Posts Tagged ‘technology’
Posted by Rebekah Lowe / Thursday, October 20th, 2011
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011
Travel
If you are curious about Metro line names…
As WMATA picks silver, the psychology of Metro line colors
TBD
Travel this holiday season without breaking the bank:
Airfare Expert: How to get the best deals on holiday flights
USA Today
Technology
If you are thinking about upgrading your iPhone…
How the iPhone 4S Became Apple’s Best-Selling iPhone Ever
PC Mag
Or if you want to amp up the one you’ve already got…
50 Best iPhone Apps 2011
Time
And
A Surprising Fact About People With Lots of Facebook Friends
Cosmo
-Rebekah Lowe
Posted by Rebekah Lowe / Friday, September 30th, 2011
By Lexie Ramage
Technology is expensive, but we can dream—can’t we? For those who love the latest and the greatest in high-tech household products, here are a few modern beauties that are sure to please. With the holiday season on its way, don’t forget to add them to your wish list. Hope you’ve been good all year!
1. This modern take on an indoor tabletop fireplace includes two stainless steel logs that are actually oil lamps. It’s a great way to bring warmth into homes without having to worry about taking up much space. (Slate Tabletop Fireplace, Yanko Designer Store, store.yankodesign.com, $365)
2. Bidets are so old fashioned but not with the Numi toilet from Kohler. The toilet comes with motion activated lid and seat, sophisticated bidet, integrated air dryer, deodorizer, heated floor vents, illuminated panels and even a built-in music system. It’s everything you could ask for in a toilet. (Numi Toilet, Kohler, kohler.com, $6,390)
3. Multitaskers, meet the do-it-all refrigerator. This side-by-side, ENERGY STAR®-rated fridge with an LCD screen has an app for everything – memos, photos, Google Calendar, Epicurious, Weather Bug, Associated Press and many more apps tailored just for refrigerators. In addition to the 30 cubic feet capacity, the stainless steel fridge has LED lighting, Twin Cooling Plus® System, and an advanced ice maker. (30 cu. ft. Side by Side Refrigerator and 8″ LCD Digital Display with Apps, Samsung, samsung.com, $2,699)
4. Sometimes the hardest thing to do in the kitchen is to find enough space for everything. The Under-Cabinet Wine Fridge keeps your wine cool and saves you space. Whether it’s mounted horizontally or vertically, the glass door mini fridge can hold four bottles in place and keep them at 49° to 58° F, perfect for red or white wines. (Under-Cabinet Wine Fridge, Brookstone, brookstone.com, $199.95)
5. Illegible grocery lists are a thing of the past thanks to the SmartShopper™ 301 Grocery List Organizer. This voice-activated machine has many pre-loaded items that users can add in favorite items that aren’t already there. Organize lists based on categories or have the machine do it alphabetically. Flag items you have coupons for or designate quantities and print out up to two different lists. (SmartShopper™ 301 Grocery List Organizer, Brookstone, brookstone.com, $149.99)
Synetic Theater Hosts Second City and Former VA Resident This Weekend
Posted by clara / Thursday, July 14th, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Second City's Chris Witaske, Mark Piebenga, Kate Duffy, Lyndsay Hailey and Tim Stoltenberg. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
Performing for a brief two nights only, Second City will make their appearance at Synetic Theater in Crystal City Friday July 15 and Saturday July 16. Touring with the company is Lyndsay Hailey, former resident of Richmond, VA.
“I love Virginia!” she says. “I wish improv comedy had more legs in the state and I’d be there.”
Hailey didn’t always know she wanted to have a career in comedy. In fact, she went to college to study marketing and after working on the set of One Tree Hill she started auditioning. “Comedy kind of found me,” Hailey says. “I always had a part of me that wanted to be on stage but never did.”
After a stint with an improvisation troupe in North Carolina, Hailey picked up and moved to Chicago where she soon became a member of Second City. Some of her favorite characters are written by legendary comediennes Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch. “I’ve auditioned for Saturday Night Live twice,” Hailey says, “and I’ve gotten really close. That’s a big dream of mine.”
She’s got a YouTube channel, which has drawn the most traffic from her “Captain Juggles” music and “A Diamond Lasts a Real Long Time” skit. “I found the ‘WHORE’ choker and it all unfolded from there,” she says. “That combined with the fact that I’ve always had a thing against those diamond commercials, and the girls who swoon over a piece of jewelry.”
This weekend, catch her and the rest of her Second City troupe in “Best of Show.” Hailey says that though their performance is mostly a combination of great archive material and some cast original material, their general theme is that technology is taking over the world. She’s got her very own original piece in the second act, which she says she wrote “for Virginia and the Virginia culture.”
Photo Courtesy Lyndsay Hailey
As though it needed to be said, Hailey reassured that the evening would be enjoyable. “I can guarantee you’ll be laughing,” she says. Tickets cost $40 and are available online www.arlingtoncomedy.com.
–Clara Ritger
Waiter? There’s an iPad in My Soup!
Posted by Warren Rojas / Friday, March 11th, 2011
(Image: Meshelle Armstrong)
Perky Myriad font on the Apple website cheerfully describes how the advent of the iPad2, with its dual cameras and dual processors, will allow us to integrate office documents and make gorgeous, intuitive business presentations and …
Zzzzzzzzz ….
Ooops. I fell asleep thinking about all of this boring business duality.
If Apple really wants to get my—I mean our—attention with today’s iPad2 roll out, may I humbly suggest shoving all the tedious business talk down the disposal and do what Apple does best: yack about fun stuff.
Like getting messy in the kitchen.
And that’s not just my personal bias talking.
Gastronauts who enjoy their comestibles with a side of technology are fast becoming a demographic of which techies should take stock. The National Restaurant Association’s 2011 Industry Forecast indicates that food-focused consumers tend to be more technologically savvy, and that frequent restaurant customers are more likely than the general public to use various forms of technology on a daily basis. The report states, “81 percent of frequent full-service and quick-service customers, and 77 percent of frequent off-premises dinner customers said they frequently used the Internet, compared with 72 percent of all adults.” The same survey also states that 13 percent of restaurant customers use mobile apps compared to 8 percent of the general public.
And it’s not just consumers who live at the intersection of mobile technology and gastronomy.
Culinary professionals from food writers and publishers to restaurateurs and chefs have long been niche users of mobile and interactive technologies that are the cornerstone of devices like the iPhone and the iPad.
Lorena Jones, publishing director at San Francisco-based Chronicle Books, is responsible for digital initiatives in her publisher’s food and drink portfolio.
“We have long believed that many of the authors we work with have a depth of knowledge that is not entirely captured in a 3-D book,” Jones related. “Food is a category that just lends itself to visual stimulation and interactive engagement.”
And even though the model has yet to be fully tested, the potential for revenue from apps on tablet devices to breathe life into a sickly print publishing industry also makes the interactivity and mobility of tablets and smart phones appealing as a complement to offline ventures. “We’re highly motivated to generate another revenue source for our authors,” Jones said of the growing e-publishing realm.
Chef and restaurateur Cathal Armstrong (pictured above) has been a devotee of Apple products for years, and was a quick adopter of the iPad when it debuted.
“It’s a powerful tool that’s fun to use,” Armstrong said, estimating that his iPad has become as indispensable as a loyal and capable sous chef. Unlike outdated desktop computers, the web-ready tablet moves WITH Armstrong—an invaluable feature for a leader who often finds himself juggling supplier calls, customer-related queries from employees and general back-of-house issues, all while in the middle of choreographing his award-winning dinner service.
“We’re always connected,” Armstrong said of his ability to reach general manager Todd Thrasher or his wife/business partner Meshelle Armstrong on their own iPads with just a few keystrokes. “If we have a guest that loses something we need to be able to communicate with each other 24/7. That’s just part of the service if you want to work in a four-star restaurant.”
Multi-platform food scribe Michael Ruhlman sees a lot of potential in devices like the iPad, not only as a practical cooking tool, but also as a community builder.
“Devices like the iPad aren’t changing the way people cook yet, but I think that the iPad and the tablet devices that follow it are going revolutionize cooking, Ruhlman suggested. “And I want be a part of it.”
Ruhlman has been not only a very early adopter of this technology, but also a producer. Ruhlman’s Ratio app, a digital companion to his book, has been downloaded at least 8,000 times ($4.99 on iTunes).
“I get great feedback from people who use [my app] all the time. People often tweet that they are using Ratio for pancakes this morning or whatever,” he said. “I see a lot more interesting stuff happening. I see a way that cooks can share their experiences with one another, a way to keep a sort of a running diary on what they’re doing. All kinds of things are possible and we’re just now discovering the potential. I mean, it just started and the possibilities are, at least now, they feel endless.”
Endless possibilities, indeed.
Like, instead of a dual camera, I would settle for just one camera–AND a device that wouldn’t fall victim to cookie dough smudges or cake batter mishaps.
Are you listening, Apple?
–Amy Loeffler
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
Could there be a congestion-free I-66 in our future?
University Mall getting a new, $30M look
Virginia tops in the tech field
Proposed law gives daters restraining order option
VA lawmaker pushes for castration of sex offenders
What to Expect from the iPhone 4.0
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Check out the new design of the iPhone 4.0.
Apple has done it again! With the explosion of the iPad and the release of the iPhone 4.0, Apple remains on top of the technology world. However, the release of a new gadget always brings with it glitches and backlash. Will this be the case with the new iPhone? Will this new toy be all it’s cracked up to be?
In a world where more and more mainstream technology is starting to look like the high-tech Inspector Gadgetry of yesteryear, Apple continues to release sleek new products that address every kind of need, accompanied by a colorful and impressive aesthetic to boot. It comes as no surprise that the iPhone 3GS, released last summer, has been tweaked and updated to create an even more remarkable product. The iPhone 4.0 features an all-new design, trading in the gradually sloping back for a straighter, boxier design. However, the design specialists at Apple would never compromise on sleekness. The iPhone 4.0 still maintains its truly futuristic appearance.
We haven’t even gotten to the new features yet! The new phone includes FaceTime, or video calling, in which you can see your family and friends while talking to them. Basically it’s like having Skype or Vidchat on your phone. In addition, the iPhone 4.0 includes retina display with an extraordinary 960-by-640 resolution in a 3.5-inch screen, enhancing the quality of text and graphics. For all of you multitaskers out there, you can now use multiple applications at the same time without sacrificing performance or battery life. And last but absolutely not least, you get high-definition video recording as well — the icing on the cake. So it’s not only a phone, but a camera and a video camera. It appears that the Apple marketing campaign, “there’s an app for that,” rings true with this new all-in-one invention.
However, even as all of these features sound like pure bliss and convenience personified in a phone, I’m sure you have your concerns as well. One issue that seems to have struck a cord deals with the unlimited plan. It appears that unlimited data plans have been causing a number of problems for AT&T. As a result, new customers will have limited data plans. They can choose to be a “DataPlus” member, 200 MB of data for $15 per month, or a “DataPro” member, 2 GB of data for $25 per month. The AT&T site provides further explanation about what exactly you can get for each plan.
Back to the good stuff. Along with the impressive features we’ve already mentioned, the iPhone 4.0 has countless more. For instance, for all of us that love organization, we now have the ability to organize applications into folders. Going along with the latest Kindle craze, Apple has answered with iBooks, an amazing ebook reader and your own personal book store.
Are you more interested in movies? Well, there’s an app for that. Coming soon to the app store for only $4.99 is iMovie. With iMovie, you can edit video as well as add themes and music.
Finally, I don’t know about you, but I was never happy with the background of the home screen. For a company so advanced in aesthetics, this was definitely a problem. Well, problem solved! You can now personalize your home screen to whatever your heart desires. Mine is currently a giant blue wave in honor of summer.
I know you are all foaming at the mouth to get your hands on one of these, so here are your options. Order one online at the Apple Store. They ship by July 14. Your other choice is to visit your favorite local Apple retail store, where they are available now. However, the stores have limited quantities, and one person can only buy a maximum of two. Local Apple retail stores include Tysons Corner, Reston, Fair Oaks, Pentagon City, Clarendon, and Georgetown. It’s also important to note that the iPhone 4.0 comes in 16 GB (for $199) and 32 GB (for $299) versions. Like the color choices for the iPhone 3GS? Not to worry, the new model also comes in white and black, like previous models. However, you cannot buy the white version yet.
Now that you have all of the information about Apple’s new masterpiece, it’s time to go check it out for yourself! Although we beg of you, no Vidchatting in the car with this new toy!
–Cami Clarkson
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, March 29th, 2010
(Video: Vimeo)
This just in: five of out five starving pets prefer VHS to Blu-Ray.
–Warren
Technology In Private High Schools
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, December 15th, 2008
By Elizabeth Weiss McGolerick
Many of today’s teens soar heads above adults and professionals when it comes to computers and other technological gadgetry. While many public schools are working to increase the availability and use of technology in the classroom, area private schools are making their mark on students by implementing technology throughout the whole of their curriculum.
Programs, equipment and attitudes are shifting to reflect the changes of a constantly evolving society that demands technologically savvy people. At private schools, teaching curriculums are geared specifically toward preparing students for college and beyond. Computers and technology are one of the biggest factors of that equation.
Here, There and Everywhere
From English to health, history to the arts, athletics to arithmetic, the focus in many private school disciplines aims to help students benefit from the using technology.
Tim Hamer, 46, is vice principal for academics at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, a Catholic, college preparatory and coeducational school serving students grades nine through 12 from across the metro area. Hamer said, “We have always viewed technology holistically and include all elements of the curriculum in our technology planning process.”
According to John Salidis, 65, director of information services at Blue Ridge School, an all-boys college preparatory boarding school for grades nine through 12 in St. George, “All our subjects use technology to a greater or lesser extent.” Each student participates in at least one computer-based project per class each year.
Episcopal High School in Alexandria is a college preparatory boarding school for grades nine through 12, serving both boys and girls. The school describes itself as being “at the forefront of academic use of technology.” The school requires each student to purchase their own laptop computer, and both classrooms and dorms are equipped with the necessary computer connections for Internet access.
New technologies can be found throughout the Episcopal High School curriculum. Adobe Photoshop is used in visual art classes along with scanners, printers and digital cameras, providing students with the necessary tools to envision and create artwork.
Geometry classes use a program called “Geometer’s Sketchpad,” which visually demonstrates the logic of the subject. Even the football team benefits from new technologies. For instance, the “Chalktalk” software allows team members to see an animated version of their plays on their laptops.
On Top of Education
It was reported by eSchool News that, at the Consortium for School Networking, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)—the 12th-largest school district in the nation—announced their efforts to use technological advancements to work toward developing individual learning plans and personalized instruction for each of their 163,000 students.
However, private schools may have an advantage, making strides in technology where public schools are unable to compete.
The GW Community School is a co-educational, private, college preparatory high school serving students grades nine through 12, located in Springfield. Gary Lindner, system administrator and math teacher, explained that everyone involved with the school, from students to teachers to parents, benefits from newly implemented technology.
“Every student and teacher at the GW Community School has a laptop and access to a wireless network,” Lindner said.
In addition to sending class assignments to students via email, Lindner said, “Each teacher enters details about student progress, grades and other information into our administrative system which allows us to e-mail a weekly status report to parents.”
Students at the GW Community School use their computers to share and work collaboratively on projects inside and outside of the classroom.
“Instead of your basic poster board, our students use technologies like PowerPoint and video editing to do presentations and display their work,” said Lindner. From data collection in physics classes to working with editing software in film editing classes, the GW Community School has threaded technology throughout
its curriculum.
“Teachers have been implementing recording technologies and video in English, social studies, film making and, of course, web design classes,” said Lindner.
Implementing Change
In order to make the best technology additions and changes in their curriculum, private schools often solicit detailed input and feedback from the people who can attest to the methods that work best.
“We just completed a comprehensive survey of our entire faculty and staff to secure their assessment of existing technology and support programs and aspirations for future development,” said Hamer.
Bishop Ireton has implemented a number of creative technology advancements.
“We have migrated to a new school management platform in the last two years, which provides a more robust tool for managing all student data and communication,” said Hamer.
“Last year, we acquired four fully integrated, mobile multi-media stations to provide teachers across the school with the ability to access and project to their classes the full range of digital resources such as streaming video from the Internet, DVDs and closed circuit programming.”
According to Salidis, “Blue Ridge has its own SharePoint portal where students go for assignments, news of the day, shared documents and the like. We deploy our own Microsoft Exchange Server. All students have private and public server storage available and can access the Internet from their rooms via wired connections and in all the classrooms via wireless connections.”
Dr. John O’Reilly, 58, assistant head for academics and administration at Blue Ridge School, affirmed, “Our students do not express to me concerns over technology shortcomings.”
What Will the Future Bring?
Schools have to keep up with the technological advancements that are being made nearly daily.
Hamer said, “We are exploring the introduction of fully interactive SMART Boards to as many of our classrooms as possible, as soon as possible. Our teachers are eager to have access to this revolutionary tool.”
SMART Boards have modernized the squeaky writing and erasing method of old. This new invention combines the simplicity of a whiteboard—also known as a dry-erase board—with the power of a computer, through a touch-sensitive display, digital ink and saving capabilities.
Hamer continued, “The use of web-based software that provides various ‘portals’ to students and parents are also at the forefront of our systems development efforts.”
Educators at Blue Ridge School are working to develop electives in technology, ranging from computer applications to actual programming.
Salidis said that, with additional advancements in equipment, there will also be a “possible movement toward thin client technology,” which describes low-cost, centrally managed computers that are comprised of only the most essen-tial applications.
These “thin” machines tend to have longer life cycles, use less power, cost less and are not as vulnerable to virus and worm attacks; according to www.searchnetworking.com, they’re gaining popularity in educational environments.
Some might question that the low student-to-teacher ratio—one of the perks of a private school education—could be compromised by too much technology. But O’Reilly pointed out that educators and administrators are quite aware of the delicate line that must be straddled by tailored experiences and technological awareness and competence.
“We are trying to strike the balance between our highly personalized approach to learning and the need to prepare our students for college and learning in the 21st century. We believe we are succeeding,” O’Reilly said.
Teens Learn through a Second Life
A 3-D virtual world built and owned by its five million residents through downloaded software, Second Life (SL) is the brainchild of Linden Labs. Many universities use SL to enhance classroom and distance learning courses. Teenagers 13 to 17 can familiarize themselves with the environment through Teen Second Life (TSL), while preparing for yet another technological incarnation that awaits them in higher education.
An international social network, TSL begins with the creation of a customized digital self known as an avatar, the embodiment of each user as they would like to be seen. From skin color to foot size, jewelry to clothing, no two avatars are the same. Even physical gestures and moods can be customized. The basic TSL account is free, but, for a monthly fee, students can lease a tract of land, start a business and create and sell wares that can be made in the real world (games, clothes, etc.). Teens learn how to market a business and build a clientele.
“Work is more and more about interfacing with an electronic screen. [Second Life] is as real as it gets,” said Joel Foreman, associate professor in the English department at George Mason University in Fairfax.
Because the appropriateness of some SL content is questionable, Linden Labs “is committed to providing a secure environment for teen residents” that includes only PG-rated material in TSL as well as tips for parents. Teens are encouraged to communicate and work together as a global community in TSL and enjoy the nearly unlimited freedom to create a thriving virtual world that is solely their own.
(August 2007)
