Monday, December 21, 2015

Great learning toys for less than $50

Gift Ideas for Kids: Best Educational Toys and Games of 2015

by Laura Geggel, Staff Writer   |   November 17, 2015 05:04pm ET
This holiday season, engage your budding scientist with toys that fly, spin and magnify. Kids are curious creatures, so here at Live Science, we've dug through dozens of toys to find the best gifts (many of which are less than $20) for the children in your life. We hope you find the perfect present that teaches them how to build robots, fit together gears and create chemistry in the kitchen.

Awesome Gifts for Less Than $20

  1. Magic School Bus - The Mysteries of Rainbows, $11.99
  2. Scientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Kit, $14.02
  3. Creativity For Kids Grow 'n Glow Terrarium, $14.99
  4. Klutz Lego Crazy Action Contraptions Kit, $15.79
  5. Scientific Explorer Tasty Science Kit, $16.09
  6. ScienceWiz Cool Circuits, $16.43

Great Gifts for Less Than $50

  1. Thames & Kosmos Crystal Growing, $35.95
  2. Lego Technic Fire Plane, $49.99

Cool Gifts for Less Than $100

  1. MGA MC² Ultimate Lab Kit, $58.78
  2. MEL Chemistry, $73.80
  3. Omano OM17L Compound Microscope with Book, $77

If You Want to Splurge ($150 or Less)

  1. Meccanoid G15 , $148.28
Klutz Lego Crazy Action Contraptions Kit

Klutz Lego Crazy Action Contraptions Kit

Watch children learn about mechanics as they fit together and take apart gears, rubber bands and wheels. The kit includes Lego blocks, gears and axles, as well as easy-to-follow instructions for 16 toys that zoom across the floor, plummet down a zip line and spin out of control. With a bit of work and creativity, kids can build their own creations, such as a wind-up race car, by themselves or with friends and family. (Ages 7+)
Price $15.79




Magic School Bus Rainbow Kit
Credit: The Young Scientists Club

Magic School Bus - The Mysteries of Rainbows

Join Miss Frizzle and her class full of questioning scientists on a wild trip into the world of rainbows. Kids can learn about the properties of light and do hands-on experiments by wearing rainbow glasses, blowing rainbow bubbles, bending white light and more. Children can tackle the rainbow lessons on their own or with family members. (Ages 5 to 11)
Price $11.99
MEL Science Kit
Credit: Copyright MEL Science

MEL Chemistry

Got an insatiable scientist on your hands? Then try MEL Chemistry, a next-generation series of chemistry experiments that arrive in the mail every month. At the start of each month, subscribers will receive three new chemistry sets with intriguing experiments, such as how to make a burning sugar snake. These hands-on challenges come with accompanying lessons that include learning with a smart-device application (compatible with iPads, iPhones and Android smartphones or tablets). MEL Chemistry also uses Google Cardboard, 3D graphics, macro photo and video as a way to turn each investigation into a game. (Ages 12+)
Price: A $73.80 subscription gets you the starter kit and two experiments. Monthly payment for three experiment sets is $35.85; it includes shipping. Buy now on MEL Science's website.
Creativity For Kids Grow 'n Glow Terrarium
Credit: Creativity For Kids

Creativity For Kids Grow 'n Glow Terrarium

Give the gift of a garden with this miniature terrarium. Simply assemble, decorate and water the tiny ecosystem, and watch it grow before your eyes. Children will learn how soil, sun and water are needed for seeds to grow into green plants. It also teaches kids about stewardship, responsibility, and cause and effect, as the terrarium needs to be misted each day to water the plants. After three to four days of misting, the seeds will shoot up, teaching young botanists about the water cycle and how plants grow. (Ages 5 to 15)
Price: $14.99
Thames & Kosmos Crystal Chemistry
Credit: Thames & Kosmos Crystal Chemistry

Thames & Kosmos Crystal Growing

Watch your child learn about the beauty and complexity of crystal growth. The kit includes 15 different experiments with instructions that explain the structure and geometry of the crystals. With hot water, crystal-growing solution and a bit of patience, kids can grow a rainbow of colorful crystals in a variety of shapes. Crystal "farmers" can then display their fully grown creations in special cases that come with the set. It's the perfect gift for budding geologists. (Ages 10+)
Price: $35.95
LEGO Plane
Credit: The LEGO Group

Lego Technic Fire Plane

With this toy, kids can learn about firefighting techniques by building a model plane with a three-blade propeller, a two-cylinder engine and large pontoons (floats), just like the real seaplanes firefighters use during disasters. A joystick on the back of the plane helps the pilot control the elevators and ailerons (parts on the plane that help it turn, descend or rise). After the plane takes off and reaches the target, the pilot of the Lego plane can empty ice cubes from a compartment on the plane to extinguish the blaze. After the mission, kids can rebuild the Fire Plane into another toy: a high-speed jet, according to Lego. (Ages 9+)
Price: $49.99
Tasty Science
Credit: Scientific Explorer

Scientific Explorer Tasty Science Kit

Children can create edible concoctions after taking stock of the ingredients, recipes and activity cards included in this test-tube laboratory. The kit comes with 10 activities that explain a number of culinary tricks, including how cakes rise, how rock candy crystalizes and what makes drinks fizzy. The recipes are great for everyday fun or birthday parties. (Ages 6 to 11)
Price: $16.09
My First Mind Blowing Science Kit
Credit: Scientific Explorer

Scientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Kit

This science kit walks young learners through several wacky experiments, including how to create a sunset in a test tube and how to make a volcano that can change colors. The 20-piece kit teaches kids about the basics of chemical reactions and how to use science tools. The kit contains a number of instruments, such as test tubes, pipettes, measuring scoops, chemicals (including cabbage powder and citric acid) and an activity guide. (Ages 4 to 8)
Price: $14.02

See more > http://www.livescience.com/48764-kids-gift-ideas.html

Love makes the greatest gift, Happy Holidays.
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Sunday, December 20, 2015

10 hottest tech skills for 2016


[SINGLE USE] Richard Borge illustration for Computerworld: 10 Hottest Tech Skills for 2016

The IT team at HRHCare has seen its workload rise in recent years, as the Beacon, N.Y.-based nonprofit has added facilities and expanded its services.
Eric Brosius, the organization's vice president of technology services, wants to expand the staff so his team will be able to cope with the added responsibilities and tackle new technology initiatives.
Specifically, Brosius says he wants to add another six or seven full-time people to his staff of 17 full-timers. His first hiring priority: two tech support folks. Then he wants to hire someone with architecture skills and experience working with software-as-a-service and cloud-based offerings to guide operations as the organization moves out of its own data center into a colocation site.
The results of Computerworld's Forecast 2016 survey suggest that Brosius will face stiff competition for top talent when he goes to recruit people: 37% of the 182 IT professionals who responded to the survey said they likewise plan to increase head count in the upcoming year -- that's a significant jump from last year, when only 24% said they planned to add new staff. Moreover, 24% of those polled this year listed "attracting new talent" as first among their business priorities for the next 12 months.





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Nica notes: Cram 3 years into 4 months.

After some men gave me some creds and slapped a name and logo on my shirt, I thought I was done. Some new gentlemen corrected me and said, "You're just getting started".
https://www.edx.org/school/linuxfoundationx



LinuxChanges

Changes done in each Linux kernel release. Other places to get news about the Linux kernel are LWN kernel status, H-Online, or the Linux Kernel mailing list (there is a web interface inwww.lkml.org). List of changes of older releases can be found at LinuxVersions. If you're going to add something here look first at LinuxChangesRules!
You can discuss the latest Linux kernel changes on the New Linux Kernel Features Forum.
Linux 4.1 has been released on Sun, 21 Jun 2015
Summary: This release adds support for Ext4 encryption, experimental support for managing clustered raid arrays, a new device mapper target that logs all writes to the devices and allows to replay them, a driver to turn the memory in persistent memory systems in a block device, support for disabling multi-user support, support for the Multiprotocol Label Switching which routes packets based on path labels rather than long network addresses, allow to attach BPF programs to kprobes for better probing, ACPI support for the ARM64 architecture, and a virtual GEM driver that allows improved software rasterizers. There are also new drivers and many other small improvements.
  1. Prominent features
    1. Ext4 encryption support
    2. Experimental cluster support for MD
    3. Device mapper: new target that logs writes
    4. Single user support
    5. Virtual GEM driver for improved software rasterizers
    6. Block device for persistent memory
    7. Multiprotocol Label Switching
    8. BPF programs can be attached to kprobes
    9. ACPI support for the ARM64 architecture
  2. Drivers and architectures
  3. Core (various)
  4. File systems
  5. Block
  6. Cryptography
  7. Memory management
  8. Security
  9. Tracing & perf
  10. Virtualization
  11. Networking
  12. List of merges
  13. Other news sites


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Saturday, December 19, 2015

The Darknet, "Just for Us".

If you require anymore information, LEAVE!

https://www.torproject.org/download/download-easy.html.en

https://anoninsiders.net/how-to-join-anonymous-1527/

"Just for Us"

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Hackers trace ISIS Twitter accounts back to internet addresses linked to Department of Work and Pensions


Hackers have claimed that a number of Islamic State supporters' social media accounts are being run from internet addresses linked to the Department of Work and Pensions.
A group of four young computer experts who call themselves VandaSec have unearthed evidence indicating that at least three ISIS-supporting accounts can be traced back to the DWP.
Every computer and mobile phone logs onto the internet using an IP address, which is a type of identification number.
The hacking collective showed Mirror Online details of the IP addresses used by a trio of separate digital jihadis to access Twitter accounts, which have been used to spread extremist propaganda.
At first glance, the IP addresses seem to be based in Saudi Arabia, but upon further inspection using specialist tools they appeared to link back to the DWP.
Getty/ReutersCyberwar: ISIS has been locked in battle with Anonymous hacktivists
Cyberwar: ISIS has been locked in battle with Anonymous hacktivists
"Don't you think that's strange?" one of the hackers asked Mirror Online. "We traced these accounts back to London, the home of the British intelligence services."
VandaSec's work has sparked wild rumours suggesting someone inside the DWP is running ISIS-supporting accounts, or they were created by intelligence services as a honeypot to trap wannabe jihadis.
However, when Mirror Online traced the IP addresses obtained by VandaSec, we found they actually pointed to a series of unpublicised transactions between Britain and Saudi Arabia.
Anonymous declare war on Islamic State
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We learned that the British government sold on a large number of IP addresses to two Saudi Arabian firms.
After the sale completed in October of this year, they were used by extremists to spread their message of hate.
Jamie Turner, an expert from a firm called PCA Predict, discovered a record of the sale of IP addresses, and found a large number were transferred to Saudi Arabia in October of this year.
Getty/ReutersiJihad: Is the laptop as mighty as the sword?
iJihad: Is the laptop as mighty as the sword?
He told us it was likely the IP addresses could still be traced back to the DWP because records of the addresses had not yet been fully updated.
The Cabinet Office has now admitted to selling the IP addresses on to Saudi Telecom and the Saudi-based Mobile Telecommunications Company earlier this year as part of a wider drive to get rid of a large number of the DWP's IP addresses.
It said the British government can have no control over how these addresses are used after the sale.
JS74512875.jpg
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "The government owns millions of unused IP addresses which we are selling to get a good return for hardworking taxpayers.
"We have sold a number of these addresses to telecoms companies both in the UK and internationally to allow their customers to connect to the internet.
"We think carefully about which companies we sell addresses to, but how their customers use this internet connection is beyond our control."
The government did not reveal how much money was made from selling the IP addresses to the pair of Saudi firms, because it regards this information as commercially sensitive.

Can you really be traced from your IP address?

You can get close enough!

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