Group items tagged

An article about some of the (non-ewaste) environmental effects of IT. Talks about energy consumption, health risks to microchip plant workers, and resource use. (This also published in the book Computer Confluence)

"Choose the Best Search for Your Information Need"

Overview of how text-to-speech works

Intuitive, visual programming tool allows students to play 'games' while learning science

This article describes how history is being made as millions of twitter users broadcast their comments

Discussion of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project, examining the challenges that face the project and asking whether equipping every child with a laptop really is the solution to poverty. Nicely balanced, unlike many articles on the OLPC.

"The conventional wisdom suggests that everyone under 30 is comfortable revealing every facet of their lives online, from their favorite pizza to most frequent sexual partners. But many members of the tell-all generation are rethinking what it means to live out loud. "

"While participation in social networks is still strong, a survey released last month by the University of California, Berkeley, found that more than half the young adults questioned had become more concerned about privacy than they were five years ago "

Interesting ariticle on how "the ease of loading songs onto a computer or an iPod has meant that a generation of fans has happily traded fidelity for portability and convenience"....

For many Americans, cellphones have become irreplaceable tools to manage their lives and stay connected to the outside world, their families and networks of friends online. But increasingly, by several measures, that does not mean talking on them very much.

"Facebook's millions of users are a lucrative target for internet criminals looking to steal passwords and more. To combat malicious attacks, phishing scams and spam, the online social network is rolling out new security features."

"The researchers asked what could happen if a hacker could gain access to the network of a car, said Tadayoshi Kohno, a University of Washington computer scientist. He said the research teams were able to demonstrate their ability to circumvent a wide variety of systems critical to the safety of drivers and passengers. "

Just what it says. Good overview of how stores keep track of us. Short and accessible.

The Basel Action Network, an American watchdog group that has sought to curb the export of toxic electronic waste from the United States, plans to begin a new certification and auditing program on Thursday for both recyclers and companies that generate electronic refuse.

Good description of new device which mechanizes all the fingers in a hand.

Long article but you can use an extract. Good description of a factory run with software. The advantage to making things in Asia has always been that their labor is cheaper. Now they have another advantage, one that is worrying some big names in American business. ...How do they do it? In Tata's case, a crucial element is a $417 million "smart factory" in the state of Gujarat that uses intelligent-automation hardware, software and services supplied by Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation Inc.