Vlog 1 ~ Its Magic!

      Hey guys, Cody & Alex here. We are here to tell you about our new vlog. In this vlog, Cody shows me an awesome card trick, and then shows you how you can preform the trick to! You can watch the vlog below, or on our youtube channel. Post questions in the comments, and we will answer them in a Q&A. I hope you enjoy it!

~ Cody & Alex

Where The International Space Station Is Right Now + LIGO Observatory in Washington

      Using the awesome website Astro Viewer, you can see the current position of the International Space Station. It uses a live google map to show it's position. Here is a picture of the map:

      As you can see, it shows the area that the international space station is above. It is very neat and it can help you find out when to see the international space station above where you live. I have seen the International Space Station once when I was stargazing at the LIGO Observatory in Washington. (I recommend checking out one of their stargazing nights if you are in the area.) When they pointed it out, I thought it was a star, but then I realized it was moving. It was really cool.

      I hope this website helps you find the ISS :)

~Alex~

 

Blog Changes

 Hey Guys!

            Alex Here, and I am here to announce a few changes being added to the blog. First of all, I am going to be posting a lot more, than I have done recently because I am on summer vacation :) Whoop Whoop! And secondly I am adding some contributors to the blog. Here are the new staff members:

~ Cody G.
   Admin & Author

~ Seth M.
   Author

          I hope you enjoy their company on here as much as I do! If you want to be a guest blogger (Not a full time author but write just a post or two) ask us in the comments below.

Bye!

~Alex~

Hey!!!!

         Hey guys! So, I'm Cody (One of Alex's friends) and I was invited to come help on the blog. Let me tell you about myself. I'm 15, play Minecraft, love card tricks, and I also am a fencer! I will be posting Minecraft and science stuff on the blog and a few magic tricks when Alex and I are hanging out. See ya laters!                        

                                                                       ~Cody~

Arduino Project For Beginners

What is Arduino?

        Arduino is a programmable circuit board that is used in many electronics and DIY projects worldwide. The company that sells Arduino says this is what Arduino is: "An open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments."

The Project

        This projects is sometimes called "blink." The object of the project is to make the built in LED of the Arduino to rapidly turn on and off. All you need for your project is your Arduino, a cord to connect the Arduino to the computer, and the Arduino software installed onto your PC.

Here Are the steps:

1. Connect your Arduino to your computer and open the Arduino Software.
2. Go to "Tools" and then "Serial Port." Select the port your Arduino is plugged into.
3. Type this code into the Arduino Software.

void setup()

{

  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);

  

}

void loop ()

{

  digitalWrite(13, HIGH);

  delay(1000);

  digitalWrite(13, LOW);

  delay(1000);

  

}

   4.   Select "Save" and call the project "blink."

   5.   Select "Verify." If it comes up all clear, skip to step 6. If it does not work, check the code for any                  mistakes.

   6.   Once you get it verified, select "Upload." A light on the Arduino should start blinking every second.

What The Code Means
        The "void setup()" is telling the arduino that whatever is between the two curly brackets ( {} ), only   preform the task once. The "pinMode(13, OUTPUT);" tells the Arduino to give an electric signal to pin 13 on the Arduino board. Pin 13 is the pin on your Arduino with the built in LED. The "void loop ()" tells the Arduino to preform the task between the two curly brackets over and over again. The "digitalWrite(13, HIGH);" tells the Arduino to turn on pin 13. The "delay(1000);" tells The Arduino to wait for one second. The "digitalWrite(13, LOW);" tells the Arduino to turn off pin 13. Then the "delay(1000);" tells the Arduino to wait for another second.
             
        Have fun with this project!

        ~Alex

Cryptid Hunters by Rolland Smith Book Review

Cryptid Hunters

Author: Rolland Smith

Interest Level: 6th - 8th

Reading Level: Later 4th Grade

Plot: Grace and Marty, 13 year old twins, are forced to live with an uncle that they had never met after their parents go missing during a helicopter crash. Turns out their uncle, whose name is Travis Wolfe, is a cryptozoologist or a study of cryptids, mysterious creatures whose existence has never been proven. Grace and Marty get whisked away into an adventure in the African Congo: The race to find the last dinosaur on earth.

 Review: I am a 12 year old and I love this book. It has so much adventure, excitement, and plot twists. My younger brother (Age 10) loves the book as well and is the reason I started reading it. I love how as you are reading the book you never know what is going  to happen next. I also love how Rolland Smith keeps the book appropriate. Whenever one of the characters swears, he just wrote "He Swore."                          

Star Rating: I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars!                        
                                                          

How To Make A Paper Helicopter

        Hey Guys!

        Today I made a really cool video about how to make a paper helicopter. The paper helicopters are really fun to build and play with. All you need to make one is 1 standard piece of copy paper, 1 paper clip, and scissors. Watch how to make it here:

        Make sure to subscribe to my youtube channel! All you have to do is click on the "My Youtube Channel" button on the top right corner of my blog. Then all you need to do is click the "subscribe" button. After that, if I make a new video, it will automatically be sent to your youtube homepage.

~Thanks For Watching~

5 Games That Will Help You Learn Code

5 Games That Will Help You Learn Code

1. Code Combat -  www.codecombat.com

In this fun game, you complete quests by using the coding language javascript. It is a fantasy-style game in which, you will be fighting, Ogres, Dragons, and Giants. It is a fun and exciting way to learn how to use 

javascript.

2. Code Your Own Flappy Game -  http://learn.code.org/s/6/level/148

In this game you get to create your own version of the popular app "Flappy Bird". Instead of typing out the code, you use "coding building blocks" to build the game. After completing the challenge the game sets for you, you can view the actual code you just made with the building blocks. 

3. Angry Birds Hour Of Code - http://learn.code.org/hoc/1

In this game you are presented with a series of puzzles involving some "Angry Birds" characters. In this game you use the "code building blocks" that you use in the "Code Your Own Flappy Game". This is a great way to learn coding!

4. Tynker - Hour Of Code -   http://www.tynker.com/hour-of-code/

This website has 8 games that you can play that help you learn coding. The game difficulties range from 1st grade to 8th grade. Some of the games include: Puppy Adventure, Space Zombies, and Math Art.

5. Light-Bot -   http://light-bot.com/hocflash.html

In this game you control a cute little robot in order to complete challenges. This game will help you understand concepts like procedures and loops.

Good Bye "Flappy Bird"

Flappy bird is an extremely addicting mini game the was available on the Android and IOS App Marketplaces. The owner has recently took the amazingly popular game off the appstore, crushing many players hearts. Dong Nguyen, the 29 year old creator of the game was making $50,000 off of add revenue at the peak of the game's success. He removed the game off the appstores claiming that it had "become an addictive product" and that "to solve the problem, it's best to take down 'Flappy Bird'." Whatever the reason for deleting it though, I along with many Flappy Bird fans will always remember this fun little game.

-Alex

How to make a Table Top Football

Hey guys! To get in with the football spirit today, I made a video on how to make a table top football.

Tabletop football is a really fun game that I think you should try out.

Thanks for reading!

~Alex~

How To Make a Recycle Robot

Hey Guys!

I recently make a video on how to make a Recycle Bot. The first time I made one was at my school, it was for home E.C.class. My home E.C. teacher had a couple boxes of things that we could use to decorate our robots. In one of the boxes was a bunch of electric parts. Being the geeky kids that we are, my friend and I put TONS of electronics on our robots. Most of the other students just decorated their robots with felt and markers. I have a feeling that me and my friend's robots will stand out from the other robots when we display them at the school open house. :)

Here is the video:

Thanks for reading!

~Alex

How to Make an Office Supply Bow and Arrow

Hey guys! Today I made a video about how to make a Office supply Bow and Arrow. Here it is:

It is a very cool and powerful little bow.

Thanks for watching!

-Alex

Free Galaga Bookmark!

Hey Guys!

I have recently made a Galaga Bookmark for my friend and I have decided to share it with you. You can get it free and print it here. (The link goes into the bookmark on Google Drive) I hope you like it! Please tell me what you think in the comments.

- Thanks!

- Alex

Happy New Years!

50 Winter Boredom Busters For Kids

1. Drink some Hot Coco
2. Read a book
3. Write a song
4. Go Sledding
5. Make a Snowman
6. Write a comic book
7. Make paper airplanes
8. Have a paper airplane contest (Who can through the longest, etc.)
9. Make a fort
10. Play a board game
11. Write a book of jokes
12. Play the game "CycleBlob" at http://cycleblob.com
13. Make Paper Snowflakes
14. Have a snowball fight
15. Make a gingerbread house
16. Make some origami
17. Make a snow base
18. Send a letter to a friend or relative
19. Watch live penguins, sting rays, and turtles at the Seaworld Website
20. Try a new food
21. Use an instrument (If you have one)
22. Make your own instrument
23. Draw a picture
24. Read some comic books
25. Write your own book
26. Go to the library
27. Start a scrapbook
28. Research an animal
29. Listen to some music
30. Make a cardboard glider
31. Watch a movie
32. Play checkers
33. Invent a game
34. Make a target for your toy guns (like nerf guns)
35. Bake a desert
36. Make a survey for your friends or family
37. Make a family newspaper
38. Draw characters from your favorite book or movie
39. Help cook a meal (or if you are old enough, make a full meal)
40. Make a small catapult
41. Take some cool pictures
42. Make a movie
43. Put on a play
44. Make a straw duck call -  How to video Here
45. Play indoor soccer with rolled-up socks
46. Draw a snowman
47. Read a joke book
48. Build something with LEGOs
49. Eat a cookie
50. Have Fun!

LEGO The Hobbit Escape From Mirkwood Spiders Review

I have recently got a new lego set called "Escape From Mirkwood Spiders". It is in the Lego Hobbit series and is very cool.Here are a couple of pictures to show you the set.

The Complete Set

One Of The Trees

Another Tree

In The First, Bigger Tree There Is A Mechanism That Can Shoot A Spider Out

Fili And Kili Are Stuck In Spiders' Webs!

If You Pull This Rod...

The Tree Will Fall, Releasing Fili And Kili

There Are Two Spiders With Movable Legs

The Spiders' Eyes And A Couple Of Other Parts Glow In The Dark

Here Are The Minifigures (From Left To Right - Tauriel, Legolas Greenleaf, Fili, and Kili)

My Set Came With These Extra Parts (Lego Usually Includes A Few Extra Of The Little Pieces Scene They Get Lost Easily) I Do Not Promise That You Will Get The Extras Though

This set is great! I give it 10 out of 10 stars. I give it a building difficulty level of 7 out of 10. Any lego fan or Hobbit fan would love this set. It has a lot of great features and is overall a great set.

-Alex

The Portland Aerial Tram

During My holiday travels this week I went on The Portland Aerial Tram (Link to their website here).

It is a very cool ride that takes you above Portland, Oregon. Here are some pictures:

The tram with Mt. Hood in the back round

Wow! I can't believe all the 15 or so people on the tram were held up by that rope!

A picture I took of the Amazing view on the tram!

Another picture of the great view

My trip on the Tram was AMAZING! If you are in Oregon I highly recommend going on the tram.

-Alex

Merry Christmas (It's Official)

Merry Christmas everybody! I have been able to get some wifi during my holiday travels. I can't wait to get home and post more! :-)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Today I went with my dad to bring some gifts to a refugee family (My dad works for the refugee resettlement agency World Relief). The mother of the family was blind. She had two kids, a twelve year old boy and a seven year old girl. The boy had an eye defect and could not see out of one eye. To see them so content with what they had made me realize that Christmas is not just about getting presents, but is about helping others and giving. I hope you try to keep that in your heart this Christmas.

-Alex  

How to Download a Minecraft Pocket Edition Map (Android Only)

How to download a Minecraft Pocket Edition Map

Minecraft PE How-To #2

Here are a few of my favorite maps to get you started:

"The Acer" Rollercoaster

Hogwarts Castle

Dungeon Craft Adventure Map

I hope this was helpful!

-Alex