students / S.M. Blinder. Amsterdam ; Oxford : Academic, 2008.
  QA39.3 .B55 2008
• The making of information systems : software engineering and management in a globalized world / Karl E. Kurbel. Berlin : Springer, c2008.
  QA76.758 .K87 2008
• Data mining for design and marketing / edited by Yukio Ohsawa, Katsutoshi Yada. Boca Raton : CRC Press, c2009.
  QA76.9.D343 D3828 2009
• The developer’s guide to debugging / T. Grötker … [et al.]. Dordrecht ; London : Springer, 2008.
  QA76.9.D43 D48 2008
• Cyberpsychology : an introduction to human-computer interaction / Kent L. Norman. Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2008.
  QA76.9.H85 N668 2008
• Intelligent systems : modeling, optimization, and control / Yung C. Shin, Chengying Xu. Boca Raton : CRC Press, c2009.
  QA76.9.S63 S55 2009
• Introduction to information retrieval / Christopher D. Manning, Prabhakar Raghavan, Hinrich Schutze. New York : Cambridge University Press, 2008.
  QA76.9.T48 M26 2008
• Guilty robots, happy dogs : the question of alien minds / David McFarland. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2008.
  QL785 .M456 2008
• How to make patent drawings : a patent it yourself companion / by Jack Lo and David Pressman. Berkeley : Nolo, 2007.
  T223.U3 L6 2007
• Machine tools for high performance machining / L.N. Lopez de Lacalle, A. Lamikiz, editors. London : Springer, c2009.
  TJ1185 .M2245 2009
• Made-to-order lean : excelling in a high-mix, low-volume environment / by Greg Lane ; foreword by John Shook. New York : Productivity Press, c2007.
  TS155 .L2524 2007
• Integrating advanced computer-aided design, manufacturing, and numerical control : principles and implementations / Xun Xu. Hershey, PA : Information Science Reference, c2009.
  TS171.4 .X86 2009
• Nanotechnology : the business / Michael T. Burke. Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, c2009.
  T174.7 .B87 2009
• Minders of make-believe : idealists, entrepreneurs, and the shaping of American children’s literature / Leonard S. Marcus. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co., 2008.
  Z480.C48 M37 2008

Children’s Books

• What to do about Alice? : how Alice Roosevelt broke the rules, charmed the world, and drove her father Teddy crazy! / by Barbara Kerley ; illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham. New York : Scholastic Press, 2008.
  E757.3 .K47 2008
• Our White House : looking in, looking out / created by 108 renowned authors and illustrators and The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance ; with an introduction by David McCullough. Cambridge, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2008.
  F204.W5 O986 2008
• All stations! distress! : April 15, 1912, the day the Titanic sank / Don Brown. New York : Flash Point/Roaring Brook Press, 2008.
  G530.T6 B756 2008
• Bodies from the ice : melting glaciers and the recovery of the past / by James M. Deem. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
  GN293 .D43 2008
• We are the ship : the story of Negro League baseball / words and paintings by Kadir Nelson ; forward by Hank Aaron. New York : Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, c2008.
  GV875.A1 N45 2008
• Elizabeth leads the way : Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the right to vote / Tanya Lee Stone ; illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon. New York : Henry Holt and Co., c2008.
  HQ1413.S67 S76 2008
• Before John was a jazz giant : a song of John Coltrane / Carole Boston Weatherford ; illustrated by Sean Qualls. New York : Henry Holt, 2008.
  ML3930.C535 .W43 2008
• Piano starts here : the young Art Tatum / by Robert Andrew Parker. New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, c2008.
  ML3930.T2 P37 2008
• A is for art : an abstract alphabet / Stephen T. Johnson. New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c2008.
  N6494.A2 J64 2008
• Wanda Gág : the girl who lived to draw / Deborah Kogan Ray. New York, N.Y. : Viking, 2008.
  NC975.5.G34 R39 2008
• Boys of steel : the creators of Superman / by Marc Tyler Nobleman ; illustrated by Ross MacDonald. New York : A.A. Knopf, c2008.
  ]NC1305 .N63 2008
• What’s up, Duck? : a book of opposites / by Tad Hills. New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, c2008.
  PE1591 .H496 2008
• The trouble begins at 8 : a life of Mark Twain in the wild, wild West / Sid Fleischman. New York : Greenwillow Books, c2008.
  PS1332 .F64 2008
• A river of words : the story of William Carlos Williams / written by Jen Bryant ; illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2008.
  PS3545.I544 Z5823 2008
• The surrender tree : poems of Cuba’s struggle for freedom / Margarita Engle. New York : Henry Holt and Co., 2008.
  PS3555.N4254 S87 2008
• Reaching out / Francisco Jiménez. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008.
  PS3560.I55 R43 2008
• The underneath / by Kathi Appelt ; illustrated by David Small. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2008.
  PZ7.A6455 Un 2008
• A visitor for Bear / Bonny Becker ; illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Cambridge, MA : Candlewick Press, c2008.
  PZ7.B3814 Vis 2008
• Beware of the frog / William Bee. Cambridge, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2008.
  PZ7.B38197 Bew 2008
• Waiting for normal / Leslie Connor. New York, NY : Katherine Tegen Books, c2008.
  PZ7.C7644 Wai 2008
• Papá and me / Arthur Dorros ; pictures by Rudy Gutierrez. New York : HarperCollinsPublishers, c2008.
  PZ7.D7294 Pap 2008
• The porcupine year / Louise Erdrich. New York, NY : HarperCollinsPublishers, c2008.
  PZ7.E72554 Por 2008
• Buffalo music / by Tracey E. Fern ; illustrated by Lauren Castillo. New York : Clarion Books, c2008.
  PZ7.F3589 Bu 2008
• Buster goes to Cowboy Camp / Denise Fleming. New York : Henry Holt, 2008.
  PZ7.F5994 Bus 2008
• A couple of boys have the best week ever / Marla Frazee. Orlando, Fla. : Harcourt, c2008.
  PZ7.F866 Cou 2008
• The graveyard book / Neil Gaiman ; with illustrations by Dave McKean. New York : HarperCollins Pub., c2008.
  PZ7.G1273 Gr 2008
• Goose and Duck / by Jean Craighead George ; illustrated by Priscilla Lamont. New York, NY : Laura Geringer Books, c2008.
  PZ7.G2933 Goo 2008
• How to heal a broken wing / Bob Graham. Cambridge, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2008.
  PZ7.G751667 Ho 2008
• Old Bear / Kevin Henkes. New York : Greenwillow Books, c2008.
  PZ7.H389 Okh 2008
• Abe Lincoln crosses a creek : a tall, thin tale (introducing his forgotten frontier friend) / Deborah Hopkinson ; pictures by John Hendrix. New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, c2008.
  PZ7.H778125 Abe 2008
• Ghosts in the house! / Kazuno Kohara. New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2008.
  PZ7.K82325 Gh 2008
• Savvy / by Ingrid Law. New York : Dial Books for Young Readers ; Boston, Mass. : Walton Media, c2008.
  PZ7.L41836 Sav 2008
• Tiger moon / by Antonia Michaelis ; translated from the German by Anthea Bell. New York : Amulet Books, 2008.
  PZ7.M5798274 Tig 2008
• Just in case : a trickster tale and Spanish alphabet book / Yuyi Morales. New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2008.
  PZ7.M7881927 Ju 2008
• Ways to live forever / Sally Nicholls. New York, NY : Arthur A. Levine Books, 2008.
  PZ7.N524 Way 2008
• Six innings : a game in the life / James Preller. New York : Feiwel and Friends, 2008.
  PZ7.P915 Si 2008
• Silent music : a story of Baghdad / James Rumford. New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2008.
  PZ7.R8878 Si 2008
• One boy / Laura Vaccaro Seeger. New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2008.
  PZ7.S4514 On 2008
• How I learned geography / Uri Shulevitz. New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, c2008.
  PZ7.S5594 Ho 2008 S562h
• The house in the night / written by Susan Marie Swanson , pictures by Beth Krommes. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008.
  PZ7.S97255 Hou 2008
• The Hinky Pink : an old tale / retold by Megan McDonald ; illustrated by Brian Floca. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008.
  PZ8.M4577 Hin 2008
• Way up and over everything / Alice McGill ; illustrated by Jude Daly. Boston [Mass.] : Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
  PZ8.1.M1713 Way 2008
• What can you do with a rebozo? / by Carmen Tafolla ; illustrations by Amy Córdova. Berkeley, CA : Tricycle Press, c2008.
  PZ8.3.T114915 Wh 2008
• Wolfsnail : a backyard predator / Sarah C. Campbell ; photographs by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell. Honesdale, Pa. : Boyds Mills Press, c2008.
  QL430.5.S65 C36 2008
• Pale Male : citizen hawk of New York City / by Janet Schulman ; illustrated by Meilo So. New York : Alfred A. Knopf, c2008.
  QL696.F32 S38 2008
• Wild tracks! : a guide to nature’s footprints / Jim Arnosky. New York : Sterling Pub. Co., c2008.
  QL768 .A77 2008
• Planting the trees of Kenya : the story of Wangari Maathai / Claire A. Nivola. New York : Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, c2008.
  SB63.M22 N58 2008

Like to use RefWorks? They have announced the lauch of a mobile interface, called RefMobile.

RefMobile gives you access to the most commonly used functions:

The RefMobile interface gives users immediate access to the most commonly used RefWorks functions, including searching their entire RefWorks databases, viewing references by folders, adding and removing references from folders, creating new folders, and adding comments to Notes fields. Users can also efficiently import new references to their RefWorks account using the new SmartAdd feature.
With SmartAdd, users simply enter basic identifying information for a publication, such as ISBN number, digital object identifier (DOI) number, partial title, or author and publication year, and SmartAdd searches the Internet for the reference and import it to RefWorks.

RefWorks announced the launch of RefMobile, a new interface that enables students and researchers to use the RefWorks web-based research management service from anywhere, via web-enabled mobile phones, smart phones, and personal data assistants (PDAs).

Screenshots are available.

Classes over, Spring ‘09

Hoorah hooray. I guess.

Things in engineering all went pretty smooth. B’s and A’s, it seems. But everything else seemed less than satisfying. Oh well, grades will be grades, and nothing better or worse.

I’m going to keep working on user interfaces. I need to develop some better context solutions for a digital canvas.

Planting all sorts of things in the garden. Most of them really neat flowers.

The last thing to mention is that I told someone I would illustrate a bunch of their characters in watercolor… I want to practice some advanced shading tricks that I’ve seen others use.

I was thinking of doing a website design contest, but man. I hate contests like that. People waste countless hours, the design is usually sub-par to what the client could have gotten and the designer could have created. The ambiguity is killing me. I wish that people would stop doing that kind of thing, bite the bullet, and just send out a request through the university pipes, asking for someone who is interested in design work to give them a call or something. I would totally go for that.

Much like obsessive OO design hierarchy, the problem with this stuff is that it’s next to impossible to decide how much work you should put in to different portions, and many times things just get lopsided or you have to spend extra resources reducing the problem in your head or on paper.

Okay, enough ranting. I need to get back to work. Raytheon might be contacting me any hour now.