These pages are a modest attempt to provide up-to-date news that is relevant to the areas of mathematics, education, computer science or information technology. Reader should keep in mind that old links often disappear.
2/22/13
TechNews for the week: February 22; February 20;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Karzai to ban Afghan forces from calling in NATO airstrikes; Iranian-backed militant group in Iraq is recasting itself as a political player;
Bulgarian government resigns amid growing protests;
Israel’s Netanyahu responds to ‘Prisoner X’ scandal; Israel denies Prisoner X had contact with Australian intelligence services;
Sequester is just over a week away,but blame game has already begun; Pentagon’s comptroller at center of sequester storm as defense cuts near;
Automatic cuts are getting a big yawn from Washington; Congressional staffers often travel on tabs of foreign governments;
GOP senators are treading carefully with tea party; House passes bill to block federal-worker pay raise;
Funding is running low for health insurance in state ‘high-risk pools’; Will young adults face ‘rate shock’ because of the health-care law?;
Federal government to run insurance exchanges in 26 states;
Mississippi Has Finally Definitely Ratified the Thirteenth Amendment;
Report ties 100-plus cyber attacks on U.S. computers to Chinese military;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
China Denies U.S. Hacking Accusations: 6 Facts; Experts Warn of Cyber Spies Outside of China; Media frenzy on Chinese Cyberattacks;
Age Biases in Perceptions of Trust; Automobile Data Surveillance and the Future of Black Boxes;
All Those Companies that Can't Afford Dedicated Security; NBC Websites Hacked To Serve Citadel Financial Malware;
Cheating in Chess;
Math and science
Flu vaccine doing poor job of protecting older people; CDC stands by shots for those over 65;
Oxford mathematician shows flaw in body mass index; The long and short of it:All women feel fat; Fear of errors in counting food calories;
Amateur athletes seeking an edge find real-time, high-tech inspiration;
Curiosity drills into Mars for first time;
Researchers Create Artificial Ear With 3-D Printer;
Carbon Nanotubes Possible Alternative For Silicon Chips;
Web issues
3D-printed gun site DEFCAD is now attracting 3K visitors an hour;
10 Great Android Apps For Tablets;
What you need to know about WebRTC: Web Real-Time Communications;
SC Politics
Is it time for a new Speaker of the House? Watchdog group asks Harrell to step aside as speaker; S.C. attorney general did not report some campaign contributions;
SC Republicans offer alternative to Obamacare;
Finance and Economics
Why Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us; Harvard Doctor Says Readmissions Don't Measure Quality; Doctor, consumer coalition releases list of 90 medical ‘don’ts’;
Affordable Care Act clears another hurdle toward implementation;
Markets: In search of a fast buck; FBI probes suspected insider trading in H.J. Heinz buyout;
Erskine Bowles on his new budget plan;
Other news
Emory’s President Sparks a Furor With a Comment on 3/5 Compromise in Constitution;
What Makes a Good Leader?
Education:
Are Career-Oriented Majors a Waste of a 4-Year Higher Education? Number of Students Taking AP Tests Rises Again;
Congressional education report: 5 years and $700k to recommend "equity"; Gifts to U.S. Colleges Rose 2.3% in 2012, Narrowly Outpacing Inflation;
Ranking Colleges by ‘Desirability’; LSU Will Refund Misappropriated Student Fees;
Basic Technology Advice for Students;
The Trouble With Online College; Online Courses Could Widen Achievement Gaps Among Students;
Universities Abroad Join MOOCs; Experts Question How Much MOOCs Can Help Students Trying To Earn Degrees;
How EdX Plans to Earn, and Share, Revenue From Its Free Online Courses; Competing MOOC Providers Expand Into New Territory—and Each Other’s;
Should the NCAA President Step Down? Critics Make the Case; NCAA Details Missteps in U. of Miami Investigation;
NCAA Sues to Block New Law That Would Keep Penn State Fines in Pa.; Penn State’s Cost for Sandusky Scandal Exceeds $27.6-Million;
Florida Atlantic U. Faces Questions Over Naming Stadium for Prison Company;
2/15/13
TechNews for the week: February 15; February 13; February 11;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Iran and Hezbollah build militia networks within Syria; Obama unlikely to reconsider arming Syrian rebels;
New hope for talks on Syrian conflict evaporates as both side refuse to meet;
North Korea confirms nuclear test; test adds strain to North Korea’s relationship with China; N. Korea’s nuclear test leaves U.S., Asian allies in a bind;
Planning for pivot to Asia, Pentagon finds itself shifting to Africa instead; In Afghanistan pullout, Pentagon favors phased reduction over 3 years;
At Guantanamo, microphones hidden in attorney-client meeting rooms; Lawmakers propose giving federal judges role in drone strikes;
Pope Benedict XVI to resign, citing age and waning energy;
Sen. Warner says defense industry shares blame for sequester; Many 2011 federal budget cuts had little real-world effect; Furloughs likely would exceed 1 million;
Senate Democrats offer plan to avoid sequester through cuts, higher taxes; McCain says ‘maybe’ to new taxes to avert sequestration;
President Obama: 'It’s not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government'; Obama weighing executive actions on housing, gays and other issues;
Senate Republicans block Hagel nomination for defense secretary;
North Carolina lawmakers move to slash unemployment help;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
February Crypto-Gram Newsletter, Skype, trust, full-body scanners and more; Real-World Prisoner's Dilemma from France;
Obama to Issue Cybersecurity Executive Order; Executive Order Leaves Tough Work Undone;
Intelligence report says U.S. is target of massive cyber-espionage campaign;
Massive Police Shootout in Cleveland Despite Lack of Criminals;
Security Researchers Issue Warning on Opening PDFs;
Math and science
How to trick your brain into being more productive; Procrastination study;
200-Year-Old Invention Holding Back 21st Century Technology; Engineers Create Bacteria That Stores Data;
Here come the 3D printed cars, courtesy of Canada; Iowa software predicts impact of poor driving posture;
NASA data may have uncovered galaxy's youngest black hole; Asteroid nears Earth for a close encounter;
NBA Launches Basketball Statistics Site;
Web issues
'Google Now': The future of big data and Android's game-changer;
App allows users to view electrocardiograms on smartphones;
SC Politics
S.C. trumpets recycling deal prematurely; Nikki Haley working hard for the working man!
Board of Economic Advisors adds $163 million to the state budget; Preventative care could lure state workers into Obamacare;
Finance and Economics
40 Million Mistakes: Is your credit report accurate?
Lawmakers Introduce New Startup-Visas Bill;
Politicians push bill to help states collect online sales tax;
Other news
Lawmaker Wants to Ban ‘Obscene’ Photoshopping;
On homosexuality, many Christians get the Bible wrong;
Education:
With Financial Aid, Colleges Should Be Accountable to Taxpayers and Students; Group Floats 3 Options for Financing Public Higher Education;
Money Matters, but So Does Avoiding Red Tape; Calif. Legislative Analyst Slams Governor's Higher-Education Budget;
Obama's Accreditation Proposals Surprise Higher-Education Leaders; With New 'Scorecard,' Obama Seeks to Give Students a Tool to Compare Colleges;
SC restricts Winthrop spending after audit finding;
Lawyers Call for Drastic Change in Legal-Education System;
Former graduate student sues for $1.3M over grade; Judge Rejects Student’s Big Lawsuit Over Grade;
Faculty Group Urges NCAA to Convene Summit on Athletics Oversight;
2/8/13
TechNews for the week: February 8; February 6; February 4;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Alleged terrorism ties foil some Afghan interpreters’ U.S. visa hopes; As deadlines loom, U.S. attempts to restart peace talks with the Taliban;
Iran’s parliament dismisses another Ahmadinejad minister; Khamenei dubious of direct talks with U.S.;
Pentagon leaders say they favored arming opposition in Syria;
Israelis unhappy with study of their school textbooks and Palestinians’;
Justice Dept. document justifies killing American terrorists overseas; Key GOP senator says drone war may not be lawful;
Secret Legal Review Says Obama Could Order Cyberattack; Pentagon gearing up to fight the PR war;
Google Maps Update Brings North Korea Into Focus;
Immigration bill splits GOP on national-local line;
What the court got wrong about recess appointments;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
'Bump fire' devices turn rifles into machine guns: How is that legal?;
Anonymous Claims Wall Street Data Dump;
Math and science
Panel Advises Shutdown of Last U.S. Collider; Federal Communications Commission Proposes Large Public WiFi Networks;
Amateur effort finds new largest prime number; Why Is Quantum Computing So Hard?
What Causes Lithium-Ion Battery Thermal Runaways?
Web issues
Why Yahoo Mail Accounts Are Being Hijacked; How to screen unwanted calls on iPhones and Android phones;
Google Revamps, Speeds Up Image Search Capabilities; Google touts benefits of WebP image format;
SC Politics
Seabrook owner disputes re-cutting Capt. Sam’s Inlet; Sand-spit fight far from over; Funding for I-526 questioned;
Mayor Riley calls for tax hike to fund policing program at elementary schools;
Finance and Economics
Boeing Engineers Blame 787 Woes On Outsourcing, Lack Of Oversight; NTSB Is Making Progress On Boeing 787 Investigation;
NTSB: ‘Too Risky’ For Lithium Batteries To Fly As Cargo On Planes;
Tech, telecom giants take sides as FCC proposes large public WiFi networks; Google Joins JPMorgan In Effort To Limit Software Patents;
S&P expects U.S. lawsuit over pre-crisis credit ratings; Overhaul of rating agencies bogs down;
For insurance exchanges, states need ‘navigators’;
Innovation and the Wealth of Cities;
Dell goes private;
Other news
The secret to NRA's high membership;
Survivalist development may be taking root in rural Idaho;
Boy Scouts delay vote on policy banning gays; BSA and the dismantling of core values;
Appearance by Group Advocating Boycott of Israel Roils Brooklyn College; Controversial Lecture Held With Only Minor Disruption;
Education:
Americans Value Higher Education but Question Its Quality; Why Germany Makes University Know-How a Key Export;
Five colleges misreported data to U.S. News, raising concerns about rankings, reputation ;
U. of Phoenix Reboots Advertising and Rebrands in the Process;
Colleges in Northeast Face Grimmer Future;
Turnaround Plan for City College of San Francisco Faces Opposition; California’s Public Colleges Face Mountains of Deferred Maintenance;
American Council on Education Recommends 5 MOOCs for Credit; Several Campuses Are Disrupted by Outage in Course-Management Systems;
Big Ten expansion could push Ohio State, Michigan in same division;
Major League Baseball’s Drug Inquiry Examines Players’ Ties to U. of Miami;
2/1/13
TechNews for the week: February 1; January 30; January 28;
War, Politics and Reports (Also, see Finance and Economics)
Eyeing rich bounty, China in line for Afghan role; U.S. officials failed to verify that fuel for Afghan forces did not come from Iran;
U.S. clears legal hurdles to Mali effort; U.S. wants to add drone base in Africa;
Israel to release frozen taxes, customs revenue to Palestinian Authority; Israeli airstrike hits truck convoy in Syria; Israel launches more airstrike in Syria;
At Guantanamo, a minor mystery as audio, video feeds are cut at hearing;
VA researcher’s study finds more veterans are committing suicide;
Senators to present bipartisan plan for overhaul of immigration laws; Congress approves plan to temporarily suspend debt limit;
Threat of sequestration is costing federal agencies time and money; Defense contractors see federal belt-tightening hit their bottom lines;
Union says U.S. can save money by lowering amount paid to contractors; Contractors stay cool over sequester;
At Hill hearing, NRA tries to manhandle facts and logic;
Obama administration offers faith groups new opt-out of contraception mandate;
Math, science and technology:
Security issues
Pressure increases on suspects in federal Stuxnet probe;
Google: Here's how we handle government requests about you; Twitter Says It Usually Complies with Law Enforcement;
Homeland Security: Disable UPnP, as tens of millions at risk;
Complexity and Security; Dangerous Security Theater: Scrambling Fighter Jets; The Eavesdropping System in Your Computer;
Gun Crime: Tracing Weapons Back To Owners Isn't Easy NRA-backed federal limits on gun suits frustrate victims, their attorneys;
Math and science
Why extroverts fail, introverts flounder and you probably succeed;
Three Tips to Running More Efficiently; World's oldest marathoner to retire;
Study: Sex only burns about 21 calories;
Guide To Excel For Finance;
Web issues
Use Your Smartphone to Give a Presentation;
Finance and Economics
U.S. economy contracted at annual rate of 0.1 percent in fourth quarter;
US regulators warn banks on "living wills"; Treasury approved excessive pay for executives at bailed-out AIG, GM and Ally; Exit plan for Ally Financial Questioned;
Boeing battery solution may keep 787 grounded until 2014; Dreamliner program had problems from the start; Boeing 787 probe shifts to monitoring system;
Boeing 787 suppliers face revenue doubts; Boeing Defends Use Of Lithium-Ion Batteries;
Consumers won’t be allowed to unlock new mobile phones purchased from wireless providers;
U.S. Warns Antigua and Barbuda on Suspending IP Rights;
Other news
Should a good Christian own a gun; All Guns Are Not Created Equal;
Scouts considering retreat from no-gays policy;
Super Bowl 2013 ads;
Education:
Millions of Graduates Hold Jobs That Don't Require a College Degree; Report Finds That Many High Schoolers Giving Up On STEM;
Colleges' Aid Eligibility Should Be Tied to Students' Backgrounds; N.C. Governor Wants to Tie University Support to Jobs, Not Liberal Arts;
Michigan State Superintendent: $100,000 Salary Would Lure More Math, Science Teachers;
23 Florida Colleges Accept Governor’s $10,000 Degree Challenge; Florida Supreme Court Affirms That Legislature Has Tuition-Setting Power;
Cost-Cutting Plan Could Save U. of Texas $490-Million Over a Decade; Conn. and Mass. Governors Propose Big Spending Increases for Higher Education;
In a Volatile Economy, Colleges' Endowment Returns Fall Flat;
Textbook publishers' new digital products should not be called textbooks; For Many Students, Print Is Still King;
Professors Say Technology Helps in Logistics, Not Learning;
Western Oklahoma State College Discontinues Quick-Credit Courses; Most Students in Harvard Cheating Scandal Were Forced to Withdraw;
New guidelines for K-12 related to treatment of disabled athletes; Judge in Antitrust Lawsuit Rules NCAA Athletes Can Legally Pursue TV Money;