This week, a look at the Inspiration Lab at the Vancouver Public Library’s Central Branch, a free photography mini-con at London Drugs, and a smartphone app designed for couples only.

Vancouver Public Library opens digital media lab on May 5

The Inspiration Lab at the Vancouver Public Library’s Central Branch on Homer Street is a place for storytelling in the digital age. The 7,500 square foot space will be free to use.

The space includes:

• Four fully equipped sound booths
• A recording studio with green screen and a camera on a dolly
• 12 work stations equipped with software for photo and video editing, audio mixing, and print and publishing design
• A large LCD screen and seating for digital presentations

In a release, the VPL director of collections and technology said that the lab is a “natural extension of the public computers and technology training we’ve offered for many years.”

Christina de Castell added, “Libraries have always been about creating and sharing stories, ideas, information and cultural expressions – in a place that’s free and accessible to everyone.”

The VPL plans on running programs to teach users how to use the tools that are in the lab, including experts in film, game development, and digital design. The VPL is also providing free access, for any Vancouver resident with a library card, to lynda.com, the online learning hub.

Get digital camera tips from pro photographers

This Saturday, May 2, London Drugs is hosting #LDFotoCon at the Broadway and Cambie store in Vancouver.

The free event gives you a chance to learn about digital photography techniques from professional shooters who are specialists in the fields of travel, sports, and more.

You’ll also get a chance to see the latest gear from the likes of Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Ricoh, and Sony.

LDFotoCon will also be taking place in Calgary (May 2), Coquitlam (May 9), Edmonton (May 23), Kelowna (May 30), and Victoria (May 23). Register here.

PlayTogether is an app for couples only

Lelo designs and sells “intimate lifestyle products”. Sex toys. The company, based in Stockholm, Sweden, makes products that are on the high end of the spectrum, with some – items – made of gold plate and priced at nearly Cdn$18,000.

The company commissioned an app, PlayTogether, that is only able to be experienced by two people.

PlayTogether was developed to accompany a short film, produced by Lelo, that will premiere in Cannes this May. Beyond the Wave stars Casper Van Dien (you might know him from Starship Troopers, which was released in 1997).

Surprisingly, there are no sex toys in Beyond the Wave.

Drex hates watching long videos on his computer screen, so the new Roku 3 is perfect for him. I explain what it does and why it’s great this week. We also talk about the software, Plex, and how it’s a great way for people to manage media files on their computers, and stream that media to their televisions and mobile devices.

And we end with a look at how Google took its Street View cameras to Scotland and into Loch Ness, ostensibly to search for Nessie.

This week, a look at the Roku 3 media streaming gadget, what makes Plex so great for managing media files, and Google takes Street View underwater in the search for the Loch Ness Monster.

Hands on with Roku 3 media streamer

The Roku 3 is the latest version of the company’s media player that you hook up to your television. The box itself is small and manageable. Priced at Cdn$110, It plays 1080p high-definition video, is equipped with ethernet and USB ports, and has a microSD card slot for good measure.

The remote is something special. It’s got the usual buttons for navigating through Roku’s interface, but it’s also got a headphone jack. Plug in your headphones and you’ve got personal audio. Perfect for watching action movies when the significant other is asleep next to you.

The remote has a microphone, too, for the voice search feature. Tap the search button on the remote, speak the name of a person or program, and Roku will display the options.

The problem with Roku is the anemic offering for Canadians. It gives you access to Netflix, YouTube, and a few other streaming and on-demand video services. In the U.S., the channel options are much broader, and include Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and the streaming services from all the major American networks and cable nets. But Canadians don’t get anywhere near the same range of programs.

What makes the Roku 3 much more appealing is that it also works with Plex.

Managing media files with Plex

Plex is a couple of things. It’s a media manager, so it organizes your media files (music, photos, video), and it’s a media player. It works with the Roku 3. It also works with Apple TV. And almost all the smart TVs on the market. And PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

And you can use Plex to watch your videos on any device you want. You can even start watching on one device and finish watching on another.

Some people can do these things already. It’s easy if you’ve decided that you’re going to rent and buy movies on iTunes, for example. But for people who are purchasing their media from a bunch of different places, and don’t have it all in one place, Plex is the solution. It will find and organize all those media files, and make it easy for you to watch them.

You can use Plex for free, but it’s worth paying for premium access. The Plex Pass costs US$5 per month, $50 per year, or $150 for lifetime subscription and it gives you access to a range of additional features, including being able to set up family accounts.

Google took Street View into Loch Ness

We know that the most popular photograph of Nessie was faked. And there’s just too much evidence against there being a plesiosaur, or any other strange creature, living in Loch Ness.

But that doesn’t stop us from being mystified by the idea of there being something hidden under the waves. On Monday, Google’s “doodle” celebrated the anniversary of that photograph

As the bearded gentleman says in the Telegraph video below, it’s the kind of place you expect there to be dragons.

Google gave in to the legend in sending Street View cameras into the waters of Loch Ness, and the area is now fully documented online

On the show last week, Drex and I talked about where you can recycle and dispose of electronics, including computer equipment. I tell him all about Vancouver’s Free Geek, which is the best place to make sure your computer equipment is getting reused, if possible, and recycled properly, if not.

We also talk about the Motorola Moto E mobile phone, which, at $150 without a contract, is the best deal you can get for a smartphone.

And we wrap with a quick mention of Volvo’s LifePaint.

This week in tech, Volvo’s washable, reflective spray paint will save lives, the appeal of the Motorola Moto E phone, and where to recycle electronics.

What to do with old, unused electronics

Drop-off event at the parking lot of Shoppers Drug Mart on Davie Street in the West End between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Visit Return-It for more information on responsibly disposing of electronics. If you want to recycle other items, the Recyclepedia can help (it also exists as a mobile app for Android and iOS).

And you can always donate used computer equipment to Free Geek.

Hands on with the Motorola Moto E

You don’t have to spend more than $500 on a smartphone. The Moto E from Motorola is only $150, without a contract.

The new version of the Moto E, released last month, supports 4G/LTE, has a larger battery that is rated for a day’s use, and double the storage capacity (with 8 GB) as last year’s model. You can add more storage with

It runs the latest Lollipop version of Android, and is free from the software bloat that comes with so many Android handsets these days.

The big drawbacks are in the display and the camera capability, which aren’t as good as what you’ll get with a more expensive smartphone (don’t even think about trying to take pictures in low light situations).

Personalize your Moto E with coloured rims that easily snap on and off (which is also how you access the SIM and microSD card slots).

The second generation Moto E is a budget phone, and if you’re keeping to a tight budget, it’s a solid choice.

Reflective spray paint makes things visible at night

Volvo, the Swedish car manufacturer, has developed what it calls LifePaint, a spray paint that is highly reflective and water soluble.

Invisible in the daylight, the paint glows, brightly, when headlights shine on it. It’s being marketed as a product to help keep cyclists safe at night, which it surely will do, but it will also be a benefit to anyone who is out at night and needs to be visible.

What’s great about LifePaint is that it washes off after about a week. The product designers claim the paint will not harm anything it’s sprayed on, but I wouldn’t apply it to my best clothes. Not that I’m riding my bike in my best clothes, but some urban commuters do.

Only available in England, but Volvo has suggested it will make LifePaint available elsewhere if it proves successful.

Here’s LifePaint in action.