Tag Archives: technology

Doctor Who’s new web game aims to teach children programming skills | theguardian.com

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Doctor Who’s latest adventure sees him teaming up with a Dalek and trying to save the universe, but also teaching children some early computer programming skills.

This isn’t a TV show, however: it’s a game due to launch on Wednesday 22 October on the broadcaster’s CBBC website. The Doctor and the Dalek includes voice narration from current Doctor Peter Capaldi, and a new story by Phil Ford, who has written for the TV show.

The free web game is aimed at 6-12 year-olds, and involves freeing a battered Dalek from a ship of Cybermen, then building it back up to full strength through puzzles based on the programming elements of the new English computing curriculum.

via Doctor Whos new web game aims to teach children programming skills | Technology | theguardian.com.

The Story Behind The Web’s Weirdest, Hardest Riddle | Co.Labs

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The Story Behind The Webs Weirdest, Hardest Riddle ⚙ Co.Labs ⚙ code + community

In 2004 a small website appeared that contained a browser-based game called Notpron, which has since been hailed as “the hardest riddle on the Internet.” It consists of a series of 140 puzzles and riddles that get progressively more complex. Completing the game requires knowledge in a diverse range of fields including HTML programming, sound and graphics editing, music apprehension, research skills, and even remote viewing.

Out of the 17 million players that have attempted the game in the last decade only 31 have completed it. That’s just one in every 550,000 players–or, to put it another way, the chances you’ll be hit by lightning once in your lifetime are 41 times greater than they are for you solving Notpron.

To celebrate the games 10th anniversary I asked David Münnich, Notpron’s creator, to go down the rabbit hole of how and why it was created–and what it all means.

READ MORE: The Story Behind The Webs Weirdest, Hardest Riddle ⚙ Co.Labs ⚙ code + community.

Reuters | New KNFB smartphone app gives sight to the blind | KurzweilAI

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The National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s leading advocate for access to print by the blind, has applauded the release of KNFB Reader, a new app for the iPhone and other Apple iOS devices, which uses the phone’s camera and state of the art optical character recognition (OCR) technology to give the blind instant access to the contents of print materials.

Members of the National Federation of the Blind have worked with KNFB Reading Technology, which developed the app along with Sensotec, KNFB Reader is now available in the Apple iTunes app store.

READ MORE: Reuters | New KNFB smartphone app gives sight to the blind | KurzweilAI.

Technology Skills and Your Resume/CV | LITA Blog

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Today, I thought I would share a few brief thoughts on how I list tech skills on my professional documents and how that connects to how I talk about them in a cover letter. Keep in mind that I am an academic librarian with a job in digital libraries, so the usefulness of my perspective beyond this specific area may be limited. And just to clarify, I recognize that everyone has different opinions on content, formatting, and length of professional documents.

READ MORE: Technology Skills and Your Resume/CV | LITA Blog.

I include a “Skillset” section at the end of my resume (on page 3), with a list similar to the list in the post, except with higher level subject headings like Applications; Database Design; Web Design, User Experience and Administration; Languages; Research and Subject Analysis, etc. 

Cybersecurity Lab | NOVA Labs | PBS

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Cybersecurity | NOVA Labs | PBS

The Cybersecurity Lab is a game designed to teach people how to keep their digital lives safe, spot cyber scams, learn the basics of coding, and defend against cyber attacks. Players assume the role of the chief technology officer of a start-up social network company that is the target of increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. In the game, players must complete challenges to strengthen their cyber defenses and thwart their attackers. The Lab also features stories of real-world cyber attacks, a glossary of cyber terms, and short animated videos that explain the need for cybersecurity, privacy versus security, cryptography (cyber codes), and what exactly hackers are. MORE: Cybersecurity | NOVA Labs | PBS.

15 Free Technologies for Libraries | Ellyssa Kroski

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HarperCollins Is Now Using Digital Watermarks To Stop Ebook Piracy | Gizmodo

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HarperColllins and ebook distributor LibreDigital, have signed up to use a new technology called Guardian Watermarking for Publishing from Digimarc, a new anti-piracy technology that embeds an invisible watermark into ebooks at the time of transaction. The service is cloud-based and offers an easy-to-integrate API for most ebook formats, including EPUB, PDF and MOBI.

READ MORE: HarperCollins Is Now Using Digital Watermarks To Stop Ebook Piracy | Gizmodo

9 Fashionable Wearables for the Sartorially Savvy | Mashable

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The fashion world wants to get functional. Smart, wearable technology has always had a bit of an image problem. Google Glass, Fitbit and other popular tech companies have found it difficult to add a sartorial touch to smart gear. Jamming an ugly smartwatch onto a chic outfit has always been the curse of those who sit at the crossroad between taste and technology. But the designer world is here to help. Thanks to a number of collaborations with fashion mavens such as Diane von Furstenberg and Tory Burch, stylish wristbands, smartwatches and even Google Glass are getting gorgeous upgrades. Here are nine gadgets that are actually smart and chic.

READ MORE: 9 Fashionable Wearables for the Sartorially Savvy | Mashable

Kids Need To Learn Digital Literacy—Not How To Code | ReadWrite

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The new narrative in education, echoed from Silicon Valley to Washington, D.C., is: “Everyone should learn to code.” But something’s getting lost in translation between technologists and parents of students around the country. Let’s get this out of the way: Not everyone needs to learn how to code. Coding is just one part of the constantly evolving technological landscape. There’s a big difference between learning how to code and having a fundamental understanding of how technology and software operate. Of the two, the latter is way more important for most people. What students—and, really, anyone who wants to function in careers in the future—should learn is how to be digitally literate.

READ MORE: Kids Need To Learn Digital Literacy—Not How To Code | ReadWrite

How to Encrypt Everything | Gizmodo

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[T]he Electronic Frontier Foundation EFF and Fight for the Future—offers instructions on how we can all avoid mass surveillance. But it also offers a “Privacy Pack” for the average user. Its simply a bundle of free software to help you encrypt your data and communications. You should download it right now.

Encryption doesnt require coding knowledge or math skills, but it does demand some attention and care. The Privacy Pack is a great starting point, but if you want to cover all of your bases, there are few more things you need to do. Weve put together a little guide that includes details on the software in the Privacy Pack and a little bit extra. In case youre not quite sure what encryption is or how it works, EFFs Surveillance Self-Defense site is a great place to start.

READ MORE How to Encrypt Everything | Gizmodo [Phone, Email, Browser, Everything Else]