Just checking some html for class.

Here is a quotation regarding Alan Kay that summarizes him or his contributions.



The best way to predict the future is to invent it.





Information about where the quote was located (URLs, publication information, etc.)



answers.com





Here are two or three things that impress me about Kay from reading about him in Tools for Thought, seeing him in the video, and reading his work.

   

    *He created something called the Dynabook, which is basically the early design of the laptop. I thought it was interesting that he did this towards the beginning of his career and now later in life heís been doing the hundred dollar laptop and things of that sort.





    *He designed the windowing GUI. I thought this was very interesting because he did this back in the 80ís for Apple which it was then picked up by Microsoft and we are still using it to this day.





    *Founded Viewpoints Research Institutes. Itís a non profit company that focuses on children, learning, and software development. From what I can find I believe he is still in charge of Viewpoints.



Here is a summary of what I think is important to remember about Alan Kay and the contributions he made:



This is a guy who has spent a good part of his life trying to make technology easier for us to use (the laptop, laser printers, Window GUI, etc.) Now that technology is easier for people to use his focus seems to have shifted to getting that technology into everyoneís hands and teaching them how to use it (One laptop per child, hundred dollar laptop, Viewpoints Research Institute). He also believes that the PC needs to finally evolve. He wants us to be able to use the computer as a way to help us learn and think in new ways. I believe it was Tools for Thought that referred to it as the fantasy amplifier. Thatís the perfect way to think of Kayís goal, he wants the personal computer to amplify our imaginations.









Here are some additional web links that are related to the life and work of Alan Kay.



    answers.com

    Name of Link: answers.com

    Comment about the link: Great link. So much useful information and in a format that makes it easy to read.





    Art Museum

        Name of Link: Art Museum

        Comment about the link: Really bare-boned actually had some useful things about him but it was the most basic things he did nothing more.





    ACM Queue

        Name of Link: ACM Queue

    Comment about the link: Not bad had some things about his time at Xerox that other links didnít mention. Not a lot of info but whatís there is good stuff.



     Alan Kay: The PC Must Be Revamped Now

    Name of Link: Alan Kay: The PC Must Be RevampedóNow

    Comment about the link: Very interesting read about Kayís views on the PC and where the industry needs to go.



    Squeak land

    Name of Link: Squeak land

    Comment about the link: Pretty straight forward summary of Alan Kayís accomplishments so far.

my geekipedia weekend assignment

So I went on Geekipedia and founds quite a few articles that I found interesting but after narrowing it down I picked one on Commercial space travel and one on the String Theory.

http://www.wired.com/culture/geekipedia/magazine/geekipedia/spacemen

So first up is commercial space travel. I am all for this whenever it gets off the ground. I have always found the idea of space and the mysteries it holds very interesting. Anyway the article talks more about the millionaires and entrepreneurs that are trying to make it possible. One of the more interesting parts for me was their goals of where to go and how soon some of them plan on getting there. Some of these guys plan on getting things going by as early as winter of 2008.

http://www.wired.com/culture/geekipedia/magazine/geekipedia/string_theory_smackdown

The next article I read was about the String Theory. I've watched a few documentaries and read a few articles on this topic before so I already new it's kind of a touchy subject with some people that are all for it and others who think its ridiculous. I'm not going to pretend that I completely understand the theory but I do find it interesting. From my understanding some people believe there is another material building block we haven't seen yet. They're supposed to be tiny vibrating string like objects that make up everything in the universe. I guess that's the laymen way of saying it but if you find science at all interesting then check it out. There was one thing I saw in a documentry that showed a college somewhere testing this theory by shooting atoms at each other and recording the particles as they flew apart. If I can find a site about it then I'll post it on my blog.

Weekend Assignment #2

The two pictures I chose are on pages 18 and 19. These were the pictures that jumped out at me first. To me the author definitely seems to be comparing how far we’ve come in not that long of time. On page 18 you have where we are (with the internet spider webbing across the country) and on 19 you have where we were (a railroad hub with intersecting tacks going to various places). I mean the two methods are almost the same if you think about it. With trains we were able to transport money, mail, and ourselves anywhere that there were train tracks. Now with the internet we can transfer money and mail all around the world. Now we can’t transport ourselves physically using the internet but we can instant message and web cam with people all around the world which is the next best thing.
On that topic it’s kind of fun to think about when or if we’ll ever be able to transport our bodies to other locations instantly. I mean about forty to fifty years ago I’m sure the idea of a web cam or even the internet probably seemed absurd to most people. Plus if we keep making technological and scientific advances as quick as we have, is it really that hard to think that maybe just maybe we could find a way to teleport ourselves?

3D T.Vs!

So last night I was reading about a new line a televisions coming out from Phillips. Right now they're mostly in the development stage. The cool thing about them is that the Liquid crystals in the screen are coated with something that they wouldn't say (protecting their secret I guess) that tricks a persons eyes into seeing the image in 3D. Right now the technology is so expensive that Phillips says that only rich people or businesses can afford them. Be pretty cool to own one though.

Weekend Assignment

For my weekend assignment I chose to go to Archer Gallery and watch Steve Gibson perform his “Virtual DJ”. There is seriously only one word I can use to describe it: Awesome. Using beats, melodies, and other sounds he’s pre-recorded Gibson is able to perform music in tons of different ways. He is able to do this by using a very intuitive set up that I’ve never heard of before. His rig consists of four infrared cameras, two projectors, two infrared discs, and a bunch of computers and software. The infrared cameras are set up in a square with the two projectors on the outer edges of the square. This combination of technology creates an infrared reading “grid” that then reads the discs Gibson holds in his hands.

When Gibson steps into the “grid” the cameras read the discs, then send that to the computers that then send the info to the projectors. Not all that remarkable at first but then you realize that the sounds change depending on where he is in the “grid” and not just the types of sounds but how fast they play and the note that they’re played in. It’s an entertaining event to watch. Gibson really gets into it and gives it his all. Watching him make music on the fly I couldn’t help but wonder how this could be implemented into other forms of entertainment.

Seeing how physical the process of playing the music was the first thing that popped into my head is how well it would work as a form of exercise. Almost everyone listens to music as they exercise but what if they actually made the music while exercising? Or how about using it as an input device for your computer? I couldn’t help but think of the movie “Minority Report” when Tom Cruise puts on a couple of gloves and starts using his computer by manipulating a hologram. It’s definitely interesting to see where they take this type of input device in the future and hopefully we’ll start to see other people take an interest in this input device as well.

First Post!

Just set it up in class. Yay for me!