What I have learned from this class!

Since January, I've been concerned about this class. I'm not really a programmer but I had to do some coding. It was very hard but I got through it. With the help of my classmates and Professor Drake this class has been a roller coaster I never really understood what API's were or how this class was supposed to connect everything that we have learned from the beginning of our curriculum but "HEY" it's ok. I kinda learned a little something about myself in this class and that is good enough for me.

Though I understand what exactly AJAX is and how it is used I found an article that I figured might be good to end off the semester with. Well it's not really an article, it's more like a person asking a question. People responded with answers like: it makes your page look pretty, it runs like a local application and it's good for an ample bandwidth.

I myself think AJAX is a good skill to have under your belt, it's everywhere we look. Sites actually refresh without refreshing. It's very interesting and I'm proud of the fact that I got two of my iterations to use this powerful tool.

The iPad helps you cook!

With all the hype about the new iPad, I figured I'd try to understand what makes it so great. According to this article it seems that people are using their ipad to help them create tasty creations. I bet this is so convenient for us that like to try new recipes. I can recall trying new recipes and constantly having to run to my computer or laptop.

The iPad can just sit on your counter and it'll serve just like a piece of paper. As long as the cook is careful around it I imagine this would be a great idea. My favorite site to get recipes from is Campbell's and foodnetwork.com. The author of the article is fond of a website named epicurious and bigoven. I've never been to these sites but I guess they're great too.

I guess that one day I will jump on the "Apple" band wagon but as for right now I'll just stick to liking a few features and jamming out to my iPod. This is an unusual function though. I never thought to use the iPad in this way. With it's marketable features of it being thin and very portable though, i can understand how one would be excited to use it in the kitchen.

Iteration 3: Continuing to pull my hair

I really wanted my iteration 2 program to work and after hours and much frustration, I decided to give up. I started over and listened to some advice from Chris. He told me to use Google's API to create a site and it's a lot easier than what I was doing. I got the Google key and then continued on to create my site. My site switches blogs at the click of a button. The biggest issue I had was within my PHP file. Every time I tried to run the program, an alert box would come up saying "undefined". I have no clue what that means but that's what it said. No matter what i tried I got the same alert box or no results but no alert box. I am so happy that Chris helped me. If I have learned anything from these iterations it is that I HATE programming.

But when I was in John's office he told me about a cool site that I wished would have helped me more than it did. The site is pipes.yahoo.com. It pretty cool. It is supposed to help create mashups for the people that are not the best programmers but need to get things done. I found the site to be pretty interesting. It can filter contents and do a lot of other stuff.


One of the students from last semester blogged about it and she liked it. If I get more time I am going to try and create my own little mashup and then publish it so that can be searched and people can use it. It might even inspire someone else

The Macbook makes an appearance

I just want to start by saying CONGRATS to ALL the graduating seniors. It has been a long road and I'm sure we are all happy to have finally found our little pot of gold! As the semester winds down I can't help but feel overwhelmed yet excited. I feel like I've slacked all semester and now I'm scurrying to get everything done and raise my grades one last time. LOL But be that as it may our final iterations will be due very soon and I can't wait to have it done!

As we prepare to leave Eastern with a smile and thousands of dollars in student loans, incoming freshman at Seton Hill University are entering with a smile. They won't be smiling because of their new found freedom but they'll be smiling because they are getting new Macbooks and iPads. I know, I know, how crazy is that. These students as well as the staff will be receiving these devices to help them with their learning experience at Seton Hill. The faculty and staff at the university will receive training that will bridge the gap between them and the technology.

I'm sure that the tuition at Seton hill is kinda high but I guess if I were getting a free computer I wouldn't mind paying back those student loans. I feel like this will give these students an enhanced college experience. I like the idea and look forward to hearing about more universities doing this.

The Safe Reader

As the semester goes on, deadlines are quickly approaching. Iteration 3 for both group and individual projects is right around the corner and the material is not getting any easier. I understand what the point of the projects are and I wish that my programming skills were us to par so that I could make some real money by doing what I am learning. I'm sure I could get a nice chunk of change for making a mashup for a small company trying to reduce Internet surf time. But that's not really me so on to reality. I can 't wait to finish my last iteration and my last projects of my undergrad career.

I was searching for an interesting article to blog about and I came across an article about an application available to Blackberry users. The application is called the SafeReader. The SafeReader allows users to listen to text messages and emails while driving. This is a safe alternative to reading text messages and driving.

I think this is a good idea. I've come across a lot of emails with gruesome photos of people who were texting and driving or talking on the phone and driving. Technology has solved the problem of talking but not texting completely. I recently heard or an application for cell phone that will block the user from receiving and sending text messages while driving. I think the SafeReader is a better solution. I can't wait for this cell phone application to be available to all cell phone users.

Funny Websites Hit it Big!

Let me just start by going over Iteration 2 for our group project. It seems that we came across a few issues. Two of the sites that we wanted to use are such small sites that they didn't have APIs. We basically have to start from square one. We wanted to keep the same objective so we choose to display yelp and google maps for today. But after showing the class what we did have, it gave us some ideas. We basically want to build a site for vacationers going to Traverse City. The site will display where the rental places are, what there is to do, maybe weather, and pictures of the area. We would like to use Flikr but John asked us to try a google photo display also. We'll investigate these and I feel like we are on the right track now.

Back to the topic at hand, have you ever heard of Texts from last night, or FML.com. These are both websites that display mini blogs. Texts from last night just show either drunken texts or funny texts that people text to their friends. FML.com gives a look into embarrassing moments that happen to people throughout the day. Texts from last night was developed by a former Wayne State University law student who decided to take the technical road in life and has hit the jackpot. The site is said to get 4.5 million hits a day.

These sites started as small sites and spiraled into conversation starters. These sites now have iPhone apps and have even been offered a book deal. This is an example of people following their dreams, you have a law school student who risked it all to develop a website. I think she's done pretty well for herself.

Individual Iteration 2

Since Iteration 2 was due yesterday, I figured I'd write about my own frustrations and a few things that are going on with our group project. I am very sad that I could not get my program to work. Usually I try and try and try and then something happens but this time I had no luck. I attempted to display my blogs from my IS279 class in which we have to write at least 5 blogs a week. I thought it would be cool to show my blogs that I have written for that class. It seemed like a piece of cake when I was thinking about it but it turned out to be more complicated than expected.



I did all the usual stuff look over John's code and then turn it into my own but that did not work. Here is what it looks like:

I went to see John Wednesday morning and he helped me out a lot but then I kept getting the "Document" is null or not an object error for this part if my code:

function formatFeed(xml){

var html = "";

var thisEntry = xml.documentElement.getElementsByTagName("entry");

At this point, I changed a few things and the error messages stopped but nothing happened. I was hoping that the server just wasn't updating in a timely manner but that's not the case because I tried to run my program today and no luck. So I didn't get it to work.

As for the group project goes, my group had to change which sites we wanted to use because two of the sites didn't have APIs. So we made a quick decision and we're planning on using two different sites now.

Something simple but technical

Everyone always bashes Ohio and how we have nothing there but LeBron. But I found something that makes me pround to be from Ohio. A small company(Kent Display, Inc.) in Kent, Ohio has come up with a small device named the Boogie Board, that can be used for taking notes. I know it kinda sounds like the iPad but it is really nothing like it. The only thing this device does is take notes. It uses an LCD screen and pen and the user can take notes on it.

The company mistakenly came up with this product it was an experiment gone wrong. But it turned out to be pretty successful. It was released a week before the iPad and has been sold out every since. It is sold out on Amazon and I think the only place to get one is in Ohio. I think it's a good idea that they came up with. It makes me appreciate the little companies existing, just trying to get that big break.

The only thing that I worry about with this product is that people are buying it hoping that it does what the iPad does and will later be upset when they find out all it does is take notes. It's said to be really small for convenience. I wish I could home and see one in action. After Kent Display, Inc. catches up with all of it's back order product I hope they invest in improving this product, because I see it as being very successful in the future.

PleaseRobMe Revealed

Let me start with my usual an update on how I'm feeling about the class as well as how my group project and individual projects are going. We all just did our presentations for Iteration 1 and I feel the whole class did great. I can't wait to see the movie mash-up. It seems like it'll be very interesting. In this group project we have to make all of these sites one and I am so confused as to how we are going to do this. I asked John how to register an API and he said "that'll take some research". :/ This makes me kinda nervous, now I feel like I am behind on the thinking level of the class. I'll catch up though!

On to bigger and better things. I found this article about a site named PleaseRobMe. This site was developed by three friends who are all on twitter and who just talk to people and find out when they're not home and other vacant houses on the street. This is so scary, to know that people are keeping tabs on you in another state is just crazy.

The article said that the developers made this site using simple HTML and JavaScript. Maybe they did a mashup, who knows? But whatever they are using it's obviously working and they know when someone is not at home. They get information by playing four square on twitter. From getting that they post it on their site. I think this is crazy but i hope to be on their level by the end of this class. it seems kinda cool to be able to throw together a site in 30 minutes. I'm sure some of you can do that already though, right? LOL

Group Project, Iteration 1

Hi Class!

I'm doing my project plan and have no clue what to put as my deliverables. I canonly think of a couple which are diagram and site. Does anyone have any other deliverables?

High-Tech Super Bowl

First off let me start off with something related to our IS449 class. This ajax stuff is.... Well I don't really know what to say about it. But I can honestly say that Dr. Drake has been so patient with us because he knows that we are all frustrated with it and I'm sure that most of us were in his office last week very stressed out. It's coming along though slowly but surely. The book though only explains what it needs to explain but I guess that will come with time. I can say though that the portion of the book that I have read and worked through has been ok and I understand whats going on at the time. But anything outside of the book gets me completely lost. Enough of that though, How about those SAINTS! :)

I'm not a big football fan but I tend to enjoy time with my boyfriend and my other guys friends so it's just become something I've "picked up" as a hobby. LOL But I watched the game last night and was on the fence about who I wanted to win because remember, I just started watching football! But my favorite moment was when the Saints went for that two point conversion and GOT IT due to the technology that CBS sports used to record the game. CBS Sports invested in six new high definition, high speed cameras so that fans at home could enjoy the game just like the fans in the stadium.

Cell phone companies also expanded their networks for the night so that cell phone users would not get a jam on their networks. AT&T alone installed three towers and a new antenna in the stadium so that pictures, text messages and emails could be sent efficiently. Another company named Oklahoma city came up with an app for iPhones to help fans and regular people find their car. The app helps you find your car, start it, turn it off and it'll even pop the trunk. I'm sure this helped out a lot of fans. When your on the high of being a fan of super bowl champions I'm sure it's very easy to forget where you parked your car.

Iteration 1: AHHHHHHHH!

Iteration 1 is due on Wednesday! Have I started, that would be a firm, NO! But I have at least thought about it and am very worried that it won't live up to the expectations of the class. I've never done AJAX or heard of it before this class. I will try and do my best but like Drake said if it doesn't work, we don't get credit. I was thinking about doing something with a picture like the lab but with a button like Drake's example. I don't even know where to begin with this process. I guess I can try it first and then see what happens with it.

For starters, I guess I can read over the lab again and try to go over Drake's example. If I still confused which I probably will be, I'll probably check out the w3schools site to see if they can help me on a beginners level.

I'm just hoping that I can get through the course. I'm curious to know what other people are doing for iteration one as well as how they're doing. Is anyone else frustrated with this programming language that has no compiler which we have gotten so used to? If I'm struggling I might be asking my classmates for help so be prepared classmates because I will probably be confused and frustrated by Wednesday.

Blog Post Title: UNTITLED!

So as I prepared myself to surf the web and write yet another blog for Dr. Drake I thought about two things that I wanted to share with the class. Not sure if these are your same worries or thoughts but I'll tell you anyways. LOL

I love facebook, it's like my only addiction. While others are addicted to video games and anime, I sit on facebook and look at pictures, read messages, and comment on people's status. But the other day when I was on facebook I noticed something. When you look at someone's page and switch between tabs(info, photos, boxes), the whole page does not refresh, only the tab changes. The side panel does not change. Now I don't know much about AJAX and am on the fence about it and programming in general, but I thought; is this a form of AJAX? Does AJAX have more that one form like Java and Javascipt or HTML and XHTML? It just made me curious. I usually try to take what I learn in class and apply it to my everyday life. In this case I applied the teachings of IS449 to my addiction to facebook. LOL

My second concern is the first lab that we did. I never got my pictures to pop up in the box. I understand what is supposed to be going on and I read over the first few pages, stopped and restarted the lab but it never worked. This concerns me because if I'm not getting the basics of AJAX how am I going to pass this class and passing is not an option! It will be done, graduation is so close...I can taste it. But I guess I will need to be more social with my colleagues and get help and in turn try to help those who ask me also.

Cloud Computing

In 2010, the new thing for companies to invest in is cloud computing. Cloud Computing is the use of Internet based development and the use of computer technology. This style of computing that uses IT-related capabilities provided "as a service". This allows users to access technology-enabled services "in the cloud" without knowledge or expertise with the technology infrastructure that supports them.

Big companies like Google, Apple and Verizon have already started to use this technology with their cell phones. Cloud Computing is often compared to grid, utility, and autonomic computing. Through the definitions of all of these cloud computing is a little bit of a combination. Users are basically accessing a network through a service that is software. The iPhone and Verizon's new Droid cell phones take advantage of this new technology as they compete for the cell phone lovers attention.

According to "Open Cloud Computing" a few key characteristics of cloud computing are:

• Scalability which meets changing user demands quickly. Massive scalability and large user bases are common but not an absolute requirement.
  
• Reliability by way of multiple redundant sites, which makes it suitable for disaster recovery
  
• Security which typically improves due to centralization of data, increased security focused resources, etc.

I'm not sure what I feel about cloud computing but I do like the name! :)

The MajicJack

I had no clue what to write about so I figured to find out about the latest technology I'd turn to my local newspaper. I found an interesting article about the new MajicJack. MajicJack is a little device that plugs into your computer and through your Internet, this devices lets you make international phone calls for free. The makers of this device have come out with an even better MajicJack.

The new MajicJack also plugs into your PC as well and detects a compatible cell phone when it is within 8 feet. When the user wants to dial out the MajicJack reroutes the call to go through the Internet without crediting the cell phone for airtime. This includes international calls. This device can only be used with AT&T and T-Mobile right now but the makers of MajicJack are trying to use this device with all cell phone carriers.


The MajicJack sells for $40, which is fairly low considering what you get with this product. This might not affect us American students but I could see this being a big success for international students and the men and women that are serving the US over seas. This is a great way for people to keep in touch with their loved ones without breaking the bank. MajicJack has been a success so far but with more and more students coming to the US for education and more and more of our armed forces being sent over seas, the MajicJack will be a booming invention. I predict that this company will come out with nice profits!