My Avatar

For my first attempt at creating an avatar I used the 'Build your wild self' program in which I had to create a realistic looking avatar and then added animal features. However, I did not like this program because I wanted to make an avatar that was simply a realistic version of myself. This led me to use the program 'Face your Manga.' On this program I just had to go through a series of option tabs where I picked out specific features that were similar to my face to make an avatar that looked like me. It was very straightforward and easy to do and in the end, I was able to make a realistic avatar, just like I wanted!

Week 11: Clear

I really enjoyed this weeks lecture. It just seemed to me its the 'in' thing right now. Database management is huge in technology world or even in computer world. A database management system is a suite of software applications that together make it possible for people or businesses to store, modify, and extract information from a database. Sound like something found only in bank vaults? It's not. You can find database management systems many places in your everyday life. That ATM that you get cash out of every week is a database management system. When you make flight reservations online, you're providing information that is entered into a database management system. Even the library that you or your children check out books from runs on a database management system.

On a more personal level, your personal computer can have its own database management system. You might have spreadsheets that contain mountains of data. Any time you fill up a spreadsheet with data and run queries to find and analyze data in different ways, you are accessing a database management system. And how do you view the data that is the result of a query? By looking at a report. Most database management systems have a reporting function that is the last step in the data manipulation process. After all, collating the data without looking at it won't get you very far.

One of the main functions of the database management system is doing the heavy lifting for you. In other words, you don't necessarily have to know exactly where all that data is in the system; as long as the database management system knows where it all is, it can deliver a report for you to peruse. This might not seem to matter if you're thinking of just your computer; but throw in a mainframe that contains reams and reams of data, and we're talking about a huge amount of information that can be stored any number of places within the mainframe system. The result is the same, though: a report that you can read, analyze, and act on. This functionality also extends to a multi-user database. Such a database management system under this scenario would allow you as one user to operate all functions within the database without having to know what other users are accessing the same database. One popular example of this kind of multi-user database is Microsoft SQL Server.



The database community has developed a series of guidelines for ensuring that databases are normalized. These are referred to as normal forms and are numbered from one (the lowest form of normalization, referred to as first normal form or 1NF) through five (fifth normal form or 5NF). In practical applications, you'll often see 1NF, 2NF, and 3NF along with the occasional 4NF. Fifth normal form is very rarely seen and won't be discussed in this article. It's important to point out that they are guidelines and guidelines only. Occasionally, it becomes necessary to stray from them to meet practical business requirements. However, when variations take place, it's extremely important to evaluate any possible ramifications they could have on your system and account for possible inconsistencies.

http://databases.about.com/od/specificproducts/a/normalization.htm
http://philip.greenspun.com/panda/databases-choosing
http://databases.about.com/od/administration/g/dbms.htm

Week 10: Clear

Communications and networks, sounds boring..right? But its because of those two 'things' that connect us with the entire world. Those are why I am able to write this blog, go on Facebook, Twitter, ESPN, check me e-mail and so many other things. There are a lot of niche and glitches in order for network to get communication from the outside world. Its not as easy as 1,2,3. Nothing really is in the computer world. We have communication concepts which include protocols and networks. We have TCPIP which invloves static addressing. LANs and WANs are different types of network. Then we have communication apps like email. And finally network servers.



We can define a protocol as set of rules. So communication protocol is a set of rules which are used for communication. for example when we log on to MSN Messenger and we do chat with our friends then this is communication between us and protocols which are used for this are known as communication protocols. Now we can define communication protocol as a set of rules which enable commuhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifnication between two or more than two users in the form of voice, video and messaging. TCPIP is a communication protocol. Transmission Control Protocol is used to control the data exchanged between two ends these ends can be computers or any other device. It is guaranteed that data will be reached on the destination in the form in which it was sent from the source. Similarly SSL, USB are also known as communication protocols.

A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link. Typically, connected devices share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building). Usually, the server has applications and data storage that are shared in common by multiple computer users. A local area network may serve as few as two or three users (for example, in a home network) or as many as thousands of users (for example, in an FDDI network).



A wide area network (WAN) is a geographically dispersed telecommunications network. The term distinguishes a broader telecommunication structure from a local area network (LAN). A wide area network may be privately owned or rented, but the term usually connotes the inclusion of public (shared user) networks. An intermediate form of network in terms of geography is a metropolitan area network (MAN).



A network server is a computer designed to process requests and deliver data to other (client) computers over a local network or the Internet.

Network servers typically are configured with additional processing, memory and storage capacity to handle the load of servicing clients. Common types of network servers include:

- Web servers
- proxy servers
- FTP serv
ers
- online game servers

Numerous systems use this client / server networking model including Web sites and email services. An alternative model, peer-to-peer networking enables all computers to act as either a server or client as needed.

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/basicnetworkingconcepts/g/network_servers.htm
http://www.yale.edu/pclt/COMM/TCPIP.HTM
http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/lanvlanwan/g/bldef_lan.htm
http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/lanvlanwan/g/bldef_wan.htm

Excel Project

This project really brought that best out of me, it really got me involved. I think Excel is the most powerful program on the computer. If it is used right. It can do so much right in itself. Its perfect for the business world. I really enjoyed doing this project and learning a lot of new things. I didn't even know pivot tables existed, this was the first time i heard of them. I find excel very helpful, just not in the business world but also in everyday life. Excel can get as simple as 1,2,3 it can get as complex as statistics and what if formulas. You have to pay attention and look at everything in excel, it just doesn't come to you.



There were a few parts where I got stuck and had to watch the lecture videos again. But in the end all the information I gathered and learned were all worth it. It was not like this project something I was forcing myself to do, I really wanted to do it. Excel jjust has that persona to it and it gets me every time. Everyone needs to at least learn the basis of Excel. It comes in handy for everything. Another intriguing part to this project was learning the what if function. There is so much you can do with Excel, I hope Microsoft keeps upgrading this wonderful program every year.

Week 8: Clear

Excel is an electronic spreadsheet program that can be used for storing, organizing and manipulating data.

When you look at the Excel screen (refer to the example on this page) you see a rectangular table or grid of rows and columns. The horizontal rows are identified by numbers and the vertical columns with letters of the alphabet. For columns beyond 26, columns are identified by two or more letters such as AA, AB, AC.

The intersection point between a column and a row is a small rectangular box known as a cell. A cell is the basic unit for storing data in the spreadsheet. Because an Excel spreadsheet contains thousands of these cells, each is given a cell reference or address to identify it.

The cell reference is a combination of the column letter and the row number such as A3, B6, AA345.

Data Types, Formulas, and Functions

The types of data that a cell can hold include numbers, text or formulas. Just as in math class, formulas are used for calculations – usually involving data contained in other cells. Excel and other electronic spreadsheets include a number of built in formulas used for common tasks known as functions.

Excel and Financial Data

Spreadsheets are often used to store financial data. Formulas and functions that are used on this type of data include:

- Performing basic mathematical operations such as summing columns and rows of figures.
- Finding values such as profit or loss.
- Calculating repayment plans for loans or mortgages.
- Finding the average, maximum, or minimum values in a specified range of data.



Excel's Other Uses

Other common operations that Excel can be used for include:

- graphing or charting data to assist users in identifying data trends.
- sorting and filtering data to find specific information.

The information garnered in a spreadsheet can easily be incorporated into electronic presentations, web pages, or printed off in report form. Excel is a specialized program that manages numbers in various ways. It uses spreadsheets and data to process a large amount of numbers. One enters the data, or numbers, and the program calculates the numbrs in the manner you designate in the program.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_excel_on_computers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Excel

Week 7: Clear

Computer Software, many people think its nothing. Its just a small 'thing' in your computer. BREAKING NEWS! Without software you computer is just a collection of expensive computer parts.

The most important program that runs on a computer. Every general-purpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.

An operating system is a program designed to run other programs on a computer. A computer’s operating system is its most important program. It is considered the backbone of a computer, managing both software and hardware resources. Operating systems are responsible for everything from the control and allocation of memory to recognizing input from external devices and transmitting output to computer displays. They also manage files on computer hard drives and control peripherals, like printers and scanners.

For large systems, the operating system has even greater responsibilities and powers. It is like a traffic cop -- it makes sure that different programs and users running at the same time do not interfere with each other. The operating system is also responsible for security, ensuring that unauthorized users do not access the system.

Operating systems can be classified as follows:
- multi-user : Allows two or more users to run programs at the same time. Some operating systems permit hundreds or even thousands of concurrent users.
- multiprocessing : Supports running a program on more than one CPU.
- multitasking : Allows more than one program to run concurrently.
- multithreading : Allows different parts of a single program to run concurrently.
-real time: Responds to input instantly. General-purpose operating systems, such as DOS and UNIX, are not real-time.

Operating systems provide a software platform on top of which other programs, called application programs, can run. The application programs must be written to run on top of a particular operating system. Your choice of operating system, therefore, determines to a great extent the applications
you can run. For PCs, the most popular operating systems are DOS, OS/2, and Windows, but others are available, such as Linux.

As a user, you normally interact with the operating system through a set of commands. For example, the DOS operating system contains commands such as COPY and RENAME for copying files and changing the names of files, respectively. The commands are accepted and executed by a part of the operating system called the command processor or command line interpreter. Graphical user interfaces allow you to enter commands by pointing and clicking at objects that appear on the screen.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-operating-system.htm
http://www.howstuffworks.com/operating-system.htm

Week 6: Clear

This weeks lecture which was combined with last weeks was long and very enduring. It was a lot of information to grasp. But I did understand some of the information. And those topics included memory and flash storage.

What is memory? How does it work? Although memory is technically any form of electronic storage, it is used most often to identify fast, temporary forms of storage. If your computer's CPU had to constantly access the hard drive to retrieve every piece of data it needs, it would operate very slowly. When the information is kept in memory, the CPU can access it much more quickly. Most forms of memory are intended to store data temporarily. All of the components in your computer, such as the CPU, the hard drive and the operating system, work together as a team, and memory is one of the most essential parts of this team. From the moment you turn your computer on until the time you shut it down, your CPU is constantly using memory. Fast, powerful CPUs need quick and easy access to large amounts of data in order to maximize their performance. If the CPU cannot get to the data it needs, it literally stops and waits for it. Modern CPUs running at speeds of about 1 gigahertz can consume massive amounts of data -- potentially billions of bytes per second. The problem that computer designers face is that memory that can keep up with a 1-gigahertz CPU is extremely expensive.



Flash storage, sounds fancy doesn't it? Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It is a technology that is primarily used in memory cards and USB flash drives for general storage and transfer of data between computers and other digital products. It is a specific type of EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) that is erased and programmed in large blocks; in early flash the entire chip had to be erased at once. Flash memory costs far less than byte-programmable EEPROM and therefore has become the dominant technology wherever a significant amount of non-volatile, solid state storage is needed. Example applications include PDAs (personal digital assistants), laptop computers, digital audio players, digital cameras and mobile phones. It has also gained popularity in console video game hardware, where it is often used instead of EEPROMs or battery-powered static RAM (SRAM) for game save data. Since flash memory is non-volatile, no power is needed to maintain the information stored in the chip. In addition, flash memory offers fast read access times (although not as fast as volatile DRAM memory used for main memory in PCs) and better kinetic shock resistance than hard disks. These characteristics explain the popularity of flash memory in portable devices. Another feature of flash memory is that when packaged in a "memory card," it is extremely durable, being able to withstand intense pressure, extremes of temperature, and even immersion in water.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/21/flash-emc-seagate-technology-cio-network-storage.html
http://www.howstuffworks.com/computer-memory.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-computer-memory.htm