Google’s new browser, Chrome

Google just launched a beta version of their own browser called Chrome. Like the giant nerd that I am I immediately downloaded it and starting using it. 

So what do I think? I like it. First of all there is less stuff cluttering up the top of the window (tool and menu bars are limited). Second, it has a very clean look to it. When I’m working on the web I don’t want to be distracted by my browser window. Third, the downloading function is easy.  Fourth, no more need for a Google search box, you just use the address bar for searching or entering a full web address. Fifth and probably their biggest selling point is their tabbed browsing functionality. Other browsers that allow you to use tabs for different web sites have the fatal flaw that when one of the sites in your tabs crashes it brings down all your other tabbed sites. Not so with Chrome – Excellent feature!

Other things I like about it – it has a total nerd factor going for it – when you go to the Tools Menu and look at Options, your choices are Basics, Minor Tweaks, and Under the Hood.  Here again the information is very clean and simple to understand. They also have some really good tools for webmasters like me to look at. 

There are only two things about it I don’t like so far. 1) Bookmarks, this is a little different than what we are used to  seeing. To bookmark a page you just click on the star next to the web address. It’s easy to do, but it wasn’t apparent to me at first. It did bring in my bookmarks from both Internet Explorer and Firefox, but I really need to reorganize them now because there kind of a jumbled mess. I also don’t like where the bookmark button is. It is on the far right side of the window and the way it pops out is just very different than I’m used to or that I like. 2) Chrome is not showing the RSS feeds from our website yet. I’m sure they will fix that. 

This is a beta release, which means it’s still being tweaked. Overall I like the clean look and feel, it’s security is good and the crash prevention is an excellent feature. You can try it for yourself if you like and read more about it at: http://www.google.com/chrome –Jill

Need Homework Help?

School is back in session again, and so is the endless litany of homework assignments, but the library has many services to help you or your child both in the library and from home.  Besides the books you can check out from the library, you can also access many of the library’s magazines, newspapers, reference books and more from your home computer.  The Homework Help page is a good place to see which library databases are good for which type of homework assignment.  If you don’t see what you need, please call your local branch and we will be happy to help you find it.

“What is a database?” you may ask, and “Why would I do that instead of just going to Google?”  A database is a collection of reference books, magazines, journals, sound and/or video that either the state library or Durham County Library pays for.  You use either the NC Live password or your Durham County Library card number to log in to these databases.  The information available in these databases is usually information which belongs to the authors and/or publishers who want to profit from there work and will not make it available for free on the general internet.  For example, if you go to Consumer Reports’ website from a Google search, you will not be able to look at an article unless you pay for it.  If you go to Consumer Reports through NC Live, you can look up any article you want from 1991 to today’s current issue just as it is displayed in the magazine because the library pays for it. Nifty, isn’t it?

If you need either tutoring or someone to actually help you with homework, go to our online program calendar, click Search, and type “homework help” in the search box, you will see all the different homework and tutoring programs at the different library branches.  Be sure to read the description and make sure that the session you want is for your age group and whether or not you must preregister.

-Kathy