Reflection

I have now been in my Digital Civilization class for about a month and it's kind of cool to see how much I've learned. Having recently come home from my mission, I felt very behind in pretty much every aspect of my life, especially in digital understanding. However, since I have been taking this class, I feel like it's my own personal update into the "real world." I have become far more explorative on the internet, as well as other computer applications. I used to just stick with a Google search or a quick scan of Wikipedia, but I have come to realize there is so much out there and it's all very accessible, and (for the most part) very user friendly. I have found this very helpful in my other classes as well as I have needed scholar articles and encyclopedia information. I feel like I still have a long way to go, but little by little I'm understanding more about the digital technology that we have.

Also, I absolutely love history, so learning about ancient civilization is right up my alley. I love how in each class the two topics are connected. I have found it fascinating trying to find ties between the two. I believe this class is making me a more well-rounded person, and more curious as to the information that I can find on the internet. Before this class, I never really trusted sites or information found on the internet, but I have found so many databases, for this class as well as my other classes, that have definitely changed my mind. The world is definitely evolving, and as we evolve with it, we are opened up to more knowledge and are able to discover and grow.

I Love TV

So this morning, while I was getting ready for church, I was listening/watching the Create Channel: it pretty much has everything you ever need to know on one channel. Well, it was talking about Florence and how it was the birthplace of the Renaissance. Florence paved the way for creative thought. It brought together the ideas of God and humanism. Michaelangelo, for example, was one of the these blooming idealists. In one of his greatest works "David", we see the combination of humanism and the importance of the human body as well as the need of God. They explained that his right hand was purposely over-sized and detailed to represent the hand of God in the creation.

So pretty much, this was an awesome episode (click here to see more about it: Episode #203). I also found this interesting website that talked a little more about "David" if you're interested.

And that is why I love TV.

Google Chrome

For the past five or more years I have been using either Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer as my search engine; however, recently I have installed Google Chrome and would like to talk a little bit about the differences I have found while using this search engine as well as the history of Chrome. Enjoy.

Chrome was developed by Google in September of 2008, and as of August 2010 it's the third most popular browser.  In September 2008, Google released a big portion of Chrome's source code, including V8 JavaScript engine, as an open source project entitles Chromium. This enabled other developers the opportuinty to study the underlying source code as well as transport the browser to Mac OS X and Linux.

What I personally like about Chrome is that it's fast! According to Wikipedia, tests proved that Chrome was twice as fast as Firefox 3.0. I can definitely see a difference.  I also like the cleaner look and appearance of Chrome. There isn't a separate bar for a Google search, you can type it into the bar as you would for a URL address. You can also design your own theme (or rather, the look of your Chrome page). It allows you to express your personality in your web browser.

All in all, I have enjoyed using and getting to know Google Chrome and would definitely recommend it to anyone I talk to. Check it out!

Story of an Insomniac

Usually for this blog, I try to come up with entertaining, and at least mildly-witty posts, and something to do with the digital world and/or ancient civilization. Well, I have not developed any kind of creative thought in the recent days, so I thought I would divulge a little bit into the life of an insomniac.

I have a problem sleeping: I can't. It is making my life, well ... not fun. It's getting kind of hard to do life, not to mention school, church, and dating. So I'm tired.

On a slightly more happy note: here is a song for all of you who can empathize with me. Enjoy.

1984

The Protestant Reformation ushered in the idea of original thought; the idea of breaking away from the conformist ideas that were being circulated by the Catholic Church and starting anew. This commercial was broadcast was on January 22, 1984 during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII.which symbolizes saving humanity from the "conformity" denoting the 1949 novel by George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Blog Searching

I think many of us in the blogging world have wondered "How can I easily find blogs related to specific topics?" I myself have spent hours trying to search different methods and blogs looking for a specific topic or theme, but often I was left without the information I was really looking for; however, today I learned a more practical and easy method of searching for blogs. Allow me to share what I've learned.

Technorati: go to website
This is a internet search engine site. It indexes millions of blogs and also tagged social media which makes for simple blog searching. Technorati looks at tags that authors have placed on their websites. These tags help categorize search results, with recent results coming first.Technorati rates each blog's "authority", the number of unique blogs linking to the blog over the previous six months.  You can simply type in a topic you would like to search at the top, or can click on the top tabs which classify the most popular blogs into different genres (Technology, Business, Entertainment, etc). It also lists the top blogs on the Web. It's a very simple and easy website to use. 


BlogPulse: go to website
This site is very similar to Technorati. On its main page it breaks down different blogs into lists (top links, key people, top videos, top blog posts, etc). You can also type in whichever topic you are in search of, and it will display the most recently posted blogs that mention (or tag) that subject. 


IceRocket: go to website
This is also another very good site to search for blogs. You can specifically look for blogs, but also can expand your search to look in Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, News, and others. There is also a section of top searches so you can see what other people are looking up. 


Which ever site you use, you will be able to find the information that you're looking for fast. For anyone who is looking to find specific blogging information or topics, these search engines are for you. Good luck and happy blogging!

New Phone - New World

While browsing through Best Buy a few days ago I was looking at the new cell phones and a worker asked me if I was interested in getting a new phone. I told her I was pretty content with the phone I had. She asked what kind of phone I had and I said, "a silver one that flips...?". So I showed it to her, and she laughs (yeah, she definitely didn't win any points in my book).

Here you can see the razzle-dazzle of this legendary phone

Yeah...it even has a camera and can save 50 texts at a time

So, after much deliberation that day, I decided to go talk to the Verizon store and see if I was up for an upgrade (since it had been about three years). Much to everyone's surprise, they told me I qualified for a new phone. My mind has officially been blown. They no longer sell "normal" cell phones. All cell phones--now called "smart phones"--come with internet and a whole lot of ... stuff. So I decide on a phone, the LG Ally.

the upgrade

They started explaining all the different applications (note: they call applications on phones "apps". Why? Apparently it's "cuter"). Can I explain to you the things my new phone can do?

• I can download any song I want...for free
• It has a metal detector
• Google Star Map: I can locate and identify all the stars in the sky
• Light saber mimicking
• Bar code scanner (I can compare prices from everywhere in the area)
• I can check Facebook whenever I want (not to mention Yahoo and YouTube)
• Voice navigation
• Other things I couldn't quite understand

Now, I am currently learning a completely new language. A language that turns out to be more necessary than I thought. Now that I have worked with this phone for a few days, I am coming to find how useful it is. 

On Tuesday we learned about the Renaissance, and the importance and power that language played in this revolution. We learned that there became a deep respect and admiration of language. This admiration opened the door to many opportunities, which in turn opened many minds to new ideas that changed the way the world thought. This is precisely what our world now is doing. As we learn more about the new languages that are available to us (such as new "apps", wiki, iPads, skype, etc), we can open doors, and our minds, to an entirely new world of opportunities. 

Discovery and Exploration

Two and a half weeks ago I came home from serving an LDS mission for my church. I served in San Francisco and San Jose, California. As a missionary I didn't watch TV, movies, or use the internet (except to email my family once a week). Since my time back I have realized how many new technological advances have been made in my absence. I find dificulty using my basic email account, Facebook is changed substantially that I can barely figure out how to change my status, and don't even get me started on the purpose of Twitter.... It's hard for me to even imagine how some people are actually creating these sites and programs. They really are the discoverers and explorers of our day.

I can't help but think of Aristotle, Ptomely, Copernicus, and others who blazed the trail of discovery and exploration of their day. They dared to dream in ways that people of the time couldn't even imagine. Even years after their death, many people still doubted the validity of their original thought. It's incredible to see how the world continues to expand, and how we are continuing in the footsteps of the founding fathers of exploration and discovery. We are really going places where no one could even have imagined us going--especially when it comes to uses of the internet. We truly have been inspired from these pioneers who taught men to dare to dream and discover new worlds...as by doing so, they helped us develop and enlighten our minds.

Now, I just have to figure out how to check my email....

In the Beginning...

...was the word, and the word was on the Web, and the Web was good. Well, this is the beginning of a new era, or rather, a new blog. Typically I think it starts with a little get to know you.

This is me.

I just recently returned from an LDS mission to San Jose, California. There I learned Spanish (among a million other things). I am studying political science with a minor in psychology. I plan on going to law school after I graduate. After that, the plans are a little fuzzy.

I am currently enrolled in Western Civilizations at BYU where I'm going to learn pretty much every technological advancement that I've missed since I've been out of touch with the outside world. This blog will be following the things I learn. I hope you enjoy.