Watch the Video called "The SketchUp Show #1 - Model a Lantern.mp4" - there's a copy on each machine in /Users/Shared. You can alway download this from www.go-2-school.

Have a go at following the Tutorial - even if you can only complete the main shape. You may need to watch the video several times, watching out for the Modifier Keys the narrator uses. He makes it look a lot easier than it really is!

A brief recap on the commands we have covered. Additional reference is included in the extended text. The most essential command is to use Secure Shell to access the remote machine. The syntax for this is :

ssh username@ipaddress

For example, when a user (sally) wants to connect to a machine with the IP address 10.10.0.5, the command is:

ssh sally@10.10.0.5

Click here to continue reading "Basic Unix Commands" »

"You learn to see by drawing"

Prior to making a full evaluation, complete an Observational Drawing of the Instrument you have made.

Robert Scoble (very famous ex-Microsoft blogger) has the lowdown on some of the tech specs on his blog, including price points and availability.

Also: Forbes: Inside Microsoft's Top Secret Computer and Microsoft Surface: Business 2.0 Demo

Apple have just anounced June 29th as a release date in the US. The ads are here:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/ads/

Calamari | How to | Never Been...

Isometric Drawings are not just used in Design and Technology for visualisation. Unlike perspective drawings they are constructed with parallel lines from which measurements can be read.

The Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT have released a program called Scratch. There aim was to to make computer programming a part of primary education. It has been publicised widely, most notably on the BBC and on Slashdot. You can download it for free.

Set yourself up an account at: http://www.basecamphq.com/ Use this website to Manage your Project. Set Mile Stones and a To-Do List. See how you can re-order events and priorotise them.

Having had a look at some examples of Annotated Drawings, complete a drawing of your final design, incorporating as much information as possible. Pay special attention to details such as materials, joints, motion, dimensions, etc...

1. Find an example of a product that uses Sustainable Technologies.

2. List all the materials in your product and identify what is recycled.

3. Choose one of the materials in your design and describe the process for industrially recycling it.

4. Why is the recycling process not always environmentally friendly?