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