IT News and Articles
The robot known as Nao is the world's first that can develop and show emotions. Funded by the European Commission, a team of eight universities and robotics companies from the UK, France, Switzerland, Greece and Denmark, programmed Nao to mimic the emotional skills of a one-year-old child. The robot is able to recognize face and recall various interactions with people. From its experience, Nao develops further emotional skills. As robots become more advanced, scientists are hopeful that robots like Nao will help in uncovering better ways of assisting society. For example, a robot like Nao could develop an understanding of what kind of social partner a child with autism would need in order to learn social skills.
http://www.guardian.co.uk
August 5, 2010 The first humanoid robot in space will makes its debut this coming November as it reaches the International Space Station, Robonaut 2, or R2, will become an integral part of the space station's team as it does maintenance work, thus freeing up more time for the astronauts who can then focus on other issues. NASA hopes that R2 will increase the public's interest in space exploration and help inspire people to become engineers. An ultimate goal is to eventually create a humanoid robot that can live outside the space station and perform emergency space walks when needed. During R2's space travels, the robot will update the public through twitter. Follow R2 on twitter!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com
Augsut 2, 2010 Abstract: A team of researchers (computer scientist Dimitris Papamichail from the University of Miami and several others from Stony Brook University, New York) have created a useful algorithm that helps to fight off influenza. The scientists created computer algorithms that "serve as live vaccines, which are then synthesized to specification." This process creates a much larger margin of safety than any other before. The entire study may be found online in Nature Biotechnology.
http://www.theengineer.co.uk
August 2, 2010
Abstract: With the advent of GPS systems, electronic steering and computerized braking, scientists are now moving towards the unthinkable: driverless cars. Randal O'Toole, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute, explains that you can actually buy a car today that is ninety percent driverless. So then, why not completely? Such a breakthrough would prove to maximize efficiency and could even eliminate the need for traffic lights. As it stands now, people are constantly on the phone and texting while driving. A driverless car would reduce the dangers of such behavior while giving the driver more time to focus on other activities. Currently, a car is making its way from Italy to China and another project is focusing on having a driverless car make its way up to the top of the infamous Pike's Peak.
http://www.kansascity.com
August 1, 2010
Abstract: A new push in Maryland is being made towards developing cyber security curriculums in colleges and universities throughout the state. Recently the University of Maryland University College in Adelphi is preparing to launch a new curriculum for the upcoming Fall 2010 semester that focuses on cyber security. Students will now be able to earn a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in the area. It has been found that companies and recruiters are desperately trying to locate qualified individuals with a solid knowledge in cyber security; however, there are not enough professionals available to meet the demand. In fact, thousands are needed. Maryland is currently trying to create a strong workforce for technology and cyber security in order to both lure companies and workers into the state and to simultaneously encourage math and science at all levels of education. As the program director of operations at the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, Adam Suri, says "the state is marketing itself as the 'epicenter for cyber security.'" While the rest of the economic suffers those with such knowledge are able to find employment across the spectrum, from Silicon Valley to Northern Virginia and Boston.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com
The aim of the Game Changers category is the creation of new game play experiences using the popular video games LittleBigPlanet™, winner of numerous "Game of the Year" awards in 2008, and Spore™ Galactic Adventures.
May 2010
http://dmlcompetition.net/kidscomp/
December 7, 2009
Beginning in the Spring 2010 semester, UMass Amherst offers a wider range of possible degree/course options for those interested in computer science. A new B.S. degree is being offered that is more flexible, allowing students to choose between 10 separate tracks in areas such as robotics, vision and graphics, security and privacy, and AI. In addition, the department is working on a B.A. degree that will enable students to combine an interest in computer science and a secondary discipline. The department hopes to begins the B.A. program by the fall of 2010.
http://www.umass.edu/newsoffice
March 30, 2009
In the spring of 2008 Georgia Institute of Technology professor Santosh Vempala put together a course that studied how computers can have an impact on real world issues such as poverty and hunger. Students in the course, "Computing for Good," learned how computing can actually make the world a better place through various projects that focused on specific issues confronting people today. For example, one of the numerous projects had students look at any trends found within the United Way's Shelter-to-Home program and then complete a full analysis after their findings. Another project had the students create technology for ZAP asthma, a community driven initiative that strives to prevent both morbidity and mortality for children living in Atlanta's Empowerment Zone. This class has given both students and professors an opportunity to work on real world issues while also seeing the importance of computing within the local and broader communities. Since the Spring 2008 semester, enrollment for the course has more than doubled.
http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/3685/new-program-at-georgia-tech-pairs-computing-with-public-service
March 27, 2009
After six years of declining and stalemate numbers, computer science is beginning to have a larger enrollment. According to the Computing Research Association, interest in computer science has been less and less since the dot com boom fifteen years ago. Some say this upward trend is due to the recent financial crises which revealed to college students the dark side of banking and other finance careers. Evidence for computer science's growing popularity may be seen in the fact that enrollment in computer science classes has risen over the past year by 6.2% while the average number enrolling in the actual major has increased by 9.5%. As the world becomes more and more technology driven, computer science will prove to be a rewarding area of study.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/165161.asp
July 24, 2008
A long-held stereotype has finally been challenged through scientific findings. The stereotype? That men are better at math than women. A team of scientists analyzed a "mountain" of data, including the SAT math results of over seven million students, and found the results exceptionally close to even. In fact, forty-eight percent of college students earning a bachelors degree in mathematics are women. Further statistical analysis was completed after accumulating math scores from state exams (required under the No Child Left Behind Act) to find once again that the test results were fifty-fifty. Thus, the old stereotype that girls are worse at bath than boys, is put to rest.
http://www.labspaces.net/7971/No_gender_differences_in_math_performance
March 17, 2008
Wireless, virtualization, security, networking, application delivery, Web 2.0, IT business analysis, database management, business intelligence/data mining, and the X factor are ten of the most important and sought after skills in the business environment today. The importance of each skill in the IT and business worlds is discussed within this article helping the reader to become more acquainted with their own strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these skills is all the more essential as IT and business become increasingly intertwined in this ever-increasing global economy.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/041708-careers.html?page=1
March 6, 2008
Social networking sites have significantly grown in popularity over the past decade and a half. From MySpace to Facebook and LinkedIn people have been turning to the internet to make new connections and strengthen old ones. The idea of a social networking website has now expanded into the college admissions niche. A new social networking site, Zinch, strives to make students applying to college be more than simply a test score. This site works as an intermediary between students and prospective colleges where students create accounts and the colleges are able to 'shop' around and find students that better fit the school's undergraduate and overall community.
http://imhe.blogspot.com/2008/03/recruiting-through-social-networks.html
Video Report
Students Use Dancing Robots to Show Lighter Side of Computer Science
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