Dec 6, 2007

Today is our last day so we'll wrap up the semester. I'll collect the Cell Phone papers, then I'll have just a few final words and take a few closing comments.

Then you're done!

Topics

Homework

Dec 4, 2007

Topics:

Homework:

Nov 29, 2007

Topics:

Homework:

Nov 27, 2007

Yet another brief day as all we have to do is see Luke's presentation from last week.

Topics:

Homework:

Nov 20, 2007

Today is a very brief day to let you start your Thanksgiving a bit early.

Topics:

Homework:

Nov 15, 2007

Topics

Homework

Nov 13, 2007

I don't think it's possible for the day to get any simpler.

Topics:

Scavenger Hunt:

Nov 08, 2007

Topics:

Homework:

Nov 06, 2007

Topics:

Homework:

Nov 01, 2007

Topics:

• Real Life Sim Presentation by Heather
• Discuss: Virtual Itza
• Discuss: Virtual World, Real Life Lawyers
• Discuss: Second Life Faces Mobile Death
• Discuss: Beijing Police Will Patrol Web Virtually
• Discuss: Real Hope in a Virtual World
• Discuss: Dennis Kucinich Opens Up Shop in Second Life
• Discuss: How a Computer Game Glitch Could Help to Fight Off a Global Pandemic

Homework:

Oct 30, 2007

Topics:

Homework:

Oct 25, 2007

Today we tackle the issues surrounding the second half of your "final" project. ...among other things...

Homework

Oct 23, 2007

Topics:

Homework:

Oct 18, 2007

No Class in the classroom today.

Please take this time to work on your Software Simulation Instructional Design packet. They're due next Thursday!

Oct 16, 2007

Topics:

Homework:

Oct 11, 2007

Topics:

Homework:

Oct 9, 2007

Topics:

Homework:

Oct 4, 2007

Three Real Life Sims: Bobby, Alex, & Brian

Topics:

• Oddware Presentations.

Homework:

Oct 2, 2007

No SL Presentations today.

Topics:

Homework:

Sep 27, 2007

Two Real Life Sim presentations. Bobby & Jesse

Topic:

Homework:

Sep 25, 2007

• The Crooked House
• Virtual Hallucinations
• Myst Online

Scavenger Hunt : A pet of some sort. We'll meet at the Beach House and show them off.

Sep 20, 2007

Real Life Simulation Presentation by: Bobby

Topics:

• Hardware Prototypes

Homework:

• Oddware

Sep 18, 2007

Second Life Sim: Mike

Other places by Damian

Homework

• Optional: Jewelry with "bling."

Sep 13, 2007

Real Life Sim: Jerilyn

Topics:

• My 4th Newspaper Interview about UB and Second Life.
• Four interesting Second Life books.
• Second Life Terrorism
• Second Life Punishment
• Reuters in Second Life
• Disaffected!

Homework

• Play Disaffected

 

Sep 11, 2007

Today we meet in Second Life at 11am.
Jesse will be presenting his first Second Life simulation.

Sep 6, 2007

Here are the topics we will be covering today:

• Ricky's Real Life Sim Presentation
• Non-Computer Platforms
• Computer Based Platforms

Homework

• No Homework
• Optional: New Avatar Hair in Second Life

Sep 4, 2007

Today we meet in Second Life.
Regular class time: 11am.
Run Ventrilo and log in to the server.
(Get the server / port info from the blue panel.)
Log into Second Life and I'll send you a teleport
to our location.

Homework:
(Read the Class Requirements for fuller details.)

• Student Setup
• Scavenger Hunt #1
• Class Photo

APPLIED SIMULATION     
COSC330.SG1     
Fall 2007     

-Ventrilo Information-     
Server: 69.12.74.141     
Port: 4143     

Homework Assignment: Oddware
Due: October 4, 2007

Consider this bit of madness from Earth-Trek (http://earth-trek.com.hk/product_list.php?sort=3)...a tape dispenser / USB Hub.

We will use a version of the Randomalizer to create a strange bit of hardware. The device will consist of three components.

1. A power source.
2. A main device type.
3. An auxilary "add-on" ability.

The randomalizer will randomaly select one item from each category. Your job is to sketch out and design the device. It will be very, very odd and probably won't make much sense. But approach it as if it were a real-world job that you seriously had to do. Present a sketch or two of how the device will look, its user interface, how it functions, and so forth. Here's a partial list of things to give consideration to:

• How does the device get its power from the given power-source?
• Do your best to make sure that the power source does not interfere with the device's usability. (Consider the battery-powered iPod. What if the required battery was a car battery? That would definitely be a hinderance.)
• How does the device perform its main function?
• How will the user get the device to perform its main function? Where are the controls? How do they work?
• How does the device perform its secondary function?
• How will the user get the device to perform the secondary function? Controls...etc.?
• How do the primary and secondary functions interact or conflict? (A jackhammer that also plays vinyl records would present some interesting quandries.)
• What's the user interface going to look like?

I'm sure you'll come up with other problems as you work on it.

I know you have other lives and other classes, so I don't want you to spend every waking moment working on this project. Conversely, don't wait until the night before it's due and slap something together. Spend a day or two thinking about it. Then make a rough sketch. Eyeball your work and look for weak spots in the design. Imagine that you're a customer seeking to buy such a thing and imagine how you'd want it to look and perform. What shortcoming would be a deal-breaker for you to make you not buy the item? See if you can correct that shortcoming. Make a final drawing with all the pertinent information readily accessible. Refer to the picture of the wind-up laptop for guidance.

Scan your final drawing...or do it in Illustrator / Photoshop / Flash / some other digital form so it can be shared with the class. On the day they're due, you'll get up in front of class and try to sell us--the board of trustees--on the viability of your machine. Show us your design, explain how it works, and try to convince us that we should give your group the "Green Light" to begin actual production.

We'll have a good time on that day, I assure you.

Oddware Randomalizer