Daniel Brown - Here is some Help for your Web Page

As the semester is coming to a close all students have the same thing in mind.  To finish strong and get the best grade possible in every course to ensure a rise in overall grade point average.  In M.I.S one of our last assignments is to create a web page, and here are some resources to help with that task.

http://www.webs.com/features.htm - is a website that provides a number of templates and resources to help design a professional looking webpage.  The sign-up is free and is relatively easy to use.

http://www.netidnow.com/how-to-guides/how-to-design-your-own-website.html - provides information regarding how to design a website that is easy to read using color schemes, font, graphics and layouts.

http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp - this website provides an HTML tutorial if a student wants to utilize the coding in their webpage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR-V_CZMFJA - The link to a youtube video titled “ How to design a website”

Last but not least are links to the two website designers mentioned in class in case you were not there. http://www.wix.com/ & https://www.yola.com/make-a-free-website.html Again good luck everyone on your website and submit it in on time to receive full credit  

Website Creation Assistance

As the semester is coming to a close all students have the same thing in mind.  To finish strong and get the best grade possible in every course to ensure a rise in overall grade point average.  In M.I.S one of our last assignments is to create a web page, and here are some resources to help with that task.

http://www.webs.com/features.htm - is a website that provides a number of templates and resources to help design a professional looking webpage.  The sign-up is free and is relatively easy to use.

http://www.netidnow.com/how-to-guides/how-to-design-your-own-website.html - provides information regarding how to design a website that is easy to read using color schemes, font, graphics and layouts.

http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp - this website provides an HTML tutorial if a student wants to utilize the coding in their webpage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR-V_CZMFJA - The link to a youtube video titled “ How to design a website”

Last but not least are links to the two website designers mentioned in class in case you were not there. http://www.wix.com/ & https://www.yola.com/make-a-free-website.html Good luck everyone on your website I hope this is helpful, and submit it on time to receive full credit.

Nick Holland

Nicholas Holland-----Throughout the semester Prof. Sistrunk has shown the class a lot of new technologies that are on the rise, from the cars that can drive themselves to the Google glasses, which was my favorite. However, recently there has been a major development in holograms. As a kid I thought by the time I grew to be 21 that holograms like the ones in Star Wars would be standard, but in 2012 we see the first developments of holograms taking a turn in that direction.

At Cochella 2012 Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre performed some of their classic hits from the 1990s. Those two along with 2Pac had countless hits while signed to Death Row record company in the 90s. During the concert an almost life-like hologram of 2Pac appeared on the stage. His movements were so detailed that even his necklace would moved when his body moved. Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre proceeded to preform with the hologram for an electrifying performance. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGbrFmPBV0Y

Ever since this performance, the web has been buzzing about how advanced holograms actually are and the possibilities. People have been talking about the possibility of having holograms go on tour. 2Pac could have 4 different shows going on at different places all at the same time. Corning Inc. has already been working on these developments with home entertainment but never as big as a concert. 

The hologram actually works buy projecting the image on a reflective surface on the floor and being projected on a clear film covering the stage to give the illusion that a three dimensional object is actually on the stage. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqOLy0TBDLU

Lawrence Stuart

It is really amazing the various potential opportunities coming available today and tomorrow. The things that are imagined as a child come to light in reality because someone didn't give up on their youthful thoughts. What's next? Well I guess it's up to the many strong youthful minds that hold on to their youthful thoughts and apply their imagination as their guide. 

 

As I walk amongst my peers I recognize the thirst to make a difference. This thirst may one day be quenched in the next big Idea.  We have all heard the the phrase, "shoot for the stars and If you fall short, you'll still be in the clouds." I see this often as I interact with my classmates. Mr. Sistrunk you often provide us with new and efficient ways to move forward and I see the wheels turning as you open our minds. I look forward to hearing about that next big idea that may come from an individual sitting in close proximity to me today.  As my tip that I have identified, I will attempt to feed the brains of our thinking minds.  Papa Johns has a program through their online order system where each order gets you closer and closer to a free Large Pizza if you order online vs. by calling in. See below

 

Papa Rewards

• 25 Points

Enroll in Papa Rewards and get free pizza fast. You will earn reward points every time your order online at papajohns.com, automatically. It's that easy. The more you order online, the more reward points you will earn! When you earned enough points, redeem them for a FREE PIZZA. Plus, enjoy extra Perks throughout the year with our special promotions and offers. When you're ready to order your free pizza, enter 25PAPA in the promo code field and enjoy. (Note: Points may not be added to your account until the next full business day after placing an order.)

Zayd Babb-Alibey

During our many classes we covered various topics that covered how the world is moving to being more cloud based and more innovative. We spoke briefly about google developing a car that will actually drive itself. Growing up many thought that by this day and age we would have already reached that stage and surpassed it, moving towards flying cars as seen on the Jetsons. But instead we are just reaching this point. It may be that us as humans aren’t ready to allow artificial intelligence take control and drive us without our assistance.

 But if we really think about it, it is already happening. Take GPS for example, we no longer depend on maps or mapquest directions, we now depend on a device to tell us where to go. Or the cars that are equipped with active park assist, the blind spot indicators, and even ways to tell if your falling asleep at the wheel and keep you awake. Looking more into this I came across Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE). This technology alloys you to connect your car to a convoy along the highway and basically allow the car to drive by itself and be controlled by the train leader. The train leader controls the breaking, steering, and acceleration of your car until you send a signal saying you want to leave the train. Once you send the signal you regain full control of your vehicle and can continue on your way doing whatever you like. This may sound very iRobot like but this is an reality and will change how we drive day to day and take trips in the future.

Here is the link to the video: http://youtu.be/BaE3H9UFVrw

Ryan Holmes

In a day and age where technology of all varieties seem to be available from all types of places, some consumers can be skeptical about what they are buying. Seeing as products have become more innovative, and in some cases more fragile, sometimes consumers just need a place to go where they can ensure they know the product is worth the price.

Well look no further, I have come across a very useful site where you can see product reviews and prices, software downloads, and tech news. The site is known as cnet, it is powered by google, and a pretty helpful site. Check it out.

http://www.cnet.com/

A few months ago I introduced you to two new web site: (this post was not published earlier)

Monday Jan. 30, 2012:  http://www.killerstartups.com - Find newly created web sites.

Wednesday Feb. 1, 2012: http://www.tunein.com - has a mobile app and links you with radio stations around the world

Jeffrey Lothian - Atlanta Home Delivery

Recently I went to breakfast with my brother and his friend and he was telling me the problems he was having with maintaining a car.  While I did agree with what he said, I realized that one of biggest negatives of not having a car was my inability to go grocery shopping.  He told me that while he was an undergrad he would have his groceries delivered to his apartment worry free.  After breakfast, this led me to try to find some type of grocery delivery company that was based in Atlanta.  After a little research I found the website http://www.atlantahomedelivery.com/.  

 

I was a little skeptical at first because the website is not the sleekest looking so I figured that it might be a scam, but I found my results to be different. The website was similar to any type of online shopping that you do. You look through their categories and find the type of food you want and once you are ready to pay you have different delivery options.  The options range from 3 hour delivery to next day delivery with varying prices.  For the next day delivery you will have to pay an extra 13.00 to the price of your food, but for those of you who live on campus or do not have access to a car it is a great way to go grocery shopping in a timely manner. 

Courtland Walls - Square

Since technology today is becoming more advanced and people need things to be done quicker people have began to make things to accommodate these needs. One of these creations is an application for mobile and cellular devices that is called square. This application assists handling money of anyone and acts as a cahsier allowing any type of business to makes sells on the go by being able to charge a person’s credit card without the need of a register or stationary machine. It can also allow you to open a tab with a certain restaurant or maybe even retail store and allow you to buy good and pay them back later all at one time.

This app is very great and on a personal level this app comes very in handy because of the small business I have of my own. This allows me to make sells basically anywhere and at anytime and keeps track of the money that I’ve been earning. The only down part is that they deduct a small fee from any sells you makes that aren’t with cash. Sqaure is big on supporting small businesses and this article talks about that as well.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505268_162-57391279/twitter-co-founder-on-new-payment-device/

Aaron Hodnett - Blog

I am just amazed at seeing different videos on how people are trying to use technology and try to make the future must easier. They are trying to make this more touch and visual then have buttons.

I have been looking and searching for the craziest things and trying to get an idea on how the future may be in the next 10 to 15 years. I'm finding more and more things that is going to make the future very different and easier for a lot of people. Here are a few videos on a touch screen Toyota car, The EXODesk The HTML5 multi-touch development kit, Nike Air Mags, $6400 Luxury Toilet With Foot Warmer, Heated Seat, Bidet Washlet & Built-In Music System.

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhB2R6V2Wp4A9xdIbs

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhwB88O3RY3F46HU7w

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhRU8S7c9HfJVp1B7h

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhr2N0Z64ag0avFr3J

Christian Eddings - Advertising with Social Networks:

Advertising seems as though it is just a simple concept, but if not done properly, poor advertising could be the downfall of a business or product. Proper advertising should connect and speak to the consumers of your product directly. In the age of information advertising is becoming easier and more accessible through gateways such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.

These information gateways have paved the way for self-advertising and made things a lot easier for anyone trying to get the word out about services or products they have to offer. Facebook allows users to create their own page and personalize it by uploading pictures, updating statuses, and sharing different experiences through the ability to share pictures, news stories, and videos. When a company or business creates a page on Facebook that gives them the opportunity to connect with users/consumers of their product because it gives users of Facebook the opportunity to comment on products and their effectiveness much needed feedback and they will be able to see how many people like or are users of their products (through the like function of Facebook). 

Facebook makes advertising easy; when you click on the Create an Ad button on Facebook you are transfer to a page that allows you to personalize your Ad with much detail. They offer features such as picking the Location, Demographics, Interests, and allows you to decide whether you want to be notified when people are interested in your ads by the number of clicks or number of views. Twitter is beneficial for advertising because it permits advertisers to update statues consistently which keeps consumers updated on the latest products and news within the company. This is good because people like to feel as if they are involved in the business processes of a company that they favor and they can respond to Tweets posted by the company giving them the opportunity to express opinions. Although Youtube may not seem like a social network it is a just as much of a social network as Facebook and Twitter comprised of many musicians, dancers, company’s, DJ’s, etc… promoting themselves through the use of video. Youtube is also a useful advertising tool because if someone is popular on youtube they could get paid to advertise for other company’s based on the number of views they get.

            Mastering the art of self-promotion is very important because no one can promote for your company or your services better than you can. I know that it is very important to always be able to connect with your customers and people who have interests in your products that is why when I am looking to advertise for my own business I will start with the social networks such as facebook, twitter, and youtube.

Zimbe Kimbugwe - My Children Will Do it Differently, Especially in the Classroom

It’s needless to say that we are living in a day and age where technology is evolving exponentially. Everywhere you go, everything you do, and most significantly, in the classroom. Children are becoming privy and more technologically sound with the resources that are presented to them and the growth and efficiency of these resources are not slowing down by any means. 

However, America is in the lower tier of acquiring and utilizing new technology so, obviously, we are getting blown out by our respective countries such as China and Japan. In the future, children will be doing things technologically more differently than us as college students could ever imagine. As a matter of fact, it’s pretty assuring to say that kids are already a leap ahead of us. 

A younger cousin of mine in middle school doesn’t carry his backpack around and hasn’t used a book in over a year. In his first day of English class as a 6^th grader, the teacher passed out Laptops and the students took their entire test, wrote all their papers, and even scheduled PTA’s (Parent-Teacher Conferences) by video. So as you see (and this is being preached by Professor Sistrunk in MIS), the need for paper and physical contact in communication is becoming more and more needless in classes. But wait, it gets even scarier. In Japan, classes are already being taught by robots, literally! Don’t believe me? Take a look here 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmvCdZJz-As

Marcus Turner - Pubnub.com - Instant Communications

We constantly learn about new features and websites in our class.  This is very useful as the world we live in is forever changing and is headed to more "cloud" based solutions to our everyday problems. I really appreciate the fact that every class we learn something totally new and helpful.  I currently still use the first couple websites that we learned about daily like Slickdeals and Killerstartups.

While i was strolling on Killerstartups.com last week i found that there is a new website called PubNub.com.  PubNub is a cloud based communication highway that operates on real time messaging.  This product is also called the "Internet two way radio".  They recently broke a record by having 100,000 messages processed in a single second.

They pride themselves on being the new age of messaging technology and see this form of communication as being the prime source of relaying messages. They currently have two different software programs to choose from, the free one and the the paid one.  The free software called PubNub Pro allows you to process under a million messages a month and the paid version gives you unlimited messaging for about 15 dollars a month and it is called PubNub Galaxy.

This type of start-up is what we as young people need to try to look at.  The people of PubNub identified a problem which was the need for instant messaging in large groups and they came up with a solution that properly solve the problem. 

Clifton Blair - Human and Computer

    Since the beginning of time humans have tried to make their daily lives easier by manufacturing technology that allows them to stay closer to loved ones and maintain a certain amount of efficiency in their daily life. But a question many people ask is if humans can live in a world full of technology without robbing themselves of the human experience. 

     Before we answer that question we need to take a look at the population who has a certain allegiance towards high tech hardware and why. Ranging from revolutionary products such as the blackberry to the iPhone these products have allowed people to save time and maintain a close to perfect routine for at least decade. Therefore, it's understandable that someone would be so obsessed with this valuable life tool.

    As humans we naturally we strive for perfection and we strive to produce products that are perfect. However, we know from Genesis that any creation is a direct reflection of its creator. Therefore, being that we are imperfect creatures our creations will not be perfect either.

   So to answer the question on if humans can take advantage of life experiences in a world where people glorify technology is that it is very possible. To make this possible we must maintain a certain balance between the real world and digital experiences. For example one could go to a concert or a coffee shop to meet people that have similar interest and later messaging them on Facebook to catch up on your experience. Once we start integrating technology with our real world experiences then we wont face that much of a problem.

Homework #9 - vlookup function - Due Sunday April 15, 2012 at midnight

This Excel Assignment will use the Vlookup function. See the two videos below. The excel file can be accessed from this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfqR_xfiEd0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wHtcct7mCE



Aaron Hodnett Post about Google car

Since being in MIS I have been thinking about technology more then ever it is amazing how things have changed through the years. From having a cord house telephone to a cordless telephone. Technology seems like it evolves every days, seems that something new comes out all the time. I have been paying a lot of attention to google and apple, it seems like this two corporations are moving the fastest in many different categories.

I saw this video Google made with a Google car for a blind man. The care used google maps to help the man get around in the car. Its just so amazing that man that can not see will have the ability to get around without having anyone help him. It makes people feel like they can depend on themselves. I cannot image what technology will be like in the next 10 to 20 years here is the video of the self driving google car.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdgQpa1pUUE

Monday April 9, 2012 Class - Google Places

Monday we talked about using Google Places to advertise a business. This service replaced the yellow pages by allowing people to use google to search for local businesses.

See chart below on how Google Places in Red overtook Yellow Pages in Blue over a six year period.

I used my Hannibal Group account (my appraisal business) to show how it works.

I pay to have my ad show when people search for appraisal services, using certain keywords. Currently I have a limit of $50 per month and I am willing to pay up to about $2.50 every time someone clicks on my link. I do not pay for the ad showing, only when someone clicks on it.  The key is to make sure you have chosen the best keywords and are willing to pay enough to have your ad show up on the first page of the map results.

There are many small businesses that need this service and would be willing to pay someone, if you can show them how they can make additional income by using this service.

Also, I showed how I tract results from my ads by having people who visit my site, request a copy of an old appraisal and provide their email address. I use formsite.com. I am able to see when each click from my ad is made and match those clicks with people who request an appraisal. Of course, not everyone who clicks my ad, requests a copy of an appraisal. But a percentage does.

I keep those emails for future marketing while matching them with orders that come into the office. In class, I showed two orders in the past 6 months, that generated $3,000 in sales, while Google Places cost me about $40 per month. I use billingboss.com to tract the invoices. So for the cost of $240,  I can confirm at least $3,000 in orders. However, most people just call me direct and do not click the ad. I know this because I ask people when they call, how did they find me and 99% say, google.

By Malcolm Farrar - Google Places

  Today in Class Professor Sistrunk discussed with us Google Places.  Google Places is a blessing for those with/launching a small business.   The reason; Today more people search for businesses online than any other source, so it is extremely important to have your business listed.   Not only does Google Places allow you to list your business online, but also allows you to take a proactive approach in order to broaden your business and your consumer.   
 

            Google Places gives you all the tools you need to self promote your business.  First off Google Places allows your business to be in the game with its free local platform, and we all know that in order to win, you got to be on the field.  Google Places also allows you to dress up your business to whatever suites you or your target market, giving you the ability to add photos, videos, post live updates, and even respond to customer reviews to give that personal touch every business wants.

            What I found that was really interesting was the Google Adwords feature.  Google Adwords will promote your business for you! When someone searches a tag word or search your area for a certain service or goods your business will pop on their results, and will even be pinpointed on a map.  Unfortunately Google Adwords is not free, however you are able to determine your monthly budget, AND are only charged when someone actually clicks on your site.   To top that off this feature will tell you how many people clicked on your site so that you can make a decision on your budget… awesome.

           

Google Places to me is sheer Greatness.  Starting your own business is difficult and scary, Google Places just made your life a whole lot easier.

Hakeem Atwater - “Cheap!” I Call it Intelligence!

Since I can remember I have always been a frugal spender. I’ve been called every name, from “penny pincher” to “cheap skate” to “stingy.” But I call it intelligence! I strongly believe that the reason there are not more Million and even Billionaires in the world are because people love to spend above their means, and do not have the discipline to crunch down. Professor Sistrunk has stressed that spending frugally and not jumping at the immediate return is one aspect that can make others successful. Sistrunk, said that people always want the instant gratification, rather than the long-term pleasure. Take this as an example… Most young males would rather buy the $200 pair of Jordan’s, than the $60 pair of normal Nike shoes. The $200 Jordan’s bring instant gratification of being able to showoff to the public and tweet about just buying a pair of overpriced shoes. Where on the other hand you can buy the $60 pair of shoes and allocate these extra funds to other things.

Students at Morehouse College fall into this category of foolish spending because everyone is trying to make a fashion statement. Every Fall and Spring, students blow their entire refund check on clothes, shoes or expensive dining, only to be broke within the following month. There are however, a small group of students who use their money to invest. By doing this these students are working to invest in their future wealth; thus working for a long-term pleasure. Why do students continue to make dumb decisions?

So, am I “cheap” or “stingy” or am I showing signs of intelligence? I like to believe that I am the latter. The first step in saving money is being comfortable not following the crowd. Second, find the sales and the discounts. And finally, watch your bank account grow and not dwindle and cash out!

As Professor Sistrunk says, “Put Money Away!”

A few helpful sites that have a number of discount that I use..

Slickdeals.net

Restaurant.com

Groupon.com

Atlantadealsites.com

Andrew Frazier - Iphone Legal Issue - $15 Refund Possible

Since we are now living in the age of the iPhone I thought it would be important to share Apple's recent legal issue regarding the original iPhone 4. Nonetheless, I recently received an email that disclosed a class action suit for all original iPhone4 users as of February 17, 2012. Apple has decided to settle out (not admitting any wrongdoing) in providing a $15 refund to all carriers due to "misrepresentations" and antenna reception errors. Furthermore, they've made it easy to file and all you have to do is complete a claim form and submit it before August 28, 2012 in order to receive your cash settlement. Attached are the details of the settlement from the email blast as well as links to submit a claim.

P.S. Peep the disclosed case expenses & Attorney Fees $$$

LEGAL NOTICE If you are or were the original owner of an iPhone 4,  you could be entitled to benefits under a class action  settlement.

The settlement will provide a $15 cash payment if you are a United States resident who is or was the original owner of an iPhone 4, experienced antenna or reception issues, and satisfy other requirements explained below. The United States District Court for the Northern District of California authorized this notice. The Court will have a hearing to consider whether to approve the settlement so that the benefits may be paid. Who’s Affected? You’re a “Class Member” if you are a United States resident who is or was the original owner of an iPhone 4 as of February 17, 2012. What’s this About? The lawsuit claimed that the iPhone 4’s signal quality attenuates when users handle the phone and that Apple engaged in misrepresentations regarding the phone. Apple denies all allegations and is entering into this settlement to avoid burdensome and costly litigation. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing. What can you Get from the Settlement? Apple will provide a $15 cash payment to Class Members who send in a valid claim form. The claim form will require you to declare that you: (a) experienced antenna or reception issues with your iPhone 4; (b) were unable to return your iPhone 4 without incurring any costs; (c) were unwilling to use a case or free bumper for your iPhone 4; and (d) completed certain troubleshooting steps or are unable to complete the troubleshooting steps because you no longer own your iPhone 4. Since July 2010, Apple has offered a free bumper to iPhone 4 owners who have experienced antenna or reception issues. Class Members can continue to request a free bumper as described at  http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4389.

How do you Get a Payment? A detailed notice and claim form package contains everything you need. Just call 1-877-417-7234 or go to www.iPhone4settlement.com to get one. Important Deadlines To claim a cash payment, you must submit the claim form on or before August 28, 2012. If you do not claim a cash payment within this time period, you will lose your right to obtain this benefit. What are your Options? If you don’t want to make a claim and you don’t want to be legally bound by the settlement, you must postmark your request to exclude yourself by June 15, 2012, or you won’t be able to sue, or continue to sue, Apple about the claims in this case. If you exclude yourself, you will not be eligible to receive a payment from this settlement. If you stay in the Class, you may object to the settlement. Objections must be received by June 15, 2012. The detailed notice describes how to exclude yourself or object. The Court will hold a hearing in this case (In re Apple iPhone 4 Products Liability Litigation, Case No.5:10-md-02188-RMW) on July 13, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. to consider whether to approve (1) the settlement and (2) attorneys’ fees and expenses of up to $5.9 million and stipends to Plaintiffs of up to $500 each. You may appear at the hearing, but you don’t have to. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense. To obtain a full notice and claim form, go to www.iPhone4settlement.com or call toll free 1-877-417-7234. For more details, go to www.iPhone4settlement.com or write to Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, Attn: Rick Nelson, Class Member Relations, 655 West Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101.

Lawrence Stuart - Square.com

Do you have a business that would benefit from accepting credit card payments? The square card reader accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover on you IPad, IPhone or Android with a free card reader. The square card reader can be accessed at squareup.com. The opportunity provides you with a minimal transaction fees, allows customers to sign for purchases with their finger and deposits are made to your account the next business day after sale.

Customers can add a tip and receive an electronic receipt via text or email. As a business owner you can also review your sales history and resend receipts or issue refunds to your customers as need be.  

Google Glasses - WOW

If you thought the Google Car was interesting, Google is now showing off the future with Google glasses. The Google glasses will connect you to the internet and use voice recognition

Check out the video below.

Who said the future will not be fun.

Jamal Ellison Blog Post - This class is about life

In our classroom discussions, Professor Sistrunk completely captures my attention when he applies lectures to real life situations. The three lectures that impacted me the most were responsible use of credit, establishing a budget, and property information via public records. In this blog, I will show how you can further educate yourself on all three of these subjects.

In college, students are introduced to credit without knowing fully what it is to begin with. Credit card companies bombard campuses and sell a dream that college students buy every day. Professor Sistrunk explained that it is up to us, the students, to make sure we are properly educated about credit. Below you will find a link to a website that provides credit education as well as a site that offers a free way to check your credit history once per year.

www.transunion.com/personal-credit/credit-education.page

www.annualcreditreport.com

Upon graduation, monthly budgets are essential in ensuring that you do not loose track of your finances. In class, we learned how to create a budget on Microsoft Excel. However, when you are not always around your computer, it can be difficult to manage that budget. I found a cool app called Expensify for iPhone AND Android that offers an easy way to keep track of your spending by importing credit card data and information from receipts that can be tracked by photographs.

https://www.expensify.com/mobile

When buying a house, it is important to find out all information about the house and the neighborhood that it is in. You want to know that you are getting a good deal on the house and you can do this by accessing the neighborhood property value, mortgage history, as well as the assessed value. I found a website that allows you to look at all of that information as well as the current sales price if it happens to be for sale at the time.

http://www.realtor.com/property-search?source=web

The understanding of these three resources could mean the difference between a good decision and a bad decision. I encourage my peers to learn about all three of these topics as they will prepare them for the real world that comes after college. Sacrifice today so that you may live a better life tomorrow.

Kalief Frank-Cohen - Excel

Throughout this semester we have been doing a lot of hands on work with Microsoft Excel. Being an accounting major I find all the work we do in excel to be very useful. By now we should all have a general understanding of accounting, and how businesses use accounting to plan their activities. In planning, a company must be sure that the financial information is both accurate and organized in order to ensure that management is making the best decision for the company.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jam2D0T4_Jk

The link above shows how excel can be used in a business. You are able to organize the data and refer to it in the decision making process. For example, let’s say you are the president of a company. As the president you make major financial decisions for the company and you rely heavily on the accounting and financing departments. Excel is an easy way to organize data such as: cash, accounts receivable, sales information, purchases, budgets, etc. This information can be helpful when deciding which programs, products, or departments to finance (or cut). This is just one way excel data can help a business.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VV8dqBTFgU

As we previously discussed in class excel can be used to help you manage your personal finances. The use of budgets and pie charts gives you a break down of how you money is spent. You can use this information to adjust your budget in an effort to increase savings, and decrease wasteful spending. The video above shows how to make a basic budget in excel.

In summary, we see that excel can be used both in a professional setting and in a personal setting. It is important that we learn excel so that we can be competitive in a professional setting and efficient in a personal setting. We have many resources available to us (i.e Youtube, Google, etc.). Use these resources to improve you skills in excel and plan out a better future for yourself. It is very important in this economy.

Cameron Staten - Illness

In relation to Dr. Sistrunk's illness, I plan to do a blog on how fevers are caused, its treatments, and the various illnesses associated with getting a fever. A fever is a higher-than-normal body temperature (98.7 degrees) that can cause waves of chills or exhaustion usually occuring from infection or inflammation; although its causes can vary from drugs, heat exposure, poisons, cancer, injuries to the brain, or disease to the homonal or glandular system.  With this, rarely does an adult have "just a fever", it is usually accompanied by symptoms that help medical doctor's indicate what fever-causing illness is present in the individual.

The human body's temperature is regulated by a component in the brain called hypothalamus, which is essentially a thermostat for the body that maintains normal body temperature through heating and cooling mechanism such as shivering and sweating.  When pyrogens, fever-causing substances, enter our body from an outside source it triggers the hypothalamus to increase our body temperature's set point causing our body to shiver in an attempt to heat up to the new body temperature cause by the pyrogens.  Pyrogens include: viruses, fungi, bacteria, drugs, and toxins.

A body temperature of 100-101 degrees is consider a low-level fever, while a temperature of 103-104 are high-level fevers, and lastly a body temperature of 104-107 is a dangerous high-level fever.  The different levels of fevers help clinicians indicate the severity of the fever, while  the frequency of fevers help show which type of fever it is.  Prolonged fevers are fevers lasting longer than two weeks; a constant fever is continuous and usually low-level; a chronic fever last longer than 4 days; an intermittent fever fluctuates between normal body temperature and fever level for 1-3 days; and remittent fevers that come and go over a span of longer than 3 days.  

There are many variables to consider when having a fever and medical assistance is key in finding the right treatment for the illness one has.  In conclusion get better Dr. Sistrunk, hope to see you next week. 

Eddie Bankston - Macofalltrades

On a daily basis I find myself fighting the battle of choosing between instant gratification and self fulfillment. However, since being in MIS with Professor Sistrunk, he has presented us with ways to have our cake and eat it too. Not only has he taught us the difference between instant gratification and needs, he's taught us the difference between being cheap and frugal. Now that I know the difference, I like to consider myself frugal.

 

 The deal sites that he has provided us with help those frugal in pocket. Slickdeals.com is one of the sites that I found quite useful. The site that I found most useful though happens to be Mint.Com. I do very well with managing my money but Mint.Com has improved my methods drastically. The weekly updates, low-balance reminders, budget restraints, and just the site overall have proven to really save me time from trying to add up where I'm spending my money at. 

 

 

Since being in Professor Sistrunk's class, I am constantly looking for ways to save money. In browsing the web while looking for an inexpensive MacBook (I still end up going through the Apple Store because they financed me) I found a cool website for those with cash on hand to get a great MacBook for a fraction of the cost, the website is MacOfAllTrades.Com You can find slightly used, refurbished, and scratch and dent MacBooks here for a cheaper cost than going elsewhere. They also offer warranties on their products.

--

--

 

--

Eddie L. Bankston Jr.

Business Administrations, Accounting

Morehouse College '13

Eddie.Bankston@gmail.com

Homework #8 - Charts - Due Sunday night April 8, 2012

Homework #8 is an Excel Tutorial about creating charts. Like maps, charts are a good visual way of showing information and helps the user highlight important areas within the data set. Your assignment will generate four different charts from four different sets of data.

View the Tutorials below. The first tutorial has a link to an excel file you can use to practice. Click on the youtube link to get to the actual youtube page with the video and information about the video that will include a link to download the practice excel data.

Download the excel spreadsheet below a create a different chart for each sheet. Each charts should be a different type (Pie, Line, GANTT, Bar, etc.), you decide.

Homework #8

Your grade will be based on how much detail you add to the charts that indicate you experimented with charting characteristics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxW2gpBrGmg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9HDntWiDLs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cv_RHWs7cM

Monday April 2, 2012 Class - Cloud-based Telephony

Today we discussed cloud telephony, which is moving company telecommunications to the cloud. By doing this, a company can 1) lower operating costs, 2) offer more and faster customer service, 3) better control over office telecommunication services and 4) de-link people from the office (staff mobility).

Get rid of the fax number and fax machine with an efax service. These services provide you with a personal phone number, will capture your faxes and email them to you.
www.trustfax.com
www.maxemail.com

Put your pbx (private branch exchange) in the cloud. Most companies have a pbx that takes one or more incoming phone lines and links them to an unlimited number of internal extensions. An in-office pbx is similar to a computer. Now there are cloud based pbx systems that allow you to have full control of the company telephone system from anywhere.
www.ringcentral.com

Take "ownership" of your phone number from your phone company. Turn that number into a forwarding number and point it to any number . It can be used to point a number to your cellphone number or majicjack. The underlying phone number can allows change but you can always give out the same forwarding number.
www.parkmyphone.com

One of the best cloud based voicemail systems is: www.youmail.com