And thus we come to the final blog in this entrepreneurial project. On the whole, I am very pleased with how this project went. It gave me a chance to think outside the box a little bit and really helped me see how some of the topics in class could be used in the real world. My blog was all about a possible website called Transport Orange. It's main purpose would be to help students on the Syracuse campus find transportation on breaks or on weekends to wherever they needed to go. The website would include maps on which drivers could plot their course and those who needed rides could label their destination. The website would then match up the two maps to find drivers going near or through that destination. The students could then communicate with each other via the website to discuss payment, meeting times, etc.
When I first started this project it was a very general idea. I didn't have much to work with at all. Thankfully, the lectures every week gave me material. I was also pleasantly surprised to have comments from my fellows classmates and the GA that gave me a lot of positive feedback. I am now much more confident that, with some help, I can make Transport Orange a reality. Most of the people I've talked to have told me how useful something like this would be and I am more than willing to create it. At first I thought it would be difficult coming up with ways to tie in each weeks lectures, but once my brain started working, I realized that there would be way more technology involved than I originally thought! This class has definitely helped me come up with ways to improve the project once it is actually created. And undoubtedly I will learn even more once I actually apply it.
So what started out as a class project has become a real-life goal for me. I'm very excited to go out and put my knew knowledge to the test creating Transport Orange. I cannot do it by myself but I am confident that it most certainly CAN happen. And who knows? Maybe by the end of my sophomore year it will! That's the wonderful thing about technology. It can always be created and improved upon.
Comments:
Hillary Dzialowski's grocery store app
http://hillarydz.blogspot.com/
Joseph Creighton's INTERSECT program:
http://joeycreighton.blogspot.com/
Amy Chestnut's Voice-activated TV:
http://amychestnut131.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Week 7 - Networks
Networks are beyond important for my proposed website, Transport Orange. In fact, without them, my website would not even exist. If networks did not exist, it could not be created, used, or even thought up in the first place! Networks are what allows different devices to communicate with each other. Without that ability to communicate, no one would be able to transmit data onto the website or contact each other if they somehow did reach the site. It would be as ineffective as the bulletin board at Schine.
Another important aspect of networking is the assignment of an IP address and domain name for the website, which act as a source for information to be sent to (and from). It is necessary for every node on the internet to have an IP address to communicate. Packets of information get sent from address to address. That is how information is sent across the internet. Without networking, the packets would have no where to go and the website would cease to be useful for anyone. There would be no point to creating it in the first place. Also, even if the website did somehow still exist, there would be no way for students to send packets to each other, since all of the devices used by students has a unique IP address as well. Therefore, there would be no way for students to communicate and figure out the rides or share the information that was needed. The site in general would be extremely unhelpful.
The domain name would simply act as an alias for the IP address so that students don't have to memorize a random 8-bit number. Hopefully in this case it would be something along the lines of transport.syr.edu or something similar to that so as to be affiliated with the university. In order for it be recognized as an educational site, the URL would have to end in .edu. If it is a branch of Syracuse University, that would come automatically once it is implemented into the system for the school. Hopefully this site actually becomes a reality someday! I'd love to be able to create a link for students to click on and find all the information they would need to find easy transportation.
Another important aspect of networking is the assignment of an IP address and domain name for the website, which act as a source for information to be sent to (and from). It is necessary for every node on the internet to have an IP address to communicate. Packets of information get sent from address to address. That is how information is sent across the internet. Without networking, the packets would have no where to go and the website would cease to be useful for anyone. There would be no point to creating it in the first place. Also, even if the website did somehow still exist, there would be no way for students to send packets to each other, since all of the devices used by students has a unique IP address as well. Therefore, there would be no way for students to communicate and figure out the rides or share the information that was needed. The site in general would be extremely unhelpful.
The domain name would simply act as an alias for the IP address so that students don't have to memorize a random 8-bit number. Hopefully in this case it would be something along the lines of transport.syr.edu or something similar to that so as to be affiliated with the university. In order for it be recognized as an educational site, the URL would have to end in .edu. If it is a branch of Syracuse University, that would come automatically once it is implemented into the system for the school. Hopefully this site actually becomes a reality someday! I'd love to be able to create a link for students to click on and find all the information they would need to find easy transportation.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Week 6 - Blog Review Post
It was a little tricky, but I finally found someone. Very few people are blogging about inventing new online websites for transportation, on or off a college campus. Luckily though, I found a blogger who works as a web designer, which is relatively similar since I too am talking about designing a new web site. His name is Jason Kottke. As he states is: "I believe that when people talk about solving problems with technology, what they're usually talking about is solving problems with design...which is to say, the application of psychology in a visual & functional context."
Essentially, Jason blogs about the latest things that happen in society (trends and happenings) while including little tidbits of his own personal life. He describes his blog as "An attempt to track and make sense of 'material that connects the insights of science and culture, rather than using one to dismantle the other' (as Steven Johnson puts it)." He also avidly avoids politics, which is rather unique for that is what a lot of people enjoy reading/blogging about these days. At my first glance at Jason's front page there were articles on everything from types of letters used in WWII to stalking with sites like Facebook to video game information to a game deciding whether the name given was the name of a cheese or a font style. It is a very interesting blog and one that I may visit again in the future. The URL is given below.
http://www.kottke.org/
Essentially, Jason blogs about the latest things that happen in society (trends and happenings) while including little tidbits of his own personal life. He describes his blog as "An attempt to track and make sense of 'material that connects the insights of science and culture, rather than using one to dismantle the other' (as Steven Johnson puts it)." He also avidly avoids politics, which is rather unique for that is what a lot of people enjoy reading/blogging about these days. At my first glance at Jason's front page there were articles on everything from types of letters used in WWII to stalking with sites like Facebook to video game information to a game deciding whether the name given was the name of a cheese or a font style. It is a very interesting blog and one that I may visit again in the future. The URL is given below.
http://www.kottke.org/
Monday, October 10, 2011
Week 5 - Bits and Bytes
With bits and bytes, we delve more into whats behind the website Transport Orange as opposed to things that students would directly interact with. Bits and bytes are what make it possible to post anything digitally on the website, whether it be graphics or words or videos, etc. Needless to say, without those there wouldn't be much of a website would there?
The amount of space available for all of the information represented by bytes (one byte = 8 bits) is determined by the amount of memory the web site has to use. Bytes would also tie in perfectly if voice commands were made possible on the website. Human speech is analog, which means it uses continuous wave form signals. (And yes, I got that out of the textbook.) The only problem is, computers are digital. Thus, computers have to translate the sound waves into electronic code that it can easily process and convert into information before it can give a response. That's where the binary system comes in.
The binary system converts information into bytes with each digit being represented by a 1 or a 0. Depending on what the wave in the voice is, it will produce one digit or the other. The computer can then read those digits, translate them, and give a response. Obviously it is much more complicated than that, but it is impossible to deny that this system is pivotal to the creation of websites like Transport Orange. Without it, quite simply the website would not exist.
The amount of space available for all of the information represented by bytes (one byte = 8 bits) is determined by the amount of memory the web site has to use. Bytes would also tie in perfectly if voice commands were made possible on the website. Human speech is analog, which means it uses continuous wave form signals. (And yes, I got that out of the textbook.) The only problem is, computers are digital. Thus, computers have to translate the sound waves into electronic code that it can easily process and convert into information before it can give a response. That's where the binary system comes in.
The binary system converts information into bytes with each digit being represented by a 1 or a 0. Depending on what the wave in the voice is, it will produce one digit or the other. The computer can then read those digits, translate them, and give a response. Obviously it is much more complicated than that, but it is impossible to deny that this system is pivotal to the creation of websites like Transport Orange. Without it, quite simply the website would not exist.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Week 4 - Input and Output
How cool would it be to be able to speak to your computer, tell it where you are and where you would like to go, and have it immediately map out a path for you with directions? That's essentially the idea of input and output and it has a lot of practical applications to something like Transport Orange. Voice recognition is merely one aspect that could be added to the website to make it more efficient. You could map out your entire route by telling the computer which roads you would like to take or asking it to give directions with the fastest time or shortest distance or even a route that avoids major highways or tollbooths. That would obviously be most helpful for those students who are volunteering to drive. For students in search of a ride, they could use audio input to search for a certain driver or those following along a similar path they are. It would make searching the website that much faster and easier.
Now imagine that you have your entire route set and ready to go on the computer. Imagine yourself putting your GPS or phone in front of the computer screen and taking a picture of or scanning a barcode or quick response code. Voila! Your directions are now safely downloaded onto your device for use while your driving. There could also be codes for coupons for restaurants on your route, gas stations and rest areas you could stop at, or even traffic information (such as if there is construction on a certain road). It would be undeniably helpful to have that sort of information available at the touch of a button. Output such as that would also help save time and effort and make the whole process of finding a ride that much easier.
There may even be a way to include things like the Google Wallet on there! Say you'd rather not worry about carrying cash around on your trip but you need to pay your driver gas money. You could theoretically scan your Google Wallet account on the site and pay the driver online by putting the money right into his or her account. Or if you needed to add money or pay for something like the E-ZPass used at tollbooths, you could simply do it in the comfort of your own home at your computer without having to worry about entering all of your credit card information (which would be safer for your privacy as well). All you would have to do is enter your PIN number and you're all set. There are multiple more ways in which input and output could come into play, but these are merely a few examples of how it would make Transport Orange an even better, more reliable site for students to use.
Now imagine that you have your entire route set and ready to go on the computer. Imagine yourself putting your GPS or phone in front of the computer screen and taking a picture of or scanning a barcode or quick response code. Voila! Your directions are now safely downloaded onto your device for use while your driving. There could also be codes for coupons for restaurants on your route, gas stations and rest areas you could stop at, or even traffic information (such as if there is construction on a certain road). It would be undeniably helpful to have that sort of information available at the touch of a button. Output such as that would also help save time and effort and make the whole process of finding a ride that much easier.
There may even be a way to include things like the Google Wallet on there! Say you'd rather not worry about carrying cash around on your trip but you need to pay your driver gas money. You could theoretically scan your Google Wallet account on the site and pay the driver online by putting the money right into his or her account. Or if you needed to add money or pay for something like the E-ZPass used at tollbooths, you could simply do it in the comfort of your own home at your computer without having to worry about entering all of your credit card information (which would be safer for your privacy as well). All you would have to do is enter your PIN number and you're all set. There are multiple more ways in which input and output could come into play, but these are merely a few examples of how it would make Transport Orange an even better, more reliable site for students to use.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Week 3 - Hardware
The hardware to a computer is one of the easiest things to forget about when working on a laptop or desktop computer. For a laptop especially, students don't usually look beyond the keyboard and screen. However, there are many different aspects that go into a laptop, and many of them can be used to interact with the web (and thus websites, like Transport Orange).
The most obvious piece of hardware is the mouse. For a wireless mouse (and few college kids use a wired mouse with a laptop), you just plug the USB into the USB port and turn on the mouse and you're all set! You don't have to scroll around using that sometimes annoyingly sensitive finger pad anymore. It's also very handy for clicking on links, for instance to certain Syracuse-related transport sites for students who need to find rides. Just saying.
Also important in a laptop is the memory. Memory is what allows a student to look up Transport Orange and bookmark it for future reference or save it as a tab when they open their Internet browser. It can also save your login username and password for the site so that you don't have to type it in constantly ever time you visit the site. That could be very handy, because hopefully students are visiting the site often. USB ports can also come in handy with memory. If, for some reason, a student cannot access their laptop to get on the Transport Orange website, they could use a flash drive to save their information or the information that they have downloaded to the site and have it ready for when they need to bring it up again on another laptop. Flash drives can make or break a students day depending on what is saved (or not saved) on that little piece of plastic. There are many other pieces of hardware that go into making a computer, but come into as close of an interaction as the keyboard, the mouse, and the memory. Can you blame students for not looking any farther into their hardware than they have to?
The most obvious piece of hardware is the mouse. For a wireless mouse (and few college kids use a wired mouse with a laptop), you just plug the USB into the USB port and turn on the mouse and you're all set! You don't have to scroll around using that sometimes annoyingly sensitive finger pad anymore. It's also very handy for clicking on links, for instance to certain Syracuse-related transport sites for students who need to find rides. Just saying.
Also important in a laptop is the memory. Memory is what allows a student to look up Transport Orange and bookmark it for future reference or save it as a tab when they open their Internet browser. It can also save your login username and password for the site so that you don't have to type it in constantly ever time you visit the site. That could be very handy, because hopefully students are visiting the site often. USB ports can also come in handy with memory. If, for some reason, a student cannot access their laptop to get on the Transport Orange website, they could use a flash drive to save their information or the information that they have downloaded to the site and have it ready for when they need to bring it up again on another laptop. Flash drives can make or break a students day depending on what is saved (or not saved) on that little piece of plastic. There are many other pieces of hardware that go into making a computer, but come into as close of an interaction as the keyboard, the mouse, and the memory. Can you blame students for not looking any farther into their hardware than they have to?
Monday, September 19, 2011
Week 2 - Privacy and Social Media
Facebook is by far one of THE MOST popular social networking sites in college. Syracuse University is no exception. I am on my Facebook page multiple times a day and every time I log on, there are new posts to look at. That can be both a blessing and a curse to companies such as the one I am trying to promote in my entrepreneurial project. Just a quick recap: my project (Transport Orange) is a website designed to enable students to find easier transportation with other students to and from the city of Syracuse, especially for vacations and school breaks. Social media would be a huge help in this endeavor, but there is also the major issue of privacy that everyone has to deal with.
As with most companies, Transport Orange would have a Facebook page (and possibly a Twitter page) with which people can (hopefully) like and join on. Its most obvious use would be to provide updates on available/needed transportation directly from the website itself. However, I think it would also be helpful to include updates on the weather and driving condition of nearby cities, especially when warnings for bad storms or blizzards (which, as we all know, are only too frequent in Syracuse). It could also provide news of deals for plane tickets, taxi services, or train fare for those who don't have a car. Perhaps even chances to win gas cards or gas stations along the way and their prices. Having an FB page would certainly help broaden the horizons of Transport Orange and hopefully increase its use and popularity among the students.
One can never have the good without the bad. While obviously a Facebook page would greatly help the website, privacy is always a major issue to consider. Many people may not like the idea of having their car and location information posted all over Facebook, or even the Transport Orange website. That is why Transport Orange would definitely be a secure website, with the proper programs (i.e. firewalls, secure browsing) in place to ensure the privacy of the users. Also, each user would have to agree to privacy terms before logging on to the site, for the sake of everyone involved. Some people would be okay with those standards; others would not. Paranoia is not necessarily something to scoff at when it comes to the internet. Therefore, I would hopefully be able to implement some secure, private chat rooms or messaging pages in which students interested in each others offers can meet and chat and figure details out between themselves. A lot of how much goes on to the site will be up to each student individually. They will not be forced to put up any more personal information than they desire. With any luck and a lot of precautions, Transport Orange would be a safe, easily accessible website that students will feel comfortable using.
As with most companies, Transport Orange would have a Facebook page (and possibly a Twitter page) with which people can (hopefully) like and join on. Its most obvious use would be to provide updates on available/needed transportation directly from the website itself. However, I think it would also be helpful to include updates on the weather and driving condition of nearby cities, especially when warnings for bad storms or blizzards (which, as we all know, are only too frequent in Syracuse). It could also provide news of deals for plane tickets, taxi services, or train fare for those who don't have a car. Perhaps even chances to win gas cards or gas stations along the way and their prices. Having an FB page would certainly help broaden the horizons of Transport Orange and hopefully increase its use and popularity among the students.
One can never have the good without the bad. While obviously a Facebook page would greatly help the website, privacy is always a major issue to consider. Many people may not like the idea of having their car and location information posted all over Facebook, or even the Transport Orange website. That is why Transport Orange would definitely be a secure website, with the proper programs (i.e. firewalls, secure browsing) in place to ensure the privacy of the users. Also, each user would have to agree to privacy terms before logging on to the site, for the sake of everyone involved. Some people would be okay with those standards; others would not. Paranoia is not necessarily something to scoff at when it comes to the internet. Therefore, I would hopefully be able to implement some secure, private chat rooms or messaging pages in which students interested in each others offers can meet and chat and figure details out between themselves. A lot of how much goes on to the site will be up to each student individually. They will not be forced to put up any more personal information than they desire. With any luck and a lot of precautions, Transport Orange would be a safe, easily accessible website that students will feel comfortable using.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Week 1 - Entrepreneurship
Everyone knows how difficult it can be trying to get from place to place while at college. And not just from class to class, or even downtown! (There are buses for that.) I mean from city to city, whether it be to visit family, go to a concert, or spend a mini-vacation with your friends. Here in Syracuse University there is a not-so-convenient bulletin board in Schine that allows students to post little slips of paper that are either blue or orange depending on whether a person needs a ride or can give a ride to another person. I believe this system can be improved upon.
My entrepreneurial idea consists of creating an online database in which students can log on and post their information instead of relying on little slips of paper that hopefully someone going in the same direction at the same time will read. Not so likely. This website (called Transport Orange, or some other cool title involving a Syracuse label) will be split up into two parts for those seeking rides and those giving them, respectively. Regardless, each person logging on to their website would create their own profile that displays basic information, such as name, contact information, and trip-related specifics (such as how much they are willing to pitch in for gas, etc.).
The split in the website is necessary to keep a barrage of random information being thrown at everyone at the same time. Those students willing to drive would include things like their type of transportation, how many seats they have available, when they are available (be it weekly or just for one trip), and where they are going. A road map would also be included on the site where drivers would map out their route so those seeking rides could see which path was being taken and how long the path would take. Students in need of a ride would post where they wish to go and when they need to go. Perhaps they could receive emails when a person has posted that they are driving to or through where they want to end up. Overall I think it would be a much better system than hand-written, cut-out sheets of blue and orange paper on an out-of-the-way bulletin board.
My entrepreneurial idea consists of creating an online database in which students can log on and post their information instead of relying on little slips of paper that hopefully someone going in the same direction at the same time will read. Not so likely. This website (called Transport Orange, or some other cool title involving a Syracuse label) will be split up into two parts for those seeking rides and those giving them, respectively. Regardless, each person logging on to their website would create their own profile that displays basic information, such as name, contact information, and trip-related specifics (such as how much they are willing to pitch in for gas, etc.).
The split in the website is necessary to keep a barrage of random information being thrown at everyone at the same time. Those students willing to drive would include things like their type of transportation, how many seats they have available, when they are available (be it weekly or just for one trip), and where they are going. A road map would also be included on the site where drivers would map out their route so those seeking rides could see which path was being taken and how long the path would take. Students in need of a ride would post where they wish to go and when they need to go. Perhaps they could receive emails when a person has posted that they are driving to or through where they want to end up. Overall I think it would be a much better system than hand-written, cut-out sheets of blue and orange paper on an out-of-the-way bulletin board.
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