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February 2nd, 2012 by: Donna
Happy Groundhog Day! This is the day that we look to a rodent for weather prognostication. Sounds crazy, right? According to modern custom, this holiday is celebrated in the U.S. and in Canada every February 2nd. Folklore states that if it’s cloudy when the groundhog emerges from its burrow, it will stay out, signaling that winter-like weather will soon give way. Conversely, if the creature sees its shadow, it will retreat back into its burrow. This is interpreted to mean that the cold winter weather will continue for six more weeks.
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?
February 2nd, 2012 | Tags: groundhog day, groundhog prediction, Online Learning, spring break camps, spring camp, winter camp
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps
January 19th, 2012 by: Donna
Does anyone else miss the holidays? It seems like there’s all this build up and then, BAM! – It’s a new year and we’re wondering where the time went. So, pull out that fruitcake you haven’t had the heart to throw away yet, pour yourself some eggnog and let’s reminisce, shall we?
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!
January 19th, 2012 | Tags: Family Giving Tree, new year's resolutions, summer camp staff, Summer Camps
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps
January 14th, 2012 by: Pete-V
I have scolded myself for not talking about robots enough at all. I have a gig writing for a blog that allows me to write about basically whatever I choose and I somehow, entry after entry, neglect robots. Citizens of the Interwebs, this trend is going to change and it will change today! From this day forth, every single entry I write will either be about robots or written by a robot of my very own invention.
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!
January 14th, 2012 | Tags: androids, automatons, cyber camps, programming camps, robo-teens, robotics, robotics camps, robotpocalypse, robots, Summer Camps, teen camps
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps, Summer Camps
December 15th, 2011 by: Donna
In my last post I answered the no-longer-elusive question: “What do you guys do when camps aren’t in session?” But have you ever wondered about the individuals behind the big green iD logo? What we’re like and what really makes us tick?
If you visited our offices and saw the festive decorations, the goals posted on our walls, and the many photos of family and friends (and pets), you would see that we probably have quite a bit in common with you. We care about what we do. We care about our families. We all have commitments and schedules to juggle – all of which can seem magnified this time of year.
And, like many of us, perhaps you haven’t had a chance to do any holiday shopping yet. But that’s okay! (The stores are open later during December for that very reason.) Maybe the list below will give you some ideas. Maybe you’ll get a bit nostalgic. Maybe you’ll glean a fun thought or even a chuckle or two. Here’s a look at what some of us are hoping for this year.
Jen, regional manager: “I would really like a snow tube and snow shoes. I know it sounds silly but the thrill of sliding down a snow hill is just as exhilarating now as it was when I was a kid.” Alisa, director, strategic programs: “I’d like to hear that the U.S. economy has gained some more strength. Good news going into the new year.” Sarah, payroll assistant: “All I want for Christmas is a Kindle Fire!” Alexa, co-founder & COO: “A day that is completely stress-free…full of laughter, giggles, beautiful memories to look back on and cherish for a lifetime.” Charlie, regional manager: “I want a legendary Daedric Sword in Skyrim 
” Allison, office coordinator: “I would love a Le Creuset French Oven so I can make some delicious soups and stews.” Pete, president & CEO: “I want to plant 25,000 trees.” [See One Camper One Tree] Robby, regional manager: “#1: New Golf Clubs” Marta, creative lead: “Garden Planters. Our apartment has this nice, large balcony and I think it would be so cool to plant some herbs, veggies and flowers and go back to my MN farming roots. (Whether I’ll be able to keep the plants alive is another thing though.)” Crystal, app dev lead: “A trip to Spain!” Nina, strategic programs coordinator: “I gotta dream big here…A good camera.” Julie, senior camp operations manager: “With all of this travelling I’ve been doing lately, I’m dying for the new Kindle Fire!” Jamon, program advisor: “Entourage Season 3!” Nova, administrative services representative: “The top of my wish list? SLEEP! All I want is some rest & relaxation.”
Hungry for more holiday tidbits? Check out some photos from our Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest. From decorator crab to pajama-fab – our outfits encompassed a very wide range (off the charts, really) of “holiday-chic” style.
- This is what happens when decoupage goes 3D.
- See? Told you we love our pets.
- Taking One Camper One Tree to the next level.
- And the ugliest sweater was worn by…Ryan! Umm…congrats?
- Vogue called. They want their December issue outfits back.
Happy holidays! Thank you for an amazing year. We have some great things in store for 2012…
December 15th, 2011 | Tags: Bay Area summer camps, christmas presents, corporate employment at iD tech, holiday camp, holiday wish lists
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps
December 13th, 2011 by: Audrey
Getting ready for college? Thinking about making campus visits? You’re not alone – according to an Art & Science Group poll, 65% of students say visits to schools are the most influential source of information in deciding where to apply and where to attend.
With the College Board recommending that students apply to 5-8 colleges, fitting in a visit to each campus can be a challenge. That’s why iD Tech Camps’ expansion of university locations is good news – with 13 new summer programs this year, bringing the total number of iD programs to a grand total of 78, students have more options than ever for sampling campus life.
“A college campus is the perfect place for younger students to supplement their education,” explains iD Tech Camps CEO Pete Ingram-Cauchi. “It’s a natural choice for us to host our programs on campus.”
New prestigious schools joining the list of universities that host iD programs include Yale University, Duke University, Amherst College, and the University of Texas at Austin. iD also has new summer camps in Nevada, with UNLV hosting programs, and new summer camps in New Mexico, with the University of New Mexico acting as host.
Counting the new additions, iD now has a presence at 7 of the top 10 national universities ranked by the U.S. News & World Report. It makes an ideal way for today’s busy students to sample college life at prestigious universities, while at the same time learning the skills necessary to get into those top schools.
Note: Many of our locations have recently become available for registration – check out dates and courses at these new additions: UT Austin, Princeton, Merrimack College, Sacred Heart University, and TCU. View all locations.
December 13th, 2011 | Tags: college visits, Duke summer camps, Nevada summer camps, New Mexico summer camps, summer camps in Nevada, summer camps in New Mexico, ut austin summer camps, Yale summer camps
Posted in: iD Tech Camps, Locations
December 1st, 2011 by: Donna
Welcome to December! The weather is cooling off. The leaves are changing colors. Some of you may have already experienced storms and snowfall. Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in camp season anymore!
“So…what do you guys do when camps aren’t in session?”
This is a common question corporate iD employees receive. Allow me to demystify and give you an insider’s look; you’re officially invited to be a fly on our wall.
Put simply: We always have camp on the brain. When our summer camps aren’t in session, we’re prepping for the following season by putting together our catalog, solidifying new summer camp locations, attending camp fairs, hiring amazing summer staff, and combing through parent, student and staff feedback (to name a few things) – all to make next season even better than the last. Click here for a more detailed account of what’s new for 2012. Have a question about camp? Give us a call and one of our program advisors would be happy to help you out – any time of year!
We also devote hundreds of hours to website and systems improvements. These changes can be seen in our website and online registration process – which we’ve built from the ground up to ensure navigation and registration is a straightforward process.
But all work and no play makes iD a dull place. That’s why we take some time to have a little extra fun. Our Fall Festivities kick off each year when we dress up in our Halloween best for a costume extravaganza, along with some fun and games. Check out some of this year’s costume highlights:
- Peas & Carrots (Not always two peas in a pod)
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Sam from Tron: Legacy means business!
- Draco Malfoy came by to cast a spell…
- Heroes in a half-shell…turtle power!
- Nyan Cat even stood still long enough for a photo! (And was rewarded with a strawberry Pop-Tart.)
Although we’re pretty proud of our creative costumes, it’s a good time of year to give thanks too. I’ll go first: Thank you for stopping by the blog today!
Okay, I’ll get a little deeper than that. Here at iD Tech Camps, we like to say “Thank you!” in big ways. Our One Camper One Tree initiative was a smashing success this year. We’ll also be taking part in our annual Family Giving Tree holiday event which includes gift donations and volunteering inside the Family Giving Tree warehouse, sorting and prepping gifts for delivery to local children and families in need.
And what kind of Fall Festivities blog would this be without – you guessed it – TURKEY! A Corporate Office Thanksgiving Potluck ensued last week, complete with a wide assortment of the pilgrims’ finest fare.
- Macaroni salad rounded out our unique Thanksgiving feast…
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- …and even the dessert table included a turkey!
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- From our table to yours: We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this glance into the corporate life of iD Tech Camps. Curious for more? Check back later this month to find out which items top our holiday wish lists this season.
December 1st, 2011 | Tags: Bay Area summer camps 2011, best summer camp, camp catalog, Family Giving Tree, holiday camp, new summer camps, summer camp company, summer camp off season
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps
November 9th, 2011 by: Pete-V
Hey all – your friendly, neighborhood (the other) Pete here with another mildly rant-like contribution.
BUT FIRST – Acknowledgements / Shout Outs / Big Ups to Ryan who is going going crazy-awesome with content development! It’s great. I love it. Keep it up!
SomethingAwful (an old Internet community that uses profane language to express their points, so no link for you!) recently published a well-read article called, “I’m Begging You, World, Shut Up About Angry Birds.” The article started similarly to mine, with an upcoming rant confession turned apology, followed by how awful the Angry Birds phenomenon is – mainly because it’s been popular for so long and everyone should move on. A similar, less-read article was posted months before on The Yorker called “It’s Time to Stop Talking about Angry Birds,” which appears to contain family appropriate language and focuses strictly on the gameplay, not the cultural phenomenon. Countering both arguments, although addressing little of the same points, Gamespot posted “It’s Time to Stop Ignoring Angry Birds,” an article that calls out some of the great achievements the game has had so far – claiming in conclusion that, “This game will sell more copies than any video game ever made before it is forgotten, and it will shatter every perception of what a video game can do” – a pretty lofty expectation, although likely true.
I’m taking a fairly different stance – it’s awesome that everyone, including your grandmother, knows about Angry Birds. Computer gaming to non-gamers used to simply be Solitaire or Minesweeper, while console gaming was Mario. This over-simplification led to too many insulting encounters preaching the uselessness of games. Parents, teachers, even strangers would take arms against the childishness of console gaming or the non-stimulating nature of computer games. It was easy to put all of gaming into a single category as useless and a waste of time, a low form of entertainment for the young and easily amused. Violent video games only made matters worse - their loud graphic disturbances scared mature adults away from the living room and made games into an enemy rather than simply a time waste.
Video games became part of a generational divide – something that kids got and parents loathed. They opened a hole in communication and undoubtedly caused unnecessary friction between two sides that had no common ground.
Gamers (and iD Tech) know the truth. While there are many waste-worthy titles in the gaming landscape, hundreds of quality titles exist across all platforms – artistic masterpieces that challenge the mind and body in ways that cannot be achieved in any other media. The New York Times recently reviewed Uncharted 3 with such praise as, “From its engaging, heartfelt script and character performances to its meticulous pacing, dramatic cinematography and lush visual production, Uncharted 3 is mass-market interactive entertainment of the highest order.” The article scatters throughout the idea that Uncharted 3 is on par with a major motion picture – or even beyond one. But I’m not here to defend the honor of video games – it’s likely that you’re already a believer(!)
Angry Birds is a conversation between the gamers and the non-gamers. It’s an agreement that games can be worthwhile – even as something that’s basically goofy in spirit and design. Angry Birds goes beyond Minesweeper and Solitaire, as there is a strong narrative. It goes beyond Mario because the gameplay is accessible and understandable – a physics game is easier to grasp than a two dimensional platformer with magical mushrooms! The more that Grandma understands about Angry Birds, the better she’ll be at appreciating the value of Game Design I or II for the iPad and iPhone or even Android. Adults that start with Angry Birds may be more prepared to experiment with other forms of gaming, like amazing puzzle-game Portal 2 (and subsequent student mods).
Let Angry Birds be the bridge to comprehension. Allow everyone to talk about it, buy stuffed birds, and reenact it – none of those activities hurt gamers. Remember, non-gamers have to talk about *something*, they might as well talk about something that mildly resembles a modern game, particularly if it helps broaden their gaming horizons.
November 9th, 2011 | Tags: 2D & 3D video game camps, android, create your own android apps, create your own iphone apps, iD tech day camp, ipad app development, iphone, rant, video Game creation
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps, Summer Camps
October 27th, 2011 by: Donna
When you think of the word “app” or “application” – what does it mean to you? If you’re in high school, it’s likely this brings college applications to mind with looming fall deadlines. If you’re thinking technologically, maybe you just realized you haven’t played Angry Birds in about an hour and you’re having withdrawals. It wasn’t until recently that this word took on so many different meanings. For our students at iD Tech Camps and iD Teen Academies, the definition goes further and the question subsequently becomes: “What app am I going to create today?”
Apps are multiplying – with college applications leading the way. Both public and private university campuses across the U.S. had record-breaking application numbers for the Fall 2011 term. One report shows that UCLA received the largest number of applications among all UC campuses with a record 81,235 total applicants – a 6.4 percent increase from last year. Although always a popular choice, Harvard also broke records and saw their Class of 2015 applicant numbers hit nearly 35,000; approximately 15 percent more than last year.
While admission competition remains fierce for many of the most notable universities, state schools like those in the California State University system saw overall admissions increase significantly, despite state budget cuts bringing schools down to funding levels circa 1999-2000. The CSU system is now serving 70,000 more students than were attending in the year 2000, according to one press release. While it’s admirable that state schools pride themselves on being accessible to the masses, are these soaring admission rates doing more harm than good? Upon entry, students face limited course offerings, mandatory furlough days and fee hikes. Students often have to make up for this by taking unavailable courses during a later term in order to fulfill degree requirements. It’s no wonder competition for a spot at the top-tier and ivy-league universities is so stiff!
So what does all of this mean? The college degree has become the new high school diploma in terms of being competitive in the job market – and even that isn’t a sure bet without marketable skills. With more awareness comes more competition and if current trends continue, the college application numbers definitely aren’t tapering off anytime soon. This inevitably places more emphasis on student skills, extracurricular activities and academic promise. Popular and prestigious universities can afford to be even more picky; they want applicants who are driven to succeed and can prove that they’re ready to do something big if granted entrance.
This is no small feat and there’s more and more pressure on young people to tangibly show how they are stronger candidates for admission. It now goes beyond passing AP Exams and earning high SAT scores (although there’s no denying that these factors help). Students need to tap their creative potential early. Being great at science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is a giant step in the right direction – but it’s what a person is capable of doing with these skills that will charm a university or a potential employer. What problem is being solved? What level of creativity is shining through?
How do you stand out in your school?
Maybe your daughter is developing major digital photography skills and honed her craft at the iD Visual Arts Academy over the summer. Now she has a portfolio to accompany her college applications that she developed with professional equipment and direction from industry professionals at camp. Or perhaps your son has taken several iD Tech Camps programming courses, then went on to attend the iD Programming Academy where he utilized his advanced computer science and application development skills. Now he’s publishing his own iPhone® and iPad® apps. College admission boards are likely to take notice when he expands on this in his admissions essay. It also doesn’t hurt to have a few Accredited Continuing Education Units from Stanford Continuing Studies or Villanova University to add that extra little sparkle to a college app (both of which can be attained at iD Tech Camps and iD Teen Academies).
There’s no denying it: Apps are here to stay – in every applicable sense of the word. Apprehension can be avoided if the right steps are taken to prepare for what’s next. Students at iD Tech Camps stay ahead of the curve by exploring their STEM-based creative potential at an early age in a fun, engaging environment. What sets your student apart from the crowd? Let’s discover it together. Mark your calendar: Registration for the 2012 season goes live on November 1, 2011.
October 27th, 2011 | Tags: application development camp, college applications, create iphone apps, creative summer camps, make apps, STEM education, STEM summer camps, summer camps for creative kids
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps
October 21st, 2011 by: Pete-V
A Nostalgic Rant
I don’t want to sell you the idea of iD Tech Camp on the iD Tech Camp blog – that’s kind of silly. You’re already here. There’s already something that appeals about this organization – or maybe you just enjoy the color scheme and subject matter of the blog. Maybe you’re a huge fan of my rants… Unlikely, I know.
I don’t want to sell you the idea of iD Tech Camp because I’d rather teach you about where the world of technology is today and where it will be tomorrow. I want you to think about the skills that are necessary for 21st century learners and workers based on the new world of connectivity and digital interactivity that is opening around us. When I was growing up, there were few computers. People with the right kind of eyes could see that the personal computer would soon invade every home. It wasn’t until my early teens that those same innovators saw the early Internet as something of value, something that would change our culture forever.
At the same time, game design was left to the experts – a brilliant few that had both coding and artistic chops, as well as thousands of hours and tons of patience. Luckily, we’ve moved beyond that – way beyond that.
Angry Birds has been downloaded 400 million times and has subsequently spiraled into a billion dollar piece of intellectual property. Billion. With a “B.” Does that seem like an impossible feat for a company with 12 people? But that’s a company – what about the indie developers; the kids?
Minecraft, a PC sandbox creation game, was originally created by a single programmer and now has 15.2 million registered users, almost 4 million of those folks actually paid for the game!
How can this be?
There are more gaming platforms now than ever before. According to VGChartz, over 400 million current generation gaming consoles have been sold on the planet. Additionally, almost 130 million iPhones have been sold and about 50 million iPads by the end of 2011. Android, the main competitor for iOS devices, currently has over 190 million devices in use. This, of course, does not count the countless number of personal computers and laptops, also tremendously capable of gaming. Impressive numbers, right?
The problem with so many devices is that they all need interesting software. A screen is nothing without something interesting to show! Over the years, various screen creators have made different development engines. These starts as very basic SDK’s, or “Software Development Kits.” These kits were incredibly expensive and hard to use. Not only that, but hardware manufacturers only gave the kits to reputable companies, meaning that only a few developers even got a chance to create something great.
Software development has left the hands of the super techies. Now, just about anyone can create an app for the iPhone or an Android device or even a game for the PC or XBox. The point is control – if you imagine it, you should be able to build it. The tools are out there and anything is possible.
So what exactly is the point?
When you read a book to a kid, at some point you want them to realize that they too can craft their own story. When you show a kid some art, at some point you want them to know that they too can paint their own picture. Our world is turning to interactive media – and it’s a user-created universe. It’s time to realize that when you use a piece of software, whether it’s a game, an application, a website, or a cool artsy interactive, at some point you too can create your own vision and make your interactive dreams a reality. It’s not about making money, although that’s can be a welcome side affect. It’s about claiming creative rights and becoming a 21st century contributor.
October 21st, 2011 | Tags: 21st Century Learners, 2D & 3D video game camps, academic camps, children’s camps, computer camps, Contibutors, gaming camps, iD Programming Academy, Kid's camps
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps, Summer Camps
October 18th, 2011 by: Ryan
Which list is growing more rapidly, the number of apps available across platforms, or how many different things you can share with friends on Facebook? Well, add another tally for both, as energy consumption will soon be one more thing to disclose with social media pals.
Photo Courtesy of TechCrunch.com
The name behind the capability is OPOWER, a software-as-a-service company that creates customized energy reports and offers energy-saving recommendations to customers. The company hopes to use game mechanics of their Facebook app to push people use less energy in their homes.
While “energy talk” probably wouldn’t make for the most exciting in-person conversation, the new app – expected to be available in early 2012 – will be promoted to help bring the energy-consumption topic to life; with the overall goal of promoting competition between friends to see who uses less energy and to “hold each other accountable for energy-use-reduction goals” according to Ogi Kavazovic, an OPOWER spokesman.
With the ability to see who in your social network is using the least amount of energy per day, while also being able to compare your own consumption to others who have comparable homes in terms of size, the app can upload consumption info and data if the user chooses.
The bottom line is the app looks pretty cool. Plus, its creation is further evidence that even with tons of apps being built every day, from making games for the iPhone to learning Android app development, there will always be more to explore; more to create.
It’s an exciting time for kids and teens, who can take any idea, no matter how imaginative or far-fetched, and create an app to share with the rest of the world. From games and other apps used for entertainment, to those that promote ideas for the greater good, the opportunities are virtually endless.
October 18th, 2011 | Tags: app summer camps, create your own app, Facebook apps, how to save energy, iD greening, make an iPhone game, social awareness, social awareness apps
Posted in: iD Tech Camps
