iD News and Blog
We are passionate about introducing children of all ages to the wonders and benefits of the sciences and technology, and offer camps ranging from film to computers and robotics. Summer computer camps, film camps, robotics camps, cyber camps — we can help you find the summer camp that's right for your child.
March 21st, 2012 by: Ryan
Looking for tips on how to optimize your 2012 summer camp experience? Here is a great article from OC Family magazine that offers suggestions, ideas, and more. The write up also mentions how our summer camps in California are the perfect destination for any student with a passion for technology. Below is a snippet, but the entire article can be found on OCFamily.com.
Give ‘em the best summer camp experience
By Jenelyn Russo
Summer is a time when we hope to get our kids away from the television screen and computer games to enjoy the great SoCal outdoors.
But what if you can take your child’s passion for technology and help develop it into a possible future career? That’s what can happen, thanks to iD Tech Camps.
The camps, which focus on STEM education (science, technology, engineering, math) are a great way to take your child’s interest in areas such as gaming, app development, robotics or filmmaking and give him some real hands-on experience that will prepare him for today’s job market.
The weeklong day and overnight camps are held at 60 universities nationwide, and include local schools such as UC Irvine, UCLA, Cal Lutheran, UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego. The camps are open to beginners and advanced students ages 7 to 17, and the kids receive exposure to the same programs and products used by professionals. With an average student-to-instructor ratio of 6-to-1, the camp will provide your child with fun, creative one-on-one instruction…
Click here to read the entire article on OCFamily.com
March 21st, 2012 | Tags: 2012 Summer Camps, Irvine Summer Camps, summer camp tips, summer camps in California
Posted in: UC Irvine, UCLA
March 15th, 2012 by: Josh
Hello all, and greetings from iD Tech 365! Last month at iD Tech 365 we had a “Villain Symposium”! We asked ‘365 members to come up with ideas for video game villains and then share those ideas on our forums. Well, the ideas were so cool that we just couldn’t resist getting them all drawn up by an artist! You can see the result below – be sure to read the descriptions underneath the image; these guys are creative!
1: From member Sabretooth: A massive cyplops, buried completely underground except for his single massive eye. When left alone, he will camoflauge with his surroundings, leaving only a faint blur. As soon as an adventurer awakens him by hitting him, he will suddenly open his eye wide and become fully visible and opaque. He will then reach his hand out of the earth directly underneath you and constrict you, lift his head higher so his terrifying mouth is revealed and wide open, then slowly pull you in. You will have no hope… Or so it may seem.
2: From member techguy100: I think a lava shooting, evil, powerful machine gun with orange poisonous teeth, scary shooting-fire head, and a time warping body would make the BEST GAME VILLAIN EVER!!!!!!!!
3: From member DCZ802: But on a more realistic note probably a mysterious figure with a Black cloak that can levitate,use elemental magic (i.e Terrain Morphing), and can a change forms.
4: From member DCZ802: A giant Taco that shoots hot sauce
5: From member ArmedPenguin: I think a good boss would be a combination of all the internet meme/rage comic faces (Me Gusta, etc.) with a head that rotates to the different faces where each would have a different ability.
6: From member fall: I think a molten lava man whith blocks inside him that can form into a body, or any weapon of his choice. would make a good villain
7: From member Alfe.taco: How about a guy in a black cloak and a magical staff tied to his back along with white pants and shirt and mask and his name is Moon Light. When you first encounter him he comes behind you and knocks you to trhe ground but you can not see him. Whenever you take away 1/4 of his health half his shirt goes black and says, “Tonight the darkness grows stronger!” Whenever his health is half gone, 1/4 of his pants go black and says, “FOOL! You are only making the darkness even stronger!” When his health is 3/4ths of the way gone he goes completely black and the sky or room goes back and Yells, “YAEWAY, SAVE ME!!!!” Once you defeate him he becomes all white.
8: From member le_Derperson: He is a evil dolphin conman named Henrich Trumpelstiltskin the Eighth. He has a handlebar mustache and a pixie dust bedazzled tuxedo. His weapon is a gun that shoots chihuahua tears. Oh, and he’s pregnant.
9: From member lasagna99: I think a person with goggles and a machine gun as a arm would be a good villain.
This month, we are having a complimentary “Hero Symposium”! Who knows, maybe we’ll get those “iDeas” drawn up as well…
You should sign-up for iD Tech 365 today and join the fun!
March 15th, 2012
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
March 15th, 2012 by: Donna
This Saturday, millions of people around the world will celebrate March 17 in a big way: It’s Saint Patrick’s Day! What comes to mind when you think of St. Patrick’s Day? Perhaps visions of leprechauns, four leaf clovers, lucky charms, rainbows, gold and candy swirl through your brain. Millions sport green outfits. Have you ever been curious as to where these traditions began? Well, you’re in luck! With all of the technology available today, the answers are just waiting to be found (no need to follow the rainbow); they’re right at your fingertips! Read on to learn more about this day and how – with the help of technology – it has evolved through the years.
Saint Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious holiday that is recognized as a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador, and in Montserrat. Born in Britain (not Ireland) in the year 387, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland at the age of 16. He escaped a few years later, but soon returned to Ireland as a Bishop, introducing Christianity as an alternative to Ireland’s native polytheism.
Although Irish in origin, Saint Patrick’s Day is now celebrated worldwide. In the United States, it’s not a legal holiday but is celebrated nonetheless by wearing green, eating Irish food like corned beef, and even attending local events and parades. According to the U.S. Census, 34.7 million U.S. residents claim Irish ancestry, but nearly 122 million Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in some way! Given its popularity, it’s not hard to understand why this is the most widely celebrated saint’s day in the world (easily passing up Valentine’s Day).
We’ve come a long way from simple parades and feasts. Technology now allows us to do some pretty amazing things to celebrate the day in a BIG way. In previous years, landmarks like the Empire State Building, the Chicago River, and the White House Fountain, below, were all seeing green. If you live nearby, make sure to check them out this Saturday! We also have New York summer camps, Chicago camps and camps in DC – if you want to learn on a real university campus in one of these areas this summer!
Even if you aren’t going out to celebrate this holiday, technology has you covered. You can check out this St. Patrick’s Day Quiz app or this fun St. Patrick’s Day infographic from history.com – you’re sure to learn something new. Or, for a guaranteed laugh, you can add your face to this app and watch yourself (or your best friend, or even your pet!) dance around with music. Intrigued? We’ve got you covered! Be sure to check out our programming camps to learn how to develop your own apps.
Wishing you an iD Green St. Patrick’s Day!
Sources:
St. Patrick’s Day By the Numbers. (2012). The History Channel website. Retrieved 2:59, March 13, 2012, from http://www.history.com/interactives/st-patricks-day-by-the-numbers.
St. Patrick’s Day. (2012). The History Channel website. Retrieved 2:48, March 13, 2012, from http://www.history.com/photos/st-patricks-day.
March 15th, 2012 | Tags: camps in DC, chicago camps, New York summer camps, st. patrick's day, St. Patrick's Day apps, st. patty's day
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps
March 15th, 2012 by: Audrey
Looking for an iD Programming Academy location in Texas? We are introducing teen programming sessions held at the University of Texas at Austin for Summer 2012! Learn the basics of programming, iPhone® and Android™ app development, robotics engineering, and Java at these intensive UT Austin summer programs! Students will gain experience with software repository systems and interact with others who share their interests in this overnight, pre-college program.
Fun UTA Facts – Did You Know?
- The UTA mascot is the Texas Longhorns.
- Walter Cronkite and Laura Bush both attended UTA.
- UTA’s The Daily Texan is the nation’s most award-winning daily college paper.
- Electrical and Computer Engineering is one of UTA’s largest graduate majors.
- For universities without a medical school, UTA is second only to MIT in winning federal research grants.
Come to Texas this summer and get on the path to a programming career!
March 15th, 2012 | Tags: programming camps, teen camps, Texas summer camps, texas teen camps, UT Austin summer programs
Posted in: UT Austin
March 13th, 2012 by: Ryan
Here is another great article that details the benefits of STEM education, while answering important questions like “Is STEM right for my child?” and more. The article also touches on the offerings of STEM camp and talks about our summer camps in North Carolina! Here is a small preview, but the entire article can be found on CarolinaParent.com
Science Technology Engineering Math Studies Grow at Summer Camp
By Jennifer Gregory
While some parents are just discovering what STEM means, camps focusing on STEM education have been around for years — many associated with local universities. Some camps focus on a specific area of science and incorporate math concepts. Other camps integrate all four concepts into the programming, such as a robotics or computer programming camp.
Is a STEM camp right for my child?
While parents and children may think STEM camps are full of highly academic students, camp directors say that isn’t necessarily the case.
“Over the years, the typical student has really changed,” says Karen Thurm Safran, vice president of marketing and business development for iD Tech Camps, which offers programs at various college campuses, including UNC-Chapel Hill. “As technology has become cool, we have gotten a huge variety of students, from gifted students ecstatic to be with other kids like themselves, to more artsy kids who like animation or videography.”
Chuck Riordan, senior program manager of Camps on Campus at UNC-Charlotte, recommends parents select a program their child is interested in, instead of a program parents want their child to attend. Finding a camp that’s a good match for a particular child is what’s most important.
Avid video gamers may be drawn to a video game programming class or iPhone application design camp. Students who draw in their spare time may become excited about technology through a Web design program. Or the child whose room is covered with Lego pieces may discover a future in engineering through a robotics camp.
Click here to read the entire article on CarolinaParent.com
March 13th, 2012 | Tags: STEM Camps, STEM education, Summer camps in NC, summer camps in North Carolina
Posted in: UNC Chapel Hill
March 9th, 2012 by: Pete-V
My friend Gordon was obsessed with film when we were in high school. He even taught himself German so he could watch “the best cinema ever made” (no, I’m not kidding). Naturally, he went on to study film, as anyone that obsessed does, and is currently “working in the industry” (read: making money) as well as teaching. Good for him!
Anyway, a while back, when he was a passionate college student (as opposed to a passionate college graduate) he brought this interesting problem to my attention. There are hundreds of films that degrade into nothingness every year. The chemicals used to create the film, plus the actual material that the film is capture on, begin to decay, particularly when not kept in perfect conditions. Computer folks are totally aware of this problem – we know that anything magnetic, such as old floppy disks or even standard hard drives, have a definite shelf life. Even optical discs (CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays) do not last forever. The safe way to backup data is combining redundancy with off-site backups (read: “the cloud”).
The film archival issue is something that Martin Scorsese (a possible mentor of Gordon, I never asked) has taken to heart. He’s been working for years to preserve these old films so they don’t disappear. Why is this important? Well, part of it is simply our cultural history – it’s what the entire film industry was built upon. But the films that are potentially lost are not just old unknowns – some of the pivotal works of the 20th century are at risk. One could argue that we have all of those captured on DVD, but that’s almost equivalent to saying that we took a picture of the Mona Lisa, so therefore the actual painting is unnecessary. Almost.
I didn’t log on this morning to rant about films, however. The folks that are obsessed with the preservation movement have decent momentum and funding at the moment. I am concerned about an entirely different problem: the disappearance of MMOs.
I’ve been thinking about this problem for years – actually, ever since the Imagination Network (INN / TSN) shut down. One of the first graphical MMOs was there – Yserbius. This basic dungeon crawler was captivating and a glimpse, if small and blocky, of what the future held. Then the system shut down: the Internet came along and crushed it. And Yserbius was gone. More recently, Lego Universe met a similar fate. The game was out for roughly a year and then disappeared, presumably forever.
There are a couple of major problems with the death of MMOs – one is the selfish idea that the game can never be truly experienced again without the mass of people. In the case of Yserbius, that’s totally fine – the game had gone on long enough. There were other games, like Everquest, that needed to be played. Lego Universe, however, was still a baby when the servers were shut down. There was story that there will never be told properly. But this is mainly a gamer’s complaint – the truth is that games fail all the time, as do consoles. No one really bemoans the death of the Virtual Boy anymore.
The second major problem with MMO closings is that as opposed to other games, MMOs generally cannot be played without an official server – meaning that once it’s dead, it’s dead (unless you hack, break laws, etc). The work that goes into creating an MMO is then lost to the public, and MMOs tend to be the largest scale and most detailed games that exist. Think about it – hundreds of artists have worked on World of Warcraft to make every detail perfect from every angle. They know that players will crawl over every inch, so every structure, every threat, every mountain needs to be perfect. If you play a modern MMO, you’ll notice that the buildings tend to have an unbelievable level of detail. All of that hard work is lost when an MMO is no longer playable. That represents hundreds of hours of labor from skilled 3D artists, designers, and coders. But that’s just a small group comparatively…
The real issue does not affect every MMO – only a handful of current ones and likely all of the future ones. Games of the future allow users to have a greater level of control, so much so that the users define the environment. In Lego Universe, this control was limited to a personal plot of land, but imagine when games like Minecraft merge with the most popular MMOs. Every piece of land will be alterable. Every castle, fortress, town, city, everything(!) will be made by the users. Sure, the game designs will curate an experience, but there will be enough openness to the system that everyone will have a hand in creating the world. And that is a beautiful concept.
I’m going to ignore all of the problems that occur as a result of a completely open architecture. I know that some of those problems have already been solved by pioneers in the space, like Second Life. Instead, I would like to focus on the creative force of thousands of people banding together with a single goal in mind – and being given the tools that allow them to shape their imagination. This MMO isn’t a fantasy, it’s an eventuality. Minecraft (obviously an obsession of mine) is a clear example of what “could” be, and in some ways of what “will” be.
I know I’ve ranted a bit in this post, it’s my natural tendency when I’m a little excited about an idea. So here’s the idea: Let’s create a single place for all of the abandoned MMOs. We need to start now, so we don’t lose the server codes or interest. Perhaps each of the “worlds” can exist in a single “galaxy” that the players can navigate through. Or perhaps they can stitch together, so one can travel from Ultima Online into Everquest into Everquest 2 and into Lego Universe. These worlds shouldn’t be lost in time! And if we join them all together, there will likely be enough players to keep the worlds feeling alive like they once were, or as they meant to be.
Let me leave you with a thought: I played World of Warcraft years and years ago. I even started up again after a long hiatus. I know that the game has changed significantly since I was there, so please correct me in the comments if I am wrong. What would happen if the world changed slightly for every user that visited? What if every user impacted the quests, or left a trail? What if you could see every step that had been made throughout the land and the mountains bore the wear of the mounts that conquered them? When I was young, I played Oregon Trail from a 5.25 floppy disk at school. Everyone that had died left a goofy saying on their gravestone and all of the gravestones stayed forever on that disk. The disk was a memorial of past experiences and a motivation for future ones. Preserved memories seem to do that and in the end can be absolutely worthwhile.
March 9th, 2012 | Tags: 3d game camps, 3D game design, digital video, game archival, game design, gaming camps, Lego Universe, Minecraft, MMO, MMO design, video archival, video archiving, World of Warcraft
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps
March 1st, 2012 by: Donna
It takes great people to run great camps. Since we are constantly implementing new courses, programs and more in order to continue making our camps the best they can be, it seemed only right to do the same for our people. Enter: iD LIFE! This isn’t just your average corporate wellness program. To get more details about this exciting new endeavor, I picked the brains of our lovely ladies in Human Resources – Kate and Allison. Read on to see all of the cool things in store for our corporate team – and how that will translate positively to our campers, local communities, and beyond.
When was the program officially implemented?
iD LIFE officially started February 1, 2012.
What spurred on the implementation of the program?
We found that most of our employees were already doing things in an effort to be “well”. However, some were finding it difficult to stay motivated, or they were bored with their routine, or were facing some other challenge. As a family-oriented company, we believe it is important to support your employees in their goals both work-related and otherwise. This seemed like an area where we could both help our individual team members and help the iD family as a whole. The program will address and help people overcome challenges that are faced on the road to a healthy lifestyle by providing knowledge, opportunity and encouragement.
What are the goals of the program?
There are so many! In short, we want to build a workplace that encourages our team to practice a healthier lifestyle, both mentally and physically, while also supporting the environment and our community. It is our hope that in turn, it will make our team stronger and iD a more fulfilling place to work.
What, if anything, makes this corporate program unique from others?
Our development team put together a customized “ticket” tracking website for the program. It allows employees to track their “tickets” earned, as well as their progress on a road to a healthier life. We believe that by making it easy for employees to track their wellness activities, they will be more encouraged to participate. It even has fun facts and stats on the program for the members to check out.
We are also putting together a cookbook that will be a compilation of healthy recipes submitted by program participants. Each iD LIFE member will receive a copy of the cookbook at the end of our inaugural year!
What types of things are offered to participants through iD LIFE?
Besides general wellness tips, we will also be putting together events for our team to participate in, such as the Campbell Valentine’s Day Fun Run [which took place a few weeks ago – see photos, below].
Employees will also be eligible for great prizes, like gift cards and wellness-related gift baskets, should they choose to take part in the program. We feel employees should be rewarded for committing to a healthy lifestyle!
How has the employee response been to the program so far?
The team has been very receptive. Just the other day we had an instructor come in and lead an in-office yoga class tailored to people who work in offices and tend to sit all day. Everyone was excited for the chance to take a break and work out the kinks!
How do you think this program will benefit iD employees and in turn, our campers?
As a company, if we are practicing a lifestyle based on wellness – both personal and environmental – we are setting a good example for the kids at camp. Healthy and “green” behaviors should start at an early age and be maintained throughout life. Balance is important; it is fun to play outdoors or volunteer in your community.
We also feel that healthy employees are happy employees. It is our belief that happy employees are a critical component to creating a fun and rewarding environment for our campers.
March 1st, 2012 | Tags: campbell camp, computer camps, family camps, family-run camps, outdoor camps
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps
February 29th, 2012 by: Nova
Congratulations to Karen Myrand! You have won a free week of day camp at iD Tech Camps! We are excited to have you join the iD Family. Stay tuned, as we plan on holding 2 more raffles this year (one in March and another in April), and we will announce future winners here!
To be entered in one of our camp fair raffles, and for your chance to win, please visit us at a camp fair event near you. To locate a camp fair in your area, please refer to our Camp Fair Directory. You can also contact a Program Advisor at 1-888-709-TECH (8324), option 1 for more information.
- Team iD
February 29th, 2012
Posted in: Uncategorized
February 28th, 2012 by: Ryan
I just came across a great write-up about our iD Gaming Academy held at the University of Denver, one of our summer camps in Colorado. Here is an excerpt, but the full article written by Justin Andress (@justinandress) can be found on Examiner.com.
iD Gaming Academy offers a thinking person’s summer alternative
By Justin Andress
…Kayaking, archery, tromping through the woods. All these sound like activities that take place miles away from the nearest air-conditioning unit or electrical outlet. They sound like a punishment. And after an entire year of hitting the books, wouldn’t you rather spend your vacation focusing over the finer things in life?
New this summer, Denver teens aged 13-18 can check out iD Gaming Academy, and learn the basics of designing and programming your own video games. Hosted locally at the University of Denver, this summer program is also held at prestigious universities across the country…
Click here to read the entire article on Examiner.com
February 28th, 2012 | Tags: Build Your Own Game, summer camps in Colorado, Teen Summer Programs
Posted in: Colorado State University, iD In The News, University of Denver
February 23rd, 2012 by: Pete-V
I told a college class an awful truth today – there are no new ideas. It sounds awful, but it’s very likely to be true. Every idea that can be thought has probably been thought, maybe not in the context of the contemporary world or even in a meaningful or relevant way, but it has been thought.
Some of these ideas have been spoken. Perhaps many of them. I have several friends that speak ideas to me just about every time I see them. They know I like computers and games, so therefore I can solve all of the world’s problems for them.
In “Homer Bad Man,” one of my favorite Simpson’s episodes, he meets a graduate student and says, “How come you guys can go to the moon but you can’t make my shoes smell good?”
I always think about this when someone comes to me with an idea – it’s as if the idea was the hard part of the equation. They should make a game that does “X” (and “X” is normally some combination of existing games mixed with a bit of displeasure toward the current gaming market). Such as, “They should make a game that is just complete, you know, with no bugs like Skyrim. And no DLC. A great game would be Skyrim, mixed with SSX, but without any bugs.”
Yup. You’ve solved the world’s problems with that idea. The hard part is over, right?
Author Neil Gaiman has a great post about ideas. He says an idea is just part of the whole. The essay mainly speaks to writing stories, but the same can be said about any of the creative professions – in particular, the kind of work that is done at iD.
The reason I bring this up is because everyone who takes a class at iD will someday be put in the situation of an idea-pusher trying to faux collaborate. You see, idea-pushers are the ones that hear you know how to make “apps” and think that they know exactly what the market is missing. What they don’t realize is that most people who know how to program apps or games, take pictures, create films, make websites or even robots, are not in need of ideas. These creators have imaginations of their own. They play the same games, experience the same troubles with their iPhones or have a long list of movie ideas that they daydream about and refine with each passing day.
Idea-pushers don’t understand this. They start conversations with, “I have an app idea…” or “Wouldn’t it be great if an app could…” without any knowledge about how difficult it is to create such a product. Not only that, but the pusher will also make the horrible presumption that they somehow have ownership on the execution of an idea regardless of whether they touched it or not. “I thought of that!” they whine, in many cases about some silly Facebook functionality that’s horribly obvious.
There is a point – an important one. The most valid action that someone can take in support of an idea is not just to believe in it, but to execute it. You can roam around the world talking about your book for you entire life, but books don’t write themselves, and neither do great programs, websites, nor films. Great photographs don’t just come into existence because they have been thought about, but because someone took the initiative – and the same goes for everything in the creative world that we enjoy. The power is doing, not simply thinking.
In this sense, places like iD Tech Camp generate electricity – they supply power to ideas; they enable the creation of imagination; they allow action in a sea of inaction. So the next time an idea pusher accosts you, ask them what’s preventing their ability to do – because you have the power!
February 23rd, 2012 | Tags: app programming, apps, creation, digital film editing, digital photography, film, game design, good ideas, photography, programming, robotics, summer camp, Summer Camps, tech camps
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps
