Sabbatical- More News

This post is being published from SMU, SIS Seminar room 2.1... Seriously! This is the third day of the Problem Solving using Java Sabbatical. We will be at SMU for the remaining three days of the course, which I mentioned in yesterday's blog post. However, we all had to bring our own laptops as there were no computers available for us to use. The Seminar Room is really cool though :

1. It has automatic blinds - controlled by a switch
2. The room is designed like a miniature auditorium but more circular and smaller. 
3. There are full size desks in front of each row, which are like semicircles
4. There are LAN outlets and power sockets under each desk.
5. Each Person gets a nice "office chair" - One of those roller chairs - Very Comfy :)
6. The Speaker in the middle of the room gets bis voice amplified via a special system.
7. There are two whiteboards - (Not really that spectacular)
8. There are two very accurate clocks - digital, with seconds and date shown. (Accurate means the exact same time as mine :p)

Yup... Currently, it is break time, so I'm posting now...

Jon

Sabbatical Week... and other news

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Well... Sabbatical week is here already, and I got into the "Problem Solving using Java" course. It is the second day of the course. On the last three days, ie - Wednesday to Friday, the course will be held at SMU (Singapore Management University). To be more precise, it is being held at SIS (School of Information Sciences) in SMU. The course is actually pretty fun!! Java Programming is a bit difficult, but you can do some pretty fun things on it too. I learnt how to create a infinite loop - the program runs til stopped. Also, I learnt some Command Prompt Commands, to add on to those I already knew.

1. shutdown - Shuts Down the computer, Restarts or logs off. Syntax - shutdown -s (seconds) -t (time) (time in seconds) shutdown -a to Abort shutdown
2. exit - Exits the command prompt window. Syntax - exit
3. dir - Directory - Gives a list of the files in a selected directory. Syntax - dir
4. md - Make Directory - Makes a new file in a selected directory. Syntax - md (New Directory Name) e.g md ps - A new file named ps will be created in the selected location
5. cd - Change directory - Changes the reference location. Syntax- cd c:/ (To go to hard drive)
6. java - (Only works after Java Development Kit has been installed and Computer Path has been changed) Runs a class file (created by notepad). Syntax - java MyProgram - Will run "MyProgram"
7. javac (Only works after Java Development Kit has been installed and Computer Path has been changed) Compiles a *.java file into a *.class file, which can be run with Command Prompt. Syntax- javac MyProgram.java - Compiles MyProgram into a usable class file. 

Other commands which I knew before the course:

1. ipconfig - Will find the ip address and other network information about a computer. Syntax - ipconfig
2. ping - Test Internet connections -Syntax- ping (ip address) or (website address)
3. tracert - Traceroute - Tracks the steps taken to a website. - Syntax - tracert (ip address) or (website address)

Note: For all the commands which require additional info - ping, tracert, javac, java and shutdown, typing the command by itself will bring up "help" for the command. 

Other News: 

Holidays!!

I can't wait for June Holidays to be here, and I expect most students will share my sentiments! A Month of hard earned rest is on the way... but we have to wait two weeks more :p. Anyway, I am going to buy Pokémon Soulsilver - The remake of Pokemon Silver. I am thrilled! Pokemon Crystal was the first pokemon game that I played. Of Course, judging by the fact that my mom doesn't like me playing it (she locks it up the whole year, except June and December Hols), she probably wished I never started... XD But anyway, I'm also looking forward to getting a DSi, which has not one, but two cameras, and a SD Card slot! Yay! But it has not GBA Port, so it is not compatible with GBA Games. However, I have a DS Lite which is compatible with GBA Games, so it shouldn't be a problem. 

P.S, While I wait for Soulsilver, I got a Pokemon Crystal Emulator on my Phone, so I'm honing my skills... (My Starter will be Totodile)

Piano Results...

Well, I finally got back the results for my ABRSM Grade 5 Theory... I got 85/100, which is Pass with Merit. :)

Finally got Flickr!

I finally got a Yahoo! email account, which grants me access to Flickr. Above is my Photostream, with the photos from my AAP Photomontage, so enjoy! (The photos were taken by me and a friend around the HCI Campus)(Some of the photos are from my Resorts World Sentosa visit - Not sure how to organize the photos)

Week In Review - iSpark18

This week, several things will be happening (or have happened). This is a "week in review" update of my blog.

IT problems

Firstly, the most prominent thing - My computer has epic problems. Google Chrome can't connect to the Internet, so I'm stuck with IE... Also, Norton Internet Security disappeared off my taskbar, and when I run it, a tiny window pop ups. The window cannot be expanded, but can be moved around and closed. I ended up uninstalling Google Chrome, but I can't reinstall, since Norton Firewall is blocking it AND I can't run Norton to disable the firewall... Also, my favourite Online dictionary is down!! Woe is Me.

Sabbatical bidding for Term 2

Sabbatical bidding started yesterday. Our Sabbatical for Term 1 was the Annual Sec 1 Camp as well as the Research Studies Programme. However, for Term 2, we get a five day course on a topic of our selection. The courses including things like "Science Eureka", "Intro to fencing", etc... However, we had "bidding points" to bid. We would start with 1000 points. Points can be carried to the next year, and points are credited for lower MSGs, while Points would be subtracted for each demerit point - 1 demerit point - Subtract 100 Bidding points.
There are two rounds of bidding. If you still do not get a course after that, you will be placed in Sabbaticals with vacancies.

AAP lesson... Something different

We had our AAP Lesson in Space today (IT block). It was a departure from the AAP classes which are usually in class. While in Space, there were three activities we had to do (or games we had to play, if you want to be frank):

1. 
   A sort of Musical Chairs, but different - Each of us we assigned a Fruit Name (Mango, Jackfruit, Durian, and One more which I can't remember). There would be 23 Chairs for 24 people. Thus, the standing person would yell a fruit, or "Fruit Salad" which required all the fruits to get up. The learning point of the game was that Volume is important when speaking, especially when in a big room. (This game resembles "Blow Wind Blow")
2. 
   Broken Telephone Read the link. (The learning point was that when speaking, you have to be more articulate, and do not giggle or make noises when talking)
3. 
   Lying. We took turns to stand in front of the class and tell 2 lies and one truth. It was quite fun, and our teacher said that we were harder to decipher when we were lying - Most people fidget only during the lie and not during the truth, but we fidgeted all way through... (Learning point - Body Language is important)

That's all for now...

P.S 1i3 had a Math's test today... More details Later...

Finally. Internet that works.

About a year ago, my family upgraded our main computer. We upgraded it from a Dell to a Compaq. My first reaction was actually: Yes!! Another computer to take apart(Read: Destroy)! I have a knack of taking apart objects and never being able to restore them.

Some "victims" are:

1. A remote control for A RC car (It was never the same again)
2. A computer which ran on Windows 98 (I kept the parts for a year until I threw them away) (I also salvaged 40 screws and various thingamajigs)
3. A Creative e-Dictionary
4. etcetera, etcetera.

However, since the computer was still in a good condition, we kept it. In my room. It was not used for some 2 months, until we bought a wireless adapter for it, so that I could use the internet on it. However, that was a failure, due to unreliable internet access (Which died halfway through a game or assignment). So, the computer was un-used, and the monitor was taken by my Father. He connected his laptop to it for a bigger display.

This would have stayed like that, if not for 1 reason: the TV was next to the main computer & my parents believed that TV and work did not get along (Which was true). So, I was moved into my room with the computer.

The computer (at the time) was slow. After removing some less important applications, it was slightly faster. As for the internet, nothing worked for it. Finally, after I reverted to using the main computer, my parents bought a 15m internet cable and connected the outside modem right to my computer. Heh. It stretches through the whole corridor. It was well hidden behind a massive shelf and some well placed rugs/mats.

Now it works. FYI. I am using it currently to post this.