What Do I Like and Dislike About Math?

Math was never a preferred subject of mine, however, I always knew that in order to continue my education, math is a subject that I needed to take and successfully pass. When I think about the math courses I took in high school, I can honestly say that I didn’t do well. I always thought the way I comprehended the work was always an issue…and it was.

In my first year of college, I took some refresher courses, and it had some of the same material that I took in high school. I noticed that I did so much better, and I actually passed the classes with ease.

The way the math was taught by the instructor and the way I understood it allowed me to comprehend the information much better. The one thing I did learn about that past experience was that people have their own way of teaching, and people have their own way of learning.

With that being said, I enjoy dealing with fractions, integers, word problems/problem solving, exponents and other types of math. I enjoy these because it’s dealing with numbers only and it’s easier for me to understand the process and the steps that were taken to figure out the answer.

The parts of math I don’t like are Algebra and anything after that. Algebra deals with variables, and that confuses the heck out of me. When attempting to use variables to figure out equations, it really frustrates me and it takes a lot longer to process this type of information, and I feel that I don’t have enough time to find a solution to the problem.

Shawn Bradley

Mathematical Knowledge – Can it Help in the Long Run?

Being able to have some type of mathematical knowledge is always a strong point for anyone. For example, I’m sure we all have been in a situation in which we were in the process of receiving some type of funds in return, such as: receiving change from shopping at a retail store, receiving funds from a bank teller or even receiving change after buying your favorite meal at a particular restaurant, and all of a sudden you’ve noticed that you did not receive the correct amount of change in return. In situations like these, being able to add and subtract can and will keep you safe.

Having knowledge of math has helped me from being cheated several times throughout my life. I can remember an incident in which I was underpaid on a paycheck a few years ago. It was an obvious mistake, because I know that I worked 80.00 hours within the pay period. The error was never revealed, but I believed that as the information was being processed in the payroll database, the numbers became transposed. I say that because my paycheck showed that I only worked 08.00 hours in the two week time frame and it should have stated 80.00 hours.

The lesson I’ve learned from this experience was that just because a certain type of computer software calculates your hours and earnings…it doesn’t mean that it’s always correct. Always double check to make sure that you are being paid correct.

Shawn Bradley

Left-Brained or Right-Brained?

Do I consider myself a Left-brained or Right-brained person? I would say that I consider myself both, but for most of the time it’s “Left-brained”. It may sound confusing, but I believe there are lots of people who are committed to being labeled as both. I will say that it depends on the type of material I am looking over at that time. This will determine which route I will go as far as how I want to comprehend the information.

The best example I have is when I am learning a new software application. I know that if I try to memorize what is being explained to me, I will probably forget most of what I was taught. To make this situation easier for me, I will create my own personal documentation. My documentation would include lists, words and step-by-step-instructions (Left-brained) on how to navigate throughout the database. I would also include lots of screenshots (Right-brained) within my documentation to help me visually understand what I am doing.

Everyone has their own personal way of learning and understanding the material that’s presented to them, and as long as you are comfortable with how you learn, then you will be fine.

Shawn Bradley

FingerReader

FingerReader is a wearable ring that allows the visually impaired to read printed text in books and on electronic devices. FingerReader was developed by researchers at MIT. MIT stands for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Per the researches at MIT, the FingerReader ring will help the blind access more resources than what’s already available in the Braille format.

For those of you who may not understand what Braille is, Braille is a form of written language for the blind in which characters are represented by patterns of dots that are felt with the fingertips.

The FingerReader ring is still in its early development stage, and MIT is uncertain when it will become available to the public.

Shawn Bradley

The $53,000 shock of your life

Text messaging is a good way of communication, but it’s what you communicate and how you present it that will determine a positive or negative feedback.

A New York state resident by the name of Louis J. Billittier Jr., broke off his engagement to his fiancée via text message. Billittier Jr. was in the process of suing his fiancée because she would not return the ring to him after he informed her that the engagement was called off. The engagement was called off, because the fiancée refused to sign a prenuptial agreement. During the back and forth text messaging, Mr. Billittier made one simple mistake. He mentioned that the ring was a “parting gift” and by New York State law, “The spouse is entitled to recover the ring, but when it’s mentioned as a gift, then the ring remains in the possession of the fiancée.”

Hopefully this will be a lesson learned that if you choose to break up with someone, the best thing to do is to have the conversation in person.

Shawn Bradley

 

Google Glass

What is Google Glass? Google Glass is a wearable computer with an optical head that you can wear over a pair of glasses. This latest technology was developed by Google, Inc. Google Glass is considered to be a “hands free” computer in which it works by a voice command system.

On April 15, 2014, Google Glass will be available to the public to purchase for one day only. There will be a limited supply of Google Glass available on this date, and the cost will be around $1,500.00 each. If you or anyone you know who may be interested can go to the Google Glass Website to purchase the eyewear.

Shawn Bradley

 

Hotel Keys Being Replaced by “Smartphones”?

If you are an owner of a smart phone and you love to travel, then this article is strictly for you. Starwood Hotels and Resorts who are located in Stamford, Connecticut own and operate some of the finest hotels in the world, such as the Westin, Sheraton and the Four Points by Sheraton.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts are in the process of trying to make your hotel stay just a little bit easier. There’s an app in which the hotel will use to send “digital” keys to a guests smart phone, instead of having them check in once they arrive to the hotel.

The way the system works is that in order for a guest to be allowed into their room, they must use Bluetooth Technology that will unlock the room door in the hotel with a single tap.

The app will be compatible with iPhones 4S and newer models. Starwood Hotels and Resorts plans to debut this new technology within the next few months.

 

Shawn Bradley

“Deepface” by Facebook

Facebook is in the process of creating a facial recognition software that will help identify people on photos. The name of Facebook’s new software is “Deepface”.  The way it works is that the software will be able to recognize two images that will show the same facial features. Several comparisons were done by different people to see if they were able to recognize others in certain photos. Those numbers were compared to Facebook’s “Deepface” software, and the percentages were very close. Deepface correctly guesses the facial features 97.25% of the time correct and humans correctly guessed 97.53% of the time.

The software is still in its researching stage, and it will be presented at the IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition in June 2014.

Shawn Bradley

The new “Connect” App

This is a great article that was written by Alyssa Bereznak (Tech Columnist) at Yahoo Tech.

Connect is a new app that collects data from different areas of social media. The data that’s collected by Connect will be combined into different areas of maps on your device within the app. Some of the social networks that will have data collected  will be Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. This app can be a great source of information, and it can be dangerous, if it’s in the wrong hands.

This new app is just another way of tracking and communicating with friends while they are out and about. I can only speak for myself when I say that I’m not comfortable with someone tracking me down without knowing about it, but if someone really wants to find me, there’s always the Internet. I do know for a fact that if you have used any social media sites like Facebook or LinkedIn, you will probably be found on the Internet with no problem.

I truly hope that people will use this app for all of the right reasons, but I’m sure there will be a few who will take advantage of it in the wrong way.

 

Shawn Bradley

California Court: Driving While Looking at Google Maps is “Legal”

BREAKING NEWS…

In the state of California, a man who received a traffic ticket two years ago for using a “map app” while driving, had his conviction overturned by a Fresno (CA.) appellate court. In other words…it was acceptable for the driver to look away from the road while driving to look at his phone.

We are constantly hearing about state driving laws that are changing to make our roads safer. The banning of using cell phones while driving, and the banning of texting while driving are two laws that have come into effect, because innocent lives are being lost in the hands of people who are not paying attention while driving. It’s even dangerous to eat while driving, because at some point, you may have to take your eyes off the road for a split second to fix your food, or to clean up a small mess.

I have used the GPS Navigational app on my phone several times while driving, however, I would always make sure that the volume is up loud enough, so I can hear the voice feature on the app. The voice feature is the safest option to have while you’re on the road.

Since this conviction was overturned by an appellate court…what can we say about our state driving laws? Are they a joke, can they be trusted, or should the individual who made the decision to overturn the conviction be penalized?

 

Shawn Bradley