Monday, August 25, 2014

Do Computers Damage Your Learning Ability?

Some recent studies have shown that readers of digital media absorb less effectively than readers of paper. In one recent study, carried out at Stavenger University in Norway, students were given a short story to read, half on a Kindle and half on paper. In subsequent tests where they were asked to reconstruct the plot, the paper readers did significantly better.

In a previous study, again in Norway, 72 students were given some text to read, with some reading a PDF document and others reading it on paper. In the comprehension tests that followed, the paper readers did significantly better.

Many people feel that their comprehension and retention after reading on a computer is less effective than reading the same thing on paper. Some studies have indicated that students often prefer to study on paper.

This line of research has serious implications for today's students who get much of their information from computers. Also, there has been a move to move textbooks into digital format. But is this really a good idea?

One observer concludes that we need to learn about which types of information can be best absorbed using digital media and which using paper. It's an important question and one that requires further research.

For more, check out this article.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Amazon Moves into the Mobile Payment Space

Payments using mobile phones has been an area receiving a lot of attention over the past couple of years. But nobody has really broken heavily into the market, despite several prominent entries, such as Square and Paypal Here.

Paypal in particular is a powerhouse in the e-commerce payments area and has had a significant advantage in moving into mobile payments.

That advantage will be diminished with Amazon's entry, Local Register.

The system will be used with a card reader that will enable credit cards to be swiped on a mobile phone. The card readers will be available at various outlets, including Staples.

Initial resistance both from shoppers and merchants because of complexity and security issues is slowly fading, so the mobile payments market is widely seen as a major one. Successful providers will be able to make massive revenues from transaction fees. And the volume of retail transactions is staggering.

For more on this new service, check this link, and this one.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

IT Security for Cars

When most people think about security for their car, they think locks and alarm systems; i.e. safety from theft and events like carjackings.

Those are important concerns, but a newer one is become a serious threat as well. That arises from the growing inclusion of technology into automobile systems, including the steering, brakes and parking manoeuvres. The prospect of driverless cars adds further urgency to this issue.

The issue is making sure those high tech systems incorporate the best of modern security techniques to provide protection from hackers.

The thought of hackers breaking into your car and disabling the brakes is a scary one, but nevertheless very real, if not now, then in the near future.

Last week, a group of security specialists published an open letter to the CEOs of the major automobile manufacturers calling for adoption of a new five star cyber security program in the manufacturing process.

Hopefully the industry will listen to these pleas. With the rapid changes now taking place in the automation of automobiles, we can't afford to wait until pranksters or malicious hackers begin wreaking havoc on the highways. For an article on the security experts' letter, check this link.