Gridworld Graphics

Tired of crabs, lizards, and actor masks? The procedure to change the icon used in a Gridworld project is as follows: Create the desired graphic as a 48×48 pixel GIF image. Save the image in the same folder as the .class file for the bug or critter or actor. For example, if you create a [...]

Is This A Safe Website?

Before you make another purchase online, can you trust that website with your credit card information? Here are some things to look for: Check your browser’s address bar. Don’t trust the site with your personal information if the web address doesn’t begin with https. Also look for a lock symbol on the address line. Did [...]

How Many Books Will Fit On My Hard Drive?

Browsing through computer ads, I see a lot of home computer systems are equipped with a 1 Terabyte hard drive. If you’re like me, that really doesn’t mean much. I have no sense of how much space that is. Here is a visual illustration. Glancing on my bookshelf, one of the thickest books I own [...]

How Much Does An Inkjet Really Cost?

Inkjet printers are cheap. They practically give them away. But do they? Here is my attempt to discover exactly what an inkjet printer costs to own and operate: HP Officejet 4500 – $59.99 on Newegg. Black ink (200 page yield) costs $13.99 Color ink (360 page yield) costs $24.99 Let’s say I print 2,000 pages [...]

Java Bitwise Or

Java Bitwise Or System.out.print(15|32) returns 47 which is tricky because you assume that addition is taking place. But the following line System.out.print(11|33) returns 43 This is not addition, it is called the bitwise Or. To illustrate: Step 1: Convert the integers to binary lining up the digits in place value. 11 = 001011 33 = [...]

Greg and Bryan’s 12 Days of Christmas (teacher and tech) Deals – Day 11

Day 11: Can you believe I made the nice list this year? I can prove it -  check out this video: Santa’s video Greg’s Teacher deal of the day – Just in the Nick of time (get it? – Nick?). Finally, a netbook below $250 again. A netbook is a small notebook (not a book [...]

Greg and Bryan’s 12 Days of Christmas (teacher and tech) Deals – Day 10

Day 10: Greg’s Teacher deal of the day – Set your phasers to stun! Looking for the ultimate gift for the techno-nerd on your list. He (I’m gender stereotyping but let’s be real, the only woman I’ve ever seen handle a phaser correctly is Uhuru) has to have this for some serious street cred. Star [...]

Greg and Bryan’s 12 Days of Christmas (teacher and tech) Deals – Day 9

Day 9: Greg’s Teacher deal o’ the day – For those of you with a drawing hand, Sketchbook allows you to make amazing freehand digital graphics. This is a later version of the very same software that Michelangelo used to paint the Sistine Chapel. The hard part for Michelangelo was getting the printer to work [...]

Greg and Bryan’s 12 Days of Christmas (teacher and tech) Deals – Day 8

Day 8: Bryan’s Tech deal of the day – Want a way to liven up that boring Christmas party (besides putting on that rockin’ santa sweater)? Take a look at the Shock Ball (13.99). It’s like hot potato, but with electricity! How “shocking” ! In the description of this next one it says for adults [...]

Greg and Bryan’s 12 Days of Christmas deals – Day 7

Day 7: Greg’s Teacher Deal of the Day – Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy Computer Science Education week. Did you know that by 2016, current government projections show that more than 800,000 high-end computing jobs will be created in the economy making it one of the fastest growing occupational fields? [...]