Windows XP End of Support

As of April 8, 2014, Microsoft will discontinue support for their Windows XP operating system. As a teacher, what does this mean for you and your classroom?

First, let me point out that Windows XP has been out for 12 years now. As far as a supported operating system, this is almost unheard of. Windows XP was a huge stable release for Microsoft. To this day, may people still prefer it as their primary desktop OS. What will this mean for you? Probably nothing...

Let Me Break It Down for You

source

Security: if you're still using Windows XP, you're going be just as poorly protected after the end of support as you were before. Windows XP provided a great base for stability, portability, and compatibility on a variety of generations of hardware, but since its release, it's been surpassed by several other operating systems that provide those same perks on a more secure platform. After the release of Windows XP Service Pack 3 in 2008, the amount of development in the OS has almost halted to stand still. Sure, you might get a security update every once in a while, but the real development was centered around making things more compatible with bridging newer operating systems (Vista, Windows 7, 8, 8.1, etc). You're support has been dead for years, and you just didn't notice. You'll lose support for Microsoft Security Essentials, but hopefully, you use a different antivirus. If we've learned anything from Internet Explorer, trusting Microsoft with your security is a bit like trusting a chihuahua as your home security system.

Microsoft Wants Your Money: The Microsoft home website urges consumers to upgrade to Windows 8.1 to maintain support. I'm going to let you in on a little secret, if you're still using Windows XP that came with your computer, it probably won't run Windows 8.1 any better than your refrigerator will make toast out of fresh bread. Of course, you can always buy a new computer with the money you don't have if you didn't read the first part of this blog...

What do I do?    

Here are your two options if you don't want to buy a new computer:

1. Keep using the computer you own, buy a good antivirus, and keep on using it until you have the money to upgrade. At some point the software you buy will not be compatible with your computer, but for the time being you're fine.

2. Change operating systems. Perhaps you've heard of Linux and you weren't sure what it was. Maybe you thought that it was something that geeks played with in their spare time while you were out getting Vitamin D in something called "the outside". I'm going to tell you that you've probably been using Linux, and you didn't even know it. If you've ever owned a smartphone that wasn't an Apple or Microsoft product, you've probably used Linux. (Whereas Apple uses its own version of Unix --something similar, but I digress) If you've ever played Nintendo Wii or WiiU, you've used Linux. If you've ever owned a Nokia Phone before 2012, you've probably used Linux. It's used in so many devices that it's almost hard to fathom all of the ways its used in our day to day lives. 

Why? It's free; it's stable; it's secure; it works. 

In the classroom, the big deal has always been software. You probably wouldn't put a version of Linux on a classroom computer before 2008 because of the amount of applications for education were highly limited. Now we're in the age of the clouds. Computers are starting to become overpriced machines to access the web. If you have a stable computer with a stable browser and internet access, you can do almost anything. 

My Suggestions for a Stable Upgrade in 2014

 1. The Old Clunker: this was the computer that barely ran Windows XP. This is the system that you hated to turn on and use, but it ran about two programs when you needed it to.

• Upgrade the RAM. 9/10 times, a quick upgrade of RAM will be the difference in a night and day situation on performance. By now, the type your computer needs is super super cheap. (Here's an example)
• Download Lubuntu, burn it to a CD, and install it over Windows. It'll look a little like Windows XP, but it'll take some playing around to get used to it. 
• Once Lubuntu is installed, go to the start-like button at the bottom left hand side of your screen, Accessories, and click on LXterminal. This will open a window similar to MSDOS (if you remember those days). Type in "sudo apt-get install edubuntu-desktop" without quotes. Then put in your password. It'll start downloading and installing your software. Wait for it to finish, and then voilà! You'll have a new section in your start menu called "Education". Play around with the new programs.
• If you want to install something, it will not longer be an ".EXE" file. For now on your applications will end in ".deb". You can install windows programs, but you'll have to install a program called WINE. It would suggest against this if you have an old computer.
• You should notice that you now have a lightning fast computer. Enjoy!

2. The Best Computer in the Classroom...even though it's still really slow...

•  Download Edubuntu, burn it to DVD, and install it on your computer over Windows.
• The layout will be new to you.  I'd suggest watching a few videos on how to use it first.
• It'll come with tons of programs that will help you on your day to day missions in the classroom. 
• Office: I LOVE Kingsoft Office. It's free for Linux users. You can download the .deb installer file here. Download the deb file, double click on it to install, put in your password, and you're good to go.
• Browser: Any flavor of Ubuntu Linux will come with Firefox, but Chrome and Opera are both available to install.
• Need More Advice? Just comment below, and I'll throw up some ideas and pointers. 

MORE RESOURCES:

1. 4 Reasons to Switch to Lubuntu

2. 11% of Windows XP users will Switch to Linux 

3. How to Migrate from Windows to Ubuntu 

4. Painless Way to Ditch Your Old XP 

       


 

So Much Win!

No bad news from the doctor today! 

Mom is in great spirits and sassy as ever! Once I get done with this exam for geography, I'm going home to get back to planning some major construction on the social network. I've got so many great ideas! New awesome domain name TBA. Check back. I should have some really awesome updates to come. 

Zelda Link's Awakening

Android Lesson 2

     Tomorrow is my second lesson with Android. I'll be using the 7 inch tablet and an InterWrite board to teach phoneme segmentation. I'll try to post some privacy censored pics and a review. 

Oppa Gotham Style

Han Solo Cup. I Fill You Up. LET'S HAVE A PARTY!

Well I know now what I'll be serving at my child's first Star Wars birthday party.

Star Wars Movie Cross Overs

Every movie is better with some Star Wars

(I do not own these images)

Fun With Flags Epiphany Alabama

Alabama has the same flag as the old national Irish flag known as the Saint Patrick's Saltire. One can debate the origin to have come from the Spanish Cross of Burgundy --a naval flag; however, the direct resemblance to the Saint Patrick's Saltire is uncanny. Toss that into your random knowledge bucket!

El Ecto Uno

Jerry Rigged Computers

I wish I had taken pictures of some of the computers I worked on back in the day. I had that old Pentium 4 PC double its life expectancy with an overclocked CPU & GPU, maxed out RAM, and enough fans to make it sound like a vacuum cleaner when it was on. 

My favorite swine playing with bubble wrap

I'm not a fan of racing, but this would be awesome to own!

If I have a daughter, this is happening!

The Android Classroom Revolution

There has got to be a major shift in app development for education. The cost savings are huge. Right now with $1,500 I can put a computer in the hands of each student and update a classroom into the 21st century. The major problem is that few programmers are developing education apps for the android platform. I'm going to spend some time studying the android application structure to see what I'd have to do to learn to program apps for it. I have a goal in mind that could save schools  tens of thousands of dollars. I just need to start now!

Spelling is Important

reposted from http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9y2ofQjzV1qb5gkjo1_500.jpg

Pinterest On Android

For those of you who love to "pin" things on the go, Pinterest has finally hit the Google Play Store. Give it a try at here.

PSA: Movie Theater Popcorn

This is the original post from the

The Spartan Diet

-  Public

Why You Should Never Eat Popcorn In a Movie Theater

Have you ever noticed that eating too much movie theater popcorn can make you feel a little sick? That's because it probably is making you a little sick.

Popcorn may seem like the one snack available in a movie theater that's not that bad for you. After all, popcorn is just corn, a whole grain. If you ask for it without butter, it's healthy, right?

Well, no. Not even close.

As you probably know, some theaters buy pre-popped popcorn, which is warmed up using lights in the theater. Pre-popped popcorn is typically cooked in unhealthy trans fat oils, and flavored and colored with artificial ingredients, often including MSG. And because this kind of popcorn is popped first, then stored for an unknown amount of time, it has preservatives added.

A bag of popcorn popped in the theater typically contains four individual concession stand supply products, including the popping corn, cooking oil, "butter" and seasoning salt. Go here to see a nice collection of movie theater popcorn supply products: 

http://www.gmpopcorn.com/products/product-classes.cfm?catid=6&classid=5

The corn itself is grown using insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, fumigants and other chemicals used to "treat" the corn. Go here to see the complete list: 

http://www.popcorn.org/PopcornAgriChemicalHandbook/tabid/148/Default.aspx

Most movie theater popcorn is cooked in an oil product that is mostly hydrogenated coconut oil, a highly toxic trans fat. (The National Academy of Sciences has stated publicly that there is no safe level of trans fat consumption, and that it should be totally eliminated from the human diet.) The oil used for popping theater popcorn also contains artificial butter flavoring. That's why when you ask for no butter, the popcorn still tastes like fake butter, and still has a weird yellow color.

Some theaters boast of popcorn cooked in canola oil, which is supposed to be a health benefit. In fact, they're popping the corn in partially hydrogenated canola shortening, which is also a trans fat.

So if you order movie theater popcorn with no butter and no salt, that's what you're getting: corn that has been compromised by insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, fumigants and other chemicals, as well as trans fats, artificial flavors and probably preservatives as well.

But what if you do go for the butter and salt?

The artificial-butter-flavored topping is typically made mainly from hydrogenated soybean oil (another trans fat), artificial flavoring, beta carotene for color, and preservatives. Different theaters use different brands or supply sources, but this roster of toxic ingredients is typical.

One "flavoring agent" used in popcorn "butter" is called diacetyl, and it has been associated with lung disease among workers in the factories where it's made.

Popcorn supply companies don't have to disclose the use of diacetyl, or specific exactly what their flavoring agents are made of.

In addition, even the salt theaters use is something of a science project. The list of ingredients for one movie theater concession stand salt (which is typical), includes: "salt, artificial flavors, artificial sweetener (Acesulfame K), Yellow #5 Lake and Yellow #6 Lake." Some products also contain MSG.

Last year, the Center for Science in the Public Interest conducted a study on some nutritional aspects of movie theater popcorn, especially calories, fat and salt content, as well as other theater concession stand fare:

http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/nahpopcorn.pdf

Even by that shallow analysis, movie popcorn comes out as an assault on health. From the report: "A combo at [one theater chain] (medium popcorn plus medium soda) has 1,610 calories. That’s like eating six scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, four bacon strips, and four sausage links before the lights come up."

If you enjoy eating popcorn at the movies, why not pop and bring your own? Unless you ruin it with chemicals and other junk ingredients, popcorn is extremely healthy: 

http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_ARTICLEMAIN&node_id=222&content_id=CNBP_029635&use_sec=true&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=bbb3d96f-e7da-4f93-bae1-577908c49260

Buy organic popping corn from the bin section of your grocery or health-food store. Pop it in an air popper, and add a little extra virgin olive oil and a little quality sea salt, then smuggle it into the theater.

The whole thing will cost less than one-tenth of what you'll pay at the megaplex. It will taste a whole lot better. And best of all, it will actually be very healthy, instead of a massive toxic hit to your body.

The Darker Side of Lego Star Wars

Platform: Life

Platform: This is exactly how I feel sometimes.
Check it out!

Halo Reach

Halo Reach is such a classic fps. There's nothing quite like the back and forth banter of some split screen co-op goodness.