Taylor Gordon, Author at Blerds

December 15, 2014December 15, 2014

Usher Teams Up With GA Tech and Hour of Code Campaign to Banish Negative Conceptions of Tech Industry

Over the weekend, 60 students from Usher’s New Look Foundation came together at Georgia Tech to learn about the exciting potential behind computer science and receive training to help them compete in the tech industry.

The informative tech sessions were a part of the national Hour of Code Campaign presented by Code.org that aims to inspire more than 15 million young people across the globe to get involved in computer science.

As a part of the campaign, Georgia Tech and Usher’s New Look Foundation teamed up with the School of Computing and the Higher Altitude Foundation to show young students that there is more to the computer science world than many young people realize.

Many young people don’t associate computer science with music or the entertainment industry but the Day of Code helped students understand that there is more to technology than creating websites or collecting data online.

The day’s activities focused specifically on how computer science is incorporated in music and video productions and helped them develop skills on two platforms called Scratch and EarSketch.

All of the students took part in a friendly coding competition, learned how to remix beats and even created their own music animations.

It’s a much-needed focus for programs that aim to get students interested in the technology.

In addition to helping students obtain training and develop the skills they need to compete in Silicon Valley, they also need to understand the wide range of possibilities in the field.

Usher’s involvement in the Day of Code and his position as a National Spokesperson this year for the Hour of Code Campaign is already a step in the right direction.

It helps combat the stereotype that the tech industry is only a place for geeky white males and that there will be nothing more for students to do than create algorithms or build apps.

In the Black community many young people are sold dreams of becoming successful music stars although the likelihood of those dreams coming true are slim to none.

Introducing technology as a way to still be involved in the entertainment industry, however, can be a truly successful way to spark an interest in the field.

In addition to giving students the skills they need to compete in Silicon Valley, the Hour of Code Campaign aims to push the importance of computer science classes in schools across the nation.

Roughly 90 percent of schools don’t offer computer science as a class and the ones that do often don’t count the course towards the credits students need to graduate from high school.

Without incentives to give computer science classes a try, students are often cheated out of learning about a field that is quickly growing and eagerly seeking young people to fill a deficit in employees, especially ones of color.

December 12, 2014December 12, 2014

10 Awesome Anime, Video Game Cosplay Ideas for Female Blerds

Sheva Alomar – Resident Evil 5

Sheva is one video game character who will always have a special place in gamer history. The certified badass is the first Black female partner Chris Redfield has ever had. She’s also a unique portrayal of a Black woman in the video game world who is not only beautiful but also incredibly intelligent and tough. In a genre that is, unfortunately, known for its female characters (especially of color) who lack any real depth, Sheva is a female Blerd’s dream come true.

Aveline – Assassin’s Creed: Liberation

Aveline is the only Black female character who is even more interesting, perplexing, exciting and refreshing than Sheva. Aveline is actually of Caribbean descent and the daughter of an enslaved woman and her master. Nobody ever thought the stories of the Maroons would make their way into a mainstream video game, but Assassin’s Creed was full of surprises. Aveline also leaves her mark in gamer history as the first Black and the first female protagonist of the Assassin’s Creed series.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

December 12, 2014December 12, 2014

Despite 3D Printers Making Cast Improvements, Latest At Home Model Still Struggles to Capture Small Details

Advancements in 3D printing technology have given consumers access to what is being hailed as the world’s number one 3D printer, but it appears as if even the world’s best is falling short when it comes to capturing small details.

Many people have never even seen a 3D printer before, but the new device has been steadily growing in popularity over the past few years.

One man has even used 3D printing to create superhero-inspired prosthetic arms for children and proven the great potential that 3D printers have.

When it comes to real life consumers, however, having great potential just isn’t enough.

The latest front-runner in the world of proprietary 3D printers is XYZ Printing’s da Vinci 1.0 AiO.

The 3-in-1 desktop printer is compatible with Windows XP, Windows 7 and higher and Mac OSX 10.7, 10.8 and 10.9.

It is complete with a full ABS 3D printing system and a laser 3D scanner.

After placing your object of choice inside the printer, a turntable will rotate the item and allow it to be scanned by a laser.

That laser will be quickly gathering information about the object and use the data regarding contours, size and shape to create a nearly identical copy.

The key word here is “nearly.”

Even with today’s technology it is still difficult to get an exact copy of the object you’re scanning.

Many of the smaller details are lost in the replicas and even this printer hasn’t found a way around the tricky task of scanning shiny objects with a laser.

For now, it is recommended that consumers avoid shiny objects as a whole when they’re playing around with their new printer.

Tech Crunch ran a few tests on the printer and, while the results were impressive, they also served as a reminder that the 3D printing world still has a ways to go.

The copy of a small lion statue resembled what the original statue might look like if it were left out in the hot sun too long.

While the main composition and shape of the copy passed the test, details of the lion’s face and around his head seemed to be lost and meshed together.

The results of copying a small gargoyle head was still more impressive than what most home 3D printers will offer but still failed to hold its own when placed next to the original figure.

It’s also been made clear that the printer won’t pick up engraved writing very well.

Smaller details aside, the printer is certainly at the forefront when compared to other devices in the same category, but it also comes with a catch.

While many 3D printers allow users to refill the filament on their own, the AiO won’t allow for such a thing.

The printer uses a special cartridge, Tech Crunch revealed, but refilling the cartridge will still only cost around $30.

Further generations of 3D printers certainly will continue to enhance and improve the detail of the copies that are created, but anyone who is eager to get their hands on one now can purchase an AiO for about $800.

December 11, 2014December 11, 2014

eBay Buyers Handing Over Thousands for Limited Edition iPod Classics

Many people thought some eBay shoppers were crazy for paying up to $20,000 for limited edition PlayStation 4s that were made to look like the older version, but there are actually some consumers who are forking over thousands to get their hands on actual iPod Classics that were released a decade ago.

Sellers have taken to eBay to get rid of their iPod Classics, but it turns out there is a pool of consumers who truly see one man’s trash as another man’s treasure.

A rare version of the classic iPod sold for $90,000 but the hefty price probably came from the famous autographs on the back rather than the device itself.

The iPod was a factory-sealed UK model of the U2 iPod, which was originally sold back in 2004.

The special edition iPod is black rather than the typical white design and has all four of the U2 members’ autographs engraved into the back of it.

Other U2 edition iPods that are not still factory-sealed are being sold for roughly $4,000 on Amazon although it isn’t clear how responsive buyers have been to the hefty price tag.

While the $90,000 iPod is the most expensive iPod Classic to be sold on eBay, some sellers are looking for much more for the dated device.

One seller placed a $180,000 price tag on his iPod Classic although it hasn’t found a home just yet—and it’s very likely that it won’t find one until the price is significantly reduced.

Buyers who are desperately trying to get their hands on the older iPods need to make sure they are buying it for nostalgia purposes and aren’t concerned about the devices functionality because there is a good chance that the batteries in these classic iPods don’t even work anymore.

Those that do will likely not perform as well as they did back in 2004 and repairing the device would be another challenge of its own.

After the iPod Classic was discontinued, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained that even he “couldn’t get the parts anymore, not anywhere on Earth,” according to Mashable.com.

If the device is still fully functional, however, buyers can expect up to 12 hours of battery life and will have 20 GB of storage.

For those who are still eager to get their hands on an older version of the iPod, Amazon sellers are offering up standard devices for roughly $500 and many users have already left comments claiming to have found even better deals elsewhere on the web.

December 10, 2014December 10, 2014

Your Data Science Idea is Great, But Is the Market Ready? Why Marketing is Key to Data Science Success

In the digital age, two seriously conflicting interests are rapidly growing – the desire to push technology to its limits and create a world filled with innovative devices and programs and the fear of consumers who are worried about the dangers of a world overrun with advanced technology.

For this very reason, President and CEO of Excellent Management Systems Inc. John Weathington reminded tech entrepreneurs, especially those in the data science field, to make sure the market is actually ready for their ideas before they launch them.

Some consumers fear that crazy sci-fi movies may not be as far fetched as they once seemed and others hate the idea of their favorite apps, games, search engines and devices secretly keeping tabs on their every digital move.

Whatever the reason, data science leaves many consumers feeling spooked and uncomfortable.

For example, Facebook users subjected the tech giant to serious backlash after discovering that the site was manipulating thousands of news feeds and user behavior in order to collect data for a study.

As Weathington pointed out, this certainly isn’t something new, but Facebook was still made out to be a monster for taking part in a practice that is much older than the website’s existence.

“To data scientists, it may seem perfectly normal to mine through digital behavior to understand and ultimately influence future behavior,” Weathington wrote on TechRepublic.com. “Marketing groups have been formally and publicly influencing behavior for decades, so why are Facebook’s data scientists any different?”

It’s simply a different method and a different market—that’s the key.

Even the greatest of technological advances will flop if the market simply isn’t ready for or comfortable with it just yet.

“Innovation with data science is exciting, but it can be risky if your market isn’t ready for your next great idea,” Weathington added. “Work closely with your marketing department to understand not only if, but when your next brilliant analytic offering will be a big hit.”

Marketing specialists are able to conduct thorough research and see if the market’s current consumers would be open to your latest technological innovation. The problem is that some data scientists forget just how important the marketing team really is.

Opting out of bringing marketing specialists on the team is a huge mistake that many data scientists tend to make.

Instead, some tech savvy CEOs will assign the marketing tasks to their product engineers.

The problem with the reassigning of roles is the fact that a product engineer will never be able to objectively look at something they have spent countless hours developing and view it as if they are just a random consumer.

Data scientists should also be open to introducing a much smaller concept to the market before eventually growing it under the watchful eye of consumers.

It’s a lot less threatening to watch something grow over time, something that has already been a part of your daily life and has revealed its many advantages, than to have a big, scary new way of collecting data forcefully thrust onto the market and scaring off people who are still feeling a little uncomfortable with technology’s rapid growth.

December 9, 2014December 10, 2014

Sony’s Incredibly Rare 20th Anniversary PlayStation 4 Separates Game Lovers from the Game-Obsessed

Sony released a special, incredibly rare limited edition version of the PlayStation 4 in honor of the console’s 20th anniversary less than a week ago and while some avid gamers are in love with the design that pays homage to the original PlayStation, others are struggling to understand what all the hype is about.

Only 12,300 of the limited edition consoles exist and anyone who didn’t place their order by December 6 will have to make their way online to sites like eBay where the consoles have been sold for roughly $20,000. Yes, four zeroes—no typo there.

But is it really worth it?

The limited edition console has the same sleek design as the PlayStation 4 but comes in gray, the same color that the original console was in.

It also boasts the original PlayStation logo with gray controllers and even a matching camera, an addition that doesn’t come in your typical PlayStation 4 bundle.

The console also features a plate that lets buyers know exactly which console they received out of the 12,300 that are available and has small Xs, squares, triangles and Os engraved all over it.

For those who don’t know, those are symbols on the buttons of the PlayStation controller.

So is the gray PlayStation 4 really worth thousands of extra dollars?

For some gamers, the gray paint job isn’t enough to get excited about.

“As nice as it is, my initial hype dropped very quickly,” said one Engadget reader. “It’s a grey PS4… that’s it. Yes it’s rare and limited and all that, but what can it do than [sic] any other PS4 can’t?”

The reader went on to slam consumers as “total idiots” for dishing out so much extra cash for what some see as nothing more than a change in color.

Others just simply didn’t like the gray color at all and wished the limited edition console would have went a little outside the box with color choices.

For some gamers, however, the emotional attachment to that gray paintjob was well worth the extra money.

There is something about seeing the color of the original PlayStation slapped across the latest generation of the console that melts the hearts of those who are openly and honestly game-obsessed.

The gray color isn’t just about a difference in appearance in this case.

It’s about bringing up the pixelated memories of the early Street Fighter and Final Fantasy games, having a newfound respect for earthworms after playing Worms Armageddon, the nights spent tormented as a child after playing way too many hours of Silent Hill and Resident Evil and the time you nearly broke your television because you just couldn’t get past the second level of PaRappa the Rapper.

For those gamers, the limited edition console isn’t just painted gray, it’s honoring the emotional attachment that some have formed with the PlayStation brand as a whole.

“I love the nostalgia design-wise, our generation and those a bit before us can appreciate that,” said Marlon Tiller, an avid 22-year-old gamer who grew up with not only the latest PlayStation consoles but also the latest consoles from Xbox and Nintendo. “New kids are going to miss out. They’re definitely not gonna get it. For me, when I saw [the 20th anniversary edition console] I could hear the old PlayStation startup screen sound in my head.”

Of course, for those who are not nearly as attached to the console and never attempted to deliver a high kick to the back of their best friend’s head after playing Tekken, white and black PlayStation 4’s will still be sold at their usual price of roughly $400.

December 8, 2014December 8, 2014

Hour of Code Prepares to Spark Millions of Young Students’ Interest in Computer Science

As the technology industry continues its rapid growth, tech giants are getting behind the annual Hour of Code to ensure that young people who have an interest in the field have access to the classes and resources they need to fill the millions of positions available for computer science experts.

There is still the general belief that the tech industry is a space reserved for nerdy white men—and after tech giants released their diversity reports earlier this year, it seemed as though there was some validity to that argument.

Companies like Google and Facebook had less than 2 percent Black employees, with hardly any in leadership positions. The companies also had a troubling lack of female employees.

The Hour of Code may be able to help improve these numbers.

Code.org, a non-profit that aims to get youth interested in computer science, launched the Hour of Code last December.

The event is supported by tech giants, local governments and schools across the nation, who all dedicate at least an hour to introducing young people to coding and computer science.

One of the tech giants getting behind the movement is Apple. Apple will be offering free coding classes for kids and adults at many of their retail locations on December 11.

For Apple senior VP of internet software and services, it’s exactly the type of international movement that the company loves to get behind.

“Education is part of Apple’s DNA and we believe this is a great way to inspire kids to discover technology,” Eddy Cue said.

While the annual worldwide event does not particularly reach out to marginalized groups, it does offer free resources that many Black youth would not have access to otherwise.

Such events have been promoted as viable solutions to the tech world’s massive diversity problem.

Last year’s Hour of Code was a huge success and managed to introduce roughly 15 million students to the world of technology and computer science.

The students also learned the basics of coding and collectively wrote more than 600 million lines of code, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

This year, Code.org hopes to reach at least 100 million students.

The Hour of Code already has been celebrated as the biggest educational event in history by several major news outlets and has been part of an even larger movement to get more schools in the United States to place more value on computer science classes.

Code.org’s website claims that more than 20 states in the U.S have school systems that don’t allow computer science classes to be counted towards the credits students need to graduate.

Code.org has been adamant about getting more schools to efficiently incorporate computer science classes in their K-12 curriculum.

Major progress has already been made, as more than a dozen states have updated their educational policies to give computer science classes a more prominent role in their programs.

From December 8-14, which is Computer Education Week, thousands of events will take place across the globe to get students interest in computer science. More information on all the events and companies supporting the movement can be found on the Hour of Code’s official website.

December 5, 2014December 8, 2014

Tired of Cracking Your iPhone Screen? Apple May Have Plans for Simpler, Sturdier Materials

The one criticism that has plagued the iPhone for years was the fact that it typically has reigned supreme in the land of incredibly fragile devices. While the latest model has emerged with studier materials to address that issue, it seems like Apple had a much more complex way to solve this problem a few years ago.

A phone screen can’t crack if the phone never lands on the screen, right?

That’s essentially the idea behind Apple’s idea for a cat-like iPhone design, which the company has already obtained a patent for.

The drawings in the unpublicized patent were discovered and released by Appleinsider and revealed a design that would allow the iPhone to detect when it was falling and then adjust its trajectory in order to make sure it doesn’t land on the most fragile part of the device – the screen.

Through the use of different sensors on the phone, it would detect which part of the phone is in imminent danger and likely to have a potentially catastrophic impact.

The phone will then use vibrations to adjust the phone in mid-air.

Of course, there will be times when a vibration won’t be enough to prevent a shattered screen, so the designs also include gas canisters that would “deploy the compressed gas outside of the device to change its orientation.”

The only catch is that some tech lovers believe Apple may have already ditched these plans for now.

The patent was filed back in 2011 and features a drawing of what seems to be an iPhone 4.

That means roughly three years have gone by without the “cat phone” coming to fruition.

Some see that as a sign that the company simply decided to create a more sturdy, seemingly unbreakable phone rather than focusing on how to keep a fragile device from having a tragic fall.

Others, however, believe it just means that the patented system will be a part of the iPhone’s design later down the road.

If that is the case, Apple will truly have a rather indestructible device on its hand that is not only sturdy but also able to defend itself against a clumsy owner.

The materials used to create the iPhone 6 have already earned the device the title of “least breakable phone ever” by SquareTrade.

Combining these materials with the patented cat-like technology, users would be able to keep their iPhones safe and functional for years.

Not all consumers are thrilled by the patent, however, with some arguing that the idea lacks any real creativity.

“Apple shouldn’t be allowed to own this patent,” said one RT.com reader. “It is very simple in Theory. You just add or subtract weight on different locations of back cover or side of the phone and heavier side will hit the floor first if drops. There is no creativity in making a fool out of general public.”

December 5, 2014December 5, 2014

‘Suicide Squad’ Casting Rumors Finally Confirmed: Will Smith Takes on Anti-Hero Deadshot

After tons of rumors and speculation, Suicide Squad fans are finally getting confirmation about which stars will be taking on some of the comic book world’s favorite villains in the 2016 film directed by David Ayer, and Will Smith has been selected for the role of Deadshot.

For once, all the rumors turned out to be true.

For weeks, rumors were swirling that Smith would be trading in his good-guy badge to take on the role of a sometimes villain, sometimes anti-hero who has been known to have a bit of a death wish and an insatiable urge for a violent victory.

Deadshot is one of the villains who will be teaming up with other infamous bad guys to go on a few suicide missions in exchange for some level of redemption for their past crimes – which are rather serious to say the least.

Deadshot is certainly not as famous as the film’s other villains, which include the Joker and the ever-so-quirky but eerily beautiful Harley Quinn, but for those who are familiar with the character they understand that there is a lot riding on Smith’s shoulders.

The villain made his first appearance in the Batman comics back in 1950 and quickly grew to be one of the favorite bad guys with a soft spot for his daughter and an incredible record when it comes to shooting targets.

For those who haven’t dived into the comic book world, Deadshot is boasted as the villain who never misses his shot.

There are some concerns that the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star may not be able to take on a much darker role and have it be believable, but Smith’s track record as a good guy has not always been about the actor taking on happy, upbeat roles.

While he was responsible for years of gut-twisting laughter back in the ’90s, Smith’s other roles have allowed him to dive into a darker space even if he was technically a good guy.

From his role in I Am Legend where he has to do all he can to survive the invasion of bloodthirsty mutants to the tear-jerking Seven Pounds where his character makes the ultimate sacrifice to change the lives of seven complete strangers in hopes to cope with a dark past, Smith has proven time and time again that when a role calls for a darker outlook he is more than capable to take it there.

Also, if his wife’s role in Gotham is any indication of how Smith might be able to take on a more villainous character, then there is certainly nothing to worry about.

Jada Pinkett-Smith is currently the face of the sassy and always-conniving mob boss Fish Mooney in the TV series that dives into the world of Gotham before there was ever a Batman to help fight crime in the corrupted city.

Of course, Smith won’t be all bad in Suicide Squad as he will be using his sharp shooting skills and thirst for blood in order to help the government.

At Smith’s side will be Jared Leto as the Joker, Tom Hardy as Rick Flag, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as Boomerang and Cara Delevingne as Enchantress.

The movie will reportedly start filming in April in Toronto, the WB/DC mega-docket announced back in October.

While these casting rumors have been confirmed, there is no word out on whether the studio got its alleged first pick for the role of the Squad’s head hard-case Amanda Waller.

According to Variety, Warner Bros’ is hoping to get Oprah Winfrey to fill the role and may also be looking at Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer.

Either way, Warner Bros president Greg Silverman is already very pleased with the lineup.

“We look forward to seeing this terrific ensemble, under David Ayer’s amazing guidance, give new meaning to what it means to be a villain and what it means to be a hero,” Silverman said, according to Newsarama.com

The public seems to share this sentiment as more moviegoers are ditching their favorite superheroes in exchange to see more morally conflicted but always intriguing villains turned anti-heroes.

December 3, 2014December 3, 2014

Stephen Hawking Adds Validity to Fears of Better Artificial Intelligence Marking the ‘End of the Human Race’

In the midst of the debate about how dangerous technology can become if it continues to advance at such incredibly fast rates, Professor Stephen Hawking is siding with those who are deeply concerned about what the future of technology could mean for mankind.

Some people think the idea of robots destroying mankind is a far-fetched paranoia, while others believe this kind of future is much closer than most people would be willing to believe.

While there aren’t many claims to support a hostile robot takeover like many sci-fi flicks portray, there is enough evidence to suggest that the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) could have a drastic, negative impact on mankind.

“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race,” Hawking said, according to the BBC.

Hawking’s concerns are not that robots will launch a violent attack against the human race but rather that they will snatch jobs away from people and cause unemployment rates to skyrocket.

“It would take off on its own, and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate,” he added.

Hawking went on to say that humans are “limited by slow biological evolution” and this would allow machines with advanced artificial intelligence to essentially take over the job market.

Hawking’s comments came during a conversation about revamping the technology he uses to communicate every day, which one tech entrepreneur believes is exactly why people should not fear technological advancements.

Rollo Carpenter, the creator of Cleverbot, a program that learns users’ past conversations and responds to text messages automatically, pointed out that there is a possibility that people could seriously benefit from advancements in AI and that society will have to be willing to take a risk.

“We cannot quite know what will happen if a machine exceeds our own intelligence, so we can’t know if we’ll be infinitely helped by it, or ignored by it and sidelined, or conceivably destroyed by it,” he told the BBC.

For most people, however, the idea of machines taking jobs away from Americans is enough to have them pass up on taking that risk.

Some stores have already started launching technologies that could possibly take jobs away from humans in the future.

Recently, certain Lowe’s stores introduced robot sales associates, known as OSHbots, that are able to assist customers with basic needs such as finding tools or checking prices on items.

For the average customer, that’s about all the help they will need.

The robots even have the ability to scan a screw or other tool that a customer comes in with and locate more of that item or similar items in the store.

As the robots continue to be upgraded over time, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched that certain stores will be able to drastically reduce how many human sales associates they need on the floor.

Another major concern in the digital age has been the accessibility that the Internet provides and the ability that tech-savvy hackers have that can allow them to steal personal information and breach top-notch security systems.

Hawking said that the Internet has grown dangerous for this very reason and that there needs to be an increased focus on making the Web more secure.

“More must be done by the Internet companies to counter the threat, but the difficulty is to do this without sacrificing freedom and privacy,” Hawking added.

With more and more Americans utilizing online banking, using virtual means to store private documents and the vast amount of information that is stored on every person’s device, the call to boost Internet security is more important now than it has ever been.