Have you seen those odd little bar codes in the bottom corner of a magazine, on a billboard, or even in the Union?  These odd looking squares that look like a defective checkerboard? Well these handy little things are called Quick Reference codes (QR Codes)!
The reason I wanted to post about these little guys is I was amazed at how quickly they are gaining popularity in America. The first time I saw them, however, was during a few weeks a spent in Japan. QR codes were EVERYWHERE! Every poster, sign, table decoration, and handout had one! I asked one of my friends what the purpose of these things were and he showed me. Flipping out his cell phone he snapped a quick picture of the code, hit okay, and was instantly taken to a website.
"Why aren't these in America?!" I asked. And now I'm seeing them slide their way into American advertising, but I have yet to see many people that already know what they are and how to use them.
Most smartphones now have the software needed to read them. Android recently included the components needed to scan the QR codes, and if you have a Droid or iPhone you can download the "Google Goggles" app.  Play with these things and scan around.  You can even create your own!
And I didn't explain this too well so I linked the Wikipedia page for QR Codes

Scan this to see my other blog on your phone!

Music in the 21st Century

So, a few days ago I was in a heated conversation with my friend over the revolutionary abilities of technology and the creative arts. I was advocating that the ability to use new music producing software, like Garageband or Music Studio, opened new avenues for people that didn't have the time to learn the various instruments that are required to produce intricate songs. Then, low and behold, I check my RSS feeds and saw a new post by David Warlick entitled "Tech for Creativity". He wrote about using Music Studio, during his long airtime, to write a song for his wife. I listened to his song and was amazed that, while flying 27,000 miles above the ground, he produced "Brenda's Song" which included piano, flute, choir, and strings. This is what I was talking about! The ability for creative people to express themselves without having to learn five instruments, record each piece, then weave them all together! This is what I love about the 21st century.

Web 2.0

The internet can be a scary place. It's filled with the dark allies and shady characters that we avoid on the street. However, this doesn't make it a barren wasteland to avoid all-together. No, we must navigate the pathways of the web as we would the city. We must be web smart. We must utilize this beautiful tool with responsibility. And most importantly, we must teach our children to do the same.

This is a good place to start an excellent article from Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D.