CS 130: Computing Concepts Homepage (Spring 2006)

Quick links to sections, etc.

• lab and other assignments
• archive of class handouts
• background reading for lecture
• XML/XSLT sample files

• AE hardware simulator
• Final exam review and midterm review
  (sorry, no double-spacing available!)

• What is a computer? (Mon 16 Jan)
  • Google search on definitions of a computer

• Semiotics (data and information, signs & symbols) (Wed 18 Jan)
  • Semiotics for Beginners by Daniel Chandler
  • Wikipedia entry on semiotics

• The history of computers and information technology (Wed 18 Jan)
  • Wikipedia entry on computers
  • Wikipedia entry on the history of computing hardware
  • Wikipedia entry on Ada Lovelace

• Numeral systems and positional notation (Mon 30 Jan)
  • Wikipedia entry on numeral systems
  • Wikipedia entry on Babylonian numerals
  • Numerals and the origins of writing
  • (a shorter abstract here)
  • Proto-hieroglyphics, an alternative view

• Binary numerals (Wed 1 Feb)
  • The Wikipedia on the binary numeral system
  • A binary counter graphic
  • A binary-decimal converter
  • A conversion game
  • Some thoughts on the Korean flag
  • A Virginia Tech tutorial (look at I, II.A and II.B)
  • A post on the Laputan Logic blog

• Unicode and other character encodings (Mon 6 Feb)
  • introduction to Unicode
  • A Unicode FAQ
  • Unicode UTF-8
  • another Unicode UTF-8 resource
  • Unicode test page (for lecture)
  • Unicode road maps (for lecture)
  • Poser 6 showcase

• Graphics and color (Mon 20 Feb)
  • lecture material on graphics
  • Wikipedia on raster graphics
  • Wikipedia on vector graphics
  • Wikipedia on anti-aliasing
  • Wikipedia on file formats

• Files and data storage (Wed 1 Mar)
  • Wikipedia on computer storage
  • Wikipedia on file systems
  • Wikipedia on file formats
  • The graphics file format page
  • Wikipedia on file formats

• The Internet (Mon 13 Mar)
  • Wikipedia on the Internet
  • Wikipedia on the TCP/IP protocol suite
  • Wikipedia on IP addresses
  • Some free IP analysis tools
  • Wikipedia on the IETF

• The World-wide Web (Mon 3 Apr)
  • W3C, the world-wide web consortium (homepage)
  • Wikipedia on Tim Berners-Lee
  • Sir Time Berners-Lee's homepage
  • Wikipedia on hypertext (in general)
  • Wikipedia on Project Xanadu
  • Wikipedia on Ted Nelson

• XML and other "semantic web" features (Mon 3 Apr)
  • Wikipedia on XML
  • Wikipedia on MusicXML
  • Wikipedia on SVG
  • an Introduction to the Semantic Web
  • official W3C page on the semantic web
  • Wikipedia on the semantic web
  • Wikipedia on XSLT

• Lab #1: Computers and Information
  Due Monday 30 January

• Lab #2: Operations on Binary Numerals
  Due Monday 6 February

• Lab #3: Binary conversion, via "programming"
  Due Monday 13 February

• Lab #4: Representation and manipulation of textual data
  Due Monday 20 February

• Lab #5: Binary file formats
  Due Monday 6 March

• Lab #6: Internet basics
  Due Monday 20 March

• Lab #7: Representing basic hypertexts
  Due Friday 14 April

• Lab #8: Designing Data Structures
  Due Monday 24 April

• Supreme court says burning a CD is the same as producing the content
• 3D printing at MIT
• Multi-touch screens video
• Interviews with ENIAC co-inventor
• Mixed reality "happening"