Looking For A New Car???

Everyone at some point has to look for a new car.  For most high school and college students, buying used is the only option which can be scary.  Most people are already aware they can use sites like ebay, cars.com, and craigslist to search for used cars, but what about social media sites and blogs? If you are looking for a specific car, using a twitter hashtag can give you some results. The only disadvantage to this is that Twitter is a worldwide network, and it is unlikely the responses you will get will be from people locally. 
Even if you already have a car and are looking to improve it, there are countless blogs and domains for specific cars. I have a Nissan Maxima for example, and sites such as cardomain have pictures from hundreds of other maxima owners and many of them are selling upgrade parts.  It is interesting to see what other people with the same model car as you do to customize them.  If you have questions about your car, you can type it in one of these domains and there is almost always responses from other owners.  For example, when wiring a new headunit for my sound system, I needed help.  Someone who had a similar question posted got a video response from someone with instructions which I found very helpful.
We spend so much time on social media sites everyday, but so much of the time is unproductive.  This is just another way how we can use social media to improve our lifestyle.

Something Everyone Should See: What Not to Post on Facebook

This article addresses some very common privacy problems with facebook.  Most people are smart enough to know not to post inappropriate pictures on their profiles because it can be seen by employers or schools.  However, people post statuses about when they are leaving for vacation all the time.  This is like a big sign saying, "No one is home, come rob my house." Some other important security risks are also brought up which seem like they would be harmless.  Posting your mother's maiden name for example can be a security risk for identity theft.  Even Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg has addressed some of these potential risks an has urged users to make their accounts private and not post anything you would not want a stranger to see.  I know this topic is constantly being brought up, but this article points out a few risks that most people overlook.

Staying Safe Online

With social media expanding at a geometric rate, we are all leaving some form of digital footprint.  Kids at a younger age than ever have access to the internet and all the things (some negative) that are posted on it.  These negative sites should not keep children off computers, we should just make sure we are taking the right precautions to ensure the kids' safety.  We must make it clear that EVERYTHING we post online can be traced back to us.  Anything that you would not want your family or a job possibility to see should not be posted.  Schools and jobs are now more than ever doing digitial background checks on their applicants.  Giving the wrong impression online can make them cross you off the list before you even get a chance.  Parents concerned with negative content on the internet can set filters to block inappropriate websites from being accessed.  Those opposed to children being on the internet are usually not educated on how to use these safety features.

Earthquake and Tsunami strike Japan

Last week the largest earthquake to hit Japan in 140 years struck with deadly force.  The quake measured 8.9 on the Richter scale according to the U.S. Geological Service, and following the earthquake an enormous tsunami swept through the country.  To make everything worse two nuclear reactors were damaged in the earthquake, and now they are unstable.  One Japanese police official estimates the death total to rise to over 10,000 people, and should a nuclear reactor melt down that number would increase tremendously.  The destruction of the tsunami can be seen from a helicopter's vantage point in the above video.

Get to Know Schoolology...

  Schoolology is a website that combines a social networking page similar to facebook with useful tools for education that can be utilized by teachers. Teachers can post assignment which can be turned in and graded online, meaning students would not have to be in class to get their assignments done.  The site looks very similar to social networking sites students are already familiar with, so adjusting to using this site would be easy.  The site also allows for teachers to track attendence, manage grades, and be open to questions from students at any time.  The site can be made private to only class members if necessary, so security is not a concern.  With teachers looking for practical ways to incorporate technology into classrooms, this site could be a big help.  This video provides a good overlook of how this site could effectively used for students.

iPad 2 to be released March 11

The iPad 2 looks like it will be a big improvement from the original iPad.  Almost every innovative piece of technology is soon made obsolete by its follow up model, and this looks to be true of the first iPad as well.  Steve Jobs displayed the iPad 2 for the first time and explains its new features in his presentation.  The new iPad's main highlights are that it is 33% thinner than the original, has twice the processing power therefore twice the speed, improved graphics, the same battery life, and even comes with a new smart case.  The new iPad has high expectations, but it looks like it will be able to live up to them with its new design.  Everyone in BHS is looking forward to having the privelage of owning one of these iPads without having to pay the $500 cost of buying a new one.