Classes are over















NEXT CLASS

Semester Over
It was Fun and I hope
you learned something
in this class. Review this blog in 2033
and see if we were right.


Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Wednesday May, 2013 - Last Class

In class we will discuss:

  1. Final Grades - You need to calculate your own Final Grade. You have the Learnboost grades and the syllabus. Use algebra to calculate your final grade. Then add the Extra Credit where you wanted it placed. - The Fusion Table grades will be updated over the weekend, so check learnboost for that new grade. I will send an email/text blast once Fusion Table grades are updated.- If you have any issues with the reported grades in Learnboost, email me proof of my mistake to os3@aol.com and I will correct it and email you back.
  2. Homework #10 - Macros is discussed in more detail below.
  3. Final Exam - This Exam will open Thursday May 2, 2013 at Noon and Close on Sunday May 12, 2013 at midnight. Any graduating Seniors need to complete the exam by Saturday morning May 4, 2013 at noon. This exam will be on classmarker.com and will have 20 random questions from previous Excel Exams #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 (new), #7 and #8. HW#9 and #10 will not be included in the final.
  4. Homework #9 - Due to the problems with add-ons for Apple, I am going to reactivate HW #9 and give students until Sunday May 5, 2013 at midnight to find a PC with the add-on to complete this exam. In order to do this, everyone will have a chance to retake this exam, if case you want to improve your grade. You can find some of the computers in the second Floor lab and Douglas that have Exam with the add-on. You will have to find by trial and error (check Excel menu or try to add it). You may want to ask an Economics Professor or Decision Science Professor which computers their students use, because they use Multiple Regression in their class. The best option maybe to ask a friend to use their PC. The Business Computer Lab on the second floor of the Leadership Center has the add-ins. They have Excel 2007. Watch this video or this video to add it in.
  5. Google Place Assignment - I will not grade this assignment until Wednesday May 8, 2013. This is to give some students more time to get their code. Once I get this assignment graded, I will send a blast email/text to everyone.
  6. Blog ebook - I will be converting this blog into an ebook and placing it in the cloud. You will get a blast email/text once that is done. I suggest you download and save the ebook on your own cloud drive for future reference. This blog will remain active for a few more months maybe years. The new address is http://misspring2013.blogspot.com/. the old address will go away soon www.hba322.info.
It will take me a day or two to get back to you, because of the last minute volume I may get from students.

If you would like to meet with me, I will be available by phone and join.me starting on Wednesday May 8, 2013. You need to text me first to make an appointment.



Homework #10 - Macros

I want you to create two different macros using any data you want. You can create your own, use data from a previous homework or find some data on the web. Then email me a copy of your excel file to osistrunk@gmail.com. This assignment is due Sunday May 5, 2013 at midnight. I will grade your spreadsheet based on both macros working.

Review some of the videos below:








Pros and Cons on Defense Spending


BY: Russell Richey


Recently there has been a huge uproar in the American Economy around the issue of decreasing federal spending. It was intended to serve as incentive for the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (aka the “Supercommittee”) to come to a deal to cut $1.5 trillion over 10 years. If the committee had done so, and Congress had passed it by Dec. 23, 2011, then the sequester would have been averted. However both the Democratic and Republican Parties have shown that they are on different agendas. Republicans have sentiment towards Defense spending and Democrats want to protect domestic spending.



In total the Sequester has accounted to cut more than 8% of the nation’s total defense spending. Most of the programs being cut are in the area of future weapons systems. Weapons used to finance the United States most recent military operations have not seen much shrinking. However, some of the military’s top secret programs have been put on hold due to the issues in Washington DC.

As illustrated in the picture below, many programs are losing money to enhance current conditions of military equipment. Some of the videos will help you understand how the cuts will affect the economy. One should consider how the overall economy will be affected and what kinds of stocks will outperform or underperform due to this action taking place on Capitol Hill. 

  Defense cuts could delay or cancel programs to modernize aircraft. Technicians here work on a Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter flown by the Army.
 


This video will help you better understand the bigger picture of what is going on behind the cuts.


iPhone 5 vs. the World: How Apple’s Device Stacks Up?


BY: Denzel Butler

Apple’s iPhone 5 features a larger display, more powerful processor and 4G LTE connectivity, but does that mean it’s also the most advanced smart phone ever? I do not think so, according to the specs  the iPhone 5's Retina Display is  one of the sharpest screens on the smart phone market. However, it falls short of the Nokia Lumia 920, which features a 4.5-inch 1280 x 768 display, and as well as the Motorola Droid RAZR HD Maxx. The video below shows an in depth comparison between the Nokia Lumia 920 and the iPhone 5.



From this video I believe the Nokia Lumia is a better phone. Another debate is between the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 5, personally I believe the S3 is superior but this video will give incite to let you be the judge.



I do not believe that the iPhone 5 is the most advanced smart phone on the market, I believe there are at least 3 other phones, at least spec wise, that are better. I am in no way saying that the iPhone 5 is a bad product it is a great product, it is just not the greatest.  

I Heard it Through the VINE


BY:  Martavius Leonard

Social media has proven to be a stakeholder within today’s society. With such platforms as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube, one would think that this generation has reached the peak of the social media phenomenon. Think again! Take a look at the new form of social media that has emerged on the scene.





In January 2013, Twitter released Vine video, its free video-sharing application that enables brands, businesses and consumers to shoot and upload six-second snippets to blogs, presentations, e-mails and social media sites. Vine is Twitter’s six-second video. The idea is to create quick, easy and interesting short films to share with friends and network on Facebook and Twitter. It is an app, currently only for iOS, that records six seconds of video and posts it on an endless loop to your Twitter account. The video below shows a more in-depth depiction of how the Vine works.





This new and innovative application is extremely attractive to consumers and businesses alike. More specifically, businesses can use the vine app to create unique marketing strategies to appeal to consumers and to restructure the way that people, brands, government agencies, and celebrities interact with one another. Businesses can use the Vine app to showcase its brand, send messages to fans, encourage fans or customers to contribute or donate to a particular cause, or to leverage existing video content. Below are some examples of how users are utilizing the Vine app.





Another advantage of using the vine app is the ability to share these videos with other consumers. Most individuals will share videos that they like with others, thus causing such user-generated marketing to spread significantly. According to the IAB Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, 92% of mobile video viewers share mobile phone videos with their friends and social networks, with ‘tweeting’ accounting for 12% of all shares. That figure could rise if Vine turns video into a more prominent part of the Twitter service. 


Thus, if implemented correctly, Vine could become the next prominent marketing tool. This application is not yet available for Android users; however, its implementation on such devices could be the key to Vine becoming an household name and an international phenomenon. 

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Monday April 29, 2013 - Extra Credit

Today we will go over Google Fusion tables. Those who did not get a good grade can redo their assignment in class and have it regraded.



Those received a good grade can help their classmates and receive extra credit to be used on another assignment.

Finally, there will be a quiz in class. The points from this quiz can be used to boost an older completed assignment.

Atlanta Street Vendors: A Nuisance or Free Commerce at its Best?

BY: Alexander Terry


Anyone who has ever been to a Braves, Falcons, or Hawks game is familiar with traversing the maze of vendors outside the games in order to attend. Stalls jammed the sidewalks to the point that use of them was nearly impossible unless single file. The vendors constantly pushing their wares and trying to out compete their neighbors. Sometimes the tactics used to persuade purchasing was not the nicest around. It was a lively hood for many though. And Atlanta has not only restricted this commerce but it has given control of all policies on vending to a single company.




Atlanta, in the heart of conservative state with very lax marriage laws, boasts one of the most restrictive sets of laws regarding vending in the country. This type of economic chokehold not only hurts the vendors but the city as well. Atlanta is growing and attracting many companies to set up shop but it is the small businesses and the local entrepreneurs that really determine how well economically a city is doing. They are the backbone of commerce and this restrictive climate extends not only to vendors but anyone trying to do mobile food trucks as well. The city of Atlanta has made it illegal to vend on any public property. The Atlanta Street Food Coalition (ASFC) as well as the Atlanta Vendors Association (AVA) are continuously fighting for new legislation to alleviate such rigid measures against free commerce.




The question is what kind of message does Atlanta really want to send to the world. Most Fortune 500 companies were incorporated in Delaware because of their lax code on incorporation yet Atlanta says they want to attract this type of commerce while restricting its own people and its own sources of tax revenue. This economic hodgepodge of rules gives very mixed messages and could scare away potential companies from moving to Atlanta. Then a little over a year ago Atlanta gained a monopoly on public property vending which is sure to halt this commerce. And just in time for the Final Four and Braves Opening Weekend, that company made a huge push to eradicate vendors in front of Braves Stadium and the Georgia Dome. The vendors are in an uproar and rightfully should be as many of the vendors have been doing this for 20+ years, putting kids through college on the income from their operations.





Does Atlanta want to attract business or discourage it? Many of their practices say yes but the climate they are creating around these types of small businesses speaks volumes on their true intentions. 

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Technology and Sports


BY: Justin Rhim
 
Technology has become very relevant within the world of sports. In fact, there have been many groundbreaking inventions within the sports medicine and rehab world that have helped reduce the length of time an individual is injured for. Companies such as Under Armour have began to create new technology that prevents injury and enhances training abilities through wearable tech. Under Armour recently put out a commercial revealing a sports suit that has the ability to control temperature as well as monitor their activity during performance.

In the commercial entitled, “I Will”, Under Armour revealed its Armour39 performance suit in which a monitor fits around their torso to measure activity. The touch screen tracker that is inputted into the suit gives it a very futuristic look which seems to come right out of a movie. What makes Under Armour’s ad interesting is the fact that these futuristic suits will probably be available in the near future.



In terms of marketing strategies, I believe this a brilliant and innovative advertising scheme. This is the first commercial that I have seen involving futuristic technology from any of the sport brand companies such as Nike, Adidas, or Under Armour to name a few. Also, Under Armour decided to use fresh, new players from major sports such as young Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals and Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats. Under Armour seems to be making a strategic move to surpass Nike if their #iWill campaign proves successful.



Smartphone for the Visually Impaired


BY: Phillip Tyrus

If everything with the testing goes as planned, the world could see the first ever Braille smart phone this year.  Three years in the making, the phone is being designed by an interaction designer who makes short sci-fi films. Sumit Dagar is the designer’s name, and he has been working with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and the L V Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabadon on developing the prototype for the phone. Dagar won the money to fund this project in a contest through Rolex for enterprise. He is from India, and his motivation for making this phone is the millions of blind residents that the country of India has who cannot use a smart phone like you and I can. He is also looking to make the phone reasonably priced as well, looking to make it about two-hundred dollars retail.

The phone uses a touch screen that elevates and depresses the content in which it receives, making it possible for the blind to read the information on the screen. This is referred to as a haptic touch screen. When having a video conversation with someone, the user will even be able to feel the specific facial expressions that the person they are talking to has, as the screen will contour to their face. This technology is also beneficial in allowing the users to interpret maps, and do many more important activities on their smart phone. The technology will be able to interpret Braille text, images, animations, graphs, charts, and videos.
         
The technology used for the screen of the phone will use pixels to change the height on the screen, rather than the color, as a normal smart phone does. This is done using a grid of small pins that move up and down as the text and images change to form patterns that the blind are able to read.

The designer of the phone said in an interview, "Technology is giving everyone superpowers, but many blind people are not able to tap into these cool, new features, and the technology is making them even more disabled.” I could not agree with him more. I love the idea of him making this phone, and allowing a new demographic to partake in the technological advances that the rest of the population is privileged to enjoy. I hope the testing is successful and the phone makes it onto the market as soon as possible.






Friday, April 26, 2013

The Future- U.S Natural Gas

BY: Parry Elliott

One of the main challenges of the 21st century facing nations worldwide is how to adequately and economically meet current and future energy demands. This is particularly imperative for a country like the United States, which according to the Energy Information Administration, consumes on average 20.5 million barrels of oil a day, making it the largest consumer of oil in the world. As a result the US has essentially been at the mercy of OPEC amongst whose responsibilities it is to set the global price of oil. However, in the past decade, oil and natural gas markets have become highly volatile with prices soaring to unknown heights one day only to dramatically plummet the next. Apart from energy, the derivatives of oil and natural gas are integral to a host of other industries and applications including steel and paper production and use as key raw materials in the chemical industry. The advent of hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, provides a novel method for tapping vast wells of natural gas from previously inaccessible shale deposits.


Recent technological advancements have fueled increased exploration for shale gas, natural gas trapped within shale formations, with some of the largest reserves being found in the Maine, California and Pennsylvania. This means that cost to production and cost of natural gas becomes significantly cheaper in relation to importing expensive oil. Consequently, higher revenues can be obtained which can then be funneled or invested into the development of more efficient technologies and practices for exploration and refinement.

Companies in the United States have been cognizant of these developments and in an effort to remain competitive in the market have been, according to Blackrock, increasing the amount of total capital expenditure they feed into the energy sector. Accompanying this trend has been increased US crude oil and liquid natural gas production and for the first time in about a decade, US imports of crude oil have begun to show a steady decline which when coupled with increased trade exports leads to trade surpluses.

Other benefits are also accrued in the scope of the broader economy. As the US energy supply increases, the prices that consumers pay in the long run conversely decrease. This in turn promotes a drop in the inflation index and the energy expenditure of the United States. One of the most promising or exciting advantages of increased domestic energy production is the simultaneous increase in need for jobs from a wide variety of backgrounds, i.e. from blue collar straight up to advanced technical. Growth and expansion of industries, aside from the energy industry, such as transportation, construction, builders, mining, consumer durables and middle income retail are also observed. With a 7.2% unemployment rate in the United States, it is clear that shale gas exploration can be part of the solution to alleviating some of the current job market woes. Ultimately, most important is the increased energy independence of the US which can have implications on a much broader geopolitical scale.




 


 


Broke Sports Players


BY: Jamal Harris

In class recently we have been looking at statistics from past NBA, NFL, and MLB games, as well as super star athletes. What most people see is the high paid contracts and sponsorships athletes receive for their abilities. As an accounting major I have focused in on how athletes have spent their money. Some of our favorite stars are broke and living check to check after making tens of millions of dollars. People such as Allen Iverson and Mike Tyson were once the highest paid athletes, and now are struggling to make money.


In 2012 ESPN released a 30 for 30 documentary “Broke” which was made to address the 2009 Sports Illustrated article. The article stated that 60 percent of NBA players are broke within five years of retirement, and only three years for 78 percent of NFL players. This documentary discussed various athletes who are in dealing for debt due to aimless spending, lack of saving, and gambling issues.





As an accounting major I want to advise athletes financially. All of the money they receive can be used to better the community and those who admire them. Important investments must be made that allow for future financial security. Athletes feel like they must spend money on material items to prove their status as wealthy. This is where I would come in, and make sure the athlete does not lose control of their spending. 

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Wednesday April 24, 2013 Leadnet Pro & HW#9 Multiple Regression

Leadnet Pro

One of the powerful benefits of the internet is finding business leads, nurturing those leads and turning those leads into sales.

There are companies that a businessowner can sign up with that will sell you leads.

Leadnetpro is a cloud-based business-to-business lead generator.





HW#9 - Multiple Regression

Multiple Regression is a statistically model used to analyze the relationship between two or more independent variables and one dependent variable. If differs from linear regression in that is takes more than one independent variable into the model.

Assignment

  1. Download Excel Spreadsheet (here)
  2. Watch videos below
  3. Take Exam #9 (Friday April 26, 2013 @ noon thru Sunday April 28, 2013 at midnight)


First, for window users, make sure you have the multiple regression option available.

What I should have discussed in class. Example, please view.

Step 1

Switch to the "Data" tab in the Microsoft Excel ribbon and locate the "Analysis" group. Click on the "Data Analysis" item to bring up the dialog box of the same name.

Step 2

Scroll through the list of Analysis Tools until you locate "Regression". Click on it to select it, and then click on the "OK" button at the right to open its dialog box.



If you do not see "Analysis" under "Data" Tab, then to add that option see steps below:


Step 1

Launch Microsoft Excel and click on the "File" tab in the ribbon. Select "Options" to open the Excel Options dialog box.

Step 2

Click the "Add-Ins" item in the list on the left side of the dialog box. You will see "Analysis ToolPak" in the list of Inactive Application Add-Ins. Set the Manage drop-down menu to "Excel Add-Ins," and click on the "Go" button at the bottom of the dialog box to open the Add-Ins dialog box.

Step 3

Tick the check box in front of "Analysis ToolPak" in the list of available add-ins. Click the "OK" button on the right side of the Add-Ins dialog box to turn on the Analysis ToolPak once you have selected it in the list of options.


HERE IS A VIDEO OF THE THREE STEPS ABOVE




For Mac users, Excel 2011 go to this link. Excel 2011 does Not have multiple regression. You will need to add some software from the link.



Here is an example for MAC (EXCEL 2011) using addition Software



h
ttp://youtu.be/dpLqJJfse1Y

Click Here on how to download software add-on discussed above

If you have Excel 2007, click here to get short (6 page .pdf file) file on how to set it up.



Understanding Output (pdf file link)


Older Version of Excel - but explanation good




Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Youtube TV


By: Ben D. Howard

Do you remember this clip?


This short and seemingly meaningless video clip is the first video uploaded to You Tube. “Me at The Zoo” was uploaded at 8:27 pm on Saturday, April 23, 2005 by one of the co- founders of You Tube, and was the start of a new and innovate way to connect, advertise,  and showcase talent. Since that first video post in 2005 and You Tube’s official launch in November of 2005 the site has grown and is localized in over 53 countries and has attained over 1 billion unique users. Although, the number of users a site has is often seen as it’s success indicator, the impact that a website or application has on society is really what signifies that it is successful. You Tube has provided, perhaps, one of the greatest contributions to the Internet since Facebook.

            You Tube has started trends within our social society such as “Going Viral”
Viral is defined as a video that is circulated rapidly on the Internet. Below is a video you may or may not remember.


“Star Wars Kid” is credited as being one of the first viral videos that gained much national attention.

Beyond giving it’s users the possibility to have short term “Viral Fame” You Tube also offered a venue to be heard by aspiring artist, activists, inspirational speakers, and even politicians.





a pep talk from kid president -


Ok I admit those weren’t real politicians but you get the point.

            You Tube has offered real opportunities for it’s users to be “discovered” and go from the internet to TV screen. a great example would be actor/comedian Bo Burnham who’s witty and hilarious songs made him a You Tube sensation and exploded his career giving him countless opportunities such as having his own Comedy Central special and appearing on late night shows. He now has a new show soon to air on MTV.







In November 2008, YouTube reached an agreement with MGM, Lions Gate Entertainment, and CBS, allowing the companies to post full-length films and television episodes on the site, accompanied by advertisements in a section for US viewers called "Shows" – USA TODAY

 This was done in an attempt to compete with HULU which offers many shows from NBC, FOX, and Disney. However, You Tube has done even better than mearly offering network shows for viewers, You Tube has now been recognized as a place where shows are born. An example would be the show “Awkward Black Girl” . Issa Rae and her show “ABG” ,was discovered by Recording artist/producer Pharrell Williams who now produces the show for his You Tube Channel “I am OTHER”








The “I am OTHER” You Tube Channel can almost be seen as You Tube’s first “network station” and is an example of the powers of You Tube and how much more the popular site can grow into much more than video sharing, but into a new platform that has taken over to the point where we just might not need the TV.

Friday, April 19, 2013

The Facebook Revolution: 3 Reasons Why Facebook Grew So Huge, So Quick



BY: Ryan Rucker

Being a website developer, I’ve come to understand how dynamic huge conglomerate sites such as Facebook, Google, and YouTube can be. Since 2004, Facebook has received a significant amount of updates to its site, both on the front end(externally) and the back end(internally). In it’s beginning stages, Facebook started as an invite-only site exclusively for college students who were enrolled in Ivy League schools. Interestingly, I believe this is one of the reasons it experienced exponential growth in users within the site.

Exclusivity & Ability to Influence the Influencers

Facebook used the idea of limited access to create a demand for their product, well Mark Zuckerberg did. Since the site was just coming out this was a critical reason as to why they were so successful. Everyone knows the Ivy League schools and they can serve as influencers across the nation and even the world. Having the site only eligible to those particular students created a domino effect which influenced the majority of the generation Y who are the innovators of this technological revolution. Even though it may have not been on purpose, I think it was genius. This was one of the reasons why Facebook was successful early on. The exclusivity and the ability to influence the influencers was the key to early success.

Ability to Gain Access to Capital


When starting any company, there is one thing that is essential for activating growth: Capital or for lack of better terms, MONEY! Now, the money that you start with may not be yours but you have to have some money, whether its yours or someone elses. A couple years after Facebook began, Mark Zuckerberg and his partner at the time, Eduardo Saverin met a guy named Sean Parker. Sean Parker was known for creating a music streaming website called Napster, which was later shut down because of the copyright issues he had with major music labels. Zuckerberg and Saverin partnered with Parker and brung him on board to Facebook and helped them by connecting with investors and venture capitalists which would be the reason why they grew so huge, so quickly. One of Facebook’s most influential investors was a man by the name of Peter Thiel. Facebook gained an immense amount of leverage and flexibility through receiving resources from some of the most richest and influential people in technology.

Having A Mobile Mindset When Developing New Products


And finally, I believe that the reason why Facebook is continuing to grow fast is because they realize the potential that mobile devices have. Facebook developers are now thinking with a “mobile-first” attitude when developing new products and features so that they can maintain and improve market share in the mobile arena. While entering the mobile landscape, Facebook initially experienced a number of issues with making the mobile interface function smoothly and to be as responsive as possible. Even though this was a challenge, they’ve improved the mobile application on all mobile operating systems such as Android, iOS, Windows Phone, etc.

I’ve compiled a few photos for your viewing pleasures so that you can better understand the evolution of the most popular social site in the world: Facebook.

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