How Technology Can Play a Role in Fitness

      It's no secret that with diet and exercise comes physical fitness and physique, but can simple technology help you reach your goal and propel your progress? The answer is yes, very much yes. Keeping track of what foods you consume, how long you spend exercising, and how many calories you intake are all ways technology can come into play when striving to achieve good physical health. There are also apps now available as features for new cellular devices like the iphones and tablets.

 

       MyFitnessPal is a free service that lets you maintain a digital diary of your food choices, cardio work and strength training. When first using the program, you're prompted for such information as weight, height, age and activity level. You then enter what you're eating (and drinking) for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks, throughout the day, and the app records the calories, fat, protein, carbs and vitamins.Or use your phone's camera to take a picture of a barcode and have the app look up the nutritional information for you. MyFitnessPal also lets you enter your workouts and strength training. Just as you do with food, you simply select the activity, push ups, sit ups, walking the dog, and riding x number of miles on a bike. Once you're done entering your information, you can look at charts, graphs and lists of your diet and exercise to get a better view of your day or week.

 

     The amount of different workouts that can be found at your local gym or health center is reason enough to believe how much technology can help and improve fitness. New machines are made offering different styles of workouts that improve muscles you didn't even know you had, almost every year.

Plus, with new futuristic and architectual designs, gyms are just starting to look just plain cool as well.

   

 

 

A list of almost every known muscle workout can be found here: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

 

 

-Aaron Adams

"What's your favorite kind of Background Music?"

How would you respond if someone where to ask you “what is your favorite type of music?” Many people have an answer ready and prepared for this and it tends to migrate towards one of the major genres: Rock, Classical, Hip Hop, Electronic, etc. One answer that is ever expanding in its popularity is “I don't know; I listen to everything”. Many of us seem to be very open minded about what we listen to or so selective that if anything fits into a genre that we already prefer, we will listen to it.

But there is another side to music that is a lot less appreciated than it should be. Many of us who are casual listeners can admit that our world is full of music. But when we think of music many of us think of the latest artist or band to release an album. This blog entry is all about a question that we may NOT have asked ourselves: “What is your favorite type of BACKGROUND music?”

The importance of background music is very obvious. If it isn't, then try to imagine a horror film without quiet and creepy music, or an action scene from a zombie movie without kick-butt 80s rock and roll. Generally though, the audience does not get access to such music and doesn't even pay it very much attention, but it is a vital part of the experience of watching a movie! And not only does good audio enhance video, but bad audio can ruin a film.

Background music also helps add to an experience. As students, it is almost instinctive of us to have music playing as we study or do homework. Some may see it as a distraction, but many people cannot live without a bit of noise to help them work. In fact, this is the reason why many shopping centers and stores provide music through overhead speaker. Studies show that worker moral and efficiency increase when music is present. You don't even really have to listen to it, or be aware of it, but the background music is still at work.

Luckily, due to increased attention in great works of musical art, soundtracks to popular movies have become more and more commonplace in our itunes libraries. It just goes to show that more and more people are beginning to understand that great music is a key component in reinforcing great video, or even for easy listening. In closing, I would like to play on the nostalgia of you readers. Remember back into your (or your children's) childhood. Listen to this and try your very best not to be thrown back into an older, simpler time!

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYrUWfLlYI0)

Kyle Polk

Google Maps

Google Maps is a wonderful web mapping service that offers street maps from all over the world. It is a great tool to use when planning a long trip or even to just find the location of a business in town. You can "drive" up and down the streets of different states, cities and towns. I had not been back to my home town in many years but was able to bring back many memories with the use of Google Maps. There have been many changes in the town I grew up in and I was able to take a virtual drive and see the house I grew up in and the high school I graduated from. My husband is from Hawaii and we have "driven" the streets of Hawaii so he can show me places where he used to hang out. The maps are not always accurate because there may have been construction since the maps were made.

There are many places where you are not able to "drive" the streets of a city but are able to view a map of them. It is possible to see the streets in Dubai and zoom in to see the beautiful buildings.



Google Maps has recently helped a man find his family who he was separated from when he was only 5 yrs old. Saroo Munshi Khan was at a train station with his brother and they became separated. Saroo was taken in by a family lived in Australia. Twenty years later, with the aid of Google Maps, and his hazy memory, Saroo was able to find his birth home. Following is the link to Saroo's story that was published in Vanity Fair.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/11/india-orphan-google-earth-journey

So, if you are ever stuck at home and bored, just log on and take a virtual drive around town or in another state. You never know what you might see and decide to plan a real trip someday.

Patricia Holzman

The Worlds of KH3

 

In my last blog I was only able to talk briefly on the topic of the worlds I want to see in Kingdom Hearts 3.

 

Treasure Plant

As far as I’m censured is an awesome movie with loveable characters, beautiful scenery, and no shortage of villainies space pirates to battle. Jim would be an awesome team up and I can see all kinds of fun mini-games involved with riding the solar-surfer. 

 

Toy Story

Honestly, I can’t see why this world hasn’t been done yet. It is a beloved classic and seeing Sora and friends as action figures would be fun. In the way of enemies I can see Sid or his dog for Boss battles and maybe some dust bunny themed Heartless.

 

Atlantis the Lost Empire 

Like Treasure Plant this movie is a tad under rated, however after the nightmare that was “the Little Mermaid” world in the Kingdom Hearts 2 we need something that shows how cool an adventure Atlantis in the Kingdom Hearts universe. No top of that I can see the Heart of Atlantis becoming a target for Xehanort and Maleficent’s forces.

 

Robin Hood     

Robin and Little John would make great partners and medieval themed Heartless would be awesome. I can see all kinds of mini-games coming from this, like robbing gold from the Sharif and getting abilities that can improve stealth and projectile accuracy.   

 

Wreck-it Ralph

This was an amazing movie. Ralph is the kind of character that would add some depth to the story and mushy lesson about having a good heart. Not to mention all the cool cameos.  

 

Tangled

I really liked this movie and would to stick it to mother Gothel. I see really see a cool Heartless boss battle where the tower becomes a Heartless or is possessed by one.

 

The Black Caldron

One of Disney’s darker films. I think with this game featuring an older Sora, now is the time to add some darker horizons and the Horned King would make an epic boss to battle.

 

Howl’s Moving Castle

This would make an awesome world. Most is not all the story elements match up with those of Kingdom Hearts. Disney intends to straight up buy  Studio Ghibli next year so all the more reason for this to be a world in Kingdom Hearts.

James T Parsons

GoPro

Think it. See it. Do it.

GoPro is the world's leading activity image capture company. It has come a long way from its original 35 mm film camera to the newest release, HERO3+, that shoots full HD video. GoPro has made it possible to capture video and pictures while doing almost anything, from diving deep underwater to jumping from space. Felix Baumgartner who did the Red Bull Stratos Jump in 2012 wore a GoPro on his chest. Like their tag line says; think it, see it, do it.

I have used the cameras for ski trips, scuba diving, and free diving. I love the versatility of the cameras made by this company, having one camera to capture all of these exciting activities is fantastic.

Another exciting use for this camera is in the wild. One of the most recent promotional videos for GoPro is this man hugging two lions.

Not only does the housing unit for the camera make it versatile but the many different mounts make this camera great for anything. You can place mounts on the end of snowboards, outside of planes, on the fenders of cars, helmets, handle bars, surfboards, and so many more.

The newest camera, HERO3+ is the smallest and lightest of all the cameras. It's stunning video quality lets you record video in high resolution and high frame-rate. This camera also captures 12 MP still images at 30 frames per second. The HERO3+ black edition comes with a remote that allows you to control up to 50 cameras at a distance of up to 600'/180m. With this camera you can also connect it to your smart phone via Wi-Fi for easy sharing.
GoPro has also created software for easy editing available for download.
I can't wait to see what more exciting and innovative ideas and products this company creates.

Sources:
http://gopro.com/about-us
http://youtu.be/y8yqoyaSPOI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GoPro#GoPro_HERO_35mm.2C_All-Season_Sports_Camera

Mariah Taylor

The Status of "Tek Worx"

This is my blog post in the shape of an improved podcast, The link below is for the website that the student station is located since currently I don't think the Tek Worx website exists.

If you enjoyed the podcast, then feel free to tune into the student station where many students like yourselves have shows on a variety of topics.


http://www.wkgc.org/

Joseph Ramsey 

Online Dating to Online One Night Stand

What has happened to online dating?  When it first hit the scene, it was used for those who are “socially awkward” and had hard times meeting new people in crowded environments.  It was a way for people who were new to the area to meet an individual that had similar interests.  It gave two people, who may not have the chance to go out and mingle, the opportunity to connect online and work towards a possible relationship. 

Over the last few years though, it seems that more and more people have flocked towards these dating sites for an easy “booty call.”  Online dating has now become something that those who once enjoyed it now find to be annoying.  Instead of just having to find somebody they are compatible with, they have to worry about if this person they found is just looking for a one night date that could turn in to a one night stand or if they are really looking for a relationship.

But it now seems like the people who are looking for these “booty calls” have been given an app that allows them to do that.  When looking for these one night stands, appearance is exactly what people are looking for.  The app known as Tinder that has grown quickly over the past few months makes it easy for people to find “the one” they are looking for with the simple swipe of a finger.  You simply just browse a selection of what it is you are looking for and judge the picture of these individuals, clicking on the ones you like.

Some would argue that this is not a hook up site, it is just a new form of online dating that allows you to approve of the people who can message you.  I might be in agreement with that statement had I not been informed by three people who use the app.  Each one stated that they have not met somebody that was interested in a long term commitment and was merely looking for an evening of fun.

The internet is used for many things, so I guess it was only a matter of time before this was going to happen.  The creator of Tinder has successfully banked off of the sex drive people have and their fascination with technology and making things easy.  With its rapid growth, I’m sure this is something that will be around for the long haul.

Sources: 

www.gotinder.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/tinder-dating-app_n_3044472.html

http://images.smh.com.au/2013/02/12/4024923/art-353-Tinder-300x0.jpg

-           James Westoven

Roaming With My Shows

 Long time TiVo users finally have a reason to celebrate. TiVo recently created a new DVR box called TiVo Roamio. With this box users will get even more features than were previously available. There are three different versions of the box ranging in price from $200 to $600, with $200 being the basic model. Even the basic model records four shows at one time and up to 150 hours of video. The higher priced models will record six shows at once and up to 600 hours of programming. The boxes all feature wireless capabilities. While this option is not "up and running" yet, users will be able to use their cell phones or tablets to access their TiVo Roamio boxes from any location. This feature is expected to become available within the next few months. You can also put photos, music playlists,

and apps on the DVR box
. 

TiVo receiver with 'peanut' remote

      Why is TiVo so much better than any other DVR box on the market? Being a current user of an older model TiVo, I can tell you why. I have used every other company in my area for television service, and with this comes the obligation to use their equipment. Therefore, I have used every DVR box offered. They all seem to have the same problems. They are hard to use. The remote has more buttons than you could ever use. It's a remote, I don't want to have to take a two day course to learn how to use it. The buttons get so confusing I found myself hitting the wrong button and sometimes losing the show I was recording because of it. My biggest issue is the speed at which the box responds to the remote. If I am fast-forwarding through commercials and accidentally cut into my show, on the other hand, the TiVo box automatically goes right back to where the show came back on. On regular DVR, I could hit okay after the commercial and there is a huge delay causing me to miss the beginning of the show. Of course then I just rewind, but when I try to hit play on a regular box will go too far back and you're pretty much better off watching at least the last commercial. It's funny to think when I had a Tivo I didn't watch any live T.V. or see any commercials, unless it was the Superbowl, lol. TiVo's peanut remote I can be in complete darkness and navigate to where I need to go. Ahh the memories.... and now with  Roamio I can get my recorded shows on my phone, just makes it easier to leave the house!

https://www.tivo.com/shop/roamio

 

posted by,

 

Jason Kennedy
https://twitter.com/Jkhero18


http://gcscdigmedia.blogspot.com/2013/10/long-time-tivo-users-finally-have.html

 

Why is Pinterest so Pinteresting?!

 “Pinterest is a tool for collecting and organizing the things you love.”

  Pinterest has grown and become extremely popular in the few years that it has been created.  I freely admit that I have a Pinterest addiction.  I first realized that I had an addiction when I caught myself pinning from three different devices at the same time.  A five minute break can easily turn into a 30 minute distraction.  What is Pinterest and what does it offer?  Can businesses utilize Pinterest to grow?

What is Pinterest?

   Pinterest is a pinboard-style website that allows users to create photo-sharing collections.   It is basically a social image bookmarking website.  The site was created by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp and is located in San Francisco, California.

Categories Include: Home Feed, Popular, Everything, Gifts, Videos, Animals, Architecture, Art, Cars & Motorcycles, Celebrities, Design. DIY & Crafts, Education, Film, Music & Books, Food & Drink, Gardening, Geek, Hair & Beauty, Health & Fitness, History, Holidays & Events, Home Decor, Humor, Illustrations & Posters, Kids, Men’s Fashion, Outdoors, Photography, Products, Quotes, Science & Nature, Sports, Tattoos, Technology, Travel, Weddings, Women’s Fashion

Pin:  An image or video that is added to Pinterest; To add a Pin you can use the “Pin It” bookmarklet or you can upload your own image from your computer;  Once Pins are added to Pinterest they can be repined by other Pinners;  Pins will automatically link back to its original source (either a website or full image); There is also a 'Like' option

Board:  Where you can organize your Pins by topic or theme; A board can be secret where only you can view Pins that you pin there, or a board can be public.  You can invite others to pin onto your public board, or they can decide just to follow the board.

Follow:  If you follow someone, then their pins will show up on your Pinterest Home Feed.  You can follow a person, meaning that you follow all the boards associated with him/her, or you can follow individual boards from that person.

Home Feed:  A collection of your most recent Pins.  These include your Pins along with the Pins from those whom you follow.  It is updated whenever someone you follow adds a pin.

Business Aspect: Pinterest has also been known to help smaller business grow in their exposure to the public.  Etsy and WikiHow are two examples of businesses who greatly benefited from using Pinterest.  Etsy reported a 22% increase in average views per week and a 20% increase in sales per week.  WikiHow uses Pinterest to help improve their overall quality of their content.  WikiHow has seen a dramatic growth in their referral traffic as well.

Sources:

 http://about.pinterest.com/

http://about.pinterest.com/basics/

http://about.pinterest.com/goodies/

http://business.pinterest.com/success-stories/

http://www.madiganmade.com/2011/08/warning-label-pinterest-can-be-highly.html

-Kendall Fagan

Motorcycle Awareness

 

Just What Is A Biker?

 

It has come to my attention that there is a lot of confusion about what a biker is so I will try to illuminate you with what I know and that doesn't mean I know every thing!

 

 You might be a biker if:   

 

 You love children and will protect them at all cost! 

 

 You are male or female.

 

  You have one or more motorcycles as in his and hers

 You ride on two wheels and prefer two wheels over 4 as a daily routine.

 Your motorcycle is considered a "Kool Ride" by others that consider themselves to be bikers also.

 You love the rapport with nature, and the wind in his or her face.
 You love bikes, all kinds of bikes, especially the big twins like Harley Davidson, Indian, Henderson,
 Norton, Triumph, BSA, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki etc.

 

 

 You ride long distances 300, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 and over and attend "Bike Rallies. 
 You ride local toy runs, cancer benefits, and other charity events to raise money for the charity.
 If you have had to push your bike more than a half mile due to a mechanical problem.
 If you have ever had your bike in your house.
 If you have ridden motorcycles more than half you life starting from age 10.
 If you have er ridden in weather a cager wouldn't even try to drive in.
 If you have ever slept next to your bikeon the highway or a rest stop on the interstate.
 If you do some of the work and maintenance on your own bike.
 If you believe people should take care of their own business and mind their own business too.
 If you have stopped to help a fellow biker that is broke down on the side of the road.
 If you've ever been asked to leave or not allowed in a place of business.
 If you've been given a "biker name" from our peers and you use it.
 Your friends and neighbors call you by your "biker name"
 You have tatoo's or piercings (not all bikers do)
 You have a hair style that is not normally socially acceptable, mohawk, shaved, or including  mustaches and beards.
 You dress for comfort not conformity and you ignor the social norms.
 If your legs are pale from not tanning
 If you've ever worn a T'Shirt that has a totally disgusting or anti social message.
 If you have a bell on your bike.
 Saying that, you might be a biker if? Are you a "biker" ?  We "BIKERS" know if you are for sure.



LETS RIDE !!!!!!!



Cary W. Deeter Sr.


DSLR vs. Point and Shoot

      In all of the new and modern camera technology that is being released, it is hard to decide what piece of photography equipment suits you best. The two highest selling these days are the DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex), and the Point and Shoot style cameras.

      Point and Shoot: A point-and-shoot camera, also called a compact camera, is a still camera designed primarily for simple operation. Most use automatic exposure lenses and have built-in flash. They are by far the best selling type of camera (aside from camera phones.) They are popular with people who do not consider themselves photographers, but still want an easy to use camera for situations such as graduations or vacations. The name "Point and Shoot" was derived from camcorders and the style they use for capturing video. The cheapest style of Point and Shoot cameras are the Disposable Cameras, which come with a single roll of film but can be reloaded, and can be found at almost any department store or Pharmacy. Some of the more advanced models use automatic focus and have variable apertures. They are likely to also have more advanced zoom and auto focus features, but will be more costly for each added feature. Point and Shoot camera prices can go from anywhere around $30 to $500, and sometimes even more.

      DSLR: The DSLR style cameras are definitely some of the most costly on the market, but are the "bread and butter" of almost every professional photographer's style. One of the most well known features of the DSLR style camera are the interchangable lenses, which give the photographer an almost infinite amount of different views to choose from. As opposed to the auto-focusing style given from the point and shoot cameras, the DSLR allows you focus manually, and gives you a better view of your subject with a larger viewfinder. Some other upgraded features of the DSLR style are: HD video capture, larger sensor sizes, wider angle view, and of course better image quality. MUCH BETTER IMAGE QUALITY. Being a larger camera, the DSLR style is unfavored by some who would prefer a smaller or more easier to carry style camera. The interchangable lenses can also come as a drawback to those who don't want to have to spend extra money just to take pictures (even though it is more than worth it in my opinion.)

 

For a more in-depth compare and contrast of the 2 styles: http://digital-photography-school.com/should-you-buy-a-dslr-or-point-and-shoot-digital-camera

 

 

-Aaron Adams (https://twitter.com/AaronAdams700)