Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Here’s a parallel question: How many of these schools teach computer security?
Martin George reports:
The number of data breaches reported by schools increased by almost a quarter in just two years, new research shows.
Schools in the UK reported 703 data breaches to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in 2016-17, compared with 571 in 2014-15.
A freedom of information request by accountancy network UHY Hacker Young showed that 674 were reported in 2015-16.
Read more on tes.
It is hard to attempt to draw comparisons to the situation in the U.S. due to the absence of any one centralized agency in the U.S. that requires notifications to it (such as the Information Commissioner’s Office). By looking within states that have mandatory reporting to the state, we may be able to determine if reports are increasing over years, but getting actual numbers that are likely to be reliable seems to be a bit unlikely still.


(Related) Probably no better in the US.
From the Office of the New York State Comptroller, this follow-up report on the New York State Education Department shows ongoing concerns that have not been addressed at all or only addressed partially:
Issued: November 13, 2018 Link to full audit report 2018-F-17




For my students. Before you spend $28
Rebecca Jeshke of EFF writes:
Do you need some stimulating reading material for this long holiday weekend? Here’s a great option: the latest issue of Timothy McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, The End of Trust. This is a collection of essays and interviews about technology, privacy, and surveillance, featuring many EFF authors—including EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn, Special Advisor Cory Doctorow, and board member Bruce Schneier.
The End of Trust is on sale online and in bookstores now, but it’s also free to download under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. In addition to essays from EFFers, contributors include anthropologist Gabriella Coleman examining anonymity, Edward Snowden tackling blockchain, and EFF Pioneer Award winner Malkia Cyril zeroing in on the historical surveillance of black bodies.
EFF has read and reviewed every piece of The End of Trust, and it’s a smart, thought-provoking, and entertaining issue. We are proud to be part of this project, and hope you enjoy it.




Have they really got the fact straight on this one? What happens when the rest of the world retaliates?
U.S. Mulls Curbs on Artificial Intelligence Exports
The administration of US President Donald Trump is exploring curbing exports of sensitive technologies including artificial intelligence for national security reasons, according to a proposal this week.
The proposal to control sales of certain technologies "essential to the national security of the United States" comes amid growing trade friction with Beijing -- and fears that China may overtake the US in some areas such as artificial intelligence.
The Commerce Department said in the proposed rules, published Monday, that it would consider curbs on various AI technologies such as neural networks and deep learning, computer vision, natural language processing and audio and video manipulation.
But banning AI exports could be counterproductive to US goals, said Daniel Castro, vice president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington think tank.
"If the US government bans the export of AI technology, other countries will likely enact reciprocal policies," Castro said.
"It will mean US companies are locked out of certain markets, allowing firms in other countries to compete unchallenged."




Another case of “not being on the same page?”
The FCC’s plan to fight spam texts could give phone companies more power over messaging
… In its announcement, the agency said it plans to formally classify text messaging as an information service, a legal distinction it said will be key to battling spam text messages. The classification, the agency said, will allow phone carriers to continue to use blocking technology to stop spam messages from reaching phones.
But some consumer advocates have pushed for the FCC to instead classify messaging as a telecommunications service. Without that classification, groups like Public Knowledge have argued, phone companies will be able to discriminate against messages, deciding when and how to deliver texts in ways they say could harm consumers and free speech.




For my Architecture students. Read carefully.
Optimized Prime: How AI And Anticipation Power Amazon's 1-Hour Deliveries
By the time someone clicks "buy" on Amazon, Jenny Freshwater's team has probably expected it.
Freshwater is a software director in Amazon's Supply Chain Optimization Technologies group. Her team forecasts demand for everything sold by Amazon worldwide.
… In 2013, Amazon got a patent for so-called "anticipatory shipping." The idea was to get your order as close as possible to your address before you actually click buy.
… AI has learned that not all new products mean the same type of forecast.
Take tax software. Everyone wants the latest version. But the release of a new DSLR camera? That actually triggers huge demand for the older versions, which are cheaper.
AI has also determined that online shoppers often abandon their online grocery cart entirely, if bananas are sold out — and that bananas are most in demand on Mondays.




For my students who think start-ups can’t compete with Amazon.
SoftBank doubles down on Korean online retailer Coupang with $2 billion investment
SoftBank’s Vision Fund is investing an additional $2 billion in South Korea’s top e-commerce firm Coupang, the retailer said on Tuesday, as the loss-making startup seeks to cement its market dominance.
The latest investment follows the $1 billion that SoftBank invested in Coupang in 2015 and values the eight-year-old startup at around $9 billion, a source close to Coupang said.
Coupang has since grown rapidly to become the biggest player in South Korea’s e-commerce market. It clocked 2.7 trillion won ($2.4 billion) in revenue last year, with its online sales almost as much as the next three largest e-commerce sites in the country combined, according to research firm Statista.




Another self-driving option I had not considered. Probably more restful, possibly cheaper, definitely slower.
This self-driving hotel room could revolutionize travel
Question: What do you get if you cross a hotel room with a self-driving vehicle? Answer: The Autonomous Travel Suite (ATS).
A hotel room on wheels, the ATS is the brainchild of Toronto-based Steve Lee of Aprilli Design Studio and could revolutionize the way we travel.
… While car designers have focused on developing advanced versions of conventional vehicles, "as an architect, I see self-driving vehicles as more being more like a mobile room," says Lee.


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