Stuck on an escalator

The Fun Theory

• not all consumers want or can afford a smartphone
• the complexity of a smartphone doesn’t meet the need “I just want to shoot video” with ease.
• the multitasker conflict: smartphones are designed to perform many functions and their form factor can be downright clunky when it comes to shooting video. 
• my Droid Incredible died last week and with it went the ability to shoot video – not the end of the world for me but if video is critical then a multi-tasker may not be the best bet.
• the smartphone/iPod touch device is not always the best move for the classroom.  What would I rather lose from a replacement perspective: an iPod touch or a Flip?  I’ll take the lower cost Flip any day.

Kodak and Samsung still have good options in this market.  Plus there’s always the point and shoot video option.

Having said that it’s clear that market feels otherwise.  The shuttering of Flip (and 550 jobs) seems to be Cisco’s only option.

Then there’s an interesting viewpoint on how the death of the Flip shows a trend in innovation.  Check out the Mass-Customization blog for this one.

Today we will work in Google Earth first and then bring your blogs back to life.

Open Google Earth (NO FLIGHT SIM!!)

right click and save this image to your H drive

1. Choose a topic from the choices listed below. Feel free to come up with your own – ask Mr. Milstead for approval before you proceed.

2. For each topic, find two sites that support each side. For example, if you have chosen Bigfoot as your topic you might find one website that shows photographic proof of our furry friend while another discusses someone’s contact with with Bigfoot while camping. Your other two sites would take the opposite viewpoint – a discussion by a biologist on the unlikely possibility that Bigfoot exists and a site that shows Bigfoot photos to be hoaxes.

3. Based on your observations, what do you conclude? Support your conclusions with a least three pieces of evidence from your web research. Use your own words to craft your conclusion-do not copy and paste.

Create a PowerPoint containing the following elements:
-title page
-table of contents slide with links to other sections.
-statement of controversy. Example: “For hundreds of years, the Pacific Northwest has been center of reports of large, bipedal mammals….”
-slides as needed that represent both sides of the issue or controversy. Use images or video as examples of evidence. Do not copy and paste text from other websites – use your own words.
-slides as needed to present your conclusion.
-each slide should have a Slide Transition, Custom Animation and a link back to the table of contents slide.
-a list of the websites that you used in your research (not search engines)
Your slideshow should have at least seven slides including the title slide. “The End” does not count as a slide.

What is 4G?  Good gizmodo explnation of a term taht we will hear ALOT about around here.

New Google TV/Logitech commercial

Your desk is a giant. multitouch monitor-video

The choreography of flight – video

Hi speed photography trigger – video

You will use Excel to track the money you can save on Black Friday.   You will also locate each store in Google maps and link to them to better plan your route for the day.

Skills:
-creating column headings
-formatting text
-wrapping text

1. Open Excel and start a new worksheet.

2. Create column headings called “store name”, “product name”, “sale price”, “retail price”, “money saved”, “store opens”, “store location”. Don’t include the quotes.  Wrap text for each column heading and bold the column headings.

3. Use the following resources to find Black Friday deals.
http://www.fatwallet.com/black-friday/
http://bfads.net/

or just Google “Black Friday (store name OR product name)

4. Find at least five products from from five different stores.  Fill in each column for each item.  Use a formula to calculate “money saved”.

5. For the map link, use Google maps to locate the store.  Type “click here for map” and link to the Google Map.  Like this: click here for map.

6. Total up the following: sale price, retail price, money saved using formulas.

7. Average the same amounts using formulas.

8. Create a chart that best compares the sale price and retail price for each product.  Put them on all on one chart on a separate sheet.

9. Print out the following in landscape format – customize as you wish:
-your worksheet with data
-your worksheet showing formulas
-your chart

2. Using Notepad or Wordpad, create three linked pages that have the following on each page:

• links to the other two pages
• a link to an external site
• an image
• an embedded sound and video
• an actual title

Remember to save each page with an html ending.  Keep your filenames short and without spaces (page2.html).  Rename images as needed to make your life easier (avoid “this is a picture of a puppy.jpg).