Biggest QR Code…IN THE WORLD!

Have you heard about QR (Quick Response) codes? They look like this:

If you scan it with a QR code reader on your tablet or smart phone (scanners are free to download!), it’ll take you to a website or show you a message. If you see one on NOVA’s campus, give it a try!

The largest QR code in the world is a Corn Maze at the Kraay Family Farm in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. To be eligible for the Guinness Book, the Kraay family had to hire a helicopter so they could scan the code to prove that it really links to the farm’s website. Check out the news story here:

http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/lacombe-corn-maze-qr-code-is-world-s-largest-guinness-1.948692

Unfortunately, you can’t scan this one from the video…I tried. So you’ll just have to take the Kraay’s and Guinness’ word for it.

Want to learn more about QR codes? Contact us at the Faculty and Staff Resource Center (anfsrc@nvcc.edu)!

September Trainings and Sleep Deprivation

First item of note; the FSRC has released the September training schedule. We are offering Blackboard, MS Access, Adobe Bridge, Prezi, Google Chrome and WordPress trainings this month. Sign up here!

http://www.nvcc.edu/annandale/fsrc/professional-development/index.htm

Item the second: Last night my husband watched The Blair Witch Project, and then NOVA sent me a text alert at nearly midnight. So I have sleep loss on my mind today. Do you stay up late surfing the web, or checking your email? What does that friendly glow do to your brain?

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/really-using-a-computer-before-bed-can-disrupt-sleep/

“Increasingly, researchers are finding that artificial light from some devices at night may tinker with brain chemicals that promote sleep. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute showed that exposure to light from computer tablets significantly lowered levels of the hormone melatonin, which regulates our internal clocks and plays a role in the sleep cycle.”
Simply put? Staring at a backlit screen at night can keep you from sleeping properly. So try shutting down your computer well before bedtime and curling up with a good book. Or a Kindle with e-ink…that one’s okay.

 

 

 

 

 

Shutting Down Your Computer At Night: Yes or No?

Most people have a strong opinion about whether or not it’s okay to shut down your computer every night, and in the workplace some companies/departments/divisions even have set policies about it. Is it safer? Does it save money? Are you wearing out the machine with all that booting? One of my favorite blogs, Lifehacker, recently posted a great article with the pros and cons of shutting down your computer in the evening. Here’s the article:

http://lifehacker.com/5940176/is-it-bad-to-shutdown-my-computer-regularly-or-leave-it-on-all-the-time

I think it’s an interesting read, but if you’re just dying to know the truth…well, it’s okay to shut down your computer every night. You won’t break it. It’s also okay to leave it on, as you won’t “burn it out”. So either way, you’re fine!