Is L.A. Too Cool for Libraries?

This is a rough time to be a librarian, or a library patron. The recession has slashed library budgets. Even some avid readers are migrating away from the printed page and toward iPads, Kindles and other electronic reading devices.

An article in the current L.A. Weekly is a ringing defense of the city's libraries and an urgent call to reverse deep budget cuts in the library department.

Internet for the Observant

A recent National Public Radio story discussed the growing popularity of religious-based search engines. For some Internet users, it creates a more acceptable way to navigate the near-anarchy often found online.

MW 9:10 and 10:45; TTh 9:10

Life Without Facebook

So how would college students fill their days and nights if they didn't have social networking sites to spend time on? That's what one college president wondered. He is promoting a social media-free week on his campus. The idea is for students to see how social networking impacts students' lives by examining how things change when social networking suddenly isn't there... on the Internet, at least. NPR reports.

What, No Sky Writing?

Former eBay chief Meg Whitman has broken all records for spending on a California governor's election. Both Democratic and Republican political consultants say this has enabled her to blanket the state with multiple types of advertising backed by extensive research into what is motivating various groups of voters in 2010. A recent Los Angeles Times article has highlighted what a candidate can spend on in a state of the art political campaign.

Clutter Vs. Privacy

We all get unwanted emails, and it takes valuable time to sort through them. Now, Google has introduced a GMail service that looks in on your emails and sorts them into categories. This could be a real time-saver, but do you really want Google knowing what your emails are about. National Public Radio reports.

Welcome, Fall 2010 Students!

Welcome to Club Medianote from Your Humble Blogger. Links to all the medianotes will be posted here.

Our first medianote of the semester involves Apple and the future of television. Apple is attempting to extend the 99 cent download model that has worked so well for recorded music on iTunes to television shows. Apple hopes to offer episodes of current TV shows within 24 hours of their airing for 99 cents. And it will be commercial-free.

Disney is willing to give it a try. CBS and NBC are against the idea, fearing it will hurt their DVD and advertising revenues. Fox has yet to decide, although company chairman Rupert Murdoch wants to partner with Apple, in part because he hopes to start a national newspaper that will be distributed in iPad format.

What does all this mean for the future of television. Our class discussion was based upon this article in the Los Angeles Times.