Learn to Code - Tutorials for all: k-12

December 9-13 was Computer Science Week. Schools across the world, 20 million plus students, took part in it by going to the website http://code.org/learn and doing at least one of the tutorials.

It was a fun and enlightening week for some students at WHS. Over 90 Winslow High School computer students and algebra students in my classes and the Computer Club completed at least one tutorial. Many students completed two or more tutorials and others learned even more by doing other tutorials  in programming languages, such as, Python and other programming options, such as, HTML,JavaScript, CSS, JQuery, writing Mobile Apps and others.

For some students it was their first introduction to computer science and programming. They were very enthused and interested in the field. Several students said they had spent hours using the tutorials and learning about some aspect of programming and planned on continuing with the tutorials. This was an option that was not available before. Students didn't need any costly or hard to download programs. The tutorials were set up so all that was needed was included on the web.

 These are other free and in-depth tutorials at code.org and http://codeacademy.com.

Check out the tutorials at Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/cs  and https://www.khanacademy.org/hour-of-code/hour-of-code-tutorial/v/welcome-hour-of-code  and https://www.khanacademy.org/cs/programming

There are also free classes on programming from many colleges and universities, such as, the one at MIT

Watch the "Code Stars" youtube video. Then go to the above links and learn what programming is all about. It can be fun, interesting, challenging, and rewarding.

4 Facebook scams to watch out for now 

site source:http://www.komando.com/toolbox.aspx?mode=print&id=14361

4/21/2013

Every other week or so, a viral hoax breaks out on Facebook and spreads like wildfire through users' News Feeds.
The latest howler making the rounds is a "Red Alert" that urgently warns Facebook users not to open any message that pertains to Windows Live, even if it comes from a friend. Doing so will unleash a virus that "burns the entire hard disk."
The alert is accompanied by a picture of a laptop in flames.
Another recent hoax urged Facebook users to paste a Facebook "Gold" membership on their walls to prevent all of their private information from being made public.
Although hoaxes like these are mildly amusing and generally harmless, scams are another story. Falling for a scam can result in a thief taking over your Facebook account, stealing your identity and spreading computer viruses.
1. Free giveaways - The easiest scam to fall for on Facebook is a free giveaway. You'll see everything from gift cards to free tablets, laptops and smartphones.
Last month, tens of thousands of users fell for a scam claiming that Sony needed beta testers for its new PlayStation 4. According to the scam, chosen testers would get to keep the game console!
This is a variation on a recurring scam that tricks users into filling out surveys and downloading malicious files onto their computers. Entering your cellphone number on a scam survey often leads to bogus premium charges appearing on your wireless bill.
It's very rare for a company to give away something through Facebook. When it does, it's usually promoted on that company's Facebook page or website. If you check their page or site and don't see something, don't bother.
2. Viral videos - Almost as exciting as winning the latest gadget is seeing the latest viral video. However, many supposedly salacious celebrity "videos" posted on Facebook aren't videos at all.
When you click, they'll ask you to update your video player before you can watch. When you do, you'll be downloading a virus and sharing the scam with all of your friends.
This one is easy to avoid. Type the video's title into a Google search. It should pop up with a link to it on YouTube. If it isn't on YouTube or a legitimate news site, it's probably a scam.
3. Custom profiles - Another common scam offers to change your Facebook layout. Last month, it was the dangerous Facebook Black scam. This month, the scammer wants you try out the new Pink color theme.
This scam tries to con you into installing a rogue Facebook app. If you do, you give the scammer access to all of your personal data and license to spam and scam all your friends.
Keep in mind there is no official way to change your Facebook layout. Social Fixer can change the way you see it, but nothing will change the way other people see it.
4. Who viewed your profile? - Speaking of people seeing your profile, did you know there's now a way to tell who visits your page? OK, not really, but that's what scammers want you to think. This old gem has been around almost as long as Facebook itself.
Facebook has made it clear several times: There is no way for any app to show you who has visited your profile. Any download that says differently is either a prank or a virus. You can, however, see who has unfriended you using these sites.
These are the most popular scams, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg. I keep you updated on the major ones on my Facebook page, so be sure to "Like" me. If you want to keep track of every scam happening on Facebook, the site Facecrooks is updated with scams as they break.
Facebook isn't the only site where scammers abound, though. Here are three more online scams you have to stay vigilant against.

• Twitter is loaded with scam accounts that want you to follow them. You can easily weed out scam Twitter accounts with this site. 
• Could you tell a legitimate social media business from a scam one? I'll give you some tips on telling the difference. 
• Social media scams are growing, but they're still not as rampant as spam. Find out if an email is a scam with these tips.

Robots and amputees

Check this link to see some of the newest inventions in robotics.
http://singularityhub.com/2011/05/19/man-chooses-to-cut-off-his-hand-%e2%80%93-and-get-a-bionic-one-video/

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Security Lessons Still Lacking for Computer Science Grads

Security Lessons Still Lacking for Computer Science Grads
InfoWorld (04/22/11) Robert Lemos

The number of software development and engineering jobs has grown significantly over the last five years, with social media software engineers, mobile applications engineers, and cloud infrastructure experts in the highest demand , according to Indeed.com. Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the job market for software engineers to grow by a third over the next seven years. However, top computer science programs do not require students to learn the fundamentals of secure programming, which could hurt application security in the future, says Mykonos Software CEO David Koretz. He recently started working with the Rochester Institute of Technology to improve the security readiness of computer science graduates. Other companies, including Microsoft and Solera Networks, also have launched efforts to boost security training and reduce the number of vulnerabilities found in applications. Recent breaches of major online service providers, including Google, Facebook, and Twitter, have highlighted the need for more secure programming. "To me, not only is it not surprising [that we are seeing these incidents], it seems exactly what we set ourselves up for," Koretz says.