What I learned in COM212B

COM212B：Hypermedia on Prezi

A great class that I will never forget its lessons. 

Consumption tax in Japan

The government's plan for raising consumption tax to 10% has been discussed over and over again recently. The reason of doing so is because this country is in debt. Some people might concern that If the government don't raise taxes, Japan would probably end up like Greece. I just wonder how the government could have piled up so many debts. If most countries are in debt, where did the money come from?

Personally, I was hoping that the government should cut down the wasteful spending instead of raising consumption tax. (wasteful spending such as constructions that were not necessary but only for the purpose of showing off to other countries...; I'm not sure if this is creditable or not, but I heard this issue from one of my class discussions) I'm worried to face to the rise in consumption tax, but it's inevitable from the point of Japan's current financial situation.

According to this article, it looks like Japan's consumption tax is going to stay at 5% for at least a couple of year, what a relief! Though I'm still interested in what do people think about the issue of raising consumption tax to 10%. Let me know what you think!

Paul the Octopus

Paul the Octopus is famous for his remarkable ability to predict the outcome of FIFA world cup football matches by choosing between two boxes with the flags of the competing countries on each box. Paul has has correctly picked the result of all three German games so far (winning against Australia and Argentina, and upset by Serbia).

For the match between Germany and Spain, Paul picked Spain over Germany. As a big fan of Germany, I hope that animal is wrong this time (though I personally do not fully believe in this kind of 'supernatural' prediction...). 3:30A.M., July 8th, be ready to stay up all night, rooting for Germany!!

Google Docs Survey Tool

While I was asking for some recommendations of good online survey websites, one of my friends simply answered "use Google Docs!" I didn't know that Google Docs is able to create an online survey until then.

Here are the steps of creating a survey by Google:

Creating a form from your Docs list:

1. Click Create new > Form.
2. In the form template that opens, you can add any questions and options you'd like.
3. Click Email this form once you've finished adding your questions.
4. Add the email addresses of the people to whom you want to send this form.
5. Click Send.

Not only users can send this survey by e-mail, but they also can embed the survey in their websites or blog. (But users should consider the corresponding layout carefully)
Google Docs automatically collect data into spreadsheet, and allow users to view in chart forms, which I found quite helpful in that I do not need to create pie-chart from excel. In addition, Goggle Docs also provides more than 100 survey templates!

Here is the survey I made for my final research paper for English Composition class: click here
It will be nice if you can fill it out for me (since I have to collect 100 results!), and I really appreciate it! :)  

My website is online!

Plates of Happiness

After looking at services provided by webs, google, and weebly, I chose to use weebly in the end.

Weebly is easy to work with, but the disadvantage I discovered was that its templates are difficult to modify. I've chosen this dinning table template because it is simple and easy to read. However, I don't like how the header will show up in every other sub-pages. I tried to modify it but I couldn't. If I remove the  header with a picture of "space.gif" on the other pages, the header on the index will be removed as well... This was one difficulty which I encountered while I was constructed my website.

Please take a look at it! Plates of Happiness

VoiceThread Reflection

VoiceThread is an online multimedia  service which allows you to create slide shows with images, sound/voice, videos, and documents such as powerpoint. You get to explain your slide one by one by recording feedbacks, typing text message, or even doodling it! It is also collaborative because other users can leave comments on every slide of your voicethread document with both text and voice.

I spent a long time on brainstorming the topic of my voicethread. I did not want to limit myself on business and economics, so I was thinking of something that is related to every one of us, and the issue of global warming came into my mind. I know people have been talking about it for a long time, but the truth is that people understand this issue, yet they might think that the others will do something about it, so it does not matter if they put their effort in making the environment better. (But they do not consider of "the others" would also think the same way as them....) This was how I came up with my topic- Save the Earth! I collected all of the pictures which I found appealing from the internet, and before uploading them to voicethread, I reorganized the picture folder to make the pictures in the order I wanted. I put a title and some comments on each slide ( I also tried to doodle on the images, but I found out my writing was terrible without using graphic tablet.)



Here is my voicethread:


Most of the comments I received were insightful, and they reflected that the viewers were being alarm about this issue. I asked a couple questions (in the title of the slides) near the end of my voicethread, but people happened to not seeing them, so I did not get what I was expecting before. On the other hand, the discussion that occurred through the comments in this voicethread generated some new thoughts which might take further considerations; thus, I learned from these comments as well.

VoiceThread is a very useful tool for exchanging information in that it provides everyone an opportunity to give his/her personal opinions. It's a great tool of communication and education. Some people might consider that because everyone can create and make comments, perhaps there are chances  that wrong information would be spread out, and people who have no knowledge about the topic would just believe the wrong information. However, I think that even though someone mistakenly post wrong information, others who have some knowledge of it are likely to leave the right info. as comments to this certain voicethread. Limitations of the voicethread would be the amount of VT (voicethread) documents for an account. Thus, if teachers or educators want to have more VT documents, they have to pay for the premium account because one free account can only hold 3 VT files. (if you have 10 e-mail address, as a result you could have up to 30 VT files, but the problem is that you need to change your account info. from one to another...)

iPhone 4

While every one in Japan is still crazy about iPad, Steve Jobs unveiled iPhone 4 at 2010 WWDC (Apple's worldwide developer conference) on June 7th.

here's a short video about the full specs of it:


Basically the iPhone hardware is getting a major upgrade, I like how it finally allows multi-tasks (but I still hope it will allow flash as well....). The higher-definition iPhone screen is pretty cool as well. The battery life is also extended to 40 % more talk time which is 7 hours talk, 6 hours 3G browsing, 10 hours WiFi browsing, 10 hours of video, 40 hours of music and 300 hours of standby.

But the most amazing feature of new iPhone 4 is the FaceTime (video calling with using both back and front facing camera); however, it is only iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 with WiFi connection, that is people can't use FaceTime to call to the others who don't have iPhone 4.  

It'll be available on June 24th. Are you gonna get one? Are you not gonna get one?
I think Softbank is soon going to get the most cell-phone contracts signed again, beating up docomo and au.

Keeping Track of the Buzzwords From the New iPhone Launch

Apple Unveils iPhone 4