ICT Pham

My Subsite of myndrs.com

2010-06-01T13:31:00.001-07:00

My new subsite assignment in ICT 12,

http://www.myndrs.com/jpham/

iPad

2010-04-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

For an ICT assignment, the iPad done with glogster, http://bit.ly/9F7Kv8

iPhone OS Version 4.0 to Support Multi Tasking

2010-04-01T11:24:00.002-07:00

There is a rumor that the 4.0 version OS for the iPhone will support multi tasking. There is similiar milti tasking currently on the iPhone, but currently it requires one to close the running app to open up another.

It is said that it will look like the Apple's desktop Expose with icons at the bottom for quick switching in between apps. Hitting the home button twice will pop up the expose feature. When a selection is made, Expose will zoom out and open up the new application. A faster and truer way of multitasking for the iPhone.

Though it is still a rumor, it would be nice to see an update like this out.

15 Ways Python Is a Powerful Force on the Web

2010-03-30T13:29:00.003-07:00

Here is a page, featured on eweek abotu why Python is a force on the web. It is an open source code and runs on some nokia phones and the major operating systems. Python is actually not named after a snake, but based on Monty Python's Flying Circus; a televsion series in England. The link to the page, http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Cloud-Computing/15-Ways-Python-Is-a-Powerful-Force-on-the-Web-275427/?kc=EWKNLEDP03302010A

100 Mbps broadband is closer than we think

2010-03-08T09:11:00.002-08:00

Soon the big companies will be able to provide 100 mbps services with no problem. Downloading a movie with it will be faster than a trip too the movie store. Though this is already here today, the question is will people use this. Business companies already have acess to this and pay around $300+ a month for this service.

For most companies, no matter what the speed is, people usually go for the plan that costs roughly $40-50 a month. Though before speeds were lower and it costed the same, companies will most likely adjust to the price range to make it more affordable for families. Their goal is too have over 100 million users with 100 mbps by 2020

Digital Foot Prints

2010-02-09T22:01:00.009-08:00

Digital Foot Prints are virtual prints that people leave online. This allows some sites that allow people to use their services and find out things about a certain name, you can search yourself up and see what you have been doing. They are interesting to see and find out what other people are doing with your name/their name.

WebMii that allows the user to type in their name or any name and it will provide information that could or could not be useful to those.

Pipl far greater then webmii and woozy, ti provides way more detail then both of the combined allowing the user to mazimize his search on whatever he is looking for.

The logo on the left is the site known as woozy, similiar to webmii but with more details provided for the user.

the New Apple iPad

2010-01-27T19:49:00.002-08:00

With names ranging from iPad to iTablet, this new product is expected to make a big impact on us. The iPad has a 9.7-inch touch screen, is a half-inch thick, weighs 1.5 pounds and comes with 16, 32 or 64 gigabytes of memory. It is also equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity built in. The battery is said to last for 10 hours and a month on standby. It is basically bigger than an iPhone, but smaller than a laptop. The price will be starting at $500 (US) and increases depending on size of storage.

Haiti Natural Disaster

2010-01-13T08:34:00.004-08:00

In Caribbeans, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic. It's country's name is Republic of Haiti.Haiti yesterday was struck by a earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0. Its epicentre was 6 miles just below the surface and it struck close to Haiti's captial Port-au-Prince

Canada is taking part in aiding this country. The Canada Red Cross are planning to release $200,000 from its International Disaster Relief Fund. Plan Canada is also taking in donations from their site, www.plancanada.ca. The U.N. is also releasing $10 million from its disaster relief emergency funds. They are planning too soon send Canada's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to which they will provie 200,00 litres of water everyday.

Deaths have not been counted accurately yet because communication lines within the country were knocked down, but they are estimated to be in the thousands.

Possible Virus Found in Student Blog

2010-01-11T08:47:00.003-08:00

Sophos has triggered a warning on a virus from one of my classmate's blog. It could be a false positive alarm. The reason could be one of the scripts that he or she has installed recently and it triggered it. Symantec Endpoint Protection has not detected anything wrong with the blog, but Sophos has. The virus is labelled as Mal/FunDF-A.

Consumer Electronics Show (CES)

2010-01-07T08:41:00.007-08:00

The CES is a show that lasts for about a week and it is a chance to show off the latest product. This takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada every January. The event is sponsored by Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The event is used to attracted high profiled people such as Bill Gates and is a opportunity to show off new products.

A product shown at the latest CES is Project Natal for the Xbox 360. It is code name for a controller-free gaming and entertainment experience. Natal means "relating to birth", meaning the new generation of home entertainment.

Using software, sensors and cameras, it will allow the users to use their body as the gaming controller. It will target the non hardcore gamers that was orignally meant for the xbox 360. Though they will still keep the controller for the gamers to play their games happily.

The range will likely being in the price of $99 compared to the $50 price for the normal controllers.

The HP/Microsoft Slate was also annouced at CES. It is a PC based platform in the size of a kindle reader. It is more powerful than a phone and alsmot as strong as a regular PC. They are calling it the slate to differ it from the pen to screen lag that usually occurs in products that has a touch screen.

It will be a natural interface for users that does not requrie the mouse and keyboard like most computers do.

Apple is also rumored to come out with their own i-version of the slate.

Some interesting tweets by Mr. Vogel
http://twitter.com/PeterVogel/status/7468749070

Avatar

2010-01-05T08:43:00.003-08:00

Twentieth Century Fox has budgeted $237 million for the production of "Avatar." Cameron was behind the lens using a "virtual camera" It is a handheld monitor that lets the director walk through the computer-enhanced 3-D scene and record it as if he were the cameraman. The effect on screen seems up close and sometimes focuses the audience's gaze at something in particular. Before when capturing human motion, they now capture the slightest detail down to the pore to create a better realism.

Though all this is new, not all the movei theatres have the screen to apply the 3teachnolog too the movie.

Twitter

2009-12-03T10:47:00.002-08:00

Twitter is a simple online tool that lets user interact with others. Some useful things are being able to follow other people so you get their latest tweet (post) and the other way around. People can follow you and get the latest post you made. Twitter can be used in a professional sense. My ICT teacher Mr. Vogel uses twitter and his followers are mostly educational users. His twitter link is located here, http://twitter.com/petervogel

Web Programs 2.0

2009-12-03T10:28:00.002-08:00

There are some new web programs that uses flash and the user interacts with it.

inudge,
http://inudge.net/index.en.html#

inudge is a site where you can make your own music using many different beats, it's simple to use and has great results. There is a spot at the bottom for latest music created and also most listened too, so that you can view what other people have created

Sumo Paint 2.0
http://www.sumopaint.com/home/

It is an online program that has the look similiar to photoshop. You can choose to use is online from their site or download it it. The symmetry tool (the snowflake one) follows the mouse with a symmetrical pattern and it has a nice effect too it.

The site where you can find other useful tools like these is at ict 11-12 wikispaces
http://ict11-12.wikispaces.com/

Top 10 Microsoft Programming Languages

2009-11-30T09:59:00.001-08:00

The top 10 programming languages by eweek,
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Top-10-Microsoft-Programming-Languages-704642/?kc=EWKNLEDP11302009A

The top 10 languages are,
C++
C#
Visual Basic
IronPython
IronRuby
JavaScript
F#
PHP
"M"
Axum

Update: November 24

2009-11-24T10:33:00.003-08:00

Bomomo
is a online art program that does some fancy effects. http://bomomo.com/

Blog
worth visit to learn about soccer, http://ict12gdelorenzo.blogspot.com/

Class Wiki
In ICT class, we have a class wiki at http://ict11-12.wikispaces.com/
It contains the things we learned in ICT 12 and other useful resources for computer users.

Kindle Reader

2009-11-17T19:07:00.002-08:00

The Kindle Reader is soon to become available to Canada purchase by Amazon.com. It was suppose to be sent here sooner, but was delayed for awhile. This new portable handbook will be in competition with the Shortcover e-book service Indigo Books & Music Inc. This hand held will have access to more than 300,000 books and is part of a 3G wireless network so the user can download from anywhere. The only way to get it is online for about $259 (US) + shipping and handling.

Shift Template With Photoshop

2009-11-09T20:00:00.001-08:00

What you will be making
http://sixpop.com/images/file/33903866.png

Step 1
Open up a new document, It can be white, black or any color you desire. I will be using the size 1024x1000px. You can follow it or not.

Warning: lots of images ahead

Step 2
Next I went to deviantart and downloaded a pattern by xe0s. you can download the pattern by him here

Grab the paint bucket and fill the background layer with the color #272727.

Open up the .psd file of the pattern you had just downloaded. Hide the background layer, and the top layer so you're left with the pattern layer

Now go to Edit >> Define Pattern

Name it something and hit OK

Step 3
Make a new layer on top of the background layer and go to Edit >> Fill

Lower the layer opacity of the pattern layer to around 20%

Step 4
Grab the Rectangle Tool (U) and make a box like so. Hex: #dfdfdf

Stroke color: #454545

Step 5
Now I cut a piece of the pattern out for the logo, you can do that or use the one I cut out from it.

Paste it neat the top left.

Step 6
Now for your site name, if it is two words make it 2 colors but one, just pick a color. Blenz Design is 2 so I chose two colors.

First word "Blenz" Hex color: #272727
Second word "Design" Hex color: #575757

Then position them nicely to each other.

Step 7
Navigation Time

Make a bar so that it fits under the site title area but not as wide as the box.

Pop up blending options for the bar.

#272727 - #191919 - #272727

Step 8
Now type in the text. I used "Arial" (default font) at size 15. Hex colors: #ffffff

Step 9
Now make a box and match it up with the navigation bar (same width but bigger length) with the color: #d6d6d6

Now add the text.
About - #272727 Size: 18, Font: Arial
Dummy Text: - #575757 Size: 12, Font: Arial

Dummy text website: Click Here

Step 10
Duplicate the box for the "about box" and move it down. Give it some space.

Make the text like above but this, using two, so sue the 2 colors.

Now make it something like below, still using Arial, but experiment with font size and use the 2 colors 272727 and 575757

Step 11
Make a new layer and grab a 1px brush. Color: #cecece

"Update": #575757 | Size: 12
"New site look": #272727 | Size: 18

Once again, grab the dummy text and paste it on. Size: 12 | Color: #272727

Step 12
Now just fill up the rest using the step above.

Heavy Text With Photoshop

2009-11-06T22:13:00.000-08:00

Example

Step 1

Start off with a new document, any size, I will be using a small size of 300x100. I took out the paint bucket(G) and filled it with a hex color of #282828.

Step 2

No take your text tool(T) and type any text big enough for you see clearly, pick a text that isn't grungy or hard around it's edges by more of a smooth one (Arial works fine) I used "reservoir grunge" at size 40px. Make sure your foreground color is white so your text is white right now.

Step 3

Now time for blending options (right click the text layer and click "blending options")

You can use my settings or something similar to it. Playing around with settings gives best results.

Inner Shadow color: #ffffff

Bevel highlight color: #3e3e3e

Satin color: #000000

Gradient color: Leave as default (black and white)

Stroke gradient color: 3a3a3a - 444444 (left to right)

After blending options

Step 4
Duplicate text layer, select one of the text layer and name it reflection.
Go to Edit >> Transform >> Flip vertical

Grab a big fuzzy brush eraser (E) and erase the bottom of the reflection and other parts until it is faded away. Then lower reflection opacity to a low amount. I erased and lowered to 12% (Make sure to rasterize the layer)

End Results

For the heck of it, here's what it looks like when inverted (new layer, image >> Apply image, CTRL + I)

Bored

2009-11-04T22:14:00.002-08:00

Made a blog template,
http://sixpop.com/files/32/blendtmeplate.jpg

Wrapping up Pascal

2009-11-03T10:11:00.002-08:00

We are now wrapping up Turbo Pascal and moving onto Visual Basic.

Blog Traffic Updates:

My highest screen Resolution from incoming traffic is 1920x1080.

There has been 131 Visits to my blog and 75 of them have been unique.

Whitening Teeth With Photoshop

2009-11-02T23:55:00.004-08:00

Step 1
Find a picture or use your photo. I found this photo on a stock site and will be using it, you can use it or use your own.
http://sixpop.com/images/file/24660719.jpg

Step 2
Make sure the photo has a bit of yellow in it or it's kind of pointless. Press Q (enters quick mask) and grab your brush tool (B) Using a hard or fuzzy brush, brush all over the teeth. Try not to get the lip or skin areas but doesn't matter. Try your best. As you are brushing over the teeth area it would appear red over the spots your brushed over while in quick mask
http://sixpop.com/images/file/44197775.png

Finish selecting every teeth

Step 3
Press Q (exits quick mask) Now your teeth that you selected are now marching with ants.
http://sixpop.com/images/file/4639252.png

Step 4
Go CTRL + SHIFT + I
Click the yin yang symbol in the layers panel (black and white looking) and click Hue/Saturation.

Just move the saturation bar down into negatives until teeth start looking a decent white. Just move it enough so that it looks natural and doesn't look bad.

Step 5
Results for me
http://sixpop.com/images/file/32729780.png

3D Text With Photoshop

2009-11-02T23:52:00.003-08:00

This is a basic 3D text tutorial.

Step 1
Open up a new blank document. I used the size 400x300. It can be black, white, grey or any color.

Step 2
Grab the text tool (T) and slap on some text. It can be anything, but try using a word instead of a letter for a nice overall effect. I used the font "Calibri" at regular and size 100px

Step 3
Right click the text layer and click "Rasterize Layer"

Then go Edit >> Transform >> Perspective

Now drag it around until you like the view.

Step 4
Duplicate the text layer, resulting in 2. Now the text layer on the bottom move it to where you want the blockness to be. I changed the color of mine for your viewing pleasure. Make sure to use your arrow keys and move it in one direction only. (left right, down or up) and not up up up right right up up.

Step 5
Now hold alt and select the bottom layer and press the arrow key, but now in the opposite direction. I moved the red part left so now I hold ALT + press the right arrow key. Notice as it makes a new layer and move it right and starts making the 3Dness.

Then just play around with blending options.

Randomness With Photoshop

2009-11-02T23:36:00.006-08:00

step 1
Open up a new blank document, I will be using the size of 325x115 px

Grab your gradient tool (G) Located under your paint bucket if you can't find it. Make a new layer and pick 2 colors (make it different colors and not cyan and blue, pick totally different colors)

I will be using #3fbe01 and #c80000. (doesn't matter which is foreground or background color)

Use these settings for the gradient tool.
Settings

Step 2
Now just stroke across the document and you'll get 2 colors. (pick one direction to go in for a nice flow)

Do it again but maybe a bigger drag or smaller or a little bit of an added tilt. The colors will change to a totally different set.

and so on.

Keep it up until it looks good, don't overdo it.

Step 3
Now go to Layer >> New Adjustment Layer >> Gradient Map
Box should pop up, just click Ok and another should pop up.

Click the gradient and the gradient editor pops up. Pick the black/white gradient (default one)

Then set the gradient layer to "Soft Light" at 30% opacity

Now go Layer >> new adjustment layer >> gradient map. Do same steps but this time pick another default gradient you that you have in your editor.

then change the layer style and opacity of that gradient map

And now you got yourself some abstract looking thing.

Some other results

OLPC XO Laptop

2009-10-30T11:46:00.004-07:00

Last year, the students in this courseheld a fundraiser to buy two XO laptops. These laptops have been designed for use by students in third world countries. They are given to students to take home, where in some cases they might be the only source of light. The class kept one laptop and the other was donated to the OLPC program.

The XO contains many innovative features, such as daylight visible screen, a flash drive, mesh networking, and a large collection of pre-installed software.

Class Colleagues' Blogs

2009-10-28T19:40:00.002-07:00

My ICT class colleagues each maintain a blog. Here are the blog links:

Poll Everywhere

2009-10-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

We just visited Poll Everywhere, http://polleverywhere.com It is a poll site that public users can set up a poll and it does the rest. People then use their cell phones to send their votes to it and it updates it right away. Using a cellphone can be a a valuable asset to a classroom. It is a power piece of technology that should be used in a classroom environment.

Though some people don't have a texting plan, so they are charged for every message sent and recieved or some students don't have a cellphone.

WolframAlpha & Google Analytics

2009-10-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

In ICT 12, I have signed up for Google Analytics and have intergrated it into the blog's coding. Google Analytics is a free online service that tracks the visitors to your site or page of where you added its tracker code. It will then spit our stat results of how many visitors and other useful information for website owners.

Wolfram Alpha is a computational knowledge engine. My Binary position number is 12 in the room with the binary number being 01100. I typed 12 binary into Wolfram Alpha and it spit out results having to do with the binary number 12

Blog URLs of people around me
http://stephenspace-slee.blogspot.com/
http://ict12peterkang.blogspot.com/
http://ict12chrislansigan.blogspot.com/
http://lamchopsict12.blogspot.com/

Class Update

2009-10-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

This posting is being made in my ICT class. In this class I am working with various programming languarges, and presently I am exploring the legacy language Pascal. Some of the other language I will be working with include: Python, visual basic, C++, and Java.

I have a school Google Apps email address and a Gmail address. I need the gmail address for some advanced Google Apps that aren't part of the education set.

First Post

2009-10-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

URL: http://ictpham.blogspot.com/