Showing posts with label droid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label droid. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

CIS(theta) 2014-2015 December Meeting: #HourOfCode!

CIS(theta) 2014-2015
December Meeting: #HourOfCode!
Sorry, we had to cancel the November meeting. Anyway, I'm doing the HourOfCode this week with 250 students! So, we did the HourOfCode after school for CIS(theta) too! 

We watched the four tutorial videos on the MIT AppInventor site (formally hosted by Google). Now, everyone needs to get MIT AppInventor working at home so we can do these tutorials ourselves! 

If you have an Android phone, you can get the tutorials running on your phone by simply scanning a QR code with their app. If you don't have a Droid, you'll have to set up an emulator in your browser (instructions are on the website). 

Coding with AppInventor requires a google account (like gmail) and runs an a cloud SAAS server (Software As A Service) via a browser. You will be using a visual programming environment like Blockly or Scratch that runs JavaScript under the hood. 

HWK: Make sure you can show me your progress with AppInventor during the next meeting and how to set it all up on our PCs in Room 429. You need to have the 4 tutorials (3 apps) done by then. If you have trouble, help eachother via our Edmodo page. You also need to think about what kind of app you want to develop.

We can still set up Android Studio software stack which is easier than using Eclipse. However, AppInventor looks even easier than Android SDK. So, let's try this first!


CIS(theta) 2014-2015
October Meeting 2: Ubuntu Install Fest!
Here's what we did:
(01)Download the latest version of Ubuntu.
(02)Burn the ISO file to DVD with Brasero.
(03)Reboot PC with DVD.
(04)Install to a Linux Partition following script.
(05)Reboot Linux Partition.
(06)Tweak Appearance
(07)Tweak Brightness
(08)Configure Network
Method: Manual
Address: 10.5.129.xxx
NetMask: 255.255.0.0
Gateway: 10.5.0.254
DNS: 10.1.1.19
Proxy: Manual/10.0.0.125
(09)Configure Printers
10.10.10.18
(10)sudo chmod 700 /usr/games/*
(11)sudo apt-get update
(12)sudo apt-get upgrade
(13)install WINE from USC
(14a)add WABBIT folder to the desktop
(14b)add TI-84C.rom to WABBIT folder
(15)FireFox http://sagecell.sagemath.org

We don't use TI-84 much anymore, but it's there just in case! We use SAGE in preCalculus, TI nSpire CX CAS handhelds in Calculus and Java in AP Computer Science.

We had a huge problem when rebooting the new Linux Partition for the first time. The refresh rate was incorrect for our max res 1600x900. So we had to tweak Displays first. Right after boot up, the monitor was unstable and flickered on and off 3 times. If you are quick, you can tweak Displays to 1280x1024 before the monitor goes completely dead! So, now we have a clean install of Ubuntu Linux 14.10 Utopic Unicorn 64bit Desktop and we can add the Android Studio software stack to this next time.

UPDATE01: 
If you google "utopic lenovo thinkcentre blank screen" you will find this. The bug report describes an issue with Lenovo ThinkCentre m-Series nvidia and intel graphics cards not playing well with compiz (a 3d accelerator for the Unity/Gnome desktops). This bug report also gives the following fix.

If you have a stable desktop (ctrl)(alt)T, if not (ctrl)(alt)(F4), to get a terminal and enter:
dconf reset -f /org/compiz
setsid unity
After this procedure you should be able to boot up to a stable desktop and reset the display to 1900x1600.

UPDATE02:
Next I'll install a new openSSH/jdk server and a new SmartBoard, SplashTop, VLC, avconv server the same way adding these services. Except, for the networking setup, these servers do not use the proxy!

UPDATE03: 
14.10 is turning out to be very buggy. Not only is the X window system unstable but our mouse movement is very erratic and changing settings doesn't help. We are downgrading to Trusty Tapir 14.04.1!

ATTENDANCE (10/30): BryceB, CheyenneC, CliffordD, DanielP, DavidZ, XXXXXX, KeyhanV, NoelS, SafirT

CIS(theta) 2014-2015
October Meeting: Ubuntu Install Fest!
(1) The plan was to download the latest version of Ubuntu. We tried to download Ubuntu 14.10 but 14.04 is still out! So, we'll burn the latest ISO to DVD and have a major install fest next meeting (10/22).

(2) We collected the Student Application forms for the NCSHS. You only need 2 semesters of CS related classes. You have 4 years worth to choose from: HonorsCS, APCS, CIS(theta) and Robotics! Community Service is helping friends with APCS projects, helping peeps with PC problems and helping me figure our Android Studio!

(3) We talked about installing Android Studio! We won't be installing the Android Software Stack until we update Ubuntu.

(4) This is an independent study class. In other words, you're only going to get out of it what you put into it. You need to do research at home. If possible, install Ubuntu 14.10 at home and the Android Software Stack. Also, try viewing some Android Studio tutorials!

ATTENDANCE (10/8): BryceB, XXXXXX, XXXXXX, DanielP, DavidZ, GabrielT, KeyhanV, SafirT, NoelS

NEW DISPLAY CASES:
NEW SMARTBOARD SETUP:
NOTE MIC FOR SCREENCASTING
NOTE TI nSPIRE EMULATOR
NEW DECOR IN THE REAR OF ROOM 429:
NOTE SLIDERULE
NOTE SERVERS
NEW DECOR ON THE SIDES OF ROOM 429:
NOTE FRACTALS AND RAY TRACINGS
NEW VIEW FROM LEFT REAR SIDE:
NOTE UBUNTU DESKTOP
NEW VIEW AS YOU WALK IN:
NOTE SIDERULE

CIS(theta) 2014-2015
September Meeting: Administrativa!
(1) Wreath of the Unknown Server: We visited our first ssh server, Colossus, which is still in the switch room though dormant. I set it up for the first time in 1995 running Slackware Linux. Colossus ran for 12 years straight, 24x7 never having to shut down, reboot or even have anything re-installed!

(2) Planning: We have to wait another 2 weeks (10/8) at which point Ubuntu 14.10 Desktop Edition should be available for a mini install fest. After that, we will look into installing an Android Development stack to make our own apps! Maybe we'll try Android Studio.

(3) Display Case Unveiled: We took down a ton of fractal prints and ray tracings from Room 429 to the 2 cases on the 1st floor near the art wing. We decorated both cases as best we could and left before anyone saw us. Must have been gremlins.

(4) NCSHS: We're going to start a chapter of the National Computer Science Honor Society. We talked about the requirements for membership and how to start a chapter. Each chapter is called Omicron Zeta something. This is a pretty new honor society. The first few chapters were called Omicron Zeta Alpha and Omicron Zeta Beta. So, if were are, for example, the 12th chapter, we'd be called Omicron Zeta Pi!

ATTENDANCE (9/24): BryceB, CheyenneC, CliffordD, DanielP, DavidZ, GabrielT, KeyhanV, NoelS, SafirT






==================================
What we are researching  (Sept+Oct)
Ubuntu Desktop
Android Studio
==================================

Membership (alphabetic by first name):
CIS(theta) 2014-2015: BryceB, CheyenneC, CliffordD, DanielP, DavidZ, GabrielT, KeyhanV, NoelS, SafirT

CIS(theta) 2013-2014: BryanS, CheyenneC, DanielG, HarineeN, RichardH, RyanW, TatianaR, TylerK

CIS(theta) 2012-2013: Kyle Seipp

CIS(theta) 2011-2012: Graham Smith, George Abreu, Kenny Krug, LucasEager-Leavitt

CIS(theta) 2010-2011: David Gonzalez, Herbert Kwok, Jay Wong, Josh Granoff, Ryan Hothan

CIS(theta) 2009-2010: Arthur Dysart, Devin Bramble, Jeremy Agostino, Steve Beller

CIS(theta) 2008-2009: Marc Aldorasi, Mitchel Wong

CIS(theta) 2007-2008: Chris Rai, Frank Kotarski, Nathaniel Roman

CIS(theta) 1988-2007: A. Jorge Garcia, Gabriel Garcia, James McLurkin, Joe Bernstein, ... too many to mention here!

==================================
Well, that's all folks!

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Sunday, September 1, 2013

Summer Adventures of a Droid Tablet!



Week 1: Adventures of a Droid Tablet
The night before the first class of a Summer Session course I was teaching this past July at the local college, my laptop died with everything setup on it to use a Wacom Tablet, ScreenCast-o-Matic and SmartNoteBook. So, I took the Teacher PC, armed with a PC Projector, in one of the computer rooms and added these 6 components:
(1) USB Mic
(2) USB BlueTooth Dongle
(3) USB Memory Stick with Virtual TI-83
(4) BlueTooth Wacom Graphire 6x8 Tablet
(5) Windows Journal Pen App
(6) http://screencast-o-matic.com
Since I was stuck using WimpDoze, I exported Windows Journals to *.tiff and converted these to PDF format using ZamZar or the tiff2pdf commandline tool in an Ubuntu Linux shell. Then I stored all PDFs on SlideShare and all MP4s on YouTube and linked everything to Edmodo.




Week 2: Adventures of a Droid Tablet
This week I tried the following setup instead. Note, Screencast-o-matic would not work online, I had to download a Windows app to my Desktop:
(1) USB Mic
(2) WiFi DROID 8.9" Tablet
(3) Virtual TI-83
(4) Xournal Pen Windows App
(5) http://screencast-o-matic.com
So I finally retired the laptop and the Smart Airliner Slate (aka Wacom Graphire 6x8 Art Tablet). Now I don't have to carry around all that bulky stuff. I may still need this old setup as a backup option when I'm speaking at conferences and I have to setup a quick screencast. 

I would love to drop the USB Mic too if I could figure out how to use the Droid's Mic with this configuration. I would then be truly wireless! This new incarnation of the Kindle has an 8.9" HD screen, dual WiFi, dual speakers, dual cores as well as a webcam and mic. I think there's a version of Teamviewer, called Teamviewer for Meetings, that uses VOIP so I wouldn't need a separate Mic. IDK if it's free or cheap. I suppose I could go back to using a wireless lapel mic? Maybe I could use a BlueTooth Headset Mic? You see, my lapel mic disappeared after Hurricane Sandy destroyed the Math Building at my High School....

I am also experimenting with other Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) apps such as SplashTop. I'm using Splashtop2 for Droid and SplashtopStreamer for Windows. 

I'm focusing on Teamviewer and Splashtop as these Desktop streamers are available for both Windows and Linux and the client app is available for Droid. I usually have to use Windows whenever I'm on the road, say at a conference. However, I usually use Linux all day every day at the High School. Further, all my tablets are now Droids!




Week 3: Adventures of a Droid Tablet
This week I tried the following setup instead. Note, Screencast-o-matic takes a long time to render MP4s (ie: 75 min video takes about 45 min):
(1) USB Mic
(2) WiFi DROID 8.9" Tablet
(3) Virtual TI-83
(4) Xournal Pen Windows App
(5) http://screencast-o-matic.com
(6) SplashTop DroidApp/WindowsStreamer
Adding SplashTop to the mix went very smoothly. I find SplashTop more responsive than Teamviewer. Teamviewer has two advantages over Splashtop, however. First, the streamer can run from RAM so you don't have to have admin rights to install it if you're on the road using someone else's PC. Also, using Teamviewer for non-commercial applications is always free. 

SplashTop, on the other hand, had to be installed by the admin. Further, Splashtop requires a $16.99 per year subscription unless both your Tablet and PC are using the same wireless router! Still, I found using a capacitive stylus much easier when using SplashTop in non-trackpad plus smooth mode. Using the stylus takes some getting used to, but there's always a learning curve with any new technology solution. Right now, my Droid is on a WiFi router and my PC is on a wired Ethernet LAN. If both devices were on the same WiFi router, then I think SplashTop would be even more responsive!

Week 4: Adventures of a Droid Tablet
The only thing new this week is my using my finger as the stylus! Actually, the finger works even better than using a capacitive stylus. Before I tried all this, I read everywhere that you need to use a stylus to get the best results, I beg to differ. The stylus worked great on the Wacom Tablet, for instance. 
Also, it seems that the Kindle Fire HD does have BlueTooth, but it's a bit limited. BlueTooth connectivity is limited to input from a headset mic or wireless keyboard and output to external speakers or headphones or car stereo. So, using the Kindle's mic remotely over BlueTooth to record my voice on a PC for a screencast is not in the cards. BTW, I think you can also add an external mouse via BlueTooth or USB.


Week 5: Adventures of a Droid Tablet  
I did everything the same way this week as last. Everyday I'd start by hooking up my USB Memory Stick (to backup my screencast and smartnotes at the end of class) and USB Mic. Then I'd start up Xournal and VTI from my Documents folder. Then I'd start up SplashTop Streamer on the PC and SplashTop2 App on the Kindle. Then I'd play a Youtube or go over the homework for about 45 minutes. Then I'd start up Screencast-o-matic to record new material for about 45-90 minutes. Then I'd do some practice problems from the new homework page while the video rendered. 
After class, I'd upload the mp4 to YouTube and the pdf to slideshare, link these files to edmodo and back them up to my USB drive.

Observations: Adventures of a Droid Tablet 
What's nice about the Droid Tablet (Kindle Fire HD 8.9") is that it's more compact than the laptop and I can see what I write right on its screen unlike the Wacom Tablet!  

I like Xournal since it exports to PDF format directly. Say goodbye to Windows Journal!

The Teamviewer App is very easy to use and connects my Droid to the PC Desktop via RDP over WiFi instead of BlueTooth.



I played with TeamViewer for Meetings's Streamer and App combination. It adds VOIP and Whiteboard mode for free. However, I had a lot of audio feedback using VOIP. I think the problem is that TeamViewer for Meetings does the exact opposite as compared to Teamviewer. Teamviewer allows you to control a PC desktop from a mobile device. Teamviewer for Meetings lets you control several mobile devices from the PC desktop thereby conducting a virtual meeting where several coworkers can connect to the meeting from their tablets or cell phones. The people using mobile devices cannot affect the presentation, but they can hear the presenter via VOIP and the can participate via VOIP. So, when I had the tablet near the PC running Teamviewer for Meetings, I inadvertently setup an audio feedback loop! 

Plain vanilla TeamViewer is still a nice solution if you want to run the Streamer from RAM and you don't want to pay a subscription fee for remote access over the internet.

Teamviewer is very easy to setup and I can set the resolution of the Droid to match that of the PC so I can use the full screen on both devices. However, Splashtop is more responsive when using a capacitive stylus to write notes on Xournal.




There are several Splashtop Droid Apps. Another one, which costs $8.99, is Splashtop Whiteboard. This gives you all the bells and whistles of a SmartNotebook without using SmartNotebook. I think that Splashtop Whiteboard is to the Droid as Doceri is to the iPad. Also, I wouldn't need Xournal if I used this version of SplashTop.



What's interesting about SplashTop is that it's not meant to be used the way I am using it! I'm using SplashTop2. SplashTop WhiteBoard is a relatively new addition. Also, there's SplashTop X Window which gives you a second desktop to extend the size of the display for your PC. There's even SplashTop HD for viewing movies and and playing video games in high resolution remotely from your desktop to your tablet. Not all these apps are free! There's Streamers for Windows, Mac and Linux (beta). Also, there's apps for iOS and anDroid. That's 6 different configurations available to you! 


Beware, Splashtop is only free if both the PC and the mobile device are on the same local WiFi router. Otherwise, I think you need to pay a subscription fee of $16.99 per year or $1.99 per month. Luckily, I have a free account from the college. 


So, if you look at SplashTop marketing and reviews on YouTube, you will see that people are using this setup to watch flash videos on iPads (flash is not available on iPad) or to use productivity apps such as Windows Office on a Droid Tablet (there's no office apps on iOS or anDroid). That's all well and good, but I need to screencast and whiteboard!



BTW, SplashTop recently renamed the app as SplashTop Personal. Now you don't need all the different apps such as SplashTop2, SplashTop HD, SplashTop X Window or SplashTop WhiteBoard. All that functionality is in SplashTop Personal. However, you still have to pay $1.99 per month for remote access over the internet and $1.99 more per month if you want the features of a WhiteBoard app. Now you can choose from SplashTop Personal, SplashTop Business or SplashTop Enterprise! What an embarrassment of riches to choose from!

Conclusions: Adventures of a Droid Tablet
I will use a similar setup in Linux when I go back to my home school:
(1) USB Mic
(2) WiFi DROID 8.9" Tablet
(3) Virtual TI-83 or SAGE
(4) Xournal Pen Windows App
(5) http://screencast-o-matic.com
(6) SplashTop DroidApp/LinuxStreamer


I may try a BlueTooth Mic or some sort of VOIP solution that lets me use the Droid's Mic. At present, this does not seem to be an option in SplashTop. SplashTop sends the PC's video and audio output to the Droid and the Droid's Mouse (stylus) and Keyboard output to the PC. I hope they will add an option to reverse the audio in the near future? If I use SplashTop Whiteboard, I could get rid of Xournal too. Also, I use a desktop screencaster in Linux called avconv that renders in realtime so I don't have to waste time rendering after class. So, my Linux setup would be much simpler:
(1) Tablet (remote Mouse, Keyboard and Mic)
(2) Virtual TI-83 or SAGE
(3) avconv screencaster
(4) SplashTop DroidApp/LinuxStreamer

Using a BlueTooth Keyboard and USB Mouse may be an option when using productivity apps remotely via Splashtop. With this setup, I can use the tablet as a full-fledged laptop! If I had my druthers, I'd use a Lenovo IdeaPad 13" Yoga which is a laptop when you want it and a 13" tablet when you don't! However, the Kindle's price point is unresistible! BTW, there's an onscreen keyboard on the Droid, but it takes a lot of screen space.

Stay tuned this Fall, when I teach preCalculus starting from the back of the book with Sequences and Series! Also, I won't use a Graphing Calculator anymore. I with by programming in Python on an online Computer Algebra System (CAS) such as SAGE! ... and don't forget to follow the new paradigm: "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) to work!


Finally, did I mention that no SmartTech hardware or software was harmed ...er... used during the production of this blog?

Sincerely,
A. Jorge Garcia
 
Applied Math, Physics and CS
Teaching with Technology, 
pastebin youtube slideshare 
mathforum apcommunity
sage ebay





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Saturday, May 21, 2011

http://appinventor.googlelabs.com and the Twitterverse!

My AP Computer Science students finally got tired of playing bzflag, starcraft1, tremulous and glest after their AP exam during AP week. So, they rangled me into starting a final project based on programming apps for the Droid OS! Here's what we've accomplished so far:

 does! Starting final project for my  class running   using   

Actually, we started all this at the http://ilearnedtoprogram.com site which has the link listed above. Also, as you can see, I started tweeting about this project too. On a recent post I wrote "I became a Twit on Twitter so I can Tweet!" Well, now that I'm a veteran on Twitter, I see that they don't call themselves Twits, they call themselves Tweeps. So, I should have said "I became a Tweep on Twitter so I can Tweet!" In anycase, I turned to my fellow Tweeps for help! BTW, I'm not on Facebook much anymore, but I set up an app that posts my tweets simultaneously on both Twitter and Facebook as a new status!


 does! Step 1: dl  to run   on our 32bit   10.10. We have  installed and hope we don't need 
This step was not entirely necessary, but my class wanted to try out Google Chrome. It was an easy download from http://google.com/chrome all we had to do was click on the *.deb 32bit package and the Ubuntu installer popped right up!


This step also boiled down to a debian app downloaded from http://appinventor.googlelabs.com and installed via the Ubuntu Software Center. BTW, I suspect the installer is just a GUI frontend for dpkg.

 does! Step 3: Trying helloPurr tutorial today but can't get   in  working???  file will not run!

Now we ran into one heck of a SNAFU! So, I asked the fellow appinventor tweeps from the twitterverse for advice:


 hi! I see you are using . I can't get jpnl file to run when I start blocks editor. How did u get past this?
 did you try opening the downloaded jpnl file directly? I opened the downloaded file and it works, takes some time to open though.
 I tried in Ubuntu on both Firefox and Chrome and have the same problem!

 hi! I see u r using . I am having trouble running blocks editor, how did you run it? The jpnl file just downloads!
 you need to double-click the downloaded file and follow the prompts. It links to your appinventor session. Really enjoying it!
 How do you open that file? I double clicked it and it didn't run, it just started up Firefox again and tried to download itself???
 Almost there! Download the JDK and open the jpnl file with the included javaws app. Now getting err re. setup commands.
 We have Sun JRE which does not include javaws. Google specifically says not to use openJDK?
 The JDK was the one I installed to get to javaws. With the .deb pckg things seemed to work. Let me know how you get on. Cheers.
 Thanx for ur help. I think u r right. I have to install JDK to have javaws available. So, I will try to do that on Monday.



So, I suppose Sun (Oracle actually) JDK will need to be installed on every linux box after all. The main difference between my Student Stations and my Servers is that the server has JDK but not JRE installed and the Student stations have the JRE and no JDK. I did this on purpose as my AP Computer Science students need the JDK to do their work, so they simply ssh into the server. Its convenient to have JDK on one server so i need maintain it on only one box and the students can also use it from home! The JRE is on the Student Stations for SAGE to do 3D graphs. BTW, I have the JRE on the Teacher Station for the same reason, but I also need it for http://screenccast-o-matic.com



Well, stay tuned for updates on this project. Wish us luck! I hope you found this post informative. BTW, if you're wondering what the YouTube above has to do with anything on this post, its a video I got by following the NASA tweep tweeting yesterday on twitter about the USS Endeavour's final mission!


UPDATE: If you use a network proxy to get internet access, make sure that both JRE and JDK are configured to use it. For the JRE, goto "System/Preferences/Network Proxy." For JDK, goto "Applications/Accessories/Terminal" and fire up javaws -viewer. At my school, I had to use my network login credentials on each station to get *.jnlp files to run correctly!

HTH, good luck with your droid apps!

Learning with Technology, 
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