Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us

Can you trust your mind?

Can you trust your mind?
How good are you when it comes to concentration and perception?
Here is a cool experiment where you can test you ability to focus attention on a certain object in a short video.

Roooooooxanne!

Wow! The Police played the Grammy's last night, reuniting for the first time (I think) since the 80s when the group broke up. Great performance!

I'm waiting on someone to post the video of Gnarls Barkley's performance, which was *awesome*!

9 Things that Non-Tech Savvy People Do That Annoy (Us) Geeks

This digg find was too funny not to blog about. View the original post with more information here. Link doesn't work? (Try this one.)

1. Microsoft Word is the application for everything.
   
2. Incorrect Aspect Ratios
   
3. Everything Must Be Double Clicked.
   
4. Getting a faster computer will speed up the internets.
   
5. I won a trip to the Bahamas!
   
6. Your desktop wallpaper is NOT your screensaver.
   
7. NO, I DON’T want to fix your cousin’s brother’s uncle’s 10 year old computer.
   
8. The Non-Tech Savvy Geek
   
9. Why can’t I open this file on my floppy disk?

*sigh*

More geek fun!

Ok, combine this with the face morphing (see previous post) with SecondTalk with Second Life. I'm drooling!

Morphable 3D Faces

How long before this becomes part of the virtual worlds we're playing with? My avatar may some day have my actual face.

The end is near...

As you've probably already hear, Book 7 of the HP series -- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- is scheduled to come out on July 21st. (If you've glanced over at the "currently reading..." and "recently read... sections of the sidebar of my blog, you'll notice that I'm in the process of re-reading all of the Harry Potter books ... and creating my own little HP library as a result.)

I have mixed feelings about this:

• Dread - JKR has said that two characters are going to be killed in this book.
• Glee - Another Harry Potter book! Yeah!
• Dread - JKR has already said this is it. No more HP. No spin-off series. The end.
  
• Curiousity - There are so many theories out there. Which, if any, are true???
• Dread - It's like reaching the end of a really, really good book, but double-triple-quintuple that!

Thankfully, the release date is a Saturday, meaning that all of us Muggles can hunker down for the weekend and seclude ourselves away from work, family, and friends. This'll be the first time I actually purchase the book when it comes out. (I *do not* want to have the ending spoiled by anyone!) I'm sure most everyone else who's ever picked up a Potter book will be doing the same. Looks like Book 7 will blow away any previous publication records set.

I am very much looking forward to going out and braving the release parties at the local book stores. (Roy and I were dating when he offered to come with me to see the Book 5 release mania. He quickly turned me down when I asked if he wants to join me this coming July.) This'll be the last time folks can don their witch's hats, capes, and magic wands. And I'll be there with my camera to capture it!

Do you see something wrong with this?

This past weekend, Roy was about to fill out the registration card that came with our new washer, and he noticed something strange about the "three easy ways" listed.

Click the image below to see the larger view.

The Police Reunite!

Holy Moly! The rumors are true! The Police are reuniting to open the Grammy Awards this year. This will be great! ... *if* Sting, Stewart, and Andy can behave themselves and not start fighting before the show. (Have you seen the VH1 Legends show on them? They're like brothers - they literally have fist fights!) So ... I have my DVR set and anxiously wait for February 11! (*Plus* the show will be hosted by my friend and yours, Mr. Stephen Colbert!)

Conferences! Conferences!

I love my field b/c at least once a year, we get to go to a conference and stay in a fancy hotel (paid for by the school!) and hang out with fellow edtech geeks. In March, my co-workers and I are staying at the Moody Gardens Hotel down in Galveston to attend the TxDLA conference. Then in May, if our proposals are accepted, we're going to the IOL conference in Austin.

Speaking of proposals, I figured I'd post the abstracts.

TxDLA

• Virtual Environments: The Evolution of Online Learning?
  Abstract: Virtual environments offer students the ability to interact with their class in a 3-D setting. Realistic Learning environments can be created where students can explore and manipulate learning materials, and collaborate with other students via avatars. This presentation will demonstrate some educational uses of the virtual world “Second Life”.
  (View complete Virtual Environments proposal here.)
  
  
• Using Respondus Tool to Create and Manage Online Quizzes
  Abstract: Respondus is a handy tool for creating, publishing and managing quizzes/surveys for online courses. This session will provide faculty and supporting staff a hands-on experience to get to know about this tool and learn how to actually create and publish a quiz to an online course site using the tool.
  (View complete Respondus proposal here.)

IOL

• Cutting Edge Innovations in Online Learning: Web 2.0 For Everybody
  Abstract: With the emergence of Web 2.0, educators have a plethora of online tools, such as Skype, Odeo, and Slideshare, which encourage collaboration and the sharing of ideas. This showcase will demonstrate several of these tools and give participants ideas on how to apply them to their educational setting.
  (View complete Web 2.0 proposal here.)
  
  
• We're in Second Life! From Brainstorming to Begging to Building
  Abstract: From idea to implementation, our journey into the virtual world of Second Life. This presentation will cover the UTD School of Management's approach to developing a virtual island in Second Life -- from the proposal process to planning and design to lessons learned.
  (View complete Second Life proposal here.)

I'm a podcast junkie

Apparently I was a good girl last year, b/c "Santa" got me a very cool Creative Zen Vision M mp3 player. I immediately set to filling the 30Gb with my music, as well as explore the world of podcasts I'd heard so much about. Now, six weeks later, I am proud to admit that I am podcast junkie. Below is a list of podcasts I listen to regularly.

• WNYC's Radio Lab - Wonderfully geeky seasonal hour-long show on NPR. My favorite podcast ... when it's available. I highly recommend it.
  
  
• SecondCast - A really good (although sometimes NSFW) podcast about all things Second Life.
  
  
• Wait! Wait! Don't tell Me! - My favorite weekly show from NPR. Very funny look at the week's news in a quiz-show-ish style.
  
  
• Metaverse Sessions - Another podcast where there are only nine shows available from early 2006, but they're worth a listen. Very interesting view on the future of the metaverse and virtual worlds.
  
  
• Who's on Second - An ok podcast on the educational/non-profit presence in Second Life. It's kind of slow, and the host almost puts you to sleep, but his guests are interesting and the questions are good.
  
  
• NPR Technology - Yeah, I'm a geek, and this is my weekly fix.
  
  
• PRI's The World Technology Report - ditto
  
  
• 7th Son Podcast Novel

Other podcasts on my list to try out are Second Life Podcast, PBS's NerdTV, and NOVA. Love it!

Thanks Frank!

Click here to make your own.

U2 Rehearses for 1997 MTV Music Awards

U2's performance at the 1997 MTV Music Awards is my favorite live U2 performance. (That part where Bono just goes nuts and the Edge playing his guitar ... *chills*!) As I was doing random U2 You-Tube searches, I came across a three-part set of U2 rehearsing for that actual performance. Very cool! It's interesting listening to Bono try different sounds and the Edge testing out different moods and guitar tricks. I challenge you to watch the third part and not at least hum along. It's like U2 karaoke!







If you want to see the live performance, click here.

I can't believe I missed this

I have this bad habit. It starts with me really wanting something (i.e. the new U218 dvd), but when I finally get it, it sits unopened (in this case on top of the tv) for a long time before I decide to pay attention to it. As a result, I just did a search on YouTube and found this new-to-me video by U2 called "Window in the Skies".

Roy and I are headin' for New Orleans!

Roy and I are taking a week off this year and heading to New Orleans for vacation!! We decided earlier this week. Woohoo!! And we're staying a week! A full 7-day week! (I'm just a bit excited. Can you tell?)
We're staying at the Dauphine Orleans, which is in the French Quarter and apparently (as I just found) it is haunted! I just did a google search and one of the pages that popped up was a 'haunted hotels' page that lists the hotel. Here's the scoop:

• 415 Dauphine St. Much of the hotel dates from the 19th Century. A dark-haired male spirit wearing a military uniform prefers the courtyard, and there you might be able to also catch a lightening-fast glimpse of a dancing woman. Someone likes to lock empty rooms from the inside, and many people report a sense of being watched.

Now that I have it in my head, I'm sure I'll have that in the back of my mind and think I see/hear/whatever something. :P

Anyway, the pictures on the website are *beautiful*!

Raising my Whedon IQ

My friend Tracy got me interested in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. As you must already know, I was totally blown away by Joss's most recent (and tragic) tv endeavor - Firefly - and so I decided that I wanted to check out what else Mr. Whedon has to offer.

So, I pulled up Netflix in my browser and added every single Buffy and Angel dvd to my queue. All 6783 of them. I watched the first season and liked it but wasn't incredibly impressed. I mentioned this to Tracy, and she insisted that Season 2 was much, much better, so I gave it a go. And I like it! So, I'm working through them. Season 2 Disc 4 should be in my mailbox right now. Four down, 6779 to go. :P

My favorite character is Zander. I think b/c he reminds me so much of Wash from Firefly. (*sniff* You're a leaf on the wind!) Very sarcastic and very funny! Hopefully he won't get killed.

Anyway, I'm enjoying the show. Just thought I'd share.

I love it when I have to go to the coast for work...

... not that work regularly sends me to the coast. Actually this is the first time. But anyway...

I had two proposals accepted into the TxDLA conference this year down in Galveston! My coworkers and I will be forced to mingle/socialize/network/hang-out with fellow edtech geeks while having some fun on the beach. *sigh*

Darren, Erin, and I will be presenting on (shock! shock!) Second Life:

• Virtual Environments: The Evolution of Online Learning?
  Virtual environments offer students the ability to interact with their class in a 3-D setting. Realistic learning environments can be created where students can explore and manipulate learning materials, and collaborate with other students via avatars. This presentation will demonstrate some educational uses of the virtual world “Second Life”.
  

And Qin and I will be conducting a hands-on session on an assessment tool we use extensively:

• Using Respondus Tool to Create and Manage Online Quizzes
  Respondus is a handy tool for creating, publishing and managing online quizzes and surveys. This session will provide faculty and supporting staff a hands-on experience to get to know about this tool and learn how to actually create and publish a quiz to an online course site using the tool.
  

Geeky? Yes. But interesting!

Why is your computer so slow??

Found this through digg. Not sure if this has been verified, but it's interesting, nonetheless. Below is a chart that shows what programs really slow down your computer.

Click the image to see a larger version of the chart.



Click the image to see a larger version of the chart.

My Comments:

• Norton. Whoa! But I figured as much.
• Interestingly, Photoshop falls down around GAIM.
• Where does Google Desktop fall? When it starts indexing, my ... computer ... just ... crawls.
• Umm... Second Life? (Yeah, I'm a geek. Get over it.)
  

Snow Day!

Woohoo! School is *closed*!

Ironically, Roy says that when I heard the news, I woke up faster today than any other work day. I very quickly got dressed and went downstairs to walk Roy out ... and to try to throw some snowballs at him. But alas, it's actually ice on the ground, not snow, so when you try and make a snowball, it just falls apart. (Which didn't stop Roy from throwing it at me.)

Below are some pictures from Monday (when it was icy and I was off for MLK day) and today.

Monday, January 15














Today

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Update: In searching for this video, I also found a very interesting alternative video for U2's "Pride (In the Name of Love)".