NorthStarNerd.Orghttp://www.northstarnerd.org/econtent/(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= '//www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-VQND'); Dedicated to open access sharing of knowledge - Your host: Rich Hoegen-USTue, 18 Jun 2013 04:58:48 PDT45.006764-93.382235http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.gifSome Rights ReservedHoeghttp://feedburner.google.comWelcome to the eContent RSS feed. Use any of the services provided to subscribe, or copy the url to your own feed reader. The full blog may be accessed at http://econtent.typepad.com/Librarians on the Roll!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoeg/~3/otHV0jzswg8/librarians-on-the-roll.htmlMedia 2.0rhoegTue, 18 Jun 2013 04:58:48 PDThttp://www.northstarnerd.org/econtent/2013/06/librarians-on-the-roll.htmlMadame Librarians these individuals are not! If you happen to be in the Belgium countryside over the next ten days, watch out for cycling librarians. These kings and queens of knowledge and information will be hosting an unconference on wheels. While they cycle through the fields of Belgium, they will participate in an unconfernce. How cool is that!

While I've participated in many barcamps, and unconferences, and tracked the efforts of StartUpBus, these book lovers are tops. Link and learn. They are bicycling with a passion.

Cycling for Libraries.

Two participants will have a trip journal on the Crazy Guy on a Bike Portal.

I Librarians-bicycling

 

]]>Madame Librarians these individuals are not! If you happen to be in the Belgium countryside over the next ten days, watch out for cycling librarians. These kings and queens of knowledge and information will be hosting an unconference on wheels....http://www.northstarnerd.org/econtent/2013/06/librarians-on-the-roll.htmlMonitoring the Northern Lights via your iPad or Android Device: Updatedhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoeg/~3/1ZwvUIMmeSc/monitoring-the-northern-lights-via-your-ipad-or-android-device-updated.htmlAndroid | iPad | Kindle FireNorthern LifeWeb/TechrhoegFri, 07 Jun 2013 08:11:54 PDThttp://www.northstarnerd.org/econtent/2013/06/monitoring-the-northern-lights-via-your-ipad-or-android-device-updated.htmlLast night I watched the Northern Lights down on the shores of Lake Superior. The display was fantastic, and I even took photographs of the Aurora Borealis, but how did I even know it was worth staying up late and then spending 2+ hours down at Brighton Beach watching dancing lights fill the heavens till after 1 am in the morning??

Given I love to sleep, enter some apps and bookmarked web pages which let me know IN ADVANCE whether I should be an insomniac for a given night! This post actually updated my entry from last Fall when I blogged about the same topic. I've actually changed my tune in terms of what I have installed on my Google Nexus 10 due to six months of additional testing. All of these services are free, but an investment of a few dollars will optimize your experience.

Here is the short list of what I use, followed by a more in depth explanation including screenshots and photos taken last night around 12:45 am:

  • Apps:
    • AuroraNotifier - This app is my primary choice for my Nexus 10. One does not need the premium version. It does a great job of giving updates on short term viewing prospects (one hour forecast), and has a customizable alert which may be configured by the Kp index.
  • Web Sites with a Home Screen Bookmark on my Tablet:
    • Aurora Forecast from the University of Alaska - A wealth of data may be found upon the Alaska site including long term forecasts, short term forecasts, and free email alerts. Visit the University of Alaska web site and out fill out their brief form. You will then receive email alerts whenever the Kp index is greater than a "4"
    • Ovation Aurora from the NOAA (National Weather Service) - See screenshot. This excellent map is color coded and lets me know the probabilty for viewing in my region

Please note I have removed Aurora Forecast (iOS and Android) from my most recommended list. I does a decent job of providing the long range forecast (1 to 7 days), but the short term forecast (next hour) is poor. However, I still keep it installed for a heads up it often gives me a number of days prior to an expected geomagnetic storm. 

Here are my screenshots with accompanying explanations taken during last nights' geomagnetic storm and my Northern Lights viewing down on the shores of Lake Superior. I've include two photos that I took around 12:30 am (ISO: 200, Aperture: 2.7, Exposure: 64 seconds).

Click upon any annotated screenshot or photo to view at full size!

Longer Term Northern Lights Forecast (1 to 7 days)
University of Alaska
Northern-Lights-App-3

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Short Term Northern Lights Forecast (1 hour)
University of Alaska
Northern-Lights-App-4

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Ovation Aurora Forecast (1 to 4 hours)
National Weather Service 
Northern-Lights-App-2

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AuroraNotifier Android App (and alerts)
Google Play
Northern-Lights-App-1

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Kp Northern Lights Chart
NOAA and the Planetary K Index

This chart will help you understand how a Kp number relates to viewing on the ground. Please note the Kp index gives the reading required for Northern Lights directly overhead. Depending upon atnosperic conditions, people to the south may be able to see the Aurora nearer the horizon.
Kp-Northern-Lights-Chart

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And finally two photos I took last night. If you are interested in photographing the Northern Lights I highly recommend reading these two web pages:

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 Brighton Beach Northern Lights Photo #1 near Duluth Minnesota
Night of June 6/7, 2013
Northern-Lights-Full

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Brighton Beach Northern Lights Photo #2 near Duluth Minnesota
Night of June 6/7, 2013
Northern-Lights-Panorama

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I'm still learning night time photography, which involved hacking my Canon camera with CHDK, but that's a whole different topic! (Creating a Dual Boot OS Digital Camera)

]]>Last night I watched the Northern Lights down on the shores of Lake Superior. The display was fantastic, and I even took photographs of the Aurora Borealis, but how did I even know it was worth staying up late and...http://www.northstarnerd.org/econtent/2013/06/monitoring-the-northern-lights-via-your-ipad-or-android-device-updated.html50 Year First Grade Reunion ... Thanks to Social Mediahttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoeg/~3/HA_D1sgVgy8/50-year-first-grade-reunion-thanks-to-social-media.htmlMedia 2.0Northern LiferhoegThu, 06 Jun 2013 07:32:48 PDThttp://www.northstarnerd.org/econtent/2013/06/50-year-first-grade-reunion-thanks-to-social-media.htmlPeople like to complain about social media, and the loss of privacy, etc. However, please remember what it now makes possible more often than not at cost to the individual.

On Saturday, along with 8 other of my first grade classmates we will hold a mini-reunion. It was 50 years ago this week that we "graduated" from first grade. Our school was known (now closed) at the UMD Lab School. The University of Minnesota Duluth Department of Elementary Education has arranged for us to have a tour of our old building, and we will be joined by our first grade teacher, Mr. Robert Higgins. How cool is that!

Thus, the next time you complain about Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc., please remember what these tools make possible. These tools are a fantastic asset. One need only be careful with one's own privacy settings.

UMD-Lab-School-1963

]]>People like to complain about social media, and the loss of privacy, etc. However, please remember what it now makes possible more often than not at cost to the individual. On Saturday, along with 8 other of my first grade...http://www.northstarnerd.org/econtent/2013/06/50-year-first-grade-reunion-thanks-to-social-media.htmlApp or Web Site? An Example Using Wildflower Photographyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoeg/~3/8RpTkbLIhnM/app-or-web-site-wildflower-photos.htmlAndroid | iPad | Kindle FireNorthern LiferhoegWed, 05 Jun 2013 13:37:26 PDThttp://www.northstarnerd.org/econtent/2013/06/app-or-web-site-wildflower-photos.htmlTwo days ago I took a 38 mile bike ride along the Luce Line Trail. This abandoned gravel railroad grade reaches out into the central Minnesota countryside. After a long Winter and cold Spring, the wildflowers are finally starting to bloom. I decided it would be a nice photography lesson for me if I practiced closeups where the flower's bloom is the focus of the picture, with the background blurred out.

It was fun taking the photos, and when I returned home I wondered aloud to myself: "What flowers are these?" My first action was to retreat to my trusty Nexus 10 and search on "Minnesota Wildflower Apps".  Eureka, an app named Minnesota Wildflowers existed for $2.99. However, after reading a few reviews I discovered the app was the same service which was online via a superb web site. I found that the web site responded quicker than the "free lite" version of the app, and the advanced search was quicker than the app's search. In the end, I just bookmarked a "home screen" link to the web site. No app required.

My little scenario points out that it is often much better to use a web site for your tablet and/or smartphone needs. Optimizing an app for either Android or iOS can be a daunting task frought with development difficulties and bugs. As a consumer you will often be better off with bookmarking a humble web page which may perform more effectively ... and it's cheaper too!

Here the my flower photographs. Can you match the flower's image (click to maximize) to its name? (Hint: the names are often a dead giveaway)

  • Dames Rocket
  • Garden Yellow Rocket
  • Ground Ivy
  • Red Columbine
  • Virginia Waterleaf
  • Wild Geranium

Wild-Geranium Garden-Yellow-Rocket
---------------------------------------------------------

Red Columbine  Virginia-Waterleaf
---------------------------------------------------------

Dames-Rocket  Ground-Ivy

]]>Two days ago I took a 38 mile bike ride along the Luce Line Trail. This abandoned gravel railroad grade reaches out into the central Minnesota countryside. After a long Winter and cold Spring, the wildflowers are finally starting to...http://www.northstarnerd.org/econtent/2013/06/app-or-web-site-wildflower-photos.htmlLake Superior Waves:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoeg/~3/QmcUZFwjrvc/lake-superior-waves-.htmlMedia 2.0Northern LiferhoegFri, 31 May 2013 14:21:40 PDThttp://www.northstarnerd.org/econtent/2013/05/lake-superior-waves-.htmlLake Superior Waves: A Flipboard Online Magazine celebrating the people, wildlife, and their natural surroundings along the Minnesota shores of Lake Superior.

  • Flipboard is a leading news reader app which installs on your iOS or Android device. It's free!
  • Lake Superior Waves is an online magazine dedicated to what makes the Northland great. It is delivered via Flipboard and is also free! Via Flipboard youy may content ranging from the NY Times to TechCruch.

Installation is easy. Follow this link to Flipboard.

Imagine reading about both Flamenco Dancing on the Northshore AND Indigo Buntings! These are just two examples of recent articles. Yours truly, the NorthStarNerd is the curator.

Want to learn how to create your own Flipboard Magazine? See my earlier post which includes instructions and annotated screenshots, but first subscribe to Lake Superior Waves!

Lake-Superior-Waves

]]>Lake Superior Waves: A Flipboard Online Magazine celebrating the people, wildlife, and their natural surroundings along the Minnesota shores of Lake Superior. Flipboard is a leading news reader app which installs on your iOS or Android device. It's free! Lake...http://www.northstarnerd.org/econtent/2013/05/lake-superior-waves-.html