Blogs and Wikis

Besides Google searching, what is the most important tool you use Google for?                                                 The most important tool i use google for is research about topics and information i want to know. This is the most common use for google because it is a search engine that allows users to search for answers.

Check  √  the appropriate box.  Is it a blog or wiki?

	Blog	WIKI
Wikipedia		√
Used for collaboration	√
Many people can add to it	√	√
Post your journal	√
Work on a project together		√
Your opinion	√
Neutral point of view		√

Explore Google! List 5 things you can do with Google that you didn't know about.

Things I didn't know you could do with google were that you could move the google applications, you can manage the search engines, that you can sync google on several devices, you can select different people for google, and that there are google app extesions. 

Search about Thomas Friedman’s The Flat World page. What does he mean by Flat World?
What Thomas Friedman meant by flat world is that what even could be done will be done which means that in the world people will either do something or have something done to them. 

Computer Stuff

	Building your own PC
Processor	AMD Athlon II Dual Core	2.9GHz	$60.00
RAM	Kingston DDR3 SDRAM	4 GB	$66.00
Graphics card	Sapphire Radeon HD 4650 graphics card	512MB	$34.00
Motherboard	ASRock AM3 AMD 770 ATX motherboard		$60.00
Power supply	Antec 380-watt power supply		$45.00
DVD-CD burner	Lite-On DVD-CD burner		$17.00
Hard drive	Samsung 7200 RPM SATA hard drive	500GB	$55.00
Case	Gigabyte ATX Mid Tower case		$17.00
Operating System	Microsoft Home Premium 64-bit	Windows 7	$100.00
		Cost	$454.00
Your Research:
	Big Box Store
Processor	INTEL SKYLAKE CORE i3-6100	3.7GHz	$184.00
RAM	Patriot Memory Viper 3	8GB	$59.99
Graphics card	Visiontek Radeon HD 4350 Graphics Card	512MB	$159.99
Motherboard	MSI H110M GAMING Desktop Motherboard	32GB	$109.00
Power supply	Thermaltake TR2 600-Watt ATX Power Supply		$89.99
Hard drive	7200RPM SATA Desktop Internal Hard Drive	1TB	$89.99
Case	Antec VSK3000E-U3 Case - MATX Mid Tower		$64.99
Operating System	Windows 8 32-Bit - English	Windows 7	$119.97
		Cost	$877.92
	Small Local Store
Processor	Intel i3 550 3.2GHz Socket 1156 CPU	3.2GHz	$114.99
RAM	DDR RAM	1GB	$23.99
Graphics card	Nvidia Quadro NVS290 PCIE Video Card	256MB	$24.99
Motherboard	Gigabyte H61H-DS2H Micro ATX	16GB	$69.99
Power supply	SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W ATX12V		$74.99
Hard drive	Seagate Desktop HDD	1TB	$64.99
Case	Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced		$174.99
Operating System	Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit	Windows 7	$184.99
		Cost	$733.92

ATM Machines

18. ATM question:

Input:

-Card Slot:

The card slot is used to insert your credit card so that it can be scanned.

-Number Pad/all buttons:

The pad is used to input your pass code for your credit card and allows the user to interact with the screen to select options.

-Money Slot:

The slot allows the user to insert money that they want to deposit.

Output:

-Money Slot:

The money slot also fires out the money the user wants to withdraw.

-ATM Monitor:

The monitor is an output device that allows the user to see the options on a screen.
-Receipt Printer:
The printer is used to print the receipt after your transaction. 

How could banks make an ATM a better computer to use?

The way banks could make the ATM a better computer to use is by making the screen a little larger so people don’t need to lean forward of squint to see the options. The screen could also be height adjustable so that people that are shorter or taller than average people can adjust the screen for their height. 

Upgrading Difficulties

Why are the big companies releasing all these new gadgets now?
These big companies are releasing all these new gadgets at around the same time as a way to counter each other's new releases. By doing this companies can stay up to date with other companies and their consumers on the newest technology. Even though these new devices are supposed to be much more advanced than previous designs, they don't always meet consumer's expectations and sometimes need to be recalled or changed due to problems. By rushing production for money companies like Samsung have run the risk of losing money for having to recall all their phones due to the battery fires.

What can we do to reduce our eWaste?
To read up the article i already did on this click here.

USER Ergonomics

Positioning:
Monitor:
The monitor should always be placed in a place that allows for the user to have optimal view of the monitor. There should also be enough room for the keyboard and mouse to be able to move around with out obstacles in it's path. Your head should also be level to the monitor so you don't need to be continuously pointing your head up and down to view your monitor.It should also be close enough where you don't need to squint your eyes to view it or

Keyboard and Mouse:
The keyboard and mouse should be placed some where reachable for your arms when to have a comfortable place to sit when your typing.  When you reach for your keyboard you shouldn't have to bend your fore arms up more than 3 inches as it may cause stress on your arms. It's best to have the keyboard and mouse sitting in-front of the monitor so that you can have your head facing directly towards the monitor as you type.

Chair:
Your chair should be a mobile office type chair which can allow you to turn and move to face whatever place direction you need to. You should have your feet placed flat on the ground and your back vertical.

Ergonomic Keyboard:
Here are some Keyboards that you can use that are...
Under $100
Over $100

Our work stations are set up to provide an ergonomic workplace so that the students are comfortable when using the computers for the hour or so that they will be using them for. the setup we have is ergonomic for older elementary and high-school type students because little kids may have a problem reaching the keyboard and won't have a level view of the monitor.

Video: 
Here is a video Link to help you learn more about an ergonomic setup.

Printing Rules

I have created a set of rules you can use when using a printer whether it is at school or at your work place.
Click on Printer Rules to find the link.

Computer Health

Computer even though are some of the most advanced pieces of technology out there and thus require care and maintenance from the user to keep running at it's full potential. There are many times where people break rules that help make sure your computer is running at it's fullest. 
Here are five ways you can make sure you can keep your computer healthy...




Number 1:
Clean the peripherals

     Computers tend to build up large amounts of dust that can effect the sensitivity of a mouse or your keyboard. It can also clog up the fan which can cause overheating which may shutdown your computer abruptly which may destroy unsaved data. 

      

Number 2:
Don't overload outlets
As simple as it sounds it is a very important rule as it can impact the lifetime of your computer. Overloaded outlets can short-circuit computers and other items connected to that outlet. Make sure that you separate different your computer from other pieces of technology.  Computers takes up a large amount of energy so if you have your T.V and computer on at the same time the outlet may overload. Always keep pieces of technology confined to their own outlet to ensure that they are safe from short-circuiting.  

Number 3:
Updates
A mostly overlooked task as some people find it annoying to have to manually update everything, every time they need to. Problem is, leaving programs in-updated such as anti-virus programs may leave your computer vulnerable. 



Number 4:
Corrupted USB drives 
Corrupt files are a hassle as they impede on your work because you can't access said work. So when pulling a USB from it's socket make sure you disconnect it via the computer instead of just tugging it out right after transferring files. 


Number 5:
Viruses
Malware has been a nuisance for all pieces of technology for several years now and may never be fully dealt with. Due to problems malware and viruses face to your computers it is always best to take persuasions  when going around the internet. One ways is by making sure that you have an activated antivirus program to counter any possible viruses that attack. Just to make sure that nothing attacks your computer, you should always make sure the links and urls you click can be trusted. 


There are many other ways to keep your computer healthy that don't include these five. Keeping your computer healthy will allow you to use your technology for any years instead of having to buy new technology every year or have to continuously have your computer repaired. Hope some of these tips help keep your computer safe and healthy for many years to come. 

Future of Interfaces

In the future the old mouse and keyboard duo for computer interfaces will become outdated and obsolete; the real question is "What will replace them?" The future will holds many ways to advance our technological knowledge and will help innovate people to create new user interfaces.
Here are three user interfaces of the future.

Brain-Computer Interfaces:
Utilizing the electrical pulses within our brain we could interact with computers by just thinking of  the actions we want to complete. Technology like this would help advance our use of virtual simulations with having to connect controllers or a mouse and keyboard.




Hand Gesture Interface:
From what it's name suggests, it uses your hands as the means to interact with a screen. Using special gloves or special trackers that will allow the user to connect to the interface. The use of hand gesture interfaces might become a normal form of ui in the upcoming decades. Humanity has already figured out ways to track hand movements and convey that to a screen.

Omni-Touch: 
The base of how we could advance with user interfaces involves projecting visuals from a screen anywhere. Though it is quite bulky and requires you to place it somewhere that allows for a forward view towards a surface. In the future much more smaller and more portable versions might be invented to allow users to bring their own virtual phone.



Though they seem too futuristic for our time period they will most likely be implemented into everyday technology in the future. With the advancements technology are taking there will always be bigger and better pieces of equipment in the future.