Did you know that Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania holds the largest annual Groundhog Day celebration? Their groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, is a celebrity in his own right (helped by the Bill Murray flick, Groundhog Day).

And…drum roll please…this morning, he DID see his shadow! That means six more weeks of winter.

When the weather outside is frightful your first inclination may be to hunker down in front of the TV during downtime. But don’t let Phil’s prediction of more cold weather get you down. Why not learn a new skill and have fun at the same time all from your own toasty home?  Make a cup of hot cocoa, then sit down and check out iD Tech 365 – our latest completely-online offering. With this brand new service, you no longer need to wait for the warm months to roll around to learn and play like at our summer camps! Tutorials, online gaming tournaments, forums, and lots more await you. Once you’re signed up, you have 24/7 access.

And once it starts getting warmer, keep in mind that iD Tech Camps has a springtime camp opportunity too. This spring break camp has limited offerings – at a generously reduced rate. You’ll have the opportunity to take courses from the same awesome instructors that teach with us over the summer, plus you’ll be the first to try out some of our new curriculum! This Bay Area camp fills up quickly though, so make sure to check it out now if you think you might be interested.

Isn’t it nice to know you still have options, regardless of the kind of weather Phil predicts?

Interested in the crossover between technology and art?  The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) movement is gaining an A for the Arts this summer, and turning to STEAM.  iD Tech Camps and iD Teen Academies have introduced a range of new classes for Summer 2012, and included a variety of new arts-centered classes.

One of the recent course additions is an introduction to web design class, Intro to Web Design & Photography, where students can gain an introduction to web design and learn the basics of graphic arts, photography lighting and composition, and photo editing.  Check it out, and gain some STEAM this summer!

Getting to the point, technology is all around us.  And as if the benefit of offering “tech” courses that directly correlate with booming, well-paying STEM jobs wasn’t cool enough, an abundance of technology allows us to expand our course list to include a variety of different options in interest areas that might not be immediately related to technology.  Take movies for example.  Sure you have your Avatar-type flicks and other big budget blockbuster films that instantly take your mind to technology as you stare in awe of special effects, amazing animations, and more.  But really, even the most basic film couldn’t have been produced without technology.

Now that Oscar nominations have been announced, this is the perfect time to reiterate the fact that technology is more than a computer, allowing us to be more than a “tech” camp.  Technology is about our NY film school, and our CA film camp classes.  It’s about Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe After Effects, filming techniques, and high-end video cameras…really, it could be about anything you want it to be, as you’d be hard-pressed to find a hobby that couldn’t be enhanced with technology.

Basically, technology is becoming less about watching movies or playing video games, and is increasingly evolving to describe a collection of tools or skill set one can acquire to work better/smarter, and to take their interests to the next level.

But really, whichever way you look at it, bigger certainly means one thing…more families; more schools.  Above all else, more students with hobbies who might not have an outlet for their pent up creativity or an option to explore how to take their interests to the next level.

As mentioned in my last post, one of our goals is to allow that opportunity for as many students as possible – to talk to parents and teachers, listen to their feedback, and then put a plan in action to offer new communities in different parts of the country the chance to experience a fun and challenging tech summer program – right in their own backyard.

Did you know there are 10 different universities that host iD Tech Camps in the state of California?  And looking at Texas, we have most of the major cities covered as well – Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.  Now, as an addition to our 2012 summer camp lineup, we are also hosting Fort Worth summer camps, held at TCU.

As a sports fanatic, I’m familiar with TCU’s Horned Frog football team, a squad that burst on the scene with an undefeated 2010 season and an appearance in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl…only to go undefeated again in the 2011 regular season on their way to claiming their first Rose Bowl title.

There’s no doubt about it.  TCU is a school that has not only experienced success on the gridiron, but also on campus and in the classroom as a highly reputable university in the big ol’ state of Texas.

So, when it comes to expanding our university locations so kids and teens across the country can engage in game design and modding, web design courses, movie making, programming, and a whole lot more, I can set my California allegiance aside.

Last month, some of us here at the iD Tech Camps corporate office were able to take some time to volunteer with the Family Giving Tree organization. We look forward to this every year! So, we carpooled to the warehouse location, bundled up and got to work. Four hours later, we had sorted and wrapped hundreds of presents for delivery to Bay Area kids in need. And as usual, we had a great time in the process.

Now that we’re three weeks into January, it’s likely that you’ve put away your holiday decorations and bid adieu to visiting relatives. If you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands now that you aren’t busy shopping for presents and stringing up lights, why not put a little of that time toward a good cause? Maybe you even made a New Year’s resolution involving philanthropy or volunteerism.

Just giving an hour of your time can make a difference that you may not even be aware of. Want to help but not sure where to start? Check out Volunteer Match or google “volunteer opportunities in [insert your city here]” – and you’re well on your way to making a difference in 2012.

Don’t have time to volunteer? You can still promote awareness of your favorite causes on social networking sites like facebook or LinkedIn. It appears Justin Timberlake caught the social networking bug and has big plans for revamping Myspace – so if you happen to still have an account, let your cause of choice be known there as well. If you’re lucky, Justin Bieber might even pop up!

Another goal is to give kids and teens across the nation the opportunity to engage in technology, from California to Rhode Island – and everywhere in between.  This 2012 summer camp season’s new “in between” includes New Mexico, and specifically Albuquerque summer camps held at the University of New Mexico.

While some of us might not be thrilled with having to write out the word “Albuquerque” over and over again this season, we are excited to offer technology classes and courses to yet another state and major city.  Albuquerque is New Mexico’s largest city, and with 35,000 students, UNM is the largest post-secondary institution in the state.

In terms of our classes for kids and teens in Albuquerque, students have the chance to learn how to make iPhone games, and can take a web design course or can choose from a variety of other options.

All in all, we are excited to see all of you NM kids and teens at our Albuquerque summer camps this summer!

Basic Hollywood knowledge suggests that robots will eventually take over the planet (see the Matrix, Terminator, i,Robot, 2001, etc). The only question for us lowly, carbon-based beings is when. Luckily, there are several steps along the way before automatons take arms against us that will make life pretty sweet (that is, of course, as long as the Grey Goo scenario doesn’t play out first).

1. You will never run out of milk.

Let’s get this out of the way – robots will do menial tasks for a long time before they start firing. Right now, robots are already cleaning our floors and vacuuming our rugs. Soon, they’ll be going out at 2am to make sure we have enough milk for breakfast – and I can’t wait!

2. The Earth will become significantly smaller.

Robots will allow for new forms of mass transportation that are virtually accident-free and completely automated. This allows you to constantly travel the globe without consideration of the normal time restrictions or hassles. In addition, you can always have a surrogate attend your meetings while you’re out and about, completely eliminating the need to stay stationary ever.

3. You will lose weight.

Although Wall*E alarmed us of the dystopian possibility of sitting around doing nothing and becoming fat slugs, I suggest that the opposite will occur. Without having to run around doing chores all the time, the average workday will include a significant amount of recreational time that can be spent on healthy activities. And I don’t mean boring treadmills – I mean full out sports simulations from partnerless tennis to a fully automated game of football. Personal training robotic assistants will be so common and so persistent that perhaps the revolution actually starts from their sense of empowerment… All of that extra exercise will come in handy once the revolution goes into full swing!

4. You will not need a kitchen.

Why have a kitchen, when a centralized super-kitchen serving robots only will allow all of your epicurean delights be met every day and night? Your robot will simply scoot off, gather precise amounts of the freshest ingredients, cook them to perfection and deliver them in the sealed warmth of their inner chamber – you know, the one that’s farthest away from the waste chamber.

5. No one will bully you.

Well, perhaps they will bully you, but you won’t have to take it for long! Robots will fight our battles for us, to the extent that fighting in general becomes completely pointless. Sure, there will be professional robot fights (ala Rock’em Sock’em Robots) but us regular folks won’t want to damage our expensive companions by pitting them against one another constantly. You wouldn’t smack someone in the face using an iPad, would you?

6. Your “bucket list” will appear much more ambitious.

Climb Mt. Everest? Sure. Learn another language? Why not 5? Do a handstand on 7 continents? No problem! Your robot dream team will always be there to make sure your every goal and need is being met – they’ll even identify goals before you do. You’ll never need to write another New Year’s Resolution, knowing that you’ll have a companion with you 24 hours a day dedicated to controlling you bettering your life.

7. You will never ever have to wait in another line again.

From getting a coffee to shopping during the holidays to Disney World, you will always have a robot there to jump into a queue and wait patiently for your turn. All you will need to do is listen for an alert and proceed to the front, where you will be served instantly. This is, of course, if you need to physically be present, because in many cases, your robot will simply deliver the goods to you as you need them. In fact, robots may be able to replace the need for your to physically be at a specific place at all…

8. You will never need to use a public toilet.

Being a robot is messy work and you will be the main beneficiary of that fact until, of course, the robot decides that enough is enough…

9. You will never have to see another lolcat.

With robots around, there will be more than enough memes centered around their zany antics to fill much of your digital humor inbox. 100% customizable creations that are free from cruelty protestations of the masses will make for some of the funniest bloopers on the web! There will be borderline hilarity when the robots start “misunderstanding” human desires in an attempt to subtly take over, before the facade drops completely and the human race is enslaved.

10. You will never be too far away from home.

Regardless of where you travel, your home will only be a short bit of manual (automated) labor away. No one needs a permanent piece of property when a robot will construct a perfect replica of your home (or office, or bedroom) wherever you desire. Time to move on? No worries! The robot will simply deconstruct everything as if the house was never there!

11. You will be a better artist.

For many of us, our artistic hopes were dashed the first time that we picked up a paintbrush – no matter how many classes or layers of color can produce exactly what’s in our mind. Other media offers similar results, particularly when I picture Cinderella’s Castle in the sand and get a crummy old shack instead. Robots will change all of that. If I want a 40 foot tall sculpture of Mr. Belding made out of limestone, my wish can be granted perfectly in a series of hours. Now that’s progress!

12. You will never have to hear Nickelback again. Ever.

The robots will take over music as well – at least formulaic pop-alternative. Sure, there will be human contributions, but they will be offering complexity and beautiful mistakes, concepts that are too counterintuitive for robots to comprehend. The entirety of pop music, however, from Gaga to Bieber, will be outdone by machines with perfect pitch, rhythm, rhymes and a lyrical body supported by every top 100 hit to nonsensically blather about love, parties, and misused emotional cliches.

While the coming Robopocalypse may seem terrifying, we have a long time to enjoy the perks before our extinction. And who knows? If you decide to hop on board the robotics bandwagon and help bring about this dismal future, you may be spared and even celebrated!

After all, it is CES that has wowed audiences over the years by introducing massive marvels like Samsung’s 102-inch plasma TV in 2005, and continuing the tech tradition with experiences like the tablet-driven show of 2011.  Celebrities ranging from to Adrian Grenier to Jay-Z (appearing in a Bill Gates skit) have taken part in the event, so what makes the 2012 rendition special?

Maybe it was Justin Bieber and a dancing robot, or 50 Cent’s new audio gear.   There were plenty of iPad-rival products from Acer, Lenovo, and others trying to push their way to the front in order to make the most of Apple’s show absence.  And don’t forget Razer’s ‘Project Fiona’ gaming tablet (pictured above), which is essentially a screen with two handles equipped on both sides for a more ”controlled” gaming experience.  Not to mention plenty of new cameras, amazing HDTVs, and a host of other gadgets and gizmos.

All in all, not a bad showing, and who knows what next year will have in store.  But, while it might be another year before CES returns to Nevada in 2013, there will be plenty of technology on hand this summer as students begin to show for our Las Vegas summer camps held at UNLV.

Thus, Kids and Computers = Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Sure, you can have one without the other…a little peanut butter and banana, some jelly on toast.  Still good on their own or with others, but a winning combination together.  Likewise, kids and teens can find quality ways to spend their days, away from technology or the computer, but there are plenty of indicators that say time is more valuable when spent learning new skills that will prepare their young minds for secure, lucrative STEM jobs.

Either way, whether it’s peanut butter and jelly, or kids wanting to dive deeper into tech hobbies and interests, my advice is to stay hungry.  Seek answers to questions – no matter how big or small – and push yourself to be better while still having fun.  You like playing on your phone? Learn to create iphone apps.  Intrigued by your Xbox?  Make your own game.  Whatever it is, just know that there is always opportunity to explore.

Our vision of the future in the late 20th Century was all about advances in the same way, only bigger or better. Let’s examine Back to the Future 2 (I found this convenient list to help me out).

Adjustable Bat – Yeah. Really. Biff used this to attack Marty. I find the concept fairly useless and sinister. What would you need that object for? Aren’t bats made exclusively for sports?

Adjustable / Drying Jacket (with a robotic voice) – Hm. My jacket gets wet during rainstorms, so I suppose that function could be useful. Why not just an improved umbrella, though? The auto-fit function seems a little ridiculous, like something that would be endlessly advertised on television along with that device for cooking pasta.

Automatic Dog Walker – Perhaps this is useful. Three into the list and I’m already annoyed with what they saw as innovation!

The problem with the futuristic inventions in Back to the Future 2 was that they are, for the most part, unnecessary. There’s no purpose for a bat that adjusts or a jacket that changes sizes – they seem like items from a cheap novelty catalog. Powerlacing shoes seem lazy to me, and how many people will find the idea of randomly being swallowed by a cheesy 3D shark in public appealing?

There was a line that seemed on the mark – when the kids watch Marty master an old video game, the response is something along the lines of, “You have to use your hands? That’s a baby’s toy!” Maybe they are channeling a future that integrates more of the body as a controller, from the Wii waggle to the Kinect jive. Or perhaps the writers were commenting on the fact that children from the future are so lazy they rarely use their hands after childhood. Marty Junior, who has to watch six shows at once, certainly seems to enforce this possibility.

The future that Back to the Future 2 missed was not the fact that we all have phones in our pocket, although that’s a quite amazing feat. It’s not the fact that we’re connected to practically all of the information known to man at any moment of the day. It’s that the future is participatory.

We’re not users anymore – we’re players, participants, and performers. If you see it, you can make it, remix it, or mash it up. The tools for making imagination real are available to everyone. And that’s RIGHT NOW – just imagine what 2015 will be like!

Back to the Future 2 showed a future of flying things and funny looking clothing – but people acted the same as they would in 1985. Our world is different now and it’s awesome. Everyone has the ability to be a contributor which is much more interesting than exclusively being a consumer. And I’m not even going to list off the iD summer computer classes that this relates to, because basically, it’s all of them. Just click somewhere above and you’ll find a way to make thoughts into something tangible through technology and share those thoughts with the world. We might not have hoverboards (which are totally cool, but ultimately useless), but we do have a distributed outlet for artistic creation of all kinds, which is much better.