Shush! We're Trying to Play Guitar Hero in Here

Today's medianote comes from a Los Angeles Times story about the growing use of video games in libraries. As public libraries try to redefine their role in the community, some are embracing interactive media (video games) as an emerging mass medium that is particularly attractive to adolescent and teenage males, who are exactly the people that libraries have had trouble drawing in with paper books.

But the question remains: Do video games have any legitimate place in a library?

Gabcast! Club MediaNote #38

Video to Go

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times discussed strides that are being made at bringing video on demand to cell phone screens. While cell phone video has been popular for a while in parts of Europe and Asia, it is just beginning to become established in the U.S.

Gabcast! Club MediaNote #37

Do You IM Before Breakfast?

A recent Yahoo! News story discussed internet addiction and what some people are doing to head it off. It can be called the "Digital Sabbath" or "Unplugged Day" or "Shutdown Day," but the concept is the same: that heavy web surfers, IMers and others should take some time away from the Internet, perhaps one day a week.

Gabcast! Club MediaNote #36

Trouble at Tribune

If the previous medianote hinted at the problems in television newsrooms, then the following NPR story examines wrenching, revolutionary changes at one of America's top newspaper chains. Sam Zell, the new owner of Tribune Co., certainly isn't going to settle for business as usual.

Sinking Anchors

Are television news anchors, high profile sports reporters, and other celebs of local news little more than high-salaried deadwood? An increasing number of local TV stations are laying off, or refusing to renew the contracts of some very high-profile news personalities, according to this National Public Radio story.

Gabcast! Club MediaNote #35

Never Enough Friends

Is it possible to have more friends than Tom? You know, the guy from MySpace.

Well, a growing number of recording artists are trying to rival Tom by starting their own social network sites. That way, they can email their "friends" and own the information on the web site, according to this Los Angeles Times story.