The document reflects on the author's experiences using various technologies while creating a music magazine. Key tools included a Compaq laptop for portability, Google Chrome for research, Blogger for updates, and a Nikon D40x camera for photography. The author highlights learning curves with several technologies, including SlideShare, Picnik, and iMovie, while finding comfort in familiar software like desktop publishing and Microsoft applications.

1. Technology

2. Compaq Laptop
At first I found is hard to get use to the iMac, as I am so use to using a windows
computer at home. So it took a while to get use to having a mouse that has no
right hand click button to copy and paste etc. Overall, this wasn’t the main
computer that I used in the end to create my music magazine, however, I did
use it when I was at my dad’s house and at school when creating my
publication. Therefore, my main use of technology was my laptop, as it is more
portable I was able to take it wherever I went to make adjustments to my
magazine or blog.

3. Google Chrome
Throughout the research stage, I used Google Chrome as my web browser
as it was the quickest to obtain information, as well as being able to multi-
task freely, without the computer from freezing every now and then. Due
to the fact I needed to update my blogger posts and going on my accounts
on slide share, Flickr, Prezi and every other technology I used, this was one
of my most highly demanded technology I ended up using!

4. Blogger
Before starting this coursework task, I had never used this website
(www.blogger.com). Therefore, to strat off with it took me a while to get
use to it, but once I understood how to navigate around this website, I was
on it all the time to update my posts. Due to the fact I have the internet at
both school and at home, it was easily accessible to show my progress on
creating my music magazine. Overall, I found this rather simple to use and
feel a lot more confident in using this in the feature, if necessary!

5. Slideshare
On several occasions I have used this website www.slideshare.com to
create PowerPoint presentations which I uploaded via slide share to my
blog. I found this a really good website to use, as I am able to directly
embed the HTML into a post on blogger and it will compose and appear
on this post, when I publish it. Considering I had never used this before, I
haven’t really stopped using it now as it is visually a more interesting way
to show my work on my blog instead of constantly writing chucks of text
on each post.

6. Nikon D40x
This was the camera that I used for my main pictures for my magazine. I ended
up not using my other camera (Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W380) as this camera had
a wide range of zoom lenses that was available to me to get the perfect shots, I
was aiming for. I felt this camera on the whole was a brilliant piece of
technology, as I was extremely happy with the results of my original photos.
Therefore, I didn’t need to take anymore pictures after my photo shoot, as I felt
that I had got all of the necessary photos I needed for my front cover, contents
page and double page spread, due to all the varying shots I took that day.

7. Ipod Touch
This piece of technology actually came in handy quite a lot! Epically at times when
I was out and about and didn't have a computer with me (as long as I had Wi-Fi
connection) I was able to update my blog freely when it suited me. Due to the fact
I went on holiday for a week in the Easter holidays, instead of having to take my
laptop with me all I needed was this to update my blog, when I got internet access
in the hotel if I needed to. This was helpful to use as it stopped me from falling
behind on my work, on that week off!

8. Picnik
In the end, I didn't use this photo manipulation programme, as much as I
thought I would have. I think this was down to the fact I didn’t really have
much time to get use to the software before having to make my pages for
my magazine, as it is a very complex programme in my opinion! I used it to
edit my original pictures, as well as making my title of my magazine stand
out more, on the front cover, but that was mainly it. Overall, I used Picnik
to edit my photos, as I felt comfortable using this package due to the fact I
have used it for many years now. Also, as it is shutting down I was able to
use all the premiere software features for free, which was also a bonus!

9. Desk Top Publishing
Due to me not using Photoshop, as much as I thought, I ended up using
Desk Top Publishing instead. This was mainly down to the fact that I felt
the most comfortable with this software packing, as I have used it for
many years now. I used this mainly to create my magazine as this software
allowing me to group text and images together easily, which I believe
made my publication look like a realistic magazine.

10. DaFont
I used this website a lot when it came to using fonts to write up my article
on my double page spread and my sell lines for my front page and
contents page. Therefore, I would say in general this website
www.dafont.com allowed me to find and download fonts that I needed to
create a visually attractive magazine, that what help appeal to my target
audience and social group.

11. Microsoft Software Applications
Other software applications that I used to help make my music magazine,
was Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. I used Microsoft Word, for my
questionnaire that I uploaded onto Slideshare, which helped me find out
what my target audience would like in my acoustic magazine. As well as
this, I used Microsoft Excel to create a graph to show my results of my
questionnaire, which made my results look more atheistically pleasing and
easier to read instead of just chucks of writing.

12. Flickr
In the end I didn’t use Photobucket like I said I would to show a slide show
of my original images; instead I used the programme called Flickr. At first
(like pretty much all of the other new technologies I haven’t used before) I
found a bit difficult to get my head around, but once I got use to it, I found
it easy to use and may even think about using it in the future. With this
programme I learnt how to create a slideshow presentation as well as
adding tags to each of my final drafts to explain why I added each features
onto each page on my magazine.

13. Prezi
I didn’t really use this software till my evaluations, but I thought I would add it
in, as it has helped me in my coursework. At first it was a bit confusing to
navigate around, however, once I got use to it, I found it rather easy to use
and it is another way of presenting my work that is more visually
appealing on the eye.

14. Sound Cloud
Again, like Prezi, I haven't used this software before until my evaluation
stage, however, I found it very useful nevertheless. Instead of having to
read everything on my blog, I thought it would be a nice change to be able
to hear (even thought I wasn't so keen on the idea) of my voice explaining
one of my evaluations. As I think it gives my blog a different dimension
and shows I haven learnt to learn to use a lot more software packages that
I’ve ever used before.

15. iMovie
Lastly, I used iMovie, which again like most of the other technologies I have
mentioned I never used before. To make my evaluations ore appealing, I
thought a video of me asking one of my friends for their feedback on my
magazine would be more visually appealing rather than just reading
chucks of texts on my blog.