This is an interesting use of Adobe Flash and also very creative.
Adobe Flash, of course, is the program that we use to create animations. Most home users have Adobe Flash Player installed, which allows them to view these animations (but not create them). Many companies like this feel they can give away the viewer, and if people actually want to design things with the program, charge for that.
The animation below is pretty cool because in my CIS 273 class, I teach Adobe Flash, and it's cool to look at an animation and just understand how it is done. My Web Graphics students, past and present, should understand how much work went in to this person's animation. Cool stuff!
Link to animation
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Cat-proof your computer
So, I ran across this site today and, it's interesting to say the least. You can buy software to cat-proof your computer. Really, for those cat owners out there, is this a problem worth software for?
I think my favorite feature is the one that detects cat-like activity, and plays a sound that annoys cats to chase it off of your keyboard.
This is not a joke, from what I can tell:
http://www.bitboost.com/pawsense/
I think my favorite feature is the one that detects cat-like activity, and plays a sound that annoys cats to chase it off of your keyboard.
This is not a joke, from what I can tell:
http://www.bitboost.com/pawsense/
Monday, March 15, 2010
Professionalism and what they don't teach you in college
All of a sudden, I feel like the committee that put together our schedule was brilliant. They scheduled it on the week of Daylight Saving Time, which gives us all a week to get used to the new time schedule. If it were planned, I would be impressed, but I do get the feeling it was not actually planned and is just a coincidence.
I was thinking about something this morning, and it has to do with professionalism, and how these things are not formally taught in a classroom. Specifically, I was thinking back to a moment about ten years ago, and how I personally didn't understand professionalism once I got in to the workplace. My first place of employment out of college was an Internet startup, and the standards there were, shall we say, lax. It was a rather informal environment, and it was a perfect adjustment for me coming out of college.
However, the Internet startup days were ending, and the company wasn't meant to succeed. Many of the employees saw the writing on the wall and started to look elsewhere for employment. A friend of mine worked at a place in Clifton, and I was hired there. It was quite a change. At Montclair State in graduate school, I remember we talked about this thing called COCOMO in a Software Metrics class, and we discussed how large companies and small companies differ. I understood that on a logical level, but going from a company of 40 people to a company of 40,000 (really) was a culture shock. Where I used to walk in to work in a football jersey and jeans, I now was expected to be in business casual attire. Where I was used to not needing to be in the door EXACTLY at 8:30 am if I didn't mind staying later, I now needed to be. Where I was used to being able to use the Internet at lunch time and at various points in the day to check personal email, it was now monitored and reported to supervisors. I struggled with this, because I was doing a good job, and I didn't see why this other stuff mattered.
There was building access at ITT 24 hours a day, and there were times I needed to come in during off-peak hours to work on things. I came in on a Sunday and worked 10 hours one day, because there was a limited number of systems we could use to test our software, and it made our lives easier. Since it was a Sunday, and there was rarely anyone else there, I didn't think it was a big deal to come in wearing jeans and a t-shirt. To make a long story short, one of the more established members of my department was also there, and told my boss, and he talked to me about it. Another time, I was working overnight for the same reasons as I mentioned before, and I brought in music and a radio. Since no one was around, I had the music playing loudly. A similar situation arose, where someone mentioned it to my boss. My reaction at the time was to wonder why these people were not minding their own business. However, I sort of understand it now. I had to drop my ego in order to really start to succeed in the business world. I dressed the way that was expected, acted as if someone were around, even if they were not, and generally tried to behave the way other people in the company were. I bristled at this, but it was my route to success.
I say this because I know employers complain about students sometimes, and the complaints typically are not about technical capabilities, but in the business savvy, or "soft skills". A friend of mine was recently laid off, and I know from my personal relationship that they can be somewhat abrasive and irresponsible. Companies, many times, make personnel decisions based on the way you fit in to a company. Even if they say that they are laying you off because of cut backs, many times that is just a way to fire someone without having to show cause. Things like dress code, business communication, taking constructive criticism...these are things that people are not necessarily taught. My feeling is that college should be part of that. When you as a student deal with a professor, it's a chance to practice interacting with a boss and authority figure. When you are in college, some of the things you can get used to that will help you professionally are timeliness, maturity, responsibility, and how to be less egocentric. These were some of things I had to learn, at least.
I was thinking about something this morning, and it has to do with professionalism, and how these things are not formally taught in a classroom. Specifically, I was thinking back to a moment about ten years ago, and how I personally didn't understand professionalism once I got in to the workplace. My first place of employment out of college was an Internet startup, and the standards there were, shall we say, lax. It was a rather informal environment, and it was a perfect adjustment for me coming out of college.
However, the Internet startup days were ending, and the company wasn't meant to succeed. Many of the employees saw the writing on the wall and started to look elsewhere for employment. A friend of mine worked at a place in Clifton, and I was hired there. It was quite a change. At Montclair State in graduate school, I remember we talked about this thing called COCOMO in a Software Metrics class, and we discussed how large companies and small companies differ. I understood that on a logical level, but going from a company of 40 people to a company of 40,000 (really) was a culture shock. Where I used to walk in to work in a football jersey and jeans, I now was expected to be in business casual attire. Where I was used to not needing to be in the door EXACTLY at 8:30 am if I didn't mind staying later, I now needed to be. Where I was used to being able to use the Internet at lunch time and at various points in the day to check personal email, it was now monitored and reported to supervisors. I struggled with this, because I was doing a good job, and I didn't see why this other stuff mattered.
There was building access at ITT 24 hours a day, and there were times I needed to come in during off-peak hours to work on things. I came in on a Sunday and worked 10 hours one day, because there was a limited number of systems we could use to test our software, and it made our lives easier. Since it was a Sunday, and there was rarely anyone else there, I didn't think it was a big deal to come in wearing jeans and a t-shirt. To make a long story short, one of the more established members of my department was also there, and told my boss, and he talked to me about it. Another time, I was working overnight for the same reasons as I mentioned before, and I brought in music and a radio. Since no one was around, I had the music playing loudly. A similar situation arose, where someone mentioned it to my boss. My reaction at the time was to wonder why these people were not minding their own business. However, I sort of understand it now. I had to drop my ego in order to really start to succeed in the business world. I dressed the way that was expected, acted as if someone were around, even if they were not, and generally tried to behave the way other people in the company were. I bristled at this, but it was my route to success.
I say this because I know employers complain about students sometimes, and the complaints typically are not about technical capabilities, but in the business savvy, or "soft skills". A friend of mine was recently laid off, and I know from my personal relationship that they can be somewhat abrasive and irresponsible. Companies, many times, make personnel decisions based on the way you fit in to a company. Even if they say that they are laying you off because of cut backs, many times that is just a way to fire someone without having to show cause. Things like dress code, business communication, taking constructive criticism...these are things that people are not necessarily taught. My feeling is that college should be part of that. When you as a student deal with a professor, it's a chance to practice interacting with a boss and authority figure. When you are in college, some of the things you can get used to that will help you professionally are timeliness, maturity, responsibility, and how to be less egocentric. These were some of things I had to learn, at least.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Other uses for Facebook
We've been discussing Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter in my CIS 101 classes recently, under the guise of social networking. Business folks refer to the collection of technologies like social networking, wikis, etc. as "Web 2.0" content - more interactive Web pages.
Aside from the obvious uses, there are other things that these sites are used for. One thing that you have seen in certain areas is police departments asking for help. For example, in the link below, a New Zealand police department caught a thief by posting a security image on Facebook. This is an article from last year, but it's still an interesting application of social networking.
Link to Story
Aside from the obvious uses, there are other things that these sites are used for. One thing that you have seen in certain areas is police departments asking for help. For example, in the link below, a New Zealand police department caught a thief by posting a security image on Facebook. This is an article from last year, but it's still an interesting application of social networking.
Link to Story
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Watching TV on your PC
I like watching TV shows, and I finally broke down and got a digital video recorder (DVR) at some point, because it was a pain to program my VCR to record all the shows I wanted to see (and yes, I said VCR).
I know many people like the idea of watching television on the PC, because you can do it from locations (like work), and you aren't on the network schedules. Hulu is a great site for this. It's free (advertising supported), legal, and lets you view episodes of many shows that have aired recently, even if you don't pay for a television package. Unlike sites like megavideo, you also don't have to worry about legal issues, time restrictions, and spyware.
www.hulu.com
If you are like me, you can also hook up an old PC to your television and use Hulu to watch shows on your TV. I took an old machine, wiped it out, put a basic operating system and security suite on it, and it's now my TV computer.
I know many people like the idea of watching television on the PC, because you can do it from locations (like work), and you aren't on the network schedules. Hulu is a great site for this. It's free (advertising supported), legal, and lets you view episodes of many shows that have aired recently, even if you don't pay for a television package. Unlike sites like megavideo, you also don't have to worry about legal issues, time restrictions, and spyware.
www.hulu.com
If you are like me, you can also hook up an old PC to your television and use Hulu to watch shows on your TV. I took an old machine, wiped it out, put a basic operating system and security suite on it, and it's now my TV computer.
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