Categories
-Cross Currents 1.3 Computers Today: A Brief Taxonomy Working Wisdom: Green Computing

Can a Laptop Be Too Cool?

wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/06/opinion-apple-retina-displa
Apple’s latest laptop announcements offer consumers a clear choice. According to this Wired opinion piece, consumers will be choosing between cool and green, and the choices they make may have profound environmental implications.

Categories
-Cross Currents 10.4 Security and Reliability 15.6 The Robot Revolution

Another Take on the Classic Sci-Fi Plot

forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2012/06/14/cyber-security-and-the-rise-of-the-silicon-based-life-form
If we think of digital technology as another life form, how does that change the way we think about, and interact with, that technology? This Forbes editorial suggests that it might improve the way we handle computer security.

Categories
-Context 10.1 Online Outlaws: Computer Crime

No Longer Anonymous?

thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-june-18-2012/parmy-olson
The secret global Internet subculture known as Anonymous has generated plenty of headlines, but most people don’t know much about it. Journalist Parmy Olson’s book, “We Are Anonymous”, reveals how the organization works and how it is evolving. In this light-hearted interview with Jon Stewart on the Daily Show she talks about what she learned writing the book.

Categories
-Inventing the Future 11.7 The High-Tech Home 15.6 The Robot Revolution 4.4 The User Interface: The Human-Machine Connection

The Robot in Your Future Home

Personal robots are coming. This fascinating NPR story gives an audio peek inside the labs that are working hard to bring robots to everyday people.
wbur.org/npr/155278207/you-know-you-want-one-personal-robots-not-ready-for-you-yet

Categories
-Cross Currents 11.4 Education in the Information Age 11.5 High-Tech Schools 11.6 Technology and School: Midterm Grades

Digital Education: Are We There Yet?

Digital technology is radically transforming education for millions of students. But is this transformation for the better? This CNN editorial argues that the benefits of technology in education outweigh the costs. What do you think?

Categories
-Context 13.4 E-Commerce Ethics 7.4 No Secrets: Computers and Privacy 9.2 Inside the Web

The Web is Watching You


http://www.ted.com/talks/gary_kovacs_tracking_the_trackers.html

If you think you’re covering your tracks as you explore the web, think again. This TED talk shows how we’re being tracked and suggests what we might need to do about it.
 

Categories
-Updates 9.1 Inside the Internet

The New, Supersized Internet

npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/06/06/154430791/ipv6-a-new-internet-expands-the-web-by-trillions-of-addresses
You probably didn’t notice, but the Internet just got bigger. A behind-the-scene change dramatically increases the number of possible Internet addresses, making it possible for all kinds of devices to stake out a space on the net. This NPR story explains the change and what it means to you.

Categories
-Updates 13.3 E-Business 2.0: Reinventing Web Commerce 13.4 E-Commerce Ethics 13.5 Inventing the Future: E-Commerce Tomorrow: The Never-Ending Game

3D Body Scans for Better Fitting Jeans?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/06/04/154284798/do-these-pants-make-me-look-body-scans-for-a-better-fit
We’ve grown accustomed to the idea of computer body scans in hospitals and airports. But are you ready to be scanned in the dressing room of a clothing store? Or in your home for an online retail purchase? If scan-for-size technology catches on, digital devices may be taking your body measurements to ensure that the clothes you buy fit perfectly. This NPR story has the details.

Categories
-Context 9.1 Inside the Internet 9.2 Inside the Web

The Internet’s Body

http://www.npr.org/2012/05/31/153701673/the-internet-a-series-of-tubes-and-then-some
The Internet isn’t just a software cloud. Andrew Blum’s book, Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet, reveals the nuts and bolts of the physical Internet. In this Fresh Air interview, he talks about the hardware network that makes our Internet experience possible.