Last year, as the financial meltdown was getting underway, a scientist named Yaneer Bar-Yam developed a computer model of the economy. Instead of the individuals, companies and brokers that populate the real economy, the model used virtual actors. The computer world allowed Bar-Yam to do what...

All districts in Wyoming will be required to provide K-12 computer science instruction, and Idaho high schools will offer at least one high school CS course.

A state-by-state breakdown shows that Colorado, Rhode Island and Illinois found some evidence that students' familiarity with technology impacted scores on 2014-15 PARCC exams. An analysis in Maryland is pending.

Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo announced a new effort to bring computer science classes to every public school in the state by the end of 2017.

We present GluonCV and GluonNLP, the deep learning toolkits for computer vision and natural language processing based on Apache MXNet (incubating). These toolkits provide state-of-the-art pre-trained models, training scripts, and training logs, to facilitate rapid prototyping and promote reproducible research. We also provide modular APIs with flexible building blocks to enable efficient customization. Leveraging the MXNet ecosystem, the deep learning models in GluonCV and GluonNLP can be deployed onto a variety of platforms with different programming languages. The Apache 2.0 license has been adopted by GluonCV and GluonNLP to allow for software distribution, modification, and usage.

Silvia Metelli, Nicholas Heard.

Source: The Annals of Applied Statistics, Volume 13, Number 4, 2586--2610.

Abstract:
Monitoring computer network traffic for anomalous behaviour presents an important security challenge. Arrivals of new edges in a network graph represent connections between a client and server pair not previously observed, and in rare cases these might suggest the presence of intruders or malicious implants. We propose a Bayesian model and anomaly detection method for simultaneously characterising existing network structure and modelling likely new edge formation. The method is demonstrated on real computer network authentication data and successfully identifies some machines which are known to be compromised.

The cyber security conference, exhibition and professional training are being organised in collaboration with Symantec, Secure Services (Mauritius) Limited, Harel Mallac Technologies, Orange, Oracle, Check Point, McAfee, SafeNet and CyberArk.

The money is better spent on sincere and hardworking teachers.

Neurocognitive testing is recommended for the assessment of sport-related concussions. Computerized neurocognitive tests are more sensitive and more efficient than traditional neuropsychological testing in assessing sport-related concussions.

We describe the current prevalence of computerized neurocognitive testing, the relative use of the various computerized programs, the types of clinicians interpreting test scores, and associations of computerized tests with timing of return-to-play and medical provider type managing the athlete. (Read the full article)

Primary care settings provide an important venue for early detection of substance use and intervention, but adolescent screening rates need improvement. Screening and brief interventions appear effective in reducing adult problem drinking but evidence for effectiveness among adolescents is needed.

A computer-facilitated system for screening, feedback, and provider brief advice for primary care can increase adolescent receipt of substance use screening across a variety of practice settings, and shows promise for reducing adolescents’ use of alcohol and cannabis. (Read the full article)

Of more than 2 million children infected with HIV, almost 90% live in resource-limited settings where pediatric HIV care is often suboptimal. Implementing electronic health records with computerized decision support offers a potential tool for improving care.

This randomized, controlled trial demonstrates that computer-generated clinical reminders can significantly improve clinician compliance with HIV care guidelines for children in a resource-limited setting. This intervention is scalable as developing countries implement electronic health record systems. (Read the full article)

Despite the existence of authoritative guidelines to assist primary care physicians in identifying and managing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), ample evidence demonstrates that they continue to diagnose and treat this disorder suboptimally.

The introduction of a clinical decision support module resulted in higher quality of care with respect to ADHD diagnosis including a prospect for higher quality of ADHD management in children. (Read the full article)

Clinical pain assessment methods in youth are vulnerable to underestimation bias and underrecognition. Facial expressions are sensitive, specific biomarkers of the presence and severity of pain. Computer vision–based pattern recognition enables measurement of pain-related facial expressions from video.

This study demonstrates initial validity for developing computer vision algorithms for automated pain assessment in children. The system developed and tested in this study could provide standardized, continuous, and valid patient monitoring that is potentially scalable. (Read the full article)

There are plenty of ways to transfer large files between Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, including AirDrop, Google Photos, Bluetooth transfer, and third-party programs.

Computer fans can get pretty noisy, but there are a few things you can do to reduce the din. Here's how to quiet disruptive PC equipment.

Amazon is offering up to 30 percent off Acer laptops, desktops, and monitors. Plus, you can save $930 on the 65-inch Vizio P-Series Quantum X 4K TV.

What you want: space savings, power, and flexibility, all from a single desktop computer. What you need: an all-in-one (AIO) PC. Our buying guide and deep-dive reviews will help you shop for one of these sleek machines. (We've tested all the latest models.)

A reliable home PC doesn't have to cost you four figures...far from it. Most of our budget-PC favorites cost less than $600, and some are hundreds less than that. Check out our top tested picks among conventional towers, compact PCs, and more.

Whether hulking towers, sleek all-in-ones, or space-saving mini PCs, today's desktops pack spiffier designs and more value than ever. Check out our recent favorites, along with some in-depth shopping advice and deep-dive reviews.

Yong Y. Han
Dec 1, 2005; 116:1506-1512
ARTICLES

The right display will help you make the most of your movies, your games, or your work. Here's everything you need to know when shopping for a new one. Plus, see the best monitors we've tested at a variety of sizes and price levels, backed by hundreds of deep-dive reviews.

Tasked with buying a squadron of desktop LCD monitors for your employees, or just one for a special task? Here's what you need to know, along with our top-rated, lab-tested picks all across the price spectrum.

Worldwide, teachers may struggle to help students learn computer skills, finds a study of computer literacy rates across a dozen countries.

Having access to a computer or tablet doesn't necessarily make students computer literate, according to a study of computer-literacy skills across countries.

Whitepaper called Solving Computer Forensic Case Using Autopsy.

This exploit permits an attacker to bypass UAC by hijacking a registry key during computerSecurity.exe (auto elevate windows binary) execution.

The Inland Empire, which encompasses 27,000 square miles in Southern California, has one of the highest rates of poverty in the U.S.'s twenty-five largest metropolitan areas. One in five people there live at the poverty level. Smooth Transition, Inc., is a nonprofit educational and vocational training organization that has been working with local at-risk populations since 2009. It aims to provide a gateway towards empowerment, educational, and employment opportunities to lead a fulfilling, prosperous, and purposeful life.

Breaking Harmful Cycles

Smooth Transition began working to reach at-risk teens early — before they dropped out of high school or left the foster care system. It later expanded its program to include all at-risk populations, including displaced adults, as a means to better help the community. Smooth Transition's life skills development and educational training increase levels of employability. Its mentorship helps prevent its clients from re-entering the foster and judicial system or repeating poverty and homelessness cycles.

The nonprofit provides flexible and relevant programs that are accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Its programs are directly tied to career pathways and provide students with vocational certifications at little or no cost to them. Graduates have a high completion rate as compared with other programs that serve at-risk populations. But students also come away with significant increases in their perceived self-value and a decrease in perceived barriers to success.

Keeping the Computer Labs Secure

In 2016, Smooth Transition served roughly 2,800 people with just four full-time staff members. Many of its programs are computer-based and require that its computer labs serve multiple uses and multiple users. One of the organization's board members manages its IT needs on a volunteer basis. He recommended Symantec's Norton Small Business, and the organization has been using it on its systems since it was founded.

Symantec's donation of antivirus protection — through TechSoup — has enabled the nonprofit to safely use its computer labs and has increased the number of programs and services it can offer to its students. According to Dr. Robin Goins, president and executive director of Smooth Transition, "The donations we receive are the foundation of our success, and we cannot express enough the generational and community impact the Symantec donations provide us. Smooth Transition is an appreciative recipient of the donations we received from Symantec and we look forward to providing even more impactful community programs as a result."

Goins goes on to describe how Smooth Transition's testing centers are networked, with students taking roughly 250,000 different kinds of exams. She worried that without security in the testing centers, the tests would be disrupted, causing a very serious problem. "If we have things disrupting our classes it costs us money. It also costs students the ability to complete their work. Having viruses attack us would be catastrophic for us."

Goins points out that Norton Small Business also helps protect confidential information. "As a school, we're required to protect the identity of our students and a lot of their demographic information," she said.

Smooth Transition will continue to work throughout the Inland Empire to provide flexible training and resources for those who don't fit the traditional education model. Though it faces many challenges in providing students with real, relevant work tools and skills, its staff is relieved, knowing that its systems and data are protected.

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Here's a simple way to keep your data safe from potential bad actors in one easy step. Are you ready? Here it is: Log out and lock your computer whenever you're not in front of it.

That's right, it's so simple it can almost be seen as an analog approach to cybersecurity. But make no mistake, all those in-depth disk encryption efforts can be rendered pointless. If you step away from your computer while it's on and unlocked, anyone passing by can access it.

Working Remotely Promotes Data Vulnerability

What's perhaps most insidious about someone gaining physical access to your computer is the fact that the attacker doesn't need any advanced technical know-how to steal sensitive information. A momentary lapse in vigilance at work or a coffee shop can result in a data breach of epic proportions.

Let's say you're working remotely at your favorite café down the street from your apartment and you get up to put in an order for a late breakfast, forgetting to lock your laptop. During that brief moment, a low-key cybervillian could easily stick a USB drive into your computer and copy any sensitive files about you — or your organization — and leave undetected.

Furthermore, if you were logged in to Gmail, your medical records, or your bank account, that malefactor could wreak havoc on your personal and professional life in a matter of minutes.

Tips for Protecting Yourself

The good news about all of this is that warding off these types of would-be data plunderers is really, really easy — it's simply a matter of using your operating system's screen locking functionality. If you don't want to do this, then at the very least you should log out of any sensitive online accounts whenever you step away from your machine.

For each of the following options, be sure you are aware of the password connected to your user login before locking yourself (or anyone else) out.

Screen Locking in Microsoft Windows

• Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and select Lock this computer
• Press Windows+L

Either of these will lock your computer and require a password to log back in. You can choose Control Panel > Personalization > Screen Saver Settings and set up a screen saver that provides a login screen to get back in once it's been initiated.

Screen Locking in macOS

• On an external keyboard or older laptops, press Ctrl+Shift+Eject
• On a MacBook Air or Pro Retina, press Ctrl+Shift+Power

You can also go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General and select Require password immediately after sleep or screen saver begins (provided you have already set up a screen saver by clicking System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver).

Additional Cybersecurity Resources

• Find out how to recognize suspicious emails and protect yourself against malware through better password security
• Check out our recent post on the future of security threats

Get more security tips from the National Cyber Security Alliance. National Cyber Security Awareness Month — observed every October — was created as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure that all Americans have the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online. Find out how you can get involved.

Image: National Cyber Security Alliance

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"Big data" is playing an increasingly big role in the renewable energy industry and the transformation of the nation's electrical grid, and no single entity provides a better tool for such data than the Energy Department's Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) located on the campus of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Imagined by NREL leaders who foresaw the possibilities for high performance computing (HPC), the ESIF's HPC data center is fulfilling the goal of handling large and complex datasets that exceed traditional database processes.

Guidance on establishing processes to rapidly detect and respond to cyber incidents.

Employers, the leasing industry, professional advisers and many government departments including the DTI, were taken by surprise when withdrawal of the tax relief on computers supplied to employees was announced in the recent Budget. Numerous re...

Google recently claimed to have achieved quantum supremacy, but many companies are still hoping their own quantum computers will soon overtake Google's