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Teachers in 3 States Caught Cheating on Certification

2012 November 26
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by NCSA

Federal authorities, in an investigation of a scandal spanning three states and lasting 15 years, have accused a Clarence Mumford Sr. and a host of teachers in three states including Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee of cheating on teacher certifications. In exchange for payment ranging from $1500 to several thousand dollars, Mumford would arrange for a stand in to take the exam. In order for the ruse to work, Mumford created fake ID's and documents for the fill ins who were hand picked to resemble the teacher needing the certification.

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Is Online Certification Right For Me?

2012 November 14
tags:
by NCSA

That's an important question which each individual will approach differently. The first consideration is whether or not certification in general is the right solution. Generally, people are interested in certifications in order to improve their chances in the job market. Employers are interested in finding the most qualified candidates based on their specific needs. The more specific the needs, the more likely a certification might be the best option. 

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Top Ten Free PSD Download Sites

2012 October 25
tags: PhotoShop · Resources
by NCSA

 

Looking for a particular PSD file? We have scoured the web looking for the best resources for free PhotoShop files. Whether you're just looking for buttons and navigation or need a template for business cards and CD covers we have found the sources you need. 

 

1)  70 THE BEST AND USEFUL FREE PSD FILES A DESIGNER MUST DOWNLOAD - Includes business card and CD/DVD insert templates as well as a range of smaller design features. A great place to start.

 

 

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Android Devices to surpass Windows by 2016

2012 October 24
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tags: Tech News
by NCSA

If the changing face of computing wasn't already abundantly clear, a study released Wednesday by research firm Gartner underscores the potential for growth in the smartphone and tablet marketplace. The study claims that Android could surpass Windows as the most used operating system as soon as 2016. The firm estimates that by the end of 2016 there will be 2.3 billion devices (smartphones, tablets and computers) using Android with only 2.28 billion using Windows. For comparison, estimates for the end of this year indicate there are 1.5 billion Windows devices with  608 million using Android. It is especially remarkable as Android was only released in 2008 while Microsoft's Windows has been the dominant operating system on desktops for decades.

 

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Learn JavaScript: Top 5 Free Tutorials

2012 October 22
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by NCSA

 

Whether it's validating user created form input, communicating to the server with AJAX,  or creating dynamic page features JavaScript is one of the core languages used on the internet today. This client side script works on all major browsers on both desktop and mobile devices. For those interested in web development there are a wide variety of free resources available online that will teach you JavaScript. We'll show you the best five resources we've found starting from the most basic to the more advanced options as well as some additional resources for further learning you may be interested in and some great places to get working scripts (why reinvent the wheel?). With no further ado:

 

1) Mozilla Developer Network JavaScript Guide The Mozilla Developer Network is an excellent free resource that takes you from the basics: variables, expressions, and operators through objects, inheritance, and liveconnect. This should be in every JavaScript developers bookmarks.

 

Mozilla Developer Network Javascript Guide

 

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Jailbreaking Hacker Ends Gig With Apple

2012 October 19
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tags: Tech News
by NCSA

 

Imagine this, as a teenager you've managed to reverse engineer what thousands of professional engineers worked on for years at the most valuable company on the planet. You're already a legend among your peers viewed as a man before your time.  Next thing you know it's not the police at your door it's the HR department of Apple, the target of your deeds, offering you a cushy remote internship to  help work on their security. This wasn't a dream for twenty year old hacker and Brown University student Nicholas Allegra, better known as Comex, the mastermind behind several Apple jailbreaks. 

 

 

Engineering feats by Comex include Jailbreakme2 and Jailbreakme3which allow users to bypass Apple's proprietary system on iPhones and Ipads .

 

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No Start Menu? The Windows 8 Metro Interface

2012 October 17
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tags: Tech News
by NCSA

 

With the rollout of Windows 8 scheduled for October 26 fast approaching it's time to take a look at the changes in the lastest version of Microsoft's flagship Operating system. The first thing everyone will notice is the radically changed interface. In a huge gamble Micrsoft has tried to combine the style and functionality across it's phone, tablet, and desktop systems into one modern UI known initially as Metro. Heave smartphone and tablet users will probably find a smoother transition as much of the interface is optomized for touch screen use. With even such old faithful features as the Start Menu cut, users who spend most of their time on the desktop will likely face a steeper learning curve as some of the most basic tasks such as shutting down the system may take a little searching. App makers have acted quickly  to add back some of the more familiar functions with some computer manufacturers even shipping new systems with support for the Start Menu added. 

 

A typical Windows 8 start screen

 

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Top 10 Free Photoshop Logo Tutorials

2012 October 12
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tags: PhotoShop · Tutorials
by NCSA

 

Need to create an eye catching logo from scratch? Have a logo in PSD format that you need to make changes to? One of the first steps when working on your brand's website is to define that brand with an effective, memorable logo.  We've collected the best free Photoshop tutorial sites from around the web here. These sites have a good selection of tutorials that take you step by step through the process of developing your own logo in PhotoShop. Enjoy and if you know of other good resources out there, let us know in the comments section.

 

 

Firefish Photoshop Tutorial

Create an awesome logo similiar to Firefox, the firefish teaches some excellent techniques you can use in your logo.

 

 

Cool Blue Logo with Anime

Really nice blue logo based on an anime character.

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Your Right To Resell Your iPhone, DVD's In Jeopardy?

2012 October 11
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tags: Tech News
by NCSA

A recent Wall Street Journal article highlights a serious threat of our right, taken for granted by most, to resale our very own items. The first-sale doctrine as it is known allows copyright holders to enforce their rights only upon the initial sale, subsequent transfers, loans, and sales are up to the owner. This is the very foundation on which things like libraries, eBay, and Craigslist function.

 

Looking

 

 

The decision could effect your ability to resale items made overseas.

 

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Hello NCSA Tech Blog

2012 October 08
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tags:
by NCSA

Welcome to the National Computer Science Academy's (NCSA) Technology Blog. Our blog is designed to dispense not only news about the happenings around here, but showcase the latest technology news and reviews as well as helpful tips and tricks to make your technological life easier.