Back with the GSAs

    August 2012, it was the time to add the prefix "Former" to my "Google Student Ambassador" title which I used to carry around for the past year. And it was time for the new Ambassadors to receive their training, their own dip of Google, and how it was to be a Googler. So, it was time for us the former ambassadors, to go wish our successors some good luck, share with them their graduation, and finally their field trip.

    Google training is the place were you get to know new people. Not only out of your own university, or out of your governorate, but even out of your country. For in this training, more than 200+ ambassador came from all around MENA (Middle East and North Africa), to attend this training, here in Cairo, Egypt. The training was a concentrated in-depth overview of Google and how to be a GSA, it was held for two and a half days at Cairo International Conference Center (CICC). Would you want to know more about the training, you can check the hashtag #GSA2012 on Google+, and thanks to the enthusiasm of the ambassadors, the training reached the top trend in less than half a day for the period of the training.

    After those 2 long sleepless nights, it was time for graduation. Also it was time for us, former ambassadors, to share them their glory, and to view our successors on the start of their way as GSAs. And thanks to Google, this might have been one of the greatest nights most people have ever had. It was held in the Citadel of Saladin with the great Googely like, it was just amazing. We had pictures, had dinner, and finally it was the time of Certificates, with more than 200 certificate to distribute. All GSAs started to cheer their fellows for their certificates, as they were cheered for theirs. The night ended peacefully, with some beautiful voices from our fellow Arabs.

    The next day, was the last full day for people with Google. It was the field trip day. Google has prepared a huge field trip to "Fagnoon", where we had "Fteer Meshaltet" for breakfast, which was very appreciated by Arabs, as not many of them tried it before, then we spent the rest of the day; printing on T-Shirts, making pottery, color fights :D and above all the "MUD FIGHT". We had loads of fun, but the day went on so quickly. And it was the time to leave. Heading home, all people longed for their beds, and it was gone one of the most unique experiences one might ever encounter.

    One will miss these days greatly, and the new people he met, hope of meeting you all soon, isA.

Local IEEEXtreme

    Today, was my first attempt at IEEEXtreme. although it wasn't the real worldwide 24 houred IEEEXtreme ... However, it was a simulation in our college for the big day. The competition was held by IEEE CUSB Computer Club team, as I was a competitor, I couldn't join the organization of the event.

   Local xtreme was 7 problems that varied in strength, in one of the faculty computer labs, and our most favorite online judge "Mooshak". (: D) Some problems were easy, however, dear mooshak kept insisting that we missed a test case. Some were moderate, others need much optimization. And finally our dear graphs. Never thought of actually trying to solve it.
 
    My team was supposed to have included Omar Abou El-Khir <3rd year Computer Engineering, CUFE> and Mahmoud Hosny <2nd year Computer Engineering, CUFE>, unfortunately due to some circumstances only me and Hosny managed to come. We managed to solve 3 problems correctly out of 7. Then we tried on another 3, one of which we went to calculate numbers out of boundaries of of C++ containers like int and long long. I tried to convince them that Python could calculate such numbers, however, Moohsak doesn't support that language. :( Hosny, did suggest having an array of 1 billion element to try and solve, and showed some frustration as mooshak stated "Memory Limit Exceeded". Yeah, we were that desperate!! :D

    It was a great experience, not the best though but atleast was a little fruitful ... Now we should begin to train ourselves for the big IEEEXtreme, hopefully, with Omar back to the team, while doing our best. Hopefully, we can achieve a good result.

   For those who don't know IEEEXtreme, it's a 24-houred online coding competition, held worldwide at the same time. It contains 17 problem, that varies in strength.

   I guess that's all for now, see you later ... I hope you enjoyed reading.

Google Student Ambassador Training

     Ever since I knew I am to be a GSA (Google Student Ambassador) for my college next year, and I know that I'm gonna have a boring training week. I thought it'd would have been 5 , five-hour long days for a whole week. But what really happened is the complete opposite. I used to sleep like maximum 5 hours a day and those were practically the time I had to spend at home. Because I used to wake up 5:30 in the early morning, to eventually reach home at midnight, where I practically spent those hours in between in the training.
     The training was a complete surprise, it was so ... Googley. The training was in the German University in Cairo (GUC), it was so like the Google atmosphere we used to hear about and see on YouTube. The place was so full with Google Colors, and Bean Bags, where we used to sleep on in the very morning when no not all have arrived. As it was 6:45 in the morning was the time when we had to take a bus to the GUC moving from the front door of Cairo University. Within the bus, I got to know the best of people, my first fellow Googlers. They were the people that I spent with the best of times on the way to the training or back, no matter how bad the road was.
    Getting into the first day (The first dip), getting into Google with Mohamed Gawdat, Directing Manager of Emerging Markets, and finally, meeting Noha Salem, our magnificent handler, whom have gave us the most magnificent start to what was, the week of the lifetime. However, as fascinating the start was, it wasn't enough to deal with our sleepiness, so it was time for great Andira's ENERGIZER activities, which managed, as it is named, to extract all the hidden energy within us.
     This is how we got to spend the other 4 days of our lives, for no words said can describe what we went through, and how magnificent people were. We ate together, planned together, dreamed together, learnt together, hung-out together and finally graduated together. It was a great experience, and the best of memories. I believe it will remain in memory for a very very long time.
      I'm really honored to have met each and every one of them, where each is unique on his own way, whether if it was hardworking, spiritful, social, creativity, .... and much more. I really hope we all meet again soon.

Google Student Ambassador

        Having met one of Google's first campus ambassadors, who is a colleague in my department, Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University. I started to have my first pieces of knowledge about GCA/GSA program, and also started to broaden my knowledge about Google. It was the time that I got interested of being one for my college.

       And until the 3rd of April, I had been waiting the beginning of the application, it was that day , that I received an e-mail, inviting me to apply. With a deadline being at the 7th of may, plus having my mid-term exams in college, I tried my best to finish the required documents to apply. Fortunately, I managed to submit my application in time.

     And after 5 weeks and on the day I finished my Logic Design exam. I received an e-mail, informing me that I have been accepted as a Google Student Ambassador for my University for the Academic year 2011/2012. And before I can successfully represent Google in my college, I'm scheduled me and all other Ambassadors from the Middle East and North Africa, to a training week held at Google Egypt.

    Wish me Luck, and await me as a Google Student Ambassador.


      

Two-Digit Stopwatch

      Two-Digit Stopwatch, is a simple hardware project as a simple application on counters and hardware design within the scope of "Logic-Design" course. It's a stopwatch that counts from 00 to 59, representing 1 minute, with 2 buttons, one to stop/resume the counter and the other to reset it.

    My team consisted of 3 members, which had been an honor to work with them, my members include:
 1. Heba Ahmed
 2. Mahmoud Aladdin <me>
 3. Mahmoud Hosny

     We managed to attain 20 out of 20 of the grade marks, which reserved us the second place among our class. The following video is a preview to our clock in action.

     

Logic Gate Simulator

     Logic Gate Simulator (LGS), was the first software team work project I make in green department. My team consisted of four people who called themselves "Wizards of Chaos" :
 1. Haron  Shihab
 2. Mahmoud Aladdin <me>
 3. Mahmoud Hosny
 4. Youssef El-Ghareeb

     LGS is a program that is used to design combinational Logic circuits and simulate using primitive gates like: And, Or, and Not, and some more advanced gates as Nand, Nor, Xor, .... etc. Our program supported: Save/Load files, Undo/Redo action, Design/Simulate, show Truth table and Analyze circuit.

    LGS was implemented using C++ and CMU graphics library, it was mainly implemented to apply the rules and techniques of Object Oriented Programming, using C++. It was built and run by Microsoft Visual Studio 2010.

    We managed to attain 15.13 out of 15 of the project grades, achieving by that the 3rd place all over our class.

Dreams of the past? Or ghosts of the future?

    Everyone of us grew up having dreams and aspirations for ourselves free of limitations or any boundaries. who of us didn't dream of flying like Superman, fighting crime like Batman or rule the world like in "Pinky and the Brain" ... etc.
    Until the time comes when we clash with reality, in which no such fantasy can be easily obtained, when we get stuned with the fact "you simply can't win something without a price".
    It's the time where you start to doubt your dreams, asking the same old silly question " Will I ever be what I want?" , this'll be the time where you say farewell to the dreams of your past, and say hello to the ghosts of your future. Then will come the everlasting question; "Will you work for the dreams of your past ? Or you'll let the ghosts of your future choose you your way ?"
    Here, comes the test, but always remember, it's never too late to change ....