Friday, December 18, 2009

BLAST from the PAST - Vintage Gunston TV Part 1.

One of the great things about this blog is that I am now able to showcase many cool videos students have made over the years that have been locked away in the Network 21 vault. Over the next few weeks I will be posting my favorite Gunston TV bumpers. Enjoy.
This video is a white board animation created by Solongo in 2006. It is amazing.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

HORNET CHEER!

Check out our awesome Gunston Staff Cheerleaders!
Let GunstonTV know what you think. Leave a comment below.


Wednesday, December 9, 2009

A Message from Mr. Gourdom

Lena and Chloe made this on Blabberize.Com
Thanks for coming out to the Gunston vs. Swanson
staff basketball game!


NEW MEDIA REVOLUTION

Check out this Yahoo article about our "new media revolution". Technology has put real power in the hands of the people. What are you waiting for?
- Go make a movie
- Snap some cool photos
- Write a hit song
- Create an animation
- Start a blog...

read the article here.

In the comments section, tell me about fun things you like to create with technology outside of school. If you have a link to anything you have created please let me know!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Network 21's Technology Gadget Gift List by Patrick and Paul

The holidays are fast approaching and many teens are are making their lists for awesome holiday gifts. If you are one of the kids still in the dark, then here are a few awesome tech gifts that any type of teen would surely want.

If you are a music lover then you can’t go wrong with the iPod Nano.
The iPod Nano brings video to your favorite tunes with a new built-in video camera. For the extra kick it has a large screen and a polished aluminum finish in 9 brilliant colors.
Say you find yourself in the middle of a cool skate jam; or in the cafeteria when a colossal food fight breaks out. Now you can prove that really happened with the iPod Nano video camera. Shoot high-quality video in portrait or landscape-perfect for posting on a social-networking site or emailing friends.
iPod Nano also includes a microphone that captures clean audio you can listen to during playback on the built in speaker.
The iPod Nano is 3.6 x 1.5 x 0.24 in., it weighs 1.28 ounces, and takes about 1.5 hours to charge. It has a 2.2inch diagonal display. It has battery life up to 24 hours and at 8 GB it can hold up to 2,000 songs and 8 hours of video.
The iPod Nano is a music lover’s dream starting at $149.

If you are an avid gamer, then Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is the perfect choice for you. Recently reduced in price to $299, it is a great choice for either the casual or hardcore gamer.
With dimensions of 12 and a half inches tall by 3.2 inches wide and 10.1 inches deep and weighting 7.7 lbs. The Xbox 360 is smaller and lighter than it’s older brother.
Contrary to some movie stars, the Xbox 360 looks better in person and you have to try it to fully experience the console. From any angle, position or viewpoint the Xbox 360 always looks stunning.
The Xbox 360 not only plays amazing games but is also your personal Multimedia center. It can also share pictures, music and playback movies.
The Xbox 360 has more computation power than any modern day desktop computer, and it’s multimedia capabilities are on par with any other consumer electronic. You get a DVD movie player, a music and picture center that connects both to TV’s and computer monitors. Did we mention that this thing plays games too?

If you are one of those unlucky teens without a cell phone, the Verizon Chocolate Touch might be the phone for you.
It’s slim and lightweight, with a beautiful touch display that’s surprisingly responsive. Like all the other Chocolate handsets, the Touch is a music centric phone with features like Dolby mobile equalizer settings, an FM radio, and even a virtual drum kit.
Combined with a 3.2 megapixel camera, EV-DO( 3G mobile broadband network) and a full HTML browser, the Chocolate Touch is a great music phone for Verizon Wireless customers.
The LG Chocolate Touch is $79 when purchased with a Verizon Wireless 2 year contract, and is worth every cent.

The Fujitsu Lifebook Tablet PC is debateably the coolest computer we’ve ever seen. The sleek design and portability make it perfect for this generation of teens. The comfort and ease of a traditional notebook combined with the versatility of a tablet best describes the Lifebook Tablet PC.
With it’s brilliant 13.3 inch wide screen display, built-in modular bay, integrated wireless access and the latest Intel software and hardware, and optional dual-digitizer with multi-touch screen, you can quickly enter and access information whenever, wherever and by whichever method you prefer.


The Samsung Dualview is an awesome new camera that has a 12.2 megapixel lens with an LCD display on the front that lets you see when you take a self-shot.
It is full of creative features that could keep a child busy with a playful animation on the second screen. Use the countdown display to coordinate a group shot.
It has a smart auto feature, which automatically senses picture conditions and adjusts for the perfect shot, 14 different preset modes offer perfect choices for a variety of settings.
It has a 27mm wide-angle lens and 4.6 optical zoom to get you up-close to the action and capture the best moments. It also has an advanced new way to view and sort your photos with GestureUI, it offers the pinnacle of user-friendly performance. The Dualview is a great camera for the whole family and should be a must buy this holiday season.

If you are looking for an easy to use, cheap video camera that shoots great quality video the Flip Ultra is the perfect choice. It has a built-in USB arm to connect at anytime, a tripod mount, a TV playback outlet to play your favorite videos on the big screen and can use either regular AA's or a rechargeable battery pack. The Flip Ultra also has built in software to organize and sort all your videos. It has 640x480 resolution, 30 frames per second, and 2x optical zoom it can fulfill all your quick shooting needs. The Flip Ultra is very portable at 6 oz. and 4.25"x 2.19"x 1.17" you can take it almost anywhere with you. In 4 bright colors and starting at $149 the Flip Ultra will be your go to vacation camcorder for years to come.

No matter what type of teen you are, any one of these gifts will be sure to fulfill all your tech needs. Happy Holidays, and hopefully one of these gadgets will be waiting for you.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Video is the killer app.

Below is an excerpt from the Washington Post's exclusive interview with Cisco's John Chambers:

JC: We think video is not just about communication, it’s about business model changes. You can say, “Make my supply chain this way.” Doctors around the world can deal with pandemic issues, they can see the symptoms of the patients. I think it changes everything. Video is the killer app. Collaboration will drive a decade of productivity in this country and around the world -- 3 to 5 percent gains in productivity per year. It will create a ton of jobs and it solves a number of financial challenges our leaders in Washington are struggling with. You say, “John, that’s mathematically unlikely to occur.” In 1997, in the first phase of the Internet, we said productivity was going to go from 1 to 2 to probably 5 percent. We actually had a chart on the time period and it did that, it hit 5 percent by 2004. We think we’re in instant replay.


To read the entire interview go here.


Tuesday, November 17, 2009

10 Second Video Contest


Gunston 8th graders in Mr. Costner's Network 21 video class had a contest to see who could make the best 10 second video. In the comments section tell us which one YOU think is the best and WHY.


A Bear and a Bunny
Dumb Moments

Epic Fail
Evil Hat

Wait What?

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Reflect Already!


Enter the reflections contest by Nov. 10! Check out this cool commercial by Chloe, Kira, Alexia, and Lena.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Netbooks - What's the deal?

-REPORT BY SARAH W. for NETWORK 21

Netbooks are the hottest portable-computers on the market. With their small size, light weight, and low price, these computers are big things  in small packages. Every day, more and more people are taking advantage of what today’s top computer companies (HP, Dell, Acer, Samsung, and more) have to offer in their netbooks. But is there really a difference between all of the many models available? Gunston TV is on a mission to find out.

The concept of a netbook started in the mid-1990s, but the first “mass-market” design started with the ASUS Eee PC. Unveiled in 2007, it was 8.9 x 6.5 inches, and weighed at 2 pounds. Afterwards, many other companies started designing their own netbooks, including the HP Mini and the Acer Aspire, which we will be comparing in this post.

Now, let’s look at just some general pros and cons of netbooks:

Pros

• Cheap price ranging from $300-500
• Small size makes it much more portable and travel-friendly than a laptop
• Most come with built-in Wi-Fi

Cons

• Sometimes, has no optical drive
• The more you pay for your netbook, the more you get
• Small keyboards can be uncomfortable and hard to type on
• Sometimes, can’t handle media
• Certain models have bad battery life


So, from the information we’ve gathered, it looks like the general netbook is more of a small travel computer that can be utilized for every day use. Still want to buy one? Well, it depends on which specific netbook you really want. Just to see some examples of netbooks, I will be looking at the Acer Aspire One AOD250-1580, owned by Network 21, and the HP Mini 110-1030NR, which I myself have at home.

The Acer’s features include:

• 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor
• 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM Single Channel Memory
• 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
• Windows XP Home (SP3)
• Up to 7.5 Hours of Battery Life (6-Cell 5200 mAh)
• 10.1-Inch WSVGA CrystalBrite LED Display
• Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• 2.8 pounds
• Crystal Eye webcam
• Keyboard is 89% of standard-size
• 54g Wi-Fi
• Fast Ethernet
• VGA video output
• Stereo speakers and optimized Dolby Headphone Technology
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• Multi-in-1 memory card reader compatible with MultiMediaCard, Reduced-Size MultiMediaCard, Secure Digital, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO or xD-Picture Card
• 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack

The HP Mini’s features include:

• 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor
• 1 GB DDR2 RAM (1 Dimm) (1 GB Maximum)
• 160GB (5400RPM) SATA Hard Drive
• 10.1" Diagonal SD LED Anti-glare Widescreen Display (1024x576)
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• Genuine Windows XP Home (SP3),
• Up to 9 hours of a
• 2.9 pounds
• Built-in Wi-Fi
• Webcam with microphone
• Bluetooth capabilities
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
• VGA output
• 1 memory card reader

So, it looks like there isn’t much of a difference between netbooks, and it just depends on what you want to use your netbook for. Whichever netbook you decided to buy this year, make sure you do your research first, before automatically buying one. And as we think about the up and coming holiday season, keep in mind that a netbook can be a great gift for a student, or anyone that needs a small, inexpensive computer. For more information on netbooks, their ratings, reviews, and the two computers featured, check out these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netbook

http://www.testfreaks.com/netbooks/

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/108513

http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2009/04/the_pros_and_cons_of_popular_n.html

http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/399382_taves10.html

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/rts_notebook/rts_notebook/1/storefronts/VA714UA%2523ABA

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002A6HVCC/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Super Seven Video Bios:)

Every year Network 21 does fun "about me" videos. Here are two examples.



Monday, September 28, 2009

Friday Fun

Gunston students are having a great time this year celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Every Friday, we are all treated to awesome Latin music in the cafeteria during lunches. Check out this video to see some great student dancing!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Action! Suspense! Fish?

Check out this cool alternative version of the Ice Cream Social 2009 video by Evan W.
Action! Suspense! Fish?

Thursday, September 17, 2009



Welcome to the new Gunston TV blog.  In this web page I will be showcasing creative Network 21 projects, passing on cool new media related links, highlighting relevant technology news stories, and even offering student/teacher tech gadget reviews!  For more information on our program, go to the Network 21 official web page