Tech Tuesday – July 15, 2014 | The Triangle

Tech Tuesday – July 15, 2014

App Alert: The Terminator is Back?

Looking to program the next “Flappy Bird”? Check out the latest programming language to the scene: ArnoldC. ArnoldC can assist you in creating the next must have app. ArnoldC is based on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most infamous quotes in place of commonly used functions. Developed by Lauri Hartikka, a Finnish programmer, ArnoldC is also supported by Sublime Text, a text editor commonly used by programmers.

If Arnold Schwarzenegger is not your cup of tea, there’s always Shakespeare Programming Language. Similarly, SPL is composed of quotations and excerpts from all of Shakespeare’s plays. Variables are declared by character names, but in a unique manner. The SPL website describes the process of defining variables as follows: “If you want to assign a character, let’s say Hamlet, a negative value, you put him and another character on the stage and let that character insult Hamlet.”

Whether you need to study for that English exam or want to code using only Arnold Schwarzenegger quotes, these funky and offbeat languages are only two of the many esoteric programming languages available. Other alternatives are LOLCODE, Chef, DOG and Omgrofl.

Gadget Glory: Wikipad

With a continuous stream of extraneous technological devices being released every year, it seems the iOS versus Android battle will never end. Now, at only one month old (in the U.S. at least), Google has added a little something to its Wikipad that Apple doesn’t quite have — yet.

Running Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), Wikipad 7 is not your ordinary, everyday tablet. In fact, Wikipad calls itself “the ultimate portable gaming and entertainment system” with an interchangeable controller dock that allows “games to be played as they were intended.” Essentially, the Wikipad 7 is aiming to be a device that bridges the traditional computer game that we once installed using a CD or floppy disk and modern mobile devices.

Of course, the Wikipad 7 wouldn’t be an Android device if it didn’t offer built-in applications for Gmail, Google Docs and integration with the Google Play store. When disconnected from the controller dock, the Wikipad 7 functions and feels like a traditional tablet with a high-definition display for your viewing pleasure. Visit Wikipad’s site for a full list of compatible, controller-supported games and for a walkthrough of the device. Feeling risky? You can purchase a Wikipad from retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy, Newegg, Amazon, TigerDirect, Sears and Kmart, or directly from the Wikipad store (which offers a unique discount!).

Working World: TaskRabbit

Are you moving soon? Maybe you don’t need help moving your life from one place to the next, but what about cleaning your new or old space? Okay, maybe you aren’t looking to throw what few pennies you’ve saved from co-op at cleaning up your apartment or carrying your poorly packed boxes to your new home, but maybe you’re looking to add some dollar bills to those pennies.

Similar to personal shoppers on Instacart, TaskRabbit can offer you a job opportunity or an extra set of hands for those times when all of your friends are conveniently occupied while you’re moving. Advertising tasks such as cleaning, handiwork, personal assistance and moving help, TaskRabbit matches “taskers” with customers by chore and ZIP code. TaskRabbit markets their service as a platform for entrepreneurs looking for a way to get started “by connecting you to opportunities to make a living.”

Becoming a tasker is a relatively simple process that involves an online application using a Facebook or LinkedIn account, which is verified to ensure safety and identity verification. Featured on news outlets such as ABC, Bloomberg Businessweek and CNN, TaskRabbit is available in “19 cities and counting” — one for every child of the Duggar family. To learn more about how you can hire TaskRabbit to lend you a hand or about becoming a tasker, visit TaskRabbit’s website.

Maria Elena Marinelli is a junior information technology major and the assistant web production manager for The Triangle.