Educational Technology and Copyright Law

From the article Educational Technology and Copyright Law, I learned that almost everything is copyrighted from the moment it is made.  Anyone can choose to use whatever was made as long as it is for nonprofit educational use.  The only time you need to get rights to something is if said something is licensed, in which case the maker has certain specifications that must be met in order for their product to be used.  So basically, anything that is your original idea is copyrighted, but not everything is licensed.

The Science Museum of London now has an exhibit devoted to real life models of Da Vinci's inventions.  The exhibit features 39 models that were built in Milan within the past 3 decades.  These models include the first diving suit and the first parachute, which actually worked when tested in 2000.  The parachute was tested from 7000 feet and worked better than some modern day parachutes.  The exhibit will be open from 10 February to 4 September 2016 with admission being $14.50.

Do Now 2/22/2016

I'm sure that by this point, all of us have read, or at least heard about, Apple's customer letter in regards to the FBI's request for a "backdoor" into their products.  The FBI's reasoning is that it would only be used to gather information on the recent San Bernardino attack.  The issue that Apple has with this request, which, in my opinion, is completely understandable, is that once the government has a way into the iPhones involved, there is no doubt that they will use that same method to get into others, even if they say they will only use it once.  The other problem with this request is that it increases hackers' chances of being able to get into Apple products.  Currently, according to Apple, this "backdoor" does not exist and they are not going to create it.  If they were to do as the FBI has asked, nothing would stop hackers from getting the information needed to hack into millions of Apple products worldwide.  Personally, I agree with Apple's actions.  Giving the FBI access to people's iPhones would not be a wise decision because it undoubtedly would lead to bigger problems down the road.

The Hoverboard is Finally Here!

          Now I'm sure all of you have seen hoverboards at this point. You know, the ones with two wheels that kids ride around in packs on? Well now there's a Canadian company that is developing a hoverboard. Now I know what you're probably all thinking. "Hoverboards have been out for a few months. Why is this  big deal?" It's a big deal because Omni Hoverboards has developed one that actually hovers.
          That's right! Philippe Maalouf, CEO of Omni Hoverboards, was not impressed by the hoverboards that have been being sold. When asked about his invention, Maalouf replied saying, "I'm watching all these news reports saying 'hoverboard' with a straight face- and it's not. I was like, are people aware that this board is not even hovering? It's on wheels!" Maalouf's vision was not to build a new toy, but rather to help the world of transportation evolve.
           The way the board functions is pretty simple.
The board has tiny helicopter-like blades underneath it. The blades spin and, ta-da! you're up in the air flying around. An early version of the board broke the Guinness flight distance of a hoverboard record. The board flew 905' 2" and went over water in the process.
           Having flown on an early prototype, Maalouf says that while most vehicles of flight feel like you're "riding  on the back of a dragon," he feels that his hoverboard makes the rider feel like he or she is the one who is actually flying. He is hoping that one day, people will use hoverboards in the same way we use cars today. Unfortunately, that day will probably not be soon since the estimated retail price is between $25,000 and $50,000.

Web 2.0: Multimedia Blog Pre-Posting

• 
  

          I was going to a family reunion for my dad's side a while back.  I was so excited to see relatives I hadn't seen in years.  When I got there, however, once I got there, I couldn't understand half of what anyone was saying.  The problem: they all spoke fluent Italian, but I never learned how.  Fast forward a few years and I'm a senior in high school taking AP Italian and getting ready to go to Italy.

          Since the beginning of the class, I expected to learn how to read, write in and speak the Italian language.  While I have learned those three skills, the class mainly revolves around Italian culture and current events.  Everyday, the class starts with each student looking up and writing about a current event that they read about on 4minuti.it or repubblica.it.  We also go on various trips to learn about the culture of Italy, such as the opera, artisan shoppes and Italy itself. Ultimately, the goal of the class is too learn about the culture of Italy so that students can better understand lifestyles different from how they grew up.

          The class is graded the same way as most other classes are graded at our high school.  The total grade for each marking period is divided into sections: 25% tests, 15% quizzes, 25% projects, 15% informal assessments, 10% homework and 10% classwork and participation.  The teacher helps us along the way so that we can do all the work to the best of our abilities.  She tells us about her own experiences growing up in Italy, which helps us better understand Italian life and culture.  She does her best to make sure that her classes are well-educated and understand all of the required materials and more.

Welcome!

Hi!  My name is Leo Leuci and welcome to my blog!  I'm going to college as a Music Education Major on Piano.  I'm a church pianist and occasionally accompany our high school choir.  I enjoy music (obviously), playing games with my family and baking.  I don't really like watching sports because I find them very tedious.

I hope you enjoy my blog :D

5 February 2016 Tech Article

Cardboard Box Opens Door to Alternate Reality

• In 2014, Google announced the creation of Google Cardboard.

• Google Cardboard is a virtual reality headset.
• As the name implies, it is made out of cardboard.
• Google Cardboard has 3D visual capabilities.
• On January 13th, 2016, Google announced its partnership with ThriveAudio to give the headset spatial audio capabilities.
• Spatial audio capabilities allow the device to project sound from all directions, making the experience more realistic.
• Sound will be diminished and heightened as it travels across the headset to give the effect that the sounds are coming from different directions.