Blog 15 12/13/11

Hola Peeps! Thanks for logging in!

We will continue the kitchen talk when we get back. For this week, I want to do one of my favorite things.

Just in case you've been living under a rock, it's almost Christmas time. In fact, here's the exact time left until Christmas:




Copyright allthingschristmas.com


For this weeks blog, pretend I'm giving you $300 with which to buy TECHNOLOGY gifts. They can be for you or for someone else.

Here are the rules:

1. It must be TECHNOLOGY.
2. You must spend all $300, or as close to it as possible.
3. You must post links to your stuff (with prices) so we can all go look.

And don't bother to worry about shipping costs.

You may blog on Tuesday like we do for Yanko. Please try not to suck the fun out of this for me.

Have a wonderful, RELAXING holiday season! See yall rested and ready to go in January.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 14 12/5/11

Howdy!

So on Monday all over the news media was a story about this horiffic car crash in Japan that is possibly the most expensive car crash ever.

Go read this:

http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/asia-pacific/the-worlds-most-expensive-car-crash-ferraris-mercedes-and-a-lamborghini-in-japan-collision

Which prompted me to wonder "Don't these high-end cars have safety and stabilization features that are supposed to cut down on this sort of thing?"

So for this week's blog credit YOU get to do the research. You must go out on to the internets and find an article, some published research, or something from the manufacturers website regarding the safety technology in either a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes or Toyota Prius. Once somebody has posted a link it becomes OFF LIMITS! In order to receive credit you must find your own link.

Paste the link in your comments, give us a few words of opinion, sign and submit.

We're moving on next week. I have something specific in mind.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 13 11/28/11

Hiya! Thanks for logging in!

I hope everybody had a restful Thanksgiving break. Maybe we can make it to Christmas, huh?

This week I found three pretty cool articles about mobile technology to continue our car discussion. Take a look at all three of these sites, please don't just stop at the first one.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/thinking-tech/new-car-technology-can-stop-drunks-from-driving/6167

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/4219496

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/31/133374309/new-car-technology-tells-tailgaters-to-back-off

I'm personally digging that NO TAILGATING technology that uses GPS and WiFi. If we could couple that with, say, the James Bond technology that spews oil onto the roadway when somebody is chasing you that would make me one happy camper.

So in order to receive credit this week you will need to choose one of the eight new technologies on one of the three websites and talk about it. How will it help us? Is it stupid, and if so why?

As always, a "that's cool" is not going to gain you blog credit for the week. You must advance the discussion in some manner.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 12 11/14/11

Howdy!

Sticking with automotive technology, I want to talk this week about Toyota's personal mobility concept vehicle. They have designed this thing called the I-Real (sounds like it should've come from Apple, right?). It's kind of a cross between a wheelchair and a Segway. You sit in it and drive yourself with these little levers. It takes up almost no room, and it would probably solve a lot of transportation issues, such as parking problems.

I have a video of this vehicle from my favorite TV Show, Top Gear. By the way, if you're a gearhead you need to check out this show on BBC America.

So follow the links and take a look at this "vehicle." To get credit this week you will need to answer ONE of three questions:

1) What are the safety concerns that you have with this vehicle?
2) Would this decrease our fitness level as a nation?
3) Would you pick this over the Segway? (If you don't know what that is, please Google.)

Please wait to blog until Thursday.

Talk to me . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_i-REAL

http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2007/10/toyota_ireal_concept_car.html

http://blogs.discovery.com/good_idea/2009/04/the-toyota-ireal.html

http://gizmodo.com/309614/toyota-i+real-concept-car

EXTRA!!! For November 14, 2011

HOLA PEEPS!

Speak Up Tomorrow is a survey that Congress uses to determine how much you guys (as teenagers) are using / relating to Technology. They then use the results to figure out how to divide up money to schools to advance technology usage.

Let me say that again: Congress makes money decisions based on the Speak Up Tomorrow surveys!!!

Please go to:





Click Students

Choose Texas

Type in Nacogdoche (the S won't fit)

Choose Nacogdoches High School

Choose 9 - 12

Secret word is: technology

Please, please, please complete this survey thoroughly and seriously. It's anonymous, so you can be as honest as possible.

THANK YOU!

Blog 11 11/7/11

Howdy Peeps!

Go here and read this, then we'll watch a video.

http://www.gizmag.com/lexus-unveils-driving-simulator/16630/

Lexus has long been known for innovation. They blew the minds of the automotive industry when they introduced this driving simulator. It does some really cool, over-the-top stuff.

Just a word of warning: Some of you have been skating with not reading when I ask you to. That is coming to an end. In the future if you answer a question in a manner that shows your ignorance because you didn't read the article, you will get a zero. ALWAYS read my words and the words that I've sent you to read.

Also? As I said in the VERY FIRST BLOG POST this is not a social forum. Holla at your peeps on your own Facebook, Twitter, etc. or YOU will ALSO get a zero for the week.

For this week's credit, tell me one very specific thing that you like about this simulator. BE SPECIFIC. "It's cool" is not gonna get it folks.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 10 10/31/11

Hola Peeps!

Time for a new topic. I want to discuss car technology.

In the 4 years that I've been doing this blog, car technology is the one thing that has changed the fastest. Back when we started I can remember talking about how "one of these days" cars were going to be able to park themselves and would include cameras so that you could see what was behind you when backing up.

Well here we are now.

It seems to me that automakers work the hardest to make sure that their concepts come to fruition (that's a Dillards word that means what they dream comes true). They are devoted to constantly pushing the envelope, and we get to reap the rewards.

So for this week's blog please take a look at this LA Times pictoral feature. Pick one of the ten car technologies that are on the market right now and tell me why it's a good thing. You will have to hit the "next" arrow to advance through the pictures.

Talk to me. . .

http://www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/highway1/la-hy-tech.pg,0,5168532.photogallery

Blog 9 10/25/11

Hola peeps! Thanks for logging in.

This week I want to do something that we will do several times throughout the year. I want to look at *sparkly* new technology. I have a favorite site for this:

http://www.yankodesign.com/

Yanko is about the DESIGN of technology. Please feel free to blog on Tuesday and to participate more than once.

Follow these instructions:

1. Go to Yanko.
2. Go to the bottom of the page and click on the link after the page numbers that says "Inspire Me." Ask your neighbor to help you find it if you can't.
3. Tell me which page you landed on. You may not use the first five pages.
4. Pick a product and tell me WHY you like it or how you think it could change our lives.

Here are a couple of entries for example:
Page 79. Braille credit card. This is something I've never thought of. How does a blind person know which credit card they're using? What a fantastic idea.

Page 467. Honey I left it on the toast. Are you kidding me? I could leave Mr. L notes on his toast in the morning! "Please pick up milk." Ohhhhhh, he'd love that. I'm so in for this one!

This is a DISCUSSION. I want opinions with reasons!!! If you can't give me that much effort, then I can't give you enough effort to type a 100 in your grade book!

P.S. You will occasionally find something that is adult-oriented / not particularly school appropriate. Pick another page and keep moving.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 8 10/17/11

Howdy! Thanks for logging in!

This week, let's talk about where video games are going. What do you think will be different in the video gaming world in 5 years? 10 years?

Take a look at this article from USA Today.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2010/01/a-look-at-the-future-of-video-games/1

Answer my question (above) for credit this week.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 7 - 10/10/11

Dude!

Check out this article from Wired magazine. It's about this guy that designed this video game that exists only on his flash drive. You get to play until your character dies, and then you have to pass the flash drive on. Read what happened when he passed it on.

Here were his "commandments" for the game:
1. Run Chain World via one of the included “run_ChainWorld” launchers.
2. Start a single-player game and pick “Chain World”.
3. Play until you die exactly once.
3a. Erecting wooden signs with text is forbidden
3b. Suicide is permissible.
4. Immediately after dying and respawning, quit to the menu.
5. Allow the world to save.
6. Exit the game and wait for your launcher to automatically copy Chain World back to the USB stick.
7. Pass the USB stick to someone else who expresses interest.
8. Never discuss what you saw or did in Chain World with anyone.
9. Never play again.

Read today. Think. Blog Thursday.

And thanks to Katherine Patton for this article.

For blog credit this week, answer ALL of these questions:
1) Do you believe Ji was out of line when he changed the rules of the game by asking people to bid to play the game?
2) Why or why not?
3) Do you believe a single play game like this could ever really take off?
4) Why or why not?

And by the way? I will no longer give blog credit to people who obviously didn't take the time to read the article. If you can't care enough to read, I won't care enough to give you a grade.

Article link:
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/07/mf_chainworld/all/1

Link to the charity site by Ji:
http://chainworld.org/

Talk to me . . .

Blog 6 10/4/11

Hey Yall! Thanks for logging in!

Thanks for all the great suggestions last week. Lots of you suggested video game technology and I think that's a great idea. We'll be here for a couple weeks or so, then we'll move on to some of the other suggestions.

Have you ever thought about how cool it would be to be a video game tester? Sitting around all day, drinking Dr. Pepper and eating Cheetos and testing out the latest releases of all the coolest games on the market? (Maybe the Dr. Pepper and Cheetos is just MY fantasy)

Well, turns out you're not the first to think of it. In fact, a reporter (a chick!) for the Seattle Weekly News did just that a couple years back. I think what she found will actually surprise you.

So take a bit of time to read this article. It's long, but it's a good read. Wait to comment until Thursday. Answer these questions for credit: 1) What surprised you about this article? 2) Now that you've read this article, would you want this job? 3) Why or why not?

Talk to me . . .

http://tinyurl.com/286zbd

Blog 5 - 9/26/11

How bout one more round of cell phone? Then we'll move on to something else.

So for this week's blog, pick one of these features and tell me how you could use it. PLUS you must give me an idea for next week's blog. A TECHNOLOGY idea. No, we're not discussing dress code . . . it has nothing to do with tech.

You must do BOTH things to receive blog credit this week.

Talk to me . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIonaI8oAbg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_5vNZqkFzE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48UM1LbGFWQ&feature=related

Blog 4 9/17/11

So how about some more new phone *sparkley* stuff?

I'm going to show a few videos. The ideas in these videos are just CONCEPT (which by the way is defined as a general thought or notion). That means they're in the IDEA stage. Will some of the technology ever make it to our every day phones? Maybe. Maybe some piece or part of it.

What do I think, you ask? I so dig that laser keyboard. I could see that actually coming into existence and me running out to be the first one to get it!

So your directions for this week are to watch the videos and pick one of the features to talk about. How would you put it to use in your everyday life?

As always, you need to advance the discussion to get credit. "That's cool" is not advancing my discussion. Tell me how we can use it. Or debate with someone with whom you disagree.

Talk to me . . .

Edit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzsBwnv_dAg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHLrPOTYNQg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJdD6NHW0xI&feature=related

Blog 3 9/12/11

Oh I've seen you my friends! Scrolling on down the blog page and checking out these sparkly new cell phones. So let's go ahead and start with them. I think we'll stay on cell phone tech for a couple weeks.

People tend to keep cell phones for only two years, and Je-Hyun Kim’s Natural Year Phone concept takes that into consideration. The phone is designed to naturally biodegrade after the two years are up.

A pop-up phone! Ilshat Garipov's "Kambala" is a fascinating concept that features a center piece that can pop out to fit into your ear, making it an earphone. In theory, it will also have the ability to match your skin tone, rendering it almost invisible.

At first glance, this entrant into Fujitsu's cell phone design contest looks like an ordinary paperweight. Actually, it's a cleverly disguised phone. As the picture shows, the small black dot can be transformed into a keypad, media panel or web browser depending on what corner of the plastic handset you drag it to.

Emir Rifat's "Packet" phone won first place at the Istanbul Design Week 2007. The tiny phone starts off at 5 cm square, then folds out as needed for different functions.

Designed by Seunghan Song, this "window phone" concept will reflect current weather conditions on the screen. To input text, you just blow on the screen to switch modes, then write with your finger as a stylus.

Pick a phone, tell me why you dig it. OR pick a phone and tell my why you think it's stupid.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 2 - 9/5/11

Howdy Folks! Lets get going!

For this first blog, I want to explore your opinions about technology in school. Tell me how you think we should be using technology in the classroom.

Take cell phones for instance. Everybody wants to gripe about having to have them out of sight, but nobody has any real effective ways to integrate them into the class. Do you have any ideas about how we can REALLY use them in the classroom?

How 'bout Facebook? I was SO EXCITED when I thought it was gonna be opened up for our use in the classroom, and so bummed when I learned it had been reblocked. Do you have any ideas about how we can REALLY use it in a classroom atmosphere?

What other tech items can you think of that could help us out?

As always, you must advance the discussion to get credit for this blog. A yes or no answer won't ever get you credit. You need to THINK about the questions I'm asking. You need to TALK to each other on the blog. You need to feel free to agree and disagree with each other. You need to READ MY WORDS and the WORDS OF YOUR FELLOW STUDENTS. Always give an informed opinion. You need to ALWAYS sign and leave your class number. Ready?

Talk to me . . .

Blog 1 - 9/2/11

Hola Peeps! Thanks for logging in.

Let me 'splain how this will work:

Every Monday morning I will post a discussion question relevant to technology. You will have the entire week to post a short blog answering the question. It's very simple . . . you either advance the discussion or you don't. It's either a 100 or a 0. You can also respond to a thought posted by another user to advance the discussion. Every Sunday evening I will check off names. So you have from Monday AM to Sunday PM. Grading closes at 6pm Sunday. The first ten minutes of class on Tuesday will be devoted to reading the blog, and the first ten minutes of class Thursday will be devoted to answering the blog question.

Here are the things that this discussion is NOT:

This is not a social forum. All you guys have MySpace / Facebook / Twitter for that stuff. Holla at your friends on those sites.

This is not a place for you to ask me questions about your grade. Please remember that EVERYBODY will see all of your communication on this site. If you have questions about grading policies, etc. please see me before or after school, before class or on my conference period (6th). Barring that, please email me at rlanham@nacogdoches.k12.tx.us.

This is not a place for you to air grievances of any kind. Bad language, derogatory comments and intolerance of any kind will not be accepted. These will result in blocked usage for you, and zeros on weekly discussions for the remainder of the year.

What this discussion IS:

This is a place for us to explore how technology is affecting our daily lives. You guys are digital natives (meaning you were practically born with a cell phone in your hand) and you are not accustomed to thinking about life before this technology came along. I would also bet that most of you haven't given a lot of thought to where this technology is going either. Well, that's what I want to do here.

One more thing:

To the best of my knowledge we are still the only classroom in the district to use blogging as part of the classroom learning. Occasionally our Principal, Superintendent, and others from the district will be blogging with us. All eyes will be watching as this district prepares to incorporate more technology into everyday learning. Please keep that in mind. Let's have fun, but please be responsible.

Here's what you need to do now:

Make sure you leave your first name and period in your comment. By posting this first time you are agreeing to:

1. ALWAYS read my words. You should never just log in and click links. Doing that will cause you to miss the questions that I want addressed.

2. Comment in the correct section for the week.

3. Understand that you get one (1) makeup blog for the YEAR. Because this blog is available 24/7/365 from any computer in the world, I don't allow more than one makeup. Go home and bookmark it. Go to the library and bookmark it. Always remember that if you're absent on Thursday when we comment, you'll need to get it taken care of before Sunday at 6pm.

OK, questions? Talk to me . . .

Blog 32 5/9/11

Here we are . . .

Last blog of the year. ::sigh::

I can't believe this year is coming to a close.

In some ways it feels like we just started, and in some ways it feels like we've been here for 2,304 months. Do you feel that way too or is it just me?

One of the things I like to do at the end of the year is post some of the strange things that have come out of some of our mouths in this room.

Things like:

1) Dalton! You're distractable! It's like being a Decepticon Transformer, except not.

2) Why is Control W so close to Control S? - Jordy

3) No more talk of loins! @ Benjamin

4) Dede! Don't do drugs in my class! Kthx!

5) This babies' leg . . . Ugh! (I don't remember who)

6) Can I say something? His crotch was so difficult to fix! - Daniel

7) Get my pig off your foot! @ Benjamin

8) I'm restoring the hell outta these bricks. - Wilson

9) If we sing "Out of The Box" Imma jump outta the box. - Faith

10) The ambassador of crazyland doesn't know what's going on back there. - Benjamin (He was obviously busy this year . . . talking. Lol)

11) Can you make that work where you can't tell his head's not in the drawer?

12) Ms. L, Imma leave my sword and my shield here. - Uriel

13) I don't have time for you Cheese. - Dalton

14) Mrs. Lanham, Dalton couldn't remember where your class was and in his confusion ended up here. We went over a map of the school . . . please excuse him. - Mrs. Ferrell

15) Move that Ninja over just a little bit to the right. - Chito

16) That DUDE is in EVERY SINGLE ONE of my screens . . . he won't leave . . . he won't leave . . . he won't leave . . . - Nora

17) Drew (editing Katy Perry) - What about PMS? Me - I'm ok with PMS.

18) Me - Is it just me or does Rihanna sound like a drag queen when she's slowed down?

19) Shhhhhhhhh - Carlos, everyday when I take my diet Coke can out of it's Koozie.

20) Ms. L, is Oklahoma City in Oklahoma? - Tristan

So for your blog credit this week, I want you to do one of two things: 1) Log in and give me your favorite memory from class. OR 2) Log in and leave a piece of advice for next year's class (ala Ms. Christian).

Talk to me . . .

Blog 31 5/2/11

Howdy!

OK, folks. Time for some honesty.

I've been a bit disappointed in the blog this year. Instead of open discussions about where technology is going I feel like it's just another grade for the week. I'm trying to figure out how to get back to making this a forum for exploring technology.

Please help me do that.

Log in and give me an open honest opinion about where this blog should go. How do I make it more discussion-like without mandating how many times a week we log in, etc.

If you have a valid opinion about this topic, you can give it today. Otherwise, please think about it and let it work on you until Thursday.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 30 4/25/11

Hi Folks!

When I started looking into new phone technology, I found some up and coming stuff that will make our phones more useful. Stuff such as this:

http://www.telegram.com/article/20110222/NEWS/102220337

I dig the Tap-To-Pay idea. Already at some airports you can board by downloading your boarding pass to your cell phone and showing it at the gate. I think we'll be moving more and more in that direction. As our cell phones become more a part of our daily lives their functionality will also increase.

So this week I want to show a video from my favorite technology guy, David Pogue. He's the tech writer for the New York Times, and he's pretty dang funny as well.

So put your headphones on and watch the video and tell me which one of his ideas you would use on your phone. Alternatively, you can google new cell phone technology and post a link and tell me how that technology would change the way you use your cell phone.

THIS IS THE ONLY VIDEO I'M ALLOWING YOU TO PUSH PLAY ON BECAUSE I'VE ALREADY EMBEDDED IT! Please don't ruin this for the rest of us by playing other videos / soaking up the bandwidth!




Talk to me . . .

Blog 29 4/18/11

Hiya! Many of you showed an interest in cell phone technology. When I googled "new cell phone technology" I found many large words that made my eyes glaze over. And then I found these on Huffington Post:

People tend to keep cell phones for only two years, and Je-Hyun Kim’s Natural Year Phone concept takes that into consideration. The phone is designed to naturally biodegrade after the two years are up.

A pop-up phone! Ilshat Garipov's "Kambala" is a fascinating concept that features a center piece that can pop out to fit into your ear, making it an earphone. In theory, it will also have the ability to match your skin tone, rendering it almost invisible.

At first glance, this entrant into Fujitsu's cell phone design contest looks like an ordinary paperweight. Actually, it's a cleverly disguised phone. As the picture shows, the small black dot can be transformed into a keypad, media panel or web browser depending on what corner of the plastic handset you drag it to.

Emir Rifat's "Packet" phone won first place at the Istanbul Design Week 2007. The tiny phone starts off at 5 cm square, then folds out as needed for different functions.

Designed by Seunghan Song, this "window phone" concept will reflect current weather conditions on the screen. To input text, you just blow on the screen to switch modes, then write with your finger as a stylus.

Pick a phone, tell me why you dig it. OR pick a phone and tell my why you think it's stupid.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 28 4/11/11

Hola Peeps!

Any talk about concept cars would not be complete without touching on personal transportation.

I believe in the future we will be moving towards more personal methods of transportation, much like in Japan. So here are some personal transportation concepts. Just like last week, choose one and tell me why it would be your pick.

All stories / picks originally published in GizMag, which (even though it's blocked here at school) is one of the best places to look at new tech.

1. YikeBike The Yikebike is a miniature, electric penny farthing made of carbon fiber and now it's on sale, it is quickly gathering a cult early-adopter following thanks to its weight of 10.8 kilograms, that it folds so small it can fit in a backpack, and that it will run at 25km/h (15 mph). Until now, it has ticked all the boxes except one – its limited range of just 10 kilometers. Now it has released an extender battery pack so you can add additional 10 kilometer increments to the range of your YikeBike. Each battery costs US$195 and weighs 1.95kg and there's a special backpack to carry multiple batteries so it becomes a very practical solution that offers the Yikebike unsurpassed bang-per-kilogram and versatility as a commuting appliance. Though it's hard to equate the US$3600 price tag with primary transport, the addition of a Yikebike to any automobile storage compartment significantly extends the capabilities of both vehicles. The facility to carry secondary transportation inside cars has been explored many times in recent years by Honda and General Motors in particular … and it makes a lot of sense. Gizmag's editor Noel McKeegan and myself both rode the YikeBike in Koln last September and were both very impressed. Normally, it takes 10 minutes or so to get acquainted with the handlebars which sit behind your hips. Noel is a keen mountain bike rider and dirt bike enthusiast and he simply got on the Yikebike and rode away, even though most folks have a few false starts. I fared slightly less well, but had it all happening within a few minutes - if you can ride a bicycle, you need to rewire the brain slightly, but it's going to be a simple job accomplished within ten minutes. Once mastered, the Yikebike offers remarkably quick transport for something that is so small – only Honda's still-unreleased U-3X (right) and Toyota's also-experimental Winglet (left) offer comparable weight-performance figures and it will be interesting to see how long these devices take to reach market and at what price point they greet the public. The Yikebike is in many ways a revolutionary device, as it is the first of a new class of vehicle which we're almost certain to see proliferate as congestion and travel times force us all to consider transportation options. It has won or been a finalist in just about every major design award on the planet for which it is eligible, including making it onto the cover of Time's Invention of the Year issue in 2009 and now a Guinness Book of World records citation as the most compact electric bike in the world. Now it's on sale, it will be interesting to watch marketplace acceptance. The electric bicycle is closer on the consumer devices family tree to a computer than it is to a motorcycle, and just as laptops have a limit to their battery capacity, small transportation devices will also have a form factor that limits battery size. While it is by no means an elegant solution, it is one to which we are accustomed thanks to laptops and cameras, and once exploited, enables much greater runtime. The Yikebike sells for US $3,595, GBP2,422, EUR2,872 and AUD $3,909. If your commuting regime involves train or road and a spot of walking, the Yikebike could be the answer.

2. The Voltitude: Like a Swiss Army Knife You Can Ride Last January, we said that the Robrady-designed db0 was one of the best folding electric bikes we'd seen. The Swiss entry into the market has turned its back on this traditional bicycle-with-motor design in favor of a folding pedal-electric assist scooter. Users are said to be able to fold or unfold the Voltitude bike in about one second, and with one hand, thanks to its unique EasyFold system. Swiss and EU legislation limits the electric assist to 15.5 mph (25 kph), although some frantic footwork could see it achieve faster speeds if required, and the onboard battery is good for between 12 and 25 miles (20 to 40 km) between charges.

3. Solowheel The fat wheeled eniCycle, the stylish and graceful U3 from Honda or the slightly scary prospect of the UnoMoto have all shared more in common than being one-wheeled, self-balancing personal transport solutions. They've all had somewhere for the user to sit. Inventist's Solowheel is a little different – you ride this electric unicycle standing upright, like a Segway or skateboard. It has a useful carry handle and fold-away foot platforms, is gyro-stabilized and the Li-ion batteries offer a range of about 12 miles between charges. For those who work in the city but don't actually live there, leaving the car at home and getting to the office by train, tram or bus is becoming a more attractive prospect. For those who don't relish the sometimes long walk from the station or terminus to the workplace, there are now numerous electric personal, short haul transport solutions – from the Segway to the YikeBike or even the FlyRad – to take some of the strain away. Weighing 25 pounds (11 kg), sporting folding leg platforms on each side and a carry handle on top, the 17 x 19 x 5-inch (43 x 48 x 13 cm) Solowheel from Inventist is sure to turn some heads as you trundle along at up to 12mph. The durable external housing hides a Li-ion battery that's said to be good for two hours of use between charges and a 1000-Watt electric motor, and a self-balancing gyro system. Its battery is reported to take 45 minutes to charge but a regenerative system returns energy to the battery when the rider slows down or the unit goes downhill, which could help extend the range. The electric unicycle's creators say that it's easy to use and quick to learn, the feet are quite close to the ground and the legs rest against each side of the housing which help with balance and steering. With both feet on the vehicle, you just lean forward to start going. When you want to slow down or stop, you lean back. You use the legs to steer, much as you would on the Magic Wheel.

4. Shadow Ebike Got a problem with the various gear and brake cables winding their way around your bike frame? If you're riding a standard pedal-powered bike, the answer is probably 'no.' But if you're one of the increasing numbers of people getting around town on an electric bike than your answer may be different, with faulty wiring one of the most common sources of failures found in such vehicles. While some hide their electrical wiring away inside the frame, many e-bikes have wires running down the outside. Like so many of today's electrical devices, the new Shadow Ebike does away with this unsightly mess and potential point of weakness using wireless technology. Toronto-based Daymak Inc. has dubbed its Shadow Ebike "the world's first wireless power-assist electric bicycle." Through the integration of ISM 2.4 GHz wireless using frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology to prevent interference, the Shadow has no brake or gear cables, and no visible electric wires running from the motor to the batteries, the controller or throttle. Turning the electric motor on or off, the magnetic regenerative brakes, the throttle and the pedal assist are all controlled wirelessly via the Daymak Drive controller. What wiring and electronics there is, including the motor, lithium polymer battery and wireless Daymak Drive controller, is all packed inside the bike's front wheel, which is accommodated in a custom designed fork and frame. The wheel also includes a USB port, charging port and an LED battery power display. When the brakes are applied from the wireless throttle, the regenerative braking system kicks in to send current back to the batteries and the wheel can also be used as a generator to recharge devices via the USB port. Daymak offers the Shadow Ebike with a 250W or 350W electric motor, and a 36V 10AH lithium-ion battery, which provides an average range of around 20 to 25 km (12 to 15 miles) running on just motor power, or around 35 to 40 km (22 to 25 miles) with pedal-assist. The included battery takes around 4-5 hours to completely recharge and is good for 750 to 800 cycles. While the concept of a wireless bike throws up the possibility of interference from other wireless devices or even someone hacking into the bike's controls and slamming on the brakes to send you flying over the handlebars, Daymak says that each Shadow Ebike wireless component is paired and the odds of being affected by other means is less than one in a billion. Daymak says the use of wireless technology also means the Shadow is setup for future upgrades to interact with smartphones and even PCs – possibly to give it similar remote monitoring capabilities to the PiCycle, an electric bike that could also lay claim to the title of "world's first wireless electric bicycle" with its use of Wi-Fi-based technology. Daymak is currently taking orders of the Shadow Ebike ahead of an April 30, 2011 delivery date. It is priced at US$1,999.

Blog 27 4/4/11

Hey Homies . . .

I enjoyed last week so much, I wanna do it again.

Here's a site for more concept vehicles. I noticed a couple of things:

1) The Camaro looks almost exactly like it's concept did.

2) The name for the Cadillac is just unfortunate, don't you think?

So do what you did last week. Pick one, tell me why.

As always, please wait to blog until Thursday unless it's Yanko.

Talk to me . . . http://chillopedia.com/interesting/10-cool-concept-cars/

Blog 26 3/28/11

Howdy Folks! Many of you wanted to revisit automotive technology. Here's a story that Chito found that I thought was way cool (big thanks to Chito by the way). My words continue at the bottom: Think about your favourite vehicle from TV or film, what is it? Let me guess – the DeLorean from Back To The Future or KITT from Knight Rider? Well how would you feel if I were to tell you that these kind of vehicles might exist in future? Don’t get your hopes up just yet, they might exist one day. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any other really cool, futuristic concept vehicles that we are more likely to see in our lifetime. Here are ten of the coolest future concept vehicles. As always, please wait to comment until Thursday. 1. Aventos

Image source - greenlaunches

Expect most vehicles of the future to be eco-friendly, such as this majestic yellow design from Aventos. Described as a green car (don’t confuse with its colour) the Aventos vehicle promises to reduce the carbon footprint. It can be used as a personal car but its main design has been for transporting good around a city making it primarily an urban vehicle but with a naturist’s touch. Aventos also helps to promote car pooling. A detachable module at the rear also plays the role of nomadic shop. 2. Amphibious Car Image source - hardwaresphere

The Amphibious Car is still in its earliest production stages as you can see from the picture but it is looking promising for the future. Designer Jorge Cross has scheduled 2030 as the realistic release year. Adopting the technology of hydrodynamics the car certainly has a very low centre of gravity. Cross has also incorporated a super capsule chassis design. 3. Peugeot Ozone Image source - luxurylaunches

Peugeot have come up with an ingenius design for an eco-friendly vehicle that looks like something out of the game show Gladiators. The Ozone has semi-transparent glass and is a hydrogen fuelled cell that sits neatly in between two giant wheels. These are controlled by two seperate electric motors, which are operated by the fuel cells. The symmetrical metal body has a sliding door which rotates a full 360 degrees in its own frame. How clever! 4. BMW GINA Image source - geekologie

Chris Bangle, head of design at BMW, unveiled this new car which is called GINA (stands for Geometry and functions In ‘N’ Adaptions). GINA is basically a fabric-covered car that can change shape at the press of a button. It has been built on the Z8 chassis and has a 4.4-liter V8 and six-speed automatic transmission. The exterior’s fabric skin, made from polyurethane-coated Lycra, is resilient, waterproof and durable. It’s been stretched out over an aluminium frame that’s controlled by electric and hydraulic actuators that allow the owner to change the body shape. 5. BMW ZX-6 Image source - gadgets.boingboing

Third-year students at the Instituto Europea di Design in Turin are behind this hugely ambitious concept vehicle. In partnership with BMW, Jai Ho Yoo and Lukas Vanek were able to design this complex looking car of the future. It integrates a strip of outer shell that offers protection to the wheels whilst offering an interesting new design for the doors. Although it does look rather complicated the ZX-6 is definitely worth looking out for in the future, otherwise BMW would not have offered their partnership to the institution. 6. MoVille Image source - finesttech

This tear-shaped, single passenger vehicle was designed by Woo-Ram Lee from France for the 2008 Peugeot Design Contest. Built from the biodegradable plastic the MoVille car is regarded as a zero-emission drive train. The little electric car uses electromagnets in order to rotate the car’s three omnidirectional magnetic ball wheels. The sliding window is used a door to enter/exit the vehicle whilst a second door is integrated and consists of photovoltaic solar cells where the car’s batteries can be recharged. 7. The CLEVER Image source - thecontaminated

CLEVER is an acronym for Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport. Designed especially for city dwellers it was created at the Technical University in Berlin, Institute for Motor Vehicles. The vehicle seats two people, requires little space, has a low weight, a low fuel consumption and low emissions. 8. Nanish K R Image source - ecofriend

This as yet unnamed car of the future was created by Indian auto designer Nanish K R. Despite its menacing appearance it’s actually very eco-friendly and is on track for a 2020 release. The vehicle is powered by four independent electromagnetic wheels, which are each made of two sliding rings – one being an electromagnet and one being a permanent magnet. The electromagnet is powered by lithium-ion batteries installed on the vehicle’s chassis and gets the same polarity as the permanent magnet. This creates a force which converts the rings into motion. 9. The MAG Image source - zimbio

The Magnetic Concept Car, simply known as The MAG, is the brainchild of designer Matúš Procháczka. With its futuristic body this innovative concept car is driven by an electric engine that generates a magnetic field, which propells the vehicle forward. The MAG was the winner of the ‘Unseen Technology Award’ at the Interior Motives Design Award 2007. 10. Igarashi Helicopter Image source - dvice This single-person helicopter was created by Japanese designer Yutaka Igarashi. Looking like a Transformer in the guise of a giant blue insect. Obviously only trained pilots can fly this vehicle as it can only fit one person. The helicopter has been equipped with everything needed to give the private flight a higher reliability and its size is smaller in comparison to other helicopters in order to give the flyer more control to manoeuvre.

Me again:

I thought there were some super new ideas in this site. Take a closer look at the Peugot Ozone. How sweet is that thing? I'm telling ya. Put me a recliner and a small fridge in there and I'm NEVER coming out!

For blog credit this week, tell me which of these vehicles you'd pick, and tell me why.

Oh and BTW? I'm not riding with any of you who choose that helicopter!

Talk to me . . .

Blog 25 3/21/11

Hola Peeps!

I heard from a lot of you that there was some interest in robotics technology, so I started doing a little research. Turns out robotics is a pretty broad spectrum that encompasses many different areas.

Here's a good site for a general overview of advancing robotics technology:

http://www.roboticstrends.com/

Under the latest stories heading there are 6 different tabs. Pick the one that interests you the most. Please don't just stop on "Service and Healthcare" because that's what comes up first.

In order for you to receive credit this week you must do TWO things: 1) Tell me which story you're commenting on. 2) Tell me how it might change our lives. Please wait until Thursday to comment.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 24 3/8/11

Howdy! Thanks for logging in!

In preparation for switching topics, please hit Yanko today.

http://www.yankodesign.com/

Follow these instructions:

1. Go to Yanko.

2. Go to the bottom of the page and click on the link after the page numbers that says "Inspire Me." Ask your neighbor to help you find it if you can't.

3. Tell me which page you landed on. You may not use the first five pages.

4. Pick a product and tell me WHY you like it or how you think it could change our lives.

Failure to follow these directions will result in a zero for this week's blog grade.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 23 3/1/11

Howdy Folks! Step on up . . .

Thank yall for the ideas last week about future technology blogs. I found myself looking at the ideas and wondering why we haven't done military technology yet this year, so that's what we're gonna do.

For those of you who haven't taken my class before, you might be surprised to learn that I'm a war buff. I love reading about any military operations, but especially Vietnam and Iraq. It's a life that is foreign to me, so I want to absorb all I can about it.

I guess this interest started in college when I had a history professor who would come in, move everything aside on his desk, sit down and just start talking. About Vietnam. You see, he was a Marine at that time . . . boots on the ground in a land that was completely foreign to him. He would talk for HOURS each class meeting and he held our attention. You could hear a pin drop in that room. He even made us read a book that was written by a Marine in his unit who would later go on to win a Pulitzer Prize. The book was named "A Rumor of War." And that's where my interest began.

This week I'm reading The Long Road Home by Martha Raddatz, who is an ABC news correspondent who has covered foreign military operations for years. This book is about a Ft. Hood unit who gets pinned down in Sadr Iraq. It's a pretty interesting read.

So for this week's blog please take a look at this website devoted to future military technology:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/future-military-technology.htm

There are 14 new military technology ideas on that page. For blog credit this week you will need to pick at least one and comment about how it could assist our soldiers.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 22 2/14/11

Because of the internet trouble of last week, I am leaving this blog up for this week. Please blog if you didn't get the chance.

So we've reached the time of the year where I'm brain dead. You know that time . . . the part between Christmas Break and Spring Break where you start thinking "there is no possible way I can make it through the rest of this year."

Yeah . . . that's where I'm at.

So for this week's blog I would like for YOU to log in and give ME two ideas for future technology blogs. Preferably stuff you're actually interested in. Not just an answer for the sake of answering.
In order for you to receive credit both ideas must be technology related.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 21 2/7/11

Hey Yall! Thanks for logging in!

Sticking with the subject of video gaming, there's an article I want you to read. Yes, read. Yes, it's long. But it's very good.

Have you ever thought about how cool it would be to be a video game tester? Sitting around all day, drinking Dr. Pepper and eating Cheetos and testing out the latest releases of all the coolest games on the market? (Maybe the Dr. Pepper and Cheetos is just MY fantasy)

Well, turns out you're not the first to think of it. In fact, a reporter (a chick!) for the Seattle Weekly News did just that a couple years back. I think what she found will actually surprise you.

So take a bit of time to read this article. It's long, but it's a good read. Wait to comment until Thursday. Answer these questions for credit: 1) What surprised you about this article? 2) Now that you've read this article, would you want this job? 3) Why or why not?

Talk to me . . .

http://tinyurl.com/286zbd

Blog 20 1/31/11

Howdy Folks! Thanks for logging in!

So the picture of this guy last week got me thinking:


About how the line between real life and video games is beginning to blur.

I know a lot of you are gamers. A LOT of you. Gamers have a tendency to gravitate towards me. And yall know I'm NOT a gamer. The extent of my gaming is about once a year to whip Mr. L. at Guitar Hero.

Anywho . . .

So this guy is wearing goggles that show him longitude / latitude, speed and altitude. Ya know, kinda like a video game display, only inside his glasses.

There are other things that make me think real life is becoming closer to a video games. Things like this:



that fully HALF OF YOU put on your Christmas Wish List that we did.

So not only is real life becoming more like gaming, but gaming is becoming more like real life. We don't even NEED controllers anymore!

So for this weeks blog, talk to me. Give me an example of how you see the line between real life and video gaming blurring. Tell me where you think this technology is going. What will be the end product of this technology? How do you think this will make our lives easier? Harder?

Talk to me . . .

Blog 19 1/24/11

Hola Peeps!

So last week was CES in Las Vegas. Never heard of it? Let me break it on down for ya.

CES stands for Consumer Electronics Show. It's HUGE!!!! GINORMOUS!!!! It's where (almost) every technology company in the world debuts their coming electronic attractions. Think of all the new technology of the last ten years . . . iPhones and other smartphones, tablet computers, wireless innovations, bluetooth gadgetry . . . ALL of that and so much more was introduced at CES.

In short, it's THE place to be if you're a nerd. (And no, before you ask, I've never gone. Maybe one day).

So here's a look at a few statistics from this year's show:

140,000 people attended

30,000 of those people came from another country

2,700 technology companies displayed their wares

158,000 tweets originated from their last week

So you should be starting to see what a BDD it is.

Here is a look at some of the new technology that previewed last week. Pick any one new gadget, tell me which website it came from, tell me how it will change our lives.

Follow my directions completely if you would like a grade.

Talk to me.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/10/AR2011011004953.html
This site has a cool photo gallery you can launch.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2375537,00.asp
This one's good for those of you who are gamers. It also has photo galleries.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/210287/2011_ces_best_of_innovations_honorees.html
There are 26 slides to look at. Please don't stop on #1.

http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/scitech/2011/01/05/ces-photo-gallery/#slide=1
There are 29 pictures in this gallery.

Blog 18 1/17/11

Thanks for logging in!

Let's get deep this week.

I want to talk about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his thoughts on technology.

In 1964 Dr. King delivered a lecture the day after winning the Nobel Peace Prize in which he told his audience at the University of Oslo that "material advancement was meaningless without an accompanying moral structure." In other words, the growing abundance of technology is undermining the human spirit. My favorite quote from the article is: "The richer we have become materially, the poorer we become morally and spiritually," he said. "We have learned to fly in the air like birds and swim in the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers."

This week I'm asking you to think, REALLY THINK about Dr. King's words. I want his words to work on you a little bit.

He is telling us that technology advancement needs to go hand in hand with spiritual advancement, or it's all for nothing. THINK. Do you agree or disagree with Dr. King? WHY? You will answer both of those questions to receive credit this week.

Talk to me . . .

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/12/dayintech_1211

Blog 17 1/10/11

Howdy! Thanks for logging in!

In preparation for switching topics, please hit Yanko today.

Go ahead and blog today, as Tuesday is ELA day and Thursday we will be on Midterm schedule.

http://www.yankodesign.com/

Follow these instructions:

1. Go to Yanko.

2. Go to the bottom of the page and click on the link after the page numbers that says "Inspire Me." Ask your neighbor to help you find it if you can't.

3. Tell me which page you landed on. You may not use the first five pages.

4. Pick a product and tell me WHY you like it or how you think it could change our lives.

Failure to follow these directions will result in a zero for this week's blog grade.

Talk to me . . .

Blog 16 1/3/11

Howdy Peeps! Thanks for logging in . . .

Lets finish up kitchen discussion this week.

For this last week in the kitchen, let's go look at some cool kitchen gadgetry.

I have a few sites for this:

http://www.uncommongoods.com/dining-entertaining/kitchen-tools?displayedproducts=12&grid=1&i=1&p=1&sale=0&sort=none&t0=dining%2Bentertaining&t1=kitchen%2Btools&u1=t0&view=all

http://www.housebeautiful.com/shopping/best/modern-kitchen-gadgets

http://www.trendhunter.com/cool-hunting/category/kitchen-gadgets

http://www.pocket-lint.com/kitchen+gadgets

Please don't stop on the first page / website. Pick a gadget, tell me which site it came from, tell me why you like it or how you'd use it. Do all three of those things for your grade this week.

Talk to me . . .