Braille - still needed?

Braille is an important way for visually impaired people to communicate but ...
 

Does Braille have a future in this digital age?

 http://www.ledgertranscript.com/Articles/2016/03/From-Archives/VpKronheim-ml-031716-16

What are the alternatives?

http://www.businessinsider.in/The-digitally-inclusive-computer-by-Dolphin-can-convert-pdf-files-to-Braille-in-minutes-and-this-is-just-the-beginning/articleshow/51255629.cms

What will graphene be used for?

http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/graphene-the-miracle-material-explained-968797

 


Describe what graphene is.
Describe 3 possible uses for this substance such as Graphene Lighting.
What do you think will be the most important and why? 
Why is graphene not already widely used?

IBM is working on processors that use rolled tubes of graphene (carbon nanotubes) as components. These could be much smaller and faster than silicon chips.
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-10/02/ibm-carbon-nanotube-breakthrough-processors-silicon

Extension question -  What are the prospects for graphene based processors such as carbon nanotubes ? 

Complete on a Word document and submit to the Markham bin.

What would you do with your Micro Bit?

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35863859

Links for Pygame

http://programarcadegames.com/



http://pygametutorials.wikidot.com/

Do you have any more good links or tips?

We still have not solved how to put Pygame onto Apples.  Any info out there?

Amazon wants to replace 'awkward passwords' with smiling selfies

Click buy. Pay with a selfie. Done.

Amazon (AMZN, Tech30) is looking into allowing shoppers to pay with a selfie. The online retailer has filed a patent application for the technology, saying it is more secure and less "awkward" than traditional passwords.

Customers would be able to take a picture or a short video of themselves to authenticate payments, instead of typing in a password.

Amazon's facial recognition system would ensure it's the actual customer -- and not hackers, thieves or kids using their parents' devices -- who is making the purchase.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/15/technology/amazon-selfie-payment/index.html?iid=SF_River

What does it ask the user in order to verify that its a human taking the selfie?

Which brand is using the same principle of the selfie?

What do you think after reading the article would it be a good idea or not, Do you think there could be any problems?

FBI warns on risks of car hacking

The FBI and the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have added their voices to growing concerns about the risk of cars being hacked.

In an advisory note it warns the public to be aware of "cybersecurity threats" related to connected vehicles.

Last year Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.4 million US vehicles after security researchers remotely controlled a Jeep.

More at: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35841571

Questions:

"There has not yet been a real-world example of such hacking." Judging from the article, do you think this will become a major issue? Why?

The FBI is taking this matter very seriuosly and has laid out the issues and dangers of car hacking. Do you think they are over-reacting? Take in account that there has been no cases of car hacking. Yet.

Hackers can take remote control of cars. Howerever this only applies to cars that have intelligent software and can connect to the internet. Does this mean that in the future the risk can get higher?

The new London transport?

The Auto-Mate is a new transport concept that fits with the aesthetic design of England´s capital city and one that could become synonymous with the city itself in a couple of years.

Designer Marcello Raelli proposes bright red self-riding pods that will pick up people wherever they are and drop them off wherever they want.

More info at: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160307-would-you-let-this-car-drive-you-around-london

Questions:

Do you like the design of the Auto-Mate? Why?

What do you think of the idea of self-driving cars?

Do you think the Auto-Mate will become a recognisable symbol of the city of London?

Would you let a robot invest your hard-earned cash?

Machines are getting smarter and smarter every single day and with the ability to make complex calculations in a matter of seconds they could be better at decision-making than most humans.

The floors of the New York and London Stock Exchanges now exist mostly for show. The real trading is done automatically by robots.

About three-quarters of trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are done by algorithms - computer programs following complex sets of rules.

More info at: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35830311

Would you let machines invest your money?

"They don't panic... they don't understand things like greed and fear," knowing this do you think computers can make a better job than humans in terms on investing in a company?

Do you think computers will have a much larger impact in finances in the near future?

Is this the future for businesses? or could this really result in a stagnation of the market?

Differences between Blogs and Wikis

Explains differences nicely
http://meblog.pbworks.com/w/page/11074186/Similarities%20and%20Differences

Anonymous Declares war on Donald Trump

Link: /http://time.com/4258821/anonymous-declares-war-donald-trump/

Donald Trump is hated by millions of Americans for his radical and racist ideas. Now he has attracted the attention of a hacktivist group called "Anonymous" which has declared total war on him. Anonymous is aiming to dismantle its campaign in order to prevent him from becoming president of the USA.
Questions:
Why do you think a hacktivist group is targeting Donald Trump?
Do you think that Trump would be a good president?
Would you prefer Trump's campaign to end? Why?

Could hackers turn the lights out?

Hackers have managed to develop new skills and experts warn about threats they impose to systems that control power stations, water treatment plants and even transport.

Just before Christmas, the theoretical threat became all too real for more than 225,000 Ukrainians who were plunged into darkness by a sophisticated attack on one of the nation's power companies.

Read More: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35204921

How far do you consider hacking might go in the future?

Which ways do you consider best to prevent hacking in major industries?

iPhone 7: Updated release date, news and price rumours surrounding Apple's next-generation smartphone

The rumors start with: 
The iPhone 7 is undoubtedly one of the most hotly-anticipated gadgets of the year.

Then, The release date:

Taking Apple's release date history into account, it's likely we'll see the iPhone 7 officially revealed in September 2016.

Design:

Apple's iPhone 6s has been a big hit for the technology giant - but it didn't alter much when it came to design.

Also, they might remove the headphone jack, to encourage a new way to hear to music, and lead into the world of wireless earphones, this earphones are made by Beats by Dre. Which will be two pods chargeable, and they are magnetic together so you wont lose them.

Waterproof or WaterResistant phone:

there may be some rumors about the next iPhone being water resistant, because many people have been complaining about their iPhone getting accidentally soaked into water, and maybe this update could save us all from these accidents.

to continue reading about this post enter to:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/apple-iphone-7-rumours-release-5871349

New PlayStation VR

Sony has revealed that its virtual reality headset will cost $399 (£282) in the US.

That makes it $200 cheaper than Facebook's rival Oculus Rift and $400 less than HTC's Vive.

The PlayStation VR is seen as less advanced than its two rivals, but many experts think it will outsell them.

However, the disclosure that it will not be released until October means Sony will fail to meet its earlier target of the first half of 2016.

The Japanese company also revealed that it expects more than 50 games tailored to its headset will be available at its launch.

It made its announcement in San Francisco to coincide with the city's Games Developers Conference.

Retailers have confirmed that the UK price - which includes the VAT sales tax - will be £350.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35813653

The immortalist: Uploading the mind to a computer

Russian internet millionaire, Itskov is putting a slice of his fortune in to a bold plan he has devised to bypass ageing. He wants to use cutting-edge science to unlock the secrets of the human brain and then upload an individual's mind to a computer, freeing them from the biological constraints of the body.

The theoretical possibility Randal, a neuroscientist,  refers to is rooted in questions about how our brains work that neuroscience has yet to answer. Our brains are made up of about 86 billion neurons, connected cells that send information to each other by firing electrical charges that propagate through this organ in our skulls like waves.

To try to unlock its workings, many neuroscientists approach the brain as if it were a computer. In this analogy the brain turns inputs, sensory data, into outputs, our behaviour, through computations. If this process could be mapped, the brain could perhaps be copied in a computer, along with the individual mind it gives rise to.

Do you think something like this would be possible in the future with the proper technology?

What kind of benefits would this bring?
What your opinion about cheating death by transferring your thoughts to a computer or robot?

Read more :  http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35786771 

North Korea's Nuke Might be Real

http://www.vox.com/2016/3/9/11186964/north-korea-nuclear-warhead
North Korea has recently made claims that they have a miniaturized hydrogen bomb warhead that could burn New York to "ashes". And while North Korea has a long history of making false claims about their missile capabilities, some people are saying that this time it might be true.

Why do some people think that North Korea might finally have a nuclear missile?

What does it matter if they do--what are the possible implications of this?

Why does this not matter--why won't North Korea nuke the USA when they've made threats for so long?

The teen who made a revolutionary robot arm

At age 14, Easton LaChappelle engineered a robotic hand from his bedroom using plastic building blocks, fishing wire, model airplane motors, and the technical he acquired from the Internet.

His $350 prototype garnered him third place at a 2011 state science fair. It was here that Easton met a 7-year-old girl fitted with a state of the art prosthetic arm—it cost $80,000 and would need to be replaced multiple times as she grew older. It was then that Easton realized his far-fetched invention had life-changing practicality.

Today, Easton enables humans to perform otherwise impossible tasks through Unlimited Tomorrow, providing problem-solving innovations at an affordable price.

Easton’s robotic arm now has more functionality than a traditional prosthesis and is entirely 3D-printed. The printable designs are available for download, open source and completely free of charge, on Unlimited Tomorrow’s homepage.

Read more : http://www.daregreatly.com/explore/experience-cadillac/dont-you-dare/easton-lachapelle

Find out more information about how the robotic arm work. 

What is special about his invention? 

Do you think his invention will bring a lot of benefits? To who? Why?

How algorithms run Amazon's warehouses

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150818-how-algorithms-run-amazons-warehouses
The BBC’s Panorama programme has reported in the past on the high levels of accuracy and productivity expected of employees in Amazon warehouses. Reportedly, the pickers’ handheld devices in some warehouses count down the seconds that they have to retrieve the next product, in order to meet their performance targets.
Do you think that Amazon's working practices are fair?
Do you think that human involvement in amazon's warehouse will decline and why?
What other things did you learn from this report?
S4 students make a comment of at least 100 words please.

 Cyber Security Alert    

Hacks, Bugs and Surveillance    

                                              

Computers have finally risen!

Computers have finally risen!

Google Al wins final Go Challenge against South Korean Go champion Lee Se-Dol 4 to 1!

The FBI has a new plan to spy on high school kids across the country

                                         
http://www.salon.com/2016/03/06/the_fbi_has_a_new_plan_to_spy_on_high_school_kids_across_the_country_partner/

Hendo 2.0: A REAL Hoverboard

Link!

The Hendo Hoverboard

Raspberry Pi breaks UK computer record

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35690689

Stems: A new music format

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33939203

What will be Apple's next project?

Google car "Crash not a surprise"

Google car crash "not a surprise"

"Bionic Fingertip Offers Feeling"

"Bionic Fingertip Offers Feeling"

Teenager wins £174k in drone race

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/35803465/teenager-wins-174k-in-drone-race

New Qualcom Mobile phone chips

http://www.androidcentral.com/qualcomm-releases-new-virtual-reality-sdk

Hand Movements into Music

Look at this new input device from the BBC website.

How do you think it works?

Would you like one?

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35578982

Welcome

to Markham IGCSE Computer Science Blog where we can post interesting items about Computer Science and have discussions.  I will post items regularly and sometimes I will expect you to comment. You can also post anything exciting that you want about our subject.