Peetz Web Design Class

OldSchool!!! (Tom Karnik)

2011-02-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

I am going to talk about a TV with an antana and a VCR. Those were popoular when I was a child but now I am 16 years old and we have updated both of those things. Instead of having an antana on your televisions we now have no antanas and they are also much thinner. We have upgraded the the VCR to a DVD Player. The DVD Player has much better quality than the VCR. The DVD's for the DVD Player are much smaller than a VCR Tape.

Portable CD Players... Outdated?

2011-02-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

Portable CD Players:
One thing that I think is outdated nowadays is the portable CD player. They were ran off batteries and you had to carry around tons of discs with them. They were a very strange size (big and skinny) and could not fit in your pocket. When you we listening to them in a vehicle, they would skip. Vehicle CD players are still in use because you can hold CDs in your car easier than you can haul them around in your backpack. I think that the MP3 player replaced the portable CD player, but I think that the MP3 player was short lived and was replaced by the Multimedia players like Ipods and Zunes. Ipods and Zunes are favored because they can hold up to as much as 2400 CDs on them as well as they are very sleek and they do more than play music.

5 things that are already obsolete for you!

2011-02-10T09:08:00.001-08:00

The Huffington post wrote an article predicting things that will become obsolete this year. You’re Out: 20 Things That Became Obsolete This Decade (with photos)! There is also a great list of other items on the MoneyTalksNews blog titled 30 things Babies Born in 2011 Will Never Know.

As I was looking through the pictures and reading about what they are predicting will become obsolete, I was thinking about my own life and what already is obsolete in my world. Here is my ‘hit list’ of things I will no longer have to deal with:

Video Tapes – I don’t own a vhs player. None at my house and there isn’t one in my classroom. If I wanted to show an old movie, I would just pull up Netflix and stream it.
Separation between Personal Life and Work Life – I have email on my phone and ipad. I see work emails at home and personal emails at work. I deal with both in either place. I get a lot of work done between 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm and 5:30am-6:30 am. That is when I have quite time at home and can work with little interruption. If blending some of my personal life over into work is a problem, my productivity at home (working) will probably be nipped short because I will be forced to take time off to deal during work hours with items in my personal life that need attention or will take that quite productive time and turn it into personal time. More and more this is an issue and kids today will have to learn how to walk this fine balancing act in their careers and personal lives.
Forgetting – I recently got an invite to a beta site called MemoLane. I was playing around with it and wow.. talk about interesting. It aggregates your Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Picasa, and many other sites into a timeline. I went back to the beginning of the time line which took me back to 2003 and displayed some of YouTube videos I have watched and incorporated in my class at that time. This is a screen capture of Feb 9th and 10th and shows a video I uploaded for a personal blog, an image I uploaded for my class’s 33 Day Photo Challenge and 2 Facebook status updates for my Senior Class’s trip we are planning.

It reminds me of the movie with Robin William’s called Final Cut. He edits people’s lives.

Watches – I haven’t worn a watch for several years now. I don’t need one unless I am going to Jury Duty which forces you to leave your cell phone in the car via a body search.
Paper Maps – I was cleaning out my vehicle the other day and remember debating if I should keep a paper map of Denver, Co. I opted to throw it out. My choice was based on the fact I now have GPS Navigation on my iPad with an app from GPS Drive by MotionX along with my gps location on my Blackberry. If my husband needs to travel someplace, I can just loan him my iPad (with written instructions and a threat of course).

There are so many others in the list that I could write a ton about, but I would like to see what you have in your life that has become obsolete and replaced with technology.

A Challenge: please write a comment leaving a similar description of the items you found obsolete in your life and what you replaced them with. If not a comment, then please write a blog post of your own and comment back here with a link so I can read it.

(reposted for a Web Design Class Assignment from Peetz Tech Chatter)

New website ‘sketch’

2011-02-03T12:35:00.001-08:00

We are starting on a new website for Sterling High School Track. Here is our sketch created in Bubbl.us

The website progress can be viewed at https://sites.google.com/site/sterlingtrack/

User feedback

2011-01-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

Our web design class has created a website for a client using Google Sites. We have talked with people face to face and are moving to twitter and blogging to gather feedback from others on the site. We are looking for any feedback and especially regarding how easy it is to navigate and user friendly it is. Please view the website at https://sites.google.com/site/runningofthewieners/ and comment here on this post with feedback for us if you would.

Thanks!
Peetz Web Design Class

Skype pt 3 by Austin Crane

2010-12-15T12:50:00.000-08:00

We asked Taylor some questions about the songs and beats he has created. Taylor has made six songs, and over two hundred remixes. I had the second set of questions to ask Taylor and I started off by asking “Have you had any live performances?” He replied,” not really”. Taylor explained to us that his hardest song to produce was “Nicki Manaj.” He got his inspiration from a very popular rap artist named Lil Wayne. He doesn’t sell all of his songs because he wants others to get a preview of his music before they buy. He made it clear that as a future artist you must have patience and a lot of time. We all look forward to hearing more of T-Bizzle and B-Teezy in the future.

Skype pt 2 by Jeff Koester

2010-12-13T13:42:00.000-08:00

On Friday, December 10th, my web design class asked Taylor Bickford some questions about his rapping career. Taylor thinks that studing copyright infringments is a very important skill so that you can stay out of legal trouble. Marcus and Taylor write their lyrics freestyle, but it takes them a couple hours. Taylor says he likes to include explicit and clean versions of the songs to connect with a variety of all people. He wants to get a studio when he's older, but rapping is just for fun now. Taylor suggests that future rappers need to have time and patience. (and Audacity.)

Skype pt 1 by Tom Karnik

2010-12-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

I did the set of questions in the "Initial Interests" section. They consisted of seven questions.

How did the idea come about to make these songs and record them? Taylor responded with the answer of Marcus freestyling in his free time and he thought he should be heard so he can become famous.
What programs did you use to edit your songs? Audacity.
Out of the songs you sold, what was your portion of proceeds? He said that he gets 91 percent and he splits it with Marcus.
How much do you have to fork out to do this - software, memberships, etc.? Audacity is free. He had to pay for a bar code for his songs. He paid $9.95 for the fee of putting it on iTunes.
What special equipment do you have? Musical and technology wise. He responded with a microphone and headphones.
Where did you get all of your equipment? He bought the headphone and microphone at Wal-mart.
How did you get your music on iTunes? We didn't get a chance to finish this question because of poor internet, but he had to use a distributor.

Introduction to Skype Session with Taylor Bickford and Marcus Garvin

2010-12-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

Introduction by Marcus Garvin:
After mentioning how much money my friend Taylor and I made off our song titled Nicki Minaj on iTunes (the iTunes link sends you to our song so you can listen to it), my teacher believed it would be interesting for the staff and students to find out how we came up with the idea, and the steps all the way to final production, which was putting it on iTunes.

On Friday, we Skyped with Taylor from his location in Alamosa, Colorado. There were about 20 people who attended the session including our Web Design class. Due to our terrible internet connection, some of his answers were distorted, and all hope was lost, but then I came to save the day and answered the question I could. Taylor is the producer of our songs, so I couldn't answer all of the questions that had to do with what programs we use and such, but when it came to how we come up with our lyrics and what beats we use, I definitely had an answer.

Taylor and I created the song over the summer before he went to college. He is now a freshman in college and I am a senior in high school. It was one of our summer projects in the small town of Peetz to pass time. We had no idea that over 300 people would like our song and buy it. We didn't it do it for the money, just so many people wanted it, that all they'd have to do is spend a dollar on iTunes and they'd have it. It beat the alternate option of burning about 100 CDs with just that one song on it to make everyone happy.
The song took over 14 hours to make, but it was our first song, so we had to figure out the process. It now only takes us about 5 or 6 hours, which is still a long time, but drastically shorter compared to 14 hours. The song was a great experience to make and produce. I hope anyone that bought it doesn't think it was a waste of money, because we spent a lot of time and energy in making it sound perfect.

The next 3 entries to this blog will be the questions and answers posted by our Web Design class. Enjoy our blog. (:

The Visonik Subwoofer Pack

2010-10-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

I think this is pretty good because I have this exact subwoofer pack in the back of my green Honda Accord. It is beast when you put the back seat down. It is a Visonik subwoofer pack. They are black, dual 12 inch speakers, with a 500 watt amp. It comes complete even with the wiring and box.

The box is made out of wood and cover by rough carpet. The 500 watt amp is a metal material with buttons to change the intensity of the bass and how high and low you want it. I have every knob turned all the way up so people know when I’m coming down the street. The speakers are made of plastic and there are wires on the inside of the box and so is the cone.

People mostly put subs in their trucks or under their front or back seats. I took off the hard plastic on the rim of the speakers to make the subs sound way better. I am going to sell them so if anyone wants to buy them then just tell me.

I like how they sound in the back of my car. I like how i can change the intensity of the subs and how I want them to hit the beat. I dislike how they put the plastic rim on the speakers. I had to take them off to stop the annoying sound the plastic rims made.

Peetz Perks Products

2010-10-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

At least once a week I purchase a fruit smoothie from Peetz Perks. They all come in a 16oz slurpee cup. I have had numerous smoothies since the year has began, and they are absolutely amazing. Not only does it taste amazing, but it is healthy for you at the same time. One of my biggest dislikes about the smoothie is not all of them are filled up the same.
Everyone has heard the saying "Is the cup half empty or half full". Every time I receive a smoothie I ask myself that because the smoothie is always filled to different levels. Sometimes it is filled above the brim of the cup and other times it is a little below it. I would like it if there was a little consistency.
Overall it is a good product. You could almost say I am addicted to it. I would just like them to stay consistent, so I get the same amount of smoothie every time. It would be a different story if they had different sizes, but the only one they have is the 12oz size. At times I am unsatisfied due to the fact it seems like it is less smoothie than the last one, but as I mentioned before, the product is still worth it.

Xbox

2010-10-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

The xbox 360 is a cool new gaming system that has changed the way we look at games. It has a bunch of new games that are being able to be played online with other friends. One thing I would like to change though about the 360 is that it cannot play blue ray discs.

Xbox’s competition is the Play station 3. In this model the PS3 can play blue ray discs, and also has some good graphics. Although the PS3 can play blue ray, it does not have some features the xbox does such as:

1. The Xbox you can talk wirelessly through headsets and can send messages through their internet system.
2.An xbox can play your music and you can also download your games to play them from the hardrive.
3.You have to pay to have Xbox Live, but that is nothing for the content that you can have or download.
4.The Blue Ray feature is the only one that the xbox does not have, and it’s a big downfall.

John Deere 8560

2010-10-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I have been around a lot of different brands of tractors and styles of tractors. I think that I have been around 100's of different tractors. They have been ok, but I never really found a really good tractor. Then our farm got an 8560 John Deere.

The 8560 is a great tractor. It has more power than anything I have ever driven. The frame is nice and long which gives it roll over protection. There are tons of windows up and down the cab that give the operator good visibility. The tractor is equiped with a deluxe air seat and a GPS system that tells the tractor where to go so farming can become more precise. The John Deere 8560 has the perfect amount of horsepower.

However the John Deere 8560 could use some improvements. The power steering is very weak unless you grease the hinges every 30 minutes. Also there is no 3 point hitch on the tractor so you can't attach a ripper to it. It also doesn't have a power take off so you can't hook on a grain cart or a air seeder.

The Segway Machine

2010-10-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

Tom Karnik

James W. Heselden created the Segway Electric Scooters. He invented and sold flood control and military protection products. He was 62 years old. One Sunday afternoon the police said he was checking his property and then he fell off a cliff side that was 30 feet high in West Yorkshire. After he fell in the river Wharfe on the 27^th of September 2010. Segways have had success in niche markets for transportation for police, military bases, warehouses, corporate campuses or industrial sites. The legal worthiness of the Segway varies with different jurisdictions’ classification of the device. I think they are useful because they get you places faster. I’m not sure if I would ride one because it freaks me out how a guy died from going off a cliff. In 2003 the company sold 6,000 Segways and by September 2006 they sold approximately 23,500 had been sold. The weight of a Segway is 120 pounds. They have 21 inch tires. They have a 21 inch by 33 inch footprint platform. There max speed is 12.5 mph. The final thing about it is it can go up to a range of 12 miles.

Texting and Driving

2010-10-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

By Austin Crane

I am writing this blog on whether I agree that texting and driving should be illegal or not. The site that I got my information from is newsfactor.com. I think that texting and driving should not be illegal. As you can see the number of crashes has not reduced and more people are getting hurt because of this. People have to hide their phones from police and that’s causing even more of a distraction. If they left the law legal then the crash rate would stay lower and you wouldn’t have to always be on the lookout for police and you could focus more on the road.

It is not the law enforcers that are causing the crash rate to sky rocket, it is us Americans. We have to at some point take responsibility for our actions and drive safe. Maybe making cars that will read our texts, and by voice control send texts.
“Last year alone 5,474 people were killed; more than 448,000 people were injured do to a distraction while driving a vehicle.” There must be something that we can do to lower this rate and I do not think it is through making driving and texting illegal.

Apple has been granted a patent for a handheld device that recognizes your hand (Jeff)

2010-10-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

By: Jeff Koester

Apple has been granted a patent for a handheld device that recognizes your hand. It uses many capacitive sensors that recognize the topography of your hands. Unlike Apple's other inventions, the patent for the handheld device has been granted. Apple comes up with many new features for their products, but most of them are not used or patented. It is suppose to be used for identifing the user and can even be used for gaming. I really don't think that the idea is nessesary because all it would do is increase the price on the all ready good handhelds like Apple has on the market (Ipod, Touch, and Ipad.)

"So how long until we start recognizing the iphone as a phone???"

This quote supports my reasoning for the patent being too much. Apple needs to keep the physical parts of their devices the same, but rethink about what they program on the inside of their devices. Stop making devices more complicated than they have to be. All in all, People in this world don't need new additions to their handheld devices, they need the upgrades programmed into their handheld devices.

Skype with Web Designer: Michael

2010-10-05T12:26:00.001-07:00

During our Skype call, each student was responsible for asking a set of questions and to write a blog response to summarize what they learned. Here is our first blog about our Skype call with a web designer.

Part 1: Marcus
On September 23, 2010, my web design class Skyped with a web designer named Michael. We started off our conversation with where he was located, which was Washington D.C. He told us the firm he worked for was a pr firm in downtown Washington D.C. His job description at the pr firm is lead designer and helping in advertising print where needed.

He got started with web design at the young age of 13 after he broke his leg one summer. His father bought him a laptop since he couldn’t very well go outside and play with his friends. He never imagined being a web designer and said, “No, I probably would have said something standard like a doctor, or lawyer or something.” Other technology jobs he has had are programming and front end development.

He helps run the creative end of web design. His field of specialty is web design with emphasis on user experience. He makes website so they can be easily navigated by users young and old. He gets most of his ideas from other people’s work and believes in the quote “All great designers steal.” You have to look at other people’s work who is better than you in the same field. The main program he uses is Photoshop. A few essential skills a web designer might need is communication skills with the clients, understanding their issues, and being on the same page working with them. Being able to work with the client is the most crucial skill. If you are able to understand what a person wants and you can work with a non-designer, have them tell you what they want and need, then turn it into something workable. That is a hard skill to come by.

Part 2: Jeff
His main clients are fortune five-hundred companies like Target whom he designs new websites for. He usually works from 60-65 hours per week: sometimes up to 90 hours. Michael works such long hours and late nights because he has very strict deadlines. In his profession, he works a lot with project managers and account directors in the firm. He is currently working on two websites. He is working on a website to teach technology to kids and a website for Target that promotes voting.

Part 3: Austin
In talking to Michael, he had mentioned that to become a Web Designer you must never quit and always keep working to become a better designer. He also mentioned that it is very important that you go to school because if you do get laid off as a Web Designer then other employers will choose you instead of another designer who did not have the education that you did.
He had also mentioned that the downfalls of his job were the very long hours that he could work in a week, but his favorite part was the time he got to spend time working at home and spending time with his family. I like the fact that you can still be at work but also at home with all of your loved ones.
A little more advice that Michael had told us, is that you must know a lot about your field of specialties, and must know the differences from a bad design and a good one. You have to read a bunch of blogs and research a lot, and also study what your clients need and want. Michael makes it very clear that being in the Web Design industry is a lot of work, but if it is what you love then it is definitely worth it.

Thank You Michael for your time and sharing your knowledge with our class.

Google ChromMozilla Foxfire (Password Protection)

2010-09-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

Mozilla
by Marcus Garvin

Mozilla Foxfire is a browser used all around the world and is preferred over Internet Explorer, because the speed of Mozilla compared to Internet Explorer. Mozilla has a recovery mode, so if your computer gets unplugged, freezes and you have to shut it down, or your laptop dies, you can start from where you left off.

One of the many sweet features about Mozilla is the master password lock, which prevents people from seeing your saved passwords. It has a quick bookmarking button, so all you have to do is click the star in the URL search bar. It allows to pick the search engine of your choice in the search bar, which is also a good thing. It makes it easy to open a new tab as well. There are a lot of other features that makes Mozilla better than the rest, but those are just a few.

Mozilla Foxfire is a safe and fast web browser. Easy to grasp and easy to use. It is compatible with most programs, and can be used for anything. If you are going to pick a web browser to use, I would say pick Mozilla, because it is fun and many things you can explore on the browser.

Opera

2010-09-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

Opera
by Austin Crane
Opera is a browser that is almost like Internet Explorer except it has a lot of cool add-ons. Opera is basically Internet Explorer for England and the U.K. Unlike Google Chrome there is no way that you access any of the passwords on the browser. Which makes it a really secure browser.

Some of the cool add-ons that you can use for Opera are Google Translator, different clocks and some fun games. If you go to open another tab in Opera you get a window with some previews of some of the previous windows you have opened. In this feature you can have an option to have the browser show only four previous windows or up to twenty five windows which could mean you could have all of your favorite windows to choose from.

Although all of this is great the bookmark tab is not as easy to access as it is in Mozilla Firefox. In Mozilla or Google Chrome it is only a only touch button, when in Opera you have to open up the bookmark page and then save it into your bookmarks. Opera has its ups and down but it is a pretty good browser to use and could come in handy someday.

Apple Safari

2010-09-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Safari is a browser made by Apple. Safari is the iPads, the iTouches, and the Macs primary browser but can be downloaded to a Windows PC. Safari is like Google Chrome, but has more features. Safari is also faster. Loading Youtube was 9 seconds faster on Safari than Chrome.

A cool feature in Apple’s Safari is the ability to make drop down folders in the bookmark bar. Then you can add your websites to whichever list you want to add them to. Another cool feature on Apple’s Safari is the spellchecker just like the one on Microsoft Word. A good thing about Safari is the screenroom. If no tabs are being used, the tab bar collapses.

The downside about Apple Safari is the inability to save passwords. You have to type them in manually. Like all the other browsers, you can add add-on to the browser. Apple has many browser add-ons from Twitter to eBay (http://extensions.apple.com/.) They are easily accessed on the home page of safari. Safari is a fast, great browser for pretty much anyone who uses the Internet. Click here to download Safari.
By: Jeff Koester

Google Chrome Review

2010-09-08T12:40:00.001-07:00

Google Chrome
by Leslie Raffelson

I have been a fan of Google Chrome for sometime now. My favorite feature of Chrome has been the maximum amount of screen ‘real estate’ I have when I am browsing the internet. In Internet Explorer, it seems like the top is always cluttered with navigation and bookmark bars. Google Chromes tabs are nice and neat and the search bar is all included in your URL bar.

Google Chrome extensions are options that add features and functions to your browser. One add on that you might consider is a button for the Google Bookmark feature. https://www.google.com/bookmarks/l is a service Google offers for sharing and storing bookmarks online. Ever been at home and wanted the bookmarks you had on your work computer? Ever been in the computer lab and wanted to save a bookmark and use it later for homework? This is a resource for just those situations.

Another extension that is a nice feature for those that have Blogger accounts is the blogger button that allows quick postings. I could see this being a nice feature for students who are using blogs for their journals. You could read the newspaper sports section and then click on blog and create a nice quick blog post about your thoughts on it.
https://chrome.google.com/extensions is the link for Google Extensions search feature.

Truth or Scam? (Hotmail Customer Care)

2009-11-19T07:37:00.001-08:00

Here is an email that I received yesterday. Actually I received 2 identical emails with this information in my Hotmail account.

Do you think it is a true email and I should respond or do you think it is a scam.
Vote below and then in the comments leave WHY you think it is one or the other.

Build television sms voting polls at Poll Everywhere

Who Pooped?

2009-11-18T08:21:00.001-08:00

This is a pretty creative website. I would like for you to check it out! And yes.. it is all about poop. :)

Assignment: 1) Please fill out a Website Review Form on this site and 2) in the comments of this post, leave 3 skills you would need in order to create this site.

Truth or Scam?

2009-11-17T10:38:00.001-08:00

CASH BACK" you did not ask for.
THIS SCAM CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE, AT ANY RETAIL OR WHOLESALE LOCATION
------------------------------------------------------------------------
It happened at Wal-Mart (Supercenter Store #1279, 10411 N Freeway 45,
Houston, TX 77037 a month ago. I bought a bunch of stuff, over $150, & I
glanced at my receipt as the cashier was handing me the bags. I saw a
cash-back of $40. I told her I didn't request a cash back & to delete it.
She said I'd have to take the $40 because she couldn't delete it. I told her
to call a supervisor. Supervisor came & said I'd have to take it. I said NO!
Taking the $40 would be a cash advance against my Discover & I wasn't paying
interest on a cash advance!!!!! If they couldn't delete it then they would
have to delete the whole order. So the supervisor had the cashier delete the
whole order & re-scan everything! The second time I looked at the electronic
pad before I signed & a cash-back of $20 popped up. At that point I told the
cashier & she deleted it. The total came out right. The cashier agreed that
the electronic pad must be defective. Obviously the cashier knew the
electronic pad was defective because she NEVER offered me the $40 at the
beginning. Can you imagine how many people went through before me & at the
end of her shift how much money she pocketed?
Just to alert everyone. My co worker went to Milford, DE Wal-Mart last
week. She had her items rung up by the cashier. The cashier hurried her
along and didn't give her a receipt. She asked the cashier for a receipt and
the cashier was annoyed and gave it to her. My co worker didn't look at her
receipt until later that night. The receipt showed that she asked for $20
cash back. SHE DID NOT ASK FOR CASH BACK! My co-worker called Wal-Mart who
investigated but could not see the cashier pocket the money. She then called
her niece who works for the bank and her niece told her this. This is a new
scam going on. The cashier will key in that you asked for cash back and then
hand it to her friend who is the next person in line. Please, please, please
check your receipts right away when using credit or debit cards! This is NOT
limited to Wal-Mart, although they are the largest retailer so they have the
most incidents
I am adding to this. My husband and I were in Wal-Mart North Salisbury and
paying with credit card when my husband went to sign the credit card signer
he just happen to notice there was a $20 cash back added. He told the
cashier that he did not ask nor want cash back and she said this machine has
been messing up and she cancelled it. We really didn't think anything of it
until we read this email.
I wonder how many "seniors" have been, or will be, "stung" by this one????
To make matters worse ...
THIS SCAM CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE, AT ANY RETAIL OR WHOLESALE LOCATION!

You Decide -

Create interactive meetings at Poll Everywhere

Google Wave

2009-11-16T10:58:00.001-08:00

Wonder what it is?

What is a wave? How does it work? What can we use it for? Why is it important?

Over the last several months, I have heard a lot of chatter among educators that I ‘talk’/tweet with about Google Wave. I finally got my Google Invitation! and passed along an invitation to the Web Design class. Make sure you have found that and accepted the invitation and signed up for Wave.

so… YOU are now a BETA tester. Remember what that is? Good, because you will need to know the answer to that later.

So.. now our journey begins together. Lets find out more about Google Wave. How can we use it? What could it be used for inside and outside of school. Would other students or teachers be interested in getting in on the Wave?

Start by watching the 2 videos below. They have some very valuable items to get started with this super cool new product.

Assignments:

1. Find one new video or webpage tutorial about how to do something in Wave and share that in the comments.
2. Start a new wave with me and your other classmates – first person to do this, post what the definition of a beta tester is for extra credit.
3. I would like everyone to add a gadget to the page and start learning about what some of the new and exciting options are for using Wave.
4. This one is important – list 2 ways you could use Wave in your life. (don't just think of school..think of everything you do)

Go ahead and get Waving!

Google Docs Makes Improvements

2009-10-13T09:17:00.001-07:00

http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/10/12/google-docs-adds-folder-sharing/

Please read the link above and then come back here for your activity.

Did you read the link?

If so, email me with the author’s name :)

Then, go to Google Docs and Create a folder and share it with me. (hotmail account)

Comment about one way this would help you in any of your schoolwork or homework or life.

Webbies - Cloud Computing

2009-09-24T09:39:00.001-07:00

This goes along with the CourseCast for the week of September 21st. In the CourseCast, it introduces the federal governments new concept of cloud computing. The Apps store that the government owns has a great video on the homepage that talks more about what cloud computing has to offer. What it doesn’t do is tell us what the other side (negative aspects) of it are. Please watch the short video on the Apps.gov homepage. In the comments – discuss one advantage of this type of service. Then you need to go do some research. They don’t tell us any of the disadvantages or problems that may arise with this concept, but there are some places that you can find that out. Research cloud computing and leave an additional comment about what some of the drawbacks are and why we should be concerned. (Hint – in the transcript there are some articles that you could use, or search for cloud computing. Wikipedia has some info)

Webbies – What would your life look like?

2009-09-22T14:23:00.001-07:00

If education as we know it ceased to exist right now, what would your life look like? Think about it. What would today be? What would tomorrow be? Next year, 10 years? What would you be doing and how would you do it? So you thought about becoming a lawyer? How would you do that without college or high school?

I am a geek

2009-09-17T14:19:00.001-07:00

I admit it.

It has taken a while to come to that conclusion.

Ok.. so maybe not.

But.. Here is what I discovered.

I can mess up my phone by trying to be too ‘techy’. I did that this summer and just decided rather than go through the hassle of trying to fix it, I bought a new one. I made a promise to myself that I would figure this one out even if it meant READING the directions. (Gasp.. READING? ug)

So.. here is what I have figured out. I finally have all my contacts back in my phone because I was bright enough over the summer to sync up my phone with my school’s outlook account and all my phone contacts imported into there. So NOW I have it working both directions. Phone to outlook, outlook to phone. Just wish I could get Hotmail contacts in there as well :S Anyone know how to do that?

My calendar, tasks, memos are also syncing properly – yeah! I can keep techno-organized.

I ALSO setup so that I can post directly to my blogs from my phone through emails AND can post my videos to YouTube from my phone. Before I was plugging my phone into the computer, moving the video files to my computer and then uploading them to YouTube. What a pain and time consuming.

So..in all of this, I was wondering what you figured out lately? Any new thing that technology had you baffled and now it doesn’t? Or any new timesaver or cool thing you found that you like? I love discovering how technology can help me in my life.

Evernote

2009-09-02T09:27:00.001-07:00

I have used a program called MS Onenote for quite a while now and love it. The only thing I wanted Microsoft to do for me was make it portable across the internet so I didn't have to always be AT my one computer to find the stuff I wanted. I have different stuff on my computer at home and my computer at work. I needed stuff back and forth all the time.

So...one day I decided to type into Bing "Onenote online" and here is what I happened...

I knew that I didn't want to go to Microsoft's page. I already know that OneNote isn't online. So I looked at the next result and came across a familiar title. This is a web blog that I read sometimes, so I went to it. I read a little about what he was wanting also and agreed.. yup. That is exactly what I was looking for too.

I saw there there were comments on the post, so I clicked on those to see what other people had to say on the subject

Then the last post described a product that I thought sounded just like what I was looking for. I clicked on the link and found Evernote.

I looked around their website and read about some of the features.

I decided to download and install it for a trial.

So.. I would like you to look around and see what you think of the product and how you think it would fit in your life.

Answer in the comments 2 questions.
1 – What feature do you like about this program?
2 – Give one example of how you would use this in your day to day life.