Cool new theoretical texh

I have recently come up with an idea of how to make a 3D projection or hologram much like princess Leia in Star wars. The device would be based on the precondition that you could get some form of gas to light up if you provide it with just enough energy. It would involve 3 scanning lasers and a hollow tub in which to contain a gas. The lasers would be attached to a scanner much like there are in old TV's and the lasers would scan back and forth to create an image. When all three lasers intersect, they would create a pixel through their combined image. Just a thought that has not been well developed.

Recently in Comp Sci

We have just finished with the Ap so I have a lot of make up work from the last few weeks. I am trying to keep pace with the class, and I am doing fairly well so far,but the make up work is dragging me down. I am attempting to do it during lunch but otherwise I will just try to move forwards. We have started using a new program called XNA which allows you to easily make graphics and games using c++. It is basically the same as Java except some of the syntax stuff. Quizzes have started to re-emerge so class is returning to normal. Nothing else is really new.

Cool new[ish] activities

Recently I saw a video about a cool newish occurrence, the flash mob (link at bottom). In such an occurrence, a whole bunch of people get together in a seemingly random way in order to do a seemingly random action. Examples include mobs where people would suddenly break out into dance or start pillow fights in public locations. Flash mobs are meant to be harmless and amusing based on their spontaneity and are a pretty good prank overall.Unfortunately they can go too far and cause harm to persons or personal property which makes them possibly threatening. I personally think that this is one of the coolest things ever because it shows the power that a single group of people can wield under the name anonymous. Just thought this was pretty cool.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=video&cd=1&ved=0CDoQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DNJSosbt2xDw&rct=j&q=forever%20alone%20flash%20mob&tbs=vid%3A1&ei=TazSTf7RKsiWtwfiz9mZCg&usg=AFQjCNHLnrPGoh8pMEu20911gibukjTTrQ&cad=rja

This week in comp sci/ap studying

This is the last week before the ap and comp sci is starting to get a bit more serious. The ap is a pretty big deal, and is basically a final for the course, so I am starting to rack up my studying. I have been reviewing and found that some of the more simple concepts have started to slip my mind. I forgot how arraylists worked, and the majority of Gridworld, and have been frantically trying to relearn that for the past few days. Inheritance has also caused some problems and I am still nervous about the free response questions. I hope to get a five on the ap, and I have started getting scores in that range on the practice tests, but i am worried that it is more likely that I will get a four or three. A four would be acceptable but a three would be fairly bad. I am concentrating on studying now and just hope to be ready for my test on Tuesday.

The list of today

I have recently stumbled upon a cool list of fancy stuff called the List of emerging technologies. This list can easily be wiki'd and simply describes the human advancements which are beginning to appear outside of the purely conceptual stage. This list is basically one of 20 or so interesting technologies which are worth your time to read. The technologies on the list are all applicable today, and are in various phases of testing. I personally think that it would be rather neat to see any of these technologies fully developed. Effects could range from solving the energy crisis, to curing cancer, but any discovery would lead to the positive advancement of the engineering industry.

Cool new tech

The Ipad and Ipod have been known for their niftyness and adaptability (to an extent) and for the large number of apps which they host, and the Icade (ipod arcade) is just a really cool example of this application. the arcade is an extension to the Ipad which allows the fan boys of the old school arcade to bask in its new reformatted glory. It is an interesting idea though to sell physical attachments to an Ipad along with a game. Such concepts have had varying degrees of popularity in the past ranging from very good reception from the public to down right rejection. Examples range from the very popular guitar hero controller to the useless cooking mama spatulas and knife Wii mote attachments. I personally dislike such additions due to their lack of portability and i just hope that they are a fad which will die out soon enough.

Comp Sci work

In comp sci lately we have been working on labs and cramming before the AP. I am currently conflicted as to weather or not I should be studying in class or doing the actual class work. Now that there is a requirement to do labs and worksheets, I have found that a lot of time goes into do those activities instead of studying. While these do help and are probably better for me then goofing around, but I also have a nagging feeling that i will bomb the AP if i do not study constantly for the next week and a half. I am feeling rather motivated to study so now might be the time to study.

Awesome new technology

For a long time the rail gun has been included in the realm of video games and science fiction, but now the idea of a rail gun could be included in conventional modern and completely real weaponry. The technology behind a rail gun is relatively simple to understand on a basic level. You simply propel a bullet or projectile through a barrel using the forces of magnets in order to bring it up to ridiculous speeds. The systems would be able to send a projectile much farther and faster then conventional firing systems and also just looks awesome. Even though it is not really practical to use a rail gun quite yet in a battle field, I just thought that it was something that is worth seeing and mentioning.

video

http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/11/navys-prototype-rail-gun-projectile-hits-mach-7-at-33-megajoule/

3ds review

So... I have been saving up for a year, and just recently purchased the 3ds. Even though I did not get any games (the ones I want come out a bit later) it is still really frigin cool. The first important thing to mention is that the 3D actually works. One might think that the 3D is lame and gimmicky and gets boring after a while, but at least for now, it is still very amusing and cool looking. If you can afford it, and have liked nintendo products in the past, I would suggest buying it sometime this year.

Kinda creepy tech

Recently in Japan (where else) a new eating utensil has appeared, which is basically a theremin tied to a fork. Just on its own, a theremin sounds rather creepy, but when attached to a fork that plays when you eat, it is just weird. it works based on an electric current running through your body. Different foods with different resistances make different sounds. It is suggested that other utensils could be used too, but I think it would be rather weird to have you whole dinner table humming some annoying high pitched noise non stop. Just my opinion.

Cool new tech

Recently, historical science researchers decided to test out an x-ray machine from 1896 and compare the results to that of a modern x-ray machine. If that is not cool, I do not know what is. because they the old x-ray machine had thousands of times more radiation then a modern machine, they tested in on a cadaver. Of course the modern x-ray had a clearer image and was safer, but even though the results were as expected, it was still interesting to see how much technology progressed. In 1896, the x-ray machine that they had was probably thought to be a modern and safe technological marvel, while we know better now. Perhaps in 100 years our x-ray machines will be considered unsafe, blurry and old. Technology advances and it will be interesting to see where we take ourselves.

last last week in comp sci

We have started going into interface and associated labs, but I have yet to finish tic tac toe, so hopefully I will not get too far behind. The interface labs are not really hard, but just long so there are plenty of opportunities for minor bugs to arise. I have gotten rid of most of said bugs, but there are some stubborn ones which will not go away even if the code seems to be an exact replica of the model code. I will probably just move on and call this lab as good as done for now. I will probably have to work after school on the tic tac toe lab or come in extra during lunch.

a few weeks ago in comp sci

We have recently started working on references and parameters, but I am still stuck on the tic tac toe lab refs and params are fairly simple with only a few rules that need to be followed such as whether or not a method changes or doesn't change the value of a string or number, but once you have that down, it is fairly simple. The syntax is a tiny bit confusing like always, but that is really the only way to make this concept hard, so it is understandable. I have to think for a while and draw a simple chart for some of these problems, but I can chug on through most of them so for now I am doing well.

Sad new blog tech

This week has been a rather sad week for science and space exploration due to the imminent retirement of the space shuttle discovery. Discovery embarked upon its last launch in order to take a humanoid robot into space. After this mission space shuttle discovery will be retired from use, and then there will be only 2 functioning American space shuttles left. These two shuttles will only have one more launch each before they are retired too though, so this is the beginning of the end of the space shuttle era. After this point, the US will not have any opperating space vehicles and will have to use another countries, or a private companies shuttles in order to do anything is space. Meh :(

Last week in comp sci

Last week we went over array lists in class and they are not too different from what we have done before. The only really difference is that instead of having single [c,h,a,r,s] you can have [st,ri,ngs] in each position. The only thing this does is add a small level of complexity by introducing several new method types. Labs now are becoming more difficult because we do not just have to implement what we just learned in some basic coding and stick an out print at the end, but rather deal with real world problems or codes which would need to be created. While interesting it is much harder and I just hope that I can stay afloat until the AP.

several weeks ago in Comp Sci

Computer science is starting to get rather complicated. We went back into critters again, but there was a bit more depth, and rather then just having some bugs running around in circles, we have to make them create more intricate designs and have introduced a more complicated black plague actor. It took me a few tries to implement the black plague actor (which looks like a rat and is supposed to turn actors around it black) but the trouble was mostly caused by the syntax which we had to learn and the numerous setting and getting commands associated with the actor class. The quiz associated with the topic was also slightly confusing in that many of the answers seemed like they could be right and were very similar. I ended up doing ok on that quiz but did not exactly pass with flying colors. I think I understand the concepts and can move on now though.

Cool new blog tech

The popular video sharing site, youtube now has an app so that it can be viewed in 3D. I think this is getting close to the end of the wave of cool new 3D hardware and software. There is the 3ds, 3d tv, and a lot of new 3d movies, but interest seems to have peaked already. Avatar might have created a new interest in 3d with its epic graphics and feelings, but there seems to be less hype over movies being in 3d and all of the new 3d gadgets coming out. While all these things are still cool, they no longer create awe and excitement as much. This could have two causes. The technology could be either be getting old and stale, or it is starting to be accepted as the norm or a requirement for any new technology. either way I am still interested and hope that more of this technology appears.

Cool new blog Tech

For years computers have surpassed humans at simple or even mildly complex computational and strategic games. They can win at tic tac toe, chess, and even large and complicated video games under the right situations, but now on of the last ways in which computers are inferior to humans is coming under debate. A machine is now being tested as to whether it can think better or faster then a human. Watson, an ibm computer is being pitted against the two biggest jeopardy winners in a contest to see who will win in one epic game of jeopardy. It has already been filmed but it is only being aired tonight and the next three days. Whether or not the questions are good or the show is amusing, this will be a moment for the history books of computers

Last week in comp sci

We worked on arrays and gradually got more and more complex as we went. We also took a quiz, but I did not do very well because several of the concepts are still a bit confusing to me. The main one which I do not understand is the idea of the array shortcuts. I know that one can quickly make some kind of array creator by using two variables and a : but I do not understand exactly how this works and how it can be used in the context of other code. Otherwise all is well and I will simply have to review to move on.

Cool New Blog 技术

Now in china there is a new million dollar program to revise all of the current fire trucks. The old trucks were much like those commonly found in the use, but the new ones are slightly different. They have mother hugging canons on them. Not fire hoses on top but 5 meter long water cannons. They can shoot water more then 1/10 of a mile at ridiculous speeds. They are awesome. They will reinvent fire fighting as a whole, but in china they might have other uses. They could be used for crowd control. Even though it would probably flay anything it hit It is awesome so I just thought you all should know about it.

Last week in Comp Sci

Last week we took two quizzes and started to move back into the regular schedule for comp Sci. I did well on one of the quizzes, but I did rather badly on the array quiz. I do not understand how array shortcuts work. I know the general idea of putting a semicolon in between the variable name and the array, but I do not understand how to manipulate and use the array afterward. I missed 2 questions on my quiz because of this and I will have to go in during lunch to figure out why. I know these will be on the AP so it is pretty important that I figure out how they work, but I will be glad to move on to a new topic and hopefully one I will understand a bit better.

New blog tech

A school in Tennessee has a progressive view on modern technology, and is now implementing a new set of rules for all students. For the next school year, instead of having textbooks and folders, the students will be required to have an Ipad to do all of their work on. While they might still carry some papers and have to print out assignments, a large portion of their work will be done at school on the Ipad. Normally we do not think of the Ipad as a work tool, but rather one of recreation which can be used to read, play games, or watch movies, but the new school in Tennessee is showing that these are not the only uses for the Ipad. I personally like the idea and would enjoy seeing it implemented in my own school. Instead of carrying 20 pounds of textbooks on my back, all I would need would be an Ipad. It would be easier to organize and much neater and simpler all together. The Ipad could be switched with any small laptop or tablet too, depending on the budget of the school and the needs of the kids. It would not cost as much to get one of these devices as it does to get a school computer with all the applications like Adobe and Microsoft, so I think that it would be an easy and practical idea.

Rather old new tech

The Iphone has been one of the most popular phones which has come out in recent years, but it is going through a controversial change now. Apple has finally allowed for there to be some competition between service providers for the Iphone. Verizon will provide service for the Iphone at what they call a supposedly lower cost and faster data rates then at&t. People have complained that at&t's normal service is sub-par due to often slow data rates and many dropped calls, so many people will consider the competition an improvement. More people will be open to the idea of buying an Iphone simply because of the fact that they would not be stuck with at&t. While good for Apple and Verizon, this will be bad for at&t, because they will have to live up to some standards in order to keep whatever image they have left, and they will have to start providing good service

Super Old New technology

Soon a new car will come out which will be the fastest land vehicle ever invented. Not only will it go supersonic, but it is supposed to go almost up to mach 2. This new car would not only be a cool new innovation, but it would allow designers to see possible ways to make current cars more efficient and fast. I think that this is just ridiculous even though it is really cool. While I think that it is neat I do not think that it is practical for everyone to drive around in hyper aero-dynamic race cars. And aside from setting the world record, it seems rather useless. It is kind of like being able to spit watermelon seeds the farthest. While cool, it is not so practical. If I was to die today, I would want my legacy to live on as being slightly more important then helping to make a really fast car, but that is just my opinion

Last weeks Comp Sci

Last week in computer science we worked on labs in which we had to cut up and manipulate specific lines of text and numbers. We would have to get averages and sort out the odds and evens. I found these to be difficult and take a long time mostly because we were required to instantiate it and set the variable rather then just write the code which recognizes and counts the odds and evens. I managed to do a few by communicating and speaking with my neighbors, but I have noticed that it is getting progressively more and more difficult. I am thinking that I will have to stay during lunch in order to make up some labs.

Kinda late last last week post

two weeks ago we just came back to school and started classes again. In computer science we went back to grid world. I like gridworld because it is easy to understand and we did not have to instantiate it, but rather just edit and manipulate the objects within a set class. The questions that we had to answer were always fairly simple and easy to answer. The setters and getters were all fairly simple and easy to understand and it is fun to watch the bugs run around and make flowers. One of the labs which I specifically liked was the spiral bug lab. This lab allowed you to set different variables which manipulate exactly how the bugs moved and how they reacted to the environment.