3 Sites for Learning to Make Web Pages

Code Academy

Code Academy is pretty cool. I stumbled on it a couple years ago  when I was on the hunt to do some self teaching. This site not only teaches HTML and CSS but it also dives into Java, Python, PHP, jQuery, and Ruby. It also has tutorials on how make your own websites, interactive websites, apps, and Ruby Authentications. I haven't dived into much more than the Java aspect of this sites services. The cool part about this site is its really coursework oriented. You have lessons your read to educate yourself on the logic and then exercises to practice what you have learned. You literally get to start compiling code within the first 20 minutes of starting a course! Pretty exciting! The best part about all of this is that it is absolutely free. 

Below is an example of Code Academies Layout

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is one of the most amazing academic resources I use for all my schooling, especially math. This site literally hosts in depth topics on nearly everything in relation to Academia. In relation to this blog though, they have a pretty extensive section on Computer Programming. Their curriculum is very similar to Code Academy in that they have material for you to read and exercises for you to complete. The main difference here is that Khan Academy heavily relies on tutorial videos more so then a page full of verbiage to look at and retain. I prefer this approach as I am more of a hands on learner. The videos really help me visualize the information I am learning. Just like Code Academy, Kahn Academy is free, though they do accept donations.

Below are some examples of the pics offered and the course layout.

A to Z CSS

I just found A to Z CSS while looking for a new coding tutorial site. I looked over about 10 different ones aside from the ones I already knew that are listed above. This one stuck out honestly because the web page was themed to my liking. As I delved a bit deeper in how the site operates I discovered that this site is based upon  tutorial videos. Its nice because the site has your first assess your skill level, for me I chose beginner. It then has a group of videos that they have chosen for the beginner section which will get you prepared for next section, all  the way up to advanced. The sites videos are extremely intuitive and easy to follow. This site comes close to Kahn Academy and Code Academy in its usability except it doesn't offer any kind of exercises to practice what you have learned. Which in my opinion is a bit of  draw back.

Below are some screenshots of the A to Z CSS site

3 Online Businesses I Visit Most Often

Ryan Xavier May 21, 2015



newegg

Newegg is a site I use regularly. Its a site that mainly focuses on the sales of consumer electronics.
They literally sell EVERYTHING related to electronics. The best part about it is that they offer prices substantially lower than most brick and mortar locations. I like this site a lot because after creating an account they will start emailing you awesome deals daily. You really never know how good of a deal you may randomly stumble upon. They take this even one step further by sending you deals tailored to your searches on the site. So lets say yesterday you were pricing out monitors. Tomorrow, you may receive an email with promotional deals on various monitors correlated to the ones you were looking up.

Below Is A Screen Shot of Newegg

Below Is An Example of A Promotional Email

Niter

Niter is a site I use to watch free "ad free" HD movies. Specifically the site does not host adds per say. But any link you click on will redirect you to a separate tab that opens up to a random advertisers web page, where there are of course adds. I assume this is how Niter makes their money. I personally don't mind it as I am familiar with these types of work arounds. Its a very low hassle way to be able to see a movie in the comfort of your home that is currently still in theaters. Every movie I have streamed from this site has been in perfect 720p-1080p resolution. I couldn't be happier with this website.

Below Is An Example of Niters 2015 Filter, Showing Results of Movies That Are Currently In Theaters. Let me remind you that these are High Definition Movies watchable on any internet connected device with a web browser.

Hulu

Hulu is a site I also us regularly. They specialize in streaming current TV shows. What I like about Hulu is they sync with many devices through  a single sign on and the Hulu app. Hulu monetizes their service with a monthly service fee. They also play adds during the TV show which also generates revenue for them. Overall I think Hulu does a fairly good job of what they do. Its just that when Hulu first started years ago, they had an incentive to pay for their service, being that you were not subject to advertisement interruptions during your viewing. That has since changed.

Below Is An Example Of The Hulu Interface

3 Ways I'd Like to Make Money Online

Ryan Xavier - May 15, 2015

YouTube Monetization

I think this one is pretty cool, and I just recently really looked into it. As a part of my coursework I have been required to make a couple of YouTube Videos. After creating them I figured why not monetize them and see what its all about. You can setup monetization in your YouTube settings. This enables adds that play prior to your video or show up during the video. You can also choose whether or not these adds are skippable. An example of YouTube monetization can be viewed here on my Animoto Video. I also have advertisements on the side of my youtube video page as well.

Below is my  YouTube video with YouTube Monetization enabled.

airbnb

This is a pretty cool one that I haven't had the opportunity to use and probably won't, seeings I have roommates. This online money making scheme is based around subletting in a sense. You can list your entire home or even just a room in your home on this site. Whats nice is you can build a reputation for yourself as the renter or the tenant. You get ratings in both directions. I thought this was really cool because it provides an added layer of  protection to the renter and the person renting (though nothing is full-proof). Living in Bend, this could come in really handy year round. In the Winter you have the mountain crowd traveling from all over to shred Bachelor. And with prices at around $80.00 dollars for a day pass at Bachelor, saving money on airbnb is a no brainer and could provide some easy extra cash to the person renting out their room. Bend attracts a whole other crowd in the summer to provide the same level of tourism.

Below is an example search for Bend Oregon, in the price range or $10.00-$120.00.

gofundme

I just stumbled on this one today. This site uses a form crowdfunding. The main difference between this and say, Kickstarter, is that this is more of a fundraising site without obligation. For example, I could  try and fundraise for a trip to Trinidad to go see my father. On the site I could post some pictures of myself and post a description of what Im trying to do and why I would like support. At this point I can sit  back and hope people connect with what Im trying to do and donate towards my cause of traveling to Trinidad.  Though there are categories you have to fall into in order to post a fundraiser, you pretty much just have to want to do something realistic and you can find a way to fit it into a category, and it seems you can get donations rather easy. The do take a cut of the proceeds, but its a small price to pay for doing nothing and having no obligation to repay or fulfill anything.

Below is photo of the pricing options on gofundme.

Below is an example of the fundraiser page.

3 Examples of Businesses Using Social Media

Ryan Xavier - May 5, 2015

1.
Hyrdro Flask easily increases their name following by using such social-media platforms as FaceBook. They consistently post deals and promo codes to receive discounts on their products. The are a Bend, Oregon based company, and with that spirit do some pretty cool things. One of which being that you can send them cool photos of you and your Hydro Flask out in nature or whatever intriguing thing you have gotten you and your beloved flask into. If they think its cool enough, they will re-post the picture to their page and usually contact you with a free merchandise offer. Overall one of the cooler companies I follow on FaceBook.

2.
Celestron Telescopes is another company that has harnessed the power of social-media. Orion has about 5,500 followers on twitter. They much like Hyrdro Flask, offer all kinds off cool deals and promo codes as well. They also post web-flyers for events in surrounding areas for you to potentially attend. At these events they get to showcase their hardware and educate people on Telescopes as well as provide a pros view into the cosmos above. Even if you somehow werent into the stars, following Celestron on twitter still holds value. They are an optics company and are constantly posting amazing photos of everything.

3.
Apple (Mac), also as you may believe uses social media to reach its prospects. I find it humorously ironic to follow Apple on Google+, but honestly its one of the better UI layouts for Apple among the other social networking platforms. Google+ lets you join communities (follow) people and businesses alike. I like what Apple has done with they layout of their page and the easy naviagation. They have their main community subdivided into several other communities such as Mac, iOS, OSx, etc. I follow the Mac and OSx communities because I don't believe in any other Apple products! Its really cool though, they are always posting new accessories and and information about upcoming device/software releases. They also post relevant photos and videos . Overall their Google+ account has proved a pretty cool resource to have. 

3 Places I visit for Video and Image Media

Ryan Xavier - April 30, 2015


Video and Image media sites can be a very resourceful tool when it comes to the internet. They help inspire creativity, they teach, and they give us a way to express art over the internet. I'll be covering 3 site I use when I'm on the hunt for media for any given reason.

1.
YouTube is probably a name we are all familiar with. Its content focuses on Video media. Here you watch others videos or upload videos of your own. The really cool part about YouTube is the abundance of tutorial videos they have covering nearly any topic. This is really nice for self teachers like myself. Another cool feature of  YouTube is that they  offer a monetary incentive for  users videos who have reached a certain amount of views and have opted in to having adds play before their video. Also, if you like a particular users video content, you can subscribe to their feed, and get updates whenever they upload new content. Below shows the website view when watching a video.
As you'll notice the videos also have a short description, along with recommended videos on the right hand side that may correlate to the current video being watched.

2.
Photobucket is a media site I use for images. I like this site because I can upload and store photos here and access them from any internet capable device. Photo bucket also offers main-stream integrated features on their website. You can create all kinds of things with your photos on them like, cups, mouse pads, towels, calendars, etc. You can also create links to share you photo albums with anyone instantly! I think this is one of the better image hosting sites. You can also search and download photos from this site. Below is an example of the sites "browse" interface.

3.
Imgur is another photo media site I use. I use this site more for comedic image content. Most of the photos on this site are based on some level of satire. It hosts very witty photos including the all so viral MEMEs. Below is an example of a search for "Internet In Depth".  This site is definitely worth checking out in your downtime.

3 Blogs I'm Interested in Reading Regularly

Ryan Xavier - April 23, 2015

Software and Hacking

1.

XDA is a site I use regularly. It covers many topics related to mobile device development for all software platforms, with an emphasis on Android OS. The site has many tutorials on flashing different ROMs onto your phone as well as tips and tricks on optimization features for your device. They have in depth articles on nearly every smartphone or tablet to date, as well as comparisons and side by sides. There are also many articles related to the business side of the manufactures such as Google and Samsung. One of the coolest things I enjoy about this site is the in-depth guides on how to Compile Your Own Android SDK, which is more or less creating your own custom Android OS. There is also a ton of support and feedback on the site from senior developers. Another really fun part of XDA is that various employees at google post on this site and provide assistance to those learning from time to time. They are like magic unicorns that decide to grace you with their presence every now and then. Google regularly holds parties that host a lot of important people in the field of mobile technology or general technology for that matter. More regularly than not, these google employees will have postings for invites to these parties to regular members with over maybe 200 posts that contribute to the community in excess or develop high rated ROMs. I feel like this is such an amazing opportunity to come across! If you’re good at what you do and release a lot of builds, who knows, you could land yourself with a job on the Android Project!?

Here is an example of the layout of XDA for my phone. Its layed out really well to make it easy to reference important stats and different blogs/forums for information on the specified device.

2.

TonyMac is another bog I use regularly. This similar to XDA, covers computer software and hacking. Specifically, the site covers topics related to building your own or modifying your current computer to run OSX as its native operating system. I’m a huge fan of Apple, but not such a huge fan of Apple prices. Naturally this site appealed to me because it gave me the possibility of having an $8000.00 Mac Pro for around $2000.00-$4500.00 as a custom built PC with comparable, if not better specs that will be FULLY upgradable. This computer will be able to boot Linux, Windows, OSX or really, any other OS you want to run on it.

The amazing thing about this site is that it covers a lot of complex information, but in an intuitive educational way. I have learned a lot about computers and hardware from this site alone. The site also has a lot of insider information related to Macs and CustoMacs. The site has info about upcoming device releases, software updates, press releases and application information. One of the features I thought was amazing was their buyers guide. This is a list of every worth-while, compatible hardware component necessary to build whatever variant of CustoMac you'd like. You may think this would be easy as long as you’re running an Intel based computer, but there's actually much more to compatibility on these custom devices than atleast, I ever imagined. This digital repository gets updated as soon as newer hardware that can support the intended build gets released. This also ensures that if you want to go this route you will have a fully supported “Hackintosh”. The screenshots below show the Buyers Guide section of the site.

3.

TechCrunch is another fun blog that I use regularly. I like this one because I can also follow them on Facebook. I can click on their links and get redirected to the article on their webpage right from my feed.I don't have to go out to obtain their information. The things I find relevant are brought to me through my Facebook feed. TechCrunch covers nearly everything from A-Z when it comes to modern technology. They have awesome detailed reviews and ratings on computers, cell phones, TVs, startups, gadgets and the list goes on. Its really a one stop shop for all my mainstream tech needs. One of the more recent articles I stumbled upon was in regards to Google Launching Its Own Wireless Service called Project Fi.  The screenshot below gives an example of the elegant yet simplistic view of TCs weblog. The information is short but thorough. It gives me just enough information to be informed on the topic. I like  TC because of that; I always have something to look forward to on my breaks at work from homework.

These are just are just a few of the handful of weblogs I use on a regular basis. They keep me active and up to date in the ever changing world of technology.

3 Safety Suggestions I Need to Follow

BY RYAN XAVIER - APRIL 16, 2015

When it comes to online safety I like think I'm pretty educated. Though after reading some of the resources, I found my online safety habits to be a bit lazy. Most of my online passwords are just variations of the same password I have been using since high-school. I realized it may be time to re-assess the steps I take to secure my information.

Use two-factor authentication whenever possible. 

This is one feature I hadn't really ever investigated. After reading about this at Business Insider , I decided to give it a go on my google account. After enabling this feature on my desktop, I then tested it out on my laptop. After entering in my password to log into my gmail account I was prompted for a security code. Immediately following that I received a text message from google with the security code to enter. Once I entered the security code, it asked if I wanted to authorize my laptop for later use. I chose yes and there was my in box. I found this to be pretty nifty because now I receive a text message any time my account is attempted to be logged into from a computer I didn't authorize. While in the settings for two-factor setup, I found a couple other neat features. The first of which being the option to run a security check on your google account.

This checkup runs you through some basic settings to make sure your google account is as secure as their current features allow. While on this trail I also found another really amazing feature that google has created. Within the account settings page you can see a detailed list of every device that has accessed your account. This includes details as to what make of device is accessing your account, location of access, as well as date and time. You can then click the device to obtain even more information the the device. You can also deactivate devices from this page as well.

These features from what I can tell make it nearly impossible for my google account to be reached without my knowledge, and even then, it would still be extremely difficult to penetrate my fortress of a google account.

Use separate passwords for different services. 

This is an area that I fail miserably in. As I mentioned prior, I have been using the same password in different variants since high-school. After reading the Business Insider article I mentioned earlier I once again realized how bad this was. After doing so I will say I kept my major accounts the same as they were, but I decided to change the passwords on a few less important accounts. With my current job I have about 15 different passwords to applications we use on a daily basis that time-out rather quickly. I find comfort in not having the same mayhem in my personal digital life so I have always stuck with my basic password convention. As times are changing though, as I see fit, I may end up getting hardcore and having a unique random password for each of my accounts. After all, it does in the long run keep my personal data much more protected.

Use a Web Browser with Sandboxing Capabilities

When I think of sand boxing browsers, the childhood nerd in me comes out and I envision an ant farm.

And this isn't an all too crazy to envision really. In essence a sandboxed browser in terms of extensions or plug-ins means it keeps any potentially bad code from spreading outside the browser and damaging anything on your computer. So essentially in the same way the sandbox in the picture above prevents the ants from spreading outside of the frame to damage all your food my eating it, a sandboxed browser prevents malicious code from plug-ins or extensions to spread outside of the browser to potentially damage your computer by containing malware while its executing. I have always used Chrome but just never knew this was even a possible feature. Moving forward though, as times change, browsers change. I will make sure my future browsers do indeed contain the Sandboxing feature.