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January 29th, 2009 by: Donna
Following up on our previous “Do Something Big” post about our camper-turned-programming-prodigy, Ian Cinnamon, let’s take a closer look at another iD Alumni that has gone on to do big things after camp – Annie Evans!
Proving that girls can rock in the field of science and technology, Annie started at iD Tech Camps as a student, then became an instructor and is now a technology teacher in her home state of Colorado! She is starting her own technology cycle with her students now. There’s no telling what her students (both at camp and at her school) will accomplish with an inspirational mentor like Annie and their new knowledge of technology.
We sat down with Annie to talk about her passion for technology and experiences at iD. Here’s an excerpt from our interview with Annie:
iD: What made you want to attend iD – and then work for iD?
Annie: When I was in middle school, I loved acting and was very creative. As a camper, I attended the digital video course at iD Tech Camps and loved it so much that I signed up for web design too! It was a great fit for me when I was younger, because I could be so creative while learning practical skills! Now, I love computers and I love teaching, so iD is a perfect fit!
iD: What are your favorite things about our summer camp?
Annie: I love everything about camp! I love teaching in such a fun and goofy environment. There is a perfect balance between having fun and being safe. iD Tech does such a great job training, so I always know how to handle various situations.
iD: Is iD Tech Camps a good place for girls to attend? Why?
Annie: iD Tech is a great place for girls (and boys, of course)! There are so many opportunities to be creative with computers. It’s also a great way to meet friends and learn about computer-related careers.
iD: How has iD inspired you?
Annie: When I first started instructing at iD Tech, I was studying computer science and planning to go into software development. I knew I enjoyed teaching, but I didn’t realize that I LOVE teaching until camp! It completely changed my career path. Camp has also inspired me to be the very best teacher and person possible. iD Tech creates an atmosphere of high expectations. I feel motivated, but never pushed and it brings out the best in me.
Check out the full interview with Annie by clicking here.
iD Tech Camps inspires kids and teens to take what they learn and experience at summer camp and apply it to their future, just like Annie. She’s spreading her love of technology to her students-something we’re very proud of! Keep up the great work Annie; we can’t wait to have you back at camp this summer!
Find out more about the courses Annie taught and the locations she worked at – this could be your chance to do something big with your summer!
January 29th, 2009 | Tags: girls camp, girls summer camp, Summer Camps
Posted in: Do Something Big
January 29th, 2009 by: Josh
One of strictest rules of web designs is: “Thou Shalt Never Force Horizontal Scrolling”.
When there is an overflow of content, it is appropriate to implement vertical scroll bars but never horizontal ones.
I find that there are two major culprits causing horizontal scroll bars on MySpace.
The first is easy to fix, it is simply oversized content (images, flash toys, etc..) that spreads out an otherwise acceptable layout. Keep in mind that just one oversized item comprise the ENTIRE design of the site, no room for “mulligans” here. Fortunately this issue is easy to fix; simply amputate the offending content.
A more serious offense occurs when the actual layout of the page is edited via a layout editor or a user created style sheet that sets with width of layout outside of acceptable bounds. The user may simply set the total width too to wide, or may set individual page elements to widths that, when combined, exceed an acceptable screen resolution.
But wait, Grizzle, how many pixels wide should my page be?
As different computers are set to different screen resolutions, there is actually no definitive answer. But before I advise, let’s look at some examples of common screen resolutions compared to an offending MySpace page:
As you can see, though the range of common screen resolutions is quite large, many MySpace pages manage to completely blow them out of the water. In some cases, the users monitor may have a high enough resolution that they do not realize the impact that the design will have on other machines. However, the designer is clearly guilty in this instance and can not plead ignorance; there is no way this girl’s monitor can handle 19,813 horizontal pixels (only a handful of high end 27’-30’ monitors can do that).
As stated, there is no definitive width to aim for but most designers will agree that a width of about 980px is safe. This assumes a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768 (which is the most common). Though some users will have a higher screen resolution, this width will still fill the screen nicely. Additionally, making it thinner then the full 1024px width allows room for “browser chrome”, scroll bars and other interface elements.
But, Grizzle, what about people with resolutions of 800×600 or less?
They can go back to their caves.
But seriously, optimizing for the lowest common denominator slows down the progress of technology and give designers headaches. This demographic represents less than 9% of users (circa 2006, wikipedia) and they need to get with the times.
I should note that there is one way to avoid this issue altogether and that is through “liquid design”, this approach will configure the layout of your page relative to the users resolution. However, many of you will be stuck working within the confines of various MySpace editors where this may not be an option.
So, at the very least:
Make sure that your page doesn’t exceed the width of your own monitor
Bonus points: Adjust your monitors resolution to test how it will present. (from right click the desk-top and choose “properties” and then the “settings” tab).
For double bonus points, test it on a friends.
January 29th, 2009
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
January 29th, 2009 by: Justin
I know a lot of jokes start with that line; “Did you hear the one…?” — but this is no joke. A 15 year old self-professed “hardware hacker” who goes by the name of Xteaphn (think “Stephen”) decided that having a Wii wasn’t enough for him – he wanted a portable one. So he built his own. Rechargeable battery? Check. Integrated IR emitters to make sure the Wiimote works correctly? Check. Folding screen? Got that taken care of, too.
What does this have to do with iD Tech Camps, you ask? Well, this is the sort of project you get excited about taking on once you sign of for a week (or more!) of RoboContenders at one of our iD Tech Camp locations across the country. Starting with raw parts, you build a working robot. Doing-it-yourself is cool, and remember, campers – its not just about building a robot that can win a “BattleBots” style contest – it’s having an awesome idea, about figuring out how to make it work for you, and going big.
Portable Wii
Credit where credit is due – I first read about Xteaphn in engadget.
January 29th, 2009 | Tags: DIY, hacker, hardware, RoboContenders, Wii, Xteaphn
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
January 19th, 2009 by: Josh
Welcome back. In this 2nd installment, we’ll be addressing another MySpace-design peeve of mine: too much content. Many MySpace pages are simply bogged down by an unnecessary amount of content causing long loading times and a gauntlet of images, animations and media which distract users from the more “meaningful” content of the page (you know, like your zodiac sign and who your top friends are). I understand this litter of content is intended to better express the user’s individuality and social history, but really, it is just a sensory overload that no one is going to read, because it’s TOO LONG. Let me demonstrate my point, below is a visualization of several full-size webpage’s, shrunken down:
Less is more. No one really wants to read a list of every baseball player and no one wants to pick through a MySpace page that is even longer.
Here are some quick rules to follow:
Animated content: One per page, unless you are testing your friends for epilepsy.
Pictures: Don’t use your front-page profile as a picture gallery, MySpace has a built-in feature for that, it’s called “a picture gallery”.
Quiz’s, Flash Toys, juke box’s, etc…: See tip for “animated content”. The more you have, the less people care.
Your friends comments: Keep things relevant, recent and prune excessive imagery.
“Glittery” animations of words/phrases: Just don’t. This one probably requires its own article…
Written content: I’ve heard that magazine writers are told to write articles that can be read in approximately the same time it takes to pass a bowel movement (as that is when most magazine articles are read). This is the length you should be aiming for. Keep your eyes on the prize.
January 19th, 2009
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
January 18th, 2009 by: Justin
It’s me again. If you’re like me, you really aren’t into reading directions. Particularly when it comes to computer applications (and games), I prefer to dive in head-first and just start working, clicking through menus and exploring the various options and what they do. Therefore, I don’t always go as deep into applications as I would had I taken a seminar or class, or read a book. With Photoshop CS4, however, I have found some really cool features! One of my favorites is the action manager: you can use it to manage repetitive tasks. For instance, I scan a lot of photos, and when all of the photos are the same initial size, I end up doing the same thing, over and over. I cut my scanning time in half by using the actions manager (which you can get to by making sure that windows/actions is checked) to record an entire action that you often repeat. I use it to connect to the scanner, scan a set sized photo, and save it, all with one keystroke. All I have to do is swap photos, hit that key, and I’m ready to go again – no more mousing around in menus.
CS4 has been very, very good to me.
January 18th, 2009 | Tags: computer camp, CS4, macro, photography, Photoshop, recording, time saving
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
January 15th, 2009 by: Justin
Hi, I’m Justin. Some of you may know me already — maybe we met at a camp fair, or at one of the iD Tech Camps locations that I run, or maybe it was at one of our training sessions. For those of you who I haven’t yet gotten an opportunity to meet, I’m one of the Regional Managers here at iD. I am responsible for camps which are mostly located in the southeastern part of the country.
I’ll be writing some blog entries here on the internalDrive website, so if there is a topic you’d like to hear about, let me know! My interests include video games and gaming (especially RPGs!), playing guitar (and Guitar Hero III), soccer, web design, photography, and filmmaking, to name a few. I’m also going to be creating some tutorials on some of the basics of file usage and importing and exporting with different software.
I’m always asking myself questions, and for those who have met me at camp, I tend to ask a lot of questions there, too. I think that is one way to keep improving. “How can this be better? What sort of things do people find the most interesting?” These are a couple of questions that I tend to ask of our iD Tech Camps summer campers when I get the chance to check out their projects.
I can’t wait for summer!
January 15th, 2009 | Tags: camps, iD Tech Camps, introduction, Justin, Manager, photography
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
January 15th, 2009 by: Donna
For Immediate Release
Contact: Donna Pianka, iD Tech Camps
408.871.3734 or donna@internaldrive.com
iD Tech Camps Gets Girls Interested in Technology
In today’s ever-evolving world of technology, it may seem that girls have taken a backseat to boys. While the market is tailored more toward boys, girls are just as capable as boys when it comes to learning new concepts-however they sometimes lack encouragement from inspirational role models and miss opportunities that are tailored to their interests.
In recent research published in the journal Science, it was revealed that parents and teachers consistently believe boys are better at math and technology and this “keeps girls and women out of a lot of careers, particularly high-prestige, lucrative careers in science and technology,” said Janet Hyde, the University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher who led the study.
The study went on to conclude that things are changing, albeit slowly. Forty-eight percent of undergraduate college degrees in math are now earned by women, but they still lag far behind in physics and engineering. Educators across the nation are working to combat this issue by introducing girls to technology at a younger age with programs designed more towards their interests. Paving the way in the summer camp industry is iD Tech Camps, the largest summer technology camp in the nation.
iD Tech Camps is serious about fostering a love of science and technology through an updated and diverse curriculum that is designed for girls’ tastes and interests as well as boys.
Mary Ann S. (Parent, iD Tech Camps-Emory University) wanted her daughter to discover whether she liked programming to determine a specific direction with her college major. “We searched very deeply for the right summer camp-she almost went to another, but I’m glad she didn’t,” stated Mary Ann. “She learned a lot at iD Tech Camps and this gave her the confidence she needed in programming without having to worry about a grade or being intimidated in the classroom.” Mary Ann added that her daughter has been accepted to Auburn University and is going to major in Engineering and Computer Science. iD Tech Camps helped her decide this would be her career focus!
“Engaging more girls in technology is a priority so we’ve introduced courses targeted towards girls which show through hands-on projects that a hobby can be turned into a potential career,” said Karen Thurm Safran, VP of Marketing. “For example, in our Graphic Arts course, girls that like fashion can use Photoshop® and Illustrator® to create designs for logos, fashion apparel and merchandise labels.”
At iD Tech Camps, girls can choose from a variety of courses, including graphic design, filmmaking, web design, video game design, programming, robotics and more. Being located at sixty prestigious university campuses doesn’t hurt either. While students learn more about their topic of interest, they have the unique opportunity to explore the college campus of their choice by eating in dining halls, taking tours and even staying overnight in actual college dorms. Locations include such prestigious schools as Stanford University, UCLA, NYU, Berkeley, MIT, Emory & more!
No matter which summer computer camp courses or programs girls decide to enroll in, with close to 50% of iD’s staff being women-including the company’s co-founders, Alexa Ingram-Cauchi and her mother, Kathryn Ingram-girls are taught by professional staff who are leaders in their respective fields, as well as role models. This stellar team brings out the best in each student.
As many parents like Mary Ann have said, at iD Tech Camps girls are given a chance to explore their interests in technology in an open and creative environment that fosters a love of learning combined with encouragement and positive social interaction. This is one small but integral step in welcoming girls further into the world of technology.
January 15th, 2009 | Tags: computer camp, girls camp, kids camp
Posted in: iD Tech Camps, Summer Camps
January 13th, 2009 by: Josh
One of the things I really like about MySpace is that it gives users the ability to design their own profile pages. By doing so, MySpace promotes basic HTML literacy to the masses and has likely motivated countless youth to learn a technology they otherwise would have neglected. Unfortunately, the majority of user created websites are complete design train wrecks. Now with over 100 million MySpace profiles in existence (source: wikipedia), it is time to take out the trash. Welcome to my 1st installment
I’m sure everyone reading this, at one point or another, has had to highlight the text in a friends MySpace profile just to make it legible, yes? UNACCEPTABLE. Text should present itself clearly and legibly without any need for modification. When browsing MySpace I’ve come across two issues that consistently compromise readability, let’s examine some examples in an attempt to diagnose and cure these problems.
Issue A: Text on a busy photographic / graphical background
I think I just had a seizure trying to read these – what month is it?
Clearly, the text on these profiles is not legible. Having to highlight text to read it is unacceptable. The only circumstances in which it is acceptable to use text directly over a photographic / graphical background is when the image was designed explicitly for that purpose. So, something you shot on your phone-camera at a party probably doesn’t qualify.
Issue B: Improper background / foreground contrast
Ah, black text on a dark grey background, kinda feels like getting poked in the eye, doesn’t it?
Let’s get into a little bit of color theory / typography. The goal in mixing background and foreground colors (with text) is HIGH contrast of light/dark values. Simply put, use dark text on a light background and light text on a dark background. Mind you, this is different than color contrast, for example, the following composition uses colors at completely opposite poles of the color wheel (red and green), but because both colors have similar light/dark value, the text is completely jarring to read:
So, when choosing colors for type and background, remember that the most important contrast is that of light and dark, not color (hue) and please, keep your backgrounds chilled out.
I hope that this has been informative. Stay tuned for more design tips, internet exploration, online enlightenment and snarky comments.
January 13th, 2009 | Tags: Color Theory, Design, MySpace, Typography
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
January 9th, 2009 by: admin
Adobe Flex is a complimentary product for Flash. In fact, if you are familiar with Actionscript 3 you’ll find that Flex is not very difficult to pick up at all. I use both Flash and Flex regularly and one of the best aspects of Flex is the ability to design UIs quickly and alter them easily using standard Web CSS techniques.
One of the best ways to get inspiration for a Flex (or even Flash – they share some of the same libraries) is to use the multitude of Visual Explorers available. What began as simple component and style browsers has now been extended to many library features of Flex. Here are the explorers that I use frequently within my work-flow:
Style Explorer
Style Explorer w/ Kuler
Component Explorer
Enhanced Button Skin Explorer
Audio Visualization Explorer
Chart Explorer
Filter Explorer
Easing Explorer
Custom Easing Explorer
Reflections Explorer
Distortion Explorer
Another benefit of the explorers is that most provide the source code. By right-clicking in the Explorer and choosing View Source you can view and even download the entire project. This ability makes recreating the examples very simple.
January 9th, 2009
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
January 7th, 2009 by: Pete
While on vacation in Argentina, I have taken the time to read many books, but the most profound to me has been The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.
If you’ve read it, it’s more than a book. It’s one of the greatest head fakes ever. And if you don’t know what I mean by head fakes…you’ll just have to read the book!
Mom gave me the book for Christmas. I opened it up, and never put it down. My wife and I headed to an Estancia in the mountains of Argentina (we left the kids at Grandma’s). All I wanted to do was read the book.
The author, Randy Pausch, lived in Pittsburgh and launched the Alice project. He was big on getting kids into learning programming and computer science–and that peaked my interest for obvious reasons. Also, my mom raised me to be a big Steelers fan too, so that really did it for me.
Randy was a Professor at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. He was a guru in Virtual Reality, and through his website and this book, he left a lasting, living legacy for me, for you, for his kids and family–and for millions around the world. I underscored a bunch of lessons I wanted to remember. If you don’t get around to reading the book, here are a few of my favorite lessons:
- His dad taught him “just because you’re in the driver’s seat, doesn’t mean you have to run people over.”
- “Anybody out there who is a parent, if their kids want to paint their bedrooms, as a favor to me, let them do it. It’ll be OK. Don’t worry about the resale value on the house.”
- “It’s important to have specific dreams.” Starting from childhood. This might be the biggest lesson I learned. Take time to think of an write down your dreams. Then find a way to live them out. Why not?
- “You’ve got to get the fundamentals down, because otherwise the fancy stuff isn’t going to work.”
- “When you’re screwing up and nobody says anything to you, that means they’ve given up on you.” Your critics are the one’s that care about you.
- Building Self Esteem: Give kids “something they can’t do, they work hard until they find they can do it, and you just keep repeating the process.” You can’t “give” self esteem. You have to build it.
- Teach by using the head fake. You have to read the book to understand the context.
- “Brick walls are there for a reason. They’re not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”
OK, these lessons are just a few of my favorites from the first 100 pages of the book. These lessons seemed to be lived everyday by an awesome guy whose teaching and lessons live on. I hope to pass on some of these lessons to the thousands of kids that attend our summer technology camps at Carnegie Mellon, and the rest of our computer camps in the U.S. and Canada.
After I put the book down, I reflected a bit, while simultaneously overhearing a conversation from a couple who used to live in Pittsburgh, but had moved to Austin. The kind lady had taught at the University of Washington (where I went to school) and her husband was a cardiologist in Austin. We hit it off, although briefly. They had two awesome kids, and they were in Argentina to do some serious horse riding. We engaged in conversation–I told them about the book I just finished. I asked the son what his dreams were. One of them was to go and study in Spain. (I lived and worked in Spain previously). I gave the son my business card and told him to email me when he was ready to live out that dream–I’d put him in contact with some great people. The family thanked me. I probably wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t read the book.
Read it. It just might make you a better person. And maybe that is the real head fake.
-Pete
January 7th, 2009
Posted in: CEO's Blog
